He pulled over to an open space on the side of the street, put the car in park and started to get out.

"Where are you going?" she furrowed her brows.

"I have to grab some Tylenol from the bodega. I'll be right back." He gave her that knee-weakening grin that stretched from ear to ear.

She nodded her head and then leaned it against the window. She wouldn't be able to sleep tonight, that much she already knew. She'd been thinking about him nonstop while working together today and as soon as she got home and could be alone with her thoughts, she'd just think about him even more.

Flashes of nostalgia beamed in every direction she looked. They'd worked together a handful of times in the last year but this was the first time they'd been full-on partners. And it was like no time had passed. That should have brought her comfort and, in a sense, it did. She never felt more safe than she did working with him. It made her feel good, protected.

She knew his next move, he knew hers. His boss told him to stand down and wait for backup, she said "let's go." They entered the house and didn't have to exchange a single word. They needed nothing but each other's gazes to save a little girl's life. If she closed her eyes, it was 2010 and just another day rescuing a child with her partner.

"The two of you together, always so in sync."

His wife's sentiment resonated in her mind and she sighed. His presence today made her feel safe, but also terrified. She was terrified by just how comfortable it all still was and by the way she had to stop herself from thinking those elusive three words as she watched him carry the little girl out.

His left hand was bare now, the only barrier that once stood between them gone. He'd become so transparent with her, disclosing personal struggles that he never would have told her about 15 years ago. Each time, his eyes begged her to do the same, to trust him, to let herself lean on him.

She knew there were two major parts of her life that, eventually, she'd have to let him into. Unexpectedly, she'd let him into one of them earlier today.

"He seems cool," Noah had told her on the way home.

"Yeah," she said, hoping he would drop the subject if she didn't entertain a conversation.

"Why did you get all nervous when you started talking to him?" her son pried.

"Nervous? I wasn't nervous."

"Mom," he rolled his eyes, "your voice was all shaky and quiet."

She didn't respond. She didn't know how to address those feelings with herself, much less with her son.

But the kid wasn't letting it go.

"He was hitting on you," Noah giggled.

She scoffed. Whether to convince herself or her son, she wasn't sure.

"He was not hitting on me."

"Mom, I'm 8, not blind. He looked you up and down and said you look great."

Truth be told, Noah was right. And the way her heart floated when he told her she looked great was terrifying.

She'd averted her gaze and redirected the conversation to his family, which had always been a safe topic for discussion.

"He was just being friendly, Noah, he's said that to me a thousand times before."

Except he hadn't.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the car door opening.

Turning her attention, she watched him get into the driver's side as he handed her a bag.

"Looks like you got more than Tylenol," she laughed.

"Yeah, open it," he said, shifting the gear and pulling out into the traffic.

Puzzled, she looked into the bag and found two quarts of ice cream.

"You having a party?" she asked.

"No, that's for you."

She squinted at him, confused.

"It's my fault that you and Noah didn't get to go out for ice cream," he shrugged, his eyes fixed on the road.

Her breath caught in her chest and she stayed silent for a few seconds, knowing her voice would crack if she tried to talk.

"You didn't have to do that, El," she said eventually.

"Yes, I did. I've caused you nothing but chaos since I've been back and the first thing I do when I meet your kid is take you away from him on Mother's Day. Great first impression."

"Actually, he said you seemed pretty cool on the way home," she reassured.

"Really? The second he said he already knew who I was, I figured he must hate me."

"I never told him everything. He was hanging out at the precinct when he was about 5 and saw a picture all of us on Fin's desk. You were the only person in the photo who he didn't recognize so when he pointed and asked who you were, Fin and I just said you were my old partner. That's the most I've ever talked to him about you. He never asked anything else but he's got a good memory so I'm not surprised he knew who you were when we ran into you."

"Oh," he muttered.

She couldn't tell if he was sad or relieved.

Before she could think of something to say, he spoke again.

"I hope he likes rocky road."

"It's his favorite," she smiled, absentmindedly fidgeting with the handles of the bag on her lap.

"I figured."

"How?"

"Because it's his mom's favorite and I know she doesn't keep any other flavor in her freezer. So he probably didn't have a choice and now he loves it."

"Damn, am I that predictable?" she laughed.

"Not to everyone," he said softly.

The breadth of his response wasn't lost on her. He knew her better than anyone, even now after all those years apart.

He'd been putting his heart on the table for her all day and she knew that. She had to reciprocate, even if in just the slightest.

"I missed working with you," she whispered. "I forgot how good we were. You know, together."

"I had the time of my life being your partner again today, Liv. I, uh—thank you."

If she responded, he'd hear the emotion in her voice, so she hummed her acknowledgement and returned her gaze to the busy street.

The air between them was heavy, filled with words unsaid and emotions unaddressed. They were only a few blocks from her apartment and he didn't know when he'd see her again. All he knew was that today gave him purpose for the first time since before he'd come back. Being her partner again breathed life back into him. He'd taken it for granted once before and the remainder of this car ride was dwindling away. He couldn't not confront it. And he couldn't stop the words as they escaped his lips.

"I want to be your partner again."

Stunned and confused, she whipped her head in his direction.

"What?"

He stayed silent as he pulled into a space in front of her apartment building. After parking, he returned his gaze to hers.

"I want to be your partner again," he repeated, softer this time.

She shook her head in puzzlement, lips parting and closing as she tried to gather a response.

"El, that's not possible."

"Sure it is."

"Elliot, first of all, captains don't have partners. Second, we don't work in the same unit anymore."

"I know that."

"Why are you bringing this up, then?"

"Because I want to be your partner again," he said a third time.

"But you can't."

"Yes I can, if you'll let me."

"That's not up to me, Elliot," she breathed, exasperated.

"It is. There's more than one type of partner."

She squinted at him again, trying to figure out what he meant and he watched her expression change as the realization dawned on her. Still, she didn't say anything.

"The years I spent being your work partner were the best of my life. I know we will never be able to work together in that capacity again, but today made me realize that I don't care what kind of partners we are. I just want to be back at your side."

Her irises widened and she tried to process. He hadn't said anything outright. He was right, there were many types of partners. Maybe he wanted to be friends. They could work out, play tennis, join a pool league, all of which you might have a partner for. And then there was…

Neither of them was ever good at just saying what they meant and it was exhausting. This conversation could go on for hours, she thought, so she decided to bite the bullet.

"Elliot, what are you asking of me?"

"I'm asking you to please be my partner again." His eyes were desperate.

"In what way?"

"In the way that I come home every night feeling the way you made me feel today. I had a purpose today. I got to protect you today. I felt alive being with you again. Not one other person in my life has ever known me the way you do. And that stems from us putting our lives in each other's hands, trusting each other, all those years ago. Being work partners laid the foundation and I want to build on it. I know I broke that trust, I know I broke your heart. And please hear me when I say that I am so sorry. I have lived every day with regret and I don't deserve to even ask this of you but I think, I hope, that you know I can be the same for you; the person who knows you better than anyone, the person whose hands you entrust your life to. I want to earn that trust back, to be for you what you've been for me. I miss my partner and I don't have any right to ask you if you'll let me care for you again but if you can find it in your heart to remember a time when you did trust me, before I wrecked us, maybe you'll realize you also long for that partnership. And if you don't, I understand. I've done nothing to show you that I would do anything for you. But I want to show you now. Please just give me a chance to show you."

"Elliot…," she croaked, trying to keep the moisture in her eyes at bay.

"Just say no and I'll never bring it up again, I promise."

"I'm not going to say no."

"Well I guess that's a good start," he said.

"Do you remember when you told me you didn't know where to begin?"

"Yes."

She tilted her head to the side and grinned at him.

"I think you may have figured it out."

"Oh yeah?"

"Tell me what you're thinking right now. No explanation, no embellishment, no fear that it might freak me out. Just say it."

Taking a deep breath, he squared his shoulders and held her gaze.

"I have feelings for you. They're deep and intense and often overwhelming. Truth be told, they terrify me because I know there's a very good chance that I'll never be able to act on them and I did that to myself."

She thought for a moment, her breathing even and her body relaxed.

"Act on them," she said, soft but firm.

"What?" he picked his head up.

"Act on them."

"How?"

"However you feel is right for you…for us," she gestured between them.

"I don't want to overstep," he replied, voice trembling.

"If anything you say or do makes me uncomfortable, I'll tell you, okay?"

He nodded. "Okay."

"Okay," she smiled.

"I know it was the worst possible time to say it to you but I meant what I said at the intervention."

"I know." Her voice was gentle, comforting, a tone that only a mother could have.

"You know that it was a bad time to say it or that I meant it?"

"Both," she laughed.

"Oh…okay. Good."

She giggled, she'd never seen him this nervous and she had to admit, it was kind of cute.

"You're not very good at this are you?"

"Give me a break, Liv. I haven't done this since I was 17," he said, making her laugh again. Oh, how he missed the sound of that.

"Okay, you're right. I'm sorry," she replied.

"No, it's okay. I'm just—"

"Do you want some help?"

"God, please," he exhaled, dropping his face into his hands.

She smiled again, got out of the car and walked to his side, reaching her hand out once he opened the door.

He looked down at her hand and back into her eyes.

"Take it," she whispered, her voice now timid. Was she just as scared as he was?

He stood up and laced his fingers through hers, a sudden confidence washing over him.

"I think I can take it from here," he said.

"Go for it."

He just stood there, looking down at her. His back against the car and the most beautiful woman staring back at him. Those eyes that were his salvation, the best parts of his past, the scariest parts of his present, and the most hopeful parts of his future.

He dared to lay his free hand on her hip and pull her closer.

They both trembled and neither bothered to stop the tears that cascaded freely down their cheeks.

He moved his hand to the side of her face and touched his forehead to hers, both of them trying to control the tremors that wracked their shoulders as they sobbed together.

He drew in a sharp breath, gathering as much composure as he could and lost himself in the depths of her angelic gaze.

"I love you, Olivia," he managed to get out before pulling her to his chest and crying with her again.

Work partners be damned, there was nothing better than holding her, even while she was crying.

The emotion was overwhelming. So many years, so many feelings, so much love.

She turned her face into the crook of his neck and kissed the exposed skin there. Pulling back, she caught his eyes and took his hands in her own.

She inhaled courage and exhaled doubt. Inhaled hope and exhaled heartbreak.

Before her stood a changed man, baring his soul to her and begging her to do the same. The risk was terrifying. But even more terrifying was the idea of nearing the end of her life, having never given him a second chance…given them a second chance.

He looked so broken, so scared, so fragile and she knew then that he would rather die than hurt her again.

She could tell that he was holding back out of respect and wouldn't dare kiss her without permission, but was also scared to ask for it. So, she placed his hands on her hips, then brought hers up to caress his features.

Pulling his lips to her own, she stopped millimeters apart, just long enough to whisper, "I love you too, Elliot," then kissed him with all she had.

It was like a well-rehearsed waltz. You'd never know it was their first kiss. As in every other aspect of their relationship, they complemented each other, anticipated each movement. It was heaven, being lost in each other's arms as their lips danced.

For the first time, not a single wall stood between them and they freely gave themselves over to each other. In taking that jump, both knew that the other would catch them, as they always had.

When they broke apart, he pulled her to his chest and held her again, placing a kiss to the top of her head and breathing in the intoxicating scent of her lavender shampoo, which she hadn't changed in as long as he'd known her.

"I love you so much," he mumbled into her hair and she just hugged him tighter.

"You should get inside, Noah's waiting and that ice cream is going to melt," he said, pulling back and placing his palms on her biceps.

"Stay," she said.

"But Noah—"

"Will be thrilled that you came over for ice cream. And I need to talk to you about some things before we get too far into this."

His expression fell.

"What kind of things?"

"Just…things you missed but need to know. It's not all going to be easy to hear but I want to get them out of the way so we can go into this without any secrets or surprises."

"Hard to hear? Secrets? Surprises? Are you okay? Is Noah okay?"

"We're both fine," she assured. "Let's just go hang out, eat ice cream, maybe watch a movie and I promise we'll talk after he goes to bed. Unless you have to get home?"

"No, no," he shook his head. "I'm all yours."

She nodded and took his hand, leading him toward the lobby doors.

"Forever," he said in the elevator, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind.

"What?"

"I'm all yours. Forever."