"Olivia? Hello? Liv?!"

"Y-yeah. Yes. Can you repeat that for me?"

"Sure. I asked what is going on that is so important that you requested to meet me here, ASAP on a Saturday while you're still undercover? It seemed urgent and yet, you haven't said a word since you sat down ten minutes ago." George Huang, doctor, FBI behavioral expert, SVU liaison and apparently Olivia Benson and Amanda Rollins' self-proclaimed couple's therapist, awaited an answer. The doc braced himself for whatever would come out of her mouth. However, he was meeting with the tamest one of the duo so he didn't expect things to get too risqué or uncomfortable. He'd always admired his co-worker's decorum and grace.

"I faked it. I faked my orgasm," uttered a spaced-out Olivia, barely above a whisper. "I've never done that with her before. Never had to, if you catch my drift…"

All right, and there goes decorum just right out of the goddamn window. Ok, so needless to say, he was wrong about his initial thoughts on things not being uncomfortable. Moving on. "Ahem, w-why did you feel like you had to fake it?"

"You ever been married, George?" She barely even registered his question before she asked her own.

"Uh, n-no. Why do you ask?"

"Do you believe in marriage? Like, do you think it can actually, actually work?"

"Uhhh, yes. I believe that marriage can work, if the two people are open and honest about what they want and expect from the other. If they find what best suits them and not allow society's idea of what a 'real' marriage is define them, then yes, I believe it can actually work."

"Hmmm." The detective was still staring at some painting on the doc's wall. Far removed away from the conversation she had initiated.

"Olivia?"

"I never thought I'd get married. Well, I didn't always think that. I was actually engaged at sixteen but that's another story for another day…" Olivia shook off the past and kept explaining. "Anyway, by the time I was thirty-five, I figured it wasn't for me. Had seen too much on the job and in my inner circle. Between Munch and his gaggle of ex-wives, Fin's messy divorce, Elliot and Kathy barely holding on by a string only because they have a thousand kids, kind of helped solidify my thinking around marriage."

Touché. "Does Amanda know how you feel about it?" The doc had a good inkling as of why this line of questioning had steered the conversation.

Olivia let out a guttural laugh, that startled Huang. Definitely not the reaction he was expecting but there she was, mouth opened, keeled over laughing with tears in her eyes. "I'm going to go with a hard no. Especially, given the fact that I just agreed to marry her, when I don't even believe in marriage actually working." More laughter.

Oh no. "What made you agree?" Inquired the good doc. Olivia's laughter abruptly ceased but the unshed tears clung to those emotion filled, chocolate orbs. For the first time since she'd been in the doctor's office, she made eye contact, as she flashed back to the conversation in question.

Hours earlier at Grace and Manuel's…

"You have me. All of me. What more do I have to do to show you that I'm all yours?"

"Marry me."

Olivia's eyes widened at the shocking suggestion. This came completely out of left field and it left the brunette absolutely dumbfounded as she stood staring at her girlfriend. They'd never discussed marriage, they'd just decided to live together right before Olivia was thrust undercover, and now a proposal? The brakes had busted somewhere along the journey and someone needed to get control of the runaway train before collision.

"Honey—"

"I've already told you, you're it for me. Forever." Amanda's certainty pierced right through to her girlfriend's rapidly beating heart. "I know it seems spontaneous and out of the blue but it's not. I've been thinking about this for quite some time now. And I'm not asking you this because I feel threatened or insecure. I'm asking you because ever since that night at Expresiones Hermosas I've loved you." Big pools of moisture flooded her sincere blue eyes. "You got in here," she pulled Olivia's hand to her heart. "You saw me, all of me, even the stuff I didn't want you to see. But you never judged me for any of it and you loved me through it all, even when I didn't know how to let you. You have no idea how much that means to me. You're my best friend, my Wonder Woman. Doing life with you is the only way I ever want to live it. I stopped pretending a long time ago. This is reality and what I know for certain? I'm all in. Until the end."

The tears were flowing rivers freely between both of them as Olivia wrapped Amanda in her arms. They stayed like that for a while, letting the emotions fill them and the room. When they finally broke to look at each other, there was only one response suited for the occasion. "I'm all in."

"That a yes?!"

"Yes! It's a yes!"

"Is it?! Really?! Ahhhh," Amanda bearhugged Olivia right off her feet and into a 360 whirlwind spin.

"Put me down, woman!" The laughter completely covering up her unserious chastisement.

Dr. Huang's office…

"Because I love her. The woman you love pours her heart out and asks you to marry her you say yes," Liv answered honestly. "I couldn't tell her that marriage scares the hell out of me."

Huang nodded his head, "So, what do you think will actually change if you were to get married?"

"I don't know. Nothing? Everything? It's daunting to think of entering an institution with a fifty-one percent failure rate. Then, I'm going to be promoted when I'm done undercover and that's going to change the work dynamic between us. It's a lot of change, George. We just agreed to live together, I feel like we're skipping steps. I just need things to slow down for a second so I can breathe."

"You don't have to get married tomorrow or anytime soon. Have a long engagement to give yourself some time to adjust and to talk to your partner about your fears." The good doc suggested.

"That's the thing, waiting doesn't seem to be what she wants. That's part of the reason why the other thing happened…"

"What other thi—oh, ahem right. The uh, the faux finish."

Olivia facepalmed and mumbled against her hands, "Oh my god, I'm having a strong case of déjà vu right now. 'Faux finish', seriously? How the hell do you come up with this stuff on the spot?"

Huang chose to ignore the question and kept them on task. "Tell me what happened leading up to it. The non-explicit particulars only, please," he quickly added the last part. Not wanting any more vivid details of his friends doing whatever they seem to do to each other, that keeps landing them on his couch.

The brunette took a steadying breath before she took a page from her girlfriend, no, fiancé's book and just blurted everything out in one run on sentence. "We were happy and emotional and haven't had sex since I've been undercover. I was feeling a lot. And then she just kept talking about what season we should pick and what we'd wear, rings, venue, all of it during foreplay and my body just would not respond. When I finally had her mouth pre-occupied filled with me, to keep her from talking…I could still practically hear her thoughts and it was too much. I just— I just couldn't get there and I needed for it to be over. I felt like I was suffocating. So, I uh, I did the faux finish thing." Liv facepalmed yet again. "Ugh, I'm the worst!"

Wow, wow, wow. "Olivia, you are not the worst. But you do need to talk to her and tell her everything you just told me. She'll understand. Explain how your views of marriage are clouded and that you need time to undo some of that damage. Suggest a long engagement but make sure you also reassure. You do want to have a future with her, right?"

"Of course, I do." No hesitation whatsoever.

"Ok then, don't let other people's failed marriages, society's standards, fear of failure or whatever else define something that hasn't even began yet. Go into it the same way you did with your relationship. Honest. Open. Loving. Make it unique and tailor made to fit the two of you and only you. Forget about the rest of it. Don't let a piece of paper ruin your well-earned happily ever after. You deserve it, Liv. Both of you do. Go to her right now."

Tears burned Olivia's eyes as she listened to her doctor, her friend, simplify all of the complexities plaguing her. She quickly rose to her feet. He did the same. The brunette closed the short distance between them and wrapped her arms around him. Huang reciprocated immediately, freely expressing his emotion as well. He'd been there from day one and to look at where they were, from where they started…unimaginable.

Half an hour later and Olivia was turning the key into Amanda's apartment front door. She called out to her partner, not wanting to startle her. When she didn't get a response, she went searching for the other woman. Liv spotted her keys, badge and wallet on the kitchen counter. Why isn't she answering? Maybe she's in the shower. The brunette continued her journey to the bedroom where she found Amanda, wireless earbuds in, singing beautifully, smeared in paint, staring at the canvass in front of her. Olivia also stared in amazement at the talent her woman possessed. When the blonde turned around to get more paint, she nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Jesus Christ, Liv! You scared the hell out of me! Wh-what are you doing here? Besides taking five years off my life, that is."

"I-I'm sorry. I called out to you but you had your ear thingys in. Singing your heart out and painting away. It's beautiful, honey."

Amanda followed Olivia's eyes to her canvass and got suddenly bashful at her favorite set of eyes deadlocked onto her latest piece. "Don't look," the detective playfully covered the other woman's eyes, causing both of them to laugh. "It's not finished yet." After the light banter, she turned the easel holding the canvass toward the wall away from that intense gaze. "I wasn't expecting to see you again so soon."

"Oh? Want me to go? Let the artiste create in peace…" The teasing tone present in her voice was followed by action as she tried to make a beeline for the bedroom door, before two strong hands pulled her back.

"Uh-uh, you're not going anywhere. Come 'ere," Amanda brought her hands up to Olivia's face before she planted a searing kiss on her lips. The latter pulled away to get what she came there to do off her chest.

"Yes."

Amanda opened her eyes in confusion. "Huh?"

"Yes, I will marry you."

Is she still fucking high? "Uhhh babe, I'm pretty sure we've done this part already…"

Olivia's infectious laughter bounced off the four walls. No matter how many times she'd heard it, it always managed to make Amanda's heart swell with so much love and happiness. Seeing her super serious detective so carefree and joyous was her absolute favorite thing, ever.

"God, I love you," declared Olivia after her laughter ceased.

"Love you more."

"Debatable. But I came over because I wanted to say 'yes' again and discuss some things that I didn't get a chance to say earlier."

Amanda didn't want to be paranoid but she was a little nervous about what her partner had to say, "Oh o-ok."

In sync as always, Liv noticed the shift in those blue eyes and reassured her immediately. "Honey, relax. Everything's fine. I went to see Huang after you left earlier."

"Oh. And how is our couple's counselor?"

"Ha-ha. He's well and sends his best. But the reason why I went to see him is because I felt a bit conflicted."

"About?" The panic present in her southern lilt.

"Marriage."

Just breathe, Amanda and stay calm. "What about marriage?"

"About how I never really believed it was something that would work for me or if I even wanted it…"

What the hell are you trying to say here, Liv? "Ok, you can't tell me to relax and then say what you just said."

"I'm telling you this because I want to be completely honest with you. My uncertainties about marriage had absolutely nothing to do with you. And everything to do with me and my jaded views on it. But I got some much-needed clarity from Huang. And you know what?"

"What?"

"I believe in you, in us. Our marriage is going to work because we work. You changed me, Amanda. You opened me up in ways that I didn't think were possible. I don't have to be strong all the time because you make me feel so protected, safe and secure being vulnerable. You take care of me in a way no one ever has in my entire life," Olivia's voice cracked, her emotion thick, as the last part set in. Both sets of eyes glossy with unshed tears. "There's no way I could've predicted that airtight pretending would've led to this extraordinary reality with you. You're the woman of my dreams. My best friend, my Southern Spitfire. And I'm happier than I ever could have imagined. I want everything life has to offer with you by my side." Olivia took Amanda's hand and dropped down to one knee. She removed the ring she always wore on her right ring finger and placed it on Amanda's left ring finger. "This'll have to do until I get you a real one."

Laughter and tears of joy streaked down the blonde's face. "This one's perfect, like you."

"Debatable."

"Shut up."

"Hey! I'm on bended knee here, trying to propose to you…"

"Well, stop stalling and do it already," teased Amanda.

Olivia just shook her head because of course this was how her proposal was going to go. Imperfectly perfect which was authentically them. "Will you marry me, Amanda Rollins?"

"Bout time you asked."

"Woman, I swear to—"

"Yes! Of course, I'll marry you!" Amanda pulled Olivia up and hugged her tight. The most magnificent smile spread across her face and her fiancé reciprocated. After she released her, she spoke again. "Now what?"

"Now sex. Because I heard that it stops once we get hitched…"

"Ok, no. No, I won't marry you."

"Oh wow! I knew you only wanted me for my body," teased the brunette as she poked the other woman in the side.

"Duh. Have you seen your body? Whew," the blonde released a low whistle, while her eyes wandered up and down her favorite canvass.

"Shut up."

"Thought we were supposed to be having sex right now?" Amanda wrapped her arms around Olivia's waist bringing their bodies flush together.

"You keep talking your way out of it."

"Well, I'm sure you can find some other way to occupy my mouth."

"Oh, I have an idea or two."

"Good. I feel like I'm owed a redo from earlier…"

Olivia leaned back and raised a perfectly sculpted brow at the shorter woman. "What do you mean by that?"

Amanda kept rubbing her hands up and down her partner's hips as she answered. "I'm a lot of things but oblivious isn't one of them."

"I know that. What—"

"I've also made you come so hard before that you couldn't move or speak for like ten minutes afterwards."

Uh oh, she knows. Of course, she fucking knows. "I—

"Once you've seen, heard and felt the real thing? Ain't no forgetting it…"

"Honey, I'm so sorry. It wasn't you. I promise. I was just in my head. Couldn't relax then boom, faux finish."

Faux finish? A light went off and the inquisitive detective knew immediately who was responsible for that terminology. "Oh, good lord. Huang and his goddamn shrink-isms have struck again, I see."

"Afraid so," Liv chuckled lightly before refocusing. "I am sorry though."

"Don't be sorry. Just don't do it again. You never have to fake anything with me, ever. Or do anything just to appease me. You know that, right?"

"I do," Olivia answered immediately. Feeling incredibly silly for her earlier actions.

"Good. Because I have a question."

"Mmm, I'm listening."

"Do you think I can meet Grace, so she can dominate the fuck out of me?" Amanda's words were bathed in lust and want.

Olivia's eyes darkened even more, filled with desire, as she kissed her future wife passionately. She used a bit of force and pushed the lithe woman onto the bed. Then proceeded to slowly strip every piece of fabric off her body, in a deliberate, sexy manner. "Oh baby, you don't need Grace when you've got me. We've already established that reality is so much better than pretending…"

A/N: We're getting close to the end of this story. I'm thinking a few more chapters should wrap everything up. Thanks for reading. I really, really appreciate all of the support.