Author's Note: I originally planned to post this for Abbie's birthday, but life got in the way, and now it's finally ready!

This chapter will be told through two different points of view, switching with each line break.

I hope you enjoy!

[][][][][]

Dean Porter couldn't wipe the smile off of his face as he walked into Manhattan's 16th precinct. The last time he was here was in 2009, and upon his recent return to New York City, he found out the precinct had been moved to a different building, and even though the scenery had changed, he was holding out hope that one important part of the precinct hadn't changed.

Detective Olivia Benson.

She'd fallen into his world way back in 2006 when she was undercover in Oregon for the Feds. He had the pleasure and misfortune of being her assigned handler, meeting up with her for updates as needed, and at the close of the eco-terrorist case, she stumbled into a sex crime, solved the case, and helped take care of the victim. All Dean could do was sit by and watch in awe. Obviously Olivia was stunningly beautiful, but her determination to achieve justice intrigued him even more, while also driving him completely out of his mind.

After Olivia's time undercover ended, their paths crossed a few more times over the next few years, and for awhile, Dean thought there might have been a chance for something more with her. Despite the fact that she annoyed him on the eco-terrorism case, there was still an attraction there, something he'd hoped to explore. When he'd helped her deal with a situation involving her half-brother, he felt they were on the verge of starting something, but outside forces worked hard to keep them apart.

After their falling out the last time they'd seen each other, when Dean lied to her and reluctantly helped cover up a double murder, he'd left the country, working overseas for the remainder of his career. He'd enjoyed the work, the almost constant action and excitement, but a couple of weeks ago, he'd retired and decided to return back to the States.

Throughout the years, Olivia had never left Dean's mind. He felt guilty for hurting her, and now that he was ready to settle down, to spend the rest of his life relaxing away from the hustle and bustle, he wanted more than anything to try to reconnect with the one woman he'd never been able to get over.

When Dean walked into the squad room, there she was. He had to stop walking for a few moments and just take in the sight in front of him. Olivia was older, obviously, but she was possibly even more beautiful than the last time he'd seen her. There was a new energy around her; she was stronger, more commanding that he'd remembered from before. He wondered if she'd moved up the ranks at all or if she'd been content to spend her career as a detective.

Dean took a deep breath, straightened his clothes one more time, and began making his way toward Olivia. Before he could reach her, a blonde woman stepped in front of him.

"Is there something I can help you with?" she asked him.

Before he could answer, Olivia turned around, and when her beautiful brown eyes met his, it took his breath away.

"Agent Porter?"

He could immediately sense Olivia's confusion, and he knew he was the last person she expected to see in her squad room.

"Retired Agent, but yes, it's me," he said with a chuckle. He took another moment to take her in and to try to catch his breath. Her hair was longer than he'd ever seen it, and she was curvier than he remembered, and when his eyes finally reached hers again, he was drawn to her the way he'd been all those years ago.

She was absolutely stunning.

"It's so nice to see you, Detective Benson," he finally finished.

Olivia's eyes quickly cut to the others around the room, and he could tell she was uncomfortable with the rest of the squad watching their reunion. "It's actually Captain now," she informed him.

"Wow. That's…that's really incredible, Olivia." Dean wasn't surprised that Olivia had been promoted to captain. All those years ago, he recognized her leadership abilities and her drive, and he was very proud of her. "I knew when I watched you in that interrogation room in Oregon that you had big things ahead in your career."

A brief smile crossed her face before she began to question why he was in her squad room. "So, if you're retired, then that must mean you're not here for a case, so what can I help you with?"

Dean couldn't help the chuckle that slipped out. He missed this side of her too, the no-nonsense attitude, her directness, always straight to the point. "Well, I hoped we go somewhere and talk for a little while? Maybe go grab some coffee?"

"She has coffee."

Dean's eyes closed as he heard a familiar voice, one that grated on his nerves every time the man opened his mouth, a voice he'd hoped he'd never hear again, one that he was sure had a hand in keeping him from the woman he loved.

Detective Elliot Stabler.

His immediate absence from the squad room gave Dean a little bit of hope that maybe Stabler wasn't in Olivia's life anymore, but of course he couldn't get that lucky.

He'd been weirdly protective of Olivia every time Dean was around, especially the last time. They'd been partners for a long time, so it was natural there would be a protectiveness, but Stabler's seemed to be more than what was normal for a partnership, and Dean wondered back then if Stabler's feelings were went beyond just partners and friends.

Dean turned around slowly to find the detective standing in front of him, his hands holding coffees for the squad room. Their eyes met, and although neither spoke, he could read the thoughts circling through Stabler's brain.

"Thanks El," Olivia said, as he handed her one of the cups.

Stabler stepped between Dean and Olivia. "What brings you here?" he questioned.

"Detective Stabler. I honestly never expected that you'd still be working in this squad room."

Stabler's eyes narrowed, and Dean could tell he'd struck a nerve.

"I'm not," Stabler replied. "I'm here for some case files and to bring coffee to Liv and her squad. So I ask again, what brings you here?"

Stabler took a couple of steps closer, but Dean refused to let himself be intimidated, standing his ground.

He watched as Olivia's hand landed on Elliot's shoulder. "I've got it, Elliot."

Stabler looked over his shoulder at Olivia. "I need to talk to you, so I'll just wait here until you and Porter are finished with…whatever this is."

Olivia nodded. "Porter, my office," she said, and quickly he began to follow her.

[][][][][]

Amanda wished she had a bucket of popcorn and a Coke, the good fountain kind from the little theater back in downtown Loganville, the one she and her sister Kim used to sneak into to watch R-rated movies when they were way too young. She could almost taste it as she watched the scene unfold in front of her, better than any movie Hollywood could dream up.

Her captain, her best friend, was standing in the middle of the squad room, eyes frantically moving between the two men, and Amanda was sure she'd never seen such confusion and panic flash across Olivia's face.

One of the men she knew; he'd been the ghost in the squad room when she'd first arrived all those years ago, and now he'd been back almost two years. The other was unfamiliar, but it was obvious there was history with the veteran members of the squad. The man was clearly law enforcement, but unlike Stabler, who looked unfairly good for his age, time hadn't been quite so good to this stranger.

Amanda almost cackled when the stranger's body stiffened the moment he heard Stabler's voice. The annoyance and disappointment on the man's face, along with the smirk she'd spied on Fin's face, showed there was absolutely a history between this mystery man and the squad veterans.

She wasn't sure where to look, if she should watch the man's sinking face, to watch Stabler puff his chest out farther than she'd ever seen, or if she should keep watching the look of horror on Olivia's face.

It was all too much, yet Amanda wanted so much more.

When she finally made eye contact with Fin, the grin on his face almost made her choke on the fancy coffee Stabler brought for all of them. Her sergeant was obviously amused and entertained by the scene in front of them, and she couldn't wait for the squad room to empty so she could grill him for details.

When Olivia and the stranger disappeared into her office, Amanda signaled to Fin to give her some kind of explanation. In true Fin fashion, all he did was shrug his shoulders, that stupid smirk spreading across his face even further as he held back his own chuckle. She watched as Stabler made his way to Fin's desk, perching himself on the edge of it, his eyes never leaving the captain's office window. From an outside perspective, it would appear the man was calm, collected, and confident. But Amanda could feel the tension radiating off of him in waves, and she was concerned she may watch the man actually combust right in front of her

She returned to her desk, but angled her chair or she could still keep her attention toward Olivia's window while simultaneously listening in on Fin and Stabler's hushed conversation.

"Fin," Stabler said quietly. "Did this creep ever show up while I was gone? Did he and Liv have anything after I left?"

"Oh yeah, they carried on a years-long affair," Fin answered with a laugh, causing Stabler's eyes to momentarily tear from the captain's office.

"Be serious. Please." Amanda could hear the pleading in Stabler's voice, and for a moment, she felt sorry that the man was witnessing something that was greatly distressing him, no matter how hard he tried to retain his tough façade.

"As far as I know, Liv hasn't seen him since the last time you did. If she did, she never mentioned him, and he never came around."

She watched Stabler release a breath, his demeanor almost immediately softening. "Good."

"Why does he bother you so much?" Fin pressed.

Stabler brushed his hand over his face, and Amanda could tell he was struggling with how to answer the question. Finally, he gave a simple response. "He hurt her, Fin."

"So did you, but we still let your ugly self be around her."

Stabler sighed, dropping his head. "I know. But he's…Dean Porter," he said, disdain dripping from his mouth as he finally called the man by name.

Dean Porter. That was a name Amanda had never heard anyone mention, not Olivia, not Fin, not Munch or Cragen. Fin showed he wasn't going to give up any information, and she didn't know Stabler well enough to ask, so if Olivia wouldn't spill the details, she'd look the man up herself. She needed to know who this man really was, what he really meant to Olivia.

"Liv's not interested in anything with this clown," Fin said to Stabler. "You don't have anything to worry about. I know what he did to her back then, and I would've thrown him out of here myself if he'd ever shown up."

Stabler reached over, briefly putting his hand on the sergeant's shoulder. "You're a good friend, Fin. I'm glad she had you looking out for her when I left."

Fin shrugged. "I should've done more, but I've got her back. I'm not letting anyone in her life that doesn't deserve to be there. Don't forget that, Elliot."

Amanda settled further into her chair, and she was surprised at the tears that were pooling in her eyes. Fin had long been very protective of Olivia, even more after Lewis, but he was quite and kept his feelings close to the vest. It surprised her to hear him speak about Olivia like this, but she knew if Fin said it, Fin meant it.

Amanda was pulled from her thoughts when Olivia's office door opened, and she returned her full attention to the in-house movie scene. She couldn't wait to see the ending.

[][][][][]

When he closed the door behind himself, Dean couldn't help the laugh that spilled out. "Should've known that guy would still be hanging around here with you. Did he ever let you out of his sight after Oregon?"

"Why are you here, Dean?" Olivia interrupted him. "I haven't seen you in, what, fifteen years? When you helped cover up a double-murder?"

Dean sighed, dropping his head for a moment. He'd been afraid that she'd bring up the past, but he'd desperately hoped that time had either erased the memory of their last interaction or that it had softened her attitude toward him.

"I was just doing my job, Olivia, and you know that." He boldly reached for her hand. "It was hard for me to do what I did to you. I had…very strong feelings for you back then, and the whole time I've been away, you've never been far from my mind."

When Olivia didn't speak, he took it as an invitation to continue. He gently tugged on her hand, pulling her toward him as he stepped into her space. She was somehow even more beautiful up close, and he wasn't sure how he was even supposed to keep breathing in her presence.

"Dean," she said softly.

"I know I'm crazy for doing this. You're probably married with a family like I know you always wanted, but I couldn't not take this chance. Olivia, if you're interested, if there is any part of you that still carries any feelings for me at all, I'd like to apologize for the way things ended and to see if we could get to know each other again, to see if maybe there's still something here between us."

He watched as Olivia's eyes widened, and it was obvious that she was not expecting to hear those words. After a few moments of surprise, her expression fell and she pulled her hand away, taking a couple of steps backward away from him, and Dean could sense that his leap of faith might be crashing and burning right in front of him.

Finally, Olivia spoke. "Dean, I…I'm flattered, really, but you and I…we were never going to be anything more."

"Come on, Olivia," he pressed, taking a few steps toward her again. "I know you felt what was between us. Those nights in your apartment…"

Olivia shook her head, looking away from him, and with a quick glance over his shoulder, he saw that her eyes were fixed on Stabler out in the squad room.

Of course. There would be no room for anyone else in her life as long as Stabler was around.

"Dean, one of those nights was for the job, and the other was…a momentary lapse in judgement, one of many I made when I found out about my brother. I shouldn't have let you kiss me, and I shouldn't have let you sleep on my couch, but that was all it was ever going to be. I'm sorry if I led you on, but we weren't ever going to be more than friends. Besides, you really hurt me back then, Dean. I thought you cared, but the way you lied to me, the way you covered for Terri after she murdered those people…it hurt."

"I know, and I'll regret that for the rest of my life," Dean replied. "And this…I know it sounds crazy and is probably coming out of nowhere."

"Yeah," she whispered, still unable to make eye contact with him.

"I just miss you, Olivia. I've missed you for a long time."

Finally, Olivia found his gaze. Her eyes showed the moment her walls went back up and the moment his dreams of a beautiful reunion died. "Dean, I can't."

He glanced back toward the squad room, where Elliot's eyes were still glaring into Olivia's office. "Because of Stabler?"

"Because of…a lot of things. I have a son, who is my number one priority, my job consumes nearly all of my time, and I….Elliot and I are friends, good friends. But more than anything else, I'm just not interested in pursuing anything between us. Whatever might have been between us, it's long gone, and it was never going to go anywhere. I'm sorry if that's hard to hear, but I have to be honest with you."

Dean reluctantly understood. Their time, their opportunity for a future had passed. He'd ruined any chance they had when he lied to her all those years ago.

He sighed as he accepted her answer. "I understand. I'm sorry to bother you and to bring all of this up again. I just…had to try, you know?"

Olivia finally smiled at him. "It's ok, Dean. It's good to see you. I hope retirement is good to you."

"It's good to see you, Olivia. You're even more beautiful than the last time I saw you. Is retirement on the horizon for you too?" he couldn't help but ask. But as her eyes returned to the window, to her long-time partner, he had his answer before she even spoke it.

"Not any time soon." She looked back up at him. "Can I walk you out?"

Dean couldn't help but smile. "I'd like that Olivia."

Before they left the office, Dean had to ask a pressing question on his mind. "You're happy?"

Olivia glanced back into the squad room one more time. "Very. Happier than I've ever been."

"I'm glad. You deserve it, Olivia."

She opened her office door, and he followed her back into the squad room. He didn't want to linger, didn't want to make things any more awkward for her, so he gave a quick wave and said goodbye to Detective Stabler and Detective Tutola as he made his way out.

[][][][][]

Amanda held her breath as Olivia and Porter exited her office. He didn't linger, just offered a wave and a goodbye as he left. Stabler was by Olivia's side almost immediately, his hand reaching to cradle her face.

"You ok?" he quietly asked.

Olivia nodded, her eyes locking with his as her arms slid around his waist. "I'm fine. We'll talk about it later. I just need some time to process, ok?"

Stabler smiled, and in an unusual public display, he pressed his lips against Olivia's forehead, and for a moment, Amanda saw Olivia lean into the gentle touch.

She couldn't deny that Stabler got on her nerves. A part of her had never been able to forgive him for the way he left Olivia, but an even bigger part of her knew that the man cared about her friend, and that he was the one Olivia had been waiting for, the only man she'd ever really loved.

Nothing, not even some blast from the past, could come between them.

[][][][][]

Just before rounding the corner toward the elevator, Dean turned back to look one last time and was surprised by what he saw. Stabler's hand was on Olivia's face, his thumb stroking her cheek, and her arms were around his waist. He couldn't tell what was being said between them, but the look of love in Olivia's eyes, especially when Stabler gently kissed her forehead, proved where her heart really was.

Her partner was incredibly protective all those years ago, and Dean honestly wasn't surprised that their relationship had moved to something more personal than professional. He'd seen the spark between them long ago, and although Stabler was one of his least favorite people on the planet, Dean knew he cared deeply about Olivia.

While Dean's future was up in the air as he began his next chapter, Olivia Benson was right where she needed to be, and it appeared her future was brighter than ever.

[][][][][]

Author's Note: Trying to work on a part two—Olivia's point of view. Hopefully that will be coming soon!