A.N: I'm reposting this, with a special thanks to Musino for betaing it. Also I am splitting it into several chapters.

Moonlight Whispers

Chapter 1

"Everyone, can I have your attention please?" Captain Donald Cragen of the Special Victims Unit had just entered his squad room.

"I wish he wouldn't do that you know. I mean, there are only four of us" Detective John Munch whispered across the table to his partner Detective Odafin (Fin) Tutuola. Fin ignored this comment.

"Right, everyone. You all know what time of year it is." When no one answered, he continued. "Well, we're heading into December. You've all been around long enough to know what December means."

"Yeah, a heap more work for us," Munch piped up. His three colleagues and superior officer looked at him.

"Yes, it does, Munch. But I was hoping this would be a cheerful conversation. The NYPD Christmas Ball is in a few weeks and I was hoping you would all attend." He looked pointedly toward Fin and Munch.

"Oh, no. No way. I am not going," Munch was already complaining. Fin just sighed.

The other two detectives in the room, Elliot Stabler and Olivia Benson, hadn't even bothered complaining. It was true, Elliot's wife of almost twenty years had just filed the divorce papers and Olivia was again single after her latest boyfriend had tried to pressure her into moving in with him. Both detectives knew that the ball would not be negotiable, so they set the cogs turning in their heads racking their brains for any possible dates for the evening.

Elliot Stabler glanced across his desk to the woman with short, dark hair who sat opposite him. His partner was already looking back down at the files in front of her. Captain Cragen was back in his office, while Fin and Munch argued over whether Madonna or Wonder Woman would be better in the sack.

'She really was beautiful,' Elliot mused to himself. Of course, he'd noticed many times before. There was no way he could miss it. She was his partner. He spent more time with her than he did with his wife. Ex-Wife. He'd have to remember that. It was part of the reason she'd divorced him. Apparently he was always at work, he didn't have time for her or the kids anymore. Apparently he was also spending too much time with Olivia. What did the woman expect? Olivia was his partner.

His ex-wife, Kathy, had only met her a few times, but she'd noticed. Sure enough, she'd noticed Olivia. She knew that Olivia was attractive. She could handle that, but what she couldn't handle was the fact that Elliot looked at Olivia in a way he hadn't looked at her in years. She was jealous. He started working even longer hours. Kathy became suspicious, so she did the only thing she could do. She filed the divorce they had both known was coming.

Elliot knew it was for the best. He didn't mind knowing that Kathy didn't love him anymore. He sure as hell hadn't loved her in a long time. It was the kids he missed. He missed seeing his four kids every day. Now he was lucky to see them on weekends.

Elliot was learning to live with not seeing the kids. He knew that no judge with an ounce of sense would give him custody of the kids. Not because he was a maniac or anything, but because of his job. He was on call twenty-four seven in his job, he couldn't look after the kids. So he was beginning to come to terms with seeing them most weekends.

He still had hope though. No, he didn't hope that someday he would have custody of his kids. Nope, he had another hope. The hope that maybe Olivia Benson felt an ounce of the attraction and love to him that he had for her.

It was true. Elliot Stabler was in love with his partner and best friend, Olivia Benson. He wouldn't admit it to her, he couldn't. He'd known her long enough to realize that she'd feel guilty if he ever told her that she was the main reason his marriage had broken up.

He wanted so much to tell her that he loved her. He wanted so much for her to love him back. However, he had come face to face with reality enough to know it was never going to happen. She didn't love him, and even if she did--which was very unlikely--she wouldn't go against regulations. No way. They could both lose their jobs.

The day dragged on. Elliot and Olivia sitting opposite each other at their desk. They were silent except for the occasional discussion about a case they were writing up. Things were quiet, there had been no calls for almost a week, which surprised the detectives--this was normally their busiest time of year, rapists out getting themselves an early Christmas present--but things had been quiet. It was starting to show none of them liked being stuck in the squad room all the time. Sure, if they were out in the field, it meant that they were investigating some rape allegation, and sure, it was terrible that people were raped at all, but out in the field it felt like they were doing something.

Slowly the seconds ticked by. Elliot found himself staring first at the clock on the wall, then across the desk at Olivia. He watched as her pen moved gracefully across the page, her brow furrowed she placed the tip in her mouth, swirling her tongue around it, obviously thinking what to write. Elliot, however, had ceased all rational thoughts and was lost in a sordid fantasy of himself and Olivia, the pen being replaced with something else. Olivia hadn't glanced up, but it wasn't long before Elliot found he could handle no more. "Liv, stop that."

"Stop what, El?" She looked up from her work a mock-innocent smile on her face.

"Liv, you know perfectly well what," he said, trying to stay calm. He hated arguing with her.

"El, I don't honestly," she said still swishing her tongue over the tip of her pen.

"Stop chewing on the end of your pen." Elliot was having trouble staying calm by now.

"Sorry, El." Olivia knew she had to stop there, she'd had her fun. She took the pen out of her mouth. 'Mission accomplished,' she thought as she went back to her report.

Elliot continued to watch her work; he noticed a slight smirk on her lips and had the distinct impression that she had just achieved what she wanted. Hmm, so she was trying to wind him up, so she was attempting to get him sexually frustrated. Anyone else and he might have even assumed she was trying to flirt with him. But that thought was ridiculous, it was Olivia. OLIVIA. His partner.

He tried to concentrate on his work but found he couldn't. He was too busy trying to figure out what his partner was trying to do to him. He sat drumming his pen on the desk watching the minutes tick by on the clock. It was almost four. Only another hour to survive he thought to himself. Olivia's foot brushed up against his leg Her boots were hard, and he wished it was her toes brushing against his bare skin. He was launched into another raunchy fantasy.

He felt a growing erection in his pants as he wondered what her lips would feel like on his. What her breasts would feel like under his fingertips. What her skin would feel like against his. Would it be like it was with Kathy? 'No,' he decided, 'it would be better.'

He was brought back to the present by a hand resting gently on his arm. He looked down and saw Olivia's long thin fingers resting on his arm. He felt a warmth which spread through his whole body. He looked up into her dark chocolate eyes and found that his pants were now painfully tight. He smiled at her and for the first time noticed their Captain was standing in the squad room.

"Okay, you four you can all go home now, get an early night. There's nothing more to do here." It was true, but it was barely four thirty. Elliot couldn't remember the last time he'd finished work at four-thirty. Neither could Olivia. They were lost. They were both used to getting home just in time for a quick meal and some T.V before bed.

"El?"

"Yeah?"

"You wanna go grab a drink or a meal or something?"

"Sure, why not. Why don't we catch a movie?"

"Sounds great. Can you grab my coat while I finish up here?" Elliot headed over to where his and Olivia's coats were hanging. Putting his on, he wasn't sure that it was such a good idea going to the movies with Olivia. Not in his current state, but it wasn't every day an offer like that came along--how could he refuse?

He handed his partner her coat as he pulled his own over his work suit. There was a small coffee shop not far from the precinct that the two often went to when they wanted real coffee, so that's where they were headed.

They walked down the busy street in relative silence, the heels of Olivia's black boots making a loud clip every time they hit the pavement, Elliot's barely making a sound, his shoulders hunched forward slightly. He loved been with Olivia, but he knew how he wanted the night to end, with at the least a goodnight kiss at the door of her apartment; however, that wasn't his dream--his dream was for the night to end with them spooned against each other after making love and professing their love for one another. Like that was ever gonna happen.

They reached the coffee shop and sat down at a table near the window. They ordered their coffee and food they thought about how nice it was to actually sit down and drink their coffee from an actual mug, they were both so used to either the imitation of coffee from the precinct or the cardboard takeout containers. 'It was nice sitting there together,' Olivia thought to herself. In fact, it was nice just to have company. She was so used to going home to an empty house watching the news and crawling into bed, occasionally with a good book, and almost always alone.

She almost felt like she was out on a date sitting there with Elliot. Her job didn't permit her do date much, so it was a sort of luxury to be out with a man.

They spoke mostly of work and all too soon they'd finished their coffee. Elliot had offered to pay and Olivia had only put up a small argument, soon giving into her partner.

The movie had been okay. It was nothing spectacular. A romance, much to Elliot's disgust. He had enjoyed it though. It was a change of pace. He was used to catching the rapists. He was used to seeing some of them walk free. He knew justice wasn't sweet. He knew that the bad guys didn't always win. The action movies he used to enjoy had lost the appeal. Now. Well, he didn't watch many movies, but when he did. Well, since Kathy had left watching porn suddenly hadn't seemed so unappealing.

Elliot dropped Olivia back to her apartment, declining her offer for coffee. He'd kissed her on the cheek and headed back to his cold empty apartment to relieve the tension built up during the day.