The clock had just turned 1am when Olivia parked beside Elliot in their parking garage.
He was waiting, having arrived home just minutes before, and glanced her way with a sad smile as a peace offering.
Returning it, she took a moment to stead herself before they exited their respective SUVs, feet dragging and eyes bagged. They met between the two.
"Almost shot McGrath today," she sighed.
"Was in a shootout."
"You win," she nodded.
"We both had shit weeks," he countered.
"So did our boys."
"Yeah..." He paused a second, gently taking her hand. "We good?" He asked shyly, taking a step toward her.
"Only cause you've ruined my ability to sleep alone," she whispered, swinging their hands gently and trying to avoid how uncomfortable she was about the events of their week and, more specifically, day.
"'S'always you," he promised, taking her purse from her other hand and pulling it over his shoulder before taking it and pressing a kiss to her forehead. "'S'always been you."
"Rationally I know that but..." she sighed and shook her head. "Hate when my insecurities shine through," she said, quietly and hesitantly.
"Can always shine through with me… I'm your partner, for better or worse, Benson."
"I'm trying. I'm a little messed up. And sometimes you're an idiot.
"I'm always an idiot," he insisted. "Plus, we both are a little messed up." He paused until she looked up at him. "'S'why we work so damn well."
With a tiny smile, she pecked his lips and turned to lead him towards the elevators.
Earlier:
It had been a shit week- for all members of the Benson-Stabler household.
Noah was struggling in one of his classes and angry.
Eli was having girl problems and angry.
Liv and Elliot were working more then they had in a long, long time, on opposite schedules and leaving them to deal with two frustrated, adolescent boys as single parents.
They were ships passing in the wind while work took a larger and larger toll on them as individuals and leaders on their respective teams.
On top of their boys struggles and their lack of quality time, there was her.
"Walmart Liv," as Jet had called her.
He'd promised her it was nothing; an old partner that brought him back- made him believe, again, in the work he'd dedicated his life too.
After Jenna.
Though that bit was left unsaid.
Promised her that Kathy loved her, not so subtly hinting at the fact that she was no threat then and no threat now.
But his track record wasn't exactly stellar, and neither was her ability to implicitly trust anyone.
Not to mention, her two inside informants in the OCCB had been keeping her abreast of his movements and actions as he and Tia began to go rogue.
They used to go rogue.
It was all too much; beginning to feel too damn familiar and it made her heart race.
It was Friday before she was finally able to scrounge up an excuse to go to the OCCB.
He'd mentioned her, of course. He was sure that she'd seen the framed photos he had on his desk; one with her and one with them and their boys; few others scattered and the fact that a picture of them squished together in a selfie was his desktop background.
(Jet had helped with that.)
The interaction that she'd walked in on, however, indicated otherwise.
They were laughing. She was sat at his desk and he was stood beside it, arms crossed and doing that stupid smirk he did when he flirted.
When someone made him feel big and strong and invincible.
Dominating.
Powerful and knowing that he held that person in the palm of his hand and could mold her like putty.
"Liv, that last part is an exaggeration," she scolded herself internally.
He didn't see her; she stood hidden in the corridor, watching the exchange of laughter and gentle touches while Jet stared at her, eyes wide with fear and panic.
Liv gave her a gentle but stern look, and waited for Elliot to announce a restroom break before she entered.
"Um… hi?" Liv asked, heavy boots clacking slowly and rhythmically as she came into view and beelined for his desk.
"Hi?" Tia replied, leaning back in the chair and crossing her arms. "Can I help you."
Liv glanced up to Jet's perch, where her impeccably make-up'd eyes were wide with fear for the Italian intruder.
"Uh," Liv said with a small scoff, her blood still boiling from her Chief, once again, not having her back in front of a suspect. "Yes… I'm here to drop a file off to the Sergeant and to Detective Stabler?"
"He's stepped away for a restroom break before we go interview a suspect."
"Uh huh," Liv scoffed lightly, taking a slow and calculated walk towards the still sitting and all too relaxed woman. "And… sorry," Liv said, voice indicating no apology at all. "You are?"
"I'm his old partner from Italy. Tia," she said, extending her hand.
With a raised brow, Liv looked skeptically from the extended hand, up to Jet, and then back again.
"You must be Olivia… Kathy told me so much about you, God rest her soul," Tia mused, pulling her hand back and finally standing from Elliot's seat.
The Captain's jaw tightened, and she exhaled a sharp breath from her nose as she heard Bell's cautious approach from behind her.
"Captain," she said carefully, putting a hand on her tensed shoulders.
Liv turned, fire still in her eyes, even through the forced smiled.
"Sergeant," she said, voice tight as she extended the file that was in her hand. "Just dropping off the files you asked for."
"Thank you," she said, taking them. "El will be right back," she added with a small frown.
"I have to go," Liv slightly snapped. "Tell your detective I'm going to pick up our sons from school and that I'm taking them to a friend's for the night. I won't be home until late."
"Cap…" Bell began, taking the cue from the look she was immediately cast and closing her mouth.
She knew that the older women sensed his approach before she heard it, and that her detective was in the deepest shit of his recent memory.
"You needed something else?" She asked, but didn't mean.
"No… No, Captain Benson. Thank you."
"Liv," El called, chest puffed and heart racing, desperate for her to turn around to him.
"Let me know if that changes. Bye Jet. Tia," she said the woman's name with ice in her voice before walking off without another word.
"Liv," El said again, starting to rush after her only to be stopped by Ayanna's hands on both of his biceps.
"I'm on it," Jet muttered, escaping from her desk to fast walk after her idol.
"Captain," she called, running up to her just as she was climbing in her car. "He… he's an idiot but he loves you," she insisted.
"I know," Liv sighed, her voice still tight and tears threatening to fall.
"He's talked… about you and boys and not to mention that his desk is a shrine," she clamored, "I don't… I didn't like her from the start and I tried to tell him this was a bad idea but he doesn't listen. He's so stubborn an-…"
She was cut off by Liv's gentle hand on her arm.
"I know you're the 6th stabler kid-"
"-Seventh," Jet countered immediately.
"Seventh," Liv agreed. "But… but…"
"But nothing. He's an idiot and even though he's basically my dad I have no problem saying that."
The admission made her eyes go wide and a smile creep onto Liv's face as a brief silence overtook them both.
"I…"
"He feels the same," Liv said, nudging her gently. "And so do I."
Jet let out an uncomfortable groan and adverted her eyes.
"I want to crawl into a hole right now."
"Don't… go make sure dad knows he's in trouble."
Cracking a small smile, Jet glanced back to her and nodded.
"Yes Captain."
It was only after 12 hours of unanswered texts and calls that she finally replied (after giving her informants a heads up).
L: I'm on my way home.
"Stabler, go," Bell called, arms crossed and with a yawn. "Paperwork can wait till Monday."
"Thank you," he exhaled, jumping up, grabbing his things and rushing out without a goodbye as he tried to call her, only to be sent right to voicemail with no explanation.
E: Baby, I love you so much. I'm so sorry.
L: Can you give me another hour to process this shit show of a week and day before you continue your campaign of apologies.
E: Yes! Yes. Yes I will. I'll wait in the garage for you. I love you, Olivia.
L: K.
L: I love you too.
Groaning lightly, he screen shotted the message and sent it over to Jet.
E: She 'K, period'd' me.
E: Am I in a lot of trouble.
J: Yup.
J: Good luck.
Present:
They'd showered, changed, and gotten settled on the couch with a glass of wine and a glass of whiskey, ready to hash things out and make up when his phone rang.
She tensed beside him when "Tia" showed up on his screen, and he sighed, picking it up.
"Hi Tia."
"I'm outside your building Elliot… I thought we could have a moment alone. To chat... you didn't say goodbye."
Liv looked up at him, her big brown and tired eyes filled with tears and hurt at the 1:30am insinuation on the other end of the line, especially after the day they'd had.
"A chat is going to have to wait, Tia," he said calmly, setting his whiskey glass on the side board behind him and gently pushing his hand under the heavy blanket she was wrapped in to find her's. "Haven't seen my fiancé all week, and she's my priority."
There was a few beats of silence before the thick accent filled the space between them, punctuated on either end with Liv's ever changing expression.
"Fiancé?"
"Not officially… not yet anyways. But she's my partner; my girl."
Silence.
"You were always her's… even when you were Kathy's."
"That's between me and God."
Another beat.
"You're a good man, Elliot Stabler."
"Bye-bye, Tia," he said, hanging up and tossing his phone on the other end of the couch. He took her wine from her, reaching behind them to set it down before flipping off the light and sliding back with her tucked into his arms.
Her jaw was agape, even as they settled into a laying position, legs wrapped with her's and muscles flexing as he held her tightly.
"You…" she finally said, pinching his side when she felt him smile.
"I would have called you my wife but I didn't wanna push my luck."
She exhaled a soft laugh and relaxed in his arms.
"I love you," he added.
"I love you, too."
"If I wasn't so tired," he insisted softly, lips pressed to her temple.
"Me too, but this is... this is exactly what I needed tonight."
"Me too, baby."