One Week Later

Elliot's Apartment

Olivia was in the kitchen when she heard giggling outside Elliot's apartment door. Elliot had gone in to work for a few hours to pick up some things, and Olivia was feeling much better, physically of course. She was able to get out of bed and walk around with almost no pain at all. She was still bruised, and her heart ached for her lost child, but Elliot could tell she was getting better.

Olivia smiled and walked to the door. She opened it and pretended to look surprised when she saw Elliot behind it. "Well hello!" She said, her eyes shining. She saw the small pair of feet behind him that were trying to hide.

Elliot turned around and put the body that belonged to the small pair of feet on his back and carried it inside, hiding it from Olivia. The small pair of feet giggled.

Olivia smiled and walked into the kitchen. "I made tea," Olivia told Elliot. "Would you like a cup?"

Elliot nodded. "Sure, thanks," he said graciously.

Olivia smiled. "And would the small pair of feet like anything to drink?" She asked.

Elliot leaned his head back and whispered something. He grinned at Olivia. "How about some of that apple juice we have?"

Olivia nodded. "Well I'll bring it right in," she said.

Elliot sat down on the couch and pulled the child into his arms. They whispered back and forth, giggling until Olivia returned.

When she came in, Olivia pretended to act shocked. "Why Miss Ella! I didn't even see you there! It's so nice of you to come!" She said sitting down next to Ella and Elliot.

Ella giggled. "I missed you Livia. Are you feeling better?" The young girl asked sweetly.

Olivia tickled her. "I'm better, and how are you?" She asked.

Ella squirmed in Elliot's arms and put her arms around Olivia's neck. "Much better now that Elliot got me out of that icky hospital," Ella said honestly.

Olivia looked at Elliot. "The hospital released her into my care…" Elliot partially explained.

Olivia nodded and gave him a look that said they would talk later.

Ella clasped her hands together and told Olivia all about the book that Elliot had read her earlier until she began to yawn. Olivia smiled and picked Ella up. She gently lay her down on Elliot's guest bed and covered her up with a blanket. She kissed her forehead and walked back in to sit next to Elliot.

He smiled at her as she came in. She sat down next to him and turned her body so that she was facing him. "So what is this about the hospital releasing Ella to your care?" She asked him.

Elliot smiled sheepishly. "She was going to have to stay in the hospital for at least another week until social services found a suitable foster home for her. She was so miserable, crying all the time, and she wouldn't eat. I didn't want to let her stay there, wasting away," he explained.

Olivia nodded. "Ah…so the caring father in you just had to offer to take her home with you?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

Elliot nodded and laughed. "I couldn't have said it better myself," he said. "You don't mind having her stay with us do you?" He asked her.

"Oh no! Of course not. I'm happy to have her. She's such a sweet girl," Olivia said as she lay down on the couch.

Elliot turned the TV on, and flipped through the channels. He stopped when he found a movie, The Sound of Music, on. He knew that Olivia liked that movie, so he put the remote down so they could watch it. Elliot put his feet up on the coffee table, and was surprised when Olivia placed her head in his lap.

Halfway through the movie, Casey and Cragen came to visit. They stayed for a while, checked on Olivia, and then left together. While they were walking down the hall of the apartment building, Casey shook her head and smiled. "Those two…" she commented.

Cragen cocked his head and looked at her. "What about them?"

Casey laughed. "That movie they were watching, they're exactly like the main characters. They're so deeply in love with each other, but they don't realize it until forever goes by. It's exactly like them," Casey said.

Cragen chuckled. "Benson and Stabler? Now there's a thought," he said as they left the building.

Back inside the apartment, Elliot had stretched out on the couch behind Olivia, and he was innocently holding her close to him. As he lay his head down on the pillow, Olivia felt his warm breath tickle her neck, and she shivered. Elliot felt her shiver, and lowered his lips to her neck, softly brushing them along her graceful neck.

Olivia drew in a surprised, yet shaky breath, and moved closer to Elliot. He brought his hands to her face, and gently caressed her soft skin as he turned her face to him. She looked deep into his eyes, searching his soul, and allowed him to kiss her. He slowly lowered his lips to hers, never breaking eye contact with her until he captured her full lips in his.

Olivia sighed at the contact and wrapped her arms around Elliot's neck. He continued to kiss her, and moved to cover her body with his.

When he did, Olivia's body tensed in response. Fear flooded her body, and she gasped for breath. She pushed Elliot off of her, and ran into the bathroom, blinking away tears. She locked the door behind her and sat down on the cold tile floor. She brought her knees to her chest, lay her head on her knees, and wrapped her arms around her body. Suddenly, all the emotions that she had been hiding crashed through her body, and she began to sob. She couldn't hold back any longer. She cried for her lost child, she cried for the man who had hurt her. She cried for the times when she had been beaten and bruised. She cried for Elliot, and she cried for herself.

Elliot sat in the living room for a few minutes, scolding himself for pushing Olivia too far, too fast. She wasn't ready for that, not after all she had been through. He heard the sobs start, and stood up. Worried about Olivia, he ran to the bathroom door, and jiggled the handle. The lock gave way, and he went into the bathroom, to find Olivia on the floor, sobs wrenching through her body. He knelt down on the floor and gently took her in his arms. He hushed her quietly, and rubbed slow, soothing circles on her back, trying to calm her down.

Olivia buried her face in Elliot's chest, and her sobs subsided. She wrapped her arms around his neck and wiped her tears on his shirt.

"It's okay…" he told her quietly. "It's alright…just let it all out…" he told her, rubbing her back and rocking her back and forth.

She took a few deep breaths, and closed her eyes, allowing herself to succumb to the weariness that overwhelmed her. Elliot felt her body relax in his arms, and he picked her up and moved her onto the bed, slowly covering her with the blankets. He tucked her in, and lovingly placed a kiss on her forehead.

A few minutes later, Ella padded into the room, rubbing her eyes. "Elliot," she said quietly, "Is Livia okay?"

Elliot pulled her into a hug and nodded. "She'll be okay. Why don't we curl up next to her?" He said tiredly.

Ella nodded and clung to Elliot. He stood up with her in his arms, and lay down next to Olivia. He helped Ella under the covers, and they both fell asleep.

A Few Hours Later

Elliot's Apartment

Elliot sat straight up, startled, when the phone rang a few hours later. He reached over and answered it.

"Hello?" He said sleepily.

"Hi Daddy," Lizzie said.

"Hey baby girl," Elliot said happily. "How are you?"

"I'm okay," Lizzie replied. "It's Thursday," she reminded him. "Is Olivia well enough for me and Dickie to still come over?"

Elliot looked over at Olivia, who was still sleeping. "Hold on a moment and I'll ask her," Elliot told her. He put the phone down, and got out of bed. He walked around to the other side of the bed and knelt down. He slowly ran his hands through Olivia's silky hair and gently kissed her cheek. "Olivia…" he said quietly.

Olivia stirred a bit and slowly opened her eyes. She smiled at Elliot. "Hi," she said groggily.

"Sorry to wake you," he apologized, "but Lizzie's on the phone. It's my night to have her and Dickie come over," he told her. "Is it alright with you? I mean are you up to having to almost teenagers running around the house?" He asked.

Olivia smiled. "Of course, that's fine. I don't want to take your time with the children away from you," she told him.

Elliot rested his hand on her cheek for a second, before going back to the phone. "Lizzie honey, it's fine if you guys come over. Are Katie and Maureen coming too?"

"Um…I don't know. I think they were going to go on a double date, but they said they would come over afterwards to say hi," she told him. Kathleen was now a freshman and NYU, and lived in a dorm with Maureen, who was a junior.

Elliot nodded. "Okay, is your mother going to drop you off, or do I need to come pick you up from the house?" He asked.

Lizzie thought for a second. "I think Mom's going to drop us off. She's got something to do, and I think your apartment's on the way."

"Okay, well I can't wait to see you," he told her. "I love you baby," he said.

"I love you too Daddy, I'll see you later," she said, hanging up the phone.

Elliot smiled and closed his cell phone. He looked over at Olivia, who was watching him. He smiled at her, and motioned for her to go out into the living room with him. He sat on the couch, and she sat next to him, curling her feet under her.

"I'm sorry about early," he told her. "I don't know what I was doing, and I'm sorry. It won't happen again," he promised her.

Olivia managed a smile. "It's okay…It wasn't that I didn't like it or anything…I mean," she paused, blushing, "I mean that I still have nightmares about Clay raping me…I just don't think I am…was, ready for that," she said honestly.

Elliot took her hands in his. "I'm truly sorry for what Clay did to you Liv. If I could have stopped him, I would. I would never let anyone do anything to hurt you Liv. You're my best friend…" he said, rubbing his thumbs gently against her hands. "And I'm sorry I scared you. I just want you to know that I'm here for you Liv, so if you need anything, or if you just want to talk…I'm here," he told her.

Olivia smiled and gave Elliot a hug. "Thank El…that means a lot to me," she said as a tear ran down her cheek.

Elliot caught the tear with his index finger. "Hey, no crying!" He teased her.

Olivia laughed. "Sorry…so are your kids coming over?" She asked, changing the subject.

Elliot nodded. "Lizzie and Dickie should be here soon. Kathy's going to drop them off," he said, not looking too happy about seeing his ex-wife.

"How are you two getting along?" Olivia asked.

Elliot shrugged. "Unless we're dropping off or picking up the kids, we don't really see each other. We're civil…no shouting or yelling…" he said.

Olivia nodded. "That's good. How are you handling it all?" She kept pushing him to open up to her about his feelings.

Elliot smiled. "Shouldn't I be the one asking you these questions?"

"Oh, stop changing the subject Stabler. I haven't really gotten to talk to you about all of this...your divorce I mean," she said, propping her feet up on the coffee table.

Elliot put his feet up beside hers, and took her hand. "Well…it's hard, I can't deny that. The children have been great about it though. Sometimes I just wonder what went wrong…if it was something I did…" he said, staring off into space.

Olivia squeezed his hand. "Sometimes two people just fall out of love…they still love each other, but they're not in love anymore…they just aren't right for each other," she said wisely.

Elliot smiled at her. "Thank sounds like what I told the kids. I just wonder what changed, what made us fall out of love…" he looking at his hand, which was holding Olivia's.

"You're not still in love with her are you?" Olivia asked suspiciously.

"No!" Elliot was quick to answer.

"Good…I mean…oh," Olivia said, blushing.

Elliot smiled. "I don't think I've been in love with Kathy for at least ten years," he said, thinking back.

"Why do you say that?" Olivia wondered aloud.

"That's when the fighting got worse…when the sex stopped being about love, and started being about making Kathy happy. I haven't…wasn't happy for a long time," he confessed.

"And now?" Olivia asked, playing with Elliot's hand; running her fingers up and down, massaging it gently.

"The sex? It's non-existent," he said.

Olivia slapped his arm. "I didn't need to know that…I meant are you happy," she said.

Elliot grinned. "I know…I am. I think I am. I don't have to go home to Kathy yelling at me. But I think I'd be happier if I got to see my kids more often…if I didn't have to wait until it's my days to have them. But you make me happy Liv. I'm glad you're staying with me," he told her, smiling at her.

Olivia looked deep into his blue eyes, which were sparkling at her. She felt her heart speed up, and her breath quicken. "I am too," she said quietly, leaning in towards Elliot.

Elliot leaned in and ran his hands slowly down her cheeks. "Are you sure you want to do this?" He asked her quietly.

Olivia nodded and licked her lips unconsciously. "More than anything," she whispered.

He stared down at her earnest face. Her eyes were nearly black with desire. The evening sun made her skin glow with a heavenly light, and her mouth…her mouth was so perfect and pink.

He wanted to kiss her. He needed to kiss her.

"And you're certain you don't love her anymore?" Olivia's voice was hoarse.

Elliot shook his head furiously.

"Elliot?" The question was a timid one.

He stopped walking and turned to her. "Yes?"

Her eyes were wide and questioning. "Have you ever truly cared about someone other than Kathy before?"

His poor heart burst with the desire to tell her how he felt, but he couldn't find the words to describe it. How did you tell someone it hurt to breathe when she was near? That your heart ached at the mere thought of her? How could he say such things and make Olivia understand that such agony was the sweetest thing he'd ever experienced? So Elliot didn't even try to use words. In fact, he didn't say anything at all. He simply smiled. And then he pulled her close and did what he'd been dying to do ever since the last time he kissed her. He kissed her again.

And this time, Olivia felt herself melting into the kiss. She nearly saw fireworks going off. She wasn't scared anymore. She knew that Elliot would take care of her, that he wouldn't hurt her. This time, she lay down on top of him and began to run her hands up and down his muscled chest. She was breathing deeply, and she knew that she wasn't going to be able to control herself. "Elliot," she moaned.

Elliot stopped kissing her for a second, and looked into her eyes. "Are you okay? Is this okay?"

Olivia nodded, desire burning in her body. "I need you," she whispered, her voice catching in her throat.

"What?" Elliot said.

"I need you," Olivia repeated.

Elliot's eyes shifted to his closed bedroom door where Ella was sleeping. Olivia followed his eyes, and her heart sagged. They couldn't; not with Ella in the house.

Elliot sat there for a second thinking. What was he going to do? I cared for Olivia…he loved her! The problem was, she didn't love him…she just needed to be intimate with someone. He wanted to be with her…but out of love. He sighed. He knew what he had to do. "We can't," he told her, looking sorry, sad, lonely.

Olivia nodded. "I'm sorry," she said softly.

Elliot smiled weakly back at her. Olivia walked into the guest bedroom and sat down on the bed. She took out her cell phone and called Casey.

"Casey? It's Olivia. Can you come and pick me up?" Olivia asked Casey.

"Sure…is everything okay?" Casey asked worriedly.

"Yeah…I'll tell you about it later," Olivia said. "I'll wait for you outside the building."

"I'll be there in about 5 minutes," Casey said.

Olivia hung up the phone, and walked back into the living room. Elliot was nowhere to be seen; she expected that he was either in the bedroom or the bathroom. She quickly wrote him a note, and slipped quietly out of the apartment.

A few minutes later, Elliot walked out of his bedroom, and immediately saw that Olivia was gone. He found the note laying to the coffee table and read it.

"El – I'm sorry…I don't know what I was doing, thinking…I'm really sorry. Casey's coming to pick me up. Thanks for letting me stay with you – thanks for taking care of me. Please don't hold this against me…I'll see you at work on Monday I guess. –Liv."

Elliot sighed. Monday was going to be one hell of a day.