Disclaimer- By now you all know they're not mine except for Becca and Carson. I'll give Carson to the first passing stranger.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

THREE WEEKS LATER

At the end of yet another long frustrating day in the fruitless search for Owen Carson, Elliot walked into the locker room to change. As usual he found himself the last in the squad room except for Cragen, who was still at his desk. He'd decided to work out in the weight room before heading home. As he opened the door, he heard the sound of someone working with the punching bag. From the fury of the blows it seemed he wasn't the only one who had chosen tonight to work out their frustrations on the equipment in this room.

He stopped in the doorway and let his eyes adjust to the lower light; across the room in the corner was Becca, beating the crap out of the leather bag. He began to back out of the room quietly when she stopped and called over her shoulder.

"You may as well come in, Stabler. If you're gonna lurk in the dark, I can punch on you instead of this bag." Becca turned and grinned.

"How'd you know I was here?" He asked as he pulled on the lightweight sparing gloves.

"I can just sense when someone's in the room." She shrugged, "'Course it's easier with that rookie on loan from patrol. His cologne is a dead giveaway."

"So I've noticed." Elliot laughed, walking over to the practice ring, delineated by the pads attached to the hardwood floor. When Becca joined him, he brought up his hands and dropped into a ready stance. "Gonna show me those 'Million Dollar Baby' moves?" He smirked.

"I'd wipe the floor with Hillary Swank." She began circling him looking for an opening. "And besides, I don't box."

"Well what do you do?" Elliot asked and promptly found himself on the floor with her straddling his chest, knees pinning his upper arms to the mat.

"What ever it takes." Becca rolled away quickly and moved back out of his reach just as he decided to sweep her legs.

Turning the move into levering himself up off the floor, El looked her up and down. "Let's see you do that again." He brought his hands back up.

"Probably not." She said watching his hips to see which way he was going to move. "You're expecting it now."

For the next ten minutes they traded pulled blows and kicks, as each of them jockeyed for a position that would allow them to take the other down. Elliot won the match, but only by virtue of greater size. The two detectives grabbed towels and headed for the drink machine in the hall after shedding their gloves.

"I just hope Liv hasn't bought the last bottled water again." Elliot said as he put his money in the machine.

"At least you're not trying to buy an iced Frappachino." Becca said leaning against the wall. "Fin pulled the last one out this afternoon."

"I always find that funny." Elliot grinned as the bottle dropped and he pulled it out. Handing the first to Becca, he pulled another one. "Big tough ex narc and he drinks caffeinated froofroo drinks

"Froofroo?" Becca narrowly avoided snorking her water through her nose. "Who says froofroo anymore, El?"

"I do." He loomed over her in mock menace. "Is that a problem?"

"Only if you wanna date sometime in the next quarter century." Becca laughed up at him. "Women will generally dismiss a man who says froofroo as a wuss."

"Okay I'll add that to the list of rules for recently divorced." Elliot smiled.

"Or you could skip the rules and go straight to asking out the one who really matters." Becca said seriously.

Elliot looked at her. "Are you making a pass at me, Becca?" The astonishment was clear in his voice. He admired Becca's drive, her tenacity and her keen analytical mind, but was not attracted in the least and she was just a little scary.

"Eeww, that would be like dating a brother, if I had one. Too weird for words." She sputtered. "I meant the one who really matters." She nodded her head toward the desks that El and Liv's desks. Elliot gulped the mouthful of water he'd taken and tried to form a response.

"Don't bother with the 'we're just partners' speech, Stabler. It comes off both of you in waves." Becca said walking toward the desks and plopping down in John's chair. She drank half the bottle of water and propped her feet up on the desk. "Denial ain't just a river in Egypt, brother and you two have obviously gotten very good at denial. Want some advice?"

Elliot nodded reluctantly. "Grab a shower, drive to Liv's and when she opens the door, lay one on her. It'll do you both a world of good." Becca grinned, stood and sauntered across to the door; looking back at El who was still trying to process her last comment, she winked. "You'll thank me in the morning."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&