An affair, Elliot thought, how could this happen. Maybe all alone the arguments they had in the past didn't have anything to do with Olivia. It could have possibly involved Kathy and her new so-called, unknown boyfriend. Elliot had noticed her acting strange in the last few weeks and she didn't seem like the same woman that he married over twenty years ago. She didn't want to be cuddled or kissed very much before they went to bed and Elliot had become suspicious when he first saw those signs of how she acted. Kathy was always cheerful when he was called out to work in the middle of the night and now that Elliot was thinking back, he suspected that she was going to call her boyfriend when he left so he could come over. At this moment, though, he wasn't expecting her to make a confession like this.

Elliot finally was able to speak after many moments of silence after Kathy told him the news, "I want to know how long this has been going on, "he pressed to her, "h-how could this happen?"

"First off, it's been going on for about a month and it just happens," says Kathy "the man of the house goes out and works all hours of the night with his pretty little partner that he thinks is more beautiful than his own wife. Well, to make a long story short, the wife, which is me in this position, stays home with the kids and she gets lonely and......he loves me and I feel the same way for him."

"So, what are you telling me?" asks Elliot, "You want out?"

"I guess so. I want a divorce."

"OK, then I'll leave and find another place --."

"No, I'll leave. Brad asked me to move in with him and I think I will now that you agreed to the divorce."

"You just didn't say that." Elliot was ready to blow up at that moment, but he decided to keep his cool since he didn't want to wake up the kids or the whole neighborhood. To make everything easier, Elliot went down in the living room to sleep on the couch for the night. As he was going downstairs, he thought, "What is going to happen now?"

Stabler Residence, 1 Week Later

"I have something to tell you," said Kathy, as she hands him a piece of paper that looks like a legal document. "It's the divorce papers and there's more, look and you'll find out."

He looks at her in disgust and wonders why she is doing this to him. Since Kathy told him about the affair and the divorce, Elliot had kept everything bottled inside of him. He hadn't told a soul at work about what had happened between he and Kathy, not even his best friend and partner, Olivia. They told each other everything, but he didn't want to worry Olivia with his personal life.

"You're giving up custody of our children!" Elliot exclaimed, trying to regain his sense as the kids were probably looking out the window. "How could you choose that JERK over the kids?"

Kathy paused for a moment and then pointed out, "Well, Brad and I are leaving for Florida in the morning and I may not come to New York to see the kids very much so I thought that the best thing to do was to give up custody."

Elliot thought, how sick is this woman to do this to four innocent children, is she insane.

"Good luck in raising YOUR kids, Elliot," said Kathy. "I know you will have fun." She walked in the house, told the kids goodbye and a little white lie of telling them that she would be seeing them soon when she wouldn't be coming back, and left without turning back and was ready to move on with her new life with Brad in Florida.

Elliot and Kathy had told the kids that they were getting a divorce a week ago. Maureen and Kathleen seemed to take the news all right, but the twins –oh no—they were devastated. Poor Elizabeth and Dickie, they couldn't understand why their parents wouldn't just kiss and make up. This time, it was difficult.

SVU Squad Room – Friday morning

"Hey, you seem a little down," said Olivia, glancing at her partner with a smile and handing him a cup of coffee. "Is everything going OK between you and Kathy?"

Kathy, he thought, and sighed. This should be a good time to finally tell Olivia about the affair, the divorce, Kathy giving up custody, and his feelings that he has for her.

"Not really," Elliot says as he looks around the squad room, then back at Olivia, who knows that he has something to tell her, "why don't we go outside and talk about this?"

Olivia shot him a concerned look but agreed and followed out after Elliot. He told her about the affair, divorce papers, Kathy leaving for Florida with Brad –everything that she did to intentionally destroy him and the kids.

"Oh my gosh," said Olivia, after he told her everything and could sense that his heart was broken, "Elliot, I don't know what to say, I'm so sorry." She reached over to him and gave him a hug.

He hugged her tightly and breathed in her scent. She smelled of flowers and fruit, just as he always imagined while Olivia breathed in his light scent of cinnamon cologne. Definitely the smell of Elliot.

They let go of each other and Elliot thought that this would be the right time to admit his feelings that he had for her.

"Liv?"

"Yeah."

He finally managed to speak, "I love you, and I don't know what I would do without you as my partner and best friend." He couldn't believe what he just told his partner, who was shocked.

Olivia was surprised at what Elliot had just told her and as much as she wanted to admit it, she loved him too, but didn't know how to tell him and she still wondered what would happen if they crossed the line between their friendship.

After a long pause, Olivia said, "I love you too. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have you in my life. I'm always here to listen anytime." She looked up and smiled at him.

"Thanks, Liv, you're the best."