Playing Dirty -- Chapter 3
Disclaimer: Once again I don't own any of these characters.

Elliot walked into the 1-6 Monday morning not knowing what to expect. He hadn't been able to get a hold of Olivia since that morning; she wouldn't pick up the phone when he called and she refused to return his calls.

"Morning," Cragen said carrying a cup of coffee back to his office.

Elliot hung up his coat on the rack and took a seat at his desk, flipping through a random file. 'What do I say to her? Is she even gonna talk to me now? What the hell did I do?' He sat forward and rested his head in his hands.

"Something wrong?" Munch asked noticing his coworkers silence.

"Just got a lot on my mind," Elliot said. 'Lot of thoughts, all about one woman.'

"You should take a trip up to the roof," Fin suggested. "Seems to be helping Liv."

Elliot's head shot up, "Olivia's up on the roof?" Without waiting for an answer he took off, climbing the stairs two at a time.

"Twenty bucks says they did something they shouldn't have and now Liv's freaked," Fin said off handedly.

"You're on."

Olivia was standing at the edge of the roof, staring at the bustling city below when she heard the door open. She knew it was Elliot, and she knew this was going to be awkward. She made no acknowledgement of his presence even as she stood beside her and leaned with his back to the edge.

"Don't," Olivia said even before Elliot could speak. "Look El, I know I freaked out the other day, but you have to understand where I'm coming from." Before Elliot could answer Olivia moved away from the side and began to pace the rooftop. "I mean, you're my partner, my best friend and I…we…what the hell was I thinking?"

Elliot came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. Immediately Olivia stopped pacing and leaned against him. "I believe you were thinking, 'This man is gorgeous, and handsome, and he makes me feel wonderful.' That about sum it up?"

"You're such a man," she laughed finally beginning to calm down. She slipped out of Elliot's arms and turned to face him. "Do you understand how bad this could be? We could lose our jobs over this El!"

"Not if no one knows about it," he said. "We keep the relationship out of the job and no one has to know."

"I don't know," Olivia said cautiously, "I don't think I can hide these feelings." She stepped closer to Elliot and took his hands in her own. "I've been denying these feeling for so long Elliot. First because you were married, then because you were my partner, but now that they're out I don't think I can put them back in their cage."

Elliot pulled his hand from Olivia's grasp and cupped her cheek with it. "I'm not asking you to hide your feelings, just…restrict them to a certain time and place." Olivia nodded slowly and smiled. Elliot returned the smile and brought his lips to hers in a heated kiss.

"Ah hem!"

Both heads snapped to see Munch and Fin standing in the doorway. Elliot and Olivia quickly separated and stared at the two men.

"Not to interrupt anything," Munch began with a devilish grin, "but Captain's looking for you two."

"Thanks," Olivia said looking at the ground. As Munch and Fin left she could vaguely make out Fin telling his partner to 'Pay up old man'.

"We'll continue this conversation later," Elliot said before they headed back down to the squad room.

The clock on the wall had finally reached five o'clock and to everyone's surprise there was no reason to stay late. It had been a relatively slow day and both Elliot and Olivia had spent the majority of it finishing up some paperwork.

"Well I'm outta here," Elliot said closing the last file he was working on and tossing it on the pile. "Need a ride Liv?" He was hoping she would say yes and not avoid the conversation they both knew they needed to have.

"Sure," Olivia agreed. She grabbed her coat off the rack and followed Elliot out the door to his car. Olivia waited until they had pulled out of the precinct parking lot before speaking, "Look El, I'm sorry I left that morning, but I was just a little freaked."

"Liv you don't have to apologize," he told her glancing at her quickly and returning his eyes to the road.

"I know, but I just want you to know that I don't regret what we did and I'm willing to give this thing a try." She waited silently for his response.

"That night that we…it was the best night I've had in a long time, and not just because I was with someone but because that someone was you," Elliot said. He reached over with one hand and took hers. They continued the ride to Elliot's place in comfortable silence.

When Elliot opened his door he immediately noticed something different, the room was actually clean. Usually there were a few dozen case files strewn about his coffee table and couch and the random article of clothing, usually a tie or jacket, thrown over the back of the chair.

"Hello?" Elliot called as Liv followed closely behind him.

"In here," came the voice. Seconds later Maureen emerged from the guest bedroom.

"What are you doing here?" Elliot asked embracing his oldest daughter.

"I just finished with a class and was in the neighborhood so I figured I'd swing by," she said taking a seat on the couch. "Hi Olivia."

"Hi Maureen," Olivia said taking a seat next to the girl. "So how's college?"

"It's going pretty well," she said.

"Did you clean this place up?" Elliot asked reemerging from his bedroom.

"Well someone had to, this place looked like such a bachelor pad," she laughed. Olivia laughed softly until she caught Elliot's 'hard-ass' glare. "I mean the twister game was still out from last weekend Dad. I can't believe you don't tidy up more often."

"Last weekend?" Olivia asked confused. "What happened last weekend?"

Elliot's eyes went wide and pleaded with his daughter to stop talking; Maureen didn't get the hint.

"Last weekend when the twins were here," she said. "They always manage to get him to play with them."

Olivia's eyes darted to Elliot whose face was turning a deep shade of crimson. "So he's pretty good at the game?" she asked eyeing him the whole time.

"Well I don't know if I'd say he was good," Maureen laughed, "he plays enough that he should be the champion."

Elliot's eye dropped to the floor, he knew he was caught. Slowly he returned his eyes to Olivia's only to find hers boring into him with a look of disbelief and…mischief?

"Elliot Stabler," she said rising from the couch, "you're a dead man!" With that she took after him and the chase was on.

Well that's it! I hope you've enjoyed it and don't forget to Review Please!