Chapter 3

Stunned, Elliot sat there.

'Why did she run out like that?' he wondered. He noticed she had been crying, though she would try to say she wasn't. He continued to in a confused stupor, a million ideas about what could be wrong running through his head. He felt nervous. He had expected that things would be different once he came back, but they hadn't been too terribly different. He made up his mind that this was a test, and that she was trying to see if he would fail again. Leaping up, he threw a few dollars on the table for the coffee and ran for the door. As he went through the door, he hear the old couple cheering for him.

"That's right, son! Go get her!" He turned to see the old man pumping his fist in the air as his wife lightly slapped his arm. She smiled kindly at him. Elliot shook his head. He was surprised to see Olivia sitting on the bench outside the resturaunt. She had her head in her hands and was sobbing. She appeared not to have noticed him. Elliot sat down beside her, and started to say something. Olivia jumped slightly.

"El...I gotta...I can't..." she said, getting up. He reached out and grabbed her arm.

"Olivia, wait." She not-so reluctantly sat back down. She leaned into him, not trying to hide the tears that were streaming down her face. She wondered how she was going to tell him.

FLASHBACK

Olivia couldn't believe what she was seeing. There, in her doorway stood Elliot. He was soaked from the rain and she knew he had stood out there for a while before deciding to use his key to get into the apartment. She could almost see him struggling to make up his mind whether or not he should go she her. She was glad he did decide to see her. She found it ironic that she was thinking about him. She had honestly expected Casey to be on the other side of the door. She really didn't mind Casey, so long as she wasn't dragging her to a therapy session.

Olivia stood in shock when she opened the door. Never in a million years had see expected to see her best friend again. She remembered what happened with Alex. The guy had been put on jail, but she still was forced to remain in the WPP. She thought Elliot would have to do the same. Yet, there he stood, staring right back at her.

"Welcome home, Elliot, " she said. Her lips trembled into a smile, her voice cracked, and her knees started to give out. He rushed toward her, scooping her up, and twirling her around while holding her tightly. Giggling, she leaned down and kissed him. Surprised, he kissed her back until they were both out of breath. Slowly, she slid down his body until her toes touched the floor. In the process, she found that his love for her never died. She felt his desire and lust for her. Smiling, she took his hand and walked him back to her bedroom.

FLASHBACK ENDS

"What's wrong, Liv?" She had stopped crying and was now sitting quietly, trying to avoid his eye. Elliot saw this, and secrectly hoped it was a boyfriend so that he could beating the guy up.

"Are you upset about the phone call?" She nodded yes. 'Well duh, Elliot. God, you're such a idiot' he thought to himself.

"...an old boyfriend?" She shook her head no.

"...a new boyfriend?" She smiled, but still shook her head no.

"Is everything alright? Did someone die? Is someone hurt?" She only sniffled.

"El... I have to go..." She just barely whispered. He almost didn't hear her. She continued ro sit, and he was content to sit in silence with her.

FLASHBACK

He clicked off the phone. He wasn't sure where she was, but could hear John and Fin arguing in the background. He guessed them to be on a stake-out. Sighing, he made up his mind, then and there that he was going back to New York. As his new partner always told him, 'You can take the man out of New York, but you can't take New York out of the man.' As cliche as they both knew it was, he also knew it was true. He found that he actually missed the guy. Granted, Chris Flatts wasn't Olivia Benson, but he was a likable guy who was one of few who put up with Elliot's temper.

Elliot remembered in anger the bastard who had gotten him stuck in the Witness Protection Program. It was a clear evening, and he and Flatts were undercover as unifroms. Elliot thought the guy would see them and run, but Flatts insisted that he wasn't afraid of the uniforms; it was the detectives like themselves that worried him. He was said to have been spotted at a local club. Flatta volunteered them to go undercover. Elliot had laughed: it seemed like something Olivia would do.

This was how Elliot found himself pushed over by the perp. Someone had told him that they were on to him and he had made a run for it. Elliot leapt up and started after the guy. The perp, who was a good twenty feet ahead of him, jumped into a waiting SUV. Flatts jumped into the squadcar and turned the ignition. The car blew up. Elliot stood stunned. He watched as the door landed near him. He bent down and stared at the burned door with it's black letters that read LAPD.

Elliot remembered later that the plan was that he was supposed to get in the car if the perp made a run for it. Flatts was going to chase him down on foot. He suspected that the perp somehow knew this. His suspicions were confirmed when he found the letter that put a threat on his children's, his ex-wife's, and his ex-partner's life if he didn't back off.

FLASHBACK ENDS

Elliot watched her walk up the street and get into her car. He knew she was watching him in her rear-view mirror. He guessed she realized he wasn't going to follow her. He wished he had followed her, but he didn't know if she wanted him to truly back off, or if she was testing him again. He held his breath as she turned the ignition...

TBC

A/N: First I wanna thank NothingMoreNothingLess for beta-ing (yes, i'm not sure if that's a word, but too bad, i'm using it). I think all of you are familiar with how terrible my spelling is...especially when leaving reviews. Anyway, thankx to you, and thankx to the reviewers. Also, I think I like this format more.