I'm sorry it took so long to update. School and choir concerts took over. Plus prom is tomorrow. And mad writer's block. It took me forever and a day to write this. But I managed.

"Web" pretty good. Better then I thought it'd be. But at the end of the episode, the only things that I could thing were "I'm soooo confuuuused!" and "How are they going to get themselves out of this one?"

Oh well. We'll see soon enough. I can't believe the season finale is soon. -sigh- Now I have no reason to look forward to Tuesdays.

Anyways, thank you sooo much for your reviews, per usual, and thank you for bearing with my lack of update.

Oh, one more thing. This story will be ending soon, but there WILL be a sequel.

And just a hint... Elliot and Olivia will probably not be together at the end of this story. At least, not together in a romantic way. But we'll see.

Disclaimer: I own nada.

-----------------------------------

Time was creeping by. Olivia was alone, sitting on her couch. Her legs were curled up and she was looking through the newspaper for a job. What she really wanted was to go back to SVU, but she couldn't bring herself to make the call. She was almost positive that she'd been replaced, and even if she hadn't, it would be too difficult with everything going on.

It was no use. She couldn't concentrate on the paper anyway. She tossed it aside and rested her head on her hand.

----------

"Olivia, Mary's asleep. I think I better go," Elliot said, walking out of her room.

"But wait. We-," she replied, grabbing his arm.

"Not right now. I can't do this. I'll give you a call when I'm ready." He was at the door.

"Elliot, please. What about Mary? She needs her father."

"Listen, Olivia. I love Mary. You have no idea how much I love her. But I don't think I can talk to you about this right now. Not with things the way they are."

Olivia winced. Why did she have to screw everything up?

"All right then." She walked to where he was standing. "I'll talk to you later, then."

He left. She stood there, staring at the spot where he had been standing.

----------

Jesus. When the hell did I become such a screw-up? she asked herself. My poor child is in there, fatherless, and it's all my fault. And I have no job.

The phone rang, causing her to jump. "Holy shit that scared me." She reached on her table for her cordless phone. "Hello?"

"Hey Liv, it's me." Cragen. It was nice to hear his voice.

"Hey Cap! How are you?"

"Oh good, good. How about you?"

"Fine... I was kind of looking for a job. But I gave up. Too many things going on."

"Problems with Elliot?"

"You could say that."

"Huh. Well, listen, I have a little matter I'd like to discuss?"

"Yes?" Olivia sat up a little straighter on the couch, alarmed.

"Liv, we've been through so many newcomers here. And none of them are working out. So I was wondering- would you like to come back here? You don't have to start right away, because-"

"I'd love to!" she exclaimed. "But wait. I don't know how I'd feel about working with Elliot again..."

"I can pair you up with Fin or John."

"Oh, I know. But, I mean, you know. In the same general area."

"That's understandable, Liv. But you guys are adults. You can put your job ahead of personal feelings."

Ha! Yea right. "That's true..."

"So give it a shot. Please? You're the best thing we've ever had, and I'm not ready to let you go yet. You've been gone long enough."

"Cap, I honestly want to come back. A lot. But, you know, there's the whole deal with Elliot. And what am I going to do with Mary while I'm at work? I can't just bring her with me."

"What about your neighbor? What's her name... Valerie? Could she watch Mary?"

"She might be able to. I don't know, Cap." She wanted this more than anything. But she just couldn't bring herself to face Elliot.

"Olivia, I know you. And I know your problem. You're too afraid to face Elliot."

"How do you know me so well?"

"Seven years is a long time, Olivia. You know you're like a daughter to me."

Olivia smiled over the phone.

"All right, Cap. When can I start?"

---------------

"Look who's back, everybody," Cragen said, walking out of the office with Olivia trailing behind him.

"Liv! How you been, baby?" Fin said, standing to hug his friend.

"What are you doing back here?" John added.

"Don called me about three weeks ago about taking the job back. So I worked out plans with my neighbor Val about watching Mary. And here I am."

Elliot remained behind his desk, concentrating on his computer screen.

"Okay, Liv. I paired up Munch and Elliot, so you'll be working with Fin," Cragen jumped in.

"Which explains why Munch is sitting at my desk," Olivia observed. "So I assume his old desk is mine now?"

"Yep."

Olivia glanced at Elliot, who was now staring at her. She nodded hello, and he nodded back, turning back to his computer screen. "What are you doing, El?" she asked.

"Work," he replied.

Olivia rolled her eyes. She told Don that she was willing to put aside her personal feelings for Elliot while she was working. She'd assumed that he would agree too. Obviously not.

"Really? What kind of case are we dealing with?"

"A rape case."

"Can you get more specific?"

"Not right now."

"Jesus," she muttered under her breath. "I hope Mary doesn't end up with your attitude problem."

"What was that, Liv?"

"Nothing, Elliot."

"It didn't sound like nothing."

"Shut up and get back to work."

"Don't tell me to shut up. And don't tell me what to do."

Olivia ignored him, which was what she should have done in the first place.

Of course, he couldn't stand being ignored.

"Olivia-" his voice was suddenly calm.

"What?" her voice turned cold.

"Can I talk to you for a minute? Alone?"

"Sure." She stood up. "Rooftop?"

"All right."

The two left the room.

John turned to Fin. "Twenty bucks says they come back down making out."

Fun chuckled. "Making out? Twenty says that they're made up. They're too mature for making out in front of people."

"You know young lovers. They just can't keep their hands off each other."

----------

"What'd you want to talk to me about?" Olivia asked, crossing her arms over her chest. It was particularly chilly that Spring morning. The light wind wasn't helping, either.

"I just wanted to say-" he paused and put his hands over her arms, rubbing them. "-I'm sorry."

"What?"

"I'm sorry I haven't been there. I'm sorry I was such an asshole to you. The whole situation is just as much my fault."

"You're right," Olivia said, pulling away from his hands. "This is both our fault."

"So do you think we can work on our relationship? Maybe get something started?"

Olivia sighed and looked into eyes. "Elliot, I'm not sure. You really hurt me."

"I know I did. And I said I was sorry."

"I know, El. But sometimes sorry just isn't enough." She looked away when she saw the hurt fill his eyes. "I can't."

"But what about Mary?"

"I love Mary very much. And I know you do, too. And we can work something out so we can each have equal time with her." She began to walk toward the steps back down to the office. After a second thought, she quickly walked back to Elliot and placed a kiss on his cheek. "We can be friends, though, right?"

Elliot forced a smile. "Yea. Friends."

Olivia smiled back and walked back to the stairs, this time disappearing down them. Elliot was left alone.

"How did things get to be like this?" he asked the sky. "I love her, damn it." He stopped abruptly, realizing that he was admitting his feelings for the first time.

----------

Casey met Olivia at the bottom of the stairs. "So you are back!" she exclaimed, giving her friend a hug. "What were you doing up there?"

"Talking to Elliot."

"And...?"

"We decided to be friends. I told him that I can't be with him because of they way he treated me. You know. Maybe some day, but not now. I can't."

"I understand."

"God, Casey. When did I become such a screw up? I keep asking myself that."

"Olivia, everything happens for a reason. Maybe you and Elliot just weren't meant to be."

"I don't know." Olivia started toward her desk. "I do love him. But being close friends always works for me."

Elliot entered. Olivia watched as he walked right past her, disregarding her presence until he sat down. He saw her watching him and smiled briefly. She smiled back.

This might just work.