Chapter 3

SVU Squadroom

7:32 p.m.

Friday, January 26

Two days later found Olivia at her desk staring at her phone. The day before she had gone to the clinic the lawyer sent her to. They told her they would have the results in 24 hours. That was 29 hours ago and counting.

"Liv," Elliot began, only to be cut off by the shrill ring of her phone.

"Benson," she said, glancing at Elliot as he prentended not to listen to her end of the conversation. He didn't get much for his effort. She only nodded and gave several affirmative sounding grunts.

When she finished, she turned back to the files on her desk, ignoring Elliot's inquistive gaze. Finally, he caved. "So?" he asked, drawing out the word.

She glanced over at him, her hair falling in her eyes. "So, what?"

He let out an exasperated sigh. "So, was that the clinic?"

She smiled at him. She was going to have a little fun. "The clinic? Which clinic?"

"You know. THE clinic." He sensed her playfulness as was willing to go along with it just to see where she was going with it. It was rare that showed him this side of her and he knew it was probably good news if she was teasing him.

"Oh, you mean the DNA testing clinic?" she asked, her attention still seeming to be on her file.

"Yeah. That clinic."

"No. Wasn't them." She kept her head down and tried to keep the smile off her face. She knew he was letting her toy with him and she wondered how long he would let it continue.

He looked at her, trying to decide if she was lying. He could see her trying not to smile but that could mean anything. She was still playing him, he knew, but if it wasn't the clinic..."So, we got a new case or anything?"

"Not that I know of," she replied, keeping her head down.

Two can play this game he thought as he began closing out the programs on his computer. "Oh, in that case, I'm gonna head out. See ya in the morning." He grabbed his jacket and started for the door when he heard her voice from behind him.

"Come on, El. That's not fair. You know I'm going to tell you." She watched as he oh so casually turned back around.

"Tell me? Tell me what?" He struggled to keep a straight face.

"Ha, ha. You are so funny," she said, logging off her computer and retrieving her own jacket. "Let's grab some dinner and I'll tell you all about it."

"Yeah, ok. I guess I can live with that," he said, trying to sound disappointed. She shot him another teasing look as she gathered her things together.

They left the station house together still playfully arguing. Neither noticed the man in the shadows watching them. He shook his head slightly at their antics and returned to the desk in his office.

"All right, are you going to tell me or not?" Elliot asked as he slurped lo mein noodles noisily from his position on the other side of her coffee table. She'd been holding out on him for the better part of two hours.

"Yeah." She paused, taking a breath. "I didn't lie to you earlier. That call wasn't from the clinic. It was from Grace. Apparently the clinic called her and let her know the results and she told them that she would take care of informing me. I am her mother, El. I was sure before, but now...To know without a doubt. It's amazing."

Her voice was full of wonder and excitement and Elliot couldn't help but smile at her joy. "I'm glad for you, Liv. This is an amazing opportunity."

"Yeah, it is," she said smiling over at him. She was so grateful for him, for all the support he'd given her the last few days. She'd been on an emotional rollarcoaster and he'd come along willingly for the ride.

He sensed her mood change and wondered at it. "What is is?" he asked his voice full of concern.

At his worried look, she laughed. "It's nothing. I was just thinking how lucky I am to have you in my life. Sometimes I don't know why you put up with me."

He looked at her seriously for a moment. "Olivia, I don't want you to ever wonder at that. I am here. I will always be here. For you. Always."

Suddenly shy at the serious bent the conversation had taken, she looked down before answering him. "I know that, El. And I am grateful to have you back." She looked startled at her own words.

"Have me back? Where have I been?" he asked genuinely confused.

She looked down, anywhere but at him. How could she have been so stupid? Their relationship was finally begining to recover from the shambles it had become since his divorce and she had to go and ruin it all over again. "Nothing, no where." Come on. El. Let it go she thought, knowing he would not.

"No. Really, where have I been?" His voice was soft and steely at the same time and she knew she'd touched a nerve.

"It's not important, El. Please. Let it go. I didn't mean anything." She watched him stealthily from shaded lids. He wasn't going to let it go.

"Yes, you did. I need you to tell me." She finally looked at him, his steady gaze never leaving her.

"I...you...I don't know. For a while after your divorce you just seemed so distant. You wouldn't let me in, you wouldn't let anyone in, and it really hurt. But lately, you've been different. You've been more like the Elliot I know and-" She cut herself off quickly before she could finish the the thought. The Elliot I know and love.

He sat there for a few minutes stunned. He had no idea she felt like this, that he had been like that. Sure he knew he'd been hard to deal with after the divorce but he didn't realize she'd felt so cut off and distant from him. "Olivia, I am so sorry. I had no idea I'd been doing that to you. I just-I'm sorry."

"It's ok, El," she said, taking his hand in her own across the coffee table. "It was a hard time."

He looked at their joined hands and knew in that moment that he would do whatever it takes to make sure that their hands would never come apart again. He drew her hand ever so slowly to him, pulling her body with it. They were both on their knees now, bodies inches apart. He took her other hand in his and looked in her eyes.

"I promise you, Olivia, that I won't ever go away again. I won't ever shut you out again. You, what we have between us, it's too important to me. I'm sorry I did but I promise you I will not push you away like that anymore."

The silence was deafening. They stayed like that, holding hands, breathing each other's breath for what seemed like hours until finally she broke. "What we have between us?" she asked her voice barely above a whisper.

He searched her face, looking for understanding and when he found it, he moved ever so slightly and brushed her lips with his own. He sensed her hesitation and pulled back. But her lips followed him. She leaned into him, pressing her body against his and deepened the kiss. Every nerve in his body was on fire. He could feel every point where her body touched his. Flames lept from his skin when she released his hand to wrap her arms around his neck. She moaned softly when his tounge met hers in a tangled dance.