A/N: So after the episode 'Caretaker' and the scene with Liv and Amanda and the flowers where Olivia said "sometimes we all need a little pretty" about why Amanda should keep the flowers I got two EO one-shot ideas, this is one of them and the other one is being written by Lightupthesky (Alicia) so check that one out too :). Also so far the last few chapters of this little one-shot series have been post season 12 EO if you have any ideas from past Bensler episodes feel free to share!

"Wow." Olivia returned to the squadroom after a heartbreaking conversation with their ADA about their current case to see a very large bouquet of flowers on Amanda's desk. Amanda hung up the phone and rolled her eyes.

"They're from Al. I told him not to send them to the office but...men right?" Olivia laughed.

"You meeting him for dinner?"

"I don't know I-I feel like I need to do something here this case-it's." She swallows a lump in her throat and Olivia nods, she knows the feeling.

"Yeah." They walk into her office and are both fighting back tears.

"Last night I went home...tucked Noah in and just...watched him sleep. For 2 hours." Her voice was quiet, shaky and tear-filled.

"I did the same thing."

"Sometimes life just sucks." Olivia said and the statement causes a long lost face to pop into her mind and she sobs for a different reason. "It really freaking sucks. I mean one day you're standing side by side and the next you kiss him goodbye thinking you'll see him next week and then the news tells you his plane went down and they couldn't find his body and your whole world just...shatters." Amanda pulls back from the hug her Lieutenant had pulled her in, realizing she was no longer talking about the case.

"Liv?"

"He'd understand you know? He had 5 kids, these cases were always hard on him and I never really understood why until I had Noah. I really wish he was here right now."

"Who?"

"I should've told him not to go that the weather was too dangerous that-"

"Who?"

"Elliot." His name stabs at the hole in her heart.

"Wasn't that your old partner?"

"Yeah." She choked out.

"Were you guys-"

"He and his wife had gotten a divorce and the night of his retirement party he kissed me and told me he loved me. Told me he had to leave the job but he didn't want to leave me. We-what we had was so special. I loved him...more than anything in the world. He was my partner, my family, my protector, my rock my-" She sobbed again, missing him had never gotten easier.

"What happened to him?"

"A good friend of his from the marines died and the funeral was in London. Elliot decided to go to the funeral but the weather was really bad. I was worried but...deep down I thought he'd be fine you know? His plane crashed in the ocean on the way home and they didn't-they never found his body. The plane was completely destroyed and there were so many fatalities so we all just had to accept that we'd never see him again but I miss him. God, I miss him so damn much." She sobbed. "How could Ann-I would be devastated if something happened to Noah and I would give anything to have Elliot back. Anything. She just killed her entire family without a second thought. I would be lost if I didn't have Noah and for so long I felt lost without Elliot. I still feel lost without him sometimes."

"Maybe there's still hope if they never actually found him?"

"I tried to hold onto that as long as I could but after 8 years? The department had a memorial service for him but I couldn't go. It was too hard, still is." They're silent for a minute before Olivia turns to the young detective.

"Amanda you should keep those flowers."

"Why?" More tears flow from Amanda's eyes, heartbroken for her Lieutenant and friend.

"Because sometimes we just need a little pretty." They walk back into the squad room getting ready to leave for the night when they see a delivery man walk in with another bouquet of flowers.

"Delivery for Olivia Benson?"

"That's me." She was shocked, both at the fact that someone had sent her flowers and that they happened to be her favorites, pink roses.

"Secret admirer Liv?" Amanda asked and Olivia rolled her eyes.

"Not likely. They are sweet though."

"Stone? Barba? Langan? Haden? Ellis?" She laughed.

"I don't date lawyers."

"Since when?"

"Amanda!"

"Ok ok. Look at the note and see."

"It's probably just a thank you or something."

"I don't know. I think it's somebody sweet on you."

"I'm 54 years old, that train left the station a long time ago."

"Oh come on. Cassidy? Tucker?"

"No and no."

"Dodds?"

"Don't make me puke." She teased.

"Carisi?"

"I don't think that's legal."

"Fin?"

"He once told me and I quote that 'the only relationship he ever cares to have is with his couch and the television."

"Voight?"

"One-time coffee date and the only thing we had in common was that we've both seen more blood than we'd care to see in our lifetimes."

"Munch?"

"Old enough to be my dad."

"That FBI guy you dated one time?"

"Hell no."

"That guy from the Ledger?"

"I haven't thought about him in years."

"Well, whoever it was knows and cares about you enough to send your favorites. It's gotta be someone you've worked closely with or a perp that's stalking you."

"Richard White died in prison 5 years ago so this is definitely not a 'no hard feelings' bouquet."

"Nick?"

"I think if Nick was going to send flowers it would be to you."

"I'm running out of options. The only other person I could think of that would know you that well...it would have to be-"

"Oh my god!" Amanda's cut off when Olivia opens the note and gasps with a sob of disbelief. She falls into the chair and puts a hand over her mouth. "Oh my god." Amanda reads the note, both women are stunned.

For my Liv-

I will be home soon

With all my love,

Your El

"El? Is that?" Olivia nods, tears pouring from her eyes like a waterfall.

"It's him. I'd know his handwriting anywhere. He's alive." She pulls Amanda into another hug, overcome with emotion. "He's alive!" She sobs out of happiness and runs out the door of the squad room. "Where is he, Amanda? Where is he?"

"Maybe he had someone else send them for him?"

"No, no it's him. I know it is. Why isn't he here? He said he'd be home soon. Where is he!" She falls to her knees in tears.

"Why don't you turn around baby?" It's almost too good to be true and she's scared to look because she knows what's left of her heart will shatter if his voice and the flowers and the note are all just in her head. But it's his voice. It's the voice that had laughed with her, cried with her, fought with her, gotten justice with her, interrogated perps with her, the voice that loved her and told her good morning and saved the streets with her and and and. It was him. It was her Elliot and she couldn't stand up because her knees felt like jello and tears were blurring her vision and she was pretty sure her heart stopped beating momentarily as its other half that had been gone for 8 years was locked back into place.

"I made it to the right place didn't I?" She heard his voice talking to Amanda as his footsteps approached her and she heard Amanda respond "Yeah you did" tearfully as she stepped aside to let Elliot move closer to Olivia.

"I'm a little old for this baby, I probably couldn't get up if I sat on that floor." He teased and she laughed through her tears. "But I really really wanna hold you." That did it. She threw her arms around him clinging tightly, never wanting to let go again.

"How-I-they told me you were dead El." She sobbed into his chest as he helped her stand up while still holding her in his arms tightly. "The plane and then the funeral and-"

"I'm here honey. I'm here, look. I'm here." But she wonders if she lifts her face from his chest where she's listening intently to his heartbeat he will suddenly disappear from her.

"Elliot how-"

"Look at me, sweetheart." He tilts her chin gently and she allows herself to look into those blue eyes she's longed to see again for nearly a decade. He looks worn and older. He was thinner and had lost some muscle. His hair is almost completely gone from his head and he has a salt and pepper beard. He looks like he's been through a lot but he's real. He's Elliot and as she looks at him again she realizes she had missed him even more than she knew.

"Oh, El!" She cried and buried her face in his neck and breathed in his scent. "Elliot. Elliot Elliot." She repeated his name over and over to remind herself she wasn't dreaming.

"I missed you so much, Olivia." Too overwhelmed to respond she pressed her lips to his. He kissed her back lovingly and stroked her cheek with his thumb. She didn't want to stop kissing him and she never wanted to leave his arms again. His beard tickled her chin as they kissed but she didn't care. He was alive. That's all that mattered. They broke the kiss but he leaned his forehead against hers and their tears mixed together, their lips brushing as she spoke.

"What happened to you El? How are you here?" Her heart warmed as he kissed a couple stray tears making there way down her cheeks. "El?"

"It's-it's a really long story." Her heart aches for him because she realizes whatever happened is really hard for him to talk about. The look on his face almost reminds her of the look she often had after the Lewis ordeal. She nods in understanding and kisses him again. They had pretty much forgotten Amanda was there and she, not wanting to interrupt the emotional reunion went back to the squad room to get her things and leave for the night.

"I love you." She tells him and sees tears threatening to fall from his eyes. "Oh baby, it's ok now. You're home."

"I know, I just missed you, sweetheart. I love you too." There's something else going on with him and she doesn't know what but she won't push it. he looks at her and studies her much like she had earlier. She knows he can tell she's had a rough day, that she had been crying even before she got the flowers. They had always been able to read each other so well. "Hard day?" Her mind goes back to the case and the lump returns to her throat. "Talk to me Liv."

"Oh god, El. You don't know how much I needed you right now this-this case I just-" She breaks down in his arms, unable to get the heartbreaking crime scene out of her mind.

"Shhh, it's alright honey. You can let it out. I'm here now. I'm here."

"I missed you so much El."

"I never stopped thinking about you Liv. It was the only way I survived." There it was again, that hint that had her wondering what exactly happened to him after the plane crash.

"El-"

"Let's go home? Please?"

"My place?" She smiled warmly at him and he nods.

"We should get you something to eat too. You could use some meat on those bones."

"You buying?" He teased.

"I'll have you know I can cook now."

"You?" He mocked disbelief and she smacked his chest lightly. He flinched slightly and she was concerned but didn't mention it.

"I guess I'll just have to prove it. Come on, let's go. I'll cook you some dinner and you can meet Noah."

"Noah?"

"I have a son El."

"Your husband won't think I'm intruding?" She laughed.

"The only man there's room in my heart for is you. Noah's adopted."

"I'm so proud of you baby." He kisses her forehead and she's happy to see his mood lift. "You're an amazing mother I just know it."

"Thanks, El." A thought comes to her. "Speaking of kids, have you seen yours yet?"

"I tried looking them up but I guess they all moved after...you know I just-I needed solid ground to stand on tonight. I knew you'd be here. I knew I could come home to you. I'll sort things out with them I will but I knew it was you I needed tonight." She understood completely because it's exactly how she has felt. They had always given each other stability and after this tough case, heck after these tough 8 years she needed the one man she could always count on. He felt the same way about her.

"Ok." They wrapped their an arm around each other's waists as they walked in sync, both thankful to feel connected to one another again.

"Did you like the flowers?"

"I loved them. You remembered."

"I love you." He replied as a way of explanation for remembering as they stood in the elevator holding each other.

"I love you too." He nuzzled her nose and pulled her into a sweet and long kiss. They held each other again as they walked out to the car, neither of them wanting to ever let go again.

There were still many questions, many struggles to come but tonight all that mattered was them and knowing that their love would get them through.

They were and would always be each other's something pretty

Each other's stability.

A/N: Not sure what I think of this one, just had the idea the other night. Thanks for reading :)