Disclaimer: I do not own Law and Order: Special Victims Unit or any of its characters. Everything belongs to Dick Wolf and NBC.

The next day, I went to the coffee shop to meet him. We had agreed that a conversation after this long would be better suited face to face. I didn't really want to go out after everything that happened, but I also knew I would have to eventually face the world. I put on some sunglasses and then sat in the back corner of the coffee shop. I waited with a large cup of decaf coffee and tapped my index finger against the table anxiously as I waited. I hope he shows. I glanced to my left at the clock on the wall and noticed it was five minutes past the time we agreed to meet. Another five past and I was beginning to truly wonder if he would show up; but then he did.

"Sorry I'm late." Elliot said as he walked over to the corner once he saw me. "Traffic's a bitch."

"We are in New York." I replied, standing up and giving him a hug. "It's been a long time."

"Too long." Elliot sat down and I sat back down in my seat as our barista came over to our table, upon seeing Elliot join me. "Coffee black." He told her before turning back to me. "You cut your hair." He observed.

"I did." I nodded. It was an impulse after what happened. I remember looking in the mirror—I just had to do something. And cutting my hair seemed like the best thing to do.

"You know I was about to call you when I heard about what happened on the news." Elliot wanted me to know that. "And then you did—I am really glad we're doing this." I honestly was but in a way I also wasn't. It had been so long that Elliot almost felt like a stranger to me. Of course, he wasn't. I was married to him on the job for over a decade. He reminded me that sometimes I knew him better than his own wife did. But it just felt strange getting together after all this time, when he didn't even say goodbye, and we may only be here because I was assaulted. "Liv? Are you doing okay?"

"Honestly, I don't know."

"It's going to be okay." Elliot took my hand and then I pulled back after a moment.

"Why didn't you call me after you decided to leave?" I asked. That question had been on my mind for years. I had thought it would never be answered. But now was my chance to ask.

"I—" Elliot struggled to answer. "Honestly now, I don't know why I never called. I guess I expected you to call me. But when you didn't, I figured maybe what we had didn't mean that much to you."

"How dare you?" That actually pissed me off. "We were partners for twelve years? Do you remember how much we went through together? All those cases, your divorce and you getting back together, my first assault, everything that happened with Kathleen and Dickie—what happened with Calvin—" There was a lot to go through over those years and those were the first things on my mind. "And you think none of that meant nothing to me?"

"I don't—"

"You decided to retire—I understood. You hit your point and you wanted to stop." Given what we do and the people we deal with, I could understand leaving it behind once you've had enough. "But to never say a word to me—nothing after that. Well that hurt me."

"I'm sorry, Liv."

"I thought about reaching out many times before now but—" I figured he didn't care.

"I get it, I'm a dick." Elliot said it, not me. "And I'm sorry, but I guess it's what had to happen. We can't change the past now." He had a point. "We had to move on with our lives. You became Cragen's number two and I moved on with my family—my kids." We had to live our separate lives. "But I'm here now." He took my hand again and I didn't make a move to push him away. "You know Kathy and I divorced again?"

"I didn't." I am actually surprised considering everything they went through. They managed to go back to each other then, so I assumed they would stay together. Especially since there wasn't the matter of me being in the picture anymore. "What happened?"

"Same old. I wasn't there enough and the truth of it is, I wasn't in love with Kathy like I thought I was." Elliot admitted.

"What about Eli—"

"We have joint custody. Most of the kids—Maureen, Kathleen, Dick, and Elizabeth—grown up now and they understood. We had to do what was best for each other." I guess it was true they ended up back together because Kathleen got pregnant again. Eli was still young but maybe it was better for him this way. Sometimes, parents are better apart. "Liv, hey, take a breath." Elliot noticed my hand was trembling. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." I nodded. I've been like this since they found me.

"I'm sorry that happened to you." Elliot looked like he wanted to kill Lewis. "Good thing I wasn't around or I probably would have killed that bastard."

"I know." I smiled slightly. "The thing is I almost did." Elliot seemed surprised. "But anyways, now the important thing is moving forward, like you said." There would be a trial and hopefully he wouldn't manage to find a way to get away with it.

"Well, you're not going to be alone." Elliot scooted in towards the table, squeezing my hand a bit harder this time. "Because I'm here." I was then taken aback when he kissed the back of my hand. "You know why it didn't work with Kathy?" I shook my head slowly, though I knew the answer. "Because even she knew, that no one compared to you. And I was just an idiot who didn't act on it—who thought you could do better."

"We all make mistakes." It was the only thing I could think of to say.

"If you'll let me, I'd like to be here for you—for everything." I honestly wasn't opposed to it. The last thing I wanted was to be alone right now. "I promise I will never abandon you again." He then leaned over the table and placed a kiss on my forehead. I needed him tonight; I get him for a lifetime.

A/N: So I decided to continue this with the news about Elliot Stabler returning to SVU in season 22! I hope you guys liked this.

Don't forget to review.