Elliot scanned the corridor, but Olivia was gone. He paced up and down a few feet until he saw light beneath a doorway. He opened the door and found her standing at a large oval conference table, hugging the back of a black leather chair. He could still feel the ghost of her soft lips against his, and his pulse was faster than usual. She was lost in her thoughts and he valiantly wished he had a penny to unlock the fascinating musings of her secretive mind.

"Hi," he said softly as not to startle her.

"El." She turned around and wrapped her arms around herself. "I'm so sorry," she began, but he cut her off.

"There's nothing to be sorry about," he reassured her.

"But I kissed you," she croaked out, then looked away from him.

Elliot took a few tentative steps toward her and gave her a small smile. "Actually, I think I kissed you, but it's a moot point."

"No, it's not," she said. "You're married. I had no right."

"Yeah, well who knows for how much longer?" he told her, frowning.

"What?"

Elliot went to sit in one of the large leather chairs and wheeled it toward Olivia. "When I found Kathy earlier, she and I, er, we argued."

"About what?" Liv sat beside him and swivelled her chair to face him.

"Doesn't matter," he said with a shrug. "She left me. And I don't just mean here at the hotel. She left me. I believe Munch referred to it as the death knell of my marriage."

"Oh my god, what? Elliot, I'm so sorry." Olivia put a hand on his arm and stared at him wide-eyed. "I'm sure John is exaggerating, and you two can work things out."

Elliot slumped in his chair and ran his hands through his shorn hair. "Not likely, Liv. It's been a long time coming, and the underlying issues aren't going away," he told her.

"Issues?" she probed.

"It's complicated." Elliot stood up and took a deep breath, facing away from Olivia. A slight flush crept up his cheeks and he couldn't make eye contact with her.

"Complicated. I see." She bowed her head. "It's me, isn't it? You two argued about me."

They both waited for him to say something, to answer her, but he couldn't.

"I'm so sorry, El, for any part I've played in this," she told him.

"No, no, don't do that to yourself. It's not your fault that Kathy has jealousy issues." He turned back to face her, saddened by the look of guilt on her face.

"If Kathy has jealousy issues, maybe it's because I've given her cause," she said flatly.

"You've never done anything," he argued.

"Except kiss you just now," she said, blushing again.

"Kathy left before that," he reminded her.

Olivia fingered the material of her silver velvet dress, nervously toying with it. "She didn't like my dress; it's too revealing."

Elliot couldn't help but steal a glance at the exposed golden cleavage he'd been consciously avoiding all evening. His heart rate revved, and he gulped, then moved his eyes up to her face. "Your dress is lovely, Liv. You're lovely. And you haven't done anything wrong," he repeated.

"Then why tonight?" she asked him. "Why did Kathy leave you now, during a party?"

Elliot crossed his arms over his chest and rolled his chair back a few inches. He gathered his thoughts for a moment, unsure how to proceed.

"El?"

"All those memories of 9/11 resurfaced after your song. God, Liv, you were amazing …gave me goddamned goosebumps when you sang."

Liv tilted her head. "I don't understand. What does that have to do with Kathy?"

"Nothing. Precisely nothing. 9/11 had nothing to do with Kathy. She didn't experience it at all."

Olivia furrowed her brow trying to understand. "I'm not connecting the dots," she said. "About your marriage and 9/11 …"

Elliot sighed and suddenly he looked tired. "Kathy made some accusations." The words were whispered, and lingered a moment too long in the air between them.

"What kind of accusations?"

He couldn't face her, so he went to stand by the window, overlooking the parking lot. Then he remembered that his car wasn't here and he'd been abandoned. Left behind, for good. Olivia crept toward him, not wanting to force the tipping point. However, she could sense a tension building within him, between them. She stood next to him quietly, pressing her lips together in anticipation of his words.

"That I'm in love with you," he confessed, keeping his eyes fixed on the window before him. "And have been for years."

A soft gasp escaped Liv's lips and Elliot turned around to face her. "But you set her straight, right? You denied it?" She stared at him with wide eyes.

He said nothing, merely shaking his head.

"But El, why?"

"I couldn't deny it," he said, finally locking eyes with her. The brilliant blue of them pierced through her with unflinching frankness. "I couldn't lie."

Olivia was rendered speechless. She and Elliot didn't admit things. They didn't have heart to hearts. They coexisted as a unit, as one. His admitting loving her was as incredulous as her left foot telling her right ear that it loved it. She gripped the back of the chair closest to her for support. They functioned in tandem, without need for explanations.

"Say something," he pleaded with her. "Please."

"Are you sure it's love?"

"Damned sure, Liv. And I think I realized it that dreadful day in September. I knew I couldn't lose you, ever." Elliot's hands trembled as he reached out to touch her arm, her skin like golden silk beneath his calloused fingers. "I've said too much. I'm so sorry, Liv, but my filters were somewhat blasted earlier tonight."

"Don't be sorry," she choked out, her voice hoarse with emotion. She closed her eyes a moment, reliving her own memories of that fateful day. And every day. Elliot was in her everyday life. He was as much a part of her as her own lungs. She never considered the question of loving him because it went without saying. Except now, he'd broken the taboo and said it. It existed outside of them, a truth that could no longer be ignored. She was very aware of his warm hand on her arm, its slight tremor. She placed her own hand over it, steadying him. Olivia was quiet for too many moments that dripped with incertitude.

"Liv?"

"It's okay, El. It's going to be okay," she said with a smile.

"I don't know what happens next," he said.

"You've got an brand new year to figure it out."

Elliot removed his hand from her arm and glanced down at his watch. "It's almost time," he said. "2005, here we come."

Their eyes held for a heartbeat, then two, three more beats. She broke the spell first, "Maybe we should get back to the party. It's nearly midnight."

"Wait!" Elliot caressed her smooth shoulders and looked into her eyes. "I don't want you to blame yourself for any of this. Whatever will happen between Kathy and me is bound to happen. We haven't been connected in a very long time, Liv. Since even before I met you. You've got to understand that."

She nodded at him and pursed her lips. From beneath craggy brows, his blue eyes sought her truth. "Alright," she said.

With relief, he put his arms around her and hugged her closely. She brought her arms up and wrapped them around his waist, resting her head on his chest. "I love you too, El," she admitted, while buried in his stark white shirt. "But I never wanted to break up your marriage."

"You didn't," he whispered into her shiny brown hair.

They held each other for a moment, until the noise coming from the party room down the hall became too boisterous. Ten, nine, eight, seven …

"I'm going to kiss you," he said. Three, two, one, Happy New Year!

Before Olivia could formulate a thought, Elliot's lips were upon hers, firm yet soft. She moaned into his mouth and brought her fingers up to into his hair, stroking and tugging at it. He caressed her hips, kneading the feminine flesh, relishing the curves beneath his fingers. They probed and nipped each other's mouths, as though tasting delectable candy, needing to suck all of the sweetness the other had to offer. When they finally pulled apart for breath, Elliot said, "Happy New Year, Liv."

She licked her lips and glanced up at him from beneath dark lashes. "Happy New Year, El."

"2005 is going to bring a lot of change," he told her.

"We're going to figure it out. Don't worry." She cupped his stubbled cheek and pressed her lips lightly against his.

The End

A/N: Ok, I finished my first SVU story. Still writing the angst-filled Worth. I always like reviews.