Elliot decided to go to the precinct and go a couple of rounds with the punching bag to work off some of his residual frustration. The idea of going back to his empty apartment, or worse yet, Olivia's empty apartment, was more than he could bear.

Is that why your wife left you?

Those words kept worming their way back into his thoughts, despite his best efforts to suppress them.

Olivia and he had discussed this a couple of different times in the past three weeks. He had been adamant that she had not caused the break-up of his marriage. But there was still a small part of him that felt guilt over the failure of a relationship that had lasted almost all his adult life. Kathy and he had separated…or rather, she had left him…way before he realized he had feelings for Olivia.

Or at least that's what he told himself.

They had always had a bond…one that developed slowly over the years. But it had definitely been there. He told himself he had to spend long hours at work, but in reality, had he avoided going home so he could spend more time with Olivia?

No.

Maybe.

He pounded his fist on the steering wheel. He hadn't done anything wrong. He and Olivia had been partners. They worked well together. They had a mutual respect for each other. They were close because they had been partners for a long time. They balanced each other out…kept each other sane. But they had never, ever crossed the line.

At least not physically.

But if thinking about another woman was considered cheating, then every man was guilty of cheating at one point or another.

Rationalization was a wonderful thing.

He pulled into the precinct parking lot more worked up than before. That punching bag was going to get a beating.

EOEOEOEO

Olivia strode down the hallway to her apartment, looking at her watch. It was still early…barely 8AM. She and Amy had stayed up talking until past midnight, but Amy had really wanted to get on the road early and get back to Boston. Olivia wanted to go back to bed. She had enough sleepless nights due to work, so she was going to take advantage of the fact that she didn't have anything going on today, and that Elliot was sleeping elsewhere.

She loved the man, but the fact that they couldn't keep their hands off each other was becoming a problem. She needed a solid 8 hours of sleep.

Olivia fumbled with her keys and slid them into the lock, opening the door quietly as not to wake her neighbors. As she walked in, the light from the hallway streamed into the apartment and she startled when she saw someone moving inside. Then Elliot's face came into view as he sat up on the couch with a confused expression on his face. He had obviously been sleeping.

Olivia let out a sigh and closed the door behind her as Elliot rubbed a large hand over his face.

"Hey." He said gruffly, lifting his arm and looking at his watch. "You're home early."

"What are you doing here?" Olivia asked, a little annoyance creeping into her tone. "I thought you were sleeping at Dave's. Or at your apartment."

Elliot was a little put off by her tone. He had done a good job of not bothering her last night, despite the dozens of times he had picked up his phone to text or call her. He had only replied to her text, when she let him know that Amy and she were back at the hotel.

"I couldn't stand the idea of sleeping alone in my apartment." Elliot said, watching as she dropped her duffle bag on the floor and walked into the living room.

Olivia plopped down in one of the oversized chairs. "You're alone here." She pointed out.

'Yeah, I know. But…" He didn't know how to explain how he could still feel her presence…still smell the vanilla of her shampoo…still see signs of her everywhere…without sounding a little creepy. He shrugged his shoulders. "It just feels less lonely." He wouldn't tell her that he had tried sleeping in her bed, but the bed felt too large. Too empty. He swung his legs off the couch and on to the floor. "Plus, I knew you'd be coming back."

Olivia pressed her lips together as her eyes took in his rumpled clothes and the shadow of his beard. It was impossible to be angry with him…and she really wasn't. She had just been surprised to see him. Her eyes landed on his hands, and her brows furrowed when she saw them bruised and cut.

"What happened?" she asked, her eyes trailing over to the ice pack on the floor and then back up to his hands.

"Nuthin'." Elliot said, rubbing his left hand over the bruised and swollen right hand.

"Bullshit."

"I left the game and went to the precinct and hit the bag a little." The reality was that his hand had hurt like hell. He tried to hit the bag, but after a few punches, he had given up and gone to lift weights instead.

Olivia watched him but he averted his gaze then. "El." She said in a disapproving tone. She knew there was something he wasn't telling her. "What happened to total honesty?"

Elliot shook his head, wishing that for just once, she would let it go. "It's not a big deal."

"Fine." Olivia said, standing up abruptly.

Elliot could see she was pissed. She wanted an explanation. "Wait." He said, reaching out towards her. Olivia stopped and turned back towards him, situating herself in the chair again. She raised an eyebrow as he hesitated, trying to figure out how much to share. "There's this guy. Jerry. He's always been an asshole."

Olivia tilted her head slightly. She could see where this was going. "You got into a fistfight at your poker game?" She had assumed it was something like that, but didn't actually want to believe it. "Unbelievable."

"He deserved it." Elliot said defensively.

"He deserved it?" Olivia mimicked. "What are you? 12?" Men and all that testosterone. Elliot was one of the worst…his anger always getting the better of him and his fists his only outlet.

"Liv." Elliot said darkly. "Drop it."

Olivia could see the anger still simmering beneath the surface. "What did he say that made you so angry?" she asked softly, losing the anger and annoyance in her own voice. She could tell the altercation, whatever it had been about, had really set him off.

"Nothing." Elliot said, dropping his head and looking at his scarred hands.

"El." Olivia said, and watched Elliot lift his head and look at her.

Olivia's look told him that she was going to sit there all day if she had to. He took in a deep breath and let it out. "Fine." The way he said it let her know that she couldn't blame him if she got upset. "They guys always…" he wanted to choose his words carefully. "They're always making comments about…you."

Olivia shook her head. "El." She could only imagine. She had heard plenty of comments in her time…from other cops, from lawyers, from suspects and perps. She always blew them off. She was a woman in a man's world, and she had a thick skin. "It's nothing I haven't heard before. Nothing you haven't heard before."

"It's not right." Elliot said.

"I know it's not. But you can't go around beating up everyone that makes a stupid comment. We wouldn't have any time to do our job." She shook her head. She had heard about Elliot correcting a few people now and then.

"They crossed the line." Elliot said determinedly.

"I think I've heard every comment about every piece of my anatomy. Why does it bother you more than me?" Olivia asked. "Why can't you just ignore them?" She really had built up a thick skin…knowing that dwelling on it would only drive her crazy. She knew she was more competent that half the clowns in the department, and she was in control of the suspects and perps. She wouldn't let them feel like she was less somehow.

"He accused us of sleeping together while I was still married." Elliot said, as if it was some big bombshell.

Olivia sighed and pushed herself out of her chair. "God Elliot. We've heard that for years." She ran her hand through her hair. "Who cares what they think?" She really couldn't believe that was the comment that had driven him over the edge. That was old news.

Olivia started to walk away from him, but Elliot snagged her hand, moving to the edge of the couch. When she turned, he looked up at her, keeping hold of her hand. "But we didn't."

Olivia turned around and sat down next to the couch. Elliot released her hand and he moved back on the couch and she tilted her head slightly, looking him straight in the eye. "Elliot. What's going on?" she asked softly. This was about more than a few rude comments and accusations.

Elliot didn't say anything for a few minutes…the silence stretched out between them. He was looking down at his hands, but could feel Olivia's eyes on him. "I wonder if…" He scrubbed his hand over his face. He looked up at Olivia. "I'm happy with you." He said. "Happier than I've ever been."

Olivia nodded slightly. "Me too." She said. She watched as Elliot looked away from her again. "You don't think you deserve to be happy?" Her voice was almost a whisper. She didn't like the way this conversation was going, and her concern ratcheted up when he didn't answer. She pushed herself back on the couch. "You think you didn't try hard enough? With Kathy?" Her voice rose…she was trying not to panic. He had told her she could trust him. "I can't believe this." she said, scrambling off the couch…away from Elliot. She turned away from him, determined to create some space.

"Liv." Elliot's voice came out strangled. "I love you." He said as he stood up. He wrapped his hand around her bicep and tugged her lightly, forcing her to turn around to face him. "I just…" He put a hand under her chin and tilted her head since she was forced to look at him. "There are always going to be people that wonder, and I don't want you to feel like...I don't want there to be a question about…us."

Olivia brushed his hand off her face. "What is this?" The panic was really starting to set in now. "You don't want this anymore?"

"God, that's not what I'm saying." He reached for her but the expression on her face stopped him. "Liv…it's never going to end. The speculation…the wondering." He looked into her eyes, trying to read her, but failing miserably.

Olivia looked down at the floor, trying to think…trying to quell the panic swarming through her. She thought about all the things they had talked about over the past three weeks. She was fighting her natural urge to run when things go tough…to retreat and tell herself she didn't need him. She took a deep breath, and lifted her head to look at Elliot again. "El." She pressed her lips together again before she spoke again. "You told me that you did the best you could, but that your marriage was over…and had been for a while. Do you still believe that?"

Elliot took in a deep breath. "I can't go back." Even if there would always be some residual guilt, he knew there was nothing else he could have done to salvage his marriage. He reached out and placed his hands on her upper arms. "But if you…"

Olivia placed two fingers over his mouth, silencing him. "You know how I feel." She said. "I don't care what people think El. We know the truth." They had talked through all of this before…the cliché of partners falling in love…the consequences in their jobs. "Why are you questioning this? Us?"

Elliot grasped her hand and held it near his mouth. "I just want you to be sure…"

"I don't know how…after everything that's happened over the past three weeks…how you can even question how I feel…" she whispered. She lifted herself up on her toes and pressed her lips against his, kissing him softly. She sucked his bottom lip between hers and she felt his fingers tangle in her hair. Then he was tugging her head back slightly and tilting her head as he took control of the kiss, opening her mouth to his.

Olivia pressed against his chest with the palms of her hands, breaking the kiss. "Are we done with this?"

"Yes." Elliot said, trying to pull her mouth back to his.

"I mean it. No more beating people up…"

"I can't promise that." Elliot said truthfully. "I never know when I'll have to defend your honor." He said it with a slight tease in his tone, and he felt relief course through him. He shouldn't have questioned her feelings…

Olivia rolled her eyes. "I'm a big girl." She ran her hands down his chest and stomach until she hooked her fingers into the waistband of his jeans. "I don't need you to defend me."

Elliot cupped her face with his hands. "I know." He said quietly. "But it's just natural to want to protect my girl." He tilted her face up to his. "I'm sorry."

Olivia nodded slightly. "I know." She knocked her body into his. "And you're always accusing me of being the one that's going to break your heart." She slapped him playfully on the arm. "Don't do that again."

Elliot heard her. She may have said it in a light tone, but she was dead serious. He leaned in and kissed her. "I promise." He kissed her more forcefully, sliding his hands over her shoulders and resting them lightly on her upper arms. His mouth left hers and he trailed kisses across her jaw, kissing his way down her neck. He lifted his mouth and bit down lightly on her earlobe. "Let me make it up to you." His hands slid down to her waist and he tugged at her jeans, pulling her lower body against his. But Olivia was ahead of him as usual, unbuttoning his jeans and pulling the zipper down.

Olivia slid her hands inside his jeans, not surprised to find that he wasn't wearing underwear. The man loved to go commando…she wasn't complaining. She heard Elliot hiss slightly as she wrapped her fingers around him, and she slid her hand down to the base of his cock. He was already hardening and she smiled, loving his body's reaction to her.

"Liv." His tone was low…gravelly…and he cupped the back of her head and pulled her mouth against his, kissing her roughly. He drove his tongue into her mouth and he was devouring her…owning her…taking claim. He pulled her hand from his cock and Olivia protested with a groan, but Elliot didn't release her mouth. He wrapped his arm around her waist while the other kept her mouth against his. He turned her body so her back was to the couch, and he lowered her onto it without breaking the kiss.

Olivia pushed against his chest…feeling lightheaded. She gasped for breath as Elliot's mouth left hers, and she arched her back as he ran his hands over her breasts, squeezing them roughly, and then continuing down her body. He lifted her t-shirt and placed open mouth kisses on her abdomen as his hands worked on getting her jeans undone. She was moaning and there was fire in her belly at the demanding way he was handling her. This would not be gentle…

Elliot was tugging her jeans over her hips and he barely had them down to her knees before his placed his mouth on her satin covered mound. He grazed his teeth over her and she arched her back again, trying to spread her legs, but trapped by her jeans. Elliot kept teasing her with his mouth, sliding his tongue over satin, and sucking at her through the fabric. He slid his tongue along the seam of her panties and Olivia was moaning. He was hard as granite already and he wanted to take her…

"Pleeaase." Olivia moaned. She had never begged so much in her life…but this man drove her over the edge and his teasing was relentless. She tried to spread her legs and let out another sound of frustration, but she was relieved when a few seconds later, Elliot was tugging them down her legs. He stood up and dropped his jeans, and Olivia moaned when she saw his erection. She shifted on the couch, spreading her legs to accommodate him and then he was tugging at her panties, barely getting them off before he was climbing on top of her.

Elliot grabbed at the cushions on the back of the couch, tossing them off to give him more room. He knocked her left leg apart with his right and slid his hands back up her body as he settled himself between her legs. Olivia let out a strained sound when his erection pressed against her entrance, and she lifted her hips to meet him. Elliot kissed her neck and then up her jaw until his mouth connected with hers. He opened her mouth with his, and Olivia wrapped her arm around his neck, pulling his mouth against his. She drove her tongue into his mouth, and swallowed a gasp as he drove inside of her. Her back came up off the couch as he pulled out almost completely and drove back inside of her.

Elliot reached down with his left hand and captured her right thigh, opening her up to him and he fucked into her harder. Her walls were grasping at him…she was always so tight and he couldn't stop groaning as he drove inside of her. He broke the kiss and buried his face in her neck and Olivia arched into him, trying to keep up with the rhythm he had set. The room was filled with the sound of their bodies connecting, and their moans. He felt Olivia rake her nails down his back and bit down lightly on her neck.

"Fuck." Elliot cried out. He wasn't going to be able to hold on, but it didn't matter because Olivia's body was clenching hard around him and he heard her call out his name as she came. He was right behind her…releasing himself inside of her. He grunted as her body convulsed around him and he buried his face back in her neck as his left hand found her right and he pinned it down near her head. He collapsed against her then, and her heard Olivia let out a sound as the breath left her body. He tried to lift himself up and shift his weight slightly, but she held him in place and wrapped her long legs around him.

Elliot released her hand and propped himself on his forearms, looking down at her. Olivia's eyes were closed and her skin was flushed. He pressed his lips against hers gently, sucking her bottom lip between his, tugging at it and releasing it with a pop. She opened her eyes and looked up at him, letting out a small moan as he shifted his lower half slightly. Elliot brushed her hair back from her face, and peppered her face with light kisses. "You make me so happy." He kissed her gently again. "I'm an idiot for even questioning how you feel."

Olivia smiled, sliding her hands beneath his arms and trailing them down his back. "No argument." She said with a little laugh. She lifted her chin slightly to catch his eyes. "We'll work through it El. One day at a time." She shifted underneath him and gasped lightly…her body still sensitive.

"One day at a time." He kissed her again. "For the rest of our lives."