AN: People seem to be losing interest in this story, but that's OK. I've told the story I wanted to tell…at least I will have by the end of this very long chapter! Thank you!

EOEOEOEO

Elliot was out of sorts when he returned to work three days later. He had spoken to Olivia only briefly each of those days, and only because he had initiated contact. The entire time they spoke, he felt like she was distracted, and the entire conversation was focused on Amy and how she was doing. She deferred any conversation on work or the future, claiming it wasn't the time, or she was tired. When he asked when she was coming back, she always said the same thing…in a few days.

He reported to Cragen's office, and was told he would just work alone. Go out as needed, or with Fin or Munch as needed. Elliot had already asked Cragen to give him…them…a few more days to get back to him with their decision, and Cragen seemed to understand that Olivia was distracted. But he warned Elliot that it couldn't drag on forever, or he would make the decision for them.

Word had obviously gotten around the precinct, and he had to endure a number of whispers and stares. He actually appreciated Munch's comments and questions, despite the questionable tact. At least he wasn't talking behind his back. But he also appreciated when Fin told John to shut up…that he didn't want to know those kinds of things about Olivia.

It was the one time in the past several days that Elliot was glad that Olivia wasn't there. He wouldn't want her to have to listen to all this crap. Hopefully it would blow over before she got back.

If she came back.

He had this unsettled feeling. He was trying not to take it personally. Olivia was focused on her friend. Paying penance for what she perceived as a lapse before. But also, genuinely concerned about helping Amy.

So what if she didn't call…if she didn't seem to miss him.

Her focus was on other things and he kept telling himself he shouldn't read anything into it.

But God, he missed her. He couldn't believe how much. It was amazing how quickly he had become used to having her with him 24/7. He had a hard time sleeping without her curled up against him. He woke up several times during the night and wondered if she was lying awake and missing him too.

He shook his head. He sounded like a lovesick teenager. He had work to do and he turned back to the paperwork on his desk.

"I always imagined Olivia taking charge in bed. Does she like to be on top?" Munch mused and Fin yelled at him to shut the fuck up as Elliot whipped his head in John's direction.

"What? Inquiring minds want to know…" John said.

Elliot pushed himself out of his chair forcefully and shot John an icy look. "Shut your fucking mouth John before I shut it for you." He slammed his chair into his desk, his frustration boiling over.

"C'mon Stabler…I've asked Olivia the same questions." John tried to joke. "She just never answers."

"You must have a death wish." Fin said. "I'm done protectin' your ass." He said, shaking his head and walking over to Elliot. "He's just being Munch." Fin said quietly. "Just ignore him."

Elliot looked at him sharply…he and Fin had never gotten along well, but he knew Fin had a soft spot for Olivia. He nodded at Fin as he walked away, trying to ignore what Munch had said. He had to remind himself that what was being said behind his back was probably a million times worth.

What a mess. What a fucking mess.

EOEOEOEOEO

Two more days went by with minimal contact from Olivia, and Elliot hadn't even been able to reach her tonight. He was slouched on the couch with a cold beer in his hand. The Mets game was on the TV, but he was barely paying attention. His emotions were all over the place, and that alone was making him angry. He was trying hard to be understanding, but this continued avoidance of anything but the most mundane, combined with the fact that he was the one initiating all the contact, was really getting on his nerves.

If he saw her right now, he didn't even know how he would respond.

He took another swig of beer and then scratched as the scruff on his face. He hadn't shaved in a couple of days, and he knew he was looking scruffy, but he didn't really care. But Cragen had commented on it today, and he knew he was going to have to clean up his act tomorrow.

He drank the last of his beer, and pushed himself off the couch to get himself another one. He had his head in the fridge when he heard the buzzer go off, and he looked at his watch. This delivery guy was not getting a tip; he was almost 30 minutes late. Typical of how his week was going.

He opened his beer and leaned against the counter, taking a long drink. A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door. Elliot yanked the door open with cash in his hand and a rude remark on his lips, but he stopped cold when he saw Olivia standing on the other side.

"Surprise." She said quietly, a weak smile on her face.

Elliot just stared at her. He could tell she was uneasy…her comment meant to test the waters. He didn't know what to say. There was a part of him that wanted to tell her to go to hell, while the other part of him wanted to wrap his arms around her. Indecision won out, and he dropped his hand from the door and walked back into the apartment, leaving the door open behind him.

Olivia watched him disappear into the apartment, and she hesitated. Even though she had hoped for a warm welcome, she had expected this reaction from him. She deserved it.

Olivia walked into the apartment and closed the door behind her. She toed off her shoes, taking stock of his apartment. She could hear the TV, and from the sound, she knew it was some kind of sporting event. She glanced into the kitchen to her left, and saw an empty beer bottle on the counter. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door behind her, and she jumped and let out a small sound. There wasn't any movement from the other room, so she opened it and saw a young teen with bags in his hand from their favorite Chinese restaurant. Olivia fished in her pocket for some cash, and paid him, taking the bags before she closed the door.

Elliot still hadn't come to the door, so she carried the food into the kitchen. She opened a few drawers before she found the silverware, and she grabbed a fork. She took a deep breath, and let it out slowly, trying to calm her nerves and the rapid beating of her heart. She picked up the food and walked into the living room. She paused when she saw him slouched on the couch, and he didn't look in her direction, even when she put the food down on the coffee table.

Olivia moved over a little, purposefully blocking his view of the TV. "You gonna talk to me?" Elliot leaned to the side, so he could see the game. "I guess that's a no."

For the first time since she entered the apartment, he looked up at her. "Doesn't seem like there's much to talk about." He said. He had tried talking to her every time he called, but she had put him off. And now she wanted to talk?

Olivia bit her lip to keep herself from snapping back at him. "I know I didn't have much time to talk when I was in Boston…"

Elliot snorted and Olivia stopped talking. "That's an understatement. If I wouldn't have called you, I don't think I would have talked to you at all."

"I'm here now."

"Wow, lucky me." Elliot knew he was being an ass, but she had really pissed him off, and he wanted her to know exactly how it felt to get the cold shoulder. She was the one that had preached openness and honesty, but within a day, they had gone from an incredibly romantic getaway where they talked about everything, to sleeping in separate cities with monosyllabic, one-sided conversations.

Olivia sighed. "Do you want me to leave?" There was no way she was leaving without talking to him, but she wanted to see how resistant he was going to be.

Elliot kept his eyes trained on the game. "Do want you want."

Olivia took that as a promising sign, despite the tone of his voice. She walked around the coffee table, and settled on the opposite end of the couch. She focused her attention on the TV, but she watched Elliot with her peripheral vision. She was startled by his appearance. His beard was growing in, or at the very least he hadn't shaved for several days. He looked tired, and she wondered if he had caught a hard case, or if she was the cause of his sleepless nights.

She had come here to talk to him…to try to make him understand that just because she was focused on Amy, it didn't change how she felt about him. But seeing him, she realized how badly she had treated him. She owed him an apology.

Olivia shifted on the couch, and turned her body so it was facing Elliot. She had to get his attention, and get him to listen. "Your food is getting cold. You gonna eat?"

Elliot looked over her, his eyes lingering on hers for just a moment. "Go ahead if you're hungry."

"El…" She reached out and touched his arm. She was surprised when he flinched, and she pulled her hand back quickly. "Will you just look at me?"

Elliot knew he was being stubborn, but he didn't want to look at her. The smell of her shampoo, the long tresses spilling around her shoulders, and that sad look in her eye were weakening him. And he wanted to stay mad.

"Please." She pleaded. She grabbed the remote off the coffee table and muted the sound. "Please." She repeated.

Elliot let out a sigh and looked over at her.

"I'm sorry." She said. She knew there was more she should say, but she waited to see how he would react to her apology.

Elliot stared at her a moment, and then grabbed the remote and stabbed at the mute button. Sound crashed in to the room and he stared back at the game.

Olivia was starting to get a little mad. He was purposefully being a pain in the ass, but she resolved not to cave to her anger. "Fine." She said loudly. "I'll just talk over the sound." There was still no response from Elliot. No indication that he'd even heard her, even though she knew he had. "I'm not good at this Elliot." She started. "I've never been in a relationship like this. I don't know how to balance things. I'm used to putting all my focus on one, single task. One purpose. Like when we're on a case, we put everything we have into it. We don't sleep for days. And even you…you don't go home. You rarely called your wife and kids. But it didn't mean you didn't love them. Or miss them." She watched Elliot's face. She could tell he was listening. He was still staring straight ahead, but he wasn't focused on the game. "That's how this was for me. I felt like I failed Amy. And in many ways, I did. I needed to focus on her needs. On helping her through this. Of all people, I thought you would understand."

Olivia noticed his shoulders slump slightly, as if whatever was winding him up had loosened, just a tiny bit. She kept going. "I'm sorry that you felt like I abandoned you. I'm sorry if you felt like what was going on in our lives wasn't important. It was. It is. It just wasn't as important to me at the time." Olivia let out a huge sigh. "Maybe there was a part of me that was just avoiding it too." She admitted. "But I should have reached out to you. I should have let you know that I was thinking about you. That I missed you." She saw Elliot glance over at her and then look away again. "I was always coming back." She said, putting a voice to his biggest fear.

Elliot was listening to what she said, and he realized that a lot of what she said rang true. When they were on a case, they were single-minded in their focus…their drive to solve the case. His marriage had suffered because of it. Maybe that's why her leaving had hit him hard. "I was scared that you wouldn't."

Olivia felt a small measure of relief at his response. It was a start. "I told you that I wasn't going to push you away El. After all that's happened in the past two months, how could you think that I would leave you?"

Elliot didn't have an answer for her. "If I had done the same thing to you, how do you think you would have felt?"

"I would have understood. Or at least tried to."

Elliot turned to face her now. "Olivia…our partnership…our future…it was all up in the air and you just left. Like it didn't matter."

"El…"

"No. I don't want to hear your excuses." He scrubbed a hand over his face. He picked up the remote and hit mute again and silence filled the room. "I understand helping Amy. I really do. But you could have postponed a day or two while we figured things out. Or come home earlier after a couple of days. Or at the very least, you could have talked to me about it on the phone!" He was getting riled up again. "But you just kept pushing me away. You almost made me feel guilty and overbearing for even contacting you, when all I was trying to do is figure this mess out and check in on you. See you how you were doing." He was on a rant now. "I wasn't demanding you come back. I wasn't demanding you choose between the two of us. I just wanted ten minutes of your time to discuss some decisions that are going to impact us for the rest of our lives!"

"I know. I already told you that I'm sorry. That I know I could have handled it better, but I'm learning how to navigate all of this. I haven't been married for 20 years…I don't know how to juggle all of this."

"You just didn't want to deal with it." Elliot said coldly. "I think you wanted everything to just go back to the way it was, so you avoided it."

"That's not true." Olivia said. "I know things can't go back to the way they were…that we can't be partners. I don't want them to."

Elliot looked up at her, and stared into her eyes, trying to gauge her sincerity. But his vision was blurred by anger, and he didn't know what he saw in front of him. "I'm leaving SVU. Transferring out next week."

"W…w…what?" Olivia stuttered.

"I couldn't wait around to make a decision. Cragen wanted an answer."

Olivia was stunned. She wanted to ask him why he hadn't waited to discuss it with her, but she knew she couldn't. He had tried to talk to her. "Where are you going?"

"Flushing."

"To the Police Academy?"

Elliot nodded. "Training officer."

"Oh." Olivia said quietly, settling back against the cushions of the couch. Her mind was racing, a dozen emotions racing through her body. "But I…I thought…" She didn't honestly know what she thought. "Congratulations." She said. She felt tears pricing at the back of her eyes. This really was the end of their partnership. She had known it was coming, but the stark reality of it hit her hard. She gritted her teeth and swallowed hard to keep the tears at bay.

Elliot watched the emotions play over her features but he fought his urge to grab hold of her and tell her it was going to be OK. "What about you? You going back to work soon?"

Olivia swallowed again. She knew he was asking if she was here to stay. She nodded. "Yes. Amy's feeling better about things. At least, as well as can be expected. She's seeing a good therapist. Her lawyer thinks she may get off lightly due to the circumstances, but nothings for sure…"

"Good." Elliot said, and he meant it. He would hate to see things spiral more out of control for Amy.

There was an awkward silence that filled the room, and neither one looked at the other. Olivia finally summoned up the courage to speak. "So, where does that leave us?" she said, her voice quiet.

"I'm not sure what you mean." Elliot said.

"Are we still…I mean…do you…" Olivia couldn't finish her thought.

Elliot furrowed his brow and turned to face her again. "Christ Olivia. You honestly think that because I'm angry with you that I'm ready to throw all of this away? That I don't love you anymore?" He shook his head. "If that's the case, then you haven't heard a goddamned word I've said in the last two months." He knew he was yelling, but he couldn't help himself. He pushed himself up off the couch and paced over towards the window. He turned and look back at her. "I just left SVU for you. Do you think I'd leave my job if I had any intention of breaking things off with you?" He stood and stared at her, but Olivia was speechless. He could tell she was trying hard not to cry and it tore at him. Her usual defensive gesture, when she thought things were getting too emotional, was to shut down…run away…or get angry like he did. It made him realize how much they had both changed. He softened his voice. "God, I love you Olivia. Nothing's going to change that."

"I'm sorry." She whispered again. She didn't know what else to say. There was nothing she could tell him that could change how she had handled things.

"Do you love me?" Elliot asked, crossing his arms over his chest and assuming that imposing stance he did so often.

"What?" Olivia looked puzzled. "Of course I do. You know I do."

Elliot nodded, like he had come to some kind of understanding. He dropped his arms and walked back to the couch. "Good." He said.

"So…" Olivia was puzzled. His demeanor had changed a bit, but he still looked slightly pissed off.

"So, I'm going to mad for a little bit longer, but I'll get over it, and we'll move forward." He said, reclaiming his spot on the couch.

"You're still angry."

Elliot shot her a look. "Yeah Liv…I mean, I know you're sorry. But it still happened and it still hurt and it's going to take me a bit to get over it."

Olivia was used to Elliot's rages. They built up quickly and had a life unto themselves sometimes, but once he had expended his anger, they died down pretty quickly. She hoped that the yelling…getting all his anger and frustration out…meant that they could talk more later tonight. They had a lot to discuss. Elliot was moving on…leaving SVU…and she had a million questions. She also had to decide what she was going to do, if anything. She felt a fresh wave of guilt at having put him off during those evening calls.

Olivia watched as Elliot picked up the remote and she glanced at the TV, seeing the game had just finished.

"Goddamnit." Elliot said. "The Mets lost." He tossed the remote down on the coffee table with a grunt, staring at it.

"Do you want me to leave?" Olivia asked, hoping the answer was the same as last time.

Elliot looked over at her. "Yes and no."

Olivia relaxed a little more. He had told her he was still mad, but he wasn't kicking her out. "Then I'll stay."

Elliot didn't say anything. He picked up the remote and started surfing through the channels. They didn't watch much TV, and he grunted his disapproval as he flicked through the stations, trying to find something, anything, to watch.

"I did miss you." Olivia said, happy to see he stopped hitting the remote. "I have slept by myself for most of my life, but it seems like I can't sleep anymore without Elliot Stabler's body wrapped around me."

"You just missed my body heat." Elliot said, staring at the screen.

"Maybe." Olivia said, just lacing her voice with the barest hint of a tease. She wanted to tread carefully. "But I think it was more than that."

"Hmph." Elliot snorted.

Olivia leaned forward just a little. "I missed the gentle way you kiss me on my forehead, just at my hairline, before you settle in next to me. I miss the way you wrap your arm around me and nestle in, your arm up against my chest. It makes me feel protected…safe. I miss the way you whisper that you love me…so softly in my ear that it's almost like a prayer. It makes me feel so blessed…that of all the people in this world, you chose me to love."

Elliot turned to face her and she saw something indescribable in his eyes. "Loving you was never a choice Olivia." And then he was reaching for her. He grabbed her upper arms with his and pulled her towards him, and Olivia was forced to straddle him as he pulled her onto his lap. Elliot wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her neck…his mouth mere centimeters from her ear. He trailed his hands up and down her back, pulling her tightly against him, as if she had been gone for ages, or in fear that she would disappear if he didn't tether her to him. "God, I missed you so much." He whispered. "I know it's crazy. It was only a few days. But somehow…I felt like I had lost you. Like maybe you'd figured out that I wasn't good enough for you."

Elliot slid his hands up her arms until he was cupping her face. Olivia wanted to say something, but he was kissing her then. Gentle kisses on each corner of her mouth, until he pressed his mouth against hers and slid one hand to the back of her head. It was slow and sweet and Olivia sighed into his mouth. She rested her hands on his shoulders, and then slid one hand to the back of his neck, tilting her head sideways so she could deepen the kiss. But Elliot tugged lightly at her hair, breaking the kiss. "It's not that easy Olivia." He said.

Olivia looked at him, but she could see a bit of a smile play around his lips. "What?" she said, putting on her best pout.

"I might still be a little angry with you." He said.

Now Olivia could hear the tease in his voice, and she felt more on solid ground. Things were going to be OK. She pushed herself back slightly, and in one quick motion, she whipped her t-shirt over her head. Underneath, she was wearing a fairly sheer white bra, and as expected, she saw Elliot's eyes dip south before his eyes connected with hers again.

"Why don't you take me into your bedroom." She said, her voice low and husky. "And let me make it up to you."

"You think it's that easy?" he said, trailing his large hands down her sides. He splayed his fingers across her ribs, rubbing the soft skin there.

"You said you had some anger to work out… I can think of better ways than hitting the bag at the gym." She ground her hips down against him and was rewarded with a low groan.

"We can't solve all our problems with sex Olivia." Elliot said, trying to be serious. But he was so turned on right now.

"I know that El…" she said, leaning forward and capturing his lips with hers. She pressed her breasts against his chest and he groaned again. "But I'm certainly willing to try."

Elliot caved, like he knew he would. "This isn't over."

"Of course not." Olivia said, a small smile on her lips.

"We can talk later." Elliot said, as he pushed them off the couch.

Olivia let out a small yell as she almost tumbled off his lap. But he had his arm wrapped around her lower back and she wrapped her legs around his waist. "Later."

Elliot dumped her on the bed and stared down at her as he whipped his t-shirt over his head and stripped out of his cargo shorts. The man was going commando again, and Olivia's muscles clenched involuntarily when she saw his erection. She knew this wasn't going to be gentle. Elliot wouldn't hurt her, but sometimes, he wasn't able or willing to take things slowly. But tonight, she didn't want that either.

He stared at her darkly, his eyes trailing down her body, and before she could say anything, he had his hands on the button of her jeans and was dragging them down her hips. Her white panties came with it, and he climbed over her body, knocking her legs apart as fit himself between them. He tugged the straps of her bra down her arms, and roughly pulled the material away from one breast. He squeezed her breast in his hand and latched his mouth on her nipple, and he sucked and teased her with his mouth and his tongue until her back was arching off the bed. He slid his hand inside the bra and cupped her other breast roughly and Olivia could feel a flood of moisture between her legs at his rough handling of her.

Elliot's mouth left her breast, and he trailed his tongue up the swell of her breasts and her neck until his mouth met hers. He kissed her hard, opening her mouth with his, and Olivia could feel the burn from his whiskers as he kissed her hungrily. She raked her nails up his back, and he growled. He was relentless against her mouth, and she was finding it hard to catch her breath. She could feel his erection as her entrance and he pushed into her slightly.

Elliot released her mouth as he slid his hand down her side. He was snaking his hand down between their bodies, and she knew he wanted to know if she was ready for him. There wasn't going to be any foreplay tonight. She raked her nails up his back again and he yelled out at the bite of them against his skin. Olivia lifted her head and grasped his bottom lip between hers, biting down lightly, as she dug her heels into his ass.

Elliot took that as an answer. He raked her hair back from her face, tangling his fingers there and holding her head in place. He plunged his tongue into her mouth as he slid his cock inside of her, and she moaned as he filled her.

Elliot released her lips and dropped his forehead against hers. "OK?" He asked through gritted teeth. He could feel her body clenching around him…she was so tight. He should have waited, but the need to be inside of had been unbearable.

"Move." Olivia demanded as she thrust her hips upward.

That was all the encouragement he needed. He pushed himself up on his forearms, staring down at her as he pulled his hips back, almost losing contact with her body. Then he thrust back inside of her, and they both moaned as Olivia lifted her hips to meet him.

Olivia snaked her hands down his body and dug her fingers into his thighs. The muscles were taut as he continued to thrust into her. "Deeper." She said throatily, surprised when Elliot stopped and pulled out of her. He grabbed her left arm and it took Olivia a second to realize he was flipping her over. He had her over on her stomach and he wrapped an arm around her waist and lifted her up. Olivia obliged, wiggling her ass in the air as she dropped her head down.

Elliot traced his hands down the ridge of her spine and over her lower back, until he slid his hand down between her legs. She was so wet, and he slipped two fingers inside of her. He pumped his fingers inside of her and then slipped them out and trailed them over her clit. He rubbed his fingers against the hard bud and Olivia's body jolted. He slipped his fingers back inside of her but Olivia let out a sound of protest. She lifted her head and looked back at him. "El…" She let out a strangled sound. "I need you to…" Elliot's fingers slid down over her clit again and she couldn't finish her sentence. Her head dropped between her shoulders again, and then she felt Elliot's erection pressed against her entrance. He slid inside of her slowly, and they both moaned at the sensation. He grabbed her hips and pulled her back against him and Olivia's arms buckled. She pressed her forehead against her folded arms and let out a long, low groan. "Fuck El." She gasped. She could only gasp as he kept moving inside of her. His fingers were digging into her hips and she had no doubt she'd have bruises, but she didn't care. He had every delicious inch of himself buried inside of her, and every stroke was sending waves of pleasure through her body. She felt the heat building as Elliot continued to fuck into her, and she thought there was a real possibility she would pass out when she came.

Elliot couldn't stop moaning as he continued to thrust inside of her. He was in so deep, and she felt amazing. Her walls were clenching around him and he knew she had to be close. His dick was like granite and he wanted to let go, but he tried to maintain control…he needed her to come. He heard a small gasp escape her lips each time his hips connected with her ass, and he could feel her legs start to tremble. He was moving faster now, and his body was slick with sweat from his exertion. "Fuck!" He swore. He was losing his battle. "C'mon Liv." He thrust hard into her one more time and he was lost…he faltered slightly as he came, holding her hips tight against him as he emptied himself inside of her. He grunted a few times as he pushed his hips against her and Olivia let out a small cry as her orgasm ripped through her.

The room was filled with their moans as Olivia's body bucked beneath him, but Elliot held her tightly against him, giving her no relief from the waves coursing through her body. Seconds later, she fell forward on the bed and he collapsed on top of her, still intimately connected. He tried to pull himself up but his strength was sapped, and it was all he could do to slip out of her and fall slightly to the side.

"Christ." He choked out as he collapsed on the bed next to her. His hand fell on the small of her back as Olivia collapsed on her stomach, and he could feel the heat of her skin. He slid his hand up her back and he could feel her heart beating wildly. It matched his own. Olivia shuddered as he ran his hand back over her skin.

Elliot rolled over on his side. "Hey."

Olivia lifted her head to look at him, and then lay it back down on her arms. She stared into his eyes, and gave him a lazy smile. "Hey."

"I'm sorry…I shouldn't have been so rough with you." They'd had their share of uninhibited sex…times when things were raw…animalistic. But he felt like in those moments, it had been mutual. Tonight, he had taken what he wanted, and he felt like he had crossed a line somehow.

"I'm not complaining." Olivia said, closing her eyes as Elliot continued to run his hand up and down her back. She was tired…exhausted really…and if he kept that up, she was going to be sleeping in the next minute. "Mmmmm." She hummed.

Elliot leaned over and placed a kiss on her temple. "I love you."

Olivia opened one eye and gave him a smile. She rolled over on her side, and then scooted her body over so she was closer to Elliot. She curled herself into his body, placing her palm against his chest. She could feel the steady beat of his heart, and she looked up at him and gave him another smile. "I love you too."

Olivia rolled over on her back. She ran her hand down his arm, and tangled his fingers with hers. She pressed their clasped hands to her chest and looked up at him. "I really did miss you." She said. She hesitated a moment. "And I'm going to miss having you by my side every day, no matter what I decide to do." She smiled as she squeezed his hand. "But this is…this is everything I wanted."

Elliot stared down at her. "I'm happy Liv. Really happy." He placed a gentle kiss on her lips and pulled back. "Marry me." He wasn't even sure where the words had come from…it had popped in his head and he had blurted it out.

Olivia's smile spread slowly. She could see the surprise on Elliot's face, and the intensity in his eyes. She knew he meant what he said when he loved her, but she could also knew what had driven the impromptu proposal. "This is how you're going to ask me? Lying naked, in bed? I mean, the sex was good but…" she teased, but Elliot's gaze never wavered.

"I didn't mean to ask you like that, but it doesn't mean I didn't mean it."

Olivia lifted her hand to his face and cupped his cheek. "I know." She said softly. But…El…I'm not going anywhere. You don't have to worry."

Elliot looked away and tried to pull his hand from hers. But Olivia held on tightly. "Don't." He stopped fighting her and let her pull his hand back with hers. "Elliot, look at me."

Elliot turned back to face her and she continued, her voice soft and calm. "We have a lot going on…so many changes. Can we just…we need to get through that. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Elliot nodded. He hadn't meant to blurt out an awkward proposal. When he thought about asking Olivia to marry him, he had envisioned a much more romantic gesture. But as usual, she knew exactly what he had been thinking. Or knew better than he did. He wanted to bind her to him…to add some assurance that she wouldn't disappear.

Olivia trailed her fingers down his jaw again, rubbing them against his stubble. "I'm not going anywhere." She repeated. "And I don't need a ring on my finger to know where I belong." She lifted her head and pressed her lips to his.

Elliot pulled his hand from hers and tucked her hair behind her ear. "I know…but I want that. To marry you…have a family."

Olivia felt tears pricking the back of her eyes. His words stuck a chord with her. It was everything she wanted…everything she thought she'd never have. This man…he was offering it all to her.

"You want those things still?"

Olivia smiled. "I do."

"Then the next time I ask you to marry me." He placed gentle kiss on the tip of her nose. "Say yes."

EOEOEOEO

Elliot walked in the door of the apartment, with an apology on his lips for being late, but he stopped short when he saw the room aglow with candlelight. "Liv?"

Olivia came out of the kitchen, and he smiled when he saw her. She was wearing dark gray slacks and a heavy white sweater. Her hair was in loose waves, and her lips were glossed in some kind of rosy shade.

"You look beautiful." He said as she pushed herself up on her toes and gave him a kiss.

"Thank you."

Elliot dropped his bag on the floor as Olivia took his hand and led him into the living room. He saw a small table set for dinner, with candles glowing at the center.

"Happy 6-month anniversary." She said. "I made dinner." She turned to face him, and saw him looking a little bewildered.

"Did I forget? I mean…our six-month anniversary…" He tried to think back, not sure what event they were marking. "We're celebrating the day we first had sex or…" His voice trailed off in a question.

Olivia rolled her eyes. "It's been about six months since we started…since you kissed me…or we…" She let out an exasperated sigh. "I don't know El. Since we crossed the boundaries we had drawn and admitted how we felt…what we were to each other."

"That was six months ago today?"

"I don't know if it's the exact day." She let out a sigh. "I just wanted to celebrate. We've been through a lot in the last six months and I just feel like…we've made it through everything and we're still here and…"

Elliot closed the gap and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her gently. "Happy Anniversary Olivia."

He released her then, and smiled. "Smells good!"

"Have a seat, pour the wine, and I'll be right back."

Olivia disappeared into the kitchen, and Elliot did as instructed. She was back a few minutes later, with two plate in her hand, and she set them down on the table. Elliot leaned over and inhaled.

"Smells wonderful." That earned him a smile and he dug in.

"How was work today?" He asked as they ate. "How's the kid?"

Olivia rolled her eyes again. Cragen had assigned a new partner to her four months ago; a nice young Hispanic guy named Danny Trejo. Elliot pretended to dislike the kid, due to the fact that he was young, male and good-looking. And because he didn't feel comfortable that Trejo had her back. He was always poking jabs at Danny, and Olivia liked to tease him. "I think he's falling in love with me."

"Of course he is." Elliot said drily. "Do I need to come down to the precinct again and have a little talk with him?"

Olivia laughed. "No, I think I'll string him along, and then break his heart." She teased. She reached across to grab a piece of bread, and Elliot captured her hand. The candlelight glinted against the diamond on her hand, and he turned her hand back and forth to catch the light.

"Let's just remember whose ring you're wearing."

Olivia gave him a small smile.

"Any more thoughts on setting a date?" he asked. "It would be nice to get married before the baby comes."

Olivia shook her head. "At the rate things are going, that isn't going to be a problem." They had decided to go ahead and try to get pregnant a couple of months ago, but so far, it hadn't happened.

"It'll happen Liv. I've got good swimmers."

"I'm eating dinner." Olivia said with a laugh. "Could we not discuss your sperm?" Secretly, she was worried that she wouldn't be able to get pregnant, and despite Elliot's assurances that they would do what they had to do to make it happen, it still weighed on her a little.

"Just saying." Elliot said with a shrug of his shoulders. "It's gonna happen. Soon." He and Olivia had been engaged for almost three months, and it bothered him a little that she didn't want to set a date. But he was willing to wait. They were happy…content. Things were going well with his new job, and even though he hadn't been sure of Olivia's decision to stay in SVU, it was working out. His kids were coming around, and even Kathy had accepted their relationship. Probably because she was dating the kid's dentist. He had never liked that guy….

"Are you listening to me?" Olivia asked.

"What? Yeah." He said, giving her a small smile.

Olivia shook her head. "No, you weren't. I said that Amy's sentencing hearing was late this morning."

"What?" Elliot said. "I didn't realize. I should have asked." Olivia had been by Amy's side during her trial, and he kicked himself for not remembering that sentencing was today. "And?"

"Due to the circumstances…they gave her three years probation."

Elliot was shocked. "No jail time?"

Olivia shook her head. "No."

"Well…I'm shocked. That's great!" he said.

Olivia nodded. "Yeah."

"You seem bothered by it." Elliot said.

Olivia shrugged her shoulders. "I just wonder how I feel about it if Amy wasn't a friend of mine. We don't condone people taking the law into their own hands. Jason Logan died. He was a creep…a stalker…an undesirable. But he still didn't deserve to die."

"Amy wasn't the one that killed him."

"I know. He got time for manslaughter." She sucked her bottom lip in between her teeth. "I'm happy she's not going to jail. It's just hard to reconcile…we don't think we give preferential treatment to family and friends, but we do. I know Amy…that in her heart, she's a good person. Maybe some of the other people we convict are good people too."

Elliot reached out and took her hand. "Olivia, we do our job, and then we let the judicial system sort it out. It's not you or me deciding who goes to jail and how doesn't."

"You're right." Olivia said. "I'm just relieved it's over."

"Me too." He lifted his wine glass, and motioned for her to lift hers.

Olivia smiled and lifted her glass. "What are we toasting?"

"To life, love…" He clinked his glass against hers. "And to happily ever after."

The End.

AN: Thanks to everyone that read this story (and all my stories). I really appreciate it. I always try to be true to their characters, but I appreciate you giving me a little license there as I write. I'll always believe in EO, and if this is the only way I can make them do what we want, then so be it!