"Where's Elliot?" Olivia asked Fin as she arrived at work the next morning.

"He's taking the day off." Fin answered.

"Oh." she sounded surprised. After hearing from Casey that would prosecute Laura's rape case in the next week or so, Olivia found an excuse to call Elliot. She went outside for a breath of fresh air and so that she could have some privacy.

"Hello?" he answered his cell phone.

"Hey it's me."

"Hi, what's up?"

"I just wanted to let you know that Casey was gonna begin proceedings in Laura Hughes's rape case today."

"Alright." Elliot replied sounding uninterested.

"What's going on?" Olivia asked concerned.

"Nothing, why?"

"You seem down."

"I'm meeting with my divorce attorney today to talk about the shit I have to put up with in the next few weeks."

"Oh, sorry…" Olivia answered. "…so what about we go for a drink later on or something."

"I don't think so…"

"I think we need to talk about some things…" Olivia proposed.

"Look, Olivia. I already I said I was sorry about walking in on your little sleepover last night." Elliot replied sounding annoyed.

"It's not about that, Elliot. What's up your ass?"

"I'm sorry, I'm just really stressed out with you, Kathy, the kids, everything."

"Well I'm sorry I'm making you so stressed, but the next time you want to talk don't come around my place at ten o'clock at night."

"Olivia, I didn't mean…."

"Goodbye Elliot."

Olivia was red in the face, and Elliot knew he was out of line. He didn't even bother calling her back knowing she wouldn't answer anyway. He felt eyes staring him down as he sat in his lawyer's office. The secretary looked at him in particular with a questionable expression on her face, and he smiled and looked away, confused.

"Hi Mr. Stabler, I'm sorry to keep you waiting." his lawyer David Spitzer said, as he entered the office.

"No problem…" Elliot got up and shook his hand.

"So, have you been in contact with Mrs. Stabler lately?"

"I saw her a couple of days ago, she came over to get her belongings."

"Her lawyer called me and faxed me with these demands." he handed Elliot the piece of paper.

"Is she insane? She wants that much a month for child support? There is no way in hell this is going down. I already have a daughter in college."

"I understand, Mr. Stabler, and I will do the best that I can to make sure that doesn't happen. How do you feel about giving her the house?"

"We already came to the conclusion that the house will be mine. Plus, if she gets the house, I will have to pay the mortgage."

"She wants the house…" Spitzer revealed.

"What?" Elliot asked surprised. "You wouldn't mind if I called her, would you?"

"Not at all, do you want me to give you some privacy?" asked Spitzer.

"No, I'd think it would be better if someone restrained me in the next couple of minutes." laughed Elliot who dialed Kathy's number.

"Hello?" Kathy answered the phone.

"Are you out of your mind?"

"I'm guessing this is about the divorce."

"You bet your ass it is. We agreed that I'd keep the house."

"Elliot, make it quick."

"I want to talk to you, now."

"Where are you?"

"I'm in my lawyer's office."

"The kids are in school, so it won't be a problem to meet you over at the house in a half hour."

"Good, while we're on that topic…"

"Bye, Elliot."

"What did she say?" asked Spitzer.

"We're gonna talk in person."

"Are you sure that's such a good idea."

"I want to get my point across. I'll call you after." Elliot told Spitzer.

AN HOUR AND A HALF HOUR LATER…

It was starting to rain, and the sky was as dark as it would be hours later. Elliot never moved from the car when he arrived back at the house. He watched Kathy pull up in the mini-van in his rear view mirror. She didn't see him in the car and once she got out of the car, Elliot skulked behind her.

"You're late." Elliot began as Kathy gasped in fright.

"You scared the shit of me, don't do that ever again." she replied. Elliot laughed under his breath as he opened the door and let her in.

"This place needs to be cleaned." she scolded him looking around at the dust on the shelves and the dirt on the ground.

"Are you trying to convince me to give you this house? It's not working."

"I can't be living with my mother forever."

"Go live with that asshole, then."

"You're out of line Elliot. You know it's my house too, and since the kids are getting older, I thought I'd get a job and I wouldn't have to rely on you."

"Then why the hell are you demanding a practically a third of my salary."

"Well that was if I didn't get the house."

"So, what, are you giving me an ultimatum?"

"Basically…"

"You are amazing, Kathy, really."

"Look, Elliot, if I got the house, the kids would be back to reality, and you could come and hang with them."

"This wouldn't have had to happen, Kathy, if you…"

"Don't blame this all on me, Elliot. We were kids twenty years ago."

"Why did you tell me then that I could have the house?"

"I thought I'd move in with Anthony, but he said that he wasn't ready for that. We broke up."

Elliot laughed and shook his head. "Was it worth it? Was it worth breaking up our family for a guy who was too afraid to have a serious relationship with you?"

"Elliot…"

"Shut up Kathy. You've ruined my life!" he screamed as tears came to his face. She sat next to him on the couch and gave tried to console him.

"Shhh…." she whispered as she wiped his eyes. "You have me crying like a child." he told her. She hugged him and rubbed the back of his head.

"Can't you just admit that you were wrong?" he asked her. "Admit it Kath."

"Stop Elliot."

"You're killing me…"

"I'm sorry, Elliot."

"Get Out."

"Elliot…"

"Just get out!" Elliot replied raising his voice.

"Elliot, I need this house."

"I needed you! I fucking needed you, and you threw me to the side like I meant nothing. After all this time!"

"Don't make this harder for both of us. I'm going to get the house." Kathy said getting up. Elliot wiped tears from his face, as raged filled up inside him.

"Are you trying to threaten me? I know the legal system, Kathy, and this is MY house."

"Call me when your back to normality. I think you've been drinking…"

"Bullshit, Kath. When do I get to see the kids?"

"When you start acting like a civilized person."

"You can't decide that, Kathy!" he yelled as she walked out the door and towards her car.

"Just like you can't decide if I can get the house or not." Kathy replied opening the door and pulling out of the driveway.

Elliot slammed the door, adding "Bitch". He climbed up the stairs and took two Tylenol before taking a nap. He got up a few hours later, made himself a sandwich, and went back to sleep again. The next morning he woke up ready for work, but before he left for the city one thing caught his eye; a "for sale" sign on the house directly across the street from his.

"Jesus…" Elliot said just staring at the house across the street. "It's perfect for her…" He got his phone out of his pocket and immediately called Kathy, not realizing the rest of the world slept at 5:45 while he left for work.

"Hello?"

"Kathy…"

"What?" she sounded pissed.

"I need to see you…"

"Change of heart, huh?"

"Come after work."

"What is this about?"

"I need to see you…."

"Ok, then…I'll be there by seven. This better be good Elliot, I'm warning…"

"Bye, Kath…" he hung up on her.

Elliot got into his car and drove off to work elated about what he was planning in his head. He forgot about his skiff with Olivia. By the time he arrived, he realized Olivia was still holding a grudge.

"You still mad, huh?"

"No…" she lied.

"I'm sorry, can we go for a drink later?"

"Maybe."

"Benson…Stabler!" Casey yelled from afar.

"What's up?" asked Elliot.

"Laura got released from the hospital yesterday and Daniel Anderson is getting charged for rape. Are you guys coming?"

"No." Olivia answered.

"Yes." Elliot replied.

"Elliot, trial starts in ten minutes." Casey reminded him.

"I'll be there." he replied. "I'll call you about the drink later…" he whispered turning to Olivia.

"Alright." Olivia replied. Elliot hurried to court, hoping he'd get in on time. Up front he recognized Laura by her blond hair. He smiled as she turned around and smirked at him.

"What are you presenting counselor?"

"The people of New York versus Daniel Anderson, who is being charged with rape in the first degree, your honor."

"Does your client plead guilty or not guilty?" the judge asked Daniel's lawyer.

"Innocent." Daniel spoke up. The judge looked at him for speaking out of turn.

"Not Guilty, your honor." his attorney butted in. She whispered something in Daniel's ear, warning him not to speak unless he was on the stand.

Surprisingly, judge decided to recess the trial for six weeks, due to other circumstances. Elliot felt he had wasted time, but he was excited about his drink with Olivia. He tried to reach Laura, but like a needle in a haystack, she was nowhere to be found afterwards.

"Where did she go?" Elliot asked Casey after the judge dismissed everyone.

"Who?"

"Laura"

"She went home to get some rest. She might not even testify, though. Too afraid."

"She has to, she's the key to this whole mess."

"I know, but she won't listen to me…"

"Alright, give her time then. Call me if anything happens."

"Sure" Casey replied walking away. Elliot headed towards Cragen's office, thinking about how perfect his situation would be if Kathy moved across the street. The kids would be there, he wouldn't have to move, and Kathy wouldn't be always around.

"Elliot." Cragen said, Elliot daydreaming. "Elliot!"

"Yea, yea?" Elliot replied.

"Olivia and Munch are interrogating some prick who raped his niece. You want to look on?"

"Actually, captain…"

"Good, get to it."

"Cragen, actually, I have to go to Laura Hughes' house."

"Why is that, detective?"

"She might not testify in the rape trial against her estranged boyfriend"

"So you're going to see if you can convince her?"

"Yea, I suppose so."

"Elliot, I think that should be left up to Olivia. She's a woman."

"Captain, to be honest, Laura told me she was comfortable with me."

"Alright then, Detective Stabler, just don't do anything stupid."

Elliot smiled, happy that he convinced Cragen to let him go. It took Elliot ten minutes to get down to Laura's apartment. He raced up the three floors, wearing himself out. He knocked on the door twice, but no one came to answer.

"Laura, it's me Detective Stabler from the Manhattan Special Victims Unit. Are you there?"

He rang the doorbell and a couple of seconds later, she opened the door.

"Sorry, I was washing the dishes, didn't hear you knock."

"Oh, hope I didn't scare you."

"Nothing scares me anymore." she laughed. "Do you want to come in?"

"I need to talk to you about a couple of things…"

"Come in, come in…" she ushered him in. Elliot noticed the cleanliness of her home. What really caught his eye was the sun shining on her wood floor, across the floor onto her brown leather couches.

"Make yourself at home." Laura told him.

"Nice place you got here."

"Oh, thanks…So what is it you have to talk to me about?"

"Laura, in order for Daniel to go to jail, we need you to testify."

"Detective…"

"Laura, you are the key witness. Without you, there is no case! What are you afraid of?"

"I don't want him to come after me…"

"He won't, I promise…"

"Don't promise me anything, detective."

"I swear then…is that better?"

"Stop…" she laughed. "I'll do it, but you have to buy me dinner after."

"I can't date victims…"

"Who said I was a victim? What happened didn't make me a victim, detective. It only made me stronger. I'm not that little vulnerable girl anymore"

"I'm proud of you." he was uncomfortable with the fact that Laura counterattacked him like that. "I think its time I got back to work then."

"Thanks for stopping by…"

"I'll see you soon then. "

"I…um…"

"He can't touch you, Laura. I'm here."

"Thanks, Elliot." she replied embracing him. Elliot didn't expect her to hug him, especially after she just corrected him.

"Bye…" he said exiting the apartment. "Maybe I'm getting a little too close for comfort." he thought to himself.

When he arrived back at the precinct, Olivia was finishing work at her desk.

"Still up for that drink?" he asked her.

"Yea, I'm practically finished with this junk and then I need to go home, get cleaned up."

"Yea, no problem. Where do you want to meet?"

"There's a bar down the street from here, I think it's called 'The Well'. Sounds good to me."

"Me too." Elliot agreed. "Well, I'm gonna go now…See ya in a few."

"See ya soon…" she smiled. Elliot decided walking was the best thing to do since the bar was only down the street. His car was parked down there anyways.

Drink One…a Budweiser

3:15 PM

"Not bad…nice and cold…" Elliot told himself. He surveyed the room around him; empty, except for the bartender of course. "Who won the game?"

"The Yankees, Red Sox game?" the bartender asked.

"Yea."

"Red Sox."

"No shit! Yankees haven't been coming up with the wins lately." Elliot replied surprised.

"Tell me about it. I can play better than some of those pricks and I haven't played ball in God knows when."

"Damn…"

Drink 5...Amstel Light

5:30 PM

"Where the hell is she?" Elliot asked himself. He was feeling the effects of multiple beers within one short time. Elliot fumbled trying to get his phone out. He clumsily dialed Olivia's number.

"Voicemail!" Elliot yelled. "Hi Olivia, Elliot here, I'm getting a little tipsy, you're missin' all the fun!"

He sounded like a jackass, so he hung up, got his stuff together, and decided it was time to leave. He totally forgot about Kathy until the taxi he took home pulled into his driveway and saw the minivan there with Kathy sitting on the front step.

"Kathy, I'm so sorry." he said walking up to her. She could smell the alcohol a mile away.

"I thought I said we could talk when you were sober."

"I had a few drinks…but I'm manageable"

"What did you want me here for?"

"Come inside…" he replied. Kathy followed Elliot inside and she sat across the table from him in the kitchen. "You see that right there?" Elliot pointed to the house across the street.

"The house?"

"Yea…"

"What?"
"It's for sale."

"What are you trying to say? Me and the kids move in there?"

"Well, yea."

"You have got to be kidding me, Elliot!" she stood up.

"It's perfect Kathy!" he got up as well.

"I can't afford that, Elliot! Why can't you just find a cozy little apartment in the city so you don't have to go through all the trouble in getting up in the morning like a desperate person."

"The only one desperate here is you!" he yelled, his face now inches away from her. She stared into his eyes and looked as if she was going to slap him. Instead, she put her hands on his face and kissed him passionately. He didn't complain, and didn't resist it. They made their way upstairs, where Elliot found himself in a position he knew quite well. He didn't think about what was happening or ask himself "Does this mean we are getting back together."

He hated Kathy with a passion, but his passion seemed to get the better of him this time, along with the alcohol.

A/N: I know what most of you are thinking, but the plot develops thickly after here, so I hope this was a shocker as I intended it. I appreciate all the reviews, so keep sending your support! Thanks Again