"Thanks for coming with me." Elliot said as they approached the NYU campus. "It's not like I'll know anyone here."

"Except Olivia."

"Who I won't even recognize." Elliot said simply. "You better point her out to me when we get there."

"Oh I will."

"And don't you dare point me to someone else and say it's her or I will kill you."

"Where's the fun in that?"

"Haha." Elliot said, reading the address on his hand. "Turn left up here. That's it." He said pointing to a large frat house. Robert stopped the car and the two men got out.

"Hey El." Robert shouted across the car.

"What?"

"Do us all a favor and don't get smashed tonight."

"Shut up, asshole." Elliot said as he crossed the street. "This is kinda weird. Maybe we shouldn't have come."

"We drive all the way up to NYU battling weekend traffic and you decide now it's a bad idea?" Robert said, throwing up his hands. "Too bad, you're going in now."

"It's just that this feels so much like a blind date, and that's not my scene."

"It's not a blind date. It's a party." Robert said, pounding on the door of the frat house. "You guys will be surrounded by a million people and when you want to leave, you leave." Elliot nodded his head as though trying to convince himself of this also. "I know that you haven't dated since high school, but try it, you may just like it."

"Hey guys, welcome to the party of the century!" said the man opening the door. "Where you all joining us from?"

"Rutgers." they replied in unison.

"All the way from Jersey." he said, nodding his head. "Rockin'. Come on in." The party was already in full swing and it was only six. The stereo was blaring Paula Adbul, and there were more college students sitting around than Elliot could count. He looked over at Robert, who shook his head, Olivia was not here yet.

"There's a basement." Robert said helpfully. "Let's go check." he added as Elliot followed him down the stairs which led to different, even louder music. The basement was much bigger than one would have guessed. It contained a pool table and a hot tub as well as a large television and stereo.

"It looks like this is where the real party is." Elliot said with a chuckle as he scanned this floor, even though he had no clue what he was looking for. Robert tapped him and nodded his head in the direction of a gorgeous strawberry-blonde. Elliot gave him a look that said, you better not be joking, as he boldly approached her. When he got closer he realized just how tall she was, almost as tall as him with legs that could rival a super model's. She turned and looked in his direction as he was approaching.

"Elliot!" she said, setting her beer on a table and walking over to him. "Glad you could make it." she said, hugging him as he thought, not the least bit uncomfortable. "I can't believe you even recognized me."

"Well, I have to be honest with you, I had to have Robert point you out."

"Fair enough. Where is Robert?" she said as Elliot pointed in his direction. She motioned for him to come join them. "You guys want a beer?"

"Yes please." Elliot said as Robert gave him a look. "Just one."

"One for me too please." Robert said as Olivia began to walk away.

"Two beers coming up." she said as Elliot widened his eyes at Robert.

"You did not tell me she was drop dead gorgeous."

"She looks even better in that dress than she did Capri pants."

"I don't know if I'm ready for this."

"El, she probably doesn't even think it's a date. She probably just thinks that she invited you to a party so that you could have some fun." Robert said, rolling his eyes. "Don't overanalyze it."

"That's what I do." Elliot said matter-of-factly.

"Here you go guys." Olivia said, handing them each a beer. "And let me introduce you to my roommate. This is Rachel." she said pulling her up to the two men. "Rach, this is Elliot and Robert." They all shook hands and mumbled 'hi'.

"Listen, Olivia." Elliot said, pulling her away as Rachel and Robert began to talk about some movie they had just seen. "I'm so sorry about last night. I don't think I've ever been that drunk."

"It's okay. I'm just glad I was there to get you home safely."

"That was so awesome of you. I just can't believe I did that."

"We all do stupid stuff when we're hurt." Olivia said with a smile. He hadn't yet noticed how beautiful her smile was. This woman was just getting more and more gorgeous by the second. "So how long had you been together with your girlfriend? What was her name?"

"Kathy. We have been together since junior year of high school, so almost five years." he said with a sad smile. "I don't know what happened, just like that it was over." he sat silently for a few minutes. "That's enough about her though; I came here to forget about her for a while. What about you; where's your boyfriend?"

"My type doesn't attend these parties."

"So there is a boyfriend?"

"Not at the current moment. No." she said, laughing. "I kind of just dumped him. I just have yet to tell him."

"That's harsh." Elliot said, a large grin on his face. Olivia's heart melted.

"Well, you tell me what kind of thirty-year old man wants a relationship with a 21 year old college student?" she said, lowering her voice. "I sleep with professors, I don't date them. There's a huge difference."

"So you're one of those type." he said as she looked at him questioningly. "You know, the ones who sleep with profs to get their grades."

"Oh no." she said, slightly offended. "I only sleep with professors who I either don't have at all or don't have at the time. I earn my grades. I sleep with professors because they're experienced, that's all."

"And not at all shy about it." Elliot said, that huge grin sneaking onto his face again. Why did he have to keep doing that? Olivia wondered.

"Why should I be?"

"You're right, sex is nothing to be ashamed of, it's the early nineties right?"

"Exactly." Olivia said, picking up her beer and taking a large drink. "So Mr. Stabler, we know all the intimate details of each others personal lives, but I don't even know your major or your favorite color." Elliot laughed.

"Well my favorite color is blue. And my major is criminology with a psychology minor."

"Wow." Olivia said, leaning forward in her chair. She could not deny the fact that she wanted him. "So what are you going to do with that?"

"I hope be a cop."

"A very well educated cop."

"That's the goal." he said, setting down his empty cup. "So what about you?"

"Well I'm majoring in education."

"Now that takes balls." he said. "What are you going to teach?"

"I think kindergarten. At least lower primary school."

"You are braver than I."

"I dunno, dealing with murder and drugs everyday is not my idea of fun."

"Yea, but kids are so hard. I could never be a teacher." she laughed as she began to twirl a loose hair.

"Children are so easy, you just have to keep them entertained and they're happy."

"Easier said than done." They glanced over at Rachel and Robert who were still chatting animatedly.

"Aren't they so cute?" Rachel asked with a chuckle. "So what is this to Elliot?"

"I dunno. He wants it to be whatever she wants it to be." Robert said, shrugging. "He is still having a hard time realizing that he is single. He really thought that he was going to marry Kathy. So what does Olivia want this to be?"

"I dunno either; sometimes Olivia is hard to read. Everyone on our floor knows that she sleeps with professors, and she just dumped one."

"So Elliot is her rebound?"

"That's what I thought, but I'm not so certain. I think Elliot may have sparked something in her. She of course is putting on her tough façade but I think deep down she may actually like him." she said with a small smile. "Like I said, I've lived with her for three years and still have a hard time reading her sometimes." They both began to nod and sat in silence for a few minutes.

"Want to play some pool?" Robert asked as the pool table cleared.

"Absolutely." she said as he grabbed her hand and led her to the table.

"They look like they are getting along." Elliot said, motioning to Robert and Rachel.

"Yea." Olivia said, looking around. She wished that Elliot would make a move, but then again, she knew that he was getting over a long relationship.

"So what made you decide to go to NYU?" Elliot asked, the lull in conversation making him nervous.

"Free tuition."

"How'd you manage that?"

"My mom's a professor."

"I see." Elliot said. So we're moving onto families now, he thought. "What's she teach?"

"English."

"And what's your dad do?"

"Isn't this like second date conversation?" Olivia asked, laughing.

"So now we're on a date?" Elliot said, only half jokingly.

"I'd say it's slowly turning into one."

"Olivia, I'm really not ready for a relationship."

"And who said I was?" she said, scooting closer to him. "Elliot, I just think that you need some fun. Is there anything wrong with having fun?" she asked as Elliot sat silently.

"Olivia, friends don't go on dates." Despite what he was saying, Elliot was using all the energy he could muster to not jump her.

"Okay, so it's the terminology that's freaking you out?" she said, leaning back in her chair. "Let's just call it hanging out and then it doesn't sound so scary."

"So now you're mocking me." he said, smiling.

"And if I am?" she hand her chin cradled in her hand and was smiling innocently. She is so beautiful, he thought, not hot but beautiful. Before he knew what he was doing, his heart dominated his brain. With Whitney Houston playing in the background, he reached over and kissed her, soft but firm. She leaned into him and placed her hands in his hair. A few long, wonderful minutes later, they pulled apart and Olivia had a huge grin on her face. "I didn't know friends did that."

"I'm sorry; I don't know what came over me." Elliot immediately panicked.

"El, it's okay." Olivia said, placing a hand on his thigh. "Let's just put it out there--- I'm attracted to you. What about you?"

"I think you are so gorgeous and funny and sweet." he said, ramblingly.

"Well then it's settled." Olivia said, standing up and taking Elliot's hand. "Let's get out of here and get some coffee or something."

"What about Rob and Rachel?"

"I think they'll be fine without us." Olivia said, glancing at Rachel and Rob, who were making out in the corner. "No excuses now Stabler, let's go." she said, pulling him behind her. They walked down the street to the nearest coffee house and found a table.

"I'll have a cappuccino, Elliot?" Olivia placed her order and then turned toward Elliot.

"Same for me please." he said, pulling out his wallet and handing the waiter a ten dollar bill.

"Thank you; I'll have those right out." he said, taking the bill from Elliot's hand and walking away.

"Thank you." Olivia said, quietly.

"For what?"

"For paying." she said, smiling at him.

"Isn't that what the man is supposed to do on a first date?"

"So now this is a date?" she asked, utter surprise filling her voice.

"I think it's slowly turning into one." Elliot repeated her words from earlier as Olivia began to laugh. "I'm sorry I sort of freaked out at the party, it's just the only girl I've ever really been with was Kathy, it's just a little weird to be on a date with someone else."

"Understandable." Olivia said as the waiter set a cappuccino in front of her. "Thank you."

"If you need anything else, please let me know." the waiter said, hurrying away.

"Elliot, I was just asking for one date; it's not like we're dating, it's just one date."

"If I asked you on a second date would we be dating?"

"I like to think that the third times the charm."

"I'll keep that in mind." he said, taking a sip from his mug. "So would you like to go on another date?" Olivia simply chuckled.

"I think so." she said, sitting forward in the chair. "But we don't even know how this one is turning out."

"I think I have a pretty good idea." Elliot said, leaning dangerously close to her.

"Weren't you the one, who less than an hour ago was saying how you weren't ready to move on?"

"I'm starting to change my mind."

"I'm glad to know that I have that effect on you."

"So," Elliot said, clearing his throat and setting back again. "Why did you choke up so much when I asked about your family?"

"You don't give up, do you?" she asked, picking up her mug and holding it to her lips.

"Isn't that what will make a good cop?"

"I suppose." she said, quickly taking a sip and placing her mug on the table. "Well, I don't really know my real father, he left my mom right after I was born. I've never met him."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Why would I want to know a man who wanted nothing to do with me?" she asked, crossing her legs. "My mom met this great guy not long after and he's been my dad ever since."

"And what does he do?"

"He works in the corporate world." she said, pausing. "Some sort of number crunching job."

"Sounds exciting." Elliot said with just a hint of sarcasm.

"Truly." Olivia said, laughing. "I guess he enjoys it. I could never do that all day long."

"Same here. I have to be up and doing something all the time. Speaking of," he said, glancing at his watch. "It's getting late. How about I walk you home? You've already done the same for me once."

"Very funny." she said, laying a dollar bill on the table for a tip. "But that sounds good."

"So Ms. Benson," he asked as they began to walk down the sidewalk to her dorm. "Why did you help me the other night? I know I must have been a major jerk."

"Actually, you weren't the worst drunk man I've ever dealt with."

"That's comforting." he said, rolling his eyes. "For me, just the fact that I was drunk makes me a jerk."

"I've heard you don't do that often."

"Try never." he said with a sigh. "I think that's the first time I've ever been totally smashed, but you're avoiding my question. Why would you help some drunk guy that you barely know?"

She pondered for a minute, opened her mouth, shut it, and then pondered more. "I thought you looked like you would want help." she said, slowly, and then realizing that she made no sense, she continued. "You seemed like a nice guy, who probably was not used to being out drunk by himself; I figured that you would want help if you had known what you were doing. This is it." she said, turning up the sidewalk. "And you were pretty hot." They both began to laugh.

"Thanks. You aren't too bad yourself." he said, holding the door open for her. They trudged up the steps to her floor silently and as they reached the top they heard the distinct sound of bedsprings.

"I'll bet money that I know which room that is coming from." Olivia said, bitterly. "Great." she said, ripping the envelope off the door.

"What is that?" Elliot asked his eyes full of curiosity.

"It's what my roommate and I do when we have a guy in the room." she said ripping it open and pulling out a note and fifty. "Olivia, I owe you huge, here's a fifty to give me the whole night.--- Rach." she read from the paper. "Lovely." she muttered.

"You need a place to stay?" Elliot asked, snatching the note from her hands. "I have a feeling the other bed in my room is unoccupied for the night."

"That doesn't sound like a good idea," she said, crumpling up the note and tossing it in the trashcan. "But it sounds like my only option."

"I promise that I won't try to grope you." Elliot said, jokingly as they headed down the steps to his car.

"This may just be the dumbest thing I've ever done." Olivia said as she pulled down the sheets on Robert's bed.

"God, will you get over it. It's only one night. I'm not the giant creep you're making me out to be."

"I'm sorry, it's just that this seems so weird." she said, figuring out how to phrase her thoughts. "Like I should be sleeping with you, but that's not right either." she said, laughing at her own statement. "I dunno, this just may be the weirdest end to a first date ever. And I can't believe I just told you that."

"If you want to have sex, no one is stopping you." Elliot said, menacingly.

"I think that that falls under the no groping rule."

"Who ever said that there had to be groping involved in sex?"

"Now you're pushing it Stabler." she said, laughing loudly. "However, one must ask the same question of you that you asked of me earlier. Why did you help me out by inviting me back here?"

"You didn't seem like the sort who would take well to being homeless." he said, sarcastically. "Seriously? I dunno, it just seemed like the gentlemanly thing to do."

"You weren't just trying to get into my pants?"

"If I wanted to get into your pants, I would have by now."

"That's not cocky or anything."

"I'm just saying." he said, throwing up his hands.

"You better stop while you're ahead or there will be no second date." she said, mock threateningly. Elliot sat up and flipped on the lights. "What are you doing?" Olivia asked, shielding her eyes.

"I'm sorry, I'm just not really tired." he said, jumping out of his bed. Olivia hadn't noticed that he had gone to bed wearing only boxers. "I'm going to go to the snack machines downstairs and get something, can I bring you something or would you like to come?" he asked, invitingly.

"I'll go." she climbed out of Robert's bed and slipped on her flip flops. She was wearing an oversized shirt from Elliot and a pair of boxers. She was very conscious as they walked down the hall, that she had never worn a man's clothes overnight before. It was a strange feeling, especially since she barely knew Elliot. "It's kind of weird walking down the hall of a boy's dorm in the middle of the night." She whispered.

"You don't have to whisper." Elliot said, turning down the stairwell. "Everyone who lives on this floor is at the party that we just left, including the RA. And don't tell me that you've never snuck out of a guy's room at midnight before."

"I haven't." she said, truthfully. "Any guy I've ever slept with was either at my place or he didn't live in dorms. Usually, the latter." She muttered.

"So Miss Olivia has a thing for older guys." He said, and then realization hit him. "How old are you?"

"Twenty-one." She said, quickly. "You?"

"Twenty-three." He said, smiling. "I'm just your type."

"There's that cocky thing again." Olivia said as they both began to chuckle.

"Very funny." he said, sarcastically. "What do you want?"

"I don't care, get me anything."

"You want to share a sandwich and chips?"

"Why not." she said as Elliot pointed to a ham sandwich and she nodded. Elliot stuck the quarters into the machine and their food dropped. Olivia grabbed the sandwich and Elliot grabbed the chips as they headed back up to the room. "It is so quiet in a dorm with no people--- almost creepy." Olivia muttered as they approached the door.

"Seriously." Elliot said, unlocking the door and holding out his arm for her to go first. "Is there anything you like to watch on television?"

"Is there really anything on at one AM?"

"Good point." Elliot said, flipping on the radio instead. The soothing sounds of the Beach Boys resonated through the room.

"I love the Beach Boys." Olivia said, removing the tomato off her sandwich.

"You aren't going to eat that?" Elliot said, pointing at the tomato.

"I can't stand them." she said, shoving it towards him. "So El, you haven't mentioned much about your family, but you've been tormenting me endlessly about mine. What is up with your home life?"

"Oh I dunno, the usual stuff I guess."

"There's no such thing." Olivia said, taking a giant bite of her sandwich.

"I forgot to ask if you'd like something to drink." he said, walking over to the small fridge in the corner.

"I'll take whatever you have." she said, smirking. "But you're not getting out of answering my question." Elliot laughed as he handed Olivia a root beer.

"My father was a cop, sometimes he got a little rough with me. We rarely talk anymore and I spend my time off from school at friend's houses or renting an apartment just to avoid him. My mom stops in and visits sometimes, but she isn't doing well without me home, no one is there to take care of her and in a way it's kind of like she's just wasting away."

"That's awful." Olivia said, putting her hand on his. "I'm sorry that you grew up like that."

"It happens." he said a small smile appearing on his face. "I've always wanted to be a cop, but as I get older I just hope I am nothing like my dad. They say that sort of thing is genetic, ya know?"

"Elliot you will never be anything like that."

"You hardly know me." he said, pushing her hand away as he shoved the last of his sandwich into his mouth and walked over to his bed.

"I know you enough. Elliot, you know that being a cop is not what causes people to become abusive. You are too kind and caring, you are one of the nicest guys I've ever met and that's not going to change down the road." she said, sitting next to him and planting a soft kiss on his cheek. "Your father was probably violent all along. From everything I've heard about you, violence is not part of your personality."

"Why would my mom have married a guy who was violent in the first place?"

"You'd have to ask her that." she said, sliding under the covers and putting her arms around him. "My guess would be that he wasn't outwardly violent until after they were married and then she didn't know how to get out once he began." They sat in silence for a minute, not realizing or not mentioning, the intimacy of their position, of the conversation, or of the entire evening.

"I think I'm going to visit my parents tomorrow." he said, quietly. "Would you like to come?"

"Of course." she said, pulling the covers up higher. "Am I going as your girlfriend or just a friend?" But Elliot was silent. She looked over at his now sleeping form. She smiled and whispered, "Good night." Before allowing herself to sleep also.