It was early August, and Elliot and Olivia had spent a wonderful summer break together. They had done everything a new couple should spend their first summer doing: they had hiked, swam, picnicked, and made love on the beach. The desire Elliot had to marry Olivia had only been magnified by the long days and short, but well spent, nights. It was one week until classes started and they had both began to pack up to move back to campus.

"So what do you all have planned this final week of break?" Serena asked over breakfast the Monday morning of their last week of freedom.

"Well tonight Elliot has this romantic dinner planned at this new restaurant in the city that serves fondue."

"Well that sounds marvelous. I may just have to steal him from you." Serena said, laughing.

"And then the rest of the week we'll probably just relax a little bit."

"Sounds like a plan." Serena said, grabbing her plate and standing. "If you'll excuse me, I need to get to campus and get myself ready for the upcoming semester as well."

"Have a good day mom." she said as she watched her mother walk out the front door. "So what are we doing the rest of the day?"

"Well our dinner is at three, so we've got about four hours to do whatever you want." he said, a smirk slowly drawing across his face.

"Well, how about, I'm going to go take a shower, and we'll go from there." she said, seductively as she walked to the bathroom. Elliot quickly shoved the rest of his toast in his mouth and ran after her. She was already in the shower, her clothes thrown perfectly over a small stool in the corner, steam rising from the stall invitingly. Elliot quietly shut the door, as though Olivia wouldn't notice his arrival, and hastily took off his pants. He could hear Olivia chuckling from inside the shower. He pulled back the glass door and stepped in, carefully.

"I didn't ask for company." Olivia said, innocently as she grabbed the bar of soap.

"You are such a tease." Olivia began to caress Elliot's body with soap as he moaned. She chuckled mischievously. Elliot grabbed her and picked her up, turning her back to the wall of the shower. He slid inside her as they began to rock against one another in perfect unison. Elliot slid his tongue between her lips as their lips met and Olivia moaned and began to kiss back sensually. They came together as they both slid down the shower wall and sat in the mist of the water.

"That was interesting." Elliot said, kissing her neck. "Well you have fun in here now." he said, jumping out of the shower and grabbing a towel. Olivia laughed.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it." she called as Elliot excited the bathroom. A few minutes later, Olivia had shut off the water and was grabbing her own towel. Elliot went to his room (the one he hadn't spent a single night in the entire summer) and grabbed a pair of black slacks and a black shirt with a red tie. He sprayed on some cologne and went to sit in the living room and wait for Olivia.

"Damn." he said after whistling. Olivia had walked into the living room wearing a halter top, knee length dress in red with matching strappy sandals and a golden necklace. "You look absolutely amazing." he said as she twirled around for him.

"You don't look bad yourself." she said, planting a kiss on his cheek. "That's a good look for you."

"You're chariot awaits," he said, motioning to the door. "Olivia walked to the door and looked out the windows.

"Is that for us?" she asked, staring at the limo parked in front of the house.

"You guessed it."

"This feels like prom." she said, laughing as he helped her into the back seat. "What merits such a special evening?"

"This is our last week to be together, at least this close, for a while. I just wanted it to be nice." he said, pouring her some champagne from a bottle. Olivia was shocked. This was the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for her. She took the champagne from his hand.

"What are we toasting to?" Olivia asked as Elliot began to laugh.

"Drunken nights that actually lead to something good."

"I'll toast to that." she said, clinking her glass to his. "You are amazing." she said, kissing him on the neck. "I love you so much." she lay back on his shoulder and remained there the rest of the trip. The limo began to slow as it pulled up outside of the restaurant. The door opened from outside and a door man ushered them into the restaurant. Olivia's family was not poor by any means, but this was by far the fanciest restaurant she had ever been in: each individual table was lit by a small candle, waiters were dressed nicely with towels draped over their arms; it was like a fairy tale, just like in the movies.

They sat and waited a few minutes before their own waiter arrived. He explained to them how to eat fondue and what was going to happen in their eating experience. He took their order for cheese and meat fondue before turning away with their menus.

"This is so cool." Olivia said, taking Elliot's hand.

"I know." he said, fiddling with his napkin. He sat silent while Olivia sipped her water. "Olivia." he said, suddenly making her look up.

"What is it El?" she asked, cocking her head to the side. "Everything okay?"

"Yea, great." he said, quietly. "Olivia." he said again before pausing. "I love you. Oh my gosh." he muttered. "I know that we haven't really be together long, but I feel like we just connect so well. I love you more than I've ever loved anyone else."

"I know," she said, taking his quivering hand. "I feel that way too, like I've known you my whole life."

"I know that we have so much more to learn about one another," he said as Olivia began to realize what was happening. "And I'd love to spend the rest of my life learning everything I can about you." he dropped on his knee and held out a black velvet box. He popped the box open to reveal a sparkling solitary diamond ring as he asked, "Olivia Benson, will you marry me?" Olivia's eyes began to well up, she couldn't remember the last time she had cried.

"Yes, Elliot! Of course I will." she said, jumping into his arms. She pressed her lips to his slowly as the people around them began to clap. The waiter walked up with a huge smile on his face.

"I'd like to present this bouquet to the future Mrs. Elliot Stabler." he said, setting the flowers along with their fondues on the table. "Congratulations. And good luck on a long and fabulous future together." Elliot and Olivia gazed into one another's eyes before kissing one more time.

"Congratulations, dear!" Serena said, throwing her arms around Olivia.

"How'd you know?" Olivia asked, holding out her hand to her mother.

"He asked us for permission weeks ago." Serena said, admiring the rock on Olivia's ring finger. "It's gorgeous Elliot! Welcome to the family!" she said, hugging him also. "We are so lucky that Olivia has found someone like you."

"Thanks, Serena."

"Oh no, dear, it's mom now." she said, kissing both of his cheeks. Elliot smiled at Serena. She was the best mother in law he could have asked for. "So when's the date?"

"Mom, we just got engaged two hours ago, I really am more concerned about the extra weight I'm carrying around." she said, waving her finger.

"I'm sorry dear, I'm just so excited for you."

"It's alright mom; I understand." she said, giving her mother one more hug. "Okay, well it's been a long and exciting night, I think its time we go to bed." she said, pulling Elliot along.

"Night children. Have a lovely evening." she said, picking up her magazine and continuing to read. Olivia and Elliot ran to her room and began to change into pajamas.

"I'm going to miss you so much this quarter." Elliot said as he settled into bed.

"I'm going to miss you too." she said, pulling out a book to read. "It's just not fair that we have one more year to be apart."

"I know, but we'll be together for good next summer. I can't wait to marry you." he said, kissing her before laying his head on the pillow. "Goodnight, Liv."

"Night El. Love you."

"You too." he said, she sat and read for a while until Elliot was asleep. She set her book down and ran downstairs, hoping that her mother was still up.

"Hey, I thought you were going to sleep." said Serena, lowering her magazine.

"I needed to ask you about something." she said, sitting on the floor at her mother's feet. "Thinking about getting married has got me thinking about dad. My real dad," she added for clarification. "I don't want him to walk me down the aisle or anything, John deserves that role, but I'd at least like him to be there."

"Olivia." her mom began before she was cut off.

"I know that I'm fine without him and that he doesn't deserve my thoughts but I just can't imagine myself getting married without him there."

"Olivia."

"Mom, please just tell me his name and I'll figure out everything else myself."

"Olivia, I can't."

"Please, for me."

"Dear, I really can't." Serena said with a sigh. "I don't know who your father is."

"What do you mean you don't know?" Olivia asked, slightly angry; how do you not know the father of your child?

"Olivia, I was raped." she said, quietly, tears showing in her eyes. "The reason I had you is because I was raped." Olivia sat staring at her mother for what seemed like hours.

"Hows come you never told me?"

"Liv, I didn't want you to feel like you were unwanted. I never regretted you. I regret the rape; I don't regret that I got you from it." Serena said, placing a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Who knows what would have happened if John hadn't come into our lives! I was drinking a lot after I had you; I was confused and irresponsible. When John came along we were a mess; he helped to straighten me out and show me that you still needed a mother and that I needed to grow up." she said, smiling through her tears. "And I did, and I'm glad I did. I loved having you and raising you and teaching you. You are the best thing that ever happened to me, despite the circumstances."

"Mom, I'm sorry I never knew." she said, hugging her mother tightly. "I'm sorry that you had to go through that. Thank you, for everything even though I know how hard it was for you." she said, letting a few small tears slip from her eyes.

"Now you need your rest." Serena said, through tears. "Don't let this bother you too much, it's water under the bridge." Olivia nodded, but it was all she would think about for a long time. She decided that this was something about her life that Elliot should never know. She decided at that moment to forget about what could have been and just focus on the future.