The bag had asked for trouble by its mere exsistance. It stood there, mocking her, begging to be kicked, punched, and abused by the woman in padded gloves. The tall blue-eyed man held it steady as the abuse continued. She had expressed the need to vent after only gatting a single peice of herself back. Olivia started hitting sloppily before pure animalistic instinct kicked in, and her punches became practiced and graceful. Elliot grunted as they gained force, knocking the bag into him. There was fury in her eyes as she yelled with each kick. Sweat poured from her forehead, and with a swift movement, she kicked as hard as she could, knocking Elliot over. The punching bag teetered on its stablizers.

"Goddamn, Liv."

"You okay?"

"You got a lot of issues to work out." Olivia gave him a dirty look.

"I was taken away from me. He stole more of me...from me...than I want to admit. I'm pissed," she said, assaulting the bag again.

"That's our girl," Munch said, leaned against the gym room door frame. "You're starting to act more like the Olivia we all love and fear the wrath of," he teased. "How ya doin?"

"Got something last night."

"Oh?"

"Alex."

"That's fantastic. Brought you work-a-holics a slurpee. Fin said you were working out here today." He handed the frozen soda to the sweaty detectives. "A Cherry Coke for you, Olivia, and a regular for Blue-eyes." Elliot sucked down a gulp. Olivia, who had been working out at the precinct gym since sun-up, sucked in a huge gulp. "Slow down!" Munch warned.

"Why-ohhh...jeSUS!" she whined, grabbing her temples. "What-oh God-what the HELL!?"

"Brain Freeze," Munch and Elliot said in unison.

"Tried to warn you-"

"Shut it, Stabler," she growled. The two men laughed.

"C'mon. Let's work on your self defense. See what your body is telling you to do-" Before he finished, he was face-planting the mat, her knee on his shoulder, and he found that even he, a U.S. Marine didn't want to move. It wasn't that he couldn't, he didn't want to hurt her after a head injury. She wasn't exactly supposed to be doing this.

"Careful, Elliot."

"Okay, that's good..." he said, wriggling in her grip. "Now, let me up."

"In a Minute. Munch, there's a camera in my bag. Can you-"

"No!"

"I would be more than happy to, Ms. Benson." John Munch was more than happy to get the camera from her duffel on a nearby bench.

"Liv? Liv, let me up...Olivia-" She laughed a minute as John pulled out a camera. "Don't You Dare, Munch-" the flash silenced him.

"Blackmail?" Liv nodded. "I'll go post these now," John said, he shut the gym door as he left, laughing.

"Okay, now lemme up." Getting tired of this, he flipped her off, and pinned her. "That wasn't nice, Livvie."

"No fair, I'm injured!" she laughed. He continued to hold her, but he eased thepressure on her wrists as the laughter faded. The smile she held was warm, and flirty. He knew her "flirty" smile from under cover assignments. Olivia was flirting with him! He looked into the beautiful brown eyes that he'd come to lookfor when he needed faith in anything.

"Am I hurting you?"

"No," she replied shyly.

"You let me get you down, Liv. Can't let an attacker do that," he whispered into her ear, hot breath teasing her neck.

"You attacking me, Elliot?"

"I might," he teased. Olivia craned her neck upwards the last inch, and two sets of lips met. She was sweet and her lips softer than he'd imagined. Elliot knew it was wrong. When Olivia's memory returned, if it returned, she'd hate him for this. But before his mind could warn him, he heart won the battle, and he released her hands, and allowed her to roll them over. She was straddling his hips, kissing him with no abandon, no worries of what could happen.

Elliot realized finally; Olivia was free.

Don rubbed his forehead. He was short two of his best, they had 15 more cases than they could handle properly, and Dani Beck had returned. She was not as green this time around, but her history with Stabler made him increasingly nervous. She was tough, and could handle herself. Don wouldn't let her near Olivia if he could avoid it. Benson was like a daughter to him, and she was happy. Dani could only make things worse. At least, he was able to spend time with Casey. It was all work, but she was there. He could see her. She would bring him decent coffee, and he'd order in lunch.

"Don?" Casey said, peeking into the office.

"Come in," he said, smiling.

"Brought Coffee," she offered. "Long month..." Casey sipped at her coffee as she set his on the desk. Don shut the door to his office.

"I know we're all over-worked, but Elliot will be back in two weeks."

"We need to talk."

"I know."

"What do we have?" Don set his coffee back on the desk after a decent sip, and closed the door. The blinds in his office were still closed, as it wasn't even 6:00 in the morning yet. Already, Elliot and Olivia were there in the precinct gym, and Munch's coat was on the back of his chair. They were near, and he wanted a little privacy. Don took the chair next to her.

"I don't know what we have, Casey," he said, taking her hands in his. "But I think we should try to find out."

"I'd like that."

"Case, when I kissed you, I felt something." He kissed her hands, and his eyes closed involunterily.

"I felt it, too, Don. But...you have to promise me one thing." He looked up at her, worry in his eyes. "We leave work here, and we leave us at home."

"I can do that," Don said. He sighed and moved back behind his desk and picked up a file that they were working on. "So, we're at work. Let's work." Casey smiled and chuckled lightly to herself. "Are we sure Lauren Riles isn't lying about John and/or Jim Lanix?"

"John Lanix managed to incriminate himself enough, and prove her story. John's only alibi was his brother who was across town, robbing a store, when Jim said they were both "at home" watching a movie. The store he robbed was 4 blocks from where Riles was raped. She was raped at the time of the robbery." Don looked over the case file.

"They're twins. No way to tell who did the rape."

"Ah, but there is."

"Oh?"

"One robbed, the other raped. Whomever confesses to the robbery first is your rapest." Don sighed.

"Its not enough for a conviction."

"No, but say John says he robbed the store. Jim said he didn't. We offer Jim a deal, if he tells the truth. The one who confesses to robbery knows that a conviction for armed robbery is a lot shorter than rape." Don nodded. "So, when he says, 'I was at the store,' all we need is for him to confess. The other one will see this, and know that his own twin brother is setting him up, and also confess to the robbery, and this time, he'll give incredible detail of what he did at the store, and we have the other on rape, AND on purgery."

"You're good."

"Not that good. It may not work. We need to bring them in, separate them, and hope their too stupid to ask for a lawyer."

"I'll have Beck and Cassidy on it as soon as she wakes up and he comes in-"

"Cassidy is here?" Casey asked, raising an eye-brow. "Is that a good idea?"

"Why wouldn't it be?"

"History with Liv-" Her mouth closed suddenly. She'd said a lot more than she should of, and outed Olivia's past relationship.

"Speak up, Counselor."

"Brian and Olivia..." Don frowned. "Well, Beck and Stabler-"

"More than Enough." Casey shook her head and stood. "Go home, Case."

"Its almost 7:00 in the morning. What makes you think I haven't been there already?"

"You wore that yesterday, and you look like you've been up as long as I have." Casey nodded as she left. Don sipped at the coffee she brought. There was ahint of cinnimon swirled in. Don smiled to himself. 'Maybe some good can come of the accident,' he thought to himself.

Olivia opened her eyes as the sun filtered in through Elliot's window. She smiled and inhaled the sweet scent of coffee brewing and listened to the morning sounds of his apartment for a few moments before shoving her cat off Elliot's bed. She listened for Elliot. but it was quiet in the apartment. She peeked her head into the livingrom, and found that the window was open. He was standing on the fire escape,leaning on the railing, staring out at the city. Olivia pulled a robe on over herself and a pair of pajama bottoms before joining him.

Elliot didn't hear her come out, he just stared. He was lost in thought. Olivia sat back and just admired the built man before her. He was more than just handsome; he was gorgeous. His smile made her heart pound in her chest; it had since the first time she remembered seeing it. But he looked so sad in the morning sun.

"Penny for your thoughts," she said, bringing him into reality.

"I'm sorry...about yesterday. I should have had more control." Olivia wrapped her arms around him from behind into a gentle hug. "Olivia, if your memory decides to pop into your head suddenly, you're going to hate me."

"No, I'm not."

"The Liv I knew never wanted this-"

"Elliot, the minute I saw you, I recognised you. I couldn't tell you what your name was, or anything we'd said or done before. I just knew you were there for me, and you would keep me safe." He turned and hugged her. "I can't say what I wanted before, but trust me to know what I want now." Elliot dropped a kiss on her forehead, and another on her cheek.

"What's that?" he asked as he kissed his way down her jaw.

"This..." she whispered into his ear just as their lips met.

"Livia," he said, pulling back. "You gotta know, I love you. I've loved you for so long."

"I know," she said, grinning. "You...sort of moaned it at the gym yesterday morning...and again last night. But, um, last night...you pretty much yelled it." He blushed and breathed a little laugh.

"Sorry. Got a little carried away, babe." Elliot took her hand and lead her back into the apartment and to the kitchen. He poured two coffees, creamed and sugared them.

"Thanks," she said, sipping the warm liquid of Life. A flash came into her mind:

"You feel like a cup of coffee?" Olivia asked Casey

"Every second of every day."

"Liv?"

"Give me your phone," she said, setting the coffee down. He handed her the cell and she started flipping through the names. When she reached the one she was looking for, she punched a little button. "Casey? Its Olivia...Benson."

"Hey Liv! How are you feeling today?"

"I need to know something."

"Shoot."

"We were sitting in your office one night and I asked you if you felt like a cup of coffee. And you said Every Second of-"

"Every Day," Casey finished. Olivia closed her eyes, pushing back tears. "Olivia, that's great. Its coming back little bits at a time."

"What was next?"

"You went to get coffee, and that's all I remember. I was attacked. But before-"

"Thanks. Can we talk more later?" she said softly, and defeated.

"Olivia," Casey urged. "You saved my life. I'd have died if you hadn't come in when you did, and we'd have both been killed if you had been there with me. You, Detective, are a life saver. Ask Elliot." Olivia wiped her eyes and muttered something back at Casey and snapped the phone closed.

"Liv, what happened?"

"Casey was attacked when I went to get coffee. You tell me that Alex was shot shortly after my only memory of her. What's next?"

"Probably you'll remember me getting shot in the arm, Munch getting shot in the ass, and you going under cover for the Feds. Look, you can't blame yourself for things that you don't even remember dealing with. Its in the past. You have two solid memories of people now. You'll get more. I promise."

"How do you know?"

"Because its my biggest prayer for you...and my biggest fear."

"Why?"

"You have a totally new outlook on life, you're a lot happier now than before, and you don't remember most of the victims you worked with. You have a clean start. I have half a mind to pack up, sell this dump, buy a farm in Montana and keep you as far away from who you used to be...no more vics...no more perps...no more dead bodies. You would have the life I know you wanted." She settled into his arms.

"What I want is to know who the hell I am, Elliot."

"Just give it time, Liv."

Sorry for the delay and short chapter. I have had a Long Week. All is good now, and I remembered where this story was heading, and why I was going there :-)