Chapter 6: Sunday Morning

Summary: In this chapter, EO finally take their relationship to the next level…. ahaha finally!

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SATURDAY JANUARY 1

Olivia's POV

I rolled over in my bed to silence my alarm clock whose blaring noise I had been avoiding for quite some time now. Squinting in the dark, I hit the off button and tried to make out the red neon numbers on the clock. It took a few seconds for the numbers to register in my brain. That. Cannot. Be. Right. 8:15! How could I have possibly slept through my alarm for more than two hours?

Racing and thinking of some excuse that could explain my absence, I rushed to put on my boots and button up my jacket. Outside my door, I heard the sound of MTV coming from the living room, and knew that Kristin must have been awake and probably thought I was at work. Quickly checking that my appearance looked somewhat appealing, I headed out to the kitchen to grab anything that could somewhat tame my furious appetite for the time being.

"Mum, bloody 'ell what are you still doing 'ere?" Kristin asked, startled when I emerged from my room.

"I slept through my alarm… I have no idea why ok! I'm running really late ok!"

"Orchestra camp…"

"Excuse me?"

"You had to drop me off at orchestra camp because…"

I smiled realizing that she was trying to make an excuse for me, but before I could thank her, a loud knock was placed on the door.

"Who's that?" she pondered, turning the TV off.

"No clue… I'll get it…"

I opened the door surprised to see Elliot there, a smile plastered across his face.

"Hey! Happy New Year!" he cheered stepping inside the apartment.

"Elliot! How are you! I thought the kids were with you today!" I pulled him into a hug, so happy that he chose to spend the holiday with me, but at the same time, a pang of guilt twisted in my gut because he wasn't with his family.

"No, Kathy wanted them to meet her fiancée's parents… besides, I thought my girl could use some company!"

"Well thanks El!" I closed the door and followed him into the kitchen.

"Actually I was talking about Kristin!" he winked at her and she laughed, grabbing a stool and sitting across from us.

"Oh hahaha… so… Kathy's getting married eh?" I was at a loss for words and immediately felt regret for asking him about that subject.

"Yeah, to some loser named Brent…"

"Sounds like someone's jealous!" I replied punching him in the arm.

"Hate to um…. break this up, but mum aren't you supposed to be at work in a half an hour?"

"Oh crap… El we need to jet now!"

"Liv calm down! Cragen gave us off remember?"

"Right… I, uh, forgot…well then… you wanna join us for breakfast?"

"I'm making French toast and eggs!" Kristin said happily.

"Well I hope you cook better than you mom!"

"Oh don't worry, she watches the Food Network," I stated rolling my eyes and smiling.

"Well then, count me in!" he replied, smiling back and taking a seat.

"So KC, we've got the whole day to ourselves, and I was thinking…"

"Oh! Can we? Can we please?" she begged jumping up and down like an impatient two year old.

"Only if you don't laugh at me!"

"YES! Thanks mum!" she wrapped her skinny tan arms around my waist

and took off to change into something heavier as the stove heated.

"What was that?" Elliot asked raising an eyebrow.
"Kris has been bugging me to take her skating, too bad I'm horrible at it…"

"Well… that's going to be fun to watch!" he elbowed me in the shoulder.

"Oh like you're any better!"

He smiled searching my eyes, trying to think of some kind of come back. "Yeah, Kathy and I used to take Maureen skating all the time when she was little."

"Right… sure you did…"

"Well come now! Eat up!" Kristin returned from her room wearing a bomber jacket and skating pants, a pair of skates draped over her left shoulder. Elliot and I rolled our eyes before eating our breakfast.

"Thank you so much mum!" Kristin squealed kissing me on both my cheeks and smiling widely as she laced up her ice skates.

"You've said that a hundred times already! Now go have fun… we'll be right there..." she knotted both skates and excitedly raced out on the ice.

I sat on a bench, waiting for Elliot to return with the rented skates, and dreading skating, knowing that I would continually fall on my butt. Sighing heavily I took the pair of skates from Elliot and began to tighten him. His eyes lingered over me, his lips curling into a smile.

"What's so funny?"

"You're hating this aren't you?"

"Oh shut up!" he laughed and finished tying his skates, waiting for me to finish with mine.

"Ladies first," he said allowing me to take my first steps onto the ice.

"I can't believe I'm doing this!" I took no more than three steps and found myself sitting down on the solid, cold ice.

"Watch it Liv!" he skated towards me smiling and grabbed under my armpits, lifting me off the ground.

"I'm really bad aren't I?"

"Well…"

"Hey!" I turned around noticing that Kristin was skating not far from us. "Look at her!"

"She's something isn't she?"

"Yeah… is there anything she can't do?" I smiled, amazed by how easily she glided over the ice. "Showoff…" I muttered.

"I guess not…" he smiled at my last comment and let me go once again.

I started moving and almost ran into a little girl, tripping on my own feet and falling. Elliot caught me before I hit the ground and pulled me back to my feet. I tried to regain my composure and move again, but I found it hard to balance.

"Here… take my hand…" I reached for his hand reluctantly and we continued our way around the rink.

"Thanks El…" We skated around in an awkward, yet comfortable silence. In no time I forgot that he was even holding my hand. Around us, people's eyes watched us, smiling. I heard one person say that we looked "cute" and I immediately found myself blushing. However, it felt so right to be next to Elliot, holding his hand.

"I dunno about you…" I said, snapping out of our somewhat magical state, "but my feet are killing me…"

"Let's sit a little then…" we found our way to the exit ramp and returned our skates. There was a small place next to the skate rental where you could buy something to eat and drink. We decided to buy some hot chocolate and found our way to a bench where we could sit.

"She's so beautiful," I smiled sitting down to face the rink and watching Kristin perform a complete spiral in the center of ice.

He joined me and sighed glancing at her before changing the subject, "Did you tell her yet?"

My smile quickly faded, "No… Margie, Dr. Yei, told me two weeks ago, but I just haven't found the right time… but it's been exactly a month… I'll tell her tonight…" I ran my hands over my forehead and looked down at the ground.

"You gonna be ok Liv?"

"I just don't know how she'll handle it… I mean, she's finally gotten over the pain…"

"Does she know about you?"

"Being a child of rape?" he nodded. "No…"

"Do you want me to be there?" I thought about his offer for a few moments then slowly nodded. "It's gonna be fine…" he took my hand in his and entwined his fingers.

"How would you know?" I whispered painfully staring at the ground once again.

With his other hand, he turned my face towards him and brushed the hair out of my eyes. "Listen to me Olivia Benson, nothing bad is going to happen I promise…" I sighed again, resting my head comfortably on his shoulder. Before I knew what was happening, his lips where inches from mine.

In the corner of my eye, I heard a thud and a small whine. "Oh no! Kristin!" I leapt off the bench, and ran across the ice in my black two inch high boots.

"I'm fine… I'm fine…" she stated, standing slowly and glaring in my eyes.

"Are you sure? Nothing feels weird?" she shook her head. "Come sit with us Kris…"

"Why don't we grab some lunch at Central Perk?" Elliot suggested as Kristin took her skates off.

"Sounds good to me."

"That grilled chicken sandwich was so 'uge!" Kristin laughed, as Elliot waved down a cab to take us back to my apartment.

"I can't believe you ate the whole thing!" I smiled opening the door for her.

"This may sound funny but I think I'm still hungry!"

Elliot and I exchanged knowing glances, "Must be a growth spurt!" Elliot said telling the cab driver our destination.

"Oh I hope not! I'm already the tallest on our gymnastics team!" she smiled and watched snowflakes begin to fall outside the window.

The ride back to the apartment was short and none of us really knew what to say, so we just sat surrounded by a peaceful silence. Kristin slept most of the twenty minute ride, her eyes drifting shut after only a few moments of driving. It always amazed me that she could have so much energy one moment and be completely wiped out the next.

I woke her up as we approached the apartment and all three of us eagerly climbed the stairs, wanting nothing more than to sit on the couch in front of the fireplace. We finally reached our apartment on the third floor, and I frantically searched for the key in my jungle of a purse.

Kristin grabbed my wrist and the two of us collapsed onto the couch. Elliot stared at us for a few moments before bursting out laughing.

"Oh shut up Elliot!" I exclaimed, pulling him down next to me.

Just as we were getting comfortable, the phone began to ring. "You have got to be kidding me!" Kristin stated sarcastically as she rushed to get the phone in the kitchen. "Benson." she said in her thick British accent. Elliot and I smiled at each other as she answered the phone. "Nat! How are you? Ok… ok… I'd love to! Ok then… ok bye!"

"What's going on hun?" I asked, certain that either Natalie wanted her to come over, or vice versa.

"Mum, can you take me to Nat's?"

"Sure hun…" I sadly put my coat back on and watched Kristin leave opening the door and anxiously closing it behind her.

"Be here when I come back?" I asked Elliot, who was still comfortably sitting on the couch. He nodded, and I smiled placing a single kiss on his cheek before heading out the door after Kristin.

"Olivia!"

"Margie! How are you?" I asked the short black haired woman and gave her a warm hug.

"Come in please!" she smiled.

"I really shouldn't….Elliot's…"

"Just a few minutes…" I smiled and stepped into her house as Kristin ran past me to join Natalie in the other room.

"So how are you holdin up?"

"I think Kristin's better than me… when I adopted her I promised to protect her, but the truth is, I can't be there every minute of her life… I can't save her from the freaks in this city…"

"But you can lock them away…"

I sighed sitting down in her leather armchair, "I just can't help but think that this is all my fault… if only I wasn't working as much… I should be home more… maybe I should… get a different job…"

"Olivia… you love SVU… Kristin's attack wasn't your fault, we both know that…"

"She seems ok though… and that's all that matters to me…"

"This shouldn't have happened to you Olivia… you don't deserve this after all you've been through…"

"No one deserves this Margie… this is a mother's worse nightmare… how would you feel if you daughter was raped? She doesn't deserve to be anymore than Kristin did… no matter how hard I work, I just have to face it… this will never stop… it will never stop…"

"That's why you need to keep doing what you do best… you need to fight for every victim… all the people who can't fight for themselves… with out you Olivia, no one will ever have closure."

"Thanks Margie… omg! It's 6 already!"

"Talk to ya later Olivia…"

"Yeah… I'll be back later for Kristin…"

"Ok… bye Olivia…"

"Elliot…" I knocked on the door, waiting for him to answer, "Elliot I'm back…" he didn't come so I searched through my purse once again for my keys. "Elliot… I'm… what's all this?" The lights were slightly glowing, the dining room table adorned with two gleaming candles and two place settings.

"Liv… with everything going on, I figured you could use a nice relaxing dinner…"

"Elliot… I don't know what to say…" he pulled out one of the seats for me, and I sat down locked onto his blue eyes.

"Thank you would be nice…" he smiled one of his amazing big white smiles and I melted in my seat.

"Thank you El… you really didn't need to do this…" I couldn't help but return his smile. "Something smells great… what is it?"

"Fettuccini Alfredo…" he disappeared into the kitchen for a moment and returned with a shiny silver plate. He dished out the pasta on my plate, gazing at me the entire time, and then gave himself some pasta also.

"You made Fettuccini Alfredo?" I smiled as he sat across from me at the table, and laughed remembering the last time he made pasta.

"It is your favorite right?"

"Yeah… yes it is…" I smiled and picked up my fork, twirling the pasta with a spoon.

"How is it?"

"El this is great… everything is… dinner, the candles… you….thank you…so how long did this all take?"

"1 and a half hours… I finished just as you were coming in…" he smiled putting a forkful of pasta in his mouth.

"How did you know I wouldn't come back earlier?"

"Well it takes thirty minutes to drive there and thirty minutes to drive back…"

"And Margie stalled for you?" I smiled, catching him red handed.

"How is Margie?"

"She's good…"

"That's good…"

"So how are the kids…?"

"They're doing fine… Maureen's staying with Kathy over the break; Katie's happy about that… lately the twins have been at each other's throats…"

"Well they are thirteen…"

"Yeah… Lizzie's starting some dance thing through school…"

"Kristin was going to do that… but I don't think she should now…"

"Yeah…"

"I just don't know what I'm gonna say to her…. 'Kristin, no dancing and no gymnastics…' that's all the poor kid does…"

"She'll understand…"

"She's going to hate me…"

"No she won't Liv… it's going to be fine…"

"What am I going to do about school? Think about what the kids at school will say! It's bad enough that she's going to be skipping grades and going to be the youngest in her class, so now what will they say?"

He reached across the table and took my hands in his, "Liv… calm down… just relax…"

I sighed desperately needing to change the subject. "So… Kathy's getting married…"

"Yeah… he's a nice guy, but he's a real geek…"

I smiled once again, "I bet he'll get along fine with Dickey…"

He smiled back, "He said Brent drives him insane…"

"God… I'm stuffed!"

"Me too…"

"This was great El… thank you…" I stood up from the table, releasing his hands and smiled down at him. I kissed his cheek and he gently grabbed my wrist before I could get away. Our smiles were contagious, and I enjoyed the sparkle in his eyes.

"I'll be right back…" I whispered, going into my bedroom and returning with pajamas on.

He was sitting on the couch, and motioned for me to join him. Reaching to grab a bottle of wine one the coffee table, he poured two glasses and handed me one. We sat in silence sipping the white wine and after I finished, I set the glass back down on the table. The fire flicked on and I watched, mesmerized by the reflection the orange and yellow flames cast on Elliot's face. I quietly scooted closer to him, and he looked down at me before pulling me into his lap. Sighing happily, I laid my head in his chest and inhaled his scent of aftershave.

I felt so comfortable lying curled up on his lap with my head rested against him. This is amazing, I continued to tell myself, and finally it happened. Just as we were getting cozy on the couch, my cell phone began to ring.

"Leave it Liv…"

"I can't El… Benson… hey Kris… are you sure Dr. Yei doesn't have a problem with it? Ok… ok… I love you too… have fun… goodnight…" I pressed the red button on my cell phone and placed it back on the counter. "She's sleeping over…"

"Come here Liv…" he gently pulled me back into his lap.

"I guess I'll tell her tomorrow…"

"Don't worry about it Liv…"

"El… thank you for everything…" I stared into his brilliant sky blue eyes and couldn't help but smile.

"You're welcome," he said exchanging my gaze and making my body feel limp in his warm arms.

It seemed like eternity before our lips finally touched, but when they did, it was like receiving an electric shock. It was a kiss that to me seemed too short, but at the same time full of passion.

"El…" I whispered after we broke apart.

"Yeah?"

I struggled to hold back my tears, but I knew that this had to happen. I wondered how he would respond when I told him that I loved him, and I was shaking with fear of being rejected. "I love you…" I said at last, never losing eye contact with his to-die-for blue eyes.

He gently wiped the tears that escaped and rolled down my cheek with his thumb, "Olivia, I love you too… I always have…"

His hand other hand slid behind my waist, and I wrapped my long fingers around his neck, pulling him into another kiss. Gently, he lay down on top of me, and I smiled into the kiss. He deepened the kiss, his tongue separating my lips. I felt my breath being sucked out of my body, but I didn't dare part from him again. My body tingled with a feeling I could only describe as much needed anticipation. Seconds passed by, and I couldn't fight it any longer.

I separated almost gasping for air, he smiled. "You have no idea how long I wanted to do that…"

"Yes I do Liv…" he gently took my hand, and I sat up once again resting my head on his shoulder and sighing loudly.

The clock over the fireplace ticked noisily, the only sound audible in my entire apartment. I think we were both wondering if what just happened was really real, or just another dream we were desperately hoping to be true. Did he really just tell me that he loved me? I asked myself. But how could that be true? Who would love you Olivia? You're nothing more than a child of rape, unwanted, broken… but it was true… he really did say those three magical words to you…My head ached with too many pointless questions.

The hour hand slipped just past the number two, and displayed two-forty in the morning. "Elliot…" I yawned, "I think I'm going to go to bed…"

I got up off the couch and followed him to the door. "I'll cya tomorrow Liv…" he said, placing a quick kiss on my lips.

"Bye El…" I shut the door and walked into my bedroom.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING? My mind screamed back at me. I raced back to the door and threw it open, surprised that Elliot was still standing there.

"I… uh…" he stammered, stunned by my sudden actions.

"El…" I said reaching for his hand, "stay with me tonight?"

He smiled and we went back into the apartment and into my bedroom. I climbed in one side and motioned for him to get in the other side.

"I love you…" he said as I laid my head on his chest.

"I love you too…" the last thing I remembered was smiling as he wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me closer.

I woke up next morning and discovered that Elliot was already awake and was watching me sleep, "Good morning…" I smiled.

"Good…" he was cut off by the unexpected slamming of my apartment door that made me jump out of my skin. We stared at each other confused before Kristin came bursting through the door.

"Mother!" she shouted angrily.

"Kris… Kris… what's wrong?"

"Elliot if you'd be a dear… I wish to speak to my mother alone if you don't mind!" she screamed, as Elliot jumped out of bed and gave me a quick goodbye before walking out the door.

"What is it?"

"How dare you lie to me?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You are positively barbaric! I mean honestly! Imagine me, tired as hell and Dr. Yei asks to speak to me…"

Oh… my… god…SHIT! I smacked myself in the head, feeling like such an idiot.

"'How are you feeling dear?' 'Any pain yet?' And I'm thinking 'What is this woman talking about!' so I sit there listening to her like an imbecile as she tells me all this crap 'What are you talking about?' I ask her…"

"Kris… Kris sit down… please calm down…"

"Calm down? CALM DOWN! You're not the one whose pregnant mother!" she shouted turning on her heel and hurriedly storming into her bedroom, slamming the door shut.

How could you be so stupid Olivia? That was definitely not how I wanted her to find out…

My thoughts were interrupted by the screaming of my cell phone. "Benson," I said, anger in my voice. I listened carefully to what the person on the other line said, and dropped the phone. Oh my god no…

A/N: in case y'all did get it, the italics are what people are thinking… anyhoo I'll update soon! Please review! And to all of you that have been reviewing, thank you! There's going to be one more case and then the story's going to be over! Sad I know! But please, pretty please review! My goal is to get at least 30 reviews on this story before it's over!