So SVUerrr gave me a bit of a challenge. I guess this plot has been done before so when writing this chapter I decided to give it a little twist. Thanks for the inspiration and I hope this is the something different you were looking for. Thanks for reading. 3

Apparently determination was Elliot's strong suit. It wasn't as if he was aggressive, but his pursuit did not let up. And fuck if he wasn't making staying faithful incredibly fucking difficult with the way he charmed her and his dashing good looks.

It was payback, he thought, for all the years she made him want to cheat.

She wasn't married, neither was he, what was the harm in getting dinner after work or bringing her coffee in the morning? These were things they would always do, before his divorce, before Ben, before he confessed his love.

He tried to hide the hurt. It was everything he had to go on with the way things used to be. He had to. He knew that eventually, once their relationship was fully repaired, that she would at least consider the idea of them being together.

And really, all he needed was for her to consider it.

"Liv", Elliot began, "What are you doing later?"

Olivia cocked an eyebrow. "Ben has a meeting until ten tonight, so nothing, I guess. Why?"

"Just wanted to see if you wanted to grab dinner."

Damn him. He was making this really fucking hard. She loved Ben. She wanted to be with Ben. But she loved Elliot too and she had wanted Elliot more than she had ever wanted anyone in her entire life.

But she could never have him, because he was married, because it was wrong, because everything about the man drove her crazy. She couldn't have him.

Until now.

But it was too late. Wasn't it? She had spent enough of her life waiting for him. How could he just expect her to drop everything now that he decided he was ready?

"Elliot, we've gotten dinner almost every night this week."

He chuckled. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

Olivia looked down. It wasn't as if she didn't enjoy his company, she did. She just didn't want to. She didn't want to be tempted.

"C'mon, Liv, my treat. We'll go to that Chinese place you like so much."

Olivia smiled. Ben hated Chinese. "Okay."

Location- Little Sigon

"Lair!" Exclaimed Olivia, playfully. "You're actually expect me to believe you dressed up like Peter Pan?"

Elliot laughed. "Tights and everything. It was her first time trick or treating and she wanted to go as Tinkerbell and Peter Pan. I couldn't turn her down."

"So you actually took Maureen trick or treating dressed in green tights and a red feather in your hat?"

Again he laughed. "Yup."

"I can't believe you never told me about this."

Elliot shrugged. "It never came up."

"Well", said Olivia, chuckling lightly, "I need pictures. I've lived long enough without seeing Stabler in tights."

Elliot jokingly scowled. "No way."

Olivia burst into laughter at his expression. "You look like Cragen when you make that face." He softened immediately but Olivia couldn't help the constant giggles that escaped her lips. Elliot laughed too. "I'm glad you dragged me out tonight", she confessed, "I needed this."

"I'm glad you came." He got quiet and then serious. "Liv, about the other day, what I said, I didn't. . . I wasn't trying to-"

"What were you trying to do?" She asked.

Elliot sighed. "I just wanted you to know."

Olivia shook her head. "What do you want from me, Elliot? You know, you treat me like crap for six months then all of a sudden you call me up telling me to meet you and Fin at a bar so you can apologize but when I show up you blow me off and go right back to being an ass." When she put it that way, it did sound rather confusing. "Elliot you were married for twenty years and out of the blue you-"

"This was not out of the blue." He interrupted. "You and I both know that. I was married but I'm not anymore and don't pretend like you never felt anything between us all those years."

Olivia was shocked. She had never seen Elliot like this and she certainly never expected him to be so candid. Of course she felt it. How the hell could she not? But they weren't supposed to talk about these things. They weren't supposed to acknowledge it.

Elliot softened when he saw the shock on her face. "Olivia, I've gone out on a limb here. You know where I stand." He took out his wallet and left a few bills on the table. "Now its your turn." And with that, he walked away, leaving her to sit and think, alone in the restaurant.

"Wow." Said a voice from behind her. "You really pissed him off."

Olivia turned at the voice, shocked to find none other than Elliot's ex wife sitting not two tables away. "Kathy", said Olivia, "have you been sitting there all this time?"

Kathy shook her head as she made her way over to Olivia. "No", she began, "They just seated me. I'm meeting someone."

"Oh", said Olivia, "How much of that did you hear?"

Kathy chuckled. "Enough. I always knew you two would end up together."

"Kathy-"

"No, Olivia, just save it, okay. I don't want to hear it. It was obvious he was in love with you." Olivia looked at her, confused at the blonde's words. "And there is not a single thing you can say that will convince me you're not in love with him."

Maybe it was because she was angry. Maybe it was because she was still playing hard to get. Whatever her reason, Olivia felt obligated to defend herself against the accusations that weren't entirely false to begin with. "Kathy I'm seeing someone."

Her eyes grew wide. "Is it serious?"

Olivia nodded. "I love him." And she did. She just loved Elliot more.

"So, you're not with Elliot?"

Olivia shook her head. "No."

Kathy sighed in relief. "I thought for sure. . . So you don't love him?"

Olivia shook her head. "No. Not like that, anyway." It was a lie; an outright fucking lie but she wasn't about to admit defeat to the woman who had just accused her of being in love with her husband, ex-husband.

The bell on the door chimed and an attractive man in a business suit walked in and headed towards the table where Kathy had been sitting.

No words were needed. It was with a simple nod that they exchanged goodbyes and Olivia left as Kathy sat down with her date.

Location- Elliot's Apartment

Elliot was sitting in his living room on the couch with a glass of whisky in his hands. How could he be so stupid? How could he possibly think she would take him? It wasn't as if she hadn't been clear about her relationship with Ben. She didn't pursue him. He pursued her.

She has always been there. He thought. I guess I just though she always would be.

He heard the soft clicking of the locks on his door and for a moment his heart soared. Besides him, there were only two other people who had a key, his eldest daughter, Maureen, and Olivia.

Since Maureen was away at college it could only mean one thing: the person about to open the door was the love of his life and his devastatingly beautiful partner.

But when the door opened he did not see his partner or his daughter but instead his ex-wife. His heart fell.

And his dick went limp as well.

"Maureen let me barrow her key." She said. "I hope you don't mind."

Elliot scoffed. "What do you need Kathy? Because I'm no in the mood."

She nodded and crossed over to him. "I can see that." She said, motioning to the whisky. "Why are you sulking?"

Elliot took a swig of the amber liquid in his glass. "It doesn't matter."

Kathy put a gentle hand on his knee and he looked at her in the eyes, surprised at the caring gesture. "Elliot, we were married for twenty years. I think you should be able to talk to me."

Elliot shook his head. "Its nothing you would have talked about before."

"Oh." Said Kathy and she removed her hand from his knee. "Her."

Elliot sighed. "Yeah." He said. "Her."

"Why is it always her?" She asked, annoyed. "What is it about her that is so damn irresistible for you?"

Elliot chuckled. "Everything." He saw the hurt in her eyes from his words and sighed. "Kathy, I'm sorry."

She just shook her head. "She doesn't love you, Elliot. When are you going to get that?" She asked harshly.

"You don't that!" He was outraged. "You don't know her!"

"I obviously know her better than you!" She exclaimed. "I had a nice little chat with Olivia tonight and it just breaks my heart to have to tell you that she doesn't love you. She loves someone else!"

She could see his heart crumbling. "Did she say that?" He asked, softly.

Kathy's tone softened. "Yes, Elliot. I'm sorry but she did." In all her years with the man she had only seen him cry twice. Once, when his father died, and once when Maureen was born. So it surprised her to see him crying now, over the woman he could never have. "Elliot", she began, "I didn't come here to upset you."

He looked at her. "Then why did you come here?"

She sighed. "I saw you and Olivia at the restaurant. I thought you two were on a date."

"Me too." He sighed.

She nodded. "I guess we were both wrong." She waited for him to relax little before she continued. "I had a date tonight. I was waiting for him while Olivia and I talked."

Elliot furrowed his eyebrows. "What's this about Kathy?" He was tired and more than annoyed. If she came here to rub her date in his face the he just might lose it.

"I'm getting to that." She said. "When Olivia told me you weren't together, when my date showed up and I realized he wasn't you, it just made me miss you so much."

Elliot looked at her. "What are you saying, Kathy?"

"What I'm saying, Elliot", she began, "is that we made a mistake. I made a mistake. I should never have let you go in your time of need."

"Kath-"

"Twenty years, Elliot. Are you willing to just give all that up? We have five children and a life together. I know I'm not Olivia but I'm here." Her eyes were watering now. "I've always been right here. There was a time when that was enough for you."

"Kathy, I don't know what to say." She made sense. Maybe it was because he was hurt. Maybe it was because he was drunk. Whatever the reason, she made sense.

"Then don't say anything." She leaned into him on the couch. "Just kiss me. Kiss me and if you don't feel anything, I'll leave. Elliot, just kiss me."

He remained still but her lips found his anyway. The kiss was familiar, it was okay, but it wasn't Olivia. It wasn't what he wanted.

Her arms wound up locked around his neck, deepening the kiss. He didn't kiss her back, but he didn't pull away either.

Not until his door swung open and he turned to face his partner who was carrying a box of pizza and a now obviously broken heart.

"Liv." He said.

He didn't have time to say anything else. In the second it took for him to get up from the couch she had dropped the pizza and stormed out the door.

"Elliot, forget about her." Ordered Kathy.

He just glared at her. "I can't." And with that, he dashed out the door, hoping it wasn't too late.

Nice twist? Let me know.

Review!