AN: Thanks for all the love! I'm sorry for any mistakes. That's what happens when you edit too much! I had noted late Season 6, but then I had changed it to mid-season 8. The latter is right. Before Elliot went and ruined everything by sleeping with Kathy. In my world, that never happened!

Also…I wasn't able to finish this up with this chapter. So, there will be one more chapter after this.

Here we go!

THURSDAY continued…

I like badass brunettes.

Elliot's words stopped her in her tracks, but she rallied quickly and kept walking. She didn't want him to see how her reaction…how his words affected her.

Was Elliot flirting with her?

She climbed onto the treadmill and started it up, mulling his statement over in her mind. She thought about the last few days and their time together. They had been comfortable with each other for sure; nothing she wouldn't have expected. They knew each other inside and out, and even though the circumstances were strange and new, they'd both fallen into it pretty easily.

Still, the banter had gone beyond the things they normally said to each other. She had written it off to the fact that they weren't at work…that they weren't under scrutiny…being watched for anything that would feed the rumor mill.

That's my girl.

It implied a sense of familiarity…ownership. Olivia thought about her stab of jealousy when Elliot was talking to the other woman. Elliot was hers.

Could it be that Elliot felt the same sense of ownership she did?

But she knew the answer to that. It was the very reason she didn't talk about her dates anymore. It was why he didn't know about the guy she'd been seeing for the past few weeks.

Still…she had always gotten the impression he was trying to work things out with Kathy. He had never intimated anything other than friendship.

Maybe it was all in her mind. Maybe she was just trying to justify all the sleepless nights and baser thoughts she'd had…all the wishful thinking.

He was just teasing her. Having fun. That had to be it.

Olivia punched the speed on the treadmill and started to run. She caught motion in her peripheral vision, and saw Elliot climb on the treadmill beside her.

Elliot looked over at Olivia. He knew he'd thrown her off-center because she wasn't looking at him and she wasn't responding to his comment. He decided to let her off the hook. "Are you trying to kill me?" Elliot asked, a big grin on his face.

Olivia didn't look at him. "Can't keep up?" she taunted. She knew his competitive spirit wouldn't let him admit it, and it was a good way to change the topic.

"Hmmphh." Elliot grunted non-commitally. He punched up the speed on the treadmill. He wasn't much of a runner, but he wasn't going to let Olivia best him. "I can run 5 miles in less time than you."

"Want to bet?" Olivia asked, starting to breathe more heavily.

"What makes you think you've got something I want?"

"Maybe you've got something I want." Olivia said. She wasn't going to let Elliot have all the fun. She was going to dish it right back at him.

Now it was Elliot's turn to be surprised. "Oh yeah? What's that?"

"Your bed." Olivia said. She'd slept on the couch the last couple of nights, at her own insistence. But she hadn't slept well and a night in Elliot's bed sounded wonderful.

"So, if you win, you get to spend tonight in my bed?"

"Yep." Olivia said.

"And if I win…you're on the couch?"

"I'm not worried…" Olivia said with a laugh.

"And if we tie…does that mean we both sleep in my bed?"

FRIDAY

Olivia glanced across her desk at Elliot as he talked on the phone. Despite the innuendo laden barbs at the gym, they had managed to retreat to normal afterwards. Olivia had been relieved, because this was all unchartered territory, and it was throwing her off.

They had left the gym, stopped at her still freezing apartment to pack some much-needed clothing changes for her, picked up some food from the bodega near his apartment, and muddled through the rest of the evening cooking, and cleaning up. She hadn't felt a shred of guilt as she climbed into his bed, but his words had echoed in her brain as she had tried to fall asleep.

Does that mean we both sleep in my bed?

It had almost made her want to slow down during her run, just to see what he would do if they actually did tie.

Olivia saw Elliot hang up the phone, and she focused her attention back on the papers in front of her.

Elliot glanced over and saw Fin and Munch at their desks. He pushed his chair out and walked over to Olivia's desk, resting his butt against the edge of it as he crossed his arms in front of him. Olivia pushed her chair back slightly, so she could look up at him.

"Yes?" She asked with an expectant look on her face. "Was that Warner?"

"No. It was Liz."

"Judge Donnelly?" Olivia asked, puzzled as to why the Judge would be calling Elliot.

"No. My daughter."

Olivia laughed at her mistake. "I guess I was focused on work." If he only knew the thoughts that had been going through her head while he was on the phone.

"She and Dick are arguing about where to go dinner tonight." He said quietly, so Fin and Munch wouldn't hear. No one knew that Olivia was staying with him, and they needed to keep it that way. "So, I decided for them."

"That'll be fun."

"Well…I was thinking…" Elliot started. "Why don't you come with us?"

"What?" Olivia shook her head. "No. It's your time with your kids. You don't get to see them very often."

"Don't be silly. They'd love to see you."

"I don't want to intrude." Olivia protested, hoping he didn't push it any farther. "They already have to share you with me at work."

"It's not that big of a deal. Trust me." He said. He knew the kids genuinely liked Olivia. "Besides, I hate to have you sitting alone in my apartment."

"El…"

"It's settled then." He started to push himself up off her desk, when he felt her hand on his arm.

"El. I can't go with you." Olivia pressed her lips together. She had hoped to avoid this. "I already have plans."

Elliot settled back against his desk. "Suddenly you have plans?" He appreciated the fact that she was trying to give him time alone with his kids, but she was going a little far.

"Well…not suddenly. I've had plans…" her voice trailed off, but Elliot just looked at her expectantly. "I have a date."

Elliot didn't know why, but that wasn't what he had expected to hear, and it caught him off-guard. "A date." It was more of a statement than a question.

"Yeah. We made plans to go out tonight last week, if he made it back in town in time. And…well…he did. So…" She had really hoped to avoid this entire conversation. Elliot had told her that he was going out with the kids and she had kind of just planned on being gone when he came back…leaving her plans vague.

"I didn't know you were seeing someone." Elliot said, and he could hear the tension in his own voice.

"It's just been a couple of weeks. A few dates." Olivia didn't know why she felt like she had to explain herself to him. Maybe so he would understand that it wasn't anything serious…and that it had all happened prior to this week. Not that it should matter…

"How many?"

"How many dates?" Olivia asked furrowing her eyebrows. Now, Elliot was crossing a line, quizzing her like she answered to him. "I don't know. A few."

Elliot didn't like the fact that she was being vague…but he had this overwhelming need to know. He didn't know much about dating protocol anymore, but a few dates implied she had slept with him…this mystery man…and he hated the thought of it.

Olivia saw movement, and realized Fin and Munch were actively listening to their conversation now. They must have raised their voices just enough. Just what she needed. Olivia stood up, pushing her chair back with her knees. "Just drop it. OK?"

The truth was, she didn't really want to go out with Ben tonight…not after spending this week with Elliot. But she had told herself she needed to because this thing with Elliot…whatever it was…wasn't going anywhere. It had been years of non-commitment. Of never moving things forward. She had accepted that this was how things were going to be. A few flirtatious comments meant nothing.

Olivia walked away, and she didn't know if she was disappointed or pleased when Elliot didn't follow her.

EOEOEOEOEO

Elliot had been stand-offish all afternoon, but Olivia ignored him. It wasn't the first time he had been in a mood. And it wouldn't be the last. It was nothing new, and she had learned how to deal with it over the years.

"Ready to go?"

Olivia looked up and saw Elliot standing by his desk.

"I'll just catch a cab." Olivia said. "Then you can go straight to Queens."

"I'm going home. Dick had something after school, so we're not meeting until later." He jerked his head towards the squad room doorway. "Let's go."

Olivia sighed. She didn't want to ride in the car with Elliot, and she didn't want to get ready for her date while he was there. She considered asking him to drop her at home, but she couldn't imagine showering and getting ready in that chill. She had held out hope that the boiler would be fixed today, but she had checked with the landlord, and they were still waiting for the contractor.

Elliot paused by her desk. "C'mon Liv."

Olivia noticed that he had softened his voice…a sign that things had blown over. She hesitated a moment, and then gave him a small nod.

EOEOEOEO

Olivia put the last curl in her hair and looked at herself in the mirror. This was her fourth date with Ben, so she was past trying to make a good first impression. But they hadn't gone out enough times where she could forgo the extra effort.

She brushed a coat of gloss on her lips and stuffed it in the small purse that was lying on the counter. She took one last look, and then told herself to stop stalling. There was no way to avoid Elliot on her way out.

At least Ben hadn't asked too many questions when she had called and told him she would meet him at the restaurant. He probably assumed she was coming from work.

Elliot had been flipping between stations, trying not to think about Olivia's date tonight. He knew he had no right to say anything to her. She was a single woman; of course she dated. In fact, she used to date a lot. His assumption had been that her dating life had slowed down or was non-existent. Now he realized that she had simply stopped talking about it.

He looked up as she walked out of his bedroom. She looked so foreign to him in her black dress and curled hair; the woman behind the detective.

A line that had become more blurred as the years flew by.

He hopped up from the couch and walked over to where she was standing in the foyer. He slipped her black leather jacket from her hand. "You look…" Beautiful. Stunning. Gorgeous. "nice."

Olivia looked up shyly, wondering about the hesitation, and what he'd wanted to say. She saw something in his eyes…in the way he was looking at her…that made her heart flutter.

Ask me to stay.

Elliot held out her jacket, and Olivia slipped one arm inside, turning as she did so. She moved her clutch into her other hand and slipped her right arm into the empty sleeve. Elliot reached up to pull her hair from inside the jacket, and he felt Olivia's breath hitch as he ghosted his fingers along the soft skin at the nape of her neck.

Stay.

The word was on the tip of his tongue. But he knew it was selfish to ask, and he swallowed it back.

Olivia turned around, that same shy look on her face. "Thanks."

"So…" Elliot started. "This guy…"

"Ben." Olivia supplied.

"Ben." Elliot repeated. "He's a good guy?"

"I think so." Olivia said softly.

"I'm sure he is if you're seeing him again. You're a good judge of character."

Olivia raised an eyebrow, wondering about his comment. It seemed like he was trying to be nice and say something positive, but he felt almost as if he was giving her permission to go. She felt conflicted about it because it seemed like his acquiescence confirmed that there was nothing more for them.

He saw Olivia flash him a quick smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. He wondered what was going through her head right now.

"Well, I'd better get going." Olivia said.

"Ben's not picking you up?" Elliot asked, starting to wonder about him.

"No…" Olivia started. "I thought maybe it would just be better to meet him."

Elliot nodded. He thought he understood. He wondered if Olivia had ever talked about him, or if he was just rolled into the subject of work. "I get it." He said. "So…do you want a key? Or… you could just hit the buzzer. I should be back from dinner by 9 or 10."

Olivia pressed her lips together and shifted uncomfortably, looking down and away. "Ummm…I'm really not sure what time I'll be back."

"It's OK. I'll be up late." Elliot said.

"El…" Olivia reached out and touched his arm lightly. "Don't wait up." She turned and headed towards the door.

It wasn't until the door closed behind her that the full implication of what she'd said hit him.