Abbie grinned silently as she watched Olivia doctor her coffee - one sugar, one Sweet-n-Low, one creamer, same as always. Olivia looked up from her stirring and grinned in response. "Same old me, huh?" she stated, taking a sip.

"You look good Liv" Abbie replied, her tone serious and quiet.

"Abbie..."

"Nah, it's alright. I'd thought about calling you when Jack offered me the job, but I didn't want it to influence my decision. Then, with all the work of selling my house, packing, everything, I figured I'd call when I got here. Then... Anyway, I don't want things to be awkward between us. We may end up working together here and there. And besides, we always were good friends so lets just start from there," Abbie stated, rushing through her speech before emotion got in the way. She hoped it sounded simultaneously logical and friendly. No sense letting Olivia know that deep down inside she was pining, just a bit, although the hug on the street may have given a clue as to Abbie's feelings.

"Sure, Abbie, I'd like that. You know, I always wanted to apologize, but..." Olivia began.

"No need for apologies. We're starting fresh. So, what have you been up to?" Abbie interrupted, switching the conversation to safer topics.

Two hours later Liv walked quietly into the department, unnoticed by everyone except Elliott who gave her a wink and a questioning look.

"Did we get a break in the case?" Olivia asked, her tone business-like and impersonal.

"Elliott looked hard at his partner, confusion clouding his face. Judging from Olivia's closed expression, her "date" with Abbie had not gone well. Deciding it was wiser to keep his mouth shut, Elliott simply handed her the new information.

Olivia stared blankly at the paperwork in front of her. Her head was swimming with conflicting thoughts. 'Abbie's back. What the hell do I do now?' Never in a million years had Olivia expected that. Well, briefly she'd hoped and prayed that Abbie would return, forgive Olivia's brief panic, and the world would be right again.

Liv's relationship with Alex had been short-lived. The minute Abbie left New York Olivia had begun to resent Alex, quickly ending the unfulfilling relationship. Torn between searching for Abbie and moving on without her, Olivia had lived a sort of half-life, getting through the workday simply on instinct alone. For the first six months she barely slept, hardly ate, and dropped twenty pounds from her already slender frame. Finally Elliott had pulled her aside, given her a stern talking to, and introduced her to Helena, a friend of a friend. While that relationship had ended before it got off the ground it forced Olivia back into the dating game, albeit unwillingly at first.

Now, two years later, Liv and Casey Novak were going strong, even discussing the possibility of cohabitation. Trouble was, no one on the squad knew they were dating. Casey, much like Alex, was ambitious and didn't want the hint of lesbianism to stall her career. Now Olivia was torn. Should she continue a promising, although secret, relationship with the red-haired attorney, or open herself up to the possibility of a rekindled romance with Abbie?

"Problem with the information Liv?" Elliott questioned, seeing Olivia's forehead crease into a frown.

"What? Oh. No, it's pretty straight-forward," Olivia replied, with slight hesitation. She wondered how much she could trust with Elliott, seeing as how she hadn't told him about Casey. She suspected he knew, however, because of the amount of time she spent with the ADA both on and off the clock. "Say, Elliott, it's crazy Abbie turning up like that, isn't it." She stated, hoping to sound calmer than she felt. Underneath her desk she rubbed sweaty palms on her slacks, waiting to see if El took the bait.

Elliott looked at Olivia and wondered what she was really asking. She seemed to need some reassurance, a pull back to reality, or maybe even just a non-committal response to open up communication. "Yeah, she looks great doesn't she? Texas really seems to have agreed with her. Did she mention what brought her back to town?" Elliott's response was shallow, allowing Olivia to control the depth of the conversation.

"Jack called her up with an offer she couldn't refuse..." Olivia began. Sighing and cradling her head in her hands she whispered "But what if she's come back for me? What do I do then?"

"Live? C'mon. Let's take a walk. Tell Uncle Elliott all about it." He joked, trying to lighten the mood again.

Olivia threw on her coat and followed Elliott outside like a puppy. They walked in silence for about ten minutes before Olivia spoke. "I'm involved with Casey," she stated simply, looking at the ground.

"I know," came Elliott's quick reply. "Do you love her?"

"Yes. Maybe. It could be love." Olivia's confusion was evident in her reply. "It's not like it was with Abbie, you know? It doesn't have that ease, that sense of "home". But what if that's all in my head anyway? What if that's just my heart repainting the past? Remind me Elliott. What was it like?"

"Oh Liv," Elliott pulled the tall woman in for a hug. "Sweetie, it's not fair to compare the two. Abbie was different, your first in so many ways. The two of you together? Yeah, I was there from the beginning and it was beautiful to watch. You fit. But I see you now with Casey and you fit in different ways. You're two halves of the same person, so similar in your determination and drive. Abbie was your compliment, your matching puzzle piece. Case is your mirror. You can't compare the two. You shouldn't compare the two."

"Then how do I decide which one is right, which is a good choice?" Liv questioned, frustration in her voice.

"When it's right, you'll know. Your instincts are good. Trust them. No one's asking you to decide right now. Did Abbie say she was back for you?"

"No, she said she made the decision independent of me. But the hug, the looks... Shit!" Live shook her head, anguish evident in her voice. "In the meantime, what do I tell Casey? She's going to know something's up."

"Be honest with her. Trust her enough, respect her enough, to tell her the truth." Elliott responded softly. "You owe her that much."

"Yeah. I do love her, ya now?" Liv whispered, almost to herself.

"Elliott nodded in agreement, wondering all the while which woman Olivia truly meant.