Rating: initially K+, ultimately M, sexual situations

Disclaimer: Characters are property of Dick Wolf, NBC et al.

Spoilers: Pretty much everything's up for grabs

Pairing(s): Elliot/Olivia, incidental Olivia/Brian and Elliot/Kathy

Summary: Olivia stumbles across Elliot whose abrupt disappearance is finally explained. Set season 16 (no particular ep though) with pre-series and early series flashbacks. Also includes post-eps for "Wrath", "Swing", "Hammered", "Rescue", "Pursuit" and "Internal Affairs". (And all of it happens because a dog ate a sock…)

A/N: Just to let all interested parties know - I never start a story that won't be finished. This story will be updated and updated regularly. So please fasten your seatbelts - it's going to be quite a ride, even if I do say so myself. Thanks to all who reviewed the initial teaser. And to all those who followed/faved but didn't put anything in the little box...don't be a douche, review.

Part One

2014

She returns to Attica two days later, having thought of nothing else. Waiting in the airless interview room, stomach churning in relentless loops, Olivia fidgets with the medallion round her neck. She hasn't worn it in years. Not since David Haden entered her life, told her he wasn't going anywhere then abruptly departed again. She never lost track of the trinket but at some point she decided it was time to let it go. Let him go. That morning though, her fingers fished it out of the silver case in which she'd hidden it from herself. It felt heavy round her neck, haunting. Lying on her chest as she drove out to the prison, it felt like a burden she was unaccustomed to breathing under.

Olivia lifts her hands, is about to unsnap and pocket the memento when the door scrapes open and Elliot appears. Her hands drop. Her stomach lurches. She faces him then nods to the corrections officer at his side. The C.O. nods back and leaves them, sealing the steel door shut behind him. The air in the room stills and neither of them moves a muscle, each of them waiting for the other to be the first to speak. On the journey there, she thought of a dozen or more things to say to him but now all of them instantly desert her lips.

"You shouldn't be here," he says eventually.

"I'm not here," she replies. "Rachel Martin is here. To see…" she looks down at the illegally obtained file in her hands, though not because she needs a reminder, "Trevor MacLeod."

"Well…" Elliot shuffles to the table in his chains and takes a seat, "you shouldn't stay."

Olivia doesn't take the seat opposite. "This won't take long."

He shrugs, glancing round the room. "So what d'you want?"

Her head turns away, her eyes rolling and her lips releasing a bitter laugh. "Jeez…"

Elliot lifts his cuffed hands onto the tabletop, leaning forward on his elbows. "You're gonna slap me, aren't you?"

She turns back, jaw set and gaze narrowed. "Can you think of one reason I shouldn't?"

"Believe me," he mumbles, examining his raw knuckles, "I'm getting slapped around plenty in here."

Something ancient and habitual in her softens. She takes a single step forward then two steps to the side, examining the fresh abrasion on his cheekbone. "Are you at least trying to stay out of trouble?"

He meets her gaze, blue eyes emitting a muted twinkle. "Trouble might find me sometimes…"

She draws in a breath, nodding vaguely. "You got a decent handler?"

His mouth shrugs. "She's alright."

"And you got everything you need in here?"

"All the best amenities."

"Is there anything…" she takes two steps back to her original position, gestures with the file in her hand, "you want me to pass on to…anyone?"

Elliot sits a little straighter, giving an upwards nod with his head. "D'you get my message?" he murmurs after a pause.

Olivia pauses in reply. Then she lifts a hand to her blouse, pulling it down to reveal the medallion. "You mean this?"

"It wasn't easy…" he starts to say but then doesn't elaborate.

She's unsure whether he means that it wasn't easy to get a message to her from where he was or whether it wasn't easy leaving like he did. He doesn't say anything more though so she just turns away, muttering under her breath, "Nothing ever was..." She leaves the with us of her sentence unvoiced.

There's a strained silence as she turns her back, pacing in a slow circle. Behind her, Elliot slides his butt sideways on the bench, shifting closer to where she stands.

"So how're you?" he asks.

She faces him, eyes welling and throat constricting as she answers, "I'm fine."

He rises. "Liv—"

She holds up a hand. "No names. The walls have ears."

He frowns at her. "You were the one that arranged this little meet."

"I just…" she glances down, inhales to gather herself, "wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I'm…" he takes an overlong pause, shrugs a shoulder, "…okay."

"Well then." Her eyes remain locked with his another moment. Then Olivia lifts the file at her side, letting it drop back against her thigh with a mild slap. "Good luck, I guess."

His eyes track her as she moves to the door, they watch her fist rise to knock. "Wait—"

Starting after her, chains rattling, he catches her at the door. Her hand halts in mid-air then very slowly lowers. She turns to him and for a moment, Elliot seems to be at a complete loss for words, either finding nothing to say or having too much to say. In the end, he just reaches for her hand, holds it in his then gives it a parting squeeze.

Olivia swallows, glancing down at their joined hands. Dragging hers free, she uses it to signal the guard with an authoritative rap. "…Bye, Elliot," she whispers before the door is hauled open, allowing her to leave without glancing back.

-x-

1998

"Stabler! Get your ass down here!"

Elliot leaned over the railing to see his captain standing in the squadroom below, a slim brunette at his side. Everything about her yelled cop, including her sensible suit, her forthright gaze and the badge at her hip.

His hand whacked the railing as he turned to the stairs. "Oh jeez, another one?"

"This one's different," Cragen said, watching his reluctant descent.

Elliot halted at the foot of the staircase. "How?"

His captain gave a cheery tip of his head. "Well, this one's your last shot."

"This one is Olivia." The brunette stuck out her hand, generous lips stretching into a wide smile. "Benson, hi—"

"Uh huh," Elliot was already trailing his superior across the squadroom. "Look, Captain, I'm good working this on my own."

Cragen strode on, effortlessly navigating the maze of messy desks and messier detectives. "Stabler, I have taken it as a personal challenge to find someone who can stand being your partner for more than a month. If I can achieve that, I can retire happy."

Munch appeared on the threshold of the interview room. "Do I hear talk of retirement? Say it ain't so, oh captain my captain."

Cragen stopped, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder at Stabler who was similarly being trailed by the squad's new addition. "Let's just see how Stabler gets on with Benson. No need for premature mourning."

"Or celebration," Cassidy added from over Munch's shoulder.

"Well, if Benson can put a stop to the game of musical chairs Stabler's been playing since Alphonse left us—" their boss turned and nodded at the cluttered desk and unoccupied chair by the bank of lockers, "—then maybe I can get some peace and actually start contemplating my future."

"You mean workin' on your handicap in plaid golf shorts?" Munch quipped.

"And one of those cute little hats—!" Cassidy added with a grin.

Olivia sidled closer to Elliot, casting him a wary frown. "How many partners have you had?"

"Six," Munch answered for him. "In as many months."

"It—" Elliot headed for his desk, walking backwards and lifting his voice over the din, "come on! – it wasn't that many."

"Shall I count them for you?" the older detective offered, eyebrows raised over his frames. "Wallace. Hoffenberger. Richards—"

"Don't forget the hot one. Cassie," his partner chimed in before lunging forward with an outstretched hand. "How you doin'? Brain Cassidy."

Olivia shook his hand. "Hi."

"I believe there were three hot ones," Munch continued, moving deeper into the buzzing squadroom, "in Cassidy's indiscriminate opinion, anyway."

Still standing by his office door, Cragen spread his arms, demanding loudly, "Is anyone doing any work today?"

"I am," Elliot answered from his desk, eyes on his computer and hands wrapped round a sandwich. A slice of tomato slid out as he took a bite, spilling dressing down his shirtfront. "…crap."

Munch extended a hand to Olivia, leaning in to muse, "Dare I say that none of the so-called hot ones were quite as lovely as you, Miss Benson?"

She smiled and took his hand, maintaining her hold as she replied, "You can say it once but call me Miss on the job and your balls will end up in a sling."

Munch drew back, shooting an impressed look first at Cragen and then at Elliot's turned back. "She's a good one."

Giving her partner a pat on the back, Brian headed for the door. "Lucky you, Stabler."

"Shuddup," he answered without looking up.

Munch patted his shoulder as well, following his partner out. "Try not to screw it up this time."

"Get outta here!" Elliot replied, throwing a balled up napkin after the smirking twosome.

Standing in the middle of the squadroom, Olivia watched the other detectives head out. She glanced toward her new captain's office to see that he too had disappeared. Stepping out of the way of two unis who seemed to know their way around, she murmured a muted apology. Then, taking her bag off her shoulder and shedding her jacket, she stepped closer to Detective Stabler's desk.

"S'that my desk?" she asked, pointing to the one opposite, the one drowning in dust and piled high with bulging files and half-emptied boxes.

"Yeah," he muttered, mouth munching and eyes on his computer screen. "It's a bit of a mess."

"So I see." She dropped her bag and blazer onto the chair which seemed close to collapsing with rust. Then she began sorting through the files, slotting them into their appropriate boxes.

Eventually, Elliot looked up. "You want a hand with that?"

"Nah, don't put yourself out."

He drew in a breath, elbow propped on the desktop and thumb pressed against his lips. "What's your name again?"

She heaved one box to the floor then straightened. "Olivia."

"Right. Benson."

She paused, hands on hips. "You can call me Liv. Lots of people do."

"Yeah…" he rose from his seat, moving to a nearby cabinet, "we'll see."

"Didn't catch your name," she murmured, hands sifting files but eyes on his back.

"Stabler."

"I meant your first name."

"Elliot." He pulled a file from the cabinet then approached her, free hand extended. "People call me Elliot. Or Stabler." After she shook it, he moved back to his chair, adding with a shrug, "Or more often, scumbag…up to you."

Olivia shifted a second box to the floor, studying him over the diminishing chaos. "So what'd you do to piss off six partners?"

"Nothin'." Elliot grinned and picked up his sandwich, licking some mustard off one knuckle. "Just acted like my regular, charming self."

"Lemme guess," she muttered dryly, "You slept with the hot ones."

He frowned at her, swallowed his mouthful then answered, "Not one of 'em. Why? You in the habit of knocking boots with your partners?"

"Well, my last partner was a woman—"

"Still—"

"But no. I keep my sex life out of the workplace."

He lifted his left hand, flipped it front and back to show her the gold wedding band on his fourth finger. "You and me both."

Olivia pursed her lips and nodded. "There's mustard on it," she told him, eyes drifting downwards, "and…on your tie, incidentally."

"Shit…" Elliot licked the inside of the ring then lifted his tie and sucked it clean.

Olivia hid a smile as she lifted the last box into her arms. "So where can I store this stuff?"

Cragen approached, pointing through the double doors behind her. "You'll find the Records Room through there and to your right."

"Thanks."

"…So?" he asked when she was out of earshot.

"So what?" Elliot grunted in response.

"First impressions?"

"Green."

"We all were once."

"What's with the smile?"

"Smiling's not a crime."

"She does it too much."

Cragen shrugged. "Maybe it'll grow on you."

"Eh, it won't last." Elliot rose, returning his file to the filing cabinet. Facing Cragen, he cast a glance in the direction his new partner had headed, "In this unit? I give her…a week. Maybe two."

Cragen seemed to be suppressing a smile. "I think she may surprise you."

"Nothing surprises me."

"Do yourself a favor," he told him more sternly, "and give this one a chance."

Elliot held both hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay…but what if it doesn't work out? What then?"

Cragen took a step back as Olivia reapproached her new desk. "What if it does?"

To Be Continued Soon...