Rating: this chapter K+

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: See previous chapter

2014

She's standing behind her new desk when a change occurs in the squadroom. Olivia looks up, spotting him through the glass – his charging form, his probing gaze. The early sighting gives her roughly three and a half seconds to prepare for his arrival, for his indignation, for his familiar, fiery temper. Arriving on the threshold and laying eyes on her, he stops dead and opens his mouth. But she gets in before him, murmuring a dry:

"Ah. Thought I might get a visit from you."

From the doorway, Elliot radiates rage. "Tell me this isn't personal."

She tilts her head and steeples her fingers on the edge of the desk. "Of course it's personal. I looked after my team. I got justice for my victims. I closed my case."

"And scuttled my mission."

She shrugs and takes a seat. "Collateral damage."

He enters the office that used to belong to their captain, facing her across the broad wooden desk. "Did it even occur to you what might happen to me when the other inmates found out I was an undercover cop?"

Olivia shoots him a censorious look. "You've been outta the game too long, Stabler."

"Don't last-name me, Sergeant."

"I gave the warden a heads-up," she tells him, maintaining a deliberately impervious expression. "She assured me you'd be taken care of."

"If by taken care of you mean thrown out on my ass then, yeah."

"Thought you'd be happy…" she leans down to open a low drawer, pulling out a stack of files, "to be back with your family."

"Well, that's the point, isn't it?" Elliot huffs and drops into one of the chairs facing her desk. "This operation cost me three years with my family, three years of watching Eli grow up…all for nothing—" he interrupts his own train of thought, telling her with more urgency, "You know I missed Kathleen's graduation? Kathy's 50th? Three years of knowing they were all going on without me, of knowing you…" he stalls as her eyes lift to his, "were out here thinking I was some kind of deserter, of knowing you were being held and hurt by that psychopath—"

He breaks off and Olivia can't check her response. Her heart halts and her breath sticks in her throat. Her nostrils flare, teeth grit and eyes almost water. She looks down, lips pressed tightly together. When she looks up again, she doesn't trust her voice but her eyes ask the question.

"News travels fast behind bars," he explains quietly.

She gets to her feet, one hand gesturing broadly. "Well, why'd you put yourself in there then? I mean, what the fuck do you care about exotic animals anyway?"

"It was the only gig I could get after the shooting, an offer I couldn't refuse. I was looking at a demotion, probably a transfer, anger management—"

"I know," she interrupts, voice soft but firm. "I stood up for you, I fought for you."

He gazes up at her, gives a half-shake of his head. "I knew you would." Elliot takes a breath before going on, voice drained of its previous fury, "They said SVU had got to me, they said I was a danger to my peers…my partner."

"And I suppose a phone call was out of the question."

"There wasn't time."

"Fin said you—" she hesitates, picks up the stack of files and heads for the couch, "you didn't want me to…talk you out of leaving."

"Like I had a choice."

"If you had—"

Elliot falls momentarily silent. Then, in a low voice, he confesses to her back, "You woulda been my only reason for staying."

She turns round, eyes starting to narrow and brow beginning to crumple. "So Cragen knew about this? I mean, he must've, right? And he never said a word…he left without ever telling me."

He gives a weak shrug. "He couldn't. Need to know."

Olivia shakes her head, dropping the files onto the couch with a thwack. "The crap that phrase covers up…" She pulls the lid off a box sitting there and starts rummaging through it.

Her former partner rises, advancing slowly so as not to spook her. He moves to stand beside her, both of them facing the window looking out on the squadroom that for a short time served as their home. Sliding his hands into his pockets, he rocks on his heels and inspects the new inhabitants.

"So which one's yours?" he asks, nodding to where Rollins and Amaro are fixing themselves a mid-morning coffee. "The pretty one or…the other pretty one?"

She points the corner of a file at Nick. "Amaro."

"He my replacement?"

Olivia nods. "He's put in three years." She pulls out a bunch of folders, adds them to the other pile. "Came in here all pumped up from knocking heads together in Warrants…"

He turns to face her. "Uh huh..."

Olivia glances up at him as she extracts another armful of red tape. "He's a good cop, a good man…"

"S'that right?"

She faces him, files hugged to her chest. "Mm. A family man. A Catholic. And occasionally a reckless, thoughtless, stubborn sonovabitch." She rolls her eyes and heads back to her desk. "I felt right at home with him."

"So you…got on?"

"Not right away."

Elliot follows her back across the office. "Well, if I recall you called me a stubborn sonovabitch every day for about a year when we were first paired up."

"You were a stubborn sonovabitch," she mumbles, sorting the files.

Elliot shrugs and chances a grin. "Some things never change."

Olivia looks up, takes a beat. "And some do."

"So I see…" he muses, reaching for the portrait of a brown-haired baby on her desk. "Who's this?"

Olivia takes the frame from his hands and puts it back on the desk. "None of your business."

"She yours?"

"He."

"Well, he's a cutie."

"Yeah—" She abruptly abandons what she's doing and heads for the door.

"He got a name?" Elliot asks, eyes trailing her.

"I've got work to do." She leans out door, yelling across the squadroom, "Fin—!"

About to exit with his partner, Fin calls back, "Just heading out."

Olivia grabs her coat and strides towards them. "Park it, Rollins. I've got this."

Rollins shrugs and returns to her desk, gaze fixed on the man following her boss. Fin sends a nod over Olivia's shoulder to his old colleague.

"Hey, Stabler, how you doin', man?"

"Good to see you, Fin."

"Nice goatee."

Elliot strokes his beard. "Thank you."

"Let's go," Olivia interjects, slipping on her coat and turning to Fin.

Elliot reaches for her elbow. "Liv—"

But when she turns to look at him, her eyes are cold and her face closed. "I'm sure you can remember your way out," she murmurs before walking away with Fin, her stride long and sure.

Elliot exhales, the hand that reached for her dropping back to his side. The routine squadroom buzz that momentarily dulled reverts to normal. Rollins reclaims her coffee and takes a gulp. Carisi stares out from the media room, looking curious but lost. Nick heads for his desk, pulling out his chair.

"You can wait," he tells Elliot, pointing at her office, "but by the look on her face…I doubt she'll be back. Not any time soon."

Elliot turns to him, eyes narrowed. "Thanks, kid, but I think I know her a little better than you do."

"Good," he replies swiftly. "That's good. Then you know the damage you did when you walked outta here without a word."

His eyes narrow further then blink, his chin jutting out beneath his beard.

Nick nods once and takes his seat. "You do now."

Elliot glances over at Rollins who redirects her gaze into her coffee cup. Then, with a lingering look at the duo of desks that used to belong to him and his partner, he leaves.

-x-

1998

"So." Elliot shifted in the cramped car seat, settling in for a long night of surveillance. "Tell me your life story, Benson."

Olivia didn't lower the binoculars from her eyes. "No, thank you."

Her partner smirked and reached for the coffee cup on the console. "You don't like me very much, do you?"

"That's not true."

"No?"

"No, I don't like you at all."

"That's a shame." He unpeeled the lid on the coffee, blew on it then took a sip. "Cos it's been three months now. A new record for me."

Olivia dropped the binoculars to her lap but didn't take her eyes off the blackened lot. "Congratulations..."

"I figure you might be sticking round for a while so I was thinking…"

She turned to look at him. "…What?"

He gave a shrug, returning her sidelong look in the near pitch black. "Maybe we could shake hands and start over?"

Olivia studied him a moment. Then shifted in her seat to face him. "Only if you don't last-name me anymore."

"Fine." He held out his hand.

"Fine." She shook it.

Elliot leant back in his seat with a sigh. "So tell me your life story, Olivia."

She nodded at him. "You first."

"'Kay." He dug a hand under his butt, pulling out his wallet and showing her the collection of photos inside. "Kathy," he said, pointing to the first one.

Olivia lent closer and nodded. "Uh huh…"

"Kathleen." He went on, flicking the plastic sheaf over, "Maureen. Elizabeth – Lizzie. And Richard – Dickie."

"Twins?"

"Twins."

"Well…" his partner drew back and looked at him, "that's a really nice life."

Elliot nodded, returning the wallet to his pocket. "Yep." Then he resumed sipping his coffee. "How 'bout you? Married? Kids?"

But Olivia had already turned away, her gaze moving back to their target. She leaned forward in her seat, brows furrowed.

Elliot did the same. "What is it?"

She lifted the binoculars. "I think we've got movement…"

He followed her gaze, squinting into the darkness. A moment later, they were both exiting the car and running stealthily in the direction of the abandoned lot, each falling into place at the other's side.

End of Part One.

Please stay tuned for Part Two...