Elliot gets back to the car not five minutes later.
"Liv... we got him. Slime bag ran into a fence. He's in Munch and Fin's car so we could, talk"
Oh no. the famous…

"Listen I know you're hurting and I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do?" talk.
Shit, I hate this one.

"El… I'm okay. Don't worry; this thing just… rattled me a bit. Yeah that's all."
"Why?"
His blunt answer catches me off guard and my head snaps toward him as I open and close my mouth like a fish out of water. Well… what to say? That I have the biggest crush on our possibly dying ADA?

Sure, why not. Let's go there.

"Elliot… We've been best friends since I came here…"
I look over at him for confirmation and he nods but keeps his attention on the building traffic ahead of us.
'I'm… bisexual… and wow, that doesn't seem like such a big deal now that its out does it?"
He looks over at me with his soulful blue eyes... Like Alex's but more steely blue. Once he can see I'm looking he cracks a smirk.
"I know.' his smile grows like a Cheshire cat's grin as he continues, 'Do you seriously think I can have known you for this long and not have figured it out? Damn Olivia. Your detective skills are lacking. Did you think I never saw the tall, blonde, model types coming out of your apartment always just before I got there to pick you up?"
He actually laughs out loud.

"Why didn't you say anything to me? Confront me?"

I start to get defensive, why… I don't know. Because he was onto me and I hadn't noticed? If he saw those blondes, did he put the pieces together?
"Chill Liv. Nobody else knows... they don't see as much of you as I do." He pauses, contemplating something. "So... About those blonde girly-girls…?'
Aww shit.
'Who are they substituting for?"
He smiles at me like he already knows and I guess now is a better time than later to tell him... right?
"I think you can already tell there Sherlock"
He pauses again and I can tell he wants to ask the "hard questions" but isn't sure if he should just yet.
"So... Why don't you just ask her out?"
Oh, Elliot. If only you knew how much I've asked myself that over the last 12 hours.
My expression automatically turns grim and he can tell because he puts his arm around my shoulder.

"Don't worry Olivia. She'll be okay. She's tough, and not exactly one to give up... take the past week as an example…"
I smile through the hot salty tears now flowing freely over my face.
"I hope you're right El, or I'll be an emotional wreck the rest of my career."
"Too late honey, too late."
I feel the car stop and I quickly wipe off my face. If there's one thing I won't show in the squad room its sadness or any kind of a weakness.
"Liv, hold on honey let me do it"
As Elliot wipes my tears and all the smeared makeup off my face I can't help but silently thank him. Elliot Stabler is a wonderful man and I owe him my life.
"Ready to face the squad cupcake?" He says, grinning again.
I have to laugh out loud at that, my old nickname.

"You sure know how to make a girl feel better about herself"
"Experience..." he says, "The painful kind. Having a house full of hormonal women has made me re-think my profession. Think I could pull of PMS therapy?" He makes a mock serious face. "…and how does THAT make you feel?"
I have to laugh again but I still feel the pain in the back of my mind.
"Better go now before I start up the waterworks again" I state.
"Alright partner. Let's go."
He jumps out of the car and so do I. The rain is still falling to the ground in big drops as we make our way toward the precinct doors.
2-6, ready or not. Here I come.