Disclaimer: Still not mine... though one day Mr Wolf and I may come to some arrangement.

This was originally the final chapter. Please see AN below.

xoxoxinnocencexoxox

Thursday night came and Olivia was still struggling with the whole situation with Elliot. It was consuming her and the worst part was she knew she could end it by just going over and talking to him. Unfortunately, doing just that was the problem. She startled when her cell rang, breaking her out of her thoughts.

"Hey Kathy," she answered. "How are you doing?"

"Okay, I guess," she replied quietly.

"How's your mom coping?" she asked.

"Oh, well, she's okay, I guess," she answered slowly.

There was a pause as both women tried to find the right words to continue.

"Um, Olivia," Kathy began. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes," she replied quickly. "Why do you ask?"

"Because I'm still in Florida and I was talking to Liz and she was upset. At first she wouldn't tell me anything and I thought it was the assault but in the end she said she was feeling really bad and it was because of you. But she wouldn't give me any information. What happened?" Kathy asked, almost breathless.

"Oh, um, I haven't spoken to her in a couple of days, so I'm not sure," she replied.

"Yes, you are," she countered. "Please tell me, Olivia. It couldn't be worse than the assault, could it?"

Olivia's heart wrenched at the tone of Kathy's voice. She was thinking something worse had happened to her daughter and the only way to get around it was with the truth.

"It's not worse," she sighed. "I think Liz is feeling guilty about something she told her dad."

"What was it?" Kathy pleaded.

"I was undercover recently at Sealview and I was assaulted," she admitted. "I told her when we were discussing her situation. She told her dad."

"And you hadn't told Elliot? He didn't know?" she asked surprised.

"I couldn't," she whispered.

"Why not, Liv?" she asked gently.

"Because I …I … I just couldn't," she replied, the pain clearly evident in her voice.

"You need to, Olivia. You need to talk to Elliot, to someone … and you need to talk to Lizzie, she's feeling really bad at the moment … and I can't be there … and you … I mean she loves you … and …" Kathy was rambling and they both knew it.

"Okay," Olivia interrupted. "I'll talk to her."

"And to Elliot," Kathy added. There was a long silence. "Please, Liv, for your sake, and his, talk to him."

It was already midnight when Olivia got to Elliot's house. She stood on the front step for twenty minutes before she worked up enough courage to ring the doorbell. Then it was three eternal minutes before the door opened. She looked at Elliot long and hard, the last week had added years to his face.

"I'm ready to talk, will you listen?" she asked, her stomach clenching.

He turned and walked up the stairs. "Come on up."

Elliot climbed back into bed and sat propped up against the pillows. He watched as Olivia dropped her coat and purse on the chair and toed her shoes off. He waited, thinking she would slip in beside him, but in never came. Wrapping her arms around herself, as if to keep warm, she paced around the room, never really looking at him, but knowing he was there, watching her intently. Swallowing hard, she tried to begin, but the words seemed to lodge in her throat. The only thing that started was her tears.

It took Elliot all his self restraint not to jump out of bed and hold her. He wanted all of this to be on her terms but as she plopped onto the end of the bed and dropped her head into her hands with loud, choking sobs wracking her body, he couldn't resist. Quickly, he scooted over to her, his arms encircling her, pulling her into his chest and kissing her head repeatedly.

"Baby, baby, it's okay," he soothed. "It's okay."

He could feel her shake her head. "No, it's not," she mumbled into his pale blue tee.

After sitting awkwardly for a long while, Elliot needed to move and took the opportunity to scoop Olivia up and bring her back into the bed with him. He sat up with her between his legs, her back to him. His arms were wrapped around her waist and the blankets were pulled up over both of them.

Olivia shifted slightly and turned so her shoulder and head rested on his chest, her breath tickling him as she sighed deeply. He kissed her head, and held tighter.

"I never told you about my dad," he began in a throaty whisper, "…because I didn't want you to think I was weak … that I couldn't stand up for myself." She snuggled in a bit closer. "I was so scared of turning into him that I thought if I didn't talk about it, didn't think about him, then it was never going to happen. I wouldn't be the cruel, spiteful, son-of-a-bitch he was." Olivia adjusted herself again, slipping an arm around his waist. "I wanted to forget how he made me feel."

She nodded. "That's what I wanted," she whispered. "To forget about it; to ignore it. I didn't want to think about what had happened and what would have happened if Fin hadn't got to me when he did." She felt Elliot's lips on her hair and the unmistakeable splash of his tears on her forehead. "I didn't want you to think I was weak, that I was a cop who couldn't protect herself. Didn't want to think that you wouldn't want me as a partner. Didn't want people, didn't want you, thinking I'd brought it on myself…"

"I would never have thought that, Livia," he whispered, kissing her head once more.

"I couldn't take the chance," she whispered in response, turning to kneel in front of him. "You … you are it for me, Elliot … I need you more than I have ever needed anybody … and that alone scares the hell out of me … and I couldn't take the chance that this would change things … that you would think differently of me … that you … that you wouldn't … want me …" she gulped, tears streaming down her flushed cheeks.

Elliot's hands found her face, holding it still in front of him so she couldn't mistake what he was about to say.

"I'm going to say something, Olivia Benson, and you need to listen, okay?" he said gruffly. She nodded as tears stung her eyes once more. "There is nothing, NOTHING, that has happened or could happen to you that would make me stop loving you. There is NOTHING you could do or say that can stop me loving you. I love you. I'm IN love with you. And I am sure of it. I have been for a long time now. I love you because of who you are and because of how you make me feel. You are the most incredible woman I know and not Sealview, or your father, or your mother, or anything else in this fucked up world is ever going to make me think otherwise."

Olivia reached in to wipe away his tears. "I love you so much, Elliot," she whispered.

"You think loving me is something you can do for a long time?" he asked.

"For the rest of my life," she whispered.

"Good because you're it for me too, Livia, and I don't want it any other way," he whispered.

Her arms encircled him, and she slumped into his body, this was the place she wanted to stay forever. She never wanted to move, to think, to breathe.

It lasted two minutes until there was a small knock on the door.

"Dad?" Lizzie called.

"Come in, baby girl," he replied.

Lizzie's face lit up when she saw Olivia wrapped in her father's arms. "Hi Liv," she said shyly.

"Hey honey," she said. "Come and sit." She patted the bed near her.

"No, it's okay, I don't want to disturb you guys," Liz said, shaking her head.

"Come on," Olivia encouraged. "You're not disturbing anything."

Lizzie slid into the bed next to her father.

"I'm really sorry, Livvy," she started. "I didn't realise it was a secret."

"It's okay, there are no secrets now," she replied, as Elliot kissed her head. "And you're right, honey, your dad's pretty cool."

"Does this mean everything's okay?" she asked hopefully.

"Everything's more than okay," Elliot answered, smiling widely. Olivia nodded in agreement.

"I … um …" Liz began but then seemed to change her mind.

"No secrets, remember," Olivia prompted.

"I had a bad dream and was hoping I could sleep here, is that okay?" she asked quietly, looking at her dad.

"You sure can, baby girl," Elliot replied, happy and relieved that both his girls had finally come to him, both allowing him in, allowing him to help them.

He and Olivia moved in the bed and this time Liz slept between them. For a long time he lay there on his side and watched them both, the ambient lighting enough for him to study their faces. As sleep claimed them he watched the pain and torment drift from their features and be replaced with something he could only call contentment. Olivia looked peaceful, something he had never truly seen before.

Looking down at his daughter, who was facing him, he watched as she repositioned herself so her whole body was encased by Olivia; as if Olivia was a security blanket Lizzie couldn't do without. He grinned, he knew that feeling. He watched Liz's face relax again; a look of innocence drifted over her features once more.

He knew nothing could change the events for either of them but he prayed being together, facing the challenges together, would go a long way to taking away the pain and torment of their respective assaults and replacing it with the gentle and beautiful look of innocence he was now seeing on his baby girl's face.

xoxoxinnocencexoxox

After the overwhelming support with the early chapters I embarked on writing an epilogue, which I finished but no longer liked the ending, so I am rewriting it, and there lies the problem. It's developing on it's own and I'm nearly 9000 words into it and it's not yet finished. Yes, 9000+ words for an epilogue. So while I continue to write it I may just put it up as chapters in continuing the story and not as an epilogue as such. Just so long as everyone notes the time jump, the next chapter is set three months ahead.

All those in favour, say 'aye'!

Thanks once again for your continued support and encouragement for this story, it means so much.

love Nettie

xoxoxox