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

xoxoinnocenceoxox

Still hanging over Elliot's shoulder and after only making a half hearted attempt to protest, Olivia realised she was in the perfect position to look closely at the butt she had spent many years watching from afar. She hung her arms down and eased her fingers under the waistband of his sweats as he crossed the living room.

"After dinner," he chided, slapping her butt as he approached the table. "Now, where do you want to sit?" he asked standing in front of one chair.

"Well," she replied as he carefully eased her back down.

Rather than her feet hitting the floor as he'd anticipated, Olivia wrapped her legs around him before using her heel to hit the back of his knee hard and cause him to collapse onto the chair. "I think I'd be comfortable sitting right here," she muttered, pressing hard against him as she kissed his neck.

"I have no objection," he grinned as he settled himself into the seat. "Might make it difficult to eat though." He nodded towards the food laden table.

Reluctantly, Olivia turned her head and smiled when she saw the quantity.

"You planning on feeding an army, El?" she chuckled.

"Nope," he grinned. "Just planning on satisfying you every which way I can."

Olivia grinned. "It's working, oh god, it's working," she replied, slipping off his lap and onto her own chair. He missed her instantly.

After devouring the pizza, a portion of lasagne and herb bread, Olivia sat back and sighed contentedly. "God, that was so, so good!" Elliot looked at her funny. "What?"

"Well," he began, getting out of his chair. "I don't know whether I should be offended that you used those exact same words to me just a few hours ago…"

"They were appropriate then too," she grinned as he kissed her head.

"So, you're equating sex with me to pizza?" he questioned as he began clearing the table.

"Well, it was a good pizza," Olivia replied, following him into the kitchen.

"Humph," he grumbled trying to maintain a disgruntled demeanour.

"You're not really offended are you?" she asked, wrapping her arms around him from behind.

"No," he answered, turning around in her arms. "Just better have been a damn good pizza."

"Oh El, it was," she gushed with exaggerated enthusiasm. "The best pizza I've ever had … the best pizza anyone has ever made … the best pizza…" It was Elliot's tongue in her mouth which stopped her from continuing.

Having watched Olivia half stumble, half stagger around the kitchen with her leg muscles still not cooperating fully, Elliot decided a couple of hours curled up on the sofa watching some inane show was probably a wiser move than a repeat performance of their earlier activities.

Olivia was a little surprised coming back from the bathroom to find him sprawled out on the sofa with the remote control in hand. She was sure they'd be headed straight back upstairs.

She lay down, cuddling into him. "What are you doing?"

"Thought we'd watch a movie," he replied, kissing her forehead.

"Oh okay," she sighed, "which one?"

"You got a preference?" he asked, muting the television.

"Nope," she sighed again, feeling very full and very tired.

"Liv?" he called, raising her head and smiling at the sleepy face he found.

"What?" she mumbled.

"You can't really watch from that position," he reminded her gently.

"I can see everything important from right here," she replied before kissing his cheek. He stared at her for a while. "What?"

"Nothing, baby," he replied, kissing her head and pulling her in close. "Love you."

Ensuring the volume was on low; Elliot found the sports channel and dropped the remote on the floor so he could hold her more securely. He grinned as Olivia mumbled incoherently into his chest and pressed in tighter. He kissed her again and at sometime later drifted off to sleep himself.

When he awoke, a little before eleven, Elliot smiled when he realised Olivia was still asleep and hadn't moved the whole time. He thought this was a good sign and figured that maybe, just maybe, tonight would be the first time she slept through the night; that there'd be no 3:00 AM wake up.

Deciding that he'd rather stay put than risk waking her up, Elliot grabbed the throw rug from the back of the sofa and carefully draped it over them both. Olivia mumbled as the edge brushed her face but quickly quietened as Elliot's lips pressed onto her head. Content that she was fully asleep, Elliot let himself succumb to his own fatigue.

With the feeling something was missing, or rather someone was missing, Elliot forced his eyes opened and didn't bother to check the time. Olivia wasn't there so it must have been around three. He sat up as he saw her coming back towards him.

"You're awake, babe," she said as she sat facing him.

"So are you," he replied.

"Bathroom," she smiled, but frowned when she realised he was looking at her oddly. "What?"

"Nothing," he said, shaking his head. "Want to head up?"

"Can I bring the gelato?" she asked, standing up, holding up the tub and spoon.

"You can bring anything you like," he answered, and it seemed a little abrupt to Olivia's ears.

"El, everything alright?" she checked. She'd seen him tired and grumpy on more occasions than she could count but this time it just seemed different.

"Yeah, just tired," he replied, tossing the throw rug to the bottom of the sofa and turning off the television.

He waited for Olivia toreach the stairs before turning off the lights and following her up. Returning from the bathroom, he smiled as he saw her sitting up in bed, legs crossed, eating her dessert.

"You're staring again, Elliot," she said as he closed the door.

"Sorry," he replied, as he slipped into bed. She put the tub and spoon on the side table and turned to face him.

"Want to tell me now?" she asked, rubbing his shoulder.

"Tell you what?" he countered, laying on his side to face her.

"I get the feeling you're not happy with me … and I can't figure it out," she admitted.

"Why wouldn't I be happy?" he questioned. "It's been the best fricken day of my life," he grinned.

"Mine too," she agreed. "But still…" her voice trailed and Elliot decided that the truth was always going to be the best thing.

"I guess there is something," he acknowledged, dragging himself up. "You're always awake at this time … every night…"

"You keeping tabs?" she asked with an eyebrow raised.

"No … well, sort of," he admitted, not wanting to say it was his daughter. "Anyway, I just thought … you know ... after today … expending so much energy … that maybe …"

"I'd sleep through the night?" she offered. "You figured that since you wore me out I should sleep through til morning?"

Olivia didn't know whether to laugh or cry as she watched his face. He didn't know whether to be embarrassed she'd figured it out or proud he'd worn her out or annoyed she hadn't slept through the night.

"El, you do know my not sleeping is not a new thing, don't you?" she asked as she edged closer to him.

"How not new?" he countered.

"I can't say I've slept through the night, without the aid of intoxication, since I was … maybe six," she said, matter-of-factly.

"Six?" he questioned, surprised. "You haven't slept through the night in thirty odd years?"

"No, I haven't. So while the job and crap like Sealview and that don't help, it's a lifelong thing, it's just me," she said, taking hold of his hands. "It's a habit I can't seem to break; it's happened for so long that it's just become part of me. Can you understand that?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "I guess I can … I just thought if I loved you enough, maybe it would change," he said, sadly.

"And maybe it will, baby," she said gently. "But for now, you've just got to know that I am happy, really happy and I know I'm truly loved."

"Okay," he nodded as she crawled into his arms. "Can I ask you a question, Livia?"

"Sure," she said as he lay with her on the bed.

"Why three o'clock? Why since you were six?" he asked, his hand raking through her tangled brown locks.

"Well, that's two questions, El," she chuckled.

"You don't have to answer them," he said, not wanting to bring up anything she was trying to forget.

"It's okay," she said reassuringly, her head resting in the crook of his neck. "When I was six we moved into yet another apartment building and two blocks away was a bar which didn't close til two. Mum would go most nights and stay til closing and then it all depended on how wasted she was as to what time she'd stagger in. Most nights it took her at least half an hour, but she'd always be home by three. I guess it's just ingrained in my brain that I have to be awake at three to check that things are as they should be."

"You were six and she'd leave you alone?" he asked in disbelief. Maureen was thirteen before he'd agreed that she could stay home alone one Sunday afternoon, and even then he'd nearly had a coronary at the thought.

"Yeah, and I know it's young but I came to realise I was probably safer with her drinking at the bar than drinking at home," she said, yawning and stretching in his arms.

"I promise you, Olivia, that one day you will sleep through the night and not have to wake up to check," he vowed, kissing her forehead.

"That's a big promise, Elliot," Olivia sighed.

"Well, I intend to keep it," he said, crossing his hand over his heart. "I don't care if it takes me til I'm old and grey."

Olivia laughed.

"El, baby," she said gently. "There's grey here now," she said, running her fingers through his hair. "And according to Dickie you're already old."

"He really thinks I'm ready for the retirement home, doesn't he?" Elliot sighed.

"He's just teasing, El. He knows it gets a reaction," Olivia said gently.

"Mmm," he nodded, not so sure.

"And if it wasn't so totally inappropriate, I'd tell him there's nothing old about his dad … that he has the strength and stamina and skills men half his age would be jealous of," she whispered, leaning in to brush his lips with hers.

"You just saying that to make me feel better?" he pouted.

"No, I'm saying it because you are absolutely incredible and that's out of the bedroom … in the bedroom, well, I mean … I always figured you'd be … well, you know, amazing, but, baby, I gotta say, wow," she grinned and kissed him again.

"You're not so bad yourself, Liv," he replied as she moved on top of him.

"Aw, gee, so romantic, Stabler," she said, framing his face with her hands.

Elliot locked his fingers together behind her head before gently pulling it towards him.

Just as she thought he'd say something a little more romantic her, he let her go. "Gelato!"

"Gelato?" she echoed. "Not exactly what I was anticipating…"

"It'll melt sitting there, if it hasn't already," he said, nodding to the tub.

"I'm about to kiss you and you're thinking of gelato," she said, shaking her head.

"You know what else I'm thinking?" he grinned broadly.

"I'm sure I do," she grinned reaching over to grab the tub. "You know what I'm thinking?"

"No, what?" he asked as he watched with increasing alarm the tub waving in her hand.

"Oops!" she said as she upended the now semi liquid but still cold concoction on his bare chest. He jumped at the sudden chill.

"Liv!" he all but squealed.

"Sorry," she pouted. "It was an accident."

"More like accidentally on purpose," he smiled. "How do you intend to fix this?"

"Well, I could use the spoon …" she suggested.

"That could hurt," he countered.

"Or I could grab a towel," she continued.

"It will have dripped everywhere by then," he mock complained.

"Or …" her voice trailed as her mouth found a way to clean up the mess to which Elliot had no objections at all.

xoxoinnocenceoxox