Storm Surge

by Weathergirl

Missing children, a devious child abductor with a flawless record, and the worst storm to hit the NYC area in 70 years... Mother Nature is calling the shots. A repost from SVUfiction...

18. Chapter 18

A/N…Umm… Oops, I almost forgot to forewarn. M-content ahead.

**Edited to add a late note to guest - Lunochka. Yes, storms form alphabetically. I planned this one out carefully. Storm E didn't dissipate as quickly and in fact, reformed. By the time L occurred, storms F, G, H, I, J, and K, had either formed and strengthened but didn't do much damage (that would necessarily concern this story) or they dissipated after reaching tropical storm status. The story begins with the formation of L. Previous storms can still linger especially during a La Nina season and other conditions set up off the coast of Africa that are favorable.

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~Past~

Day of the storm

South Street Seaport

Olivia slipped forward, immediately awakening when she accidentally inhaled the polluted waters that rushed throughout the stairwell. She coughed and gasped, wondering after several minutes if the burning sensation in her chest was going to let up.

And it took her a moment to even remember where she was and what was going on.

The storm. The city. Elliot. The little girl…

She grabbed the railing, not letting go as the rapid current hurled objects at her and she fought to keep her head above water.

Her head ached and the simple act of holding on was a struggle. Never mind the fact that she needed to move up the stairwell and get to higher ground.

She was unable to stand completely while the sharp pain continued to grip her ankle. The cold, the weakness in her muscles and fatigue slowed her down even further.

When she needed a break, she'd turn and brace herself against the side wall of the stairwell, hoping this would be enough to keep her from getting pulled down with the current.

And the water continued to rise…

x x x

~Past~

3 days after the storm

The Liberty Hotel – South Street Seaport

It was the second time that day that he had ventured out in search of food, water, and supplies. It meant leaving the hotel and whatever shelter that provided, and entering streets that were still a good three feet under water.

God only knows what would be down there now.

It also meant leaving Olivia, assuring himself that she'd be okay and that he could make it back to her in time if she wasn't.

They'd only been out here a few days. Time had dragged on painfully slow because neither of them could really sleep. Their injuries usually kept them awake at night.

Each had similar symptoms of nausea and body aches. Whether it was due more to their injuries or to the contaminated water they had accidentally swallowed in the garage was uncertain.

He wasn't in any shape to carry them through this, but she depended on him. He'd suffer through whatever he had to for her sake.

She was getting worse. He knew this.

He never liked to leave her alone for very long.

x x x

~Present~ (3 months after the storm)

1:00pm, December 15, 2008

SVU

"Gang as you know, the two Morrissey boys and the Morgan children are still missing. We're back on the case until they're found, dead or alive."

He turned toward Fin. Kaleb's mother, Rita Knight had been listed among the deceased. Kaleb's aunt arrived after the storm and took him to go live with her.

"Fin, Kaleb's aunt said that he's having those nightmares again. Guidance counselor thinks he may be starting to remember, so his aunt is going to bring him in. Maybe he'll be ready to talk this time."

He turned toward the others. "I need you to work with the Morrissey's. Try to get on their good side because they're both done talking to me. We need to find out what that little girl remembers. Right now, she and Kaleb are our only link to finding out where those other children are and who their abductor is. Jack and Ella Morrissey are going to be on our backs day and night until their children are found. Keep me posted."

The four stood still, contemplative for a moment after their captain headed back to his office.

Elliot and Fin both paced near their desks, trying to decide where to begin.

Olivia sat down, opened the drawer and removed a notepad. Munch caught on to her train of thought, took three long strides toward her desk and stood behind her, peeking over her shoulder as she glanced through the last set of notes she had taken before the storm hit.

"Nate Dowling," they read aloud from the sheet of paper. This stirred the other two out of their musings and they turned their attention to their fellow detectives. They walked up to Olivia's desk and she shared the last lead she had discovered on the night before the storm.

x x x

11:00am, December 16, 2008

SVU

Olivia glanced up from her desk when her partner walked through the doors of SVU. Walking beside him was a tall man with long, sandy blonde hair. He was young, maybe mid-20s with a medium build. Generally attractive, in a rugged sort of way.

She smiled, got up slowly and reached over to shake the man's hand.

Elliot introduced them. "Darnell, this is my partner, Detective Olivia Benson. Olivia, this is Darnell Randon."

"Nice to meet you, Darnell."

"You too, Detective."

They brought Darnell in, hoping he would be able to give them some background on his cousin Nate Dowling, who thus far was no where to be found.

"Liv, I'm going to see Cragen for a minute."

Olivia nodded toward her partner, grabbed her notepad and pen and the cane that was propped against the side of her desk. After two months she was glad to be rid of the crutches and it wasn't as painful to walk short distances on the injured foot anymore.

"So…," Darnell began, as they started toward the conference room. He gestured to her brace. "Your partner mentioned your injury. How's your foot?"

"It's fine," she replied. "Just physical therapy now."

Darnell rolled his eyes. "Been there, done that. I dislocated my shoulder about four years ago. I was an auto mechanic but couldn't do the work after that. Doc said I'd be good as new. So much for physical therapy," he remarked in disappointment.

"So you've been with Port Authority and New York public schools ever since?"

"Yep."

They walked into the conference room and each took a seat at the table. She mentally worked through some of the questions she had while waiting for Elliot.

"How long have you two been partners?" he inquired. He thought Elliot had mentioned it, but it had slipped his mind.

"A little over ten years."

Feeling a little anxious after a rather prolonged silence, he spoke again. "You know, he was pretty freaked out, out there. Well, we both were, but hell, I just wanted to get out of there before the place came down on us, you know what I'm sayin'?" Darnell laughed nervously. "Anyway, me and this other cop tried to talk him into leaving, but that man…your partner was dead set against leaving until he found you. I'm glad he found you. Sure as hell would have broken his neck tryin' though," he concluded.

"It was a long day," she responded simply.

"Oh… Not that I don't think it's admirable what he did," he added. "I like him. He's a good guy."

Olivia nodded.

"Still think he's a crazy sonofabitch," he added quietly with a smirk.

She gazed toward the door, wondering what was keeping Elliot.

x x x

~Past~

October 2008 (7 days after the storm)

Cape May, NJ

They made their way into the house and sat the bags in the foyer. Because they couldn't return to New York for their personal belongings, they had to pick up some clothing and a few essentials.

A cop from South Orange PD needing to visit a relative near the area had given them a ride to Cape May. He assisted them with a few more bags of miscellaneous food items that they had picked up at a store, they thanked him and he left.

They glanced around at their new surroundings. The home of Elliot's cousin Erin was very quaint. Clearly, she loved living at the beach. The house had a rustic, nautical theme. Pictures of ships, seascapes or sea captains, everywhere you looked.

Olivia had been given crutches while at the hospital. While she preferred them to having no mobility at all, she constantly balked at having to use them.

Guess I'll have to carry you, he had joked, when she was just starting to use them.

With your broken arm? I'll take my chances, Stabler, she had said in reply.

Olivia set her crutches by the door and picked up the food bags.

Elliot watched her hop into the kitchen with the grocery bags bouncing on every step. "Glad we decided against the eggs," he teased.

She shot him a playful glare from the counter and then hopped over to put something into the refrigerator.

"Liv, I can do this," he offered, taking a few steps into the kitchen.

She hopped back to the counter. "I'm fine."

"I know. But—"

"Quit worrying," she interjected, as she started to put the last bag of food items into a cabinet.

"In that case…" he started, as he slipped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, "wanna play house?" he whispered. He pressed his lips to the spot just below her ear, and then placed a gentle path of kisses down her neck toward her shoulder.

Olivia dropped her hands to the counter, gripping the edge, because that was about the only way she could remain standing. "You know—," she paused as a shiver ran through her, "this would be difficult even if I did have full use of both feet."

Elliot grinned. "Oh…sorry." He shifted back to give her space.

Olivia turned around and hoisted herself up onto the counter. "No need to be sorry," she replied, and gestured for him to move closer.

Elliot closed the distance just as his cell phone rang. He kissed her briefly, then pulled the phone out of his pocket and answered it. "Stabler…Oh, hey, Captain. Yeah, we're fine. My cousin's got plenty of space here and…" He listened, glancing at Olivia periodically. "My cousin's out of town… Yeah, I know, Captain, but there really aren't any stairs for Liv to climb, so I thought this would be best..." He continued to listen. "Okay, thank you, Captain. You too. Right. Bye."

"What did he say?"

"Not much," he replied, putting his phone away. He moved closer to wrap his arms around her again. "They're doing okay out there. Everyone sends their best. He'll keep us posted."

"And he's nervous about us ummm….sharing living quarters?" she supposed.

He nodded, then gave a half-shrug. "Yes, well, someone's got to look after you."

She smirked. "Think you can handle me?"

"No idea. But I'm sure as hell going to try."

Olivia reached for his neck and pulled him toward her. How she loved to kiss this man. Not just because he was good at it. Which he absolutely was.

But this was all about them. Every touch, every breath, every taste. Any time their eyes opened at nearly the same time just so they could reaffirm that this thing between them was in fact, actually happening.

Olivia's stomach suddenly growled. Elliot broke the kiss, chuckling lightly when he heard it. "I'm kind of hungry too. Wanna get some dinner?"

She shrugged. She really didn't feel hungry but for some reason, her stomach rumbled otherwise.

"I'll order us something," he decided.

"I think I'm going to try to take a shower," she stated.

He leaned closer and kissed the corner of her mouth. "I can help," he offered.

"I'm sure you can, El."

He pressed his lips to her again. "Might be a good idea, you know. You heard the doctor… Can't get that foot wet."

"I've got something to wrap it in. Can't get your cast wet, either." She picked up one of the bags from the counter, which had some wrap and tape she planned to use to keep the cast from getting wet.

"Yes, but I only need one hand," he countered.

She smiled at the shameless flirting. Couldn't help but love him because of it. "I've got this. I've spent too many days in a hospital. Kind of tired of being helped and handled."

"Tired of being…handled? That's disappointing," he chuckled.

"You know what I mean." She carefully slid down off of the counter and then hobbled toward the hallway.

"Yeah, but the offer stands," he said, starting to follow her.

She paused, dropped the bag on the floor briefly and leaning into the door frame, she pulled her shirt off and tossed it over his head. It landed on the back of one of the kitchen chairs behind Elliot.

"Geez, Liv," he groaned at the sight of her black lace bra. "Make it a quick shower, okay?"

She grabbed the bag again, then removed a towel from the hall linen closet and started into the bathroom. She tossed him a satisfied grin.

She went inside the bathroom and just before the door closed, she tossed the black lace bra out into the hallway where he was standing and he caught it.

He rubbed the silky material between his fingers. The corners of his lips lifted into a grin. "Think I could use a shower too."

x x x

~Present~

12:15pm, December 16, 2008

SVU

"Sorry guys, that took longer than I expected," Elliot remarked as he sat down and began the interview. "When was the last time you saw or heard from Nate?"

"I saw him a few days before the storm. He was staying with me off and on for about, I don't know, 3 years," he replied with a bit of uncertainty. "He grabbed his stuff and said he was heading out. Didn't say where," Darnell rolled his eyes, "but that's Nate. I thought he was gone, but then he called and said he was in some kind of trouble and needed me to meet him in Teaneck. A friend of mine was supposed to pick me up and we were going to get the hell out of dodge before the storm came. But family is family. I told my friend to go on ahead, and got my car to go meet Nate. And that's where you found me in the garage," he explained, nodding toward Elliot.

"In this phone call, did he say what sort of trouble he was in?" Nate hadn't surfaced in any recent blotters or shown up on someone's radar anywhere else in the country. All they had were the records from the Canadian authorities that Olivia had discovered.

He shook his head. "No. I gathered it was nothing he could get into over the phone. He grabbed about three hundred dollars of mine that I had stashed. I just figure he needed the money to get out of the city. Ran into some trouble somewhere. I really didn't know what it was about."

Olivia spoke up. "So you haven't heard from your cousin since…September?"

"Right."

"Have you been in contact with any of his friends or his family?" She inquired.

He shook his head. "His mom is in a nursing home, his dad died over a year ago. Rest of his family is on the west coast."

"You two both work for the same school district?" She asked to confirm.

"Nate subs mostly. It's whenever he needs cash. My boss is glad to have the extra help so he doesn't have to train someone new on the route or cover it himself," Darnell answered her.

She nodded.

"Notice anything else about him before the storm hit?" asked Elliot.

Darnell thought for a moment. "Not really." He glanced back and forth between the two detectives. "I'm sorry. I don't have a lot on him. He's like a roommate that sometimes pays his bills and his share of the rent, but he's family. So I'm not going to turn him away. Once in a while, he's good company, but he does keep to himself. I wish I could vouch for the fact that he's clean and is not the type to cause trouble. He's screwed up pretty bad in the past. I don't know what exactly he's up to these days."

"Do you know anyone he associates with on a regular basis? Co-workers? Do you think your boss would be able to provide more information on him?"

He shrugged. "Maybe my boss could," he responded.

They asked him a few more questions concerning the job and what Darnell knew exactly of his cousin's past.

The door to the conference room opened suddenly and Lake stuck his head in, motioning for Olivia. She stood up, grabbed her cane and started toward the door. "I'll be right back."

Elliot took down some notes while Darnell's eyes followed her as she walked out. "Damn she's hot! I don't know how in the hell you'd get any work done."

He glared up at Darnell.

Darnell laughed and threw his hands up defensively. "Sorry, man. Don't arrest me, it's just an observation."

Elliot's lips finally edged into a slight smile. "It's alright."

A moment later, she returned. After confirming that they were done with the questions for now, they both turned to him. "Thanks, Darnell. We may have some more questions later. Please call if you remember anything else, and definitely let us know if Nate contacts you."

He stood up from the table. "Sure. Good luck, guys."

"We'll have someone bring you home," Elliot told him as they stepped out of the room. He paused at Cragen's office to update him.

Olivia and Darnell entered the bullpen. Lake, Munch and Fin were there, along with Kaleb Knight, his aunt Cora Ritchie, Alina Morrissey, and her new sitter, Deborah Miller.

They approached and everyone turned toward them.

Kaleb suddenly let out a piercing scream, went running for the door, and Cora and Fin took off after him. Alina started to cry loudly and when Deborah reached down to console her she shifted away until she was out of her reach.

Elliot and Cragen heard the commotion and came out of the office. When Alina saw Elliot approach, she ran straight toward him, wrapped her arms around his right leg and sank down on the floor crying. Elliot scooped her up off the floor, lifting her into his arms.

Deborah walked up to Elliot and Alina, offering to try and take her back, but Alina clung to Elliot. He carried her to Cragen's office and motioned for Deborah to follow. Cragen opened the door for them, but then walked back into the bullpen waiting for word on Kaleb.

A moment later Olivia's cell phone rang. "Benson… Oh hey, Fin."

"Hey, Liv. Kaleb's really upset. Won't go back in there."

"Did he say what bothered him?"

"Nope. Not talking," he replied. "But you noticed that it happened when Darnell walked in, right?"

"Yes, but I don't think Darnell's the one he's worried about," she said. "I'll call you back, Fin."

She hung up and turned to Darnell. "Do you have a recent picture of your cousin?" They had a few pictures from his Canadian file and his Canadian passport, most of which was at least from eight years ago or earlier. They were in the process of trying to track down something more recent.

"Not on me."

"Describe him," Munch requested, as he stepped closer. Cragen also listened in.

"About my height and has a couple more pounds than me. His hair is shorter, about the same color. Fair skin, blue eyes. He's older. People do tend to say that we look alike," he answered, with a shrug.

x x x

"What's wrong?" Elliot asked the frightened little girl. He set her down. "Can you talk to me? I might be able to help," he offered, as he squatted down to make eye contact with her.

She swiped her arm across her nose and continued to ignore her babysitter, who stood at Elliot's side trying to console her.

Alina kept her eyes on Elliot. "He scared me!" she replied with a sniffle.

"Who scared you?"

"Ka-lub!"

"When he screamed, he scared you?"

"Yeah." She sniffled again. Her crying was just starting to subside a bit.

He nodded. "Is that why you're upset?"

"Uh-huh."

"So, nothing else is bothering you?"

Alina lowered her head and looked at her feet for a moment. "Don't like new shoes," she replied quietly with a pout.

Elliot glanced at Cragen and Huang as they walked into the room, then turned back to Alina. "Could you wait with Miss Miller for a minute?"

She nodded.

Elliot stood, and then he, Cragen and Huang walked back out of the office.

"Well… She doesn't seem bothered by Darnell like Kaleb was," Elliot stated. "Just got upset because Kaleb screamed," he reported to them.

There had been no conclusive evidence in her exam to suggest that she was sexually abused They did, however find some scratches and marks on her face and arms, and there was significant bruising on her arms and legs where the perp may have grabbed her forcefully, either while abducting her or to restrain her.

At this stage, they were hoping she might even remember something about the abductors. Thus far, she hadn't.

Cragen nodded. "Where do you want to begin, Doc? Alina or Kaleb?" he asked.

"Kaleb," he replied. "We'd better see what he's just remembered."

x x x

~Past~

Day of the storm

South Street Seaport

The water was rising. She had to get out of there.

Something had clung to her injured foot, a piece of garbage likely, making it harder for her to climb each step. It was bad enough that the steps were coated in something slick.

She could never accept the feeling of helplessness very well, but that was the gist of it. She was stuck.

Unable to move up. Unable to keep her balance. Unable to save herself.

Stuck.

And where was Elliot? Had something happened to him?

So this was it. This was their fate.

They wouldn't be shot in the line of duty. There wouldn't be some sick pedophile like Gitano with a gun to her partner's head and absolutely no hesitancy toward killing the two of them.

No. They were going down at the hand of Mother Nature. No hope for Alina and the other children. No hope for any of them.

The more time that passed, the harder it was to remain standing in that stairwell.

So really…what was the point? She considered. One slip and that would be it.

The pain in her head, the deep muscle ache she had felt throughout the day, the searing pain in her foot were too much. Just let go.

And then she heard him…

Elliot.

She strained to hear him again. Because she needed him. Really needed him. But not to save her, just to have him close by.

Then she would have her fight back. Then they'd be able to survive this.

There it was again. All she could hear were the last two syllables of her name, but it was definitely him. He was looking for her.

Feeling the air enter her lungs again, she fought her way up the stairs, tightening her jaw as she endured the pain in her foot until she reached the landing between the first and second parking levels. He had sounded close. She'd try the second level.

Right about then, there came a surge. More debris littered her path to the second floor.

The upside was that as the larger pieces settled in and took up space, it temporarily slowed the water flow, gave her places to rest and to find her footing, and this kept her from having to fight the current as much.

The downside was that she couldn't see what was coming toward her.

x x x

~Past~

3 days after the storm

The Liberty Hotel – South Street Seaport

"Liv?" he called to her as he returned to the room. They had had to settle in another suite at the same hotel on the third floor. It was hard to get around no matter where they went, but certain hazards were worse in some places more than others.

There were a few rooms with fireplaces so he had gathered some cardboard and paper that would help with building a fire once it had dried a bit more. It wasn't much but it was all he could find and they needed to start a fire some nights to keep warm. He set them on the table and went over to her.

He gently brushed the strands of hair away from her face as she lay there sleeping on top of the mattress. It wasn't often that either of them could fall asleep out here.

He kept an eye on her because although there was nowhere to go for medical help, he could at least watch her vitals and respond with CPR. A few times her temperature had spiked and she'd have cold sweats.

This was one of the times when her temperature was running low. He laid down behind her, pulled the blankets up to her chin and then wrapped his arm around her.

He'd dozed off periodically, comforted whenever she was neither shaking, nor awake and gripped with pain.

When she'd wake up suddenly, it was usually the nausea that had prompted it. She'd mostly dry heave and then lay there grimacing.

Olivia didn't cry very often, but she did tear up when something was simply unbearable. He couldn't do much for her, and it killed him. But he'd hold her until she would start to settle down, exhaustion would take over and she'd drift back to sleep.

She was getting sicker. As time dragged on it began to feel less and less like Olivia was there.

He was losing her.

They didn't have much time.

x x x

~Present~

4:30pm, December 16, 2008

SVU

Olivia glanced up from her paperwork as Darnell walked up. He carried two cups of coffee and had a paper bag cradled in his arms. He put one coffee cup down on her desk.

"Oh thanks, Darnell," she said appreciatively.

"No problem," he replied, pausing at Elliot's desk. "Didn't know how you liked yours, so—" he removed two packs of sugar and a stir from the bag, tossed them on the desk, and then handed her the bag, "I grabbed some of everything."

"The pain medication I'm on really slows me down. Probably shouldn't keep pouring coffee in, but—"

"It beats sitting at home sleeping off the physical therapy treatment," he said, finishing her sentence as he added the sugar to his coffee and stirred it.

"Exactly," she agreed with a smile. She'd just returned from her physical therapy appointment that afternoon and couldn't stay home while the case was finally making headway. She had also had enough of listening to the post-storm repairs to her building.

Darnell had returned to provide some requested documents and information for SVU. He then opted to wait for his boss, Molan to come in and answer some questions about Nate. Olivia was going to conduct the interview. Afterward, Molan had offered to bring Darnell back to the school so he could get his car.

Elliot and Munch had been called out on a new rape case.

Alina and Kaleb sat side by side at Fin's desk drawing on some scrap paper. Every few minutes, they'd show each other what they had and the other one would giggle.

The kids were finally done with Dr. Huang's questions, and were waiting while Dr. Huang, Fin and Cora, (Kaleb's aunt), finished their meeting. Alina's sitter had to leave briefly for an emergency, so Cora said she'd watch the kids until she returned. But for the time being, it was Olivia who had been delegated to babysitting duty. Fortunately, the kids were content with crayons and a few sheets of recycled copier paper.

Darnell perched against the side of Elliot's desk while he watched the two children interact. He was relieved once they were able to reassure Kaleb that he wasn't the one who had hurt him.

"I know it's probably not good for your case," Darnell began, "but I hope they don't remember a whole lot about what has happened," he said with a sigh. He lifted the cup to his mouth and sipped it down.

Olivia's attention shifted from the DD5 on her desk to Darnell. She understood and nodded.

He looked back at her briefly. "Sorry…I… I don't mean to distract you, I'm just… I don't know why a person would do such a thing to these kids…"

"None of us do and we've been at this for years."

He turned his head toward her. "You have any kids?"

"Nope."

He glanced over his shoulder at Elliot's desk and looked at the pictures of the Stabler children. "Well… Looks like your partner has it more than covered. How many has he got?"

Olivia chuckled. "Five. And they're great kids." She lifted her cup and took a sip. "I helped deliver the last one, but that's um…another story."

He smiled. "Not surprised. You two seem close." Darnell finished off his coffee, tossed the empty cup into the trashcan, and walked over to Alina and Kaleb. He perched on the side of the desk and the children each showed him their drawings.

When Olivia started to get out of her chair to greet a visitor, Darnell looked up. As he followed her gaze, he expected to see his boss, who should be arriving at any minute.

It was someone he hadn't expected… Moriah.

Great, he thought. If she asks why I'm here, am I supposed to just tell her that the cops are after my cousin? These are her students! Honestly, he had hoped there was some other explanation and that Nate wasn't somehow directly responsible for this.

As much as he liked to see her, he suddenly wanted to crawl underneath the closest desk.

"Detective Benson," she greeted. She saw the detective getting up slowly to walk over there and spotted the cane propped against the desk. Moriah moved quickly to shorten the distance so Olivia wouldn't have to walk.

"Can I help you?"

"I'm Moriah Sentik…from Tyler Elementary."

"Oh, yes…Moriah. Nice to see you again. What can I do for you?"

"I'm not sure if it's anything… I may have some news on your school case."

Olivia nodded for her to continue.

"There's a green Jeep Cherokee I've been noticing recently that is parked near the school. I saw this green Jeep just before the case, but I know a teacher who had to borrow someone's car for a few days before the storm. Didn't know what she had borrowed, so I just assumed that the Jeep was hers. Well, she's still not yet returned to New York and I'm seeing the same Jeep again. And someone's sitting inside. I don't know if it'll help, but I thought I'd mention it. Oh and it has Ontario tags, which doesn't sound like absolutely anyone I know at the school," she stated, shaking her head in confusion.

Darnell overheard. Green Jeep… Dammit He thought he was going to be sick.

Olivia's eyebrows lifted in interest. He's starting again? She pondered. "When did you last see the Jeep?"

"This morning when I got there. It was gone when I glanced out about nine o'clock."

Olivia asked a few more questions and scribbled some notes down. "We'll definitely look into it. Thanks, Moriah."

Moriah glanced to her right and saw Darnell looking in her direction. He smiled to acknowledge her, but then glanced away. When she ended her conversation with Olivia, she walked over toward him.

She smiled. "Hey, what brings you here?"

"Um… Kind of a long story," he replied, avoiding eye contact. "I guess you could say I had some information about the children's case."

She nodded.

Awkwardness set in.

She sensed something was up with him. He usually seemed happy to see her, but today he was a bit more withdrawn. She stepped closer and kept her voice quiet. "You okay, Darry?"

His eyes drifted up briefly and met hers. An awkward smile surfaced. "Yeah…"

Alina had tried to get Darnell's attention so she and Kaleb could show him their pictures they had been working on. Alina had been drawing Elliot and Olivia, and Kaleb was drawing Munch and Fin. "See you around, I guess," he told Moriah and then turned back toward the kids.

He focused his attention on the picture they were showing him, trying hard not to laugh at Kaleb's impression of Munch's hair, which was shaded in charcoal and purple. Color choices aside, they were very good drawings. Kaleb seemed to like to draw and was showing quite a talent.

"Nice job, Kaleb!"

Darnell turned his head, surprised that the comment had come from Moriah who was still behind him. "He's got a good eye," Darnell remarked as he turned back to face her.

He noticed her outstretched hand which had something tucked into the palm. His questioned gaze drifted from her hand to her eyes.

She backed away from the desks several steps and motioned for him to follow. They were about to the door when she turned back. "I'm not very good at this," she began quietly.

"Good at what?"

"Well… I was thinking…that we should… have coffee….or maybe dinner…sometime?" She wasn't sure where the 'dinner' suggestion popped up. It was supposed to just be coffee. Maybe wishful thinking.

Darnell grinned. And then he did his best to stop grinning. But hell, it was useless so he lowered his head, trying not to make eye contact. "I'm not very good at that either," he admitted. "Sure. Dinner sounds great." He accepted the piece of paper in her palm, which had her cell phone number. "Call you later?"

"Great," she replied. She took a few steps back, keeping her gaze on him. Finally, she thought. But of all places…the police station? God, she must look desperate, she berated herself. Well she hadn't wanted to ask him on school grounds, so it had to wait. But then she got tired of waiting.

She backed a few more steps until she bumped into Elliot, John and Molan at the door. Molan had met the two detectives at the security desk. "Sorry," Moriah apologized to the men. Embarrassed, she quickly excused herself and headed out of SVU.

Elliot glanced at his partner in confusion.

She smirked. I'll explain later.

Darnell lowered his head. Finally, he thought. Now he couldn't wait to call her. He still didn't know what to say, if or when his reasons for being at SVU were brought up. Well, if it came up, he'd be honest. He really liked her. He'd have to hope that was enough.

Then he noticed Molan standing behind the two detectives. "Hey, boss," he greeted.

Molan, who remained a few steps behind the two detectives gave a slight nod back.

Alina's eyes drifted up from the picture she had drawn of Elliot and Olivia to the door where the three men stood.

Then she saw him.

The bad one.

As she did, she dropped her crayon and started to cry. "Noooooo!"

Elliot immediately moved toward the little girl.

Kaleb leaned closer to his friend and put his hand on her shoulder. "What's wrong, 'Lina?"

She allowed Kaleb to console her and looked up as the familiar detective and the other tall man with the funny name approached. Munchkin? She forgot what he called himself. Didn't sound right because he seemed too tall to be a munchkin.

But at least the bad one wasn't in her line of sight.

Olivia and Darnell had both noticed at the same time…

Molan was gone.

x x x

~Past~

Four days after the storm

South Street Seaport – Lower Manhattan, NY

Elliot awoke with a start. There were helicopters overhead. He would have dismissed them as news copters collecting more post-storm footage, but moments later he heard voices. Someone was calling for them.

It was Fin…

He didn't think he'd ever been happier to hear his fellow detective in his entire life.

Elliot got up and shouted toward the hallway, "FIN!"

Upon hearing him, Fin and the EMTs struggled to get around the mess of broken beams, dry wall and garbage covering the hallway floors, to reach their room. Some areas required about as much climbing as a kid's jungle gym.

"Hey, guys," Fin greeted, as he entered the room. He turned and gestured to someone out in the hallway and then turned back. "How are you two holding up?"

Elliot immediately started toward Olivia. "We've got to get her to a hospital, Fin. She's not doing well." He went to lift her into his arms.

"I've got her," Fin stated as he stepped in and took over. "Heard you caught a post with your arm. Shouldn't be doing no lifting, man."

"Right," he replied. He had already stopped thinking about his arm when it came to her needs.

They were hurried out of there and taken into a helicopter. That's when he noticed more emergency helicopters in the area. Good. They weren't the only ones being rescued. If they were in better shape, he'd be out there doing his job and helping the public rather than standing by and feeling helpless.

They lifted Olivia into the medic copter, put an oxygen mask on her and started fluids going for the both of them.

The blades of the chopper had started to spin and Elliot glanced down at Olivia, realizing that he'd been holding her hand since they got in. Fin might have noticed, but he didn't say anything. "Place is a dump," he said disheartened, as he gazed through the chopper's windows at the immediate surroundings.

Elliot sighed. He'd never look at this place the same way again.

In less than 20 minutes, they were brought to a hospital in New Jersey.

x x x

~Present~

5:15pm, December 16, 2008

SVU

Olivia grabbed the desk phone and called security. She gave Molan's description and asked that they stop him from leaving the building.

A few hours later they had Molan in custody. They also had a positive ID from Alina.

With the children's DNA evidence found at Molan's residence, he was formally charged with five counts of kidnapping, and later charged with sexual abuse of the four boys.

That night, the border police stopped Nate from returning to Canada and they impounded his green Jeep. He confessed to three counts of kidnapping and was later found guilty in the murders of Fraco Diaz and Trinetta Guthrie. Kaleb was the only one to have escaped.

The four boys were left in an abandoned warehouse in Teaneck, New Jersey, and had been brought there by Nate. They had survived days of sexual and physical abuse and then neglect, which resulted in severe dehydration and malnutrition. Molan had occasionally thought to bring them food, but he didn't hesitate to collect what he wanted from them once again.

Both Nate and Molan had been able to walk into and out of the school grounds without anyone becoming suspicious.

Not the teachers or even the other students.

Because they didn't show up on the same days. They worked alone. The children trusted them and went with them.

And they would have continued.

If the storms had done one positive thing for the city, it was to slow the two kidnappers down.

x x x

"Lots of people died in the storm and these two had to survive," Fin said in a huff later, as the four gathered in the bullpen to complete their paperwork.

"Glad we were able to find the boys," Olivia said.

"True," he agreed.

"So who left Alina in the garage?" Fin inquired.

"You mean who wrote the note, made the 9-1-1 call and sent Benson and Stabler out into the storm?" Munch clarified.

"Yeah."

John glanced up from his computer and held out the note which Olivia had recovered in the garage.

She's in the staircase, Detective.

I didn't kill her, but I won't promise she'll survive.

- A servant of the storm.

"Molan," he replied. "At least he had the conscience to try and get help for the little girl," John said. "If you ignore the fact that he left her out there to die."

"Not sure I'd call that a conscience," Elliot remarked. "But I'm glad we found her in time."

"And he thought he was being clever but get this… The name Molan means servant of the storm."

x x x

~Past~

7 days after the storm

Cape May, NJ

"Aaahhhhh… Dammit!"

Elliot knocked on the closed bathroom door. "You okay?"

Silence. He knocked again after a minute. "Liv?"

"It's fine. Just—"

"Just what?"

"Slipped."

"You need help?"

"I'm—." She sucked in a breath loud enough for him to hear through the door.

"Liv?"

"— fine."

He stood by the door for another minute or two.

"Dammit!" She gasped.

"Liv?" He heard another sharp intake of air. "Liv, I'm coming in." He opened the door, and walked into the bathroom, keeping his gaze toward the floor.

Although still in some pain, she grinned when she saw him. "El, you can look. I haven't got anything you haven't seen before."

He hadn't seen her completely nude before. Although she didn't have much on while he was trying to prevent her from catching hypothermia after he had gotten her out of the garage.

He blushed. "I know. I'm just…trying to respect your privacy."

She nodded.

The bathroom was rather large with a shower stall in the corner and a Jacuzzi tub that took up most of the rest of the space. The sink, vanity area and the toilet were further back beyond the shower.

The tub could probably fit six to eight people. Olivia had sunk down into the water and had turned sideways on the seat. Her casted foot was wrapped in plastic and taped, and propped up on the top step of the three small steps going down into the tub. Fortunately, she appeared rather comfortable aside from maybe trying to get out. He assumed that this might have been what caused her to slip.

"Thought you were going to take a shower?"

"Didn't feel like trying to balance on one foot," she replied.

Elliot smiled. "Listen, why don't you turn the jets on? Relax a little. You don't have to rush. And by the way, ask for help when you're ready to get out."

She thought for a minute, then nodded and reached over to the side of the tub to turn on the jets. The motors started up and the water bubbles surged for the surface.

She realized then that he was staring at her and she felt a bit awkward. She was sitting there nude and with a cast. For some reason, it didn't exactly scream 'sexy' from her perspective.

But it was clearly was having a different sort of effect on him.

And that in turn, was getting to her. Unable to resist, she flirted back. "Well, are you going to just stand there or do you want to umm…join me?"

He couldn't refuse, of course. A few minutes later he had slipped into the tub beside her. His injured arm now wrapped in the same plastic bags, wrap and tape that she wore over her foot cast.

He wrapped his uninjured arm around her and shifted closer, and then leaned in to kiss her slowly.

She paused for a breath. "So….how do you want to do this?"

"Do what?"

She gazed at his lap and then back up to his eyes without saying a word.

Elliot smirked. "Not when you're injured and in pain, Liv. That can wait."

They hadn't had many opportunities to be together in any intimate sense ever since they discovered their attraction for each other. And it wasn't long after this discovery that Olivia's condition had worsened.

But here they were. Alone. A great beach house to themselves. At least two weeks before Elliot's cousin returned home. Longer than that before they could safely return to New York and their jobs.

And they had somehow survived a storm that hundreds of their fellow New Yorkers had perished in.

They were lucky to be alive.

Sure, her cast would be on for another six to eight weeks. The pain killers worked okay as long as she didn't bump the cast or try to flex certain muscles in her leg.

She had some aches and pains.

But she also ached for this man.

Honesty, there wasn't much they could do in that tub when both of them were unable to get their casts wet. Even with the plastic wrap that was as close to waterproof as they could get, they risked someone slipping. She was still hurting from the last time she had slipped.

But pain rarely stopped her. She was determined. "I'm game if you are," she replied suggestively.

It sounded like a challenge. And of course, he couldn't back down.

He nodded and she gestured for him to switch to the other side of her. Elliot complied, then turned to face her. Olivia sat up and he carefully positioned himself so that he was almost straddling her, but made sure she was still comfortable.

He gazed at her in admiration. "You're crazy."

"Yes, but you already knew that."

"True," he replied, leaning in to kiss her again. She parted her lips slightly after a moment, allowing him to deepen the kiss.

He reached his hand up, grazing his fingertips against the side of her cheek in a gentle caress as he continued to kiss her slowly, but hungrily.

Admittedly, there were obstacles for what they were considering. It wasn't 'the ideal first time' together that he might have wanted for them. Especially after all of the years they had spent developing these feelings. And he continued to be concerned about her comfort.

He pushed at least some of the fears aside, trusting her to tell him if it was too much and instead, he took in their surroundings as if to make a mental record of it for later. Everything from the sound of the jets that roared around them, to the feel of one jet spraying into his left hip (it was getting uncomfortable but nothing would remove him from that spot); from the feel of the wet strands of Olivia's hair between his fingers, to the way it felt as the outside of his bare leg pressed against the inside of her thigh.

He paused briefly, continuing to caress her cheek. "You okay?" he asked her softly.

"Yes," she responded breathlessly.

"You sure…this is okay?" He had to be sure.

She nodded.

Elliot moved closer in his half-kneeling and half-standing pose, never taking his gaze from hers as he guided himself inside of her for the first time.

He didn't dare move. He wasn't coming. At least not yet. God, he hoped he could last.

But this was indescribable. Just being inside of her. No one made him feel like this.

"Still okay?"

She nodded, continuing that beautiful, lustful gaze of hers. This look from her. This want. This longing. All for him.

Unbelievable.

He shifted back and re-entered her again, slowly and completely.

She gasped. Saying his name on her next breath. He couldn't stop himself from re-entering her again. And again. And again. Just to watch those brown eyes deepening… Darkening.

There was a haze of water, steam and an echo of gasps in that room as they surrendered to this.

There was nothing else.

Forget the obstacles, he was wrong. This was ideal. Perfect. All he needed was her.

The sounds and sensations around them soon faded out while they remained focused on reaching the edge and going over it together.

He quickened the pace, pushing in and out of her, while his mind centered on all of the ways he loved her.

He wrapped his casted arm behind her, not even thinking about the water splashing up against it and whether or not he had the wrap protecting enough of the cast, because it didn't matter. He could only think about holding her as close as possible.

Their lips met frantically, as they touched, tasted and savored each other.

Olivia pulled him tightly against her as her release arrived. She came hard, his name escaping her lips and echoing in the steam-filled bathroom.

Elliot's release followed. He kissed her gently, and then held on as he caught his breath and waited for his heartbeat to return to somewhat of a normal pace.

They didn't move for a while. Even though he thought he might be causing her leg to cramp up, she insisted he stay put. The water had gotten cold but it didn't much matter, either.

After some time had passed and they were finally ready, he got out of the tub first and then assisted her out.

She sat down on the side of the tub facing out and toweled off.

After he grabbed two more towels from the hall closet, he walked over to where she sat and squatted down in front of her. He offered to take her towel and finish drying her off.

As independent as she is when she accepted, admittedly, he flushed, his heart starting to beat a little faster. As he finished he pulled her closer and planted a chaste kiss on her lips.

Then he noticed her eyes. The discomfort from the injury was showing and she was probably overtired at this point.

After he dried himself off, he left their clothes in the bathroom and helped her into the living room. Elliot settled back on the couch and guided her onto the couch in front of him. He used the spare towel to dry the excess water from her hair.

Next, he grabbed the blanket on the back of the couch and draped it over them. She turned over and settled into his arms, falling into a deep sleep within minutes.

x x x

~Present~

3:00pm, December 19, 2008

Office of Captain Don Cragen

He has had his suspicions about his two detectives in the past.

But lately something's been different.

Others had even taken notice. Around the station, gossip has picked up. He even received a subtle reminder from IAB about fraternization.

But nothing had been proven. As far as he was concerned, there were only rumors.

So before he went off the deep end and started reminding them about the rules, he had to confirm.

At least he knew where he could get a straight answer.

Cragen glanced up briefly when the door opened.

Munch and Fin step inside. "You wanted to see us, Cap?" Fin asked.

"Yeah. Close the door," he ordered.

Munch complied and then walked up to stand beside his partner. "What's this about?"

"Benson and Stabler…I'm going to be blunt. Is there something going on between them?" Cragen asked directly.

Fin and Munch exchanged a nervous glance but neither one spoke up.

"I'll take that as a yes," he stated. "Okay, send them in."

A brief moment passed. Neither Fin nor Munch made a move to go.

"Detectives, go," Cragen ordered.

"Captain, wait," Fin spoke up.

"What is it, Fin?" he asked. He picked up a pen that lay on his desk and began rolling it between his two pressed palms.

"Don't—," he began nervously.

"Don't what?" he asked irritated.

"Please let this go," Munch requested.

The pen dropped from between his palms, he lowered his head and reached a hand up to rub at the tension in the back of his neck. He let out a sigh and lifted his head once again. "Okay I'm listening. Tell me why I should let this go."

"Because, I think it's actually made them work out their issues," Munch answered. "They still have differences of opinion, but they seem to be working together better. I really haven't noticed them fighting like before," Munch answered.

"Yeah Captain," Fin agreed. "That's just it. Elliot's still Elliot, but he's much calmer now and a hell of a lot easier to work with."

Cragen was quiet for a moment. "Send them in."

Munch and Fin left. A few minutes later, Elliot and Olivia walked in and waited nervously. Cragen got up out of his chair and paced for a minute before coming to rest at a spot in front of his desk. He leaned against the desk and folded his arms without making eye contact.

He didn't acknowledge their presence immediately.

"What's up, Captain?" Liv finally asked.

He looked up, glancing between the two of them. "So how long has this thing between you two been going on?"

"Captain, listen I-," Elliot began.

"No, Elliot," he snapped, "you listen. You have each tested me and although I've been nervous about you two working together in the past, I've allowed this to continue." He paused and glanced away for several minutes as he collected his thoughts. It only added to the tension in the room.

Of course, while rules are rules, he knew of at least four other relationships in the NYPD; two of which were between partners. Brass knew about it and as far as he had heard, nothing had really changed.

As a captain, addressing partner-related matters is one of the more frustrating tasks. There's often a power struggle, particularly in the beginning, and sometimes the two don't ever work through their difficulties. He'd really rather have two that got along, even if they weren't exceptional detectives than have two that constantly fought.

Of course, Elliot and Olivia have also had their share of disputes over the years.

From all of the years of working with these two, he expected that if they ever got involved, the fights would pick up and the jealousy from Elliot would escalate anytime someone would pay Olivia any extra attention.

Then again, maybe Munch and Fin had a point. He'd have to watch Stabler and Benson closely, but if the two can work together equitably, keep private issues out of work and remain effective, then what's it to him.

He still had to let them know that others, particularly the IAB, are watching.

After a prolonged silence, Elliot and Olivia practically jumped when the captain spoke up again. "I don't want any word of what has or hasn't been going on between you to be mentioned around here ever again, do you understand me? If you want to protect your own asses from IAB, you had better make damn sure no more rumors circulate."

Both nodded in compliance.

"And if something comes up; any fights, issues, or the working environment gets out of hand, one or both of you will be out of here. It's a done deal. No second chances. Consider this your only warning."

They nodded again.

When he spoke again, his voice was lower and somewhat calmer. "Your two fellow detectives out there seem to think you are both doing much better now as a team. It had better stay that way. Are we clear?"

"Yes, Captain," they each replied.

"Dismissed."

x x x

Two hours later…

McSorley's Bar, Lower Manhattan, NY

"Okay, don't keep us in suspense. What happened in Cragen's office? One of you leaving? Are we switching partners?" Fin asked after the four had met for happy hour. They sat at a table for four, each partner sitting across from one another, and waited for the server to bring their drinks.

"Everything's fine," Olivia replied. "He just wants us to keep it out of work."

John and Fin looked at the two detectives in disbelief.

"Cap's got to follow protocol. We understand," Elliot replied. "Just ignore the gossip," he added with a smirk.

"They've been gossiping about us for years, El. This is not exactly front page Ledger material," Olivia remarked.

"I know," he agreed. "And it's okay if you two know. But no one else does, okay? We're even going to have to try to throw people off. Especially IAB."

"Got it. Your secret's safe with me," Munch replied.

"We're cool," Fin said. Then he sighed. "Man… I really thought he'd be splitting us all up," he said, shaking his head in disappointment.

"I'll pretend not to be offended, partner," Munch teased Fin.

"Can't get rid of your bony-ass, can I?" he ribbed.

"Can't you just feel the love?" Munch joked. When the waitress put the drinks down, he lifted his glass to make a toast. "Cheers… To partners."

They tapped each other's glasses. "To partners."

x x x

~Future~

August 2009

Atlantic City, NJ

"What did they do? Go on You Tube and search for that last speaker? He was terrible," Elliot fussed, as they walked out of the convention hall. The night air was heavy with the scent and feel of rain approaching.

Olivia nodded in agreement. "He had the record for anecdotes."

They had been sent to attend a three-day conference, having mostly to do with the international trafficking of children, which had just wrapped up late that afternoon.

"I'm starved. You want to get some dinner?"

"Sounds good," she agreed, and they crossed the street to one of the taverns.

Over an hour later, after their dinner plates had been collected, they sat picking at the remains of an appetizer tray.

"I was thinking," Elliot began, as he finished dipping one of the hot wings into some blue cheese dressing.

"Not usually a good sign," she teased.

Elliot sneered playfully at her remark then continued. "It's Saturday night and we don't have to be back until Monday, right?"

Olivia sat back in her chair. "Well…"

"It's not our weekend to catch," he clarified.

"True."

"We could head back to the city or, I don't know, hang out and have a little fun…maybe go back tomorrow night?" he suggested.

Much to their disappointment, they had been booked for this conference in suites they had to share with other detectives. It seemed entirely too much of a coincidence that a few of the brass had rooms close by, too.

But they both knew it was due to pressure by IAB and not specifically by their captain. By this point, they knew how to be discreet and fortunately, Cragen no longer had concerns. IAB just wasn't ready to let up. Even Cragen was getting enough of the accusations toward his detectives.

Elliot glanced at his watch. "And anyway, if we left now we'd be home after midnight. With the rain they're talking about—maybe later," he added. He took out his credit card and put it on top of the check tray.

"So, you're in the mood to gamble?" They hadn't really been in the casinos over the past few days. They arrived a few hours late to the conference due to the cases they were still working. Some of the case matters were being attended to by phone during the conference whenever they weren't in sessions.

"I'm in the mood to live a little," he replied with a half-grin. "It's been a while."

Admittedly, she couldn't resist the spark in his blue eyes. "Okay, let's do it."

Moments later, they were standing at the front desk at Borgata Casino Hotel.

Getting impatient while they waited for the desk clerk to return with the card keys, Olivia's eyes panned over the lobby area. She didn't consider herself as the type of person who gambled, but the hotel was gorgeous. Besides the casino, it also had a spa, the food was highly regarded and there were other events at the hotel. She definitely wouldn't mind them spending a week here.

Of course, the first few days they probably wouldn't even need to leave the hotel room. Some alone time with Elliot was definitely in order. She'd never really been one for taking vacation days until she and Elliot had started the relationship. Obviously, it would be impossible for them to take days together. Occasionally, one day to herself is nice, but she and Elliot were in a relationship. Although they made the best of the situation, she still wanted more time for just them. This was about as close as they could get to a vacation for now.

Her eyes drifted toward the door and someone caught her eye.

Sergeant Tucker. Oh shit…

They had decided against returning to the Sheraton, where they had stayed for the conference, just in case someone from NYPD had decided to stay back as well. Made even more sense with the conference ending on a Saturday night and with the heavy rain that was expected to make the drive back a little treacherous. Conference attendees would also get an extra night to gamble if they could afford the weekend hotel rate. Lots of conferences in town that weekend. After checking a couple of places they wound up at the Borgata.

She lightly nudged Elliot, caught his eyes and casually glanced in the direction of the sergeant.

Elliot cursed under his breath, and then he looked back at her wearily.

Around that time, Tucker had spotted them.

The clerk gave Elliot the card key envelope, which he slipped into his pocket.

"Detectives… Fancy meeting you two here," he greeted them.

"Needed a few drinks after that last speaker," Elliot remarked with a chuckle. "Probably shouldn't drive."

Tucker rolled his eyes in agreement. "He was terrible."

They stepped away from the counter. "We're going to wait out the weather. We drove here together, so we decided to get a couple of rooms. And the Sheraton's full, so here we are," Olivia explained. It wasn't completely a lie. There was another convention booked at the Sheraton and the desk clerks had anticipated some late arrivals would become vacancies later. But who wanted to wait around.

"Sensible. That's my plan as well. I had booked an extra day for vacation at the Sheraton when I made my reservation a few months ago. Just checking out the Borgata," he said, as he glanced around, appreciatively. "And hey, one more day in Atlantic City won't bankrupt us."

"Not if it hasn't already," Elliot added with a half grin. "Well, since we've finally got a couple of rooms, I guess I'll go get the bags from the car. Liv? Your key? I'll bring yours up to your room." He already knew how she'd handle this.

"I need to go to the car anyway, so I'll just go with you." She turned to Tucker. "Good to see you, Sergeant."

"Likewise. Hey, are you two headed for the casino next?"

They met each other's gaze. Better play along. We'll lose him later.

"Sure, give us ten minutes," Elliot replied to the Sergeant.

"Great! I'll meet you right here."

They nodded and started for the garage.

Minutes later they left their room on the fourth floor and boarded the elevator, ready to meet up with Tucker.

The elevator door opened on the first floor and an older woman with a cocktail glass in hand, waited to get on the elevator as they were attempting to exit. Her head was turned while she continued conversing with someone to her left.

Without looking, the woman stepped onto the elevator and ran into Olivia, who had nowhere to go to avoid her. The woman's beverage spilled on Olivia's clothes.

The woman looked at her, feeling humiliated. "Gosh. I'm awfully sorry, honey."

Olivia stepped off the elevator to allow others to get on or off.

The woman bent over and picked up her empty glass. "I'm such a klutz. Can't believe I wasn't looking. Here, I'll go get you some towels, dear."

"That's okay, I'll go change. Been stuck in these clothes all day, anyway," Olivia replied with a smile.

"It's just a little scotch and soda," the woman said almost guiltily. Probably not the smartest move to be carrying an open glass of alcohol outside the bar. The woman apparently knew this. "Again, I'm so sorry."

Elliot glanced over and spotted Tucker. "I'll go wait with him," he informed her.

She nodded and caught the next elevator.

A minute later she was back in their room trying to decide what to put on. There was a black dress that she brought but hadn't worn yet. It's sleeveless and appropriate for the conference if she wore the jacket that goes with it. Without the jacket, it looked more like something she'd wear out on a date. The jacket was now drying from its scotch and soda bath.

She put on the dress, fixed her hair, dabbed on a hint of perfume and was back downstairs moments later.

Elliot looked her up and down, biting his lip. Where have you been hiding that dress?

Olivia waited until Tucker glanced down at his watch to toss Elliot a playful grin.

Tucker looked up. "You two ready to go?"

They nodded and the three headed toward the casino.

x x x

At twenty minutes until ten o'clock, Jeff felt the light tap on his shoulder. He nodded to his replacement, finished the round, thanked the blackjack players and then wandered toward the bar. He heard the band more loudly as he entered the area where they performed for the casino patrons. They were good. Mostly played covers from blues or classic rock bands.

"Free at last," the bartender commented when Jeff walked up and sat down at a barstool. He put a coaster down in front of him.

Jeff nodded and grinned. "Hey, Jackson. Yeah, something like that. Can I get some coffee?"

He grabbed a mug from the dry rack. "Sure. Decaf?"

He nodded again.

Jackson set the coffee mug in front of him, took three more drink orders and then came back. "You heard the latest about that storm?"

Jeff took a sip of his coffee, lowered the mug and looked back at his friend. "You talking about that dying hurricane that's supposed to give us two inches of rain and a very slow weekend?" he said dryly.

Jackson walked a few paces away, picked up a credit card from a patron, and closed out a tab. "Okay… I guess you haven't heard."

"Just worked a double," he explained as a yawn escaped. "All I know is that I have twelve hours before I have to tap in again, I need at least six hours of sleep and the ex is pissed because it was my weekend with the kids and I got stuck working. Be lucky if I can escape the weekend without her calling or showing up at my house."

"Storm's not done yet. They're closing some of the side roads," Jackson informed him.

"Might keep my ex-wife out. Maybe…?" he pondered as he laughed.

Kim, one of the waitresses had overheard their conversation as she walked up with a tray of empty glasses and sat them on the bar. "Two roofs collapsed in Maryland. Six people were trapped and at least two are dead. Storm's supposed to be here in a few hours," she reported.

Jeff nodded. "Lovely," he remarked sarcastically. He finished the rest of his coffee, dropped a few bills on the bar and stood up.

Jackson picked up the cash in one hand and reached out to shake his hand. "Later, man. Hope the ex stays away."

Jeff shook his hand. "Later. Try not to get blown away," he smirked.

He turned away from the bar and smiled politely to the three people walking in together. Two men and a very attractive woman in a black dress. Oh my God, she's hot, he thought to himself. He stopped to watch her until the three reached the bar where Jackson waited to serve them.

Elliot, Olivia and Tucker walked up to the bar, ordered drinks and sat for about an hour talking and laughing.

Surprising to the detectives, Tucker wasn't in his usual form that night. He was actually kind and social. Even funny at times.

When the bartender brought him his third refill, he got up from his barstool. "See you two later. I'm going to go lose some money at the craps table."

"Lose some for me while you're there," Elliot joked.

He turned toward Elliot and raised his glass in a gesture of cheers. "Will do," he replied with a grin, and then turned back around and continued toward the craps tables, which were maybe thirty feet from the bar.

They both watched him walk away. "Who was that man and what did he do with Sergeant Tucker?" Elliot joked.

She shook her head in disbelief. Regardless of how much he had had to drink or his kinder than usual demeanor that night, they still proceeded cautiously.

They already had a routine and it was good enough to be believable. They trusted each other and could get by with flirting with other people just for show if they needed to.

Sometimes, Olivia would call a friend and make it appear as though they were arranging a date or she'd just have a suggestive conversation to whomever was on the other end. Usually it was Casey, and she was great at playing back. Of course, she and Casey tended to crack each other up until they were in tears, whenever Olivia was really supposed to be play-acting.

Grateful to have the reprieve, Elliot leaned closer to Olivia and wrapped his arms around her, keeping an eye on Tucker to make sure he wasn't about to look in their direction. "God, you're gorgeous in that dress. Let's get out of here. He'll be busy, he won't miss us," he whispered into her ear and then he kissed her softly just below her lobe.

She shivered at the contact. "J-just a little longer," she suggested, noticing that he hadn't yet found a table. She didn't know what kind of gambler he was, but she wouldn't be too surprised if he gave up early and came back to the bar.

Elliot tossed some bills on the counter to cover their drinks. "Okay, let's go play some poker." He looked her over from head to toe. "Because if I don't do something with my hands soon, you'll probably have to toss a drink at me so I can go back and umm...change."

She smirked at his remark and then stood up to follow. "Okay, got it."

Elliot found a spot an open spot at a Texas hold-em table and Olivia waited for another spot at that same table to open. It took four rounds before someone else finally walked away and she took their spot.

Losing or winning, everyone at the table seemed to be having fun.

Olivia had won over $400 and then called it quits. Someone took her spot at the table.

"Come stand beside me, sweetheart. You're good luck," an older gentleman already seated at the table had said as she collected her chips.

His name was Simon, which instantly made her think of her brother. He was probably in his 70s, very sweet and pleasant to everyone even though he was down more than a few hundred dollars. Simon was sort of the lovable grandpa type. Even liked to tell stories. He bought her a drink and she stood beside him. Her right hand rested on Elliot's left shoulder. There was one person seated between Elliot and this older man.

Simon won the next hand. "See what I mean? You stay right here, Miss America."

She looked at him quizzically. "Miss America?"

"You didn't just walk out of a beauty pageant?"

She laughed. "Hardly."

He looked her up and down and then laughed. "Well, you coulda fooled me!"

Elliot quit a few hands later when he was up by $150. "Ready, Miss America?" he teased her.

She smirked at his comment. "Sure."

"Night everyone," Elliot said to the group.

"Awww… You've gotta go?" Simon whined as he saw her start to leave. "Ask your husband if you can stay a little longer. I'm about to break even!"

She flushed a little at the assumption that she and Elliot were married. "We've really got go, Simon. It's been a lot of fun," she smiled.

"It certainly has," he smiled back. "Okay then. You two have a great evening!"

They definitely needed to get out of there. She wasn't sure if she could last another hour of Elliot making suggestive glances at her, whenever their eyes happen to meet. He was way too good at it. She had to admit, she loved dressing like this for him. It was easier when they weren't at work.

They walked through the casino until they reached the front and cashed in their chips. Their eyes scanned as they walked. Not a sign of Tucker. He was either in the men's room or had quit and left.

x x x

They arrived at their hotel suite a few minutes later. Olivia walked in, kicked her heels off and sat them next to her belongings.

She took a few steps further into the room, and just after she had taken out her earrings, removed her necklace and set them on the dresser, Elliot grabbed her from behind. "Hey, Miss America," he said as he began trailing kisses along her neck.

Olivia closed her eyes. Privacy at last, she thought, wrapping her arms around his and reveling in his touch.

It really had been a while since they could be together like this. They hadn't seen much of each other since two weeks before the conference. Olivia worked with the feds on the last case and Elliot had caught a rather complicated case with Munch. It was just the way things had worked out.

She took in his scent and the feel of his warm breaths against her neck as he tenderly nipped and kissed at her skin. "I love this dress on you, by the way," he said as he unzipped it and slipped the black straps over her shoulder. The dress slid off of her and fell to the floor, leaving her with nothing on except for her panties. "I love it off of you, too."

She turned to face him and their lips met more urgently as he lowered them both onto the bed.

He rolled onto his back and pulled her almost nude body over him. Aside from having his jacket and shoes off, he remained fully clothed.

As she started to loosen his tie and unbutton his shirt, he reached for the panties and began pulling them off.

She quickly reached down to halt his movements. They both seemed to love to do this battle for control. Not that she could ever complain whenever he took over. The man was unbelievable in his exploration of her body.

But she wasn't ready to surrender to him just yet. "Not so fast. Either you take everything off El, or I put something else back on."

"Okay, Liv. Do I get to choose what you put on?" he smirked.

She laughed because she quickly realized what he was about to suggest before he even said it.

He continued without skipping a beat. "…Because I think the heels would be enough."

She arched an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yeah."

"The panties and the heels…for all of that?" she gestured at his outfit. "Nice try!"

"I thought so too," he said smugly.

She got his tie off and then knelt over him and began to pull at the buttons. "At least lose the shirt."

"Nope. The tie is off. Can't have the shirt until you put the heels on," he countered, playfully.

"The tie doesn't count," she protested, pulling the shirt open which popped the last few buttons. Elliot looked down at the torn shirt and then back at her in surprise.

"I'll get you a new one," she responded. "Now… Do you really want a new pair of pants to go with it?" Olivia's fingers hovered near his belt buckle, her expression full of mischief and determination.

Nothing turned him on more than Olivia being…well, Olivia. He stared at her in disbelief for a few more seconds before he pulled her tightly against him, their lips meeting again with a renewed sense of fury.

Playfulness aside, they had a difficult time ignoring the heat that had built up that night. She lifted herself away from him slightly to allow her hands room to roam over his chest. His skin radiated with the warmth she could never get enough of.

He took the opportunity to pull the seam of her panties away from her body and ended their kiss briefly to speak. "Hey, how about a new pair of panties?" he teased.

She ignored him and grabbed for his belt buckle again. Then she rolled away from his grasp, causing him to lose his grip on the tiny seam of her panties. She wrestled him, quickly managing to free him from his pants.

Officially beaten, he reached down and removed his socks. "How did you do that?" he snickered, noting that she still had on the black panties and he was completely nude.

She smirked. "You know me. Do you even have to ask?"

Elliot shook his head. "Get over here," he urged.

She grinned proudly, inching closer on her knees until they met in the middle of the king-sized mattress.

Their hands grabbed for each other first and the kiss began slowly and softly, allowing the heat to build up gradually once again. She savored the softness of his lips as they caressed hers, nearly stealing her breath in the process.

His lips parted after a while, inviting her to deepen the kiss. When she did, he sat down, freeing his hands to pull her completely into his arms.

As much as she wanted to seduce this man, as much as she wanted to quit fighting the tension in her body that he was responsible for.

She positively loved their sex life.

She expected that they'd be all about the heat. And they certainly had that. But there was more.

As a lover, Elliot was just as commanding, demanding, hot, unpredictable and lustful, as he was sweet, tender and romantic. Sometimes all at once, and in the beginning of their relationship it took hours for her body as well as her head to recover from it all.

But she had already let him in completely. For ten years, she had let him know her, argue with her, test her, care for her, challenge her, walk away and come back to her, believe in her, yell at her, fight for her, push her, pull her, hold her and hurt her…

Finally she let him love her. And she let herself love him back.

He brushed a few strands of her hair back

Making love with his partner has never completely reached a level of believability in his mind. She is still his partner in every way and he can't imagine his working life or his non-working life without her.

She hasn't changed and neither has he. But something inside of him was different.

Loving her, being in love, doesn't even begin to describe it. He needs her more now than he ever has before. She's the oxygen in his lungs. The blood coursing through his veins. The reason he gets up. The reason he doesn't give up. She challenges and excites him, but keeps him grounded. She always gives him stability.

She parted her lips and drew him in closer, their heartbeats falling into a familiar rhythm.

x x x

She guided him on top of her. Her insides pulsed as she felt his erection; the warmth and the hardness brushing up against her thin, silky and not to mention dampening, panties.

It wasn't just hormones; the man was like a drug. She wanted him in every possible way.

But right then, he already commanded her. She didn't want to move. It was impossible to think about taking back control while he kissed and caressed her, and his hardness continually teased at her entrance.

By now they knew each other's likes and dislikes. They knew how to provide quick relief and how to prolong gratification. The beauty of their relationship and their connection meant that they could toy with each other for hours. Often with earth shattering results.

Elliot kissed her once more, and then began a path of kisses from her chin until he reached the seam of her panties.

He hesitated once, glancing up at her with his blue eyes brilliant and full of heat. Never taking his eyes from hers, he kissed that seam, his lips touching her skin more than the material. He kissed it once more. And then again. And then he'd carefully lift it away and kiss the skin under the seam.

This was one of the ways he liked to tease her and he always made it worth her while.

Or for however long she could last when he commanded her body in this way, which was another story.

He'd slip back her panties just a little bit. Then he'd kiss the spot again. His tongue might slip just a little lower.

Oh, but not there. Not just yet.

He'd lower the panties just a little further, and then a little further.

Then he'd explore. Just love her. Just taste her. Just a little bit at a time. She couldn't make him stop. She wouldn't. It was all tantalizing.

The panties would slip a little at a time until he had them off of her completely.

No one else could make her feel like this. She'd rarely ever let a man have this kind of control over her. But besides everything else they had together, Elliot just had a gift. She couldn't resist him.

He knew that he had her too, the sneaky sonofabitch.

Moments ago she just wanted to jump him. Forget foreplay, just go at it. Then maybe next hit the shower, because that was becoming a favorite spot of theirs. But she was at his mercy.

She dug her fingernails into his shoulders as he finally pressed his tongue against the spot that was begging for release.

She came hard, gasping and calling out his name as the pulsing sensation took hold of her body.

Before she had completely settled down from the high, she shifted and turned to face the headboard. She knelt, Elliot approached her from the back, pressing up against her entrance and she guided him in.

Still reeling from her last orgasm, she gasped as he entered her, her muscles contracting and releasing around him.

Geez, she could come again at any second.

His hands caressed and explored her skin, while he kissed, licked and bit teasingly at the tender skin along her neck and her shoulders.

She'd be damned if the man hadn't figured out a way to turn every cell in her body on and then simultaneously have it all come apart at his touch. It was simply his effect on her and he insisted that she did the same for him.

He shifted and re-entered her again. While buried deep inside of her, he guided them both down onto the mattress. Olivia was about half lying down, while Elliot held her hips, as he began thrusting in and out of her.

He was getting her worked up and nearing the edge once again as he continued, setting a teasingly, gradual pace. His hands were working overtime, gliding over her chest, paying attention to her breasts and nipples while his attention to her neck and shoulder was just about to drive her insane.

Eventually, he'd picked up the pace, ceasing the attention to her neck briefly and holding her at a slightly different angle so that he could thrust even deeper inside of her.

The headboard was hitting the wall. Neither of them cared.

His fingers slid their way down the thin layer of perspiration on her skin until he reached the tiny bundle of nerves that was buzzing with anticipation. She held on, fighting the urge she knew was so close.

She knew he'd hold out as long as he could. She also knew how to make hers wait.

Such efforts had completely incredible results.

Then they were ready. Elliot held her even closer and tighter, nearly biting down on her shoulder as he came hard. Olivia was right there with him. Their bodies pressed so tightly they were shaking from the orgasm as he emptied himself inside of her.

Mostly exhausted afterward, they lay mostly collapsed, entangled in one another on the bed with Olivia sandwiched between the drenched comforter and Elliot's warm, sweat-glistening body.

After about thirty minutes where neither one of them could even move, Elliot finally shifted over and sat up.

"Shower?" he suggested.

She agreed. He took her hand, helping her out of bed and they walked toward the bathroom.

They finished washing up, toweled off and got into bed. He pulled her into his arms and they were fast asleep within minutes.

x x x

At a little after 2:00am, Olivia and Elliot walked hand and hand down the dark hallway to the stairwell.

Minutes ago, the power in the hotel had gone out. It was the wind gusts that had awoken them.

The storm hit shortly after they had dozed off. Unable to get any information on the situation, they dressed quickly and then started for the front lobby of the hotel.

The desk agent was only able to tell them that the entire hotel was out and they were working on the emergency lights. They also received the latest news about the storm. It was still a hurricane and it was headed north, but it was also starting to weaken.

They were told that the casino, which was down a long corridor from the hotel, still had power.

Now unable to sleep and thinking that a drink was in order, they headed for the casino bar.

Upon entering they discovered the casino too had just lost power.

They thought they could at least get a beer and wait for some news but it was complete chaos in there. Several more security guards soon began entering the casino with flashlights, running past the two detectives at a rapid pace.

They readied themselves to help if needed.

As they reached the casino floor Elliot and Olivia heard the muffled gasps from confused casino patrons.

A loud speaker came on. "Attention all casino patrons. Please stay where you are until we are able to activate the emergency lighting. Your cooperation will ensure your safety and the safety of other patrons. Thank you for your consideration."

"What are the chances?" Elliot asked her disbelief, as they found a spot to stand. He leaned up against one of the posts and opened his arms, and Olivia stepped into his embrace.

It would be ironic. Maybe even laughable.

Except they hadn't forgotten.

He lowered his head, kissed her cheek, and whispered into her ear. "I love you."

She kissed his cheek. "Love you too."

They were quiet for several minutes as they listened to the rain beating against the roof.

"We'll be okay," she said.

"I know. Just wondering how we're going to get back to the city tomorrow. Roads will be closed up north."

Several minutes passed. The rain and wind picked up, and pretty soon they could no longer hear the conversations of the distressed patrons around them.

She leaned closer. "You know… Maybe we'd better stay put."

In the dark, her lips found his.

Heard from a nearby radio…

x x x

"…Repeating the latest… The National Weather Service has issued a hurricane warning for the following counties in Delaware… Sussex, Kent and New Castle. And in New Jersey… Burlington, Cape May, Atlantic, and Cumberland.

Those in the warning area should seek shelter immediately…"

---

THE END

A/N... It's interesting to look back at this story now. Probably do a few things diferently. I do plan to write another storm-type story for SVU. Anyway, thanks for reading!

x x x