"What *I* would have done?" he picked up her words. "If you'd left without a word for ten years and came back out of nowhere?" he asked, defiantly. "You don't wanna know what I would have done, Olivia."

Olivia frowned. Oh this ought to be good.

"Let's hear it, Stabler." She crossed her arm.

Elliot took a moment to make sure she was steady enough for his answer. He mimicked her pose and crossed his arm as well.

"Fine." He began, "First of all, you would never have left like I did."

"Damn straight." She answered quickly, cutting him off.

He let her have her jab at him but didn't let her derail him from his speech.

"If I'd have seen you on that street, after ten years of missing you everyday," he paused and saw something flicker behind her eyes. "of being a total wreck for not seeing you or hearing your voice…and then you'd be in front of me…" his voice was strained just thinking about it. "I would have kissed you." He finished, waiting for her response.

Olivia wasn't expecting that at all. Her eyes widened and her mouth opened but no sound came out. Elliot stared at her, as serious as ever. Finally, Olivia reacted. She scoffed.

"Bullshit." Her eyes started to get teary, but Elliot wasn't sure it was out of sadness or anger or something else.

"It's true, Liv."

"No it's not." She shook her head.

"Yeah, it is." He said suborn, the fight coming back between them.

"You wouldn't have, Elliot!" The anger was back in her eyes now. "Not if I was married to a guy who'd just blown off a few minutes before."

They stared at one another, the rain was just a frizzle now but still present around them. Elliot was taken aback by her answer but realized that the situation couldn't really be reversed. He couldn't put himself in her shoes when their situation had always been so different. He had left her for his wife, his family. He had left her with nothing. How could he comprehend what she experienced, when he had never been alone and she had never had much family? Elliot exhaled, recognizing that it was much more complex than that.

"You're right." He said, the fight all gone from him. "I can't know for sure what I would have done in that moment."

On the other hand, he vaguely registered that her answer didn't refute the idea that, while on the street that night, she didn't feel that impulse to kiss him too, either.

Olivia shook her head, the fight draining her as well.

"Throwing up what-if scenarios doesn't help anything…" she sighed, her right hand going over her face in an attempt to remove the water as well as the exhaustion.

They stayed there, standing in front of each other.

"What would?" Elliot spoke softly, turning the conversation around. "What would help, Liv?"

Olivia let out a heavy sigh, shrugging, not really knowing how to answer that.

"An apology?"

"Elliot…"

"I never got to do one. Not a proper one anyway." They both thought of the letter he had given her when he came back or the night he had showed up at her place drugged out of his mind.

Olivia stayed silent and he took it as an opening.

"I know I screwed things up between us when I left like I did. I made a lot of mistakes then, a lot of mistakes during those ten years, and a lot of mistakes when I came back." he started with the obvious. "I'm sorry I missed ten years of your life, during which I'm sure you experienced some good things and some really bad things I still don't know all about…" he saw her react at that. "I'm sorry I wasn't there when you needed me." He continued and Olivia couldn't hold his gaze anymore, so she studied her hands picking apart the zipper of the hoodie.

Elliot let his apology hang in the air a moment.

"I'm so sorry, Liv…but there's nothing I can do about the past." That made her inhale slowly and look back up at him with teary eyes. "All I can do…all I desperately want to do…is to be here for you now, in the present. To listen to you, talk with you and, yes, protect you when I can." He finished, pleading with his eyes. "Let me, please." He whispered.

Olivia's eyes went over his face deliberately, as if she wanted to remember this moment for a long time. When their eyes connected again, there was hope in them. Hope that Elliot meant every word, and hope that Olivia could let him in eventually. Her emotions were getting the best of her. She let out a small, embarrassed laugh and erase a tear that fell from her lash with the back of her hand.

"That's a pretty good apology." She joked.

Elliot breathed for what seemed the first time in 2 years.

"I had a lot of time to prepare…" he smiled in response.

Olivia nodded, her eyes still watery. She took a deep breath too, accepting his words, his overdue apology. It wasn't going to solve all of their issues, but it was a great step forward. They smiled at each other, turning an important page between them.

"What else would help?" Elliot was giving this its best shot and Olivia's smile grew a little at his attempt. "More talking?" he suggested.

"I think we're getting better at that now."

"I agree." He smiled back.

The rain had stopped completely at this point.

"A reassurance that I'm not going anywhere?"

He saw her eyes become clouded again.

"I'm not. I won't leave you or Noah, ever. There's not much I can say more than that…except let me prove it to you with time."

Olivia exhaled and nodded. She still seemed unsure though, pulling at the jacket he had loaned her.

"What else, Liv?" his voice was soft, trying to get her to participate.

She took a moment before answering.

"I need to get over it. I need to let go of the hurt you caused me, because it's a weight slowing us both down." She admitted, vulnerable.

"You can't force that." Elliot pointed out, accepting.

"I know…"

"I won't push you."

I'm not ready for this. It's okay, Liv.

"I know that too." She finally lifted her eyes to his. "But it's a two-way street, I'm not perfect in this either."

Elliot wanted to refute and say that she *was* perfect but didn't want to stir away from her admission. He nodded his acknowledgment instead.

"What else?" he continued, taking a step towards her, the air between them less tick now.

"I think those are all great steps for tonight, El." She sighed contently, clearly tired.

Her use of his nickname made him happy.

"How about a hug?" he said, cautiously hopeful.

She laughed then, shaking her head at his attempt to lift the atmosphere. He knew he was pushing his luck with that last one.

"One thing is for sure, Liv…" he became serious again. "What will help won't be me not having your back."

And with that, he made her understand that whatever the circumstances, he would be there for her, to protect her, with or without her asking. But also that she *could* rely on him. Olivia took a moment to look into his eyes to make sure he was serious about it all. Finally, she nodded and Elliot smiled. They had an understanding now.

Elliot stepped closer again and Olivia closed her eyes at their proximity. She felt him lightly grab the front of his hoodie on her. He pulled it gently towards him so that she had to step up to him.

"Let's get inside." He says softly, his face so close to hers now.

Olivia had been surrounded by his smell and was now by his warmth, his hoodie making her feel safe and his body inviting. Her eyes still closed, she nodded slightly. When Elliot went to turn away, she copied his actions and grabbed the front of his jacket to keep him facing her.

"In a minute."

She took another step so that she could hide her face into his neck. Her nose met his neck, it was wet from the rain and a little cold. Her breath hit his skin and he couldn't control the shiver it generated. Elliot put his arms went around her and Olivia felt him exhale in her hair. And then, everything was perfect.

Chapter 3 in the works! Intrigued? :P