I think I'm going to add a twist in here… just a small one, that will come when you least expect it… yes, a twist… mmm, something that changed the course of their relationship to the current point… yes, a twist… do go on my lil readers… :)

The next time Olivia walked into the precinct, her legs trembled. She didn't want to have to run into Elliot again. She was hoping that he'd got the subtle hint and returned to Australia. But her heart leapt when she realized he was sitting at his desk, like he had never left. She felt angry again. His chair had been vacated for seven months, for seven months she had screamed vocally at anyone who attempted to steal his chair, anyone who wanted to remove his belongings… the little he had left behind. Now, here he was, positioned in the chair that was once his, and she wanted to scream at him for taking it. It was unreasonable she knew it, every rational thought in her head, removed.

"Hey," he smiled when he looked up.

She slammed her breakfast on the desk, and glared at him. "I thought you'd be gone by now," she stated, her words cold and bitter.

He shrugged. "I thought you would have changed your mood a bit."

She shook her head and left him sitting there, as she crossed the room to Cragen's office. She slammed the door behind her. "Tell him to leave!" she ordered.

"I can't do that," Cragen answered, his voice as calm as ever.

"Captain…" she pleaded. "I can't work with him."

"I never asked you to," he pointed out. "And just for the record, this is the most you've said to me in months… if Elliot can make you talk, then I want him here, I NEED him here… because frankly, your new attitude since he's been gone, has been of great concern. Olivia, you need to talk to him, whatever happened between the two of you before he left, whatever happened to make you-"

"Nothing happened," she denied. The expression on her face said otherwise.

"I don't believe you," he said firmly. "But nevertheless, I have seen you give up, not just at your job, but at life itself… you have basically been living the motions, but not living. I can't stand by and watch that anymore. So you talk to Elliot!"

"Captain," she argued.

"I'm finished with this discussion!"

Olivia stared at him in disbelief. How could he do this to her? He said himself that he'd watched how utterly hopeless her life had become, how could he throw her into the fire to be consumed?

"Captain, this won't be good for me," she promised.

He shrugged in answer. "It can't be much worse than your current behavior. And since you are so determined to push this, I want you working together… bring him up to speed on the Wallis case."

Her mouth curved into an O.

"Out of my office," he ordered. "You have things to do."

Olivia slammed the door behind her, and everyone at the precinct looked up from their desks. She ignored it and walked back to her desk. She pulled in her chair and looked down at the case file, having no intention of saying a single word to Elliot Stabler.

Minutes passed.

"Am I expected to get used to the silent treatment?" he asked.

Olivia scoffed.

"Is that the best you got?"

She snapped her head up. "Damn it, Elliot! I don't want to discuss this."

"Too bad," he shot back. "You are going to have to get over it eventually, you can't ignore me forever."

"Watch me!"

He sighed and buried his head in paperwork for a while.

Cragen called Elliot to his office.

When he came out again, and joined Olivia at the desk, he looked shocked. Something on his face read differently. He was surprised… almost sad.

"What?" she asked skeptically.

"Cragen told some interesting news…" he pondered.

"What did he say?" her stomach instantly swarmed.

He hesitated.

"Elliot…"

"He told me that you haven't been doing so well... without me."

Her heart went into overdrive, and for a moment she couldn't catch her breath.

"What do you mean?" she said tucking her hair behind her ears. Playing dumb was the only card she had left to play.

Elliot stared at her for a full minute before he answered. "You didn't tell me," he said looking hurt. "You didn't tell me how much pain you were in, when I called you acted like everything was fine, that life without me was-"

"Don't flatter yourself!" she snapped, pulling up her defenses.

"Why can't you just talk to me…" he pleaded.

Olivia shook her head. It hurt just looking at him.

"I'm going home," she stood from the desk and pushed back her chair. "Tell Cragen I'll see him in the morning."

"Liv…" he called.

She ignored him and with high running emotions she found herself leaving the precinct in a hurry.

I hope you are annoyed with Liv, that's MY feelings too.

Hope you like this… I REALLY like this; I'm enjoying the flow… I hope you are too. Drop me a line and tell me so, and I shall post another chapter. The twist is coming soon… be patient my lil lovely readers… :)