A/N: Here's the next chapter, but at WHAT price? LOL. Kidding…

As they sat positioned on the couch, side by side, a hand reached out to touch her face, and she felt weak as her body responded. She closed her eyes at the touch of his hand. They fluttered open again, and she locked eyes on him.

"You're different," he observed.

She stared cautiously. "Geez," she said sarcastically. "Observant aren't you!"

He smiled and stroked her cheek with his hand. "No, I mean, your eyes, something in your eyes is different…"

"What do you mean?" her heart rate increased. She'd heard about "the eyes being the window to your soul" and she wondered if he could read beneath the lines. If he could see all her secrets and know what had happened to her… all this time.

Elliot seemed to redden with embarrassment. "I used to watch you," he confessed. "We'd be fighting about something, a case or… whatever it was, and you'd be so heated, so angry and you're eyes were blank, when I looked at you."

"You looked at me," she teased.

"I'm a bloke," he replied.

Olivia smiled.

"Now I can read them…" he seemed to smile then, as if that was a good thing.

"What do you see?" she asked titling her head.

"It's desire," he said simply. "I see desire."

Olivia's chest tightened as he leaned in. She flinched and he retracted instantly, as if he had hurt her.

"I'm sorry," he muttered.

"Don't be," she rose from the couch and began pacing the room. "I'm the one who should be sorry. I'm the one, who-"

He stood from the couch too, and crossed over to her. Taking her by the shoulders, he forced her eyes on his. "Listen to me, what happened between us, or what DIDN'T happen, was what it was, and we can't change it. But we can alter the future, Liv, we can change what's happening NOW!"

She thought about it. It was too complicated. She had learnt to let go, she worked alone she felt her heart break at the prospect of being thrown back into old habits. Was she strong enough for that?

No. She wasn't ready to forget everything that had happened why he'd been gone. She wasn't ready to tell him her dark secrets. Her lost causes. And that one crunch that was going to change her life! She wasn't even sure he'd forgive her for it… and she was afraid he wouldn't.

"I don't know if I can do that," she said honestly.

"I think you can," he pressed.

"El…"

"Yeah?"

"What happened to you? Why did you come back?"

"For you," he said matter-of-factly. "I came back because I wanted to- NEEDED to see you."

"Where's Kathy, and the kids, where are-"

Elliot shook his head. "I can't talk about it… not right now!"

Olivia nodded. She understood that at least, because she had her own secrets. Secrets bigger than his, she was sure. "Okay… I get it."

"You really do, don't you?"

"Yes. I- I'm sorry El, for everything I did to you."

He pulled her into his arms and held her. "STOP being sorry," he stated. "It doesn't matter. I'm here now. I'm home. I've got you…"

She pulled him at arm's length. Something compelled her to do so, and he was already making his next move. With the intent of kissing her, he leaned in, but she was too quick to pull away.

"NO!" she screamed.

"Liv…

"NO!" she repeated.

"Why?"

"Because I… I can't right now!"

He nodded as if he understood, but he didn't, she saw it in his eyes.

Review if you're interested in me continuing…

I have a REALLY good idea coming up, no actually its BRILLIANT!

Are you interested, and can you GUESS what it might be! THINK… HUGE, life altering, and NO before you ask, she's NOT pregnant!