"Double Time" Sequel to "Stepping Time" (Highly recommend you read Stepping Time before reading this sequel)

The main characters of Law and Order SVU belong to Dick Wolf and NBC Universal. This is meant for entertainment, not profit.* There are several characters I have created. I hope you enjoy, and I welcome feedback.

Author's Note (Especially for laurel hardy) Characters guide-Primary SVU Characters Olivia Benson, Alex Cabot Primary Original Female Characters Army Lt. Col. Erin Mathison, Attorney Angie Secondary SVU and L&O Characters Elliot Stabler, Casey Novak, Abbie Carmichael, Serena Southerlyn Secondary Original Characters Jeff Stockton, Amelia Stockton, Dylan Mathison, Petraeus (Erin's Chihuahua), Senator Rushing, TJ McCoy

Thanks for reading and the reviews for the first 26 chapters. Love and appreciate the reviews and it means so much that so many are reading this sequel.

#-#

"Double Time" Chapter 27

"Okay," Elliot said sliding back into his chair. "What else is there to discuss?"

Alex slid her glasses off and placed them in her purse. She pushed her chair back slightly from the desk and leaned back looking at the ceiling briefly before retraining her focus on Elliot.

"Are you in love with Olivia?" she asked in almost a nonchalant tone.

"What!" Elliot exclaimed, his shoulders bolting forward.

"You heard me," Alex replied firmly.

"No, no I'm not. I love my wife damn it," Elliot said his voice full of anger. "Where the hell did that come from Alex?"

Alex leaned forward propping her elbows on the desk and lacing her fingers. "Because, even though it still wouldn't be justified it's the only reason I can come up with for you being such a selfish prick."

Elliot sat stunned for a moment, but Alex saw a reddish hue spreading up his neck and across his face. She knew she had pissed him off, but she didn't care about his ego or his feelings right now, she cared about Olivia, Olivia and Erin.

"Oh," Elliot smirked and then chuckled sarcastically. "This is fuckin' priceless from the woman who has walked out and reappeared in her life how many times now? Wait, don't answer that 'cause I sure as hell know. I was there…each and every time."

Alex licked her bottom lip and smiled only irritating Elliot more. "Almost verbatim the response I expected. But you're right. I hurt her…not because I intended to or ever wanted to, but because I was so blinded and so selfish in my thinking I thought I knew what was best for her," Alex said sternly. "And I am damn lucky that we have the friendship we do today."

"As touched as I am by your tidbit of Sapphic sweetness," Elliot glared, "I think you're full of shit. Maybe that is how you console yourself since she fucked you a few times and chose Erin anyway."

"Really Stabler," Alex smirked, "Does your brain only send signals to your fists and dick?"

"You know what Alex, fuck you," Elliot yelled bursting from his chair. "Are you going to be there if it doesn't work out? Or is that…"

"Christ Elliot," Alex stammered and then took a deep breath. "You want her to be happy right? Please tell me that you do?"

"Of course I do," he responded, his voice slightly calmer. "Look Alex, nine months ago she was talking to me about promotion possibilities. I like Erin," he sighed as he sat back down in the chair. "But c'mon this is all pretty quick. They haven't even been together a year and most of that time has been with Erin in Afghanistan."

"I understand that, but you know it would have been so easy for either one of them to walk away when Erin got her orders…or not even totally walk away, just make it casual," Alex said thoughtfully. "But they both wanted more."

"And it wasn't the outcome you wanted," Elliot interjected.

"No…no it wasn't. It hurt. It hurt a lot. Hell," Alex smirked, standing up from behind her desk. "I wanted Erin to fuck up, find something damning about her. And just like the rest of us Erin is not perfect, but what I have seen, what I believe is she is perfect for Liv."

Elliot took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair. "I think they're good together so far. And of course I know the captain is going to want her back, but with a leave of absence his hands could be tied. Six months is a pretty significant chunk of time. They're going to have to bring somebody in and they don't have to save her same spot," Elliot said calmly. "And the mayor is talking about department reductions because of the budget…the economy."

"I know that," Alex nodded. "But more importantly so does Liv and so does Erin. This wasn't a rash decision."

"Erin hasn't even been back a month and this isn't rash, isn't emotional?" Elliot challenged.

"No, and for that matter, not as drastic as she was considering," Alex said, her voice raising slightly again. "And why did you say so far?"

"Because like I said before, this relationship is still new…Haven't spent much time together," Elliot said gesturing with his hands. "And other than you…well you know…she's been into men."

"Elliot you're talking like she is a teenager. Treating her like one…You've been her partner all these years. You know this is the happiest she's ever been…and instead of supporting her you're trying to put doubts into her head," Alex said exasperated.

"Her career has been everything to her, and now she is suddenly willing to jeopardize it. I mean if she and Erin are really that strong, why can't she just stay here while Erin's in D.C. like she originally planned?" Elliot questioned loudly.

"Because I don't want to Elliot," Olivia said as she pushed open the door to Alex's office and quickly shut it behind her. She calmly took a seat in the chair next to Elliot across from Alex's desk.

"You're right, my career has been everything or almost everything," she paused meeting Alex's eyes, "and when Alex went into WITSEC it had to be for my sanity, as crazy as that might sound, or I was going to turn into my mother. Those first few months I drank almost every day and the weekends I had totally off I drank myself numb, or tried to. "

"You never told me that…not that it got to that extent," Alex said softly.

"Why didn't you come to me Liv?" Elliot asked sincerely.

"For one I hadn't even told Alex how I felt and she hadn't told me," Olivia sighed. "And I didn't want to seem weak to you. And even though it was Alex I wasn't sure how you would react to me wanting to be with, being in love with a woman. Alex was gone and I didn't know if I'd ever see her again."

"How long were you listening…" Alex started.

"From where you told El this wasn't a rash decision," Olivia interrupted smirking. "And El, if Erin and I were to split, after I recovered which I know would take a long time, a very long time, I would want to be with a woman again."

"I just think this taking a leave of absence and moving is too quick Liv," Elliot sighed.

"Too quick for me or too quick for you?" Olivia rebuked. "Because Alex is right, you're acting like I'm 16 and I don't have a clue on who I want and what I want for myself…And you couldn't be more wrong. I have what I want and a whole lot more because I finally stopped trying to convince myself that my career alone could keep me happy. I finally not only faced a lot of my fears, I walked through them and for the first time in my adult life I am truly happy."

"I know you are happy now… and I am glad you are," Elliot said softly.

"El it's not just Erin, she's definitely a huge part of it, but it is the friendship Alex and I have now, the friendships with Alex, Abs, Serena, Jeff and Casey…and of course you and the guys…and heck even Kathy. I've made a lot of changes in the past nine months…and I guess some of them can be seen as dramatic," Olivia said standing up, clenching her right hand and pounding it slightly to the left side of her chest, "but El they're changes I wanted to make long ago, but I was afraid to. I like having friendships that go beyond work talk. I like being more than Detective Benson. You've always been more than a detective. I'm not giving up my career…I'm not giving up anything. I'm adding on and branching out."

"Do you think Erin would do the same for you?"

"Ughhhhhh," Olivia exclaimed. "Jesus Elliot, if these are the questions for me I can only imagine the ones Kathleen is enduring. Why don't you come to lunch with us? Hell, I'll sit and talk to Alex and you can drill Erin with all…Well that's up to her…By the way Alex do you want to go to lunch with us, that's what I originally came over to see."

"I would love to go to lunch," Alex replied as she slid on her suit jacket.

"I'll even buy. First purchase on a joint account," Olivia smirked. "C'mon El, let's go."

"I doubt Erin is going to want to talk to me," Elliot shrugged.

"Wrong. She wants us to get things resolved. She knows how much you mean to me and she still actually likes you," Olivia said patting Elliot on the shoulder. "I know you drilled her with a few questions when we first started seeing each other."

"I would like to talk to her," Elliot said as they exited Alex's office.

"And I definitely want to put this behind us and move forward," Olivia replied as she strode to the elevator.

"Twelve years is a lot to just put behind," Elliot mumbled out of earshot from Olivia, but drawing a glare from Alex.

"So how much of this is really about you and what you want?" Alex said tersely grabbing Elliot's arm.

"I'm working on that Alex ok. Trust me I've taken a beat down already from Kathy about it," Elliot groveled.

Olivia turned at the elevator to see Alex and Elliot engaged in conversation still a good twenty feet down the hall. She pulled out her iPhone and sent Erin a text letting her know that they were on their way and that Elliot would be coming.

"You need to know that twelve years means a lot to her. Hell, I know you know that already," Alex continued. "But I asked her if she would really want you to turn down a promotion just to stay her partner and she said no. You can't expect her to stay around as your partner until you retire. You have always had a family and a second work family. But how much significance is that twelve years going to be 10, 15 years down the road if you let this put a wedge between you two now. I'm going to miss her too Elliot, but in this last nine months or so that you say is too quick…it's been a long time coming for both of us. I'm very happy and so is she."

"I'm getting it," Elliot said simply.

"I hope so," Alex smiled. "Now let's go to lunch, before she yells at both of us."

"I can't believe she didn't when she came into the office," Elliot chuckled.

"That should tell you a few things right there," Alex replied, smacking Elliot lightly on the back of the head as they resumed walking to the elevator.

#-#

"Hey gorgeous," Olivia said softly giving Erin a quick peck on the cheek as she walked in her apartment. Erin smiled and pulled the phone away from her face.

"I'll be off in a minute," she whispered. Olivia hung up her jacket, took off her shoes and grabbed a beer from the refrigerator before heading to the bedroom.

"Dylan I'll be there by then and settled in…well a little bit at least. Katie can stay with me," Erin said into the phone. Olivia plopped on the bed and took off her shirt and bra and then threw on a well-worn sweatshirt.

"Or hey I got an idea, why don't you come up too and you can bring dad with you. Save me a trip to Texas," Erin added. Olivia walked back in the living room and wrapped her arms around Erin's waist from behind. Erin leaned back into the embrace and tilted her head to the left, exposing the right side of her neck which Olivia eagerly peppered with kisses. Olivia felt Erin's shoulders tense as she began to speak into the phone again.

"Dylan I'll pay the airfare. And no I probably won't be able to take time off so soon after starting, but I thought you said Katie's conference is from Thursday 'til Saturday. I just thought dad might want to come to D.C. again and that you could use a trip to," Erin sighed, shaking her head. "I'd be off Saturday and Sunday at least."

"I love you," Olivia whispered as she squeezed Erin tightly before breaking the embrace and walking to the kitchen. She took out a menu from a drawer for their favorite Thai delivery restaurant and held it up for Erin to see. Erin nodded and gave her a thumbs-up sign as she continued her phone conversation with her brother. Olivia stepped into the bedroom to call in their food order, growing more and more irritated with Dylan as she was hearing Erin's responses.

"Dylan we're not getting anywhere here. How about you just think about it and talk to Katie and we'll talk this weekend. Liv just got home and we've got dinner on the way."

Olivia saw Erin nod her head a few times as she padded from the bedroom towards the couch.

"Love you brother, but I'm not going to do this with you tonight," Erin said with a biting tone as she ran a frustrated hand through her hair.

"I told you I already talked to dad today. And I didn't have the best day either," Erin sighed as she opened another beer. "Going now…Bye," she added and promptly ended the call.