From the moment they got in their Uber, she could tell that something had shifted, that this night was going to be different. "Duh" she thought to herself. They were here, in the Keys, together. No Chinese take out or late night burgers or drinks in one of their dark offices. She looked over at him as they drove to wherever they were going. He seemed at ease. Relaxed. Like whatever decision he had made had taken the weight of the world off his shoulders. While she sat here like a nervous school girl on a date with the most popular guy in school.

He helped her out of the car and looped his arm around her waist, guiding her into this beautiful restaurant with one of the most amazing views she had ever seen. They were seated and given menus and finally had a moment alone. She kept glancing at him over the top of her menu, like she had never been out to dinner with a man before. She was about to open her mouth when...

"You need something Olivia?" he asked, not taking his eyes off his menu. She narrowed her eyes at him, deciding in that moment that two could play whatever game he was way ahead of her in. She leaned back in her chair and made a production of crossing her legs toward him while reading her menu. "Nope. I'm so good." He was more than a little obvious as he ran his eyes up her legs to her smirking face.

The sun was starting to set as they were delivered their drinks. They had been sitting in a comfortable silence, enjoying the view. "If I haven't said it recently, Liv, I'm so thankful you and Noah decided to come spend his break down here." He said it without looking at her. She didn't push it. She felt like he needed to say whatever he was going to say without looking at her and she was fine with that. "I've never been one who finds quiet relaxing. It kind of stresses me out. So the first few days here with the quiet and... well, it was a little unnerving. Ella really helped me out after the first couple of days and then you two got here..." he looked over at her, covering her hand with his. "Well, I just... just know that you being here, taking some of your limited one on one time with Noah and coming down here with me... it means a lot to me."

She covered his hand with her other one. "Rafael, I couldn't imagine a better place to have spent this time with Noah. He's had so much fun this week. Plus, how he has just taken to you... and that you have let him... that means so much. He told me at the ice cream place today that we should see you more because you are so much fun."

"He did."

"Yeah. Then he asked me if I wanted you to be around more."

"How did you answer?"

"He didn't give me a chance. He's three. We immediately switched gears to talking about Moana." She could tell the question was behind his eyes, right there on his tongue, but he stopped himself from asking.

They had dined together, sure. Hundreds to times. Out and about. On the steps of the courthouse. His office. Her office. A few times in an interview room when they needed some quiet on a particularly noisy night in the precinct. But none of those dinners had ever had the ease of this one. Those dinners has an air of stress and urgency. They were always in a hurry to move on to the next thing. This dinner. This was different. They had no next. Olivia had called to check on Noah between salad and main course and he was fine. There was no one waiting on the other side of a door to get to them. There was no one within 500 miles to even care about who they were. They drank and laughed and talked about nothing and it was one of the most enjoyable nights of his life.

After the check had been paid and they had exited the main dining area, neither one of them seemed to be in a rush to go anywhere but where they currently were. Without a word, he grabbed her hand and headed out to the small stretch of beach in front of the restaurant. They headed away from the noise and just walked, hand in hand, just being. She closed her eyes for a moment before she stopped short, causing him to jerk back a step and turn toward her.

"Raf..."

"I know."

"We have to..."

"I know Liv. I do. I know. You have had this question and these thoughts there since you stepped off the plane and I've been diverting and deflecting. I know. But I knew that this" he said as he waved his free hand between them "is not something I wanted to rush during Noah's nap or on the beach. I wanted us to have no limits. It's why I asked Ella to babysit tonight before you even got off the plane. I'm so glad he took her like he has. I was worried if he didn't you wouldn't leave him." She nodded. After everything he had been through in his very short life, she would have never left with with someone who made him the least bit nervous. Ever.

"You are right, Raf. But here we are."

"So ask. Anything, Olivia. Just ask."

"What did you and the DA talk about? You were there for hours."

"Not quite hours but longer than I expected." He walked them over a short stone wall and pulled her down to sit next to him. Barba sighed. "I was expecting this come to Jesus, fire and brimstone conversation. He's famous for those. You know." She just nodded. "But I got there and he set me down and I was so nervous. Being a lawyer - it's all I ever thought I wanted. It is what I gave up everything for. And he called me on that. He came at me sideways. He surprised me. I rarely get surprised these days. I won't go into to the whole conversation. But what it boiled down to was this... I was giving up my entire life for this job. But not really this job. One part of this job. The SVU cases. I was throwing myself into them to the point where they consumed me. I didn't transfer to Manhattan to become consumed. I came because it was supposed to be a stepping stone. It was supposed to shoot me up the ranks. But that path... I stopped walking it. He asked me why."

She didn't even realize she had been holding her breath. She finally exhaled when he locked eyes with her. One tiny word with three letters had the power to change everything. Why.

"How..." she swallowed the lump that was in her throat. "How did you answer?"

"Liv.." he shook his head slightly.

"Rafael. Please. Please."

"The answer scares the hell out of me, Olivia."

"You get scared?" She couldn't believe it. For all his bravado and bluster. Scared.

He turned toward her and covered both of her hands with his. "Yes. The answer to that question is probably the scariest answer I have in my brain to any question I could ever get asked. It makes me nervous and excited and terrified all at the same time. And yes, I get nervous more often than I let anyone know."

"Like when?"

"Every time I open my mouth in a courtroom. It's my job to get justice. That is terrifying. But it is also what makes this job one of the biggest passions of my life. But it's not the only thing. Not anymore. Since Tucker..."

"Rafael, the thing about Tucker..."

"No, Liv. I was being petty and petulant because how could you know. I didn't even know till..."

"Know what, Rafael? Please."

"Know that what is happening between us might just be the most important thing I have ever done. I tried to fight it for months. But then Carisi let slip you and Tucker ended and I just... but there was always a reason. I'll tell her after this next case, I would tell myself in my head. But I also have the world's worst timing."

"The drink offer after..." She just shook her head. "Raf, I'm so sorry..."

"NO!" She kind of sat back a bit. "Sorry. But no. You do NOT apologize for wanting to go home to Noah. I knew he was a good kid but after the last couple of days, I can see how he can brighten this very dark world we find ourselves in most days. You never apologize to ANYONE for wanting to be with him. I will never ask you to and if anyone ever does, you send them right to me." Her heart swelled. He wasn't the only one who had been deflecting and denying feelings and what was happening.

"You still haven't told me the answer to the question. Why?"

"Because... you. It started off as a way to prove to you that I was just as committed to winning these cases as you. But it changed. I don't know if it was fast or slow, but it changed. I wanted to keep fighting these cases WITH you. You have kept me going."

He cradled her face with his hands, pulling her in till their foreheads met. He closed his eyes and just breathed. She did the same.

"Liv, I have no illusions that when we get back to New York that it will be like this. There will be so much bullshit to deal with, assuming I even still have a job when I get back. But whatever gets thrown our way, I know that if we are battling it together then it will be defeated. I have no doubt about that as long as you want..."

"Yes." It was all she could get out before he kissed her. When their lips touched, something they had been holding back broke. What had been a mostly chaste kiss in the hall outside Noah's room at the house was a distant memory. He yanked her to him, almost pulling her into his lap. Thank God it was mostly dark and they had walked out of the light of the patio of the restaurant. This was quickly turning into more than just a kiss. He ran his hand up into her hair and kissed his way down her neck as she held onto him like he was the only thing keeping her on earth.

"Rafael." That came out a lot more breathy than she intended. She felt herself shudder when he growled quietly at the way she said his name. She pulled back and grabbed his face.

"Hey." The look on his face almost made her say screw it and ask him to take her right there on beach. Between the dark eyes and swollen lips, she almost just gave in.

"Call the Uber. We need to get out of here."