I knew they could solve it - and they did it in less than three days! :-)

Darkness had fallen quickly, but the ground was well lit with a vast array of artificial lamps. Officers with dogs scoured the area, having distributed copies of the map, identifying potential areas where bodies could be buried. They agreed that the disappearances were all linked now and as such knew exactly how many bodies they were looking for.

Matt's dog has seemed considerably less ferocious once he had been freed by an officer and given some food and water, and had actually been very helpful in leading them in their search of the area.

Elliot and Olivia sat down on a wooden bench which disturbingly held a view of all of the activity now taking place. Elliot's arm was around Olivia's shoulder as her head rested against him. The had exchanged few words - remaining relatively silent since they had led the officers to the location of the first body. They needed little in the way of words to express their thoughts and were both comfortable in companionable silence as they watched the activities of the crime scene officers.

Olivia looked up, focusing away from the crime scene and instead, on the sky; the beauty of the clear night sky - a stark comparison to the activity happening on the ground.

"Hey El," she said softly.

"Yeah?"

"I have seen three shooting stars since we've been sitting here - I wouldn't mind looking up at this sky every night - it's beautiful…"

Feeling Elliot tense she turned slightly, slipping her arm around his chest.

"El," she whispered, "don't do that."

"Do what?"

"React like that...I didn't say I wanted to stay here..it's kinda lost it's appeal now that we are surround by CSU and police digging up bodies...believe me, I don't wanna stay here anymore."

Elliot leaned down and placed a kiss on her head.

"Sorry Liv, I know you weren't saying that you wanted to stay. I can't help it - I love you Olivia, and I just want you to come home with me tomorrow."

Olivia pulled away to look at him, "I am coming home with you El, tomorrow we are getting on the plane and going home, together. I promise you."

Elliot smiled, "let's go check if they need anything else from us tonight - this sky will look much better from the hotel balcony," he said before standing up, taking her hand and pulling up her to join him.

He hesitated for a moment as they walked toward the captain, then casually put his arm around Olivia's shoulders.

"El...that's not something we usually do…" Olivia began.

Elliot laughed, "What?...you're freezing, I'm just warming you up. I really think they are all far too busy to notice."

Despite his confidence, Elliot dropped his arm from Olivia before they approached the captain, who confirmed that with their statements, map and visual identification of the location the first body that they didn't need anything else from them. Relieved, they were soon back in Olivia's car, with the help of officers who escorted them with flashlights.

Back at the hotel, Olivia dropped wearily onto the clean white sheets of the bed. The softness of the mattress was a welcome relief.

"I didn't realise how much I was aching until I laid down - we must have walked farther than I thought we did," she said.

Frowning, she wondered why he hadn't responded.

"Elliot? You've been in the bathroom for ages, what are you doing in there?" she called.

Elliot opened the door and smiled, "Patience Liv."

"Patience for what?" Olivia asked.

Elliot laughed, "That's definitely not being patient...come on, you need to relax," he said as he held out his hand to her.

Olivia gave him a confused look before taking his hand and letting him pull her up from the bed. Olivia groaned at the loss of the feeling of the cushioned mattress against her, but allowed Elliot to lead her into the bathroom.

Once inside she stopped and turned to him with a smile, slipping her arms around his waist.

"El...this is lovely, I never knew you could be so romantic."

The room was lit with the dim glow of candlelight, and the bath was full and giving off a delicate flowery scent. Next to the bath were two wine glasses, half filled with red wine.

Elliot smiled, pleased that he had impressed her with the gesture.

"Just one condition though baby," he said with a playful smile.

"Oh yeah," Olivia said, raising an eyebrow, "what condition might that be?"

Elliot moved closer to her, taking her into his arms and kissing her lightly on her neck, eliciting a laugh.

"I get to undress you," he said, with a low deep tone that made Olivia want to skip the bath and go straight to bed.

"Mmm...I'd like that El," she said, as her hands made their way to his shirt, pulling it out, and sliding her hands up his chest.

The next morning, the sun shone in through the edges of the curtain casting bands of light across the room as Olivia stirred. Immediately feeling the warmth of Elliot's body next to hers she snuggled closer to him, enjoy the feeling of waking up with him. Smiling, she ran her hand across his chest and turned slightly so that she was facing him as she slipped one of her legs in between his.

She loved the way it felt when the lay so close together - an intimacy she never thought they would share; their feelings long unacknowledged and their physical boundaries never broached.

Feeling Elliot's arm move around her waist and pull her even closer, she smiled.

Elliot open his eyes and looked at her - she returned his gaze with a warm loving smile, and he realised yet again, that he was quite possibly the luckiest man alive.

"Hey beautiful," he said, returning her smile.

Olivia eased herself up, resting her chin on her hand as she looked into his eyes.

"Good morning," she said, her voice soft with affection, "I love this, El."

Elliot mirrored her pose, as he looked at her, "I think, Olivia," he began as he reached around and pulled her into his arms, taking her in a passionate kiss, "that we should wake up like this every morning."

Noticing Olivia break eye contact and tense slightly, he sighed and sat up. Olivia sat up too, their bodies remaining close as Elliot took her hand in his before reaching up and stroking her hair with his other hand.

"I didn't mean to seem too forward Liv, but look at it this way - it's not like we've only just met. We have been friends...more than friends really, for years."

"I'm sorry," Liv sighed, "I wasn't panicking El, I promise. I want to wake up with you like this every day, that's not what I was worrying about, believe me."

"We are gonna need to be honest with each other Liv - if I made you uncomfortable, tell me baby," he said quietly.

"I'm not uncomfortable, I just don't know how we are going to do this," she said, "I want to be with you...I am with you, and that's not going to change, but If we do this every day, how do we handle it?"

"What do you mean?" Elliot asked, not quite sure where she was going with her line of thought.

"I mean, we can't arrive at work together every day - Cragen would realise we are leaving for work together every day, he will figure it out and he wont let us remain as partners El," Olivia said as she returned her gaze to his.

"Liv, that's all you're concerned about? You had me worried for a minute there," Elliot said.

"You're happy for Cragen to split us up?" she asked with a pang of anxiety.

"No Liv, i'm not, but being with you is what matters. Just take it a day at a time - if he finds out then we can talk to him, but if the price of being with you is changing partners then I can live with that. I don't want to do that, but I won't sacrifice what we have now," he said, as he reached and again smoothed her hair back gently, "you mean far too much to me," he whispered.

"But what if…" she began, but her concerns were silenced as he placed a kiss on her lips.

"Stop worrying - we are what matter here Liv, nothing is going to change right away, and if it does, eventually, we just go with it, take it as it comes, but we are far more than partners Liv, we always were, just now there's nothing holding us back."

Olivia smiled and nodded.

"You feeling ok about the flight tomorrow?" Elliot asked her.

"Sure," Olivia replied sounding not at all sure.

Elliot chuckled, "and you really feel?"

Olivia sighed and smiled, "sorry - I'm just dreading facing Cragen after he opened an investigation, and having to talk to Huang - I don't want everyone looking at me like I'm losing it, like I'm not going to hold it together."

Elliot leaned forward and kissed her, "No one is going to look at you like that - you've spoken to Cragen, Munch and Fin, they just want you to come back, they are not going to look at you any differently. They are all looking forward to seeing you Liv, that's all, I promise you."

Olivia smiled and put her arms around him, as she leant forward and kissed him. Smiling, he noticed her visibly relax and took the opportunity to return her embrace, and roll her quickly down, on to her back. She laughed at the sudden maneuver and ran her hands up his chest before holding his face in her hands as he leant down, his mouth close to hers, their lips almost touching.

"I love you Olivia," he whispered, before taking her in a passionate kiss, her mouth instantly opening and urging their kiss to deepen, "we love each other, and that's all that matters, ok?"

"Mmm," she said, as she kissed him again, pausing to look into his eyes, "I love you too El, it's all that matters."

Next chapter is the final one - Olivia comes back to New York. :-)