AN: I'm so happy that people are enjoying this story! I really didn't expect such a great reaction. We have to get through seven days, so we'll just keep ratcheting things up! A special shout out to my good friend melonian4life.

EOEOEOEO

Day 3

Olivia was surprised to see the kitchen was empty when she emerged from her room. No lights were on, the French doors were closed, and there wasn't any coffee brewing. She walked over to the coffee maker, but she wasn't sure how to work it. She opted for orange juice instead.

Olivia was leaning against the counter, watching the sunlight start to creep into the room and relishing the quiet, when she heard movement. She looked up to see Elliot coming down the stairs. He was wearing a pair of tan colored cargo shorts, but no shirt, and was rubbing his hand across his three-day scruff. You're going to have to come to my room in the morning and pick out a shirt. His words echoed in her mind when she saw his bare chest, and she wondered if he'd say anything about it.

Elliot was startled to see Olivia in the kitchen; he was used to being the first one up. Of course, the day on the lake had wiped him out, and he had slept in a little later than usual. He furrowed his brow slightly when he saw her wearing what looked like work-out gear. She had some colorful running shorts on, and he could a bit of black spandex peeking out beneath them. She was wearing a black sports bra, but had some loose, flowy tank over it. She gave him a smile as he walked towards her.

"Morning." Olivia said.

"Morning." He said as he walked over and sat down on the one of the stools. He ran a hand over his head. "What's with the workout clothes?"

"I'm going for a run."

Elliot groaned. "We're on vacation."

"I feel like all I've done is eat since I've been here." Olivia said.

"Yeah, you're really packing on the pounds." A vision of Olivia in her bikini came to mind…a vision that had kept him up overnight, tossing and turning.

"Well, if I don't get some exercise, I will be." Olivia said. "And I feel better when I get some exercise."

Elliot knew what she meant, because he liked his workouts too. He usually needed them to get out his anger and frustration, but he didn't feel that need here. With the skiing and all the activity with the kids, he was getting lots of exercise. "Where do you think you're going to go running?"

"Um, outside." Olivia said.

"There's really no good place to run." Elliot said. "You'll have to run on the gravel road that led to these lake houses, and then on the main road."

"That's OK."

"There's nothing out here. It's pretty remote."

Olivia could tell Elliot wasn't comfortable with her going for a run by herself, and he was doing everything he could to tell her that, without actually saying it. He knew she didn't always appreciate his overprotective nature when it came to her. "El, I'm going for a run." She said. "Why don't you get changed and come with me?" She challenged. Elliot wasn't a big fan of running; his workout routine involved a lot of weights and crunches and workouts with the punching bag. She was pretty sure he'd say no.

Elliot pressed his lips together. The woman was so damned stubborn. He didn't like the idea of her out jogging on these remote roads, despite her training. There wasn't a history of issues in the area, but it only took one pervert driving down the road at the right time. "Fine." He said. "Just let me get some coffee first."

Olivia grabbed a glass and poured some juice. She leaned across the island. "Juice would be better." She set her empty glass near the sink and then walked back around the island back towards her room. "Meet me out front in ten minutes."

EOEOEOEO

Elliot slowed down as the space between he and Olivia increased. She had always been faster than him, and she was proving it by setting a killer pace. His knees were killing him. He finally stopped, and bent over and placed his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath.

Olivia didn't hear Elliot feet pounding the gravel any longer and she stopped and turned back towards him, jogging in place. She saw him a quarter mile back and she ran back to where he was standing. "Am I kicking your ass Stabler?" she teased.

Elliot lifted his head to look at her, narrowing his eyes at her. "I've got a few pounds on you." He said as he watched her jog in place. "And you know my knees aren't the best."

"Maybe you should turn around and go back." Olivia challenged. She knew his competitive nature wouldn't allow that. She stopped jogging in place and took a long drink of water from the bottle she was carrying.

"Or you could stop trying to show me up and slow down a little." Elliot said, standing up. "I know you like to think you're faster than me." She absolutely was, but he wasn't going to admit it.

Olivia smiled and handed Elliot her water bottle. She watched as he took a long drink. "OK. If you're so fast…" She started jogging backwards slowly.

Elliot shook his head as he took another drink of water.

"Come on old man." She turned and started up again, setting a slower pace. Elliot caught up to her and they jogged along in companionable silence, stopping a few more times for a water break.

A few cars whizzed by them as they jogged, but for the most part, it was pretty quiet at this time of the morning. Olivia smiled at the way Elliot moved her closer to the edge of the road by crowding her, each time a car approached. She could take care of herself, but sometimes the little things he did to ensure her safety were endearing.

Elliot finally saw the house come back into view and dug deep to find the last of his energy reserves. He surged ahead of Olivia, determined to beat her to the house. But he saw her in his peripheral vision as she eclipsed him just a few yards from the front yard of the house.

"Oh no you don't Benson." He huffed out. He pushed ahead and tackled her from behind just as they reached the front yard. He had his arms wrapped around her waist as they crashed on to the grass, and he twisted slightly so that his body took the brunt of the fall.

"I won." He gasped out, breathing heavily with Olivia's still pulled against his body. He could feel her trying to catch her breath as well, and he loosened his grip slightly. "I hit the grass first."

"I was taking it easy on you. And I hit the grass first." She choked out. "Besides, it wasn't a contest."

"Everything's a contest." Elliot said. "And maybe I let you win."

"BS." Olivia said, pulling away from him and rolling over on her back. She was starting to catch her breath, but needed her heart rate to slow.

Elliot rolled up on his knees and leaned over her, bracing his arms on either side of her head. He looked down at her. "It's a tie."

Olivia was surprised by his actions. He wasn't straddling her body, but his chest was close to hers, and his face less than a foot from hers. She shrank back slightly, and focused on the challenge in his eyes. "Elliot." She said firmly. "You know I'm faster than you."

"It's a tie." He said, staring down at her. There was a light sheen of sweat on her face and the sun had added color and more freckles to her face. It would be so easy to lean in and capture her lips right now, and he tried to get that image out of his mind.

Olivia saw his eyes move down to her lips and she panicked at the thought that he might kiss her. "Fine." She rasped out as she pushed against his chest with her hands.

Elliot grabbed one of her hands and pinned it back against the grass with his. He saw her eyes go wide, and he knew he was treading on thin ice, but his competitive nature wouldn't let it go. And he was enjoying his proximity to her. "Say it."

Olivia pushed against his hand, but he held her wrist in place. She didn't want to admit to the small fluttering in her belly as he restrained her. "El." She said, trying to muster up a serious tone, but hearing a weak protest instead.

Elliot noticed that she didn't tell him to let her go. "Say it."

"Or what?" Olivia asked boldly, holding her breath in anticipation of his reply.

Elliot hadn't expected that response. His eyes dropped to her mouth again, and then back up to her eyes. "Liv."

Olivia noticed a dangerous tone in his voice and her mind was reeling.

"Everything okay here?"

Elliot turned his head and saw a young man standing on the edge of the lawn. He was dressed in shorts and a t-shirt with a logo on it, and he quickly realized what this must look like to someone that didn't know what was going on. The man was very specifically looking at Olivia for an answer, and he quickly released her arm and straightened up on his knees.

Olivia sat up and moved away from Elliot slightly. She flashed a smile at the stranger. "I'm fine."

Elliot stood up and walked over to where the man was standing. He noticed a truck parked on the other side of the road, and realized he had been so wrapped up in Olivia that he hadn't heard it. He introduced himself to the man and explained he was renting the house from a friend. Olivia walked up and introduced herself as well.

"Tim Sanders. Sander's Lawn Service." He said as he shook Elliot's hand.

Olivia saw that he still looked skeptical, and she appreciated his concern. Most people just ignored the things we saw every day; they didn't want to get involved. "I appreciate the fact that you checked on me." She said. "But we were just goofing around."

The man seemed to relax a little then, and explained that he was there to do the yardwork.

"OK. I'm going to take a shower." Olivia said as she turned towards the house. She shot Elliot a quick glance as she did. "And it wasn't a tie." She kept walking. She had no intention of waiting for a response.

"Is that your wife?" Sanders asked as the both watched her walk into the house.

Elliot turned to look at the young man, narrowing his eyes as he noticed he was watching Olivia. "Yes." He said quickly, not quite sure why he'd answered that way. He was happy to see that at least the young man had enough smarts to look back at Elliot.

He gave Elliot a big grin. "Lucky man."

EOEOEOEO

Olivia took a long, hot shower, removing the sweat from her run and the dust from the road. She mulled over the little scene on the lawn…how Elliot had pinned her down and that look in Elliot's eyes as he loomed over her. She had been almost certain he was going to kiss her; or at least he was thinking about it. But she knew he wouldn't have…this was all part of the game. And with games, there were rules…boundaries.

And even though they were stretching the limits of those boundaries…there were lines that wouldn't be crossed.

Olivia finished shampooing her hair and got out of the shower, debating what was on tap. Just as she was putting lotion on, she heard a knock at the door. "Yes?"

"Hey."

Olivia recognized Elizabeth's voice. She pulled her robe closed. "Come in."

Elizabeth opened the door slightly and poked her head inside. "Dad is taking Dickie and Josh fishing for a while and we want you to come down and hang with us on the beach." She smiled. "It's nice down there when the boys are gone." She rolled her eyes for effect. "I'm sure you know what I mean."

"I don't want to intrude on you and your friend." Olivia said. She had been looking forward to some quiet time, and she wasn't sure she was up for the conversations these girls would be having.

"No." Elizabeth said quickly. "We want you to hang out with us."

Olivia didn't have the heart to deny her. "OK, I'll throw on my suit and be down in a few minutes." She looked at the clock, surprised the girls were up already. But she saw that it was a little after 11. The morning was almost gone.

Olivia grabbed her white bikini and put it on, and then threw her black coverup over it. It was a tank dress, and was semi sheer, but she felt the need to cover up a little this morning. With what had happened on the lawn, she was feeling a little more conservative this morning. She was glad Elliot was taking the boys fishing; she needed to clear her mind…more specifically she needed to clean up her thoughts regarding her partner. Hopefully Elliot would help her out by putting on a goddamned shirt.

EOEOEOEO

Olivia saw the boys down on the dock, but there was no Elliot in sight. She walked down to where the four girls were sitting on the lounge chairs, and saw a little feast of muffins, fruit and M & M's on a small table. The table was situated between the two pairs of lounge chairs and someone had positioned a small umbrella so it provided just enough shade with blocking the sun for those in the chairs.

"A balanced lunch I see." She teased as she snagged a muffin. Her stomach was grumbling and she need to refill her energy reserves after her run. That orange juice hadn't lasted long.

"Dad said to make ourselves lunch." Elizabeth said.

"And this didn't require any cooking." Kathleen added. She stood up from her lounge chair. "You can sit here Liv."

"Don't be silly." Olivia said. "I'll just stretch out on the sand or on the grass."

In the next second she heard Kathleen yelling for her Dad, and she turned to see him halfway down the stairs.

"Dad, bring one of the chairs from the deck for Olivia." Kathleen directed.

Olivia was about to object, but it was too late. Elliot was already on the deck, and as she watched, he hoisted one of the lounge chairs over his head and headed for the stairs. Of course, he hadn't bothered to put on a shirt, and he was wearing swim trunks with some bright Hawaiian design on them.

Olivia knew she should look away. She shouldn't be watching how the muscles in his abdomen tightened or how the muscles in his arms bulged as he held the chair over his head and came down the stairs. She shouldn't notice just how low on his hips those damn trunks fell, or be thinking dirty thoughts as he let out a small sound of exertion as he hit the grass. Olivia bit down hard on her bottom lip and finally tore her eyes away. The problem was, as she turned her head, she was facing Kathleen. And judging from the knowing smile on her face, she had seen Olivia ogling her dad.

Olivia looked away quickly, but now Elliot was down at the beach, asking where they wanted the chair. Olivia let Kathleen and Elizabeth direct him, and he dropped the chair next to the closest two chairs. "Happy to help." He said as he turned, and he gave her a small wink.

EOEOEOEO

Elliot had taken off with the boys very shortly after the girls got settled in the lounge chairs. As soon as they were gone, Olivia pulled off her swimsuit cover-up and lathered on some sunscreen.

"You've got such beautiful, dark skin." Elizabeth said. "Do you get that from your mom's side or your dad's?"

Olivia was surprised by the question, and then she realized that Elliot's kids wouldn't have any reason to know about her background. There would have been no reason to tell them. "Um, I'm not really sure. I guess my Dad's." She knew damn well she looked more like her father; her mother had hit her with that accusation in some of her drunker moments. And Olivia's mother was fair-skinned, so she didn't doubt it. She just wanted to get away from this line of questioning, and she hoped being vague would help.

"It's not fair because you keep getting darker, and I just burn and peel." Elizabeth whined.

"Quit whining." Kathleen said, effectively shutting down her younger sister. "If you got out in the sun more than once a year, maybe you could build up a tan. Instead, you're always inside with your nose in a book."

"I like to read." Elizabeth said with a pout in her voice. "So what? And at least I'm getting A's and B's in school and not C's."

Olivia closed her eyes, intent on staying out of the conversation.

"I bet you were a good student in school, weren't you Olivia?" Elizabeth asked, and Olivia knew she was looking for an ally. "You have to be smart to be a detective."

"I was a pretty good student." Olivia said. "I studied a lot."

"Yeah right." Said Kathleen. "I bet you went out all the time. I'm sure guys were falling all over themselves to ask you out…take you to parties and stuff."

"No." Olivia shook her head. "I really didn't hang out with people from my high school."

"Oh my God, were you dating college guys in high school?" Jess piped in. "High school boys are so immature, but college guys…"

Olivia was getting uncomfortable with where this conversation was going. She heard the suggestive tone of Jess' voice. It was hitting a little too close to home.

"Or were you a late bloomer?" Elizabeth piped up.

Olivia bit back a smile, as she saw the look of earnestness on Elizabeth's face. The girl hadn't hit puberty yet, or at least wasn't very developed yet, and Olivia knew someone had probably told her that to allay her fears. Olivia didn't want to disappoint her. Olivia had not been a late bloomer. In fact, by the time she was 15, she was pretty much her full height and was filled out and could, and did, pass for someone much older. "Why are we talking about me?" She asked. "I'm not that interesting."

"Are you joking?" Kathleen said. "We know everything there is to know about each other and we barely know anything about you. You've been Dad's partner for seven years and…"

Olivia narrowed her eyes, wondering where the older girl was going, but Kathleen cut off her thought of her own accord. She couldn't see Olivia's eyes behind her sunglasses.

"We just have so much to learn from someone older. Things we can't ask our moms." Kathleen said.

Olivia knew Kathleen was trying to charm her into answering questions she didn't want to answer. What Kathleen forgot is that was what Olivia did for a living…lots of suspects gave up information the never intended to.

"How old were you when you first started dating?" Elizabeth said. "Dad says we have to be 16 and that's just ridiculous."

"I'm not a good person to ask." Olivia said. Another topic she wanted to avoid. Christ, when she was 16, she was engaged to someone who was 21. She wasn't about to divulge that little secret. Even Elliot didn't know that.

"Well, how old were you when you got your first real kiss?" Elizabeth pressed on.

Olivia looked at the girls, and they were all listening intently. She was starting to feel a deep throb in the back of her head. "Girls, my experiences have nothing to do with yours."

"Just tell us."

"I don't know. 15 I guess. I don't really remember." Which was an absolute lie. She was 13 and she remembered it very well. She had a crush on a neighbor boy who was a few years older. She followed him and his friends around like a puppy for half the summer, and then he had finally invited her to come to a party with him. She'd snuck out and met him, gone to the party, and within 15 minutes he'd pushed her up against a wall, stuck his tongue down her throat and his hand up her shirt. She had pushed him away, nervous and scared, and had gone home crying.

"I bet it was magical." Elizabeth said and Olivia smiled, not wanting to ruin the girls image of the world.

"Don't be such a dope." Kathleen said. "When I kissed Bobby Zucker, it wasn't magical. But I got in some good practice." She said with a laugh.

"How many boyfriends have you had Olivia?" Elizabeth asked. "Have you ever told anyone that you loved them?"

Kathleen jumped in. "You can't ask her a question like that. It's none of your business."

Olivia said a silent thank you for Kathleen's intervention. She had a few men she'd consider boyfriends, but there were several others that wouldn't qualify, depending on the definition. It wasn't that she was embarrassed by how many men she'd slept with; it just wasn't something she shared. And she didn't want to keep lying to these girls. "Girls, listen. I'm a lot older than you and let's just say that I've had my share of boyfriends. And you will too. The only thing I'm going to tell you is that you shouldn't rush into anything. Everything will happen when it's supposed to happen for you. You don't need to compare yourself to anyone else."

Olivia looked at Elizabeth specifically. "And no, I've never told anyone that I loved them." She said. "Now can we please change topics?" Olivia pleaded.

EOEOEOEOEO

They had been sitting in the sun for several hours, and Olivia was glad the conversation had turned to music and movies and most importantly, topics that required very little input from Olivia. She listened to their conversation, answering a question here and there, and just enjoying the chatter. The girls were right; the dynamics were definitely different without the boys. She even let Elizabeth paint her toenails. They were now some shade of coral that the girls assured her was perfect for summer.

Finally, she'd had enough sun and enough sitting. "I'm going to take a swim." She pushed herself up from her chair, adjusted her suit and waded out into the water. She dove in and swam under water for almost a full minute before she broke the surface. The water was cool and refreshing, and she flipped over on her back and floated for a bit, looking up at the nearly cloudless sky.

The peace was shattered a few seconds later when the girls ran into the water. They were laughing and shrieking as they all made their way to the swim platform. "C'mon Olivia!"

Elizabeth snagged her arm and dragged her towards the platform, and Olivia laughed. She was one of the girls now. They were all climbing up on the platform when they saw the boat coming back in.

"Glad we got here before the boys got back." Elizabeth said.

Olivia shielded her eyes from the sun with her hand, and watched the boys get off the boat. Elliot was right behind them, and she saw them all shed their life jackets. Two seconds later, all three of them leapt off the dock and swam straight for the platform.

Elizabeth and Emily started shrieking. "They're trying to take over the platform."

Olivia felt the whole thing rock as the boys grabbed on to the side.

"Get 'em Dad." She heard one of the boys say, and Olivia saw Elliot climbing up the ladder. Elizabeth was the first person he encountered, and he picked her up and tossed her into the water. She let out a loud shriek as she hit the water, and then she was joined by Emily. Elliot was roaring, and Olivia had to assume this was some game they played. The boys were still rocking the platform, yelling King of the Mountain, and Olivia watched as Elliot focused his attention on Kathleen. Kathleen was yelling and telling him to leave them alone, but there was a big smile on her face. Elliot cornered her and Jess, and moments later, they both jumped in the water before Elliot could get his hands on them.

Olivia was in the opposite corner, and Elliot turned and faced her. He had a devilish grin in his eyes and once again, Olivia could see the little boy in him. She narrowed her eyes and she stretched out her right arm and pointed a finger at him. "Elliot Stabler. Don't you dare!" She said in her best don't fuck with me voice. It wasn't that she minded getting wet, but she wasn't going to be tossed around like one of the kids, and she wasn't going to let him win another one of his stupid contests.

Elliot just stood and grinned at her, and Olivia could hear the boys chanting. The girls had all moved into shallower waters and she could hear them behind her, chanting her name. She felt like she was in some ridiculous cage match; she had nowhere to go.

Elliot took a step towards her, and he saw her narrow her eyes further. He knew this was a stupid game, but hey, if she was on the platform, she was fair game. She could jump off if she didn't want to play. But he knew Olivia, and he knew she wouldn't back down.

Olivia knew the best defense was a good offense, and she tried to decide if she could push him off the edge if she charged him. That would probably send her over the edge as well, and she wasn't sure about all the rules of this stupid game, but she was pretty sure Dickie and Josh would climb up and lay claim.

Olivia racked her brain for another strategy, and she saw Elliot's eyes dip down slightly. She bit back a smile; her strategy set. Olivia looked quickly right and left, but the boys were staying well below the platform deck. The girls were behind her. Very slowly, Olivia reached up to the strap of her bikini top. She ran her finger down the inside of the seam, pulling the material just a little lower on the swell of her breast. She didn't dare look at Elliot as she ran her finger back up. She knew she was playing dirty, but Elliot was the one that had taught her to use the tools at your disposal. She did it again, daring to go just a little lower. She wasn't even close to being completely indecent, but she hoped she was having the intended effect.

Elliot saw Olivia as she toyed with her bikini top. He knew exactly what she was up to; distraction was always a good tactic. But even knowing what she was up to, he couldn't seem to tear his eyes away from her. The kids were all still chanting. They couldn't see what was going on, so they were still yelling for their respective teams. As far as they knew, it was a standoff.

He wondered how far she'd take it.

Olivia dropped her hand to her stomach and flattened her palm on her abdomen. She moved her hand down until her middle finger slid beneath the waistband of her bikini bottoms. She heard a sharp intake of breath from Elliot. Bingo. She took another small step forward, assuming his attention was focused elsewhere. She was starting to close the distance between them. Another 30 seconds or so, and hopefully she'd be close enough for her to leap at him and push him off without taking her with him.

Elliot let out a low growl. Even though he knew it was all a slow tease, it was working. He could feel a flush through his body, and he had to end this before things got out of control. He tore his eyes from her hand, and looked up at her eyes. He knew when his eyes connected with hers that she knew the jig was up, but she was too slow to react and too close to retreat.

"Looks like someone needs to cool off." In two strides he was on her, and he scooped her up in his arms. Olivia screamed, but it was too late as he moved to the edge and dropped her in the water. He stood on the platform as the boys scrambled up, and he beat on his chest and let out a growl like King Kong.

Olivia spluttered her way to the surface, still somewhat surprised that Elliot had picked her up and tossed her in the water. She thought she'd been doing a good job of distracting him, but apparently not. Proving her point that Elliot had no interest in her.

The boys were charging around the platform, yelling taunts at the girls. Elliot dove off the platform, just a few feet from where Olivia was treading water. He grabbed her feet and she kicked at him as he tugged her under water. He wrapped an arm around her waist as they both bobbed to the surface, and he pulled her back against his body. "You don't play fair Benson." He whispered in her ear. He released her then, and pushed off back towards the platform, charging up the ladder with a roar.

EOEOEOEOEO

Olivia'd had enough of the sun and the water. She heard the kids yelling and screaming as she headed back into the house. She pulled a beer out of the refrigerator and took a long drink. She thought about Elliot, and what he'd whispered in her ear.

The minute she thought he had no interest, he said or did something that made her think otherwise. She headed into her bedroom, taking another drink from her bottle of beer. She needed another shower…and then a nap.

EOEOEOEO

Dinner was home-made pizzas and as soon as they were done eating, the kids started a rousing game of Monopoly. Elliot opened a couple of beers and handed one to Olivia and nodded out towards the deck. "I'm going to get the bonfire started. You want to gather up the things for the S'mores and meet me down by the fire pit?"

Olivia nodded and watched as he disappeared. The man had finally gotten dressed, but he was wearing a hooded sweatshirt over his shirt…probably hiding the holes…and a pair of jeans. His ass looked great in jeans…

Olivia shook her head, and moved to gather up the graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate. She went back into her room and grabbed a lightweight sweater to throw on over her long t-shirt and leggings, and slipped on her Converse. She had felt the chill in the air through the French doors, and didn't want to be cold by the fire.

As she came out of her room, she saw the game had already deteriorated, and the kids started heading down to the fire. She followed them, juggling all the food, and she could see that Elliot already had a roaring fire going.

The kids circled around, and they took turns telling bad jokes and ghost stories and challenging each other over stupid things. The night air was cooling considerably, and the kids started disappearing two by two. Just as the last of the twilight disappeared over the lake and darkness settled in, Kathleen and Jess said goodnight.

"It's getting cold." Olivia said quietly, listening to the sound of insects and the snap of the fire.

"C'mere." Elliot said. He tugged Olivia over towards him, but she pulled back slightly. "C'mon. I'm not going to bite." He teased. Olivia let him pull her over to where he was sitting on one of the lounge chairs, and she settled between his legs. Elliot wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her shoulder. "Is that better?"

Olivia's heartbeat accelerated, and she couldn't say anything. She could feel his body heat seep into her chilled body; he had her snugged tight against his chest and his breath was warm in her ear. She swallowed hard and just stared at the fire, her mind racing. A few seconds later, she felt Elliot's hand over hers, and he intertwined his fingers with hers.

"El…" Olivia said softly.

"Hmm." His voice was a light hum against her skin.

"What are we doing?" she whispered.

"I don't know." Elliot answered honestly. He hesitated a second. "Do you want me to stop?"

Olivia inhaled and let out her breath slowly. She closed her eyes, and squeezed Elliot's hand slightly. "No."