Once Elliot left the apartment it was just Olivia and Eleanore left. It almost felt empty without his presence. A part of Olivia wanted to ask him to stay. To just spend the night with the two of them, but she didn't. She needed time alone with Ellie in order to talk to her about how she was doing. Take the time to listen to her daughter.

"Mommy, is he going to come back?" Eleanore looked up at her mother with tears in her eyes. The fear of him disappearing again evident. Olivia gave her a soft smile and kneeled down in front of her.

"Yeah, he is going to come back." Olivia pulled her daughter in for a hug. She took in a deep breath and enjoyed the moment. Olivia knew everything was going to change. She wasn't mad at it, she was ready to accept it, but she would have be lying if she said she wasn't scared as hell.

"He's fun, mommy," Eleanore stated with a smile.

"He is a lot of fun," Olivia agreed. She pushed a stray strand of Ellie's hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. "How are you feeling, Ellie? Today was a lot." Olivia herself felt exhausted. Physically and emotionally. Her face was beginning to cramp from smiling so much. Ellie had made her smile a lot over the course of her short little life, but it wasn't in the same way Elliot had always had the ability to.

"Can he play tomorrow?"

"I will call and ask him, but i'm sure he won't mind."

"Good," Eleanore nodded. The small toddler began rubbing her eyes and Olivia could tell she was trying to suppress a yawn.

"Alright, Ellie Bug let's get you dressed and get you to bed." Eleanore didn't fight her mother. Instead she raised her arms and waited for Olivia to pick her up so she could carry her to her to her bedroom. Once Olivia got the young girl dressed she took her to the bathroom to brush her teeth. After she finished Olivia placed her down in her bed and pulled the covers up over her. The mother daughter duo finished the routine by Olivia reading the young brunette a book.

"Hey," she heard his voice breathe out on the other side of the line. He sounded like he had just finished a work out. His body was still in such good shape and Olivia had made sure to admire it without him noticing.

"Hey, you just get done with a work out?" Olivia questioned although she already knew the answer.

"Yeah," It was simple and short. Olivia could hear some people in the back round and she figured he was trying to escape the crowded area before he said anymore. He wanted to have their conversation in private. "How is Eleanore doing?" Elliot questioned. She heard him start the engine of his car and smiled.

"Good. Do you want to know the verdict?" She teased.

"Yeah, judge. I'm dying to know." She could hear the lightness in his voice and she knew he was giving it right back.

"She loves you. She thinks you are fun." Olivia plopped herself down on her bed and she sighed at how big it felt. She hadn't slept with anyone besides Eleanore in the bed and all of a sudden it felt to big for her alone. She wanted him to take his rightful place next to her.

"She's a good kid. You've done a great job with her." Olivia smiled at his words.

"Thanks, but I can't take all of the credit," Olivia paused. "Do you have anything planned for tomorrow." Olivia bit her bottom lip.

"It just so happens my schedule is free. What did you have in mind?"

"Eleanore wanted you to come over again. Tomorrow is supposed to be nice so I figured we could go to the zoo or something. I haven't had the chance to take to her to one yet so it would be something new that you would get to experience with her." Olivia sucked her bottom lip in between her teeth and waited for his response.

"Liv, I would like nothing more." Olivia didn't know why she was nervous. It was Elliot. Her Elliot.

"It's a date," she grinned out.

"It's more like a play date," Elliot mused. "But at some point I would really like to take you on a date. I want to spend as much time as I can with Ellie. I want to know her, but I also want to get back to knowing you too."

"Me too, Elliot. Me too." Elliot took in a deep breath and released it. The entire time he had been back she had been calling him Elliot. Not El. It was the smallest thing, but he had picked up on it. It was the nickname only she was allowed to call him. Though he had to admit El and Ellie may get a little confusing.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Huh?"

"You were chuckling out of no where." Olivia seemed amused.

"Are you interrogating me detective?" Olivia shook her head with a smile plastered against her features.

"Of course not. Just being nosy."

"I'm thinking about how you said I had a receding hair line." Elliot felt comforted by her burst of laughter. It was so beautiful. It was one of the things he had missed the most about being around her.

In front of people Olivia put up this hard front. She wasn't necessarily cold, but she was closed off. She compartmentalized herself into these boxes. At work she remained professional. Even outside of it, to a degree, she would put up barriers. It wasn't until they had become serious in their relationship that he tore down each of her walls. For him she was willing drop them all. He knew right now there were some rebuilt, but he was going to do everything in his power to break them down all over again.

"I was just teasing," Olivia stated trying to defend herself.

"Yeah, yeah. Tell me what you really think Benson."

"Hey, It's Stabler." She corrected him.

"I've missed you so much, Liv. I can't imagine the hell you went through because of me, but I promise I am going to prove to you over and over again how much I Love you." He heard her take a sharp intake of air.

"Elliot, you don't have to prove anything to me. I just need you." She whispered the last part. She found it hard to be vulnerable about the topic.

"I need you, too." He horsed out.

"I know you do." He could hear her rise from her bed. He could only imagine she was making her way to the bathroom in order to wind down from the day. He could imagine her removing what little makeup she applied off of her face, taking off the light pink dress that complimented her olive skin perfectly, and finally throwing her hair up into a clip to expose her neck. The same neck he used to pepper in endless kisses just because he found it so irresistible. "Are you still there?"

"Yeah, I'm here. I'm not going anywhere." Elliot stated. Olivia laughed once again.

"Well, I am. To bed. I am so tired," she yawned out. "I wish you were here," she exposed.

"Me, too. Someday soon, Liv."

"I know that too."

"You know everything, huh?" He joked.

"Not everything, but I know you," she softened.

"Goodnight, Liv. I love you."

"Night, Elliot. I love you too."

Elliot had a hold of Eleanore's feet as they dangled over his shoulders. Her little arms were wrapped around the top of his head as she held on tight. Olivia was beside the pair, her pointer finger looped through one of his belt loops. The zoo was far busier than the pair expected for it being a Wednesday, but a part of them didn't mind because they were together.

"So what do you want to see first Ellie Bug?" Olivia asked.

"Giraffes," she shouted. Olivia smiled and laughed at her excitement. In all honesty she was just as excited. She had only been to the zoo a couple of times and neither one of them were a good experience. She was determined to make it a good one for her daughter.

"Hi folks," a petite blonde stated ruefully as they entered the front gate to the zoo. "Would you like to have your picture taken?"

"Sure," Elliot stated before Olivia could say anything.

"I will have you guys stand over here," she stated. She directed them to a nice back drop that had the Zoo's logo on it. Olivia removed her hand from his belt loop and wrapped both arms around his torso and held him as close to he body as she could. He looked down at her as she looked up at him. Both with smiles that felt wider than humanly possible. They heard the click of the camera and were stunned for a moment. They forgot what they were doing.

"Alright, now I will have you guys face the camera this time," the blonde winked and Olivia felt her cheeks turn pink. She turned to face the camera as he did the same. They both smiled and waited for the click of the camera to move. "Okay, here are you two stubs for your pictures. Whenever you want to you can go over to that booth over there and they can show you your pictures and you can decide whether or not you want to purchase them."

"Thank you," Olivia stated. The young blonde gave her a kind smile before heading back over to the entrance to stop more people to offer pictures.

"Alright, on to the giraffes," Elliot stated.

"I think our pictures turned out pretty good," Elliot stated. The family of three was now back at Olivia's apartment. Elliot's heart had never felt more full as the four year olds head was tucked into his shoulder as she let out a few slow small snores.

"I do to," Olivia offered. She sat down beside him and handed him a glass of water. He took a sip carefully. He handed her back the glass so that she could set it on the coffee table in front of them. "Do you want me to show you where her room is so you can lay her down?"

"Nah, I'm good. I want this time with her." Olivia smiled and nodded. "Hey, Liv."

"Yeah," she stared at him with her brown orbs and he wanted to melt right then and there. He would never get tired of her.

"How am I supposed to break it to my other four kids that I'm not dead?" He watched as Olivia visibly frowned. "Hey, are you okay?"

"I've been so selfish. I didn't even think about telling them." He could see the guilt written in her features.

"Liv, look at me." She hesitated before doing what he asked. "You have not been Selfish. You have known for 3 days and this is a lot to process. It's okay." She nodded, but he could still feel the tension radiating off of her. "Plus, it is my responsibility not yours. I'm the one who has been dead for almost 5 years."

"They've just always been there for Ellie. I should be there for them too." Olivia added.

"Well, then be there when I tell them," he offered. He removed one of his hands off of their daughter before holding it out to her. Once she placed her hand in his he gently squeezed it. Something about the action was so comforting to her. She instantly relaxed. "I love you, Olivia Margret Stabler," he stated.

"I love you too, Elliot Joseph Stabler," she leaned in slowly and placed a gentle kiss on his lips.

How do you think the big kids are going to take it?