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Dick Wolf owns everything
Plot Twist
When I ask you to marry me…
When I ask you to marry me…
When I ask you to marry me…
Her mind was stuck with those words on a constant loop.
His words…
When I ask you to marry me…
He hadn't said… if… if I ask you… he had said… when…
That meant…
That meant he will. He was going to…
Elliot Joseph Stabler had plans to ask her to marry him.
She swallowed hard because her brain was spiraling and her lungs were burning in need of air, but his words had taken that. Taken all the oxygen out of them… out of this car. All she could do was swallow and hope her nervous system would figure out how to work again because her motor functions had temporarily ceased to exist.
Elliot waited a few seconds trying to gage her reaction. Was she breathing?
He couldn't tell. He couldn't tell if she was breathing… or not breathing… or suffering from a sudden stroke…
He glanced over in her direction as he pulled up to her apartment.
She was swallowing… so that was… a sign. A sign of what he wasn't sure.
Once she was in the light of the streetlamp, he saw it.
Everything he ever wanted.
She was going to make his dreams come true.
Her eyes were glassy, welling with unfallen tears because she hadn't blinked… or couldn't blink, he wasn't sure, and they were boring into his soul. All her emotions were about to spill out down her cheeks, and it had overwhelmed her. Her lips had curved into the smallest smile.
She had understood what he said.
And she wanted to marry him.
The look on her face was the look of a yes.
Yes.
And the revelation of him wanting to marry her was hitting her just as hard and wholly as it had hit him the first time he felt it, and then again when he knew the possibility was real.
He wasn't sure what to say to break her out of the mind-altering revelation of becoming his wife.
And he couldn't blame her. The thought had shaken him to his very core thinking about Olivia being his wife. Of being her husband. And there was something so completely endearing and lovely about seeing this knowledge washing over her face.
He felt the sudden familiar eagerness, the same eagerness he had felt before, bubble up in him to ask her to marry him. The anticipation and sheer… excitement of finally and officially asking her the one and only question that would be the culmination of all his dreams sat heavy on his chest.
But he had plans. He could wait. He had plans and things that needed to be done first but knowing that her answer was going to be yes, well it eased and heightened his feelings.
Take a deep breath Stabler… take a deep breath he told himself.
He knew he needed to be the one to make the first move. To shift them out of this wonderful and lifechanging moment, because Noah was sleeping in the backseat, and she had to go back to work tomorrow, and he needed to talk to someone specifically about his plans. Someone who would ultimately set everything in motion.
So, he swallowed and let out his breath and said the only thing that came to his mind.
"Ok Liv?" he said, his breath a little shaky after breaking the silence that was ticking by while they sat outside her apartment.
He saw the spark of ignition in her. Her mind finally wrapping around what he said, and the sound of his voice telling her this was real. This was happening. And she wavered, taking a sharp shaky breath of her own, blinking as her tears finally dropped quickly down her cheeks, and the most stunning smile crossed her face.
It took his breath away.
The face of the woman he loved more than life itself, telling him yes.
She would say yes when he asked her to marry him.
She quickly undid her seatbelt and moved like lightning, leaning across the center console her hands moving to his face, and she pulled his lips to hers.
It was searing, and solid and true. Simple, and sweet… desperate and aching. Heated and slow. Painful and healing.
It was everything either one of them had ever felt towards each other. The culmination of twenty-three years of being inextricably connected and bonded in such a complicated intricate way that no one in this universe could understand.
And it was the most painfully earned moment of their lives.
This kiss held more emotion and parts of their souls than any other kiss they had shared. He knew the only one that would rival this one, would be the one on their wedding day.
He gripped her bicep, his other hand moving up into her hair, holding her to him, matching the intensity of her emotions.
Olivia felt her heart grip in her chest, and softly pulled her lips from him. She couldn't keep the smile off her face, and a few tears were still slipping down her face. She looked deep into those sparkling blue eyes of his.
"Ok El…" she whispered and sucked in another sharp breath. He smiled and a soft little chuckle came out of his mouth as his lips curved up into that sweet smile of his. The one only she saw. The one he reserved only for her, because she was the only one who could cause him to smile like that.
Just then, Noah's snoring got louder, and he shifted in the backseat.
They both quietly laughed and as they peeked at him from the front. Elliot kissed her cheek, and then they moved to get out, Elliot scooping up Noah and carrying him inside with Liv by his side.
EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO
Olivia woke up to her alarm Sunday morning and groaned. A naked Elliot was still asleep, his muscular arm draped over her stomach, gripping her hip with his hand. She felt him tighten his hand and arm around her as she tried to reach for her phone to stop the alarm.
She reached laughing to herself as he made it difficult to shut the ringing off, and heard him groan in protest. Once she turned it off, she laid back down, and he snuggled back into her, his legs looping around hers, his feet tucking under calf. His arm that had a grip on her hip, smoothed up her side and found its place on her ribs, his thumb rubbing her skin softly. His face, with eyes still shut, moved into her neck, nuzzling into her hair, and light sleepy little kisses came across her skin and then he huffed out some air, and stilled.
Olivia couldn't stop smiling. She couldn't believe she got this. She was going to have this the rest of her life. They had all but officially agreed to marry each other last night. She wanted nothing more than to lay in bed with him all day, but she had to go back to work.
She lightly moved her hand over his arm tracing the tattoo there. She could spare a few more minutes and lay here a little bit longer she thought.
She let her mind go back into last night after they had come home. They had put Noah to bed, talked about Elliot watching Noah for her tomorrow since he didn't have to go back to work till Monday. How they would talk to Noah about Elliot moving in here until they had found a bigger place. Ask him how he felt about all of this and let him know his opinion mattered. Once tomorrow was settled for Noah and Elliot, Olivia went to check on Noah once more, and when she came back out into the living room, he had lit a few candles and turned on some quiet music.
"Dance with me Liv…"
He had asked holding out his hand to her. Her answer would never be no. So, she took his hand, and they had slow danced in her living room. He held her close, as she laid her head on his chest. She could feel the beat of his heart. His hands had smoothed over her body moving slowly and softly, leaving warm trails.
She had never felt safer, more loved, or more seen in her life.
She loved this man with the whole of her heart. The whole of her body… her soul.
When the song ended, she lifted her head to look him in his eyes, and without words took his hand and lead him into her bedroom.
It had been slow and soft and sensual. He had taken his time undressing her, cherishing every inch of skin he reveled. Looking at her like it was the first time, but his hands and mouth knowing her better than she knew herself. His lips trailed lightly across her back, from shoulder to shoulder, while his warm hands smoothed down her sides.
He had let her take her turn as well, removing his clothes, touching and kissing his skin, feeling what she wanted to feel. The slow building heat and arousal. They were tandemly in control. Each allowing what the other needed. Giving and taking. Loving each other equally, silently communicating through physical touch, and the touching of their souls through eye contact.
The silence around them and their soft keening moans saying everything.
They had made love slowly, not rushing, tasting and touching, throughout the night. Holding onto one another, letting the enchanting night of setting in motion their futures together ebb over them like a softly cresting wave moving over the sand on a calm clear night.
Olivia had never felt so good. So happy… whole… peaceful… joyful…
Alive.
Her alarm went off again, pulling her out of the blissful cloud of memories and she groaned.
"Hmmm… no…" Elliot whispered, his voice thick with sleep. She smiled to herself rubbing over his forearm.
"Not ready…" he said into her hair, taking a deep breath in and nuzzling his nose into her neck.
"I know my love…" she said back to him. She wasn't ready either. Ready to end this long weekend, ready to go back out into the world. But the world needed her. Manhattan needed her. Her squad, SVU… they needed her too. But unlike coming back from vacation days, or forced time off, she felt complete. She wasn't itching to get back to work because staying at home meant time… too much time to think about all the things that kept her up at night. Less time spent with her partner.
She felt whole, knowing at the end of her day she had all she needed at home. The balance. She truly felt like she had found it all. And she had. She could face anything now.
She kissed his temple and sighed, then reaching for her phone to turn the alarm off and softly pulled herself from his grip, kissing his hand and getting up.
EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO
Once she had gotten up, it didn't take long for El to get up. He came into her bathroom, kissed her cheek, his hands gripping her body as he passed and moved to use the toilet. She had been brushing her teeth, a surprised look on her face that he had woken up. She looked at him, and he laughed.
"Don't like sleeping without you…" he said answering the question she didn't ask out loud. She felt a blush creep into her cheeks, and her heart melted a little. She felt the same way. He finished, washed his hands, kissed her other cheek as he went back into her bedroom… well their bedroom now.
She looked at herself in the mirror, the love bites he left on her skin were starting to fade and she felt a twinge of disappointment they were, but then remembered he could always make new ones.
She turned watching him walk naked over to their bed, pulling the sheets and comforter up. She felt that tug in her belly. That deep seeded arousal she always felt when she looked at him or thought about him.
She was still brushing her teeth, watching, stopping and starting again as he distracted her. His lean lines, and muscles making her breath hitch. He turned to go to the dresser to get dressed and caught her ogling him.
He smirked that cocky smirk of his, and she felt heat spread across her body and she giggled at him catching her red-handed. She turned to her sink, spitting out the toothpaste, rinsing her mouth and when she turned back to lean in the doorframe of her bathroom, Elliot had grabbed his clothes, and was slowly slipping them on, giving her a little show as he did. Coyly looking over his shoulder at her as he bent down to slip his briefs on, flexing his muscles at he turned slowly pull on his pants.
She couldn't stop the laughter coming out of her. God this man… her man. She felt like the luckiest woman in the world.
"You know this will be all I think about at work now…" she said, her eyes wide and full of arousal.
"Good…" he answered and moved into her space kissing her.
"Morning beautiful…" he said in-between kisses.
"Good morning my love…" she answered back, gripping his neck to keep him connected to her. He swayed with her a little before he ended their kiss.
"You want to go wake up Noah while I finish getting ready?" she said, letting her eyes roam over his chest as her hands moved up his back.
"Hmmm…" he said, kissing her again as he pushed his body into hers and up against the door frame. Her hands were making him want things. Starting little fires under his skin.
"You keep that up and you will be late for work Captain…" he said, his breath coming out hard.
She laughed that throaty little laugh of hers and kissed him again, sliding her tongue into his mouth, gripping her finger nails a little deeper into the skin on his back. He moaned into her mouth.
She pulled back, and loved to see him, panting a little, eyes sharp with desire, his chest starting to redden.
"I promise I'm all yours tonight, Detective." She said in that low Captain voice of hers. And he felt his cock twitch. Damn her.
"Promise?" he said.
"Always"
EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO
It had taken a little more than thirty minutes for her to finish getting ready. She could smell the coffee brewing and heard Noah and Elliot. He had come back in to grab something from the bathroom while she was in her closet figuring out what to wear, and she wondered what he needed.
When she exited their room, she headed down the hallway towards the voices of the two loves of her life.
They were in the bathroom.
When she rounded the edge of the door frame and looked into the bathroom her heart almost stopped at the sweet sight before her.
A still shirtless Elliot was standing at the counter, with a shirtless Noah and both of them had shaving cream on their faces. Elliot was shaving his face, telling Noah how to hold the blade, and the direction to go. Noah was watching him in the mirror taking in all the information.
She felt tears prick in her eyes.
Here Elliot was being Noah's dad.
The dad he deserved.
"Here you, try…" he said handing Noah the razor but flipping it around so he would be using the side without the razor. He knew Noah was too young to shave yet, but he had asked him to show him how to do it. And there was no way he was missing out on this opportunity.
"Yup… just like that." He said, and then both of their eyes looked up into the mirror at Liv standing in the doorway behind them when they heard her sniff.
"Hey mom! Look what El is teaching me!" he said, so excited.
"Wow! I see… you look like a natural." She said beaming. She quickly wiped her tears away.
"Hey Liv…" El said grabbing the towel on the sink and wiping away the little bits of shaving cream left.
"Don't worry, he's using the non-razor side. He asked me how I shave, so I figured it would be ok to show him. Hope that's alright?" El said, a little question in his voice. He looked at Liv waiting for her to tell him she was ok with that.
"Absolutely El…" she said, kissing his cheek. "I'm gonna go get some coffee." She said and he could hear the heightened emotion in her voice, and he brushed her cheek and nodded.
He watched her walk towards the kitchen, and he turned back to Noah feeling fatherly pride swell inside him.
"How am I doing?" Noah asked.
"Perfect bud." El said smiling at the bright little eyes of Liv's son.
EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO
Olivia had gotten out things for breakfast and was buttering a piece of toast when her boys came into the kitchen. Both had finished getting dress, and she eyed Elliot as he moved to sit next to her letting him know she was going to start this conversation with Noah about him moving in.
"So Noah… how would you feel about El moving in with us?" she asked, already knowing her sons reaction.
He put the milk he had been drinking down. A huge grin on his face. He looked at his mom and then looked at El who was also smiling.
"Really?" he said.
"Really." Olivia answered.
"That would be so cool mom!" he said. "I would love to have El here all the time."
Olivia laughed at how exuberant Noah was.
"So, since your mom has to work, you and I will be hanging today. You feel like helping me move my stuff?"
"Yes!" Noah said.
Olivia sat there feeling total relief and happiness wash over her. She knew Noah would be all in on the idea but now that it was official Olivia felt relieved.
"Ok… we'll my two loves… I gotta get to work.
Olivia stood from the table taking her plate to the sink and finishing the last of her coffee. She came up behind Noah and gave him a kiss on top of his head.
"Love you, Noah." She said.
"Love you too mom."
Then she turned to lean down to Elliot.
He captured her lips, parting his a little, letting his hand slip to the side of her leg, squeezing before he let her go.
"I love you El…" she said, smiling.
"I love you too beautiful."
EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO
A four hours later Noah and Elliot were at his apartment boxing things up. The lease had only been for a few months, so he didn't mind paying it till it was up. He really didn't have a lot here. His clothes, a couple of things Kathleen had bought for him to make it homier. Pictures and a few odds and ends. It had come with standard furniture so none of it was his.
He made sure to grab the strip of photos on his fridge and he smiled looking at them, remembering that night at Fin's wedding.
He found Olivia's glasses on the floor by the chair in the living room. He felt heat spike up his spine at the memory of her walking in dressed only in black lace under her coat, heels and those glasses. God, he missed her.
He tucked her glasses in this pocket and picked up a few more things putting them in one of the boxes.
"Who is this?" Noah asked.
Elliot turned around and saw Noah standing in the little hallway connecting the bedroom to the bathroom and living room holding a picture frame.
It was the one of Kathy.
He felt a little bit of grief hit him and he sighed and came over to Noah.
"That's Kathy. She was my wife. The mother of my children." He said.
Noah looked at the picture for a minute and then looked at Elliot.
"Was? Are you divorced?" he asked, curious.
"No… she… she pasted away." He said, unsure of just how much he wanted to tell Noah. He felt like maybe he and Liv should have had a conversation about this. They still needed to set up a time to tell his children, and have them meet Noah, and surely, he would ask them questions.
"Was she sick?" he asked.
He huffed out a breath trying to think about the best way to put this. He didn't want to lie to him, and then have to explain later.
"No… someone hurt her. She died in the hospital from her injuries."
Noah looked back down at the picture in his hands. He had a very concerned look on his face. He pursed his lips together.
"I'm sorry El… that must have been hard. I couldn't imagine losing my mom."
Elliot felt the tears already pricking at his eyes. This little boy of Olivia's had so much compassion for a woman he didn't even know, but knew she meant something to him. He was older beyond his years. And Elliot couldn't wait for the day he could call Noah his son.
He swallowed hard, trying to control the emotion sweeping over him.
"It was hard. But you know what got me through?" he said.
Noah shook his head.
"Your mom." He said and he felt the warmth of Olivia wash over him, taking his pain away.
"Yea… my mom is good like that. She helps a lot of people."
Elliot chuckled a little at that comment. If her son only truly knew the extent of how true that statement was.
"Yea she does."
Noah was still holding the picture.
"Is there something else you want to ask?" he asked Noah, giving him the opportunity to ask whatever he wanted.
"Did my mom know her?"
Elliot raised his eyebrows at that question. The relationship Kathy and Olivia had was… complicated. Not as complicated as their relationship but complicated enough. Olivia had been nothing but honest, and loyal to his marriage to Kathy. She had never wanted to hurt Kathy in any way. But Kathy knew. He wasn't sure when she knew her husband was in love with someone else, but Kathy tolerated it. Tolerated Olivia if it meant she would send him home to her.
"Yea… your mom knew Kathy." And he figured if maybe later in Noah's life, if he asked, he would tell him more, but he hoped this information would be enough for now.
"Right… you guys were partners. Like how Uncle Sonny and Aunt Amanda used to be partners."
"Right." Elliot said.
He could tell Noah still had some things swirling around in his mind, but he seemed satisfied with that answer.
"Come on…" El said, taking the picture and putting it in the box next to him. "Let's go put these in the car and then we can go get something to eat."
"Ok." Noah said smiling up at El.
EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO
It had been quite a busy first day back. She had a ton of emails and phone calls to make. Cases to catch up on, and things her squad needed to fill in for her. The first thing she did when she got into her office was lock up her file in her bottom desk drawer.
Hopefully it would be the last time it would ever see the light of day. She felt an immense sense of relief once she turned the key. Moving fully into her future.
El had texted her throughout the day, asking how things were going. Letting her know they got all his stuff moved to her place, now their place.
He had sent a picture of him and Noah making silly faces sharing a milkshake, to lighten her day.
He had also sent her a video of Noah dancing with a street performer. The next text said,
Noah is a really good dancer, maybe if he wants, we should take him to a class. Love you.
And he really was a good dancer. Liv had watched the video a few times and love flooded her heart hearing Elliot in the video cheer for Noah.
They had texted throughout the day, and she had called on a break from emails. They seemed like they had a great day and Liv was happy and a little jealous. She wished she could have been there, but it was good for Noah to spend more one-on-one time with Elliot.
Around dinner time he texted asking if they should wait to order take out for her, or if she was going to be late to just go ahead.
She looked at her watch, it was almost seven, and things had slowed down. She told him she'd be home within the hour so he told her they would wait for her.
She finished up some paperwork and was gathering her things to head home when Fin came in her office.
"What's up Fin?" she asked looking at him with that look of you better not be coming in here to tell me we caught another case.
"Hey Cap. This got delivered here for you downstairs. Came from a courier."
"Hmm…" Liv said curious. She took the small box from Fin. It was a white box, tied with a thick black silk bow. It looked expensive. There was nothing on the outside to determine where it came from. Something turned in her stomach. It didn't feel right.
She looked at Fin, who had the same look of doubt on his face.
She pulled the ribbon and lifted the top of the box.
Laying on top of tissue paper was a white sheet of paper with a handwritten note on it.
You looked sublime in the black, but
I think white would suit your beautiful
skin better. Hopefully he won't
ruin this one.
Olivia felt her stomach drop. Her mouth felt dry, and her head started to spin. Her hand that held the note was shaking.
"Oh my god…" she barely whispered.
"What is it Liv?" Fin asked worried now.
Olivia swallowed and opened the tissue paper.
Inside the box was the same set of lingerie she had worn to El's apartment. It was in her size… and a creamy white color.
Olivia's breath quickened. She felt like she had just run a marathon. She swallowed back the dry heave she felt in her throat.
There was an envelope under the lingerie. She grabbed it and opened it franticly, needing to know what was in it.
She pulled out photos.
Photos of her.
Photos of Elliot.
Photos of them together.
At his apartment that night… of them kissing and clearly doing more than kissing. Pictures of them the night she got her tattoo…
Olivia felt her heart pounding in her ears.
Photos of El and Noah from today.
Olivia dropped the photos and started to wavier.
"Liv!" he shouted and ran to her side. He grabbed her by the elbow and helped her sit.
"Liv… what's going on? What is all this?" he questioned looking at the photos spilled across her floor, and the stuff in the box.
Olivia was hunched over, breathing hard. She gripped the edge of her desk hard, her knuckles turning white.
"Call Elliot… tell him to come here now with Noah…" she huffed out, looking up at Fin with tears coming down her face.