September 24th, 2013, 7:47 PM, 16th precinct.

Olivia let out a deep sigh as she hung her purse on the back of her chair and sat down at her desk "I take it your talk with Sarah didn't go well?" Elliot asked sympathetically from across from her.

She shook her head "it didn't, not that I'm surprised though I knew it wouldn't when I went."

"You tried your best Liv," he murmured as he pulled a small dark chocolate bar from the bottom right drawer of his desk then reached over and handed it to her.

"Thank you," Liv said taking it with a grateful expression as she let her gaze stay on his bare ring finger for a minute before opening it "where's everyone else?" she asked noticing the squad room was empty besides the two of them.

"They all went out for drinks at Macgregor's."

"Ohh, uh why didn't you go too El?"

"Cuz I wasn't in the mood to drink and I still had DD5's to fill out, how many have you got over there Liv?"

"Too many," she said as she sighed, pulled the huge stack out and grabbed a pin "hand some of em here Liv."

"Huh?"

"Hand some of em here I finished my last one five minutes ago."

"Are you sure El?"

"Positive how many times did you do mine for me over the years so I could get home early?"

"I don't know I didn't count and you know I didn't mind doing it."

"I know you didn't but it's about time that I return the favor that's what best friends do is help each other out."

"You've helped me more than I can put into words by letting me stay at your place after"-

Elliot shook his head before she could speak Lewis's name "I've loved having you there and if you'll remember you let me crash in your guest bedroom for three months after my divorce was finalized, hell you even lost your relationship with Cassidy over that so I think we're more than even."

"You talk like that's a terrible thing and it wasn't El, at least not to me anyway me and him were just casual and he knew you were having a hard time."

"Yeah well almost 9 months later I still feel terrible, you should have told me when he gave you that ultimatum and I would have gotten my ass in gear and left."

"That's exactly why I didn't," she whispered as she sighed and passed a few forms over to him before starting to work on her own.

Thanks," he murmured with a soft smile.

"No thank you El, thank you," she said as they fell into a comfortable silence then.

EOEOEOEOEO

"Hey Liv can I talk to you for a minute?" Cragen asked peeking his head out of his office about a half hour later as she was nearly halfway done now with Elliot's help.

"Uh sure?" she said as she frowned slightly and stood from her desk "have I broken any protocol today that I didn't know about El?" she whispered as Cragen went back in his office and waited.

"Not that I know of," he said frowning at the number that Lewis had done on Olivia's confidence.

"Good," she whispered relieved as she started to walk off but when she got to his desk he curled his fingers around her arm lightly and rubbed it gently "don't be nervous Liv you know you almost never get in trouble with him I'm sure it's nothing major."

"I-It could be about the upcoming trial or"-

"I doubt it is cuz he would have called us both in but if you need me just shoot me a text and I'll interrupt and go in okay?"

"Kay," she whispered and he smiled softly "you've got this I promise."

She nodded, smiled slightly and squeezed his hand "thanks El."

"No thanks needed Liv," he said as she nodded, gave him one more small smile then made her way to Cragen's office and knocked.

"Come in," Cragen said when he heard it and she nodded and stepped in "y-you wanted to see me captain?"

"I did, close the door and have a seat."

She nodded and did as he asked "today was a tough day for you how are you holding up?"

"I'm okay cap really me and El are just finishing up our paperwork then we're gonna clock out."

"That's good," he said as he nodded then reached into his desk "Olivia the reason why I called you in here is because I wanted to give you this," he said handing her a file.

Olivia nodded, took it and glanced at it "you want me to take the Sergeants exam?"

Cragen nodded his head softly "yeah Liv you're the best detective I've got and I told you I'm hitting mandatory soon."

"Cap s-shouldn't you be talking to Elliot about this? He's got seniority over me."

Cragen sighed "you and I both know that with Elliot's jacket and temper he'll never be promoted and you've got the mind of a leader plus lets face it you've helped keep the guys in line for years."

"Yeah I guess I have but you should really make sure that he doesn't want this first I don't feel right taking the opportunity from him and I'm not really ready to ride a desk anyway."

"Liv Elliot will be happy for you if you take it, I know he will be and just because you have the Sergeants rank doesn't mean you have to stay behind a desk all the time John went out into the field a lot before Rollins and Amaro transferred in."

"That's a good point and I have dreamed of running this place one day," she said through a conflicted sigh.

Cragen nodded "alright then allow your dream to come true, do something for yourself that'll make you happy for once in your life Liv."

She sighed heavily "you're pushing this really hard Don."

He nodded as his expression softened "I know I am and I'm sorry if it's making you uncomfortable it's just really important to me that when I leave SVU is in the best hands possible."

"Elliot would be an amazing Sergeant."

"Yeah maybe but like I said earlier getting him promoted would be virtually impossible."

She just nodded her head through another sigh "have you talked to him at all about this?"

"I haven't I saw no reason to this decision is yours to make and yours alone."

"Okay umm what will happen if I say no?"

He sighed "if you say no then when I retire 1pp will throw in the first available Sergeant, lieutenant or captain they find and you'll all take your orders from them."

Olivia nodded "I hear you, I hear you loud and clear c-can I take the night to think about it? Let you know what I decide in the morning?"

"Of course but try not to take much longer than that the exam is less than a month away and you need to have adequate time to study if you decide to take it."

"I understand," she whispered as she nodded and sat the file back down on his desk "was that all you needed from me?"

"Yes it was."

Olivia nodded slightly and turned to leave but she changed her mind last minute and turned back around "I just want you to know before I go that no matter what I decide I-I'm honored that you thought to ask me it means a lot."

Cragen nodded "I didn't even have to think about it for ten seconds when I was deciding who I'd ask from the first minute I met you I knew you had potential Benson."

"T-Thank you for saying that it means a lot to me."

"You don't need to thank me because I'm only speaking the truth but if you really want to then do it by trying to see in yourself what I do."

She nodded "I-I will, goodnight captain."

"Night Liv," he said as he sighed slightly when she left his office with a slight smile.

EOEOEOEOEO

"It go okay?" Elliot asked once Olivia was seated back at her desk.

"Mmhmm," she said while starting to write again as she slightly tapped her foot.

Elliot frowned skeptically "I don't think your foot agrees."

"Sorry," she said as she stopped tapping it.

"Don't apologize," he murmured as he stopped writing "how many you got left?"

"Forms?"

"Mmhmm."

"Six."

He nodded "I've got four, hand me one more then we'll both have five."

"You sure?"

He nodded "positive then when we leave here we can talk about what happened in Cragen's office."

She handed a DD5 over to him "did you overhear anything?"

"No but I know you're rattled I can see that."

"I-I'm fine El I promise."

"You can be fine and a little rattled at the same time Liv."

"Good point I guess," she said before returning her attention back to her paperwork "El?" she asked after filling out her third sheet.

"Hmm?"

"With John gone have you given any thought to moving up the ladder?"

"No not really why? You trying to get rid of me there partner?"

"No no never I was just curious is all."

"Okay?" he said softly as she was now tapping her foot again "Liv how about we go on home? We can save the rest of these for tomorrow?"

"Okay I guess I-it's not like I can focus right now anyway," she said as she grabbed her purse and stood up.

He nodded having clearly noticed that "why is that Liv? Do I need to go have a talk with Cragen?"

"No you don't I promise."

"You sure?"

"Mmhmm I just have a lot on my mind that's all."

"Okay," he murmured and they headed to his truck in a slightly tense silence after clocking out "you know you can ask or tell me anything right?" he asked once they were on the road.

"Mmhmm," she said keeping her gaze out the window watching tall buildings and cityscape pass by.

He nodded slightly at that deciding to stop pushing her for now "you wanna listen to the radio Liv?"

"Please?"

He nodded "of course q104.3?"

"Please," she said as he nodded and turned it to it and when they started listening to it their silence became comfortable once again.

9:51 PM, apartment of Elliot Stabler.

"El can I ask you a hypothetical question?" Olivia asked as they were halfway through an episode of unsolved mysteries.

"Of course Liv what's up?"

Word this carefully, word this carefully, word this carefully she told herself as she sighed and tapped her knee "so if you were to encounter a scenario where there were two best friends who worked together every day and one of the friends outranked the other what would you think of the friend with the lower rank if they got offered a promotion over their friend and chose to take it? D-Do you think that they would be b-betraying their friend?"

"Well I think that would depend on the friendship you know all friendships are different and some people are more competitive than others."

"T-That's true," she said as she nodded slightly "w-what would you think of the friend personally though?"

Elliot frowned slightly at that "Liv what's going on?"

"P-Please just answer the question El?"

"No cuz I don't think this is hypothetical Liv," he murmured as he moved from his recliner and over to beside her on the couch "did Cragen offer you the Sergeants exam tonight Olivia?"

"Yes, I-I know it was wrong and I-I tried to tell him what a good Sergeant that you'd be but he wouldn't hear me, he kept saying that it would be nearly impossible to promote you because of your jacket and that I should take it, that I'm perfect for the job and that I have the mind of a leader I-I'm sorry El," she said through tears.

"Don't you dare apologize Liv, don't you dare he's not wrong, he's not wrong about any of it," he whispered pulling her into a bear hug and rubbing her back as the facts that she only saw him as her best friend and this isn't the kind of embrace they usually do lingered in the back of his mind but he couldn't bring himself to care because she needed comfort and dammit he was gonna give it to her.

"B-But he is, he is y-you would be an amazing Sergeant and y-yeah maybe I would be too b-but you have seniority and no promotion is worth not having you in my life anymore y-you're my number one El, m-my number one," she said as she wrapped her arms around him as well.

"Whoa whoa whoa w-who said anything about me not being a part of your life anymore Liv?"

"N-Nobody but I-I know that getting passed over for promotions like that hurts," she whispered as she pulled back slightly and looked into his eyes "when I was about fifteen my mom had a friend named Carol, they were both English professors and when Carol got picked to teach a more advanced class over my mom she never spoke to her again... She said that she felt betrayed by her t-that she knew that she deserved the position but she took it out from under her anyway a-and I don't want you to feel that way."

"I don't," Elliot murmured as he shook his head "I think your mom overreacted just a tad..."

"R-Really?"

"Yeah I think if she should have felt betrayed by anyone it should have been her boss not her friend her boss was the one who didn't recognize her potential," he said as he was still rubbing her back.

"Y-You have a point but her friend still could have said no."

"Yeah maybe but why would she have?"

"B-Because she cared for her friend?"

He shrugged slightly "like I said earlier all friendships are different," he said as he kept his calm gaze locked with hers "did you tell Cragen yes?" he asked softly.

She shook her head slightly "I-I told him that I needed to think about it."

Elliot nodded "well do you wanna take it?"

She sighed "I... Yes but only if it won't hurt us El y-you're the single most important person in my life."

"Ohh Liv..." He whispered as he shook his head.

She just nodded to him "you are El I-I can't put into words how much I care for you... It's more than I've ever cared for anyone in my life."

"I care for you too Liv, I-I care for you too more than you'll ever know."

Olivia smiled at that and nodded and he smiled and pulled her into another gentle hug "in the morning tell Cragen that you say yes it's not gonna bother me one bit Liv, I'll even help you study okay?" he murmured as he then gently kissed her temple before thinking about it "sorry Liv, sorry sorry," he said quickly afraid he had overstepped or possibly triggered her as he moved his arms from around her.

She shook her head and cuddled into his side "don't apologize El I didn't mind."

"Y-You didn't?"

She shook her head "I didn't El I-I care about you as more than just a friend..." she whispered as she then immediately tensed up slightly.

"Y-You do?" he asked slightly openmouthed.

"Yeah I do... I-I know you don't and that's okay I don't expect anything from you..."

"Liv I do too I have for years I-I just didn't realize that you did too," he whispered while wrapping his arm around her.

She relaxed a bit at that "I do I have for longer than I can remember..."

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked softly.

"Because you were married," she said giving him a duh look.

"After I was divorced Liv, why didn't you tell me then?"

"Which time El?"

"Lets start with the first one."

She nodded "because I saw you with that woman and I figured something was about to start between the two of you."

"What woman?"

"I don't remember her name I think she filled in for me though when I was in Oregon you guys seemed really close."

"Dani Beck," he mumbled as he sighed and shook his head "t-that was a mistake Liv we only ever kissed once."

She nodded understanding "well after I saw you and her looking so close I-I just accepted that I wasn't your type, that there weren't any feelings there and that I would have to settle for being your friend w-which I hope I've done a good job of?"

"You have Liv I never noticed... Although maybe you staring at my empty ring finger a lot over the last few months should have been a sign..."

She chuckled slightly and nodded "y-yeah I think so... But El why didn't you tell me how you felt? I'm not the only one with a mouth and vocal cords you know."

"Feel Liv, it's feel," he said softly.

"Even after"-

"Of course it was your personality and heart that reeled me in not your body, not that I don't think you're beautiful," he clarified quickly.

"I-I'm not beautiful anymore El."

"Yes you are," he said adamantly before sighing "I didn't tell you the first time I divorced because for a while I was in a bad way then I didn't wanna ruin our partnership and I didn't tell you this time because you were with Cassidy when I finally left her then Lewis kidnapped you and I didn't want you to feel pressured or rushed into anything."

She nodded "I understand, especially your reason for this time i-if I had known you guys were that close to a divorce I would have never started anything with him on the off chance but like I said earlier it was just casual for me."

He just nodded slightly "you've always deserved to be happy Liv and I don't deserve you, I never have."

"I think you do but I know I deserve you," she whispered as she turned around and leaned in, he met her halfway and they shared a tender kiss.

It didn't take long for the kiss to deepen as they would only pull apart for air before going back in "L-Liv I wanna do the rest of this right, take you out on a date the hole nine yards," Eliot whispered a few minutes later after pulling back enough to speak.

She nodded "I'd like that and the truth is I-I don't know if I'm ready to try having sex yet, fuck I-I shouldn't have said anything until I knew I was I wasn't thinking."

"Hey hey it's okay Liv, it's okay you know if you had let your brain catch up with your heart you would have never said anything which breaks my heart..."

"You know me too well."

He smiled "we both know each other too well but that's what's gonna make this work out is the solid friendship we've had all these years."

"Y-You think so?"

"Mmhmm with my whole heart."

She smiled a bit and nodded "I hope you're right."

"I am baby just wait and see."

"You're already starting the pet names?" she asked through a slight chuckle.

"Mmhmm I've wanted to call you baby for so long..."

She smiled a bit and blushed "well I like it but if you tell anyone El..." she gave him a pointed look.

"Say no more," he murmured through a smile "you ready for bed?"

"Yeah w-will you stay with me again? Just one more night I promise."

"Of course," he murmured with a soft smile knowing full well that this wasn't the last night as they had done this dance since the night she got out of the hospital in May and moved in with him "lets go," he said and they headed off and got ready for bed in sync.

EOEOEOEOEO

"El what are we gonna do about work now that we're together?" Liv asked the next morning as they were driving into the station.

"My vote's keep us on the down-low at least until after you're able to take your Sergeants exam that way there's no risk of us being split up as partners unless you wanna disclose?"

She shook her head to that "keeping it on the down low is just fine with me for now, a-are you sure that you're okay with me taking the test though El?"

"I'm positive baby you deserve the rank more than anyone I know it broke my heart how hesitant you were to mention it to me last night."

"I'm sorry El I wasn't trying to hurt your feelings I-I just felt like you were gonna feel betrayed and I was scared I was gonna lose you."

He nodded understanding as he put his hand on her shoulder gently "well I don't not even a little and I'm never going anywhere I promise if by some small chance you ever do anything that makes me feel that way I'll talk to you about it not ghost you for it okay?"

"Okay," she whispered through a sigh of relief trusting him as he smiled and they rode the rest of the way to the precinct in a comfortable silence.

EOEOEOEOEO

"Liv can I see you in my office?" Cragen asked at around 8:40.

She nodded and followed him in there with the forms she had completed in her hands "you seem a little brighter today," Cragen said after shutting the door.

"I am a lot yesterday was just an off day for me I'm sorry about that captain," she said as she sat down across from him then handed the papers to him.

"That's alright we all have those, were you able to give any thought to what we discussed?"

"I was I decided that I'll take the exam."

Cragen smiled brightly "that's great Olivia I was a little worried that you were gonna say no."

She nodded understanding "I teetered on it for a little while because of my fear of change but I slept on it last night and realized that not all change is bad, some changes can actually be good and lead me to brighter things."

"That's true Olivia, really true I'm glad you realized that."

"Me too cap, me too was that all you needed from me?"

"It was just let me give you the exam file before you go," he said as when she stepped out of Cragen's office with it under her arm she had a pep in her step and when she put the file in her desk she had a smile on her face this is my new beginning, this is gonna work out were the thoughts in her head as she sat down and when she did Elliot gave her a soft smile.