Prompt #13: Elliot goes UC after S12. He is being arrested years later for some reason. Fin/Munch/Cragen aren't around to tell newbies Nick/Amanda/Barba who Elliot actually is and Liv is the only one who knows. Hot interrogation ensues

Shut Your Mouth

~oOo~

He wondered when he'd see her. Would he see her? Would she say anything to him or just knock him into the nearest wall?

It had almost been a relief when the two detectives had dragged him into the 1-6. They were new, obviously brought in to replace him. He'd been tempted to break cover, but he'd stayed silent.

He hadn't given a name or asked for legal representation.

He'd just stayed silent.

They hadn't run his prints yet, which was a rookie mistake in his mind. They'd have immediately found his undercover identity, and it would've also alerted his handler to his arrest. They were younger detectives who almost reminded him of another pair of SVU detectives.

Almost.

A watered-down version.

Elliot stretched his legs out under the interrogation table. He smirked at the blonde sitting across from him, completely ignoring the man pacing behind him. Did they honestly think they were going to break him?

He'd written the book on double-team interrogations with Olivia. No one had been better at it. These two were a joke in comparison.

It had been close to a year since he'd walked away from Olivia and his life. He'd gotten pulled into an undercover operation attempting to identify crooked cops running a human trafficking organization. It had led to him going deep undercover out of New York.

IAB had given him an ultimatum. Save his career and Olivia's by going undercover—or risk both of their pensions by staying at SVU. It hadn't been much of a decision; he'd thrown his whole life away to protect hers.

He'd come home once to sign divorce papers. Kathy had thought his leaving SVU would bring them closer together. But instead, he'd gone even further away.

"Listen…"

Elliot didn't even bother glancing in the man's direction. Amaro or Amari? He couldn't remember. He just stared at the glass behind them, wondering if Olivia was watching. I'm sorry, Liv.

They were the first words he wanted to tell her. I'm sorry. And I love you. And I'm sorry. He hoped he'd get a chance to say them before she slammed her fist into his nose. She did have a wicked right hook.

"We'll let you think about it."

Elliot watched the two slink out of the room. He chuckled to himself. Amateurs.

~oOo~

Olivia had come into the precinct late. She'd been going over an upcoming trial with Barba. She found Rollins and Amaro standing by the door to Interrogation one. "You got something?"

"Picked up a suspect while we were speaking to one of the witnesses. He was hanging around in an alley next to the building. Suspicious. He fits the description, maybe not exactly, but close enough for us to ask a few questions. He wouldn't give us a name, so we decided to bring him in. We can't get a word out of him." Rollins nodded her head to the two-way mirror. "He hasn't asked for an attorney either. Just keeps smirking at us when we ask anything."

"Did you try running his…" Olivia stammered to a halt. She stared into the interrogation room at the ghost who still haunted her days and nights. He was the person she thought about when she looked across her desk, still expecting him to be there. "I…"

"Liv?" Amaro took a step towards her, stopping when she held a hand up. "You okay?"

"Why don't you two go get some coffee?" Olivia didn't want an audience for her confrontation. "Take a break for a few minutes."

"Liv."

"Take a break." Olivia waited until they'd walked away. She took her jacket off, setting it and her bag aside. She closed her eyes briefly and tried to calm her nerves. I hope you have some fucking answers for me, partner.

~oOo~

Elliot closed his eyes. He listened to the silence in the room. Someone was watching him—and it didn't feel like Tweedledum and Tweedledee. He opened his eyes and stared at the window. "Olivia."

There was no reaction. He waited patiently, placing his hands flat on the table. His gaze stayed focused on where he thought she was watching.

Seconds ticked by. Elliot stared unflinchingly. He was starting to wonder if she was going to choose to ignore him.

"I'm sorry." Elliot didn't know if the words would be meaningless or not. He wasn't even completely sure if he was talking to himself or to her. But he hoped she'd see and feel the truth in the words. "I'm sorry, Liv."

It was several minutes before the door opened. Olivia stepped into the room. There was a long silence while she paced in front of him, occasionally glaring in his direction.

Elliot waited her out in silence. He had no doubts she'd have words for him eventually. And I deserve every single one.

"You're a fucking asshole." Olivia lobbed her first shot in his direction.

"I am."

"Look at you." Olivia stepped closer, leaning her hands on the table while she glowered at him. "Nice beard. Dressed like some thug off the street."

"I'm…"

"I wasn't finished." Olivia reached out to grab the crucifix around his neck, dragging him forward with it. "Where the fuck have you been?"

"Undercover." Elliot winced when the chain dug into his neck a little. Her fingers tightened on it. "I didn't have a choice. I was trying to save our careers—our pensions."

"And what about our partnership? What about me? Did you think about that when you fucking ran off?" Olivia finally released him. She walked around the table, perching on the edge of it near him. "I didn't ask you to fall on your sword for me."

"Better than both of us losing out."

"I'd at least have…" Olivia cut herself off. She turned her head sharply away from him.

Elliot crushed down the triumphant feeling in his chest. He had to tread carefully. He'd hurt her badly. "You'd have what?"

"I'm asking the questions." Olivia slammed her hand against the table. "Why'd you leave me?"

"Because I made vows that I was damn close to breaking." Elliot had to put every single card on the table if they were both coming out of this whole. "I fell in love with my partner. And I didn't want to break my vows or fuck up your life. I had to get my shit together. Going undercover was never supposed to take so damn long. I thought I'd be gone a few months and then be able to come back and talk with a clear head. And heart."

"Elliot…" Olivia had lost the hard edge to her voice. She clenched her hands into fists on the table as if to keep from reaching out to him. "What…"

"What am I talking about? I'm talking about you…us. Talking about partners, for better or worse. Talking about how I should've gone home to you and not her after that case years ago. Maybe things would've been different." Elliot wanted to take her hands, but he had to let her make the decision. "I was coming back, Liv. This case just took a life of its own, and my route home got a little longer than I intended."

"You're married."

"Divorced." Elliot watched the impact those two words had on her. She bent forward with her head down. "Liv? Liv. I'm sorry I didn't find a way to reach out sooner. I thought it would be a couple of months."

"You sacrificed your job here for me."

"You'd have done the same for me." Elliot shrugged. He wished she'd lift her head so he could see her face. "I was in a pretty dark place when I left. I figured I'd come back better. A better man. A better man for you."

"El…stop."

Elliot stretched his hand out and placed it between hers on the table. He felt a teardrop hit his hand. "Liv."

She didn't respond for a while, but finally, she shifted her hand until it covered his. "You should've fucking called me."

"Yeah."

"We're partners." Olivia clenched Elliot's hand tightly. Her fingers dug into his skin a little. "And we've both done a little too much running from this—from us."

"Yeah, yeah, we have." Elliot remembered the weeks and months they'd been apart when she'd been the one to run. "Think we can stop now?"

"I don't know. Can we?" Olivia finally lifted her head. He could see tears glistening in her eyes. Her fingers shifted to the cuff on his wrist. "How the hell did you get arrested by our new detectives?"

"Divine intervention." Elliot grinned when she gave a rough laugh. "Think you could release me? Put in a good word for me with the cap?"

"Maybe." Olivia leaned in closer. "I'm not kissing you for the first time while you're cuffed in interrogation."

"Implies you're gonna kiss me at some point." Elliot grinned when she slugged him lightly in the arm. "Not the kind I was hoping for."

"That's for leaving me like a fucking jerk." Olivia punched him again. "That's for not returning my calls."

"Fair enough."

Olivia grabbed him by the shirt and yanked him forward. "And this is to make sure you do come home."

The kiss seemed to go on forever. Elliot decided not to call her out on lying about not kissing him. He just enjoyed the grace he'd been given.

"Detective Benson? Not sure that's an approved interrogation technique. But if you could release your partner for a second, I'm sure he'd be more comfortable out of those cuffs." Cragen stood in the open doorway. Neither of them had heard him enter interrogation. "Welcome home, son. Good to see you safe."

The author of this SVU: The Rewrite story will be revealed in July