A few days had passed since their video encounter, and Olivia couldn't shake the nagging concern for Elliot's well-being. She had followed up with Sergeant Bell to make sure he was doing better. It turned out, he actually had two cracked ribs and a dislocated shoulder (which by chance had taken back its place on its own, but the injury still required a full swing for at least two weeks). Olivia had been relieved to know Elliot had managed to see a doctor without blowing up his cover. Still, the wait to talk to him again felt excruciating.

She had just settled into bed, feeling the weight of exhaustion, when her phone displayed 'Unknown Caller.' She sat up against the headboard, a new energy finding her body.

"Hi." She greeted softly.

"Hi." His voice was smoothing. "Is this a good time?"

Since her blow up about a month ago, Elliot was mindful to start their call by asking her if she was available to talk.

"Yes, I just got into bed." She replied, realizing a few seconds too late of how her answer sounded. She recovered by following up. "How are the ribs?"

"Getting better. I got my hands on a few pills, they help with sleep, even though I don't like taking them."

Olivia hummed in understanding.

"And the case?"

She didn't voice it, but the thought of him enduring months of undercover work worried her. She was eager for his return.

"We had a breakthrough last week." He began. "I feel the net is tightening. We might make the arrests soon."

"That's great, El." She sighed in relief. "How are you doing in all of that?"

Elliot hesitated for a moment before responding.

"This part is never easy, but I'm okay. I'm glad it's coming to an end. Eager to come home." He finished in a whisper that made Olivia shiver.

"Only a short way to go." She encouraged.

"Yeah…" he stuck to a one-word answer.

They fell into silence for a moment, both withholding words they both wanted to say: that they missed each other dearly. Thoughts of their reunion also formed in their minds. Elliot finally broke the silence, referencing their video call.

"You were wearing it." Elliot spoke softly.

"Wearing what?" Benson played innocent.

"The necklace."

Olivia exhaled slowly, her hand going to her neck.

"Of course."

She didn't tell him she was wearing it every day.

"It looks good on you." He said simply, but his tone carried so much more. He wanted to know if the compass was working, leading her to happiness. He wanted to know if she thought about him when she put it on in the mornings.

"Thanks."

Another pause hung in the air before Olivia found the courage to ask the question that had been on her mind since her lunch with Kathleen.

"El, when did you buy it?"

Elliot's frown and discomfort were palpable even through the phone.

"Does it matter?"

"No…but Kathleen said something the other day…I wanna know." She encouraged.

"Mother's Day." Elliot confirmed his daughter's words. "I saw it through a window around that time…I just knew I needed to get it for you."

Olivia took in this revelation, her breath catching.

"You kept it all that time? Why not give it to me at Mother's Day if that's what you planned?" her voice was as soft as his, relishing the intimacy of the discussion.

"We didn't have the chance to see each other around that time." he explained delicately.

Olivia knew that was because she was avoiding him since their encounter in January, but also knew Elliot would never blame her for it.

"I had to find the right moment to give it to you." He finally settled for.

"And you thought that moment was before leaving for who knows how long?" she teased, but her voice underlined the angst of the situation.

"Better then, than after I left, and you found someone else while I was away." He teased back, but the nervousness in his voice was unmistakable.

Olivia let out a laugh to diffuse the situation. They were discussing these topics more openly now, and she wasn't running for the hills anymore. Knowing their call would disconnect soon, Olivia felt the need to be vulnerable too and to respond to his premise.

"You left for ten years, and I didn't find anybody else…"

Elliot was taken aback by her admission. She seemed to be moving toward being more and more ready towards the idea of them. Needing to say something, Elliot chose his words carefully, still keeping the atmosphere as light as possible.

"You did." He refuted, and Olivia's thoughts went to the few men she was with during Elliot's absence. "But they didn't stick around."

Olivia smiled at his cocky remark, and Elliot didn't give her a chance to respond before slipping his next words.

"Their loss."

Click.