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"You can't tell him, Ayanna."

Ayanna sighed, her thumb pressing into the side of her pen. "He will find out about it with this case, Captain. How you've managed to keep it a secret from him for this long is a testament to either your self-preservation or his self-absorbtion. I have a feeling it's the latter. Doesn't matter anyhow. He'll find out, and we both know he will take it brutally. I'd rather he react in a controlled space, not on the street."

"I would prefer that too, but no one is going to tell him everything that happened with Lewis." Olivia stated slowly, trying to pump the brakes.

Ayanna met her friend's eyes. "But, you and I both know even the smallest detail will set him off. He's better at controlling his reactions now, but when it comes to you. . .he can't hide those emotions. His anger has a hair trigger when it involves you. Hearing what happened will tear him apart."

Olivia shook her head. "Do you think anyone wouldn't feel that after hearing that case from top to bottom?"

"No," Ayanna agreed, "but you know it's different with him."

A knock on the door stopped Olivia from replying, and she turned to see Elliot and Whalen returning. She had hoped to be gone by the time they came back, knowing Elliot would be able to read her stress the second he met her eyes.

"Holy shit!" Whalen gaped. "Captain Olivia Benson."

Olivia smiled softly. "Good to see you again. I hope you're watching my partner's back out there."

"Anything for you. I'd hate to face your wrath if I let your boyfriend get shot or iniured." Whalen nodded quickly. His eyes widened. "You're here about the case. Because of the Lewis connection, right?"

Olivia registered Elliot's body shift completely in a split second before looking away. "I was actually just leaving."

Ayanna cleared her throat. "Captain? My words were not just advice. I really doubt Stabler wants to hear about Lewis from somebody else."

"Dude, you don't know?" Whalen tapped Elliot's arm as if tapping him in for a fight. "Police didn't know if they would find her."

Elliot's eyes darted over to Olivia, hers deliberately staying on Whalen. "Liv?"

Olivia inwardly shuddered before closing her eyes. "Ayanna, don't make me do this to him."

Elliot's eyes widened as he stepped into the office, into Olivia's space. "Hey, look at me. I'm not going to make you do anything." His gut dropped though when her eyes met his. Whatever was being discussed was going to shatter a piece of himself held for her. He could feel that so viscerally he nearly choked up. "Ayanna, whatever it is can be said when Olivia is ready."

"But, you can't wait until then." Ayanna stated flatly. "El, she was kidnapped and tortured a couple years after you left SVU by a serial rapist."

"This isn't the way to tell him." Olivia whispered with a shake of her head.

He felt Olivia tense, her face screw up with her secret aired. "Ayanna, leave it alone. We are not going to force-"

"He broke into her apartment." Ayanna interrupted.

Elliot growled. "Shut the fuck up."

She didn't let it faze her, knowing it needed to be done and already prepared for the backlash. "Burned and branded her."

"Just stop." Olivia breathed before grabbing Elliot's hands and pulling him out of the room.

"Liv, I'm sorry." Elliot pleaded, aware of his coworkers' eyes on him. "I didn't know. I wouldn't have let her ambush you."

"I know." Olivia shushed him before stopping him in the middle of his bullpen, her back to their monitor. She anchored herself with her hands to hos chest, and he immediately placed his over hers. "I know you would burn down the world for me, nobody would survive your wrath. I know that to my core, Elliot." She glanced over to Jett's station, seeing her try to pretend she wasn't listening. "Jett! I'm sure you have my file handy for this case. Pull up my photo after responders arrived and the transcript of Lewis cross-examining me. You know what I'm talking about, so don't pretend."

"Yes, Captain." Jett scrambled to her keyboard, quickly pulling up the two pieces of evidence side by side.

Olivia knew the moment they hit the screen. The look on Elliot's face said it all. She tightened her hands around his. "That was taken after days of pure hell, which I survived, Elliot."

Elliot couldn't look away from the photo. "I would've-"

"I told him." Olivia nodded in a whisper. "Read the page, baby."

Elliot blinked back tears reading her testimony, reading what the animal remembered verbatim and toying her with it. "I should've picked up the phone."

Olivia shook her head. "And if you knew, I know you would've. That's all you need to know, Elliot. A lot happened during those days, more things I'll tell you about eventually, but all you need to know is that page right there. That I know you would've ripped his heart right out of his chest if you'd had the opportunity."

Elliot nodded a couple times, accepting what she was saying, the muscles in his neck straining. "And, he-"

"Dead." Olivia confirmed. "Still dead."

Ayanna cleared her throat from the catwalk. "There's a lot more, Olivia, and you know it."

Elliot whipped around and barked at her. "You stay the fuck out of this, Ayanna. All of you. I don't care what you know or what you read, you keep it to yourselves and leave her the hell alone."

Olivia pulled him back to her, causing him to turn back to her with softer eyes even if his breathing was being strangled by his weak grasp of self-control. "Grab me."

His shaking hands landed on her waist, giving them something to anchor himself to. His eyes closed for a second, taking a deep breath to try and bring his racing heart down. "I'm getting you out of here."

"I've been brought onto the case to help since-" Olivia muttered.

Elliot cut her off. "I don't care if the pope himself requested you. I'm not letting you waste more time on that sick fuck. You think I'm going to sit by on this when you weren't even given the chance to handle this your way? No way, Liv." He kissed her temple. "I'll grab my jacket and we can go."

Olivia huffed out a breath. "I'm a big girl, El.I can handle this."

"Oh, I know, but that doesn't mean you have to. I'm not going to stand by and let my case pick apart days I know you'd rather forget." Elliot stated. "We're going home."

"Stabler, the case." Whalen called out, frowning at the detective he knew was territorial with every case that was and wasn't theirs.

Elliot shook his head. "I'm on vacation effective immediately. So, no one better call me or text me or show up at my door about this case. If any of you try to bother Olivia with this again, I will personally make your lives a living hell for as long as I'm breathing, and I won't take days off for that.."

Ayanna's eyes widened. "Stabler!"

Elliot stopped in his tracks and pointed at her. "And if you ever ambush my partner again, I will make it my sole purpose to remove you from the NYPD. You don't get to trap her like that and think we're okay. No chance, and you know that" He walked back over to Olivia, resting a hand on the small of her back and fully aware of the annoyed glare she was directing up at him. "My loyalty to you is strong, Ayanna, and your intentions were probably in the right place. But, I will turn on you every time Olivia is brought in without her cooperation."

Ayanna bit the inside of her cheek, shaking her head. "That's why I wanted her to tell you. You threatened everyone here if we even dare to breathe in her direction. I couldn't have you blindsided on the street."

Olivia slipped her arm around his waist, softly stroking his side. She knew if they didn't go soon she'd be bandaging up his knuckles when they got to their apartment. "Let's just go, El."

Elliot squeezed her. "One second, honey." He walked up onto the catwalk, eyeing Ayanna as she did him. "So, let's just blindside the woman who survived trauma none of us have ever experienced? Make her relive everything for a case she can't work because of her involvement? You want to protect me? That means protecting her, period."

"You can't protect her from something that's already happened, Stabler."

Elliot's teeth gritted, and he almost said something he knew he would've regretted if not for Olivia speaking first as she rushed to get between the two of them. "Ayanna, stand down. He knows. Let him walk before things are pushed too far."

"Captain," Ayanna scoffed, "with all due respect he knows nothing."

Elliot spit out. "It's her choice, Ayanna."

"And, we're not special victims, Stabler." Ayanna reminded him. "We don't handle anyone with kid gloves when it comes down to taking down an organization corrupt and crime ridden. Captain Benson is perfectly capable of handling our style-"

Elliot swung his arm, striking the glass surrounding Ayanna's office. The glass broke around his hand, cracked like spiderwebs through the window grids before finally giving out to pieces on the floor. Depsite the numerous cuts to his fist, he shook it once as if flicking water off his fingers. Everyone but Olivia flinched. She had known it was coming. "I mean it, Ayanna. You even think of calling her or I about this case and I'm done. There's no negotiating when it comes to Olivia."

Ayanna pursed her lips. "It was for professional reasons, not personal. I figured Captain Benson would understand that knowing her level of professionalism."

"Professionalism?" Olivia' eyes widened. "My professionalism on this case died when I had to testify against a man who threatened to rape me for days who then turned around and cross examined me. I am as professional as they come, Ayanna, but you know damn well this was nothing but personal for me. You can't get more personal than this, so don't try to lecture me about being professional."

Elliot wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her against him. "You knew I would react badly because of personal reasons, so you should've known I'd react to this personally."

Ayanna exhaled through her nose. "It was time you knew, Elliot."

Olivia sighed. "El, baby, let's go."

Elliot glared at Ayanna a moment longer before taking her hand with his good one, careful not to get his blood on her with the knuckles that were bleeding steadily now.

"And, the case?" Ayanna asked.

Olivia gazed up at her. "Fin or Rollins can help you piece the case together. They were around during that time." She cupped Elliot's face seeing him staring daggers at his boss, bringing him back to her. "My hands have been washed of it."

Elliot nodded and pecked her lips. "Proud of you."

She smiled softly, a relief to him he still didn't think she was fully aware of, before they headed out. "You could've been fired, El. You love this job. Ayanna was just doing what she thought was best for you."

"And, you feeling cornered into something because of my job is not what's best for anyone." He replied matter of fact, opening her car door for her. He leaned over her though when she climbed in. "And, I will always, always pick you over the job. I meant it when we started us, Liv. You are my one and only, nothing will get in the way of that."

Olivia sighed again, this time contently. "So, vacation? What are you going to do?"

Elliot grinned, brows wagging with loads of suggestion. "Call you out too. Use the next week spending as much alone time with you as possible with as little clothing as possible."

Olivia smiled softly before pecking his lips. "Nice try. Take me home."

"Elliot Stabler, if you pick at those bandages again, I will duck tape an ovenmitt to your wrist." Olivia scolded her boyfriend as she found him itching at the bandages she'd managed to get on less than three hours ago. "I swear. You're worse than the kids."

"My hand looks like it got caught in a garbage disposal with the amount of bandages you put on here. I just had a few cuts." Elliot tried to explain.

A knock on the door cut him off though.

Olivia glanced at it over her shoulder. "I don't care. You threw your fist through a glass wall." She walked down the hallway towards their front door, opening it to find an unexpected familiar face on the other side. "Jett?"

"No!" Elliot shouted before he was charging at the door.

Olivia used her body to block him, cupping his face in her hands. "Let's just see what she wants before we throw her out, okay?" She waited until Elliot's body relaxed a little against hers before looking back at a very worried Jett. "Please tell me Ayanna didn't send you."

Jett shook her head quickly. "She doesn't even know I'm here. I just wanted to apologize for what happened today and to let you know that nobody at the office has seen the full file on Lewis, not even myself. When we found the connection to you, it just didn't feel right going through something that personal of yours, even if it's a case we can use for ours."

Olivia nodded. "Thank you for that."

"It's the least I could do." Jett breathed. "I knew it was more than just protecting you. I can understand now why Stabler didn't know."

Elliot rubbed Olivia's back. "I knew about Lewis already, Jett. I hadn't seen what you pulled up on the monitor today, but Olivia and I have talked about it." He shrugged. "I reacted how I did today because Bell wasn't protecting Liv the way she was trying to protect me. That doesn't sit well with me."

"If Whalen had a crush on her, it wouldn't sit well with you." Jett muttered mostly to herself, earning a chuckle from Olivia. "Today was the first time I saw you protect someone you care about. If you're that way over Ayanna getting involved, you would've done a lot more to Lewis than what Liv told him you'd do."

Olivia nodded, resting a hand on Elliot's chest. "We've had that discussion too."

Jett saw Elliot's neck muscles clench with his jaw and swallowed hard. "Well, I just wanted to stop by to say that. I should probably get going."

Elliot stepped ahead, grabbing the door as he nodded once at her with a soft smile. "Thanks, Jett."

"Can I ask something though?" Jett shrugged. "If you knew about Lewis, why not tell Bell that you already knew?"

Elliot glanced back to Olivia. "It wasn't her business to know what we've talked about together. There are still things I don't know about, and that's okay. It's not up to Bell or a case or even me as to when I find out what I don't know. It's up to Olivia, and, despite Bell trying to railroad the situation, the only new information I learned today is what Olivia told me."

Jett nodded. "Good." She gazed up at him before patting his shoulder. "Don't screw this up. She's way out of your league, but you'd be a fool to let her go."

Elliot grinned as Olivia chuckled behind him. "Believe me. I know. Now, get out of here."

He closed the door when the young woman walked away, turning to find his girlfriend padding back to the kitchen. He followed her. "You sure you're okay?"

Olivia gave him a small smile. "I'm fine. Promise." She sighed when his gaze told her he wasn't believing her. "El, I'll admit that I didn't appreciate what happened today, and I'll be more wary about Ayanna for a while. But, you and I have talked about my case extensively. We've gone over the gritty details. We talked about what you would've done to him when I chased you down on your way to Rikers when you thought he was still alive." She crossed her arms over her chest, sitting on the arm of the couch as he approached her. "When it comes to this, after everything we talked about that morning, I don't know. Something clicked that morning for me. I don't like talking about it still, but it doesn't trigger me as much as it used to either. You helped me heal in ways I had denied for a long time. Probably because you were tied to it in my mind. That conversation we had confirmed a lot for me that I was able to let go of."

Elliot met her eyes, not seeing a shred of the vulnerability he'd fallen to his knees over when she first told him of Lewis. That he'd seen again that morning on the side of the road where they both screamed and broke down with each other, the silence only giving them peace when he finally wrapped his arms around her tightly.

"I know you want to protect me." Olivia breathed with a gentle smile. "And, I appreciate that, baby. I really do, but I will let you know if I can't handle something."

"I love you," Elliot grinned, "but we both know that's bullshit."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "I've gotten better. More than we can say for you."

Elliot leaned down and pecked her lips. "I'll give you that." He lifted up his bandaged hand. "Seriously though, can we take off some of the bandaging?"

"We can after dinner with your mother tonight." Olivia nodded, smiling when he groaned. She pushed herself off the couch, moving towards the kitchen. "I would've directed you to a location with softer punching material, but your bullpen is concrete."

"And, you knew that I wouldn't have budged because I was mad about someone involving you on a case personally." Elliot stated.

Olivia nodded once as she started pulling out items for dinner. "That too. I may have the charm to render you speechless, the hots to drive you crazy, the brains to make the best team with you, but even I can't stop your rage when you're fighting someone or something that you believe is attacking your family. Not that I would ever try to stop you."

Elliot sat on a barstool across from her. "Unless I'm doing it for what you call "bull-headed" reasons."

"Getting Kathleen's boyfriend drunk to find out if they've slept together is, yes, a bull-headed reason." Olivia chuckled.

Elliot watched her for a moment, smiling fondly. "Hey Liv?"

Olivia continued to move items around on the counter. "Yes, baby?"

"Wanna drive me crazy for an hour or two?" Elliot winked.

Olivia laughed, flushing at the look he was giving her. "If we start now, you'll be naughty the whole time your mother is here. I'd rather not have you groping my ass while she's asking about the kids. . .not more than usual anyway. She already encourages your naughty behavior with me."

Elliot pouted. "I thought you liked that."

"I do." Olivia conceded. "Just not the best way probably to stay in your mom's good graces."

"She adores. Already told me she's disowning me and claiming you if we ever broke up." Elliot chuckled, trying to ease her feelings. "Besides, she knows we're sleeping together."

Olivia blushed hard remembering Bernie overhearing them when she walked into the place when it was still just Elliot's. After a week and a half of only catching each other through texts and calls, the pent up frustration from work boiled over and had them colliding. Unfortunately, Bernie had decided to come and even called out to them asking where the corkscrew was when Elliot's tongue was between her legs. While the two were embarrassed behind belief, Bernie was quite amused and commented that the two of them must be really good to be going at it as long as they had been before becoming aware of her presence.

She shuddered at the memory. "I'm aware." She bit her lip. "I'll make you a deal. Behave while she's here, and I'll do that thing that makes your hearing knock out."

Elliot groaned. "How can I behave thinking about that?" He gazed down at her hips, thinking about the ways they'd be moving against his later.

Olivia shook her head with a smile catching his dreamy eyes staring before her belt, something that had been happening back when they were partners. "My eyes aren't down there, El."

"Mine will be later though." Elliot winked. The responding blush she gave was priceless.

Please review! Let me know if you'd like a chapter of Olivia chasing down Elliot to Rikers or something else mentioned in this story.