"I didn't ask for your damn help in here."

Elliot looked Olivia dead in the eye. The tone of his words lingered in the air between them.

"Well then maybe you shouldn't do such a shit job."

Elliot scoffed at her. "And you're so fucking good?"

"I certainly can't be any worse."

They played these parts like nothing had changed between them. Their captain and the other detectives watched from the otherside of the two way glass with awe, as if it was a scene on a Broadway stage playing out right in front of them. Lost time, anger, sadness, none of it interfered with the job when the job was this. They worked in tandem toward their goal: a confession.

"I'm just supposed to let you take over then? Aren't you on desk duty?"

"What's it to you?"

"You're the one who got knocked up. Shouldn't you be worried about the baby? All the stress in here?" His voice was arrogant and if they were not working together, she would have smacked the smug look right off of his face.

"Let the lady stay." Their suspect smirked as Elliot and Olivia's eyes turned to look at him. "She and that baby will be safe with me."

A chill ran down Liv's spine. This man was the definition of creep, of perp and slime bucket. She was doing exactly what she needed to, but knowing what this man was capable of and his attraction to pregnant women, made her palms sweat.

"You heard the man." Olivia returned the smug look to Elliot, hiding the disgust she felt.

Elliot didn't answer, but swung open the interrogation room door and slammed it on his way out.

Olivia ran a hand from the top of her stomach to the bottom, leaving her hand t0 rest there. The man watched her, like an animal looking at its prey, lip licking and all. She had to repress the urge to gag at him.

"You want to tell me what you did?"

"Do I ever."

She got the confession. All of it. Every gruesome detail of the assaults and the attempted murder of his last victim. The man hadn't hesitated to share it all; he was so proud of what he had done and being able to tell Liv, who fit the exact mold of his victims, got him off. She did what she needed to do and he wouldn't have a leg to stand on in court.

Olivia stayed in the interrogation room as a uni came in, cuffed the perp and took him out. When she turned to leave a moment behind the man, Elliot was in the doorway.

"You okay?"

"I need a shower." Olivia shuddered.

"He's a sick prick."

"That's putting it nicely."

There was a moment of quiet, before Cragen appeared behind Elliot.

"Good work, Liv. Go home for the night."

She looked at her watch and saw that it was already after 6:00pm. Honestly, she wasn't sure what time it had been when she started, but it had felt like hours of details she never wanted to hear.

"Want a ride?" Elliot asked.

"I'm not exactly on the way to Queens."

"Gotta meet my lawyer a few blocks from your place anyway."

Olivia wanted to accept, but she stopped herself. What did it mean if she said yes? Two weeks ago, he had been at her apartment door and that ended with her sobbing on the floor when he left. He didn't deserve her forgiveness, Fin wouldn't let her forget that, but knowing that didn't make refusing the easiest option.

"I guess."

The awkwardness radiated from the driver's and passenger seats, as Elliot inched through New York City traffic. Olivia's apartment wasn't that far from the precinct, but at the rate they were moving, it would be the most uncomfortable car ride in history.

"What trouble did you get into undercover that you have to have an attorney?"

Liv's question made him chuckle. "Surprisingly none. It's my divorce attorney."

"Your choice or Kathy's?"

"Both." He admitted. "It was rocky for years, going undercover was the final straw."

"I'm sorry."

"It's not bad. It just… is. I mean, I think this is the best Kathy and I have gotten along in years. Like getting rid of the weight of needing to have a perfect marriage was what we really needed."

Liv nodded. "I guess that's good."

He hadn't ever been fully unattached while they were partners. He had never been available, no matter how many times she had wished he had been. Countless sleepless nights had been spent alone in her apartment, wondering what could happen if they had been given the chance. That chance was sitting in front of them now and a part of her still wanted to know. Actually, needed to know. But another part of her was not convinced that he deserved those answers.

Olivia shifted in her seat, pressing three fingers just below her ribcage.

"I wish this kid would stop kicking me in the ribs."

Elliot took his eyes off of the road and watched her intently for a few seconds. She had grown in those two weeks since he showed up at her apartment.

"He's reminding you he's there."

"She."

"She?"

"The world needed another me."

"Damn right they did." Elliot smiled. "You ready for her?"

"Not really. So good thing I have another 4 months."

"You'll be ready. You have been."

"What about your kids? How are they?"

She had to change the subject before any further discussion was had about her becoming a mom. He wanted to be supportive; he had been supportive of her trying for years before this. But he left and she did this on her own. Purposely or not, this was her baby, all hers and it hadn't been contaminated by the relationship she had with Elliot. Every other moment of her life for 12 years and the months following his exit, were threaded with Stabler. They were dictated by him. This didn't have to be and for now, she would do whatever she could to keep it that way.

"They're fine. Eli's having a hard time, four year olds don't really understand divorce. The older ones get it. Doesn't mean they're happy, but I think they can see that it wasn't working for long enough."

"Changes everything for all of them."

"Sure does." Elliot agreed. "I love those damn kids and Kathy and I had some decent years, but I think maybe you're doing it the right way. No strings."

Liv scoffed. "You're kidding me, right?"

"What?"

"You actually think my dream in life was to unexpectedly get pregnant at 43 years old with someone I can't even remember because I was so busy getting wasted to forget my selfish dick of a partner who left me in the lurch? Jesus Christ, El."

"That's not what I meant."

"I know, but that doesn't make it better. I actually think it would have been nice to have been married or at least in a relationship. I think it would have been nice to have planned this, expected it. I think a lot of things would be nice, Elliot. I'm not doing this the right way or whatever the fuck."

The four letter word escaped her lips just as Elliot pulled up to the curb outside of her apartment.

"I'm sorry."

"You've said that before."

"And it doesn't seem to mean any more the more I say it."

"Nope."

"Look Liv." He sighed. "I fucked up and I keep fucking up. I couldn't tell you about the UC assignment. My ass was on the line, so was Cragen's. Damn, yours would have been too, if anyone found out you knew. Leaving, pretending to put my papers in and not talking to you killed me. It hurt more than knowing I had to shoot that teenage girl in our squad room. But I had to do the job. We always have to do the job, Liv. I know you know that, even if that does nothing to get me off the hook."

"I should have meant enough to you to tell. I know how to keep my mouth shut."

"It seemed like too big a risk at the time."

"So you left me to fall apart instead."

"Liv, if something happened to you because I let slip what my assignment was, I wouldn't have been able to live with myself. I'm sorry as hell for what you went through because of me, but I'd rather have you sitting in this car with me, pissed, than have lost you."

Olivia let that sink in; she let herself work through what he told her. No matter what he did and no matter how she felt, he didn't lie to her. If he actually thought this group he went undercover with would come after her to get to him, then he wholly believed that. It also meant that he was willing t0 hurt her like no one ever had, to keep her safe. It didn't change everything, but it changed some things. She felt a small bit of the anger and resentment she had been holding on to to start to dissipate. It scared her. The walls she had put up when she finally started to work through Elliot's aftermath, were starting to crumble. Liv wasn't ready to forgive him. She also knew she couldn't always help herself when it came to Elliot Stabler.

"Well I'm still here and I'm pissed."

"And I thank god for that."

"Thanks for the ride, El."