A/N: We're getting deeper into the plot. The plot is juicy and rich. -If you couldn't tell I am not mentally well at the moment. It's finals season and my meds ain't doing crap.

UNFORTUNATELY, I DO NOT OWN LAW AND ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT, LAW AND ORDER: ORGANIZED CRIME, OR ITS CHARACTERS.

~~~oooOOOooo~~~

Waking up with a warm sensation flowing through him, he sees that Olivia is no longer beside him. Hearing the shower running he deducts that she is in there. Unlocking his phone he sees a message.

JET: looks like someone's in the dog house.

Elliot furrows his brow in confusion and responds.

ELLIOT: What the hell are you talking about?

JET: Bell hasn't called u?

ELLIOT: No.

ELLIOT: I don't check in for another 2 days.

JET: I'd call her if I were u.

ELLIOT: Do I need to know anything before I call?

JET: no, but I'd prepare for an ass-whooping.

ELLIOT: Shit.

JET: good luck.

Clicking on Ayanna's contact, his phone begins to ring. One ring, then two, then, "Stabler, what the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Good morning to you to you too, Sarge. It sure is a pleasant day," Elliot replies back.

"Don't be a fucking smartass."

"Whatever do you mean by that?"

"You have one opportunity to tell me why the Captain of Special Victims was brought in without my authorization."

"Sarge-"

"Elliot Stabler, you have one chance. One chance before I personally find you and twist your balls until they fall off. One. Chance."

"Got it," Elliot shudders and adjusts his pajama bottoms at the thought of his commanding officer going near his family jewels, "There was a complication and I needed help."

"And you didn't think it was necessary to update me about this complication?"

"I did not."

He hears Bell move her mouth from the phone. Bell mutters, "Fucking dumbass." She returns to the call, "I'm coming to you or you're coming to me- with Captain Benson."

"Benson was only here for that one complication. It's been fixed and she should be able to go home."

"Am I coming to you or are you coming to me?"

"I got Patchy on my tail…"

"You're a moron."

"See you in a bit, Sarge," Elliot replies with a grin. The phone call ends with a rapid click. Elliot suddenly feels the urge to use the bathroom. Hearing the shower stop running he knocks on the door, "Liv, are you done?"

Olivia slightly jumped back not realizing Elliot was awake. She wraps a towel around her chest and opens the door, "I can get changed out here."

Elliot tries his very best to be respectful of his partner, but he can't help but glimpse at her wet hair that clung to her damp skin. Relieving himself quickly then washing his hands he enters the main room of the apartment where he sees Olivia scrolling through her phone on the couch. Elliot clears his throat, "Bell is coming here." Startled, Olivia swivels her head around to face him. He continues, "She's not pleased."

"I would imagine," Olivia turns her phone off and starts to tuck in the sheets of his bed. Elliot furrows his brow due to her sudden movement. Olivia starts tidying up, "You're boss is coming. You can't have dirty dishes in the sink and an unmade bed."

"You're crazy," Elliot rests the dish towel on his shoulder.

"You're living in a pig sty."

"Hey! This may be a pig sty to you, but to me… to me, this is a home."

"Shut up."

"You're bossy."

"And you're gross," she retorts as she scrapes the mold off of a plate. Almost done with cleaning the dishes she mentions without hesitation, "If I'm going to be staying here, you need to start cleaning up after yourself."

Elliot freezes in shock. He thinks, 'What the fuck did she just say?' Finding the appropriate tone he jokingly asks, "Who said you were staying here?"

Placing the last clean plate on the drying rack, she turns to make direct eye contact with Elliot, "You may have not thought much about what you were asking of me when we were at Roasters. But I happened to take the time to consider my options. I knew that if I agreed to help you there was a very slim chance I would be able to walk away. I knew the odds of me having to go fully under."

"I didn't think you were going to have to stay under…"

"I weighed my options- Either you die from your stupid mistake because I don't help you or you live another day because I saved your ass. It was an easy decision, Stabler."

"I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing."

"Liv-"

"I told you that I knew what I was getting myself into," putting the sponge on the side of the sink, she interrupts him. Moving herself to the small kitchen table she pushes it back into place, "It was only a matter of time that your train of thought caught up to you."

Elliot's head shoots up, "Are you calling me slow?"

"No," Olivia hears a knock at the door. Making her way to look through the peephole she smirks, "You're a simple man, Emmett Sullivan."

Looking through the peephole, Olivia sees Ayanna standing with her arms crossed firmly. She swings the door open to greet the Sergeant. Ayanna storms into the cramped apartment and goes straight to Elliot, "If you had half a brain you would answer your damn phone."

Elliot goes pale. Looking on the other side of the room he sees his phone lighting up with notifications. He points at Olivia and tattles, "She made me clean the place up before you came. I wasn't near it."

"You're a child," Bell turns around and sits herself on the couch next to Olivia. Lowering her volume and softening her tone she talks to Olivia, "Captain Benson, I assume you have a rough idea of why I'm here."

"You could say that," Olivia smirks. Looking seriously into her eyes she apologizes, "I didn't mean to step on any toes. I apologize if I got in the way. I understand this is your case, but…"

"I understand Captain-"

"Please… it's Olivia. Tell me what you need from me."

After running through the general idea of the case, Ayanna made sure to secure Olivia's identity. While Olivia and Ayanna ran through the life of 'Maggie Bernard,' Elliot continued doing small chores around the apartment. Ayanna placed calls to Jet about getting Maggie's online identity established as well as printing out identification cards.

While Olivia would not be directly gathering information about the Maguire family, she would observe their interactions and the direct link between Ayanna and Elliot. Standing up from the lumpy couch, Ayanna turns to Elliot who is dusting. Elliot is dusting. Ayanna glances at Olivia, "I guess there's a first for everything."

Elliot turns to face the women, "I hope you know that I have dusted before. I wasn't raised in a barn."

"You just choose the barn lifestyle?" Ayanna asks raising her eyebrows.

"I didn't choose the barn lifestyle. It chose me," Elliot retorts.

Olivia rolls her eyes and reaches her hand out to shake Ayanna's. Ayanna pulls Olivia closer and whispers, "Good luck, Olivia."

Olivia chuckles and walks the Sergeant out of the studio apartment, "Thank you."

~~~oooOOOooo~~~

A/N: I have no idea where I plan on taking this story. I just write until my little heart is content. Would you guys want a lot of short chapters or a small amount of long chapters? Let me know.