A/N: We have arrived at their first date! This chapter took an extremely long time to craft and then edit. I don't know why, it's really nothing special… Anyway, please enjoy the chapter!

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

~~~oooOOOooo~~~

ELLIOT: Still on for 8?

OLIVIA: I still have a stack of files sitting on my desk. I'm sorry, Elliot.

ELLIOT: I get it, Liv. It's the job.

OLIVIA: I'm sorry.

ELLIOT: It's alright. We can find another time. I'm not going anywhere.

OLIVIA: Thank you.

OLIVIA: I mean it.

Placing her phone on her desk, Olivia sighs. A knock at the door startles her, "Sorry, Cap."

"It's okay, Fin. Come in," waving her Sergeant into her office she gives him her undivided attention.

"How's your first day back?" Fin takes a seat across from her.

Olivia deeply exhales, "I've only gotten through three of the case files and I had to cancel…"

His eyebrow raises with interest, "Cancel what?"

"Going out with a friend…"

"Anyone I know?"

"Maybe…"

"Liv… Come on. It's me. You don't have to hide anything. I got your back."

"I'm not hiding anything, Fin."

"Mhmmm," Fin slowly rises from the chair.

Olivia softly mentions, "Thank you." He turns around with a confused look displayed on his face. She continues, "I know you have my back. Thank you."

At the door, Fin turns around, "I'm outta here. You need food or anything?"

"I'm good. Say hello to Phoebe for me," Olivia smiles as he exits her office.

Getting back to working on the stack of papers sitting on her desk, she frequently checks the time. With darkness growing over the city, Olivia settles in her seat. Adjusting her posture she leans back into her seat. Closing her eyes, she exhales smoothly and hears footsteps approaching, "Feeling hungry?" Opening her eyes sees Elliot standing in her office doorway with a bag of takeout. Elliot reflects Olivia's smile, "I was thinking if I couldn't take you out to Becco. I could bring Becco to you."

Watching him place the steaming food on her desk, she is rendered speechless. Olivia thinks about what to say, "Elliot… You didn't have to…"

"I wanted to," smirking slyly, he rips open the bag, tosses her a paper plate, and takes a seat. Breaking open the seal, Elliot places a scoop of fettuccine alfredo on her plate, then his. Catching a glimpse of Olivia, he notices her eyes planted on his. Quickly flashing a grin, he asks, "How's your first day back?"

Gracefully accepting the plate full of food, she answers, "Fin asked me the same thing."

Without a direct answer, he adds, "You have a lot of people looking out for, Liv." Not knowing what to say, Olivia remains silent. Elliot asks once more, "How was today?"

"I've made a good dent in this," Olivia points to the mountain of case files sitting on the corner of the desk.

"That's good," Elliot responds awkwardly. With silence looming over them, Olivia sighs. Noticing the shift in emotion, he asks, "Everything okay?"

"It's nothing…"

"Seems like something…"

Olivia clicks her tongue and tilts her head. With a heavy huff of her breath, she admits, "I can't… Not right now… Not like this…"

"You can't what, Liv?" Elliot asks lightly trying not to push her.

"Maybe later," Olivia changes the topic, "How's everything going with you?"

Acknowledging the shift in conversation, he shifts his bodyweight to lean farther back, "Since I saw you last week." Olivia nods her head as she chews her last bite of food. Elliot smiles, "Maureen visited with her kids. They got some much-needed Pop-Pop time."

"Pop-Pop?" Olivia raises her eyebrow in disbelief.

Elliot chuckles slightly, "I was settled on Grampy or Papa, but Pop-Pop stuck around."

"See when I think of 'Pop-Pop,' I think of a ninety-year-old white supremacist from the deep woodlands of Georgia."

"You don't see the tasteful face of 'Elliot Stabler' flash across your mind?"

"Certainly not when I hear Pop Pop. Maybe a quick flash when I hear 'Grandpa' or 'Pops.' But, Pop-Pop? Really?"

"Kieran wasn't able to consistently make 'ah' sounds. So Papa changed to Pop-Pop."

"And Seamus was just stuck with good ol' Pop-Pop?"

"Seems that way…" Elliot smirks as he watches her face light up.

Olivia tosses her paper plate in the small garbage can under her desk, "You like being a Pop-Pop?"

"I love it," he answers with a cheeky grin.

The conversation dies out after Elliot finishes his plate of fettuccine alfredo. He takes the liberty of starting the cleanup process. Olivia interjects, "You don't have to do that."

"I'm not just gonna leave you with a mess," he continues collecting the trash and placing it in a bag.

Olivia thinks to herself, 'It's not the first time you left me with a mess…' Shaking the thought out of her head, she reminds herself that they are both different people from over a decade ago. She insists, "Elliot, I can just throw it out on my way out of here. It's not that big of a deal." Placing her hand on his to pause his movements, their eyes meet each other, "I can take care of it. Thank you."

Allowing her to take care of it he steps away from the desk. With a smile, he watches Olivia, finish condensing the garbage. He blurts, "I still owe you a real date."

Olivia's head jolts up with a grin, "I had a great time tonight. You don't owe me anything."

"Olivia… I want to take you on a date…" Elliot slowly elaborates.

Nodding her head she understands, "We can try again…"

"I'd like that…" he steps over to the couch and picks up his jacket that he had tossed there when he walked in. He notices a smile growing on her face, "What's up with you?"

"Hm?" Olivia feels her cheeks redden, "Oh, nothing."

"Something's going on in the gorgeous head of yours."

"Elliot…"

"Sorry-"

"It's okay…"

Elliot tries his best to breathe through his slip-up. He never wants to push Olivia too hard. If he poured all of his feelings out she would run for the hills. He's lucky he was able to secure a date with her. Standing in the doorway he announces, "Don't stay too late."

"I'm giving myself until ten," Olivia mentions as she tilts her head down to look over the paperwork, "Thank you for dinner, Elliot."

"Maybe next time, I can bring you to Becco, and not bring Becco to you."

"Next time."

"Night, Captain."

"Goodnight, Detective…" Olivia softly says as she hears him step out of her office. With a sigh, she leans back into the office chair. Throwing her hands up and resting them on her head she thinks, 'That was easier than I thought it would be…' Another thought pops into her mind, 'It's just Elliot…'

~~~oooOOOooo~~~

A/N: I have decided to not do my final. Your homeslice will need a minimum of 110% to pass the class. So… I will not even be attempting. I have decided to call it 'preserving my sanity,' but my mother calls it 'laziness.'