After two hours, the soft chime of Elliot's phone disrupted the quiet of the room. Olivia stirred, realizing they've shifted during her slumber. Her arm was now draped around his neck, settling down to his chest, her hand resting gently over his heart. Elliot sat diligently on the floor, closer to her than before.

He moved gently to turn the alarm off, her arm staying sloppily around him. His voice was soft when he asked the standard questions following a concussion. Olivia answered them in a half-awake daze. Afterwards, she got up slowly to go and use the bathroom.

Returning to the living room, Olivia saw Elliot sitting on the couch. She could imagine how uncomfortable the floor must have been. If she were honest with herself, she wanted desperately to sleep in her bed. However, the need to stay close to Elliot, to have him near, was as strong.

"I think I'll switch to the bed." She announced.

Elliot's face showed a hint of disappointment for a quick second, but he recovered quickly.

"Sure, I'll come and wake you in a few hours."

Olivia swayed on her feet, hesitating. She didn't want for him to stay on the couch. She stood there, unsure how to articulate it. Elliot frowned, seeing her hesitation.

"Liv?" he asked gently.

She shifted on her feet.

"I..."

Concern deepened in Elliot as he walked up to her slowly. Though her breathing quickened, there was no sign of pain.

"What is it?"

Unable to voice the words, Olivia looked up at him, silently conveying her wish for him to join her in bed. Relief washed over Elliot when he understood that her reaction wasn't about her injuries. He looked at her face for a long moment before nodding.

"Okay." He agreed out loud, his voice barely audible.

Olivia felt relieved that he understood her without words. As she began to turn toward the bedroom, Elliot gently grabbed her upper arm.

His eyes scanned her face again, gauging her seriousness.

"I... I need to make sure that's what you really want." He said, emphasizing the importance of explicit consent, not influenced from medications or her concussion.

Understanding his concern, Olivia smiled and found the courage to verbalize her desire.

"Come to bed, El." She told him.

They lingered in a silent understanding, their eyes exchanging unspoken reassurances that this was a step they both wanted to take tonight. Elliot nodded again, a subtle affirmation, before releasing her arm. Olivia frowned in confusion.

"I'll put the mugs away and turn the TV off. I'll be right behind you." Elliot assured her.

Olivia nodded and proceeded to her bedroom. She sensed there was another reason behind his stalling, but didn't have the energy to analyze it.

She heard his low voice in the kitchen as she settled into bed, understanding that he was making a phone call.

She got curious about it for a second, but felt too exhausted to investigate it right now. She sighed into her pillow, finding a comfortable position. The events of the day, coupled with the emotional spiral of Elliot's unexpected return, left her drained.

Olivia wasn't sure how much time had passed when she heard Elliot enter her bedroom, careful with his steps. She opened her eyes to meet his, silently reassuring him that she still wanted him there. He approached the bed on her side.

"I've brought you a glass of water if you need it." He offered, putting the glass on her nightstand.

"Thanks," she replied, her eyes following his movements.

She noticed his hesitation then. Too tired to dwell on the awkwardness, she reiterated her earlier invitation.

"The bed is definitely more comfortable than the couch." She said, a quiet encouragement.

They exchanged another meaningful gaze, affirming the choice they were making tonight. Elliot smiled, accepting her unspoken invitation. He walked around the bed, and Olivia turned on her back to follow him with her eyes. He discarded his jeans quickly before sliding under the covers. She watched him program an alert on his phone and settle it on the nightstand for her next check up. Once done, he settled on his back. She heard him sigh deeply and thought that he must have been exhausted too, after the today's events.

Although she knew he was careful to give her space, she didn't really want it. After a moment, Olivia shifted on her side to face him, diminishing the space between them.

"What did Ayanna say?" she asked softly after a moment.

Elliot wasn't surprised at the deduction skills of his partner.

"She said she hopes you're doing fine." He deflected, his eyes still closed as he answered.

"El..."

He sighed, opening his eyes but keeping them on the ceiling.

"She wants me at the office in the morning to formulate a plan."

A going-back-under plan, he didn't verbalize, but they both knew. It was the right thing to do. Olivia sensed his frustration. She reached for his chest, seeking to connect with him and offer comfort. Elliot blinked away his torment and covered her hand with his over his heart.

He turned his head, then, and their eyes met in the dimly lit room. Everything on his face told her he didn't want to go back. But Stabler was a devoted cop. He had put his family and friends aside for his job a hundred times before, if not more. Olivia wondered why he was so adamant about not going back this time.

"Has something happened during the ops?" Olivia asked, her voice gentle but concerned.

"Not particularly...Why would you ask?" he continued gently.

Olivia shrugged from under the covers.

"It's just not you to simply give up on an assignment. And don't say it's because of what happened to me. I know it's more than that, El."

He looked at her tenderly before sighing and looking at the ceiling again. Olivia sensed that he wanted to say more but was holding back for her sake.

"It's just...it's been months," he admitted, frustration present in his voice. "I didn't even want to do it in the first place." Their minds flashed back to the moment he gave her the necklace in her office. "I just don't have my heart in it anymore. I've been ready to come home for weeks."

Olivia took the time to take in his confession.

"I know." She empathized.

"You know?" he asked, turning his head back to her.

"I've...I've felt it the last couple of calls." She explained.

He hummed, his hand still covering hers. Olivia tried to put herself in his shoes. If he was so out of it, maybe it was better for him to stay here then.

"If you don't feel it, maybe you should stay." She suggested, changing her position from earlier.

Elliot was grateful for her understanding, still torn between duty and his heart. Sighing again, he squeezed her hand.

"I don't want to talk about it anymore."

Olivia respected his wish and chose to enjoy the moment with him. She settled her head on the pillow comfortably, her hand remaining on his chest, and she closed her eyes. Elliot looked at her tenderly and after a minute did the same.

Olivia concentrated on his heartbeat under her palm, finding comfort in its steady rhythm. After a moment, she realized she felt protected, cared for, and let herself acknowledge internally that this was a change she was ready for, finally. She was ready for Elliot to be in her life, in her bed, like this, every night. She was ready for him to take care of her for the rest of their lives.

She was ready.

And she was so grateful that he had given her the time to become ready. Grateful for his presence, his protectiveness, his care. His love.

A few minutes passed before Olivia spoke again, her voice so soft in the quiet of the bedroom.

"Thank you, Elliot."

He didn't ask why she was thanking him, he already knew. Instead, he kept his eyes closed and raised her hand to his mouth, kissing her knuckles gently in response. Olivia was too far gone in sleep to overthink it but felt her whole body tingle at the simple gesture. Elliot gently replaced her hand on his chest before joining her in sleep.

When Olivia woke, she was surprised to see that the sun had begun its ascent, casting a soft glow across the room. She found herself alone in bed and was a bit disappointed about it. She hadn't heard Elliot's alarm like he programmed but sounds from her kitchen told her he wasn't far. She got up, pulling a blanket from the bed over her shoulders.

Stepping outside of her bedroom, she was greeted by the scent of freshly brewed coffee. Squinting against the morning light, she spotted Elliot in her kitchen looking into her fridge.

"Morning," she announced her presence, walking slowly up to the kitchen counter.

Elliot's head peeked out from the fridge, acknowledging her.

"Hey, morning. How did you sleep?" he asked, closing the door and joining her at the island.

"Good. I...I didn't hear your alarm."

"I turned it off before getting up. You looked deep in sleep, and I didn't have the heart to wake you. Figured an extra hour wouldn't hurt." He explained, his eyes assessing her state.

"Oh, yeah, I guess." She replied, feeling warmth under his gaze.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay. The dizziness is gone."

"And the bump on the head?"

"It's not too bad." She answered, trying to mask the fact that her heart felt like it was pounding against her forehead.

Of course Elliot saw through her. Instead of confronting her about it though, he hummed and turned away to pour coffee into a mug for her. Setting it on the counter, he pulled out her meds.

"You're overdue for those. They'll help with the throbbing." He insisted, not giving her a choice.

Not in the mood to fight, Olivia took two capsules and swallowed them with her coffee. Elliot seemed satisfied and turned to the toaster. Olivia noticed how he was trying to make this morning seem normal and shove aside the heaviness of the situation and his inevitable decision he'd have to make about his undercover assignment.

"I was about to make myself toast, you want some?" he asked casually, though she knew he was ensuring she ate properly.

"Sure, thanks."

As he prepared breakfast, Olivia sat at the stool.

"If you had more stuff in your fridge, I'd have made you an omelet or something." He teased.

"Well, if I'd known I'd have guests for the night, I'd have planned it." she replied quickly.

They smiled at each other, appreciating their familiar banter. Olivia noticed Elliot's phone on the counter. He caught her looking, the unspoken question in her eyes.

"Bell left a message." he informed her. "There's a meeting at 8 to discuss a plan to get me out properly in a few days."

Olivia absorbed the information. A plan to get him out meant he was going back in.

"How do you feel about that?" she asked, concerned.

Elliot shrugged.

"It's the right thing to do. The safest too." He said, looking convinced. And that was all Olivia needed to hear.

"Good." She nodded, holding his gaze reassuringly.

A few days. They both knew it would likely be a few weeks, but it was a plan to bring him home safely, at least.

The toasts popped up, breaking their moment. Elliot distributed them on two plates, and they ate in silence for a while. Both of their minds flying in every direction, thinking about the implications of his next departure. As much as they were appreciating their time together, they knew they had to be separated for a while more before plunging into whatever-this-was between them.

"I'm glad I got to see you." Olivia said softly between bites.

Surprised at her admission, Elliot looked at her. Her gaze was fixed on her plate, vulnerable, until she raised it to meet his smiling face.

"I'm glad I got to see you too."

She blushed in return. They finished eating in comfortable silence after that.

Elliot was busy putting away the dishes when he spoke next.

"I'll let Fin know on my way to the office that you seem fine from the concussion and that you'll call him later to plan Noah's return."

"Thanks." She said, grateful he let her dictate the pace and trusted her to call her Sergeant if anything was wrong.

Reluctantly, they walked together to the door. They were both dreading the fact that he was leaving, again. Stopping at the door, Elliot turned to look at her, concern in his eyes. Olivia reached for his hand, craving the contact one last time before letting him go.

"I'll be fine, El." She reassured him.

He nodded and squeezed her fingers in return, not trusting his voice. They hated goodbyes.

"I'll call." he promised.

Olivia fought hard to control her emotions. She was eager to talk to him again of course, but five-minute calls were difficult and insufficient. Still, she was grateful Elliot made an effort to stay in contact while he was gone.

"I'll answer." She promised back.

They stared at each other again, conveying so much. Elliot fought hard to control himself, but looking down at her, he couldn't refrain from tugging on her hand a little bit so that Olivia followed the pull into his arms. Her face went to his neck, and he buried his nose into her hair. Both their arms circled around each other, and the world seemed to stop for a minute. Unsure how long they stayed like this, they both enjoyed the bittersweet moment.

A neighbor walking in the corridor on the other side of the door brought them back to reality. Inhaling deeply, they separated reluctantly. Elliot took a small step back because he knew if he didn't, he wouldn't be able to leave at all.

When she sensed they had some self-control back, Olivia spoke her familiar words to him.

"Be safe."

"You too." Was all he could articulate in the emotional moment.

With little self-power he had left, Elliot made his exit. After locking the door behind him, Olivia sighed, resigned, bracing herself for another period of Stabler's absence from her life. Walking back to the living room, her eyes fell on her cellphone on the table. The only thing she could do now, was to wait in anticipation for their next 5-minute call.