"Everyone's been randomly assigned a group," the professor says. "When I call your names, come up front to collect your packets and meet your partners. Then you're free to go."

The sound of zippers and textbooks closing fills the large space as Professor Werther goes down the class roster. By the time he gets to her, there are already two other students waiting by the podium; packets in hand.

"Olivia Benson," he calls.

Most of the students have already filtered out of the lecture hall, leaving row after row empty. She stands, slinging her bag over her shoulder, then shuffles out toward the aisle. She takes another look at her group mates as she heads down the steps; they were always participating in class and she remembered their faces from plenty of long nights in the library. They seemed like the type to hold their own weight and she was relieved that she wouldn't have to carry this project like she'd done many times before.

"Thank you," she says as she grabs her packet, moving to stand with them.

"And lastly," he adjusts his thick bifocals, finding his place on the paper. "Elliot Stabler."

She's skimming through the thick stack, getting a general idea of how they could divvy out the work. She looks up when she's read all of the section titles and that's when she sees him; fingers raking his short brown hair back, solid frame filling out his white tee that's neatly tucked into his blue jeans. His face is clean shaven and a simple gold chain hangs from his thick neck. The room suddenly feels like an airlock; silent and suffocating. Her heart begins to thump and she feels an uncomfortable heat rising in her chest. He's clutching a singular notebook, a black pen balances behind his ear like a cigarette as he walks nonchalantly, footsteps measured beneath him until he comes to stand right beside her, accepting his packet with ease.

"Thanks," he says low and smooth.

She breathes deeply, in desperate need of oxygen all of a sudden, and his smoky scent invades her being. She bites her lip and keeps her eyes fixed on the generic tile under her feet, not trusting her ability to hide whatever this was if she were to look at him right now.

What the hell is happening, she thinks.

She's never felt this feeling before and to be quite frank, she doesn't like it. She feels like she isn't in control of her body and that makes her uneasy.

Who was this guy anyway? She didn't know much about him, only that she'd seen him in class and around campus a few times this year. But judging by the stirring in her gut, she could tell that he was trouble.

Just then, she hears that cool tone again.

"Hey, I'm Elliot." His hand is extended; fingernails short and clean with a gold ring encasing his index finger. She wonders if his skin is as soft as it looks. "Olivia, right?"

She accepts his offer, gently locking her hand within his. Her eyes hadn't betrayed her, his hands are soft and warm and she has to let go before this gets awkward.

"Yeah," is all she can think of as she stares into his tropical blue eyes.

She's frozen for what feels like a lifetime, the slight quirk of his brows makes her pull away and take a step back.

"You, uh, wanna take my number?"

"Oh, yeah sure!" She mentally kicks herself for sounding so enthusiastic.

They follow as the other members bound out of the door, rattling off numbers to one another. They find themselves huddled in the corridor, exchanging contact information and ideas for meetings, finally agreeing to reconvene in the library on Thursday night. With class the following day, they'd be able to speak with the professor, if necessary, instead of having to find time for his office hours.

They all disperse and she walks away feeling confused, her stomach fluttering in the most unsettling way. She tells herself that it's just one project, that time will fly by and the semester will be over before she knows it. A momentary relief washes over her; she's convinced herself that this thing she couldn't identify would soon be a fleeting feeling.

Unbeknownst to her, that nonchalant, blue eyed enigma with hands as soft as clouds was fighting to squash a feeling almost identical.

Later that evening, she's lounging in bed reading when her roommate storms in.

"You won't belieeeve," she drags the word dramatically in that southern drawl Olivia has come to love, "what Jamie did today."

"Well, hello to you too Dana."

"Y'know sometimes I wish I'd never met him."

She tosses her bag near the desk on her side of the room, kicking her shoes off and stomping toward her own bed, flopping down onto her stomach.

"The bastard had lunch with his stupid friends when he promised me that we'd go to Crawley dining hall today."

Olivia chuckles at the absurdity.

"Don't laugh," Dana exclaims. "You know they have the best tacos on Tuesday."

It's clear that she won't get any more reading done tonight; she slips the bookmark from its spot behind the last page and places it between the two that lay open, closing it gently.

"This is the third time he's flaked on me since last week and I am real sick of it."

Olivia sits up, placing the book beside her pillow as she turns to face her friend.

"I'm convinced that he's doing it on purpose. He's been asking for more lately, if y'know what I mean."

She knew all too well what Dana meant; her sleazy ex had done it too and when she refused, he would get upset. Would punish her in the same way that Jamie was punishing Dana.

"Let me guess, you don't always give in when he wants it."

"Bingo!" She jumps up, beginning to pace back and forth in the open space between the beds. "So now he's doing things to purposely hurt me because he can't get what he wants, when he wants it. I don't need that shit!"

"You most certainly do not."

"It sucks because I don't even feel the same way I did when we first started dating. It's like I'm just hanging in there for the comfort. Now he's doing all this spiteful shit and it's only making me dislike him more."

"Trust me, I get it. At the end of our relationship, I finally started realizing that I didn't even want to be with Dean. I was just afraid of having to start over." Liv shifts her body to face Dana as she moves her pacing in a different direction. "Breaking up with him turned out to be one of the best decisions I've ever made and I think I've made a few of those," she chuckles.

"You are so much better without him," Dana stops when she's seemingly made a decision. She leans against the desk, "I'm gonna do it tomorrow– break up with him."

"Good for you!" Olivia tosses the throw blanket off of herself, springing up to hug her best friend. "I promise you won't regret it."

Gleeful laughter fills the room until the gurgling of Dana's stomach interrupts.

"I never did get a chance to eat," she taps the screen of her phone to check the time. "Crawley's still open, you down for some tacos?"

"See? You don't need Jamie, you have me!"

Thursday was one of her busiest days; with four classes and a shift at the library, she was swamped. The only upside was that she didn't have to travel across campus to meet her group and work on this History project.

At the end of her shift, she punches out and gathers her belongings, then makes her way down to the study room that they have booked. As she approaches, she hears two voices inside of the room; one masculine and one feminine. The former is speaking gently, his cool tone giving nothing away and she immediately knows who it is. She pushes the door open, instantly feeling as though her heart were being pierced by the sharpest knife.

There he was; sat shoulder to shoulder with Brynn, the sweet and dainty blonde, combing through their packets more closely than necessary. Olivia doesn't understand it; this sudden raging urge to yank the other woman by her pretty golden locks and make sure she doesn't place herself in his proximity ever again.

"Hey, Liv!" She says all bubbly as if she's actually happy to see her. "We were just going over our section preferences. Did you get a chance to go through the options?"

She quickly assesses the available seating and chooses to sit in the chair on Brynn's side of the table, thinking it best to be as far away from him as possible. He hasn't stopped staring at her since she stepped into the room and it makes her nervous, makes her voice a little shaky when she speaks.

"I did," she clears her throat. "I, um, think I'd like to take the section on Ancient Rome."

Brynn 'oohs' conspiratorially, shooting a grin over to Elliot.

"This guy wants Rome too."

Olivia looks from one pair of blue eyes to the other, finding him still watching her intently. He tips his head upward, silently greeting her. Finally.

"I mean, we can talk about it when Blake gets here." She shrugs, looking back to Brynn in search of something that could pull her out of his energetic vortex.

"I think that's fair," Brynn agrees.

Blake arrives shortly after and they discuss what needs to be done overall before moving onto who'll get which section. Blake and Brynn decide with no issue, but when they get to Rome, Olivia and Elliot do not budge.

"I just think that I'd do great with Rome. I know a lot about the place, I'm great at researching, and I'm clear on what the project needs in order for us to get an A."

"Mmkay," Brynn says. "Now Elliot, why do you think you should get Rome?"

"Well, research is great and necessary, but I've had the privilege of actually visiting. My lineage goes way back in Italy and my family owns land there, so I know some local history that you can't find in textbooks." He leans back in his chair like he knows that he's won this battle, "that's why I deserve Rome."

Blake sucks a breath in through his teeth, "Hmph. This is difficult."

"Ooh! I have an idea," Brynn chimes in. "To make this fair, why don't you guys do 'rock, paper, scissors' or something?"

Both hesitate, prompting Blake to come up with another solution.

"I have a few pencils, I'm sure there's an unsharpened one in here somewhere." He rummages around in his case until he pulls two out. "Here, whoever pulls the sharpened one gets Rome."

He places them in his fist under the table so that neither see, then holds it out for them to pull. Elliot sits up, putting his elbows on the table, and looks over at Olivia.

"Ladies first."

She lets out a deep breath before pulling what she hopes is the sharpened pencil. To Elliot's dismay, she actually gets it and he expects her to gloat, but quickly learns that she isn't the type.

"Well, fair is fair." He leans back again, "No big deal, I can do any section."

"If that's the case, why didn't you just give it to me?"

"Same reason you didn't just give it to me," he snaps back at her.

"Okay," Brynn intervenes as they continue to stare one another down. "I think we're good for today. Why don't we wrap this up and meet same time, same place next week?"

"Sounds good," Blake answers. "I'll get this room booked again."

They all pack up and go their separate ways. As she walks down the front steps of the library, Olivia feels her phone vibrate in her jacket pocket. She pulls it out and there's a text from Dana asking where she is, but before she can even type a response, Dana's ringing her phone.

"I see you," she says in a singsong voice when Liv answers. "Just wait right there."

She looks around until she sees her roommate jogging toward her, an excited expression on her face.

"What's got you all charged up?"

"We've got a party to go to tonight," she grabs Olivia's arm and guides her in the direction of their dorm. "Now, it is off campus, but it's gonna be worth it."

"Oh Dana, I don't know."

"C'mon Liv," she whines. "It's thirsty Thursday! Plus, you haven't been out with me in weeks and I'm single now. Ya gotta help me keep it that way!"

Liv keeps her head straightforward and her arms crossed as Dana pleads with her.

"Pleaaaase." When Olivia doesn't give in, she makes an offer she knows her roommate won't refuse. "I'll do your laundry this weekend."

"Ugh, fine! Fine," she tosses her hands in the air. "But don't expect me to do this every weekend."

"Yeees! I promise you are gonna have so much fun." She jumps up and down like an excited child, "Have you been to basketball party before?"

"Like a party where you play basketball?" She asks confusedly.

"No, you goof. The basketball team throws 'em and pretty much everyone wants to get in. It just so happens that I started tutoring one of the players a few weeks ago and he invited me during our session today."

"I'm assuming this won't be a lowkey party then," she lifts her head to the sky and crosses her arms again.

"Not one bit. So, let's go get all dolled up and have a good time, huh?"

She had an odd feeling about tonight, but she couldn't let Dana down. She was right anyway, it's been weeks since Olivia's gone out and she deserved to let loose, to take a break from all the hard work she's been putting in lately.

"Sure, but I'm not wearing a dress. It's way too cold for that."

She takes one last look at herself in the mirror that hangs behind their room door, feeling confident in her skinny jeans, white tube top, and unbuttoned flannel. She knew that she was probably taking a gamble wearing white sneakers to a college party, but Dana would be doing her laundry in the next couple of days, so she'd be sure to include them if necessary. Her wavy hair hangs just above her shoulders and she's wearing these cute gold hoops that her mom gifted her for her birthday.

She looks good and she knows it.

"Damn girl!" Dana looks her up and down, "I might have to make sure you stay single tonight. Unless that's not what you want, of course." She wiggles her eyebrows at Olivia.

"That is the last thing on my mind," she says as she turns to apply a little lip gloss. "Now, hurry up. I don't wanna be out too late."

They stand outside of the house waiting for Dana's connect to come let them in. Groups of people litter the lawn and crowd the front door; girls in short skirts shivering in the chilled Fall air, guys who had clearly pre-gamed before coming here, all hoping to be let into the party.

"Yo, Dana!" A voice shouts from the side of the house.

She grabs Liv's hand, making sure they don't get separated in the crowd. When they step inside, it's warm and loud. She sees a few familiar faces scattered throughout; people from class, from work, and a couple that live in their dorm.

Dana's friend shows them where everything is and tells them to enjoy themselves. The first thing they do is get a drink, of course; the standard jungle juice that has God knows what in it. She doesn't think she'll ever get over the initial gulp, the way it stings her throat and spreads warmth as it travels down and throughout her belly.

"Ick," she says faking a gag.

"Come on," Dana's unphased, attempting to pull her toward a group of people dancing.

"Ohhhh, no. I'm not drunk enough for that yet."

"Fine, but as soon as you feel a tingle in your toes, you come find me."

She's bounding off before Liv can respond, fitting into the group as if she'd been there all along. Olivia leans back against the kitchen counter, surveying the room as she sips her godawful drink. When she turns her head, the person bent over in the refrigerator pulls back holding two beers in one of his very large hands.

"Hey," he says, pointing directly at her. "Olivia, right?"

She finally looks up at his face, recognizing him from Comm. He usually sat right next to her and every time he did, he'd ask her to borrow something. A pen, a sticky note, paper; this guy was always unprepared. At first it annoyed her, but he seemed nice enough, always appreciative, so she got used to it. Even started bringing extra things for him, just in case.

"Yeah," she responds with a smile. "Edgar? You sit next to me in Comm."

"That's right." He sounds as though he hadn't expected her to remember him. "Don't worry, I don't need anything tonight."

She laughs, genuinely happy to see someone that she was semi familiar with.

"So, I hear these parties are kinda hard to get into. You know someone on the team?"

He looks down at her with one eyebrow raised.

"Uh, myself?"

"Oh shit. Silly me," she pretends to smack her own forehead. "Guess I should've known that."

He sees the blush on her cheeks and can't tell if it's from the alcohol or embarrassment.

"No worries, that's actually pretty refreshing. I like you knowing me as the needy guy from class instead of the team's Point Guard."

"Well, I guess it makes sense. You're probably the tallest person I've ever met."

"I get that a lot," his eyes shift toward the steps that lead upstairs. "You wanna come up? It's a bit more relaxed than down here."

He can tell she's hesitant, she looks around in search of her roommate.

"There's a bunch of people up there," he adds quickly. "Sorry, I should've started with that."

"Oh," she visibly relaxes. "Sure."

She follows him closely through the crowd of drunken students, shooting Dana a quick text so that she wouldn't worry if she couldn't find her. They reach the top of the steps and it's almost like another world up here; some guys stand around a tv playing a soccer game, one couple is making out in a dark corner, and she swears she sees smoke creeping from underneath a closed door.

Her eyes continue to bounce from one thing to the next until she sees someone familiar. Suddenly, her eyes are locked and she can't pull her attention away. She feels her heart start to thump faster and her belly feels hot again, but this time she knows it's not from the alcohol. Her legs seem to be on autopilot, following Edgar to a vacant loveseat, but she isn't registering the words coming out of his mouth. All she can do is stare across the room at Elliot's handsome smile, the first she'd ever seen from him.

He seemed to be laughing at something the guy beside him said, but sat on his other side was a perky blonde, vying for his attention with her free hand massaging his shoulder. She was starting to think that those might be his type.

"You okay?"

"Oh, yeah. Just focused on that smell. Doesn't the team get drug tested?"

Good save.

He waits for her to sit before settling into the sofa himself. A jock with manners? Hell may have frozen over.

"We do, but we don't mind a little puff, puff, pass up here. We're just serious about not partaking. So, the smell is comforting to some."

"That's really cool of you. If I couldn't do something that I liked to do, I would not want to be around anyone else doing it. I'd be so irritated."

They sit there for what feels like hours and conversation comes easily with him, she doesn't feel like he's expecting anything from her. They jump from topic to topic, somehow managing to keep her focus with him and not her bull-headed classmate.

"Sorry," he begins to stand up after a while. "I'm gonna run to the bathroom. Be right back."

"Yeah, no problem."

She watches him walk away, downing the last of her drink. At this point, she's feeling a nice buzz, her entire body is warm and any tension seems to have dissipated. She looks around again; more people fill the space, dancing and talking, still not as loud as downstairs. She's enjoying the atmosphere and it makes her think of Dana, who was probably still dancing her ass off. She flips her phone over in her lap, checking to see if she'd gotten any texts from her when she feels the weight of someone plopping down onto the cushion beside her.

"What's up, baby?"

His breath is hot and he's leaning in way too close. There isn't much space for her to back away, so she's pressed uncomfortably into the arm of the couch.

"You look like you could use some company."

"I'm fine, thanks."

"Oh, don't be like that. What'll it take for you to leave here with me, huh?"

"I think you should go now."

"Come on," he grins. "I know all of these players. I could get you into some games, all of the team parties. Hell, I could even hook you up with one of them. All I want is first dibs."

His fingers slowly creep across her knee, attempting to move higher up her leg but she swats it away.

"Don't touch me," she snaps. "And you need to back up."

Something shifts behind his eyes and he stands abruptly, liquid sloshing over the lip of his plastic cup. She's relieved when she thinks that he'll storm off, but before she realizes what's happening, he's yanking her up by the arm.

"You ungrateful bitch," he starts to pull her toward the stairs. "You don't belong up here."

"Get the fuck off of me!"

She tries her best to pull away from him, but in his drunken rage he's strong as hell. She balls her free hand into a fist, cocking it back just as Elliot steps in. Everything happens so fast; El's pulling him by the collar and slamming him into a wall, locking him against it with their foreheads pressed together.

"Keep your fucking hands off of her," he grits.

The asshole pushes Elliot back a couple of steps, "Who the hell do you think you're talking to? Both of you can get the fuck out!"

Elliot is back on him, chest puffed out and his voice is lower than what she's become used to. She barely hears him when he says, "I'm not going anywhere and neither is she, so I suggest you stay away from her."

People have started gathering around, confused by the sudden commotion but entertained, nonetheless. A couple of guys push through the wall of onlookers, separating the two and pulling their belligerent friend away before an actual fight starts.

"Chill, bro. Go take a minute," they tell him as they lead him off to one of the many bedrooms.

"You okay?" Elliot asks, the only physical tell of his concern.

"Uh, yeah. Thanks," she backs away, remembering that her phone had fallen from her lap when he pulled her from the sofa. She picks it up and there's a nasty crack running diagonally across the screen. "Shit."

"Do you need anything?"

"No, no. I'm just gonna go find my roommate."

He nods, saying nothing else as he watches her walk away.

She jogs down the steps, stopping midway to search for Dana over the sea of people. She sees her waiting in line for the bathroom, talking animatedly to the guy behind her. She weaves through the crowd to get to her and they're inseparable for the rest of the night.

About two hours later, Elliot's made his way to the first floor with his friend in tow. Ever since that asshole that got handsy with Olivia rejoined the party, he's been watching him like a Hawk, clocking his every move. He seemed to have calmed down but was still drinking like a fish and scoping out the area as if he were looking for her again, so Elliot still viewed him as an active threat and he was ready to take him down if he dared to go near her again.

Which is what led him here; lurking a few feet behind him as he basically stalked her and her roommate. The creep was leaning against a wall with another drink in his hand, watching the women dance from across the room. He was so focused on them that he hadn't even registered the brooding force following him step for step.

Elliot watches between them, ready to pounce if he even looked like he was headed for her. He'd stopped drinking after his second cup, so he was clearheaded, already thinking of ways to handle this fidgety punk, if necessary. He'd prefer not to do anything in front of the crowd; doesn't need a bunch of witnesses able to speak against him. And if his father had taught him anything, it was that a watchful eye could easily become a whispering mouth.

He'd kept his composure upstairs, but man he wanted nothing more than to break this guy's jaw for what he'd done. There were very few things worse than a man who laid hands on a woman, drunk or not, and this guy needed to learn a lesson.

Just then, Elliot sees him push off of the wall and stand up straight, rolling his shoulders as if in preparation for something. Following his line of vision, El spots the two women, pleasantly drunk now, heading for the front door. His newly acquired enemy obviously thinks this is his chance to move forward with whatever twisted plan runs through his head, he's moving with purpose after them.

A jolt runs through Elliot; part of him is dreading the confrontation, but the rest of him is ready to do whatever is necessary to handle this prick. The protector in him found pleasure in being the one to turn this guy's world upside down and that was exactly what he planned on doing. He looks around to ensure that no one is paying close attention, then slips out the door following them down the street. Far ahead, he can see Olivia and her roommate nearing the end of the street with her stalker close behind.

Elliot speeds up, turning his baseball cap forward to hide his face just as the women turn left at the corner. He knew that street didn't get much foot traffic and that one of the street lights was broken near a filthy alley. Convenient. His target speeds up and he's right on his heels, he can't give him the chance to lay another finger on her.

In a few steps, he's on him, grabbing him by the back of his jacket and slamming him against the brick wall. Olivia and Dana spin around, the latter quickly pulling her pepper spray free. When Olivia finally recognizes Elliot's outfit, she grabs Dana's hand and pulls her back.

"Wait," she whispers frantically. "He's in my class, it's okay."

They watch as he shoves their 'would be' attacker against the wall.

"Didn't I tell you to stay away from her?" His fist connects with his gut causing the man to double over in pain. "You think it's okay to treat women like that?"

He takes advantage of his position, grabbing his shoulders and kneeing him in the spot he'd previously hit. The only thing holding him up is Elliot until he lets go, dropping him to the ground with a painful thud. He places the sole of his shoe against his cheek, pressing in until he hears the man begin to squeal.

"I better not see you look her way or breath in her direction ever again. I don't even want you in the same vicinity as her," his foot presses in a little harder. "Do you hear me?"

"Yes," he whimpers.

"Good," Elliot removes his foot, finally turning back to the women as he straightened his clothing. "Sorry you had to see that."

She watches as his eyes pan down to her breasts then quickly look away. Her arms instinctively cross to hide herself and she feels what had gotten his attention; her nipples are rock hard. She isn't sure if she's reacting to the cool air or him, but she does know that she's ready to get home.

"You guys need a ride back to campus? I'm going in that direction anyway."

Did he just read my mind? She's hesitant, looking toward Dana for some assistance.

"It's okay, we're together." She whispers to Olivia, squeezing her hand for reassurance before turning back to him. "Sure."

He doesn't take offense, more than understands the mind state that they're probably in, especially Olivia.

"Alright, my car's up ahead on the corner." He looks over his shoulder at his friend, "You got this Fin?"

"Yeah, man. You go ahead."

"Be safe."

"Always."

The drive back is quick and mostly silent, save for Dana asking him the occasional question about his life. Olivia can't bring herself to say anything, her mind is jumbled and reeling and she's confused at her body's reaction to him, to what he'd just done. Normally she hated violence, but she couldn't deny that watching him defend her so fiercely shifted something within her. It was like there was a magnet pulling her toward him and she couldn't say that she wanted it to stop.

"And what did you say your family did?" She hears Dana asking him.

"I didn't," he says flatly.

"Sorry, I'm just wonderin' how a college student can afford a car like this."

He laughs softly, looking at her in the rearview, "You don't give up, do you?"

"As a matter of fact, I don't. It's one of my best qualities."

He focuses on the road again, continuing to smile before giving her an inch. "My family has stakes in multiple businesses."

"Somethin' and nothin' all at once."

For the rest of the drive, Olivia watches him, watches his mannerisms and it doesn't help the lustful feeling that her own body is forcing upon her. The way he controls the vehicle, hands gripping the steering wheel while keeping a watchful eye on the women and their surroundings. She feels betrayed; her brain is questioning everything but the rest of her seems to know what it wants. And, boy, does it want him.

When they get back to campus, he drops them as close as he can to their building, then offers to walk them to the door. Dana refuses, but thanks him for everything.

"Hey," he says, stepping closer to Olivia. "I'm sorry about everything that happened tonight, but if he tries anything again, don't hesitate to let me know. You have my number."

"You're not my bodyguard, y'know." Shit, she didn't mean to say that out loud.

He looks taken aback, was probably expecting her to say yes with no qualms. But he should've known better, especially given their interactions prior to him "saving" her tonight.

"I know, I just– I didn't mean to overstep."

"I'm sorry, just on edge I guess." She looks away shyly, "Thank you."

"It's no problem." He backs away slowly, heading back to his car. "See you tomorrow."

Then he's off and she watches him drive away until Dana tugs on her hand.

"C'mon, let's get inside."

They make it up to their room and it finally feels safe enough for them to let their guards down. Dana's energy is palpable and Olivia knows she'll have to answer some questions, she just doesn't expect it to be now. Not when she's so exhausted, but her friend deserved an explanation.

"So, you gonna tell me what all that was about?"

Olivia sighs as she sits on the edge of her bed, kicking her shoes off. "Where do I even begin?" She asks herself aloud. Her brain backtracks from tonight all the way to their first class this week. She explains it all to Dana; from the group project, to them butting heads over a damn location, then finally what happened when she was upstairs at the party.

"Oh, Liv. Why didn't you tell me? We didn't have to stay."

"No, it's fine. I meant to tell you as soon as I found you, but by the time I made it downstairs I just wanted to forget what happened and have some fun like we planned to." A smirk creeps across her lips, "and I know you. As soon as you heard, you would've gone room to room until you found him and beat the crap out of him."

"You're damn right."

They sit in silence for a few moments, but something nags at Olivia and she just can't keep it in.

"Dana," she whispers.

"Hm?"

"I think– I think there's something else there. Between Elliot and me."

"What do you mean? Did he say something to you?"

"No, nothing out of the ordinary. I just have this feeling, it's weird, like – like he's a magnet that wants to pull me in."

"Maybe it's just adrenaline. You'll see him in class tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah," she says as if she's dreading it.

"Well, why don't you just sleep all of this off and then see how you feel when you're in class together. Hm?"

"Yeah, I guess." She doubted that anything would change between now and then, but she was ready to forget about this for now. They change into their pajamas, finally getting into their respective beds. As they lay there winding down, Olivia can't stop her mind from thinking of him. It just keeps replaying everything he'd said and everything he'd done for her, down to the way he watched her as he drove them home. Something in his eyes said he cared more he should've or was that just her imagination? Suddenly she remembers his friend who they'd left behind and she wonders why he'd stayed. Questions swirl around, keeping her exhausted brain hostage until she falls into a deep sleep.

The feeling of his hands sliding up her torso makes her feel like she's not on Earth, like her soul is floating while he keeps her body anchored to his. She continues to grind slowly into him, the textured seam of his jeans gives her clit the most delicious friction as his hands reach for her bare breasts, thumbs circling her taut nipples. She leans back, resting her hands on his knees to give him full access, her head is falling between her shoulders when his lips wrap gently around one.

Her whole body tingles at the sensation, her legs start to feel like liquid, opening further around his hips. Her breathing is labored and her eyes roll shut, he's switching between licking and sucking at her rosy buds, letting his teeth graze them when he pulls back. His lips travel up her chest, sucking roughly at the skin above her clavicle and she knows he's left an angry mark behind.

She wants more, wants to feel the heat of his tongue against her aching pulse, so she wraps her fingers around the gold cross that dangles from his neck and pulls him closer. He goes willingly; he'd let her lead him to hell if it meant that he could keep having her this way, or any way for that matter. His love for her was steadfast and he'd never stop letting her know.

"I won't let them hurt you," he says over and over again, lips dragging across her exposed skin. "Not ever."

And she believes him with everything in her, doesn't doubt that he'll go to the end of the Earth to protect her from any and everything.

"Do you hear me?" He's waiting for a verbal response.

"Yes," she moans. She's so close, but his undying devotion makes her want to merge their souls and become one. "Fuck."

This was more than sex, more than love even. This was something she'd never felt before, something she couldn't name. But she knew she wanted to keep it close, never let it slip away. Never let him slip away.

"Keep going Princess," his hands are back on her hips, pulling her down onto his aching bulge. "You can have anything. Just tell me and it's yours."

"I want—"

The blaring of her alarm rips her from the blissful slumber, she's confused and embarrassed. When she realizes that her hand is nestled between her wet thighs, she pulls it free and looks around to see if Dana is present. She wipes the moisture on her pajama bottoms then reaches for her phone, quickly silencing it and lets out a deep sigh; Dana's already left for class.

She lays in bed staring at the ceiling. Was she really having a wet dream about Elliot Stabler? All he had done was stood up for her like he probably would've done for any woman. Don't be such a damsel, Olivia. The heaviness in her stomach comes roaring back when she realizes what time it is. She had class in about an hour and he'd be there; she didn't think she could even look him in the eyes after what she'd just dreamt of. Hell, after everything that had transpired last night.

Slowly, she gets out of bed, shedding her clothes and gathering everything she needed for a shower. She wraps her towel around her body and opens the door, but as she steps out, she notices a white box with a bow wrapped around it sitting in her path. She isn't sure that she should take it; maybe someone had made a mistake leaving it there. Or maybe they hadn't, maybe it was meant for her but not with good intention.

"Get a grip," she whispers to herself. The events of the last twenty-four hours have her shaken up and she knows that her nerves are getting the best of her right now. She picks the box up and gives it a gentle shake, listening for any clues as to what could be inside before going back into the room. She places it on her desk along with her shower caddy and all she can do is stare at it, afraid of what it could mean.