Olivia puttered around the kitchen, nervously cleaning the unseen corners that rarely invite attention. Elliot's girls had kept the space so clean that she worried Noah would become aware of her chronic disorganization. She laughed a little. He probably already knew. Their lives had always been a little messy and a little chaotic, but he never complained. He just rode the wave, and she loved him for it.

"What are you doing?" Elliot said, his voice still a little groggy from sleep.

Her head whipped around to find him shuffling down the hallway in her direction. One fisted hand rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

It wasn't particularly early. She glanced at the microwave clock. 9:25am. Lizzie had taken Noah to school and hadn't returned quite yet, making the apartment eerily quiet.

"You really shouldn't be up," she cautioned, not actually answering his question.

He walked stiffly to one of the barstools and sat carefully. "I can't lay there anymore, and I gotta start moving sooner or later."

"I just don't want you to rush it. Recovery can take longer if you push too hard too fast," she warned.

He looked like he wanted to argue, but ultimately kept his mouth closed. "Why are you cleaning?" He finally asked again.

"Just nervous," she admitted. "It's been two full days, and I know Carisi will want to do what's best, but it isn't always his call, you know?"

Elliot nodded in agreement. "I know, but it's out of our hands. You made your opinion known, and that's all we can do, really." He caught her gaze, and she knew he was trying to keep her grounded. "There will be consequences for their choices, and we really can't control the outcome here."

"I know, but it feels like a waste to ruin two young lives. I mean, they were put in an impossible situation, and they're just kids. They really didn't have any good choices."

"True," he agreed. His eyes flicked to the couch. "Put the rag away and come sit with me." He smirked a little. You are going to run the paint off your already clean walls."

He was right, but she felt useless—powerless—right now, and the feeling was crippling. With a sigh, she tossed the damp rag into the sparkling quartz countertop and came around to stand in front of the bar stool. She intended to pull him up, but his hands caught her hips before she could help him stand.

His intense blue eyes watched her for a moment. If it were anyone else, the steady gaze would be unnerving, but it was different with Elliot. She met him with an equally intense stare.

His hand moved to her cheek, brushing it affectionately. "I know this is hard for you. I know everything in you wants what's truly just for these kids, but we can't control this. As much as we may want to."

"I know," she whispered.

His hand wrapped around the back of her skull as he urged her mouth toward his. At first, it was just the warm movement of lips, but it evolved into something deeper. He kissed her long and slow. Every time he kissed her, he left her breathless, but this was different. This wasn't about passion or lust. It wasn't even about love, at least not exactly. It was about comfort. Safety. It held a silent promise that he would be there for her. He would be her safety net when she needed to fall. That thought brought tears to her eyes, and she let her lips gently drift towards his chin as she leaned her forehead against his. "I love you," she murmured.

He pulled back a little so he could catch her gaze. His large hand cupped her cheek and brushed away the stray locks of hair that had begun to stick to the tears on her cheek. "Love you too. I got you. No matter what the future brings,.

Her head dropped to his uninjured shoulder, and she nuzzled his neck. They remained in that position for a few moments until there was a knock on the door.

"Did Lizzie forget her key?" Elliot murmured against her head.

"Probably." She took a deep breath. Thank God she hadn't put mascara on yet. She probably already looked like a wreck. She moved to the door a little slower than normal. She had been standing way too long, and she was beginning to ache.

She peeked through the peephole, an old habit that was purely precautionary. "Oh?" She said in surprise. Lizzie wasn't on the other side of the door. "It's Reyes," she called over her shoulder.

She flipped the deadbolt and opened the door for Elliot's squad member. "Bobby," she smiled kindly.

"Captain," he returned with a charming smile. "Stabler alive? I found something that I think he wants back."

"You're in luck. He's actually moving around today. He's just in the kitchen. Come on in." She waved him in and shut the door behind him.

"Hey man," Reyes greeted. He stuck his hand out for a quick slap and shoulder hug.

"Hey," Elliot returned the greeting.

"How ya feelin'?" Reyes asked.

"Honestly? I'm bored, and I can only move like a decrepit old man." There was an amusement in Reyes' eyes that made Elliot jump back in. "If you crack one old man joke, I'm throwing you out."

"You literally cannot make me," he teased.

"Fine." Elliot folded his arms like a pouting, petulant child. "Liv will kick you out then."

She pulled a water bottle from the fridge and held it out to Reyes. "Nah. He can stay."

Elliot groaned with a little exaggeration.

"Don't be a baby." Reyes continued to poke fun at him. "Plus, you should be nice to me because I found something that you probably want."

Before Elliot could think of a snarky remark, Bobby dangled a broken ornament in front of his face.

Elliot snatched the ornament from his fingers. Olivia hadn't seen him move that fast since before the shootings.

"Where did you find it?"

"It was lying' in the middle of the hallway at Javi's place," Reyes said with a shrug.

Elliot's fingers traced the swooping letters of the word Love. "Thanks, man," he said simply. "I thought I lost it. It fell out of my pocket one day, and I had to chuck it in a drawer when one of Javi's guys noticed it on the floor."

Elliot's eyes glistened as he snuck a swift peek in her direction.

Reyes rubbed the back of his head with his palm bashfully. "Yeah, well, I didn't know what it was, but I had seen ya with it, and I thought it might be important to you or somethin'." He chuckled lightly. "It's kinda a weird thing to keep around—especially in the summer."

Elliot laughed but winced when the movement jostled his injuries.

"El" refrained from using a scolding tone, even if he deserved a little scolding. "When's the last time you took any pain reliever?"

"I'm fine. I just moved wrong."

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes, and before she had a chance to respond, her phone chimed from the other end of the counter.

As she reached for her device, she heard Reyes begin to make his exit. "Hey, I'll let you guys get back to your morning. I, uh, got a lot of paperwork and stuff," he said as he motioned towards the door, "I'll let myself out."

Olivia gave him a kind smile and a wave, thankful that he didn't have the expectation of her walking him back to the door in some sort of polite ritual.

Her eyes dropped to her phone, and her stomach knotted. Dominic Carisi. Her eyes drifted to Elliot's before she swallowed her nerves and answered the phone. "Hey," she greeted. She tried to keep her voice positive, but she felt her voice strain from her nerves. "Elliot's with me. I'm going to put you on speaker, okay?"

"'Course, Liv. You're savin' me a second phone call." His voice sounded light, but she didn't dare hope for good news. Her stomach churned in anticipation as she waited for him to continue. "We were able to create a deal that satisfied both parties," he began. "I know you were hoping for a rehabilitative approach, and this might not be exactly what you wanted, but it was a compromise the DA's office could live with." Olivia felt herself holding her breath. "We agreed to thirty months in a high-security juvenile facility." Her heart pounded mercilessly. "I'm trying to get them situated in a facility upstate, a smaller one without any inner city gang affiliations. If they can keep a clean record, they will receive a probationary release with mandatory therapy for individuals and families."

She didn't realize she was crying until Elliot pulled her closer and wiped away the tears from her cheeks. Her throat felt tight as she tried to swallow her rising emotion. Her biggest concern had been two boys getting lost in the system, funneled back into the gang life where there was no return. She wanted those boys to have a chance, and Carisi had managed to give them that shot. From there on, their futures were in their own hands.

"The families are working together to find ways to visit and stay in constant contact. It's a little tricky with the distance, but both families want out of the city. A social worker is going to set them up with a couple of programs upstate. They know they aren't safe in the city, and nothing ties them here anymore."

"They'll be much safer there," Olivia agreed. "WITSEC probably wasn't a good option for them, huh?"

"It might have been okay for Alejandra, but she wanted to stick with Diego's family. The threat is pretty low, with Papa in prison and Javi six feet under. I don't think it's worth Papa's time tracking them down. I got the impression that he and Javi weren't in sync anymore, and he seems relieved to be rid of the association."

"Will he receive any more time for his involvement?" Elliot finally spoke up.

"We're still working on drafting charges. Some stuff might be difficult to prove, but we have to charge him, even if it's only to prove a point. We can't have a hit on a cop without some sort of justice." Carisi added, "I'll let you know when that all gets sorted out, but I thought you'd want to know about the boys right away."

"Yes, thank you," Olivia responded.

After a few finishing pleasantries, she ended the call. She released the breath she didn't know she was holding.

Elliot brushed her hair over her shoulder. "Doin' alright?"

She sighed and leaned into him gently. "Yeah, I think I am."

"Good," he murmured. His arm draped around her waist, and he pulled her tightly against his good side.

Her eyes found his, and she said, "Now we heal."

"Now we heal," he agreed.

EPILOGUE

"Shouldn't I get to decide if I wear a tie? It's my party." Elliot grumbled

Olivia adjusted his tie and pulled his collar neatly over it. "I thought Europe turned you into some fancy dresser," she teased.

Ha ha." He said it sarcastically while pulling at his collar. "Just because I like dressing nice doesn't mean I want to be in a tie on a Saturday afternoon."

"Fair enough, but your kids worked hard to throw this party. You're retiring. You can wear a tie for a couple hours."

A familiar glint of mischief lit up his eyes, and a smirking smile teased the corners of his mouth. Without warning, his hands traveled down her back so he could squeeze her ass. With his lips close to her ear, he said, "I can think of a better way to spend a couple hours." He placed a soft, lingering kiss on her neck. "We can sneak out of here. Find a hotel somewhere," he said suggestively.

She let out a breathy laugh. "I think people will notice if the man of the hour doesn't show up."

He took a step back, and his hands slid down her arms before giving her hands a light squeeze. She watched him wince a little as he sat on the bed. He picked up one of his shoes and began to slide it on his foot.

While he put his shoe on, she reached for its companion, still sitting on the floor. He hated when she did stuff like this—helping him with simple tasks. When he finished getting one shoe on, she silently handed him the other. "How's your pain today?" She tried to keep the question casual, hoping to avoid him getting defensive. It wasn't like she was questioning his masculinity; she just wanted to make sure her partner was alright.

He shrugged while sliding on the other shoe. "It's fine."

Olivia had a sort of self-made interpretation of his pain descriptions. 'Fine' was equal to about a four on the pain scale. If it was said with a grimace, then it was more like a five. When he rolled his eyes and scolded her, hovering with a huffed 'Liv', she knew his pain was well managed at a two or a three. Okay, equaled 6. If he admitted to any pain at all she knew he was getting into the seven-to-nine range. His pain was never at a one. And that was one of the many reasons he decided to retire.

She reached into his nightstand and pulled out some OTC pain medicine. He hated being reliant on narcotics, so they tried to manage the best he could with over-the-counter medications.

Without a word, she pulled the top drawer of his nightstand open and reached for the ibuprofen he kept there. She shook a couple tablets into her palm before holding them out for him. He opened his mouth to protest, but a well-placed glare shut him up.

"Need some water?" She asked as he tossed the pills into his mouth.

He swallowed them easily and shook his head. "I got it."

She felt his eyes roaming over the dips and curves of her body. Silently, he reached out for her, eventually pulling her onto his lap. She closed her eyes when his lips brushed her jaw. "You look amazing." One hand drifted up her waistline and back down to her hip. He pressed another kiss to her cheek before he added, "absolutely incredible."

A shiver ran up her spine when he began dropping kisses along the column of her neck. He lifted his hand, tilted her face back towards his, and sealed his lips over hers. He kissed her slowly and with meaning. When they broke apart, she rested her forehead against his. "Elliot," she murmured, her voice falling somewhere between a warning and an invitation. "We need to get out there," she reminded him.

He didn't seem in the least bit interested in the party. His thoughts are clearly fixed on her. He kissed her again, this time his tongue speared into her mouth. "They don't need us," he muttered before pulling her bottom lip into his mouth.

Her breathing hitched when his palm skirted under her blouse. "I think they'll notice if their honoree is suspiciously absent."

He barely acknowledged her words with a muffled grunt. His hand crept further up her shirt, and she knew she needed to get off his lap and drag him out of his room and into the waiting party. She should, but she knew she wouldn't. She spent too many years starved of his touch. She wouldn't stop him now.

Luckily—or unluckily—a knock on his door made him cease his movement.

"Dad?" Eli's voice carried through the closed door.

Elliot cleared his throat and removed his hands from her shirt. "Yeah?"

"Are you ready yet? Fin and Dickie are about five seconds away from eating your cake without you!"

The pair chucked at the visual his description produced.

"Okay." He reluctantly shifted Olivia off of his lap. "I'm just about ready."

Eli retreated from the door, and he lifted himself from the plush mattress. Olivia reached out for his hand before saying,Ready or not, I guess."

He kissed her cheek as they stepped towards the door. "There better not be any singing," he grumbled.

She squeezed his hand. "I wouldn't count on it. I heard Dickie whistling, 'For he's a jolly good fellow' this morning."

He rolled his eyes and reached for the door knob. He had rested there for a moment before he turned his head. "I love you."

Warmth flooded her extremities and she impulsively pecked his lips. "I love you too." Her eyes drifted back to his hand on the door knob. "Ready?"

He filled his lungs with a deep breath. "Let's do this, Benson."

"I got you, Stabler." Her voice cracked with emotion. "I always did, and I always will."

He blinked away the tears gathering in his eyes. Without a word, he turned the knob and stepped through the door into his new life. A beautiful life, with his partner forever by his side.