A/N: I really wasn't planning to do a second part to the last chapter (titled Birthday) but I did any way. I don't own any of the characters.

Confronting the Past

Olivia was back at work after she and Hank returned from their cruise but she was not happy about it. She did not think about work or anything involving work for the entire trip. Hank wanted her to relax. She was already having a bad day. They had gotten a case that wasn't going right. Amanda and Kat were at the hospital talking to a victim and at the moment, she wasn't sure where Fin was. She was in her office catching up on paperwork, which she seemed to be doing most of the day. Someone had come into the Squadroom. When he started walking toward her office, she saw who it was.

"Shit! Why now? Can this day get any worse?"

Elliot appeared in the doorway and had that all familiar smug look on his face.

"So, Captain, huh?"

"What do you want, Stabler? I'm busy."

"Too busy for your best friend?"

"Best friend? Best friends don't just up and retire and then lose contact with you for over a decade. At this point, I wouldn't even consider you to be a friend. Friends are there for you when you have been through hell and back or they contact you to find out how you're doing when something bad happens. Where were you when I was being tortured and abducted by one of the perps we were investigating? Where were you when he escaped from prison, was holding me and a little girl at the abandoned granary and forced me to play Russian roulette only to use the last bullet meant for me to shoot himself in the head but made it look like I did it? I know it was in the news because my husband, who's retired from the Chicago Police Department, knew about it. Where were you when my son was kidnapped by his biological grandmother, who I thought was dead? Nowhere to be seen because you were no doubt still feeling sorry for yourself for killing Jenna Fox."

"Liv, let me explain."

"I don't want to hear any of your damn excuses."

"I couldn't deal with what had happened in the Squadroom?"

"I couldn't deal with a lot that has happened to me in the last decade but I went to a therapist and dealt with it. Maybe you should try it. It might help you get over yourself. I almost had to go back to therapy a year ago when my ex-boyfriend committed suicide because he had brain cancer but my husband has been my rock as has Fin. Fin has been there for me through a lot more than you ever have."

"Yeah, I heard you were with Tucker for a while. That would be enough to put anyone into therapy."

"You know what, he turned out to be a better man than you are."

"He got what he deserved when he killed himself. Karma is a bitch but it definitely got Ed Tucker. You obviously weren't thinking clearly when you got involved with him. Once a rat, always a rat."

"Don't you dare talk about him like that! Who I'm in a relationship with is none of your damn business. People change. He did. You obviously haven't."

"People like him don't change, Liv. Were you really that desperate?"

"Screw you, Stabler! Get the hell out of my office, stay the hell away from me and while you're at it, go to hell!"

"That could be hard to do when we might actually have to work together again. I can't wait."

"I am not working with you on any case. Ever! I wouldn't work with you if you were the only cop in this Department."

Elliot sat down on the sofa.

"I'm not leaving until you let me explain."

"I don't care what you have to say. Do you not get that?"

"I don't care if you don't care. I need to say this."

"I don't have time for your shit! I'm in the middle of a case that is not going right."

"Sit."

"I'm not listening to you."

Elliot tried grabbing Olivia by the arm to pull her down next to him but she pulled back in a hurry and slapped him across the face.

"Don't you ever touch me like that again!"

"What the hell has gotten into you?"

"I've grown as a person in the last 10 years. You leaving turned out to be the best thing that could have happened to me and my career. I wouldn't be where I am right now if you had stayed. You don't deserve to be running your own unit nor do you deserve whatever promotion they gave you. I've earned mine and Fin has earned his. You have done nothing for yours. I also know who my true friends are and you're no longer one of them. I'm only going to say this one more time, get the hell out of my office and stay out of my life! I mean it."

Fin had come back into the Squadroom and had seen most of what had gone on in Olivia's office.

"Leave her the hell alone, asshole! She has enough to deal with right now and she don't need to deal with you and your shit. Get the hell out of here or I'll shoot your ass right here and right now. Don't show your face around here again. You got that?"

Elliot still wouldn't move, so Fin grabbed him by the jacket, pulled him up and escorted him out of the Precinct face down into a mound of snow.

"Go crawl back into the hole you crawled out of and stay there, dumb ass! No one cares about your shit. I never did and neither did Liv. You leavin' was the best thing for all of us."

Fin went back inside and up to the Squadroom and Olivia was in tears.

"Liv, you ok?"

"I will be."

"Go home and be with your favorite guys."

"How much of that did you hear?"

"Enough. I heard him say that Tucker got what he deserved. You're right though. Tucker did turn out to be a better man than Stabler. I told you before, I got your back and always will. When I escorted him out, I put him face down into a mound of snow. I'll walk you out just in case he's not gone."

"Thanks, Fin. I'm glad you have always been in my corner."

"You're welcome, baby girl."

Olivia put her coat on and got her stuff. Fin walked her down to her SUV. Elliot was nowhere in sight, so they were both grateful for that.

"Let me know if anything comes up with this case that you need me for."

"Yeah, I will."

Right after Olivia left and Fin got back up to the Squadroom, he called Chief Garland to tell him what had happened, so at least he was aware of the situation. Olivia drove home and made sure no one was following her. The last thing she wanted was to have Elliot find out where she lived. Thankfully, no one was. When she arrived at home, she got out of her SUV, went in and locked up.

"Hello."

"Hey, Babe."

"Mom!"

"Hey, you."

"Babe, you ok?"

"I will be. My former partner showed up and was being an ass as usual."

"It finally happened, huh?"

"Yeah. Noah, is your homework done?"

"Ok, I'm going."

Olivia took her coat and boots off and Noah went back upstairs to finish his homework.

"He said that Ed got what he deserved when he killed himself and I must have been desperate when I got involved with him. I told him who I get involved with is none of his business. I told him to stay away from me, stay out of my life and while he was at it, he could go to hell. He said that might be hard to do when we could be working together again and he couldn't wait for that. I told him that I'm not ever going to work with him on any case. Thankfully, Fin heard enough of the conversation. It felt good when I told him to go to hell. I told him I was busy and he asked if I was too busy for my best friend. I went off on him for that, especially with the Lewis thing. I told him I know it was in the news because you knew about it in Chicago. I basically said I wouldn't even consider him a friend any more."

"Come here."

Olivia moved closer to Hank and then he wrapped his arms around her.

"I love you so much."

"I love you too. After dinner, I'll take care of getting Noah to bed. You go upstairs and relax in a nice, hot bubble bath."

"Only if you join me. You're what I need right now."

"How can I say no to that?"

"You can't."

"You're right. I can't say no to you. I never could."

Olivia kissed Hank and then went upstairs to lock up her gun, while Hank went back into the kitchen to check on dinner. Dinner was ready, so they all sat down to eat. Noah told Olivia about his day. After dinner while Hank was cleaning up, Olivia went to relax in front of the TV with Noah before he had to go to bed. Both Hank and Olivia went upstairs to tuck him in. They kissed him goodnight, left the light by his bed on, so he could read his book before he fell asleep and then Hank went to start the bubble bath. Olivia went into the bedroom, locked the door, checked her phone and she had a message from Fin telling her that he told Chief Garland what had happened, so at least he was aware of the situation. She went into the bathroom and then they both undressed before they got into the tub. Olivia leaned back into Hank's chest as he wrapped his arms around her and they relaxed.

"This feels so good. I love being in your arms like this. You always know what I need after a bad day at work."

"Did your case get any better?"

"No. Rollins and Kat were visiting the vic at the hospital and I told Fin to let me know if anything comes up with it."

"I hate cases like that when nothing seems to be going right."

"We've gotten a lot of those lately. I had a text from Fin saying that he called Chief Garland about what happened, so he's aware of it."

"That's good."

Hank started kissing Olivia's neck and shoulders.

"We better take this into the other room."

"That's the idea."

They pulled the plug in the tub to let the water out and then they dried off. They wrapped their towels around themselves and went into the bedroom. They started kissing, removed each other's towels, got on the bed and made love. Afterwards Hank had his arms wrapped around her and she had her head on his chest.

"You feel better?"

"I always do after we make love."

"He really pissed you off though, huh?"

"Yes, he did. He grabbed me to pull me down to sit next to him on the sofa and I pulled back in a hurry before I slapped him across the face. Fin pulled him up by the jacket, escorted him out and put him face down into a mound of snow."

"I know someone else that would do that."

"I don't doubt that and I love how protective you are of me. I knew he'd have a fit when he found out about me and Ed but to say he got what he deserved, really crossed the line. I'm having a hard enough time with Ed's death as it is. I don't need that asshole to make things worse. I told him that his leaving was the best thing for me and my career. If he was my boss, I definitely would have asked for a transfer."

"It doesn't sound like Don would have let him run it after he retired. I think he always wanted you do it."

"Oh yeah, I know he did. Even though you and Elliot have similar personalities, you're more of a boss-type than he is. I told him he doesn't deserve to be running his own unit because he doesn't. He said he just couldn't deal with what had happened in the Squadroom and I basically told him he should try going to therapy because it might help him get over himself. He also wanted to explain everything but I told him I didn't want to hear any of his excuses."

"That's my girl!"

"You're so funny."

"Isn't that why you love me?"

"Shut up and make love to me."

"Now we're talkin'!"

They started kissing and made love again before falling asleep in each other's arms.

Reviews and suggestions are appreciated.