Olivia can't concentrate.

She's trying to listen to the joint task force liaison in this meeting with SVU, OC, and the FBI for a human trafficking operation but her mind is on…other things. Specifically, the first time she'd come into contact with her former partner in three months.

Elliot came to her office as she was trying to finish up for the night, the last one there of course, to let her know he was back for good. Told her there'd be no more deep-cover assignments or being gone for weeks or months to live in someone else's skin. Let the younger guys have at it or whatever adrenaline junkie is taking Whelan's place. And, as Noah was with the Carisi's for the weekend, there was no rush for Olivia to get home to her cabernet and leftover chicken stir-fry.

With his bright eyes and a freshly trimmed goatee, he charmed his way into ordering chicken tetrazzini for them from one of their old favorite Italian spots. The conversation was jovial and relaxed as she sat at her desk and he in a chair beside it. It reminded her of the safety and comfortability of their working partnership. Only her favorite bottle of red would've made it more perfect.

Until…

They finally delved into what was missed while he was gone. Nick, Cragen's being framed for murder, her relationships with Cassidy and Tucker, William Lewis, the Townhouse situation, Sheila's abduction of Noah, and discovering Burton Lowe was not only her first love but her groomer and a statutory rapist. He was angry at himself and instantly realized the level of trauma she'd experienced both in his absence and since his return.

"I get it now," Elliot told her. "Why the fuck would you ever forgive me let alone trust me to be something more than we ever were to each other?"

"I have forgiven you, Elliot," she said to his surprise. "Probably should've told you that a while ago," she added. "But there are some days, some moments that your abandonment…if I'm being honest, still makes me angry," she admitted. "But I'm working on that."

"Where do we go from here?"

"You're asking me?"

"Well…you are the captain," Elliot told her, smiling. "But I enjoyed tonight. Tonight was good," he said, standing to clean their mess. "Maybe we could try it again sometime? Inside a restaurant with real plates, stemware, and utensils instead of plastic and Styrofoam?"

"I'd like that."

Olivia stood as he moved towards the door to show him out.

"You're not done?"

"Nah, somebody distracted me from my work," she told him, smirking. "I'll call it in another hour or so."

He paused with his hand on the knob and turned. Their eyes locked. At most, she was expecting a goodbye hug. But that's not what happened. He took two quick steps toward her, palmed her face, and after 25 years, joined his lips to hers in a slow, sweet, passionate kiss.

"Captain Benson?" Special Agent Lee calls. "Will that be good for your team?"

"Uh, yes. That'll be fine."

Olivia has no idea what she's just agreed to. Luckily for her, Fin and Ayanna are both in attendance and they'll catch her up.

It would be embarrassing for her focus to be lacking because of one kiss with Elliot, despite how ridiculously enjoyable it was. No, it was what happened after, that had her clenching her thighs beneath the conference room table.

Thankfully she had a habit of closing her blinds because they quickly got carried away. Elliot's hands were all over her as he backed her, step-for-step into the anteroom she meditates in, landing on the sofa.

"You know what would make me happy?" He asked after stopping to take in some much-needed oxygen.

"What's that?" She managed just as affected.

"If I could finally find out how you taste."

"El," she said, her breath quickening at the thought. "We shouldn't."

He smiled in the most devilish way.

"Don't pretend like you never fantasized about fooling around in the boss's office."

"That was before I became the boss."

"All the better."

Elliot didn't bother removing anything but what was necessary. Her pants, then the blue cotton and lace underwear she wore. Between his tongue on her clit and his fingers thumping against her g-spot, her former partner had her writhing against the sofa in minutes.

She can still feel the sweet friction of his goatee against the soft skin of her inner thighs.

"God…Elliot," she breathed out. "Please. I need to…"

Olivia managed to grab a throw pillow to scream into just as she came with his mouth against her core and his fingers slowing themselves inside, letting her orgasm taper off. Heaven forbid the custodial staff heard her in the throes of passion.

Before they could talk, his phone began ringing from his back pocket.

"Stabler," he answered. "Yeah, just landed a little bit ago."

Olivia already knew it was work-related. She immediately began redressing herself as he continued the conversation.

"I can be there in twenty," he continued. "Thanks, Sarge. Glad to be back."

Elliot looked at her apologetically after the call was disconnected.

"Go," she told him. "We'll talk later."

He kissed her thoroughly enough to taste herself on his tongue, then he was gone.

Any attempt at sleep that night was useless. She hadn't heard from him all weekend but couldn't blame him because she hadn't reached out either. Between Noah's dance activities and the never-ending paperwork of being a captain, there wouldn't have been a text or call sufficient enough for what they needed to say to one another. McGrath's replacement called her at 6 a.m. this morning to inform her about the newly formed task force. Now here she sits.

Distracted.

And, for the last twenty minutes, while Elliot's been diligently focused on the speaker and has barely spared her a glance, Olivia's concentration has been absolute shit.

"Okay," Special Agent Lee says, finally getting her attention. "Each team knows their role and what we need to cut the head off the snake and bring down this organization," he continues. "We'll reconvene at 0800 when FBI SWAT will have retrieved all the trafficking victims from each of their trap houses. SVU will be on hand for interviews. OC will have focused on the digital and physical financial proof, and two of you, I'll let you decide which, will have infiltrated tonight's auction," he adds. "Three teams. Three simultaneous hits. Let's go."

Turns out she only needed to have listened to the last five minutes to be caught up. All these organizations are alike. These women and girls are just cattle to them. Used up working the streets until they're murdered, kill themselves, or get bought and sold to the highest bidder at auction. The Dark Fight Foundation is just a bigger nicer package than your unfriendly neighborhood pimp and his foot soldiers.

"You okay, Liv?" Fin asks as they head for the elevator.

"I'm fine. Why?"

"You took zero notes, crossed your legs a bunch of times, kicking me by the way," he tells her, pressing the button for the lobby. "And…you didn't ask any questions."

"We've done this before, Fin," she points out. "I can handle it."

"Even the part where Bell volunteered you and Stabler to go UC as buyers for the auction?"

"What?"

Fin doesn't bother trying to hide his knowing grin.

"Oh, so you weren't paying attention."

"I got the general idea."

"Sure you did," he tells her. "But I'm gonna assume you didn't and fill you in," he offers. "Two members of SVU will pair off with FBI SWAT to hit the two DLF traps," he begins. "Me and Curry at one, Velasco and Bruno at the other," he explains. "Jet traced their financials to offshore accounts but linked a physical address in Brooklyn to what looks like a small office where a server farm is located."

"And the auction?" Olivia asks.

"Happening tonight at a warehouse in the meatpacking district," Fin answers. "Invite only. Very exclusive."

"How did we garner such a rare invitation?"

"Wow, you really weren't paying attention, huh?" He asks. "What's got you so off your game today? Is it Noah?"

"No. No, Noah's good. Just…not enough sleep I guess."

Understatement of the decade.

Every time she tried to rest, she saw Elliot's clear blue irises staring up at her from between her thighs. In her dreams, they don't get interrupted. He strips her bare, right in her little anteroom, and uses that talented mouth of his all over her body until he's pushing inside her, prompting a deep moan. They weren't making love in her dream. No. They were sweaty with racing pulses, grunting, and panting as they fucked like wild animals. This morning, she woke early, annoyed and frustrated with hard nipples, wet and unsatisfied like a hormonal teenager. For the first time in her life, she purposely took a cold shower.

"Ready to do this?"

Olivia nearly jumped at the sound of his voice behind her. She turns to find Elliot and Ayanna has caught up with them, their sedans parked next to her SUV.

"Yeah. Yes. Good to go," she fumbles. "All good."

"Right," Ayanna comments, eyeing her strangely. "See you back at the house," she says to Elliot.

Fin shakes his head after Olivia tosses him the keys.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" Elliot asks her.

"Probably not a great idea," she answers, gesturing over her shoulder. "Fin's as impatient as you remember."

"I can drop you off at the 1-6 before heading back across the bridge," he offers. "We can talk along the way," he adds. "Figure out how we wanna play it tonight."

"That the only reason you wanna give me a ride?"

He tries to hide his smile with a scratch of his nose.

"Pretty sure you already know the answer to that," Elliot tells her.

Olivia steps over to Fin waiting.

"Stabler's gonna give me a ride back so we can go over the game plan," she explains. "See you in a little bit."

"You should let him buy you something highly caffeinated before you get back," he cheekily suggests. "Maybe it'll help you focus."

If Fin knew Elliot was the exact reason she was so damn distracted in the first place, he'd know how useless that would be.

"I'm allowed an off morning now and then," Olivia says. "Luckily for me, I have such a supportive, protective sergeant who always has my back."

With that, she walks away and climbs into Elliot's sedan. They wave as Fin passes them in the parking garage.

"So," she begins. "How do you wanna play it tonight?"

"This isn't a low-level, 'snatching neighborhood girls' type of situation," he points out. "It's gonna require the desperate rich assholes treatment."

"Ah, I remember," Olivia says as he starts the car. "We didn't wanna stoop to trafficking these girls but after losing a large chunk of our fortune from the real estate crash, the tech crash, or one bad business deal too many –

"— We got desperate," Elliot concludes, pulling out of the garage. "We met our worm on the hook Sean Jensen at one of his exclusive clubs and –

"—Decided that having a fat bank account is more fun than having morals," she concludes. "Haven't done that one in a while."

It's quiet between them for a few minutes as they head uptown towards the 1-6. She's nervous. Being distracted in a room full of their colleagues is one thing. But actually talking to him about it? Jumping in the car with Fin was the better idea. She should've gone with her first instinct.

Run.

Now here they are. Alone and on the verge of…discussion.

"About Friday night…I shouldn't have…"

Prompted them to talk about everything? Kissed her? Given her the kind of mind-numbing oral sex she hasn't had in years?

"Waited to talk to you until now."

Oh, thank God. How embarrassing would his regret have been?

"We're both busy, Elliot," she reasons. "I, of all people, understand that."

"Text messages don't take much time, Liv," he tells her. "I should've checked in," he goes on, stopping at a café. "Be right back."

She watches as he gives the barista her new coffee order he's already memorized, pays for it, and waits. He'll make a special blend for himself when he gets back to Brooklyn.

"I could've done the same," she says after thanking him.

"The same?'

"Reached out," Olivia answers. "I could have."

"Why didn't you?" Elliot asks. "Regrets?"

Olivia hopes she can blame her blush on the way he's cranked up the heat to keep her warm on the drive. The only thing she regrets is Bell's phone call interrupting them.

"Uh, no," she admits. "No regrets. You?"

"Yeah," he answers, momentarily sending her stomach to the floor. "I wish I would've taken you to dinner first," he responds. "Brought you your favorite flowers, gotten to see you in one of those dresses I could barely keep my eyes off of when we were partners," he adds, making her smile. "Driven you home and hoped to be invited in for a nightcap."

"That would've been the traditional way to go," she admits, smirking. "But maybe we've known each other too long for that," she tells him. "As for why I didn't reach out…I honestly didn't know what to say."

"Left you speechless, huh?" He asks, returning the smirk.

"Oh, shut up," she says, shaking her head in disbelief. "I wasn't the only one without the right words this weekend," she points out. "We went from having these moments of almost to –

"—Almost having the janitorial staff hearing you scream my name in ecstasy?"

She groans.

"You don't feel the least bit weird saying that to me? Olivia asks. "I mean…we were partners for over a decade, then we had a decade of silence," she reminds him. "We tried to be friends and now we're –

"—Two people who wanna give each other orgasms?"

"God, you're not helping," she says, rubbing a hand against her forehead.

"What do you want me to say, Liv?" Elliot asks. "I may not have the perfect response after having my face buried between your thighs but I didn't feel weird about it," he adds, making her blush again. "I think I've been clear about wanting something with you for a while now," he reminds her. "But if it's too fast or you've changed your mind –

"— I haven't," Olivia tells him. "I'd love to put on a nice dress for you and go out to dinner," she admits. "But it'll have to wait until this case is over, Elliot."

"No more getting to 3rd base in your office?"

She'll likely regret her answer and miss another night's sleep.

"No," she answers with a smirk. "Nor anywhere else," she clarifies. "We need to be strictly professional at all times."

"Fin will be highly suspicious of that."

"What? Why?"

"He always noticed how I looked at you then and since I've been back whenever we're in the same room," he explains. "He sees me ignoring you? He'll think we're together."

"And Ayanna's also noticed our…connection," Olivia admits. "Just act normal then, I guess."

"Fine," Elliot tells her, covering her thigh with his warm palm as they're minutes away from the 1-6. "But I'm looking forward to going out with you once this case is over."

She wastes no time covering his hand with hers, threading their fingers.

"Me too."

"So then, you don't feel weird anymore, discussing Friday night's extracurricular activities?"

Olivia laughs and starts playing with his fingers.

"I'm good," she tells him. "Pretty sure it stopped being weird after you kissed me."

"Remember when I said tasting you would make me happy?"

Of course, she does. The deep timber he whispered to her was on the highlight reel in her dreams this weekend.

"Kind of hard to forget," she answers. "Why?"

"I was just wondering," he begins, parking within a block of the 1-6 and letting the engine idle. "If there's something you've always wanted to do that would make you happy?"

Olivia meets his eyes with nearly black dilated pupils and a smirk on her face. He's salivating for her response.

"It's probably best to save my answer until after this op is done."

"Copy that, Captain."

"Why do I get the feeling you were hoping to get lucky in the back of this police-issued vehicle, Detective?" She asks. "You suddenly have a kink about performing sex acts in forbidden, work-related places?"

"Only with you."

Elliot winks and moves to put the car in drive again before she stops him.

"Wait," she says. "Where?"

"You want a list?"

"Absolutely."

He gives her the biggest smile before rattling off his fantasy locations.

"Well, now that the couch is checked off, I'd say your desk, the cribs, interrogation, file room, elevator and –

"—And?"

"We worked together a long time, two of those years I wasn't married but let's face it, we had to watch hours of porn, re-enact perp/vic scenarios where we were glued to each other, and repeatedly play a couple," he explains. "My mind…wandered. A lot," he adds. "Yours didn't?"

Elliot's been the subject of an untold number of fantasies, dreams, and inspirational thoughts during her masturbatory time before he left, while he was gone, and since his return due to that absurdly hard body he came back with.

"The showers," she confesses. "And the roof."

His eyes are nearly as dark as hers.

"But since I'm getting closer to retirement every day, I think I'll hold on to my pension and keep private things private," she reasons. "It'll be kind of hard putting Noah through college without a job."

"You're no fun," Elliot says. "Since you're unwilling to climb in the back seat and sit in my lap," he starts, making her laugh. "Can I have a kiss before we get back to work?"

"Too close to the precinct," Olivia excuses. "And, in light of recent events, I don't think you'll stay on first base."

He just smiles wickedly as she gets out of the car.

"See you soon," Elliot tells her.

It would feel like a threat if it didn't turn her on so much.

"See you soon."

AN: This is a story with multiple parts. But I'm only posting this one. Why? Writers like myself who use their time and energy to pen these stories ask for ONE thing in return. REVIEW THE WORK. Not follow or favorite the story or author. REVIEW. And as much as I appreciate the aforementioned actions, it's not the same. If at least ten of you follow the instructions, I'll happily post the next chapter. If not? Feel free to write your own continuation and let me know so I can read and review it, lol. Or, you can just use your imagination. Right?