A/N: I hadn't ever seen this whole episode – I didn't develop my obsession until later this season. But I got to thinking… what if Liv hadn't left without saying goodbye? Mwahaha! R&R! XO, Kinsey

Dedication: To Laura, for her faith in my smut capabilities! XO! And as always, my bitches! U kno who U R!

Disclaimer: Only my overactive imagination is mine!

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Scrubbing a hand over his stubbled jaw, Elliot leaned back in his chair and stared blankly at the empty desk across from him. He knew from Cragen's cryptic answers to his questions that there had to be a reasonable explanation to Liv's sudden disappearance. But couldn't she have somehow managed to see him? Hell, even Alex had managed to say goodbye before she went into witness protection the first time! And he wasn't even in love with Alex! Not that he was in love with Liv… oh fuck. No point in lying to himself this late in the game. He was completely gone on Olivia Benson… and now she was just completely gone. Fuck.

Elliot glanced around the empty squad room, suddenly realizing how late it was. Captain Cragen had even been gone for hours and he'd always wondered if his boss ever went home. Guess he knew the answer to that burning question now. Not really wanting to go home to his empty house and too-tempting liquor cabinet at midnight, Elliot decided to catch a few z's up in the crib. He crossed the squad room and climbed the stairs slowly, his feet dragging up the steps. He was in the process of swinging open the door and loosening his tie when he spotted her.

"Liv."

Olivia could feel someone in the room with her. She rolled to her back and saw Elliot standing in the doorway, his hand on the knot in his tie. "Hi," she whispered. She had to smile at the deer-in-the-headlights look on his face. The poor guy. She'd told Starr and Cragen that she couldn't leave without saying goodbye to her best friend. They'd both vehemently opposed it, but being the strong-willed woman she was, she vowed to find a way to see him. She knew him well enough to know he wouldn't go home tonight. He'd crash upstairs, and when he came trudging into the crib, she'd be waiting. Simply to say goodbye, if nothing else. But she was pretty sure she knew him better than that too.

"Hi," he replied tentatively. "What's going on?"

She smiled and sat up, motioning for him to take the bunk across from her.

"Well," she began, swallowing thickly, "while you were in this hospital recovering from an encounter of the Starr Morrison kind," he gave her a grim smile, "I infiltrated."

Elliot's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates and he let out a breath neither of them realized he'd been holding. "Shit, Liv," he said.

She smiled softly. "I know. It's a really long story, but I'm 'jumping bail' tonight as Persephone James," she made air quotes around the words jumping bail, "and then I'm gone," she shrugged.

"For how long?" Elliot asked. Her heart constricted tightly at the look on his face.

"Don't know," she whispered, standing and walking to the window to look out on the city she loved. She felt her best friend and the love of her life walk up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. She sucked in a deep breath and turned to face him. She smiled softly and cupped his jaw. "I just couldn't go without telling you goodbye. I had to make sure you knew it wasn't your fault I was leaving."

"C'mere," he smiled at her and wrapped her into a hug.

She let the warmth of his embrace wash over her for a moment while she rested her head on his shoulder. She pulled back a bit and kissed his throat gently, moving slowly up his jawline, pressing tiny kisses against the scruffy 5 o'clock shadow.

"Liv," he groaned.

"Hmm?" she asked, enjoying the heat of him in front of her and the fact that she was capable of rendering him nearly speechless, her name the only word he could form.

"How much time – when do you--"

"I leave in the morning. Six am flight," she replied, pulling out of his embrace to look at him. He cleared his throat and looked her square in the eye.

"Spend the night with me."

She looked surprised at his request and for a moment, he was proud of himself. Apparently he hid his deep affection for her better than he thought. But in the next moment, he was embarrassed and a little ashamed – he shouldn't have been so forward.

"Or, you know, we could go to the diner and get a slice of pie. Or, uh, go to Maloney's and get a beer, or um, stay her and hang out," he stammered.

Olivia grinned a siren's smile. "Shut up and take me home."

"Just to clarify," Elliot began hesitantly. Olivia placed a single finger over his lips. "Your home, El."

"Okay then," Elliot grinned like a teenage boy who'd been offered his first trip into the back seat with the head cheerleader.

Olivia grabbed her bag off the floor next to the bed and smiled at Elliot's outstretched hand.

"Ready?" he asked eagerly. She nodded and laced her fingers through his.

"What about your apartment and stuff? What about the Nav?" he asked, referring to her prized Lincoln Navigator.

"Well… I was guardedly optimistic that you'd keep an eye on the apartment," she looked up at him and smiled sweetly. He laughed and pulled her to him, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, their hands still clasped tightly.

"How could I say not to that face?" he asked. "But what about the Nav? I don't want your plates to get run wherever you are and your cover to be blown," he explained.

"Why would my plates get run?" she asked.

"Ever ridden in a vehicle with yourself?" Elliot teased.

Olivia scoffed in offense but then chewed her lip thoughtfully. "Good point," she conceded. "Got any ideas?" she asked. He considered for a second and she poked him in the ribs. "I'm kidding. Starr's hooking me up. We'll have a vehicle registered to Persephone for all intents and purposes, and I'm going to try to lay off the Mario Andretti driving," she explained. "But Starr said she's not sure where to store my baby."

Elliot gently kissed the top of her head. "I'll take it up to the cabin tomorrow. I've got storage space up there."

"Thanks, El," she stopped and turned to face him in the parking garage next to his Chevy Tahoe. "You always take such good care of me," she said softly.

"Well why don't you hop in and I'll take you home. Where I plan to take extremely good care of you," he smiled, kissing her gently.

"Sounds good, she grinned, sliding in once he'd opened the door for her.

"In?" he asked, and she nodded with a smile as he slammed the door tightly.

Olivia smiled at Elliot as he jogged around the front of his SUV and climbed in on the driver's side. It always amazed her: the powerful grace his body possessed. When he was driving a car, hugging his kids, chasing a perp, kissing her, interrogating a perp, kissing her, shooting a gun, kissing her… she wanted to investigate that one a little farther. She blushed a deep crimson as he glanced at her. "What?" he asked with a lazy grin.

"Nothing," she smiled and blushed harder. He reached over and and twined their fingers together again, letting their hands come to rest on his thigh. "What's going on behind those pretty brown eyes?" he asked.

Olivia teared up slightly at his sweet sentiment. Wasn't it just her luck that they'd finally gotten their shit together and she'd have to leave? She pushed the thought from her mind and tried to stay in the now. "Just thinking about how sexy you are," she grinned.

"Me too, what a coincidence," Elliot replied.

"Pretty high opinion of yourself, there, Stabler," she teased.

"That's not what I--" he started, then spotted her teasing grin. "You know what I mean," he said, giving her hand a squeeze.

"I do," she smiled warmly. "Thanks."

He grinned at her and squeezed her hand again, an obnoxious honk from behind them catching his attention.

"Light's green," Olivia mentioned.

"You distracted me," he chided.

"Oh really?"

"Really. I'll be over here thinking of a way you can make it up to me," he said.

"I already thought of one," she teased.

He raised his eyebrows at her and turned his attention back to the road. Olivia relaxed in her seat and enjoyed the companionable silence between them. Her eyes drifted shut to the rhythm of Elliot's thumb stroking back and forth over hers.

"Wake up, Sleeping Beauty," Elliot whispered several minutes later. Olivia stirred in her seat and opened her eyes to see Elliot standing at the open passenger side door.

"Hi," she whispered. He leaned in and kissed her, slowly and sweetly. "Why am I leaving again?" she asked, her eyes clouded with desire.

"Because you are the best damn cop in New York City, and the feds need you," Elliot answered simply.

"You know what I need?" Olivia asked in a throaty whisper.

"What?" Elliot swallowed.

"You."

Elliot kissed her again and took her hand to pull her out of the vehicle. "Let's go," he whispered.

A few moments later, Olivia found herself standing in Elliot's living room while he rummaged around in the kitchen. "Want something to drink? Eat?"

She shook her head in the negative and glanced at the clock on the VCR. "El? Don't take this the wrong way, but I have to leave for the airport in five hours. All I really want is to be with you."

"Why would I take that the wrong way?" Elliot smiled, closing the refrigerator door.

Olivia shrugged. "I just…"

Elliot crossed the room in three quick strides and wrapped her in his arms. "That's what I want too, baby. I want you to have some good memories when you're whiling away the hours with the feds. Maybe inspire you to come back to me," he pulled back for a second to throw her another grin. She loved his smile. The warmth that radiated from it, the teasing twinkle in his eye when it was directed at her. It warmed her to her core.

"I'd come back to you even without the memories," she smiled sadly, backing them to the bedroom door. "I just wish I knew when."

"Don't think about it. For the next five hours, all I want you to think about is us. And how much I love you," he whispered. Her eyes got huge and she nodded slowly, stepping over the threshold to the masculine room that spoke volumes about Elliot, from its dark cherry headboard to the picture of his kids mugging in a silver frame on the nightstand. There were so many things she loved about him. Her heart was so full she couldn't even find room for the sentiment to spill from her lips.

"Kiss me," she requested. The words were barely out of her mouth when his lips were slanting over hers and his tongue was begging for entrance. She speared her fingers through the soft dark hair at the nape of his neck, fingering the strands that were starting to gray a tiny bit on the edges. She wished she could wipe away the stress of the job that had caused them. She traced his hairline and trailed her fingers down his corded neck, scraping her nails delicately along the tanned flesh. Her fingers went to the knot in his tie and loosened it the rest of the way, pulling it free from his shirt collar and dropping it on the floor.

"That's going to take entirely too long," he groaned against her lips, pulling out of her embrace and stripping himself out of his shirt.

"You do it too fast," she complained, walking in a circle around him, kissing his crucifix tattoo on her way past.

"When you get home, I promise. I will let you take your sweet time. If it takes you hours and hours to get me naked… well, I might die of frustration, but I'll let you do it."

"I'm gonna hold you to that," Olivia said dryly.

"Fine by me," Elliot replied, his lips descending to hers again. He kissed her slowly, but so passionately she thought she might spontaneously combust from the heat he was putting out. She reached between them and undid his black leather belt, button and zipper, before shimmying out of her own navy and gold NYPD track pants.

He glanced down at her aqua blue lacy boy shorts. "Those are staying here," he claimed, pushing them off her hips and going to his knees to pull them off over her feet.

"You think so, huh?" she grinned.

"Yes, ma'am," he pulled open the nightstand drawer and tossed the panties inside before sliding it shut again.

Olivia threw her head back and laughed heartily. "You're crazy," she informed him.

"'Bout you," he smiled.

"You always know what to say," she grinned, standing up on her tiptoes to kiss him gently.

"Never say anything I don't mean. At least not to you," he amended. Her mind whirred quickly though images of all the banter they'd had over the eight years of their partnership, all the sexual innuendo, all the arguments that ended with her fantasizing about angrily shoving him up against the two-way and fucking the daylights out of him. The last image was the most recent, it was them standing just inside his bedroom door when he told her he loved her.

"You're an amazing man, Elliot Stabler," she marveled.

"So they say," he replied cockily.

"If not a little over confident," she responded with an eye roll.

"I can't touch how amazing you are, Liv. Not on my best day."

She shook her head. "That's not true, but I'm not going to argue with you about it. Make love to me Elliot. Build those memories so Persephone can keep a little piece of Liv with her."

Elliot scooped her into his arms and laid her gently back on the bed, but not before stripping her out of her hooded sweatshirt and blue heathered tee shirt. "Isn't that mine?" he asked.

"You have my panties in your nightstand drawer and you're going to play that card with me?" she teased.

"Good point."

"But can I trade it so I have one that smells like you when I'm gone?"

"Liv you can clean out my tee shirt drawer if you want," he smiled, flicking open the clasp on her bra. He bent down; putting his weight on his forearms and gently took her nipple in his mouth. She arched her back, and speared her fingers through his hair again, holding his head to her chest. He kissed and nipped gently, alternating between her gorgeous breasts.

"Mmmm," Olivia groaned. "That's so… goooood," her eyes rolled back in her head as Elliot flicked his tongue back and forth rapidly over her nipples.

"You like that?" he asked, licking a trail down her abdomen, blowing softly on the wetness he left in his wake.

"So much," she panted heavily, her eyes still glued shut in ecstasy.

"Well then you're gonna love this," he replied, swiping his tongue through her folds.

"Unnnh-muh," she groaned incoherently.

Elliot smiled and lapped gently at her core, paying special attention to her clit. He glanced up at her to see her reaction and the sight made him even harder than he'd ever thought possible. Olivia's curls were wild around her angelic face and he knew he'd never get the image of her head thrashing back and forth between two pillows out of his head. Even sexier, though, her bottom lip was trapped between her teeth, and she palmed her breast roughly. He must have slowed his ministrations because the next thing he knew, she was commanding him in a whiny pant.

"C'mon, El. Please."

"You have no idea how fucking sexy you are right now," he asked, kissing a trail back up her body.

"Can't be half as sexy as you," she complimented in a choked whisper, running her hands over his toned chest and arms.

"Oh I don't know about that," he grinned, bringing his lips down to hers in a gentle kiss. While he was kissing her, his fingers blazed a trail back down to her wet entrance and he pushed two fingers inside, eliciting a surprised gasp from Olivia. "Okay?" he asked.

"Never better," she replied, kissing him just the way he wanted to be inside her: hot, wet, and deep.

Shifting his weight over her, he pulled his fingers out of her body and replaced them with his rock-hard dick, pulling yet another groan from the lovely Olivia.

"Yes, Elliot, oh my fucking lord yes!" Olivia groaned, bucking her hips into his, forcing his cock the rest of the way into her.

"C'mon, Livvie," he whispered, thrusting gently.

"Harder, El, c'mon baby," she whined.

Hearing her ask for what she wanted turned him on almost to the point of no return, nearly sucking his orgasm out of his body. He pumped into her a couple more times, until he could feel her muscles clamp down around him.

"Oh, Elliot," Olivia panted. "Right there baby."

Elliot pushed in as far as he could, Olivia's legs wrapped tightly around his back, her pelvis tipped up to him.

"Oh, fuck, Elliot," Olivia whined, her hair tangled around her face, her eyes squeezed shut as she bucked her hips into him and came forcefully.

Seeing the look on her face and feeling her nails dig into his hips pushed Elliot over the edge and he spilled his climax inside her.

Panting heavily, Olivia pressed a soft kiss to Elliot's shoulder, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. "That was amazing, honey," she whispered.

"I love you," Elliot whispered reverently.

Olivia's eyes clouded with tears. "I love you, too. I don't wanna leave," she smiled softly, a tear cascading down her cheek.

Elliot wiped it away with his thumb and kissed the spot it had been. He pulled her into his arms and rolled to his back, draping her over his chest.

"I," he began, kissing her tenderly. "Don't," he kissed her again. "Either." Olivia smiled in spite of the sad situation. "But you'll be back before you know it," Elliot reminded her.

She snuggled into his embrace and he kissed the top of her head. "Want to catch a few z's before you have to go?" he asked. She nodded her head and he reveled in the silkiness of her hair against his chest.

"Kay," he kissed her again, gently, sweetly, and let sleep overtake him.

-

A few hours later, Olivia woke to the quiet chirping of her cell phone alarm. She shut it off and slowly extracted herself from Elliot's embrace. She walked naked to the bathroom, taking her cell phone with her so she could call a cab when she got out of the shower. She stood quietly in the bathroom doorway for a moment, watching Elliot as his chest rose and fell slowly in sleep. He laid on his back, the sheet bunched just below his waist, his cut lines barely visible above the black and white striped cotton. His right arm was flung above his head, displaying the sexy USMC tattoo on his forearm. He was almost more devastatingly handsome in sleep than he was in wakefulness. His gentle grace and strength were at rest, and it was like the horrors of the world couldn't touch him.

She smiled softly before turning to get in the shower. Her body was sore in places she didn't know existed from their initial contact the night before and from the few times they'd reached for each other in their sleep over the past few hours. She knew she'd sleep like a baby on the plane. As she quickly washed her hair with Elliot's tingly mint shampoo she reveled in being able to smell him on herself. She didn't know what she'd gotten herself into by sleeping with him, but she knew whatever it was, she loved it. She loved him.

A few moments later, she got out of the shower and quickly dried off, calling for a cab before she left the bathroom. Elliot was still fast asleep and she didn't have the heart to wake him so she wrote a quick note and left it next to his glasses on the nightstand. She kissed his cheek gently and left.

Elliot awoke slowly, reaching for Olivia, wanting to pull her into his arms and hold her for a while before she had to leave, but he was met with empty space. She was gone. He sat up hurriedly, looking around the room, praying she was just in the shower. His eyes fell to the note on top of his glasses. Sliding them on, he read her scrawled print.

Elliot,

Thank you for last night. Thank you for giving me those memories to carry with me when I'm stuck in God knows where. I want you to remember that I will be back as soon as I can. We'll come up with a game plan. : ) I love you, El, more than I ever thought possible. You're the most amazing man I've ever met and I cannot WAIT to come home to you.

Always yours,
Liv

Elliot smoothed a thumb over the paper, smearing the ink slightly. Smearing it – it wasn't dry! She hadn't been gone long. He vaulted out of the bed, pulling on jeans and a sweatshirt in a hurry, sliding his feet into tennis shoes without stopping to put socks on. He grabbed his keys off the counter and headed for the elevator. As he was standing there waiting for it to get to his floor, something caught his eye out the window. Olivia. She was standing on the sidewalk in front of his building, her small suitcase at her side. He bolted for the stairwell and raced down to the street level. Throwing open the door, he cried her name just as she was about to get into a yellow taxi.

"LIV!"

She whipped around, a huge grin on her face. He ate up the sidewalk in three quick strides, Olivia flying into his arms.

"I can't believe you were going to leave without saying goodbye," he groaned into her hair.

"I think we did a helluva job saying goodnight. Besides, you looked so peaceful sleeping. I didn't have the heart to wake you. Did you get my note?" she asked with a smile.

"I did. And I love you. And we'll work on that game plan when you get home. But don't plan on leaving for the first few days you're back, okay?" he teased, pulling her hips to him.

She laughed. "Of course. I love you, El. I better go. Meter's running."

He kissed her soundly. "I love you too."

She pulled back and a flash of something crossed her eyes. "I'll have a prepaid cell when I'm gone. I'll call you," she whispered. He gave her a confused look and she pulled him close so she could whisper in his ear.

"Ever had phone sex?"

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A/N: Longest need chapter ever! What did you think?! XO, Kinsey