Chapter 39 - Achievement

The Roosevelt Hotel ∙ Grand Ballroom ∙ Friday, August 22nd

Elliot was here. Right here, with her, for her, beside her on this very special night. Olivia could not get over that he really was here with her. Her face ached from all the smiling, but she could not quit and she could not keep her eyes off of him. Her whole countenance simply glowed because of his presence. They were still holding each other, her arm around Elliot and his around her, as they made their way up to the stage. He had to take the steps one step at a time because the cast would not allow his left knee to bend enough to scale them normally. Rhett helped him keep his balance. Finally, he was there at her side again.

The FBI Field Office Supervisor spoke once again. "As I was saying...it is my honor to present the FBI's Medal of Meritorious Achievement, an award that recognizes courageous and selfless acts that protect and save the lives of others, to NYPD's Special Victims Unit Detective Olivia Benson."

As Olivia stepped forward to receive her award, Elliot remained in position right behind her. She stood still long enough, shaking hands with first the FBI Field Officer Supervisor and then the NYPD Police Commissioner and the Chief of Detectives to have her pictures taken several times and then she turned to Elliot and held up the medal for him to see. The applause filled the ballroom once again as camera flashes lit up the room.

He took it from her and then kissed her forehead and embraced her. "Liv, I am so proud of you! You did good, babe!"

The NYPD Commissioner started his speech. "Detective Benson's individual acts of extraordinary bravery intelligently performed in the line of duty at imminent and personal danger to life are to be commended. Therefore, the NYPD finds that she more than deserves the Department Medal of Honor." He smiled and handed her the solid green bar speckled with tiny gold stars. She turned it over and over in her hand and then held it up for another round of picture taking and applause.

Then they heard the Commissioner speaking again. "We didn't mention this person who was also up for commendation, because we were hoping it would work out that he could actually be here and we are extremely happy it did. So, this last award, is given to another of NYPD's finest because of his willingness to serve where he was needed, in spite of the inherent dangers of the special undercover operation. His bravery goes a long way in protecting the future welfare of the general public as well as reaping justice for the victims of this particular crime. It is with honor and gratitude that the Law Enforcement Purple Heart is bestowed upon Detective Elliot Stabler."

The applause broke out as Elliot slowly stepped forward to accept the award. He turned around and Olivia hugged him and he held out the heart to her and she took it to get a better look at it. He could not help but think how appropriate that was, because she had taken his heart years ago. He had only just recently realized how long she had held it. Before he had time to comprehend the honor he had just received, he heard the FBI Field Officer Supervisor speaking.

"Hold up just a minute, Detective Stabler...for your part in the undercover operation headed by our New York City office, I present you with this letter of commendation from the Director of the FBI and this plaque citing your work on this special undercover assignment."

Elliot walked back over and accepted the FBI awards, Olivia walked over to him to stand with him. Their hands full of awards, their arms full of each other, they both grinned crazily.

Olivia leaned closer to him and whispered in his ear. "El, this night is like a dream...in more ways than one...I want you to know I am so very proud of you and I have never been more proud to be your partner and your best friend."

She went to pull away, but he held her tightly to him, whispering to her. "And my girlfriend, right?"

He felt her smile against his cheek before she pulled away again, this time successfully because they had already drawn too much attention to themselves. Her eyes sparkled as she held his gaze as she stepped away. Finally, they headed back down and the applause died away.

Dean Porter pulled up another chair and move over so Elliot could sit by Olivia. Rhett had gone back to the table near the middle of the ballroom where Elliot's family was sitting. The kids were there, except for Eli, his Mom, his sisters, Emily and Erin and his brother Joey and their spouses. Rhett was there and he had asked Sue, Emily's old friend and his across the street neighbor to come with him. A few of Elliot's older nieces and nephews were there as well.

Everyone greeted Elliot, Casey and even Munch hugging him, Fin and Porter shaking his hand, pounding him on the back, congratulating him. The closure of this case was a huge achievement for everyone involved. They hugged and congratulated Olivia, too, but she was more focused on Elliot and she stood to the side, just watching. Her eyes glistened with tears and Cragen noticed the look of pure adoration on her face. He was sorry that a family had been splintered but he was extremely pleased to know that Olivia was so happy with this new relationship with Elliot. He had realized years ago that they were soul mates, assigned by chance but destined by fate to be together someway, somehow.

Cragen had noticed how each of them would steal glances at the other when they thought no one was watching. He knew...well, he hoped...they would get together and he had seen the subtle changes the last several weeks that indicated things had intensified between them. He had not thought that was possible. Yet, he had been surprised tonight when Olivia took it to an even newer and definitely more permanent level by kissing Elliot in front of the brass. Heck, in front of the entire New York City Police Department. That would provide enough fuel to flame the fires of gossip for the next twenty years. He grinned to himself. He was going to have to split them up...at least officially.

"So...were all of you in on this?" Olivia asked as she looked around at her colleagues, her friends.

A round of laugher began. "Yes, we were all in on it...but Rhett is the one who pulled it off. He's the one that got Dr. Tharpe to agree to let Elliot do this." Cragen told her.

"Casey said we had to match Elliot up with your dress..." Fin told her.

"That's why you kept asking me if I had gotten a dress yet..." She laughed and playfully pushed him away.

"Yea...and when Fin kept telling me you hadn't found one...that's when I decided you and I needed to have a girls' day out shopping." Casey nodded her head.

"You guys! What would I do without you all?" She was on the verge of tears and she did not want to cry.

They visited for a while and then Elliot asked them all to come with him to see his family. Most of them had met at some point during Elliot's stay in the hospital. They all mingled, the Stablers hugged, kissed and told Olivia they were proud of her while the SVU crew was telling his Mom, siblings and other family members how proud they were of him. While they were all still gushing over Elliot and his recovery, Rhett pulled Olivia aside.

"Liv... you look absolutely stunning, that dress is perfect on you...and..." Rhett's left hand held her right arm.

"Rhett..." She was uncomfortable with him saying these things. The pain of their breakup was still too fresh. His fingers came to her lips to silence any further words.

"You deserved tonight. I am proud of you and your accomplishments, Liv. I am proud to have had you as mine, if only for a little while. I'm proud that woman like you would have ever shared part of her life with me." He smiled tenderly at her as his right hand brushed the hair back from her face.

"Rhett...you do know that you mean so much to me...and if things had...had been different..." The words halted, because the lump in her throat would not allow them passage.

"I know, Olivia. I said it before...I'll always love you and I'll always be here for you...no matter what...I'm a phone call away. Remember that, okay." He leaned close to her, talking very softly.

The tears escaped without her even being fully aware that they had formed. He reached up and brushed them away at the same time she did. Their hands touched and then intertwined. He pulled her to him and she hugged him back. He placed a kiss on her forehead and she kissed his cheek. She was at last able to speak again.

"Thank you for bringing him to me, Rhett. I cannot tell you how much it meant for him to be here beside me tonight. There are no words to adequately express how I felt when I saw the two men I love more than anyone in the world coming down that aisle. How grateful I am that you were able to find it in you to do what you did tonight. Thank you so much." She felt the tears welling again, but blinked rapidly, determined to not cry again.

"The two of you belong together, Liv. That's obvious to nearly everyone that sees you together." He smiled that beautiful smile of his. "It was the second hardest thing I have ever done in my life." He kissed her cheek and turned to go.

She grabbed his hand and held him in place. "What was the hardest?"

He took her by her shoulders and looked deep into her big, brown eyes. "Letting you go." He stood just long enough for her to see the tears gathering in his eyes and for hers to fill again and spill over. He turned away and she watched as he walked further and further away from her. Feeling another set of eyes drilling into her, she turned slightly to her right and saw Elliot staring at her. For just a moment, she wondered how long he had been watching her and feared his reaction. Instead, he smiled and she smiled back, relieved.

Elliot smiled when that was the last thing he wanted to do. What he wanted was to go to Olivia and shake her, holler at her and ask was she sure about what she was doing with Rhett, with him. What he wanted to do was get in the other man's face and challenge him. If his physical ability were not diminished right now, he would have done just that and started a ruckus that would not have had a good outcome. The jealousy he felt was compounded by the fact that his brother was the other man. Olivia started to walk toward him, but his Mom stopped her to talk to her.

"Olivia, oh, honey, you must know how proud we are of you! And Elliot." Marie hugged Olivia to her and kissed her cheek.

"You don't know how much that means to me, Marie." She smiled at the older woman and then glanced at Elliot. "And I cannot tell you how much it means to me that El was here tonight to receive his awards and..." She glanced at him again, smiling. "To be here, with me, beside me."

"So...is it official now?" Marie asked, putting her hand to her mouth to stifle her laugh.

"What?" Olivia asked innocently.

"Don't tease an old woman...I thought I knew you better than that." She laughed.

"I think the kiss in front of the NYPD made it about as official as it can get." She grinned and hugged Marie again. "I'm going to go see what he is up to, okay?"

"I think you have a very good point." Marie smiled. "You run along and be with Sonny, dear."

Olivia went to Elliot and put her arm around him, he put his around her and she pulled him closer to her, but he did not return the pull. She was briefly puzzled but gave it little thought because he seemed so intent on his conversation with his brother, Joey and Munch. When, after several minutes, he had not really acknowledged her, she decided to go get a drink.

"I'm going for glass of wine...you want something?" She leaned in closer and whispered in his ear.

He held up his beer bottle glancing at it and she could see that was just over half full. He then tilted it up, guzzled the rest of it in one long gulp and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Yea...get me another beer." He handed her the bottle and turned back to the conversation.

Munch did not miss the expression that crossed her face. Hurt as well as bewilderment. Elliot could be such a jerk at times. Munch, ever the observant one, knew exactly what his problem was. He had been watching Elliot watch Olivia and Rhett. He could almost pinpoint the exact second that Elliot's mood darkened. It was the second Rhett touched her, pulling her away from the crowd. Elliot and Olivia had always seemed to have this uncanny knowledge of the other's presence, sensing when the other was in close proximity, hyper aware of every movement of the other. In some ways, Munch found it eerie. He saw it in action again tonight. Almost the exact second that Rhett reached out for Olivia, Elliot had turned, just in time to see it.

Olivia knew Elliot inside and out and was well aware that he was extremely upset. For starters, his sudden physical distance. By not pulling her tighter in response to her squeeze, she immediately knew something was wrong. Then he basically ignored her and he had plenty of experience doing that for the last year. The way he talked to her, so condescending, when he told her to get him another beer, was another sign. The final thing was how he downed the beer. Sure, he could knock back his share of alcohol, but most of the time he sipped on one beer, maybe two. When he guzzled, it meant he was in a 'don't give a crap' or 'things are really screwed up' mood and he was ready to get drunk.

She knew what was wrong. Rhett. She could not believe they were going to fight over him after all they had gone through the past six weeks. After all the conversations, the declarations, the assurances. They were going to be reduced to fighting about his brother, her former fiancé. She debated on not getting him another beer, but she knew if she returned empty handed, he would either get angry and cause a scene or he would start downing shots of whiskey in which case he would get angrier, quicker and cause a worse scene. She kept hoping that perhaps with him still not being up to par physically, that would help keep him under control. She quickly tossed that thought aside. If Elliot Stabler were to truly get riled, nothing would keep him from expressing it.

On her way to the bar, she heard her name called. "Liv! Liv, wait up!"

Turning toward the voice, she saw Maureen. "Hey, Maureen." They hugged.

"You are so beautiful, Liv! I love your dress. When Casey told me what color tie we needed to find for Dad, I didn't think I would like it. But, the two of you look great together." She reached out and rubbed the soft material between her thumb and fingers.

"I'm so happy for you, Liv...the awards and commendations...and Daddy." She grinned.

Elliot had insisted on telling the kids about them, that they were going to be spending a lot of time together, testing out this new phase of their relationship. He did most of the talking. Olivia was really apprehensive about their reactions. Maureen had been aware of things between them for a long time and she thought it was about time they were together. She had talked to Kathleen, trying to make her understand that their parents had been over years before Olivia. She was still not sure of things, but she was at least civil and receptive to the idea. Dickie told his Dad that all his friends thought Olivia was hot and he thought it was great that they were dating. Lizzie loved Olivia and after being assured that she could still love her Mom as well as Olivia, she was fine about them, too.

"Yea...your Dad deserved all his awards, too." She smiled back and glanced over at Elliot.

Laughing, Maureen bumped Olivia's shoulder with hers. "I meant that you got Daddy, too!"

Olivia grinned and nodded her head. "That is, by far, the best reward."

Benson Residence ∙ Friday Night, August 22nd

She keyed into her apartment and pushed the door open for Elliot. He had refused to get in the wheelchair, instead, laboriously walking with the cane. It was obvious he was quite exhausted, but she knew better than to push this issue. She had asked him to come up to her place for coffee and, quite honestly, was surprised that he agreed.. He was not drunk yet, but he was pretty buzzed and she wanted to see if she could sober him up a bit before taking him to the rehab center. Since they had shared a cab with Casey, they could not really talk. Most of the words were Casey's ramblings about how proud she was of them and how awesome all the medals and plaques and letters of commendation were and what an honor to receive them. Even with her nearly constant chattering, the entire ride had been tension filled. Though she dreaded what was to come, she welcomed the silence as they said goodnight and the cab sped away with Casey.

Olivia went into the kitchen and put on a kettle of water for her tea. She turned to fill the coffee pot and ready it. Good thing she still had some left over that Rhett had bought for himself. Elliot still stood at the door, leaning heavily on his cane.

She glanced over her shoulder at him. "El, go ahead and sit down. I know you must be tired." She smiled and was rewarded with a glare from piercing blue eyes that were like sheets of glassy ice. Cold. Hard.

"I'm fine." He retorted as he shifted his weight to his good leg. A grimace crossed his face and she knew he was in pain.

"El...come on." She walked toward him. "Just sit down a bit."

"I said I was fine, Olivia!" She flinched at the use of her full name and from his clipped tone.

A frown stole across her face as she bit her lower lip and just stared at him. "I'm...uh...I'll be right back...just gonna change clothes." She went into her bedroom and closed the door.

Here we go, she thought. They had just made their new relationship public, in front of family, friends, co-workers, the brass, the whole department and here they were about to have a fight. And from what she could gather, it had the makings of a major one. This was why she ran before. Everything between them was so intense, so all or nothing. Whether it was fighting or loving or having fun they did it with fervor and passion. Sometimes it was just too much to handle. She changed into an NYPD, navy blue, long sleeved tee shirt and a pair of gray sweat pants. She pushed the sleeves halfway up her forearms, dragged her hands through her hair and talked to her reflection in the bathroom mirror. "Okay, Benson...deep breath, suck it up and get your butt out there to face the music. The problem was she did not know what song was playing.

Elliot was still standing near the front door, although he was leaning on the wall just a bit. The yellow tie hung loosely at his neck where the top three buttons on his shirt were undone. He had taken his jacket off and draped it on the back of her couch just like he always did. She thought that could be a good sign. Or rather at least a sign that he was staying for a while. The smell of the coffee filled the air. It was just about finished perking. Opting to ignore him for now, she went into the kitchen and took two mugs from the cabinet to the left of the sink. Putting an orange blossom and honey tea bag in her mug, she filled it with steaming water. Two teaspoons of sugar and a little cream and her beverage was set. The coffee finished and she filled a mug and stirred two spoons of sugar and just a dash of cream in it and slid the mug across the kitchen bar to where Elliot now stood.

He took it and ran his finger around the top edge of the dark green mug. "Thanks." He spoke without looking up.

She watched him as he avoided her eyes. "El...what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, Olivia. Why would you ask that?" He glanced up at her and then quickly down at his coffee.

"Why? Which reason do you want first? You've done nothing but snap at me since we talked with your family and that was just when you decided to speak to me. You won't look at me because you know I can read you...you keep calling me 'Olivia'...and in case you forgot, I know you, El, maybe better than myself. So, please tell me what is wrong." She spoke with a quiet annoyance bordering on anger. She was determined not to fight with him. Not tonight. Not this special night.

He stared at her for a long time. How could she be as beautiful in sweats and a tee shirt as she was in that fantastic dress? He did not want to fight. He wanted to take her into his arms and kiss her. Taking a long sip of his coffee, instead, he set it down and then massaged his forehead with his fingers. The beginning of a headache throbbed at his temples. He opened his mouth to speak, but then shook his head.

"Nothing...okay...just nothing!" He was clearly upset and she felt the anger within her begin to rise a few degrees.

Reminding herself that she was not going to fight with him, she sighed. If he did not want to talk, then she was not going to beg. She went to get her coat and keys and grabbed his jacket on her way back toward him. She held it out to him.

"Let's go." She worked hard to modulate her voice and speak without emotion

"What? Go where?" He asked, confused at her actions and her words.

"You don't want to talk...I'm tired...so I'm taking you back to the center. Come on." She opened the door and held it for him.

Slowly, he made his way to her and closed the door. "I'm not ready to go back." His right palm flattened against the door, he held her gaze, eyes narrowed, the beginning of fury filling the blue and turning it to midnight.

"Then talk to me, Elliot. If we are going to work, we have to talk to each other. Otherwise...I just..." She shook her head slowly. "I...don't think...I can...can do this." She replied, never taking her eyes from his.

Looking into her eyes, he saw a resolve there he did not think he had ever seen before. He knew she meant it. If they were going to make this relationship work, then they had to be open about their feelings, not just the good ones...all of them. He took a deep breath and turned away from her.

"I saw you." He spoke so softly she almost could not hear him.

Her brows knit together, she moved around so could face him. "You saw me what?" She was pretty sure what he meant, but she was determined that he would put it into words.

"With Rhett." Boldly, he looked her in the eye now, his jaw jutted out.

She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. She knew it. She knew he had seen them and was not happy about what he saw. She should have just said something about it earlier and cleared the air.

"El...just what do you think you saw? I was thanking him for bringing you to me..." She explained as she took a step closer and put her hand on his arm.

He brushed her hand away and took a faltering step backward. She reached for him and he held his right hand up, palm out silently telling her to leave him alone. "No! It was more than that, Olivia! I'm not stupid! He was touching you! And you...you..." His breathing was suddenly so rapid, so ragged that she thought he might hyperventilate. "You let him...then you kissed him!"

She thought back to the interchange between her and Rhett. She tried to put herself in Elliot's position by asking how she would have reacted if she had seen Elliot and Kathy in the same situation. Without question, she would have been upset. "El...I..." It was all she could say before he continued.

"I thought you made a choice...but you didn't choose...he made it for you. You didn't choose me...you just couldn't have him." He shook his head, running his hand over his face.

Okay. That was it. The end of her determination not to get angry, not to fight. "What? I didn't make a choice? Are you kidding me? What has this last six weeks been, Elliot? I have been at that blasted hospital nearly every waking minute except for work. I have brought you breakfast, lunch and dinner." Her voice was raised, her face was red and that vein in the middle of her forehead was pulsating as her anger escalated.

"Liv..." Dropping his cane, he took her by her shoulders. He tried but there was no stopping her or getting a word in edgewise.

"I have played cards and Monopoly and Uno and Scrabble for hours on end. I have watched more baseball in the last six weeks than I have in my entire life...and I love baseball! I've watched re-runs and bad movies. I can name the anchors of all the news shows and sing the theme song of nearly every sit-com on TV! And you know what? I wouldn't change a thing that I have done the last six weeks for all the money in the world. You want to know why? Why? Because I got more than I could ever hope for by being able to be with the man I have loved for as long as I can remember." Her voice softened. "I got to be with you, El. Beside you, with you. I want to be with you. Only you! Do you hear me?"

"Liv...I'm...I'm sorry...I just...I got jealous. You're mine and I can't take anyone touching you, kissing you! I've wanted you so long...and now...the thought of losing you...literally makes me insane." He was breathing hard, his heart pounding.

"Well, I got news for you, you big dope." She came to him and put her arms around him. "You are not going to lose me, Elliot Stabler. I love you and I am not going anywhere. Not without you."

"I love you, too, Olivia Benson. So much." He leaned down until their lips met and they kissed until the air between them was exhausted and they had to break apart. It was at once a tender kiss, yet demanding. A kiss of promise, yet of surrender as well. A kiss of passion and need and of hope for their future. Together.

He buried his face in her hair, closing his eyes, inhaling her scent, he felt himself finally relax. When he did, he realized he was totally exhausted and he wiped at a tear that made its way down his left cheek. He was where he had dreamed of being for years. Holding Liv in his arms, knowing she loved him like he loved her. He had never been more content, or felt more complete in his entire life.

She kept expecting someone to wake her up and tell her she had been dreaming. Too many times in the past she had dreamed about being held in Elliot's strong arms, feeling his muscles ripple beneath her fingers. But, this...this was real. He was real. Their love solid, though not without complications, but she knew that with him beside her, she could face anything the future held for them.

Epilogue ∙ Nine Months Later

Nine months later, Olivia and Elliot were still together. They had worked through a couple of rough patches, one where Elliot stormed out of her apartment late one night and did not speak to her for two days. Another, when, after a particularly vicious and nasty fight, Olivia had reverted to her old ways. She ran. She spent the weekend with her college pal, Sarah, in Phillie, without telling Elliot. She ignored his calls for nearly three days. Finally, they both agreed that they had to keep the lines of communication open if they were to be successful at being together.

Determined to make this relationship as good as it could possibly be, they had gone together to talk to a counselor. Elliot learned that the quickest way to ruin things between them was to ignore Olivia. To shut down, like he did with Kathy all those years. Through counseling he came to realize that because of her mother's alcoholism, Serena was basically an absent parent much of the time. Ignoring her daughter and her needs. So, when Elliot ignored her rather than talked to her, letting her know what upset or angered or hurt him, it sliced Olivia to the core, wounding her deeply and in turn damaging their relationship. Sometimes he needed to stew, be quiet and think things over. Now when he felt this way, he would tell her he just was not up to talking about an issue at that time, but promised to talk about it later.

On the other hand, Olivia had come to see that her running was the main thing Elliot simply could not handle. When things got complicated between them after Gitano and she had transferred to computer crimes without letting him know, Elliot had been terribly hurt. When she went undercover and couldn't tell him and he had no way of knowing where she was or if she was okay, he was very nearly devastated. Through counseling he admitted that to this day, every time they had the slightest argument, let alone a knock down, drag out, he was panic stricken that she would leave him again. When Olivia realized this, she assured him she would never leave him and that if she needed time away alone, she would tell him.

Through determination and a little outside help, they had reclaimed the easy going, joking, bantering of the early years when they were partners and friends. The early years, when they enjoyed each other before the forbidden feelings stirred in their hearts and visited unbearable anguish, sending them spinning out of control, their hearts shattering before them, that had been so easy. Now, those feelings were the basis of a relationship that brought more joy, happiness and contentment than either of them could have ever comprehended when they first decided to take a chance on each other in a romantic relationship.

The kids adapted well to them being together and though it took some time, just recently Kathy had begun to let Olivia keep Eli even if Elliot was not going to be around. It was awkward at first, but she had finally come to terms with Liv and El being together and they were amiable, if not exactly friends. Olivia loved all the kids like they were her own, but Eli had a special place in her heart. She had helped deliver him and save his life and nothing would ever break that bond. Just like nothing would ever break the bond she and Elliot had by default and had strengthened by purposing together to not let anything or anybody damage that connection. Not even themselves.

Their new life was built on the deep trust that they had built over a decade together as partners. If there was a truly difficult aspect of their relationship it was that they were no longer partners. Olivia had a new partner, Brad Seigman, new to SVU and Elliot partnered with Fin. Munch had retired three months ago due to his deteriorating eyesight. It had been extremely difficult to get used to new partners. Every now and then Captain Cragen would partner them, but it was becoming more and more rare. Maybe they realized why and maybe they did not. He was still the captain and he knew his people. He had no doubt that Elliot and Olivia were heading toward marriage and he wanted them to be as adjusted as possible to not working with each other at all, so that when the time came, the transition would not be as painful. He knew it would hurt them both tremendously.

Olivia would love to become Mrs. Elliot Stabler. She daydreamed about being called Detective Stabler. Liv Stabler. Olivia Stabler. She smiled when she thought of being able to say 'This is my husband, Elliot Stabler.' or 'Hi, I'm Olivia Stabler, Elliot's wife.' No matter how much she wanted to, she would never broach the subject. She wanted to give Elliot all the time he needed to get over the divorce and give the kids time to get used to her being around all the time. She had waited nine years; she could wait a little longer. Besides, she really did not think marriage even crossed his mind.

SVU Squad Room ∙ Captain Cragen's Office

Elliot was grinning and whistling as he walked into the squad room. He patted his right jacket pocket for the hundredth time since leaving the store, feeling for the small package. He headed straight for Cragen's office.

"Hey, Cap'n. Got a sec?" He asked, still grinning.

"Sure, Elliot...come on in." The Captain looked at him, amused by his big grin, knowing something unusual was up.

Elliot came in and shut the door, then he turned and started closing the blinds. "Uh...you don't mind, do you?"

The Captain just shrugged, his curiosity rising. He leaned back in his chair, clasping his hands behind his head.

When Elliot closed the last blind, he turned to the Captain and reached into his jacket pocket. He pulled out the small package and began opening it.

"Ah...Elliot...my birthday is not for two weeks...you didn't have to get me anything..." Captain Cragen teased. He was pretty sure what was going on now.

Elliot opened the small navy blue, velvet box and extended it to Cragen. "What do you think? Will she like it?"

Cragen took the small box and brought it close for inspection. It was a Mokume diamond wedding band set in platinum with a center channel of black and white diamonds. Along the outer edge of the ring was an inlaid eternity symbol that had no beginning, no end. It was a very unusual ring, very delicate and beautiful.

"I had it specially made for her. The symbol around the edge...we had seen some Celtic knots at a gift store and when the clerk explained that they had no beginning and no end, Liv said that they were just like us. She said our hearts and minds were so enmeshed, she had no idea where she ended and where I began. And, Cap'n, I gotta tell ya, she was right, 'cause I don't know either." Elliot's eyes were tearing up and he blinked rapidly until they dissipated.

Cragen smiled. Celtic knot. Hmmm...yes, that sounded just like these two. "This is really something, Elliot. I think she will love it. But, is this what I think it is?" He wondered now, because this looked more like a wedding band, not an engagement ring.

"A long time ago, I remember her saying she did not really want an engagement ring. Said they got in the way. Besides, she's already had one and I wanted this to be different. It's a wedding band...then she can wear it on her right hand until we actually get married. That is, if she says yes.." He raised his eyebrows in question.

Cragen started laughing, a hearty and loud laugh. "If? Who are you kidding? If?" He laughed again and this time Elliot laughed with him.

--

Heading back to his desk, he called Olivia. "Hey, babe! Just wanted to hear your voice."

"Hey, El. I was just thinking about you, honey..." She answered softly.

"Oh, yea? Gonna tell me what you were thinking?" His voice rumbled in her ear.

"Hmmm. No. But I might show you...later." She giggled. That was something new he loved about her. He had never heard her giggle until they got together.

"That will be even better. And I have something I want to show you..." He teased, his heart nearly bursting with his love for her.

"You gonna tell me what?" She laughed.

"Remember when we saw those Celtic knots in that gift store?"

"Uh-huh...I remember..." She agreed.

Holding the ring between his index finger and thumb, he grinned, watching it sparkle as it caught the dim overhead florescent lights. This was definitely heirloom material. They would have to make sure to keep it in the family. His and Olivia's family. Yea, who was he kidding? He knew Olivia Benson better than himself. He had no doubt about it. He knew exactly what she would say. Yes. She would say 'Yes'! "Well, I bought one today..."

eoeoeoeoeoe

Il est finalement de finition!

A/N: There it is - The End. Hasn't it been an awesome ride? Well, it has been for me! You guys have all been Absolutely Astoundingly Awesome And Amazing! (See I still have 'A's!!) And a very special thanks to xoc for being my beta on this last chapter! If you haven't read her stuff...your assignment while waiting for my next story, is to read her stories!!

Hope you have enjoyed this as much as I have. Read and review...please! And be on the lookout for a new story or two from your favorite...well, I hope at least one of your favorite authors! " ) Bensler