Okay I thought I would take a little break from my other two stories and do this One shot. It's my take on what I would love to see happen if SVU where to end after season 15. It's E/O as always so if you don't like them then don't bother reading any further lol. Enjoy

The Final Chapter

He threw the mail down on the table and poured himself a coffee; he rubbed his eyes as he leaned back against the sink, as he took a drink. The house was so quiet now. Maureen was now living with her boyfriend, Kathleen and the twins were at university and he had just dropped Eli at school.

He sat at the table and went through the mail seeing if any of it was for him. He stopped at a plain white envelope addressed to him, with the New York post mark, he stared at it for a while, and His heart began to race as he turned it over to open it.

"Hey Dad what you doin here?" asked Kathleen walking into the kitchen.

"I should be asking you that, why you not in classes?" he asked dropping the letter on the table, as she came over and kissed him on the cheek.

"Need some washing doing and I'm starving," she smiled at him. "Plus I told Mom I would watch Eli tonight as your both at work." He smiled back and picked up the letter again as she went to the fridge and took out some cold pizza and sat at the table with him.

"So ….. How come you're still here?" she asked taking a bite of the pizza.

"Your Mom asked me to look at the Dishwasher for her; Eli blocked it with play doh last night. I guess super Mike didn't want to get his hands dirty."

"Dad…." Said Kathleen raising her eyebrows at him.

"Sorry, I can't help myself, he is such a …..a…"

"Douchbag," grinned Kathleen.

Elliot smiled back at her "Not quite the word I was looking for but it will do." He reached over and picked up her pizza taking a bite then dropping it back on her plate.

"What's that?" she asked looking at the letter in his hand.

He shrugged his shoulders "Don't know it arrived this morning for me, it's got a New York mark and looks like Fins writing," he said looking down at it.

"So why you not opened it?"

He shrugged again looking down at the envelope "I guess I'm worried what it will say," he told her.

She looked at her dad and saw the sadness in his eyes. "Dad if it was something about Olivia something bad they wouldn't send you a letter they would call you. Just like Don did when she was missing," she said resting her hand on top of his.

"Yeah I guess you're right," he said thinking back to that awful night when Cragen had called him to tell him she was missing. He had flown straight to New York on the first flight available. By the time he had got there they had found her and she was in the hospital. He thought back to how he had gone to the hospital late at night when everyone else had left. He had watched her for a while as she slept before gently placing a kiss on her cheek and leaving. He had made Cragen promise him he would never tell her he had been. Cragen had kept that promise.

"So you gonna open it?" asked Kathleen snapping him back from his thoughts. He nodded and ripped open the envelope and took out the card inside and read it.

"It's an invitation," he said reading it. "Don is retiring and …and Olivia is being promoted to Captain. The invitation is for the joint party they are throwing." Kathleen took the invite from his hand and read it.

"So you gonna go?" she asked him.

He shook his head "I can't," he said to her.

Kathleen sighed and looked at her Dad "Why? He was your Boss for 15 years, she was your partner and friend for 12 years, you should really go."

"That's just it; she was my partner and friend. I gave that up when I just walked out of her life without a word, no explanation, nothing. I let Don tell her cause I couldn't face her... I was a coward"

"Dad, you were In a bad place, your head was all over the place…"

He stood up and took the invite off her as he turned and put his cup in the sink "if only that was the real reason," he said dropping his head and staring into the sink.

"What do you mean?" she asked turning in her chair to face him.

"Nothing…. It's nothing," he said opening the bin and throwing the invite in the trash. Kathleen stood up and walked over to her dad and stood next to him, her back against the sink.

"Why did you leave Dad, the real reason this time?" she asked him. "Because since you left and we moved here to Florida things haven't exactly been great. You and Mom fought more and more causing the divorce and you have never really settled. You haven't even dated since you and Mom split," she said looking at him. "So come on dad spill it, why did you really leave the job you loved."

"I didn't have a choice….. I couldn't do my job anymore not like I should."

"Why dad what was so different what changed?"

He looked up at Kathleen quickly and she saw the shimmer of tears in his eyes. "My focus had changed; I stopped putting the victims first. When I shot that girl I realised I had to leave."

"Dad, she wasn't exactly a victim, she shot people, she came into the station and shot people, she knew what she was doing."

"And so did I when I shot her. I ….. I shot her to save Liv."

"And what is so wrong with that dad. You shot her to save your partner, you done nothing wrong." She said putting her hand on his arm.

"I didn't shoot her to save my partner," he said looking at his daughter. "I shot her to save the woman I was in love with." Kathleen looked at her dad as he talked. "I shot a 16 year old girl cause I was scared she was going to shoot Liv and I couldn't let that happen. I couldn't imagine my world without Liv in it." Kathleen watched as a tear rolled down her dad's cheek, she had never seen him cry before; she had never known to open up so much.

"You left because you were in love with Livia."

"Yeah. I realised I couldn't stay there and work with her. She was my partner; I was married and had you kids to think about. I had no choice but to leave. I got Don to tell her because I knew if I went to her, she would talk me out of it and stop me from going. I couldn't have her doing that. I couldn't work side by side with her, when I had all these feelings. Feelings that I shouldn't have had. Not when I was married, and not for my partner."

Elliot looked at his daughter who had sat back down at the table.

"I'm sorry sweetheart I shouldn't be telling you all this," he said sitting down next to her.

"No its okay, I asked you to tell me the truth."

"Yeah well you didn't need me to tell you I was in love with someone else when I was married to your mother," he said wiping his eyes. Kathleen sat in silence for a while.

"Did you ever tell Livia how you felt? Did she have the same feelings for you?"

"I really don't know. We were always close, but I swear nothing ever happened. I never cheated on your mom….. That's one reason why I had to leave. I had to put some distance between us before I acted on those feelings."

"And did it help, leaving work, leaving New York."

"No. I tried really hard but me and your mom just drifted further apart. We tried so hard after she fell pregnant with Eli to make things work, but I think too much had happened by then."

"Dad, if Mom hadn't fell pregnant would you have come home?" she asked him.

He looked at her before he answered, he couldn't believe he was sitting talking about all this to her "No honey, I don't think I would have, I was ready to let her go. To start again."

"Did you even love her when you came back?"

"I will always love your mom….. I just wasn't in love with her. Not like a husband should have been. But I did try, with both did for so long we tried to make it work. That's why we moved down here a fresh start. But I guess to much had happened. We never meant to hurt you kids."

Kathleen smiled at him "We know that dad. It was hard at first but we knew things weren't good between the two of you. At least now you can both be in the same room without shouting at each other."

Elliot leant forward and pulled Kathleen into a hug.

"Dad…. Do you still have those feelings for Livia, do you still love her?"

"It doesn't matter now Sweetheart, too much has happened. Olivia has moved on with her life, she has someone now, she is happy."

"How do you know that, how do you know she is happy. 3 years after leaving and you're not happy, despite starting a new life. So what makes you think Livia is happy?"

Elliot looked at her, not knowing what to say.

"Well?" she asked him. "How do you know she is happy with this person? What if she had the same feelings for you for all those years and never said anything because you were married. You spent more time with Livia than Mom for all those years. What if she was in love with you and only settled for this other guy, because you weren't there."

She stood up and went to the bin and took out the invite handing it to Elliot. "You need to find out Dad. You need to know if Olivia has any feelings for you. Go to New York, go to the party and talk to Olivia. You can't go hiding these feelings any longer it's not fair on you or her. She needs to know why you just upped and left without a word, whether she has feeling for you or not."

She hugged Elliot hard and he hugged her back "Say Hi to Livia and the Captain for me," she said walking out the kitchen, leaving Elliot sitting and looking at the invite.

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Olivia looked at her reflection in the mirror. She couldn't believe this night was finally here. She had said her private good bye to Don the night before. They had gone out to dinner, she had cried, he had cried and he promised he would always be there for her. She opened a draw in her dresser and took out a photo. It had been taken 5 years ago before the annual ball. She smiled as she looked down at it, by tomorrow morning there would only be her and Fin left. Cragen, Munch and Elliot would all be gone. Her eyes stopped on Elliot, he was stood close to her, She remembers his hand on her lower back as they stood for the photo, his touch had gave her goose bumps. She put the photo down and reached into the draw and took out a small black box and opened it. She ran her fingers over the Semper Fi pendant. This had been the last time Elliot had communicated with her when he sent this necklace. She took it out the box and ran her finger over it. How could he just go like that? Not one call, no explanation, nothing until she received the necklace.

"Hey Baby, you ready."

She jumped as Brian came into the room.

"Erm yeah, almost," she said giving him a small smile.

"Cool…. You want me to put that on for you," he said taking the necklace from her.

"Err… yeah thanks," she said as he put it round her neck and fastened it.

"I've never seen this one before, it new?" he asked her.

"No…. I've had it while," she said reaching it up and touching it. "I will be out in a bit, just need to finish off my make up."

"Don't take too long taxi will be here soon." Olivia nodded as Brian left the room. She looked back in the mirror her fingers still on the necklace. She picked up another photo from out the draw. It was of her and Elliot, they had it took for an undercover mission. They were supposed to married. After the case she had kept the photo. When she started seeing Brian she kept the photo hidden in the draw. He had seen the photo once and asked her about it. She had made up a story about how she had gotten it mixed up in her stuff after the undercover job. He had looked at her and shrugged his shoulders as he threw it back in the draw. The last time she had taken it out to look at was after Lewis had taken her. She had thought of him when things got bad, she had wanted him to come and help her, he was the only person she had wanted and he was the one person who never came.

"How could you just leave me like that?" she asked quietly looking at the photo as a single tear ran down her cheek.

"You ready?" asked Brian standing in the doorway. "Taxi is here."

"Yeah all done," she said putting the photo in the draw and wiping the tear away. She stood up and grabbed her bag from the bed. She looked at Brian wondering how long he had been stood in the door way. "Let's go," she said going to walk by him.

"You okay?" he asked her as she got level with him. "Yeah just a bit nervous for tonight," she lied her fingers going to the pendant again, It didn't go un noticed by Brian.

"Who got you the necklace again?" he asked her, even though he knew she hadn't told him.

"What?" she asked going to walk past him.

"I asked who gave you the necklace."

She stopped and turned around to face him "Why does it matter, it's just a necklace?"

"Well if it's just a necklace why won't you tell me who gave you it?"

"Because it's just a damn necklace that's why. Why are you doin this starting an argument before we leave?"

"Because it's a simple fucking question!" he snapped. "Who gave you the damn necklace?" he asked again raising his voice and grabbing her arm.

She pulled her arm away and glared at him "Elliot did!" she yelled back at him. "Elliot sent me the necklace, you happy now," she yelled walking out the bedroom and out the apartment. Brian stood in the empty bedroom and looked into the open draw and looked at the photo of Olivia and Elliot, Elliot's arms wrapped tightly around her waist as they both looked at each other. As much as he didn't want to, even he could see the love in their eyes as they looked at each other. He slammed the draw shut; Olivia had never looked at him like that.

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Elliot sat on the hotel bed and looked around the room.

"What the hell are doin here," he said to himself standing up and going to the fridge taking out a small bottle of vodka, he opened it and poured it into the glass, he lifted it to his lips and downed it in one go. He put the glass down and looked at the invite on the dresser.

He had arrived in New York that afternoon and checked into the hotel only a few blocks from where the party was. He had picked up his phone a number of times to call Olivia or Cragen but had bottled out each time. After going to the door at five times to leave, he had finally taken a shower and started getting ready. He looked at himself in the mirror, he had lost weight over the last three years and if he did say so himself he looked pretty good in the new suit he had bought.

"Fuck!" he said out loud getting another vodka from the fridge and drinking it straight from the small bottle instead of pouring it into the glass. He looked at the door as someone knocked. He walked over to it still holding the small bottle of vodka and opened the door.

"Maureen what you doing here?" he asked as his older daughter hugged him and he hugged her back.

"Kathleen called me," she told him as she walked into the room and Elliot closed the door.

"She did?"

"Yeah. She told me you were in New York and why you were here. She also told me about the talk you two had."

"She did?"

"Yup."

"You mad at me?" he asked taking another drink and resting against the dresser.

"A little. But only because you kept this all to yourself. Dad we all knew there was something about Olivia, why the hell do you think Mom used to get so angry and upset all the time."

"Sweetheart I didn't mean to hurt any of you."

"I know Dad and you didn't. The only people that seem to be hurting in all this are you and Olivia. Mom has moved on, I'm happy so are Kathleen and the twins. Eli is happy, but you're not. You haven't been since you left the force….left Olivia."

Elliot sighed and looked at the floor "What if I'm too late, she has someone in her life now. What if I go there tonight and fuck everything up for her, it's her big night I don't want to ruin everything for her."

"And what if despite everything that has happened you are supposed to be together, you will never know if you don't go." Elliot took another drink and threw the small empty bottle into the trash.

"God what is it with you girls," he said smiling at his daughter.

"We just want to make sure your happy. We are sick of you being grumpy all the time," she said standing up and walking to him, lifting her hands to straighten his tie.

"And what if she tells me to get lost and kicks my ass out the door, can you imagine how miserable and grumpy I will be then."

"At least you will know. And if and that's a big if, that happens then call me and I will pick you up, okay."

"Okay," said Elliot pulling his oldest child into a hug.

"Now come on," she said. "I am under strict instructions from Kat to make sure you get to that party, the rest is up to you," she said taking hold of his hand.

Elliot sat quietly in the car as Maureen drove to the venue; he looked out the window and watched as the city passed him by.

"You okay?" she asked him as they got closer.

"I guess… No," he admitted. "I'm scared as hell. My feelings for her have never changed over the last 3 years, and I am so scared she isn't going to feel the same."

"Dad, you need to do this, you need to know either way."

"Yeah I know," he said turning his head to look back out the window.

Maureen pulled into a space just up from the party "Here we are," she said turning off the engine and looking aver at her Dad. She had never seen him so nervous before. He had always been strong and confident. She heard him take a deep breath.

"No turning back now," he said looking over at her. Maureen leant forward and kissed him on the cheek.

"Everything will be fine," she told him. "I have a good feeling about this."

Elliot gave her a small smile and got out the car "Don't go too far," he told her. "I may need you to come and collect from the Emergency department if she is armed," he told her as he slammed the door closed.

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Olivia stood at the bar in the large room with Casey and Alex and looked around at everyone in the room. A lot of the people were from Cragen's past all there to wish him good luck in his retirement, including Munch, Jefferies and Melinda, everyone but the one person she really wanted to see.

"You okay?" asked Alex resting her hand on her friends back.

"Yeah I'm good, just a little emotional. I can't believe Don is actually going, I'm going to miss him so much. Everything is changing there is only Fin and Me left now out of the original squad."

"Things change Olivia, time doesn't stand still," said Casey rubbing Olivia's arm.

"So, how are things going with Cassidy?" asked Alex.

"Good I guess," she said thinking back to the argument they had before they had left the apartment. They hadn't spoken to each since and as soon as they had got to the venue he had been stood talking to Munch and Jefferies. Alex and Casey looked at her not convinced she was telling the truth. She looked back at her friends and sighed "We had a fight before we left the apartment tonight, we aren't talking right now."

"Hey I'm sure everything will be okay, all relationships go through a bad patch," said Alex.

Olivia nodded and reached up to her necklace and played with the pendant as she thought about Elliot. Alex watched her she noticed Olivia had touched it and played with it between her fingers quite a lot tonight, she also noticed it was a marine medal.

Olivia felt tears building in her eyes "I'm just going to the bathroom," she told them quickly walking away before they seen the tears. Alex and Casey looked at each other and Casey shook her head, just as Rollins walked up.

"Hey is Olivia okay?" she asked them as she saw Olivia disappear into the bathroom.

"I think the night is getting to her a bit," said Casey.

"Do you know where she got the necklace she is wearing?" asked Alex.

"It came in the post one day, she didn't say who it was off but I heard Fin mention something about her old partner," she said to them. They both nodded and sighed as Olivia came out the rest room and walked back over to them.

"Double whisky," she said to the barman. "You girls want another drink?" she asked.

"Yeah, go on then," said Casey. "Alex do you want another one?" she asked her whilst Olivia ordered her drink. Alex didn't answer she was staring towards the door. "Alex?" said Casey again.

"Oh Boy," said Alex pointing towards the door.

"What?" asked Casey her eyes going to where Alex was pointing. "Oh Fuck!" she gasped. Her head spinning round to look at Olivia who was still facing the bar getting the drinks.

"What's wrong?" asked Rollins looking over to where they were looking.

"Elliot Stabler, that's what is wrong," said Casey.

Rollins looked at the man who had walked in the room, he was stood looking around "What that's her old Partner?" asked Rollins.

"Yeah that's him," said Casey as a few guys went up to Elliot shaking his hand and slapping him on his back.

"Does she know he is here?"

"I really doubt it, he hasn't been in touch since he left, so I doubt she even thought he would turn up here tonight," said Alex.

"He's got a fucking nerve," said Casey watching as Elliot went up to Cragen and shook his hand and Cragen pulled him into a hug.

"Who's got a fucking nerve?" asked Olivia, coming over with the drinks. Nobody spoke as they all looked from Olivia over towards Cragen and Elliot. Olivia followed their eyes to where they were looking and the glass she was holding dropped from her hand.

xxxxxxx

"Good to see you son," said Cragen hugging him. "I didn't think you would turn up."

"I nearly didn't," he told him honestly. He had looked for Olivia as soon as he entered the room but couldn't see her, so he had headed straight for Cragen first.

"Does Olivia know you're coming?" asked Cragen. Elliot shook his head.

"I tried to call her to talk to her but I couldn't do it, so no she doesn't know I am here."

Cragen looked over Elliot's shoulder and saw Olivia looking over from across the room. "She has seen me hasn't she," said Elliot. Cragen nodded. Elliot took a deep breath and slowly turned around and looked across the room, their eyes meeting for the first time in 3 years. His mouth went dry as he stood and looked her and his body began to shake.

"Liv are you okay?" asked Casey touching Olivia's arm as she stood and stared across the room at Elliot.

"Fine," she said walking away from them towards Elliot.

"Oh boy," said Alex. "This doesn't look good."

Munch had looked over and seen Elliot hugging Cragen.

"Well I'll be damned," he said to Fin. "Look who's turned up," he said nodding over to Elliot.

Fin looked over then looked across to Olivia, he saw her drop her drink to the floor and start to walk towards Elliot. He looked round the room and saw Brian at the far side still talking to Jefferies.

"This could get bad," he said to Munch as he watched Olivia and Elliot get closer together.

Elliot walked through the crowd towards Olivia, his hands were sweating, his heart racing. They stopped just apart from each other. Neither saying a word, just looking at each other.

"Hey," said Elliot finally breaking the silence. She stepped towards him and slapped him hard across the face his head snapping to the side. He turned his head back round to face her and he saw the tears in her eyes. "Liv."

"Fuck you!" she snapped, slapping him again. Everyone around them stopped talking and turned their attention to the former partners, as Olivia turned and ran from the room leaving Elliot stood there alone tears in his eyes.

He saw Casey, Alex and another blond woman go after Olivia and felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Come on Elliot, let's get you a drink," said Cragen.

Elliot nodded "Yeah okay," he said as Cragen led him to the bar as Fin and Munch came over.

"Double vodka," said Elliot "no ice." He put his hands on the bar and dropped his head forward. I should never have come," he mumbled. He picked up his drink and downed it in one. "Same again," he said.

"So why did you?" asked Munch. Elliot turned to face him.

"What?"

"If you know you should have never come, then why did you. You must have known she would be upset so why turn up like that. Nothing for three years and suddenly you appear at her promotion party."

"Because…"

"Because why?" pushed Munch.

Elliot picked up the new drink and knocked it back.

"Because I needed to see her," he yelled. "I needed to tell her that….. that I ….."

"That you what, Stabler?" asked Brian coming up to them. "What is it you need to tell her, you fucking prick."

"That I ….. was sorry," he sighed. "That I was sorry for leaving like I did."

"Just stay the fuck away from her," said Brian getting close to Elliot's face. "She has finally got over you she doesn't need you anymore, so just go." Brian pushed him back against the bar and stormed off as Nick walked over.

"What the hell Is going on, is Olivia okay?" he asked Cragen.

"She will be fine she is with Casey and Alex, go after Cassidy make sure he is okay." Nick nodded to his captain and left following Cassidy.

"So you gonna explain the real reason why you just turn up here with no warning?" asked Cragen.

"I got the invite," he told them.

"What invite there weren't any invitations," said Cragen looking confused.

"Well I got one," said Elliot taking it out his pocket and handing it to Cragen. Cragen looked at the invite and then at Fin who was looking at the floor.

"Fin," said Munch.

Fin looked up at then "Yeah it was me. Look I never been Stablers biggest fan but baby girl is … she misses him okay and I thought if I sent the invite it might prompt this dumb ass to actually call her. I didn't think you would just show up. Why the hell would you just show up after 3 years without calling first."

"Because I needed to see her, because not a day has gone by that I haven't thought of her. Christ I love her," he told them not even attempting to hide the tear that rolled down his cheek. "I love her."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They followed Olivia into a bar just down the block from party by she was ordering a drink as they all walked in.

"Make that four of whatever she is having," said Casey. Olivia turned round and smiled at them tears still running down her face.

"Come on girl," said Rollins putting her arm around her shoulder lets grab a table. Olivia nodded and they led her to a table and they all sat down. Nobody talking. The barman put down for double whiskies. Olivia picked hers up and took a drink.

"I can't believe I slapped him like that," she said rubbing her hand. "Is he okay?"

Alex shook her head "Unbelievable," she said with a small smile. "He shows up after 3 years. 3 years of no contact, at your promotion party he deserved more than friggin slap."

"I'm just glad you never had your gun," grinned Casey. Olivia smiled and took another drink. She put the glass down and her hand went straight to her necklace.

"Why would he just show up like that after all this time?" she asked no one in particular.

"It's Stabler why does he do anything," said Casey.

"No calls, no emails I even fucking wrote to him and got no reply when he first left. I heard nothing for months until this came in the post," she said lifting the pendant. I really wanted to hate him but I couldn't, I can't." They all just sat and listened to her as she talked. "When Lewis had me, I used to pray Elliot would come for me. When I thought I was going to die, it was him I thought of, it was him I wanted. Despite him just cutting me out of his life, I needed him, I wanted to see him … but he never came," she said dropping her head tears falling onto the table.

"Yes he did," said Rollins quietly.

Olivia looked up across the table.

"What you on about?" asked Olivia wiping her eyes.

"Stabler, he did come to you." she felt everyone's eyes on her as she explained. "It was the day we found you. We had all left the hospital, it was late at night. I had gone home but I couldn't sleep, so I went back to the hospital to sit with you. As I walked past your room there was someone sat by your bed, it was dark and at first I thought it was Brian, so I waited outside your room. As he got up out the chair he lent forward and kissed you. It was when he came out the room I saw it wasn't Cassidy. I was about to say something to him when Cragen turned up. Elliot asked him not to tell you he had been. He said to Cragen you had been through enough without knowing he had been. After he left Cragen made me promise not to tell you he had been."

"He was there, he was at the hospital."

"Yeah and he seemed really upset. Cragen never told me who he was only that I wasn't to mention anyone had been, it wasn't until I seen him tonight I realised who he was. I'm sorry Liv, I should have told you."

"It's okay," she told her. "You didn't know who he was….. I can't believe he came back here for me." She took another drink and waved at the barman for another round.

"Liv, why were you and Brian arguing tonight?" asked Alex as she watched Olivia fingers on the necklace.

"I was getting ready. I found a photo of me and El and I got upset. I hadn't realised Brian was stood by the door when I was looking at the photo. He asked me who I got the necklace from, he wouldn't let it drop. I snapped at him and told him. He wasn't too happy."

"And then Stabler turned up tonight at your party, that's going to help you and Brian to patch things up," laughed Casey.

Alex glared at her Casey this isn't fucking funny," she snapped.

"I'm sorry but talk about bad timing…. So what you going to do. Cassidy must be well pissed?" she asked Olivia.

"I need to talk to him, about what happened," she said to her friends. "I love him."

"And he loves you, I'm sure Cassidy is gonna be pissed for a while but you will get past this," said Alex reaching out and holding her hand.

"What?" she asked looking Alex.

"Cassidy, I'm sure things will be fine once everything has calmed down."

"I'm not talking about Cassidy…..I'm talking about Elliot, I love Elliot," she said smiling. "I love Elliot Stabler." She finished her drink and stood up. "I need to get back, I need to see him, talk to him. I need to find out why he came tonight," she said turning away from the table. They looked at each other and then at Olivia as she headed out the door.

"Oh Jesus," grinned Casey. "This could be fun," as they all jumped up and followed Olivia back to the party.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Olivia entered the room and looked around "God please still be here," she mumbled to herself. "Please don't have left again." Her eyes frantically searched the room through the crowd of people.

"Olivia ," said Brian standing in front of her. "Where the hell did you go."

"Not now Cassidy," she said trying to look around him. "I will speak to you later."

"No Liv, we need to talk now," he said grabbing her arm.

"And I said later," she told him pulling her arm away. She spotted Elliot sitting with Cragen, Munch and Fin his back to her and his dropped forward, Cragen had his hand on his shoulder. She walked away from Cassidy and towards Elliot, she could hear people muttering and talking about her and Elliot as she walked past them. Casey, Alex and Rollins came in the room and walked over to Cassidy as Nick came over.

"What the hell is going on?" he asked everyone.

"I think I just lost Olivia to Stabler," said Cassidy dropping his head and turning away heading to the bar. Rollins looked at Nick.

"Go with him," she said nodding towards the Cassidy.

"What the hell am I his fucking baby sitter," he muttered walking away as the others all watched Olivia approach Elliot.

Fin looked up and saw her approaching and nudged Munch who looked up. Olivia stopped behind Elliot and put a hand on his shoulder. Elliot jumped and turned in his seat looking up at her. He tried to speak but no words would come out, he didn't know what to say. He stood up and stood in front of her.

"Hey," she said giving him a small smile.

"Hey," he said back to her, as he looked down at her. She reached up and ran her fingers over his cheek.

"Sorry I slapped you….twice."

"It's okay I guess I kind of deserved it."

Olivia took hold of his hand and felt him trembling. "You're shaking." He nodded and tried to calm down.

"Liv…. I'm sorry, for everything, I sh… " she raised a finger to his mouth to quieten him.

"Not now, this is supposed to be a party, so dance with me Stabler."

"You want to dance?" Olivia nodded and led him to the dance floor. She could feel everyone's eyes on them. Most people knew their history, had heard the rumours about what had happened and also the rumours that used to go around the station about the two of them. But right at this moment she didn't care.

Note: The song they are dancing to is Faith Hills, It Matters to Me.

As they got to the dance floor Elliot wrapped his arm around her waist and rested his hand on her lower back holding her hand between them resting on his chest, as the swayed slowly to the song being played

Baby tell me where'd you ever learn To fight without sayin' a word Then waltz back into my life Like it's all gonna be alright Don't you know how much it hurts

"Why did you just show up like this?" she asked him. "Why not call first?"

"I was scared you would hang up on me, or tell me not to come, I had to see you Liv. Even if you tell me now to fuck off and never come back, at least I have seen you."

"You really hurt me, I tried to call you so many times, how could you do that, how could you just ignore me. Walk out my life like that, after everything we had been through together."

When we don't talk When we don't touch When it doesn't feel like we're even in love It matters to me When I don't know what to say Don't know what to do Don't know if it really even matters to you How can I make you see It matters to me

"Because I was a coward and scared," he said looking down into her eyes.

"What were you scared of?"

"My feelings, and how I felt….. about you."

Olivia looked up at him and saw his eyes glistening with tears.

"I shouldn't have had those feelings, Liv, but I couldn't stop them and I knew it was wrong. I was married, but I wanted to be with someone else…. I wanted you Liv. You were the one I thought about every waking moment, not my wife of 23 years. I put you before anyone else when I shot Jenna, it was then I realised I needed to get away, so I ran and I cut off all contact with you hoping I could save my marriage, for the sake of my kids."

"And did it work?" she asked him. Tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

He lifted his hand and wiggled his ring finger "What do you think?" he asked showing her his bare ring finger.

Maybe I still don't understand The distance between a woman and a man So tell me how far it is And how you can love like this 'Cause I'm not sure I can

"You're divorced?"

"Yeah almost a year now, but we split up 2 years ago. It didn't matter that we moved to Florida. It didn't matter that I left you and the job, you were always in my head and here," he said putting her hand over his heart. " I thought about you every single day, I don't know how many times I picked up the phone to call, only to hang up before the phone even rang."

"Why didn't you talk to me when you came to the hospital after Lewis, why sneak in and out when I was asleep?"

"You know about that?"

"Yeah Rollins told me. Why didn't you talk to me. I really thought you didn't care."

"I found out you were with Cassidy, you were finally happy and moving on with your life. I didn't have any right to show up after everything that had happened to you and put you under any more stress, so I just left."

When we don't talk When we don't touch When it doesn't feel like we're even in love It matters to me When I don't know what to say Don't know what to do Don't know if it really even matters to you How can I make you see It matters to me

"I never moved on El, I missed you every day. When Lewis had me it was you I wanted. It was you I thought about. When I thought he was going to kill me it was your face I seen. Not Cassidy's, yours. It's always been you," she stopped holding back the tears and let them flow. "You broke my heart when you left and I couldn't let it show, because I couldn't tell anyone I had fallen in love with my married partner," she sobbed dropping her head to his chest.

He pulled her close and held her tight.

"God I'm so sorry Liv, for everything," he said running his fingers through her hair as he held her and her body shook against him as she cried. He finally moved slightly away from her and lifted her head up to look at him as he cupped her face with one of his hands and dropped his forehead to hers.

"I love you Olivia Benson, and if you can find it in your heart to forgive me, I will show you every day just how much," he whispered to her his lips so close to hers he could feel them brushing against his as he talked, he could taste their tears as the mixed together.

"I forgive you," she whispered as their lips joined together and her hands went up around his neck pulling him to her as the kiss deepened and their lips parted allowing Elliot to run his tongue over her bottom lip.

"About friggin time," grinned Casey looking at Alex and Rollins as they watched their friends finally admit their feeling for each other.

Cassidy watched them dance together and reached into his pocket taking out the key to their apartment. "Do you have a pen and a piece of paper?" he asked the barman, looking back to the dance floor and seeing them move closer and closer together.

He took the pen and paper and quickly wrote on it then folded the paper with the keys inside it.

"Here," he said to Nick who was watching his partner on the dance floor. "Give them to Olivia."

Nick took the folded paper and keys from Cassidy, he didn't know what to say as he watched Olivia and Elliot kissing before turning back to Cassidy, but he was gone. He walked over to the three girls.

"Cassidy has gone," he told them. "He gave me this." he said handing them the note and keys.

Alex opened the note and removed the keys reading the small note.

I always knew you were only my temporary partner. Your heart would never belong to me. Take care Liv x

Alex smiled as she read the note and passed it to Casey to read.

"So what happens now?" asked Elliot breaking from the kiss but not leaving go of her.

"Well I have to break up with Cassidy if he hasn't left already after he just watched me make out with you in front of everyone."

"Do you want me to come with you when you talk to him."

"No I will be fine. To be honest with you I kind of think our relationship was over with before we even got here tonight, it was just a matter of time. After that I have a leaving speech to give for Don, accept my promotion, and then I should be all yours," she smiled at him. "We still have a lot to talk about and I'm still pissed at you," she told him as she kissed him again "but I'm sure you will find a way to make it up to me."

"Oh trust me I have plenty of ways to make it up to you," he smiled back at her. "I guess I can stand Maureen down now," he said looking over towards the entrance and raising his hand waving at his daughter, who grinned and waved back before slipping out the door.

Olivia looked at him confused "It's a long story Baby," he said kissing her nose before kissing her lips again.

"What did you just say?" she asked him.

"I said it's a long story."

"No you called me baby," she said to him.

"Yeah….. I did."

"I like that," she grinned at him, as she pulled him into a hug and buried her head into his neck. "Come on, let's get a drink," she said looking up at him "Then I will go and find Cassidy."

He nodded and took hold of her hand looking at her face taking her in fully "I love you Benson," he smiled at her.

"Right back at Ya Stabler," she said kissing him softly as they walked off the dance floor together.

So what did you think. I could make this a two parter and up the rating to M if any readers want a bit of naughtiness as they move their relationship on. I will see what reactions I get first before I decide whether it's worth doing.