5.

Olivia was pressed against Elliot's chest, his arms wrapped firmly around her and her face tucked away in the juncture between his right shoulder and his neck. It was as if he was everywhere around her and she was almost afraid to move, for fear of breaking the spell. They were swaying a little together, eyes closed and waiting for their thoughts to fall back into place. Neither of them had any desire to speak and they relaxed into this absolute feeling of belonging. Olivia had never felt anything like it.

She remembered the feeling whenever they had met in the morning at work, or before work. It had always been as if something clicked the instant they saw each other, knowing the day would be alright no matter which horrors they would face this time, as long as they faced them together. Once Elliot suddenly didn't show up anymore, the loss of that reassurance had been crippling. Olivia had dragged on on sheer willpower. Now, completely enveloped by everything Elliot, she wanted to cry. Maybe she needed to let out the pain of missing him and maybe she just wanted to cry from relief.

He was back.

He was back and the day that was about to begin, would be alright. Maybe she had felt like this before after all. This was that same feeling she'd had whenever she first saw Elliot on any given day, only a thousand times multiplied. And it was a confronting realization; almost embarrassing. She had always prided herself in not needing anyone else, but it had been a lie. Everyone needs other people and it had been arrogant of her to think she was different from everyone else in that respect. Or maybe it had been fear. The fear of needing people, only to find that they weren't there for her when it mattered. So far, everyone she had ever cared about had confirmed that fear. Including Elliot. Only Elliot had come back and that made him different from all the others.

Olivia lifted her head slowly, not wanting Elliot to let go of her, and looked at him. She had yearned to see his face again and there it was. She had ached for him last night, because it was the first time since they met that she wouldn't wish him a happy birthday. He hadn't exactly had a happy birthday. Maybe they should just start over.

Elliot looked into Olivia's dark eyes, so close to him now. She had let him kiss her and she had kissed him back. They had broken off the kiss very slowly with a string of small, soft kisses, almost as if neither one of them really wanted it to end, and then she'd crawled into his arms. He had been overcome with emotion and had just held her close, inhaling her scent and feeling the warmth of her body against his. He didn't have a plan when he started telling her about the letter, but God must have given him the right words to say because she was still in his arms with no intention to push him away anymore. His headache was beginning to subside. It was probably the Tylenol kicking in, but the fact that he was now relaxing had to be a good remedy as well. He studied Olivia's face, unaware that he was smiling slightly until Olivia smiled back at him.

"Happy birthday, El."

His smile widened.

"Officially, it's not my birthday anymore."

"Let's pretend that it is and start over."

"Start over? I like the sound of that."

Olivia's smile widened too and she lifted her right hand to caress his cheek.

"Happy birthday," she whispered, moving to kiss him on the cheek.

Elliot turned his head and captured her lips with his own.

"Thank you, Liv."

He was thanking her for a lot more than her birthday wishes and they both knew it.

"I could never stay mad at you," Olivia whispered.

They both chuckled.

"Ditto," Elliot said.

"We're pretty pathetic like that, aren't we?" Olivia said with a smirk.

"No," Elliot said softly, pressing his lips to her forehead. "We're pretty perfect like that."

Olivia rested her head on his shoulder again.

"I doubt that your family will agree with that, though," she said quietly.

And there was the elephant in the room.

Elliot caressed her back gently.

"They will just have to accept it."

"It's not gonna be that easy and you know it."

She was right about that. Of course she was right.

"Kathy knows we're over Liv. She read the letter, remember? And Maureen heard our argument last night."

"Still … all that the kids will see is that you're leaving their mother for another woman."

Elliot knew she was right and there was a bumpy road ahead of them. But they were going to make it. He was sure of it. Just seeing Olivia again had made him feel complete and without her, he had been lost. His kids knew things were difficult between him and their mother. They'd been apart for over two years before getting back together for Eli. They still loved each other, there was no question about it, but it wasn't the love that two lovers shared. Except for the very beginning, it had felt more like a brother-sister relationship. They had sex of course, because they were only human and had their needs, but they had made it work for the sake of the kids.

"Liv, the kids all love you," he told Olivia after a minute.

"They won't now."

She was starting to feel guilty. She couldn't help falling in love with Elliot but she had made it a point never to act on her feelings because of his family. And now they were acting on their feelings anyway. It wasn't just her. Elliot felt the same way and he was acting on his feelings too.

"It may take some time but we'll all be happier in the end. Even Kathy. Did I ever tell you that she started dating again when we were separated?"

Olivia lifted her head again to look at Elliot.

"No. You didn't tell me. But you got back together. You … you made Eli."

Elliot sucked his bottom lip between his teeth and nodded. He couldn't deny the fact that he had spent the night with Kathy once while they were separated.

"Yeah. Well … I didn't date. Well, I did but I never … you know. When I stayed the night with Kathy that time, I just needed comfort after a case."

"You never slept with any of your dates?"

Olivia had to admit that she was mildly surprised. Elliot shook his head.

"Why not?"

It was Elliot's turn to bury his face in her hair and he sighed.

"I couldn't. I felt like … like I was cheating."

"But she was dating too. Did she sleep with anyone?"

"I never asked her but … it wasn't like that. I … even when I just kissed my date, I … I thought of you."

"What?"

Olivia pushed Elliot's shoulders lightly to make him look at her again.

"Why would you think of me? I wasn't your wife!"

Elliot smiled wryly.

"I knew that, believe me, I did. But I also knew that the only woman I really wanted to be with if I was going to leave my old life behind, was you."

Elliot sighed and then added,

"I just didn't have the guts to do anything about it because I was afraid I'd ruin our friendship."

Olivia stared at her former partner, trying to absorb the meaning of his words.

"Our … friendship? What about your marriage? Your family?" she asked.

Elliot hung his head, his temple touching hers lightly and Olivia closed her eyes. They were so close now. So close … but they needed to talk this through once and for all.

"All I know is this Liv. When I kissed another woman, I felt like I was betraying you. I don't know how to explain it but it's the truth."

"And … when you went back to Kathy?"

Olivia's voice had barely been more than a whisper but Elliot heard it loud and clear. He knew what she was asking him and why.

"Sleeping with her back then was a mistake, but at least she was familiar. But it wasn't the same as before. I just ... "

Elliot bit his lip and then remembered another line from his letter.

"I wrote to you that my heart wasn't in my marriage anymore, because I had lost it to you along the way. And that no matter what you would decide, it would always belong to you."

Olivia swallowed hard and squeezed her eyes shut, trying to keep the tears at bay that she felt coming.

"Semper Fi," she whispered.

That little note made so much more sense now.

"Exactly."

"I still have it. The note."

It was Elliot's turn to swallow a lump in his throat.

"I'm so sorry you didn't get that letter too. It must have been so confusing … I really don't deserve you, Liv. For you to keep that note after the way I left you."

He shook his head but Olivia pressed her cheek against his, stilling him.

"You came back."

"I did. And I'm not leaving you again. Never again."

He kissed her neck softly and Olivia let out a soft groan. She desperately wanted to believe him. Before Elliot had arrived on her doorstep, she had been determined to make him suffer if he ever showed his face again, but now that he was here and after everything he'd told her, all she really wanted was to believe him. But there would be no way around his family and she was scared. Maybe she wasn't really scared of his wife and children, but of his sense of loyalty and responsibility, that had always led him back to them.

"It will take time for me to really believe that, El," she told him honestly, surprising herself a little that she was voicing her doubts. Then again, their entire conversation was pretty surprising.

"I understand," Elliot said.

He really couldn't blame her for being on guard but he had known her for a long time and he knew how to break down her walls. And more than that, he know that the Olivia that lived behind those walls, was worth whatever it took to win her heart and to win back her trust.

"We'll take it one day at a time," he added, and Olivia nodded against his shoulder.

"Yeah. We'll do that. Only this day is starting a little too early to be honest. I've barely slept yet."

Now that she was relaxing, she was beginning to feel how exhausted she truly was.

"Want me to tuck you in?" Elliot said, and she pulled back a little to look into his eyes.

They were sparkling with amusement, like she had expected and she grinned back at him.

"No," she said firmly and she kind of enjoyed seeing his face fall.

"Oh."

"I don't want you to tuck me in. I want you to stay with me."

Elliot's eyebrows shot up and she could see several questions swirling in his eyes. He wasn't sure what she meant.

"I need to keep an eye on you because you may have a concussion," she said, trying for a nonchalant attitude, but she couldn't suppress her smile entirely.

"Right," Elliot said slowly.

Olivia untangled herself from Elliot a little reluctantly and then took his hand.

"Just … sleep next to me? That's all I'm asking. For now."

Elliot let out a soft growl after she added those last two words and she chuckled.

Elliot breathed out slowly as Olivia led him to her bedroom. This night had turned out completely differently than anyone could ever have imagined. It was better than he could have imagined. He knew there would be a lot to deal with in the morning, but for now, all was well in the world.

Once they were in bed, Olivia comfortably resting against his chest while he was spooning her, Elliot buried his nose in her hair once more. She was relaxing against him and he knew she would be asleep soon. It made him proud to know that he was still the one she could relax with and before she drifted off to sleep he told her the one thing he needed her to know.

"I love you."

Olivia sighed and for a few long moments, he thought she wasn't going to respond. But then she told him, pulling his arm around her body a little tighter,

"I don't know what will happen tomorrow or the day after, but there's one thing I do know."

"What's that, Liv?"

"I love you too."

…

The End

…

...

A/N: Thank you all for reading. I know it may be disappointing for some that I'm not going to have them hash things out with Kathy and the kids, but Kathy has been taken care of in the original story, and you may rest assured that the kids will come around as well. The focus of this story was, what would have happened between our two favorite Detectives if Elliot had made it to her door on his birthday? And now we know!

A final review would be appreciated. Until next time,
Anne