This is the final chapter!

40.

Vanessa agreed to see them with her lawyer present and explained - off the record - why she had done it. After studying all the information and seeing how Lewis managed to use every loophole in the system, Vanessa couldn't live with the humiliation and the fear that he might walk again. She had just wanted him dead. She had used a disguise and a British accent so the guard would never be able to pick her out of a lineup. She had used a stun gun on the guard after getting him in a linen closet and had made her move.

Olivia asked how they managed to find her after almost two months. In the end, a partial finger print on Lewis' handcuff had given her away. She had attended a party that was raided by narcotics and her prints had been found there too. It hadn't taken the NYPD long to find her after that. Her lawyer, one of her old teachers, was indeed going to try and convince the judge and jury that Vanessa had been a victim as well and that she was only partially responsible for her actions. Olivia offered to testify on her behalf, which they appreciated very much. Elliot was worried though that going to trial might be re-traumatizing for Olivia. She reminded him of what they always told the victims. Confronting their abuser would be healing. She felt like she would find some kind of closure if she could help her abuser's killer, naming him as an abuser and a rapist for the whole world to hear it, and getting justice for his other victims post-mortem.

After their visit to Rikers Olivia was exhausted. She was already asleep in the car when they got home and Elliot was sorry that he had to wake her up. He encouraged her to go to bed early after they had a light dinner.

'But what about you El?' she asked, wrapping her arms around his waist while they sat on the couch together.

He could tell she was very tired and he didn't want her to feel obliged to do anything at all. He told her he was fine and that there would be many more days for them to enjoy. She told him she was sorry but he would have nothing of it. He put her to bed, tucked her in and told her to rest. He was tired as well and joined her about an hour later. She was sound asleep and he studied her face for a while. She was so beautiful and so peaceful. Maybe testifying for Vanessa would indeed be healing for her, and for him as well. She was healing already and was able to look to the future again. Olivia had even mentioned going back to work in a while. And while he didn't like to think about her getting in harms way again, he knew she needed to go back. To find some normalcy in her life. After a while he drifted off to sleep as well. He didn't have any disturbing dreams that night. He was healing too.

...

Elliot woke up to a fresh breeze the next morning. He opened his eyes but closed them again right away. The sun was shining brightly already. He could hear Olivia walking up the stairs and opened his eyes again, still squinting a little when she came into the bedroom, dressed in just a long NYPD t-shirt over her panties. The curtains were moving gently in the morning breeze and he could hear birds whistling outside. The window must be open. Olivia was carrying a tray with two glasses of orange juice and some fruits.

'What's this? Breakfast in bed?' he asked, his voice still a little sleepy.

Olivia sat down next to him and handed him the tray so she could slide her bare legs under the covers. She was smiling and he could tell she had slept well too.

'It's not really a big breakfast but I thought we might need to eat something before we start with the day's activities,' she stated in a neutral voice but Elliot could see a little twinkle in her eyes.

'Activities?' he asked. 'Sounds like you've got plans.'

She moved her head from left to right as if she was trying to decide something.

'I may have some plans for you ...' she admitted, unable to keep a grin from forming on her face.

Elliot felt something shift low in his belly. His mouth was suddenly very dry and he grabbed one of the glasses of orange juice. They both drank their juice quickly and they shared a banana before he couldn't keep his hands to himself anymore. He looped his arm around Olivia and she quickly moved to set the tray aside on the floor. She almost fell out of bed and they laughed when Elliot pulled her up and she landed on top of him. He held his breath and then breathed out slowly. He pushed some of her short hair behind her ear, where it wouldn't stay because it wasn't long enough. She tried to flip her hair to one side in stead and dipped down to kiss his jaw.

'Are you sure?' he whispered.

She answered him by kissing him passionately and he knew she was sure. His hands moved down to her legs and up again, taking her shirt with them. Her tongue was dancing with his and the low moans that were emanating from her throat made his body tingle all over. When he couldn't push her shirt up any further, she sat up to allow him to take it off. Her hands were roaming his bare chest and she dipped down again to lick one of his nipples gently. He bucked up involuntarily and checked if that bothered her. She looked up into his eyes and he knew she wasn't bothered. She was determined to take back what had been stolen from them.

Olivia was nervous but she wasn't going to stop now. This was Elliot and he wasn't going to hurt her or overpower her. She loved him and his body and they had been apart too long. Fragments of the assault were trying to get into her head but she kept her eyes open and took in the man she was seeing. The man she was with, and not the man who had violated her. She kept on playing with his small nipples with her mouth and her hands until he grabbed her under her armpits to pull her up. She laughed at his impatience and dropped her mouth to his again. He turned them over to his left so they were both lying on one side and caressed her body slowly, from her shoulder all the way down to her thigh while he continued to kiss her. When he broke off their kiss to look at her, she looked at herself as well. Most of her scars and burns were fading but they were still visible. She looked at Elliot again and she could see some conflicting emotions in his eyes and tension in his face. She put a hand to his cheek and moved his head up so he was looking at her face. His face softened immediately.

'Don't hate him. Just love me,' she whispered.

She was right. It was just the two of them now. He shouldn't waste precious time with her on negative emotions. He rolled her on her back gently, making sure that she was okay with it. When she smiled at him, he moved down a bit to kiss her chest. He placed small kisses on every small scar he could find and laughed when he heard her giggle. It tickled. She started talking deep breaths when he moved to her breasts with his mouth while his right hand moved down her stomach to her panties. He wouldn't try to take her panties off. She would have to do it herself when she was ready. He moved his hand over her panties and looked up at her face. He was dying to touch her but he sensed that she was trying to fight off a flashback. He moved his hand back up and she looked into his eyes. He could see some fear there and he moved all the way up so his face was close to hers.

'It's okay,' he said softly. 'No rush.'

Olivia nodded and swallowed. This wasn't as easy as she had thought. They needed to create new memories to replace the bad ones with. She pushed her hips up from the mattress far enough so she could take off her panties. Elliot quickly took off his underware as well and pulled her close to him. They lay together in silence for a minute, skin against skin. Then she kissed him again and sat up to straddle him.

'You're in control Liv,' Elliot assured her.

'I know. I want this. I really do ...'

In the end, their love was greater than their fear. Olivia kept her eyes on the man she loved the whole time. She watched him caress her body and marveled at his muscular form as he moved ever so gently with her. He checked with her if she was okay every time they changed positions. He made sure not to use his fingers like he had done but surprised her by using his mouth and tongue in stead. Olivia's eyes never left his face and she laughed when he couldn't keep his eyes open anymore. He was wrapped up in her softness and her taste. He had never tasted a woman like this and he almost drove her over the edge because of his enthusiasm. It wasn't until she clamped her thighs against his head that he stopped to check if she was still okay. He was more than ready by now but she needed to be ready too.

'El, please,' she panted. She needed him inside her, she wanted all of him this first time. She shivered when he hovered over her and he asked if she wanted to be on top again. She just shook her head and pulled him against her, on top of her. He was in position already and Olivia moved her hips to invite him. He pushed in slowly but there was no need to go slow anymore. She was ready and pulled him in all the way.

He was in so deep, in more ways than one, and couldn't hold back anymore. She was moving confidently with him now, spurring him on, her eyes on his the whole time. He wanted to wait for her but his body wouldn't wait any longer as they went faster and faster. He closed his eyes as his release hit him and felt Olivia grip his ass tightly when she followed him immediately. Her cries sounded almost desperate over his low grunts but when he finally opened his eyes he could see she was alright. She had tears in her eyes but she was smiling and caressing his cheeks with both hands.

Olivia was relieved and grateful and she realized now how much it had meant to her to be able to make love to Elliot again. To feel how her body would still experience it as something wonderful and exciting after her humiliating ordeal. When Elliot turned them to one side again and slipped out of her, she tried to maintain as much skin contact as possible, wrapping her arms around him and tangling her legs with his. Elliot kissed her forehead and she looked into his eyes again. He had tears in his eyes as well and sighed when she moved to kiss his lips gently.

'I love you,' she whispered.

'And I love you Liv,' he replied. 'You are my life.'

She smiled and closed her eyes. She wasn't afraid to close her eyes anymore. She knew her trauma would still be there for some time, but being intimate with Elliot again was such a huge step forward, for both of them, and she knew they would get through it. Right now, she was happy. There was no flashback and no fear, just them, their heavy breathing and his low voice, vibrating against her chest when he asked her,

'Olivia Benson, will you marry me?'

She opened her eyes and did not have to think about her answer at all.

'Yes.'

...

EPILOGUE

...

Ten months later, May 2014.

'Sergeant Benson, you're here again?' asked judge Linden when she spotted Olivia in the doorway of the courtroom.

'Yes your honor,' Olivia replied.

'I believe congratulations are in order. I heard you have recently gotten married.'

Olivia smiled.

'Yes, thank you your honor. It's been about three months now.'

Olivia had told Elliot about the baby they had found back in January, only three weeks before their wedding on Valentine's Day. She had felt a strong connection to the child right away and had kept track of him over the past four months. Just before they found the baby, she had thought she was pregnant for a few days. Elliot had asked her if that might have something to do with it. She couldn't deny that she had really hoped she was pregnant after all. She had stopped using birth control and they had agreed to just see what would happen, or not. She didn't want fertility treatments or IVF at her age but when it turned out to be a false alarm, she had been more than just a little disappointed. And then they found this adorable baby boy.

The judge declared little Noah Porter an orphan officially when Elliot appeared behind Olivia in the doorway. He had arrived just in time on his lunch break from his new job as a homicide detective. They listened to the judge together.

'As the birth mother is deceased, and no father or other relative has come forward, I officially declare Noah Porter an orphan and ward of the state of New York.
He shall continue to be cared for in an A.C.S. Facility, unless ...,'

Judge Linden looked at the couple in the doorway again.

'Sergeant Benson, you rescued the infant, isn't that right?'

'Yes, your honor.'

'And you're the only one who's taken a consistent interest on his behalf. Is there any chance you and your husband might like to become foster parents to this baby?'

Olivia looked at Elliot and back at the judge. Elliot put a hand on her back and Olivia knew he was with her on this.

'I have a feeling about this, sergeant Benson and detective Stabler,' the judge continued. 'Call it a judge's hunch. If you agree, I will order Noah Porter into your care as custodial parents for one year, at which time you will be given the option to permanently adopt him. Do you both agree?'

Olivia's face was glowing. She was finally going to have her baby. How could he refuse her? He could do it again, fatherhood was in his blood. And she would be a fantastic mother. They both agreed.

Their family was now complete. Eli came over every other weekend and on holidays, and he was thrilled to be a big brother. Olivia resigned from SVU and became a part time rape crisis counselor. Elliot was back on the force and felt like he had been given a second chance of doing things right. He could talk about his job with his wife because she knew what it was like. She accepted that there would be nights he wouldn't come home but homicide cases were less urgent and much less of an emotional strain than the SVU cases had been, with living victims of rape, abuse or kidnapping. They found their rhythm and their years as partners at SVU seemed like a lifetime ago.

They had started over and had finally found the life they had always longed for. Together. They were Benson and Stabler, forever.

...

And so this story comes to an end. For all of you who want to see a Bensler baby in every story - feel free to dream up your own chapter 41! They have their happily ever after and that's all I need :)

If you haven't already, please check out my other stories and drop me a line to let me know what you think of them and of this ending! Reviews are always appreciated, to completed stories as well as ongoing ones.

If you enjoy my writing, feel free to send me requests for one-shots - only for SVU of course and only E/O (ish). They don't all need to be M rated ;) and don't all have to end with E&O being together. If the request doesn't work for me, I will also feel free to decline.

Until next time, OEB.