A/N: Hello all! After a long hiatus, I wanted to get back to writing again. I saw a request for something like this and decided to give it a go. This is set in Season 10 although Casey is still the ADA.Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing :(

This wasn't supposed to happen. It was never meant to go this far.

They'd like to blame it on the alcohol, but really their mind was made up long before they started drinking

The case had left the members of 16th precinct a little more shaken than usual. Edward Murphy-serial rapist and killer with a penchant for small children-had paved a path of destruction throughout the city. In the end he had slipped up leaving Casey with more than enough evidence to lead a jury to convict.

Guilty on all counts. But that wasn't enough. No amount of punishment would be enough to console the 12 grieving families.

Olivia sighed and placed her hands on her temples, trying to massage away the stress and memories of the last few days. They had been so close to finding Murphy's last victim. Lily Knott had died moments away from salvation-the oversized knife protruding from her tiny body and her once lively eyes seeing no more.

Across from her Elliot roughly scrubbed his palm across his face, feeling the day old stubble brush his hand. He had stared at the papers before him until the letters blurred into unfamiliar words. Abruptly Elliot stood up, his chair hitting the ground with a crash and startling Olivia.

"That's it, I'm done for tonight," he announced to the nearly vacant squad room. "I need a drink, any takers?" Elliot paused for a minute to survey the tired faces of his colleagues.

"Nah, I'm gonna head out," Fin replied, putting aside his incomplete paperwork. "Got to be back here in the morning anyway. Last thing I need is a headache on top of the paperwork."

"Sadly not all of us have the good fortune of having the weekend off," Munch interjected while pulling on his coat.

Olivia put her hands down and looked up at Elliot.

"I'll come, Elliot." She also had the weekend off and going out with Elliot sounded a lot better to her than watching sappy Hallmark movies in her empty apartment. Olivia pushed back from her desk with more grace than Elliot had and started to head for the locker room. "Bye guys," she called out over her shoulder.

"Later Liv," They responded in unison resulting in Fin giving Munch a small glare and Munch smirking in response.

"Ready Liv?" Elliot asked as he leaned on the doorway. Olivia was currently bent over searching for something in her locker. Elliot chided himself as his eyes surreptitiously swept over her exposed backside. Get a grip Stabler, you're married.

Olivia turned around, having finally retrieved her scarf from the bottom of her locker. She watched the myriad of emotions play across her partner's face before she interrupted.

"El, you ok?" Olivia asked with concern etched on her face. She had never seen her partner look so conflicted before.

Hearing his partner's voice forced Elliot to drag himself out of his internal debate.

"Yeah Liv, just thinking," and with that being said he turned to hold the door open for Olivia before following her out.

20 minutes later a yellow taxi pulled up in front of a nondescript bar on the corner. Phil Impatiently tapped his fingers against the steering wheel as he waited for the two passengers to pay their fare. He was eager to get home to watch the game he had recorded and enjoy a few beers in the privacy of his own home.

The man reached for his wallet, but the woman beat him to it. The man scowled as she paid their fee and retaliated by stepping out of the cab first and insistently holding out his hand. The woman merely rolled her eyes and resignedly slipped her hand into his allowing him to help her out the car. Phil huffed in annoyance as they lingered outside and eagerly sped away from the curb the moment they finally shut the door. He-after all-had a game to watch.

Olivia anxiously shifted on the sidewalk. Elliot had yet to relinquish her hand and the warm feel of his skin on hers sent a delightful tingle up her spine. This was the most intimate touch they'd had in ages; ever since he impulsively hugged her, he'd been careful to keep his distance. She couldn't deny, the change felt nice, she didn't want him to let go.

Elliot was slightly miffed that Olivia had paid the cabbie. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate it-five kids and a wife made money a little tight sometimes-but he had an image to protect. For all that driver knew, they were on a causal date and he was not the kind of man that went Dutch. In a desperate attempt to prove his chivalry, Elliot maneuvered out of the taxi and expectantly held out his hand. He knew she would play along lest she appear rude.

What Elliot did not anticipate was the sensation of her soft palm sliding into his. He gently pulled her onto the sidewalk next to him and found himself at a loss for words. He was struck by the urge to kiss her; this he realized was a bad idea. Absent-mindedly he reached behind her to shut the door gaping cab door. The squealing of the tires snapped him out of his fantasy that was quickly venturing into forbidden places.

Elliot awkwardly shuffled as he hastily dropped her hand. "We should probably 'ahem' get inside. It's getting cold," he murmured, his voice slightly raspy. Elliot strode ahead to the door leaving Olivia to trail behind him.

The bar was dimly lit and the faint odor of cigarette smoke lingered in the air. The interior suggested it had seen better days. The patrons, for the most part, kept to themselves and a more than a few were bent over nursing their beers. Elliot and Olivia made their way to the slightly full bar and settled onto the creaky stools.

An older bartender who looked as if he'd rather be in bed made his way over to them. "What'll it be," he queried, looking between the two of them.

"Two beers," Elliot interjected without sparing a glance at Olivia. After so many nights out with the squad he knew she wasn't into anything fancy. So the surprise on his face was evident when she corrected the bartender.

"Actually, I'll have an orgasm."

She wasn't sure what made her do it. A rosy blush colored with regret illuminated her cheeks the moment she said it. The impulse had surged in her and she had given in. Olivia knew a line had been crossed and she hated that she'd been the one to traverse it. She was just having a bit of innocent fun she rationalized. After that case, she needed to blow off a little steam. No harm done. Right?

Straightening her posture, Olivia turned to meet Elliot's eyes. She noted with some humor that he looked vaguely uncomfortable. "Problem El?" Olivia innocently inquired.

What the hell was she playing at? Elliot felt his face heat up as he shifted in his seat. This was supposed to be drinks after work, not a recipe for a hangover. He'd bet anything she said that just to force a reaction. She'd been doing that more and more lately, pushing his buttons just to get a reaction. Elliot wasn't about to give her the satisfaction. Two could play at that game.

The bartender slid their drinks across the counter and continued on to serve another patron. Olivia slowly reached for her cocktail before confidence gripped her and she seized it. She wasn't about to let Elliot think she'd gotten cold feet over her own reckless decision.

"An orgasm, Liv? I didn't know you liked those," Elliot casually inquired while picking at the label on his beer bottle.

Olivia's eyes widened just as she took her first sip. She choked as she slammed the glass back on the counter; the alcohol burning her throat.

"Excuse me!" she rasped her throat still suffering the aftereffects of the liquor.

"Shots, Olivia. I didn't know you liked shots. I always had you pegged for a beer and whisky kinda girl," Elliot clarified, smirking at the stunned expression on his partner's face. If she wanted to play dirty, he had no qualms against joining her.

Ignoring him, Olivia returned to her drink, this time letting the creamy concoction slowly slide down her throat while Elliot signaled the bartender. "I'll have what she's having," Elliot announced while envisioning the look on his partner's face before adding, "But make it a blow job."

Was he pushing boundaries Elliot pondered? Yes. Yes he was, and his lack of concern sent a jolt of alarm coursing through his system. Elliot clenched his fist in frustration, he knew he should've just gone home. Eli was waiting on his bedtime story and Kathy was waiting on him. Still, the numbing promise of alcohol had tempted him and the added company of his partner sealed his choice. Things hadn't gone too far yet Elliot reasoned. They were only having innocent-albeit crudely named-cocktails. He'd toss back a few with Olivia, make sure she got home safe, and then go home to his family.

Elliot reached out for the drink the bartender had brought and finished it in one gulp in an unsuccessful attempt to silence the nagging voice of doubt in his head.

Several shots and a couple beers later the duo was sufficiently inebriated. Elliot sat hunched over the counter while Olivia slumped on her stool, feet nearly touching the ground. The clanging bell signaling the entrance of more patrons jerked them out of their stupor.

"We should probably be heading home," Elliot muttered while trying and failing to clear his head. The fogginess in his head cruelly reminded him he wasn't 21 anymore. He grunted as he thought of the massive hangover he'd soon be greeting. "Come on Liv," Elliot mumbled, pushing himself up and reaching for his wallet.

He threw a handful of bills on the counter not caring to wait for the change while Olivia was preoccupied with trying to stand.

Shakily, Olivia got to her feet. Her mind was swimming, how much had she had to drink? Damn Elliot for raising the stakes. He'd matched her shot for shot until they were both too drunk to keep count. Olivia paused for a moment, waiting for the room to stop spinning before making eye contact with her partner.

Olivia slowly made her way to the door while Elliot came up behind her and hovered his hand behind the small of her back. She snorted at this. As drunk as they both were, if she went down he was nowhere near coordinated enough to catch her. Still, it was the thought that counts, Olivia mused.

Together the duo staggered outside and were greeted by the brisk chill in the night air. The street was dark and uncommonly devoid of any taxis. Olivia sighed, standing was hard enough and the furthest she wanted to go was to the curb. She reasoned they'd probably have to walk a few blocks to get to a more populated and cab-friendly place. A gust of wind rippled through the air making Olivia shiver. Guess it's time to break out the heavier jacket.

Elliot sensed Olivia's movement beside him and instinctively wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her to his side. Olivia looked up-caught off-guard and almost off-balance by the sudden movement. Elliot was intently scanning the streets as if he could force a taxi to appear by sheer force of will.

Olivia smiled at his unconscious action and let her head gently rest against his shoulder.

Elliot stiffened against another gust of wind and Turned to Olivia to suggest they start walking but his words were cut off by her waving at something over his shoulder. A taxi pulled up to curb beside them. Gratefully, Elliot pulled the door open for Olivia before sliding in beside her. He fidgeted with his seat belt while she gave her address to the driver.

Olivia turned to say something to Elliot but he was busy toying with his phone. She dismissed the thought, instead pulling her jacket tighter around her and settling back in her seat. The two of them lapsed into a comfortable silence for the duration of the ride.

15 minutes later the cab stopped outside Olivia's apartment building. Olivia leaned forward and rifled through her purse finding a few crumpled bills. She did her best to smooth them out before handing them to the cabbie. Mentally Olivia scolded herself for being so disorganized. She really needed to clean out her purse.

"Thanks for the drinks, El. After this week, I needed it," Olivia said truthfully with a light blush rising on her cheeks as she recalled her particular choice of liquor. She ran her hand through her hair, grasped the door handle and turned to get out of the car. Synchronously Elliot opened his door and met her on the sidewalk.

"Hey, hold on a sec," he ordered the taxi driver who merely shrugged-nonplussed by the few extra bucks he'd be getting.

"Elliot, what are you doing," Olivia asked while pulling out her keys and swaying slightly.

"I'm walking you up Liv," Elliot answered, already headed for the building door. He managed to hold his liquor a bit better than she did although his vision was slightly blurry. Still, there was no way he was letting her stagger up four flights of stairs alone and if he was being completely honest with himself-he wasn't quite ready to leave her yet.

He missed the way they used to be; late night talks and 3 a.m. calls. Elliot knew they were drifting away but he wasn't about to let her go. They used to be best friends but lately their relationship had morphed into being strictly professional. That was going to change. Baby steps, he reasoned.

Olivia stayed where she was and her eyes narrowed. Who the hell did he think he was.

"You don't need to escort me, Elliot," she hissed, the alcohol coursing through her system exacerbating her ire. "I'm a big girl, I can handle a few flights of stairs without a bodyguard." That was one of the things that aggravated her about him. At one time she had found his fierce protectiveness endearing, but now she resented it. He acted like it was his duty to save her- from perps to boyfriends to everything in between. She appreciated the sentiment but Olivia Benson was no damsel and she certainly wasn't in distress.

Elliot turned around, his hand resting on the door handle, with a mildly annoyed look on his face. Why did she have to choose now to start an argument? All he wanted to do was get her inside and make sure she made it to her apartment safely. Elliot had to admit that he had a tendency to be overprotective on occasion, but this wasn't one of those times. He just wanted to get her home so he could collapse into his own bed he told himself. He was already late, Eli was surely asleep by now and probably disappointed. Kathy must have read him his story, but he had promised Eli that he'd be home in time tonight.

"For Pete's sake Olivia, I know you can take care of yourself." Elliot snapped before taking a forced breath. In a softer tone he added "I just want to make sure you get home safe. I care about you, okay?"

Olivia studied Elliot's face and saw the sincerity to match his words along with a touch of exhaustion. She averted her eyes before relenting, "Fine El, you can walk me up, but then you're going home. Olivia pushed past him and unlocked the ground door leaving him to follow her.

Elliot smiled at his minor victory before trudging up the staircase behind his partner.

Olivia paused, gripping her keys in her hand as she reached to unlock her door. She hated to admit it, but she was glad he came up with her. She wasn't quite ready to say goodnight. Olivia opened the door and then froze, one hand lingering on the door knob. She looked over her shoulder at Elliot's slowly retreating form. Biting her lip she made a decision.

"Wait El. Would you like to come in?"