AN: Here's a new story I've started. I really appreciate all the support from all the readers of my stories, and I hope you like this one too. Please bear with me as the story unfolds…anyone who knows me knows that I'm all EO/Bensler. Let me know your thoughts so far after you read this chapter!

EOEOEOEOEO

Elliot was sitting at his desk, sorting through his phone messages, when he saw a woman walk into the squad room. She paused just inside the doorway, scanning the room, as if she was looking for someone. Elliot glanced over at Fin and Munch, but they were deep in discussion, and didn't notice the woman standing there. He sighed. It had been a long night, which had now morphed into a long day and he and Olivia had just wrapped up a case. Another couple of hours of paperwork and he could head home to bed. He wasn't up to dealing with another assault victim…even though he knew he absolutely would.

These thoughts ran through his head in just a few seconds as she continued to scan the room, her eyes resting on various people in the room for a few seconds before moving on. He realized that her demeanor wasn't one of a typical assault victim…not that there was anything typical. Still, he had dealt with enough victims over his years that he had a feeling she wasn't here to report a crime.

She was tall, and lithe. Long legs and narrow hips…the body of a model. She had long blonde hair that fell in loose waves around her shoulders, and fair skin. She was well dressed…very stylish. He might even call her beautiful…and he was certain many men had told her she was.

He saw her eyes land on him, and she smiled when she saw he was looking at her. The woman took a few steps in his direction and Elliot stood up. "Excuse me. Can you help me?" she asked. Her voice was breathy and light…but filled with energy. Like she was about to tell you something really exciting.

Elliot nodded. "Sure." He held out his hand. "I'm Detective Stabler. What can I help you with?"

The woman moved the phone and keys she had been holding in her right hand to her left, and took his hand. Elliot saw green eyes staring back at home, fringed by long blonde lashes, and he saw a smattering of light freckles across her nose. Her smile lit up her face and he couldn't help but smile back at her.

"Amy Maddox." She said, and then slipped her hand from his. "I'm looking for Olivia Benson. The man at the desk downstairs said I could find her here, but I'm not sure I'm in the right place."

Elliot cocked his head slightly. "You're in the right place. But Olivia's not here right now." It was a small lie. Technically, Olivia was here. She was just upstairs, grabbing a shower after a long couple of days. She had told Elliot she need a shower and coffee if she was going to have any hope of lasting a few more hours. He wanted to spare her from any more distractions until he heard what this woman had to say. "But I'm her partner. I can help you."

The woman he now knew was Amy Maddox smirked and lifted on perfectly manicured brow at him. "You're her partner?"

The move reminded him of Olivia so much that he was startled, and he almost missed the innuendo in her voice…the emphasis on the word you're. Like she knew something about him. Who was this woman?

"I am." Elliot said, his curiosity peaked now. "So, tell me how I can help you."

"I'm a friend of Olivia's. I had a last-minute trip to the city and I thought I'd surprise her!"

Elliot was the one that was surprised. Olivia didn't have a lot of girlfriends, at least not any that she talked about. She hung out with Casey occasionally, and Alex before her. Melinda every great once in a while. But mostly, she worked…or they did work related things. Now that he thought about it, he couldn't remember Olivia ever mention a night out with the girls. It made him wonder about where she went after work. Was she home by herself? Or did she have an entirely separate social life he knew nothing about? Either way, he felt bad…mostly because as well as he knew her, he realized he had never asked her. Never wondered what she didn't when she wasn't with him. Some friend he was.

"So, will she be back soon?" Amy asked.

Elliot realized he had left too long a pause after her initial question, which is why she had pressed on. "Umm." Now he was in a bind because he had lied to her, but he still wasn't ready to tell her that Olivia was here. He still didn't know this woman was who she said she was. "I'm sure she'll be back shortly." He motioned to a chair next to his desk. "Why don't you make yourself comfortable and I'll see if I can get a hold of her."

"Well, I can call her. I just wanted it to be a surprise." Amy said, pulling up her phone.

"I'll just see where she's at." Elliot said quickly. "If she's coming back, then you can still surprise her." One thing he knew about Olivia was that she did not like surprises. As soon as Amy was settled, he was going up to the cribs to tell Olivia about her visitor. Let her decide if it was someone she wanted to see.

He couldn't explain why he was feeling like something was off about this woman. People had friends…people surprised each other all the time. Amy seemed to know Olivia's number, and seemed to know something about him being her partner. All things a friend would know. It just still seemed strange to him that he had never heard a word about this woman in seven years. Even a casual comment from Olivia. All the nights cramped in the car during stake-outs…they covered a lot of ground in times like that.

"Can I get you a cup of coffee?" he asked.

Amy shook her head. "No, I'm good. Thanks."

Munch and Fin both got up from their desks and they walked over and introduced themselves.

"So, you're a friend of Olivia's huh?" Munch asked.

Amy smiled and nodded. "Yes, we go way back."

At that moment, Cragen came out of his office. "Munch. Fin. Aren't you supposed to be revisiting the sister of the victim on the Carson case?"

"We're on it Cap'n." Fin said. "Duty calls. Nice to meet you." He said to Amy.

Munch said much the same and they left together.

"You work with those guys too?" Amy asked. "They seem nice."

Elliot wanted to laugh. She was making that assumption based on two seconds of conversation. She must not have seen the way Munch was looking at her…as if maybe he had found wife #5. He supposed she was used to it. Definitely a glass half full kind of person. Or more likely, the glass was full the whole damn time.

He found himself wondering what she did…if she was in fact, a model. Nothing in her life had worn her down, or caused her to be cynical of the world and all the people in it.

Elliot smiled and chose not to respond to her comment. "If you'll excuse me, I'll be right back."

She nodded and smiled, and Elliot saw her pull out her phone and start scrolling through it. He headed towards the cribs, wondering if Olivia was done with her shower. Elliot walked into the cribs, but paused inside the door. "Liv?" He needed to give her fair warning that he was there. "You decent?"

"Yeah." She called back, and Elliot walked around the cots over towards the lockers. He stopped short as he saw her standing there in her jeans and a tank top, brushing her hair back as she turned towards him. "What's up?"

Elliot kept his eyes trained on hers, but he thanked God for peripheral vision. If Olivia ever thought he was checking her out, she would kill him. He didn't have an explanation for it…or for any of the more base thoughts that had been running through his mind in the past six months. She was his partner for Chrissakes. And his friend.

"El?" Olivia asked, dropping her arms. "What is it?" She had noticed the strange look on his face, and worried he had bad news. "What happened?"

Elliot pushed those thoughts from his head as he watched her pull a dark blue sweater from her locker. "Nothing happened. You have a visitor." He leaned against the top bunk as she pulled the sweater over her head.

"A visitor?" She furrowed her brow as she pulled the sweater down over her stomach, and sat down on the bench. "Who is it?" She slipped her foot into her boot and zipped it up, and then did the other.

"Said she was a friend of yours." He watched as Olivia stood up. "Amy Maddox."

Olivia turned to him, a look of genuine surprise on her face. "Did you say Amy Maddox?"

"Yeah. You know her?" Elliot was trying not to pry, but he was intensely interested in the mysterious blonde downstairs and her connection to Olivia.

"Yeah, I know her." Olivia said, nodding her head. "She was my college roommate."

That was a new piece of information and Elliot pondered that for a second. "Oh. Well, I don't think I've ever heard you mention her."

Olivia looked back at Elliot. She thought she heard a little bit of annoyance in his voice…very masked…but still there. "Yeah, well, why would it come up?" She wanted to roll her eyes. Did he honestly think he knew absolutely everything about her? She and Elliot were close, but there were still a lot they didn't know about each other. "I didn't know I had to submit a list of all friends and contacts to you." She knew she was being a bit of a bitch, but she was tired and cranky.

"I didn't mean it like that." Elliot said, trying to keep his tone neutral. "I just meant…well, I told her you weren't here because I didn't know who she was and if you'd be happy to see her or not." He stood up. "And I didn't know if she was who she said she was."

Olivia almost wanted to laugh. The job had made them both paranoid. She relaxed slightly. In his own way, he was just watching out for her and she couldn't fault him for that, even when he did go overboard. "So, she left?"

"No. She's still downstairs."

"You left her down there with Fin and Munch?" Olivia groaned. She slammed her locked shut and turned back towards him. "Knowing those two, they're pumped her for information and know more about my college days than I remember." She started towards him in a rush, but Elliot put his hands up and she stopped a few feet from him.

"It's fine. They met her but Cragen sent them out to re-interview witnesses." Elliot laughed. "Good thing because I think Munch already fell in love."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Wouldn't surprise me. She has that effect on people. Well…men."

"I can see that." Elliot said, smirking at her.

Olivia arched her brow at him and put her hands on her hips. "You too?" She dropped her hands from her waist and then raised on hand and tried to tuck her hair behind her ear. "Well, I guess I can't blame you. She is drop dead gorgeous. Most men can't take their eyes off her."

Elliot cocked his head and looked at her. "I'm not most men Liv." He found it almost comical that Olivia, one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen, was commenting on the looks her friend got. He knew she heard the comments men made about her…and that there must have been plenty of men that told her she was stunning. Maybe the difference was that she didn't believe it.

Olivia looked at Elliot and the dopey expression he had on his face. She wasn't sure what he meant by that comment, but she wanted to point out his affinity for blondes, as evidenced by his wife. Well, ex-wife. She let it drop instead.

"Well, watch yourself around her. She can be trouble." Olivia smiled, as some memories from their college days surfaced.

"She's trouble?" Elliot asked, concern in his voice.

Olivia waved her hand. "Nah. Not really. There's always just a lot of drama in her life. But I think that's what made us a good match. We had a lot of fun."

Elliot couldn't even begin to imagine the two of them together. Such seemingly polar opposites, if Olivia's description was accurate. But both young and beautiful…living it up in college. Those were stories he wanted to hear.

"So when's the last time you saw her or heard from her?"

Olivia blew air out through pursed lips, trying to recall. "I haven't seen her in at least 5 years, maybe longer."

Elliot realized that was probably why he hadn't heard about her. Five to six years ago was fairly early in their partnership. He was busy with young kids and got home as quickly as he could. They weren't as close then.

"I talked to her about a year ago. She was having problems with an ex-boyfriend and wanted some advice."

Elliot raised an eyebrow. "Advice as a friend? Or as a police officer?"

"Both." She remembered the conversation well. Amy's ex-boyfriend was supposedly bothering her. Amy called is stalking. Olivia could never be sure about Amy's information, as she was prone to exaggeration, but she always erred on the side of caution. "I told her to file a restraining order against him." She hadn't heard from her since, and now that she thought about it, she felt kind of bad that she hadn't followed up.

"And? What happened?"

Olivia shrugged. "I don't know." She brushed past Elliot as she headed to the door. "But I'm sure I'll hear all about it." She and Amy had been good friends, but Amy was always the one that was full of life…vibrant. While Olivia kept a lot of details about her life to herself, especially the story of her childhood, Amy felt everyone needed to know everything about her. But Olivia couldn't fault her. She was a good friend. She could keep a secret…she was one of the few people that knew the circumstances of Olivia's conception and birth…and she could be relied on for just about anything. You didn't have to ask her twice. She was fiercely loyal as a friend. Now that she thought about it, Olivia felt badly that she hadn't done more to invest in their friendship and keep it going, despite the geographical distance between them.

She walked briskly into the squad room and saw Amy standing by Elliot's desk, talking to Cragen.

"Amy!' She said, and Amy turned to face her.

Amy smiled broadly as she dumped her things on Elliot's desk. She rushed over to Olivia and wrapped her arms around her, and Olivia slid her hands around her friend's waist and returned the hug.

"Oh my God!" Amy gushed. "It's so good to see you!"

Amy didn't release her, and Olivia almost laughed as Amy tightened her hold on her. "I was so disappointed when your partner told me you weren't here!"

Olivia saw Elliot walk into the squad room with a smirk on his face. "I was just taking a break." She said, taking a half step back as Amy finally released her. "What are you doing here?" she asked. Then she realized that probably sounded harsh. "I mean, it's good to see you. I'm just surprised."

Amy smiled. "I know. I had to make a quick trip to New York to see a new client and I was going to call you. But I didn't know if I would have any free time. But my meeting wrapped up, and since it's Thursday, I decided to stay for an extra day or two. So here I am."

Amy worked for a Public Relations firm, which was the perfect job for her. She had settled in Boston, despite having grown up in Manhattan like Olivia. Olivia knew that Amy liked it in Boston, but missed the energy of the city.

"We have so much to catch up on. Can we go out for drinks? And then maybe catch some dinner?"

"Did I hear the word drinks?"

Olivia looked up and saw Munch walking back into the squad room, with Fin right behind him. She glanced over at Elliot. Weren't they supposed to be out talking to a witness or something?

"I could use a drink." Munch said.

"You weren't invited." Olivia pointed out. She turned back to Amy. "I have some work I need to finish up. I can't leave right now." She was actually disappointed. She didn't have many girlfriends, and was happy that Amy was there. But she did have work to do…and she was exhausted. She felt like she hadn't slept in days.

"Liv, I can take care of it." Elliot chimed in.

Amy glanced over at Elliot. "That's so sweet."

Olivia shook her head. "You don't have to do that El."

Elliot walked over to Olivia's desk and opened her drawer. He pulled out her purse and handed it to her. "You've covered for me a million times. School conferences, concerts, whatever. I owe you."

Olivia took her purse from him. "You don't owe me."

Elliot wiggled his eyebrows. "OK, so you'll owe me."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Are you sure you don't mind?"

"Go. Have fun."

"So…we're not going for drinks?" Munch asked, and Fin told him to shut up.

"I'd love to get to know your friends Olivia." Amy said. She turned towards Elliot. "We're going to get drinks, but why don't you guys meet us a little later and we'll be all caught up by then."

Before Elliot could step in, Munch had already accepted for all of them. Elliot didn't want to barge in on their time together and he looked at Olivia with a question in his eyes. Fortunately, she knew him well enough to know what he was asking.

"It's fine." She said. "I'll text you and let you know where we end up." Olivia snagged her gun and badge from the drawer and Amy's eyes got wide as Olivia held them in her hands.

"Are you bringing those along?" she asked.

"I'm always on duty Ame." Olivia said. "Let's go."

Olivia and Amy walked out of the squad room and there were three sets of eyes watching them as they left. When they were out of earshot, Munch spoke up.

"That right there is what we call a dream come true." He said. "Two beautiful woman…exact opposites in almost every way. Something for everyone."

Elliot glowered at him. "Shut up. That's Olivia you're talking about."

Munch shook his head. "Exactly. I don't think it's escaped your attention that your partner is a knockout." He laughed. "Anyone want to take bets on how many times they get hit on at the bar?"

"Shut up." Fin and Elliot said simultaneously.

"I'm just saying." Munch said, shrugging his shoulders. "I bet they were trouble." Before Fin or Elliot could say anything else, he turned his chair and dug into the paperwork on his desk.

Elliot grabbed the folders off Olivia's desk and walked back around to his. He sat down and opened up the files, sighing over the task at hand. He didn't mind helping Olivia out…not at all. He hadn't been joking when he said he owed her. He did…probably a million times over. But he was distracted by Munch's comments.

His thoughts ran back to those he'd had earlier…wondering about Olivia's life before she walked into SVU. There were important things he knew about her. She was smart, curious, empathetic and fearless. He trusted her with his life, and neither could deny they had a special connection. But he knew nothing of her life that had led her to this point. Nothing of the experiences that had shaped her into the person she was today. He realized he was looking forward to getting to know Amy a little…to see Olivia interact with a friend. It might let him see another side of her that up to now, he hadn't been privy too. He dug into the paperwork with renewed energy, anxious to get it done and get out of there.

EOEOEOEO

Olivia didn't want to hang out at the bar close to the precinct. She knew too many people there, and didn't want to get interrupted as she and Amy talked. She chose a small bar that she and Elliot had been to before. They had good food and a fun atmosphere, and she knew Amy would like it.

They slid into a booth and it didn't take more than a minute before the waiter was there to take their drink order.

"I like this place." Amy said and Olivia smiled.

"So, tell me what's going on with you." Olivia said, sitting back against the leather back of the booth. She hated talking about herself, borne from the days when she was young. Her home life was a topic she actively avoided talking about.

Amy let out a big sigh and leaned back too. "Work is great. I absolutely LOVE my new boss. He's been a great supporter of mine, and he gave me a couple of new accounts to work with. Big accounts." Their drinks had arrived and she took a sip of her dirty martini. "One of them is here in New York."

"You're not sleeping with him, are you?"

"Olivia!" Amy acted shocked, but Olivia knew she had had a brief affair with her previous boss. It wasn't that she slept around just to get promoted. Amy was just more of a free spirit…and she liked sex…a lot. She didn't always make the best choices on who she slept with.

"I did not sleep with him. I have a boyfriend." Amy took another sip. "Well, had a boyfriend." Amy launched into the tale of her latest boyfriend, a lawyer she'd met at a party. They had lasted six months, and it sounded like it hadn't ended well. "He was always flirting…"

Olivia stifled a laugh.

"What?" Amy asked, and then she broke into a laugh herself. "I know. I'm a bit of a flirt myself."

"That's an understatement." Olivia said. It was always amazing to watch Amy and her relationships. She was a lot of fun, and had this large personality. Men tried to get her attention all the time, and she loved to flirt. If you were dating Amy, you had two choices…live with it or break up. Most of them chose to live with it, because it was always harmless. Amy wasn't a cheater. And yet, she couldn't bear for any of her boyfriends to do the same. "You're such a hypocrite." She said.

Amy laughed. Olivia was the only one that could tell her things like that and get away with it. But she knew it was true. "It wasn't going to work anyway. But it was fun while it lasted." Amy leaned forward towards Olivia. "Speaking of fun…you having any?"

Olivia shook her head. "Nothing serious."

Amy leaned back. "What does that mean?"

"It means I'm not in a relationship." Olivia didn't want to get into her love life. There had been lots of dates over the years…some casual hook-ups after a date or two. Nothing worth pursuing. Either she wasn't interested or they didn't like what she did for work or she was at work all the time. "My job isn't really conducive to a long-term relationship."

"What about that partner of yours? He's pretty sexy." Amy had a mischievous smile on her face as she said it.

"Elliot is off limits." Olivia said firmly. She had told Amy about Elliot when they had talked last year, but only in response to questions about her job and if she liked her partner.

"To you…or to me?" Amy asked and Olivia saw the sly look on her friend's face.

"Both." Olivia said. She knew Amy well enough to know she was just fishing more information, and that she didn't have to worry about Amy going after a friend of hers. But she didn't know her as well as she used to, so it didn't hurt to make it clear.

Amy laughed again. "You're sure there's nothing going on? That was a pretty vehement response."

"Just drop it Ame." Olivia took a drink of her beer. The subject of her and Elliot's relationship was long and complicated. At this point, she didn't even know how to characterize what they were to each other. Partners and friends for sure. But something had been building between them…she just didn't know what it was…how to define it.

"Yeah." Amy said, leaning back in her seat with a satisfied smile on her face. "I'll drop it." She took a sip of her drink. "For now."

Olivia rolled her eyes, determined to change the subject. "You're the worst." She teased. She had to admit that she was enjoying herself. Most of her life was consumed by work, and the few times she did go out, it was for drinks with the squad or to the gym with Casey. It was nice to have someone not related to SVU to talk to. "So, what else is going on in your life? Ever talk to Jamie or Chloe?" They were two other girls that she and Amy had hung around with much of the time, but she had completely lost track of them after a few years on the force.

Amy proceeded to update Olivia on the two women mentioned, and then several others they had been acquainted with. It was obvious that Amy had done a much better job keeping up with everyone, and when Amy suggested a weekend away…and a reunion with some of their old friends, Olivia had to admit it sounded like fun.

They talked and laughed and reminisced about the past, and before she knew it, a few hours had passed. Both women were feeling the effects of the beer, and they agreed to order some food. Another round of drinks had been delivered when Olivia's phone vibrated on the table.

She snatched it up, but Amy had heard the alert.

"Is that Elliot?" she asked.

Olivia debated about lying, but then nodded. She wasn't sure how she felt about the guys joining them. She was having fun with Amy, and didn't need them to pervade every part of her life.

"Did you tell them where we are? Are they going to meet us?" Amy asked.

Olivia shrugged. "I'm kind of having fun…just the two of us."

"Whatever you want." Amy said non-commitally. "I just thought it would be good to get to know your friends a little."

"They're not my friends. I work with them."

Amy laughed. "OK. Whatever you say."

Olivia's phone vibrated in her hand and she didn't have to look at the Caller ID to know it was Elliot. She also knew that she had to answer it or Elliot would just keep calling. She hit the button to connect the call and looked over at Amy. Amy was checking her own messages, ostensibly not listening to Olivia's conversation.

"Liv." She heard Elliot's voice on the other end as she suspected.

"Hey."

"You having fun?" Elliot could tell she'd been drinking. She wasn't slurring her words, but her voice was lighter somehow.

"We are." Olivia said. "We had lots of ground to cover."

"So, do you want some company or not? Because Munch is driving me crazy here, asking if I'd heard from you."

Olivia smiled. She appreciated the fact that Eliot understood that she might not want all of them hanging out with her and Amy, but she had to admit there was a part of her that wanted him to join them. She looked up at Amy, who was still pretending not to listen. "It's OK El. It would be fun to have you guys join us. But on one condition."

Elliot chuckled. "What's that?"

"Amy is off limits to my friends. So, make sure Munch knows that." She made a point of mentioning Munch's name, since she knew he could be a flirt, even though there was nothing behind it. But she hoped Elliot knew she was talking about him as well, although she'd never tell him that outright.

Elliot smiled into the phone. Message received. He wanted to tell Olivia that he had absolutely no interest in Amy…that there was only one woman that he was interested in. "Got it Liv."

"I'll text you the address." Olivia looked up and saw a smug look on Amy's face. She hung up the phone and sent him the name and address of the bar. When she set her phone down, she saw Amy had as well.

"So…" Amy said. "Is now the time to talk some more about Elliot?"