Disclaimer: They're not mine ... but oh, if they were!!

AN: So here's how this story came about ... Laura and I were having an IM conversation about a proposal scene where Olivia was doing the asking ... there were lots of suggestions ... and hey presto! This one shot was born. Therefore, it's only appropriate that this one is for you, Laura!

..eo..PROPOSAL..oe..

It was fourteen months … fourteen amazing months filled with every emotion known to man, and woman.

More than a year had passed since Olivia Benson had decided she'd waited long enough for Elliot Stabler to get his act together and move their relationship from their tension filled partnership, to one with more of a horizontal focus.

That night, in late April, Olivia had marched up to him in the cribs and told him, in no uncertain terms, that if he didn't kiss her there and then he would most likely never have the chance again. By the time he'd swallowed hard, twice, she was done with waiting …

Olivia had shoved her hands against his chest, until he was backed up against the wall, before raising her hands to his neck, pulling his head down to her level and kissing him in a manner he'd never been kissed before.

When she pulled back, and noted the lust and confusion in his eyes, she winked at him.

"I said, you'd miss your chance … didn't say I wouldn't get mine."

She'd left him there excited and bewildered.

It was the first kiss of many, many more and they became horizontal later that night.

Now, on a hot June day, Olivia's patience was once again wearing thin. They had been living together for nearly six months, spending every possible moment together, some even clothed. They'd had their share of difficult moments … Elliot leaving SVU had been painful for both of them, Olivia's new partner messing up, resulting in her getting shot through the arm was another. Then there was the less than warm response from Kathy and Kathleen …

It had been a difficult time but in the past two months Olivia had begun to feel like a weight had lifted and the future was theirs for the taking. They had begun to talk about Elliot's retirement from the department, buying a house outside of the city, children …. But never once did he mention marriage … making their arrangement a legally binding one.

Olivia wasn't sure if it was because he was gun shy after his first marriage ended in divorce or whether he didn't think she was the marrying kind. All she knew was that she was tired of the waiting. Deciding to end her personal torment, she phoned Casey and Melinda and arranged to meet them for drinks at O'Ryan's.

Two drinks in, Casey brought up the problem plaguing Olivia.

"When are you two going to make this shack up legal?" Casey asked, swigging on her beer.

"No idea," Olivia sighed, ripping up the napkin into tiny snowflakes.

"Is there a problem?" Melinda asked, swirling the ice cubes in her glass.

"No," she said wistfully. "It's just I keep thinking he's going to propose but it never eventuates and I'm starting to wonder whether we're on the same page at all, as far as all this is concerned."

"If he asked, would you say yes?" Casey asked.

"Yeah," Olivia grinned. "In a heartbeat."

There was a slight pause in conversation as the waiter brought over the next tray of drinks.

"Well, Liv," Melinda said slowly. "Maybe you should follow my example … I proposed to Luke."
"Really?" Olivia and Casey replied in unison.

'Yeah, I thought he was taking too long so I just decided to do it myself," she recounted.

"How'd you do it?" asked Olivia.

"Well, we were supposed to be having dinner one Friday night but he rang to say he was working late … I just sighed and said it didn't matter ... but I'd been shopping and I was already wearing my new purchase," she paused to sip her drink.

"And…?" Casey prompted.

"Luke asked what I was wearing and I said 'just my ring … and a smile' I could hear his jaw drop down the line. He got himself together, he said, 'w-w-w-what ring?'. I said the engagement one I decided he was buying for me… He then asked if a ring and a smile was all I was wearing, I said yes and he was there in seventeen minutes … we didn't get out of bed til Sunday." Melinda grinned at the memory from long ago.

"Wow!" Casey exclaimed. "That's what you need to do, Liv, not the exact same thing but you should propose."

"And how do you think I should do it?" she asked and the faces of her two friends lit up. She knew there'd be many, many suggestions to come.

"Well, how about…" Casey began, laughing at her own idea.

"Oh no, here it comes …." Olivia smiled.

"You wanna hear it?" Casey asked. Olivia nodded. "Well, you could be sitting on his lap and raking your fingers through his hair … well, what there is of it … and you could say 'I think it's about time things changed around here ..."

Melinda laughed. "El would probably say, ' Yeah, this place could use a coat of paint'."

Casey chuckled. "So, Liv could say, 'yeah, a fresh coat would be good but I was thinking of you being my husband ... Your choice …"

They all laughed.

Melinda shifted in her seat and leaned forward. "You could always go with 'El, you got plans tonight? No? How about we go shopping? Yeah ... break, milk, engagement ring'."

Once again they all laughed.

"You could go for the straightforward approach," suggested Casey, her eyes gleaming.

"Yeah, what would that be?" asked Olivia.

"Grab him, pin him against the nearest hard surface and say, 'ELLIOT, MARRY ME, YOU ASSHOLE," Casey announced. They laughed so hard Olivia had to excuse herself for a bathroom break before she ended up with a puddle at her feet.

"I know, I know," gasped Melinda as Olivia slid back into the booth. "Tell him you and Mo are going shopping for an engagement ring. He'll nearly die of heart failure and he'll say, 'Mo's getting married?' Then you just reply with 'No, we are."

"That'll give him heart failure all on it's own," Olivia chuckled. "Oh," she sighed. "So many choices."

"Or … or…" Casey was on a roll. "You can take him to Vegas and drag him to a chapel …"

"Don't think El likes Vegas," she smiled.

"Well," continued Casey. "Tell him if he comes you'll COME, big time."

"Casey!" Olivia choked.

"You could always go the other way," Melinda chimed in. "Wait for the right moment and just tell him you want to be his wife."

"Awww," said Casey. "That's so sweet…sucky but sweet."

"So many choices …" Olivia sighed. "I want it to be straightforward … but sweet …and… oh god … I just want him."

"Yeah, yeah, we get it." Casey rolled her eyes. "You want to make it permanent with Captain Elliot Sexy Butt … get all that bumchikawawa in a marital bed."

"So, Liv," Melinda said, draining her glass. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking … I wait until he's naked beneath me, handcuff him the headboard. Leave him alone until he's painfully hard, then tell him I'll only help him out if he puts a ring on my finger."

"That could work," Melinda gulped.

"Aha," agreed Casey, trying to get the image of a very naked Elliot Stabler out of her mind … but not trying too hard…. Hard… she laughed at the thought.

"Oh, oh, I know, I know," said Melinda. "Give him an invitation to your wedding..."

"Huh?" said Casey.

"Well, write out the invite ... you know, you are cordially invited to the wedding of Olivia Benson and ... leave it blank. Tell him it's happening whether he's the groom or not..."

Casey slumped over convulsing in fits of laughter. "Tell him ... tell him ... he's getting first shot but if he's not interested or too busy you'll ask Fin ... or ... or...Munch." She collapsed in fits of laughter once more.

"Olivia Stabler or Olivia Munch..." Melinda laughed. "I know which one I'd prefer in my bed..."

"Don't go there," Olivia mocked warned but it was too late. Melinda and CAsey were already there.

"Ohh, ohh, Elliot ... Elliot...Ell...i...ot..." Casey moaned, tears now streaming down her face. "That's right ... right there."

"Casey!" Olivia scolded.

Casey stopped but couldn't control her laughter, Melinda joined in. Trying hard not to smile, Olivia got up from the booth and put on her jacket on.

"It's been great, ladies," she said, picking up her purse.

"Let us know what happens?" Melinda said.

"Will do."

On the taxi trip back to their apartment, Olivia contemplated what course of action would be the best … there were so many to choose from … but it had to be the right one…it had to be perfect. She played it over and over in her mind until she slid the key into the lock of the apartment door.

As she opened it soft music drifted to her ears and the glow of a hundred lit candles brightened the living room.

"Elliot?" she called, closing the door and dropping her jacket and purse on the floor.

"Hey Livia," he answered, coming from their bedroom. "I was expecting you home earlier."

"I … um … had drinks with Casey and Melinda," she said, staring at him … well, more at the tuxedo he was wearing. "Um…El… the tux?"

"What about it?" he asked, taking her hand and leading her to the sofa.

"Did I … um …forget something? Were we going somewhere?" she asked.

"No…" he replied kissing her hand. "I was just dressing up for you?"

"Why?" she gulped, suddenly feeling very nervous.

"Because …" he whispered, sliding off the sofa and onto his right knee. "I want to do this right."

"Aha," she mumbled.

Slowly he dipped his hand into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small pale blue box, he popped the lid and resting on the velvet cushion was a sparkling princess diamond white gold ring.

"Olivia, I've been wanting to do this for a long time and have been waiting for a sign that the time's right. I mean you haven't mention marriage and I wasn't sure whether you wanted to, or didn't want to, or wanted to wait and ..." he paused to draw in a breath. "I thought waiting was the right thing to do ... but, baby, you've gotta know that the waiting has been killing me and I just couldn't wait anymore. So if the answer is no and you want to wait, I'll understand ... it's just that..."

"El, shut up and just ask," Olivia interrupted, one hand coming up to caress his face.

"Olivia Benson, I want to marry you. Will you do me the honour of allowing me to be your husband?" he asked nervously, his hand shaking as he took the ring from it's resting place and offered it to her.

"Yes," she whispered. "Oh god, yes."

As his lips met hers, every moment of waiting was forgotten and a future of bliss and ecstasy ensued.

The End

..eo..PROPOSAL..oe..

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