I own no one but my own people

A/N This is written for EOforevertogether for the Secret Santa. The prompt was "any type of Elliot getting protective over Olivia." I REALLY hope you like it *hugs*. The rest of you enjoy :) Thanks to TStabler for some good advice on this fic :-)

Elliot sighed as he leaned against his wall, slowly nursing a beer as 'Rockin' around the Christmas Tree' blared from the hotel ballroom speakers. It was the precincts annual Christmas Party that the commissioner threw every year. Every year Cragen made it mandatory for his officers and detectives to go and stay for at least four out of the eight hours the party lasted and every year Elliot couldn't wait to get out of there and go up to the hotel room he and Fin was sharing, Cragen had finally gotten the budget to spring for a few hotel rooms for those who got drunk and didn't wanna spend the money on cab money, and sleep until he had to go to work in two days.

He glanced at his watch and groaned. He had only gotten there two hours ago and time seemed to be ticking by much slower than normal… Elliot took another long sip of beer and groaned as he heard someone come up and lean besides the wall right beside him.

Elliot was about to push off and find a new spot of solitude when the intruders voice reached his ears. "Looks like you're having a fun time," the voice said with a smile.

For the first time that night he truly smiled as he turned to the voice that could turn his worst day into one of the best.

"Oh I'm having a ball," Elliot said with a smirk as his eyes landed on his partner.

Olivia chuckled as she took a sip from her glass that held a clear drink with a twist of orange at the top. Elliot struggled for his eyes to remain on hers as he took her in. It was a dark red spaghetti strap dress that clung to her curves expertly that landed a few inches above her knees with a cut that showed off her breasts without looking cheap or tacky with three inch red heels that made her long legs seem to go on for miles.

Her hair was in soft flawless curls that flowed down her back and her unblemished makeup seemed to excel her beauty rather than masked or replaced it. She was breathtaking and he could hardly take his eyes off her. Her lips were plump and shimmered with a tint of pink gloss. He imagined taking her into his arms right then and there and kissing those beautiful lips, gently pulling her bottom one between his, running his tongue between them before he slowly ran it against her own…

"I don't get why Cragen makes us come," Olivia said as she took another sip of her drink knocking Elliot firmly out of his fantasy that was escalating as quickly as it began. "He knows we all hate it."

"Because his higher up tells him he has to go and suffer and misery loves company so…" Elliot shrugged trying to make it appear he wasn't just fantasizing about kissing his partner. "For four hours we're stuck here."

"Well we could always be stuck here for eight and not even drink…."

"… Okay maybe four hours with an open bar isn't that bad."

Olivia laughed and the sound filled him with irrefutable joy. To him the sound that left her as beautiful as Notre Dame's bells...

She downed the rest of her drink and Elliot raised his brow at her as she lowered her glass. "Thirsty?"

"A little," Olivia told him with a shrug of her shoulders. Another 'are you serious?' look from Elliot made her roll her eyes. "It's only my third drink, Elliot, relax. Now could you go get me another one?"

"You got legs," Elliot said with his own shrug as he took another drink from his bottle. He normally would have had no problem getting her a drink from anywhere and most of the times he actually offered on his own without any help from her but she looked way to awe-inspiring in that dress to be getting even a little bit buzzed with so many drunk men around.

"Yeah but I've had my ass stared at so much tonight that I just wanna be able to relax and do it to someone else and frankly you have the ass of life and you're the best candidate here."

Elliot choked and sputtered on his beer and it was with great effort he didn't spit out the amber liquid. Olivia smirked as he stared at her wide eyed and open mouthed. "Did you really just say what I think you said?"

Olivia nodded with unmistaken pride and gave him a gentle push. "Yes I told you that you have a nice ass now go get my drink."

"You're getting a little pushy, Benson," said Elliot with a crooked smile that made Olivia weak in the knees. "I kind of like it…"

Olivia rolled her eyes and gave him another nudge. "Go, drink, apple mojito, now… Please," she added as an afterthought and a flirtatious teasing smile Elliot knew she would never throw his way unless she was already buzzed.

But it did its job and he over exaggerated a sigh and rolled his eyes to the ceiling. "I SUPPOSE I could get you a drink and let you stare at what you so elegantly called 'the ass of life'. "

"Hey I didn't come up with the phrase," Olivia said as she threw her hands up in mock surrender. "That's what other people in the precinct call it. I'm just following the trend."

Elliot stared blankly at her for a moment and she chuckled in a most un-Olivia Benson-ish way. "Are you…? You know what, never mind I'd rather not know. I'll be back."

Shaking his head he walked away, shaking his head and grinning as he heard Olivia wolf whistle and call out "work it, Stabler!"

Elliot pushed his way past the loud ever growing crowd and made his way to the larger group near the bar. He struggled to maneuver his way to get to the front of the crowd and waved to the bartender who was working feverishly trying to fill the orders.

"Apple mojito please!" he yelled out to the bartender who gave a curt nod of his head to let Elliot know he heard his request over the rest of the drink orders being shouted at him.

Several minutes later a fruity looking dark red drink was placed in front of him. Elliot threw a ten spot on the table as he grabbed the feminine looking drink and was about to take it back to Olivia when "Stabler, I KNOW your ass isn't ordering that sissy ass drink! I'll rip that anchor right off your arm!" came another familiar voice, this time a males, from behind him.

Elliot turned towards the voice and couldn't help the smile that overtook his entire face. The man who had teased him about Olivia's drink was dressed much more causally then the rest of the members of the party in jeans and a simple black t-shirt, his dark blonde hair short and rugged looking, his dark green eyes alive and mischievous.

He was an inch taller than Elliot and just as well built, probably even more so and had the same Marine emblem tattoo on his muscular right forearm as Elliot had.

Elliot laughed and the two men embraced like they were brothers. "Jacob Tearny, how the hell you doing?" Elliot asked as they released the embrace.

"Not bad, Stabler, not bad at all," Jacob said with a grin as he took a long swig of the beer he had in his hand. "What about you, Man? I can't believe you actually made it as a cop. I almost didn't believe Kathy when she told me."

"When did you talk to Kathy?" Elliot asked with confusion.

"Yesterday when I called," he answered with another long drink. "I got into town three days ago, looked you up, she answered, we talked, she told me you'd be here so here I am."

Elliot nodded in acceptance of his old friends answer. "That's great man, but how'd you get in? This party is invitation or date only."

A sly smile grew on Jacobs lips. He took another long drink, finishing the rest of the beer and put the empty one on the bar before he spoke. "I can be very… persuasive when I use my very best assets," he chuckled adding a wink for extra emphasis.

Elliot shook his head and crossed his arms in front of his chest as he smirked at him. "Who'd you sleep with to get in here?"

Jacob scoffed as if he would was personally insulted. "Is that what you think I am? Some man whore who'll sleep with a woman I just met just to get into a party?"

"Jacob."

"I think her name started with a G or maybe it was a B… or an E… ah well it all sounds the same when you're moaning it," he said with a shrug. "Anyway, she brought me here tonight I told her thanks and ditched her. She looked way too fat in her dress to be seen with anyway."

Elliot rolled his eyes at his friend's antics. "I can see you haven't changed much."

"The three G's still are the main focus of my life, man; gettin' some, gettin' some, and of course, gettin' some," said Jacob with a smirk as he snatched up a beer from the bar that had been placed there a second earlier for another person.

"I think that was mine," a woman beside him told him with a polite smile.

Jacob turned to her, looked her up and down and pressed the bottle against the crotch of his jeans. "If you want it, baby, you gotta reach for it."

The woman looked at him in utter disgust before she stormed away from the two. Elliot furrowed his brow at his friend, a serious look replacing his grin.

"You gotta be careful with that shit around here, Jake," Elliot told him. "This party is for SVU cops and their dates only and you just verbally harassed one of them."

"And I could take on any of these panty police punks, no offense, with one hand behind my back and the other one holding my beer."

Elliot shushed him as several members of the squad turned and glared harshly at him. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Jacob scoffed and rolled his eyes to the ceiling. "Lighten up, Stabler. God were you always this uptight?"

"Yes."

"Well stop it. No wonder Kathy left you. You really gotta stop being such a whiny bitch. Leave that to the chicks."

Elliot's glare grew more pronounced as Jacob took another swig of his beer. He forgot how blunt his friend could be at times as well…

Jacob finished that beer just as fast as he had his first and put that on the bar as well. He leaned up against the bar, grabbing another beer that was being flung down the bar towards another patron. The bartender was too busy to care.

"So," he began as he nursed his beer. "Who's willing to put out in this joint?"

"No one," Elliot said dryly.

"Oh come on, Man, lighten up! You used to be my wingman, what happened?"

Elliot said nothing as Jacob threw his arm around his shoulder. "Look, you help me out tonight by introducing me to one of your sexy cop buddies and I'm gonna do something for YOU."

"Which would be what?"

A conniving grin grew on Jacob's face. "I'll introduce you to a few fine ass ladies that'll rock your world. What do ya say?" When Elliot said nothing Jacob got down on his knees, ignoring the strange looks he was getting from everybody around them.

"Please, please, please, please, PLEASE!" he begged, "Come on oh buddy, oh pal, oh friend!"

Elliot rolled his eyes as he reached down and hoisted Jacob to his feet. "Okay okay, I'll introduce you to someone."

"Someone hot and straight," Jacob added with a sharp glare towards Elliot. "Don't think I don't remember you introducing me to Sergeant he/she in Cali!" A grin grew on the Detectives face as he remembered the night he introduced Jacob to his platoon sergeant Rita Monroe; the biggest, loudest, butchiest woman Elliot had ever laid eyes on. "Say it!"

"Fine fine; someone hot and straight."

"By MY standards!"

"By your standards. No repayment necessary," Elliot added quickly.

Jacob gave him a quick hug before he stepped back, his eyes sparkling mischievously. Elliot had a bad feeling about this…

Jacob downed the rest of his beer before he turned back to Elliot, a sly almost sadistic grin on his face. "Let's go get me a piece of ass!" he shouted, once again ignoring the sharp glares aimed at him

"Just a minute I gotta get my friend her drink," Elliot told him as he turned back to the bar. Elliot had just grabbed the drink when Jacob suddenly clenched Elliot's shoulder so hard he thought it might break.

"What the hell, Man?" Elliot snapped as he twisted out of Jacobs vice grip and turned towards him. His eyes were wide and his mouth was gaped open as he looked at something that had obviously stunned him.

After several moments in which Elliot considered calling 911, not sure if Jacob had a heart attack or not Jacob finally spoke, his voice nothing but a faint breath. "Her. I want her. No no… I NEED her."

"Who?" Elliot asked as he tried finding the woman who had captured his friend's attention in a way that made Elliot a bit concerned for Jacob's new target. As Elliot's eyes landed on the woman who Jacob was talking so fondly about his heart pounded hard against his ribs and his hands balled into shaking fists.

The woman that Jacob was lusting over was Olivia Benson…

Elliot could only manage two words, afraid that if he tried for anymore he would end up insulting the man beside him so heavily both would up behind the bar throwing punches.

"Not her."

Jacob shook his head unable to tear his eyes away from Olivia's form as she walked closer to the duo. "Man, you do not understand," he breathed. "She's everything I want in a woman! I could care less if she's straight, bi, or raging gay! A few drinks in her will solve that problem but I NEED her, Stabler! "

"I said!" Elliot snarled darkly. "Not her!"

Jacob finally managed to tear his eyes away from Olivia to glare at Elliot. "What? You got some kind of claim on her or something?"

"She's my partner and my best friend."

"Did you fuck her?"

"No but-."

"Then she's fair game," Jacob said with a shrug.

"No she's not!" Elliot barked.

"Yes. She is." Without another word he looked back towards Olivia who had finally spotted Elliot and was making her way through the crowds towards them. Jacob whistled low as his eyes ran up and down her body as he licked his lips. "I am going to tear that ass up! I might even give her another go another night. She looks like she knows how to fuck and knows how to fuck GOOD!"

"You're not going to touch her!" Elliot snarled.

"Yes I am," Jacob told him without taking his eyes from Olivia. He smirked and turned back to Elliot and winked, his devious grin almost held a sadistic quality to it now. "I'm gonna give it to her rather she knows it or not."

Elliot's rage intensified tenfold at Jacob's disgusting vile words. Jacob didn't understand Olivia was so much more than just a great body that could be used for one or two good nights. She was worth so much more then what Jacob was planning to do with her.

Elliot was about to grab him by the scruff of the collar and throw him out when Olivia walked up to the two of them. "What's taking so long with that drink, El?" she asked while a smile played on her lips.

Before Elliot could even part his lips to answer Jacob pushed in front of Elliot, grabbing the drink from his hands as well. Jacob flashed his most charming grin at her and Elliot swallowed hard when he saw Olivia swallow hard. "I'm so sorry, ma'am." Elliot rolled his eyes at Jacob's suddenly suave sooth tone. "I was keeping Elliot busy, I apologize." Jacob handed Olivia her drink, his hand lightly trailing hers as he did.

Olivia stared at him for several moments before she cleared her throat and a smile that left both men weak in the knees graced her lips. "It's fine. I'm sorry for interrupting."

"Don't be," Jacob told her as he held out his hand. "I'm Jacob Tearny,"

"Olivia Benson," she said as she gripped his hand. Instead of shaking it he brought it to his lips and planted a soft kiss on it. Olivia blushed as he released her hand and chuckled softly. "Can I buy you a drink?"

"She already has one." The sharpness and rage Olivia heard in his tone matched the pitch in the interrogation room he would use when one of their suspects would hit on her.

Jacob and Olivia turned towards him and while Jacob narrowed his eyes in intense dislike Olivia narrowed hers in genuine confusion. "Elliot, you okay?" she asked softly with a hint of concern.

"He's fine," Jacob answered for him. He turned back to Olivia was less effected by the charismatic smile on his face. "You wanna get out of here and go talk somewhere? It's getting a little crowded in here don't you think?"

Olivia blushed before she nodded and shot him a playful grin. "Sure. I'd like that."

Jacob beamed at her before he held out his hand. Olivia laughed at his old fashioned gesture before she took his arm and the two disappeared in the crowd.

"Damn it!" he growled as he tried desperately to follow them but he couldn't see hide or hair of either of them. He saw them sneak out of the ballroom doors and he was about to follow them when the microphone squealed and made all five hundred personal wince and turn towards the stage where the commissioner was standing there with a microphone. "I just wanted to say a few words to everyone and then you can get back to your party as well as hand out the awards," he told the massive group with a smile.

Elliot rolled his eyes as he made his way towards the doors that Olivia and Jacob just went out but found his way blocked by two hotel workers.

"Sorry, Sir, no one in and out during speeches," one of the guards told him with a smile.

Elliot raised his brow in a 'really?' kind of look before he pushed through both of the guards who couldn't have weighed more than a hundred pounds soaking wet and burst through the doors. He looked around the lobby for any trace of Olivia and Jacob but found none.

Elliot was about to run up to the hotel clerk to ask if she had seen where they had gone when the door opened again and Fin walked out.

"You just got called up for an award," Fin told him. "You need to get in there and accept it."

"I need to find Olivia!" Elliot protested. "Otherwise she's gonna make a huge mistake with a huge asshole!"

Fin narrowed his eyes in confusion. "You mean that guy she went off with a little while ago?"

Elliot's eyes widened as he rounded on him. "You saw them? Why the hell didn't you stop them?"

Fin shrugged carelessly. "I'm not a cock block for my friends."

"He's gonna use Olivia!" Elliot shouted.

"Liv is a big girl she can take care of herself. Besides how the hell do you know?"

"Me and that prick!" Elliot spat, "used to best friends when we were in the corps! He asked me to hook him up with someone and I said I would only I didn't know that someone would be with Olivia! He's a sexist prick who treats women like trash and I'm not gonna let him hurt Olivia like that! She deserves better then that! The only thing he sees is a perfect body to have sex with! He doesn't see that she's so much more then that! He doesn't see that she's kind, and loyal, and intelligent, and independent, and beautiful, and caring, and fun, and generous, and…" Elliot sighed as he leaned up against the wall and closed his eyes in defeat, "and perfect."

Fin's brown eyes widened considerably as he took a step back from Elliot. "Oh my God," Fin breathed. "You're in love with her…"

"No I'm not," Elliot protested half heartedly. It felt wrong in every way imaginable way to deny his feelings for his best friend but he had to… It was the only way he knew to keep her from running. If he told her and it didn't work out between them, and that's IF she returned the feelings he held for her, it would never be the same between them again. He would have her as his best friend then as nothing…

"Yes you are!" Fin cried a little loudly then Elliot would have liked him to. "You don't talk like that about a girl you're just friends with I don't care how close you are! How long?"

"Fin-."

"How long!"

Elliot sighed and his blue eyes closed again. "About two years. After Kathy and I got divorced I just… everything I ever felt about her just exploded. I loved her since I met her but only as a friend and that was it but now…" Elliot swallowed hard as he looked up at Fin, showing for the first time in nearly two years just how much it was torturing him that he was hiding this from Olivia. "Now it's different."

Fin swallowed hard as he looked at the clear and obvious pain in Elliot's face. This really was hurting him… "El, Man-."

"He's gonna hurt her!" Elliot protested. "I gotta stop her!"

"She'll hate you forever; she'll hate this guy for a few days. It's not worth it," Fin protested.

"She doesn't deserve what he's gonna do to her," Elliot told him. "I don't care if she hates me, I gotta stop him! What room number are they in?"

"Elliot, you don't even know if they're in her room."

"I have to start somewhere!"

"El-"

"Room number NOW!"

Fin shrugged, sighing as he did so. "I don't know man. I think Alex is her roommate so she might know."

Without another word Elliot ran towards the entry door only to be blocked by the security standing guard in front of it. "I'm sorry, Sir, we've been given instructions not to let anyone rejoin the party who stepped out."

"I just need to talk to someone!" Elliot shouted. "It's important!"

"I will deliver the message but you are too remained outside the ball room."

Elliot groaned as he ran his hands over his face. He knew arguing would just waste time so he instead just nodded. "I need you to ask Alex Cabot what her room number is and please hurry! Someone could be hurt!"

"I'll do my best, Sir."

The guard walked into the room and Elliot swallowed hard as he paced back and forth waiting for his messenger to arrive back. He tried calling Olivia's phone but after the first unanswered call it went straight to voice mail. Alex's cell phone also went straight to the messaging system and he also tried calling Cragen and Munch but neither of them knew Olivia's room number either. Elliot also tried asking the front desk but they wouldn't give it to even when he flashed his badge…

All the while he sat there his thoughts screamed at him that he needed to be doing something more than just sitting there, showing him pictures of all the vile wretched things Jacob could be doing to Olivia right now rather she wanted him to or not. There had been rumors around their first base that Jacob was not against forcing himself on a woman to get what he wanted but those were just that; rumors. Elliot never believed them and used the same exact argument proving his friends innocence every time someone would mention the possible assaults. James was one of the best looking guys in their company who could get any piece of ass he wanted with no questions about it. Why would he have to rape or assault women?

That was years and years ago though, before Elliot worked for SVU. Now he knew that rape wasn't about sex. It was about power and dominance both of which radiated off of Olivia. Elliot shuddered in disgust as he franticly began to call more people but to no avail.

Twenty pain staking minutes later, the man Elliot had sent in after Alex reemerged. "She said room '327'," he answered when Elliot demanded to know what Alex had said.

Without wasting time on a 'thank you' Elliot ran to the elevator and rode the carrier to the third floor. It was the longest ride of his life… As soon as the doors opened he took off on a dead sprint towards the indicated room. His heart pounded wildly against his ribs, his breathing echoed in his ears, and only one single thought did Elliot allow to scream at him; pushing him harder and harder.

"I have to protect her…"

Elliot finally reached he room and took a deep breath and was about to kick it down when it was wrenched open from the inside and a shirtless Jacob, who had a huge ugly black and bruise surrounding, his right eye, stormed out.

Jacob took one look at Elliot and glared furiously at him as he hastily pulled his shirt back over his head. "If you want the prude bitch take her!" Jacob spat. "I'm sure she's a lousy fuck anyway!"

Elliot grabbed him by the shirt and slammed him against the wall so hard the wall cracked where his head touched it. "Do not EVER talk about her like that again!"

Olivia's voice rang from the inside of the room, pleading with him to stop whatever he was doing to Jacob. Her voice sounded pitiful and forced; like she was on the verge of crying. Elliot shot Jacob a glance so menacingly angry that Jacob cowered beneath his harsh glare. "What did you do to her?" he breathed.

His whole body and voice shook from his consuming rage that grew tenfold when Jacob smirked at him and shrugged carelessly. "Nothing the teasing bitch didn't deserve..."

Using every ounce of the strength he possessed Elliot punched Jacob as hard as he could in the jaw sending him flying to the floor, his eyes closing on impact. Elliot stepped over him and raced into the room where Olivia was sitting on the edge of the bed; her head bowed and a bruise the shape of a fist on her jaw.

Elliot was going to kill him…

"He didn't do anything," Olivia muttered, her voice full of shame and embarrassment and a hint of tears. "He just kind of roughed me up a little. I'm fine."

Olivia sniffed and wiped away her tears. "Downstairs he said he just wanted to get freshened up, I offered to take him up to my room to help him… I didn't even get to open the door all the way before he took off his shirt and came on to me and came on to me. I told him no." She motioned towards the bruise on her face. "He got angry, I hit him back, he stormed out…" She sniffed and shrugged as she looked back down at the ground. "I was an idiot."

Elliot went over and sat down on the edge of her bed. "Liv, he's conned a lot of intelligent women." His voice was soft and faint and he wished more than anything that they had sex. That way she could get a little bit of time to be happy with the guy she liked instead of just finding out what an asshole he was right at the start. "You weren't the first and you won't be the last. It's nothing to be ashamed of."

If Olivia heard his words she ignored him. She wiped her unfallen tears from her eyes and took a shuddering breath. "I'm just… I'm so tired, Elliot." "I'm 45 years old; I should be worrying my kids heading off to college soon, not trying to get a boyfriend and worrying if it's too late for children."

Elliot bit his lip as he reached over and gently rubbed circles on her back wishing more than anything that the fabric between her skin and his fingers was gone. "You'll find someone, Olivia. Someone who deserves your love and who's worthy of your heart and who'll wake up every morning thanking God that you exist because he doesn't want to live in a world where you aren't with him. Someone who doesn't know how he managed to survive without your love because he knows that that second that you fell for him was the greatest moment in his life."

Elliot watched as Olivia snapped her head up and bored into his eyes, her lips parted. He swallowed hard as his words sank into her and he saw tears that had gathered in the corner of her eyes fell and he gently wiped them. Elliot was surprised and amazed when she leaned into his touch, her brown eyes finding his.

"I'm sorry," Elliot told her softly as he found himself unable to tear himself away from her enchanting eyes. "That you had to be hurt to find out what Jacob was like."

"Elliot?" Olivia breathed her voice no louder than a whisper.

"Yeah?"

"Do you… I mean is this… I'm lost right now, Elliot. Tell me what to think. Tell me what's right to feel because this is scaring me to death right now."

Elliot was silent for several long moments before he finally spoke. "I think…" he began slowly, "that you should feel whatever feels right for you and trust your heart when it's telling you something you've known for a while now."

Olivia swallowed any words that had built on her tongue and leaned in hesitatingly. "Is this real," she whispered as Elliot leaned against his forehead. Their eyes closed as their breaths hitched in their throats, neither of them daring to move an inch closer. "Or will I open my eyes and this'll all be nothing but a wonderful dream?"

"It's real for however long as you want it to be," Elliot breathed. Elliot could feel her cool sweet breath on his lips and he ached to move closer but that was Olivia's play. She had to tell him he wanted this as much as he did.

Olivia nodded before she leaned in closer. Their lips met…

Merry Christmas, EOforevertogether. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it :-)