Love at the Outback

DISCLAIMER:Ok so I know this isn't exactly the way Choreographed happened but I needed it to end this way for the sake of this story. Enjoy and as always, review!!

The next day Elliot found himself looking at the clock every ten minutes, silently begging it to read 12 o'clock. But it was still only 8:30. He closed his eyes, picturing Riley's face, smiling at him. Looking at him with those jungle green eyes. He smiled at the thoughts and snapped back to reality when he heard Cragen call his name.

"Elliot." He turned towards the Captain."You need to question the homeless guy you aprehended last night. He's still at the hospital." Elliot nodded. "That was a pretty ballsy thing, going after this guy alone. I don't think you should question him alone though." Elliot smiled.

"You offering to be my partner? I'm probrably better off. Women keep leaving me." He said standing slowly.

"Well, you may be getting a second chance" Cragen said simply.

"Oh? Dani change her mind?" he asked.

"No. Olivia's back" he replied before walking back into his office. Elliot looked back where Captain Cagen had been standing, hearing the words over and over in his head. Olivia's back. He couldn't believe it. He drove down to the hospital where he questioned the man with no tounge. Desperately, he tried to decipher the man's hand signals, succeeding little by little, until he asked about the perps hair color.

"Is it dark like mine?"she ask entering the room as if she'd been there all along. He looked at her as if he was seeing a ghost. He couldn't believe she was really here. In front of him. They continued questioning the mute until they finally got answers. On the ride back to the precinct she was the first to break the silence. "How've you been El?"she asked looking at him. He shrugged.

"Not bad...You?" he looked at her.

"Not bad either."she replied smiling at him. He smiled back.

"I missed you, Liv."he said simply. She nodded.

"I missed you too."she said."I'm just glad to be back"

"Yeah. It's good to have you back." he retorted before glancing over to her again. "What time you got?" he asked anxiously.

"It's 11:15" she replied looking at her watch.

"Jesus Christ this is fuckin torture" he said in a deep sigh to no one in particular. She looked at him curiously.

"What's torture?" she asked. He looked at her and a smile crept slowly onto his face at the memory.

"Well, last night...Monday...I went to the Outback as usual. Sat with Riley like we always do, and I sort of...asked her to have dinner with me tonight."he said plainly. Her eye grew slightly wider in excitement.

"What did she say?"

"She said yes. She gave me her number and asked me to call her after 12."

"You're going to call her right?" She asked.

"I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?" she asked, her voice a bit louder than it'd been before.

"I haven't been out on a first date in so long. I don't know what I'm doing." he explained

"El, it's not rocket science, I promise. You'll do fine." she said giggling slightly at his self doubt. "Just call her and take it from there."she said looking at the time again. "It's 11:20. Just a little while longer." she said patting his arm.

"You're a bitch you know that?" he said smiling, letting her know that he was clearly kidding. She laughed and nodded.

"Only because it's you." she said as they pulled into the precinct. They walked through the double doors of the squad room with their usual dominant presence, silently letting everyone know that the duo was back together. Sitting at their respective desks she smiled running her fingers along the wood of her desk. "I missed this too" she whispered only loud enough for Elliot to hear her.

"Your desk?" he asked with confusion written all over his chisled features. She nodded and smiled brightly. He chuckled and shook his head softly. Glancing at the clock again, he groaned in frustration. She spoke without even looking at him already knowing what he was groaning about.

"Looking at the clock every 5 minutes won't make time go by faster. Just keep yourself busy, it'll be 12 o'clock before you know it." she stated looking through the current case file. He looked at her and smiled. Happy to have her back to give him her smart ass remarks. He loved her as a brother loved a sister and she loved him the same. He had no idea where he would be had they not met and been partners for those 7 years. She was his best friend. No one even came close to her. She looked up at him and smiled back. "What are you smirking at?" she asked.

"You" he replied. She nodded.

"Thanks for being honest" she said looking back at the case file. "I really think this is open/shut you know that? I just have a feeling..."she said, her mind wandering to the evidence.

"It's shut" they heard Munch say from behind them. "The husband just confessed. It's over."

"Danielle's husband?" Olivia asked.

"No, the lover's husband." He corrected. She looked confused.

"What?"

"Danielle's husband had a lover, Naomi. Her husband,Glen, just confessed." He explained walking towards Olivia's desk "Good to have you back, Liv."

"Thanks Munch" she replied.

"So that's it? Just like that, the case is closed..." Elliot asked glancing at the clock which read 11:35.

"Stop looking at it" she said pinning him with her gaze. Rolling his eyes, he crossed his arms over his chest like a little kid who'd just gotten scolded by his mother. "Let's be glad it's over. That's the easiest case we've ever had, I think. All our cases should be that simple." she remarked. Munch agreed silently as he walzed over to his desk with his usual smooth, deliberate walk. "Why don't you go get us some lunch. That oughta waste a few minutes." she suggested smiling brightly at him. He smiled back and nodded.

"Is pizza alright? That's the farthest place I know that's still relatively close." She nodded and he stood, walking out of the precinct ugrently. He stepped outside into the brisk wind of a typical New York City day. The sounds of the busy streets kept his pace upbeat and determined to get to the pizza place and back to the precinct by 12 o'clock on the dot. His mind quickly settled on Riley and he couldn't help but smile as he stopped at the pizza shop of off Waverly. The walk back to the precinct seemed to fly by and as soon as he entered the squad room his eyes went to the large clock in the center of the room hanging high on the wall. 12:05. He nearly dropped the pizza box as he tossed it on Olivia's desk and quickly sat at his. Taking a deep breath, he took the slip of paper from his jacket pocket and looked at it for a few moments. Sighing softly, he reached for the phone and dialed the number she'd given him. It rang twice before she finally answered.

"Hello?" His heart stopped momentarily and he smiled at the sound of her voice.

"Hello, Riley?"

"Yes?"

"Hey, it's Elliot." He said looking up at Liv who mouthed "relax" and he did.

"Hi Elliot. I was hoping it was you." She said softly. He smiled.

"We're still on for dinner right?" he asked with clear hope in his voice.

"Definetly. What time should I be expecting you?" she asked and he could tell she was smiling on the other line.

"Well, I can be out of work by about 5 so how about I pick you up around 6?" he asked. She was silent for a moment.

"Sounds perfect. I live on the corner of West 53rd street and 3rd Avenue. First building, third floor. Apartment 2B" she replied slowly.

"Okay, I'll see you at 6 then?" he asked smiling widely.

"Okay. Oh! Um, how should I dress?"she asked

"What do you mean? How should you dress?" he repeated.

"Well, I mean are we going anywhere that has, like, a dress code or anything?"

"Oh! That's a good question, uh..." instinctively he looked up at Olivia who mouthed "sexy" with a sly smile splayed across her face. He smiled back knowingly. "Dress Sexy..." He could tell she was blushing even though he couldn't see her and he kind of liked having that affect on her.

"Okay." she replied in almost a whisper.

"I'll see you in a little while, then" he said letting it come out in a seductive rasp that sent a chill down Olivia's spine and he smirked at her visibly erect nipples.

"Kay. Bye."

"Bye" He hung up smiling widely at Liv who was nodding her head, impressed. "I guess I can't be that bad if I can even make you shiver" He commented. She smiled.

"You bring out the straightness in me, El. What can I say?" he chuckled at the comment and leaned back in his chair feeling like a million bucks. "You are so adorable. You look like a little kid who was just cut loose in Santa's workshop." she laughed. He glared at her, a smiled playing on his lips.

"Why don't you save your comments for something constructive? Help me figure out where I'm going to take her will ya?" he asked leaning in towards her. "How about the Olive Garden? That's a nice place, they've got a great Zimphandale that I think she'd like." he asked. She gave him the look. "You think it's a bad idea" he stated reading her mind.

"Well...just,two things: One, the Olive Garden is nice but it's italian and if either one of you gets something with garlic in it, she may not want to kiss you at the end of the night. Two, Blush wine on the first date says 'I want sex and I want it now'. If you're going to include wine, I'd suggest going with a light Chardonay, it says 'I want you but no pressure'."She explained. He smiled at her. "Don't ask how I know, I just know. By the way, I want to hear what you're planning on wearing." she concluded.

"Okay. How about Fridays? They're a little more laid back but I think she'd enjoy it." he offered.

"How did you go from the Olive Garden to Fridays?" she asked with a confused smirk. "Look, there's this great Thai restaurant in the Village right off of Christopher. It's called the Wild Ginger. It's intimate, cozy, quiet and the food is delicious. Why don't you take her there?" she suggested. He thought for a moment.

"You're the expert" he joked. She giggled.

"Just trying to help." she said

"I know you are. Thank you. That's actually a great idea."

"I know" she said triumphantly. "Okay, let's talk wardrobe. I'm thinking that dark blue button down shirt you have. You look incredibly sexy in that shirt. You will so get laid if you wear that shirt." she said bluntly. He laughed at the remark. He loved how honest she was with him, even when it was blunt honesty and anyone who didn't know any better would've probrably thought she had the hots for him but he knew better than that. They were like siblings. Best friends. And she was very open about her sexuality after she'd grown comfortable with it. He admired her, frankly.

"I actually think that shirt might be clean so, I'll wear that. Thanks Liv. I think I'd be driving myself crazy if you weren't here." he said only half serious. She smiled back at him and shrugged.

"That's what friends are for..." she began.

"Please don't sing" he said returning to the case file which he marked CLOSED. The rest of the day moved at a snails pace, he looked up at the clock which finally read 4:45 and announced that he was going home for the day.

"Good luck" she said with a sincere smile. He gave her a wink and jogged out of the squad room.

"What's he so peppy about?" Munch asked as he walked past Elliot, who had a shit eating grin plastered on his face.

"He's got a date with that hot waitress from the Outback" Live said smiling to herself. Munch's jaw dropped and he looked back in the direction that Elliot had gone and shook his head.

"Damn you Stabler.." he said as he sauntered towards his desk.