Elliot gritted his teeth as he watched Liv walk across the street. He was in a van monitoring the wire she was wearing. Apparently the man loved brunettes and since Liv was a brunette. She was to try to get him to follow her into the alley to try to rape her. He hated that she would have to put herself in such danger, but it was part of the job. 

"Mic check," she said into the mic as she walked into the shop .

"Loud and clear, Liv," Elliot responded. He listened as Liv flirted with the man. He snarled his nose at the man's feeble attempt to impress her. The man's name was Fred Vanrick, and he was taking the bait. 

Liv started strolling out the door, leaving Fred to stare at her behind. Elliot watched her walk into the alley, followed close behind by Fred. "Did I leave something?" He heard her ask. Elliot could tell that she was putting on a show for him, and he was eating it up. 

The man shook his head, staring at her up and down. "Just wanted to invite you to a party tonight over at a friends house in Brooklynn." 

Liv raised her eyebrows, intrigued. "What's the occasion?"

Fred shrugged, innocent like. "Just a small get together with some buddies to celebrate." 

"I wouldn't miss it. I'll meet you here at seven." Liv winked at Fred and walked into the alley and disappeared around the corner where Munch was waiting in a separate van. 

Munch gave her a smirk. "Looks like you're in," he said. Liv smiled at him. 

After Liv called Cragen to explain to him that she'd been invited to a party by Fred Vanrick, she went back home to get ready. She needed to be perfect for him. Elliot waited in the van on the street, still monitoring her wire. She was muttering to herself about whether she should wear her short low cut red dress, or a strapless black dress. 

"Does the black show anything good?" Elliot asked into the mic. 

Liv laughed to herself. "I forgot you were still listening. Uh, it shows more leg than the red dress, but not as much cleavage as the red." 

Elliot thought for a moment. "Go with the black. Vanrick will like looking at your legs," Elliot suggested. He loved looking at her legs in jeans, so thinking what she will look like in the dress was messing with his head. He ran his hand over his face to clear his head. 

"Fair point. Let me shave my legs real quick," Liv said through her wire. 

"TARU's gonna have real fun extracting the evidence from this audio," Elliot laughed. Liv started chuckling with him. 

Several moments went by with none of them speaking. "El, what about stockings?"

"Hmm, what kind do you got?" He asked, tapping his finger to his chin, thoroughly engrossed. 

"Uh, fishnet, black, and a thin white," she listed off. 

Elliot raised an eyebrow. "Fishnet?"

"It was part of a Halloween costume several years ago, okay," Liv responded with a huff. She stood there with her arms crossed listening to him laugh in her earpiece. She loved listening to his laugh. 

"Fishnet all the way," he said after he calmed down. 

Liv came down from her apartment nearly an hour later and Elliot nearly lost it. He was having a hard time keeping things inside as it was. Especially since Kathy left him. Her black dress cut off at the perfect spot that left just enough to imagination. The fishnet stockings and high heels brought just enough spice to her outfit that Elliot knew he was in trouble. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. 

"How do I look?" Liv asked, twirling outside of the van before she hopped in the passenger seat. Elliot watched her twirl and sighed to himself. She tilted her head at him. "El, you okay?"

He shook his head sharply. "Yeah, I'm good. You look amazing," he finally responded. 

Elliot drove her as close to the spot as he could. She walked about a half a block to the bodega where Fred was waiting. He looked her up and down and chuckled. Elliot tightened his hold on his pen his was holding. He didn't like the way Fred was looking at Liv. 

They stood there talking about the party for a few minutes. It seemed they were waiting for another person with a car. Fin entered the back of the van and greeted Elliot with a head nod. Elliot handed over the headset for Fin to take while Munch got in the drivers seat. Elliot was heading home for the night. He wanted to stay close to Liv, but Cragen overturned his vote. 

He was to go home and rest. Mostly because Cragen knew that Elliot hadn't been home in at least three days. He was buying new dress shirts and pants early in the mornings to avoid going home. Elliot took one last look at Liv speaking with Fred and got into the car that Munch and Fin had brought. 

Once he got home, he threw his wallet and phone on the kitchen counter. He wanted to grab a beer, but he knew he didn't have any. He hadn't gone shopping in a while, and he was running low on actual food. He looked around his apartment. It was empty and way too loud. He tried to lay down and sleep, but all he could think about was Liv being so close to a rapist without her gun. Most importantly, without him. 

He knew she could take care of herself. He wasn't saying that she was helpless, just given the chance, he'd always want to be the one that saved her. He kept tossing and turning in his bed until someone knocked very loudly at his door. It was three in the morning, so he had no idea who it would be. 

Looking at his peephole, he gasped in shock and quickly opened the door. Liv was leaning against the door frame, hair a mess, her eyes glossed over. "Elliot," she slurred, reaching a tired hand out and leaning forward. Elliot rushed to catch her before she fell. 

"Liv, what happened to you?" Elliot asked as he closed the door with his socked foot and half carried, half dragged Liv to the couch to sit down. Or rather collapse. Elliot took notice that her fishnet stocks were torn badly and her dress had been hiked up to expose her underwear. He nearly slapped himself for staring. Instead he scolded himself and went to get a shirt for her to wear. 

When he came back, Liv was sitting up as best as she could, rocking back and forth. "Come on, stand up, Liv," he ordered, helping her stand. He knew he probably shouldn't do this, but she needed to get out of those clothes. He slowly and carefully started to unzip her dress. He tried hard not to look as the dress slipped off her body to the ground. Her necklace wire was still around her neck and probably recording everything. 

He wondered where Fin and Munch were, though. He slipped the shirt he found over her head and sat her back down. He wasn't going to remove her stockings. That seemed a little too sensual. Elliot took the dress to the kitchen where he found a bag to place the dress in. He'd take it to CSU in the morning. 

"Elliot!" 

He dropped the bag on the counter beside his gun and rushed to Liv. She was swaying back and forth as she stood up. "Liv, sit down." He attempted to sit her back on the couch, but she moaned in defiance. He huffed annoyingly and stood back. 

Liv trailed a hand up Elliot's bare chest to his face with a sensual, drugged smile. He felt so odd at that moment. He swallowed hard as she stepped closer to him. She was just centimeters away from him now. He could smell the alcohol on her. Someone must have drugged her. "I've always loved you, Elliot Stabler," she whispered, gently brushing her lips against his. 

He held his breath, eyes closed. Then he snapped them open. He stepped back, panting. He couldn't do it while she's like this. Its not consent. She pouted at him. "You don't want me?" She asked in a whiny voice. 

"No, I do, but you aren't yourself," he responded. 

She started to cry and sat back on the couch. Elliot looked around as if someone was going to come help him before sitting beside her. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him. She cried into his chest as he rubbed her back. "You don't love me," she cried. 

"No, I do," he said to her. "I really do, Liv."

0o0o0o