‘SVU’ Stars Christopher Meloni + Mariska Hargitay Reunite For The Holidays

Former fan favorite Law & Order: SVU partners Elliot Stabler and Olivia Benson may no longer work together for the fictitious NYPD sex crimes division, but their real-life counterparts -- Christopher Meloni and Mariska Hargitay -- are still friends.

The actors recently reunited for a holiday selfie, which — much to the delight of SVU fanatics everywhere — Meloni first posted to Instagram along with the caption, "Friends at Xmas."

Hargitay later posted the same photo to her own account, along with an excessive amount of hashtags, writing, "#ChrisMas# ChrisKringle #AVeryBenslerChristmas #TheChrisWhoStoleChristmas #HomeMeloni #HolidayClassics #BenslerTogether.”

Meloni and Hargitay starred together in the crime drama as partners for 12 seasons, before Meloni abruptly left the show back in 2011. Despite fans’ desperate pleas he’d someday return to revive his beloved character, the Veep actor has made it clear he’ll only make an appearance for SVU’s last ever episodes.

"I just recently was talking about that," he told Entertainment Weekly. "I always presented that I’d be open to doing the last few episodes, so that’s really all I have to say about that. It’s not up to me, I’ll just say that. I’ve said my piece on it.”

But former show runner Warren Leight — who parted ways with SVU at the end of Season 17, following a five-season run — feels if anyone can convince Meloni to come back, it’s Hargitay.

"I think if Mariska were to have called him, he would have taken the call," he said in a February 2016 interview with The Hollywood Reporter. "That can be for another day, hopefully a long way off."

Law & Order: SVU's Season 18 returns to NBC after a two-month hiatus on January 4 at 9PM EST.

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