Inventing Shadows

Chapter 1: It's Not Surprising It Could End Like This

Olivia sat next to David in a bar steps away from the precinct. It had been a particularly tough week for her. She made a near fatal mistake with a case eight years ago and now a man had been wrongfully imprisoned. Even though it was not her fault directly, IAB had decided to look back on all of her cases and any case SVU had ever taken on during her nearly fifteen years. She hoped that would be the worst of it but, less than an hour ago Cragen had informed her that her secret boyfriend David Haden would be the head of investigation.

David called her after her shift and asked to meet her. She knew there was not a whole lot of good that could come from agreeing but, against her better judgment, she went to the bar.

"So I am guessing you heard about my new job?" He said after a hello kiss and a long pause.

"Yeah. Congratulations, you deserve it."

"It is a really great opportunity but, I don't know it's worth it. I could resign."

"I could never ask you to do that. I mean, when we started this we said we would take it slow and that is hardly taking it slow."

"You know what that means, don't you?"

"This…Us…. Never happened." Olivia wiped tears from her eyes and downed the rest of her glass of cabernet. David stood up and grabbed his coat. He began walking toward the door.

Olivia motioned to the bartender to get her another drink. She held her head in her hands and sighed. Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around cautiously and before she could speak David had his lips pressed to hers. He kissed her as if it was the last kiss he would ever have.

"What was that for?" She said once he finally finished.

"I can't let this be over. We need to out ourselves to the DA and your captain. Then we accept the consequences." He said sitting down again.

"No. You will lose your job and what if this doesn't work out. I mean let's be realistic here, this is the longest relationship I have had since I started this job, besides Elliot and who's to say it's going to last. It only takes one case that I get too attached to for this to go south."

"I am in this. One hundred percent I am here."

"Yeah. You say that now."

"Liv, if you want to keep making up reasons not to try, I can leave and we can be done."

"I hardly think my worries are simple petty 'reasons not to try'. I think we should keep doing what we have been doing. We can keep this a secret I mean how hard can it be?"

"Well, you know Bayard is on to us."

"I will talk to him. He is just jealous of us."

"I wouldn't use that as my main point If I were you." David chuckled and kissed her.

"Alright, so we are doing this?"

"We are doing this."