A/N: I'm an A/O kinda girl, but JLove is too good to pass up! I mean when Dick Wolf didn't, one, make her kill herself, or two, make her shoot the prick who stalk/raped her guaranteeing her own cell at Riker's…Vicki Alicia Sayers became one of my favorite SVU characters. Don't own them and am not making any money.

"Promises, Promises"

"Hey El, I'm going to take off a little early today. " Olivia didn't even bother to sit down at her desk chair as she signed the final bits of paperwork and handed them to her partner, knowing he would get them to the right people and files.

"Yeah, yeah." He gave her a knowing glance. "Say 'hi' to her for me."

Olivia shook her head and squinted her eyes, "what are you trying to say, Stabler?"

"Liv, I'm a detective if you haven't noticed. Don't insult my intelligence." He knocked her on the shoulder with the folder he was carrying around to look busy. "Oh, and Vicki told me she invited you to dinner when we were leaving the tombs. I had Frisco in the lobby keep her company while you finished up." He grinned and stepped away to avoid any potential backlash.

All Benson could do was smirk and throw a "thank you" to her partner as she made her way down the stairs. She forwent the finger she really wanted to throw at him along with her gratitude.

"I guess we've come a long way from you arresting me." They were seated in a corner table at Enzo's, across the street from the precinct. The server had come, gone, and come again with their drink order.

"Sorry, I guess it's habit when someone is," Olivia paused for dramatic effect. "I don't know, pointing a gun at me?" She deadpanned.

"I don't know what I was thinking." Vicki so easily fell into the regret she'd lived with for fifteen years.

"You weren't." Liv reached across the table and laid it gently on top of Vicki's. "It's okay."

"Olivia, I just need to say," the younger woman turned her hand in Olivia's grasp until their palms were flush, "thank you."

"You don't need to thank me. I promised that we would get the douche bag, and once he's done serving the sentence for what he did to you—that is, if he's still alive—let's just say I put in a good word with the feds." Olivia squeezed her hand.

"And you didn't even have to live with me for the next twenty years to do that." Vicki grinned and looked up at her dining companion.

"Hey, is that a smile?" Olivia mimicked the expression. "I think that's the first time I've seen you do that."

"I hope to do it a lot more often now." Vicki looked away bashfully and let go of Olivia's hand to reach for the menu.

"So, what are you planning to do now?" Olivia opened a Splenda packet and stirred it into her iced tea.

"I'm not making any big decisions right now, but I'm thinking of leaving the medical field." Vicki opened her menu. "I've always thought it'd be cool to be a lawyer."

"Wow, that's a big change." Olivia sipped her drink. "A lot more schooling, but I think you'd be great at it."

"Well, I've had a lot of time to study for the LSATs and have taken some transferable online courses." The young woman set the menu aside, "all I need to do is send out my law school applications."

"Why law?"

"Because the next time there's another Bill Harris that does this to a woman, I want to make sure I am there so they don't have to go through the same obstacles I did." The intensity in her tone was surprising. "And you of all people know there will be another."

Olivia didn't know what to say except to try to apologize. Apologize for the law and the statute of limitations. Apologize for the inhumane backlog of rape kits across the country. Apologize she hadn't taken the bastard into a dark alley and made sure he was never heard from again. Vicki realized how her statement had come across.

"You're blameless in all this, Olivia. I have nothing but gratitude for your…industriousness." Vicki laughed. "I'm trying to use bigger, lawyer-like words."

"I just wish I could have done more." There was always more to be done in Olivia's mind.

"You're doing it right now." Vicki sighed and waited for Olivia to meet her eyes. "You're helping me live again."

"How long has it been since you've eaten out?"

"Three years. Even when I lived with my mom, she was pretty sick and didn't get out much." Her voice never wavered, but was still full of emotion. "That was just fine with me."

"Well, I'm glad you're here now."

"I'm glad too."

The server returned and took their order, bringing their meals quickly (Olivia had an "in" with practically everyone in the neighborhood). The two women spent their dinner in companionable conversation, finding many items in common and plenty of shared laughs. After a brief spat over the bill (Vicki was surprisingly quick with the credit card), they walked back onto the street.

"Hey, why don't you come back to my hermitage and watch a movie with me? It's been a long time since I've had anyone over." Vicki's joking request was made with a shy confidence.

"I have a better idea. Let's catch a movie in a theater." Olivia looked over at the beautiful young woman next to her, carefully linking their arms as they walked. "There's something I haven't done in about three years."

"As long as you promise to buy the popcorn." Vicki Sayers adjusted her arm until it was pressed comfortably against Detective Benson's side.

"That's definitely a promise I can keep."

A/N2: What do you think, any potential? Should I even consider turning this into a series? I mean, I can write all day with JLove as a muse…lemme know.