Olivia watched with narrow eyes as the patrolmen took her perp to lockup. The taste of victory wasn't as sweet with Elliot gone, but she would take the feeling over the wash of numbness she'd been navigating through. Her eyes glazed over as she remembered a particularly difficult conversation she'd once had with her old partner.
"I'n sorry." Olivia said breathlessly, forcing herself to look into Elliot's hurt, blue eyes. "I should've talked to you. It was just..." He winced as she thought of the words. "Too complicated."
He wasn't sure what he'd even wanted her to say, but that wasn't it. He tried to hide the fact how hurt he was, but he failed. He finished buttoning up his shirt. "Thanks for stopping by."
If Olivia didn't know any better she'd say the way Elliot left was payback. They had never been closer or more dependent on each other. Kathy had left. Elliot barely saw the kids. He spent all his time with the only thing that kept him sane. He came to need Olivia like he needed air and vice versa.
So she knew it probably hurt when she transferred like it did when Kathy left. But she had to do it. Just like Elliot had to walk away from being a cop. She almost thought it'd be easier if he had done it out spite, to hurt her. But Elliot didn't have enough control over his emotions to weaponize them.
She had walked away and within weeks, she always came back. Finally, his need for Olivia didn't outweigh his need to get out of Manhattan SVU. And that's what hurt the most. She sighed absent-mindedly, catching Nick's attention.
Her partner's apparent replacement sidled closer to her, nonchalantly organizing files. Olivia pretended not to notice.
"You were good in there." He said after a long moment in his heavy northern accent. Olivia studied him secretly. He was young and handsome and a hothead just like Elliot, she could already tell. But he was deceptively charming, maybe even moreso than he was. He was a shameless smoozer and sometimes he couldn't turn it off.
Olivia shifted slightly in acknowledgement. If he wanted to schmooze her he would have to work for it. "You wanna come with everyone to the bar, y'know. For a drink." She looked up at him with tired dark eyes. If he was Elliot they would've been on the way already.
She thought about leaving the precinct in a stunned silence after the shoot out, sitting in her apartment together still silent, just embracing. Elliot standing and leaving, neither of them know it might be the last time they saw each other.
"You earned one after today." He followed up, his smile hanging off the side of his face. She met his eyes and surprised them both by grinning.
"Yeah." She said, slinging her coat over her arm. "I do."