Someone Who Understands

This is my first SVU story although I have watched since the very first episode. I was a long time Benson/Stabler shipper but I see a lot pf spark between Benson and Barba. None of the characters are mine but I appreciate the chance to play with them. This story takes place after Depravity Standard and contains spoilers. As this is my first SVU story I would love any feedback! If you enjoy it and are a Major Crimes fan check out my other stories.

They had been at the memorial service for Hector when she had gotten the call about Rollins. She looked at the time and knew she needed to get home to Noah and let the nanny go home. He could see the conflicted look on her face and could feel how both situations were pulling at her. Tentatively he placed a hand on her shoulder, "Go to the hospital and check on Rollins. I can go to your place and relive the nanny." He told.

The looks that crossed her face over the next few seconds ranged from shock, to doubt, to gratitude, back to doubt." You don't have to do that." She said.

He pressed his hand a little more firmly on her shoulder, "Liv, go to the hospital, Rollins needs you. It will be fine."

Olivia nodded not sure how he had this ability to talk into things so quickly, "OK, I will call Lindsay and let her know you are coming. Noah should be in bed by now. If he wakes up he will probably want a cup of milk and music turned back on." She told him already turning to instruct some patrol officers to get the mothers of the victims home safely.

"Barba, thank you." She said with the slightest grateful smile erasing the worry off her face for a second. He didn't know why but more and more often he felt compelled to try and take some of that worry from her. She didn't let it happen often, because in truth she knew she was usually the best one to handle things. It was one of the areas where motherhood was forcing a change though and right now she was willing to accept an offer of help from her friend. Not that Rafael Barba could ever remember offering to keep a friend's child before but Olivia Benson had a way of making him do things he normally would not do. It was part of what drove him a little bit crazy about her.

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It was close to midnight when Olivia returned to her apartment to find Barba and Noah curled up together asleep on the couch. Olivia smiled, perhaps for the first time since that morning when she had left Noah that morning. "Hey " she whispered gently taping Barba on the shoulder trying her best not to wake the toddler.

"Hey, sorry, I must have dozed off. He woke up a little while ago and was a little freaked that you weren't here." Barba explained as Olivia took the sleeping child from his arms and carried him back to bedroom.

"How's Rollins?" He asked her when she returned.

"Physically, the doctors say she will recover quickly, emotionally it's going to take some time." She said shaking her head. "Thanks again Barba, I really appreciate it. I owe you one."

"Hmm, Olivia Benson, owing me, why do I like the sound of that? " He said with a grin. "So maybe I get to finish two sentences before you interrupt me next time we fight about a case?"

Olivia laughed, "Try telling me where to put my ass again and see how well it ends for you. Maybe it's better if I owe you in the personal front not he professional front." She said wishing at once she could take it back because it almost sounded like she was flirting with him. It was too late though, Barba got that grin on his face that he gets when he knows he has a defendant on the ropes.

"Well. Lieutenant, if you weren't so damn stubborn I wouldn't have to tell you things like that. So yes, let's say you owe me on the personal front then" He paused for a minute because rarely did he get the opportunity to see her squirm and he was going to enjoy it. "What about you let me take you and Noah to lunch tomorrow? "

She looked at him as if he had grown a second head, "You want to take my toddler and myself to lunch tomorrow? Don't you have some kind of stuffy Saturday brunch thing?" She asked trying to discourage him not sure where this was headed.

"Nope, just lunch with you and Noah at this Spanish place I like in the West Village. See you about noon?" He asked as he gathered his suit jacket from the couch smiling slightly knowing he had managed to completely throw her for a loop and also take her mind off the events of the day.

"OK then, we'll see you around noon." She said still not sure what to make of the whole situation and how it had transpired but honestly she was too tired to think about it and she could already hear Noah starting to call her from his room.

After he left closed the door she made her way to Noah's room and picked him up and carried him to her bed where most nights he ended up anyways. "Well Little Man, we should get some sleep. It sounds like we have lunch plans tomorrow."

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Barba arrived back at Oliva's apartment less than twelve hours after he had left. She answered the door wearing a pair of skinny jeans, boots and a sweater that Barba couldn't help but notice fit her just perfectly, the entire outfit fit her perfectly.

"Come in and have a seat, I just need to get Noah up, he fell asleep while I was getting ready." She said quickly.

Barba couldn't help but look around the apartment at the toys that had been picked up last night were already scattered back around. He wondered how long they had been up and if Olivia had gotten much sleep at all last night.

"I don't know much about kids but isn't there some rule about how you aren't supposed to wake them up?" He asked her.

Olivia smiled at him, "Well yes, that is generally true but sometimes you have to like, when you have lunch plans.

Barba shook his head, "Don't wake him, we can change out plans. I can go pick us up something and bring it back. " He offered.

"Are you sure?" She asked, "If you want I can make us something. If nothing else I make a great peanut butter and jelly."

"Hmm, how about turkey?" He asked her.

"I think I have some of that, and some fruit." She said, "And of course goldfish crackers."

"I've never been one to turn down a goldfish cracker." He laughed.

Olivia made them some sandwiches and they sat down to eat them. "Have you talked to Rollins today?" Barba asked her. Olivia shook her head, "I talked to Finn, she's resting."

"So what are your plans after Noah wakes up?" He asked her as they cleared up the dishes.

"Well I don't know. Until last night we didn't have any plans for today." She said

"Well if you want we could go to the park. It's pretty nice out for November. Then maybe we could try for diner at the place I told you about." He suggested.

Olivia stared at him trying to figure out what was going on. "Ok, Barba what's up? Surely you have better things to do with your Saturday than to hang out with a single cop mom and her toddler. What are you up too."

Barba could feel himself check his temper before he spoke, "Olivia, I am not up to anything, and yes there are probably other ways I could spend my Saturday but this is how I want to spend it. Is that so hard for you to believe?" He asked.

"Yes, a little, why?" She replied still trying to understand.

He set the plate he was holding in the sink and turned around and locked eye with her the way they did so many times when they were about to do battle, "Because, Lieutenant it has been a damn hard week and I thought it would be nice to spend a day off with the one person that might understand what all had happened this week. Someone who wouldn't want to hear about the details of how I almost lost the case, fought with the lead investigator on it who in the end saved my ass by getting the other parents to allow their child to testify next time. I needed friendly company and thought maybe you did too but clearly I have overstepped and should go." He said trying to walk past her when he felt her grab hold of his hand and he turned back to her.

"Rafe, the park and dinner would be nice, thank you." She said with a soft smile.

TBC