A/N: This was written in about fifteen minutes, so it's a bit rough. Anyway, I'm not much of an A/O shipper, but I thought the whole return thing would've created a lot of tension between the two, so playing with that scenario, I came up with this little scene. Apologies about the language and overabundance of dialogue.

Confrontation


"So you never really told us why you came back."

I looked up to see her in the doorway, the last person I wanted to see, the first person I expected to. Olivia Benson. I'd thought it at the crime scene, but seeing her again, in the precinct, in court, now, it was definite. She'd changed, and looking her over once more, I had to say for the worse. Her hair was hideously long, her face tired, her body... plumper. She looked like she'd stepped out of the closet of an 80s bar slut.

I took off my glasses and looked at her. I sighed, "I thought I made it clear."

"You didn't."

"There was... there was too much baggage."

"Baggage? That's what you call it?"

"You know Olivia, sex crimes is a political graveyard."

"Oh do not pretend this is about your career."

She seemed to have developed a sanctimonious way of talking since she'd left. The tone was something she'd seen her use against perps. Not friends. Not colleagues. Not...

"It is. It was."

"Right, so you didn't answer what must've been three hundred calls I made because of your career. You didn't even--"

"--Believe it or not Liv, supervising and monitoring the workload of a hundred lawyers takes up a shit load of time."

"You got engaged!"

"And do you know why Liv? Do you know why the fuck I got engaged? I was over you. Okay? I got your calls, and guess what? I truly did not give a rat's ass to call you back. Is that what you wanted to hear? Because that's the truth."

"Right, and you're back now for what? Why? You think I'm just gonna go back to--"

"--I expect you to investigate and pursue sex crimes and bring me cases to prosecute. I am back because Jack McCoy wanted someone with more experience as his trial bureau chief and transferred me to appeals. I am back because Greylek got a job offer and I had the opportunity to get back on the trial roster. It has nothing to do with you."

"Right, and your marriage? That didn't work out because?"

"Because the guy was an asshole, Liv. I have a tendency to go for assholes. You case in point."

"Oh, that's real mature Alex, real mature."

"I'm not the one who has spent three years pining over an ex-girlfriend who made her complete lack of interest abundently clear. You think people don't call you back Liv because they're either too turned on or too disgusted by what you do for a living? Really? It couldn't possibly be that you're a boring, self-centered hag who whines about her mother and her father and how she may or may not be the product of rape like it's the end of the fucking world. Well guess what Liv? Everybody has shit to deal with. You're not special because of it. Now please get the fuck out of my office before I call security."

She stared at me, her eyes pulsing with rage, her lip upturned. I kept eye contact. I stayed firm, collected. She turned around and slammed the door behind her.

Tomorrow was going to be interesting.