Title: Benson's Way
Rating: M
Pairing: Alexandra Cabot/Olivia Benson
AN: Leave feedback if you'd like to read more of this.
Disclaimer: I do not own Law and Order: SVU. Hunter's Way is a novel by Gerri Hill.
Chapter One
"Benson, get in here."
Olivia glanced at Captain Cragen, then tossed the file she had been scanning onto her desk. She ignored the curious stares of the other detectives as she walked calmly into his office.
"Shut the door," he said.
She did and sat down quietly in front of him, waiting. His bald head glistened under the fluorescent lights and she silently watched him as he rubbed his bare forehead. Finally, he looked up from a thick file, locking glances with her. She looked down and realized that the file he had been looking at was her own.
"You're been with me seven years, Olivia."
"Yes, sir."
He took his glasses off and tossed them on top of the file, then leaned back in his chair.
"You've had six partners."
She sighed and rolled her eyes to the ceiling. Not this again.
"Wasn't it only a few months ago that we went over this?" she asked.
"Yes. And at that time, you'd only had five partners."
"You cannot possibly blame me for Dickhead's two broken legs," she exclaimed.
"Detective Kaplan will most likely be on desk duty the rest of his career." Then he sighed. "Dickhead?"
"You didn't have to work with him every day," she said dryly. "He was a prick."
"If witnesses hadn't verified that you'd jumped out first, I'd be the first to think you'd pushed him out of the goddamn window."
"Oh, please. If I'd wanted to get rid of him that badly, I'd have just shot him."
He let a ghost of a smile cross his face, laughing outright when he met her eyes. "Olivia, you know I let you get away with more shit than anyone else in this squad. You're my best detective and you know it. Hell, everyone knows it. But this thing with partners, it's got to stop."
"Don, is it my fault they get injured?"
"Injured?" He grabbed her file and flipped through the pages. "Two were killed in the line of duty, Benson. One is on permanent disability. Two quit the force. And now Kaplan. Desk duty because he'll walk with a limp the rest of his life."
She looked away. She wanted to feel remorse. She really did. But she'd not had a relationship with any of them. They had not liked her and she had not liked them. They never clicked, never formed the bond necessary to be partners. They had not trusted each other. And that makes for the worst of partners.
"You can't blame me for this. I tried to tell you with every one of them that it wasn't working. None of them could get past the fact that I'm a woman," she said.
"I know you did, and I know they weren't right for you. But I don't always get to make the decisions. You're too much of a maverick, Benson. You don't follow rules. I find it amazing that it hasn't caught up with you yet."
She glared at him. She'd heard this speech numerous times before. It always preceded his announcement that she would be getting a new partner.
"So who is he this time? Some burnout from Central?"
Captain Cragen shuffled through papers on his desk and put his glasses back on.
"Detective Cabot. From Assault."
"And?"
"And she's been assigned to us."
"She?" Olivia sat up straight in her chair. "A woman? You're pairing me with a woman?" She leaned her elbows on his desk. "Don? I goddamn woman?"
"What's wrong with that? You're a woman."
She rose quickly, pacing across his office. A woman? Some bimbo from assault? Jesus!
"She won't last a day," Olivia threatened. "And you know it."
"She will last a day, Olivia." Cragen stood, too, and pointed his finger at her. "Because if she doesn't, they'll ship you out to foot patrol in Central. Or they'll put you behind a desk in CIU. Hell, Benson, even the Chief called me."
"The Chief? Christ, I didn't think he knew my name."
"I mean it, Benson. Make this work. I don't want to lose you, but I can't protect you forever. In case you haven't noticed, no one wants to work with you."
Olivia shoved her hands in her pockets, her dark eyes piercing his. A woman. Well, this ought to be fun.
"Take her under your wing, Olivia. Show her the ropes. It might do you good to have a female partner. You'll be the only one shooting off testosterone that way."
"Very funny."
to be continued...
