So ... this little scene is for all the SVU die hard fans who just got sick after the latest episode. Major season 17 spoiler alert!
Underlined print is from the actual show, which is owned by NBC and Dick Wolf.
Unfortunately, this chapter will probably only make sense for a week. After that, the writers will pull us further into their parallel universe ... if we can still watch it.

...

Sunday, February 14, 2016

Olivia had spent some time with Pippa after the brief trial and had met up with Tucker after dinner. He had called, asking her if she was okay. He'd been doing that a lot lately, ever since the incident on January 4th.

"Abraham's family ... how do they start over after this?" he wondered out loud as they strolled down the street.

"I can't even think about it," Olivia admitted.

"You still up for that nightcap?"

"Yeah. I could really use a drink," she sighed and moved towards the bar they were just passing. The bar was packed and she really wasn't in the mood for a crowd. She turned around at Captain Tucker.

"Ehm ... you know what? Not here."

Tucker shrugged.

"Wherever you wanna go. You tell me."

"Okay."

Olivia sighed and glanced at the man next to her. She really needed that drink and despite their rocky history, the man had been nice to her over the past months. Lucy was out on a date but she had arranged for a close friend to sit with Noah and it was still early. She wasn't ready to go home yet. It was Valentine's Day for crying out loud. She just didn't want to be alone. She looped her arm through Tucker's and sighed again. Who would have thought ...

They found a quieter place a few blocks away and settled into a booth by the window. Olivia had expected Tucker to take the seat opposite her but he decided to scoot in next to her. He ordered for them and they sat together in silence until their drinks arrived. They clunked their glasses together, toasting to nothing in particular. Olivia could feel his eyes on her every now and then and she couldn't help wondering what he was thinking. They'd never been friends and had gotten in each others' crosshairs a lot in the past. She knew he'd gotten a little softer over the years and figured that must come with age. She was putting up less of a fight these days as well. Sometimes she was just so tired of it all. She took another sip of scotch and tried to relax as the liquid burned in her throat and found its way to her stomach. She grinned at the memories of her fights with Ed Tucker and here they were, on Valentine's Day no less.

"Wanna let me in on the joke?" Tucker asked, a small smile playing on his lips.

She looked at him, her eyebrows raised.

"You were smiling about something. Wanna share?" he asked again.

Olivia fixed her gaze on her glass again, turning it around on the table, and tilted her head.

"I was just thinking ... you used to really have it in for me back in the day. You seemed certain I was a dirty cop, or a dirty cop in the making."

Tucker cleared his throat and leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table.

"It was my job you know, to flush out any bad elements. And usually, where there's smoke, there's fire. I couldn't pick the cops I wanted to look into. There was just a lot of smoke around you ... you and your partner."

Olivia sighed and sank back into the cushion of her seat, suddenly unsure if she really needed this trip down memory lane. But Tucker was right. She and her partner. They'd gotten in trouble many times. It made sense to think something was off with them. Especially since they would always, always back each others' play.

"You know, everyone was convinced there was something going on between the two of you," Tucker continued.

Olivia grabbed her glass and downed the rest of her drink in one go.

"Any truth to that?"

She signaled the waiter for another round and looked at Tucker, who was now leaning back as well.

"We had something," she admitted, speaking slowly. "But whatever it was, it never materialized."

"Hm."

Tucker nodded, and she thought she saw some relief in his features, but also disbelief.

"Never?"

"Never."

She hated the fact that she was still affected by this. By him. She swallowed hard, willing the waiter to move faster and get her another drink already. She blinked a few times but Tucker had already seen the moist in her eyes.

"But you wanted it to."

What was he, her shrink? She kept her eyes on her empty glass until it was finally replaced by a full one. She grabbed it and took another sip before looking at Tucker again.

"He was married," she stated.

"I know that. Doesn't stop a lot of people."

"Well, it stops me. And him."

Tucker put his arm behind her on the back of their seat and turned towards her. The gesture surprised her but it didn't make her feel uncomfortable.

"You two still in touch?"

"No. Well, we've called each other a few times. He called about eight months after his retirement to let me know he was moving away. And he called after my ... you know ... after Lewis."

"I hear he's divorced now."

Olivia was surprised. She knew, but she hadn't expected Tucker to know.

"Who told you that?" she asked. "Are you still keeping tabs on him?"

Tucker pursed his lips and wiggled his head.

"I made a few calls the other day."

"Why?"

He grabbed his glass and downed about half of it.

"Lieutenant ... Olivia ... I really like you. And I can tell you haven't been yourself lately. Well, for quite some time, actually. And as much as I'd like to spend more time with you myself ..."

Olivia's eyes went wide and her mouth fell open at his admission, but he wasn't done talking.

"I can see that you still miss the guy."

Fresh tears sprang into her eyes and she hated Tucker right now for being so nice and understanding to her.

"See," he said, gesturing at her. "There's no competing with that."

Olivia looked away and downed her second drink. Tucker put a hand over hers when she set the glass back down.

"That won't help Olivia. You know that better than anyone."

She nodded, looking at their hands on the table. She moved her hand from under his and put it on top of his hand, brushing the back of his hand gently with her thumb. She felt Tucker's other hand, which had been resting behind her on the back of the seat, move to her shoulder and then her neck. She looked up at him and was struck by the kindness in his eyes.

"I wanna be your friend Olivia," Tucker told her. "And as a friend, I wanna give you some advice."

At this point, she was ready to fall into his arms. Anything to take away the loneliness and the ache in her heart. He was going to tell her to put her partner out of her head. To forget about him and focus on the present. On the people who were still in her life as opposed to the ones who had left her. Her heart stopped when she heard his next words.

"Call him."

"Wh ... what?"

"Call Stabler. Ask him to meet you. Don't wallow in self-pity or settle for something less than what you deserve."

She was looking at the man next to her in disbelief.

"He wants to talk," he added.

Olivia slumped in her seat, leaning into Tucker unconsciously, and he pulled her into a very uncharacteristic hug. She returned the hug, believing for the first time that the man really had her best interest at heart. Why else would he be pushing her towards another man on Valentine's Day? He'd actually spoken with Elliot? About her? She suppressed a sob and pulled away to look into Tucker's eyes, asking him without words why he was doing this for her.

"I figured I owe you both for the shit I've given you over the years," he said dryly and Olivia laughed out loud, a hearty laugh, and she finally relaxed.

They ordered coffee to sober up and managed to find a few pleasant memories to chat about. Afterwards, Tucker walked her to her building and she wondered how they were going to say goodnight after such an unusual evening.

"So, you're gonna call him?" Tucker asked when they stopped in front of the door.

Olivia bit her lip and looked down at their feet.

"You really are a strange man, Captain Tucker," she mused.

He leaned in and gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek.

"And you are a very special woman, Lieutenant Benson."

She smiled and as Tucker turned to walk away she told him,

"I'll call him."

...

...

A/N: Not much sense continuing this story I think, unless the new episodes provide room to explore this some more.
So, I haven't made Tucker the bad guy. Let me know what you think!