Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Chapter 2: You Sly Old Dog
For a moment the whole room was in silence as the four people just stood there. Both Amanda and Nick bore puzzled expressions on there faces as they tried to understand why Cragen was looking at this woman as if she were his long lost daughter. Nick couldn't hold in his curiosity much longer.
"So I take it you guys know each other?"
Cragen didn't turn to look at him. Instead he laughed slightly and smiled.
"I guess you could say that." He replied
The woman standing in front of him laughed at his words and when she laughed her face lit up and you could see small creases around her eyes, but she was stunning all the same. She slowly stopped laughing and looked around the squad room before returning her gaze to Cragen.
"It's not changed a bit captain... How are Fin and Munch?" She asked.
"You've not changed much yourself Olivia, and the guys are good. They miss you." Cragen said.
Amanda and Nick just stared at him for a few seconds trying to figure out who this mystery woman was and how she knew so much about the squad. They could see she clearly meant a great deal to the captain and that meant a lot in their eyes. This woman, sorry Olivia, was clearly of great importance, and they were desperate to find out who she was. Cragen saw the look in their eyes and decided it was time to answer their unspoken questions.
"Nick, Amanda." He started "This is Detective Olivia Benson, one of the best Special Victims Unit detectives there has been and a very close friend of mine."
Something clicked in the minds of the two detectives. They had heard of her before and she seemed to many a bit of a legend. The few times that Munch and Fin had spoken of her they both had appeared emotional and sad. From what they gathered she had had a rough time with her old partner and had walked away. They also knew that she was a bit of a badass and now felt a little intimidated.
"Well nice to meet you properly detective." Amanda said, smiling.
Olivia nodded at the two of them and returned the smile. Cragen told the two detectives to finish writing up their reports and then go and get some rest. They both nodded then left. Cragen motioned Olivia into his office.
"They seem good." Olivia stated as she sat down, looking to where Nick and Amanda had just stood.
"They are." Cragen sighed
Olivia looked at him "Its a bit surreal being back here. I'm not gonna lie to you cap." She breathed
"You're not the only one who's finding this a bit surreal. I can't quite believe that your here Olivia." Cragen sighed again "You didn't intend on visiting us, did you?"
Olivia shook her head slowly as she sat there taking it all in. It was so strange. The way that nothing had changed. It smelt the same, if not stronger than it did before. That slightly musky smell of old papers, and coffee, and sweat. It was good. Her desk hadn't moved although it clearly belonged to Nick or Amanda now, and neither had Fin's or Munch's. She could tell by the unorganised state they were in. The new detectives seemed to fit in as well. It was like returning home to a place she had never really left.
"I'm good captain. I've met some brilliant people and made some real friends but there has always been something missing. Today when I heard that girl crying it was like I'd found the missing piece and I knew I had to help her. It was never my plan to return, but when Nick told me where he worked it was like there was something drawing me back in you know?" Olivia finally sighed.
Cragen did. You can take the girl out of the police force, but with a woman like Olivia you could never take the police force out of the girl.
"You've not changed one bit Olivia. You're still the same Badass Benson." He laughed
Olivia laughed too, and in that moment she realised something. She had missed this. She had missed this strange dysfunctional little family. She had missed helping people, helping victims. She didn't want to hide from her past anymore.
"Why are you here Olivia?" Cragen asked her, going all serious for a moment and interrupting her thoughts. "Why didn't you just help that girl, call the police then run? You knew we would be picking up the call. You knew if you stayed you would be seeing us again. Is that what you wanted?"
Olivia exhaled and blew away the hair from her face. This was the one place she didn't expect to be tonight. She didn't know how to answer his questions or what she wanted. She stared past Cragen and out through the window behind him. Even the view hadn't changed. Outside, New York City stretched on for miles, glittering against its backdrop of a dark night sky. It calmed her and she smiled slightly. Suddenly she knew what she wanted, and why she had made this trip.
"Hey cap." She said "Is my old job still going spare?"
.
.
.
.
.
For a second things seemed to slow down. Cragen smiled at her and walked behind the desk that he had been leaning on. He pulled open a draw and brought out a badge and a gun. Olivia gasped when she realised what they were.
"You kept them?" She whispered in shock
"Why wouldn't I?" He replied "You never really left."
xxxxx
Cragen agreed to let her stay the night. She would grab her things from the hotel in the morning before finding an apartment and getting all of her stuff from storage. Everyone had left as she settled down in the cribs. They where as lumpy as ever but for the first time in a long while she felt comfortable. She closed her eyes and rolled over, her body automatically adjusting to the fact that New York never really got dark or quietened. She sighed contentedly but there was still one thing she hadn't made right yet. Elliot.
She had moved to California to get as far away from New York as possible. The sun had done her the world of good and she enjoyed her job as a youth worker. Along the way she had heard that Elliot had been released, but had tried to think nothing of it. She had begun to love California and would always see it as a second home. She had made some good friends and some even knew about her backstory and where she came from, but there was no denying she missed that backstory and the friends she had in New York. It had been two years since she had spoken to most of them. Fin, John, Cragen, Melinda, Casey, Alex, Huang to name just a few, and she felt guilty about that. Olivia smiled to herself as she drifted of to sleep, her last thought being how surprised they would all be when they saw her.
xxxxx
It wasn't long before she got to see some of their reactions. She woke up early at about half six and went and got herself a cup of coffee. As she sat there Cragen walked in and smiled at her.
"Sleep well?" He asked.
She nodded at him and he beckoned her into his office. He sat her down and gave her a quick update about what had been going on since she had left. He discretely left Elliot out of the conversation, just to be on the safe side. She seemed stronger and more sure of herself than he had ever seen her and he knew that she had been as happy as she could be with the situation that Elliot was in when she left, but he didn't want to go and upset her on what was effectively her first day back, however strong she was.
The carried on talking for a while. Olivia told him about California, Cragen told her about New York and both continued to talk as the sky grew lighter. It wasn't long before they both heard voices. Cragen told Olivia how he had told everyone to get their asses in here and show up early, which Fin wasn't to pleased with. The two laughed at that last piece of information. Cragen stood up and walked out of his office telling Olivia to wait whilst he went out to talk to the squad.
"Hey cap. You gonna tell us what this early morning thing is all about or what?" Fin questioned.
Cragen laughed at him. "Good morning to you too Fin. I brought you all in early as we've been issued a new detective."
Amanda and Nick glanced at each other with an almost knowing look, whilst both Fin and John rolled their eyes and sighed.
"Captain, as much as I respect you I think having to deal with a new rookie again will see me six feet under." John said in his intelligent way.
"I'm sure you'll all give her a warm welcome and look after her" Cragen said ignoring John and staring at the two more experienced detectives. The two stared back at him and groaned but Cragen dismissed them again, he turned to his office and shouted.
"Detective can you come out here a minute!"
Olivia took a deep breath and grinned to herself. She raised her head and ducked out of the office into full view of the squad room. For a moment there was silence as she stood next to the captain.
"Hey guys..." She breathed "I'm back."
xxxxx
All of a sudden the squad room seemed to come alive. Fin and John got up and out of their chairs quicker than ever before and flew over to Olivia, wrapping her in hugs. Fin squeezed her tight and lifted her off the ground slightly whilst saying over and over again affectionate things like "Olivia Benson you sly old dog." Or "Where the hell have you been." Whilst John hugged her tightly as well, slightly speechless. Everyone seemed to be laughing, even Nick and Amanda who had already accepted her as an important part of the squad.
Olivia Benson was home, and she wasn't leaving anytime soon.
Thanks for reading and thanks for the reviews so far :) Please keep them coming. They're one helluva confidence boost!
