Thanks for your reviews/favorites/follows! :) This chapter has a little backstory on how they met...


Harvard University

London was in the library scanning the shelves for a particular book. Rafael wasn't paying attention as he rounded the corner. The two collided and his stack of books went flying.

"Ouch!" She groaned.

"Why didn't you watch where you were going?" He glared at her as he bent down to pick up his books.

"Why didn't you?" She challenged.

He was prepared to give a smart comeback, but his mind went blank when he looked up at her. She was beautiful. "I'm sorry." He muttered.

"I'll let you slide, but just this once." She smirked.

"Gee thanks." He set his books on the table. "Can I make it up to you? Buy you a cup of coffee or tea if that's your thing?"

"Hmm. I don't know. Mama always told me not to talk to strangers." A smile played at the corners of her mouth.

He rolled his eyes. She intrigued him and he liked her accent. "I'm Rafael Barba." He held out his hand.

"Call me London." She shook his hand.

"Is that your name?" He didn't follow.

She rolled her eyes. "London is my last name. I've never liked my first name."

"What is it? It can't be that bad."

"Veronica." She huffed.

"That's not bad. It could be worse." He shrugged. "It's a nice name."

She smiled. He was complimenting her. It was sweet and he wasn't hard to look at. "Thank you."

"I think I'll call you Vern." He joked.

"Don't you dare." She pointed her finger at him. "Do you want me to get coffee with you or not?"

"Oh so it's a yes." He was pleased.

"I'm not one to pass up a free cup of coffee."

"Let's go then."

"What about your books?" She looked at the stack of books.

"Oh yeah. I was going to study." He didn't want to study. He wanted to get to know this girl.

"Well you study, and I will go to my next class." She began and noticed his face fall. "Raincheck?"

"Yeah. Sure." He tried to sound like he didn't care.

"I'll see you around." She smiled before turning away.


London walked back to the library after her class. She smiled when she saw Rafael still at the same table where she left him. "How's the studying?" She asked.

His head jerked up at the sound of her voice. He hadn't expected her to come back. "It's going." He rubbed his eyes.

"I could go for a coffee right about now. How about you?" She offered.

"Sounds good." He stood up.

"You look like you need a break."

He nodded and stifled a yawn.

"Yeah you definitely need a break come on." She grabbed his hand.

He was surprised when she grabbed his hand and he liked the weight of her hand in his.


"What's your major?" London asked Rafael as they drank their coffee.

"Pre law."

"Pre law at Harvard. Original." She rolled her eyes.

"What about you smarty pants?" He smirked.

"Journalism. My parents think it is me being rebellious. They are both Harvard alumni, both lawyers. It seemed only fitting that I would want to do the same." She sipped her steaming beverage.

"But you didn't want it?" He was genuinely interested in her story.

"No, and I can't make them understand that. They chose Harvard for me. I didn't want to come here. Atlanta is way too far away, but they just knew I would change my mind. Two years in and I haven't changed my mind yet." She snorted. "So what's your story?" She felt like she had been griping about her life.

"I want to make a difference. I grew up in the Bronx. My mother rode me about my grades constantly. She still does." He rolled his eyes. "As if I'm smart enough to get in to Harvard, but not smart enough to keep my scholarships."

"What about your father?" She noticed him tense up and his fist clinch.

"Complicated. He's, he's not around. Hasn't been for a while."

"Sorry." She said quietly. She hadn't meant to upset him.

"Not your fault." He smiled at her. "Promise." He squeezed her hand.

She knew she had to be careful. He was charming and she could feel herself already falling for him.


Present Day

"Morning." Amanda walked in the squad room with her coffee.

"Morning." Nick didn't look up from the file he was reading. "So there were thirty five people treated at the clinic in the past month. Seven of them where hospitalized for secondary infections within days of each other."

"Neither of the kids had been hospitalized before their deaths." Fin said.

"I got the report from the health department." Carisi walked in. "It confirms what you said. And then some."

"Like what?" Amanda asked.

"For starters, they would draw up the meds and if a patient didn't come in they would print a new label and put it on the same syringe for the next patient. They would bill twice for the same meds."

"So that's the fraud. How is it connected to medical malpractice?" Fin asked.

"Here's where it gets worse. Some of the patients received watered down meds. Some actually did have cancer and some of them never did."

"So some of them received treatment and didn't even have cancer?" Olivia couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Yeah. And some did and they didn't receive appropriate treatment." Carisi felt sick.

"We've got enough to bring the doctor in and the rest of his staff." She said. "I'm going to give the A.D.A. the news." She grabbed her coat from her office.

"Barba's gonna flip over this one." Amanda shook her head.


Olivia knocked on Barba's door before letting herself in.

"Liv. I was about to call you. What's going on?" He stood up.

"You may want to sit down for this." She handed him the health department report.

He sat back in his chair. "My God." He read the report. "This is unbelievable."

"We're going to arrest the doctor and the rest of his staff."

"Good." He handed her the report. "It's sickening." He shook his head.


"Thanks for checking me out of school early." Celia smiled at London.

"You're welcome." London smiled. They were sitting on a bench in Central Park eating hot dogs.

"Uncle Eddie and I used to come here some. I barely remember it. I was so little."

"Just know that he loved you so much." London whispered, hugging her.

"I know. I miss him so much." Tears fell down her cheeks. She brushed them away.

"I miss him too. And it's okay. I think about him all the time and sometimes the memories slip out of my eyes and down my cheeks." She smiled.

"I like that. I'll remember that one." The young girl smiled. "How long are you staying for?" She hadn't said.

"A few more days at least. Then I have to go to Boston I think." She hadn't checked her schedule and it could have changed.

"Will you come back again and visit? I miss seeing you."

"I will. I'm not sure when, but I'll come back and visit you."

"Have you thought any more about selling your house?" She had mixed feelings about it.

"I don't know yet. I thought about it, but I haven't been able to yet. Maybe I should?"

"You could sell it and move up here." She grinned.

"I could do that." She laughed.

"Aunt Amanda would like that too." She added.

"Oh have you two talked about this?"

"Maybe." She giggled.


"Hey Counselor." Amanda walked in Barba's office.

"What can I do for you Detective Rollins?" He looked up from the file he had been reviewing.

"I just wanted to invite you to dinner." She shrugged.

"Excuse me?" He wasn't sure he heard her correctly.

"I wanted to invite you to dinner." She repeated and handed him a piece of paper with the name of the restaurant on it.

"I'm not sure I understand." He took the paper.

"The whole team is going to dinner and London will be there. So I am inviting you. Because she wouldn't do it herself."

He felt his heart jump when he heard her name. "Does she even want me there?" He asked hesitantly.

"I think so. Even if she doesn't know it yet." She smirked.

"I'll think about it." He said.

She nodded and walked out, closing the door behind her.


"Hey." Amanda walked up to the table where London and Celia were sitting.

"Hi Aunt Amanda." Celia smiled.

"So the rest of the guys are on their way. And a heads up, I invited Barba."

London rolled her eyes.

"Who's that?" Celia asked.

"The Assistant District Attorney for the borough of Manhattan." London answered dryly.

Amanda snickered.

"What's so funny?" Celia didn't get it.

London groaned. "Okay. So I dated him when I was at Harvard, before I met your uncle." She explained.

"And now Aunt Amanda is trying to play matchmaker? I like it." She grinned.

London rolled her eyes and glared at her friend.


"I don't think this is a good idea." Barba grumbled. Against his better judgment he had accepted Rollins' dinner offer.

"Do you ever think anything is a good idea? Suck it up." Fin fussed.

Olivia smirked. This would definitely be interesting.


"Hey Liv." Amanda called.

"Hey." She sat down with them.

"This is London's niece Celia."

"Olivia Benson. It's nice to meet you Celia."

"You too." She smiled.

Rafael saw London and smiled.

She saw him smiling at her. She smiled back.

"Hey guys." Amanda said as they sat down.

"Hi Detective Carisi." Celia waved at him.

"Hey Kid." He smiled.

"Aunt London did you tell mom we were eating dinner? 'Cause she's calling me." Celia said.

"I thought I did. Better make sure she knows."

Celia answered the phone and stepped away from the table.


"So did you two have a good day?" Amanda asked.

"Yeah it was nice. She asked the inevitable."

"Which one?" Amanda asked.

"All of them. When am I leaving, am I moving, and am I selling the house."

"What did you tell her?"

"Same thing I told you. 'I don't know'." She smirked.

"So I'll know when you leave? Because you'll be gone?" Amanda had to admit she was bummed.

"Something like that. My schedule's up in the air again. I won't know for a few days and then I'll have to leave."

"Okay. Fair enough."

Rafael quietly observed the conversation. He didn't want her to leave. But he didn't know how to tell her that.


Celia walked back to the table and sat down with a huff.

"What's wrong?" London asked.

"Mom was mad. She didn't get your message. She was freaking out."

"She freaks out because she cares." London smiled.

"You're lucky to have parents that care about you." Amanda said. "And two fabulous aunts." She added with a smirk.

"I know. Thanks." She smiled. "Mom's going to pick me up in an hour. I think she's afraid you'll take me to a bar."

Amanda laughed.

London shook her head. "I'm so glad your mother has such faith in me."

Rafael snickered. "That was funny."

"I know right?" She winked at him.


"Can I buy you a drink?" Rafael asked London. He was dying to talk to her.

"I have one." She smirked with a drink in her hand.

"You have one." He bit his tongue and chuckled. "Your next one then?"

"My next one." She whispered in his ear. She had to be careful she didn't succumb to his charm.

"Deal." He sipped his drink.


"What's the story with those two?" Carisi turned and asked Amanda. They had been talking with Olivia. Nick and Fin had already left.

"I'm curious about that too." Olivia said. "I've never seen him like this."

Amanda smiled. "They dated at Harvard. Honestly I thought they were going to get married. I remember when they split. She called me crying her eyes out. He was stressed out with law school and wanted a break. She took it as a permanent break. I don't know if he did or not."

"So they never got back together." Carisi stated.

"No. She met Eddie during that time. I had wondered if it was too soon, but she didn't want to hear my opinion about it. They dated for a couple years and got married."

"How long were they married?" Olivia asked looking over at the two.

"Almost five years. He's been gone four now." She shook her head sadly. "I will never forget that call. Mama called me crying. I knew something was horribly wrong. London was an absolute wreck. I don't know how she could have been anything but. I know I couldn't have been."


"Bartender?" Rafael ordered another drink for London and himself.

"Thank you." London smiled. "So now what?"

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"You bought me a drink. That comes with strings."

"I…" He stopped and shook his head. "A. I offered to buy you a drink. B. You accepted. C. No strings."

"If you say so." She smirked.

"I do say so." He chuckled. "Truth be told…" He started.

She shook her head. "No truth tonight."

"Hear me out." He whispered. "Truth be told, I was stupid. I just want to talk to you and get to know you again."

"I told you no truth tonight." She had tears in her eyes.

"I know, but you needed to hear that." He said firmly.

"I know." She whispered. She knew he was right. She just didn't want to admit it. "Since we are talking truth…" She finished her drink. "I'm not surprised that you are still such a primadonna."

"Still?" He rolled his eyes.

The bartender set another drink in front of her without her asking. "Yeah. Still." She smirked.

"What does it matter if I'm as good as I think I am." He challenged.

"I can still confront you about it."

"You are drunk. You only called me that when you were drunk." He teased her.

"I'm not drunk." She shook her head.

There was no arguing with her when she had been drinking. He needed to try a different tactic. "I am sorry."

"For what?" She didn't know why he was apologizing.

"For telling you I needed a break. I never meant it to be permanent. I know I hurt you and I am forever sorry." He let down his guard. Something he never did.

His words struck a chord with her. The pleading in his voice gripped her. She didn't know what to say.

"You don't have to answer." He seemed to read her thoughts. "I just wanted you to know." That wasn't all he wanted to tell her. He wanted to tell her that he still loved her. That he never stopped loving her. He knew he had told her enough truth for one night.


Thanks for reading! Let me know what you thought and if you have any comments/suggestions/critiques! :)