Someone Who Understands

Chapter 2

Olivia looked down at her phone to check the time. It was just after one in the morning. She closed the file she had finished and set it back on the table. When she noticed she had missed a text.

Hope you and Noah had a good day. Thanks again for yesterday.

Olivia felt a smile pull at her lips. Rafael Barba was a tough man to figure out. After knowing him for over three years there was still a lot she was learning. She would be the first to admit she had misjudged him for a long time. His three piece suits, Harvard law degree and well placed friends were a good cover for the man who grew up in a working class family and went to Harvard on a scholarship. He was ruthless when it came to winning and over the years she had watched as it became about more than winning but about justice for victims. When she was the victim he was a tireless warrior until the end. He could have pushed more he could have let he go down in flames but he was the wall that stood between herself and Lewis and she would always be grateful for that.

She was still puzzled by yesterday but she decided to take it at face value, he needed a friend. She understood that, the need to be with someone who understood the weight that you carried but knew that you didn't want to or need to talk about it all of the time. If she was honest with herself she would admit that yesterday was one of the most enjoyable days she had in a long time. It was obvious that he had little to no experience with young children but he tried and Noah seemed comfortable around him.

Yes, we caught up on a few things and both got a nap. No, thank you we both enjoyed ourselves.

You should go to bed. He responded back almost immediately

Olivia rolled her eyes, he might be the bossiest person she had ever met. Why was he telling her to go to bed? Wasn't he still up?

So should you

Yes Lieutenant

Good night Counselor

Good night Liv

She felt that same smile pulling at her lips followed by that same sense of confusion. Why was he thinking about her and texting her? She somehow felt comforted and unsettled by it at the same time. She shook her head trying to stop thinking, he was right she needed to go to bed.

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Olivia found herself standing at a crime scene just as the sun was starting to rise. It was mornings like this she was grateful that Noah was an early riser. She had been able to make his breakfast and get him dressed before Lucy had gotten there. She was also grateful for a nanny who loved her son and was willing to work crazy hours. She pushed her thoughts of Noah from her mind as she stepped under the crime scene tape at the house where she had been called.

"What's going on?" She asked Carisi as he met her at the door.

"Elizabeth Hernandez, 22, was dead in one of the upstairs guest rooms this morning, naked and in the bed, beaten pretty badly"

"Did she live here?" She asked him

"No, best we can gather she works for the catering company that was here working a party last night." He filled her in.

"It wasn't just a party…"Olivia heard Barba's voice coming through the door behind her. She felt a knot in her stomach. If someone had called him already it meant this case was going to be political in some way. She hated political cases.

"Morning Counselor" She said briskly turning to find him dressed in one of his three piece suits pocket square and everything. Usually he reserved that level of suit for court so obviously whatever was going on was big. "So what was it?"

"Good morning," He responded not missing the fact that she was not happy to see him. He had learned to not take it personally. They had built a lot of trust over the years but this was her turf and she didn't like having ADAs there. "It was a fundraiser for Senator Mitchell's reelection campaign."

"Fabulous, and were you here for it?" She asked with a slight hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"No, my boss was." He told her flatly.

"All right, then what else do we know?" She said turning her attention back to her detective.

"Not a lot, she was discovered by one of the maids this morning. They are estimating time of death somewhere between ten and midnight last night."Carisi told her.

"That sounds kind of early, what time did this fundraiser end?" She asked

"It seems like it wrapped up around midnight" Sargent Dodds answered joining them. Barba instantly saw Olivia tense up again. As much as she didn't like having him there at least she for the most part trusted they were on the same side, she did not yet have that trust with her second in command.

"So are you telling me this girl was beaten to death and most likely raped while a fundraiser for a sitting United States Senator?" She asked in disbelief.

"Yes, Lieutenant, that is how it seems. If it makes it any better it appears that the Senator was gone by 9:00 so he is probably off the suspect list." Dodds explained.

"Well you will understand if I think we should verify that for ourselves." She told him her irritation growing. "Sargent why don't you accompany the victim and wait for Warner to have more answers for us. Carisi and Finn you two work on getting us a list of everyone who was here last night both guest and staff." She instructed as she turned to leave.

"Where are you going?" Barba asked even though he already knew the answer.

"To talk to the Senator" she said without turning back to them.

Dodds started to say something but the three other men quickly stopped him. "I've got this." Barba said turning to follow her out of the house.

"Olvia hold on…Olivia.."She ignored his as she walked to her car, damn she was not going to make this easy. Then again when did she ever? "Lieutenant, stop." He ordered as she reached the door handle.

She turned back to him ready for a fight, "What? I don't need a warrant to simply speak to the Senator or inform him that a twenty two year old was raped, beaten and murdered at a fundraiser for him last night. So I really have no need for you right now."

"That's where you're wrong. My boss and your boss have already decided that I'm with you guys from the start on this one." He told her.

"Great, just what I need another damn babysitter." She spat back at him.

"Well maybe you do if you are going to act like this, running off to question a Senator without any notice like he's a common suspect. Have you lost your mind or are you trying to lose your job?" He all but yelled at her. It was too early in the day for her to be this irritating.

"Neither, I'm doing my job and I don't need you and Dodds holding my hand and telling me how to act with the political crowd I've been doing this longer that either of you."

"Then act like it." He told her their eyes deadlocked waiting to see who would back down first. How many time shad they done this over the years? After all this time he could never be sure which of them would win a battle. This time he had to though, for her sake.

"Fine" She said reaching for the car door again. This time she felt his hand on her shoulder much the same way she had stopped him the other day, she took a breath and turned to look at him.

"Liv, I'm on your side remember. You can trust me." He told reminded her quietly.

She knew he was right. He had earned her trust, even when they didn't agree on a case he had never sold her out. He could have moved on from Special Victims by now but he chose to stay and had risked her own future more than once.

"I know" She said "I hate these cases and I hate having a second in command who I don't know if I can trust."

"I know, so let me help you through this one, show Dodds and whoever he might be talking to that you've got this under control." He said his voice taking a softer tone.

She nodded, "All right, we should probably at least call the Senator's office before stopping by."

Barba smiled at her, "That's my girl." He said hoping to lighten the tension a little

Olivia shot him a look, "Call me that again and your ass will be prosecuting jay walking cases until retirement." She said with half a laugh and a dirty look.

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An hour and a half later they were being shown into the Senator's New York office. They had agreed that Olivia would take the lead.

"Senator Mitchell, we appreciate you seeing us on such short notice." She told him, "I wish that we were here under better circumstances."

"Please have a seat. How can I help you?" He asked them.

"Senator a young woman was murdered at your fundraiser last night." Olivia informed him.

"What? That's terrible. What happened?" He asked

"All we can tell you at this point is that she worked for the catering company and was discovered this morning in one of the bedrooms." She explained to him, "From our estimates it occurred while the fundraiser was still going on."

To his credit the Senator looked truly horrified. "The story will be breaking soon Senator and we wanted to give you the courtesy of telling you before it did." Barba added. Olivia had to resist rolling her eyes at him even though she knew he was saying the right thing.

"I appreciate that Counselor and please know that my office and I will corporate however we can." He told them.

"We appreciate that Senator, if someone in your office could help us with a guest list that would be very helpful." Olivia said.

Without hesitating Senator mentioned picked up his phone, "Catherine, please have James get a complete list of last night's donors for the police immediately."

'Thank you Senator," Olivia started and then paused and glanced at Barba who dreaded the question she was about to ask, "Senator, by all accounts your left the fundraiser around nine could you please tell us where you went."

The Senator nodded and showed no sign of taking offense at their question, "I came back here with about five people from the campaign to go over the schedule for the rest of the week." He quickly wrote the names down on a piece of paper and handed it to Olivia. "Again, please let me know if I can help in any other way. Also, when it is appropriate I would like to personally like to offer condolences to the young woman's family." He said as he stood to show them out.

The pair stood and followed him to the door offering him their thanks for his cooperation. As they walked outside Olivia smiled at Barba, "See, it all went fine."

"You did well, of course you usually do. Come on I will buy you lunch before we head back to the precinct." He offered. She thought about saying they needed to get back to work but she had skipped breakfast and she knew her team wouldn't be ready yet.

"All right but I want breakfast food because I didn't eat breakfast." She told him.

He shook his head she always skipped breakfast, "Don't you feed your son breakfast every morning? Why don't you eat then? "

Olivia found herself rolling her eyes at him again, "Spoken like someone who doesn't actually have to get a child ready in the morning. You be at my place at six in the morning and see how easy it is." She laughed.

"Is that an invitation Lieutenant?" He teased.

"Just shut up and get me some food, Barba." She said suddenly feeling that mixture of feelings again that could only be described as unnerving comfort.

TBC