Title: Signature Upon My Psyche

Fandom: Law and Order: Special Victims Unit

Pairing: Olivia/Melinda pre slash

Author: Mirandyscrow

Rating: Pg-13

Summary: Olivia's state of mind after Agent Cooper's suicide. Melinda is there to help make things a little clearer

Spoilers: Signature

Archive: Sure if you really want it. Lol, it would be a surprise to me, just ask my permission first. (It's nice when people ask)

Disclaimer: Law and Order: SVU belongs to Dick Wolf, NBC and anyone else that would possibly have any claim to the show or its franchise. Any and all other brand names, songs, schools, etc. belong to their respective owners. I'm only writing this story for entertainment purposes. Please don't sue; I only own a considerable amount of debt in student loans to offer you. :P

Author's Note: Just a little diddy that came to me a long while ago. Just a quick reminder folks, these will be ficlets, one-shots, short stories, drabbles, etc. Some will be connected some won't and there probably won't be sequels until otherwise mentioned.

LaSherricka: Yeah, I knew the vampire theme wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea but it's nice that you enjoyed it. I'm trying to branch out and try my hand at different things. Yeah this is the end of my little fic for now. I may write a follow up for it because you know we got to see how awesome, deadly, and sexy vamp!Melinda is. :P

Zee425: Yay! Thanks so much for your review! I'm glad to see another Melinda/Olivia story lover. :-)

Melinda ducked under the police tape across the door of the crime scene. When she saw Olivia perched against one of the support beams of the apartment, her world shifted a little and her heart seized. The normally strong and determined detective now looked lost and puzzled almost like a child who was first told the horrors of the world.

Melinda did the only thing she could do at the time which was offer some bit of comfort to the stunned woman. She draped a gentle hand onto Olivia's back, rubbing soothingly before moving to collect the evidence from Agent Cooper...the body. She was just a body now like so many others that ended up on her table.

She was halted when a slightly cold hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. Olivia looked through her.

"Melinda," Olivia said it in the same soft tone she'd used in the morgue just a few days ago, only this time it held a note of apology and desperation.

Melinda saw the overwhelming need Olivia had for more comfort than she could offer at the moment. They both had jobs to do. "Liv, why don't you head into the hallway. I'll come get you as soon as I'm finished."

"She...she just," Olivia said, rubbing a shaky hand across her face. She only succeeded in wiping a few blood drops across her face. They left small slender streaks across her face.

Melinda sat down her case and kneeled in front of Olivia, pulling out a handkerchief. "You're making a mess." She offered the soft, monogrammed cloth to the other woman.

"I should clean up," Olivia said in a haunted voice, leaving Melinda looking after her concerned as she moved toward where she assumed the bathroom was.

-x-

"Those that fight monsters should make damn sure they don't become one."

The phrase reverberated in Olivia's skull in the same tone as Lauren had said it. Calm and tired. She shut her eyes and clenched her hands tightly effectively shutting out the gunshot that immediately followed Lauren's statement.

"Those that fight monsters..."

Olivia turned her attention to the mirror in front of her. She looked drastically more tired than she felt it and that was saying something.

"…monsters…"

The word came back on a whisper through Olivia's mind. She faced monsters in human form every day. It was her job. There were times when she had thought of doing just as Agent Cooper had and taken them out with a swift bullet to the head but the fact remains that the law doesn't see it that way.

"…don't become one."

Olivia slammed her fist on the counter. She was nothing like the Agent Cooper. She wouldn't take the coward's way out. She would have stayed and faced the consequences she made for herself. She was not going to become a monster.

A brief knock on the door broke her from her self-inspection.

"Liv?" Melinda's voice said through the door.

Olivia opened the door surprised that the other woman was still there. "Are you finished already?"

"You've been in here for quite a while," Melinda informed her.

Olivia glanced at her watch to find out that yes she'd been in the bathroom for 'a while.' Forty minutes to be exact. Where had all the time gone? She wondered silently to herself.

"Are you okay to drive?"

"Yeah," Olivia said at once.

"Liar," Melinda said gently. "I'm driving home detective."

"Shouldn't you be taking…," Olivia voice trailed off. Her mouth unable to say the name anymore.

"Major Case is taking over the investigation so I sent the body to Rogers," Melinda reported. "I'd cleared my entire afternoon for this one so I'm free."

"But I have to-" Olivia protested.

"Cragen told Lake to make sure you stayed away from the precinct for no less than a week," Melinda interrupted her firmly. "You're free too, Liv. Now finish cleaning up and come on." She moved from the doorway to give Olivia some more privacy.

"Melinda wait," Olivia said. She wasn't sure why she couldn't bear the other woman leaving her.

The M.E. paused and turned around. "Yes?"

Olivia blurted out her question. "Why are you doing this?"

Melinda's eyebrows rose slightly at the sudden question. There were deeper reasons for her making sure Olivia was okay but they would stay hidden as now was most definitely not the time broach that subject. "You need someone to take care of you," she said and instantly wanted to kick herself. She hoped the statement didn't sound the way she'd said it.

"I'll be fine alone," Olivia insisted but her eyes softened at Melinda's concern.

"We both know you won't be," Melinda countered.

"I've handled these types of things before." Olivia faced the mirror once again.

Melinda took a deep breath and sighed. "Not like this," she said with a shake of her head. "You've never seen someone you thought you knew decide to call life quits. It wreaks havoc on your psyche." She closed her eyes much like Olivia had just minutes ago as if trying to ward off her own dark memories.

Olivia studied the other woman. She knew Melinda was talking from experience. "Who?"

"I'd rather not dig up the past," Melinda said softly, resisting the urge to hug herself. She came further into the bathroom and shut the door so they would have some privacy. She stood behind Olivia and looked deeply into the other woman's eyes from the mirror. "Just know that you'll need someone there to talk you down from the ledge you're liable to put yourself on with your destructive thoughts."

"I," Olivia paused before exhaling forcefully. "I just can't believe she was so close. I could have saved her."

"That's the first thing you have to face. This is not your fault. Agent Cooper probably planned to do this long before you and Lake even came here." Melinda said, taking Olivia's hand in a comforting gesture.

She grabbed the previously unnoticed bruised hand by mistake and Olivia hissed in pain.

"What's wrong?" Melinda asked, bringing the hand up for inspection.

"It's nothing," Olivia said, trying to pull her hand out of Melinda's grip.

"Did you hurt yourself?" The M.E. asked, holding onto the hand firmly but not too tight so not to cause the other woman pain. "Is this what I heard earlier?" she rubbed her fingers over the bruised flesh, looking for sprains or breaks. She was relieved when she found nothing but simple swelling. "We'll need to get some ice on it as soon as possible but there's no permanent damage." She told the other woman.

"Thank you," Olivia mumbled, feeling the day's emotions finally catch up with her as she slumped against Melinda in a hug.

"Anytime Liv," Melinda said, returning the hug. She held onto Olivia's waist and guided the exhausted woman out of the stifling apartment building and back into the sun. "Anytime."

~Fin~

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