Knots Chapter 3, a law and order: svu fanfic

Olivia

Robert and Olivia had been dating now for over five months, coming up on the six-month mark, and he had been subtly prodding her for about a month, on and off now, to meet her friends from work. Melinda he already knew, but he'd never interacted with Elliot, Fin, or Munch on cases.

Why had she been so reticent about introducing him to her partner? Rob had been asking to meet her co-workers, the men she worked day in and day out with for weeks now. But she'd continually put it off.

Until now.

He was picking her up in a few minutes and they would be meeting the guys at the Hibernian for drinks and probably dinner. Well, she and Rob would be having dinner, whether it was with Elliot and the boys or after, that was unclear. Fin and Munch were meeting them there.

Elliot…. Elliot was still in the station house, across from her, supposedly writing last minute additions to his DD-5s, but she thought she knew the real reason he'd stuck around.

Elliot wanted to assess her boyfriend. Alone. Just the three of them.

Christ.

Like she was fifteen and introducing her first serious boyfriend to her father.

Olivia's musings were interrupted by Robert's arrival. Here we go, she thought.

Robert walked through the squad room, amidst the hustle and bustle of the everyday grind, and greeted his girlfriend properly, with a half hug and peck on the lips. After all, they were at her place of work and he didn't want to embarrass her. Much. He knew how the rumor mills worked. FDNY worked exactly like NYPD. If it happened during lunch, everyone knew it by the end of the day. And that principle worked during all hours.

"Hey Liv," he murmured, as he eased back. His gaze was brought directly to the man across from Liv's desk who rose at his greeting. Robert's hazel eyes, always more green than brown or gold, flashed immediately to the tall man in front of him.

Olivia had a sudden realization – both men were within inches of each other, Robert slightly shorter, but his body mass roughly equal to Elliot's.

"Rob, this is Elliot Stabler. El, Robert Andersen," Olivia introduced. Elliot got up from his desk and approached Robert.

"So, you're the new man in Liv's life. Nice to meet you, Andersen."

"Likewise. I've been wanting to meet you for a while now, but Olivia kept putting it off. She talks about you, Fin, and Munch so much I feel like I know you."

"Funny, she doesn't talk about you at all. She's been real quiet about your relationship," Elliot said slyly.

When the men clasped hands, she had the ungodly feeling that yes, this felt exactly like she was fifteen and introducing her first serious boyfriend to her father. Nice to see I didn't really miss that experience, Olivia mused grimly. Current Boyfriend meet Man I've Been In Love With Since Day One. Well not really, but close enough.

Elliot smiled and by the white-knuckled grips on both hands, Olivia deduced they were measuring each other up. Man-to-man. She sighed internally.

I am not a teenager looking for approval from her dad.

Even so, her internal protestations were belied by the loosening of the ball in her stomach at the slight lessening in the tightening of Elliot's eyes. No matter what, she really did want Elliot to…not approve exactly…but she wanted him to feel comfortable and be happy for her. She still loved him deeply, but she needed to move on and since El was a large part of her life, Olivia didn't want to exclude him from her relationship with Robert. She could feel it going somewhere. Where exactly, she wasn't sure, but the future held a promise she was looking forward to.

"Well, I'm getting hungry," Olivia said pointedly.

Just when she was going to interfere as it was an interminable time since they'd begun 'shaking' hands (even though only a few seconds had passed), and it looked like both men were trying to rip each other's hand off, they let go at the same time.

"Shall we?" Robert asked, as if nothing had occurred. He gestured to Olivia and she grabbed her coat and headed out, Robert at her side, Elliot just steps behind.

When they arrived at Hibernian, Fin and Munch were at a bar table, the place already packed with the after-work crowd looking for a drink to unwind and bitch about their debatably hard day. Fin caught Olivia's gaze and nodded them over, protectively guarding three empty chairs at their table from swipers nearby looking for extra seating.

Semi-low lighting was a feature that dominated the seventy-five year old building, as well as the original brick walls and exposed ductwork above the patrons' heads. The Hibernian wasn't the traditional cop hang out, but the guys had picked it because it was relatively close to the house (a couple of blocks walk) and—more importantly—had an astonishing number of beers on tap. Ninety-five, to be exact. And another five hundred in the back room, originating from all across the world. Exotic and well-known. From the darks to the lights. Malt beers to ales. The food was top notch as well, from classic American favorites to Irish contemporary cooking.

Elliot moved in first, sitting next to Fin at the round table, and Liv followed close behind, with Robert bringing up the rear. "Fin, Munch, this is Robert Andersen," Olivia introduced and the three men shook hands, and unlike Elliot, they didn't try to rip his hand off.

"Nice to finally meet Olivia's beau. She's been so tight-lipped about you that we were beginning to think you were a product of an overactive imagination," Munch snarked teasingly.

Olivia quirked her lips at him, but Robert took it in stride. "Well, here I am. Very much of this world. Olivia just wanted to keep me to herself for a while. She's very possessive that way," he joked, snaking an arm around her waist and as her red v-neck long-sleeved shirt rode up, a thumb stroked back and forth reassuringly.

Or at least, that was what she thought he intended. However, the feel of that appendage caused electricity to spark at the contact and she had to control the sharp breath that wanted to release at the feel.

Elliot's eagle and observant eyes dropped down to Robert's hand at the soft breath Olivia took. His focus was brought back to the conversation as Fin asked, "So, Robert, where are you from?"

"Noticed the utter lack of a New York accent, did you?" He laughed lightly. "I'm a transplant to the city by way of Florida. I grew up in the Tampa Bay area, but my parents are from Brooklyn. They got out of the city to raise my brothers, sisters, and I away from the concrete jungle and I came right back as soon as I could. I love New York. I still have family here – cousins, uncles and aunts. And two of my sisters and one brother have also returned. I've been here for eleven years now."

His monologue was cut short by the arrival of the waitress and Robert ordered a round of drinks for the table.

"We may be spread out with half of us still in Tampa, and the other half here, but we're very close," he added.

"So, Liv tells us you're an EMT. Why not go to med school, become a doctor?" Elliot questioned, not so subtly continuing with the interrogation.

Olivia shot daggers at her partner, but he was unfazed. Why did he have to make this so difficult? And he wondered why he met so few of her dates! She wanted her friends to get along with Robert. If things went well, they'd all be seeing him a lot more, but Elliot was acting like it was the Spanish Inquisition.

"For the same reason you're not a lieutenant or captain, I imagine. I wanted to actually make a difference, get my hands dirty, so to speak, and be in the thick of it. Doctors come in, see the patient, and leave. They're not involved nearly as much as people think they are. The people who are really there are the EMTs first and then the nurses at the hospital."

"I can respect that," Fin replied.

"Plus," Robert added, "I'm not one for staying in an 'office' all day. I prefer the field. Liv and I have that in common." He glanced at Olivia, warmth and affection in his eyes. Something melted inside and she was amazed that over five months in, he still had that effect on her.

"I'm getting a little old for field work myself," Munch began. "You may be looking for a new partner soon, Fin."

"Old man, I've been looking for a new partner for years," Fin retorted. "No one wants to take your ass," he said, bumping shoulders with his partner.

Chuckles rounded the table. "I still can't believe you and Elliot here have been partners for eleven years. Isn't that some sort of record?" Robert asked Olivia.

"It is in SVU. Most partners stay together for three or four years at the most. Our little group here, and Liv and I in particular, are the exception," Elliot answered, cutting off Olivia's reply. She glanced at him in askance.

"But from what I understand, usually partners switch up, move out, move up in the food chain. How is it that you haven't?" Robert asked Elliot. "I know what keeps Liv in SVU, but what about you?"

Elliot's reply was truncated for a few seconds as the waitress returned with everyone's drinks and he took a long sip of beer to give him a minute to word his reply. Elliot met Olivia's eyes over the table for a few seconds. "I've got too many pink folders in my jacket," he joked. "Plus, no one knows me like Liv and vice versa," he warned subtly. "She's my longest partnership. Who else would put up with me?" he asked softly, a gentle reminder of a conversation not so long ago on a cool winter morning.

Olivia had to break the connection between them before Robert saw something in her eyes that she'd long buried. Why was Elliot bringing that up? Why now? What was the point of reminding her of a conversation when they'd both been so vulnerable and hurting? "Excuse me – rest room," she murmured, before kissing Robert lightly on the lips, a not-so-subtle cut it out to Elliot.

She walked to the back of the bar and took refuge in the ladies room. The room was blessedly free of other women and Olivia walked to the countertop, leaning in, looking at her reflection. Soft light touched and softened the lines in her face, giving her a youthful look, reminding her of that early morning a few years ago when she and Elliot had had a hard conversation on the front steps of a brownstone.

You're the longest relationship that I've ever had with a man. Who else would put up with me?

What was he doing? What was Elliot doing? What was he saying? Why was he bringing up a time in their past when he had been free, or as close to it as he'd ever been? And in front of Robert. And Munch and Fin. They probably remembered the fight in the house and the angry words Elliot had thrown at her in frustration. She didn't need the embarrassment or the reminder of her deficiency.

Olivia had to blink back tears. Damn it, he needed to stop. Right now. There was no going back and looking back on that period, even jokingly, was cruel.

Elliot

Elliot sat across from his partner, subtly glancing at the clock. Seven thirty and the new guy hadn't arrived yet. Munch and Fin were waiting for them at Hibernian, and he was still at work adding details to DD5s. Or at least, that was his cover.

From Liv's look earlier, she hadn't bough the flimsy excuse either. Damn, he'd have to come up with better ones. Robert Andersen was due to meet Olivia at the station house in a few minutes and they would walk over to the bar for drinks and good times.

In truth, he'd stuck behind so he could meet Andersen privately, get a beat on the guy, and see just who had caught his partner's attention. Elliot wanted to know if he was good enough for her. In the past, he'd been able to tell within a meeting or two. He acknowledged he was protective of his partner to the point of obsession, but he wanted to know that the person she was with was worth her time.

His musings were interrupted by the opening of the door to the room and the arrival of a tall, dark-haired, green-eyed muscled man. In a second Elliot registered and acknowledged that the two of them were very close in height and breadth.

He hugged and kissed Elliot's partner and approached. Courteously, Elliot backed away from and around his desk to greet the newcomer. "So, you're the new man in Liv's life. Nice to meet you, Andersen."

"Likewise. I've been wanting to meet you for a while now, but Olivia kept putting it off. She talks about you, Fin, and Munch so much I feel like I know you." Andersen smiled, shiny white teeth showed, and Elliot took an instant disliking to the guy.

"Funny, she doesn't talk about you at all. She's been real quiet about your relationship," Elliot stated, his reply completely not thought out.

Olivia shot him an incredulous look and daggers glared from her eyes.

Elliot offered his hand for a shake. One of the best tests of a man's honor came from a simple handshake. Elliot's grandfather had taught him that. A firm, unwavering shake told of a confident, secure man. A limp handshake denoted someone as insecure and indifferent. As Elliot had instantly, if illogically, disliked Andersen, he made a point to test him.

Intimidation by bone breakage.

But Andersen didn't cave. Instead, he gripped Elliot's hand just as hard and stared him in the eyes, daring him to look away. Those eyes said, "I'm not going anywhere." His gaze did not flicker, did not waver, and his hand did not tremble or sweat, indicating nervousness. A grudging respect developed for Andersen in those several seconds and although a large part of him still inherently disliked him, Elliot gave Andersen props for standing up to him and not backing down. It was a sign of a good man, and as much as he didn't like it, it was a good indication Olivia had found a good lover.

"Well, I'm getting hungry," Olivia said pointedly. Elliot knew his partner, and right about now, she was getting sick of their little internal battle.

A small ache developed in the vicinity of his heart. Olivia had finally found someone that, on first glance, appeared to be everything she could want. Everything she needed. Even so, he squeezed hard one last time in warning before letting go. You hurt her, you die.

"So, shall we go?" Andersen asked blithely, as if they both hadn't just attempted to rip each other's hands off.

Liv led, Andersen behind, and Elliot took the rear. Behind both their backs, Elliot vigorously shook his right hand, working the circulation back and erasing the pins and needles. He'd never admit it to anyone's face, not ever, but the guy had a mean handshake.

When they arrived at the bar, Fin and Munch greeted Andersen and Olivia, and ribbed him a bit. And then the interrogation began. Elliot was listening intently, wanting to absorb as much as possible. Although Olivia had given him the bare basics, she was notorious for not expounding on the details.

"….Olivia just wanted to keep me to herself for a while. She's very possessive that way," Andersen joked, snaking an arm around her waist and as her red v-neck long-sleeved shirt rode up, Elliot noticed his grabby hand and a thumb stroked back and forth across the exposed skin.

Elliot's eagle and observant eyes dropped down to Robert's hand at the soft breath Olivia took and saw the action that caused such an uncharacteristic response from his otherwise demure partner. His hand spasmed lightly and itched seeing that strip of skin peeking out. His focus was brought back to the conversation as Fin asked, "So, Robert, where are you from?"

Elliot tuned out the conversation as his attention was still on Andersen's thumb making passes, slow as can be, across that little strip of skin and the effect it was having on his partner: goosebumps, increased breath, ever so slightly, and a slight lean into the man in question. Elliot's unhappiness with the grabby hands was what prompted the snarky and pointed question.

"So, Liv tells us you're an EMT. Why not go to med school, become a doctor?" he questioned, not so subtly continuing with the interrogation.

Olivia shot daggers at her partner, but he was unfazed. What? It was a valid question, he answered with his eyes.

Fin and Munch bantered a bit and everyone laughed. "I still can't believe you and Elliot here have been partners for eleven years. Isn't that some sort of record?" Robert asked Olivia.

"But from what I understand, usually partners switch up, move out, move up in the food chain. How is it that you haven't?" Robert asked Elliot. "I know what keeps Liv in SVU, but what about you?"

How many times in his career had he been asked that very question? Or some variation? Elliot remembered the interrogation with Rebecca Hendrix and shifted in discomfort. That woman had seen through his careful answers to the heart of the matter. Olivia kept him in SVU. Nothing else.

How could he explain their relationship to an outsider? To someone who wasn't in law enforcement, who didn't depend on someone else for their very life? It wasn't possible. Olivia was….everything. Similar to a marriage, but so much more intense and easy at the same time. In a word – complicated.

But he couldn't say that. It was impossible to put it into words and so he went with the semi-truthful, humorous pat answer.

"I've got too many pink folders in my jacket," he joked.

He had decided to go with the easy answer. He had decided to say what wasn't hard to put into words, but he thought it only fair to give the guy fair warning. If he stuck around, he'd have to deal with what being with Olivia meant.

Really meant.

"Plus, no one knows me like Liv and vice versa," he warned subtly. "She's my longest partnership. Who else would put up with me?" he added softly, meeting and holding his partner's gaze. She broke contact first, shifting her eyes away, and a flicker of something shone in her eyes - confusion, hurt. She excused herself and left to go to the bathroom and then Elliot, Fin and Munch were left with Robert.

Alone.

"You know, Olivia's my best friend," Elliot began.

"Girl's like a sister to me," Fin added.

"I can't claim she's like a daughter," Munch quipped, taking a sip of beer.

"So, when I say you're dead if you hurt a hair on her head…" Elliot continued.

"We know where to put the body where no one will find it," Fin finished.

"Why leave a body behind at all? No evidence, no crime… Just a friendly reminder to watch yourself with Liv," Munch stated.

Robert smiled slightly. "Thanks for the warning, gentlemen, but it's not needed. I'd never hurt her."

"Oh, I know you don't have a rap sheet. I checked that the day she came in the office after the first date," Elliot said, then waited a beat. "But what I'm saying is that Liv is…special. To all of us," Elliot had to force himself to add that last bit, to include Fin and Munch and not give Robert any hint that he was different than the rest of Liv's friends.

Even if he was.

"Just take care of her, don't fuck it up, and we'll all get along just fine," Elliot finished.

"You give this talk to all of Liv's boyfriends?" Robert queried.

The sound of Olivia's nickname, Liv, that intimate form of address, on this guy's lips made his hackles rise. Illogically, it pissed him off, that this man, newly entered into her life, had the right to address her so informally. Elliot had to remind himself that he shouldn't care about that. He couldn't.

"You're one of few we've met," Fin informed him.

Robert leaned back in his chair. "Something about that statement tells me I'm probably one of her longer relationships…"

I'm/You're the longest relationship that you've/I've ever had with a man. Elliot's harsh words spoken in anger and Liv's soft, vulnerable utterance overlaid and coalesced in his mind and he had to physically stop himself from flinching. He had been so hard on her in the house that day, unknowing or maybe uncaring of the way the words nailed themselves into her psyche. So that later, on that porch, they would come back to haunt him. Vulnerability soaked into her words, contrasting with his dark tone earlier, and he had only realized then, at hearing the vulnerability under the gently mocking humor, just how much his sharp words had hurt her.

That same vulnerability had lurked in her eyes a few moments ago just before she left, right after he abbreviated her words, words spoken not in anger this time, but in truth. There had been a question in her eyes.

Why.

He knew what she was asking with that one word. Why bring up the past that way? What was the purpose? And honestly, Elliot couldn't tell. He didn't know why he had said what he did, except that a small part of him felt…trapped. Backed into a corner. The why of that he did not understand. And the small knot in his stomach tightened. Ever so slightly.

"Yes, you are. Olivia's very careful about the men she introduces us to. She must think you can handle us," Elliot said. "Liv can take care of herself, but all the same…we're very protective of her. And if you tell her that, I'll kick your ass."

"You can try," Robert said with a smile, all teeth, before taking a swig of his beer. Just then, Olivia returned and Elliot's gaze zeroed in on hers, making sure she was okay. Her eyes were dark, but clear. No shadows lurked in the corners, not that he could see.

"So, did you boys play nice?" Olivia asked cautiously, eyes flitting to each of her co-workers as she returned to her seat, leaving Elliot for last.

Elliot hid a smirk behind his beer bottle, but he had a suspicion his partner wasn't fooled, if the narrowing of her eyes was any indication.

"For now," Munch replied. "We'll take him out back later tonight, you know, when you're not around."

Olivia threw a peanut at her co-worker.

"Don't worry, Liv, I can hold my own," Robert reassured, leaning back in his chair. "I think I've had plenty of practice ragging my sisters' boyfriends over the years. So, it's only fair I get my due. Payback's a bitch, right?" he asked rhetorically, a laugh in his voice.

The night continued much in the same vein, joking and stories back and forth, and Olivia and Andersen ordered dinner and later dessert, and Elliot had to sit through the two of them splitting the rich chocolate cake. As Kathy had said when they were kids, gag me with a spoon.

Around midnight, the party broke up and it was time to go home. Elliot bid Munch and Fin good night and turned to Olivia and Robert.

"Andersen, it was nice to finally meet you," Elliot said courteously. His mother had instilled decorum in him, no matter that he always purposely neglected it. "Hope this isn't the last time."

"Likewise," Andersen said with a half-smile and shook his hand. Although still firm, the handshake wasn't an attempt to rip his hand off.

Elliot turned to his partner. "Liv, I'll see you at work Monday. Hopefully we don't catch this weekend." He sent up a little prayer. This weekend he had plans with Dickie and Liz he didn't want to break, and he was sure Liv could use the down time to relax. They'd had a couple of harsh several weeks with case after case. They deserved a little break.

"G'nite, El," Liv said, squeezing his arm a second before letting go and leaving with Andersen.

The night's meeting had confirmed Elliot's initial assessment: that Andersen was a good guy, with no agenda he could decipher, and good for his partner. The fact that he disliked the guy on principle was his problem. Olivia deserved someone to love and take care of her. Elliot needed to get over his hang-ups. For so long he'd been the only person in her life and he recognized it would take time to get over his possessiveness at the encroachment upon what Elliot illogically considered his territory.

His lips quirked up in a smile. She would kick his ass if she knew he thought of her as his.

It would just take time. If a small part of him said, no, he wouldn't get over it, then Elliot just disregarded what he believed to be his primitive instincts. Olivia had been his partner for over a decade, but that didn't make her his.