Who Could Have Known

Chapter 7 Work Your Magic, Horse Whisperer

"Benson." Olivia mumbled in to he cell phone looking at the clock that told her it was four in the morning. I just fell asleep an hour ago. She thought remembering how painful it was to see Elliot leave, even if she had told him too.

"Olivia."

"Captain?" She sat up slowly, "our not too big on sleep either huh?"

"Actually I wanted to give you time to get ready so you didn't' come here first."

"Why wouldn't I come to work Cap?" her voice dropped out of concern.

"The equestrian unit called me a couple of weeks ago, they're having a problem with one of the horses and they asked if you could help."

"Sir, it takes a minimum of two months to train a horse. I can't do it in one day." She scoffed.

"I'm aware of that which was why I wasn't going to send you but, your case load has lightened…"

"You agreed?" She asked, "Captain I can't leave SVU, that's who I am."

"Look, I know that and I'm not asking you to leave. I'm asking you to take some time for a different passion. The horses are therapeutic Olivia, maybe it will help."

"Excuse me?" Her voiced tensed "What are you getting at captain?"

"Look Olivia you know I care about you and I may be old but I still notice things, and it looks like the last few months haven't been kind to you."

Olivia exhaled, "Is it that obvious?" she asked.

"Liv, your loosing weight, you look like hell and you and Elliot seem to be on completely different wave lengths, is everything going okay with you two?" He asked not as a captain but more as a father.

"Yeah, we'll work it out, Elliot is just PMS'ing," She offered.

"And Jeremiah?" He asked

"Olivia traced her split lip with her tongue. "It's over." She said flatly. Pig? Poor in bed? Batterer? Hang in there you might be able to date Olivia Benson. She thought to herself like she was Bob Barker from the price is right.

"You need this Liv, and this way your still getting paid." He tried to pick out the positives.

"Is it an order Cap?"

"If you wont go willingly I'll make it one."

Olivia finally submitted to the inevitable "What time?"

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Elliot stared at the empty desk across from his and then glanced at the clock. He'd known her for almost seven years and she was always obnoxiously early, a nuclear explosion could have went off and she still would be a minute early just to spite circumstance.

"Cap – did Olivia call off today?" Elliot asked standing in the threshold of Cragen's office.

Cragen leaned back in his chair. "Two Months."

"What?" Elliot cold barely breathe. "She okay?" If Jeremiah so much as touched her he was going to kill him.

"She's fine, she just needed time to herself. "Cragen assured him not offering to tell him anything further.

"Did you know about her and Jeremiah? They called in quits." Cragen tossed the pencil on his desk.

Elliot lowered himself in the chair. "She took vacation because of last night?" he asked surprised.

"What do you mean last night?" Cragen leaned forward, "What the hell happened?"

Oh I went to offer her my undying love after he busted her lip and she threw it back in my face.

"I'm not sure what happened, she was shaken up though." Elliot rubbed the back of his neck.

"How so?" Cragen narrowed his eyes in concern.

"She cleans her gun each time she goes to the range. She's anal about it." He smiled remembering how she fought with him that he didn't take cleaning his own weapon as seriously. "When I got there it was on the counter away from the cleaning oil."

"So?" Cragen asked.

Elliot stood to his feet to leave, "The safety was off."

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Olivia down shifted her mustang into second gear and released the clutch. She made the climb up the muddy path to the stables. When she felt the rear end of the car fish tail slightly, she eased off the accelerator and smiled remembering it was much easier to make the path in a truck than a sports car. She eventually negotiated the terrain and parked her 'horse'.

Retrieving her oversized duffel bag she heard a familiar voice.

"Benson?" The voice sounded unsure. She turned closing the trunk lid.

"Smetana! How are you?" She smiled warmly.

"Wow, you look amazing, what's with the clothes?" He smiled having never seen her in anything other than riding gear and jeans.

Olivia looked down at her attire and agreed that it was more suitable for court than the stables. "Yeah, I'm having a jean shortage right now." She forced a smile remembering how angry she was when she'd woken up to find that Jeremiah had thrown all of her jeans down the shoot and into the dumpster. She was practically in shock when the garbage man…for once in three years arrived early. Olivia was aware that Jeremiah hated her wearing jeans, but throwing them away? That was just…sac religious.

"So, where's this beast of a horse?" she smiled picking up her bag and following him to the locker room.

"Suit up and I'll take you to her."

"Her? What no name?"

"No one has been able to ride her to get a feel for her personality and 'woaw pissy bitch'," He pretended to pull on imaginary reins. "Didn't fly with the brass." They both erupted in laughter.

As Olivia changed, Carlos Smetana talked to her from just outside of the door.

"Alright Smetena it's been a couple of years so no pot shots alright?" she stepped out the door in skin tight tan riding pants with black leather boots equipped with spurs that stopped just below the knees. She opted for a simple male crew-neck tee, size small to make her still fell feminine.

"Still looking good." He complimented her as a friend would.

"Alright, let's do this." She smiled taking the helmet from the wall.

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Olivia leaned against the railing watching as a young rookie yelled obscenities at a large gray horse.

"Well, there she is." Carlos Smetana laughed. "That's one pissed off horse."

"Carlos, that's one gray horse. What happened to black or brown only?" She asked growing irritated as she watched the mishandling of the horse.

"Equestrian budget is shot to hell and we've put down three since Pitter Pat from injuries." His voice was disappointed.

"Well, if this is the idiot training them, I can see why." She furrowed her brow watching the man attempt to saddle the horse. The saddle spent more time in the mud than on the horse's back. Moron.

Smetana smiled noticing her growing anger. "The humane society gave her to us when she was one; she's just as stubborn as you Olivia…maybe even just as hurt." He raised his brows, suggesting he would listen if she wanted to talk.

"What's that suppose to mean?" she asked for clarification as she hit the ignore button on her cell phone.

"Well, that's the fifth time you've ignored a call since you got out of the car, I see you still haven't mastered the fine art of communication." He smiled as she blushed with embarrassment.

"You can tame a stallion but your all thumbs with the guys huh?"

"Well, you men are a horse of a different color," she laughed. "Speaking of which, what's her story? You said the humane society gave her to you?"

"Found her ankle deep in mud and feces. Bobbed wire embedded in one of her front legs. Severely emaciated, looked like she'd been beaten every day of her miserable life." His voice was compassionate. "As weak as she was she fought us every step of the was to the horse trailer…stubborn."

Olivia's face shown with empathy, "Not stubborn…scared." The empathy was quickly replaced with anger when she heard the cry of the horse immediately after the crack of a whip. She moved quickly through the parallel bars of the railings. She walked angrily to the man that had cracked the whip for the second time.

"STOP!" She yelled as he chambered for another strike.

The man stopped at the sound of her voice and turned to face her allowing the horse to run skittishly to one corner of the riding arena. "Who the hell are you?" he barked.

"Detective Benson, reassigned to this unit." She was angry. "You'll refer to me as Sergeant Benson." Her voice was increasing and Smetana knew that the rookie was in for a tongue-lashing.

"Your disturbing the horse." He spoke back irritated.

Olivia closed what little gap was left between the two. "Consider you self relieved of your post," she looked at his nametag, "get out of my arena Manriquez."

"You can't do that." He protested.

She stepped closer feeling his chest against hers. "I just did." She arched her brows. "If I ever catch you around this horse with a whip, or in my arena without my permission, I'm gonna show you what being whipped feels like…you feel me Manriquez?"

"Manriquez, " Smetana stepped in. "Your gonna be late for your patrol, go trailer your horse."

Manriquez eyes Olivia who neither blinked nor backed down. "Whatever." He muttered walking away without picking the saddle up from the dirt.

"Wow," Smetana smiled. " I see you still got your brass balls." He laughed.

Olivia shook her head and smiled as she observed the horse walking freely. "She's beautiful." She whispered. "You got sugar cubes?" she asked him.

"Here you go." He handed her a baggy full. "Work you magic…horse whisperer." He laughed as she shot him a dirty look. He picked up the saddle and walked back to the arena railings to observe.

Working with the victims of the SVU unit, Olivia found it even easier to work with the horse. She stood in the center of the arena allowing her body to calm. Just as a victim can sense the slightest hint of judgment, horses can smell anxiety a mile away.

Sugar cubes are like dog treats for horses. They posses tremendous power when used to reward good behavior. She approached the horse with a single cube in her palm as she would a victim with coffee.

The horse made eye contact with her through its massive blue eye. Olivia had never seen a creature more beautiful, although the blue eyes reminded her of Elliot. She supposed she could have at least return one of his calls. As the horse stamped its feet, Olivia forced herself to clear her mind again. The last thing she needed was for the horse to suddenly rear up on her.

"Hey girl, it's okay." She offered a soothing voice extending her palm with the treat inside. It took three, possibly four minutes of steady and deliberate movements for Olivia to be able to place the cube to the horse's lips. Timidly, the horse took the cube and then backed away. Olivia smiled knowing it would be a long and perhaps personally insightful two months.