Authors Note: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed. You guys are awesome, so sweet. I really appreciate it!
Teenage girls are far too receptive for their lack of inhibition. Ticking clocks. Elliot came back to the station after the courthouse all soft eyed and content, like he alone had arranged the best possible solution, like he alone could save a little girl's life. This time, there had been no "hey partner, you'll get there, you're great with kids," just a harsh anti abortion comment and a cocky pose. He didn't want her anymore. His barren, miserable, traumatized partner. Traumatized. The word tastes bitter on her tongue, and she wonders, since he read the report, what he must think of her. His partner who can't watch her own back.
Cragen has, it seems, grown even more paternal with her since Sealview, since Kathleen and astronaut boy, since the shit that is Elliot hit the fan and came splattering down around her. The conference had been nice, a clean hotel with a big couch and thirty-five channels, a Jacuzzi tub. It was nice to get away from blue eyes and just be a competent cop from a tough unit. But when she showed up, Cragen seemed to lighten a bit, like he had missed her, and that warmed her enough to get through the iceberg field of Elliot. And for that small solace, she is grateful. Because she needs to take the little things these days.
"He took her in"
She leveled her eyes at him. He looked genuinely content with the situation.
"That's good El."
"Yeah"
He's looking down at the file. She winces as she downs the rest of her cold coffee.
"I'm going to head out El"
"Okay"
'Night"
He doesn't respond, and as she unlocks her locker, she wonders if they will ever speak again.
"Hey Liv?"
"Yeah?"
"You want to, I don't know, get a drink?"
"I'm tired Elliot"
"Are you really going to sleep tonight? Come on, put off the inevitable"
He knows her too well. Elliot and teenage girls need to learn how to shut up. They shouldn't be allowed Olivia Benson because Olivia Benson does not have the energy to force things not to hurt anymore, and these days, everything hurts.
'You buying"
"First round"
"Alright"
Maloney's is pretty quiet on Tuesday nights, and she wishes she could go home. It's too cold outside, it's too hot inside, and Elliot looks so damned content. She's drinking beer tonight, and so is he. Tonight, they are cops.
"How was the conference?"
"It was good."
"Learn anything?"
"New statistics, not to drink the coffee, met some plainclothes from Austin."
"This was a fucked up case"
She sighs, leaning back on her barstool. She misses Casey, especially at times like these when she could have been at the bar with them, telling Elliot to shut up or distracting him with baseball. Casey had her back when it came to Elliot. Greyleck is good. Olivia will give her that. It's just that she's good in the way a bulldozer is efficient but never very clean.
"They all are El"
"Sixteen" he shakes his head.
"Yeah"
She wants to leave. She's getting the itch to distract him and hail a cab before he can say stop.
"Elliot, it's late. Go home."
"You going to sleep tonight?"
"What is wrong with you?"
"What do you mean? I care about you Liv"
It's her cue to leave. She can't take him caring about her again.
"That's good El. Look, congratulations, you did good on this one. I'm going home."
She sees him, as she pulls her coat off the chair and heads for the door, she sees him raise his hand to protest. But she wouldn't turn around this time. It was time to go home.