Olivia and another cop is playing dangerous territory by having a relationship that no one can know about for fear of her job. He's safe. He knows that his job is safe but when he knows the policies better than anyone but he loves her too much to let her go, how do they get around the rules with their relationship?
"Hey welcome back baby girl." Fin smiled hugging Olivia before she even had a chance to take her coat off.
"Hey Fin." Olivia smiled returning the embrace.
"So how are you?" He asked looking at her stomach.
"I'm ok, so is junior." Olivia laughed.
"Benson's back! How are you sweetheart?" Munch asked pulling her into a tight hug.
"I'm good thanks." She smiled.
"Good." Munch smiled. "Maybe we'll all be able to handle Elliot with you back."
"You mean you won't cop half the shit because I'm back to handle Elliot." Olivia laughed softly.
"Yeah ok same difference." Munch shrugged.
"Hey." Elliot smiled coming up behind her.
Olivia turned around and smile gently at him as he passed over a coffee cup.
"It's decaff, too much Caffeine is bad for the baby." He told her and she laughed softly.
"Thanks." She said finally getting the chance to take off her coat.
"Benson! Get in here." Cragen called from the office door and Olivia sighed wondering what she was getting into now, she'd been back five minutes so she had done nothing wrong yet and she was definitely not in the mood for a lecture.
She walked into the office and shut the door behind her not comfortable with the uncomfortable look on Cragen's face.
"Sit down." He told her.
"No I'm ok. What's this about?" She asked trying to hide all emotion from her face.
"An order from above says you're riding a desk." He said.
"What?" Olivia snapped.
"Until you've had the baby."
"I am not going on desk duty! You have no reason to bench me!" Olivia snapped angrily, she was shocked to hear this news.
"It's not my decision, I got a memo saying that until you're back from maternity you're on a desk." He told her firmly, the authority in his voice final but Olivia wasn't one to back down.
"NYPD guidelines state that an expectant mother can work in the field until six months unless it is deemed unsafe due to doctors orders. Cap I am not being benched." Olivia snapped.
"Olivia what you're saying is insubordination, this order has come from above, not from me so do not argue it with me." Cragen snapped right back at her.
"Where's the order coming from?" Olivia asked.
Cragen didn't reply.
"Where is the order coming from Captain?" Olivia asked her voice saying she was expecting an answer.
"IAB and the Police Commission." Cragen replied.
"IAB can kiss my fucking ass because that's come from Ed and he knew I'd argue it however…" Olivia thought for a moment. "You know what forget this, I want my union rep present." Olivia said grabbing the office door.
"Olivia…"
"No Cap, I am not arguing this with you, call the chief of D's or whoever it is Eddie's got to give you that Memo while I call a union rep in, you have no right to bench me, I am not a danger to myself or to my partner, I'm not far enough along to even be showing!" Olivia said visibly upset.
"Fine. Call your union." Cragen said and Olivia exited the office trying to mask her tears.
Elliot watched as she sank into her chair and lifted up her phone. He could see that she was upset but he knew not to question her so instead he eavesdropped on her conversation.
He was shocked at once when he realised she was on the phone with their union, no cop particularly liked turning to the union for help under any circumstance but as the one half of the conversation progressed he realised Olivia needed a union rep, he found out she was being benched for the length of her pregnancy and as much as he would prefer to know she was safe he knew she wanted to be out there and he wanted her by his side too.
"Thank you, I will see you then." Olivia replied before hanging up.
He watched as she dropped her head into her hands already looking exhausted. It wasn't that she had done anything but he knew Olivia and when she was stressed it tired her out quickly and it didn't help that on top of the pregnancy she was being given added stress.
When Olivia's cell phone rang Elliot heard her groan. She snapped it open her usual courteous pronunciation of her surname changed for an angry 'what?'
"No Ed… you had no right… it should be my decision… I know that… Yes… I've called my union rep in… because I have rights too just because we're getting married and this child will have half your DNA I have every right to do things my way…. Because it's my body that's why…. You want to try and sit on a desk in SVU for the next seven months you go right ahead and do it Ed but I won't… I am not arguing with you about this… Because I knew it was you… no one else in IAB gives a shit…. Ok maybe they do because it's your kid but … I don't care Ed… whatever… bye."
She threw her phone onto her desk and sat back in her chair with her eyes closed. She had expected something like this just not something so dramatic. Apparently the call from IAB to bench Olivia hadn't come from Ed but she knew it had come from one of his friends to whom Ed would have voiced his concerns about his pregnant fiancé being out in the field and they took it upon themselves to do him a favour. Olivia was angry, she had every right to be treated the same as any other pregnant detective which was out in the field till she was six months pregnant then six weeks behind a desk until maternity leave started, she'd accept that, maybe even save up some of her holidays to start maternity leave earlier so she wasn't stuck behind a desk.
When her phone rang she looked at the number and her earlier 'what?' replaced by her courteous 'Benson'. When she hung up she looked a little more relaxed and Elliot just guessed that it was some form of good news in a day he knew for his partner had not started off well.
"Stabler, Tutuola, DB West 96th ME and CSU on scene." Cragen said handing Elliot a slip.
"What about me?" Olivia asked getting to her feet to.
"I told you, orders from above is that you're riding a desk so until your rep has argued your case and you've signed an agreement nothing I can do but follow the orders I've been given now haven't you got any paperwork to be getting on with?" Cragen asked before turning on his heels and walking back to the office just turning enough to see Olivia grab her coat, phone and purse and walk straight out.
Don was conflicted. Being the father figure in Olivia's life he wanted nothing more than for her to ride a desk where she and her unborn child was safe for the duration of her pregnancy but as her friend and CO he understood her frustration, she hadn't come back from Jersey's Homicide unit to be put behind a desk, if she'd have known that was going to happen she wouldn't have come back sooner than originally planned.
That afternoon Olivia, Don, The Chief of D's an NYPD lawyer, Olivia's union rep named Melissa who was visibly around five months pregnant and a representative of the Union's legal team sat around in SVU's conference room.
Olivia had already been warned not to say a word as had Don. The Chief of D's and the NYPD lawyer would handle the brunt of whatever it was the union threw at them.
"So NYPD guidelines." Melissa said pulling out a large handbook that every officer was given when they graduated the academy. "Chapter six sub section twenty eight paragraph two." Melissa continued and as the other side of the table flicked to the page Melissa already had a tab in place and opened it at once.
"It says: A pregnant officer, detective, sergeant, lieutenant or captain is expected to work out in the field without any special treatment up until six months of pregnancy unless otherwise advised by a Doctor or any other health professional." Melissa read from the book even though she'd had it memorised. "So Chief Murdock can you please explain to me why is it that Detective Benson has been asked to work moderate duty behind a desk?"
"Detective Benson transferred out of Special Victims to work in New Jersey's Homicide, knowing she was pregnant she returned to Special Victims because of her partner who has found himself in a lot of trouble since her departure, for her own safety and that of her unborn child we believe it is most suitable for Detective Benson to work behind her desk where she or her child will not become a victim of a ruthless perpetrator or her angry partner."
"Elliot would never hurt me." Olivia snapped.
"Olivia be quiet." Melissa whispered. "Trust me to handle this." She said and Olivia nodded and bit her lip hoping that she could in fact keep quiet when she was so rattled.
"Detective Benson has been trained in hand to hand combat and caries a weapon, you trust her enough to go out into the field on an everyday basis but now that she's pregnant you won't. On the same note, I doubt that Detective Stabler would ever put his partner at risk, he is known for defending Detective Benson, they are known for having each other's backs and are popular across the NYPD. Detective Stabler, if at risk to his partner, is the one who should be put on a desk and have his career scrutinised not my client." Melissa replied with an edge to her voice that warned the opposite side not to argue because she knew her stuff.
"Detective Stabler has already been reprimanded in the past two weeks for turning on his partner."
"A male partner twice his size who turned on Stabler's family, I think it is safe for us to agree we'd all turn on our partners in those circumstances." Melissa replied with a tiny hint of a smirk on her lips.
"All we care about is Detective Benson's well-being here. She's arguing something that is being put in place to keep her safe? I want a psych eval done." Chief of D's replied and Olivia leaned into Melissa.
"They want a psych eval they can have one, I have nothing to hide." Olivia said and Melissa nodded before turning back to the Chief of D's.
"Detective Benson sees no reason not to have a psych eval if it is what you want." Melissa said and the chief nodded and hoped something in the eval would help him put Olivia behind a desk.
"We'll schedule a session with George Huang as soon as we're done here." Cragen said and Olivia glared at him, she was furious with him.
"Ok, now last order of business, Detective Benson's relationship and marriage to Edward Tucker, Chief Murdock you personally called Detective Benson inviting her back to the NYPD so I see no reason that you will try and use that against her in the future however, your friendship with Lieutenant Tucker does not merit you any right to put my client behind a desk and I see any new cases that come in this afternoon my client will not be overlooked, should Elliot Stabler be sent out on the field his partner will be with him. I believe your lawyer will want to look over this contract that myself and our union's legal team have drawn regarding Detective Benson, I see it fit that we set up a future meeting so it can be signed and then we can all put this behind us." Melissa continued with a shit eating grin on her face.
"Of course." Chief Murdock replied, he could see he'd lost this one.
"Good. Then we'll be heading off." Melissa smiled as she got to her feet, the lawyer and Olivia rose to but Don Cragen's voice stopped them.
"Liv wait." He said and Olivia turned back.
"What?" She asked.
"Just wait." He told her.
"I am not allowing my client to stay in this room with you three without myself and our lawyer." Melissa said and she took hold of Olivia's hand and led her out of the room.
"Thank you." Olivia smiled looking at the union rep who was happily stroking her bump.
"No problem Olivia, they were in the wrong and they knew it." Melissa smiled. "If your captain or anyone else brings it up or brings up anything that was said in there here's my card, call me directly so they don't send you someone different."
"I will. Thank you again Melissa, I know some would say I'm overreacting…"
"You're not, you knew your rights and they tried to take them from you, overreacting is the one thing you weren't doing." Melissa smiled. "Now I'll see you when we meet to sign the contract." She said before walking off leaving Olivia to glance back at the conference room with a heavy heart, calling in a union rep never looked good on a cop but she had no other option.