Chapter 4
Olivia was used to having to be on hand to pick up the phone in the middle of the night, promptly get dressed and head straight out to a crime scene or to the office. ThankfullyLucy was always also on alert for such occasions and as a result it meant that Olivia could always perform at the best of her ability for both her roles as Captain and mother. It especially came in handy for occasions such as the next morning when the early wakeup call was the obvious signal to a particularly busy couple of upcoming days.
"Captain Benson"
"Oliva, we need you down at the precinct earlier this morning. There's something i need to discuss with you and the squad"
"Ok ...do we have a new case? I can be at the crime scene?"
"No, that's not necessary, just round the team up, we do have a case but we have to work together with some additional units, I'll discuss it all when I see you."
"Ok Chief, see you soon"
Olivia liked Chief Garland, they'd had a few 'rocky' moments which maybe caused the odd difficulty here and there but the mutual respect for each other allowed them to power through to form a sense of professional friendship, after all that is how she had met Edgar.
Edgar. Who she had not seen or heard from since 10 days prior and if Olivia was being honest with herself she was struggling to work out whether she needed to message and apologise to him or if it was best to leave it alone all together, the latest situation with Elliot was clouding any potential judgements and she was, undermining her own purpose built protection value, for as long as she could remember this had never been an issue she had, had to deal with. Ever since he left she had attempted to prepare herself and develop so that if one day, Elliot was in the situation, that he was in and returned, well then she would be ready for him….. Until she wasn't.
As she entered the precinct, she noticed Elliot stood waiting for her at the doors, 2 coffees in tow
"What are you doing here?" she asks holding out her hand to take one of the coffees
"I've been asked to come in for your meeting."
"Ah- ha, well this can't be good" taking a sip of her coffee she turns towards him pleasantly surprised "So how exactly do you know my new coffee order?"
"Fin"
"Mhmm, so that's how this goes?" she nods matter of factly before leading the way through the squad room and into her already well occupied office.
"Well, well, well If my eyes don't deceive me. Olivia……...Detective Stabler"
Aiming her fingers towards Elliot and figuratively pulling the invisible trigger, the all too familiar laugh of the FBI agent filled the room
"Oh wow…..DANA, my own personal bad luck charm, so how long have I got this time until someone's after me?" Elliot sarcastically checks over both of his shoulders.
"Oh, come on Elliot it was never that bad you survived didn ya?" Ending her comment on a suggestive wink, she moves towards the clearly still in shock Olivia who can only manage a whisper
"Dana, I...you're here? In a working capacity?" She's rubbing her hand across her face and slowly pacing the same unoccupied floor space of her office"
"Am I missing something?" Sensing the change in atmosphere of the room Elliots quick to notice this is a bigger surprise to Olivia than it should be, before he's able to probe further into the situation Dana quickly intersects
"Look Olivia… you know how these things go, we needed a good cover story to get me deep under inside and an FBI agent charged with murder, well it couldn't very well be any better."
"So the full thing was just a rouse, is that what you're telling me Dana? The evidence,the statements, the…. everything? You couldn't have told me?"
"Olivia don't go taking offence, you know as well as I do..I couldn't have told you even if I wanted to. Besides you don't have the track record of staying out of my business so I knew you would be the one to take me down" the matter of fact tone Dana is speaking with changes to a playful taunt when she witnesses the lack of change of expression from Olivia's face.
"Oh come on Olivia…"
"Liv..come on you know she's right" Elliot suddenly realises the error of his ways in this conversation when the anger aimed at the situation spews out against him
"Really Elliot, because you were here...right? You sat and interrogated Dana? you felt the anguish at having to accept that someone who you respected professionally and thought of as a friend had been hiding this horrendous secret for all these years, you felt disappointed when you realised she was inserting herself into the investigation and you….
"Sorry am I interrupting something here?" a new but all too familiar voice came from the office doorway, after placing the tray of coffees on the table, he straightens his suit jacket up
"This guy? really?" Elliot holds his thumb out towards the voice in the doorway before his sentence is over taken by an exasperated Olivia
"YOU have got to be kidding me" she moves herself to take a seat behind her desk, removing the frames that are placed on the top of her head she drops them down to the table. Elliot closes in next to her, gently bumps elbows and can't help himself but to whisper
"Liv…….. you deliberately added to my competition here?"
"Not funny, El"
The comment clearly had made the impact Elliot was looking for as the smug look spread uncontrollably across his face.
After witnessing the office on-going drama Chief Garland attempts to establish some form of control amongst the team and takes a formal stand
"Benson, Stabler..I'm now assuming you're already associated with Agents Lewis and Porter?"
"Oh you better believe it…" Olivia, struggling with the animosity taking over her pitch "Do we need the team in now or are we going to run through whatever it is….that this is."
"Captain Benson…. Agents Porter and Lewis have asked for our assistance on a case they have been working on for over 4 years, Detective Stabler is here on loan from his task force.. his past experiences with SVU and his recent role lead the FBI to request for his assistance." Garland ushers towards the door to beckon the rest of the team into the Captain's Office.
"Ahh recent role, yet another thing we need to add to our list of discussions" Olivia whispers back towards Elliot, raising her eyebrows and settling on him in a long stare.
"Well, well, well ...if this ain't a trip down memory lane.."
"Sargeant Tutuola, you're familiar with the agents and Detective Stabler?" Garland allows the door to close behind Amanda and Kat.
"Ok, Agent Porter would you like to take over"
Olivia watched as Dean Porter took himself centre stage, the same confident presence he always had, regardless of the situation. He hasn't changed all that much since the late 2000's when he told her not to take things personally and disappeared down the back entrance of the precinct. That moment had eternally left her with a bitter taste in her mouth. It wasn't the fact that there was potentially some form of chemistry behind them or that he had not trusted her with the operation it was the deceptiveness of the whole operation and how the lines between right and wrong, the lines she prided herself on staying separate had become beyond blurred.
"We have a situation, Agent Lewis and I have been working undercover, we've been following club owners trafficking women from Eastern European countries. We shut one down and another opens in another state. Obviously all ran by the same group."
Opening up his tablet, he passes it around the members of the office
"This is the latest club, here in Manhattan. If it follows the same pattern its a smooth operation, regular staff are hired and from past arrests we know they have nothing to do with the ring and no knowledge of the behind the scenes, we're not asking you to particularly focus on bar staff, in most cases we have found even speaking with them...they are oblivious. It's all strictly need to know "
"So what's been your role in all of this so far?" Passing over the tablet to Fin, Elliot looks at both Dean and Dana
"Well Detective Stabler, we are…. let's say, silent partners in the business. Richard and Sarah Golightly, husband and wife." Dana replies, pouncing on the opportunity to work up the tension
"Dick...Golightly, well if the name fits" Elliot can't help taking on a role of childish banter, he looks to Olivia, half forgetting they are not back in the 'their times' and what once would have been a playful smile and head shake to his comment, she's now completely serious and passes him no more than an eye roll.
"We haven't been seen by the ring leaders or people involved, they know of who we are and we that delivers us a level of respect. We have been 'shipping the girls' amongst their club locations and 'releasing' the small amounts of ones where we can. Theres alot of girls and as you know, we need to take them down from the top."
Dean starts handing the tablet around again, showing snaps of known affiliates from the Manhattan Club listed.
"We need to stress….. this club is up and coming, it attracts a lively crowd and is a new socialite hot spot. We will come across lots of people from different walks and some high profile. Some will be there for the girls and some will be there for a different kind of good time"
"Ok Dana, we get it. So how can we help? What's next? " Captain Benson asks the agents.
"We need some help on the inside, we need to know the staff, and those who appear to know what's going on, that's how we worked on the other clubs. If we can get them we can work on the next stage. We also need to look into the regulars, not to interrogate, to watch them with round the clock surveillance, we also need constant eyes on the club. There's a hotel directly opposite and we have secured a room." Taking a breath, Agent Porter looks at each individual as he addresses their significance in the operation.
"Captain Benson, Detective Stabler given that you were partners previously we would like to suggest you work with one another. Captain, you especially have been quite high profile over the last few years and we would request you to remain out of sight, we can't guarantee these suspects haven't been in the city for years and as a result we request the same from Detective Stabler.
If possible we'd like to have Officer Tamin? and a couple of undercover uniforms to be put in as a bar or waiting staff member to use as our eyes and ears. The Captain and Detective will already have the photo shots and names of any known 'people of interest' and they will alert you from the Hotel if any are approaching the club.
Detective Rollins and Sargeant Fin I'd like you to hold back, The Captain will radio through to you the car reg details and you know what car/ who you're following and note down any stop offs as well as the final destination, at least that way, we have slightly more time to be more inconspicuous and we can put uniform on them." Agent Porter looked towards Olivia seeking a form of approval on the plan, she was not in the mood to go head to head with both Dean and Dana and she knew, irrespective of whatever her opinion would be, he would action it regardless. This was one of those situations where SVU can step in, help and then let the agents head on to whatever expeditions they can get themselves into. As far as Olivia was concerned these two were peas in a pod and were better off staying far away from her team in future, she's already had to re-open one assumed very closed chapter of her life, she still hasn't even dealt with it.
Chief Garland steps toward Agent Porter "Thankyou Agents, I think we are all very much onboard with the plan, does anyone have any questions?" Looking around the room and taking in the pattern of nodding heads he continues
"So, let's get the ball rolling… Captain Benson, I assume you will keep me updated?"
"Of course Chief, everyone lets get prepared"
Amanda and Kat leave the Captain's office followed by Agent Porter. Agent Lewis turns to the two former partners
"So... Benson and Stabler in a hotel room together, huh? bet that's never happened before" she casually gives a wink of her eye and follows after her partner.
"MmmHmmm" Fin nodding his head and raising his eyebrows clearly couldn't bite his tongue.
Elliot lets out a chuckle, the lack of humor Olivia is not finding in the whole situation is perfectly written all over her face
"See you tonight, I'll text you our room number..Captain" Imitating the tone and a quick wink such as Agent Lewis had, he also leaves.
"Keycard for room 1402 please"
"Certainly Madam…… Mrs Benson? " before Olivia contemplates correcting the early 20's, blonde hotel concierge on the fact that she is actually Miss/Ms/Captain Benson as opposed to Mrs the young woman quickly slips a keycard over towards Olivia
"Mr Benson, is already in the room waiting for you" her voice changing to an advisory whisper "he did tell me to call up when you arrive so that he can wait for you in the bath, just so you know….have fun"
Olivia can't help but laugh out loud as she makes her way to the elevator, Elliot always did have a bit of playful immaturity to his humor and this was maybe the ice breaker she needed before walking into a hotel room, overnight, on a 12 hour stakeout with her ex partner, who she asked to leave her apartment just short of 2 weeks ago before burying down her feelings again in order to be able to continue on with her current life.
"El, I hope you're not in that bath like you promised?" she shouted through to the hotel room
"Erm Liv……..Dean and Dana are here just to check in before the crowds start to appear, sorry this is on me my practical joke backfired" holding his hands upright in confession the clear awkwardness of his voice fills the room and the forced laughter doesn't have the desired effect of lightening the mood a much as he had hoped.
Dean hones in on Olivia looking her up and down before the two agents make a swift exit. "Nice to see you again Olivia"
"You too Dean" Olivia closing the door behind her and holding her holds over her eyes displaying her embarrassment
"El, really? ...the bath?"
"Well obviously I didn't think you'd walk in announcing it when we had guests did I?"
"Or maybe you just didn't think?"
"ha, ok Liv you wanna order some food before we settle into our viewing chairs for the evening?" he hands her the room service menu and her eyes settle on an old favourite
"Hey, El, they have dogs..remember how we used to always sit on stakeouts like this with hot dogs from your favourite stand? We'd get them, take them to the car and you'd be finished before I even started?"
he laughs in response to her reminiscing of their days as partners
"Yeah, well you always ate soo slow"
"It's hard to eat quickly when you have someone asking if you're sure you're going to eat all of it...every half a second"
"No way, you knew, you never finished the whole thing, I was just taking the pressure off you, letting you know I'd take it off your hands when you needed me too."
"Ahh yes, you always did have my 6. I'll order them, anything else? fries, rings, fingers?" selecting the room service menu on the hotels app she starts entering their order.
"App ordering?" he asks, making space on the table situated at the window directly opposite the club.
"Yeah, a lot's changed since we last worked together huh? she smiles over towards him, reluctantly she meets his gaze because as nice as this moment is she cant entirely hide the sadness in her eyes.
"Liv, do you wanna talk about when we were in your apartment?"
"Not tonight El, we have a job to do and I dunno, maybe we should just enjoy this? you know for old times sake?"
"You got it Liv, come on lets get set up before the food arrives"
He takes her carry case from her and places it on the bed, getting it ready for her to start unpacking. She closes the distance between them and wraps her hand around his bicep, he turns to face her looking between her hand position and her face
"El, how are you since Kathy? how are the kids?"
Elliot retreats from her touch and sits himself on the bed, he rubs his hand across his face as he exhales heavily, loosening the tie further from around his neck his voice initially cracking
"Its, erm, its, well it's tough Liv. The kids are in pain and god, they miss her but they're such good kids Liv, Kathy she erm, she did such a great job with them. They try really hard to be positive and try to move forward. It's tough but they'll get there, you know?"
Sitting down beside him she strokes the side of his arm, providing him with a sense of warmth and comfort
"They are great kids, you both did an amazing job with all of those kids... How are you managing?"
"I'm ok, you know, Kathy was my best friend Liv, she didn't get me like you always did but we had so many memories and there were some real good times,especially with the kids... it's hard to, think about sometimes you know?"
"I get it El, I understand how difficult it must be, you know I'm always here for you, you know that, don't you?"
he takes her hand from his arm and clasps it between his
"I meant what I said before Liv, about us..Coming back to New York, it was all originally to make amends with you, I'd wasted too much time and…."
"I know, I believe you..I want to discuss this with you. There's a lot of things I need to say, some things El, things I need you to hear from me, so much has changed and I don't know if I'm the same person I was all them years ago."
"I want to hear everything, every little detail of everything I missed and I'm here for you, for whatever it may be Liv."
A sudden knock at the door and an older female voice calling out through the door that their room service has arrived has them both quickly re-composing themselves from the almost impassioned conversation.
The evening progressed rather quietly only 2 of the 11 suspects had entered the club premises and neither of them had yet excited. Kat was working on the inside as a bartender, she'd been placed next to a beautiful strawberry blonde, fair skin, voluptuous curves, tight fitted dresses, eagerly displaying her ample cleavage and larger hips, she was introduced as Red, whether the name was an association to her signature red lipstick or the potential for her hair colour still remained to be discovered. Red was feisty, she gave as good as she got with any boss, employee or customer and Kat had already reported back she was potentially just an eager aspiring club owner, none the wiser to the dark, seedy indecencies going on behind closed doors, or she was a major player.
The radios between all involved in tonight's operation had been flowing all evening, new potential leads had been discovered and reported to Agents Porter and Lewis for them to follow. Come 5am Elliot and Olivia had filled their time working and chatting, the conversation had been light and filled with happy recollections of 'the olden days' the long evening beginning to wrap up, Olivia leaves her phone on the side and takes a quick toilet break.
"Hey Liv, Liv...hurry up….we gotta a new one coming into the club?"
"At this time? really?" drying off her hands she takes a seat back down beside Elliot
"Did you see, was it someone on the list?" she asks
"I couldn't make em out, he was very tall, tan coat and hat, he drove up and parked round the back"
"This has to be something, I'll check the photo shots again and see if there's any resemblance to that form of attire, how long would you say he's been in now? Hopefully Kat's got eyes on him"
"I dunno, about 6/7 minutes, I'll call Dana, see if they know anything."
Elliot reaches into his back pocket for his phone and moves towards the far end of the room to make his call.
Olivia listens in waiting for any hint as to who the mystery early morning club visitor may be. Listening to his distinct vocal reactions, she remembers how she earlier switched her phone to silent, mainly because Noah repeatedly called, assumingly behind Lucy's back and all because he really didn't want to go to bed. A quick text to Lucy to make her aware he must have hidden his phone in his room and Olivia forgot to take the silent switch off.
5 missed calls
"Dammit" she quickly returns the first 2 calls, both from Kat and both calls ring out.
"Liv, I need to speak with you a sec?" Elliot asks moving towards her
"I won't be long El, I just need to Call Fi…
Fin….Hi, no I haven't spoken to Kat yet, I've attempted to call her back but she's not answering"
She looks over to Elliot who rubs the back of his head and smiles out of the side of his mouth. She silently mouths over to him asking what was going on but he just shook his head and returned the silent exchange confirming he would speak to her after the call.
"It's who? …… you have got to be joking with me? are you sure?" The look on Elliot's face is confirmation that he had also just received the same information and she takes herself over to the window, attentively looking out as if she was going to spot this now, not so unknown individual walking back out.
"ah ha, ok Fin, No, no don't worry- I'm ok, thanks for letting me know." Olvia abruptly ends the phone call and looks over towards Elliot.
"That son of a bitch!"
Olivia has been pacing the hotel room floor for the past 20 minutes.
"Liv, are you going to tell me what Fin said?"
"Are you going to tell me what Dana said?" she snaps back at him
"I'm guessing you already know? Look all I know is that Edgar has been picking one of the bar managers up about this time, a couple of times per week"
he inches his body forward but then reconsiders when she starts aggressively pacing the floor again
"Liv, I get it you're hurt, you really liked the guy but the FBI, they uh, they dont think hes involved, just a bit of a coincidence. The club Liv, they said they get a lot of city 'high flyers' in"
"It's not that El, I'm not hurt, yes I liked him, he was very sweet and considerate in the beginning and I enjoyed my time with him. I never let myself get close enough to be hurt. Ever since you returned I feel like I'm upside down." her voice changes to anger and she starts a fast rant about how Edgar had been apparently involved with this Red from the bar since its opening night, 4 months ago. During her ongoing tirade she tells Elliot about the distractions and the night of the gala.
"Aww Liv, he was never good enough for you, I could see that"
"And what Elliot, you are? is that what you're going to say, because a few less texts of what do they call it? ghosting? leaving me alone at an event gala is in no way comparable to disapearing to the other side of the world for over 10 fucking years"
"And we are back to this again? Liv you cant keep saying you don't want to talk about this and us, that you're not yet ready to go into it and then throw it back at me every time you get annoyed. I want to have this conversation and I'll take your anger but I need us to both be in this conversation."
"Fuck you Elliot"
Olivia cant help herself and she is more than aware that what she is coming out with is most probably no more than inaudible muttering but she cant control when the Elliot box wants to burst open and apparently all she needed was 3 members of her old life showing up and fucking up her new one.
"Liv, please will you listen to me?"
"No, I don't want to talk now, I need to get going.'
She's flush faced and irate, Elliot can't let her leave like this, he forcefully grabs her face in an effort to calm her down, doing something she had refused to allow herself to do year upon year she reached out beyond his grip and gently kissed him on the lips, he moves his hands to the tops of her shoulders and looks into her eyes, his hesitation forces her to recoil her face away from his gaze, the shock over throwing her when he then forces his mouth against hers.
The movements are quick as he transfers his hands to work unfastening her belt and pulling it from round her pants, reciprocating the actions she strokes her fingers against the flesh of his torso, slowly taking his shirt up with her movements and pulling it from over his head, not wanting to break the kiss for long she moves in towards him again, stroking her fingers over the rim of his boxers, he assists her in sliding them down and stepping out. Revealing his endowment, Elliot observes her gazing response and it further ignites his lust for her, pulling on her belt loops, he drags her body towards him, allowing his hands to feel all of her, taking in everything, pressing his thumbs into the curve of her hips and grinding his hardness against her jeans, still exploring her, his throat low and riled
"I need to fuck you Liv"
Pushing her body down onto the bed, he positions himself between her legs, proactively she throws her arms behind his head, enticing him into a deeping kiss, the intensity of their upper bodies connecting causing her breasts to harden, the nipples below her shirt and bra alert and aroused, taking in every drift of his body against them spiking her sensitivity.
He unbuttons her jeans and pulls them down, kissing her stomach her body writhes from the tingling coursing through, at this point she doesn't want to sleep, she wants the ache, she wants him in her and he presses his weight down against her, watching his face for a reaction she squeezes her legs around him, the heat and sweat from one another already falling on their bare, heightened skin.
The head of his penis tingling unbearably, growing bigger and harder as he rubs it against the lace of her underwear
"Take them off, I want them off" she impatiently states, nibbling on the nape of his neck. The power once again shifts as he nudges her head to the side to start kissing and sucking his lips against her collarbone, a soft moan escaping from her mouth as the smooth touch of his hands slide down the side of her body. He takes hold of her lace under garment and tenderly removes it down over her thighs, his fingers brushing against her skin, creating a rise in longing from both of them, her body is overthrown by a dizzying suspension and she cradles her legs around his waist, he strokes his penis along her bare core and their joint wetness forms a cold pool against her opening
"Fuck me. El...Fuck me" obeying her commands he pushes himself inside of her, her groans cause her to constrict tightly around him, slowly rotating her hips she mimics his movements, his body responding in tune to hers, he releases a breathless string of 'aahs'
Repeatedly he lifts his body and powerfully heaves himself in deeper, there was no end to his strength of thrusts and the soft moans turned into uncontrollable gasps, the intense pressure building inside of her, she wants to scream out but she can't lose herself, not yet, not this soon, she needs to swallow her overwhelming want to release and keep control but his body is strong and This… this... is all she's ever dreamt of, his hands that were pinning her arms against the head of the bed have moved and he's stroking her hair at the sides of her face, his movements channeling a frenzy of additional expended energy
"Come for me Liv, You gonna come for me?"
her face is blowing up, its red and furious, she's desperately holding on and he senses it, sliding himself out of her, he holds back leaving her body tensing in a deep ache, the throbbing between her legs desperately needing him to drive himself back into her but instead he stalled, he's heightening her impulses and making her instantly pine for him, moving his face down between her legs he gently exhales his breath against her core, causing her to gasp out
"Oh god, Oh god, I need you inside of me El, Fuck me!" her pleading tightens her body, he leans forward gently kissing her on the top of the head, she breathes in, gripping her fists into the side of her pillow and arches her back welcoming him back in
"Got it Captain" he's pulsing inside of her, the matched moans of rippling intensity over taking her, closing her eyes and throwing her head deeper into the pillow she succumbs to her peak and cries out in pleasure, the warm liquid from his climax filling her insides, her body is left gently shaking from its own hyperaware state and she whispers a sign of exhilaration
"Fuck…..El."