7:45 am

Walking back in the precinct they had just left a few hours ago, Rollins and Carisi walk in together as they'd done for years when they were partners.

Kat is standing, putting her gun and purse in her desk. She sees them walk in together. She get's Fin's attention and nods in their direction, rubbing her fingers and thumb together, indicating Finn's gonna owe her money.

"Naw, I already told you I ain't takin that bet". Finn shakes his head. He's seen this coming for years. They watch them walk from the elevators, not touching at all, but the way he looks adoringly at her, and she almost has cartoon heart eyes. It's inevitable, if it isn't already happening.

Amanda drops her purse and umbrella off at her desk.

"Liv here yet"? She asks no one in particular.

"When has she not beat us in here". Finn states. His eyes narrow watching them. "Somethin about the case"? He asks.

"Uh no, it's..."Amanda doesn't even know what to say to them. Personal? If she says that it'll confirm everything for those 2. "It's not about the case". She ignores them and follows Carisi.
The captain's door is open, but he knocks anyway. Olivia is on the computer, reading through the MEs report on the body from last night. She looks at them over her glasses.
"Hey Captain, got a minute"? Carisi asks as he waives Amanda in first, then closing the door behind them.

"For you, counselor? I might even have a few". She says, taking her glasses off, and closing the laptop as she watches them take seats in the chairs in front of her desk.

They'd discussed in the car how this would be Amanda who'd break the news.

"Liv, I wanted to tell you...that we might need to...no, we do need to fill out that paperwork". She paused, looking over to see if Olivia would already know what she was talking about. No reaction at all. So Amanda continued.

"Carisi...Dominick, and I we're...in a... relationship and I was thinking we need to go ahead and get that paperwork...we don't want it to interfere with work in any way, and this isn't like a...it's not just"...even though she had practiced what she'd say in her head, she still had marbles in her mouth trying to say it out loud. Carisi watched her with pride. He knew this would be hard for her, but she wanted to be the one to say it.

Olivia stood up "You know, I was once concerned you two might come to me with this when you were still a detective here," she paused to look at Carisi as she searched through her file cabinet, "and aside from losing one of you to a transfer, I had other concerns at that time".

Carisi and Rollins shared a look, and Rollins spoke up.

"Liv, back then we weren't...back then we were just...and I mean it wasn't like with..." Amanda struggled with what to say but felt like she had to defend herself.

Olivia held her hand up to stop her. But Amanda kept going.

Amanda still felt like she needed to really make Liv understand.

"Look, Liv, I know haven't had the best track record, I know that. It's taken me time to...", she trailed off and looked at Carisi, "be the grown up".

Carisi reached over to give her hand a squeeze.

"I mean you know I've never really had a long term thing...and I've had...whatever you wanna call it with someone I worked with before, but it's never been..."she trailed off when she looked back at Carisi.

Olivia took out the file, held it to her heart and and said "Love". She nodded at both of them as she sat back down, putting the folder on her desk. She saw the truth of that in Amanda's blush, and she'd known Carisi's feelings for her for some time, though they'd been unspoken.

"Amanda, the things I was worried about before, that's all in the past. I'm not concerned about those things anymore. Amanda I've seen you go through trauma and changes that might break someone weaker, and yet you've come out the other side a better person. We've all grown so much in the past 7 years. I mean Carisi"...she paused to look at him, smiling as she shook her head

"Your first week at SVU, I thought this was going to be your one week stint in Manhattan on your all borough tour. Who would have thought you'd become one of the best detectives I've had the pleasure to work with, and the only ADA I've ever worked with who completely understands this side of the house".

Carisi sheepishly smiles at her, embarrassed by the compliment.

Olivia's voice gets choked up. "The two of you deserve every second of this, and I'm so happy that you've found it". She paused again.

"Not to mention, it's about time the two of you realized what the rest of us have seen for years". The three of them laugh and Olivia continues "I think they are taking bets out there right now whether you're in here for this or not".

At that, she hands them the paperwork. Carisi takes it first, noting the date on the form. It was the day he left SVU to go to the DAs office. Over 2 years ago. He looks back at Olivia, eyebrows raised in surprise.

"I think everyone at the squad has been waiting since that day. Even Hadid asked me if the two of you had paperwork filled out. She thought you were already together at first".

Carisi spoke "I guess this won't be a surprise when I tell her today either then". He smirked at Olivia.

"Ah, no, no it won't, I told her back then you two were partners, friends, and anything more, I didn't know about".

Amanda leaned over to look at the paperwork "Liv, that was true back then".

Carisi looks incredulously at Amanda then Olivia, knowing it was always more than that, even if they hadn't acted on it.
"Whatever you say. I honestly figured once you weren't working together as partners you'd be in here asking me for this form for sure". Olivia smiles at the two of them.

"So what does this paperwork even mean exactly"? She asked.

Carisi had read the paperwork a few months ago, after Amanda kissed him, he knew they'd be doing this down this road, but didn't want to push Amanda into anything she wasn't ready for.

Carisi handed Amanda the papers after he signed so she could look through them, of course she hadn't yet. Up until last night at the ME office she'd shown little interest in letting anyone else in their little bubble of happiness.

"Well we aren't required to tell anyone other than our superiors", he started, motioning to Olivia, "and I'll recuse myself from any cases you're the lead detective on, but that's not actually required. We just need to disclose the relationship so if there is a case I shouldn't prosecute they know why. For example, if Henry Messner ever got out of the psych ward again and something else happened, I'd need to recuse myself, not just because he stabbed me, but he threatened Jessie".

Amanda sat up straight. "And I'd need to recuse myself or I'd end up killing". That day she'd thought for a split second she would lose Dominick. Losing him before would've been hard. Losing him now would be devastating.

"Well, lets hope that is a situation we're never forced to face". Olivia puts her glasses on, checking to make sure they'd both signed everywhere. She'd make the copies to send to Hadid.

Amanda turned to look into the bull pen. Kat was sitting on Finn's desk and they both looked away when they saw her looking in their direction.
"I guess we might as well tell them". Amanda nodded in their direction. "I hate how smug they are, they think they already know something".

Carisi smirked at Liv "Manda, they do know something. Clearly they all knew before we did, well, before you did, anyway".

Amanda playfully hits his arm.

Olivia's cell goes off, and she answers. "Captain Benson". A work call. Immediately her smiles fades. She grabs her notepad and begins writing. "When was this"? Then after a moment. "That's outside our jurisdiction, but that could be our guy". She nods her head listening and writing. Then she puts hand across her forehead. "Yea, we're on our way".

"What is it"? Amanda asks.
"They have a possible abduction of a young woman in Liberty, up in the Catskills, looks like it could be our guy".