The Ante

Chapter Thirteen

By: Lizzie Bundick

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Author's Note: So many of you reviewers asked me how Olivia reacted to Andrea Viviano, Elliot's new made up partner. Well, wonder no more! Please, read and review.

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Detective Olivia Benson eyed the woman leaning against her old desk and talking with ADA Casey Novak from a distance. Apparently Cragen had found someone to take on the infamous "UnStabler". She had thought he would be forced to let Elliot work solo. Or break up Fin and Munch. That wasn't the case apparently. A little annoyed by the woman she saw as an invader Olivia walked into the squad room and held up the file victoriously.

"All your perp's web information. Where he shops, his email, and what porn he likes to visit," She said, pretending like she wasn't looking around for Elliot.

"Hey Olivia," Casey said brightly, "Just what we've been waiting for."

"Ah, lovely," The woman got up from Olivia's desk and held out a hand, "Andrea Viviano, call me Andy. El's with the Captain right now."

Olivia wanted to glare at the woman who could be old enough to be her mother for using Elliot's nick name, but refrained. Years of working with Elliot taught her how to hide her feelings pretty damn well.

"Hi, Olivia Benson," She handed over the file with a polite smile on her face. They both looked towards the office when the door opened and Elliot walked out. Liv's heart leapt willingly from her body and rushed to him. Computer Crimes may have the advantage of no dead bodies, but it didn't have him.

"Hey El, we've got the net records," Andy waved the file towards him, "I'm betting something in here over laps with the vic's records."

"Yeah," He said, staring at Liv, "Why don't you start checking, I'm gonna talk with Olivia for a bit, if you don't mind."

"Not at all." Still in sync, even after all these weeks apart they walked out of the squad room together and found a relatively secluded place in the hall. She met his eyes, instead of trying to hide from him. She could see the fatigue around his eyes, and a little anger still lingered.

"How have you been?" He asked eventually, looking away for a second.

"No dead bodies, no crying victims," Olivia shrugged, "It's been good."

"Good."

"How about you?"

"Same old, same old," He said with a shrug. When had small talk gotten so hard? she wondered.

"How's the new partner workin' out?" She asked, finally giving in to the temptation.

Elliot looked over her head to the squad room and presumably Andrea Viviano, "She's okay, a little pushy, but okay." He paused, "Look, Liv…did…did I do something? Something to make you…go?"

She looked away, tempted to lie and blame it all on him. His explosive, unpredictable rage and the cold shoulder. It could so easily be all his fault, "No, Elliot, I didn't leave because of you."

He nodded stiffly and opened his mouth to say something else, but was cut off.

"Olivia!" Detective Fin Tutuola said as he walked up to them, "You look good for sitting at a desk all day."

"I can still kick your ass, Fin, wanna go?" Olivia joked, not sure if she was grateful for Fin's interruption or mad at him.

"Hey, we gotta go for drinks sometimes," Detective John Munch said, joining his partner, "You've got all the goods on what the government's watching out for."

"Oh yeah, I know where all the listening devices are," Olivia said with a roll of her eyes and a shared smile with Elliot. It was just like olds times, except it hurt.

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Author's Note: Ah, awkward tension, isn't it grand? I've got a summer job, so we'll see if it slows down my writing any. I sure hope not.