*Olivia*

She was a few steps behind Barba as they entered the apartment building. Not surprisingly it was classier than her place, more befitting someone of his profession and position. Any other time and she might have taken in the details, including the presence of the door man—how did a ramshackle Carisi sneak by him—to the ornate, expensive artwork on the walls. But Olivia, good as she was at dealing with shock and facing problems laid out before her with bullish tenacity and a gentle hand, was too caught up in her thoughts and trying to unravel her twisted, tangled heap of emotions. My therapist would love this, to help me sort this out, but I can't tell him. Not the details anyway. There are lines here I cannot cross.

But where did she even start to make sense of the turns the night had taken? Barba's arrival at her door brought with it one bombshell after the next. While she suspected there might have been something going on between the two of them, especially given the way they often stayed late on the same nights and there was the occasional look, Olivia brushed it off. Or perhaps it simply didn't matter. Who was she to meddle in their personal affairs? They were adults, capable of making decisions without her guidance, and she knew without a doubt Barba would be looking out for both of them on a professional level, it was just his way. To have it confirmed, that the determined ADA managed to find love with an equally determined and stubborn Carisi, well, it warmed her heart. They were, to those who knew them, a perfect couple.

Still, Olivia gave them props for being so amazingly discrete.

The others, how would they handle it? Finn, given the acceptance of his son, she figured he'd go on as though nothing had changed, and to some degree that was true. But Rollins? She might be a slightly different story. The way she watched Carisi, the way they bickered, there was something a little more than friendship between them, at least as far as Rollins saw it. The issue, however, was neither here nor there at the present moment. The more pressing subject was Carisi and his well-being. Everything else came later.

"Should I be doing this? Is this the right thing?" Barba's questions broke through Olivia's turmoiled thoughts, placing her squarely back in the present.

"He'll understand, Raf," she said. On impulse she reached out, gathering him into a hug, catching a whiff of his aftershave. "Getting help is always the right move. I'm here for you and together we'll see Carisi through, okay?"

"Thank you."

When they parted, Barba opened his apartment door. A light shone from the kitchen casting shadows over the open floor plan. The space was nearly double her own and carried the same vibes as Barba's office, the furniture masculine but comfortable and inviting. The gloom left her guessing on the personal touches, but since her visit was for a serious matter, Olivia didn't mind. Even if being in Barba's personal space allowed for a glimpse of her friend he kept private.

Barba ditched his coat on a nearby rack, letting it drip into the matt below. Olivia followed suit. She could see a considerable portion of the space and failed to spot Carisi.

"Sonny?" Barba called. At the precinct it was always detective or Carisi, Olivia found it endearing to hear Barba call him by a more personal, friendly name. "Sonny, where are you?" Barba moved about the apartment like a mother seeking a lost child. "I'll be right back. Wait here?"

"Sure thing."

He left her, vanishing down a short hall. She might have milled around while she waited had Barba's shout not stopped her dead in her tracks. Like a feet in headlights she froze, her heart thumping loudly.

"Dominick, what the hell?" Barba barker, a note of concern in his voice. "What are you doing? Give me that."

The urgent message from her brain finally reached her feet, spurring Olivia into action. Following the path Barba took, letting their voices lead the way, she drew close enough to hear a sorrowful, muffled plea from Carisi, a simple please that completely broke her heart.

"No," came Barba's response. "I love you too much."

Olivia reached the bedroom, only slightly aware of a second room behind her, the quick glimpse she got revealing it as Barba's home office. As she crossed into his—their—sanctuary, Olivia took in every important detail.

Kneeling on the floor, locked in an embrace, were her two dear friends. To see the way Carisi clung to Barba, his fingers curled into the back of Barba's vest, his forehead resting on Barba's shoulder concealing his face, his body wracked with sobs. Olivia's world shattered, especially when she saw the gun discarded on the unmade bed, no doubt Carisi's service weapon, and understood what their timely arrival prevented. Barba glanced her way, the years he'd tried to keep at bay now wetting his cheeks. The way he lovingly held Carisi, the unprecedented display of emotion from him, it made her love for him stronger while setting ablaze a deep determination to right this horrible wrong.

Her phone buzzed with a series of texts. She yanked it from her pocket half expecting it to be Finn, surprised instead by the name flashing on her screen. She read the texts as quickly as they came in.

Just heard. Is your boy okay?

I tried to warn him.

He brushed me off.

I'm sorry. Call me?

Then looked up to see Barba studying her. Olivia mouthed a name. Cassidy.

At the mention of her former co-worker and romantic partner a dark cloud passed over Barba's face, one similar to the weight swirling in her stomach. Instantly Olivia regretted speaking his name, wishing she'd kept it to herself. Cassidy dragged them into this, he brought them the case. He promised to keep Carisi safe. And up until now, after everything they'd been through, including the night he arrived on her doorstep much like Barba, only that incident involved Noah, she trusted Cassidy. He knew the ins and outs of SVU. He stayed a part of her life even after he moved on, unlike Stabler, and… Where was he when Carisi needed him?