Author's note I think Not Everything Done in The Dark has 2 or 3 chapters left. In the last chapter I will reveal the title of this the sequel on the bottom of the page. Please, read it too, the relationship described in this story and any continuations of this story is healing for me.

The verdict Rafael had been waiting for come in, guiltily on all counts, another violent criminal was behind bars, and would never be able to hurt anyone again. Normally, he would be on cloud 9 after a guiltily verdict on a case like this, but he couldn't shake the uneasy feeling he had all day. He expected when he woke this morning to find his arms wrapped around Olivia, that's how he fell asleep. Instead he woke with a note on his clothed chest and she was gone. His arms felt so empty, sleeping next to her was incredible, he slept so much better. He was so glad he was there to help her through the nightmare, and that she wanted to be held by him. He would always be there for her, even if she didn't fully understand that yet. Luckily for him he kept an extra suit and toothbrush in his office at all times just in case, he had to be in court after a long night of preparing. After he got ready for the day and right before court he read her note.

Barba:

I didn't mean to sleep and run. I left so that I could get home to send Noah off to school, and get to the station on time. I'm so sorry I was such a mess last night. I don't know what came over me. Thank-you for being there. You didn't have to be. I owe you.

Olivia

The fist sentence of the note made him smile, but the rest of it made his heart sink. It was so formal and sad. Olivia did show up in the courtroom, but she ran out before he could talk to her. As he walked into Forlini's past conversations he had with her played in his head. He needed to gather his thoughts before he talked to her again. He ordered a fruit plate, a noddle bowl, and an iced tea. He eat slowly, hoping the lunch would help him think.

"Barba, we need to talk. What did you do?" He heard a loud voice say, he recognized it as Fin. He quickly walked toward Barba's table.

"Please sit." Barba said, and Fin quickly sat in the booth across from him. "What can I do for you?"

"What did you do?"

"Pardon?"

"Liv came in 5 minutes late, took a bunch of files, and locked herself in her office. When she left for court she didn't even look at anybody on the way out, when she got back she refused a cup of coffee. She ran back into her office, before she locked the door again she told me to let her know if there were any emergencies. Rollins knocked on the door, and offered her a sandwich, nothing."

"So you're saying she's hiding in her office?"

"I'm saying when something is off between you two everything is off, when you two are good, everything is good. So what did you do, and why are you sitting here? You giving up on her Barba?"

"That's not happening, that will never happen, I'm never giving up on her!." Barba said in his no nonsense courtroom voice. "So let's move on. We didn't have an argument, but I know she's upset. She ran out of the courthouse before I could say anything." I'm sitting here trying to figure out what to do.

"While you're sitting there thinking, I'm going to level with you."

"Please do."

"I've known Liv for over 18 years. She's saved my life on more than one occasion, if it wasn't for her, I don't think I would be talking to my son, she brought us back together and she helped him when he didn't want to come to me. I have helped her out of at least a few scrapes with some bad dudes, and some perverts. I won't go into that, I'll let her tell you about it, if she needs to."

"Thank-you for protecting her." Barba said relief filling his voice.

"I'm not done." Fin said Barba took a bite of pineapple, and looked at Fin waiting for his next words. "I have never in my life seen Liv smile the way she does when she sees you. She's a very loyal person Barba, and she's given her loyalty to the wrong people sometimes. No man has ever treated her the way you do. You stayed with her after this last assult, and I'm sure she said you didn't have to, and that she was fine, I'm sure she gave you a hard time, but you stayed with her."

"I can take it. I needed to be there."

"Barba stop talking, and just listen, I'm not done, and I have to get back to the station before Liv realizes I'm gone, and starts asking questions. I feel bad because there were a few tims we were working on a case, in the sqadroom, and we were all giving our opintion about things. I called her a prude, because her tone seemed judgemental to me. Now, I realize that when it comes to abuse she's seen more than even I have. Who knows what she went through with that mother of hers I see the way men look at her on this job, 95% of them have not been able to control themselves. You know how many times she's walked into a strip club to interview potential witnesses and has been offered a job by the owner, or how many guys have asked her Hey Baby wanna make a movie, how many suspects have looked at her like they would do anything to be alone with her." Barba looked angery now as through if he could he would beat everyone of those men, everyone who ever wanted to hurt Olivia Benson.

Good Fin thought to himself. "My point is" Fin continued "It's hard to be her. It's hard to be a beauiful woman on this job. Ask me how many times that happened to me?" She's never lets her guard down completely. Everybody needs that, even the people who do what we do, who see what was see need a home."

"Even more so" Barba said softly. Fin nodded.

"She never had one, before Noah she would put herself in the line of fire without a thought, especially if the person she was protecting had a family. Now, she does the same, but she thinks about it, she's more careful,"

"I noticed", Barba said.

"You know what I noticed?" When she needs someone she goes to you. Now that I think about it every time she says Counselor can I walk you out, she's wants to tell you something she doesn't want us to hear."

"She told you that?" Barba raised an eyebrow.

"I've been talking to Amanda, she pointed it out. "She's right through." You have her back Barba, you're good for her and she's good for you. You know she didn't have to show up today for the verdict. She did that for you. that's why I'm here to help you out, I have some information, and a plan. Listen up. Remember when you found me in Liv's office? The night you took her to dinner?"

"Yes, that was the first time she let me take her to dinner."

I was trying to fix her up when you walked in. She wasn't interested, she told me she was happy. I saw when you walked in she wasn't interested because of you, you and Noah were the reasons she was happy. Right before I tracked you down here, she called me into her office and asked if I still wanted to fix her up." I asked if she was sure. She said Why not? I told her I would set it up tonight. I said the guy would be there by 9. I called Munch, he's taking Noah for the night. Don't be late Barba. You weren't the guy I had in mind when I first suggested it, but you're better. You were close with your grandparents right?"

"Yes, Liv tell you that."

"She was upset when you lost your grandmother."

"She sat with me in my office for hours after the funeral."

"Yeah, she had a meeting she rescheduled that day, and she told me to cover for her and not call unless it was an emergency."

"She never told me that." Barba took a sip of iced tea.

"You surprised?"

That she didn't tell me?" No, not at all, because I would have told her not to miss the meeting on my account." Barba smiled, and took another sip of iced tea."

"Too early for scotch?"

"Much, this iced tea is Liv's recipe."

"I didn't know she had a recipe for anything." Barba laughed and Fin continued speaking. "Amanda said Liv would have come to the funeral too, but she didn't belong there. I was close to my grandparents too, every good grandparent had a great story about how you know when you find the one. My grandpa told me when he met my grandmother, he head her voice, and he knew she was his home. He said she had the voice of an angel."

Barba took another sip of tea. "Every good grandparent has a story about the soul mate, the other half of the soul. You think Liv was ever told a story like that?"

"She was probably told if you meet someone you know you can love, who loves you back, hit him over the head with a pot, and it's lid, then call for backup. Be careful Barba, don't be late, and don't tell Liv I got all sappy. I have my reputation. I didn't mind tracking you down here because Liv is like my sister, but don't make me do it again. Remember 9." Fin got up from the table. Barba was not upset that Liv was now asking to be fixed up. Now, he knew what to do, and he knew exactly what was going on. He had to prepare for tonight the way he prepared for the courtroom.