"So… What would a trip to Canada sound like?"
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There was a moment of deep silence in Captain Cragen's office. All four detectives were so amazed that they did not get a word out of their mouths. Cassidy's bubbling enthusiasm began to wane because he had expected a different reaction.
"Hey guys c'moon, a free trip abroad. A few interrogations and negotiations with Canadian colleagues, and for that we are offered free accommodation, free food…" His eyes began to sparkle. "And best of all, trips by a private plane! At least I am going to take it as a holiday. What do you say?"
"I've actually never visited Ottawa before," Fin said first. "So it's a yes from me."
"I've actually traveled to Los Angeles by a private plane," Munch announced.
"You got to be kidding me," Fin huffed and looked at his partner suspiciously.
Munch shrugged. "With my second wife. It was our engagement trip." A happy babbling filled the office, and Olivia turned to look at Elliot.
"An international business trip, huh?" A smile curled up on her face.
"SVU goes global," Elliot raised his hands theatrically. Then he looked at Olivia and grinned. "I swear to you that I will sue the entire NYPD if these free foods do not include pancakes and maple syrup for breakfast…"
"Hey, Liv," suddenly there was a voice right next to Olivia. She turned in the direction of the voice, and faced Cassidy's smiling eyes. "I already booked us a common hotel room, thought you would agree, so we can spend some quality time together after spending time exploring the city. You know, just two of us. Olivia heard Elliot snort and hesitated for a moment, but then smiled.
"Sounds lovely."
Cassidy's eyes began to shine, and he leaped a few steps back to the front of the office. "Okay, colleagues, I thought you would like this. So, departure is on next Monday, and we will be back on Wednesday or Thursday. The return date is determined by how cooperative the suspects will be. We have mandatory free evenings, so the whole trip is not just about work. Accommodation is arranged at a local hotel, with double rooms available. In addition to you, Officer Brown and I are leaving for the trip."
"Hey Fin, would you mind if I took an overnight guest in our hotel room? Studies show that Canadian women are interested in graying police." Serious Munch asked. Fin turned to look at him in dismay, and then looked at Cassidy.
"Hey Cassidy, would you mind if I booked my hotel room at another hotel?" He asked. Munch looked at him as theatrically offended, and Elliot and Olivia began to laugh. Brown and Johnson looked at each other bored, and Cassidy looked like a student whose classmates are not listening to his school presentation.
"Silence!" Cragen exclaimed. Everyone got serious and looked at their captain. "You guys are unbelievable. You are like a group of toddlers, and I should send you on an international business trip in less than a week."
"Toddlers don't bring overnight guests into the common hotel room," Fin muttered, and Elliot had to hold back his laughter. Cragen gave them a cruel look.
"Uh well… Where was I… Yes." Cassidy rubbed his neck. "Johnson will give you now the necessary documents to find out, for example, the times of the flights. The hotel rooms are already booked, so you can name your roommates at the hotel," he looked significantly at Fin and Munch.
"We will have another meeting tomorrow, which will also be attended by Canadian representatives via video link," Brown continued. "We will review all matters related to the case at the meeting so that the cooperation will be fluent next week."
"Detectives Benson and Stabler are allowed to go and interview today a girl found in Smith's basement. The girl's psychologist informed me yesterday that the girl has made significant progress in her recovery recently, and may be able to tell us something else that hasn't been revealed before." Elliot and Olivia glanced at each other and nodded.
"That's great," Johnson said. "If no other question comes to mind, we are done for today. Be prepared for a long day tomorrow."
The detectives left the captain's office chatting happily. Business trips abroad were very rare, so everyone was excited about the upcoming trip. Elliot and Olivia started collecting their belongings to go to meet the girl interviewed, but soon they saw Cassidy sliding between the tables towards Olivia. Elliot frowned and growled quietly.
"Beat around the bush."
"Elliot! That's not very nice," Olivia scolded. Elliot shrugged, but grabbed his jacket and walked towards the door.
"I'll wait in the car, take your time." Olivia looked after her partner for a moment, but then turned to look at Cassidy.
"Someone has got up on the wrong side of the bed." Cassidy nodded after Elliot. "It's unbelievable that after all these years, you can still handle him." Olivia could only grin and shrug.
"He's just afraid of having to share a room with Munch and Munch's overnight guest. Did you have anything important? I should get going."
"Well, I wanted to thank you for the last night," Cassidy said quietly and touched Olivia's cheek. A surprising touch made Olivia flinch, but Cassidy didn't seem to notice. Olivia felt her cheeks redden, and she turned to pick up her jacket.
"It was nice," she said, and smiled quickly. "I really have to go now." She touched Cassidy's shoulder and turned to leave. "See you?"
"I can accompany you," Cassidy offered. Olivia felt the eyes of the others around her neck, but nodded, and they stepped into the elevator together. As the elevator doors closed, Cassidy turned to Olivia, put his hand around her neck, and pressed his lips against hers. Olivia breathed in surprise, feeling the need to let go for a moment, but then responded quickly to the kiss before the elevator doors opened again. Cassidy lowered his hand to Olivia's waist as they walked out into the street. Olivia then detached herself from the man's grip.
"See ya!" She waved her hand and opened the car door. Cassidy smiled on the street and Elliot pressed the gas. After a moment of silence, Elliot asked briefly:
"So, you and Cassidy, huh?"
"Yeah… It's kind of a new thing"
"How long?"
"A couple of months."
Elliot snorted.
"You love him?"
Olivia looked at her partner in surprise. After the divorce, Elliot had been more open, and they had discussed more and more deeply than before. Yet this new way of talking always surprised her at times.
"I… I don't know. Maybe? Not sure, it's so new."
"But you two have history."
"Yeah but… Why is this so important now anyway?" Olivia felt the anger lift its head. Elliot just shrugged.
"If I'm honest… I don't understand what do you see in him."
Olivia was appalled. What rights did Elliot have to criticize her relationship?
"Well if I'm honest, I don't understand how is this your business at all," she snapped.
"I'm your partner."
"And I am not responsible for you…"
"For better…"
Olivia fell silent.
"Or worse." Elliot took a significant break, and his mouth twitched. Olivia immediately realized what he meant.
"Shut up."
Elliot glanced at her in amusement.
"It's better, El. He's a good man."
"If you say so."
They drove in silence along the congested road in Manhattan. The radio started playing Billie Eilish's No Time To Die, while snowflakes began to fall from the heavy clouds hovering over the city.
"This is so depressing song," Elliot stated.
"I think it's beautiful," Olivia replied. Elliot was silent for a moment.
"Laura thinks that too."
Olivia gulped.
"How's she?"
"Good!" Elliot said a little too quickly. "Good."
"Good."
Silence.
"How long has it been?"
"Almost two years."
Olivia was shocked. Time seemed to get out of hand. Four years had passed since Elliot shot Jenna Fox at the precinct. A year later, he and Kathy had divorced. Elliot had gone to the bottom and stopped working at SVU for a while. During his vacation, he had met Laura, a beautiful blonde woman who had helped Elliot get back to his life. Deep in her heart, Olivia was grateful to Laura, because she had gotten her friend back. However, sometimes during the dark hours of the night, a toxic voice in Olivia's mind kept asking over and over again, "Why wasn't that you?". She had tried to convince herself that they were too close, that she reminded Elliot of the events that derailed him. However, that deceptive voice was still there. At first Laura and Elliot had only been friends, but after a year the situation had changed.
"Oh, how time flies."
"Indeed."
Elliot had been happy, and Olivia could only be happy for her friend. Lately, however, something seemed to have changed. Elliot had been tenser than usual, and he had stayed at work even after Olivia had already went home. Olivia glanced at her partner, who squeezed the steering wheel harder than necessary.
"Everything alright?"
"Yeah… I just…" Elliot seemed to fumble in his words. "Do you ever feel that something is missing?"
Olivia turned her gaze to the road. Elliot's words had hit deeper than she wanted to admit. The past months with Cassidy had been light and passionate. With Cassidy, Olivia was able to forgot her job and its horrors, and they had fun together. They might be different, but a common history helped them understand and trust each other. When Cassidy had suggested that they could move together, Olivia hadn't considered it as a particularly bad idea. Maybe not yet, but in the future… Why not? However, sometimes in the early hours of the morning, while laying awake in bed, listening to Cassidy's quiet snoring, Olivia had felt restless. She had tried to understand why, but she hadn't come up with any real reason. Sometimes it felt like when you were late for something, but you don't remember where. Olivia had blamed the stress, but deep down she wasn't sure.
Elliot was still silent, clearly waiting for an answer.
"No," she heard herself answer. She sighed, closed her eyes, and shook her head lightly. "No. I mean… Maybe? I don't know."
Elliot didn't answer, just stared in front of him. Only the voice of Billie Eilish broke the silence.
That I'd fallen for a lie, you were never on my side.
Elliot raised his hand and turned the radio volume to zero so fast that Olivia flinched.
"God I hate this song."
Olivia frowned but let it be. Elliot clearly didn't want to talk about it, so she turned her gaze out the window. Snowflakes swirled around the car, and the silence was broken only by the steady rumble of the engine.
