A/N: I was watching Manhattan Transfer and Unholy Alliance again and I really thought they just glossed over Barba going to 1PP about Olivia and Tucker. I kinda felt like it would've had more of an impact on their relationship. This is just something I had in my head about it.
Raphael Barba knocked on Jack McCoy's open door a bit nervous about being summoned to his office.
McCoy looked up, "Ah, Raphael, come in, please."
"You wanted to see me?" Barba asked as he entered the room
"Yes, this was on my desk this morning." He held up a sheet of paper, "Do you know what this is about?"
Barba took the paper and his eyes widened when as he read it.
Request for a new ADA
Both SVU and the DA's office would be better served
"I…I don't know anything about this." He replied
"The commanding officer of SVU puts in an official request for a new ADA and you don't know why?" McCoy challenged
Barba sighed, "It um, might have to do with the case against the Catholic Church."
"Please elaborate."
"Did you talk to Lieutenant Benson?" Barba asked
"I just got off the phone with her. She wouldn't say much except that both our office and her squad would be better served if another ADA was assigned to them. You wanna tell me why she would think that?"
Is she really doing this? Is she really that angry?
"The allegations against Tucker. They um, well Lieutenant Benson and Tucker were…are involved. One PP had to know since her squad was investigating those allegations."
"And you told them?" McCoy more stated than asked
"We had a disagreement."
"So you went behind her back about it then?"
"I had a duty to tell them."
"Did you give Lieutenant Benson or Captain Tucker a chance to go to them before you did?"
Barba looked down
"I take that as a no." McCoy replied
"She wasn't even going to tell me. I could tell by the way she was acting after I told her about the allegations. So I confronted her. How could I trust her to go to One PP?"
"Allegations that were bogus. It's just quite possible that Lieutenant Benson was trying to get to the bottom of it. Now I have to figure out how to fix this mess and assign a new ADA. There has to be a certain level of trust between our office and NYPD. Now that trust is broken with SVU."
"I did nothing wrong." Barba said defensively
"And neither did Lieutenant Benson as far as I can see. You went behind her back before she had a chance to handle it herself. Is this really about the case or is there some other reason her relationship with Tucker bothers you. Because it's clear that it does."
"She should have been upfront with me." Barba said through gritted teeth
"Maybe you didn't give her the chance."
/
Barba strode into the SVU squad room loaded for bear. He briskly walked past Fin, Carisi and Rollins.
"She in?"
"Uh, yeah." Fin replied and the three of them looked on as he proceeded to her door
Barba knocked and heard a muffled 'come in'
"You wanna tell me what's going on?" he asked
Olivia looked up from her laptop none too pleased to see the ADA in her office, "What are you doing here?"
"I just got summoned to Jack McCoy's office because SVU has requested a new ADA." He replied
"Hmm, yes that's right." She said casually and went back to looking at her laptop
"So that's how this is gonna go? I never thought you'd be spiteful, Liv."
She looked up again, "There's nothing spiteful about it. I think it would be best if someone else works with this unit."
Barba sighed, her calm demeanor was unnerving, "Liv, I told you I had to tell One PP."
"No, you didn't. You could've trusted me."
"If I hadn't confronted you you never would have told me." He snapped
"You didn't give me a chance. You came at me. How long have we worked together? How could you possibly think I would cover up for someone if they were involved in a sex crime? No matter what my relationship was to them."
"Liv, you had to be recused because of your relationship."
"I almost lost my job, Raphael. For good. Because of you."
He could see her cool façade about crumble.
"Liv…"
She composed herself and looked at him again, her dark eyes boring into him, "You and I are done talking."
/
The atmosphere was quiet and so was Olivia. She'd met Tucker for a drink after work but didn't feel much like making conversation.
"So, how does it feel to be back at SVU?" he asked and she just kept staring into her glass of Venero Davila, "Liv?"
Her head snapped up, "Huh?"
"You okay?" He asked growing concerned
"She smiled slightly, "Yeah, just tired I guess."
"Something's on your mind." He observed, "Tough day?"
"Sort of." She replied, "I uh, I requested a new ADA for SVU."
"Ah, you don't want to work with Barba anymore?"
"Not after what happened." She stated taking a sip of wine
"Liv, he was just doing his job."
"And he almost cost me mine, For good."
"I know. But it's over now. You're back at SVU."
"I can't trust him."
"Look, I'm sorry I got you into that mess." He said sympathetically
She looked into his eyes, "You didn't do anything."
He looked around for a minute, "Why don't we get out of here?"
"Yeah, I gotta get home to Noah." She said as she rose from the barstool she had been sitting on
"How about I fix us a decent meal tonight? Instead of that awful take out you usually eat."
"I'd like that." She said with a tired smile
"Good, you go home and see Noah and I'll make a quick stop at the market for stuff to make dinner." He replied
"And what will we be feasting on tonight?" She asked with a grin
"It's a surprise." He replied with a wink and they headed to the door.
After saying good bye to Lucy and getting Noah down for the night Olivia returned to the kitchen to find Ed had almost finished their dinner.
"Smells wonderful." She said coming up behind him and wrapping her arms around his waist
"Spaghetti bolognese." He replied as he dished some onto two plates, "Garlic bread is almost done."
She took the plates and put them on the breakfast bar, "you spoil me."
He got the garlic bread out and joined her at the counter, "That's the idea." He said with a smirk
She smiled and they dug into their meal. As they were clearing the dishes there was a knock on the door. They both looked at each other quizzically and Olivia went to answer it. She was surprised when she looked through the keyhole.
"What are you doing here?" she asked rather irritated
"Can we talk, please?" Barba asked
"Now isn't a good time." She snapped back
Ed came out of the kitchen and joined them at Olivia's door, "Liv, I think you two need to talk. I'll talk to you later."
"Ed, you don't have to leave." She insisted
"It's okay. This is between you two." He grabbed his coat and kissed her forehead, "Call me later if you feel like it."
"Okay." She replied reluctantly and he headed out the door
Barba was still standing in her hallway, "So, you gonna let me in or are we going to entertain your neighbors with our discussion here at the door?"
She stepped aside to let him in and closed the door behind him, "Now that you've ruined my evening, what do you want?"
Barba sighed, "I want to work this out, Liv."
"Hmm." She said
"I never wanted for you to lose your job. I…"
"And what exactly did you think would happen when you went behind my back to One PP?" She asked
"I thought maybe SVU would be recused form the case. Liv, you're my friend." He said almost pleading
"And you should've trusted me to handle it. Those allegations were bullshit."
"I didn't know that without investigating." He argued
"I did!" She practically shouted, "Ed Tucker wouldn't do anything like that."
"And he was cleared and the right people were held accountable." He pointed out, "Liv, I didn't do it to hurt you. But you were evasive. If I hadn't come right out and said anything you never would have told me about you and Tucker."
"And you started shouting at me five minutes into the conversation about allegations against him. You didn't give me any time to do anything myself. Just maybe Tucker and I would've disclosed on our own. After our conversation I went to see him but before we could do anything I got summoned to One PP."
"And if you had disclosed the same thing might have happened or SVU would have been removed from the case. Are you telling me you would've disclosed knowing that?"
Olivia just shook her head, "Barba, how long have we worked together? In all that time we've had our squabbles but have you ever known me not to be above board?"
He looked at her and her eyes told him everything, the one thing she valued he questioned, then and now, her integrity, "No of course not."
"So what's this really about?" She asked
Barba started to pace rubbing the back of his neck, "We're supposed to be friends, right?"
"I thought so." She replied
"So why didn't you tell me you were seeing Tucker?" He asked , "I mean before the case."
Olivia sighed again and sat on the arm of her sofa rubbing her hands on her thighs, "Because this is very new to both of us. No one knew. Not even my squad. It's complicated. I don't go around divulging details about my personal life. Do you know how long I dated Brian Cassidy before anyone knew? And it was only by accident that anyone found out. Have you dated anyone since we've been friends?"
"No, not really." He replied
"Rafa, we're friends. Good friends. But I'm a very private person. Ed and I were kind of waiting to see where this goes before we have to do any disclosing. As long as he is a IAB he'd have to recuse himself from investigating any IAB cases involving my squad. We were trying to be careful."
"So you really like this guy huh?" Rafael asked, "What about all the times he went after you and SVU?"
"People change, Rafa." She explained
"If he hurts you…"
She shook her head but couldn't help but smile, "I'll tell him he'll have to answer to my best friend."
Barba gave her a crooked smile, "And what about your request?"
"I'll call McCoy in the morning."
He nodded and gave her another smile
"You eaten yet?"
"I'm starved."
"I've got some spaghetti know Ed's not a bad cook." She said with a smirk
He retuned her smirk as he followed her into the kitchen
A/N 2: Full disclosure I've always hated Tucker so writing them together was not easy for me. And I don't see anything romantic with Barson. I guess I'm one of those people who doesn't really have a ship where Olivia is concerned. Although I though she had chemistry with David Hayden (Don't hate me.)