Manhattan SVU, Manhattan, New York
Wednesday 22nd January 2016
11:35am

Olivia sat in her office trying to read the same sentence for what felt like the thousandth time. She'd been texting all morning with Mathew. She'd had the most wonderful evening with him in her office but consequently had very little work done which was the whole purpose of not going out was. It had been an incredibly relaxing evening and Olivia was able to let so many of her worries go. She didn't have to worry about the children, Elliot, being at home and doing parent and wifely duties. She'd felt young again and free. There was a pang of guilt there though. She was a married woman. She'd made vows. Yet, she'd not felt as happy with Elliot as she had with Mathew in a long time.

She continued to try and read her case file while she continued to message with Mathew. He wanted her to focus on choosing a new detective to replace Elliot. She had been asked to take on a rookie, a newly promoted uniformed officer who had finally made detective. She didn't know how she felt about having a new detective, it was one thing to have a young detective from a different unit like Nick Amaro, it was a whole different ball game having a brand new detective, wholly untrained and very very green, It was very unusual for SVU to take on brand new rookies. She was the last one she could remember but it was likely because she'd only put SVU down as a choice on her promotion forms. The reason Mathew was pressurising her to get on with it was that Elliot was looking at the same bunch of files that she was. He had his entire team transferred to one pp to work on a desk because he was not about to try and retrain an old team to Don Cragen's way of working, there just wasn't the time to do that with so many unsolved cases and new cases coming in every day. Currently, Brooklyn SVU was taking all of Bronx SVU's new cases because Manhattan was helping with the open cases.

As she finished shooting off another message to let Mathew she would get onto the files his afternoon a knock on her door made her groan, she was just wanting to work on this case file for a while and forget about life. Her team, down a detective, was now working on a heavy case load from the Bronx and they were trying to prioritise them as best they could.

"Come in!" she called, her eyes barely flickering from the file she was reading.

"Captain Cragen?" a struggling female voice asked. Olivia lifted her head to see what appeared to be a large bouquet of colourful flowers with legs.

"Yes?" She stood wondering if she was supposed to help the young lady and realising that she was really struggling with the flowers decided it would be a good idea to help.

"These are for you, I need you to sign for them." She explained. Olivia took the flowers and popped them onto her desk. The really were a huge spray of truly beautiful exotic flowers. Olivia's heart skipped a beat as she wondered if Elliot had bought them for her, she couldn't remember the last time Elliot had bought her flowers. Once she'd signed for them she turned around to look for the card. She eventually found it buried in the middle and she was slightly disappointed to see that they were in fact from Mathew and not Elliot.

I had a wonderful time last night. Friday night? Pick you up at 7:15pm? Mathew xx

Olivia smiled, it was nice that he had sent her flowers and even better that he wanted to have a second date with her. She felt butterflies in her stomach as she thought about it. They'd just had food in the office the previous evening but the next date would be somewhere of his choice, with him collecting her from home. It was exciting, she hadn't been on a first date really since Cole as her first date with Elliot hadn't exactly gone according to plan.

As she went to text Mathew to thank him and confirm his plans for Friday, you raise me up blasted from her phone, Elliot's ring tone.

"Captain Cragen." She answered, not wanting Elliot to know she hadn't changed his ringtone.

Hi Liv. A sweet and mellow voice responded. An ache filled Olivia's heart, he sounded uncertain to her, and if anyone could tell she could.

"Everything ok?" she asked, hoping it wasn't an issue with one of the kids.

Yes, well, no actually I need your help if you could. He spoke hurriedly as if he feared her rejection. You know, I always thought your Dad would be around to train me to be Captain or at least be there to give me advice… Elliot's voice faded out as he took in a deep breath, it was clear to Olivia that Elliot was struggling with the fact that he didn't have Don Cragen and would have to settle for Olivia Cragen instead.

"Well what is it Elliot I'll help if I can." Olivia replied, she didn't want to make anything worse for Elliot but she knew she too was in a similar position, it hadn't been all that long after she'd become captain that she'd lost her mother and father, he'd gone before she'd really found her feet.

Well, I know you have to hire a new detective and I've been told you're looking at the same rookie files as I am. I mean, could we maybe have a look at the files together or something. I don't know where to start with any of this and I need to get it done soon otherwise I'll be having to send more of these unsolved cases to you. I don't have a single detective at the moment.

Olivia chuckled lightly. She knew Elliot spoke fast when he was nervous but this was the first time he'd really done it like this with her, usually with her he'd slow down and stutter. It was unusual and she didn't like it, she didn't want Elliot to feel nervous asking her for help or support because even if their marriage failed, they had children together, they would be a part of each other's lives for many years to come.

"How about I look through the files, separate the men from the boys, and then we could organise interviews and do them together, see who we like and who we don't like?" Olivia suggested as it would be quicker than the pair of them going through all the files.

That would be amazing Liv, if you text me the names I can read the files of the ones you choose? Elliot suggested, he wasn't going to rely completely on her to do all the work in preparing for the interviews, he had to do his fair share too.

"No problem, we'll likely like the same person though and have to fight for them." Oliva teased. She was flirting, she knew she was flirting and it wasn't a good idea but she did it anyway.

Hmm well I'm a gent so I might let you win that one. Elliot replied, his voice having lowered showing that her flirting had affected him.

"Ok, I'll go and do that now then. Catch you later?" Olivia asked hopeful they'd speak again soon, it was only his first full day away from the squad room but she missed him being there, he always made her feel more secure.

Sure talk later, love you. He hung up before she could respond.

Olivia sighed and sunk back into her chair. Was this the future of their relationship? Odd flirting and a lot of awkwardness and discomfort? She didn't want that. Elliot had been her partner for so long and they had a professional relationship built on respect, mutual trust and confidence. That needed to survive… it had to. She didn't know what the future would hold, she didn't know if Elliot and she would still be married in a year or two but she was hoping that this trial separation would mean something, whether it was a good and strong friendship, a strengthening of their love or something that brought them back together.

Bronx SVU, The Bronx, New York
Wednesday 22nd January 2016
1:21pm

Elliot sat in his office trying to put the open cases he had in priority order. He needed to have someone working as his Detective by the following week or he was going to be in big trouble. It had been his idea to go to One PP and ask for a new squad. They'd explained that he would have to have a team of rookies but he didn't care. He'd read a handful of the files from the former Bronx team and he'd been sickened. They had no sympathy, no empathy, they didn't care about the people who were hurt. There was no sensitivity whatsoever, they seemed to ignore the old he said she said cases and make them least priority, there wasn't a single one that had been taken to court in the last year and he was sure if he went back through older cases he'd find the same pattern, but his superiors had asked him to focus on the last year only and to divide the work with Manhattan SVU. It was just one big hot mess that he had been given to sort out.

As soon as he'd spoken to the Chief of D's and the Commissioner, he knew that it was going to be no easy feat, he was a new Captain of a unit that had been mismanaged for so long that the detectives could no longer be trusted. He was starting from scratch and he had no one to show him the ropes. He knew he would have to rely on Olivia, she was almost as much alone as he was, Olivia hadn't been captain all that long before Don Cragen died and she'd relied heavily on him while also understanding she was Captain and he could only help so much. At least she would be Captain with him, he thought, and he would be able to call on her and she could talk to him in a way only a co-worker at the same level would be able to.

He rubbed his chin, it was so tough. Life had been cruel to his wife and now they were separated, trying to save whatever relationship they had left. He knew she wouldn't ignore his calls. She would always fear he was calling because of one of the kids and while he didn't want to take advantage of that it did give him hope that they would always be able to call on each other for help and support. The truth was he needed her right now, he was in over his head. And though he'd never admit it to her, he had taken this job in the hope of saving his marriage. He knew being in charge came with a lot of responsibility but it also gave some flexibility on his hours, not too many late nights, the ability to delegate to the detectives. He also hoped that by not working with each other, therefore seeing so much less of each other, Olivia and he could find that deep love they had that shared right at the beginning of their personal relationship.

When his phone rang he jumped but then he recognised Elvis' can't help falling in love and knew Olivia was calling him back. He'd been patiently waiting for a text but instead, she was calling and he didn't know what to make of it.

"Hello?" he answered, he knew it was her but he was nervous.

Hey El'. Olivia was audibly smiling. Elliot relaxed a little, she sounded like his Liv.

"What's up?" He asked wondering if there was a reason for her call or whether she was just calling for the sake of it.

I've had a look through these files, they're all rookies but there are a couple of SVU unis so there's hope that there are some who have seen some of it before. Olivia explained and Elliot could tell she was enthusiastic. Was it at the fact they were going to get to work together as colleagues from different units, both captains? Or maybe it was just the fact they were talking again. Whatever it was, he could hear a lightness in her voice that he hadn't heard in many many years.

"That does sound hopeful." Elliot replied rubbing his chin again, he was so stressed and Olivia seemed to be the only person who could help him with that just not in the way he would have liked her to help him.

Do you want me to go ahead and set up these interviews for Monday? Olivia asked, needing his agreement before she went ahead with anything.

"Yeah, arrange for them to come to Manhattan SVU, I know we'd both feel more comfortable there." Elliot replied, at the moment, that was still his turf.

No problem. Hey did they say when you'd be getting presented with your shield? Olivia asked trying not to sound too curious.

"Not for a few weeks, I'm on probation." He laughed to himself, they'd told him that just to give them time to get everything in order after COM STAT because so many changes were happening within the force, they always started at the bottom with the new Detectives. "Why?"

Well I was hoping you'd invite me and the kids along. Olivia replied and Elliot could hear the sadness in her voice, she'd not had a proper presentation with hers, it had been arranged but then Cragen had died, she'd then refused a proper presentation that would have been arranged just for her and instead took her oath in private in the office with just Elliot, the Commissioner and the Chief of D's in attendance. No pomp and no ceremony because the one person she wanted to share it with wasn't there to share it with her.

"I'd like that." Elliot replied trying not to sound too happy about it. "Maybe they could give you your official presentation the same day?" Elliot suggested, the brass had been after her for a real ceremony so that they could get all the proper photos with the Brass.

El I can't. Olivia sighed sadly and Elliot felt silly for even bringing it up.

"No problem. It was a silly idea anyway, who needs all that façade anyway." Elliot laughed it off, he had to just to ensure Olivia didn't make it a big deal, the whole reason she hadn't done it was because Don should have been the person to present her shield to her and she would never get that and she wouldn't let anyone else do it either.

I'll have to wear my uniform anyway because I'll be presenting you with your shield. Elliot could tell Olivia was smiling on the other side of the phone.

"I hadn't thought of that." Elliot chuckled softly. Olivia was his commanding officer prior to his promotion so that did mean she would be presenting him his shield, though he too knew if Don Cragen was alive he would have been the one doing it, Olivia would have insisted on it.

Anyway, I've got to go El' I have a million things to do including setting up these interviews so I'll text you the time for Monday?

"Sure." Elliot tried not to sound too disappointed, this was the most he and Olivia had spoken since she'd walked out of their home… on him.

Love you. Bye. Olivia said hurriedly then she ended the call. Elliot's heart swelled, as long as she still loved him there was hope and he would hold onto that hope until it wasn't there anymore.