Introduction.
Olivia Benson hated introductions. It wasn't the awkward silence or the exchange of useless facts about her likes and dislikes that bothered her. She could handle the internal battle regarding firm or weak handshakes. What she couldn't stand was her own paranoia. She was convinced that somehow they would know her secret from the first initial meeting. That somehow by looking her in the eye they could see into the depths of her soul, the corners of her past and the struggles she faced everyday in order to survive. Somehow they would know her very existence was a mistake. Perhaps that explained her social awkwardness and the poor first impressions she often gave. Yet here she was once again, faced with yet another introduction to yet another ADA for the precinct. They never stick around for long. There's something about working within a Special Victims Unit for too long that changes people, it makes you hard, oblivious to the good in the word and longing for something more than the pain and anguish of victim after victim. Most of them don't want to be there in the first place. Law is a game of politics, a battle for survival in order to climb the slippery ladder of success. Either the next attorney has fallen down this ladder prematurely and is trying to make their way back up to the top with a stint in SVU, or, it's merely another stepping stone to a higher position, something to put on their CV, something that reflects well on their character because they survived. To say Olivia Benson was sceptical about meeting the new arrival would be an understatement, and as she made her way to the precinct that cold April morning she found herself wondering how long this one would last.
The traffic was particularly bad that morning; one of the city's biggest roads had been closed off the previous night due to a murder. A murder Olivia would be forced to spend her day investigating. It wasn't that she didn't like her job. Knowing that she was catching criminals and preventing more people from getting hurt helped her to overcome the horrors she saw on a daily basis. Knowing that she was making the street safer and getting justice made it worthwhile. Yet at the same time Olivia found it difficult to shake the feeling of guilt. She couldn't get rid of every criminal, nor could she provide a case to prosecute every injustice, and she couldn't prevent the crime from occurring in the first place. Olivia told herself that whilst she couldn't protect every innocent. Whilst she couldn't rid the world of every evil, saving someone, providing someone with safety was enough. With that thought Olivia turned into the car park and shut off her engine. Counting to three she swung open the precinct doors and made her way to her desk. Head up. Shoulders back. Walking with an air of confidence. Confidence she only felt when she was at work, when she was truly at home.
"Morning Olivia, grab some coffee and head to my office. There are introductions to be made" Captain Cragen greeted her with the subtle authority only he seemed capable of pulling off. Olivia was immediately on edge as she grabbed her coffee. The thing about working somewhere as sensitive as SVU was that if you stuck around long enough you quickly became a family. Olivia considered her partner Elliot to be a brother as well as her best friend, and she held Munch and Fin her other co-workers in the same high regard. Captain Don Cragen was the father Olivia never had, the type of father she wished existed in her world. The bonds between these five people was unbreakable. Adding a new person to the mix; especially a district attorney, was bound to ruffle a few feathers. Olivia made her way to Cragen's office for official introductions, asking herself the silent question of 'how long would this one last?'.
"Olivia this is Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Cabot, Ms Cabot this is Detective Olivia Benson". Cragen didn't like to waste time with long meaningless introductions, he was all about the job. One of the reasons Olivia respected him so much. He never asked too many questions, knowing his place, knowing when to stay quiet. Olivia offered her hand in greeting refusing to make eye contact with the ADA, refusing to acknowledge the electricity that was exchanged when contact was made.
"Morning detectives. I refuse to take up your valuable time with pointless babbling, I know what happened last night and I know there is work that needs to be done in order to carry out justice. I feel however, I should explain my reason for joining this unit. I have not performed an act of malpractice in my previous post, I have not been assigned this position to silence or appease anyone, and this position means more to me than where it can get me in the future. From what I have heard this department has had no luck with attorneys in the past, and I hope that you will aid me in changing that assumption. I chose this position because I want to work with like minded people, people who are in this for more than a pay check, people who wanted to make a difference. Anyway I feel I have said enough, if anybody wants to question my credentials then please go ahead, I assure you, you won't find anybody more committed". It was then Olivia took the time to look at the ADA, to properly look at her. Blonde shoulder length hair, not a strand out of place. Piercing blue eyes, with perfectly placed glasses amplifying her fierce persona. A perfectly ironed suit, ready for the day ahead of her. She was breathtaking, Olivia felt her heart skip a beat at the mere sight of the beauty in front of her. She felt a blush creep into her face when Alex offered her a small smile having caught Olivia's staring. There was something in her eyes, something that unnerved and excited Olivia. It felt like Alex was looking deep into Olivia's eyes, deep into her soul. Yet she wasn't afraid, for Alex didn't know her secrets or her past. It was merely a look of quiet curiosity, a promise to find out more, a promise to stick around.
As Olivia made her way out of Cragens' office that morning she couldn't help but think, maybe introductions weren't so bad after all.