I do not own Law & Order: SVU.

Olivia awoke to the sound of dishes clanging followed by the smell of pancakes. However when she looked at the clock – 8 o'clock – she groaned. No matter how good the food smelled, she wasn't ready to roll out of bed yet. Sleep took hold of her for another half hour.

Cassidy came into the bedroom. He flopped down next to her, wrapping his arms around her. She stirred, mumbling under her breath.

"Rise and shine, Liv. Breakfast is ready." After a quick kiss on her neck, he got off the bed.

Sitting up, she yawned. Reluctantly she dragged herself into the bathroom. While she was brushing her teeth, she started remembering the dreams she was having. They were about Barba. These dreams happened at least once a week.

One in particular. In the beginning of the dream they were dancing at a party just like the one they were at back in July. The dream ended in one of three ways: First, they left off as great friends, just like it happened in reality. Second, it ended with her kissing him. He of course reciprocated. Everyone around them broke out in applause. The third, however, was terrifying. It ended similarly to the second dream only two men in eerie, featureless masks manifested out of the darkness. One she could recognize by his voice: Lewis. The other she couldn't make out, but Barba did. Before she had time to scream, both men would grab Rafael and whisk him away into the darkness. The third one has only happened twice, but she still dreaded it every night she went to sleep.

This morning, she happened to wake up from the second ending. Even though it had been over a year since Barba had kissed her she still remembered what he tasted like: sweet Whiskey with the hint of spearmint. But those were just the obvious. There was something much deeper to that kiss, even if they were both tipsy. Not even the cliché, fireworks description could explain that. It was backed up with a desire she had never felt before. The way he kissed her made her weak at the knees, just from thinking about it again. At the bathroom sink, in another man's home. She flushed with embarrassment. She wasn't sure she had been thinking about him so much lately. They haven't really hung out since the party. So that could be a part of why he's on her mind. That's the answer she accepted because she couldn't handle any other possibilities.

At the table, she and Cassidy made small talk. They talked about their busy weeks and the cases they were working on. Just as Olivia got up to wash the dishes, Cassidy stopped her. "No, let me wash the dishes."

"You cooked breakfast. I'll do my part." After turning the water on, she waited for it to warm up.

Cassidy gently grabbed her hands in his. "Liv, Can I ask you something?"

She nodded.

"What's been up you lately, babe? We've only been living together for about two weeks but you just seem so distant. Does it have to do with Lewis?"

She flinched slightly upon hearing his name. It's been months since the kidnapping but it was still a fresh wound. She refuses to talk about him with anyone. Well, almost anyone. The only exception being Barba. He understands where as everyone else can only speculate. She pulled away from Cassidy.

"No. I just have to get used to living with a roommate again." Giving him a reassuring smile, she went back into the bedroom to get ready for the day.

/ / /

Later that day, Olivia and Rollins met up for a late lunch at a café. Olivia ordered a chicken wrap with chips and coffee. Rollins got a turkey club with chips and Pepsi. While they rarely hung out outside of work, it did happen from time to time. Sometimes it was just nice to have "girl time". They talked about sports, the weather, Amanda's sister, and of course paperwork. However, the conversation took a turn because of Rollins. Trying to hide a smirk, she blurted out: "So, what is the deal between you and Barba?"

The question took Olivia off guard and she choked on her coffee. Grimacing, she looked slowly toward Rollins. "Why are you asking that? We're colleagues and friends. I thought that was obvious."

By this point, the smirk on her face was very obvious. "I dunno, Olivia. That night at the party you two looked like much more than just 'friends'. It's really not any of my business but Fin and I flipped a coin to see who would ask you about it."

Olivia scoffed. "It's nothing more than I friendship, really."

"You may think it's just friendship but he definitely doesn't. The way he looked at you. Man, I wish someone would look at me with such admiration. I seriously thought that kind of look only happened in movies but the night I saw you two, it gives me hope that this soulmate thing really does work out."

Rollins glanced at her arm. She still had two more years until hers ran out.

Olivia's grimace changed into a look of bewilderment. "Soulmate? Who said anything about a soulmate?"

Rollins crossed her arms. "I'm a detective Olivia. It wasn't too hard to find out when Barba's countdown stopped. You're his soulmate and he might be yours. So what is the hold up?"

She hesitated. While she has asked herself that question quite a few times, she could never come up with a definitive answer. Or at least she could come up with an answer, just one she couldn't admit to herself.

Barba being brought up made Olivia think about the dream of him kissing her. There was a flutter in her gut. Honestly, she wanted nothing more than that dream to become a reality. But she couldn't bring herself to break it off with Cassidy. She had worked so hard for their relationship the first go round and now that it was happening again, her pride wouldn't let her stop fighting. But she knew eventually she would have to ask herself what was more important: her pride or her heart?

All she gave Rollins was a shrug. She wasn't ready to talk about it because she couldn't face the fact that she was falling for Barba.

/ / /

Summer swiftly fell into the arms of autumn. The fearsome SVU squad tackled quite a few cases in between July and October. They faced the cruel reality of racism, dirty cops, sending Cassidy undercover, and of course, creeps praying on young girls. Despite the hardships, they all became a stronger unit. However, these strengthened bonds are going to be put to the test.

/ / /

Barba's day had started like any other day: getting ready, coffee, traffic, and paperwork in his office. His usual routine was interrupted by a knock on his door and it abruptly opening to reveal his childhood friend Alex Munoz. They greeted each other gleefully. The reunion soon went south. Alex relayed to Barba that Eddie was in trouble with SVU. As he escorted Alex out, he knew immediately that this case was going to be difficult for him. Objectivity is usually a strong suit of his. There's only a few people on this earth where he happens to have biases for and all, excluding his mother and grandmother, happen to be involved.

His heart clenched in his chest as he made his way over to the SVU station to take a peek in on Eddie's interrogation.

/ / /

His secret peek at Eddie's questioning was cut short by Olivia. He had purposely been trying to avoid her as long as possible for the duration of this investigation. While he knew that was a futile attempt, he still had hoped. He asked her to accompany him to a restaurant where he could fully explain the story. She agreed.

As soon as they sat down Barba went on and on about Alex, Eddie, and himself as the three musketeers of their street. He talked about story upon story of their fun and the times they had gotten in trouble. Olivia listened intently. Soon, following Barba's lead, she also had a huge grin on her face. Listening to him reminiscence about his childhood and slipping into bouts of Spanglish made her heart swell with joy. At a point in his story telling, he noticed her staring at him with such happiness in her eyes, it caught him off guard. She had never looked at him like that before. There were times that were close to this look of pure adoration but it was never so blatant or seen sober.

His cheeks flushed lightly. She took immediate noticed and turned her attention to her food.

Barba chuckled nervously. "I, uh, didn't mean to stop mid story but it just dawned on me that we should probably get back soon."

She nodded. "I guess I got caught up in those stories. You lead quite the wild childhood."

They finished their food with only a little bit of talking about the case. As Olivia was heading toward the door after paying, Barba noticed her jacket on the back of the chair. He grabbed it and joined her outside.

He offered it to her. "You forgot this. Obviously."

He held it out for her to grab but instead she turned her back to him and held out her right arm. He closed the gap between them and helped her into her jacket. Being so close to her made his body tense up. She definitely felt the rigidity of his movements because she glanced over her shoulder as she adjusted her jacket and simply smirked.

Barba wasn't sure when this shift in their relationship happened. One second they were simply friends and now the next she is staring at him like he's the best thing to exist and is inviting him to be closer to her physically. Even now, as they walk back to the precinct their shoulders have brushed together quite a few times and she is stealing glances at him. This case was going to be much harder than he originally thought.

/ / /

They ran into one another a few times throughout the day. Once in the elevator where they discussed Lindsey's part of the story and her blatant interest in only conversing with men. The next encounter was in the hallway with Amaro. Nick accused Barba of not being objective and much to his surprise, Olivia jumped in and scolded Nick. He easily defended himself from Nick's continuous onslaught, but it left him having to think about quite a lot.

/ / /

As the hours ticked by, the case progressively got harder. The detectives were now looking at Alex's involvement with a closer look. Amaro's jabs at his objectivity wasn't making this any easier. Then again, neither was Olivia's obvious bias for Barba.

To make matters worse, Yelinda soon paid a visit to Barba while he was in his office. His first response was to be happy to see her. He remembered the way he felt about her. Young love is always such light and lovely experience. There were no ill feelings. Innocence was all it was. The conversation started off friendly. But of course, just as the conversation with her husband it soon soured. She accused him of not being loyal. He let it slide, trying to take the objective road. That changed when she dared to bring the feeling he once had for her.

He tried to hold his tongue but it slipped out. "Don't flattered yourself, Yelinda."

She was on her way out but froze and turned to him. Shock written all over her face. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me." His expression was grim and regretful.

"What do you mean "Don't flatter yourself"?" Her eyes narrowed.

"Meaning, do not bring up very old and mucho muerto feelings. I am doing my job, Yelinda. I am already putting my neck on the line for both of you. If not more so for Alex. I am very much aware of the fact the he is my oldest friend but I also am doing my duty to bring justice to any case presented to me."

Scoffing, she glanced down at his arm. "I see that you finally meet your soulmate. Are they also someone who is unattainable?"

Rafael gritted his teeth and motioned toward the door. Yelinda smirked, leaving with an extra swing in her strut.

Barba usually rolled with the punches but Yelinda and Alex knew how to cut him the deepest. It irked him to no end at how right she was about his soulmate situation. The downfalls of knowing people way too well.

/ / /

Much to Barba's chagrin, the case only got worse. The evidence against Alex was stacking up. Despite Barba's best efforts, he had to watch his oldest "friend" fall from that pedestal he had been on for so many years. It taught him an important lesson: Even if you know someone for a very long time, sometimes you just truly don't know a person. Barba realized he didn't know who Alex was. He led this double, shameful life that Barba was ashamed of for him. Some men simply cannot handle the truth. Especially if it's about themselves.

Barba sat in this bittersweet defeat with Olivia and Nick. He did his best not to tell Rafael "I told you so" but in his own way, he did. Eventually Amaro left, leaving them alone.

"Are you okay, Barba?" She said placing a hand on his shoulder.

Before answering, he simply just looked at her. She looked like the one who had just lost a close friend. It wasn't pity in her eyes, it was more like she was sharing the pain that he was feeling. "I'll live." A flash of a smile was there but it fluttered away.

"We could take a walk and just go to your apartment, if you'd like."

He nodded. They put their coats on and left tips for the bartender. It was a chilly and windy October day. The hints of winter's grasp were biting at their cheeks as the strolled down the sidewalk silently. She walked close to him as they watched Halloween events burst with life around them. Without meaning to, they ended up at his apartment. Still silent, they went up to his apartment. They plopped themselves onto the opposite ends of the couch and sighed simultaneously.

Barba made small talk about movies he'd like to see. She made little comments here and there. At one point she got up to use the restroom. While she was away, he turned on a movie and leaned back. When she came back, her shoes were off and her jacket was gone. It had been such a long time since he saw her so comfortable. Something about her lounging lazily made butterflies flutter in his stomach. There was something incredibly attractive about her when she "let her hair down", so to speak. In order to distract himself he stood up. "I'll make us some popcorn."

He went into the kitchen and threw a bag into the microwave. He had two minutes to wait. Watching the clock countdown, he distracted himself from thinking about Olivia. The timer dinged and he put the popcorn into a bowl, putting it in-between them on the end table. They took turn grabbing little handfuls and unbeknownst to them, getting closer to each other. When they were only about a few inches apart, Olivia grabbed Rafael's hand as he reached for the popcorn. He tensed, unsure of what was happening.

Slowly, he looked at Olivia, surprised at how close she was now. He sucked in a breath, as he watched her interlace her fingers with his. She wiggled her fingers once they were interlocked, as if to get a feel for comfort. Finally, their gazes shifted from their hands to each other. He was incredibly nervous. She was calm and confident.

As Barba was about to ask why, Olivia simply shook her head. She then moved closer to him until they were hip to hip. Barba was so wracked with nerves that he was shaking slightly. Gently, Olivia moved her thumb across the back of his hand as she turned her attention back to the movie. Barba could not focus on the movie, he kept looking at their interlocked hands and her. He so badly wanted to ask what in the hell was going on but he didn't dare break the fragility of the moment. Just as she began to relax slightly, she shifted and laid her head on his shoulder. Still remaining silent. Now, at this point Barba was screaming internally. He needed to know what in the hell was happening. Perhaps he isn't so smooth afterall.

"You don't have to be so tense." She mumbled.

"I-" She looked up at him, faces only inches apart. A small part of him began to wonder if this was all a dream. Definitely not a dream, he decided. But he looking up at him made him completely forget what he was going to say.

Without much warning, she leaned up and kissed him. It was only a peck but it surprised him so much that he audibly gasped into the kiss. She pulled away slightly to laugh and get air, but moved in again before he had a chance to speak. This time it was a real kiss and not just a peck. She could taste popcorn and the alcohol on his breath from at the bar earlier. She tasted like salt and butter and just like she did a year ago: sweet and strong. The tension in his body quickly melted away into desire. She pulled away, but only for a moment. She straddled him and kissed him with more force this time, as did he.

There was over a year of pent up sexual and emotional frustration in this kiss. It was by no means romantic. They were more like sloppy teenagers with over-zealous tongues. Rafael's hands quickly wondered up inside her shirt, as her mouth found his neck. He gave her nipple a hard pinch in which she moaned in return, right in his ear. His body shuddered. He felt so much like a teenager again. There was no control of his body and he felt like he could come at any second if they carried on any longer. Which, of course they did. Much to Rafael's dismay, he didn't last much longer and Olivia felt it.

She giggled into his ear, after the fact. "I knew I could get you."

Olivia pulled him down, to lay next to her. He nuzzled into her neck. It took a few moments but Barba eventually sat back up. "Olivia. What the hell just happened? What about Cassidy? And…" He trailed off, watching her sit up.

"Cassidy and I broke up. I couldn't fight the fact anymore that I had strong feelings for you. It wasn't fair to him that I wasn't as invested in the relationship as he was. How could I be when I have dreams about you all the time. Or the fact that I've wanted to sleep with you since last October. It also wasn't fair to you that I kept giving you all these mixed signals because I couldn't admit to myself that I might have stronger feelings for you than I ever did for Elliot and that terrifies me."

Barba is shocked but pleased by her confession. He stands up from the couch and offers her his hand. She takes it and he leads her into his bedroom. He changes his clothes and gives her some of his to wear. Despite the temptation to do otherwise, all they do is talk and eventually sleep wrapped up in one another.

It's been quite a long hiatus, but here I am writing once again.
I hope those who do see this update, enjoy it. :)