Disclaimer: I do not own Law and Order: SVU or any of its characters.

We Can Work From Home

"Not enough evidence"
Rafael took his seat. That phrase had begun to taste bad on his tongue. Liv sighed. Rollins rolled her eyes. Carisi tried to "reason" with him.
"You put him in that spot, in that time-frame, and I'll get you the warrant", he said, "Now if you'll excuse me, I have triable cases to work on"
The collective impression of the three seemed to be "Barba is a dick". He wasn't being difficult on purpose. If he thought the situation was not reasonable enough to get a warrant, then a judge, in his or her wisdom, would feel the same way before signing on it. It was his duty to use his brains. Unlike them, he couldn't afford to rely on gut instinct and passion alone.

9:00 PM and he was still working, going through all the horrifying pictures of the victims, the history of the sadistic accused. He looked out of the window. If he had had a different job, he would have been able to go home at a reasonable time. Start a family maybe. Not that he was too fond of kids, but a mini version of himself would have been tolerable.
Hang it all, he wasn't a man to build castles in the air. His work was his life. And god, did it take a hell of a lot out of him. He would persevere though. Crime never rests. So justice shouldn't either.

Despite of his self-reasoning, everything seemed so redundant. Sometimes he hated the thought of going back to work in the morning. There had to be something NOT bleak in his life. Something his and his alone that made doing the same thing worth it, day in and day out.
Dismayed and thoughtful, Rafael unlocked the door to his apartment. He punched in the code and the door opened. Like fog clearing on a melancholy morning, Rafael's smile made its appearance. That body he knew so intimately was sprawled on the couch. If the eyes weren't closed, it would have looked like she were reading. Rafael went closer. Never had he seen such a peaceful face. He had told her once -
"You never worry. I envy you that"
"That's because you, my love, worry enough for the both of us"
Of course he had something that gave meaning to the daily struggle. It was her - coming home to her.

Rafael laid the softest, gentlest kiss between her eyebrows. She was no sack of feathers but he lifted her up in his arms still. Sleeping on the couch in her position was an invitation to severe neck pain.
"Sleep well, mi amor", he whispered, as he laid her on their bed.
"Aha!"
"Jesus!", he gasped.
Annie had toppled him over in the bed. She sat astride his lower half, grinning down on him like the mischief-maker she was. Rafael leaned his head back and snickered. He looked up at her again.
"You do know you didn't have to do all that to get me into bed, right?"
"I know. I just wanted to get on top of you and say aha!"
"Your antics, Annie, I swear..."
"Will never get old. Thank you, baby. Now", she asked, "Did you have a good day? Put some baddies in jail? Talked the ears off a jury? Broke some hearts with your sex appeal?"
"Yes to all. I guess"
"Great!", she began to lift her top up, "Now it's my turn to speak"
Rafael watched her pull off the shirt before she threw it on the floor. She removed her hairband, tossed it away, and shook her head. Her glorious hair fell across her shoulders and on one of her breasts.
"Keep talking", Rafael watched.
"I want to ride your face"
"Please do"
With a wickedly delicious laugh, she leaned forward, arching her back, and kissed him. Rafael filled his hands with her. The love of that woman was what kept him going.

As loving and carefree Annie could be, her adventures sometimes went too far. Rafael experienced it but once. He had come home early with the only purpose of scolding her. If a fight ensued, so be it.
"Annie?"
"Hm?"
She was reading or working. There was no telling it apart.
"What was your bra doing in my bag?"
Her criminal smile egged him on.
"She probably wanted to shadow you too"
"That's not funny. It fell out in front of my colleagues"
"Sorry", she came to him and pouted, "Do you prefer my panties?"
Rafael raised his voice.
"Everything's a joke to you! I don't like..."
Annie had the nerve to laugh.
"Being humanized at work? Having people know you have a girlfriend?"
"Yes!"
His heart sunk as that smile turned into a ghost. She seemed genuinely apologetic.
"I'm sorry if I embarrassed you"
Cursing his coarse self, Rafael stood where he was. She picked up her book, her laptop, and kissed him on the cheek.
"I'll put this away and be right out. You want something to eat?"
He shook his head 'no'. Annie went into their bedroom. After a moment, he followed.

Feeling ashamed of his earlier anger, Rafael walked to her. She was putting the book in her work shelf. He hugged her tight from behind. Surprised at first, but then smiling, Annie touched his face, passed her hands over the ones that were around her.
"I am so, so sorry", he said
She wouldn't agonize him any further.
"It's okay"
That was one of the things he admired about Annie. Once she loved you, she loved you. She would hurt herself before she would hurt him. There was no question of her ever saying anything mean or hurtful.
Rafael kissed her clothed shoulder. He put his chin on it and tried to cheer her up.
"What you should have done with the bra was slip it into my pocket. And yes, I do prefer your panties. Those which you have worn for a day"
"You sex pervert", she grinned.
He stressed,
"Your sex pervert"
Annie turned to him and they made up with an embrace. He said,
"I can be such an old crone sometimes - one who doesn't appreciate the", he passed his hands over her butt, "finer things in life"
Annie was taking off his tie and undoing his shirt buttons.
"It's your job that makes you like this. Seriously, you are going to be one cranky old man. Better make your peace with it now"
"Is that so?"
"Yeah. I'm going to be the sweet, chubby old lady, with a curly bob, who hands out candies to the kids and you'll come out on the porch with your stick and be like 'Get outta here, you little good-for-nothing brats!' Then I'll go, 'Oh Rafael! They are just children! Let's go inside. It's time we had dinner'. And you know when we'll have dinner? 5:30. No more prowling out, late night sashaying through Hogan Place for you"
He smiled at the picture she had conjured up.
"You think about us growing old together?"
"Yeah. Who else is going to do that with you?"
"And she's back", he kissed her.