"Since when do you wear glasses?" Sonny smirked looking over at the bespectacled attorney who sat next to him on the couch. Rafael looked down over a cardboard box enclosing some old mock case files from his college days.
"Since the day my eyes gave up on me." He pressed his lips together, flipping through the pages with a slight nostalgia in his mind. "I'm old."
The rain was coming down pretty heavy and Sonny had the day off, so he opted to spend it with Rafael. Sonny had worn an NYPD hoodie and some sweatpants from the academy and curled up into a ball. This was the first time he had ever had Rafael over. It wasn't so much as he didn't want him there, it was just he was nervous. Sonny had been nervous about having the attorney over because he initially thought Rafael lived in a hoity-toity penthouse.
But he had learned he was wrong. Rafael barely had any food in the house, aside from snacks for the occasional visitor. He was just a guy. Sonny found it hard to wrap his head around. Their first two encounters always made him smile because they proved that Rafael was a human being. To say the least, their excursions continued. Whether it was Fordham study sessions, after work drinks, coffee breaks, or stop and frisks at Rafael's apartment, the two began to spend a bit more unprofessional time together. It was a win-win situation: Rafael got free coffee and some companionate R&R and Sonny got homework help and got to hang out with Rafael.
Sonny had a mock trial of his own coming up, and Rafael had decided he would pass on some wisdom from his own law school days. Fordham University's law program was probably nowhere near Harvard's, but he felt like that would give Sonny the one up. It made Rafael's ego boost ten fold just thinking about how Sonny would be the top of his class and it was all thanks to him.
And Sonny was doing great in school! After all, the Manhattan ADA was his boy-
"Aha! Found it." Rafael removed the file from the stack and set it on Sonny's lap. It sort of knock Sonny out of whatever haze he was zoned out on and he rolled his eyes.
"Jeez, Raf, another?" He furrowed his brows looking down at the brown file. Time had been good to the folder since Rafael kept every prized possession in its utmost condition. The edges had faint creases in them and the sides frayed a bit- probably due to Rafael's nervous paper twiddling habit. Sonny ran his finger alongside of it and smiled when he saw 'Barba, Rafael' scribbled on the front with a fountain pen.
The pen was a gift from Rafael's abuelita prior to when his acceptance. He spent everyday on the front stoop waiting for his letter to arrive. Alex had gotten his letters already and a few other kids from the neighborhood who were lucky enough to go to school had received theirs already, too.
Everyday, he'd sit with his homework and wait for the letter to arrive. The postman would shake his head and hand him some bills for his parents and he'd go inside. His dad told him daily to give up the wait, after all, how would an idiot like Rafi get into a school like Harvard. Nobody would take a chance on a ragdoll like him.
One night, Rafael's abuelita crept into his room and handed him a black box. She smiled at him and nodded for him to open it. Inside, carefully placed, was a black and silver Scheaffer fountain pen. He tried not to accept such an expensive and luxury item, but she pushed it back to him.
"La pluma es más poderosa que la espada, mijo." She smiled. The pen is mightier than the sword. "Bring justice to the little people. Give what you have never received."
"Abuelita, this must have cost a fortune. Esto es demasiado caro, I-I can't accept this!" It was too much of a gift. Even she knew that. But half of her wanted to compensate Rafael if his letter never came and the other half wanted to give him the pen that he'd officially sign his name with.
Rafael never stopped using his pen. The company was still in business and whenever he bought ink, he bought in bulk. He intended the pen to last long after he either a) retired or b) died.
Sonny lightly touched Rafael's name and grinned. He knew this had to have been written by the pen Rafael carried with him everywhere. He decided to not bring it up as it was probably a tender memory. So he brought up the case instead.
"How does this have to do with my trial?" He looked up at the attorney who was caught zoning out himself.
"Hm?" Rafael looked over and his eyes took notice of the file the detective held onto. "Oh. Right. In the file, you'll find an old prepared brief of mine. At the beginning of the case-"
"I'll hand it to the judge, yeah I know." Carisi nodded, scratching the back of his neck (just for the sake of doing something with his hands) and yawned. When Rafael had said he was coming over to study, he really didn't think Rafael was coming over to study. It was a letdown, but more so a relief. He needed help with this case. "Go on."
"You said your trial was based on Roe V. Wade, correct?" Rafael consulted the inner law workings of his mind before disassembling the case file in Sonny's lap. Sonny made an agreeing sound before Rafael moved on. "So I assume, you've already prepared an opening statement. Pro or con?"
Sonny looked at Rafael as though he was going to say the wrong answer. He was a lawyer, so he had to have been pro-choice. But he also was a catholic, so maybe he was pro-life. He had never gotten into super deep conversations like this before with him so he furrowed his eyebrows.
"Carisi, answer the question."
"I'm for choice. I mean, I 'm arguing for choice…" He narrowed his eyes and tilted his head a bit, trying to read Barba's expression. "But I'm totally pro-choice."
Barba sighed with relief and nodded. "Good, the law, and my ivy league homework are on your side. Have you decided your questions?"
They dragged on like that for an hour or so; Rafael drilling the hard hitting questions while Sonny sighed and rambled off whatever factoids he remembered to please the ADA. Rafael's dying patience was awarded with an espresso and a tall blonde detective later that afternoon.
Rafael slipped on a jogging jacket and decided to head out for a run once the rain died down. He loved it when the city had forced all its inhabitants indoors. That just meant there was less bullshit to deal with once he crossed his threshold. He had invited Sonny out for the exercise, but Sonny's mind was set on a classic MLB documentary and a bag of Cheetos. Oh, what Rafael would do to be young again.
Rafael had run his usual route through smaller parks and along the river, sniggering once he passed by Hudson University. He lost track of the amount of kids he had put away from that school. Even when he was working at the Brooklyn office, the school had a terrible rep. Once again, he found himself responsible for someone's college performance; just another tick to add to the record.
On his run, however, he didn't intend to run into Olivia. Rafael had decided to take a break and stop at a bodega for water and when he exited, there she was- complete with two of her bullpen detectives.
"Barba?" Rollins smiled, eyeing the counselor up and down, smiling particularly hard at his running pants. Olivia gawked a little bit while Fin didn't even attempt to stifle his laughter.
"Bro, can you even feel yourself right now?" Rafael rolled his eyes at the comment.
"Detectives." Rafael sipped on his water and stood with his hands on his hips. "Out and about with your kiddies today, I see." He smirked.
"Alright, Serge. We'll head over to that scene now." Fin tapped Olivia's shoulder and pursed his lips at Barba before following after Amanda.
"Sorry about that." She raised her eyebrows in her typical Benson fashion and started walking. Barba took that as code for 'walk and talk.' "You know I was actually just about to call you-"
"Do you guys ever take a day off?" Rafael interrupted as he watched their feet marching in stride.
Olivia smiled lightly. During her time at SVU, the Sergeant had racked up countless vacation days; something she was grateful for now that she was a parent. "Says the elusive Sex Crimes ADA. Don't you ever take a day off?"
Rafael stopped and gestured to his outfit with a duh type smirk on his face. "I wouldn't be caught dead in this if it were a working day. You should know better."
"Yeah, well it is a working day." She stopped walking and turned around pressed her lips together as her eyebrows perked. Her arms flopped to her sides, "we need your help."
Rafael downed his water and followed Olivia around the corner where squad cars lined the street and yellow police tape signaled he had a job to do.
Carisi, 4:45 p.m.
''Hey, you good? You promised you'd text back. I have pizza?"
Rafael grit his teeth, suddenly annoyed that he valued his career. He would give anything to go home and finish out the day with Sonny, but currently he was greeted by a quivering victim in an alleyway and the entirety of the SVU squadron.
Barba, 4:47 p.m.
'Rain check? Ran into your sergeant. Assault across from Andromeda's. "
Carisi, 4:48 p.m.
'On my way."
"Liv, I hope this doesn't frighten you, but it should be known that I'm not a detective." He quipped, looking over her shoulder to gauge the scene. He really wanted that pizza right about now. He ran his hand over his face and groaned. "Why am I here? You mentioned you were about to call me?"
"The vic asked for you." Olivia's mouth flat lined.
"… I'm sorry?"
"Rafael." Her voice trailed off and became quiet. "I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to take a statement."
"Liv, who's the victim?" Rafael's voice grew in worry, his exterior remaining in its numb Barba state.
"Gregory Chase."
And with that, Rafael felt his heart stop.
Back at the bullpen, Rafael was sat in the interrogation room with Olivia and Nick. Outside the room, Sonny watched with Amanda.
"Why are you worrying so much?" The blonde detective looked up at Sonny and watched his eyes dart all around the room.
"He doesn't need to be in there. He didn't do anything."
"We know he didn't do anything."
"So why's he in there?"
"Because, on arrival, the acting officer reported that the vic cried out Rafael's name."
"So? There are hundreds of Rafaels in New York. Are you kidding?"
"There's only one Rafael Barba." She turned the dial under the window up and listened in.
"Barba, look. We need to know how you know this guy? Former client? Any and all information is useful. We need to gather-"
"I know the spiel, amigo." Rafael looked up and rolled his neck. He knew Rollins and Sonny were watching and he slightly felt bad for submitting him to this kind of torture. Rafael felt like he had to pretend like he wasn't bothered by this, but in reality it was killing him.
"We just need to know." Olivia chimed in and just as she was about to sit at the table, three knocks hit the door and she was signaled to leave along with Sonny and Amanda.
Alone now, Nick looked at Rafael whose face was hidden in his hands. "Rafael. Off the record…" He leaned in across the table and lowered his voice. "This guy… You weren't- He wasn't a-" Nick cleared his throat and tilted his head. "Un amante?"
Rafael ran his hand along his forehead and took a deep breath. "Sí." Nick pulled back and raised his eyebrows at the new bit of knowledge he had just acquired. Rafael stabbed him with his eyes. Now wasn't the time for this realization to shock things. Now that Nick knew this, the entire squad would have to know. And because of the timing, Sonny would be thrown into the mix. Eyes would all be on them. They would have to pause things, or worse, cut them off completely. Rafael's heart hurt and he didn't want to impose the torture of the IAB on Sonny. There was the over looming risk of an investigation and possible lateral transfer on the table. The last thing he wanted was for Sonny to have to start yet another new job.
"Look. I'm not supposed to say anything, but-" Rafael looked up, torn away from his harrowing fantasy for only moment. Nick fiddled with his hands. "The vic-"
"Gregory."
"Gregory. He uh, he called your name."
"I was at the scene, this was disclosed to me. Why does this present itself as news, detective?"
"It wasn't a random thing. They said," Nick opened up the file on the desk with an on scene witness statement and consulted it, reading off: "this is for Rafael Barba. This is all for him. He's next."