Ayanna watched Elliot enter the office and let out a long breath. She could always tell where he had been when he looked like that. Today already took a weird turn and she secretly hoped maybe she was wrong. She needed his head in the game for the next day or two.

"Where have you been?" She asked even though she felt sure of the answer.

It was apparently obvious because Jet muttered, "From the looks of things I'd say he was visiting Captain Benson." Jet looked around realizing that she had said the thought out loud .

Elliot glared in her direction. "Sorry," she mouthed apologetically.

Ayanna sighed and motioned for Elliot to follow her to her office. She wouldn't ask about Liv, but she needed to get his head back in the game.

Elliot sat in the chair tucked in the corner of Ayanna's office. She leaned into her desk, and studied him for a moment, not sure where to start.

He folded his arms and leaned back in the chair. "I'm fine."

"Didn't say you weren't."

"You're giving me that look ."

"What look?" She stared at him quizzically.

He let out an exaggerated sigh."The one where you're assessing whether or not I'm going to explode and complicate your life."

Ayanna eyes him seriously, "Well are you?"

"No. Like I said. I'm fine."

She doubted that, but let it drop. Liv was a hot button issue with him and she liked to give him space when it came to her.

"The head of NYPD counterintelligence is coming in later, and I'm sure he is going to be requesting a security detail for some high ranking official." Her eyes bore into his. "I need your head in the game. Are you good?" She accentuated every word.

He gave her the typical brush off, but maintained her eye contact when he responded, "I'm good."

"Okay then. Try to finish up whatever you're working on. I have a feeling counterintelligence is going to keep us busy for the next few days." She continued to watch him. She felt like she knew him well at this point. She trusted him implicitly, but she was always a little wary of the brooding intensity he often exhibited.

He nodded and swiftly left her office. She watched as he settled into his desk, and started to work like nothing out of the ordinary happened with his day. Damn. That man can compartmentalize couldn't he?

-000-

Jamie jogged up to Jet's desk, and she met him with her typical glare of annoyance. "What made you think Stabler was over at SVU today?"

He wasn't deterred by her condescending stare. That

was pretty much her normal look when she talked to him. "I don't know. Ask him." She tilted her head towards Stabler.

Yeah. There was no way he was asking Stabler directly. He didn't have a death wish. "You mentioned he probably saw Captain Benson. What do you think that was all about?"

Jet gave him an over exaggerated eye roll. "Nothing. Go back to work before I make it obvious what we're talking about."

He hurried away, knowing that was a serious threat. The only thing worse than asking Stabler about Benson was him finding you speculating about Benson behind his back. He wanted to live through the day.

-000-

Olivia made it three quarters of the way to the OCCB office before realizing she probably should call. For all she knew they were in the middle of an op, or he was in the field, or they had meetings.

She pulled over and put her car in park before pulling her cell phone from her purse. She found Elliot's contact and hit the call button. No answer. He probably was working. She didn't expect him to drop everything to answer her call. Just to be sure she hadn't just missed him she called again. Still no answer. She groaned. This would have to wait. He would call her back. Maybe?

She resolved to call him again later. She'd go back to work and try to get through the day without overthinking.

-000

The afternoon felt like it dragged on and on. She tried to refrain from checking her phone every five minutes, but she was failing. She considered calling him again, or at least texting him, but then she thought maybe he needed some space. She could give him time.

Sometime in the late afternoon she heard some commotion in the squad room followed by Fin rushing into her office. "What is Stabler's team working on right now?" His eyes were insistent, which was weird for him. Nothing rattled Fin.

"Um," she wasn't sure exactly. Last she talked to him they were working on some gang cases but that was a while back and she had no idea what his current case was. "I don't know. He hasn't said anything."

Fin didn't look relieved by her answer. He rubbed his hand across the back of his head, "Uh the radio chatter just blew up. Literally. Apparently a political entourage got bombed. OCCB was escorting the diplomat to the consulate."

Olivia felt like she had tunnel vision. She searched for her phone on her cluttered desk. She felt herself shaking. While she dialed she waved Fin out, "Go out there and find out what the hell is going on."

"Yes Cap." He hurried out of her office.

She closed her eyes, silently begging for him to pick up the damn phone. No answer. She all but threw her phone across her desk. She couldn't breathe, and she felt sick. She leaned over her desk trash can and took deep slow breaths. She tried calling him again. No answer. " Damn it Elliot." She let out more slow breaths, willing herself not to cry.

Minutes felt like hours, but it couldn't have been long before Fin rushed in again. "He's fine," the words rushed out. "He made a last minute change of plans. Something about taking a different car than originally planned." His voice felt far away.

"Hey, baby girl, slow down." She felt Fin's comforting hand on her back. "He's okay," he reiterated. She nodded her head but she still hovered over her trash c

Fin sat with her for a few minutes before Bruno shoved into her office, "Velasco called," he began, but stopped when he saw his captain hovering over a trash can with his sergeant comforting her.

"Get the hell outta her Bruno! Now's not the time!"

Bruno's eyes widened and he retreated, shutting the door behind him.

Olivia felt like her heart rate had finally come down enough to sit up.

"Take your time." Fin cautioned.

She waved him off. "I'm okay now."

"You sure?" Fin's hands still haloed her, making sure she wouldn't fall over.

"Yeah yeah." She reassured him. "Go see what Bruno wanted. I need another minute."

"'Kay." He kept his eyes steadily on her before leaving her office.

-000-

Neither Reyes or Whelan were thrilled about this whole sewer search.

"So what's the deal with Stabler and Benson?"

"Do we have to talk about this?" Reyes asked, clearly annoyed.

"What? Is there some kind of sewer topic you want to cover?

Bobby looked over their surroundings, "Nah. I'm good."

Jamie kept wondering aloud, "He made a comment a while ago about how it's possible to be incredibly close to someone for a long time and not be sleeping together. I didn't get it then but it probably has something to do with Captain Benson right?"

Reyes shook his head, "Look man. I don't know. Probably best to stay out of it all. All I know is that there is a lot of history there, and not all of it is good." Reyes shined his flashlight into one of the dark corners.

Whelan kept talking, "Why would everyone stay so tight lipped about it? Seems weird." Whelan's eyes wandered around the cement of the sewer.

Reyes groaned, "Here's what I know. Asking Jet or Ayanna is stupid because they will rally behind Elliot at all costs." His thoughts tumbled out, "As for Benson, most of her squad is new and won't know anything. Her sergeant would be the exception to that but I'm fairly certain he would kill for her so it's probably not a great idea to ask him." Reyes shined his flashlight down another tunnel. "Plus if Stabler found you poking around Benson he might kill you himself."

"But see, that's just it," Whelan said in frustration, "What's with the crazy overprotectiveness? Aren't you even a little curious?"

"Of course. I'm a detective too, but it seems like a futile waste of time to gather a little sensitive information about a coworker." Reyes said with certainty.

"Yeah I get it. But it's all the secrecy around it that gets me." Whelan was clearly curious and annoyed.

Reyes stopped walking for a minute, garnering Whelan's attention. "I'm telling you, don't poke the hornet's nest. Just leave it alone."

Whelan nodded and they returned to their search in silence.

-000-

Olivia bounced with anxiety. She needed to talk to him. She knew he was okay, but she knew the sick feeling would not abate until she saw him in person .

It wasn't just his physical well being she worried about. A car explosion. That had to have brought back some pretty painful memories. At this point she had probably called him seven times. She tried not to worry, or make it about her. His team was nearly blown to pieces. He didn't have time to work out their shit right now.

She felt herself pacing. She could call Ayanna.she often did that when Elliot dropped off the grid, but she probably had her hands full with this diplomatic mess.

She glanced at her watch. He had to sleep sometime right? She could stop by his apartment. Just to make sure he was okay. She could handle that.

Okay. Sorry everybody. Apparently I need all the characters to talk or something, but this is apparently bleeding into a part three.