Chapter Text
June 2022, New York.
Detective Elliot Stabler stood on the sidewalk outside the 1-6 precinct suddenly reluctant to enter the building. Since that fateful day just over eleven years ago when his career with the Special Victims Unit had come to an abrupt and tragic end, he’d only been here once. At the time, he’d been entirely focused on finding the person responsible for the car bomb that had gravely injured his wife, so his ten-year absence from the place had barely even registered.
It was different today. Today he was a widower of just over a year and the pain of his wife’s passing was something that he had mostly come to terms with. Although the grief would never completely go away, he was ready to find out what the future held in store for him. Some might say it was too soon, but everyone grieved in their own way and in their own time, and he still had a lot in his life to be grateful for.
He looked at the folder in his hand. Ayanna Bell had handed it to him as he was leaving that day and asked him to drop it into the 1-6 on his way home. He wasn’t quite sure how he’d become his Sergeant’s errand boy, but it wasn’t as if he was complaining. A valid excuse to see his former partner was always welcome. It just hadn’t occurred to him until he’d arrived that it had meant entering the place that had practically been his second home for over a decade. Maybe he could call Olivia and ask her to meet him outside instead?
He shook his head at how ridiculous that was. From what he recalled, the precinct had been significantly remodelled and it barely resembled the place he once knew. Tamping down his apprehension, he jogged up the steps, pushed open the door and entered the building.
Clearing security with a flash of his badge and a body scan with the guard’s security wand, he headed for the main squad room. Standing hesitantly on the threshold, he was relieved to find that he wasn’t immediately thrown back into the chaos of the day when a grieving teenager had entered with a gun, hell-bent on exacting revenge for her mother’s murder. Today the precinct was relatively quiet, the main sound the rhythmic tap-tapping of fingertips on keyboards.
“Hey Stabler! Whatcha doin’ here?” Fin greeted as he looked up from his computer and spotted his former colleague on the other side of the room.
Elliot crossed to join him. “My Sergeant asked me to bring this,” he said, holding up the folder in his hand. “Is she in?” he asked, tilting his head towards the closed door of the Captain’s office.
Fin nodded. “Conference call with McGrath.”
“Oh right,” Elliot said, unable to prevent the disappointment from showing on his face. “Maybe you could give her this when she’s done with that then.”
Fin cocked his head to one side and eyed him knowingly. “Or you could sit down, grab a cup of coffee and wait until she’s free,” he suggested.
Elliot wrinkled his nose in distaste. “Does SVU still serve swill?”
“Mediocre now,” Fin told him, waving his hand towards the coffee machine, “But there’s bottled water if you prefer?”
Elliot took the offered water and sat down gingerly in the chair that his former colleague indicated. He felt like he was back in high school waiting to be called into the principal’s office.
“Weird to be back, huh?” Fin asked, sensing his discomfiture.
Elliot nodded in agreement. “It feels a little strange…” he broke off when his phone buzzed in his pocket. “Oh no, not another one!” he exclaimed. Withdrawing his cell, he opened the lock-screen and checked the app notifications.
“Another what?” Fin asked curiously.
Elliot’s cheeks tinged with red. “Nothing, it doesn’t matter.”
Intrigued by his former colleague’s obvious embarrassment, Fin leaned forward in his chair, resting his forearms on his knees. “Uh-huh, don’t seem like nothin’ to me.”
Elliot rubbed the back of his neck, debating whether to own up. “My daughters thought it was a good idea to set me up a profile on a dating app,” he eventually confessed.
Fin smirked. “And you let them?”
“I didn’t exactly get much choice.” He frowned at his phone. “I don’t know how to turn it off. I could ask Jet but…”
Fin grinned. “So how many matches did you get?” He rolled his chair over and held out his hand for the cell. Against his better judgement, Elliot handed it to him.
The other man let out a low whistle as he scrolled through the notifications. “Wow Stabler! That’s quite a score.”
Elliot looked dumbfounded. “It is?”
Fin shot him an incredulous look. “Don’t you know?”
“Fin, I was married for nearly forty years. I can’t say I paid much attention to this kind of thing.”
“Which I suppose does you credit,” Fin decided, “But man, you need to get with the times.”
“That’s what my daughters said.”
Fin chuckled. “Kathleen was always fairly outspoken if I recall.”
Elliot nodded in agreement with that. “Except it was Lizzie who was the main driver this time.” He sighed. “She thinks I spend too much time on my own, that I have no social life.”
“Is that true?”
Elliot shrugged. “I suppose so. Since Kathy died, it’s been an adjustment and I…,” he trailed off, his ice-blue eyes despondent.
“Liv still holding you at arm’s length?” Fin queried, not missing his friend’s telling glance towards the closed office door.
Elliot took a swig from the bottle of water in his hand and nodded. “How did you guess?”
“You can’t blame her for that.”
“I don’t, it’s just… you can only apologise so many times before it starts to lose its meaning, you know?”
Fin nodded. He did know. Plus he also knew Olivia’s propensity for putting up barriers when things got a little too close for comfort. “How much has she told you?” he asked carefully.
“About what?”
Fin sighed. “Not very much then.”
Elliot’s brow furrowed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You wouldn’t have asked that question if she’d been more forthcoming,” Fin told him. “You need to do something to knock down those walls.”
“You think I haven’t tried? If you’ve got any suggestions, I’m all ears.”
Fin considered and then nodded at Elliot’s phone. “You arranged to meet any of those matches yet?” he asked.
“What? No of course not.”
“Why not? It’s just a little female companionship at the end of the day.”
“Several of them have offered way more than companionship,” Elliot crooked his fingers into quote marks. “I’m not even sure some of it is anatomically possible.”
Fin laughed. “So ignore those – well unless you don’t want to?” He grinned. “Might be fun.”
Elliot rolled his eyes. “I think I’ll pass.”
“You’re such a choir-boy, Stabler. A streetwise one maybe, but a choir-boy all the same.”
“I’m too old to sow my wild oats now, Fin. That time’s been and gone.”
“From the number of matches you’ve got here, maybe not,” Fin quipped, and then held up his hands at the look Elliot shot in his direction. “All right, all right, I get it. Random hook-ups not your thing. A coffee or dinner date isn’t going to do any harm though is it?” He scrolled through the messages. “So what’s your preference? Blonde? Brunette?”
“I don’t think I really have a type.”
“Clearly,” Fin said with a knowing look, which prompted another unconscious glance at the closed office door from his companion. “What about this one? Brunette aged fifty-two, works in Wall Street. Into fitness in a big way – spin class, weight-training, yoga. Likes Asian food. Whaddya think?”
The blue-eyed detective shrugged. “She doesn’t have any kids.”
“Is that a deal-breaker?”
“Not necessarily, but I have five and they’re definitely not shy about sticking their noses into my business so…”
Fin nodded. “Good point.” He scrolled a little further. “Ok so this one might work. Blonde aged fifty-five. Widow for two years. Two grown-up children. Works in the DA office. Likes long walks outdoors and Pilates classes. Looking for friendship initially, but potentially more in the longer term.” He angled the phone so that his friend could see the picture.
“I can’t believe I’m even considering this,” Elliot said with an incredulous shake of his head.
“I sense a but in there somewhere.”
“Just that maybe Lizzie was right. Staring at the four walls isn’t my favourite way to spend an evening. It gives me too much time to… well, think. As depressing as it sounds at least the Undercover work gives me something to do. It’s more 24/7 than normal police work so it keeps me busy.”
Fin resolved there and then to make more of an effort to bring Elliot into his social circle. The guy had lost his wife of nearly forty years. It was no wonder he was a little adrift. He and his former colleague hadn’t always seen eye to eye in the past, but they’d both mellowed with age and now seemed to gel better than they used to.
Fin was naturally protective of Olivia, knowing everything she’d gone through since her partner had left, but if there was one thing he did know, it was that Stabler had always had her back when he was around. Things may have gotten complicated, but he didn’t honestly believe that the other man had meant to hurt her. He’d simply handled a difficult situation in the wrong way. “All right so Melanie goes on the potentials list. We should check out who else might fit the bill.”
“Fit the bill for what?”
The two men jumped at the sound of Olivia Benson’s voice directly behind them. Neither had noticed her office door open.
“Jeez, Liv! Give us a heart attack why don’t you?” Fin exclaimed, bringing a palm up to his chest in reaction.
She brushed off his protest with a wave of her hand. “You should have been paying more attention. What are you both so engrossed in anyway?” she asked curiously.
“Stabler’s daughters signed him up for a dating app,” Fin said before Elliot could stop him. “Turns out he’s a popular choice. We’re deciding which matches are worth a second look.”
He bent his head to scroll again, pressing his lips together to keep his amusement hidden. Olivia’s face had been a picture, her eyes turning a metaphorical green before she’d managed to school her features into a more neutral expression. Elliot’s gaze was determinedly fixed on his feet, out of embarrassment or guilt Fin wasn’t quite sure.
“How about this one? Redhead aged forty. Owns her own business. Wants a male companion for fun and workouts.”
Olivia’s eyebrows rose. “Fun and workouts? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I imagine it’s a euphemism,” Fin remarked blandly, starting to enjoy himself now. “Some of these women are a lot more direct, huh Stabler?” He scrolled again. “Like this one.” He held out the phone to his boss.
Olivia’s dark eyes widened as she read the message. She was no prude but still… “What kind of app is this?” she demanded.
Fin chuckled. “Relax – those are in the minority. It seems Elizabeth Stabler did her research.”
“This was Lizzie’s idea?” She transferred her gaze to Elliot, who finally lifted his eyes to meet hers.
“She thinks I need more of a social life. That my life should be about more than just family and work,” he explained.
Olivia stared at him, aghast. “But a dating app? What was she thinking?”
Elliot’s gaze narrowed at her disparaging tone. “At least these women want to spend time with me,” he shot back.
Fin winced as Olivia’s eyes flashed fire and brimstone. It appears Stabler still had some bite in him even if he was uncharacteristically submissive where Liv was concerned nowadays. It hadn’t always been that way. At one time, they were both secure enough in the solidity of their partnership to freely express their opinions, whether they agreed on the subject or not.
“Ayanna asked me to give you this.” Elliot picked up the folder and handed it to her before turning back to Fin. “You know what? I think that second woman sounds like a good option. Why don’t you show me how to message her back so I can arrange that date?”
In response Olivia spun about on her heel and marched back into her office, slamming the door shut so hard that it rattled in its frame.
Fin let his breath out with a whoosh. “Man! You’ve got balls of steel, Stabler.”
Elliot was unrepentant. “Well, subtle isn’t working.”
“No, it isn’t.” Fin concurred. “Cap’s mad but maybe that’s a good thing. If she’s pissed off at you, she’s less likely to overthink things.” He glanced down at the phone still in his hand. “So about this date.”
Elliot sighed. “I wasn’t really going to go through with it.”
“Why not? This woman sounds like she just wants to get out there again and meet new people after losing her husband. It’d do you good to do the same. I’d be willing to bet her two grown-up kids coerced her into this just as much as yours did.”
“I suppose so,” Elliot agreed a little dubiously.
“Just meet her, El. It’ll be a few hours of your time and it might give you some perspective on things.” He paused to let that sink in. “And it’ll give Liv something to think about too,” he added with a sly wink.
“Or convince her to wash her hands of me for good,” Elliot re-joined.
Fin rolled his eyes. “Stabler, if you think that’s even a remote possibility, you are dumber than you look. Trust me, if you’ve not driven her away yet, you’re never gonna.”
Elliot envied Fin his certainty because he was never quite sure of that these days. Every time he thought he might be getting somewhere, Olivia quickly disabused him of that notion. ‘Friends for now’ or ‘Let’s wait’ sounded positive but really it was just another way for his former partner to remind him that he was still on probation. Maybe meeting new people was a good idea, it would stop him obsessing over whether Liv was ever going to forgive him or not.
~~~
Playing the long game, Fin chose to ignore the elephant in the room until he considered that his boss and friend had had enough time to ponder the implications of her partner re-entering the world of dating. It was therefore the following afternoon when he finally decided to stir the pot. “Captain, they convicted Chamberlin,” he informed her, appearing in the doorway of her office.
Olivia nodded in satisfaction. “I wasn’t sure there for a while. I thought he might have won the jury over with the charm offensive.”
“Sarah’s testimony was extremely convincing. I think she swung it for us.”
“She’s a brave girl. It was a lot, but she held up well.”
Fin nodded in agreement. “So I was thinking about arranging a night out – figured I’d invite the Organized Crime team as well.”
“Organized Crime? Why?”
“Just something Stabler said yesterday about sitting at home alone staring at the four walls. He said that working undercover was preferable because it took up more of his free time. His kids were right, he needs more of a social life. None of us are as far away from mandatory retirement as we like to think, and then what? There needs to be more to life than the NYPD. This date he’s got on Friday will be a good start, I think.”
“What date?” Olivia’s tone was terse. “You mean that woman from the dating app?”
“Yeah – he messaged me earlier. It’s all set up. That woman’s name is Melanie, and she works at the DA’s office. We should ask Carisi if he knows her.”
“Did Elliot tell you where he’s taking her on this date?”
“No why?”
“I err… never mind.” Olivia dipped her head to hide the flush on her cheeks.
Fin suppressed a smile. “I guess I could find out,” he said slowly, pretending to weigh up the pros and cons of that. “I mean he’s been outta the dating game for decades. He could probably use some pointers about venue, conversation starters, that sorta thing. At least he acquired some fashion sense while he was in Europe. Phoebe says he scrubs up nice - apparently numerous women on that app thought so too.”
“Captain?” Amanda poked her head round the doorframe. “Tip line got a lead on the Vasquez case. Witness swears she saw Sofia arguing with some guy two days ago.”
“They got a description?” Olivia asked the blonde detective.
“White, mid-thirties. That’s about it. Got the name and address of the witness though.”
“Ok – you and Fin go and find out more. Get her to come in and work with a sketch artist.”
Olivia’s phone rang as the two of them were leaving. “Benson,” she answered crisply.
It was Carisi on the other end. “Hey Liv – just letting you know that they found Chamberlin guilty on all counts.”
“Yeah, I know, Fin told me. Congratulations – that was a difficult case to prosecute. How’s Sarah doing?”
“Ok, I think. Her sister took her home. Her father… well, I don’t think he’s come to terms with the situation yet.”
Olivia sighed. “They could use family therapy, but he refuses to go.”
“Maybe the guilty verdict will help,” Carisi mused. “With the trial over, he’ll have time to focus more on how to rebuild their lives.”
“Maybe,” Olivia concurred, although she wasn’t all that confident about that. The victim’s father seemed intent on sticking his head in the sand. “Let’s hope so anyway.”
“So, you need me on the Vasquez case yet?” Carisi enquired.
“Not yet, but we’ve got a lead. Fin and Rollins are checking it out now. I’ll keep you posted.”
“Ok good. Well, I’ll leave you to it then…”
“Hey Carisi?” Olivia interjected before he could disconnect the call.
“Yeah, Captain?”
“Do you know a Melanie who works at the DA’s office? She’d be around my age.”
“Mel? Yeah, she’s a legal assistant. Husband died a couple of years ago. She has two grown-up kids – a son and a daughter. Why are you asking?”
“No reason. She was mentioned and I didn’t recognise the name so…”
“She mostly works family court, so you probably haven’t come across her that often. She prefers to remain in the background despite being good at her job.”
“So you like her?”
“Yeah, yeah, she’s great. Don’t tell my mother but she gave me the best recipe for Fettuccine Alfredo and her cupcakes are chef’s kiss.”
“So smart and domesticated.”
“I suppose that’s one way of describing her.”
‘Lovely,’ Olivia thought resentfully. ‘The perfect woman then. I bet she’s blonde too.’
“Was that all?” Carisi’s voice sounded in her ear, interrupting her jealous musings.
“Yes, yes, that’s all. Speak to you later.”
“Okay, bye.”
“Bye.” Olivia hit the red button on her phone and sat for a moment before rising agitatedly to her feet and pacing her office. Why was Elliot going through with this? If he wanted more of a social life, he only had to ask…
She stopped and made a noise of frustration in the back of her throat. Truth was, he had asked - more than once. She’d turned him down every time because it felt like such a huge step. Was it really though? It was just lunch or dinner. How many times had they shared meals during their near thirteen years of partnership? Was she making a big deal out of nothing? She could go out for lunch or dinner with him, they didn’t have to call it a date…
Speaking of dates - maybe she should check this Melanie out. Elliot had been married for the entirety of his adult life which made him relatively naïve when it came to women. She ought to make sure this woman wasn’t going to manipulate him into something that he wasn’t ready for. That’s what a good friend would do, she reasoned, providing herself with a suitable motive for the unwarranted interference.
Of course, Elliot probably wouldn’t appreciate the gesture, but it wasn’t as if he’d not done the exact same thing to her back in the day.
Her cell rang then, pulling her out of the internal debate with her conscience. “Lucy, hey - is everything ok?”
“Yes, everything is fine. Noah’s been invited for a birthday sleepover on Friday. He was supposed to return the RSVP today. He forgot to mention it to you. Are you ok with him attending? I checked out the arrangements – it will be properly supervised and they’re keeping the numbers down because of COVID. He won’t be mixing with any kids that he doesn’t already at school.”
“Do I know the parents?”
“Yes, Tommy Paterson – Noah partnered with him on that science project a few months back.”
“Oh right yeah, I remember. Ok, he can go. I’ll give Tommy’s Mom a call. I think I still have the number.”
“You want me to sort out a present?”
Olivia hesitated. She liked to do as much as possible herself but with the Vasquez case and several others on the go she knew she would struggle to get away from the precinct for long enough to find a birthday present for a ten-year-old. “Yes thank-you, that would be great. You’re a Godsend, Lucy.”
“That’s what you pay me for.”
Olivia laughed. “No, I pay you to look after Noah when I’m working. The ‘Godsend’ you give for free.”
“Well, I know you don’t pay me for advice, but I think you should take advantage of the child-free evening and go out yourself.”
“I was thinking more a relaxing night in, bubble-bath, nice glass of red, a good book.”
“Olivia no,” Lucy drawled in protest. “Your son has a better social life than you do. You should find yourself a date for the evening, get dressed up and go out on the town. Try a dating app maybe. I’ll send you a link to the one several of my friends have used. None of them have had to climb out of a restroom window or use the fake family emergency phone-call excuse yet so I think it’s a reputable app.”
“Lucy…”
“Just try it, Liv. Go out and have a little fun.”
Out of curiosity, Olivia clicked on the link Lucy sent her, but froze when she recognised the app design as the same one that her former partner had been using. Fin had said Elliot’s date was on Friday so maybe she would go out after all. She wasn’t sure a dating app was really her thing but there was nothing stopping her going out for a drink. She used to do that all the time when she was younger. There were classy places for a woman alone to go.
And if she just happened to pass by wherever Elliot was taking Melanie for dinner then all the better...