Chapter II

Stabler, Benson, Bell and Tutuola were gathered in the SVU captain's office waiting for Amanda, who would bring new information about the case, obtained from the police intelligence department. It wasn't long before she arrived accompanied by a red-haired woman with intense green eyes, a serious expression and a firm posture. They both carried briefcases and walked quickly.

-I'm sorry, guys. I got caught in traffic on the way to the university. A horrible accident.

Those present greeted her and fixed their gaze on the sergeant's companion.

-Ah, this is Detective Heather Clark, my right and left hand in Intelligence.

The detective nodded, but her gaze was fixed on the other detective in the room. She was looking at Stabler with genuine interest and a lot of intensity in her gaze. The gesture did not go unnoticed by Olivia, who shifted uncomfortably in her chair, but said nothing.

-Clark and I brought information that may help us understand our suspect. From what we were able to find out, he has been active for much longer than we imagined. -Amanda said, distributing some folders. -If you look at the second page, we have a list of crime locations with the same modus operandi, but without identification.

-Has he been to every state? -Fin asked in disbelief. -How has no one ever caught him?

-We believe that your meticulousness helped cover up the crimes and mislead investigators. -Heather replied, and even her voice was intense, a true melody. -I noticed some similarities in an investigation about three months ago and I've been collecting this data ever since. When Sergeant Rollins told me about your case, I made some connections.

-Do you have a name? -Olivia asked dryly.

-Christian Langdon, a law graduate from the University of Nevada, studied medicine at the same institution for a few years. He was a young prodigy, he entered the undergraduate program at fifteen, but disappeared from the map at twenty-five. -Clarke explained, looking firmly at the captain. -As a minor, he had antisocial behavior, but he began to self-regulate during his adolescence.

-And why do you believe he is the suspect? -Stabler asked.

The detective turned towards the man and replied with the same intense look and a smirk:

-He is wise, meticulous, well-informed, with above-average intelligence. Despite this, he is socially maladjusted and we have witnesses who described the suspect with very similar physical and emotional characteristics. I detailed everything in reports three and five, detective.

Her efficiency was unquestionable and Amanda smiled with satisfaction when she saw the impressed looks on her colleagues' faces.

-Excellent, Detective Clark. You'll certainly be of great help. -Bell said. -Please, bring Detective Stabler up to speed, work together. I'm meeting with the chief in a little while, he's putting pressure on us... as always.

-Liv, I thought about working together on the sexual sadism part. What do you think? -Amanda suggested.

Olivia nodded.

-I'm going to meet with Slootmaker and Velasco at OC headquarters to continue with the digital tracking. -Fin announced, standing up.

Fin and Bell followed their destinations out of the building, Stabler and Clarke settled at one of the unit's desks and Amanda and Olivia remained in the captain's office.

The hard work immersed the entire unit in the case. Olivia could risk that this suspect was as dangerous and cruel as, if not more so, Johnny D. himself, Noah's biological father and a pimp of the worst kind. Her eagerness to capture him was immense, but the complexity of the case required calm and bureaucratic work before taking action.

Hours had passed in deep concentration in the captain's office when the Organized Crime sergeant returned. Bell sat on Liv's living room couch and studied the strategic board with Langdon's profile drawn in minute detail.

-You guys did an incredible job. -Ayanna praised. -But the boss lectured me for over an hour about the use of so many people in the case, the public spending and ended by venting about his own daughter's teenage problems.

-I already told him he needs therapy. -Olivia commented. -Did he give you any guidance?

-I want everyone out on the streets until tomorrow, constant surveillance of the suspect and no armed encounters or undercover agents, because the guy is very dangerous.

Amanda and Olivia exchanged a frustrated look. The captain stretched and commented:

-I'm hungry and irritable. I have to call my babysitter and ask her to spend the night with Noah, because it looks like we're going to be here until late.

-Sonny can pick up Noah and take him home. -Rollins suggested.

The captain thanked her.

-One less problem. Thank you. -She stood up. -Shall we eat something?

The two sergeants nodded and gathered their things. Before they left, Ayanna stopped to watch Heather and Elliot working closely together at a table. Benson followed her gaze and something inside her clenched when she noticed the detectives laughing and Elliot with his hand on her chair.

-They seem to be getting along well. I'm glad! -Ayanna commented.

Olivia was content to close her expression and pretend not to hear anything.

The trio's lunch was tense. The captain remained silent and with a closed face most of the time. Amanda and Ayanna talked about the case and some pleasantries, but Benson didn't get involved, she seemed absorbed in her own world. When they returned to the unit, the captain went straight to her office with the excuse of making some reports and locked herself there. Her migraine was starting to show signs.

At one point, she stopped going through the paperwork because she couldn't concentrate anymore. She looked around and saw her detectives working in the unit. Amanda was engrossed in her analysis board, Fin was laughing about something with Elliot and Velasco, while Heather and Bell were looking at a computer. Her gaze fell on Elliot and she felt a little nostalgic at seeing him so at ease here at SVU. A smile spread across her face before she could stop it.

Olivia didn't know how long she was absorbed in her thoughts, but she was taken out of them when she saw a boy shaking his curly hair as he ran towards her room. With a smile, she got up and walked towards him.

-Mommy!! -Noah jumped into her lap at the entrance to the unit.

-What are you doing here, dear? -She asked, giving him a kiss. -Hi, Lucy. Is everything okay?

The nanny greeted the captain, but couldn't say anything else.

-Mommy, I got the lead role in the play!! -Noah said excitedly. -I'm going to be the Lieutenant, Mommy!

And then it all became clear. Noah talked about the play twenty-five hours a day, he was so excited about the audition.

-I'm so proud of you, my little lieutenant! -She said, bending down, making eye contact. -I'll be in the front row.

The boy hugged his mother again and she picked him up.

-Noah was so excited, he wanted to give the news in person... -Lucy explained.

-No problem, dear. I'm glad you came, I really needed to distract myself a little. - He admitted. -Son, have you greeted everyone?

-Hi, guys. -Noah greeted shyly.

Everyone present looked at their interaction.

-Lucy, you can leave Noah with me if you want. I'll be going home in a little while, he'll stay here with me in the meantime.

The girl thanked him and said goodbye, then left.

-Stay in Mom's room, don't touch the papers on my desk. -Olivia instructed. -There's a little box with some bills, you can get some treats from the machine, if you're hungry. But save room for our dinner.

-Macaroni and cheese? -The boy's eyes shone with anticipation.

-I'll think about your case. -She smiled sideways.

Elliot watched their conversation with a goofy smile. He had always known Olivia would be a great mother, and he was glad to see that she had come to fruition. As Noah walked past him toward the machine, he touched his hand and winked.

-Your son is beautiful, Liv. -Ayanna praised.

-He is. He's a great kid. -The captain agreed proudly. -What's new here?

-The profile is ready, Captain. -Amanda said. -With everything I have now, Carisi can already fight for a warrant. I'm organizing the paperwork for him.

-We tracked down an address and with the warrant in hand we can enter. -Heather took the floor. -We are developing a strategy to catch him off guard, so we will need to be discreet and cautious. We are thinking of setting up an ambush tomorrow, two patrol cars, plus an undercover support vehicle.

Olivia nodded.

-Bell, are you keeping the boss in the loop?

-Yes, captain.

Olivia was thankful that she was not the one responsible for dealing with her boss in this operation. The captain learned over time that maintaining a hygienic distance was the best option for dealing with her superior.

-Excellent. I'll finish reviewing the cases from the other SVU reports, so we'll have the day off tomorrow for the stakeout. -He said with authority. -Velasco, finish everything with Fin and Clark, because tomorrow Muncy returns from the operation in the Bronx and you two will be responsible for taking care of the new cases. You'll be on call today and tomorrow, so if you need to go home, take advantage of the next few hours while we're still here.

-Ok, captain. -Velasco agreed. -I'm going to get some belongings, I shouldn't be long.

-Keep me informed about all cases and lead responsibly. -His tone was firm. -I trust you.

Velasco dared to smile at his boss. A vote of confidence from Olivia Benson was no small thing.

-If you need me, I'll be in my office.

Olivia returned to her office and found her son lying on the couch reading a comic book. He was wearing only socks, his hair spread out on the cushion and one hand stuck in a bag of chips.

-I'm just going to finish the paperwork, dear. -Olivia said, giving him a kiss on the forehead.

The boy nodded silently and Olivia went back to work. The paperwork seemed small, but the captain felt like it was multiplying in front of her. Her eyes grew tired when she finally looked up at the clock and realized she had been reading for over an hour and a half. Her eyes fell on her son and she smiled when she saw him dozing comfortably, with the magazine lying beside him.

-Hi. -A knock on the door caught his attention.

-Ell. -She greeted. -Come in. Are you leaving already?

The detective smiled at the sleeping boy and sat down in front of the captain. The two exchanged an intense look, it was the first time they were "alone" since he had tried to kiss her.

-In a little while. Are you okay? You've been here all day, you seem to have a headache.

Oh, how he knew her!

-Yes, I am. I think I need a vacation. -Olivia confessed. -But since I can't, I'll settle for leaving just an hour after my contracted time and spending the rest of the night with that little sleepyhead.

-You're a great mother. -He praised. -I always knew you would be.

The two exchanged an intense look.

-How are your children?

-Everyone is fine, getting better every day. Eli is calm. We are in a good moment.

-I'm glad. -She said sincerely.

-We still need to schedule a dinner at my house. The kids are asking about you and want to meet Noah.

-Kids? -They both laughed. -We will, Ell. Let this case end.

Stabler nodded. He stood up with his hands in his pockets and made to leave, but stopped in place and said in a hesitant voice:

-Liv, about that day in your kitchen...

-I wasn't in a good place, Elliot. -She cut him off without looking at him. -We don't need to talk about it, okay?

The detective's shoulders slumped in defeat. He didn't want to pressure her, but he wanted to talk. Still, he respected the moment and simply said,

-When you're ready, you know we can talk. Good night, Liv.

The brunette didn't answer and watched him leave with his head down. Her heart sank a little more, but the fear of crossing the barrier of friendship paralyzed her once more. Resigned, she huffed before packing her things and waking her son.

-Noah, dear...? -She called softly. -It's time for us to go home.

The boy sat up and rubbed his eyes as he yawned.

-That's great, mom, I'm hungry!

The brunette rolled her eyes at his exaggeration and the two walked hand in hand, with her promising a delicious macaroni and cheese for dinner, as long as he also ate some vegetables.