Bensler Oneshots

Snowstorm

"Hurry! Get in here!" Cragen shouted from the doorway of the precinct, waving his detectives inside.

Olivia and Elliot trudged through the deepening snow drift in front of the 16th precinct, blocking their faces against the cutting wind as they 'ran' to the door.

Cragen played the role of concerned father well. "Come on, come on. You need to change into dry clothes."

He ushered the bedraggled pair to the elevator, and they stayed huddled together, shaking in their soaked clothing.

"Go on then," Cragen ordered.

They walked carefully through the squad room and up the stairs to the cribs, trying not to slip.

"Can you help me with my coat?" Olivia asked as she tugged uselessly at the sleeves with her numb fingers.

"Yeah. Gimme a minute," Elliot answered, rubbing his hands together. "I don't think I've ever been this cold."

"Oh, I wasn't thinking. I can get it."

"No, no. Liv, let me help. You're colder than I am."

She scowled when he hurried over, taking several tries to pull the sleeves down with his equally numb fingers.

"Thank you."

"Do you have clothes to change into? I can grab them."

"Yeah, I, oh never mind. Dammit. I forgot to grab fresh ones when I left this morning. I might have a T-shirt and shorts, though."

Elliot shook his head. "I've got a couple pairs of pants. No way you're wearing shorts in this cold."

"El, wait," Olivia protested uselessly as he walked over to his locker.

"Here." He dropped a pair of his sweatpants and the t-shirt from her locker into her arms.

After they showered and warmed up, Olivia and Elliot headed out into the squad room where Fin, Munch, and Cragen were standing around the TV.

"The city's seeing its heaviest snowfall in years. Bridges have been blocked for hours, and the snow shows no signs of stopping. Authorities are warning everyone to stay put and seek shelter. Do not attempt to drive in these conditions. In case of power outages, gather blankets and layer clothing. Conserve food and water. Roadways may remain blocked for an extended period. Heavy snowfall and strong winds are expected throughout the night and into tomorrow evening. The snow is expected to become sleet at this time, creating another potential road hazard."

"Damn," Elliot said, walking over to the window to look outside.

Olivia followed him, taking a shaky breath.

"You okay?" he whispered, checking in with her.

She shook her head. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine."

"Liv-"

She waved him off again.

Elliot walked back over to his desk, eyeing Olivia for a moment. She had her arms wrapped tight around her middle, and she was standing a little hunched up. She hadn't seemed exactly like herself all day, and he'd wondered if it was just anxiety from the case they were working, but she'd had a bit of a cold the past couple of days as well.