falling into the darkness : law and order SVU

1

A/N

Characters may not follow the timeline of the show, along with some fictional characters being introduced. TW for eating disorders!
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Olivia watched as her younger detective subtly glanced round the precinct before hastily shoving the unfinished lunch into the closest desk draw. Her heart sunk a little, noticing the increasing pattern of behaviour returning, only becoming more evident in the past few weeks. The younger detective's eating had always been an underlying concern of hers, watching as the person she'd become familiar with over the past few years proceeded to drop more weight, little by little, until she was right back where she'd started having stepped foot into the precinct years ago. Olivia knew her history, and had welcomed her with open arms when she'd transferred, presuming despite the many unspoken words between them that the thought of returning to her old precinct after having to take medical leave was too daunting. She'd watched on with a sense of pride as the young girl had grown in confidence in her time working for SVU, but also as she'd slowly recovered, her personality shining through stronger with every bit of weight she'd gained. Yet now Olivia felt she was merely spectating as the young detective began to spiral back into that dark place Olivia had watched her fight to pull herself out of. The thought of it was enough to make her heart skip slightly, as she tried to regain control of her facial expression which had subconsciously grown into a ever-increasing frown.

"I could use a coffee run." Olivia said, placing her hand gently on the detectives shoulder, watching intently as she startled slightly, a brief expression of panic flitting across her face, before the detective laughed and rolled her eyes. "Honestly you and your caffeine Liv!" She exclaimed, pushing her chair back and readying herself to leave. Liv could have sworn she saw her knees buckle slightly, but the younger detective showed no signs of any unsteadiness as the two fell in step next to eachother. "Honestly, I'm dying Hazel!" Liv laughed, elongating the dying as she gently shoved the detectives shoulder playfully. The pair walked through the streets of Manhattan to the local coffee shop, Hazel laughing as she told a story about Fin's earlier and perhaps slightly awkward interaction with a perp, a small glimmer of happiness in her eyes. Liv missed when her every day looked like this.

They reached the coffee stand, Olivia preparing to order their usual when Hazel spoke first, cutting her off before she'd even begun. "A black coffee for me please, and whatever Liv wants" She smiled at the man, beginning to pass over a $10 bill as Olivia frowned slightly, noticing the change in her usual order. "Um- sorry, a latte please" Olivia stuttered as she realised they were both awaiting her response. Hazel continued her steady stream of chatter as they collected their coffees and started the short walk back to the precinct. Realising she was running out of time alone with the small detective, Olivia drew in a breath before gently placing her hand on Hazel's upper arm, guiding them to a stop. "Hey honey, is everything okay?" she asked, trying to make eye contact with the girl who seemed to express confusion at this sudden questioning. "Yeah, why wouldn't it be?" Hazel responded, tilting her head to the side and frowning ever so slightly. "You're eating okay? You know you can- " Olivia was cut off by Hazel smiling, saying "Everything's fine Liv" with a small shake of the head. They continued to walk, but Olivia couldn't help but notice how the smile never reached her eyes, and the answer was a little too hasty. She also couldn't help but notice how the cup of coffee the younger girl was holding so close to her never touched her lips, and was left discarded on the desk almost definitely still full when they'd returned to the precinct.

—

Olivia had tried to make a mental note to prompt Hazel further, but soon enough the ever constant stream of workload and cases piled on top of her and she let the work consume her thoughts, any intention of a conversation with the girl diminishing with every passing minute. She loved her job, and tried to repress the small twinge of guilt every time she'd been too late, or a case remained unsolved. The latest case weighed heavy on her mind, knowing with each hour the chances of finding this little girl alive were slimming. Her and Fin had stayed late, determined to find any trace of evidence that might lead them to the girl, staring at the computer screen until the words blurred into one and the rest of her colleagues returned. 'Shit," she thought 'did we really stay all night?'. Running low on patience, she failed to suppress her sigh as Hazel entered the precinct, looking like she was drowning in her clothes that once fit. The concern for her friend and younger detective returned, circling her mind along with this case and how desperate, so so desperate she was to find this girl. Olivia knew that now was not the time to try and bring this up again, but the sleep deprivation got the better of her rationality and she just couldn't bear the thought of endangering Hazel or the missing girl because it was clear to her that Hazel wasn't well enough to be working.