Forever Hold Your Peace

An Old Friend

And just like that another month passed us by. We've been working cases nonstop, I feel like we've barely had the time to breathe. Cragen sent us home last night after spending five straight days on a case. I felt like we blinked and it was time to get up for work again.

We walk into the bullpen and there's dozens of people running around, there's at least five people in the holding cell, it's chaos.

"Benson, Stabler!" Cragen yells. "A word?"

We walk into his office and he shuts the door.
He hands Elliot plane tickets.

"You're going to D.C. There's serial rapist and murderer. The FBI's been working on it for weeks and they've got nothing." He says, "You're on the first plane out. The FBI agent on the case will meet you at the airport."

"Captain—" I say.

"No arguments." He says, "You're on loan to the FBI until they release you. Get packing."

"Captain, why us? Why not send Munch and Fin? We've been here every damn day for the last month." Elliot says.

"This case is a big deal. They asked for the best. And you two aren't just the best on my squad. You are the best we have." He says, "The Director who heads the team working this case put in a request for experienced sex crimes investigators and the head of the FBI at the D.C. field office asked for you two specifically. The agent assigned to the case, a Special Agent Winters, is expecting you."

"Winters? Special Agent Rex Winters?" I ask.

Elliot and Cragen both look at me.

"You know Special Agent Winters?" Cragen asks.

"He's an old friend." I say.

Elliot raises an eyebrow at me but doesn't ask any questions.

We take the plane tickets and the case file reluctantly and drive home to pack.

"Why couldn't he send Munch and Fin?" I groan, shutting my suitcase to zip it.

"You heard Cragen, they wanted the best. We're the best." Elliot says with shit eating grin, taking the packed suitcase from me and moving it into the hall. "You were at the last comp stat meeting, there's nobody better than us on this side of the country."

I roll my eyes as I rifle through the contents of our bathroom cabinet.

"What are you looking for?" Elliot asks, leaning against the doorframe.

"Oh you know..." I mutter, still looking. "The pink stuff."

"You mean the Pepto Bismol?" He asks, laughing, then opening the medicine cabinet above my head and handing it to me.

I take off the cap and drink straight from the bottle. Washing it down with water.

"You okay, Liv?" He asks raising an eyebrow.

"Fine..." I say, "I don't do well with planes."

"So the pink goo is preemptive?" He asks, half mocking me.

"No..." I say laughing, "I don't feel very good, haven't for a couple days, and the flying is definitely going to make that worse."

He wraps his arms around me, kissing my temple and I close my eyes. Life has been moving so quickly lately. This quiet little moment feels like taking a breath for the first time in weeks.

We pull apart and Elliot grabs our suitcases as we get into the elevator, our cab waiting for us.

We get to the airport and a U.S. Marshall escorts us through TSA and to our gate. We board the plane; taking our seats in first class.