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gi-maeve-rose · 2 years

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Rafael, however, was more or less pleasantly surprised, smiling with amusement. She was hard to forget, for sure. At first, when he saw her outside, he admittedly thought she was a collar let out on bail. She looked the part, but it was evident that looks could be deceiving. “Actually, I believe we’ve already met,” he mused, eyes never wavering from Valeria.

“You— You have?” Olivia’s brows furrowed, confused.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Thursday, May 12th, 10:02AM

Months of calm in the precinct were far and few between, but they were never unwelcome, especially after the harder cases. It was hard to want to do anything after a bad ending, no matter how many times anyone denied needing any break, but it was only ever apparent in the lack of energy in the squad room. And you just knew it was a rough patch when Carisi wasn’t even cracking any jokes. But as with anything damaged, it would only take time to fix.

And a new face never hurt. It was a little easier to forget the gloom and doom in the squad room when no one was there, but the reality always set in again when they stepped back in, but as Olivia figured, a fresh detective to train and show the ropes should busy everyone enough to keep them out of their own minds.

She stepped just outside of her office, shoulders squared, yet relaxed as she addressed her subordinates. “Hey, guys, I just want to remind you that we have a new body coming in from vice,” she reminded. “I’ll be in a one-on-one meeting with Barba when she comes in, so, Fin, I want you take charge of making sure she settles in comfortably.”

Amanda perked up at the mention of a new detective. Another woman, at that. “It’s about time,” she chirped, shifting her focus from her paperwork. “We’ve been needing more of a woman’s touch around here.”

Fin gave a glare of faux offense from across their desks. “Damn. After all this time together, that’s how you feel?” He was answered with a shrug and a grin, a smirk playing across his face.

“Do we get to know who she is or is it a surprise?” Sonny chimed in.

A blank expression laid over Olivia’s face before it fell into mild frustration and embarrassment. It was clear she needed a break, but knowing her, she wouldn’t take one unless forced. “Yeah, sorry. Her name is Valeria Castillo.”

Fin did a double take, brows raised high in disbelief. “Not that Valeria Castillo, right?”

Olivia nodded with a half grin. “That Valeria Castillo,” she confirmed before retreating back into her office.

Between her lieutenant’s and trusted partner’s knowing reactions of surprise, it was clear that this Valeria person was someone really good, or really bad. Either way, she was someone worth noting. “Wait, who’s Valeria?” Amanda asked curiously, eyes fixed on Fin, but still aware as Sonny approached to join in on conversation.

“Ten years ago, Munch and I took on a DV case,” Fin began to explain. “Sweet girl, twenty-one years old, living with her boyfriend who turned out to be a scumbag. Beat her, raped her, isolated her from friends and family. She only got the courage to report it after her mom was in rehab for the hundredth time and her baby sister had nowhere to go.”

“And she wasn’t about to have that kind’a thing around her baby sister,” Sonny assumed, confirmed by Fin by a nod of his head.

“How did that case go?”

“Smooth sailing. We avoided a trial altogether. She documented everything, left nothing out, her story was consistent. That piece of shit never knew what him.” More admirable was how Valeria now chose to make a career out of making sure other victims got their justice as well. She already fit right in with Olivia and Amanda.

“Wow,” Amanda breathed with a half smile, leaning back in her chair. “Hardened by trauma and vice? Sounds to me like we got a firecracker coming our way.” Not that it bothered her any. The distasteful thought that Valeria’s attitude would be more aimed toward men momentarily crossed her mind.

Sonny nodded, trekking over to pour himself a cup of coffee. “‘Castillo’,” he said aloud. “Sounds Puerto Rican. That might add to that firecracker attitude.”

“Did you just stereotype someone’s attitude based off their ethnicity?” Rafael only managed to catch the tail end of the conversation, mainly Sonny’s remark. “Carisi, I’m surprised at you.” Of course he knew it was only banter and Sonny didn’t mean anything bad by it. Sonny wasn’t exactly the brightest crayon in the box when it came to social propriety, but he was a good man regardless. Rafael just enjoyed busting his chops every once in a while. Seeing the usually overconfident man stutter and stumble over his words to try and save face, he dropped the scowl, letting it morph into a facetiously smug smile. He landed a heavy pat on Carisi’s back once he relaxed a bit before heading off toward Olivia’s office.

Amanda and Fin chuckled under their breaths at the exchange. “Man, you just got the worst luck,” Fin teased. “Always making a fool of yourself in front of your crush.” He laughed just a little bit harder when Sonny flipped him the bird.

•••••••••••••••

10:25AM

She just meant to have one cigarette, but she had another out of spite when that pompous prick in a pressed suit and over-gelled hair went ahead with his unsolicited comment on her first one. ‘You know those are bad for you, right?’ he’d said, flashing Valeria a smug grin. She hoped she didn’t have to work too close to whoever that jackass was.

Valeria smoked her second cigarette all the way to the filter, tossing it into the receptacle some yards away from the front door before she went in herself. Even with nicotine in her system, her nerves were on fire. The smell of the hallways, the sound of the telephones and printers, the uniforms, all brought back every piece, every memory she thought she’d repressed from a decade ago. Each step closer to the squad room admittedly terrified her, but she found a small ray of solace in knowing that Olivia Benson, her saving grace in her leap of faith, remembered her and would be there to guide her as much as she could.

The squad room had changed drastically over the course of ten years. Better tech, new paint job. New detectives. The only one she recognized on the floor was Detective Tutuola. She felt slight relief and comfort, even more so when he caught her standing at the door. “Can I help you?” he asked, standing from his desk.

The quick and frequent swap of emotions flowing through her was enough to give her whiplash. She somehow expect him to recognize her upon first glance, completely forgetting how much time had passed and how much she’d changed herself. Valeria shifted on her feet, clutching the strap of her satchel in one hand while the other drew up to her chest. “I’m the new detective, Valeria,” she introduced herself. “Valeria Castillo.” In case it could jog his memory.

Again, Fin’s eyes widened, brows raised high. She was vastly different from how he remembered her. She use to be skinnier and paler from malnourishment, her hair thin and deep brown, cut to her shoulders. No makeup back then, otherwise her then-boyfriend would accuse her of cheating and beat her senseless. Forced to be conservative.

Now she was what Fin could only assume was her true self. Curvy and tanner, hair long, full, and dyed copper. A tiny stud decorated the left side of her nose, a little hoop on her bottom lip. In addition to the tattoo on her right wrist she’d had when they first met, a sleeve covered her left arm. She was dressed and made up like she was ready for a rock concert. Definitely not your run of the mill detective, but undeniably who she was meant to be.

“Valeria Castillo,” Fin repeated, approaching her with a welcoming smile and open arms. “Damn, girl, I hardly recognized you!” Familiarity. He could sense her nerves right off the bat and wanted to ease them. She was in good company and needed to know that.

Oh, thank fuck. Valeria accepted the hug, letting out a laugh of relief. “You think I’m unrecognizable? You should see Isabella,” she quipped.

Fin pulled back, keeping a comfortable hand on her shoulder. “Ah, Isabella. How is she? She’s, what, twelve now?”

“Thirteen,” she corrected. “And she’s doing great. She’s in eighth grade, a straight-A honor roll student. I became her legal guardian not long after you, Munch, and the others helped me through everything.” Munch. Valeria noticed he wasn’t here. While she held a bit of hope that he was just taking a vacation or came in on his day off, she knew very well the more likely reality that John had retired. But then where was Detective Stabler?

Thoughts and nostalgia were interrupted when Amanda and Sonny made their approach. “Hi, I’m Amanda Rollins,” she introduced herself, extending a friendly hand. “This is Dominick Carisi.”

“But everyone calls me Sonny,” he added, taking Valeria’s hand after Amanda. He always mentally cheered when no one objected to the nickname anymore.

What had Valeria been so nervous for? Olivia told her personally that she would be taken care of, that her and Fin would be there to make sure everything went smoothly. She felt kind of guilty for not trusting in them, but the guilt was washed away by the overwhelming sense of family she felt already. “Nice to meet you guys,” she beamed. “Olivia told me great things about you.” She glanced around momentarily. “Is… Is she here?”

Sonny nodded toward the closed door. “She’s having a chat with our ADA. She should be out in a little bit.” He stepped to the side, a hand gestured toward the empty desk across from him. “Here, why don’t you get settled? Want me to grab you a drink?”

“A water, please.” She set her bag down, looking toward the office, then to Fin. “Wow. So Captain Cragen really did retire.”

Fin nodded slowly with a mildly somber smile. “Yeah, with his girlfriend,” he confirmed, leaning against Valeria’s new desk with his arms crossed over his chest. “We miss the guy every day.”

More glances around the squad room. “What about Sergeant Munch and Detective Stabler?”

“Munch moved on to bigger things. As for Stabler…”

There was a pause. One that made Valeria’s stomach continue to do flips as she feared the worst. “What happened?”

Fin sighed, eyes cast toward the floor for a moment before looking back to her. “We were gonna go to trial for a high-profile rape case, and the victim was set to testify. Unfortunately, she was shot point blank just nights before.”

“The Luke Ronson case.” How could she forget? It was all over the news.

Fin nodded and continued. “We caught everyone involved in that, had them locked up in holding. We brought Jenna Fox, the victim’s daughter, in to see that we caught them, sent her on her way, and we figured that was it, right? Well, Jenna comes back later, pulls out a gun and starts firing into the cell. Next thing any of us know, Elliot fires his, Jenna’s on the ground, and…”

He didn’t have to finish. It was apparent what happened, and it was heavy. She, Amanda, and Sonny weren’t even present for it, but they could still feel the gravity. They couldn’t imagine how Fin felt. How Elliot felt. Silence loomed over the tiny group, Valeria only nodding in thanks as Sonny handed her the bottled water. “I hope he’s okay,” she finally said, voice soft.

“I don’t doubt he is,” Amanda chimed in with gentle optimism, taking her seat by her desk. “But I’ll tell you what, he left some pretty big shoes to fill when he left.”

Sonny huffed with a smile. “Yeah, no kidding. Liv doesn’t talk about him much, but when she does, it’s nothing but high praise there.” And well-deserved.

Valeria chuckled, sipping the water. “Then I guess I can only promise I’ll do my best.”

“Valeria.”

Valeria turned her head toward the voice. She hadn’t heard the office door open as she was caught up in conversation. Seeing Olivia stand there, aged but still such a refined and dignified beauty, a smile that reached her tired eyes brought on by the simple sight of Valeria, alive and well. Warmth swelled in her chest, almost bringing tears to her eyes. “Olivia,” she breathed wistfully, taking a careful step toward her.

Olivia’s smile widened. A decade had undoubtedly changed them both, but the bond their formed within their short time together was unmistakable. She started toward her as well, arms coming out for an embrace. Valeria closed the distance with faster steps, locking Olivia into a hug. After all these years, she still smelled the same. “It’s so good to see you again, Olivia,” Valeria expressed, voice wavering with emotion.

“Oh, it’s good to see you too, honey,” Olivia stated sweetly, squeezing Valeria firmly in her arms before pulling back to look at her. “You’ve grown up so much. How are you? Your sister, your mom?”

She gave a small shrug, a rather indifferent smile as she spoke about the circumstances. “I’m Isabella’s legal guardian now. Ma couldn’t keep herself away from drugs, so I did what I had to do.” And she would do it again.

Olivia nodded in understanding. If there was anything she could understand, it was mommy issues. “Well, I’m glad you found your way after everything. And I can’t tell you how grateful I am that you transferred over here from vice. There is not a single doubt in my mind that you’re going to be a perfect fit here.”

“You might wanna prep her for Barba,” Amanda quipped with a smirk.

Valeria looked between the two, brows furrowed. “Barba?” she wondered.

Olivia rolled her eyes with an equal grin to Amanda’s. “Our ADA, Rafael Barba,” she explained in more detail. “He’s cocky, he’s smug, he’ll push you, push your buttons—“ Valeria grimaced and rolled her eyes, making Olivia laugh. “But he gets the job done. And he’s really good at what he does. You’ll get use to him, I promise.”

Valeria groaned, shoulders slumping. “As long as he’s not on one today. I’ve had my fill of douche bag already.” And it was only noon.

“Someone already pushed your buttons?” Fin probed.

“Yes.” Valeria sighed, dropping her head back. “Some pompous prick saw me smoking outside and made a snarky comment about it not being good for me, like I don’t already know.”

“So what’d you do?”

“I smoked another one out of spite.” Her annoyance melted when her newfound squad laughed, pulling a smile onto her face.

Olivia rubbed a hand on her back. “Well, I can promise he’ll behave today,” she assured with a chuckle. “He seems to be in a good mood and that usually means good moods all around. I’ll introduce you when he finishes up his phone call.” She heard footsteps behind her coming out of her office as if right on cue. “Oh. Here. Valeria, this is Rafael Barba. Counselor, this is the new detective, Valeria Castillo.”

Barely noon, and already Valeria felt probably every emotion known to man. Her good mood was soured, expression morphing from shocked to annoyed beyond a reasonable doubt when she laid eyes upon the ADA.

“You— You have?” Olivia’s brows furrowed, confused.

“Yeah, the pompous prick,” Valeria reminded of the just had conversation. She stared daggers, her tone sharper and dripping with venomous disdain. She knew things were going too well today. It was only a matter of time before she was pushed off her cloud.

Oh, she had some spice. Rafael was use to it with Olivia. He wondered how much more Valeria had than her, just judging by her current demeanor. His grin grew. “Did you think about what I told you outside?” he asked, smug as ever.

Hands went on her hips to keep them from balling into fists and flying. Valeria’s blood was already boiling. “I did, actually,” she retorted with a wry smile. “And I’ve come to the conclusion that you can take it and shove it up your ass, if you can even get it past the stick you have lodged in there—“

“Okay, alright. Valeria, why don’t you keep getting settled at your desk?” Olivia guided Valeria away, casting a quick glare back toward Rafael. Her eyes bounced between her other detectives with a warning glare as they tried to conceal their shocked laughter. There was that firecracker attitude Amanda aforementioned.

Rafael was smiling wide now. He’d had witnesses and victims say things very similar to him, but never a detective. And rather than setting her straight, he figured he would play into this one. Why? Well, as smart as he was, not even he could tell you. “I look forward to working with you,” Rafael mused, catching her glare just before he turned to leave.

A second set of footsteps joined with his just outside the squad room. “Barba, listen, I know you’ve never done it before, but I’m asking you as a friend and as a lieutenant looking out for my squad to just go easy on Valeria.” She immediately held up a hand to stop Barba from protesting. “I swear I will keep her in line. Just, for now, at least pretend that you’re not always a jerk. For me.”

Rafael slowed to a stop, staring at her with a wondering smile. Now he was all sorts of curious and intrigued. Olivia had asked many things from him, but never a personal ask like this. “Is there some kind of personal history here?” he inquired as he continued to walk at a slower pace.

“In a sense. She came to us ten years ago as a victim. It’s not a long story, but—“

“Send me the case file, I’ll take a look at it.” Chismoso. He couldn’t help it sometimes. “Whatever it is, it won’t interfere with her abilities to work, will it?”

Olivia shook her head emphatically. “Not at all. She was with vice for seven years, they all only ever had good things to say about her.”

Save for the bad attitude, apparently. “Alright.” He pushed the elevator call button, waiting not very long for the doors to open and stepped inside. “On that note, I appreciate you taking the time to see me, Liv. We’ll keep in touch.” They parted with a smile, the elevator doors closing.

On the short ride down, Rafael found himself thinking an awful lot about Valeria. She looked so familiar, the name only adding to it. He swore he knew her somehow, it was right there in that blind spot of his mind. Yet he just couldn’t place her. All that came back around was her sneer and smartass remark, still bringing an amused grin to his face.

#SVU #law and order SVU #special victims unit #rafael barba #olivia benson #john munch #odafin tutuola #sonny carisi #amanda rollins #fanfic #oc #Rafael Barba x oc #fluff #smut #nypd #elliot stabler #donald cragen #nick amaro #l&o: marked

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