#SAVE ME BENSLER SAVE ME!!

[334iwatchshit]

i am SICK of elliot stabler

[a-bensler-blog]

(gif @/xstarlesscityx on twitter, as in the watermark lol)

Oh, the need to be there (for him and with him).

[destielblamscilesinfinity]

Bensler song of the day.

[yhamh]

Can you do Bensler “Did you just call me sweetheart?” From the fluff prompts 🫶

Forgive the AO3 formatting. I'm too lazy to adjust it.

Elliot was lucky to get a seat at the table with how crowded the room was. It wasn’t just the detectives and sergeants of SVU and OC - there were unis and a few loans from Homicide, too. That was fine, he was learning to play nice. He <em>could</em> play nice when he set his mind on it.

And with Liv running point he had to. She’d have his ass on a platter if he got in the way of their bust. 

For all the perks of having a relationship with a NYPD Captain she sure didn’t let him get away with shit. At least not when she was the one in charge. Which was why he damn well better pay attention to what she was saying. Last time he’d made the mistake of not listening in on a debrief he’d been chewed out in front of four superiors. 

“We got checkpoints on bridges out of Manhattan but no hits yet,” Liv said as she stood at the head of the room. “OC has been on this group’s tail before. Sweetheart, what have you got?”

The room fell deadly quiet and then there was a single detective who coughed into his hand. All eyes swung to look at him.

“Detective Stabler?” Liv said.

It started with the tips of his ears but he could feel the flush make its way down his neck until it hit his face. There was little doubt that he was as bright as a cherry popsicle right about now.

“We, uh . . .” he ruffled through the file he had in his hand. Did that really just happen? “We found, um . . .” He made the mistake of looking up and his eyes caught Fin. Fin who was sporting a shit eating grin. 

The room was quiet enough that you could hear a pin drop. And all eyes were still on him. 

A choked cough came out of him as he stuttered. He looked up at Liv helplessly before his  gaze found Ayanna. Only Ayanna wasn’t looking at him. She was standing at the back of the room with her hands up and her fingers massaging her temples. 

He looked back down at his file.

Mercifully, thankfully, Jamie interrupted his lack of speech and said, “We’ve got the Lieutenant of the hit squad turned over as CI but -” and the rest was just noise for Elliot.

Did Liv really just call him sweetheart in front of all their co-workers?

A large part of him wanted to look at her and ask <em>Liv, what the hell?</em> But the larger part of him knew that if he tried to speak that nothing would come out. 

That was a hell of a way to announce their relationship to everyone.

Although, as he watched Muncy hand Fin a twenty dollar bill, he thought that maybe it wasn’t such a huge surprise to some of them.

As the meeting ended he could feel Liv’s gaze on him and he only flushed brighter. It was just a slip of the tongue. This didn’t have to be a big deal. 

“Pay attention, sweetheart,” Jet said out of the corner of her mouth as Elliot realized that the meeting was over and everyone was getting ready to go about their assignments. 

He didn’t respond. Instead he passed his debrief over to her and as soon as he saw Liv walking to her office he was on her heels. <em>What the hell, Liv?</em> he needed to say.

“Excuse me, sweetheart,” said a uni who nearly bumped into him, followed by a round of laughter from the group who overheard. He ignored them, too.

“Just a minute, sweetheart,” Reyes called out to him. “I need you to look at this.” He kept walking.

Once he was in Liv’s office he closed the door behind him. 

“What was that all about, El?” she asked as she sat at her desk.

Did she really not know what she just did?

“Liv, did you just call me sweetheart?” he asked. It’s not that he was opposed to the term of endearment. Just . . . maybe save it for when they were at home and not in front of . . . he looked out of her office window . . . dammit, who knew how many people.

“What?” she said with a laugh. “No, I didn’t. You wish.”

“No, but you did. You just called me sweetheart in front of everyone.”

An exasperated sigh escaped her and she looked at him incredulously. 

“Elliot, that would be completely unprofessional. I did not call you sweetheart.”

“Liv, I’m not asking. I’m telling you. You just -” He was interrupted by a knock at the door. Ayanna entered with Homicide’s Lieutenant. 

“Ayanna, tell her,” he said as he floundered. “Tell her what just happened.” 

Liv looked at Ayanna expectantly but the woman, his <em>friend,</em> just shrugged and said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“No, but -”

“If this isn’t about the case then we need to move on,” said the Lieutenant. “We have things we need to discuss with the Captain.”

He looked from Ayanna to the Lieutenant and back to Liv again. So that’s how it was gonna be, then?

What could he do? He nodded his head, gave one last look at his girlfriend and left her office.

It didn’t matter how much she denied it, he knew what she said.

“Ready, Stabler?” said Velasco as he put on his vest. “We’re all ready to roll out.”

“Yeah,” he said before clearing his throat. Fine, if they all wanted to pretend like nothing happened then that was fine by him. Maybe it was even more merciful. “I’m ready.”

“Good,” he said as he led him out of the precinct. “Let’s go, sweetheart.”

Maybe he could look on the brightside. At least she hadn’t called him <em>honey.</em>

[deathbybensler]

09x09 Paternity got me fucked up in so many ways. I am a Bensler shipper til I die but in my very short time in the fandom I've noticed some paint Kathy as some sort of villain getting in the way of what is meant to be somehow? This episode really made me empathize with her a lot. Literally some of the worst circumstances to give birth in and she DID IT!

Let's be honest with ourselves: Stabler can be kind of a dick. He is a deeply flawed individual who isn't always the best husband, father, cop, or even friend. (Not always the worst one, but not a great one.) He has anger issues and screws up A LOT and honestly his attitude just sucks frequently. I really liked how this episode forced him to confront how he had been neglecting Kathy, and his family by extension, because he was stuck in his own feelings. He let the case get to him and it caused him to lose trust in his wife, and when her life was in danger he finally realized that everything he was worried about didn't really matter anyway.

And I think on the other side he realized that he didn't always appreciate Olivia's friendship enough either, and she literally helped save Kathy's life. THAT HUG AT THE END!!! It was so powerful they didn't need to say anything at all. He LOVES her, there's just more than one kind of love and right now it's not romantic.

At this point in the show, I see no reason to pit Kathy and Olivia against each other. Right now, Elliot should be taking care of his family. I do think there's an added layer of him being Catholic and very resistant to divorce, but even if he were to completely separate from Kathy at this point he would still have a responsibility to his family and I would HATE to see him abandon them. (Not that Olivia would allow that...)

I was a little bit weirded out in season 8 how he Very Quickly had something going with his new partner while very obviously having some unresolved feelings about Olivia, but at the same time I don't think he's ready for her just yet.

[whateverthedragonswant]

So...just watched both crossover finales for SVU and OC.

I have mixed emotions. On one hand, it was nice to get the old groove of Benson and Stabler working together again. On the other hand, I want to look at the shows' writing teams & Graziano and go "Wtf?"

Let me see if I've got this straight... Rollins exited the show and Giddish is no longer a series regular, she left SVU to take a job as a professor, and we had a huge emotional farewell for her, her story was tied up nicely with her and Carisi getting married, etc...only for her not to deny Olivia's assessment of "You miss it, don't you?" And her confirming it by saying she loves her students but it's not what she thought it would be basically. We see that she's pregnant, something Carisi had told Benson a couple of episodes ago, and we also see Carisi becoming increasingly worried about impending fatherhood. I seriously doubt Kelli is coming back to the show but they have Muncey leave and STILL have this conversation happen between Benson and Rollins when it wasn't needed? It nullifies her emotional farewell to the show and all of the happiness fans had for her endgame (her marriage, her kids, her new career) and dilutes the reason for the conflict she initially had with Benson over her leaving.

And then Muncey leaving... Perhaps the actress Molly Burnett had another project, I'm not really sure what happened there. But we have yet ANOTHER spot to be filled on SVU and now also OC as well? I'm all for rotating new faces and stories but Muncey wasn't even here for a year. Should I expect Bruno to go somewhere in the beginning of the next season? Hard to maintain any emotional investment into these characters if they're just going to have short stints like this. TV is not the movies. TV characters stories' are meant to develop over time, that's the medium and type of story telling it has.

Speaking of which, WTF was that with Jamie? Again, maybe the actor Brent Antonello had another project on board, but what a brutal ending!!! And then to have the sociopath saved on top of it??? Also, why build up the relationship between him and Jet all season only to have it end in a phone call ILY that was one-sided due to him not returning the sentiment and that's the last thing he "says" to her ever?

And no goodbye convo between Benson and Muncey? Or Jamie and Stabler? Or even Velasco and Muncey really? He helps her carry her stuff to her car? And just a hug from Fin? That's it? Jamie, who was a practical mirror for Stabler? And while Benson and Jamie both getting hurt might be a parallel, again Jamie was a mirror for Stabler so how does Jamie not saying the ILY to Jet parallel? This just didn't make any sense to me.

And literally last episode, Benson and Stabler say that the almost kiss wasn't the right moment between them, but now they're just "partners"? He wants her to find her way to happiness? Okay, I can get behind that but then you have her watching after him like that? What? And Stabler already told Benson he loved her, so she knows this already, but when he says he was worried when he couldn't see and heard the shot...she tells him how terrible it must have been for him because it brings back memories about Kathy? I'm not saying she's wrong but make it make sense, people. D-E-V-E-L-O-P-M-E-N-T

Which we know they've thrown into the mix already because he tells Benson he's going on a job and she says "Thank you for telling me this time." So wtf was all the rest of this?

Idk if this was Graziano or what, but this episode single-handedly dismantled the Jamie and Jet relationship, the Velasco and Muncey relationship, and yep, the Bensler relationship. Not to mention they sidelined the Bell and Fin dynamic that we should have gotten to see more of.

And I'm going to say it, when is that Chief going to take a hike? Don't get me wrong, I like the actor, but no way in hell has his character gotten any development since he started deferring to Benson and working on himself. It's almost as if his behavior in this SVU finale undid all of that development and turned him into the asshole boss Benson battled with when he replaced Chief Garland (not that I understood why he and Kat were exited from the show back then either, especially when both actors said it was not their choice to leave the show).

I know OC has had a very high turnover for showrunners since Ilene and that has unfortunately sometimes been shown in the writing. But these two finales felt way off, from everything both shows have been building this past season (and even a little before that).

So I say to Graziano - wtf is going on?

[captbenscn]

                                        “Mm, are you ready for me, Daddy?” 

    Oh, didn’t know we were havin’ a party. That’s gonna be a hundred to watch, two fifty to join. Each.”

Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler - 10x07 Wildlife. 

[isthisrealifex]

Every time I see this I keep singing the same thing in my head over and over again

“I've been spending the last eight months

Thinking all love ever does is break and burn and end

But on a Wednesday in a cafe, I watched it begin again”

[storiesofsvu]

happy thursday its l& o time

spoilers thoughts opinions and random ramblings under the cut

Okay, I know they’re undercover but OC seems to be shoving Jet & Jamie together and that gives me the ick because the actors are like, 13 years apart or something. And I get we can age up or down, but I always base of the actors ages so im uncomfortable here…. LOL.

Man… these guys are always SO obvious when they’re trailing, or like, staking someone out from a car, also, ive seen this chase scene already so I know what’s up, BUT, also ive gotta say, her little parkouring is literally just flashy, it’s not saving her ANY time than if she was just continuing to run. If she wasn’t showing off, she probably could’ve escaped.

Okay…does this case/jewelry shit have ANYTHING to do with the casino bitches?? Or are we now doing one BIG case/arc in the background for the entire season and smaller cases for each episode or two? Like the showrunners don’t know what they’re doing with OC….

Well that was some lazy explanation to cover stablers mom not being there and Eli’s in COLLEGE? Are we SURE? Is the math correct on that?

Yeah this Italian chick is annoying, I do not trust her, and she’s literally an olivia knockoff (again, no bensler shipping here…) BUT REALLY?? *sigh*

AYANNA!!!! FUCKKKK!!!! Dem HIPS girl!! I am looking *disrespectfully*

Okay…Jet clearly isn’t the same age of Ainsley if jet was married when she was 20 and it’s clearly been a while now. I don’t like that….

Is this…like..trafficked girl UC cop breaking cover to help her, has a kid back home… is this not the EXACT plot line from last season with elliot and that girl from the diner? This is lazy…just lazy…im literally only here for Ayanna and jet

Fuck AYANA is so pretty! (and also clearly divorced because no lesbian is doing their nails like that….)

Okay. I got bored during a commercial break and looked it up. Eli was born in s9 ep Paternity. That aired in 2007. It’s 2022. ELI IS FUCKIN 15 YEARS OLD AND HE LAZY WRITING/NOT CARING ABOUT SHIT LIKE THIS MEANS that he’s in college, in a different state, at 15. Not to mention… he was only 3 years old when he moved to Italy, he would’ve gone to Italian schools, he would have an Italian accent. Jfc. Why couldn’t they just say that he went to live with Kathleen??

 Okay…mothership time.

 Lets be honest, I’m not paying attention to this shit until Samantha’s on screen so I doubt I’ll have much to say LOL.

JFC there are SO many extras/guest stars that have been on a l&o show multiple times before. This is getting ridiculous. Can some more actors relocate to nyc pls?

Ugh can we stop bringing up covid please?? I know it’s all “pull from reality” but cmon…

OH MY GOD A PURPLE SUIT SAM?!?! FUCCCCCKKK ME!

Okay….okay…hear me out… if I end up writing power high femme sam x casual/bottom muncy….don’t come for me…..

“met the old fashioned way, drunk as hell in a biker bar in queens” fuck I love kate

Also there was a whole lot of shying away from terms of specific gender in that dating/partner talk…and tonights ep was directed by the person who played the og lesbian in this franchise… THAT’S SUSPICIOUS…

SAM!! NOW THE TURQUOISE!!??? DID SHE RAID RITAS CLOSET THIS WEEK OR SOMETHING?!!?! (I LOVE IT)

Okay…imma need WAY more background info on what sam’s story is… cause I just know there’s some shit that’s gone down, like I want that history…

Okay. SVU here we go!

Is amanda gonna fangirl tonight or is muncy gonna take that spot? Cause we all know molly loves sports and they do like to add/write in things of the personal actors lives…

I stand corrected… its joe… awe.. poor guy’s by himself?? You KNOW one of the girls would’ve gone with him!

What hotel did they film at? I need to know for fic reasons…wait…is this the homeland hotel…?? (s6 when they were in nyc)

Mothership ended with Sam saying she had a date, the perp in svu mentions having a date and you tell me why im expected sam to pop up over here LOL.

Yaaaasss molly coming in with the title card! A kween!  (truly did think we’d have to wait until after amanda was gone but I guess I was wrong about that)

Okay, called muncy being an American football fan, adore that they added that in there.

I LEGITIMATELY CANNOT TELL IF THESE TWO ARE SUPPOSED TO BE FLIRTING OR IF THEY’RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE BROTHER/SISTER SASSY VIBES!!?!????

Octavio with the fucking *hand* thing again jesus

LOL fin… I love you… sweet talkin and bringing people food to get ahead in the case LOL

 UGH FUCKING MCGRATH CAN YOU PLEASE GO OFF A CLIFF ALREADY?!?

Muncy simply cannot be straight when she’s sitting on desks like that…. That IS A QUEER

GRACE FINALLY GOT HER CHEETOS!! YAY!

“the vending machine was out of kale” LOL also lol to joe being all health conscious…

THE BRIGHT TEAL HENLEY!! PLEASE!! JOE!! I AM WEAK

Omg grace fake fangirling, I love it

Where the fuck is carisi??

Dude…. You KNOW the cops are there..why the fuck are you now pulling a gun??

Okay so I will admit, I wasn’t paying too much attention to the case at hand, or the perp, like im literally just here to thirst over people at this point but that wasn’t a bad episode. Definitely the best out of the three for tonight. Still pissed that we don’t seem to get to go to court anymore. I also DESPERATELY miss the recurring guest stars that came along with court rooms, defence attorneys and judges and the like. *sigh* maybe next week. 2 more eps with amanda. Do we think they’ve been clowning us with those BTS pictures/videos or will that shit actually happen?

[mindibindi]

I am loving your responses to these EO asks and feel the same way as you. I’m a longtime fan and am just not overthinking the fact that none of this makes sense because M and C are magic and IDGAF. But to your point of martyr Olivia…I did truly love “there goes months of counseling down the drain” because it felt so old school Liv! Reminded me a lot of “the poster boy for rage is going to give me a lecture?” And I loved Elliot just taking it.

Honestly, Anon, at this point I think this is the only way to ship EO and remain sane. The writers are sadists and, after 20+ seasons, if you're still shipping these two then you gotta have a bit of a masochistic streak to you. Because there are SO many things that should have happened that haven't and SO many things that have happened that really shouldn't have. You can twist yourself in knots trying to understand or critique what ultimately is just inconsistent, insensible writing. I've done it FOR YEARS but maybe the 2020s have just worn me down to the point that I'm like: *shrug* well, I guess this may as well happen....

We get a lot of big surf here in Australia and everyone knows that when you get dunked by a big wave, you don't waste your energy or your breath trying to fight it. You just let it take you, you go floppy. It might turn you upside down and round in circles so that when you surface you don't know where the hell you are. You just gotta wait til the surge passes so that you can stand up and take another breath. That's what shipping EO is like. I get being invested, I get being frustrated. I've done it all and more. But you gotta save your energy for the long haul. You can rant all you want about how they fucked up Elliot's return or how he and Olivia should be together by now -- and you would be absolutely right! But in the end, this big ole beast is gonna keep swirling away, taking us all along with it.

Like you, I just wait for those moments of sass, those glimmers of the old Bensler, those magical moments of connection, the way they say each other's names and look at each other. I take it in (just a dozen or so times), get my bearings and then I hold my breath and wait for the next insensible swirl to take me who knows where...

[334iwatchshit]

sick and tired

going back to season one bensler

[imzadi-caskett-huddy]

Thank you to all the Bensler shippers out there brave enough to watch Law and Order SVU and OC in real time last night. You've just saved me 2 hours of my life I'll never get back, plus the frustration that would come with it. I'm not gonna lie... I'm interested in watching only to see what happens with Liv and Elliot... like together. I'm no longer interested in will they, won't they, let's pair Elliot with someone else. I no longer have the time or energy for that in a TV show. When they're endgame, then I'll watch. Or... they don't even have to be endgame yet, just don't have Eliott running after someone else. Get your shit together, Law and Order, or I'm not wasting my time with you. I invested too much time years ago. You're not baiting me again.

Also, NBC and Law and Order promo team, stop whoring out Liv and Elliot scenes in promos just to get people to watch when you're not going to deliver. I'm not buying anymore. Eventually the rest of the fandom won't either.

[charmingly-evil]

                                                  Five Senses

Touch, sight, sound, taste and smell. Five different ways Olivia loved Elliot. Five different ways he showed his love for her. Five short one-shots. Mostly Fluff, Elliot and Olivia being domestic and Elliot bonding with Noah. Mature for later chapters. Bensler. Read below or on archive or fanfiction.net. (Basically, I wanted to write a series of one-shots of Elliot and Olivia being intimate, domestic and doing normal couple things, like sleeping in, playing with Noah, cooking etc., Then I had this idea...). 

"His touch is the first thing that wakes her up every morning…"

His touch is the first thing that wakes her up every morning…

His body, firm and warm, pressing against her back. His arm draping over her waist, almost protectively. His touch is gentle and anchors her, reaching her from her nightly terrors and pulling her back to him. Once, Olivia tossed and turned, fighting sleep, fearing the shattering screams and splattering blood that awaited her in her night terrors.

These nights, she feels Elliot’s fingers ghost up her side, his soothing touch luring her into slumber. It is his same touch that keeps the nightmares at bay, a reminder that he is alive with her, one less person she needs to save.

Olivia snuggles back into him, his body heat warming her on the frosty winter morning, like mull wine spreading throughout her body. She feels him start to wake up to, his arms coming to wrap around her frame, cocooning her. Safe.  

Olivia wants nothing more than to stay in bed with Elliot for another few hours. But they’re due to meet Carisi and Amanda for their engagement party, and Olivia still needs to pick Noah up from his sleepover. Elliot has always been a heavy sleep, and Olivia knows she will need to get up first if either one of them has a chance of getting out on time.

“Elliot,” Olivia mummers, her voice thick with sleep.

She feels him stir behind her, feels his face burying into the crook of her neck, silent. Olivia rolls over to face him. She feels his arms wrap tighter around her as she does so, protesting the disruption.

“Come on Elliot, you promised. You said you would come with me.”

Olivia can sense he’s barely awake, floating between sleep and consciousness, teetering on the edge of a dream. Olivia pushes his arms off her and sits up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She turns to her partner who is rolling back over, his head buried in his pillow, out cold.

Olivia wants to scream at him.

She shakes his shoulders slightly, then harder, calling out to him. It’s useless. Olivia knows that short of yelling his name through a megaphone and showering him – and her new delicate Persian bedsheets – with water, nothing can wake him up. Olivia briefly contemplates chucking some water on him but can’t muster the energy to clean up the mess.

Then an idea slowly forms in her mind, spreading a smirk across her features.

Olivia dips her head down and brushes a chaste kiss onto his neck, her feathery light touch making him shiver. Her hand soon follows, running up his chest as she drops kisses down his neck and towards his shoulder. Olivia dips her body down, her chest brushing against his shoulder, her lips burying deep into the crook of his neck.

She feels him stir beneath her.

Smirking, Olivia wraps her leg over his body and feels him roll over onto his back. His eyes are still closed, suggesting sleep. But as Olivia straddles his waist, she feels his body begin to respond to hers, her touch bringing him back to consciousness.

Olivia brushes her lips against his, cooing softly, “Come on El…wake up…”

Then she begins to grind up against him, slowly at first, brushing her core against his. Olivia feels his arousal grow underneath her. Smirking, Olivia captures his mouth in hers. He responds instantly to her kiss, his lips parting under hers, then catching her lower lip. His hands circle around her waist as his hips rise to meet her. She can feel him growing harder for her.  

Olivia hears a groan rumble from his throat. She looks down and sees his eyes fluttering open, desire consuming them completely. She bites back a smile.

“Hi.”

Elliot grips her waist and rolls her onto her back. Olivia laughs, a breathy bubble that carries across the room. Elliot straddles her waist and seizes her mouth in a heated kiss.

“Hi.”

Olivia casts him a stern look from below. “You promised me. You know Amanda’s expecting us in a few ours.”

Elliot raises his eyebrows with a smirk. “Good. So we have time then.”

Olivia’s eyes harden onto his, about to object when his hips rock against hers, his erection brushing against her aching core, silencing her protests into a moan.

“You really want to leave without taking care of this Liv?”

Olivia wants to object. She needs to tell him that it will take them an hour alone to pick up Noah and get him ready, then they need to drive to the venue. But Elliot’s peppering kisses down the slope of her neck, his hand teasing her breasts through her silk top.

Her skin catches fire wherever he touches her, and her body responds instantly, weak for his touch. When she feels his hand slipping between her thighs to stroke her intimate heat, already wet for him, Olivia knows it’s over.

Her moans turn into a strangled cry. “You bastard,” she whispers.

Elliot smirks into her mouth, before covering her body with his.

As he slides into her, long, deep and hard, his touch is tender, intimate. Olivia feels it in the way his hands caress her body, as if he’s sculpting a work of art. She feels it in the way he intertwines his fingers with hers, gentle yet secure, bringing their hands above her head as he drives her over the edge.

As they both come down, she feels him drop kisses on her brow, cheek then shoulders, his touch soothing her body. Olivia rolls on top of him. She sees him smile which crinkles around the edges of his eyes.

“I love you.”

Olivia has said those three words to him over a dozen times now, but she will never get used to the look that washes over his face every time she does. He looks at her as if she rose the sun.

Elliot pulls her down towards his body, embracing her. Olivia rests her head against his chest and closes her eyes, savouring his warmth, his touch. He doesn’t need to return her words. She can feel it pulsing under his chest.

[anothergolddustwoman]

8 icons for Bensler with backgrounds depicted above.

So with the whole limit to only 10 images I guess this one is only of Bensler which frickin sucks. So there will be a whole ton of icon posts unless someone can tell me how to go around the limit. Which incase I'll love you forever.

As always let me know if y’all want some in a different color, character, etc.

Like/Reblog if you use or save

Thanks 💕

Icons are under the cut.

[hawkland]

Most underrated ship and most overrated ship?

Oh boy, well I’m going to probably be totally obvious with this one (though I debated a bit on which to pick for the second part). Sticking with SVU…

Most Underrated Ship: Munch/Fin, of course. :) Because there’s just so much to work with within canon for these two, between the funny and serious subtext (yes, I AM working on that masterpost/manifesto about that) and just their interesting backstories. So much room to write fic and look at things in different ways—and things/tropes that haven’t been written to death for them, since there’s so little fic to begin with. It’s definitely a ship that needs more love. Hell, I’d be happy to see it get more brOTP recognition and gen fic, not just OTP/romance stuff.

I could go on with my very cynical cranky fandom dinosaur feelings about why it’s not more popular, but I’ll save that ramble and rant for if someone asks me “why do you think [pairing] isn’t popular?” ;)

Most Overrated Ship: I was torn between Barisi and Bensler for this, but I’m gonna go for Bensler. Mostly because my (biggest) issue with Barisi is I just can’t see it, no matter how hard I’ve squinted and tried to give it a chance. But with Bensler? I feel it was and would only continue to be a harmful, toxic relationship for both of them. From my point of view Liv used Elliot as a shield from allowing herself to become romantically involved with anyone else, because Elliot was always there as a “possibility”…until he wasn’t. And Elliot was content to have Liv there as his work-wife; he clearly knew (and enjoyed) what was there beneath the surface between them but wasn’t going to act on it (clear that he wasn’t going to, when he did have the chance during his separation from Kathy.) 

So, with Bensler it isn’t a thing of not-seeing-it or just-not-digging-it, I find it actually a bad relationship them. (I’m not gonna go all “anti” on people who dig it, but these are the problems I personally have with it.)

[charmingly-evil]

The Intervention - Bensler Fanfic 

Summary

Seeing their clear feelings for each other and frustrated at their inability to act, Kathleen stages an intervention with Eli and her siblings to bring Elliot and Olivia together. It starts with a date, and ends with a family. Bensler. Can find the link here 

...

They talk to each other as if no one else is in the room.

This is the thought that passes Kathleen’s mind as she watches Elliot and Olivia from the kitchen. She and the rest of her family are over at Olivia’s apartment for dinner, something that has been occurring more regularly since Finn’s wedding.

It started when Elliot dropped by one afternoon to discuss work and (according to Eli), didn’t come home until late that night. Then he was away the next evening. Apparently, Olivia’s washing machine had broken and despite her protests, Elliot insisted on fixing it.  Between ordering and waiting for new parts to arrive and taking lengthy breaks playing with Noah and catching up with his former partner, it took Elliot two weeks to repair the washing machine.

By then, Eli began dropping by, first to check in on his father, and then to play with Noah – catch, chess and cricket - not the first person in the Stabler family to adore Olivia’s son. Soon, it became tradition for Olivia to have Elliot and Eli over every Saturday evening for dinner. Eli was guarded towards Olivia at first, the woman who seemed to have this unique ability to ease his father’s tempers and draw out his deepest thoughts and feelings. Then Noah won over his heart, and he began to warm to Olivia, appreciating the tender care she showed towards him and his dad, treating them as if they were family. His care for her grew as his father told him about how Olivia saved his life and his mother’s, the day he was born.

Tonight, Olivia had invited Kathleen over for dinner, encouraging her to bring her siblings too.

Now, Kathleen is supposed to be decorating the last few touches on a cake she made, but instead she’s watching Olivia and Elliot who are sitting on the couch together, so close that their thighs are almost touching. Olivia’s holding a glass of wine in one hand, her other hand lightly touching his arm. She’s laughing at something he said. Kathleen watches the way he stares at her, as if he’s lost in her eyes. Kathleen sees the way his cheeks lift into a rare smile when she speaks, warming his entire features.

It's like they’re the only two planets in the solar system, orbiting each other’s space.

Kathleen whirls her head around her, seeing her siblings just feet away from the couple, playing with Noah. Can no one else see this?        

Kathleen brings the cake, plates and forks over and places it on the coffee table in front of Oliva and Elliot. The clang of the tray hitting the table alerts her siblings’ attention, however

Elliot and Olivia still seemed to be wrapped up in their own conversation.

Kathleen interrupts. “Dessert’s ready. It’s a butterscotch layered cake.”

Olivia lifts her head up, her eyes widening with delight at the fluffy layers dripping with caramel sauce. “It looks delicious Kathleen, thank you for making this.”  

Kathleen smiles and begins dishing out the plates as her siblings and Noah come over, taking their place around the coffee table. “It’s soothing. It’s helped to invest in these hobbies, you know? Since mom died.” Kathleen turns to Elliot and says, “Dad, I tried to open the champagne you brought over but couldn’t find the bottle opener.”

“You shouldn’t need the bottle opener. I’ll grab it.”

Kathleen waits for Elliot to leave before taking her place next to Olivia. “Thanks for having us over Liv.”

Olivia smiles as she reaches for a plate, seeing Noah’s eager eyes already devouring the cake, almost impatient for a piece. “Of course. We should have done this sooner. I’ve just been swamped with work…” Olivia cuts and hands Noah his slice of cake with a plastic fork, gently warning him, “Don’t eat it all at once, remember what happened at Lachlan’s birthday party.”  

“So has Dad, busy at work I mean,” Kathleen continues. She glances at her father, who is holding the bottle with one hand and searching for new glasses with other. She almost rolls her eyes. It’s a crime in his house to pour new wine into tainted glasses, just another habit he picked up from Italy. “I wanted to say that things have improved. Dad’s been seeing someone, a trauma psychologist. Eli says he’s not coming home late at night anymore and is eating and sleeping. He even calls me on his breaks every now and again to check in.”

Olivia’s smiles and she gently squeeze Kathleen’s arm affectionately. “I’m glad. He told me he was seeing someone and making progress.”

“I notice he’s been a lot happier these past few weeks too, since he’s been seeing you.”

Olivia raises her eyes, taken back. Kathleen leans forward and continues. “You’re good for him Liv. Just…things he can’t share with us, he shares with you.”

“You know I’ll always be there to support your father.”

“I know. It’s not just that…” Kathleen pauses, unsure of how to say it. “I see the way he looks at you…that day after the intervention, when he told you he loves you,” Kathleen doesn’t miss the sharp intake of breath Olivia takes. “I asked him about it. He refused to talk about anything from that night. Eli thought it might have been a mistake, a comment he was directing to all of us. But I know he only meant it for you. He’ll never admit it though.”

Olivia swallows, feeling the weight of what she’s saying. She sees the urgency in her eyes. Olivia takes a steady breath. “Kathleen, Elliot and I care about each other a lot. But that night, he was under a lot of pressure…and I honestly think that pursuing any sort of relationship is the last thing on his mind.”

Kathleen shakes her head. “He meant it Liv. He’s just too scared to say anything. Look, I’m not saying you need to do anything about it,” Kathleen pauses, glancing at Elliot once more, who is pouring champagne into two glasses. “You deserve to be happy. You both do. And I know if mom could talk, she would say the same thing too.”

Olivia’s eyes bloom with surprise, sure she misheard her.

Kathleen reads her surprise look and squeezes her friend’s hand. “I just don’t want you to think that anything is standing in the way. Not from me, or anyone in this family.”

Then Kathleen goes to settle in-between her brothers, absorbing herself in their conversations, just as Elliot returns.

Elliot hands her a glass of wine as he settles on the couch, his eyes shifting between Olivia and Kathleen. “That looked like a serious conversation.”

Olivia blinks once, then twice, recomposing herself. She passes him a small smile. “Oh, it was nothing. She was just telling me about her holiday plans.” Olivia lifts her glass up to her nose and breathes in the fruity aroma. She takes a sip and closes her eyes, letting out a blissful hum when she feels the smooth liquid run down her throat. “Borolo. Another favourite from Italy?”

“Yep. And judging from your smile, one of yours too?”

Olivia pinches her lips together and shrugs, a hint of a sparkle in her eye. “It’s growing on me since you started coming over.”

Elliot breathes out a laugh. “I’m not surprised. I checked your cupboard; you’re still drinking ten-dollar wine.”

Olivia scrunches her nose and casts him an irritated look. “Hey, just because I’m not a wine snob.”

Elliot raises his hands defensively. “It’s hard to go back to drinking American wine when you lived an hour away from one of the best wineries in Rome.” Elliot pauses to take a sip, reminiscing. Then he turns to Olivia and says, “You would have loved the wine tasting their Liv.”

Olivia sees a spark in his eye as he starts to talk about Italy, lifting her heart. A distant memory drifts into her mind when Elliot last tried to talk about Italy, “You would have loved Rome Liv…” before she cut him off.

Tonight, Olivia leans in closer and says, “Tell me about it.”  

Olivia nods and smiles as he talks, in awe at the beauty of Italy that he’s painting for her. But another part of her mind is replaying the conversation she had with Kathleen and her recent moments with Elliot. I see the way he looks at you…

It’s ludicrous, stupid for her to think that anything could ever happen. She shouldn’t want anything to happen. It took her years to get over Elliot and the heart crushing pain he brought her. Anyway, what they have right now is good, perfect. He’s back in her life, more settled than before. Olivia feels like she has a family. She doesn’t want to gamble that away.

Yet Olivia can’t help but wonder what would happen if she took a chance and risked it. Once again, she replays Kathleen’s words.

I just don’t want you to think that anything is standing in the way. Not from me, or anyone in this family…

…

“Did you see the way they were looking at each other?”

Eli rolls his eyes at his sister. They’re back at his father’s apartment and Elliot insisted that it’s too late for her to drive home, and she spend the night at their guest room. She’s sitting at the end of Eli’s bed as he rummages through his closet, searching for his pyjamas.

“Not this again Kathleen. Did you spend the whole night watching them?”

Kathleen wants to chuck one of his dirty socks at her brother. “Doesn’t this frustrate anyone else? They have feelings for each other but are too scared to act. And even you admitted that Dad’s been better, happier since he’s been seeing Liv more.”

“So what?” Eli asks as he bundles his pyjamas together, turning to face his sister. “Yeah, they might like each other. And I’m glad she’s helped him through his grief. But why do you care so much?”

Kathleen casts him a harden look. “You’re going to college in a couple of years. Aren’t you worried about how Dad might cope without you?”

Eli pauses, he hasn’t considered this before.

Sensing him thinking, Kathleen quickly continues. “I’m not at home anymore, neither is Dickie. When mom was here, it might have been okay, Dad wouldn’t be alone. But when you leave, he won’t have anyone. Aren’t you worried about how he’ll cope?”

Eli’s face darkens as he recalls all the evenings his dad would spend at work, overworking himself to forget about his grief and pain, focused only on finding his mother’s killer. He remembers his exhaustion, irritability, sudden anger outbursts and the long periods he would go without sleep or food. Then he remembers the car crash.

Eli winces at the memories. “Okay, I get your point. But Dad won’t be alone, he knows he can call me, us. He doesn’t need another woman just because mom’s not around anymore.

Kathleen studies her brother for a moment and can see his deep fury. Suddenly, she realises just how hard this must be for him, to see Olivia stepping into their father’s life and possibly taking her mother’s place. He doesn’t know Olivia like they do, he just sees her as another woman.

“It’s not just about Dad finding any partner,” Kathleen says softly, grabbing his attention. She tries to gather the thoughts in her head and sighs softly. “Olivia’s not just his partner, but his best friend. We all considered her to be family. You know she was there with mom during the car crash, the day you were born? She saved her life.”

Eli’s face darkens once more. “Yeah, dad told me.”

“And there were times when mom couldn’t get through to dad, when he was working too late, too caught up in his work…It was Liv she encouraged him to speak to, and Liv who reminded him to come home.”

Eli shakes his head, his frustration growing. “Doesn’t it bother you that dad could be moving on with someone else so soon?”

Kathleen nods slowly, understanding him. “It would if it was anyone else. But this is Liv, and she makes him happy, whole. I think they could both make each other really happy, and I know mom would want that too.”

Eli gives his sister a hard look before sighing. His anger slowly diminishes as he exhales, understanding settling within him. “Didn’t dad leave Olivia though and ignore her since we left New York?”

Kathleen hears his point. “You’re right, and I don’t think they’ve spoken about that yet, properly talked about it…” She lowers her eyes, thinking. “But they like each other, they just need a gentle nudge and the reassurance from us that we wouldn’t discourage their relationship. I’m not saying we do anything extreme,” she quickly adds, seeing the panic in his eyes. “I just know if we can just get them into the same room together to talk things through….”

Eli doesn’t look convinced. “Have you spoken to Maureen about this?”

Kathleen shrugs. “I know I can get her on board. Dickie too. They just want Dad to be happy.” She pauses, looking thoughtful, then casts her brother an eye glinting smile. “So, did you want to hear my plan?”