.:: A Different Light ::.

Deleted scene from season 13, episode 1, Scorched Earth. It takes place like middle to late in the episode.

Rating T, Friendship/Hurt/Comfort

Olivia yawned, stretching as she leaned back in her chair. The squad room was quiet, her desk light being the only source of light given the hour.

She looked around at the empty desk through tired eyes, her resolve weakening the longer her gaze lingered away from her computer.

She had stayed late in an attempt to find any dirt possible on Roberto DiStasio, the phone calls had long since stopped and she was now milling through both files and her own paper work in an attempt to organize any leads for tomorrow.

Heaving a sigh, the brunette closed the manilla folder on her desk and slid her chair back.

Tucking her bangs behind her ear she grabbed her sweater and phone before shutting off her light.

Using her phone as a guide, the brunette made her way back towards the cribs.

The only sound echoing off of the walls was the click of her heels on the tile, she blinked tiredly almost dozing off at the slow, constant sound.

Her finger's had barely brushed the metal of the knob when another sound emerged from behind the door.

It was sobbing and within seconds the detective's mind became more alert, kicking into overdrive. Her first instinct was that the sound belonged to a victim who had come into the precinct earlier and had snuck back to the secluded room. She shook her head, hand tightening around the metal as she pushed the door open.

The light from her phone flashed weakly across the room, casting shadows from the many bunks that inhabited it.

Her eyes widened as a shock of blonde peeked out from behind white covers towards the back of the room. She made her way over to the bed, her hand brushing over the younger woman's shoulder.

"Amanda?" She whispered, shaking the blonde gently.

The body beneath her hand trembled slightly at the touch but the sobs immediately quieted down.

There was a small groan before a warm and clammy hand covered the brunette's from beneath the sheet. It padded several times at the foreign extremity, before Amanda's head finally turned.

She blinked against the light from the iPhone, confusion clearly written on her illuminated features.

"Olivia?" She asked, her voice groggy and rough.

The brunette nodded out of instinct, settling herself next to the blonde on what little space was available.

"Yes, what are you still doing here?" The older woman started, worry clouding her tone as she set the phone in her lap.

Amanda appreciated the darkness, she wiped at her cheeks. Inwardly hoping that Olivia had somehow missed the tear tracks.

"I'm uh… Not fully settled in my new place yet." She lied, trying to smooth the excess emotion from her voice as she spoke. "Figured I would just crash here tonight."

Olivia nodded but could tell there was more to the situation than the blonde was saying, she decided to try a different tactic. "Amanda, I'm not usually one to pry… But I heard crying before I came in here. Is there anything you'd like to talk about?"

Amanda's heart sank, the last thing she wanted to exhibit in front of her new esteemed colleague was weakness. "It's nothing… Really." She mumbled, almost too quickly.

Even if the brunette actually did care, she wouldn't be able to tell. Olivia's instinct was to protect, nurture and console. Those were not things Amanda wanted, she wanted the older woman's respect.

There was silence for a moment and every second of it was torture for the blonde. Her heart was racing as she laid still, barely breathing as she waited for Olivia to either respond or leave.

Her heart skipped a beat when the brunette's voice finally cut through the silence.

"Does it have to do with your transfer?" Her voice was soft, even and reassuring.

Despite all of the embarrassment and panic running rampant in her body, Amanda felt herself calm slightly at the sound.

"Yes." The word had practically slipped out passed her lips without her permission. She felt her cheeks flush at how easily she responded to Olivia's questioning. The presence of the older woman, the longer she remained close… The calmer the Southerner felt.

"Do you mind if I ask what happened?" Olivia asked, she was trying her best not to push too hard and make the blonde clam up. But now that the woman had begun to talk, she had to keep her talking.

"It's a long story…" Amanda started, it was a weak attempt at diversion.

"I've got all night." Olivia soothed, her hand twitching to stroke either the younger woman's arm or hair. But she decided against it, not wanting to scare her off or make things more uncomfortable for their shift tomorrow. If it had been a victim, someone she would never see again she would probably allow the contact.

The blonde was still quiet and had also remained extremely still, suddenly the volume of her breathing increased. A small sound bordering a whimper escaped the smaller form next to Olivia.

The brunette's eyes widened as Amanda suddenly clung to her, body wracked heavily with sobs.

Olivia's hand lifted off of the bed, hovering over the blonde's hair for a moment before stroking it soothingly.

She didn't know what had happened to the younger woman to make her so vulnerable, she could tell that Amanda had been fighting down the urge to do exactly what she was doing in that moment.

Her earlier resentment for the blonde was fading away fast, she'd been afraid of her presence. A younger woman could easily show her up around the precinct, especially with Elliot being gone. Olivia knew she was already too distracted with Elliot's job to worry to heavily on her own… Aside from the victims and cases of course.

She had even felt herself beginning to doubt their victim in their current case, her own emotional distress beginning to cloud her judgement.

Amanda had been the opposite, eager and excited to work and fight for the victim.

Her current emotional state no were visible beneath whatever mask she'd built up to conceal it.

The gentle hand and occasional calm sound from Olivia finally calmed Amanda's sobs. She continued to stroke the blonde's hair until her breathing evened out to a slow and steady rhythm that indicated she had fallen back to sleep.

Olivia glanced down towards where she knew Amanda's face was, a smile pulling at her lips as she put off rising from the bed.

Although it might sound horrible, Olivia felt relieved she'd seen this side of the blonde. It made her seem more real, more human to her. The reasons for disliking her now seemed petty and borderline unrealistic.

It wasn't Amanda's fault that Elliot was debating turning in his papers, it wasn't Amanda's fault that she was younger and more athletic. She respected and looked up to the senior detective and she'd made it a point to make that obvious from the first moment they'd met.

Tomorrow, it would be Olivia's turn. To make sure that this moment brought them closer, rather than forcing them back apart.

Her eyes and smile softened, her fingers moving over the blonde's hair one last time before she moved one cot over. Her phone illuminating the room slightly, giving her one last look towards her sleeping colleague before the light faded and then finally disappeared.

Now, I don't want people thinking that I disliked bitchy Olivia or that I thought she needed to cut back on the attitude in the show. I felt it was realistic, she was grieving and she had every right to be distraught. For the purposes of this one shot though.. I changed that a bit. Hope you liked it! :D

PS, I will be fixing the order of these then so that this one is first but I am going to wait a few days so that people can read it once through first.