Disclaimer: Dick Wolf owns these characters, its not my fault they're so good I have to write fanfiction about them.

A/N: My own furry little monster gave me the inspiration for this story. Hope you like it... reviews appreciated!

It's a crockpot, Liv. You use it to cook things."

Detective Benson stared blankly across the squad room at her colleague. Amaro grinned. "You know what cooking is, don't you? That thing you do when you want to make food at home… it makes a big meal that you can just leave to simmer while you're at work and it'll be done when you get home."

"You're explaining a vow of celibacy to a porn star, Amaro," Fin joked. It was Olivia's birthday and the detectives of the special victims unit were gathered around her cake.

"I got you somethin' too, Liv," Amanda Rollins piped up. Her all ready pale pink cheeks darkened slightly as she peered at Olivia hopefully from underneath her eyelashes. "I sure hope you like it… it was a real gamble on my part." She flinched. "Poor choice of words, but you get what I mean."

"I'm sure I'll like it Amanda. Bu if its something that involves cooking I'm afraid it'll gather dust on the kitchen counter next to Nick's crock pot," Olivia cracked.

"Don't worry about that," Amanda replied. "I stashed it in one of the interrogation rooms, though, so it would be a surprise. I'll go get it."

She hurried out of the squad room and Olivia raised her eyebrows at Cragen, but he merely shrugged, his face an impassive mask.

Amanda returned a moment later with a cardboard box and set it in front of Olivia. "Go on, Liv," she encouraged.

Olivia opened the box, which was folded shut, and peered inside. A tiny tortoise shell kitten with a white tuft on its chest stretched on a plush pink blanket at the bottom of the box, clearly waking up from a cat-nap. A miniature uniform police hat with a brass paw print on the front was strapped to her head. She peered up at Olivia with golden eyes and blinked slowly.

"A cat?" Olivia asked incredulously.

"I all ready called your super and he said he don't mind if his tenants have cats," Amanda explained. "I went down to the shelter and said I needed a kitten with a great personality. Hit the jackpot with this one. She's got all her shots and fixins' and she didn't even mind when the lady at the shelter put that little hat on her. I told her it was for a cop and she thought it was cute."

"It is cute," Olivia agreed, bending over into the box to get a closer look. The kitten's pupils dilated as several locks of Olivia's hair spilled inside and she batted at them with a little paw.

"I just figured it would be nice for you to have a buddy to go home to," Amanda explained sheepishly.

"I don't know anything about taking care of a cat," Olivia said doubtfully. "The only pet I ever had was the parakeet my mother brought home when I was ten. It flew past her moonshine stash one day and got liver poisoning right then and there. Dropped dead in mid-air and just sort of spiraled down into the kitchen sink…" she shuddered at the memory.

Amanda glanced to the side before saying, "Well, uh… cats are easy. I got you a little starter kit in there underneath the blanket. Food an' water dish, litter pan, scooper, a toy or two. That's all you really need. Nice thing about cats is they fend for themselves. We had a puss or two that hung around our place back in Georgia so I know how to take care of 'em. If it'll make you feel any better I can show you the basics. I'm the one that saddled you with her, after all."

Olivia nodded. "Yeah, that would be great."

"Lady at the shelter says she don't mind bein' picked up. Why don't you get acquainted with her Liv?" Amanda suggested. "Just make sure you support her tush, or she'll be uncomfortable."

"Don't let her smell your fear, Liv," Munch added.

Olivia rolled her eyes and lifted the kitty out of her box. Her fur was soft. She rested her against her chest and she purred and plunged her face down Liv's shirt.

"Lucky cat," Munch commented as everyone in the squad room chuckled.

"We all have dreams, don't we John?" Olivia replied as she scratched the kitten's down head. She couldn't deny that she was all ready in love. "Does kitty have a name, Amanda?"

The blonde detective shrugged. "She's your cat, Liv. But I've taken to calling her Donut."

"That's a good name," Amaro said. "We should make her our mascot."

The other detectives murmured their agreement and Olivia raised the kitty up so she was looking directly into her eyes. "What do you think? Are you Donut?"

The cat mewed in annoyance.

"I'll take that as a 'yes.'"

It was a slow day at the 1-6, and the detectives appreciated the time to catch up on paperwork. It was an unlikely thing to hope for, but perhaps it meant there were no victims on New York's mean streets today.

Olivia had thanked everyone and now Donut sat on her desk with her next to her half-eaten cake.

Amanda watched them on and off all day with a great deal of pride. Like most cats, Donut seemed to know instinctively who her mom was. She refused to let the senior detective leave her sight, getting up and following her even when she visited the ladies room.

However, she mostly snoozed all day, waking up occasionally to paw Olivia's keyboard or bunt her hands. "Looks like Donut is all ready trying to help you solve crimes," Amanda observed.

"She's giving Scooby Doo a run for his money," Olivia agreed with a rare bright smile. Amanda had seen Olivia smile like that maybe twice since she started at SVU, and the sight pleased her a great deal. It was her opinion that someone who sacrificed so much for others the way Olivia did deserved to have more happiness in her life. She'd hoped, when she decided to get her a cat,that it would at least help her relax a little bit.

"I think you should be her godmother, Amanda," Liv said, scratching Donut behind the ears again. The kitten purred with approval. "Since you found her."

"I'd be honored. When's the baptism?"

"Tonight, if you still plan on showing me how to take care of her. "

Amanda's stomach flutter. "'Course, Liv, but don't you got any plans for your birthday?"

"Naw," Olivia replied. "I'm at the age where a birthday is hardly cause for celebration."

"That's no way to think, Liv. You look good and you've got the wisdom of experience too. Ain't you at least gonna have you a nice bottle of wine?"

"I suppose. I've still got a bottle of Riesling left over from Christmas."

Satisfied, Amanda nodded and returned to her files. Later that evening, she followed Liv to the elevator, picking Donut off her desk and placing her in her new Mistress's arms. "You two look cute together," she remarked.

Olivia nodded, and then yelped as the kitten clawed her arm and crawled up her sleeve. She perched on her shoulder and looked at Amanda expectantly.

Amaro, who was walking by, chuckled. "What a funny cat."

"She's just clever, like her mama," Amanda observed. Amanda leaned her head to the side and rubbed her cheek against Donut's fur.

"Shall we, Donut? Donut's Godmother?" Olivia had driven her mustang to work that day—like she always did on her birthday—and put Donut back in her box to ride in the front seat with Rollins.

They stopped at the superstore on the way to Olivia's apartment and Amanda showed her where to buy cat food and kitty litter. Buying cat food took a little while because Olivia checked the nutrition information for nearly every brand.

"Most of this stuff is just made of corn starch," she said disbelievingly. "I thought cats were carnivores? I want her to get proper nutrition. No cat of mine is eating corn!"

"They feed cats and dogs the same junk they feed us, Liv," Amanda chuckled. "I gotta say, seein' this side of is interestin.' If only the perps knew that all it takes is a little kitten to turn you into a softie—we'd be in a world of trouble."

"Yeah, well," Olivia sniffed. "There won't be any catnip in my either—at least not until she's grown. I see it before then and I'm flushing it down the toilet."

"Imagine how much her grades would suffer," Amanda shook her head mockingly. "She'd never get into a good cat college."

They finished checking out and got back into Liv's mustang. Amanda put Donut's box on her lap and stuck her head inside. "Don't worry Donut, I'm the cool godmother. I'll sneak you some catnip when mom isn't looking."

"I'll arrest you for pushing cat drugs to her," Olivia said in mock indignation, her eyes not leaving the road.

"But mommy," Amanda said in a high pitched dewy voice, pulling Donut out of her box and holding her to her cheek. She moved one of the kitten's paws up and down for effect. "You can't arrest Aunt Mandy, she's our buddy!"

Donut mewed—in agreement or protest, they couldn't tell—and Liv glanced over at them and laughed. Amanda was once again impressed with herself. It had been a full-throated belly laugh. Getting the kitten had clearly been a good idea, if it made the great and somber alpha lady cop, Olivia Benson, smile and laugh.

"I might have to get Cragen to send you in for a psych evaluation, Rollins," Olivia said, still grinning. They parked in the garage below her apartment building and took Liv's new companion up to her floor.

Her apartment was fairly plain but pale, glassy and feminine. It was nice enough, but clearly she wasn't here all that much. Amanda suddenly felt a little self-conscious. She'd never really been alone with Olivia in such a close proximity much before and it unnerved her. She checked the fridge, hoping she might be able to give Donut a little dish of milk, but it was mostly empty save for a few cartons of Chinese food that looked to be well past their expiration date and a big bottle of Riesling.

"Lord, Liv," Amanda commented. "You weren't kiddin' when you said you don't cook." She grabbed the bottle of wine and turned around to see Olivia giving her a strange look. Donut was perched on her shoulder, also staring at her, her head cocked. It would have been funny if Amanda wasn't afraid she had offended her partner somehow. "Did I say somethin'?"

"No, no…" Olivia shook her head and Donut began to purr like a motor. "You just reminded me of someone."

Amanda thought she might be talking about her old partner, Elliot Stabler, but knew better than to ask. "How 'bout you have yourself a nice glass of wine, Liv?" She held up the bottle and Olivia got two wine glasses out of a cupboard.

"If I'm drinking, so are you Rollins. I won't have you taking advantage of me," she said with a wink. Donut seemed to approve. She leapt off of her person's shoulder and went to Amanda with her tail sticking straight up in the air. Amanda scratched her behind the ears as she and Liv downed their first glass. It was good wine. Amanda was no lightweight but she could feel it a little bit all ready. Her cheeks warmed slightly as she busied herself with showing Olivia basic cat care—how to clean and change Donut's litter, how much food and water to give her, how to grab her by the scruff of her neck when she needed discipline, the usefulness of baking soda after she dropped a number two, and a few other things she remembered from the pets she'd taken care of in her childhood.

All the while Olivia poured both her and Amanda glass after glass of wine. It wasn't until the bottle was empty and she tried to help Olivia set up the crock pot Nick had given her by plugging it into the toaster that Amanda realized she had passed the point of tipsy and entered into the realm of stupid.

Olivia seemed right as rain herself. Her cheeks were flushed against her olive skin and her dark eyes were bright and smoldering. "Know what we should do, Rollins? We should prank call Fin!"

Amanda giggled. "But he knows our numbers."

"He doesn't know my home phone number," Olivia smirked. "I usually only give that to victims."

She grabbed Amanda's hand and started to pull her towards the bedroom. The blonde detective felt her cheeks get warmer and her heart rate accelerate. What's goin' on with me? She thought to herself, hoping Liv couldn't feel her pulse pounding through her wrist. I'm being silly.

Donut, who had been busy exploring her new domicile, weaved around their legs and followed them onto the bed. Amanda perched on the end of it even though Olivia and Donut settled down among the covers in the center. She handed Amanda the phone and dialed fin's number on the bedside table. "Pretend to be an ex-lover or something."

Detective Totuola picked up on the third or fourth ring.

"Totuola."

Amanda lowered her voice and did her best impression of a manly African American male. "Hey daddy, you gonna suck my dick and give me that good again tonight or what?
"The fuck?" Fin said on the other end of the line.

"Don't worry Big Daddy, my baby mama asleep in the other room with the kids," Amanda continued. It was taking all of her willpower not to laugh.

"You on dope, mother fucker? Who the fuck is this?" Fin said angrily.

Olivia was in silent hysterics, bent over her own lap with her dark hair spread out on the bed. Donut pounced on it and took several strands in her paw. She chewed and batted at the soft locks while Olivia's shoulders shook with laughter.

"I like it when you talk dirty to me like that. Lemme suck on that big black dick and lick that sweet ass," Amanda went on, barely able to keep her voice from cracking.

"Crazy mother fucker!" Fin shouted, and then the dial tone sounded. He'd hung up.

Amanda sputtered and giggled as she put Olivia's phone back on the hook. The brunette lifted her head up and wiped tears of mirth from her cheeks. "My god," she said. "I haven't laughed that hard since… well, since never."

"Mowr," Donut piped up, and crawled into Olivia's lap. She turned around three times and purred as she kneeded Liv's thigh. It might have been the cutest thing Amanda had ever seen, and her stomach fluttered again.

Olivia cocked her head at the kitty. "What's she doing?"

"I think it's called kneedin,'" Amanda replied. "It's a great sign of affection from what I understand. They do it when they're feedin' on their mamas' milk."

Olivia looked down at Donut again and smiled as she gently stroked her fur. The wine was most certainly getting to Amanda. She could feel her insides melting at the sight of Olivia Benson and her 1000 kilowatt smile with a cute little kitten in her lap. "You sure do look pretty when you smile, Liv," she heard herself blurt out.

Olivia peered up at her questioningly and Amanda felt herself blush deeply again. If she didn't know any better, she'd say Olivia was blushing too. That, or she was as hammered as Amanda was. Either way, it was very becoming.

"I… what I mean is," Amanda stammered sheepishly. "It's nice to see you so relaxed. I sure am glad you have Donut now."

"Mowr," Donut agreed, and stretched around to lick her butt.

"I'm glad I have her now too," Olivia said almost huskily. "I can't thank you enough for giving her to me." She leaned forward slightly and Amanda caught a whiff of her perfume. "But what about you? I haven't seen many smiles from Detective Rollins lately, either. Not real ones, anyway."

"Well, I…" Amanda found herself tongue-tied. She bit her lip, trying to ignore the fire that was blazing in her. Or maybe that was just the heat she could feel radiating from Olivia's body. "You know… uh… yeah," she finished lamely.

Olivia giggled. "You're cute, Rollins. Know what your problem is? You put the job first, and take care of everyone besides. I know, because I do the same thing."

Rollin's blood was pounding in her ears. She wasn't sure if it was because of what the older woman was saying or the fact that her face seemed to be inches away. Amanda could see each and every one of her long, thick eyelashes.

Christ, am I dreamin' or is Liv flirting with me? She mused to herself. She must be plastered.

Olivia brushed her fingers against Amanda's forehead and the blonde nearly wet herself as she ran her fingers through her hair and tucked it over one shoulder. Her knuckles grazed against Amanda's collarbone and she said, "You should let someone take care of you for a change, Rollins."

"W-well," Amanda stammered, getting up off the bed quickly. "I'll have to take that into consideration, Liv."

Both the detective and her kitten seemed bothered that she'd moved away, as they both cocked their heads at her. Whoever said pets didn't look like their owners hadn't met this pair. They both looked like she'd unfairly denied them a few pets or cuddles.

There was no way she could handle this. Amanda took a steadying breath and said, "In any case, I'd better be headin' home. Now that you two yahoos seem to be nice and settled."

"You had a lot of wine," Olivia said. "Are you sure you don't want some coffee before you go?" She got off the bed and Amanda and Donut followed out of her bedroom and too the front door.

"That's all right," Amanda said as she slipped on her shoes. "I'll get a taxi. Thanks for the wine, Liv and… happy birthday." She took one last look at her colleague before stepping out. After she got into the hallway and Liv's apartment door was closed behind her, she grabbed onto the wall to keep her knees from giving way before stumbling to the elevator.

Back inside Olivia's apartment Donut pawed at the apartment door and meowed loudly. Benson shook her head. "I know, Donut. I didn't want her to leave either."