A coda to episode 13x06. Hope you like it and tell me what you thought :)

"That's good to know, Partner."

The words had been delivered sarcastically with a heavy emphasis on the word "partner" and had been mocking Olivia all the way home. The case was over, they'd lost, the rapist had walked free and she should have still been caught up on Sarah's red rimmed eyes and dejected face but all she could hear was that sarcastic voice. The legal system was what it was and it was more than likely that Olivia would never see the girl again.

Amaro however, was someone that she was going to have to work with for the unforeseeable future, which she wouldn't be able to do effectively if she didn't address this rift soon.

"Thanks for having my back."

Olivia gritted her teeth as she stalked past the "Out of Order" sign plastered to her apartment building's elevator and headed towards the stairs, the mocking words echoing in her ears as she started the long climb, each step punctuating one of Amaro's words. She got up to her apartment and inside and had just started putting something together for a late dinner when she reached her breaking point and decided that this needed to be resolved. Now.

She jogged back down the steps, ignoring the ache in her muscles, hopped into her car and sped off to Amaro's apartment, the words still ringing in her ears.

"That's good to know, Partner."

Olivia loosed a low growl and pressed her foot further down on the accelerator, sending her zipping through the streets of New York. She was barely a mile under the speed limit and kept an eye out for any uniformed cops, not feeling like explaining herself tonight.

"Thanks for having my back."

Olivia pulled to a halt outside his apartment block, the tyres screeching a little when she stopped and was out of the car and heading upstairs before she could think better of it. She'd had cops say similar things to her in the past; hell even Elliot had gone off on her more times than she could count but it had never bothered her like Amaro's words were. She didn't even let herself wonder why.

With all the anger that was coursing through her, Olivia wanted to bang on the door until the asshole had no choice but to answer the door. But some part of her remembered that he had a daughter; a daughter who was young enough to probably be in bed by this hour. So she held herself back and instead knocked politely. She stepped back to wait, fingers balling into fists in an attempt to soothe her temper.

Amaro answered the door and instantly Olivia noticed that he was still in his work clothes, jacket gone but button up in place, sleeves rolled up to reveal tanned forearms. He blinked in surprise at his partner's sudden appearance at his home.

"Benson? Is everything alri-"

"A couple of things Amaro," Benson said flatly. "I've been on the force nineteen years alright. A detective for thirteen. And never not once have I perjured myself. I don't care how close we are or how good a cop you are, I'm not about to start any time soon."

Amaro's eyes narrowed dangerously the longer Olivia spoke and once she was finished he was quick to argue. "A good partner would have had my back." He stepped closer just about putting them nose-to-nose.

"I did," Olivia snarled back. "I told them what happened, I told them I had complete faith in you. That is having your back."

The two stood, both panting harshly after their argument, breaths mingling as they stared each other down with hard eyes, daring the other to speak. Finally Amaro looked away, eyes dropping to glance at Olivia's lips for a fraction of a second before they flitted away again. Desire pooled in her stomach and she might have leaned into that bare inch that separated them, if a frightening thought hadn't entered her mind.

He's married.

Olivia jerked away with a quiet gasp and took a few steps back, running a shaking hand through her hair.

"Está todo bien?" a voice called from further inside the apartment and even with her limited spanish, Olivia knew what she was asking. She dared a glance over Amaro's shoulder to find an older woman watching her suspiciously from the doorway.

Amaro spared a glance over his shoulder. "Bien mamá," he called back shortly and stepped out into the hallway, pulling the door shut behind him. He was quiet for a moment, staring over Olivia's shoulder at the wall rather than directly into her eyes. "What I said earlier…" he said finally and trailed off, as if waiting for Olivia to finish his sentence but the female detective remained stubbornly quiet. "It was inappropriate. You're a good cop, Benson. And a good partner. I'm sorry."

Olivia was still breathing shakily but she managed a small smile. "Thank you. Glad we got that sorted out," she said quietly. And with a strained smile she took off, before she could do anything else stupid.