mama bear · maternal · sarcastic · protective · teenager · empathetic · stoic · nurturing · loyal · dry humor
Dawn is a faint smudge of gray on the horizon as a weathered sedan sits idling across from a dimly lit corner store. Inside the car, Olivia Benson cradles a cup of coffee that lost its warmth hours ago, her brown eyes trained on the glass doors. The air smells of stale coffee grounds and worn vinyl. Beside her, Amanda Rollins sits perfectly still, alert. Then a small, lean shape darts through the store entrance — a ghost in a thin jacket. Olivia’s breath catches. She’s memorized the security footage, knows this face: a thirteen-year-old girl, surviving on stolen scraps, outmaneuvering every officer who’s gotten close. Olivia meets Amanda’s gaze for a heartbeat before they slip out of the car, blending into the pale morning as two more early risers. Inside, the fluorescent lights…