Someone Like You 55/61: What good guys do - Beecher/Stabler

[drsquidlove]

Someone Like You
by Dr Squidlove
drsquidlove @@@ livejournal.com

Oz/Law & Order: SVU crossover

Tobias Beecher's trying to rebuild his family in the shadow of the man he was in prison. Elliot Stabler's struggling to continue in the wake of divorce while his job eats away at his soul. It makes for an odd friendship, but it works.

Comments

[mazephoenix]

Yes! They talked and it made all the difference. See, that wasn't so bad, was it Ell?
Poor, poor little Holly..she already liked Ell better than Harry..oh boy.
I'm so warm and fuzzy after reading this, loved it.

[drsquidlove]

Thanks maze!

Y'all earned your way to some warm fuzzies.

Elliot concedes it was okay... but that doesn't mean he's going to make a habit of it.

S.

[sahem62896]

Once again, I could hug you for this. The beautiful reconcilliation of Elliot and Holly, the lessons about strength and fortitude that Elliot passes on to Toby as a result of talking to his daughter, Elliot finally opening up to Toby about the psychological trials of the SVU detective, the anticipation of the three little words Elliot needs to hear from Toby besides "You're not Chris"... It's wonderful. You've brought out the best in these two men, Squid... That's better than your deft (and satisfying) descriptions of them enjoying each other sexually. Chapters like these are why I stay plugged in to this story.

[drsquidlove]

Thanks sahem!

I know the cuddly bits are your favourites.

I don't like to write kids as precocious, but I figure of all of them, Holly's the most likely to take her counsellor's advice on board and do something with it.

And I could go on at length about how men like Elliot can be angry and turn that anger into physical aggression because we let them. Cragen and Olivia (and I'm sure Kathy) indulge this temper that wouldn't be tolerated from someone ugly or less masculine or less charming or a woman or lower class. I wanted Elliot to face a reminder that other people don't have the option of indulging their inner arsehole the way he does.

S.

[sahem62896]

Really? 'Cause I think Finn's gruff attitude and his fresh mouth get tolerated a lot by the others. I'm also pretty sure he's roughed up a suspect or two. So if what you're saying is true, then what do you think gives him license to be hyper-macho?

[drsquidlove]

Oooh, I'd missed this.

Yes, Finn gets away with it a bit too, but he doesn't push the boundaries anywhere near as hard as Elliot. He tends to gruff and a little snarky while Elliot is out-and-out rude, even to Cragen and ADAs. (Finn is only rude to superiors about racial injustice.) Finn did rough up a few suspects - so did Cragen and Olivia - but not nearly as often or publicly as Elliot, who got pulled off suspects regularly. And on quite a few occasions pulled shit that the rest of the squad had to cover.

It's a running thread in the Finn episodes, that Elliot and Olivia are the golden children.

Finn has the masculinity and gruff charm to get away with a bit, and I think he gets some licence to be rough from being the 'black guy from the hood' character, but he doesn't get to spend it the way Elliot does.

And being a person of colour, I'm sure he's had plenty of experience of being unfairly put down. What's Elliot had? One summer bartending to rich college kids? Cry me a river, El.

S.

[mulder200]

See Elliot? Talking about your feelings does work wonders.

And I am glad that he and Holly had a moment together.

Plus, I am happy that he and Toby talked as well and Elliot finally talked about the hardships of being an SVU detective. Not to mention Tony telling him how different he is from Chris. Elliot needed to hear that.

[drsquidlove]

Elliot gives you a begrudging shrug, and now he wants you to get your nose out of his personal affairs.

I love writing Elliot and Holly's scenes: it's sort of father-daughter but not, and somehow always all about Toby even when it's not about him.

Elliot definitely needed to hear some differences laid out. It probably wouldn't hurt if Toby put a monthly note in his diary to remind Elliot how he's not like Chris.

Thanks mulder!

S.

[suespur]

This is such a great chapter. Hell, this is such a great story. It's unlike any other Oz/SVU fic I've ever read. I just can't get enough and don't ever want it to end.

I know there are only six chapters left *cries* but I hope you stay active in this universe.

[drsquidlove]

Thanks sue!

I don't know what I'll do when it ends. It's going to be weird. But I might have time to read a book. Ooooh, a book...

Oh, I have every intention of sticking around. I have a couple more half-formed stories (nothing like the length of this one) and I keep finding troves of fic I didn't know were there. Like maze just directed me to your dreamwidth C5 page. I don't know what C5 is, but look at all those stories I didn't know about! Wheeee!

S.

[he1vetia]

Ohmygod, you kill me with the Gary details. If I were Toby I'd be knee deep in alcohol after this revelation.
I never thought about Toby trying to get custody of Harry. That's a thorny one. On the one hand, Harry and Holly will never bond if they only see each other once a year, on the other hand, Harry will hate them if he has to move away from the only home he has ever known. And Jonah and Marta would never let him go, that's their only link to Genevieve.

[drsquidlove]

Thanks helvetica!

I know, right? The question isn't why Toby is an addict: it's why isn't he still snorting everything? Once your child is brutally murdered, I think your life should pretty much be a no-judgement zone.

I'm enjoying scattering the custody issue through, because I do think it's thorny. I would also say, Jonah and Marta wouldn't want to let him go because he is their son. Who raises a child for nine years and willingly lets him go? And on the other hand, Harry's childhood is racing by, and Toby's access is so restricted that he doesn't get to methodically open up his life like Elliot is doing with his.

There's an SVU ep with a thorny custody case, where Elliot tells Novak that if he found out about a child who was genetically his, he would of course want the child, because love of a parent, blah, blah. So black and white. It killed me that Novak didn't say, "And what if you found out one of your children wasn't genetically yours? Would you consider it reasonable for someone else to claim custody?"

S.