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Sonny was doing his best to finish his paperwork, but the pile seemed to be never ending and his burning eyes and stiff neck were definitely not helping.Ever since Dodds’ passing, no one dared mentioning the idea of getting someone new, but the amount of work was taking a toll. He had just come back from undercover work and the pile he left had been waiting for him, with the addition of the files from said undercover case, plus the one he was thrown into as soon as he stepped his foot into the precinct again.Sonny was overworked, underfed and definitely sleep deprived, but at least the hours he did get in bed were with Rafael in his arms.“Carisi,” Olivia’s voice rang across the bullpen as soon as she came back from lunch. “My office.”Rollins looked up, shooting him a sympathetic look.He let out a long sigh, running a hand over his face. “Problem is I don’t know if she’s calling me in as my mother or as my boss.”Rollins chuckled. “Which one would be worse?”“I honestly don’t know,” he gave her a lopsided smile as he got up and shrugged his suit jacket back on.Olivia’s door was open as he approached but, like his mother had taught him, he still knocked before entering. “You wanted to see me, Lieu?”“Please, close the door behind you and take a seat,” she said, her voice as calm and collected as always.With a little trepidation, he did as he was told. As he approached one of the chairs, Sonny went through everything he could have possibly done wrong the past two days in his mind, but he had really been in his best behavior.“I just came back from lunch with Rafael,” she said, resting her elbows on her desk. That opened up a new world of possibilities regarding what this conversation was about, and Sonny frowned. “He told me you’ve been having nightmares.”Oh.“Is this about your last undercover case?”Sonny sighed. “Are you asking me this as my boss or as my mother?”“Both,” she replied without missing a beat. “You’re supposed to talk to me about this stuff, Sonny. I told you before you came to SVU that it takes a toll, and you should tell me if anything’s off.”“I know, but I’m fine,” he leaned back into his seat, shrugging.“Then what are the nightmares about?,” she insisted.It changed everyday, the nightmares. Sometimes they were about the cases, but other times he dreamt Olivia got hurt in the line of duty as he stood there, unable to stop it. Sometimes it was Rafael, taken hostage by one of the perps that managed to get away. Sometimes he was nothing but a ghost, unheard and unseen while his mother and his boyfriend mourned his passing.Some nights, Sonny dreaded going to sleep.And he told Olivia all that, her eyes going softer and softer by the second, until they were filled with tears.She stood up and rounded her desk, taking a seat beside him and reaching for his hand. “I didn’t know,” she said, her voice a little tight. “But I should have seen it coming, because I know you, and I know your heart. I’m going to arrange a therapist for you, okay? It’ll be good to talk about this.”He nodded. “Okay.”“Let me know if you need anything else, or if you need to take things off your chest, you know I’m all ears. I mean it, Sonny.”“I know,” Sonny smiled, squeezing her hand in his. “Thanks, mom.”“Come here,” she stood up, pulling him into a hug. “I love you, sweetheart.”“I love you, too.”After a parting kiss on the cheek and a pat on the shoulder, Sonny went back to his desk with a little smile on his face. Rollins raised an eyebrow at him and he waved her off, grabbing his phone and immediately dialing Rafael’s number.“Hello?,” he picked up.“I can’t believe you snitched on me to my mother,” Sonny accused, his voice light and teasing.Rafael let out a low laugh. “I have no idea what you mean. I had lunch with my close friend Olivia, not your mother. May I remind you, Sonny, that Liv and I were friends before I even knew you.”Sonny rolled his eyes good-naturedly even though Rafael couldn’t see him. “How could I ever forget.”“I’m sorry, Sonny. But I’ve just been worried.”He sighed. “No, I understand. And I appreciate it. I wouldn’t have talked to her if she hadn’t called me in. She wants me to see a therapist.”“That doesn’t sound so bad,” Rafael said carefully.“Yeah, I actually think I’m gonna do it.”He let out a relieved breath. “Good. I’m glad. Do you want to come over tonight?”Sonny felt his heart jump in his chest. “You know I always sleep better when I’m with you, Raf.”“It works perfectly, then,” Rafael said, his voice going soft. “Because I sleep better with you, too.”