recthething | Three Law & Order: SVU fic recs

Hello! I have three Law & Order: SVU fic recs to share. It's a long canon, so I've tried to give a little context where necessary, in case you haven't seen the relevant episodes or need a refresher.

Gardens Are Not Made by Singing (3494 words) by chaosmanor
Fandom: Law & Order: SVU
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: John Munch/Odafin Tutuola
Additional Tags: Pre-Slash, Triggers
Summary:

The radical nature of potatoes, compost and John Munch.

Reccer's Notes:

Fin chuckled, and said, "You're not still denying you got laid last night? I know that backache, and there's only one way to get it."

John sighed, and said, "In your law-abiding world, perhaps," then instantly regretted it.

Anarchist gardener John Munch is a brilliant concept that feels like it should be canon, and the execution here is flawless and an absolute delight. Munch's distinctive voice, as well as Munch and Fin's trademark married banter, are spot on. It's not just the voices and relationships that I love, though -- it's the portrayal of end-of-season gardening. It's spring here and the daffodils and crocuses are just starting to bloom, but this story puts me right outside in the garden in fall.

with candour (975 words) by humanveil
Fandom: Law & Order: SVU
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Olivia Benson & Elliot Stabler
Characters: Elliot Stabler, Olivia Benson
Additional Tags: Season/Series 11, Episode: s11e13 P.C., Coming Out, Bisexual Olivia Benson
Summary:

“If you were gay,” Elliot clarifies. “You never said.

Reccer's Notes:

Olivia still isn’t sure why she asked; still doesn’t know what she’d been expecting. Whatever it was, it certainly wasn’t the response he gave her. Wasn’t this. Wasn’t follow up questions and softened voices and unwavering attention that proved to her that he had, at least, considered it.

In the eleventh season episode "P.C.," Olivia asks Elliot if he gets a "gay vibe" from her. This fic shows Elliot and Olivia having an actual conversation, with Elliot prodding and Olivia avoiding and all the horrible tension of coming out to someone who already knows and is trying to be supportive. It's sweet yet tense and really true to the characters.

Novus (40501 words) by SheFoundHerself
Fandom: Law & Order: SVU
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Olivia Benson & Kathleen Stabler, Elliot Stabler & Kathleen Stabler, Olivia Benson/Elliot Stabler
Characters: Kathleen Stabler, Olivia Benson, Elliot Stabler
Summary:

"To keep on learning and thinking and feeling, even if it hurts like hell." - Sylvia Plath.

Missing six months between Season 10 ep. 3 (Swing) - 10 ep. 20 (Crush).

Reccer's Notes:

The great thing about fanfiction is that sometimes, someone writes 40,000 words about a minor character -- in this case, Elliot's second oldest child, Kathleen. This fic covers the period from Kathleen's breakdown and bipolar diagnosis in "Swing" to her appearance in "Crush," when Olivia brings her in to help with a case and Kathleen introduces herself as Olivia's friend. This fic takes that statement at face value and creates a relationship between Kathleen and Olivia that exists independent of Elliot's relationship with Olivia. There's a lot to love in this fic: the further development of Kathleen, who is already the most well-developed Stabler child; the development of Lizzie, the least developed Stabler child; the inside perspective on Stabler family dynamics; the outside perspective on Elliot and Olivia's relationship. This was a stay-up-all-night-reading fic for me.