Protecting Her Protector--Alex/Olivia fic
A/O fic: Protecting Her Protector
Author: phoebe_melinda
Fandom: SVU
Pairing: Alex/Olivia
Rating: Mature
Disclaimer: Contains adult subject matters -- non slash -- AU world
Summary: An attack from a past perp leaves Olivia running rampant during the night. She comes to a house in lower Manhattan, only to find a very close friend from her past she never expected to see again, but are they different entirely? One-Shot
Olivia was running, running from something she couldn't quite see. The darkness was dimly lit by lamps and she had an overwhelming urge to let whatever was chasing her catch her, but she knew she couldn't do that, so she kept running.
Tears stung her eyes and her own blood muddled her vision. She was freezing, despite the fact that she was dressed in layers. Her face was scratched up, eye swollen and she was pretty sure if she spit on the ground right now she would see blood.
In all her years as a detective, not once had she fathomed this happening to her. She'd seen it a thousand times, but, for some reason, it seemed incapable of happening to her. She was a cop and, regularly, carried a gun and, dammit, she'd used use it if necessary, even off the job.
But now, more than ever, she didn't feel like a cop. She ran faster so the flashbacks-and he-couldn't catch her.
Her first instinct has been to call Elliot, but she knew she couldn't stay in one place, much less lead her attacker to him and risk others being hurt. As much as she wanted the help, she couldn't risk it. Which brought her to where she was now.
She slowed her pace, catching her breath. She was on the lower side of Manhattan. As she walked the streets, she couldn't help, but remember all the cases she and Elliot had been called to in the area. Homicides, suicides, rape victims left dead for them to find, abused children left outside in winter to freeze.
All of them depended on her to tell their stories and get some type of justice even if they could no longer tell it themselves.
Seeing a shadow move made her flight response kick back into overdrive as she picked her pace back up to a run. She knew she couldn't keep this up forever. Her body was sore and bleeding in places she couldn't see and with the temperature dropping her muscles were becoming stiffer with every step she took.
Finally, she reached, what looked like from her tired, achy and panicked perspective, a small brimstone illuminated by very dim porch lights. She had no idea what made the place catch her eye or when her feet had drug her to the door, not to mention how the door had even opened when she hadn't even knocked. The only thing she knew was when the door opened she passed out from exhaustion…
Olivia woke up some hours later, feeling a cool cloth on her forehead, a pillow underneath it and a blanket covering her.
Her low groan awoke, she assumed, whoever's house she was currently in as she heard a newspaper rustling. Sitting up slowly, she removed the cold cloth still staring at the richly red carpet as staring into the lights, she'd recently discovered, made her head spin.
She felt another person sit beside her and was fearful it was whoever was chasing her, but when the hand rested lightly on her shoulder she looked over. Her mouth hung in shock.
"Alex?" she whispered, not even trying to move into her friend's comfort zone, fearing she'd get the wrong idea.
She smiled, sighing. "Out of everyone on the squad, I didn't expect you to find me."
"Oh, I wasn't trying to," she assured, resituating herself on the edge of the couch. "Ow!"
"What is it?" Alex asked. "Do you need more Asprin?"
She shook her head, looking around with wide, fearful eyes before looking at her hands.
"Olivia, what is it?"
She was still stunned at her actually being here. Usually when people are placed in the Witness Protection Program they move far away and forget their lives. But the thing that truly set her off was the way Alex had just spoken to her.
She wasn't angry or suspicious. She was kind, caring and concerned. Not normally how you'd expect the hostess to be after somebody knocked on your door and, probably, collapsed into your arms. But, then again, to Alex, she wasn't some random stranger off the street either.
"Alex," she whispered again.
She wrapped an arm around her, "Yes?"
"I'm sorry."
"For what?" she asked, her blue crystals gazing into her.
She swallowed hard, finally letting the events come back. "I-I never should've done this."
"What happened? You look like you were dressed for a run."
She sighed. "I shouldn't even be telling you this and you shouldn't be here," she said, standing suddenly. "I'm really sorry. You should go back where your safe and no one knows who you really are." She began to walk away, but Alex grabbed her wrist gently.
"No," she spoke firmly, "I won't let you go. You were hurt and were looking for help," she sighed. "And I guess, fate brought you to me. Please Olivia, don't leave," she spoke with a light sadness in her tone.
She shrugged, "But by staying here, you're in even more danger. And, this time, I can't protect you."
Alex grabbed her friend's shoulders and turned her to face her. She was looking at the carpet, but Alex could still see the trickles of tears from her eyes. Gently, she lifted her chin with one finger. "Sweetie, it's not me who needs protection this time, it's you."
Olivia nodded, leaning into her. For the longest time they stood like that with Alex's arms wrapped tightly around her and Olivia's head on her shoulder crying as she trembled.
The grandfather lock chimed once, signaling 1 A.M. and snapping the detective, somewhat, out of her state.
Alex sat back down and Olivia followed suit, resting her head again on her friend's shoulder. "Ready to talk yet?" she asked, rubbing soothing circles in her back.
She nodded. "You were right. I was running before it happened."
"Do you know who he was?"
She sighed. "This perp Elliot and I locked up a long time ago. He'd killed, at least, four women. Stalking them to get their routines for a normal day, then he'd steal some work uniform and make up a phony name to get into the house before he attacked and killed them. Towards the end of the case, Elliot figured out I was his next target. He was determined not to let me keep going, but I insisted. I wasn't going to let someone intimidate me."
She expected Alex to say something, but all that she saw in her eyes was compassion and with that look comforting her, she continued.
"That night his call woke me up, insisting that we meet to consummate our relationship. We met at the park. I was on a bench and I saw him chasing a woman with a knife. Elliot, Cragen, Fin and Munch came out from behind the bushes knocking him to the ground and cuffing him." She cleared her throat, wincing as the cloth was pressed to her open wounds. "How bad are they?"
Alex just shook her head. "I have a feeling they're not nearly as bad as what else happened tonight."
She nodded. "True. I actually could've made it to Mercy if I would've kept running, but I just couldn't run anymore."
"You should rest."
"He's still looking for me though and…I actually feel useless."
Alex raised a brow. "Useless? Why say that?"
She shook her head. "No more, okay? Just please?"
After staunching the bleeding, she placed the rag back down. "Liv, I need to know."
"No Alex, you don't need to know! You want to know!" she raged, her anger taking control as she stood again abruptly.
The D.A. recognized the hurtful, harsh tone and even though this would hurt, if Olivia never admitted it, it would be even harder. "And why do I want to know?" she asked calmly, trying her best not to sound sarcastic.
She looked at her. "Why else? To improve your conviction rate!" she seethed, storming off into the kitchen.
Sighing, Alex got off of the couch, draping the blanket over her shoulders and quietly walked to the kitchen doorframe. Olivia stood next to the counter, her back to Alex, but Alex could visibly see her shaking. Carefully, she walked up behind her.
"That's not why, Olivia. I would never do that, not to you," she answered sincerely.
Olivia turned so that her back was against the counter as she tried to steady her breathing, but it wasn't working. Calmly, Alex walked over and switched the light on above the stove before walking over to stand in front of her again.
"I asked because I'm worried about you. You're a wonderful person who should never feel useless. You're smart, compassionate, caring, level-headed, you sympathize with the victims," Alex listed as she gently pulled her into her arms, "and you always put the safety of the victims or catching the perp ahead of even your own life," she said, feeling Olivia's arms come around her. "You're absolutely the best person I've ever known and I'd love to be able to prosecute the man who made you feel like less than a person."
"But you can't," she said after a few minutes. "You can't risk it."
Alex sighed. "Doesn't mean I wish I couldn't be there with you."
The detective pulled away. "I guess I should go now, huh?"
She smiled. "You're not leaving until morning," she replied, walking over and grabbing an ice pack from the freezer. "Your eye is swelling again," she replied when Olivia gave her a confused look.
She nodded, pressing it gingerly to her face. "Alright. You really want know?"
She stood, unmoving except fot the slight nod of her head.
"He couldn't keep his excitement up after he'd hit me enough to convince me to shut up. After which, he just kept hitting," she sighed. "I thought he would never stop. I-I tried, before anything happened, to push him away, but as strong as I can appear to be in a moment of rage or triumph, I just couldn't."
"And he blamed you?"
She nodded. "Of course he did."
"You shouldn't."
"I don't. Really. I tried everything I could."
"You might not now, but one of these days it's gonna bite you. You think you're over it. You're on a really nice date with a gentleman who opens your door and takes you by the hand, but when things get to that point, you freeze because you can't get him out of your head. You squeeze your eyes shut, attempting to block out the pain, but he keeps asking questions. Too many questions and eventually you bolt from his place with no explanation only to end up in the same place you tried to escape from."
Olivia's eyes widened. "That's…a really detailed description." Then she saw the look of torment on Alex's face. The pain, the anguish, it mimicked her own. "Alex?"
Her gaze was far off, trapped in memories.
Olivia walked over and laid a hand on her shoulder. Alex's eyes were focused on hers as she took a few deep breaths. "Is that why you're back here now?"
She nodded. "I-I gave the police every detail of the attack and they're currently looking for him. WPP said that for the time being, the safest place for me to be was where he didn't know me as Emily. When they catch him, I'll go back."
"So, basically what you're telling me is that it was a pure one-in-a-million coincidence you were here tonight?" Olivia asked.
She nodded. "Exactly."
"No one knows why you really left?"
"No one."
Olivia wrapped her arms around her. "I'm sorry. I really am."
She nodded, wrapping her arms around her. "I usually can't sleep, much less function. I know there's no possible way he can find me, but…"
"Don't worry about it tonight. Like you said, you're not letting me leave. Maybe one night wrapped around each other is what we both need."
Alex laughed. "I don't know if that's what we need."
Olivia caught the hint. "I'm not talking about that! I wouldn't be comfortable anyway, but we can be wrapped up without strings, can't we?"
"I don't see why not."
And with that, the two went to bed, knowing no sexual strings would ever come from this night, but they were happy they'd found each other just the same.
And here the detective thought she was protecting the D.A. when it was really the other way around this time.
THE END
Author's Note: Just a short one-shot I came up with today. Please let me know what you think!
[Like I said in my journal, I don't remember how to do the cuts!]