Fic: Happily Ever After...? - Chapter 4/14
Title: Happily Ever After...?
Fandom: Law & Order: SVU
Pairing: Alex/Olivia
Rating: R
Disclaimer: The characters of Law & Order do not belong to me. No infringement intended and no profit will be made from their use.
Spoilers: Loss
Summary: After the events of "Loss", Olivia is given a second chance to make things right...
Author's Note: Set a year after "Loss". The town of Dahlonega and NGCSU are real places, but all of the people and events occurring there in this story are figments of my imagination.
Over dinner, Olivia told Alex everything Hammond had told her about Velez and his associates. She considered leaving out the part about the possible mole in the DEA, but thought it was only fair for Alex to know the whole story. Besides, she had seen Alex cross-examine witnesses, and felt certain the former ADA would turn the screws if she felt Olivia was holding anything back. When she finished telling Alex everything she knew about her situation, the detective sat back and looked across the table at her friend. She could see the fear and frustration forming in her eyes as she had listened to what Olivia had to say.
“Olivia-” Her voice cracked a bit and she averted her eyes. “I’m just not sure I can go through this again. This is a torturous process and sometimes I wonder why I ever agreed to it in the first place.”
“Alex, let’s just do what Hammond said and lay low for now. It may not come to relocation again. They are still doing surveillance and information gathering. I’ll be here as long as I need to be.” Alex nodded. “Can you take a few days off?”
Alex shook her head and sighed. “Not really. I have a pretty big exam to administer the end of this week.” She thought for a minute and then brightened. “You can come to work with me. I’ll just say you’re monitoring my class for some reason.” Olivia looked skeptical. “Come on. I’ll be safer with you there to watch out for me.”
Olivia gave a sarcastic laugh. “I was with you before, remember? Didn’t help much then.”
“Hey, if you hadn’t been with me that night, I don’t think I’d be alive to talk about it now.”
Olivia shuddered at the memory of Alex getting shot. Alex picked up the wine bottle and filled their glasses. “Time for a glass of wine. In fact, I don’t want to discuss this anymore tonight.”
“But-”
“Let me sleep on it and we’ll discuss it in the morning. I don’t have a class until eleven. Tonight, I just need to… I don’t know, hang out with an old friend, I guess. Be Alex Cabot again, even if it’s just for a short while.”
Olivia nodded. “OK. But, just so you know, I won’t drop this. I’m here to protect you and that’s what I plan to do. If that means throwing you over my shoulder and physically taking you somewhere else, don’t think I won’t do that.” Alex looked across the table at Olivia. Her smile began slowly in her eyes and progressed until she was giving Olivia a toothy grin. Olivia looked at her curiously, but couldn’t help returning the smile. “Why are we smiling?”
“Given a different set of circumstances, what you just said might be considered a real turn on.”
That remark was not at all what Olivia was expecting to hear. She thought about what she had said and a slow blush began creeping up her neck. “Come on, Olivia, we’ve been through too much together for that to make you blush.”
Olivia could feel the heat radiating from her face, but was powerless to control it. “Yeah, well, it’s been a while.”
“Since we’ve been together or since you’ve thrown someone over your shoulder?”
“Since we’ve been together. I don’t go caveman, or woman, very often. In fact, I’m not sure I ever have. But I would, I mean, I could, if I had to.” Olivia fidgeted in her chair.
Alex was finding this quite amusing. “Olivia, am I making you nervous?”
“Nervous? No. Why?”
“Because you just started babbling and I’m not sure I’ve ever heard you do that before.”
Olivia let out a sigh. “Alex, this whole situation makes me nervous.” She saw the look on Alex’s face and quickly amended her statement. “Not being here with you, but the reason why I’m here with you. I know you don’t want to talk about that anymore tonight, but you know me, always on the job. I guess I need to learn to let go sometimes, but it’s hard, you know?” She looked Alex in the eye. “Especially when it’s something this important to me.”
“Olivia, your dedication and compassion are two of the many things that make you such a great detective. Don’t ever change that. But tonight, we’re safe and sound - as much as we can be anywhere. So, let’s just be Olivia and Alex, old friends with a lot of catching up to do. We can put the dishes in the sink, get comfortable, and sit and talk, or watch a movie, or whatever, while we finish off this bottle of wine. That’s not too much to ask is it?”
“No, that actually sounds like a great idea. We’ll have our own little slumber party.” Olivia smiled as earlier visions of Alex flashed through her mind once again. Alex saw the change in expression and cocked her head to one side, but didn’t ask what prompted the look. Olivia realized she had been caught, but was glad Alex didn’t question her. She had no idea how she would have responded.
Alex picked up her wineglass in a toast. “Then here’s to old friends… and new beginnings.” Wondering what exactly she was toasting to, Olivia picked up her glass and clinked it to Alex’s. They both sipped their wine as they locked eyes across the table.
Olivia was the first to move. “So, let’s get cleaned up.” She stood and picked up her plate. Alex followed suit and they quickly had the dishes rinsed and in the dishwasher. As they moved about the kitchen, a thought occurred to Olivia. “So does this count as the dinner you invited me to that night on the phone?”
“Not exactly what I had in mind at the time, but I’ve learned that things don’t always work out the way you plan.” Olivia nodded, not sure how to respond. “But, I’ve also learned that some things just have a way of working themselves out.” Olivia nodded again, trying to decide if that was a yes. Before she could ask, Alex spoke again. “I’m going to go up and change out of my work clothes. I’ll meet you on the couch in a few?”
“Sure. I think I’ll do the same.” Olivia went to her room to change and wondered how she would react if Alex came back downstairs wearing the flannel shirt she kept seeing in her mind. Olivia still wasn’t totally convinced that Alex wanted anything more from her than friendship. Their earlier conversation had certainly taken a flirtatious turn, more so than ever before, but given their circumstances, Olivia was just not sure. She opened her suitcase and wondered what she should change into. Get a grip, Benson, this is not a date - stay focused on why you’re here. She pulled out a tank top and a pair of plaid, soft cotton lounge pants she brought to sleep in. That seemed appropriate for a slumber party. She could hear Alex moving about upstairs, so she quickly changed and went back into the kitchen.
Olivia topped off their wineglasses and took them, along with the bottle, to the coffee table. As she sat down on the soft leather sofa, she heard footsteps coming down the stairs. She turned to see a pair of long, beautiful legs making their way down the steps. Alex was dressed in a T-shirt and plaid boxers with NGCSU on one leg. No flannel shirt. Olivia was relieved and disappointed at the same time. When Alex reached the bottom of the stairs, she smiled when she saw Olivia. She walked to the door to make sure it was locked and then double-checked the alarm system before she joined Olivia at the couch.
“I see we have similar taste in comfort clothes.” Olivia gestured to her plaid pants.
Alex laughed. “I’ve regressed back to college casual.”
“I don’t think I ever left it.” Olivia picked up their glasses and handed Alex’s to her.
“Thanks.” Alex kicked off her slippers and sat down, curling her legs beneath her, so she faced Olivia. “So, tell me about the squad. How is everyone?”
“They’re good. Elliot is having weekly, if not daily, panic attacks over Maureen’s new boyfriend. He has a tattoo and a pierced eyebrow. Elliot can’t say too much about the tat, being that he has his own, but the piercing is driving him nuts. Kathleen’s got a boyfriend too, but so far, he’s flying under the Stabler radar. The twins are still both heavily into soccer. I still don’t know how they keep up with four kids.”
“Does Elliot know where you are?”
“Not exactly, but he knows I’m working with the DEA. I’m pretty sure he figured out what case it has to do with. Cragen is the only one who knows for certain it involves you.” Alex raised one eyebrow. “The only way they could get him to even consider loaning me out is to tell him about you.” The other eyebrow joined the first. “He thought of you as one of his own, Alex. Still does for that matter.”
“What about Munch and Fin?”
“They’re up to their usual antics. I think Fin must have a new lady in his life, but I don’t know for sure. He’s started cutting out early on beer nights. Munch is still… Munch! And they still act like an old married couple, bickering about everything.”
Alex smiled. “I even miss that!”
“They miss you too. We all do. The first few weeks after you- Well, after you were gone, were really tough. Casey - that’s the new ADA, Casey Novak - came in like gangbusters, but then realized that she had some awfully big shoes to fill. She tries, but I still don’t think she understands why she doesn’t quite fit in with the squad.”
“Why doesn’t she? Fit in, I mean.”
“Because she’s not you.” Olivia looked at Alex and saw her eyes tearing up. “Hey, I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“You didn’t. It’s just nice to know I’m missed.”
“You definitely are.” Olivia tried to lighten the mood. “Even Petrovsky misses you.”
Alex laughed. “Yeah, right!”
“I’ve seen the way she looks at Casey as she clomps around the courtroom.”
“She clomps?”
“Yeah, she kinda walks like a horse. Anyway, Petrovsky looks at her and I can see it in her eyes. She misses the polished, professional ADA Cabot that she loved to spar with. The first time Casey appeared in her courtroom, I thought she was going to hold her in contempt just for wearing those damn boots of hers.”
Alex snickered. She was secretly glad to hear that her replacement had not been met with open arms, but she knew that was not fair to the woman. “Don’t be too hard on her. She deserves a chance. I’m sure you guys were not exactly enamored with me at first. I don’t think all of the cold shoulders I received at first were all because of the Morris Commission thing I came in the middle of.”
“We’re a tight bunch. We don’t let just anybody in.”
“You let me in.” She gave Olivia a skeptical look. “Didn’t you?”
“Yeah. But you earned it. You played by the rules, but you listened to us and gave us a little credit that we knew what we were doing. That means a lot to a squad like ours.”
“That’s because you proved to me that you did know what you were doing. With that, you earned my respect. I don’t know how you see what you see every day and still have some semblance of a normal life.” The irony of her words hit them both. “I guess normal is a relative term.”
Olivia took their now empty glasses and put them on the table. She reached over and put her hand on Alex’s knee. Her skin was cool to the touch, but Olivia felt an almost electric charge when she touched the bare skin. “Alex, you’re gonna get your life back. I’m making a pledge to you right now, that I’m gonna do everything within my power to see to that.”
“Thanks, Liv.” Alex placed her own hand on top of Olivia’s and Olivia felt the same charge again. “Just don’t do anything to put yourself in jeopardy. One of us in Velez’s sites is enough.”
“No, it’s one too many.” Olivia turned her hand over beneath Alex’s so that she could grasp her hand. She squeezed the hand she was now holding and looked into Alex’s eyes. “I won’t let him hurt you again.” Alex stared back at Olivia for a moment and then pulled her to into a hug. They were both trying to hold back tears.
“No matter what you think about the night I was shot, I want you to know that with you here tonight, I feel safer than I have since I left New York.” Alex’s voice cracked and she was sniffling, but she managed to say it without sobbing, much to her own surprise.
Still not breaking the embrace, Olivia barely got out her reply. “I’ll keep you safe, Alex. I promise you that with all my heart.”
Alex pulled back and looked at Olivia, her arms still resting on her shoulders, Olivia’s around her waist. She smiled though her tears. “Thank you, because I know how big your heart is. But, don’t make promises you can’t keep. We don’t really know what we may be up against.”
“I’ll keep my promise or die trying.”
“No, Liv. Please don’t say that. I couldn’t bear it if something happened to you.”
“Yes, you could. You do what you have to. I won’t say it’s easy, but you learn to deal.” Alex realized that Olivia was talking about what she went through when Alex was shot. “When I saw you get out of the car that night… the night that they took you away… I don’t even know how to describe what I felt. I was so happy that you were alive, but at the same time, we were still losing you.” Alex felt Olivia tremble slightly at the memory. “I just wanted to grab you and hold on, but I knew if I did, I wouldn’t want to let go. I didn’t think you would want the Feds and Elliot to have to physically pry me away from you, so I just stood there blubbering.”
“You can hold on to me now.” Olivia leaned back and stretched her legs out, pulling Alex down on top of her. Alex’s head rested on her chest and she placed a soft kiss on the top of it. They lay there, holding each other until Olivia heard and felt the regular breathing pattern of a sleeping Alex. Olivia closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.
An hour or so later, Olivia awoke with a start. Her right arm was numb where Alex had it trapped between her body and the back of the couch. Olivia’s sudden movement roused Alex who looked up at Olivia with a surprised look of her own. “I guess we fell asleep, huh?”
Olivia smiled. “Yeah.” Alex sat up and Olivia wiggled her fingers to renew circulation.
“Sorry. I should let you go to bed. I know you’ve had a long day, with your flight down and all.”
“We can just sleep here if you want.”
“No. You can’t be very comfortable, and I’ve already cut off your circulation.” She gave Olivia a crooked grin as she stood and offered her hand to help Olivia up. Olivia grasped the hand and pulled herself off the couch. “You should have everything you need in the spare bedroom and bath, but let me know if there’s anything missing.”
“OK. Thanks.” Olivia stifled a yawn as she pulled Alex into a hug. “Goodnight, Alex. Sleep well.”
“You too. Goodnight.” Alex pulled out of the embrace and quickly made her way up the stairs. Olivia went into her bedroom. She brushed her teeth in the small bathroom and crawled into bed.
***
Olivia awoke to a noise. She looked at the clock and realized she had been in bed less than an hour. She thought she heard footsteps on the stairs. She looked again at the bedside table to make sure her service weapon was within reach. The footsteps made their way to her bedroom door and stopped. She could see Alex’s silhouette in the doorframe.
“Alex? Are you OK?”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“That’s OK. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I couldn’t go back to sleep, and I just…” Alex’s voice drifted off.
“You just what?”
“I just wanted to look at you. To make sure you were really here.” She sounded so tired and afraid, it almost made Olivia cry.
Olivia patted the bed beside her. “Alex, come here.”
“Liv, it’s two o’clock in the morning. You need to get some sleep.”
“I plan to. With you right here beside me. Now, come crawl in.” Olivia flipped back the bed linens on the opposite side of the bed. Alex moved hesitantly toward the bed and stopped beside it.
“You must think I’m the biggest wuss.”
“On the contrary. Alex, you’re one of the strongest people I know. And, if you recall, I wanted to sleep on the couch with you. So crawl in here, before I have to go cavewoman and bodily move you.” Alex gave a small smile and crawled in bed beside Olivia. Olivia lifted her arm and looked at Alex. “Come on over here.” She could see the moonlight reflected in Alex’s eyes as she contemplated moving. “Come on, we were sleeping pretty well out there on the couch.” Alex slid over and nestled her body into Olivia’s, her head resting on Olivia’s shoulder, as Olivia encircled her with her arms. Alex gave a contented sigh and Olivia placed another kiss on the top of Alex’s head. “Goodnight, Alex.”
“Night, Liv.”
TBC...
Fandom: Law & Order: SVU
Pairing: Alex/Olivia
Rating: R
Disclaimer: The characters of Law & Order do not belong to me. No infringement intended and no profit will be made from their use.
Spoilers: Loss
Summary: After the events of "Loss", Olivia is given a second chance to make things right...
Author's Note: Set a year after "Loss". The town of Dahlonega and NGCSU are real places, but all of the people and events occurring there in this story are figments of my imagination.
Over dinner, Olivia told Alex everything Hammond had told her about Velez and his associates. She considered leaving out the part about the possible mole in the DEA, but thought it was only fair for Alex to know the whole story. Besides, she had seen Alex cross-examine witnesses, and felt certain the former ADA would turn the screws if she felt Olivia was holding anything back. When she finished telling Alex everything she knew about her situation, the detective sat back and looked across the table at her friend. She could see the fear and frustration forming in her eyes as she had listened to what Olivia had to say.
“Olivia-” Her voice cracked a bit and she averted her eyes. “I’m just not sure I can go through this again. This is a torturous process and sometimes I wonder why I ever agreed to it in the first place.”
“Alex, let’s just do what Hammond said and lay low for now. It may not come to relocation again. They are still doing surveillance and information gathering. I’ll be here as long as I need to be.” Alex nodded. “Can you take a few days off?”
Alex shook her head and sighed. “Not really. I have a pretty big exam to administer the end of this week.” She thought for a minute and then brightened. “You can come to work with me. I’ll just say you’re monitoring my class for some reason.” Olivia looked skeptical. “Come on. I’ll be safer with you there to watch out for me.”
Olivia gave a sarcastic laugh. “I was with you before, remember? Didn’t help much then.”
“Hey, if you hadn’t been with me that night, I don’t think I’d be alive to talk about it now.”
Olivia shuddered at the memory of Alex getting shot. Alex picked up the wine bottle and filled their glasses. “Time for a glass of wine. In fact, I don’t want to discuss this anymore tonight.”
“But-”
“Let me sleep on it and we’ll discuss it in the morning. I don’t have a class until eleven. Tonight, I just need to… I don’t know, hang out with an old friend, I guess. Be Alex Cabot again, even if it’s just for a short while.”
Olivia nodded. “OK. But, just so you know, I won’t drop this. I’m here to protect you and that’s what I plan to do. If that means throwing you over my shoulder and physically taking you somewhere else, don’t think I won’t do that.” Alex looked across the table at Olivia. Her smile began slowly in her eyes and progressed until she was giving Olivia a toothy grin. Olivia looked at her curiously, but couldn’t help returning the smile. “Why are we smiling?”
“Given a different set of circumstances, what you just said might be considered a real turn on.”
That remark was not at all what Olivia was expecting to hear. She thought about what she had said and a slow blush began creeping up her neck. “Come on, Olivia, we’ve been through too much together for that to make you blush.”
Olivia could feel the heat radiating from her face, but was powerless to control it. “Yeah, well, it’s been a while.”
“Since we’ve been together or since you’ve thrown someone over your shoulder?”
“Since we’ve been together. I don’t go caveman, or woman, very often. In fact, I’m not sure I ever have. But I would, I mean, I could, if I had to.” Olivia fidgeted in her chair.
Alex was finding this quite amusing. “Olivia, am I making you nervous?”
“Nervous? No. Why?”
“Because you just started babbling and I’m not sure I’ve ever heard you do that before.”
Olivia let out a sigh. “Alex, this whole situation makes me nervous.” She saw the look on Alex’s face and quickly amended her statement. “Not being here with you, but the reason why I’m here with you. I know you don’t want to talk about that anymore tonight, but you know me, always on the job. I guess I need to learn to let go sometimes, but it’s hard, you know?” She looked Alex in the eye. “Especially when it’s something this important to me.”
“Olivia, your dedication and compassion are two of the many things that make you such a great detective. Don’t ever change that. But tonight, we’re safe and sound - as much as we can be anywhere. So, let’s just be Olivia and Alex, old friends with a lot of catching up to do. We can put the dishes in the sink, get comfortable, and sit and talk, or watch a movie, or whatever, while we finish off this bottle of wine. That’s not too much to ask is it?”
“No, that actually sounds like a great idea. We’ll have our own little slumber party.” Olivia smiled as earlier visions of Alex flashed through her mind once again. Alex saw the change in expression and cocked her head to one side, but didn’t ask what prompted the look. Olivia realized she had been caught, but was glad Alex didn’t question her. She had no idea how she would have responded.
Alex picked up her wineglass in a toast. “Then here’s to old friends… and new beginnings.” Wondering what exactly she was toasting to, Olivia picked up her glass and clinked it to Alex’s. They both sipped their wine as they locked eyes across the table.
Olivia was the first to move. “So, let’s get cleaned up.” She stood and picked up her plate. Alex followed suit and they quickly had the dishes rinsed and in the dishwasher. As they moved about the kitchen, a thought occurred to Olivia. “So does this count as the dinner you invited me to that night on the phone?”
“Not exactly what I had in mind at the time, but I’ve learned that things don’t always work out the way you plan.” Olivia nodded, not sure how to respond. “But, I’ve also learned that some things just have a way of working themselves out.” Olivia nodded again, trying to decide if that was a yes. Before she could ask, Alex spoke again. “I’m going to go up and change out of my work clothes. I’ll meet you on the couch in a few?”
“Sure. I think I’ll do the same.” Olivia went to her room to change and wondered how she would react if Alex came back downstairs wearing the flannel shirt she kept seeing in her mind. Olivia still wasn’t totally convinced that Alex wanted anything more from her than friendship. Their earlier conversation had certainly taken a flirtatious turn, more so than ever before, but given their circumstances, Olivia was just not sure. She opened her suitcase and wondered what she should change into. Get a grip, Benson, this is not a date - stay focused on why you’re here. She pulled out a tank top and a pair of plaid, soft cotton lounge pants she brought to sleep in. That seemed appropriate for a slumber party. She could hear Alex moving about upstairs, so she quickly changed and went back into the kitchen.
Olivia topped off their wineglasses and took them, along with the bottle, to the coffee table. As she sat down on the soft leather sofa, she heard footsteps coming down the stairs. She turned to see a pair of long, beautiful legs making their way down the steps. Alex was dressed in a T-shirt and plaid boxers with NGCSU on one leg. No flannel shirt. Olivia was relieved and disappointed at the same time. When Alex reached the bottom of the stairs, she smiled when she saw Olivia. She walked to the door to make sure it was locked and then double-checked the alarm system before she joined Olivia at the couch.
“I see we have similar taste in comfort clothes.” Olivia gestured to her plaid pants.
Alex laughed. “I’ve regressed back to college casual.”
“I don’t think I ever left it.” Olivia picked up their glasses and handed Alex’s to her.
“Thanks.” Alex kicked off her slippers and sat down, curling her legs beneath her, so she faced Olivia. “So, tell me about the squad. How is everyone?”
“They’re good. Elliot is having weekly, if not daily, panic attacks over Maureen’s new boyfriend. He has a tattoo and a pierced eyebrow. Elliot can’t say too much about the tat, being that he has his own, but the piercing is driving him nuts. Kathleen’s got a boyfriend too, but so far, he’s flying under the Stabler radar. The twins are still both heavily into soccer. I still don’t know how they keep up with four kids.”
“Does Elliot know where you are?”
“Not exactly, but he knows I’m working with the DEA. I’m pretty sure he figured out what case it has to do with. Cragen is the only one who knows for certain it involves you.” Alex raised one eyebrow. “The only way they could get him to even consider loaning me out is to tell him about you.” The other eyebrow joined the first. “He thought of you as one of his own, Alex. Still does for that matter.”
“What about Munch and Fin?”
“They’re up to their usual antics. I think Fin must have a new lady in his life, but I don’t know for sure. He’s started cutting out early on beer nights. Munch is still… Munch! And they still act like an old married couple, bickering about everything.”
Alex smiled. “I even miss that!”
“They miss you too. We all do. The first few weeks after you- Well, after you were gone, were really tough. Casey - that’s the new ADA, Casey Novak - came in like gangbusters, but then realized that she had some awfully big shoes to fill. She tries, but I still don’t think she understands why she doesn’t quite fit in with the squad.”
“Why doesn’t she? Fit in, I mean.”
“Because she’s not you.” Olivia looked at Alex and saw her eyes tearing up. “Hey, I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“You didn’t. It’s just nice to know I’m missed.”
“You definitely are.” Olivia tried to lighten the mood. “Even Petrovsky misses you.”
Alex laughed. “Yeah, right!”
“I’ve seen the way she looks at Casey as she clomps around the courtroom.”
“She clomps?”
“Yeah, she kinda walks like a horse. Anyway, Petrovsky looks at her and I can see it in her eyes. She misses the polished, professional ADA Cabot that she loved to spar with. The first time Casey appeared in her courtroom, I thought she was going to hold her in contempt just for wearing those damn boots of hers.”
Alex snickered. She was secretly glad to hear that her replacement had not been met with open arms, but she knew that was not fair to the woman. “Don’t be too hard on her. She deserves a chance. I’m sure you guys were not exactly enamored with me at first. I don’t think all of the cold shoulders I received at first were all because of the Morris Commission thing I came in the middle of.”
“We’re a tight bunch. We don’t let just anybody in.”
“You let me in.” She gave Olivia a skeptical look. “Didn’t you?”
“Yeah. But you earned it. You played by the rules, but you listened to us and gave us a little credit that we knew what we were doing. That means a lot to a squad like ours.”
“That’s because you proved to me that you did know what you were doing. With that, you earned my respect. I don’t know how you see what you see every day and still have some semblance of a normal life.” The irony of her words hit them both. “I guess normal is a relative term.”
Olivia took their now empty glasses and put them on the table. She reached over and put her hand on Alex’s knee. Her skin was cool to the touch, but Olivia felt an almost electric charge when she touched the bare skin. “Alex, you’re gonna get your life back. I’m making a pledge to you right now, that I’m gonna do everything within my power to see to that.”
“Thanks, Liv.” Alex placed her own hand on top of Olivia’s and Olivia felt the same charge again. “Just don’t do anything to put yourself in jeopardy. One of us in Velez’s sites is enough.”
“No, it’s one too many.” Olivia turned her hand over beneath Alex’s so that she could grasp her hand. She squeezed the hand she was now holding and looked into Alex’s eyes. “I won’t let him hurt you again.” Alex stared back at Olivia for a moment and then pulled her to into a hug. They were both trying to hold back tears.
“No matter what you think about the night I was shot, I want you to know that with you here tonight, I feel safer than I have since I left New York.” Alex’s voice cracked and she was sniffling, but she managed to say it without sobbing, much to her own surprise.
Still not breaking the embrace, Olivia barely got out her reply. “I’ll keep you safe, Alex. I promise you that with all my heart.”
Alex pulled back and looked at Olivia, her arms still resting on her shoulders, Olivia’s around her waist. She smiled though her tears. “Thank you, because I know how big your heart is. But, don’t make promises you can’t keep. We don’t really know what we may be up against.”
“I’ll keep my promise or die trying.”
“No, Liv. Please don’t say that. I couldn’t bear it if something happened to you.”
“Yes, you could. You do what you have to. I won’t say it’s easy, but you learn to deal.” Alex realized that Olivia was talking about what she went through when Alex was shot. “When I saw you get out of the car that night… the night that they took you away… I don’t even know how to describe what I felt. I was so happy that you were alive, but at the same time, we were still losing you.” Alex felt Olivia tremble slightly at the memory. “I just wanted to grab you and hold on, but I knew if I did, I wouldn’t want to let go. I didn’t think you would want the Feds and Elliot to have to physically pry me away from you, so I just stood there blubbering.”
“You can hold on to me now.” Olivia leaned back and stretched her legs out, pulling Alex down on top of her. Alex’s head rested on her chest and she placed a soft kiss on the top of it. They lay there, holding each other until Olivia heard and felt the regular breathing pattern of a sleeping Alex. Olivia closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.
An hour or so later, Olivia awoke with a start. Her right arm was numb where Alex had it trapped between her body and the back of the couch. Olivia’s sudden movement roused Alex who looked up at Olivia with a surprised look of her own. “I guess we fell asleep, huh?”
Olivia smiled. “Yeah.” Alex sat up and Olivia wiggled her fingers to renew circulation.
“Sorry. I should let you go to bed. I know you’ve had a long day, with your flight down and all.”
“We can just sleep here if you want.”
“No. You can’t be very comfortable, and I’ve already cut off your circulation.” She gave Olivia a crooked grin as she stood and offered her hand to help Olivia up. Olivia grasped the hand and pulled herself off the couch. “You should have everything you need in the spare bedroom and bath, but let me know if there’s anything missing.”
“OK. Thanks.” Olivia stifled a yawn as she pulled Alex into a hug. “Goodnight, Alex. Sleep well.”
“You too. Goodnight.” Alex pulled out of the embrace and quickly made her way up the stairs. Olivia went into her bedroom. She brushed her teeth in the small bathroom and crawled into bed.
***
Olivia awoke to a noise. She looked at the clock and realized she had been in bed less than an hour. She thought she heard footsteps on the stairs. She looked again at the bedside table to make sure her service weapon was within reach. The footsteps made their way to her bedroom door and stopped. She could see Alex’s silhouette in the doorframe.
“Alex? Are you OK?”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“That’s OK. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I couldn’t go back to sleep, and I just…” Alex’s voice drifted off.
“You just what?”
“I just wanted to look at you. To make sure you were really here.” She sounded so tired and afraid, it almost made Olivia cry.
Olivia patted the bed beside her. “Alex, come here.”
“Liv, it’s two o’clock in the morning. You need to get some sleep.”
“I plan to. With you right here beside me. Now, come crawl in.” Olivia flipped back the bed linens on the opposite side of the bed. Alex moved hesitantly toward the bed and stopped beside it.
“You must think I’m the biggest wuss.”
“On the contrary. Alex, you’re one of the strongest people I know. And, if you recall, I wanted to sleep on the couch with you. So crawl in here, before I have to go cavewoman and bodily move you.” Alex gave a small smile and crawled in bed beside Olivia. Olivia lifted her arm and looked at Alex. “Come on over here.” She could see the moonlight reflected in Alex’s eyes as she contemplated moving. “Come on, we were sleeping pretty well out there on the couch.” Alex slid over and nestled her body into Olivia’s, her head resting on Olivia’s shoulder, as Olivia encircled her with her arms. Alex gave a contented sigh and Olivia placed another kiss on the top of Alex’s head. “Goodnight, Alex.”
“Night, Liv.”
TBC...