SVU Fic: The Last To Know Chapter Three
The Last To Know
Chapter Three
**
Elliot took the beer in his hand, pressing the cool glass against his forehead. He wondered what it was with women and packing. How they had to categorically pack everything and everything. How they could be so studious in something that was just going to get unpacked anyway. He sat in the center of Alex’s new apartment, surrounded by walls of boxes. Some of them were from Alex’s other life. The rest, they were the last of her mother’s possessions.
The Feds had been good at maintaining their ruse. After her mother’s death, with no heir, the house had gone up for sale. Hammond had been sure to pack and store as many of the items as possible. Felt it was the least he could do. With Alex no longer in witness protection, there was no need to maintain the ruse, nor the mammoth amount of possessions.
Alex wandered into the living room. Sat down next to Elliot. “You want another one?”
“Nah, I’m fine,” he paused to finish off the bottle. “Why haven’t you called Olivia?”
Alex exhaled solemnly. She knew the question would come up eventually. Still, how could she tell Elliot what she thought, what she felt about his best friend? That even as much as she loved Olivia, there was a darkness lingering inside the woman that terrified her. Bringing Olivia back into her life, into her bed, meant opening old wounds still unhealed. Old hurts that still stung. Instead, she used the answer she’d clung to for the past three years. The one that had quelled her fears and satisfied a subconscious unwilling to face them.
“I don‘t know.”
“You can’t keep avoiding her forever.”
“I know. I just want some semblance of my life back before I open that particular can of worms.”
She tipped her hand too soon. Saw the slight tensing in Elliot’s shoulders. Part of her wanted to tell him that she’d already seen Olivia. Had gone to her apartment the first night she returned to New York. Had been a silent witness to Olivia’s new life, and new girlfriend. The two sharing a more than chaste kiss before disappearing inside.
“You’ll work it out,” he nudged her with his shoulder.
“What if I don’t want to?”
**
It was the day Casey had been dreading. It was the day Alex actually returned. And, like everything around her, she’d been the last to know.
She hurriedly made her way towards the 16th Precinct, another warrant acquired with a favor account currently bankrupt.
They were standing around the center of the Squad Room, all of them. To make matters worse, they were laughing. Casey couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen any member of the Squad laugh, let alone all at the same time. And, as the crowd opened like the Red Sea, Casey knew why. Alex stood amongst the center of them, all golden hair and sparkling blue eyes. A Goddess basking in the praise of her genuflecting minions.
Casey edged to the side, preferring to take it all in rather than intrude. Still, she noted the way they were standing, the body language of each individual. All was not well in Cabot Returns Land. Alex sat on the edge of Elliot's desk, flanked by Liz Donnelly and, to Casey's eyes and much more interestingly, Elliot. There was something protective about his stance, a certain non-verbal warning. He looked casual enough, leaning on his desk, arms casually folded across his chest. It took several moments for Casey to pinpoint it. He wasn't protecting her from some painful past memory. He was protecting Alex from Olivia.
She could tell by how Elliot stood. She could tell by how Olivia stood. She stood on the periphery. Hands tucked in her back pockets. Head tilted down just slightly, in a way that made her both a part of the conversation and outside it. She was tense and trying desperately not to show it.
Olivia, spotting Casey in the background, made her way towards the ADA. "What's up?"
"I have the warrant you asked for," she handed the papers over to Olivia. Watched as Olivia gave it quick once over. "So, the gang's all here."
"Something like that," Olivia mumbled, eyes still glued to the warrant.
"What's with Elliot?"
"What do you mean?"
"By the way he's acting you'd think he was her bodyguard or something." It was petty and juvenile and low but Casey couldn't help the visceral thrill at seeing the slight jolt in Olivia, at knowing she'd cut her.
"He's just happy to see her."
"What about you? Is she happy to see you?" Another low blow. Casey groaned inwardly as the words escaped before she had a chance to take them back. She tried not to forget about the verbal knives the Detective always carried close to her chest. Casey winced slight as she saw Olivia’s eyes darken.
“You could always ask her. Seeing as how you‘ll be sharing an office,” her lips spread into a self-satisfied smirk. “What? Didn’t you know? Alex is back at SVU.”
END CHAPTER 3
Chapter Three
**
Elliot took the beer in his hand, pressing the cool glass against his forehead. He wondered what it was with women and packing. How they had to categorically pack everything and everything. How they could be so studious in something that was just going to get unpacked anyway. He sat in the center of Alex’s new apartment, surrounded by walls of boxes. Some of them were from Alex’s other life. The rest, they were the last of her mother’s possessions.
The Feds had been good at maintaining their ruse. After her mother’s death, with no heir, the house had gone up for sale. Hammond had been sure to pack and store as many of the items as possible. Felt it was the least he could do. With Alex no longer in witness protection, there was no need to maintain the ruse, nor the mammoth amount of possessions.
Alex wandered into the living room. Sat down next to Elliot. “You want another one?”
“Nah, I’m fine,” he paused to finish off the bottle. “Why haven’t you called Olivia?”
Alex exhaled solemnly. She knew the question would come up eventually. Still, how could she tell Elliot what she thought, what she felt about his best friend? That even as much as she loved Olivia, there was a darkness lingering inside the woman that terrified her. Bringing Olivia back into her life, into her bed, meant opening old wounds still unhealed. Old hurts that still stung. Instead, she used the answer she’d clung to for the past three years. The one that had quelled her fears and satisfied a subconscious unwilling to face them.
“I don‘t know.”
“You can’t keep avoiding her forever.”
“I know. I just want some semblance of my life back before I open that particular can of worms.”
She tipped her hand too soon. Saw the slight tensing in Elliot’s shoulders. Part of her wanted to tell him that she’d already seen Olivia. Had gone to her apartment the first night she returned to New York. Had been a silent witness to Olivia’s new life, and new girlfriend. The two sharing a more than chaste kiss before disappearing inside.
“You’ll work it out,” he nudged her with his shoulder.
“What if I don’t want to?”
**
It was the day Casey had been dreading. It was the day Alex actually returned. And, like everything around her, she’d been the last to know.
She hurriedly made her way towards the 16th Precinct, another warrant acquired with a favor account currently bankrupt.
They were standing around the center of the Squad Room, all of them. To make matters worse, they were laughing. Casey couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen any member of the Squad laugh, let alone all at the same time. And, as the crowd opened like the Red Sea, Casey knew why. Alex stood amongst the center of them, all golden hair and sparkling blue eyes. A Goddess basking in the praise of her genuflecting minions.
Casey edged to the side, preferring to take it all in rather than intrude. Still, she noted the way they were standing, the body language of each individual. All was not well in Cabot Returns Land. Alex sat on the edge of Elliot's desk, flanked by Liz Donnelly and, to Casey's eyes and much more interestingly, Elliot. There was something protective about his stance, a certain non-verbal warning. He looked casual enough, leaning on his desk, arms casually folded across his chest. It took several moments for Casey to pinpoint it. He wasn't protecting her from some painful past memory. He was protecting Alex from Olivia.
She could tell by how Elliot stood. She could tell by how Olivia stood. She stood on the periphery. Hands tucked in her back pockets. Head tilted down just slightly, in a way that made her both a part of the conversation and outside it. She was tense and trying desperately not to show it.
Olivia, spotting Casey in the background, made her way towards the ADA. "What's up?"
"I have the warrant you asked for," she handed the papers over to Olivia. Watched as Olivia gave it quick once over. "So, the gang's all here."
"Something like that," Olivia mumbled, eyes still glued to the warrant.
"What's with Elliot?"
"What do you mean?"
"By the way he's acting you'd think he was her bodyguard or something." It was petty and juvenile and low but Casey couldn't help the visceral thrill at seeing the slight jolt in Olivia, at knowing she'd cut her.
"He's just happy to see her."
"What about you? Is she happy to see you?" Another low blow. Casey groaned inwardly as the words escaped before she had a chance to take them back. She tried not to forget about the verbal knives the Detective always carried close to her chest. Casey winced slight as she saw Olivia’s eyes darken.
“You could always ask her. Seeing as how you‘ll be sharing an office,” her lips spread into a self-satisfied smirk. “What? Didn’t you know? Alex is back at SVU.”
END CHAPTER 3