The squad walked together back to the precinct from the courthouse. No one said a word. Elliot kicked a trashcan into an empty street. Olivia touched his arm and looked him in the eyes, as if to say "I know," and he stepped back onto the sidewalk instead of kicking it again. Everyone continued in silence for the rest of the walk back. Once inside the squad room, they all went to their own desks and got to work on the stacks of casework waiting for them. Fin sighed, and Elliot nodded in agreement. They all knew that the case at trial that morning should have come back with a guilty verdict. ADA Cabot had tried her damn best to show the jury that the attack on Rachel Connors had been a hate crime. Hell, the perp Aiden Stone had even whispered in her ear that he 'would teach her to like being with a man.' They were sure that he had gotten to members of the jury, and threatened them or paid them off to vote not guilty. Benson couldn't make eye contact with any of them. She stared blankly at the papers in front of her. It easily could have been me. The victim had left a club, a known lesbian hotspot, that Olivia herself frequented. She was attacked on the same street Olivia walked to get back to her apartment. Olivia tried to focus on the paperwork to keep herself from tearing up, but the injustice of the verdict was starting to really get to her. She slammed her hand down on her desk, causing everyone in the room to jolt. She jumped up from her chair, stormed into the crib, and slammed the door behind her. Fin and Munch looked at Stabler, who was in the middle of an internal argument about whether or not to leave her be, or to go and talk to her. He knew that Olivia had taken the case personally, but he didn't know what to say to her to calm her down. He didn't know where to start.
"Aiden Stone got to them," he said, "we know he did. There's no way they didn't see this as a hate crime. For Christ's sake, he admitted on the stand to 'wanting to teach the dyke a lesson.' Even Petrovski was shocked when they read the verdict! Did you see her face? Even she knows it was bullshit. We have to figure out which juror, or jurors, he got to." Fin and Munch nodded. Elliot was right.
"Stabler, Munch, Fin, my office, now," a voice came from behind them. Cragen motioned for them to join him in his office. "Fin, close the door," he demanded.
"Sorry, Captain, but we all know it should be a mistrial. We know he…" Fin started. If Cragen was really about to tell them that they were wrong, Elliot was mentally preparing for a battle.
"Fin, I'm not here to yell at you," Cragen began, "I agree with Elliot. I suspected it before they had even gone in for deliberation. Three of the jurors refused to make eye contact with Ms. Connors while she was on the stand. One of them, Michael Perry, I'd seen him before. I just couldn't place where, until this afternoon." He handed the Detectives a pamphlet.
"One In Ten, And Suicide In The GLBT Community," Munch read the title, "I don't get it. What does this have to do with the case?"
"Open it," Cragen said, "Olivia left it behind in my office a few weeks ago, it was from the fundraiser she did for the Suicide Prevention Foundation. I came across it again today, and figured since I basically paid $50 for it, I should probably read it. I got two pages in before I saw a familiar face." Stabler looked over Munch's shoulder at the third page. Under the 'Survivor's Story' section, he saw what Cragen saw.
"Son of a bitch!" he shouted, "That's Michael Perry! He's gay, and he returned a not guilty verdict? I'm calling bullshit on that one." Elliot turned red in the face. He was growing angrier by the second. Cragen opened his office door and they all stepped back into the squad room.
"Elliot, I want you to go speak with Michael Perry. Munch and Fin, you go talk to Aiden. I want answers from both of them. Get to the bottom of this. I'll go find Cabot and we'll file for a mistrial once we have the proof we need." The men dispersed, grabbed their coats, and headed out.
"You'll come find me about what?" Alex asked as she walked through the squad room doors.
"Alex, let's take this into my office," he whispered, "I don't want Benson knowing yet." Alex looked around the room. Olivia was nowhere to be found. Cragen saw the look of confusion on her face, and pointed towards the crib. Alex understood. She stepped into his office behind him, and gently closed the door.
"Don, what is going on?" she questioned. He handed her the pamphlet. He knew the ADA was smart. He didn't need to explain anything.
"This is from Liv's fundraiser. Surely I cannot be in here about the pamphlet, I have the same one in my office," she stated, still confused.
"Read it, Alex," he said. She looked at the booklet and then back at the Captain. He nodded, and she opened it. A few moments passed before she dropped the pamphlet on his desk and swung the door open. She wanted to vomit. Every muscle in her body tensed up. How did she not see this?! She wanted so badly to nail the perp, to win this case, not just for Rachel Connors, or for the women who were now scared to leave the bar after dark, but mostly for Olivia. She knew how hard Olivia was taking this case, how she was feeling guilty for not going to the bar that night. She thought that maybe if she'd been there, she could have stopped it from happening, or it would have been her instead, and she was trained to take guys like him down in an instant. He wouldn't have gotten the chance to rape her, would have had him on the ground and cuffed before he even knew what happened.
"Cabot, not so fast. I have the guys out speaking with Michael Perry and Aiden Stone. I don't need to tell you that our next step will be to file for a mistrial. But I need you do something more important first." He looked towards the door to the crib, and Alex smiled.
"I got her, Captain." He nodded, and she took a deep breath, before knocking on the crib door.
"Not now, please." Olivia called. Alex ignored her request and stepped inside anyway. She could tell by the tissues on the floor that Benson had been crying, and it broke her heart a little to know that the Detective was so upset. "El, I said not now," Olivia started, as she turned around and sat up. "Oh, Alex, I'm sorry, I assumed you were Elliot." Olivia wiped her eyes, and straightened out her shirt. She didn't like Alex seeing her like this.
"What can I do for you Counsellor?" She asked, looking up at the blonde ADA, trying to hide the pain in her deep brown eyes.
"I'm not here on official business, Liv. I'm here as a friend." Alex sat down on the cot next to Olivia, and turned towards her. "Olivia, I know, I know that this case has been awful, but Cragen has guys out talking to a Juror who we believe was coerced by Aiden to return a not guilty vote. If the is deemed a mistrial, we'll have more ammo to get him put away for good." Olivia looked at her, confused. "I can explain in detail later, but until we have the proof, there's nothing I can do on the case. I just wanted to make sure you weren't alone."
"Alex, I should have been Rachel. I should have been there. Do you know how easily it could have been me? I never really felt unsafe because of my sexuality; maybe because I'm a police officer, or maybe because I just never thought about the worst of what could happen. This case has made me constantly wonder if I need to look over my shoulder, not just for myself, but for other gay women too. I wish someone understood what it feels like to be scared because of who you are." Olivia was fighting back tears and her voice was shaking. Thought her coworkers were aware of her sexuality, she never really spoke of it with anyone, especially Alex, the woman she had secret feelings for. They were friends, and Olivia had to remind herself often that Alex didn't play for her team. Sure, they flirted relentlessly sometimes, but it was light and all in good fun. Alex matched her wit, and her sense of humor, and it made her an easy person to shoot one liners back and forth with.
"Olivia, I do understand. I know what it's like. When there was a hit out on me, I looked twice in every direction before I went anywhere. I couldn't turn a corner without getting a nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach. I was terrified. I know what it's like." Alex stared at the floor. She tried not to let Olivia see the tears forming in her eyes. She wanted to tell Olivia the truth. That reason had been a complete cop-out. She wanted to tell Olivia how she was a scared too, of what people would think of her, what they might do to her, if she told them the truth about her. Alex tried hard to keep up appearances. She knew the world wasn't ready for a female DA, let alone a gay female DA. She often found herself questioning whether her dream career was really worth the pain of not being with her dream woman. She told herself that for as long as she had Olivia's friendship, that it would be enough. She still couldn't help shamelessly flirting with Olivia sometimes. It just came so naturally, so easily. She was so comfortable around the brunette.
"That's not the same thing, Alex. Eventually we caught the guy and the hit was no longer a threat. You got to return to your normal life, without the fear lingering. I can't make the fear go away, because this is my normal life. Sometimes it makes me with I wasn't a lesbian. It would make everything, every aspect of my life so much easier. I wouldn't have to be scared. I wouldn't have to…never mind." Olivia stopped herself before she said too much. I wouldn't have to silently love the most incredible, beautiful woman in the world. Work would be easier, their friendship would be easier. I wouldn't be in love with you if I didn't love women.
"You wouldn't what, Liv?" Alex asked, seeing the normally calm and collected Detective even more upset than before. She placed her arm around the brunette, "It's okay, Liv, you can talk to me."
"No, I can't," she stated, shrugging Alex's arm off of her, "you're the last person I can talk to." With that, she stood, and looked back at Alex. Alex was in tears, her eyes looked confused, and she was hurt by Olivia's words. "I'm sorry, Alex," Olivia whispered as she left. She cleaned up the mess on her desk, grabbed her jacked, and had turned to leave when a sudden voice startled her.
"Benson, a moment?" Cragen requested. Olivia agreed. "Look, Olivia, I know you're upset about today's trial, but I promise you, we'll get this guy." Cragen saw the look on her face, he read the pain in her eyes, and when Alex quietly scurried by them without a word, he immediately knew Olivia was no longer upset about just the case.
"I know Captain, I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to take the case personally, but it was hard not to. It was unprofessional, and I apologize."
"Benson, stop apologizing. I understand why you're upset," he said, now realizing the second reason for her outburst, "why don't you take an extra day this weekend. Everyone else will be here Monday, we can handle the paperwork without you. Relax, unwind, and take care of yourself. I don't want to see you back in this squad room until Tuesday morning, understood?" Olivia nodded. Normally she would have refused time off if it wasn't an order, but she knew that a few days without running into Alex in the hall, or at the courthouse, might do her some good.
"Thanks, Captain," she said, and pressed the elevator button. She could not get home soon enough. She was actually looking forward to a few days of just her, the television, some Chinese takeout, and a 12 pack of beer.
It had been three days since Olivia and Alex had spoken. The friends usually spoke every day, so Alex was beginning to worry, but she was also still confused and incredibly hurt, so she told herself she would not contact Olivia unless the Detective contacted her first. Alex tried her absolute hardest not to cave in and call Olivia, but after nearly three days of no words between them, she picked up the phone and called her. No answer. She opened a text message and began to type. 'Liv, please talk to me. I just want to know that you're okay. -A."
Olivia looked at her phone. One new message from Alex Cabot. Though she was in no mood to talk to her, she opened it anyway, just to make sure it wasn't an emergency with SVU.
'Alex, I didn't answer your call because I don't want to talk. Please respect that. -O.'
Cabot read Olivia's message and sighed. Detective Olivia Benson was the most stubborn person that Alex had ever met. Liv had a history of pushing the people that she was close to away when things got rough. Alex knew that Olivia didn't mean what she was saying, that it was just a coping mechanism. Little did she know, this instance was a little different. She picked up her keys, contemplated her next step, and decided that if Olivia wouldn't talk to her over the phone, that she would go and talk to her in person. Alex needed some answers.
Olivia sat on on her couch in front of her living room window, watching the rain fall. She had thought that three days in seclusion would help her relax, clear her head, and help her collect herself. Instead, all it did was make her overthink things, play out different scenarios between her and Alex in her head, and confuse her even more. She picked up the phone and dialed a familiar number.
"Hey Olivia, how are you?" George Huang answered.
"Hey Huang, I've seen better days. Do you have a minute to spare?" she asked. Olivia considered George to be on of her closest friends. Immediately he sensed the desperation in her voice.
"For you Olivia, I have many minutes to spare. What's going on? Are you okay?" He asked, concerned. It wasn't often that Olivia needed advice, but when she did, it was usually something pretty serious.
"Not really, no. I'm falling apart," she began so sob.
"I'm on my way over, Liv. I'll see you in 15 minutes," he assured her as he left his office in a rush. His worry was growing. He hailed a cab, and hopped in quickly.
Huang nearly raced up the stairs to Olivia's apartment. Her door was unlocked, in expectance of his arrival, so he let himself in. He left his bag in the front hall and set out to find her.
"Olivia, it's George, I'm here," he called. He continued down the hall to find Olivia curled up on the couch, still crying. He sat down next to her, and gently rubbed the sad woman's back.
"I'm sorry Huang, I didn't know who else to call." Olivia sat up and wrapped the blanket tighter around herself. "I'm a mess. This case got to me, and I let it get between Alex & I, and I don't know how to fix it. I don't think she'll ever want to talk to me again," she told him.
"Olivia, Alex is your best friend, I don't think that's true. Just because you disagreed about a case, doesn't mean you won't continue to be friends. Alex knows that your work relationship and your friendship are different things," he tried to comfort her.
"It wasn't like that. It was personal. It was…I don't even know. I was pretty awful to her and she didn't deserve it. But she was trying to tell me that she knew how I felt, and I told her that her comparison to being scared due to a hit on her wasn't the same as fearing for your safety because of your sexuality. She doesn't understand. Her risk went away after a few weeks when the guy was put in prison. Mine won't ever go away." Olivia stared at a picture of her and Alex hanging on the wall above her TV. Alex's smile made her tear up again.
"Olivia, what was this argument really about?" he asked, trying to get Olivia to come to the realization herself. "Would you have even argued with her if you didn't have feelings for her?" He looked at her, waiting for her response. Olivia sighed. Huang was right.
"It was about me, I guess. I was upset about the verdict, and she came to comfort me. She tried to tell me that she understood, but she doesn't. She may know what it's like to be scared because of who you are, but she doesn't know what it's like to be in love with someone you can't have. And that's probably why I snapped at her. But how can I explain it to her? I can't apologize and lie to her in the same sentence." Olivia looked at George, her eyes pleading for an answer.
"The truth, Liv. You explain it to her with the truth. I think Alex will be more understanding than you're giving her credit for," he tried to tell her, without giving away too much. Huang was the only person in the precinct who knew about Alex's preference in women. He had found out by accident when he stumbled upon Alex and another woman on a date. They had gone far away from the city, where no one would know Alex. Coincidently, it was in the same town that George's cousin lived in. He had gone to visit her for the weekend, and had seen Alex on the date. At first he assumed they were just friends, until Alex saw him and excused herself. She begged him not to tell anyone. He had told her that he didn't know it was a date. She turned bright red, after outing herself, and joked about how no one went to that romantic of a restaurant unless they were on a date, nodding at the girl with him. 'Nope, Alex, I'm pretty damn gay, and that is Lea, my cousin,' he had informed her. The two agreed not to speak of the exchange, for Alex's benefit. They didn't speak of it again, until one day Alex came to his office and confessed to him her feelings for Olivia. Somehow, he had managed to keep it a secret, hoping that the two women could figure it out themselves someday.
"It will ruin our friendship, George. How could she be friends with me after that?" she asked. She caught the look on his face. "Huang, what is it?"
"Nothing, Liv. Just think of it this way; where you stand now, your friendship with Alex is compromised anyway. If you tell her the truth, if you lie, if you say nothing at all, it will still be compromised. There will be less explaining to do if you're just honest with her. I know you're worried about her reaction," he stated, looking her in the eyes, "but I really, really think she might surprise you. Alex is pretty…special. I think you need to give her the benefit of the doubt on this one. At least give her the chance to know the truth. She deserve that much, doesn't she? Olivia, trust me on this." Olivia nodded. Once again, he was right. She was terrified, but Huang seemed pretty sure that Cabot wouldn't hate her after.
"Okay. I'll talk to her. She does deserve the truth. That's the least I can do." She and George stood, and he touched her arm. She smiled. "Thank you, Huang."
"Come find me tomorrow and let me know how it went." With that, he was gone. Olivia sat down on the couch and picked up her phone.
On his way out of Olivia's building, he was surprised to find Alex coming up the stairs. When Alex spotted him, she panicked.
"Dr. Huang, what are you…is Liv…is something wrong? Where's Liv?" her hands started to shake and she was turning pale.
"Counsellor, relax, Olivia is fine. I invited myself over to talk after she called me upset. She's okay," he assured her, "I was just leaving now." He smiled at the blonde ADA, and before he left, offered her a piece of advice. "Alex, can I speak openly for a moment?" he inquired.
"Of course," she agreed.
"We both know how Liv can be about her personal life. It took years for Olivia to open up to me, and it was my job to get her to talk. If it took a professional that long to get her to talk, her walls are pretty high. I'm assuming that you're on the way up to see her? Just hear her out before you say anything. I know you're hurt, but let her say what she needs to say, otherwise you may never hear it. I think you'll find it worth listening to." He squeezed Alex's hand, and wished her luck. Alex watched as he continued down the stairs. She waited until he was gone, and took a deep breath. What was he talking about? What was going on? If Olivia was just going to yell at her some more, she was all set. Maybe this was a mistake. She turned to leave, when her phone went off. She pulled it out of her jacket pocket. 'Alex, I'm sorry. Can we talk?' Alex smiled, and put her phone away. Thirty seconds later, she was standing in front of the brunette's door.
Olivia had hoped that it wasn't too late to rectify things between her and Alex. She had texted the blonde ADA, crossing her fingers that Alex wasn't too angry to respond. The knock on her door startled her at first. She got up and walked towards the door, wondering who it was. She looked through the peephole, shocked to see Alex standing there. She quickly opened the door, half excited, half wondering how Alex had gotten there so fast.
"Hi, " Alex said shyly, "I was already halfway up your stairs when you texted me."
"I'm glad you're here, Alex," Olivia said. "Please, come in?" she offered. Alex stepped into Olivia's apartment and took off her jacket. Olivia locked the door behind them, and led Alex to the living room. The two sat down on opposite ends of the couch. Neither of them said anything. Alex looked at Olivia, and cleared her throat.
"Liv, I…" she started, her voice shaky, "I think there's something we need to talk about." Olivia shifted on the couch to turn towards her. "I'm sorry." she whispered.
"Alex, I should be the one apologizing to you. I snapped at you for my own selfish reasons and it wasn't fair to you." Olivia looked at the beautiful blonde, and all she could think of was how much she'd missed those gorgeous blue eyes.
"Olivia, you were wrong, but not because you snapped at me," Alex blurted out. So much for taking Huang's advice and letting Olivia explain first. Olivia looked at her, searching for answers. "You were wrong about what you said, but it wasn't your fault. You were wrong because you don't know." Alex knew that once she had started this conversation, there would be no going back.
"Alex, what the hell does that mean? I don't know what, Lex?" Olivia was angry and confused. She had planned on telling Alex about her feelings, but the conversation was starting to seem like another argument.
"You didn't know, Liv, that I do know what it's like to be scared," she paused, "because of my sexuality. I do know. Okay? That's why no one knows. Because I'm absolutely terrified." Olivia's face was blank. She was more confused now than ever.
"Alex, what are you saying? That you're suddenly gay? That isn't how this works…" Olivia was still angry.
"No, Olivia, not 'suddenly.' I always have been. If you don't believe me, ask Huang. He's the only person who knows, and not because I told him. He saw me on a date with another women quite a few years ago, and I begged him not to tell anyone." Alex looked down, ashamed. "So yes, Liv, I do understand. But I couldn't tell you that before because it would have meant outing myself and I wasn't ready to face it. I wasn't ready to deal with unrequited feelings, people talking behind my back, being labeled, and potentially giving up my shot at DA." Olivia was shocked. She was silent. She couldn't look at Alex. "Liv, please say something," she pleaded.
"Huang knew? Huang knew this whole time and he never said anything? Jesus, Alex, I don't even know what to say." Olivia stood, deeply sighed, and looked out the window.
"That's the part you're mad about? Huang didn't tell anyone because I asked him not to. Just because you're a lesbian, doesn't mean he would tell you," Alex stated.
"Alex, Huang knew about you. And he knew about something else that wouldn't have ever been a problem if he'd dropped me even the smallest hint about you! Four years! Four years, he knew and he didn't tell me! I need a drink." Olivia walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of wine off the rack. Alex followed her. She was not going to let Olivia make that kind of statement and then not explain it.
"Liv, what else did Huang know? Why is this such a problem? I thought you of all people might be understanding…" Alex was fighting back tears.
"Alex, you don't get it, do you? The other day in the crib, you said that you understood what I was feeling. You assumed that I was talking about the case, or feeling unsafe because I'm a lesbian, but that's not why I was upset. I told you that I wished I didn't like women because everything would be easier for me. I wasn't talking about my safety, I was talking about you, Alex. I was talking about how it would be easier to not have to be in love with my straight best friend, pretending every day that I didn't have feelings for you, or that I wasn't attracted to you. Four years, I spent in love with a woman that I couldn't have, and Huang knew." Olivia turned around to pour a glass of wine, and to take a deep breath. Behind her, Alex spoke.
"Olivia, I….you're…in love with me? Why didn't you ever say something?" she asked. Still turned, Olivia answered.
"Because I thought you were straight?"
"Liv, I would have said something if I thought there was a chance that you were interested. I flirted shamelessly with you, and dropped hints left and right, but you never reacted, made a move, anything. After so long, I assumed you weren't interested in me like that. Liv, if I had known…I told myself I'd get over it, and that being your friend was better than nothing. It was never enough, I still wanted more, but it was better than nothing at all. I couldn't imagine my life without you, so I didn't say anything," Alex explained. She was crying. She stepped towards Olivia, deciding to take control of the situation. "Liv, say something." Olivia turned around, caught off guard at how close to her Alex was.
"Alex, I have always been interested in you. I thought you were just being friendly, not serious about it." Olivia looked at the blonde, and for the first time, saw her in a different light. All of their conversations, their flirting, it all had a new meaning now. She reached out and pulled the blonde in close to her. She wrapped her arms around Alex, and held her. Olivia smiled at
how perfectly Alex fit in her arms.
"Liv," Alex pulled back a little, "can I ask you something?"
"Yes," Olivia answered.
"What would have happened if I'd said something four years ago?" she wondered.
"This," Olivia said. The blonde looked at her, confused, and Olivia leaned forward, closing the space between them. When she found Alex's lips with hers, she was met with no resistance, but a deep passionate return. Olivia had dreamed of this moment hundreds of times, but the dreams were not even close to being as good as the real thing. Alex leaned back a moment, and looked right into the Detectives deep brown eyes. The pulsing in her core sent waves through her body. She leaned in again, and whispered in Olivia's ear. "Detective, I think you should show me to your bedroom. It isn't very lady like to fuck where you prepare meals." Olivia laughed nervously. "Plus, Benson, we have a lot of lost time to make up for." Olivia took Alex by the hand, laced their fingers together, and led her down the hall. As they got to the bedroom door, Alex stopped.
"Hey, Liv?" she said quietly.
"What is it, Lex? We don't have to…we can wait. Until you're ready. We could cuddle on the couch, maybe make out a little?" Olivia offered.
"Shh. I'm more than ready," Alex smiled. "It's just that…" she paused, "there's something else you need to know." Olivia's heart sank at Alex's words. What now?
"I love you too, Liv." Alex said. Olivia opened the bedroom door, and ushered Alex in with her.
"I want to show you how much I love you," she whispered, sweeping the blonde into her arms, kissing her. Alex giggled, and pulled Olivia down onto the bed with her.
Neither woman had gotten much sleep that night; once they had tired from their physical activity, they laid entwined in each other's naked bodies, talking, caressing, crying, laughing, and kissing until the sun came up. The two were reluctant to part in the morning, but they both had to work. Agreeing to see each other for dinner, they parted ways with a kiss, and started their days. Once Olivia had left for work, she texted Alex. 'I miss you already. I love you. -O.'
Alex blushed, smiled, and responded. 'I miss you more, beautiful. I love you. See you tonight! We have a lot to celebrate - us, and getting a guilty verdict back on Aiden Stone. -A.' Olivia was overjoyed. She'd really gotten her happy ending. She walked into the squad room, and instantly the guys could see the glow the was giving off.
"Who's the lucky lady, Benson?" Fin joked.
"None of your business, Fin! But guys, I do come bearing good news! Cragen, join us?" she called, waving the Captain out of his office. She opened her message from Alex, and read "On the charge of rape in the first degree, the jury found Aiden Stone, Guilty. On the charge of Assault in the first degree, the jury found Aiden Stone, guilty," the room erupted in applause. "On the charge of contempt by juror intimidation, the jury found Aiden Stone, guilty." The guys cheered. "Wait, I'm not done! For the charge of committing a hate crime, the jury found Aiden Stone, Guilty!" Everyone celebrated, high fived, and hugged Olivia. "Really, guys, thank you. Without all of you and ADA Cabot, this wouldn't have been possible. This case hit close to home of me, and I hope you know how much I appreciate all of your support." Elliot patted her on the back as Alex walked through the precinct doors.
"Did I hear my name?" Alex asked, jokingly. Elliot shook her hand and congratulated her.
"The woman of the hour!" Olivia exclaimed, as the guys clapped for a job well done on Alex's part. She had killed it in court, especially at retrying a mistrial case. "And, my hero," she said her eyes meeting Alex's. Alex stepped closer to Olivia, took her hand, and leaned in to whisper in her ear.
"I really want to kiss you right now," she confessed to the Detective.
"No one is stopping you, Counsellor," the brunette responded. Elliot watched them closely, as did Fin and Munch. Well aware of their captive audience, Olivia still didn't let go of Alex's hand. "They're going to talk now anyway," she said, squeezing Alex's hand, "might as well give them something to talk about." Alex leaned in and pressed her lips to Olivia's. Moments passed, and when they finally came out of their embrace, they looked around at the squad. Every jaw in the room had dropped. "I'll see you tonight, Counsellor?" Olivia asked.
"You bet, Detective." Alex winked, and walked out to the squad room. "Have a great day, boys!" she called.
Olivia shook her head, and sat down at her desk to start working on case files. She couldn't stop the smile that had spread across her face. Across the room, Munch pulled out his wallet and handed Fin and Elliot twenty dollar bills. Olivia looked up as Fin and Elliot silently gloated in their victory. Cragen came out of his office, avoided contact with Olivia, and dropped twenties down on both Elliot and Fin's desks. He patted Munch on the back, and returned to his office, but not before Olivia spoke.
"Seriously, guys? Did you place bets on which team Alex played for?!" she exclaimed, while deciding whether or not it was offensive or humorous.
"No, Benson, we didn't, I swear," Fin said. Olivia looked flustered at Munch, who motioned as though he was zipping his lips. She turned to Elliot, who caved.
"Fin is right Liv, we didn't," he began, "we all saw the way you and Alex looked each other, interacted with one another, and how close you got. We didn't place bets on what way Alex swung, because regardless, she was definitely swinging your way. We placed bets on how long it would take the two of you to figure it out." He pointed to Munch and Cragen. "Those two, they thought it wouldn't happen, because of your extreme stubbornness and Alex's emotional walls. Fin and I, we saw the spark between the two of you. We said within a year from the day we made the bets." Elliot smirked. "Since it happened after only eight months, we win!" Olivia couldn't help but laugh. For four years, she had thought she was keeping this huge secret, when everyone already knew.
"Benson," Cragen said, "we all support the two of you together. Nothing changes because of your relationship with her. Just please, try to move the making out from the squad room to the crib next time? You're making the rest of us jealous."
"Yes, Captain," Olivia laughed. "Thank you guys. It means a lot." She looked at each of them, smiled again, and everyone got back to business. The room remained quiet until Huang stopped by.
"Dr. Huang, good to see you!" Elliot greeted, more cheerful than usual. Huang gave Elliot and Fin a funny look, and reluctantly they both handed him their winnings. Olivia's eyes widened as she watched the exchange. George approached her desk, and saw her facial expression.
"Olivia, I hear congratulations were in order?" he said. Olivia nodded, and glanced at the money in his hand, wondering if he'd been in on it too. "The guys all had a running bet, but I had a side bet with Elliot and Fin, that you would figure it out with Alex in less than a year, and that when you did, we'd use the money we won to treat the two of you to dinner," he informed her, handing her the money. "So now, take Alex out on a real date, on us."
You guys are too much, you know that?" she joked, grateful for such a wonderful family.