She sits at the bar, but she's not alone. A familiar face joins her, after a long, hellish day. Her normal routine dictates her going straight home. Tonight she just wants a moment to herself. She looks over at the pair of blue eyes sitting next to her. She grins, slightly surprised to see him.
She takes a deep breath, and motions for another round. She watches as the bartender fills her glass. She smiles, and studies the glass. The amber colored liquid screams her name. She turns to her left, and smiles at the man sitting beside her. Half an hour and a few drinks into this chance meeting at a bar, and she has a different outlook. She sees a different side of him.
She reaches for the bourbon. She allows it to slide down her throat. Her insides feel warm, and she knows that she'll probably regret this choice in the morning. She always regrets the bourbon. She exhales, and allows the silence to pass. He turns towards her, and leans in close.
"You want to get out of here?" He whispers into her ear.
She nods, "Yes," she feels her breath hitch. They pay the tab, and promptly leave the bar.
They hail a cab, and end up at her place. He walks her into her apartment. She relieves the babysitter, and checks on Noah who is sound asleep in his crib.
"I should go," he tells her.
"Don't," she whispers. She steps away from the crib. He stands in her living room in front of the couch. She moves towards him, stopping just inches from him. She feels her pulse quicken as the bourbon takes full effect. He places his hand against her face. She inches closer. He pulls her towards him. She presses her lips against his. Within moments they're both down to under garments as they move towards her bedroom. He doesn't stop to question her certainty. She doesn't even begin to consider the potential consequences.
Hours later she wakes up tangled in sheets. She lies on her side, and rolls towards the clock. 325. She groans inwardly as she hears her phone ringing in the other room. Before she can get untangled the phone stops ringing. She takes a deep breath, and attempts to free herself from her restraints. As she comes into consciousness she is hit with a massive headache. She sits up, and quickly realizes that she's not alone. She takes a deep breath, and looks to her right. She finds a rat in her bed.
She shakes her head in disbelief. She looks at the member of IAB. She swallows hard, ignoring the urge to toss her cookies. She crawls out of bed, pulling the sheet off with her. She wraps it around her, and heads into the living room. She peeks in Noah's crib, and finds that he is still passed out. She sighs in relief as she heads towards her phone. She picks the mobile device up off the floor of the living room. She checks the voicemail. It tells her she's got a case.
She tiptoes back into her room. She takes a thorough shower, and quickly gets dressed. She heads into the bedroom. She nudges Tucker awake.
"You've got to go. I have a case. The sitter will be here in ten minutes."
"Kay," he mumbles as he slides out of bed. He sheepishly collects his clothes, and heads for the door.
She follows him into the living room. "Last night was… a mistake," she admits.
"Okay," he responds.
"I think that it is best if…"
He cuts her off, "No one needs to know."
She nods in agreement as he heads out the door. She leaves as soon as Lucy arrives to look after Noah. Fifteen minutes later she stands in an alley at the scene of a crime. Nick exhales, and his breath materializes in the brisk, early morning air. He locks eyes with Olivia as she ducks under the crime scene. She pulls on the zipper on her jacket, and joins him next to the body.
"What are you doing here?"
"We're short staffed, and I'm on rotation," she reminds him.
"What about Fin?"
"He called last night, and said he has to take a few days off. He's got the flu."
"And Carisi?"
"He's on PTO. He requested it off months ago."
He nods as he scrutinizes her facial expression, and her appearance, "Rough night?"
She nods in confirmation, "You have no idea."
"You want to talk about it?"
"I want to focus on the case," she redirects him
"Is Noah okay?"
"For once it has nothing to do with Noah. He's fine."
"Did you get any sleep last night?"
"Not much," she admits.
"He's keeping you up?"
"No. I just can't sleep. It's me."
"Anything I can do?"
"Solve this case," she answers him in a brusque tone.
"Okay," he agrees.