Disclaimer: The characters and background stories of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" do not belong to me but to Dick Wolf and NBC. I just take them out to play, honestly. No copyright infringement is intended. No profit will be made.

Timeline et al.: alternate universe – season 7. Alex and Olivia have lived together before Alex is forced into the WPP.

Summary: AU – Season 07 Casey Novak got disbarred earlier, Alex Cabot is still stashed safely away in the WPP somewhere. 1, Hogan place has not assigned a permanent replacement for Novak, and so the squad has to make do with what they got, and that's not good. But is there still a chance at a happy ending?

SLAM DUNK

BY

romansilence

It should have been a slam dunk case. It was not often that a case was as clear cut as this one. Their young victim, twelve year old Monica Martin, had identified her abuser as her mother's current lover, Michael Sullivan. Two neighbors had heard her cries the last time he had had his way with her and had called the cops. On top of that they had his fingerprints in her room, his DNA in her body and a confession. The perp's public defender was so overburdened with cases that he could barely see straight and he did not seem overtly invested in getting this particular child molester back on the streets.

Even a freshman at law school should have been able to win that case for the people blindfolded. But the ADA 1, Hogan Place sent was not fresh from law school, far from that. He had a long, if not distinguished career at the DA's office under his belt. Olivia had checked him out the first and last time he had shown his face in the squad room and his win-loss-ratio was so bad that Olivia asked herself how he had made it for years even in the white collar division.

The day the trial against Michael Sullivan, docket ending …378, was scheduled to begin before the newly elected Judge Elizabeth Donnelly the ADA pulled a no-show and a whole set of files was also gone. The man did not answer any of his telephones, not at the office, not on his cell and not at his apartment. It would be reasonable to assume that he had fallen ill and was unable to answer or had already gone to see a doctor. Donnelly had no choice but to declare a mistrial due to prosecutorial misconduct, which meant that the case would have to be retried as soon as possible.

Taking the files home would not have been big deal in itself, Alex had often brought home work before or during a trial to prepare. It was proof of Alex' devotion to justice; above her compliance with the law. After Elizabeth Donnelly had dismissed the jury, she ordered Olivia who had been present to give her statement, to follow her to her chambers, "Detective Benson, with me!"

When the door to the courtroom had closed behind them, Olivia asked, "How can I help you, Judge Donnelly?"

"Take a seat and wait until I have made a call, and cut the damned formalities, Olivia."

Liz Donnelly slipped off her robe and sat down in her desk chair. She picked up the ear piece of her old fashioned desk phone, "Silvia? Donnelly, here. Put me through to Arthur. I know he probably is busy, but we need to talk, now."

"No, Arthur, it's not a good morning, that burned out shell of a prosecutor you assigned to the Martin/Sullivan case pulled a no-show in court, he does not pick up either of his phones and has taken a copy of the case files. I had to declare a mistrial. What in the blazes were you thinking when you chose him, instead of someone with a future and ambition?"

Olivia was surprised when she heard Arthur Branch's answer over loud speaker. "I thought he would be able to handle himself with this particular case. It was as clear cut as SVU cases ever get, and Elizabeth, you know how difficult it is to find people suited to the needs of the Special Victims Units, ambition is not enough. Novak's conviction rate of almost 70 % was not bad, she had ambition, but she was disbarred because she was not cut out for Special Victims. She tried her best, but Alexandra's footsteps in the end were just too large to be filled adequately."

"Arthur, you know as well as I do that the easiest way to solve our problem would be to bring Alexandra back which is easier said then done."

"I know that, and there's no guarantee that she even wants to come back to the DA's office, but I'm prepared to offer her a position as Bureau Chief as an incentive, heading a new bureau specializing in SVU cases and Major crimes and I'm working on getting her back safely."

"You're working on it, Arthur? What means, you're working on it?"

"I'm tired of waiting for Velez of taking leave of his senses and leave his Sanctuary in Columbia and return to the United States. So, I called in a few markers from political allies at the Pentagon. I expect them to take action in the next two weeks."

"What kind of action?"

"I'm not privy to the actual planning. I promise I will call you, Lena and Donald Cragen as soon as I hear something."

"I appreciate the thought, Arthur, but I'd rather you call Detective Benson first, she was closer to Alexandra than any of us and I have no doubt that they will be again as soon as Alexandra Cabot is back."

-x-x-x-

Ten days later Olivia's iphone surprised her with a ring tone she had not heard since she had programmed her phone book, right after Alex emerged from witness protection for the O'Connor trial, so, it took her a few seconds to identify it.

"Benson!"

"Branch, Detective Benson. César Velez and his Lieutenants are dead. A rival cartel had them killed two nights ago in his home in Columbia. Alexandra's life is no longer in danger. As we speak Agent Hammond should already be on his way from Washington to tell her that she can come home."

"Are you sure, Sir?" Despite her doubts, there was hope permeating from her voice.

"As sure as humanly possible. I have no reason to mistrust the source of the information I was given or its veracity. I suppose you want to fly out and escort Alexandra home, Detective."

"I would like that very much, Sir, though I doubt that I will beat Agent Hammond to her. Where did they hide her this time?"

"In Miami. She's teaching criminal law."

"And if she does not want to come back?"

"We're talking about Alexandra Cabot here. Outside of her natural habitat, outside of New York, she is like a fish out of water. Of course she will come back and reclaim her life, do not worry. I have arranged your transport, an Air Force vehicle will pick you up. It should be fast enough to allow you to beat Agent Hammond there by a few hours. I want you to be the first one to tell Alexandra."

-x-x-x-

Three hours later Olivia knocked on the door of a small one-story bungalow. She never had been on board of a fighter jet before and it had taken her a few minutes to recover from the g-forces during the flight. To her annoyance Olivia found that her heart was beating in her throat, as if she had just finished a long run or a hard work-out.

It was late afternoon and she had not given a single thought what she would do, should Alex not be home. She listened for the slightest sound coming from the inside, but did not hear anything. She rang again. The door opened and she was pulled inside. The woman was wearing faded jeans and a tank top. Her blond hair was longer than Alex' had been. She also was thinner than she had been during the trial the year before and she was not wearing any glasses.

But when her lips were claimed by her host, the last bit of doubt Olivia might have harbored evaporated. There was no mistaking Alex' kisses for anyone else's. Only Alex Cabot had ever succeeded in making her feel loved and safe with a single, simple kiss. No, that was wrong, there was nothing simple about Alex' kisses.

They were deep and all-encompassing and left no doubts about her needs and wants. They felt like home, like nothing else ever had, familiar and yet like the first time. When they had to break the kiss to breathe, Olivia said softly, "It's over Alex. Velez is dead. You can come back home if you want to, that is."

"Are you sure, Liv?"

"Branch told me that Velez and his Lieutenants were killed, officially by a rival cartel, but I'm sure that it was some kind of special operations group from one of our own military branches. He said that he was working on getting you back ten days ago. Agent Hammond is on his way here as well to give you your options. Take all the time you need to make your decision."

"Say it again, Liv."

"What? Take all the time you need."

"No, Liv, say my name, my real name. I don't need time, my decision was made the moment they shipped me off into witness protection. I can't wait to come back home to smell the city, to fall asleep to the sound of the traffic and sirens. I want to stand in the middle of Brooklyn Bridge at the railing and look out on my city. I can't wait to make love to you. I like teaching, but it's not the real deal. It's a far cry from seeing one juror after the other coming over to my side during a trial. I want to come home, Liv."

"And I want you home with me, baby. I missed you."

"Not as much as I missed you. But it might be better if I stayed in a hotel at first. I don't want to impose."

"You could never impose, Lexi. It's your apartment as well. I just kept it more or less lived in while you were gone. Your mother thought that I was stupid to keep all of your things. I loved living with you, but I will go if you no longer want me. And I'm looking forward to have you at my side again."

"You have no idea, Liv. I want to come home to you even more than I want to come back to New York. You are far more important. Even though I could understand if you no longer want to have anything to do with me, after I told you that lie about the good man holding me in his arms at night. It was a bad idea and I knew that it would hurt you."

"Then why did you tell it?"

"Hammond had made it clear from the start that I would have to leave again, that I would be relocated after the trial, he said that this time it probably would be for good, because the trial has put me back on top of Velez' most wanted list. Lying to you was my clumsy way to give you free, Liv."

"I never wanted to be free from you, Councilor, and after the first shock I recalled the expression on your face, in your eyes and I knew that it had been a lie. It hurt more that you left without saying good-bye."

"That was not my idea nor my decision. Hammond and his goons whisked me away directly from the court room. And I didn't even get access to a phone for the next two weeks. I love you, Olivia Benson."

"And I love you, Alexandra Cabot." They kissed again and Alex pulled Olivia deeper into the house, into the bedroom. She pushed her onto the comparatively small bed and for the next two hours, until Agent Hammond rang the bell they made love, reconnected on a more than just physical level.

-x-x-x-

"What if I can't do it, Liz? What if I have lost what it takes to be a good prosecutor?" Alex was pacing Judge Donnelly's chambers, her Jimmy Choo's beating a staccato rhythm on the hardwood floor.

"Can it, Cabot, and stop whining, it's unbecoming and unnecessary. I heard your opening statement yesterday, and you have not lost anything, even though it's a slam dunk case."

"But the guy assigned to it in the first place was so spooked that he ran and dropped off the face of the earth."

"His problem not yours, Alexandra. Even in pre-school you were probably a better lawyer than he could ever hope to be. So, calm down, give Olivia a kiss and show that scumbag of a defendant what it means to go up against Alexandra Cabot."

"I can do the first, but the last is for the jury to decide."

"You have a case to win, Alexandra, this is not the time to develop a bout of modesty or insecurity, and I need a coffee."

Alex left Elizabeth's chambers and pulled Olivia to the next Lady's room and started to kiss her. When they had to come up for air Olivia asked, "What took you so long, baby?"

"A sudden bout of nerves. Liz set me straight and sent me out to you; she practically ordered me to go and kiss you."

"And you always do what Judge Donnelly demands of you, Councilor? Afraid to be held in contempt?"

"Not in this case, but her wishes gelled well with mine; I always want to kiss you and more, but we don't have time for that now."

They kissed again, studiously ignoring the two women who had come in to relieve themselves, Olivia removed Alex black rimmed glasses and cleaned them with a clean handkerchief.

The bailiff ringing a bell let them know that court was about to resume. The defendant made a big show about taking the stand and proclaiming his innocence but Alex' cross interrogation dissected his claims with surgical precision."

Late in the afternoon the jury returned from their deliberations after only fifteen minutes.

The spokesman nodded when Judge Donnelly asked if they had come to a decision. The bailiff returned the piece of paper with the verdict to him and he started to read,

"We, the jury on the charges of four counts of rape and sexual assault on a minor find the defendant Michael Sullivan guilty and we ask that he be made to serve his time for each count of rape consecutively, your honor."

"I thank you for your dedication and your quick decision, and I will give your request some serious thought at the sentencing hearing next week. Court is dismissed."

Judge Donnelly disappeared behind the oak door to her chambers with her robe floating behind her. Olivia waited for the public to leave and jumped over the barrister and pulled Alex away from putting her files in her briefcase and in her arms.

"You did it, baby; not that I had any doubts."

Alex made visual contact with Olivia, a smug smile on her face, "It seems that I have not entirely lost my touch yet."

Olivia kissed Alex gently on the tip of her nose and whispered, "Let's go home and celebrate, Lexi."

The END