She stood there, gun trembling in her hands, as she tried to reason with
him. "Please, Mr. Plummer," she said, "don't think I won't."
"I'm counting on it, Detective." He shoved his captive to her knees and looked at Olivia as he whispered, "There are no bullets in my gun." He tightened his fingers around the trigger as he put the gun to the hostage's head.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
She watched the bullets as they floated toward their target, slamming him backwards, staining the walls with his blood. She stared at the S.W.A.T. officer when he held up the perp's gun and said, "It wasn't loaded." Suddenly, Eric Plummer looked up at her, his dead eyes grinning as he said, "How does it feel, Detective Benson?"
BAM! BAM! BAM!
Olivia woke with a start; her heart pounding as she slowly realized she had been dreaming again. She sat up from the couch and looked around, forcing herself into consciousness, when she heard the knocking at her door.
Assuming that Elliot was making another attempt at resolving their differences, Olivia ignored her unwanted visitor. When he came to her door earlier that day, she had been sitting there, in the dark, watching the storm as it battered the city. After she heard him walk away, she had turned off her phone and returned to her vigil until fatigue quietly overpowered her.
She looked at her watch. It was almost midnight and the rain was still falling. She watched the lightning as it illuminated the night sky, and jumped slightly when she heard the knock again.
"Olivia, it's me. Please let me in."
Alex?
She turned toward the door, almost rising out of her seat. Then she heard those words in her head again, and she sat back down.
How many drinks did you have?
I wasn't drunk!
Olivia ran her hand through her hair and sighed. Alex was her friend and there had been many times before when the boundaries between their work relationship and their friendship had been blurred. Olivia once thought that there was a possibility of something beyond friendship between the two, but not now. Not after this morning. She settled back in the couch and fixed her eyes on the window.
'Was it only this morning?' Alex thought, as she knocked louder on the door, refusing to be dissuaded from her mission. She and Olivia had argued. It hadn't been the first time and it surely wouldn't be the last, but this time Alex knew she had hurt the detective. The words had no sooner left her mouth than she saw the pain pooling in her friend's eyes, yet she said nothing as Olivia stormed out of her office.
"Olivia, please. Don't make me sit out here all night. I forgot my umbrella and I'm drenched." Alex pleaded as she rested her palm against the apartment door. She was not above playing on Olivia's sympathetic nature if it meant a chance to talk with the woman, to explain.
When there was no reply, Alex slowly slid down the doorframe and leaned against the barrier. "Olivia," she began softly, "I'm not leaving until I see you."
Olivia let out a deep sigh as she looked toward the entryway. Alex Cabot was the most stubborn person she had ever known. She also knew that unlike Elliot, who had a family waiting at home, Alex had no one. Not since Abbie left. The only way Olivia would get any peace tonight would be to let the woman in.
She walked to the door and undid the chain and deadbolt. Slowly opening the door, Olivia looked down and saw Alex sitting on the floor, soaked to the skin. She offered her hand, helping the blonde to her feet and looking directly into ice blue eyes.
"I don't want you here, Alex," she said, barely keeping the sting from her tone.
"Could I at least borrow a towel, Detective? I had to park two blocks away."
Olivia scratched her head as she moved aside and let her uninvited guest in. She went to the linen closet and grabbed a couple of towels, tossing them to Alex before stepping into her bedroom. Returning with a pair of sweats, Olivia suggested that Alex change and hang her wet clothes in the shower to dry.
Alex walked into the bathroom while Olivia entered the kitchen and turned on the burner under the kettle. She pulled down two mugs, a box of tea bags, and a bottle of bourbon. The tea was ready by the time Alex had changed and Olivia held a mug out to her as she walked over to the couch.
Alex smiled gratefully as she accepted the drink, one taste telling her that Olivia had added their secret ingredient. She allowed the drink to seep through her body, warming her up, sip by sip. Alex sat down on the opposite end of the couch and began to speak.
"You turned off your phone."
There was no response.
"I was worried."
Olivia looked at Alex with disbelief. "You were worried? About me? You didn't seem to be worried about me this morning. Just your win/loss record."
"That's not true ---," Alex started before Olivia interrupted her.
"Really, Counselor? I killed a man today, Alex. We could have had Plummer this morning. Alive. If you ---' Olivia struggled as her throat tightened with emotion, '--if you would have just believed me."
"Olivia, I have never doubted the veracity of any information you have brought me."
Angry tears spilled from her eyes as Olivia questioned, "Then why did you ask me if I was drunk?"
Alex focused on the mug in her hand, carefully weighing her next words. "I asked you that question because of this case's history. In order to successfully prosecute Eric Plummer, I needed to make damn sure that there was absolutely nothing that could come back later and bite us in the ass. A primary detective claiming to see the suspect outside of a bar, in which she had been drinking, would have left teeth marks. Any prosecutor would have asked you that, Olivia."
"But you're not just any old prosecutor, are you Alex? You're supposed to be my friend! This man was stalking me! Then I find out that my so-called partner was having me followed. So what do I do? I go to the only other person I thought would listen to me, and you weren't there for me, Alex. You just weren't there."
Seeing the anguish on the brunette's face, Alex set her mug down and moved closer to Olivia. She wrapped her arms around her friend, pulling her close as she softly whispered, "I can't apologize for doing my job Olivia, but I am so sorry that I hurt you. That is the last thing I would ever want. I put all my faith in your abilities, as a cop and a friend. Please, don't ever think otherwise. You mean too much to me, Olivia Benson."
She pulled back from the embrace and saw the tears streaming down Olivia's face. Fighting to maintain her own composure, Alex reached up to wipe them away only to feel Olivia's hand stop hers.
"Just go, Alex," Olivia said, her voice hoarse with emotion. "Go home."
Alex reached for the older woman and held her as tears fell down her own cheek. She struggled to keep the sob from her wavering voice, as she quietly answered, "I can't do that Olivia."
"I'm counting on it, Detective." He shoved his captive to her knees and looked at Olivia as he whispered, "There are no bullets in my gun." He tightened his fingers around the trigger as he put the gun to the hostage's head.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
She watched the bullets as they floated toward their target, slamming him backwards, staining the walls with his blood. She stared at the S.W.A.T. officer when he held up the perp's gun and said, "It wasn't loaded." Suddenly, Eric Plummer looked up at her, his dead eyes grinning as he said, "How does it feel, Detective Benson?"
BAM! BAM! BAM!
Olivia woke with a start; her heart pounding as she slowly realized she had been dreaming again. She sat up from the couch and looked around, forcing herself into consciousness, when she heard the knocking at her door.
Assuming that Elliot was making another attempt at resolving their differences, Olivia ignored her unwanted visitor. When he came to her door earlier that day, she had been sitting there, in the dark, watching the storm as it battered the city. After she heard him walk away, she had turned off her phone and returned to her vigil until fatigue quietly overpowered her.
She looked at her watch. It was almost midnight and the rain was still falling. She watched the lightning as it illuminated the night sky, and jumped slightly when she heard the knock again.
"Olivia, it's me. Please let me in."
Alex?
She turned toward the door, almost rising out of her seat. Then she heard those words in her head again, and she sat back down.
How many drinks did you have?
I wasn't drunk!
Olivia ran her hand through her hair and sighed. Alex was her friend and there had been many times before when the boundaries between their work relationship and their friendship had been blurred. Olivia once thought that there was a possibility of something beyond friendship between the two, but not now. Not after this morning. She settled back in the couch and fixed her eyes on the window.
'Was it only this morning?' Alex thought, as she knocked louder on the door, refusing to be dissuaded from her mission. She and Olivia had argued. It hadn't been the first time and it surely wouldn't be the last, but this time Alex knew she had hurt the detective. The words had no sooner left her mouth than she saw the pain pooling in her friend's eyes, yet she said nothing as Olivia stormed out of her office.
"Olivia, please. Don't make me sit out here all night. I forgot my umbrella and I'm drenched." Alex pleaded as she rested her palm against the apartment door. She was not above playing on Olivia's sympathetic nature if it meant a chance to talk with the woman, to explain.
When there was no reply, Alex slowly slid down the doorframe and leaned against the barrier. "Olivia," she began softly, "I'm not leaving until I see you."
Olivia let out a deep sigh as she looked toward the entryway. Alex Cabot was the most stubborn person she had ever known. She also knew that unlike Elliot, who had a family waiting at home, Alex had no one. Not since Abbie left. The only way Olivia would get any peace tonight would be to let the woman in.
She walked to the door and undid the chain and deadbolt. Slowly opening the door, Olivia looked down and saw Alex sitting on the floor, soaked to the skin. She offered her hand, helping the blonde to her feet and looking directly into ice blue eyes.
"I don't want you here, Alex," she said, barely keeping the sting from her tone.
"Could I at least borrow a towel, Detective? I had to park two blocks away."
Olivia scratched her head as she moved aside and let her uninvited guest in. She went to the linen closet and grabbed a couple of towels, tossing them to Alex before stepping into her bedroom. Returning with a pair of sweats, Olivia suggested that Alex change and hang her wet clothes in the shower to dry.
Alex walked into the bathroom while Olivia entered the kitchen and turned on the burner under the kettle. She pulled down two mugs, a box of tea bags, and a bottle of bourbon. The tea was ready by the time Alex had changed and Olivia held a mug out to her as she walked over to the couch.
Alex smiled gratefully as she accepted the drink, one taste telling her that Olivia had added their secret ingredient. She allowed the drink to seep through her body, warming her up, sip by sip. Alex sat down on the opposite end of the couch and began to speak.
"You turned off your phone."
There was no response.
"I was worried."
Olivia looked at Alex with disbelief. "You were worried? About me? You didn't seem to be worried about me this morning. Just your win/loss record."
"That's not true ---," Alex started before Olivia interrupted her.
"Really, Counselor? I killed a man today, Alex. We could have had Plummer this morning. Alive. If you ---' Olivia struggled as her throat tightened with emotion, '--if you would have just believed me."
"Olivia, I have never doubted the veracity of any information you have brought me."
Angry tears spilled from her eyes as Olivia questioned, "Then why did you ask me if I was drunk?"
Alex focused on the mug in her hand, carefully weighing her next words. "I asked you that question because of this case's history. In order to successfully prosecute Eric Plummer, I needed to make damn sure that there was absolutely nothing that could come back later and bite us in the ass. A primary detective claiming to see the suspect outside of a bar, in which she had been drinking, would have left teeth marks. Any prosecutor would have asked you that, Olivia."
"But you're not just any old prosecutor, are you Alex? You're supposed to be my friend! This man was stalking me! Then I find out that my so-called partner was having me followed. So what do I do? I go to the only other person I thought would listen to me, and you weren't there for me, Alex. You just weren't there."
Seeing the anguish on the brunette's face, Alex set her mug down and moved closer to Olivia. She wrapped her arms around her friend, pulling her close as she softly whispered, "I can't apologize for doing my job Olivia, but I am so sorry that I hurt you. That is the last thing I would ever want. I put all my faith in your abilities, as a cop and a friend. Please, don't ever think otherwise. You mean too much to me, Olivia Benson."
She pulled back from the embrace and saw the tears streaming down Olivia's face. Fighting to maintain her own composure, Alex reached up to wipe them away only to feel Olivia's hand stop hers.
"Just go, Alex," Olivia said, her voice hoarse with emotion. "Go home."
Alex reached for the older woman and held her as tears fell down her own cheek. She struggled to keep the sob from her wavering voice, as she quietly answered, "I can't do that Olivia."