Disclaimer I own none of the characters, they belong to Dick Wolf, lucky devil. Don't sue please. The story based around these characters is from my imagination and is a work of fiction based on the Law and Order SVU series.

This story is based just after Alex is released from WPP, for good but I'm not sure yet if I will set her a new course or if I will use Conviction. Most likely I wont, we'll see.

Another Chance

Heels could be heard in the distance. Olivia sighed and moved to the coffee machine. Slowly she shook her head. She hated the sound of heels now. Ever since her relationship had ended. The most full filling relationship of her life. No woman had been able to compete.

Years ago, she had ended things with her long term girlfriend, for reasons she could no longer remember. Shortly after, her ex, who she'd tried to remain friends with, seeing how they still had to work together, was shot by a wannabe assassin hired by a drug cartel boss whom the blond had made an enemy of for the good of justice. She died but only for the papers, before she was whisked off into the Witness Protection Programme, with barely a tearful farewell to Olivia and her partner Elliot Stabler. Regret had consumed Olivia. She resented the new ADA who had replaced her dear friend. Novak was her name. Novak, the replacement ADA was as unwelcome as the flu. But briefly, the woman had returned to testify only to once again be whisked away to places unknown. Hope had been lost a second time. Olivia still wanted this woman. Still needed her.

An elbow to her rib cage rudely shook her from her reverie. Spilling her coffee a little and whincing she looked to her partner.

"Elliot you jerk! What did you have to do that for?"

"Sorry Liv!" He replied not looking the slightest bit contrite. "Cragen wants you!" He continued thumbing in the direction of their Captains office.

"Fine!" The annoyed detective growled as she turned and went to see what she'd done wrong this time.

She knocked loudly on the large door.

"Come in!" The authoritative voice of Captain Cragen ordered.

"You wanted to see me?" Olivia asked as she walked in and stood in front of the Captains desk.

"Yes, Olivia, sit down please." He asked. She wouldn't.

"I'd rather stand."

"Olivia!" He continued. "You're not in trouble. There's just something I think you should know." Cragen looked at his detective and sighed as she stood her ground. " I wanted you to hear it from me and not through the precinct rumour mill." Eyebrows raised on the beautiful face of the tall brunette and she decided maybe she should sit down. Cragens' eyes were serious, his tone though was almost fatherly.

"Fine!" She conceded. "I'll sit." Was that almost a smile she glimpsed on her boss. Nah!

"Good! There's no gentle way to tell you this, but Alex is back!" The Captain waited patiently for a response. He could tell that Det. Benson was shocked. Who wouldn't have been after having received such news. Her long lost ex-lover and best friend back from wherever. "Do you want to take the rest of the day off? Get your head around this?" He asked.

"Yes!" She said straight away. Now he was in shock. Olivia Benson had barely taken a sick day since joining the force. If she had done, she'd kicked and screamed about it.

"Fine! Good!" Cragen responded as the shock subsided and before his detective could change her mind. "I'll see you tomorrow at noon then." Benson nodded and slowly, as if in a trance walked out of his office and out of the 1-6. She ignored the calls from Elliot and the others. Alex was back! She needed some air.

It had been a hard morning. The blond bombshell had spent nearly all of it having a meeting with Branch and Donnelly, trying so hard to get some kind of job even if it meant being a freaking clerk. Liz had laughed at this after crying about how glad she was that Alex was back for good and screaming that she was still mad at what Alex had put her through with the whole fake dying thing, then coming back thing, only to leave again thing.

"At least I'm not dull though right?" Alex had said slightly timidly, which was enough to stop Donnellys rant and have the older woman pull her into a crushing hug. A small smile had graced the judges face as she'd replied.

"It was true that night Alex and it's even truer now!" They both smiled as they remembered that night, Alex had been held in contempt by Judge Petrovsky for going off on one about the judges bias in court. She'd been sitting in a cell when her then boss Donnelly had come to bail her out while telling Alex she had to do as the judge said. The stubborn lawyer had pouted like a petulant child but had grudgingly acquiesced to Donnelly's order. She hadn't liked it but she'd done it.

Branch had pulled the two women from their thoughts.

"I'm not going to have you as a clerk Alex!" He waited until she looked at him. "Give me a day or two to find you a suitable post." He added. She'd nodded, grabbed her briefcase, smiled at her two ex-colleagues and walked from Branch's office. There was someone very important she needed to find. But first she'd made her way next to her old precinct the 1-6. Strolling in she easily spotted Fin and Munch lost in another argument, no doubt about one of Johns conspiracy theories. She chuckled, before she heard Elliots' voice booming into the telephone. He was, as usual, aggravated. Again she chuckled. Her world hadn't changed.

At the sound of heels, Fin turned and stared.

"Pick your jaw up off of the floor detective." Alex smiled. " You look like you've seen a ghost." She smiled as she walked past Fin, Munch and Elliot who'd dropped their coffee and the phone respectively. Once she'd got to Cragens office, she hesitated before taking a breath and knocking.

"Come in!" He bellowed. Another piece of her life fell into place. The Captain hadn't changed either. Slowly, she opened the door.

"Hello Donald!" She spoke softly, a trace of uncertainty in her voice. Cragen stared at her for a few moments, smiled then said, simply;

"Welcome home Councillor!" Alex released the breath, she hadn't known she'd been holding.

Catching up with the Captain, Elliot, Fin and Munch had been entertaining and tiring. Alex looked at her watch.

"Are we boring you Cabot?" Munch asked, his eyes peering over his glasses. The lawyer smiled and shook her head.

"Not at all John…I was just wondering where Detective Benson was?"

"I gave her the rest of the day off, she was a little shocked when I told her you were back." Cragen said.

"Actually you just missed her. She left about half an hour ago, mumbling something like she needed to get some air." Munch continued. Alex pondered for a minute before turning to Elliot.

"Any idea where she would have gone to?" She asked. Elliot nodded and grabbed her hand.

"Come on!" He smiled. "I'll drive."

Twenty five minutes later and Alex was standing at the bottom of her old apartment block. She looked up towards the roof as Elliot came to stand beside her.

"She's up there?" She asked. Elliot nodded.

"Ever since you left the second time, she took refuge on your rooftop. It kept her close to her memory of you. I could always find her up there after a particularly difficult case or if she'd been reminded of you somehow."

"I wish I could change so many things Elliot." Elliot nodded.

"So does she." Alex looked at him and flashed him a small smile as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"Thank you for looking after her." She said, then the pair walked into her old building. Flashing his badge at the security guard Elliot waited till Alex had entered the elevator before he left.

Standing on the rooftop, leaning against a wall, Detective Benson stared out across the city. It was dark now and it had just started to snow. Winter was a beautiful season. It had been her favourite, back when she'd been able to share the wonder of snowball fights and snow angels and long walks in Central park with the women of her dreams. She heard heels behind her and suddenly she couldn't see. She felt warm breath on the back of her neck;

When you walked up behind me and covered my eyes

And whispered in my ear "Guess who?!"

I rattled off names like I really didn't know

But all along I knew it was you.

"Forgive me Olivia!" Whispered the voice of the woman, she thought she'd lost forever. She swallowed and turned into the blonds embrace.

"Alex!"

end of part 1.

If you like let me know thanks. :)