Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Dick Wolf.

It was 8:00 and Alex still wasn't home. Olivia was starting to get worried. It was the end of November, after all, and it was dark outside. To make matters worse, it was raining. She couldn't remember if Alex had remembered an umbrella or not. She'd called Alex three times on her cell phone before she realized that Alex must have forgotten to turn it back on after court, or just left it at the office altogether. She couldn't help the nagging feeling in the back of her mind that something might have happened to Alex, something bad, and that was why she hadn't come home two hours ago, as she usually did. It was their routine to cook dinner together around seven, and Alex had never before been late without calling first.

Finally, Olivia heard the door open, and sighed in relief when she heard footsteps that were very clearly Alex's in the hallway. She went to the door and was surprised to find Alex looking more dishevelled than she'd ever seen her before. Her hair was damp from the rain, her cheeks were flushed, her clothes were soaked through, and she was shivering from the cold.

Olivia's first thought was, poor baby. Her second and nearly concurrent thought was, she's going to get it for making me worry.

She took Alex's coat and hung it up, then folded the blonde into her arms. Alex was downright exhausted, and it looked as if she just needed that hug.

She was content to just hold Alex for a few minutes, then drew back and took Alex's hand, still not saying a word. She led Alex into the family room and sat down on the couch, pulling her girlfriend onto her lap. Alex was too tired to protest, and she leaned back against Olivia, closing her eyes and resting her head on Olivia's shoulder.

Olivia rubbed Alex's back, not even caring that Alex was getting her clothes all wet. "Where were you, sweetie?" she asked after a few minutes.

Alex sighed. "You have to promise not to laugh at me."

"Okay," agreed Olivia, her lips turning up just at the question. "Where were you? I was worried."

"I needed to pick something up before I got home, but I kind of got lost."

"Kind of?"

"Well, I knew where I was and I knew where I was going. I just didn't know how to get there. I thought I did, but I turned right when I should have turned left. And I got lost. So I thought I would use the GPS on my phone to find directions, but I didn't realize that I needed to download that application first, and of course there was insufficient memory space and my phone crashed."

Olivia couldn't help it; she laughed. "Why didn't you just call me from a pay phone, baby? I would have picked you up."

Alex glared at her. "I knew you'd laugh at me, just like you're doing now."

Olivia tried to keep a straight face, but she couldn't quite manage it. The thought that Alex's pride was more important than walking nearly thirty blocks in the rain, in New York, at night, was just so classic Alex. "Why didn't you call a cab?"

"I just didn't want to, okay?"

"You shouldn't be walking alone at night, baby. It isn't safe."

Alex pouted, and Olivia thought it was the most adorable thing she had ever seen. "You do it."

"I'm a cop."

"So? I'm an ADA."

"I have a badge and a gun."

"And an overinflated ego to complete the trio," said Alex dryly. "Hate to break it to you, Liv, but you're not invincible."

Olivia threaded her fingers through Alex's hair. "Neither are you."

Alex shrugged, then leaned back into Olivia. She suddenly sat back up when she felt how wet Olivia's shirt was. "Sorry. I'm getting you all wet."

"Is this news?"

Alex chuckled and playfully swatted Olivia's arm. "You have a dirty mind."

Olivia just raised an eyebrow. "Is that supposed to be news?"

Alex grinned. "You are incorrigible."

"Is that –"

"No, of course not."

Olivia kissed the crown of Alex's head. "I'll run you a bath."

Alex smiled gratefully. "Thanks. You have no idea how good that's going to feel. Do you want to join me?"

"No, it's okay. I made dinner. I'll go heat it up."

Alex took her bath and when she was done, Olivia brought her a pair of pajamas that were warm from the dryer. Alex smiled. "Thanks, Liv. You're really spoiling me tonight."

Olivia grinned. "Well, you did walk thirty blocks in the rain, so it's more out of pity than anything."

Alex bit her lower lip. "Weren't you wondering what I had to pick up?"

"Yeah. What was it?"

For the first time today – maybe ever – Alex looked uncertain. "I was going to wait for the right time, but I think maybe any time with you is the right time. And the sooner the better, you know?" She took a deep breath and picked up her purse, which was on the counter. She rummaged inside until she found the velvet box, and she smiled at Olivia as she got down on one knee, in the traditional way, and watched Olivia's eyes widen as she realized what was coming. Keeping her eyes locked on her girlfriend's, she asked, "Olivia, will you marry me?"

It was so simple, clear and to the point, straightforward; that was Alex's way. Yet, a million words couldn't have made Olivia any happier. And looking into those beautiful blue eyes, drowning in their depths, Olivia said the word she'd been saying to Alex from the very start. "Yes."

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