Model Behaviour

Takes place directly after 'Competence' (series 3). In fact, it takes place so soon after that episode ends that I suggest you go watch the episode first, as a nice introduction. It's on . This was just a one-shot, and now it's a proper story – complete with case and all! This part has been edited, so even if you've read it before, please re-read. Just a quick note – this story assumes a previous relationship (the kind where each has a few spare shirts at the other's apartment) between Alex and Olivia, which only Elliot knows about.

Thanks to 'Marie Geiger-Muller' for the excellent brainstorming session.

- - -

Chapter ONE – Rest

"Well done Alex. You did good" Cragen gave his praise as soon as Alex left the interview room that had a shattered Ray Chaney still in it. Alex caught Cragen's eye, and gave a faint nod of thanks.

"I'll be in tomorrow to talk shop and send off the paperwork."

"Right. You taking off?" Asked Cragen, glancing at his watch. It was early in the afternoon, but the case (and all the others) had been draining, and every one on it had been working for hours.

"Yeah" Alex glanced at Olivia. They were standing right next to each other, and Olivia could feel Alex's warm arm brushing her own. Olivia felt her pulse quicken just a little; Alex's eyes told her to come back to her apartment this instant.

"I think I'll go too, unless you need me Captain?" Olivia asked, praying on the answer.

"I need you Benson..." Purred Alex into Olivia's ear, pretending to look behind her so that Cragen wouldn't see. Olivia swallowed. Her throat was suddenly very dry.

"No, you can go. PSR report on my desk tomorrow morning. Have a nice night."

- - -

A little less than a half hour later, and Alex was wandering across to her sofa, wearing nothing but her underwear and one of Olivia's shirts. She was carrying two glasses of wine, one of which was expertly plucked from her hand by a passing Olivia.

"Hey! Those were both for me!" Protested Alex, smiling.

"You deserve them! God, I was looking at you tell that son-of-a-bitch exactly what was coming to him" Said Olivia, sipping the wine and snaking the other arm around Alex's waist, kissing her neck. "The fire in your eyes when you're prosecuting..." breathed Olivia "it's just like the look you give me just before you fuck me..."

The depths of Alex's stomach gave a little twitch, and she gave Olivia a slight moan of approval, then smiled and gracefully twisted out of Olivia's hold.

"You want lunch?" She asked, smiling and making her way over to the kitchen, as Olivia made a noise of disbelief.

"No fair! You were giving me the eye thirty minutes ago, and now you're, you're..."

"I'm what?" Mused Alex, pulling a bag of pasta out of the refrigerator and turning on the hot water tap, flicking her fingers under the stream of water as she waited for it to heat up. "Pasta ok with you?"

"You're teasing me. You're being a vixen. Pasta is fine."

Alex poured the water into a pot, when Olivia had a thought. She leaned on the counter.

"Baby, did you really set fire to your stove last year?"

"Um. Yeah."

"Huh. I'll cook."

"You don't have to..." Alex trailed off as Olivia swept into her kitchen and took the pasta from one hand and the pot from the other.

"You know," said Olivia, ignoring Alex's attempts to regain control of the cooking utensils. "I think Cragen has a thing for you. I mean, I'm 'Benson' or 'detective' half the time, and with you it's Alex this, Alex that"

Alex smiled. "You jealous? And it's Liz Donnelly he wants. In her office... honestly – the eye flirting that was going on. Get a room!"

"Eye flirting?" Olivia arched an eyebrow. "Like what you do to me every second at work? Or is that just eye fucking? And Alex? We have a room. We have a whole apartment..." Whispered Olivia, turning around and pressing into Alex, who kissed her.

"Later. I have plans for you – but first... we eat. Pasta, that is." She added, as an afterthought, smiling and turning away. She took some knives and forks from a drawer, and moved over to the table. Olivia grinned, and turned her attention back onto the pasta. "You know," continued Alex, clearing the paperwork from the small dining table, "Donnelly told me she'd make the subpoena go away. It was very sweet of her"

"Maybe she feels bad after suspending her hottest ADA last month" Olivia spoke without thinking. It had meant to be a flirt, but she could see the look on Alex's face.

"Don't."

"I'm sorry Al, I didn't mean to..."

"It's ok."

Alex's phone started ringing, and she wandered over the the handset – lying under the legal journals she had been flicking through over breakfast.

"Hello?"

"Alex – it's Elliot. Put Olivia on?" Alex smiled at the fact that he knew she would be there, then her smiled faded as she realised what the call probably meant.

"Sure, hold on. Liv, it's Elliot" she offered the phone to Olivia, who groaned a little inside. She was tired. She wanted to eat pasta, then Alex, then kick back for a few hours – and make the world a safer place tomorrow morning.

"Yeah?" She said, trading the wooden spoon for the phone.

"You got any hours left?" He meant the hours per week limit. She had enough – and he knew it.

"Yeah, I do. Where are you?"

"Apartment on Third and East 25th. Have you eaten?"

"No, why?"

"You'll see. Fast as you can, please and thank you" Said Elliot, dryly, before hanging up. Olivia slotted the phone into its cradle, and shrugged at Alex.

"See you later"

"Call me, let me know how you're getting on?"

"Mmhm" Olivia moved around the apartment, collecting her jacket, shoes, badge, gun, phone. The little bits and pieces that made up Olivia – rather, Detective Benson. Alex liked having them around. Better still, she liked having Detective Benson on her dining table, and Olivia in her bed. On passing, Olivia stopped to kiss Alex, briefly, before heading to the door.

"And eat something – please!" Called Alex after her, and Olivia grabbed a banana from the fruit bowl and left the apartment. Alex sighed. The SVU never rests. And neither do the perps.