Author's note: OK. I know I messed the chapter thing up because these were my first fanfictions that I every posted. So even though this is Chapter 9; it's going to say Chapter 2. So next time I post a new story I will get it right! Sorry about that! Please R & R. I appreciate it.

Chapter 9

Olivia jumped in the shower and got changed. She had less than an hour to get ready and meet Alex for lunch. She quickly swiped on some mascara and dried her hair. She stood back and looked in the mirror. This was as good as it was going to get today.

She ran downstairs and walked a block over to hail a cab. No time for the subway today.

She walked into the restaurant in Soho just a little after twelve, and found Alex at a small table in the back. Alex already had a glass of wine, and had ordered a beer for Olivia.

"I am glad to see you have our priorities straight" Olivia smiled as she walked up to the table.

"Hey Liv!" said Alex. "I was just going to text you to see if you were on your way."

"Yeah, sorry about that. I am running behind today." Said Olivia.

"I was really starting to worry when you didn't return my texts last night, or this morning. Or return my call." said Alex. "Where were you? You ALWAYS answer your phone."

"I was just over at Elliot's. We ordered dinner in and we're watching a movie and I fell asleep on the couch. I must have had the ringer on low or off because I never heard it. I slept right through until Elliot woke me this morning."

Alex raised her eyebrows and l looked at Olivia. "Elliot woke you up? No wonder you such a smile on your face this morning!"

"Alex, it wasn't like that. I fell asleep on the couch and Elliot didn't wake me. He just let me sleep there." Olivia looked away and grabbed her beer and took a sip. "You know it's not like that."

Alex stared at Olivia for a few more seconds. "If you say so. I still think you are keeping something from me. The chemistry between you two is undeniable. Everyone thinks you're sleeping together and have been for some time."

Olivia looked back at Alex. "Alex! I don't believe you. If anyone really thought we were sleeping together, we wouldn't still be working together."

"Well, you know how people gossip. And you can't deny there is something there between the two of you. There always has been. And people notice."

"Elliot and I are partners and best friends. We are close because we have been working together for 8 years. We rely on each other. I trust him with my life. And you also know that Elliot was married, and that he would never do anything to jeopardize that!" said Olivia.

"Liv. Calm down. I was just giving you a hard time. Why are you getting so upset? This can't be the first time someone has said anything to you." said Alex, shaking her head. "Besides, Elliot's ISN'T married anymore." Alex said pointedly.

At that point, the waitress walked up to take their order. The both ordered and the waitress walked away.

"Can we please just change the subject?" said Olivia. "I don't want to spend my day talking about Elliot for God's sake."

They chatted about cases and people in the office and Alex latest date through lunch and then hit the shops in Soho. Olivia's phone was in her pocket and it kept buzzing with incoming text messages as they shopped. She didn't need to look to see who they were from, but she didn't dare pull out her phone and start reading them in front of Alex. Finally, her phone rang. She was tempted to ignore it, but Alex looked at her.

"Aren't you going to answer that?" asked Alex.

"Um. Yes, of course." Olivia pulled her phone out of her pocket and saw it was Elliott. She answered with her customary greeting. "Benson."

"Hey Liv. Did you get my text messages?" said Elliot.

"No, I didn't have a chance to read them. I am shopping with Alex." Olivia smiled up at Alex and mouthed "Work." Alex wandered away, looking through some racks of dresses. She was out of earshot so Olivia could talk.

"Elliot. I can't be looking at my phone every two seconds while I am with Alex. She is going to know something's up. She already accused me of sleeping with you last night and I won't even tell you what else she said. This is going to be harder than I thought because I swear I was blushing when she said it."

Elliot chuckled on the other end. "Sorry. I just keep thinking about you and wanted to check in and see how your day was going. Besides, we call and text all the time, even before this."

"I guess. I am just a little paranoid. Aren't you with the kids anyway? You should be focused on them."

"Ha! If you spent any time with teenagers, you would know that they have their faces buried in their phones 24/7. I am just trying to keep up! Anyway, they are just getting ready because we're going to get a bite to eat. Looks like they are ready to go. Talk to you later."

"OK. 'Bye El" said Olivia and hung up the phone.

Alex wandered back over. "Anything I need to know about?"

"No. He just had a couple of things pop into his head on a case we were working last week and didn't want to forget to tell me. No big deal. Let's go." said Olivia.

Alex and Olivia finished up their shopping, and said good-bye. Alex had a date that night and wanted to get home and start getting ready. Olivia jumped into a cab and headed home, shopping bags in tow. She wasn't really looking forward to a quiet evening, and wished she would have agreed to meet up with Elliot and the kids. But she knew that wasn't the right thing to do. She sighed and put her head back on the seat. She thought it would be easy to keep outward appearances; to act as if things were the same to everyone around them. But she should have known better. This was the reason that they had carefully erected all of the barriers between them; why they had been careful with each other and their feelings. But now that the line had been crossed, this was all going to move very fast.

Images of Elliot popped into her head, and then she remembered the text messages he had sent. She pulled out her phone and opened up the text messages.

She scrolled down to the first message.

"Hey beautiful" said the first message. Olivia smiled. She could get used to that.

"I can't stop thinking about you" said the second message.

"And about last night" said the third message.

"I wish you were here. Right now. I want to see your smile and kiss you. And … " said the fourth and final message.

Olivia smiled. Despite all of the voices screaming in her head that this was not going to end well, she couldn't stop herself. She had wanted this for so long. They just HAD to figure out how to make it work.