Pink Petals, Painted Red
Chapter 4

Alex was used to walking home to an empty apartment. Lights off, clean, barely lived in. And if she was being perfectly honest, that's how she liked it. She could remember her college days, sharing a small living space with too many people. It ruined her for roommates, if she was being completely honest.

No, being alone was how she preferred it.

She walked into her apartment, kicked off her shoes, and felt something fuzzy at her feet. She yelped, ever so slightly, not noticing the cat below her. She looked down, and saw the furry animal's doe eyes. Every time she came home, the cat did this. It was obnoxious.

She sighed, and picked him up. He purred, and nuzzled into her grip. A small smile escaped her lips. The cat was too cute for his own good. She could barely resist nuzzling her nose into his belly.

"Hey Mercury," she greeted him, "Sorry I took so long to get home."

She didn't know why she apologized. The cat didn't care. His daily routine consisted on sleeping on the different surfaces of the apartment, and eating when that got boring. He'd manipulated her into giving him the life of a king. He knew exactly how to work her buttons. He was lucky he was cute.

Although, she had to admit, she liked having him around. She complained about him to anyone who would listen, but, she loved the dumb creature.

Especially on days like this.

She placed the cat down, and went to her kitchen, to make herself something to eat. Alex was never much of a good cook - Olivia once joked that it should be illegal for her to be near a stove.

Olivia. Alex could hardly believe the events of the night were real. Seeing Olivia again. Talking with the brunette...as awkward as it was. An emergency trip down to the jail, just like old times.

Olivia in the hospital. Olivia potentially being exposed to Hanahaki.

Alex told herself that nothing would come of it. After all - she'd been exposed to the disease, and she turned out just fine. Olivia would too.

Hopefully.

Alex opened the fridge, examining what she had. She debated just ordering out. There was a 24 pizza shop, that covered all her needs for fried food goodness.

She loved fried food - something Olivia used to tease her about, any chance she got. Sure, at work, Alex would make it a point to only eat the healthiest of salads she could get her hands on. Appearances, after all. Besides, eating healthy at work tricked her co workers into thinking she took care of herself.

Man, was that a lie.

Olivia may have been the only co-worker she ever had, that knew the full extent of that lie. It was weird. There was a time when Olivia knew all her secrets, and she knew Olivia's.

Now she didn't even know the detective was a mom.

She settled on making herself some pasta - a dish so simple, even she couldn't mess it up. At least, most of the time.

There was one time, back when she'd first joined the Special Victim's Unit, when she was working on a case. She was analyzing a case file, while discussing it with the brunette detective. She was arranging a date where they could meet up, and Alex could prep her for her testimony - it was a very sensitive case, and everything fell on Olivia nailing the trial. It wasn't a situation Alex liked to be in. She didn't like having cases, that only had one foot to stand on.

She would make sure it was a good foot.

Olivia, for her part, spent the conversation trying to reassure Alex that everything would fine - not that Alex would listen. The ADA wouldn't feel comfortable, until the trial was over. Alex had gotten so into her conversation, that she didn't realize that her stove caught on fire.

The alarms went off. Alex looked over to her kitchen, and screamed.

"Alex? What's happening?" The detective had said, concerned, over the phone.

"Nothing. I'll call you back," Alex said, as calmly as she could. She hung up the phone, and immediately tried to put the fire out. It wasn't a large fire, but it was still a fire. It took a couple of minutes, but Alex finally was able to put out the flames.

Her would be dinner was charcoal, but she didn't die in a fire. Win some, lose some.

She went to cleaning her kitchen - she knew from previous experience that charred kitchen materials were impossible to clean, unless you got to them fast. She'd heard a knock at the door.

It was odd. No one ever came over, except her mom or uncle, and even that was rare.

She cautiously went to the door, and opened it to find Detective Elliot Stabler.

"Detective," she said...she was not comfortable enough to be on a first name basis with the man yet, "What are you doing here?"

Elliot sniffed the air, and smirked, "Liv said you screamed, and ended your conversation really fast. She knew I was in the area, and wanted me to check to make sure you're okay." Alex was a bit shocked by the words. Olivia Benson was worried about her. Worried enough to send her partner to check on her. She smiled a bit, "So? What'd you burn?"

"Pasta," she replied, sheepishly. There was an awkward pause, "So...do you want to come in? Can I offer you a drink."

Elliot shrugged, and took the offer. He stayed over for exactly an hour, and drank only water - he wasn't officially on duty, but he was on call. They talked, about their case, for a little bit.

But the conversation eventually turned to Olivia, as it usually did. Elliot told her stories of their times as partners. Of the other times Olivia went the extra steps, to protect the people around her.

Alex wondered if her fondness for the detective stemmed from that conversation.

The blond lawyer would eventually come to know just how devoted Olivia was to the people around her. It was both her greatest strength, and her biggest flaw. It was admirable.

She couldn't help but think just how lucky Olivia's son would be. He'd live a charmed life, that's for sure.

Alex coughed, briefly, before going back to her food. She wondered...would it be appropriate to call Olivia the next morning? After all, they still had a lot of catching up to do. They'd spent years apart. Alex, honestly, would love to know everything Olivia had been up to, all that time.

Did Olivia still have the same number? Was calling the detective even a good idea?

Alex thought on it, for a second. Maybe there was a reason they'd grown apart. Alex remembered, when she worked with the Special Victim's Unit, they were inseparable. They had a relationship that was unlike any Alex had before. It was a dream.

But when they were separated? Nothing. The first time Alex left, when she was forced into Witness Protection, it was obvious why she and Olivia didn't talk. But then she came back...back to New York, back to being Alex Cabot, and...she didn't talk to Olivia for three years. In fact, she'd gone through great measures to avoid the detective. Out of guilt. Out of...feelings she didn't have the emotional capacity to deal with.

Finally, she ended up joining the Special Victim's Unit again, back with Olivia...and things were awkward, admittedly. Of course they were. She ignored Olivia for three years. But eventually, they worked out their feelings, and eventually, they were even closer than before.

...And then Alex wanted more from life. She threw it all away, and went to Uganda. And while she had more control over her absence this time, she could call Olivia when she wanted to...the phone calls stopped. She got wrapped up in her career, and Olivia in hers. They stopped talking, again.

Then she came back to New York, and she found a very different Special Victim's Unit then the one she knew. Olivia had a new partner, and she wasn't handling it great. But the moment Alex came into the picture again, they picked up where they left off. And it was marvelous.

But a better job came Alex's way. She debated not taking it, but it was Olivia who encouraged her. And so, the blond left the Special Victim's Unit for a third time.

And when she left, her relationship with Olivia fizzled with it. Alex had come to the conclusion that, maybe that was the key to her and Olivia. Maybe their relationship depended solely on working together.

There were times when Alex felt more at home in her office. Not that she didn't like her apartment, but she spent more time in her office. All her things were at her office. Her apartment might as well be the place she rented out for her cat to sleep in.

She was consumed in paperwork, tuning herself out from the world around her. Her job was...alright. It was a good job. It was very easy to rise up the political ladder here. And it kept her busy, which she liked.

But it wasn't that satisfying. She barely saw the inside of a courtroom. Her days were spent looking at files.

She hated it.

There was a knock on her door.

"Come in," she said, absentmindedly. She looked up briefly to see...someone she barely knew. He looked familiar.

"Alexandra Cabot?" he asked. She nodded.

"That's me," she replied, "And you are…

"Rafael Barba," he greeted, and offered his hand to shake. It dawned on her. Rafael Barba was the current ADA assigned with the Special Victim's Unit. He was considered one of the best prosecutors in New York, currently. He held the second highest conviction rate with the Special Victim's Unit.

She still held the first, not that it mattered.

"Mr. Barba, I've heard so much about you," she hook his hand, "Please, have a seat."

"I don't need one. I'll be brief," he replied. The man was quick and to the point. She had a feeling she'd get along with him, "As you may know, I currently have your old job."

Alex nodded, "With the Special Victim's Unit."

It occurred to her - he must of been at the jail the other night. He had to have been tested for Hanahaki, along with Olivia.

"I heard about the incident with Hanahaki," she said, probing, "Was anyone…"

"We all tested clean," he said. Alex felt herself sigh in relief. Thank god.

"It was a waste of a night," he sighed, "But that's actually why I'm here. While we were waiting to be tested, Olivia talked about you."

"She did?" Alex asked, surprised by that detail. Barba simply nodded.

"She spoke highly of you," he nodded, "If I may be frank, I'm going to have to take a brief leave from the Special Victim's Unit."

"Brief leave?" she asked.

"Nothing permanent. Without giving out too much detail, there is a family emergency, and I will be out of state for a while."

Alex nodded, "So what do you?"

"I know it would technically be a demotion, but I want to leave the unit in good hands," he explained, "Other ADAs, there's a learning curve. And the thought of leaving my cases with some of them, it pains me."

"You want me to be your replacement?" she asked. He nodded.

"Forgive me if I'm asking too much."

Alex went silent, just for a moment. She'd be lying if she said the thought didn't thrill her. While the Special Victim's Unit was emotionally taxing, it was also some of the most satisfying work she'd have the privilege of doing.

"I'll think about it."

Thank you Thalie57, 1967, and peterpeter for reviewing! Sorry this chapter came a day late, everybody. I got in a car accident, and it threw off my schedule. But no one was hurt, and everything is alright.

Anyways, thank you for the support this week. I super appreciate it!