Title: It's all I Have
Author: IRunIWriteILive
Ships: Alex/Olivia
Summary: Three years ago Alex was shot. Three years ago Alex and Olivia parted ways, unwilling as it was. Now Alex is back. How did each women change in the others absence and will they be able to become what they once were?
DISCLAIMER: Let's stop and think about this for a moment, seriously, if I owned Law and Order: Special Victims Unit would I be on here? If you think that I would, by all means sue me, you'll get NOTHING.
Author's Note: Thanks to-juicetroop82;brit10brat;jbcjazz;LizJ1987;Jessica;Slywolf17;AnywhereElse; Ockhams Razor; brwnsuga;peterpeter- for reviewing the last chapter. Someone asked me what happened to the M rated stuff and I figure I might as well give you the straight up explanation. Some of you guys might judge me, because I am only seventeen, but I am not comfortable writing M rated stories until I'm eighteen. Say what you will but hey, it's how I feel. Enjoy this chapter.
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The tension in the courtroom could have been cut with a knife as defendant and ADA stared each other down. It was crystal piercing blue against muddy brown and as they spoke to each other, their tone curt and body language screaming animosity, it was clear to the jury who was winning. While the tall, blond, domineering prosecutor remained stoic and her gaze, unwavering, the defendant's gaze shifted downwards and his shoulder slumped, defeated, he was breaking down. It was as Alexandra Cabot rested her case and resumed her seat at the prosecutors table that the defendant finally lost it. The humiliation of being embarrassed by a woman, being cornered into admitting his own guilt by a woman was too much for him to handle.
"Bitch!" he cried out, leaping out of the witness stand and vaulting the low barrier to land on the floor, just feet away from the ADA "You're just like the rest of them!" he screamed, moving faster than the bailiff could react as he launched himself at Alex.
Three years ago Alex may not have had the reflexes to move fast enough but three years in witness protection had honed both her reactions and her self defense skills. As table, defendant and attorney collided, Alex brought her knee up and into the defendants' fleshy stomach. He let out a roar of pain as spiky, heeled shoe landed, hard, on his foot and even as he tried to once again attack Alex, who was now on the ground and covered by the heavy wooden table, the bailiffs finally arrived and hauled him, kicking and screaming out of the court room.
The chaos of the courtroom finally reached Alex's ears as she attempted to remove the table from on top of her. Somehow, between the defendant colliding with it, her kicking him and him being hauled away, herself, and the desk, had managed to fall to the ground. Realizing that she was not going to be able to life it alone, she waited for only a brief moment, before someone hauled it off of her and stuck out a hand.
"You alright?" came the familiar voice of Detective Elliot Stabler
Alex nodded "Yeah" she said with a grimace as a dull, radiating pain spiked from her abdomen.
"Right." Elliot said with a smirk, indicating just how much he didn't believe Alex"You've been spending too much time with Olivia, let's get you checked out."
Alex resisted, turning her attention back to Judge Petrovsky and the rest of the courtroom. It seemed that everyone in the viewing gallery had been ushered out of the room, leaving the defense attorney, who was wondering what the hell happened, herself, Elliot and Lena Petrovsky "I think" Lena said "we will call this case in recess and wait until the prosecution has been checked out for any injuries relating to the attack by the defendant." Turning her gaze to the blond ADA, Lena continued "Providing you are not mandated to stay overnight at the hospital we will meet in my chambers tomorrow at nine thirty am to discuss what will be done about this case."
"Yes your honor."Both attorneys said and with that Alex was basically forced out of the courtroom by Elliot.
"Seriously Elliot, I'm fine."
"Right and the labored breath, short inhalations is what, a new yoga thing?" he said "Look, I'm just trying to save my own skin here" he continued, grinning "Olivia finds out that you were attacked by a defendant and a table but didn't get checked out, she'll have my ass."
"Ah" Alex said "So it's not really me that you care about, just your ass."
Elliot shrugged "It's a dog it dog world out there. Your girlfriend just so happens to have a NYPD issued handgun on her at almost all times and her aim is scary. So" Elliot paused "I apologize if my concerns are elsewhere. Nice reflexes by the way."
"Thanks." Alex replied, as she slid into the passenger seat of the Queen Victoria squad car Elliot and Olivia treasured so much "I should probably call Liv before someone else tells her I was attacked. I won't hear the end of it for a month."
"Good point." Elliot agreed "She'll rant and rave about how worried she was for weeks."
Both occupants of the car shared a chuckle at Olivia's protective nature.
"Benson."
"Hey, Liv, it Alex."
"Hey Lex, what's going on."
Alex paused and took a breath "I need you to not freak out and listen to everything I have to say okay?"
"Sure" Olivia promised, now slightly worried and curious as to what was going on.
"I'm going to the hospital." Alex started
"What? Alex are you-"
"Listen." Alex admonished "I was attacked by a defendant in court today, I'm fine but your partner was intent on taking me to the hospital to get checked out."
"At least one of you has some sense." Olivia said "Put El on the phone."
"She wants to talk to you." Alex said by way of explanation as she handed Elliot the phone.
"It's Elliot."
"Is she really okay?" Olivia demanded, keeping her voice low so the attentive attorney who she knew was listening in wouldn't gather the gist of her conversation.
The detectives attempts were futile, the ADA knew exactly what her overprotective girlfriend wanted to know, this in mind she rolled her eyes dramatically and proceeded to roll down the window as Elliot continued the conversation "She's probably got a few bruised ribs and a case in the bag but other than that she seems fine."
"Bruised ribs? Jesus Elliot, what happened?" Olivia asked, exasperated because each second she remained on the phone it seemed like Alex had been in a life threatening incident.
Snatching the phone from Elliot, Alex proceeded to reply, knowing that any explanation Elliot gave would only further drive Olivia into her own wild imagination "The defendant vaulted over the witness stand and knocked the prosecutors table over and it landed on me."
"How'd he get all the way over there?"
"Bailiff had slow reflexes, seriously, Olivia I promise I'm fine."
Olivia harrumphed into the phone and let out a long sigh before responding "I'm over reacting."
This suddenly change in the tenor of Olivia's voice and the admittance put Alex on alert"Liv, baby, it's fine. I get it."
"It's just, you know, after…" Olivia trailed off, uncertain of how to continue the sentence.
"How about a late lunch after the hospital clears me?" Alex asked, hoping to provide the sudden change of topic her girlfriend needed at the present.
"Sure." Olivia agreed, the smile on her face, evident in her voice "I'll see you later babe, stay safe. Love you."
"Love you too Liv."
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Alex was irritated and in pain. She had been in this stinking waiting room for three hours, three whole hours, just waiting to get looked at. Her ribs and abdomen were throbbing with every inhalation and the constant noise and movement was giving her a headache. Elliot had disappeared about five or so minutes ago to try and see if his NYPD badge could speed up the process. But that had been five minutes ago and Alex was beginning to give up hope.
"Alex." Elliot said "We have a problem."
"What?" she said, confused "What do you mean by a problem?"
"You're dead."
"Was." Alex corrected, not seeing how her recent return from the grave could be affecting her present situation.
Elliot shook his head "According to the hospitals records you were shot three years and two weeks ago and died from the subsequent wounds. They refuse to treat a dead woman."
Alex put her head in her hands, banging them repeatedly letting out a soft moan. This went on for ten, maybe fifteen seconds before she stood up, pulled out her phone dialed a number rapidly. She began pacing as she waited for the person to pick up, when they finally did she said "Do I sound dead to you?"
Pause. Some indescribable babble that neither Elliot, neither the nurses could understand.
"Right, you know that I'm alive. My boss knows I'm alive. Hell, half of New York City knows I'm alive but for some strange reason my medical records still declare that I. Am. Dead." She punctuated each of the last three words, emphasizing each word to make sure he understood her point.
More babbly, but Alex seemed to be unsatisfied with what was being said "Fine." She snapped "I'll go to Walgreens and pick up some Advil while you work on making sure I'm not dead." And with that she hung up and turned to Elliot "They can't do anything right now. They need to pass through the 'proper legal channels' before pulling my death certificate. Bullshit. "she muttered
"Let's take you to a Walgreens to pick up some pain killers and then I'll drop you off at your apartment."
Alex shook her head and glanced down at her watch "It's almost five o'clock. Olivia's leaving early so we can talk."
"Talk?" Elliot asked "I get it if you don't want to tell me." He added quickly
Alex shook her head, with a pain tinged smile "The deal I made with the FBI and the U.S. Marshalls. I've been putting off telling her about it."
"Ah." Elliot said, not bothering to pry anymore.
The two lapsed into a comfortable silence until Alex's phone vibrated to life with the theme song from Jaws. Elliot let out a laugh and Alex picked it up "Hey Casey."
"I heard about the incident in court today, how are you?"
Alex was surprised by her co-ADA's unusually friendly demeanor and proceeded to answer with an air of caution "I'm fine thanks, just a few bruised ribs. How can I help you?"
There was a slight hesitation "Donnelly didn't call you?"
"No." Alex said "Why would she?"
Casey sighed "She was supposed to brief you about this."
"About what Casey?" Alex said, almost snapping because something was going on and she was not in on it.
"The Range Rover Rapist case, Donnelly's forcing us to try it together."
"What?" Alex replied "Why?"
"Something about this being a high profile case and the DA wants the best team working it."
"Who's first chair?" Alex asked, unsure if wanted to know the answer to this.
"I am." Casey replied quickly and there was no hiding the smugness in her voice "Meet in my office at nine forty five so we can go over case theory, alright."
"Uh-" Alex said, struggling to figure out how she felt about the situation.
"Great." Casey said and hung up.
Alex just sat there, even with the dial tone ringing in her ear.
"Everything okay?" Elliot asked, looking at the ADA as they arrived in the precinct parking lot
"Yeah." Alex said as she climbed out of the car "Yeah, I'm fine."
"Alright, make sure you get some ice on that okay?"
"Got it." Alex said, walking towards the entrance to the precinct but before she got there Olivia exited, her phone in hand.
"Hey, Lex, I was just about to call you. How'd the doctor go?"
"It didn't." she said, turning around to walk to Olivia's car "According to my medical records I'm still dead and the hospital won't treat a dead person."
"I'm sorry, there's some Advil at the apartment and there's ice we can put on until you're not dead anymore."
"Great." Alex said, trying to muster up the sarcasm but the bomb that Casey had dropped on her was gnawing away at her.
"Everything okay? You still want to talk about the FBI thing?" It was unusual for Olivia to be relaxed when such information, such as the deal that her girlfriend had struck up with the FBI, but there was something about the look in Alex's eyes with even the slightest mention of WitSec or the U.S. Marshalls that gave her patience to wait it out. Only for her girlfriend. Only for Alex.
"Casey's sitting first chair in a case that we are being forced to work together."
Wrapping one arm around her girlfriend, Olivia pulled her into a hug "You'll get through it."
"It's only a question of how much grunt work she is going to make me do." Alex said grumpily "It's going to be like being an associate all over again."
"Just remember to breath." Olivia said, staring the car and turning into the bright city lights of a New York evening.
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Well, Alex and Casey working together? That's going to be a tough one. Let's hope that they can play nice.
This chapter was good for me, I now have a clear sense of direction for this story and that is a huge relief for me. Reviews are always appreciated.
Thanks.
IRunIWriteILive