Disclaimer: I don't own anything; I'm just having fun with this… BTW any italics is Italian writing… I suggest google translate if you don't understand… MINI CHAP… REVIEW!!! XD

-9-

ADA Cabot Residence

Apt. #10

Sunday, January 9th, 2005

7:30 pm

Alex looked around her apartment with a sense of satisfaction. She had cleaned! For the first time in years, Alex had taken the initial to clean her home, less the bathroom. She didn't know why but she seemed at peace, content with herself and her environment for the first time in years. Did it have something to do with the cleanliness that she had achieved in her home? Or perhaps was it something more? Like for the first time in years she didn't need to worry about this case and that case… The bastard that raped and molested his niece or the pervert that mutilated a woman in broad daylight or the woman that sold her child for crack money… The list went on she had thousands of people that shouldn't even be allowed to live in a cell, let alone live at all…

Well there was no point getting all worked up about it even if that was what she liked best. She was best at getting upset for something good to use her anger and disapproval to better the world. Alex pushed any thoughts of work out of her mind; thinking about it would only get her upset.

Alex felt like she could do anything, like she could conquer the world. With the feelings of her newfound enlightenment she did something she still didn't understand.

She called Olivia.

The ringing in her ear coming from the telephone made her heart rate rise unbelievably high. One ring then two, Alex had to talk herself through the whole thing. She wanted to hang up every millisecond that passed. Alex was acting weird; the normal confident Alex Cabot would have let Olivia plant one on her. Actually, if she were acting like herself she would have taken matters into her own hands and kissed Olivia herself… But she wasn't acting like herself; who was this person? This person was afraid and self-conscious about calling someone; someone that she had called hundreds of times before. Was this perhaps a person in love? To be blunt, Alex thought to herself, if this is how love feels then she didn't want any part of it. Alex felt like a horny twelve-year-old boy who got sweaty hands talking to his crush.

"Hello?" Olivia finally answered after what seemed like an eternity.

Another "Hello?"

Alex contemplated hanging up but finally she managed to blurt out; almost in a rush:

"Hey, Liv, it's me, Alex… Um I was just sitting here and I was wondering if you'd like to come over and have some dinner. I don't like how we left things today, and I just wanted to…"

"I'd love to…" Olivia interrupted.

Alex heard the eagerness in Olivia's voice. It boosted her confidence immensely. It felt good; so good in fact she was left speechless.

"Um, ok well I'll be there in fifteen minutes then." Alex heard Olivia say, followed by the annoying sound of the dial tone signifying Olivia's absence; she had gotten off the phone. When all Alex really wanted to do was listen to Olivia's voice.

"Okay" Alex said into the beeping receiver-to no one.

Alex turned and walked to the kitchen; it would have been nice if she had planned this evening before inviting her.

When in doubt call the Italian restaurant down the street…

Luigi's Italian Cuisine; she remembered Olivia once telling her that she loved Italian food.

She knew Luigi's number by heart; she'd had a lot of late night snacks over the years. Alex loved eating at Luigi's. But it was so family oriented it reminded her that she didn't have a family…

"Si, this is, Luigi's, what would you like?"

"Hey Luigi, it's Alex." She could recognise that heavy Italian accent anywhere.

"Si bella, your regolare?" He asked as if he already knew the answer but asked to be polite anyway.

"No, um I'm having company tonight. Could you just make it for two? Alex felt her face get hot; she was blushing…

"Ah finalmente, you found yourself a man!

"Whatever you say Luigi, but I hardly believe a colleague of mine would make a good suitor. We're just friends at the moment." The blonde articulated.

"Va bene, if you say so. I'll be there in cinque minuti with something speciale for you!