Sorry for not posting last night – my amazing girl Maggie and her lil sis stayed over last night, and I tried not to be antisocial. I don't really know where this update will go…Alex and Olivia need depth to their relationship before I drag them apart for eighteen months, a reunion night, and then another four years approximately. Gah, I need a fangirl right now…

That night, Alex cried.

The tears that fell from her eyes were neither those of loss nor forsakenness. For once, Alex felt too full, of relief, of happiness and she didn't know how too fit so many emotions in herself. So she silently let it out, still sparkling from her encounter with Olivia.

Olivia's words had sung sweet goodbyes in her ear, a last tempting kiss to finale the night. Alex had been breathless; her feet had barely danced their way into her apartment. Part of Alex wished she could've asked Olivia in, to make up for all the time she'd lost to her own cowardice, yet she doubted she could deal with any more fullness in one night.

So, she sat on the window ledge, gazing beyond the shadowy void of a sky. The air was warmer; cleansing Alex's face of the tears she'd shed that night.

Alex replayed every word they'd said to each other that night, every time Olivia's fingers 'accidentally' brushed her own as they walked. She tried to memorize the way they fit together, like two shards of glass, so that she wouldn't forget.

For a woman who thought herself doomed to loneliness, she'd at least have someone to share it with.

Olivia had struggled to drag herself out of bed the next morning. She'd slept soundly, not awakening once in a whole night. The expected, haunting nightmares hadn't come to her that night, and she credited her encounter with Alex.

Finally telling Alex how she felt about her had lifted a pressing weight off of her shoulders. There was nothing to hide between them anymore, no more elusions to bear. It was the first time she'd seen Alex smile unguardedly, without any walls shielding her potent blue eyes. Lying in bed that night, Olivia had replayed every word they'd spoken to each other, every insignificantly accidental touch, every argument so intense that they had reached the point of passion.

Concentrating on her work was a fruitless effort. She wished Alex would walk in, ready to help with their current case. Olivia wondered where she was.

She tried to focus on searching through files with El, Munch, and Fin, but her mind was elsewhere.

"Liv?" Elliot asked her, noticing her spaced expression. "You with us?"

She smiled ruefully. "Not entirely."

"There's not a damn mark on this punk's record," Fin complained, taking a swig of coffee. They'd been stuck on the assignment for over a week, and it was wearing down on all of them. "He's not our guy. This kid's clean."

"We can still hold Martinez on the assault charges, but we need to interrogate him again, maybe get a name out of him," Munch put in thoughtfully. "And don't roll your eyes." He directed this at Fin, who was predictably in the middle of another gesture of mock-irritation.

At the sound of a door opening, the detectives looked up. Cragen stood prominently in the bullpen. "I need everybody over here," he ordered.

They assembled themselves in front of him, awaiting more bad news, as was expected. "I just got a call from NYPD," Cragen informed them solemnly. "We got another dead body. Down in Brooklyn, at the park."

"How can I help?"

Alex strode into the bullpen, her beautiful silken hair quivering against her back as she moved. Dr. Huang trailed behind her, his face serene and impassive as always.

Olivia felt a tingle at her spine as she and Alex locked eyes. The blonde smiled secretly at Olivia, and then directed her attention to Cragen.

"Vic's a Caucasian female, late teens or early twenties. Munch, Fin – I'm sending you on this one. Let me know when we get a preliminary report from Warner." Munch and Fin nodded simultaneously, trudging out the door.

"Alex, do you have a solid case against Tony Martinez as of now?" Alex nodded in assent.

"Good. We need his case on the docket as soon as possible. Be ready," Cragen advised, reentering his office.

Olivia sat down heavily, sighing. She and Elliot still had another foot high stack of files on anyone linked to the Martinez case, which meant another hundred names to eliminate. It was going to be a hell of a day.

Alex leaned deliberately against Olivia's desk, her slender legs crossed just so. It was a position she'd taken many times before, be it while working on a particularly strenuous case, or just because she wanted to talk. But this time, Alex allowed herself to be a little more casual then she'd ordinarily be.

"Hi," Olivia smiled up at Alex. "Sleep well?"

"Better than I have." The blonde's lips cricked up a little as she focused every ounce of self control on not leaning down right there and then and kissing Olivia. She had the distinct feeling that Elliot would object, and that Fin and Munch would kill her for waiting until they were gone.

Not that any public display of affection was normal for Alex. She wasn't the hugging type nor was she the kind of person who was touched a lot. The physical boundaries were too tangible for her, and she avoided them at all cost.

"Do you want to get a drink after work tonight?" Olivia asked her, her eyes shining brightly. "I know you're probably sick of my company already, but if you're free…"

"I'd love to," Alex cut in, conveying her desire to with yet another piercing stare. "I – I really loved last night."

Olivia subtly took Alex's hand in hers below the desk, interlacing their fingers instinctively. Her face was gratifying. "I did, too," she told her, smiling.