Disclaimer: If you've seen them on the show, they aren't mine. They belong to Dick Wolf. I'm just borrowing them.
This is going to be the last chapter. Hope you enjoy it. Review, as always.
"You have two broken ribs," the doctor tells Alex. "But you're very lucky. You're going to be just fine." He hands her a container of antiseptic. "You need to clean the welts with this twice a day so they don't get infected. I'm going to give you a prescription for some painkillers. The rib fractures will heal by themselves if you give them time, but you need to be careful not to irritate them. You might have a bit of difficulty breathing, but the medication will help."
She lets out a sigh of relief. "Thank you," she whispers.
The doctor scribbles out a prescription for the medication and hands it to Alex. "You're very brave, Ms. Cabot," he comments. "Those injuries are pretty bad, but you're going to be fine."
She smiles at the speech she knows so well, the one that all doctors and nurses and police officers and lawyers and everyone she works with give the victims of violent crimes. Her heart aches at being one of them now, but like the doctor and Olivia said, she's going to heal. Very soon, she'll be back to being the old Alex Cabot, the passionate ADA who fights for justice.
Olivia takes her to the drugstore to pick up the painkillers, then drives her past her apartment so she can pick up some of her belongings. Alex is too overwhelmed to even comment and falls asleep in the passenger seat of Olivia's car, her head leaning against the window. She looks so peaceful but at the same so vulnerable that Olivia just watches her for a moment, feeling like her heart's being torn in two.
A moment later, Alex stirs. For a moment she doesn't know where she is and flinches, expecting Michael to hit her. But then she opens her eyes and sees Olivia. She's okay. Everything's okay. They arrested Michael. He's never going to hurt her again. It's okay. She's okay.
She looks up at Olivia. "Where are we?" she asks sleepily.
"My apartment," the detective tells her in a voice that leaves no room for argument. "You're going to stay with me for a while."
Olivia needn't have worried; Alex is too exhausted and emotionally worn out to argue. She mutely climbs out of the car and hoists her duffle bag over her shoulder, following Olivia up to her apartment.
The detective leads Alex into her bedroom and drops her bag on the bed. "You can have the bed," she offers, but she's making a statement, not asking a question. "I'll take the couch."
Too worn out to protest, Alex flops down on the bed and murmurs, "Thanks." She rolls onto her side, not wanting to disturb the tender marks covering her back and legs. Stifling a yawn, she closes her eyes and says, "Sorry, Liv, I'm just really tired. I'm going to lie down for a bit."
"Okay. Are you going to want something to eat soon?"
Alex's eyes snap open in surprise. "You can cook?"
Olivia laughs. "I was thinking more along the lines of take-out."
The attorney's lips quirk upward and she leans her head back down on the pillow. Even though she'd never admit it to anyone, she likes the feeling of Olivia taking care of her. "That's what I thought."
Three weeks later, Alex is in one of her grey business suits, sitting on a bench outside the court room. Olivia, beside her, is clutching her hand and ADA Abbie Carmichael is sitting on her other side. Most of Alex's bruises have healed, but the emotional scars remain. Today is Michael's trial and Alex is being called to testify. Abbie is prosecuting the case, and that just about kills Alex.
"I should be prosecuting him," insists the blonde. "I should be the one putting him behind bars, not the one telling the jury what he did to me."
"You'll be back," Olivia assures her.
Abbie gives her a sympathetic glance. "It must be hard to be on the other side."
The three women look up as Judge Petrovsky walks down the hallway. She gives them a nod before entering the courtroom.
"I'd better go," says Abbie. "You're going to do fine, Alex. Good luck. We'll be calling you in about an hour."
Alex swallows and nods. This is really happening.
An hour later, a court officer comes out into the hallway to escort Alex into the courtroom. Olivia gives her a small smile as the blonde sits down in the witness stand. It feels awkward – she's so used to sitting at the prosecutor's table. She's been in this courtroom so many times, but she's never sat here before.
Abbie runs her through the routine questions and she answers them as best she can, never taking her eyes off Olivia. It makes her feel safer to know that her friend is here, supporting her.
Finally, Abbie asks, "Ms. Cabot, what happened last night?"
Alex takes a deep breath. This time, she looks right at Michael as she tells her story. He clenches his fists and stares at her as she speaks, but she doesn't back down. She is Alex Cabot again, the tough-as-nails, passionate ADA, the one who puts monsters in prison. That's what she's doing now.
And when the jury announces the guilty verdict, she heaves a sigh of relief, but she doesn't cry. She's done with crying. She's Alex Cabot again, the strong, unflappable prosecutor.
She's back to stay.
So that's the end. I hope you liked the story. Please write me a review; they make my day!