Thanks to everyone for being so patient! I was stuck for a little bit there, but I managed to get this one out. I hope you enjoy it. For those of you getting eager to hear them finally confess their feelings, just hang tight. I wanted a slow build up as I felt it would be a more believable story. That time will come soon enough! I hope you enjoy this chapter :)
Also, for clarification purposes (as I sometimes get confused with new names in other people's stories), Thompson is one of the guys in the pedophile ring who was arrested in the beginning of the story. Alderson is the ring leader and is the man who assaulted Alex in her apartment. He's still on the loose.
Olivia woke up some time later to the DVD start menu playing in the background. She pushed up enough so that she could see Alex's face. She was sleeping comfortably. Olivia didn't want to wake her, but the brunette was extremely stiff from lying on the couch. With enough time, Alex would be too.
She gently pulled her hand from Alex's stomach, even though she really didn't want to, and softly shook her side. The blonde gasped and opened her eyes.
"Hey, sorry. We fell asleep."
Alex took a deep breath in and groaned, shaking her head and stretching a little.
"I don't want to move."
"You say that now but one night on this couch will render you a cripple."
The blonde giggled into the pillow, paused for a second, and then sighed.
"Okay, okay."
She slowly got up, followed by Olivia. The detective turned off the tv and gathered the pillow and blanket while Alex went to the bathroom. She had just finished making the bed when the blonde joined her.
"I really need to get a toothbrush tomorrow."
Olivia smiled.
"You're in luck."
She went to the bathroom and pulled out a new toothbrush from under the sink.
"I don't want to take yours. It's okay."
"No these are spares. When Elliot and I have to travel, I don't like taking my toothbrush. I just take one of these cheap ones and then throw it out when I'm done with it. One less thing to think about on my way home. I'll be going with Elliot tomorrow to your apartment and I'll grab some of your things then."
Alex nodded. They hadn't discussed if she'd be staying for a while, but Alex was happy to hear that Olivia planned on it.
"Do you mind if I stay here?"
"I want you to. I feel better knowing where you are."
Alex smiled at her. She held her gaze for another second before she held the toothbrush up.
"Well, thanks. I'll go brush my teeth now."
"Okay."
Alex brushed her teeth and returned to the bedroom. Olivia then took her turn getting ready for bed. When she came back, she immediately turned off the light and slid into bed, taking the side closest to the window.
"Considering it's 2 a.m., I think it's safe to say we're going to be going in a little late. Elliot has already called the Captain and he told me to make sure you're kept safe, so I think he'll be okay with us being a little late. I set the alarm for eight, and that'll give us an hour to get ready and to be at the station by 9:30. Does that sound okay?"
"Yes, perfect."
"If you want to change any of that, you can. You have the right to your opinion."
"I know. I think that's good," she said, turning towards the brunette. "Thanks, Olivia. Thanks for…going out of your way for me."
The detective smiled at her, reaching out to grab her hand.
"It's not out of my way when I'm happy to do it. I want to."
Alex smiled back at her.
"Well, regardless, thank you."
"You're welcome. Get some sleep, okay?"
Alex nodded.
"Are you going to be able to sleep?"
She hesitated. "I think so."
"If you need anything, or you get upset or something, please wake me up."
"I will."
"I hope so. I want to know."
"Okay. I'll wake you up then."
"Good. Sleep tight, Alex," she said, squeezing her hand.
"Goodnight, Olivia."
Alex turned over on her side to completely face Olivia. She continued to hold her hand, falling asleep with it in her own.
The following morning, the women woke up to the sound of Olivia's alarm. They each took a shower (separately) and got dressed. Alex was forced to wear the same outfit she had yesterday, but Olivia promised to bring her a change of clothes after she was at her apartment.
"Is there anything in particular you'd like me to bring back?"
"I was thinking about it and I think I have a load of clean laundry in a basket by my bed. There's going to be a few things I can wear in there, but if you can grab a few suits from my closet, I'd appreciate it. And a few black heels. And my coat that's hanging on my kitchen chair."
"I'll try and remember all of this."
"Just grab what you think I'll need and if I'm missing anything, I'll just buy it or do without."
"Okay. Text me if you think of anything else you need."
"I will."
They continued to get ready and while Alex did her hair and make-up, Olivia went to the coffee shop around the corner to get coffee and bagels. She would really need to do groceries if she had company.
"Are you ready to go?" she asked, handing Alex a bagel and a coffee.
The blonde nodded, so Olivia made her way to the door and opened it. They were going to take her car this time, in light of what had happened. Normally Olivia took the subway, but she didn't feel comfortable bringing Alex, so she decided to just drive.
The women got into the vehicle, driving to work in comfortable silence. When they got to the station, Olivia led the way inside and stopped when they reached Alex's office.
"You gonna be okay?"
The blonde nodded.
"I'm okay here."
"Good. If you need anything…"
"I'll text you."
"Okay," Olivia reached out and squeezed the woman's arm affectionately. She let go after a second and made her way into the precinct.
When they saw her walk in the door, the guys immediately made their way over, asking how Alex was doing. She pointed in the direction of her office, telling them that they could ask her themselves. Fin and Munch took her up on the offer, while Elliot chose to stay behind. He had seen her yesterday, so he didn't feel the need to check up on her again.
"You ready to go?"
"Are you in a rush?" he asked.
"I want to see if we find anything."
"Alright. But I'm driving."
They made their way to Alex's apartment, Olivia raising her eyebrows when she saw it.
"This place makes mine look like a shithole."
Alex's living room alone was the size of Olivia's living room, kitchen, and probably bathroom too. It was massive and there were big bay windows letting in an enormous amount of light. Olivia didn't want to know how much she was spending on this apartment.
She made her way to the bedroom, grabbing the laundry basket Alex had described and making her way to the closet. She grabbed a few of the suits she remembered seeing the blonde in as well as several pairs of shoes. She tossed the shoes in the basket, but placed the suits on the bed so they wouldn't wrinkle. She'd come back for those.
She made her way to Alex's dresser and grabbed a sweater, some jeans, a few more tops, and a pair of short shorts she found in the second drawer. It was not because, secretly, she wanted her to wear them. She would need them. For something.
She then opened up the top drawer and, without really looking, grabbed a handful of underwear and socks and threw them in the basket. Part of her wanted to check out what kind of things Alex had in her underwear drawer, but she didn't look. That would be too big a violation of her privacy.
After she finished with the clothes, she went over to the bathroom and grabbed the blonde's toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush, and a few other things she saw laying around. She grabbed the coat Alex had wanted and tossed it in as well. The basket was now overflowing, so she stopped. She had more than enough stuff in there anyway.
"Did you get everything she needed?"
Olivia nodded.
"Okay. Captain wants us at the precinct to interview Thompson about Alderson's whereabouts. Thinks he might know where he is or where he's hiding. Munch and Fin'll come here later."
"Alright."
The brunette made her way back to the bedroom and grabbed the suits. As she turned to leave, she noticed something pink poking out from under Alex's pillow. Curious, she made her way over and pulled out a small, tattered, pink stuffed bunny. She couldn't help smiling. Alex could be so damn cute. She still slept with a stuffy!
She hid the bunny under the suits and walked back to the living room. She buried the stuffed animal under the pile of clothes in the basket before handing the suits to Elliot.
"Here. Carry these, will ya?"
"Yes, ma'am."
They made their way downstairs and back to the vehicle. They placed Alex's things in the back before getting in their seats and driving off.
"Alex isn't gonna still prosecute this guy, is she?"
"I don't know. We didn't talk about it, but honestly, I think she'll still want to do it. If they let her, that is."
Elliot shook her head.
"She doesn't scare easy."
"No. She doesn't."
"Are you worried about her?"
"Yes. And no. I'd be more worried if she didn't have us all looking out for her."
"Yeah. No one wants to see anything happen to her. We all care about her." He paused, a small smile forming on his lips. "Not in the same way you care about her but…"
Olivia shook her head at him, a small smile on her lips as well.
"We're just friends."
"Oh okay. So, you entertain those kinds of thoughts about me too? I'm flattered, Liv, but I'm married."
"Shut up," she said, laughing. "You're such an asshole."
He laughed as well. He loved teasing her. It was obvious to him that Olivia had a thing for Alex, but he wondered if she knew that Alex returned those feelings as well. He had watched the two women get close, but he had always thought Olivia's feelings were one-sided. Alex was straight after all. However, after last night, he knew he was definitely mistaken. There was no way that Alex didn't feel the exact same way about Olivia that Olivia felt about Alex. You could have sensed it from a mile away.
I wonder how long it'll take for them to realise it…
When they got back to the station, Olivia transferred Alex's clothes to her car and then followed Elliot inside. She was not looking forward to this day. She just wanted to go home, sit and watch tv with Alex, and get away from everything. She definitely wanted to get the son of a bitch who had threatened Alex, but more than anything else, she just wanted the world to go away and to hold the blonde in her arms.
Luckily for Olivia, the day ended up going by fairly quickly. When they got back to the station, they immediately interviewed Thompson. Apparently, he didn't know anything (or wouldn't give it up), so they were back at square 1 looking for Alderson. That is, until someone called in a tip about a man who looked exactly like "the man from the posters". The woman claimed she had seen Alderson at a shop across town, so Olivia and Elliot were sent out to investigate. When they showed the picture to the salesperson, she easily identified him as the "belligerent man" who had been in there just a few hours prior. She said he had frightened her but no, she had not seen him before, and hoped never to again. Olivia left, feeling slightly excited. He had been seen twice within the past 24 hours. This was very good news. It was the most action they'd had from him since the beginning of the case.
The detectives then scoured the neighbourhood, asking restaurant and other shop owners to keep an eye out for the man. They left each one a photocopy of his mug shot and their contact details. When they returned to the station, they were informed by the Captain that Alex was going ahead with the trial tomorrow. He decided that he wanted the two of them at the trial, just in case. Olivia didn't object. In fact, she was glad to go. She would feel more comfortable being there to make sure Alex didn't get hurt.
By the time the two women left to go home that night, it was nearly 9 p.m. Alex was tired and looking forward to just lying in bed. With how busy she had been today, she hadn't even gotten the chance to change out of her suit. Thankfully, no one seemed to notice that it was the same one from the day before.
"Jesus, Olivia, did you leave anything in my closet?" she asked, looking at the heaping laundry basket in the backseat.
The brunette laughed.
"I think there were a pair of pants or something in the back."
"Jesus," she repeated, turning back around. "Thanks for bringing me all that clothes though. I'll have a lot to choose from."
"I kind of grabbed a little of everything. Hopefully I made some good choices."
"I'm sure you did."
There was a brief silence before Olivia spoke up again.
"So you didn't tell me you lived in a mansion," she said casually.
Alex laughed. "It's not a mansion!"
"I'm pretty sure there was a tour guide."
Alex laughed again. "Stop. There was not."
"I'm embarrassed to have you at my apartment now that I know what yours looks like," she admitted.
Alex stopped smiling and reached over to grab Olivia's wrist.
"Don't be embarrassed. You have absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about. I loved your place from the minute I walked in. Your apartment feels warm and homey. I've felt nothing but safe since I've been there. Don't compare because there is no comparison to be made."
Olivia offered her a small smile. She was still embarrassed but at least Alex didn't judge her for the shoebox-sized apartment she lived in. She loved her place, but she still felt embarrassed at how much nicer Alex's was.
She pulled into the parking garage under the building and parked the car. She handed Alex her suits and then grabbed the laundry basket. They made their way to the apartment and when they got inside, Olivia unceremoniously dropped the basket on the living room floor. It was starting to get heavy.
"Do you mind if I unpack some of this? I'd like to just look at what I've got to work with."
"No, of course not. Go right ahead."
Alex grabbed the basket and tried to lift it, but it barely made it two inches off the ground before she dropped it again.
"Holy shit, Olivia. What do you have in there? Bricks?"
The brunette laughed.
"Your stuff."
"My God. What did you pack?"
She laughed again and easily lifted the basket. It was heavy, but she wasn't going to admit that. She carried it to the bedroom and placed it on the bed, where Alex would have easier access to it. The blonde followed her, watching the way Olivia's muscles flexed while she carried her laundry basket. She found it very, very sexy that the woman was so strong. She could easily lift her off the ground, pin her to the wall and-
"Here," she started, interrupting Alex's thoughts. "I've got a ton of room in this closet. There's a bunch of hangers so if you need any, go ahead. It's supposed to be a double wide closet for a married couple but there's just me and I really don't have that many clothes, so it's pretty empty."
Alex approached, looking inside. It really was empty. Olivia's clothes took up less than a fourth of the space in the closet.
"I think you need to go shopping."
"I hate shopping. It's the reason I have no clothes in the first place."
"Shopping is fun if you go with the right person."
"Mhmm," she said, making her way to her dresser. She shoved the things in her top drawer to one side, opened the second drawer, emptied it, and moved the contents to the first drawer. She then emptied the third drawer into the fourth and turned to Alex, who was now hanging her suits.
"I emptied the second and third drawers so you can put some stuff in there too. The things you can't hang up… like your socks."
"Thanks."
"No problem. If you don't mind, I'm gonna shower really quick."
"Go right ahead."
"If you need anything, just help yourself."
Alex nodded.
"Thanks."
Olivia grabbed a pair of pyjamas and quickly jumped in the shower. She was looking forward to just getting some sleep before facing tomorrow. She showered quickly and when she got out, she found Alex still in the bedroom, slowly unpacking. She wasn't making any progress at the moment, however, because she was staring at the pink bunny in her hands.
"I can't believe you packed Mr. Bunny," she said, turning to face Olivia.
"He looked like he was well-loved, so I thought maybe he would bring you some comfort."
The blonde looked down at the stuffed animal and held his ear.
"This is going to sound so stupid but I was thinking about him today. I couldn't text you to bring him because I was way too embarrassed, but I really wanted him back."
Olivia smiled warmly at Alex. She moved closer to the bed, reaching under her pillow to pull out a small piece of cloth.
"This is part of my baby blanket. Even though I don't hold it or anything, it's comforting knowing it's under my pillow. So, I know how you feel. I wish I could have brought him to you last night though."
Alex smiled at her.
"Um, actually, I was okay…because you were holding my hand. I think that's the reason I didn't have that many nightmares last night. It kept me grounded and reminded me I was here, safe."
"I'm really glad. I was worried you'd have horrible nightmares."
"I'm worried I might have some tonight," she admitted softly. "Because of the trial tomorrow and everything."
"Then it's a good thing Mr. Bunny is here," she said, taking a step forward. She reached out and stroked Alex's arm. "If you do, and you get scared or need someone to be awake with you, wake me up. I'll be upset if you're scared and alone. I want you to wake me."
"Okay."
"Do you have a lot on your mind because of the trial?"
"I'm nervous and even though I hate it, I'm actually kind of scared in a way. I'm afraid of seeing Alderson there and breaking down."
"He'd never show his face there. But if he were stupid enough to, Elliot and I will be there. So he won't get anywhere near you."
"You and Elliot are going?"
"Yeah. Captain wants us there to rate your performance as our prosecutor. If you don't rate high enough, he's trading you in."
Alex playfully smacked her arm as the brunette laughed.
"Yeah yeah. Hardy har har," she said, scooping up the last of her clothes and placing them in the drawer. "Jerk," she said, joking.
Olivia, still giggling, took the laundry basket and placed it by the door. Alex took her toiletries and put them in the bathroom, returning to a grinning Olivia.
"I bet you think you're so funny."
"I know I am."
Alex rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips.
"Well, detective, it seems the only thing you forgot are pyjamas."
Olivia wiggled her eyebrows.
"Or did I "forget" pyjamas?"
"I'm not even going to touch that one," Alex said, turning away. She grabbed the NYPD pjs Olivia had given her yesterday and slipped into the bathroom to change. She finished up in the bathroom a few minutes later and walked into the bedroom to see Olivia had turned off the lights, turned on a lamp, and was already snuggled in bed.
"Did you lock the doors and windows?"
"Yes. I checked everything before we came back here."
"Good."
Alex approached the bed and slid in, enjoying the cool feeling against her skin.
"Your bed is really comfortable, I meant to tell you that."
"Thanks. I really like it."
"Me too," she said, pulling Mr. Bunny out from under the blankets. She tucked him under the side of her pillow that was away from Olivia. She would probably sleep facing the woman again, so she wanted the rabbit away from where her head would be.
"How are you feeling?"
"Nervous, but I'm glad you're going to be there."
"I would have had to be there regardless, since I'm testifying, but I'm glad that now I'll get to be there the whole time."
"Me too."
"Are you tired?"
"Yeah, kind of. I'm nervous I'll sleep like poorly though," she said. After a pause she added: "And then I'll do a terrible job tomorrow and be replaced."
Olivia grinned and gave a small laugh.
"You're cute when you joke around. I like it. I never knew you were this playful."
"There's a lot of things you don't know about me," she said. Olivia heard the tone in Alex's voice. She was definitely flirting.
"I hope to learn all about you," she said sincerely. As much as she'd love to flirt all night long with the blonde, she thought it would be wiser not to given what an emotional couple of days she had had.
Alex smiled.
"Me too. We should sleep now."
Olivia nodded. She reached over and squeezed the woman's hand affectionately.
"Goodnight, Alex."
"Goodnight, Liv. Sleep tight."
The women fell asleep, facing one another.