There was something reassuring, something centering, something comfortable about the feel of her work clothes. As a detective Olivia really didn't have a uniform, a dress code, but not an official uniform, but she'd managed to create one for herself. Relaxed slacks that wouldn't get in her way, t-shirts, light sweaters, and tops that hugged close to her body, and of course her leathers. Above everything else it was the warm smooth creak of her leather jackets that put Olivia in the right frame of mind to do what she did. As she picked up the short brown jacket Alex had given her for Charismas off the back of her chair she smiled. As she slipped it on she couldn't help but think of all the times Alex had told her how sexy she was when she was wearing leather. The thought made her want to get out of there even faster.
"Heading out for lunch?"
Olivia smiled at the sandy haired kid across the room. He was so young, but good at what he did. He'd spent most of the morning showing her around and showing her all the equipment. It wasn't going to be like working with the guys, but it would give her a chance to easy back into things. "Yeah."
"Want some company?" He asked from behind his screen.
"Thanks but I already got some." She replied as she headed for the door. "Call if you find out anything on that runaway."
The kid nodded, "Will do Detective."
"It's Olivia, Deacon." She said kindly before heading out of the room. As she made her way down the street she knew this new assignment wouldn't last long. She'd been there for half a day and already she was pulling her normal cases from the pile. It was ingrained in her, the need to fight for the victim.
"I don't care, Jim." Alex said as she walked towards her office. "We're not backing down from this, no deal. I want this one in court and I want a win."
"We don't have the evidence." Jim Steel replied as he followed his new boss into her office. "We should take the deal and be done with it. At least the SOB will be getting jail time."
Alex moved gracefully behind her desk after setting the folders she had in her arms down, so she could pick up the one regarding the case they were discussing. "If you don't have the evidence then you send the investigating detectives back out to find what you need. The guy's guilty as sin, which means the proof is out there, we just have to find it."
"Alex," Jim sighed as he stood in her line of sight. "You can't treat every case that comes through here like one of your SVU cases. Sometimes you just have to concede."
Icy blue eyes snapped up and pinned the other lawyer in place. "I didn't come here to make deals and win easy numbers, Jim. I came here to win, plain and simple. If Arthur wanted this division to maintain the status quo, you'd be the B.C."
A heavy silence filled the air between the two prosecutors until there was a knock on the office door. Jim turned to see a smirking Olivia standing in the doorway. She was clearly standing at her full height, her jacket pulled back just enough to show off her gold shield which was clipped to her belt, and just a hint of her holstered gun. "Am I interrupting?"
"Not at all," Alex replied as she tried like hell to keep a smirk off her face. "Jim and I are finished." She turned her icy gaze on the man again and repeated, "I want this one, do it."
Olivia stepped aside and watched wordlessly as Jim left. It was all she could do to not laugh as she stepped into Alex's office and closed the door behind her. "Your old office was better."
Leaning against her desk, Alex finally allowed herself a small smile. She had taken such pleasure in watching Olivia get dressed that morning, and the warm fuzzy feeling in the pit of her stomach was coming back. "No Jim Steel to deal with?"
"Well, yeah, and because it had walls." The brunette replied as she looked around the room. "All these windows, that's gonna put a cramp in our lunch dates."
Alex laughed, the tension from that morning meetings melting just that easily. "Oh I don't know, after that little display I don't see anyone wanting to intrude while you're around."
"What little display?" Olivia asked innocently.
"Oh please. The posturing when you came in?" Alex rolled her eyes. "Was it really necessary to show of the sidearm?"
Olivia smirked. "Hell yes."
"You're so possessive." Alex teased as she went to her filing cabinet where she kept her purse.
That made Olivia laughed. "And you're not? How dead would that federal agent have been if you really could ice people with a glare?"
Alex just smirked, "I didn't like the way he was looking at you."
Before Olivia could reply Alex was leaving the office. Rolling her eyes she smirked and followed. As they passed Jim she caught the look he gave her and just smirked a little more. It was very clearly a 'she's mine' look, that she knew she'd hear about later.
"So how was it this morning?" Alex asked while they walked towards their favorite diner. She'd been worried about how Olivia would fit in with her new squad, which she guessed could have added to her shortness this morning with the others, but in the long run they needed to think she was a hardass so it worked out for the best in her option.
"We have got to get a widescreen LCD monitor for our computer." Olivia replied as she matched her steps to Alex's. "And Deacon was showing me a bunch of new safety software we could add, the stuff we got now might not be as safe for Allie as we'd thought."
Alex reached out and took Olivia by the arm as she looked into chocolate brown eyes. "That's not what I meant, Liv."
Olivia smiled softly, "I know." She replied before adding, "It's not home, but it'll do for now. Once I get a totally clean bill of health physically and mentally, I'll be on the street again."
"Don would take you back in a heartbeat." Alex said carefully as they made their way to their table. "From what Casey's been telling me, your replacement's a disaster."
"She'll adjust," Olivia replied as she slide into the booth. "or she won't and they'll need to get someone else. Not everyone's cut out for SVU."
Reaching out Alex put her hand on her lover's. "You are."
Olivia shrugged. "Maybe, just not yet. Maybe in time. I just can't yet."
"I know." Alex replied easily. She was trying, she had to give herself that. She would personally prefer Olivia stay where she is now, safe behind a computer screen, but she couldn't be that selfish. Olivia wasn't a desk cop. She knew that her lover would never be happy sitting behind that screen, that sooner or later she'd be back on the streets. She also knew the best place for Olivia, where her strengths, her talents, her heart would be best suited. The SVU unit. She also knew, thought it hurt right now to admit it, that in order for Olivia to survive what SVU did she needed her boys, she needed Elliot.
"What?" Olivia asked when she noticed Alex staring at her so intently.
Alex just smiled and slipped on her glasses so she could read her menu. "Nothing, baby, nothing."