Author's Notes for 240-250:
I feel I have hit some kind of milestone here. 250. I am blown away. When I started these however many years ago, reaching 100 was a distant goal. And now, with this collection of 10, I hit 250. I am so grateful to have found this medium to express myself (and express Alex/Olivia, lol) and I am so grateful to everyone who has read and commented and encouraged along the way. To us and to Alex/Olivia! :)
NOTE: Remember, this collection, like the entire series, spans Alex and Olivia's entire relationship, up to and now including the current season. There are no particular spoilers for the current season, but one makes reference to the recent past.
As always, feedback is lurve. :)
And, of course, I own nuthin'.
And one more time, thank you all!
Moments in Time 241-250
Finally, Finally
Olivia tapped lightly on Alex's office door, "You wanted to see me?"
"Yes, please come in." Alex took a breath, "I was just wondering if you were free this evening."
Olivia frowned, thinking she had forgotten something, "Do we need to go over testimony for tomorrow?"
Alex shook her head, "No."
Olivia's frown deepened, "Is there another case we need to discuss?"
Alex took another deep breath then met Olivia's eyes levelly, "No."
Realization dawned: one of them was finally, finally making a move.
Olivia hoped her voice wasn't shaking too much as she answered. "Yes, I'm free this evening."
You're My Confidence
Waking in an empty bed, Olivia lifted her head to find Alex standing at the bedroom window, just staring out at the darkness. The detective rose and walked over, wrapping her arms around the attorney from behind. "What are you doing?"
"Listening to the rain," was Alex's reply.
Olivia read between the lines, knew what was really going on. "You're nervous about tomorrow," she stated quietly.
Alex remained silent.
Not many people knew Alex wasn't always as confident as she appeared. But Olivia knew. She kissed Alex's neck softly, squeezed the attorney a little tighter. "You'll be great," she whispered.
Need You There
Olivia yawned widely and stretched as she got up from the sofa. "Man, I'm beat. You ready for bed?" she asked the attorney.
"I wish," came Alex's half-distracted reply as she continued to read, "However, I've got a few more statements to go through." She looked up then, "But you go to bed. There's no sense both of us losing sleep over this."
In response, Olivia settled back down on couch under a blanket.
Alex looked at the detective questioningly.
"I'm good here," Olivia shrugged, then added quietly, bashfully, "I don't sleep all that well when you're not there, anyway."
Liv
Alex was being introduced around to her new co-workers, all of them elementary school teachers... like herself.
"And this is Mrs. Watson, our music teacher. Mrs. Watson, Emily Thomas," the principle stated.
Mrs. Watson held out her hand, "So nice to meet you Emily! Please, call me Liv."
Alex hoped her face didn't blanch too terribly. "Liv?" she choked out.
"Olivia," Mrs. Watson explained, "But everyone calls me Liv."
Everyone but the new 3rd grade teacher, that is. Because Alex knew there was no way she'd be able to get that name past her lips again. Not and maintain control.
Physical
Olivia had one day to get her mandatory yearly physical done. She knew she shouldn't have put it off this long, because her regular doctor called in sick which meant she had to see someone new. And that meant the standard serious of awkward questions.
"Are you sexually active?"
"Yes."
"Do you use birth control?"
"Yes."
"What method of birth control?"
"I sleep with a woman instead of a man."
The doctor's head jerked up from her form, only to find the detective staring placidly back.
"Oh," the doctor said, a small, non-judgmental smile pulling at her lips, "Right on."
Costume Party
They walked in to the annual costume party together. One wearing a full dress uniform: badge, hat, white gloves. The works. The other in a power suit: skirt, heels, glasses. Again, the works.
Only, the cop was a blonde and the attorney a brunette.
Heads turned and appreciative glances were thrown their way. Except from one person: "Oh, god, you guys came as each other?" Abbie groaned.
"I think it's cute!" Serena piped up, giving each of her friends a hug.
Abbie rolled her eyes, "Yeah. Cute. Excuse me while I go puke," she said dryly.
Alex and Olivia grinned.
Sounds
Alex could be loud sometimes. Very. The first time Olivia made the attorney scream her ego basically swelled to epic proportions. And she was determined to make Alex scream many, many more times.
But over time, though she still loved making Alex scream, it was the quieter times she came to truly treasure. Times like this, intimate, gentle, Alex shaking in her arms, soft gasps and pants and mewls—sounds of vulnerability and desperation and love—escaping the attorney's mouth.
Sounds Olivia knew were only for her, had only ever been for her. And only ever would be for her.
Unexpected Confidant
As soon as Olivia closed the door to the judge's chambers, Petrovsky spoke, "How is Ms. Cabot?"
Olivia's eyebrows flew up. She opened her mouth to ask why the judge thought she would know. But thought better of it. She exhaled, answering somberly, "Conditions are pretty brutal over there."
Petrovsky nodded, "When you talk to her again, tell her I admire her, will you please?"
Olivia just nodded, struggling to keep unexpected emotions at bay.
"And tell her to stay safe."
At that, Olivia chuckled, "I told her I'd kick her ass if she didn't."
Petrovsky joined Olivia's laughter, "Precisely."
Fear
When Alex first returned, she stared a lot. At Olivia. Very deeply, very intensely.
Olivia would catch her sometimes, and self-consciously ask why Alex was staring. Alex would just shake her head and look away.
But she kept doing it. It was... it was as if she were trying to memorize Olivia's face, every detail of it.
And it clicked. Olivia knew then the answer to her own question: Alex *was* trying to memorize her face. Just in case.
Alex stared at Olivia for the same reason Olivia held Alex a little tighter each night than she had before:
Fear.
It Had A Name
It was Alex who said them first. Both of them had expected it to be Olivia, but no.
She said them, actually more like blurted them, almost out of the blue, in a moment of insight.
Olivia had been pacing back and forth in the attorney's office, half-ranting, half-plotting a new course of action. And watching her, listening to her, Alex realized how she felt. The emotion was no stronger than it had been before, but it was just somehow so much clearer.
She knew what it was. It had a name.
So she said them: those three little words