I guess people really like this story…and they don't like the end of ANY chapter….everyone wants the next installment! Good to have so many people that enjoy the story. I am writing as I go…so I'm not withholding chapters…believe me. I am publishing them as I finish them.

Shout out to The Congressman, writersrefinery and edge15864 who seem to read each update as it comes out!

EOEOEOEO

As Olivia was riding in the cab back to her apartment, she felt her phone buzzing. She pulled it out and saw it was Alex. She groaned, remembering that Alex was the one other person she needed to tell about her and Elliot. She was so tired of having this conversation already.

She answered on the third ring. Alex launched into a series of questions, asking Olivia about her various injuries. Olivia filled her in on her doctor's visit and her inability to work until she was cleared. When Alex was satisfied that she had all the pertinent information, she asked Olivia if she wanted to meet her for dinner.

"Alex. I would love to have dinner with you, but I'm not up to going out. Do you care if we just order in? I don't care if it's your place or mine…" Olivia asked her friend.

"Of course not." said Alex. "I should have thought of that. I'm sure you're still recovering."

"It's not that. It's just been a couple of exhausting days."

"I'm going to pick up something for both of us, and I'll be at your place around 6. How does that sound?" asked Alex.

"Perfect. See you then."

The cab pulled up to Olivia's apartment building and she looked at her watch. It was already 5:00. This day had flown. She let herself in and headed for the couch, hoping she could catch a short nap before Alex came over. Before she lay down, she sent Elliot a quick text.

"Hope you and Dick have good talk. Having dinner with Alex. Talk later?" She hit SEND and lay down, closing her eyes. She was sound asleep in minutes.

EOEOEOEOEO

Olivia awoke to the sound of her buzzer going off. She was disoriented at first. She sat up, looking at her watch. The buzzer went off again, and she remembered Alex was coming over. She moved over to the intercom, and buzzed Alex in. She went into the bathroom and splashed cold water on her face. She ran her hands through her hair and sighed. One of these days she would get her act together. She heard knocking and went out to let Alex in. She swung the door open and Alex marched in, bags in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other. She walked into the kitchen and dropped everything on the counter. She turned around and looked Olivia up and down.

"You look like hell." she said.

"Gosh thanks. Nice to see you too." Olivia said, smirking at her friend.

"Hey, what are friends for?" Alex laughed. She turned around, grabbed some plates out of the cupboard and started dishing up the Chinese food she had brought. She looked over at Olivia. "Do you think you have enough strength to open the wine?"

"Haha." Olivia found the corkscrew and opened up the wine as Alex carried the plates and silverware into the living room. She grabbed two wineglasses and followed Alex, pouring the wine and sitting down. She hadn't realized how hungry she was until she smelled the food. She had missed lunch today. They ate in companionable silence until Alex sat back with her glass of wine and sighed.

"I was really hungry!" she said.

"Me too." said Olivia, taking a sip of wine. She looked over at Alex. "Thanks for agreeing to come over. It's been an exhausting couple of days."

"I'm sure. Concussions are nothing to mess around with." Alex said.

"Yeah. Well, there's been some other stuff going on too." said Olivia.

"Oh yeah? Like what? I just saw you on Saturday and again on Monday at the hospital." Alex leaned over and refilled her wine glass, then pulled her legs up on the couch, relaxing into it. "What could have possibly happened when you were supposed to be home resting?"

Olivia took another sip of wine. She needed the liquid courage. She wasn't sure why; she knew Alex might be a little mad at her for lying on Saturday, but that it wouldn't last.

Olivia decided to dive right in. That had seemed to work with everyone else so far. "Do you remember on Saturday when you accused me of sleeping with Elliot?"

Alex nodded, taking another sip of wine. "Yeah. I was just giving you a hard…" She paused as what Olivia had said sunk in. She looked over at Olivia with a big smile on her face. "Holy shit! You did! You slept with Elliot?!"

Olivia nodded.

"And you lied to me about it! I can't believe you." She leaned over and swatted Olivia lightly on the arm. "And here I was feeling badly for giving you a hard time!" Alex leaned back on the couch again and looked back over at Olivia. "Holy shit!"

Olivia raised her eyebrows and gave Alex a small smile, but still didn't say anything.

"Benson! Spill it. Tell me what happened." Olivia laughed, recalling her conversation with Casey. As if reading her mind, Alex kept talking. "Does Casey know? Who else knows? Oh my God, does Cragen know?"

"Alex, stop and I'll tell you." All of these conversations were driving her crazy; everyone had so many questions and were throwing them all out at once.

She replayed the conversation she had with Casey to Alex; telling her what happened but with the same level of detail as she shared with Casey.

"You left out a lot of details…" Alex said. "You have to tell me more than that. I mean, you've waited so long…was it fantastic…or was it kind of awkward?"

"It definitely wasn't awkward." said Olivia, blushing.

"Oh my God. You're blushing! It must have been amazing. I don't think I've ever seen you blush before."

"Yeah, well, there were some pent up frustrations…."

"I can't believe it." said Alex. "I never thought it would actually happen."

"You and me both." laughed Olivia.

"So now what? I know there were a lot of reasons you and Elliot never crossed that line. But now that you have, are you happy that it happened?" Alex asked. "I mean, this could get really complicated." She knew Olivia so well.

"You don't know the half of it." Olivia filled her in on Elliot's conversation with Kathy and his kids; her subsequent discussion with Dick; their meeting with Cragen, drinks with Fin and Munch and her conversation with Casey.

"Casey too? You mean I'm the last to know!" Alex made a pouty face. "I should have been the first! I asked you on Saturday…"

"Alex. I couldn't tell you. Elliot and I hadn't even had a chance to talk about it. I just couldn't tell you."

"I know. I'm just giving you shit Liv. I understand." She leaned over to refill her wine glass. "But I want to be the first one you tell when you get pregnant!" she said, laughing. When Olivia didn't say anything, she looked up. She saw Olivia was biting her bottom lip. "Oh my God…you aren't pregnant already are you? Elliot must have super sperm if he can get you pregnant through a condom."

"Well…" Olivia said, shrugging. "We didn't use any kind of birth control…"

"What? That's your #1 rule!" Alex exclaimed.

"I know, but it's Elliot. And I didn't even think about it until later. Until a couple of days later and by that time…"

Alex held up a hand. "I don't want to hear about how many times you and Elliot have had sex." She laughed.

Olivia laughed with her. "Well, anyway…we didn't use anything and I doubt I am, but I suppose I could be." She took another sip of wine. "And if I'm not, I might be soon. Elliot wants to have a baby."

"And you? What do you want?" Alex asked.

"You know I've always wanted to be a mother." Olivia said.

"Yeah, but that's awfully fast."

"Maybe. But as Elliot and everyone else keep telling me…it's been 8 years."

Alex laughed. "That is so true!" Alex held up her wine glass. "A toast…to you and Elliot. I hope you make each other happy for years to come." They clinked glasses and drank, finishing off the last of the wine in their glasses.

"Well, that's the last of the wine. Time for me to go home." said Alex, getting up off the couch. "I have a long day tomorrow."

Olivia stood up and Alex leaned in and gave her a hug. "I'm really happy for you Liv. I love you."

Olivia hugged her back. "I love you too Alex. Thanks for dinner and the wine. And for your friendship. It means a lot to me."

They pulled apart. "Keep me posted, OK?" said Alex as she opened the door. "I want to be the first to know…anything!"

Olivia nodded and shut the door behind Alex. She went back over to the couch and curled up. She smiled. She didn't have a big circle of friends, but the ones she had were amazing. She was so lucky. She checked her phone and saw it was a little before 8. She didn't have any messages from Elliot or anyone else, so she picked up the remote and found a movie to watch.

EOEOEOEOEOEOEO

A text from Elliot came through about 10. She picked it up immediately.

"Hey. Still up?" It said.

She typed in "YES" and hit SEND.

A few seconds later, her phone rang. She picked it up. "Hey."

"Hey? That's how you're going to answer the phone now?" he teased her.

"Isn't that better than 'Benson'?"

"I guess. How was your night with Alex?" he asked.

Olivia knew what he was really asking. "Good. She was surprised, but not quite as verbal as Casey was. She's happy for us."

"You knew she would be."

"Yeah. How was your night? You sound exhausted."

"Actually, it went a lot better than I expected. I'm not sure exactly what you told him, but he was a little open to talking. This whole divorce seems to be a lot harder on him than it was his sisters. I think he felt like he had to be the man of the house when I wasn't around, taking care of everyone. And when Kathy and I fought, he naturally was in her camp. He really believed you and I were sleeping together. So I don't know how you convinced him we weren't…but he finally seems to believe it. It will just take some time."

"I'm so glad you two talked." Olivia said.

"So what DID you tell him?"

"I told him the truth…but I also told him that if he or any of the girls couldn't handle our relationship, then I would walk away. That I wouldn't get in between you and them."

"You said that?" Elliot said. "Liv." He sounded like he was going to go into a lecture.

"Elliot. I meant it. I won't come between you and your kids."

"It's not going to come to that…"

"I'm just saying. I won't let you choose me over your kids." Olivia said with conviction.

Elliot sighed, knowing she was being honest. He was a little emotional; she was such an amazing woman. "Liv. I love you so much."

"I love you too." she said, smiling into the phone. "Are you coming over?"

Elliot sighed. "I want to, but Dick's spending the night here and I can't leave him."

"Of course not. I just thought maybe you had taken him back to Queens." She was careful not to say 'home'. She knew Elliot was sensitive to that.

"I'm going to drive him to school in the morning, so I probably won't have time to see you in the morning either. Do you want to meet me for lunch?" he asked.

"Are you asking me out on a date?" Olivia teased.

"No, that's not a date…it's just lunch."

"Hmmm. Well, call me tomorrow and I'll see if I'm free." she teased. "'Night El." she said and hung up the phone.