Back the Hard Way

*Title: Back the Hard Way

*Author: Farwalk

*Fandom: Law & Order: SVU

*Pairing: Eventually Olivia and Alex

Disclaimer: Don't own them. Law and Order SVU and characters belong to Dick Wolf.


TWENTY-NINE

The night air was cold. He stood outside looking every now and then at the set of windows across the street. He'd done this before. For her. Watched her, watched over her. This time though it was harder to leave. The years away had not hardened her like he thought they would. She still smelled of lavender. Her hair was still pale blonde. Her eyes. That's where the change was evident. The blue of the sky was now the dark blue of the ocean. A darker shade. So much hidden behind them.

He glanced up just in time to see her part the curtains. They did not acknowledge one another. But both felt comfort in knowing. One last walk around the buildings and he would head a little further uptown. He made a mental map of the block. Two brownstones down the door was green. Blue painted fire hydrant at the corner. Sixteen cars in all dotted the street. None older than two years. Three Mercedes, two BMWs , three Infinities and seven Lexus SUVs. 'Why do people buy that car? All the same color' He said to himself. One Mercedes 500G. That was his. As boxy as it is, it was bullet proof. The only real expensive thing he ever purchased for himself. Besides his weapons.

He found himself back where he started. He took one last glance at the building and then the window. He unlocked his truck and climbed in.

"Sleep well, Princess." He said has he pulled from the curb and headed east.

Alex saw the flash of the lights outside her window. He was leaving. A part of her was relieved. She did not like the idea of him sitting outside in the cold all night. She had asked Liz if he could stay down the hall in another spare room. Liz at first was curious why, but did not verbalize it. She agreed. Parker declined. Telling them that he had some things to take care of. He would be back throughout the night.

Alex was a bit upset that he was not going to be nearby. She had come to rely on him. Again. He reassured her that he would return in the morning for breakfast. He spoke to each one of the officers that would be stationed in and around the house before they left the squad that night. Alex knew some of them from working in the DA's office and some from her days in WPP. Still, this was not nearly has comforting has having him around.

'Knock, knock.' Short soft rap came at her bedroom door. Alex rose from the chair by the window.

"It's Liz." The voice on the other side said softly.

Alex opened the door. "Who else would it be?" Alex said with a smile.


"I can see you have the same house keeper has before." Abbie teased has they entered Olivia's apartment.

"Yeah, well it just looks messy to you because its small compared to your Valhalla." Olivia kidded back. She began looking around her apartment for something. Abbie watch in amusement. She glanced at her watch and made a mental bet with herself that it would take Olivia thirty-minutes to find her keys she left on the kitchen counter.

"What are you looking for?" Abbie asked.

"A key." Olivia replied looking in a small jar by the book shelf. Abbie chuckled to herself.

"What is the key for?" Abbie asked starting to look for the key.

"My second locked box." Olivia said closing another box by the TV.

"Oh. Well let's see. If memory serves me right." Abbie turned and headed for the kitchen. She opened the knife drawer to the left of the stove. Carefully reaching her hand all the way to the back of the drawing, she moved her fingers slowly back and forth. "Bingo." She said out loud. She carefully pulled her hand from the drawer and taped to her lovely long fingers was a key.

"How'd you know that?" Olivia asked walking over to her and taking the key from her hand.

"I remember that you told me when you want to hide something hide it in plain sight. When you really want to hide something, hide it dangerously." Abbie let a large smile spread across her face. "You and cooking utensils, that's dangerous."

"Very funny." Olivia said taking a metal box out from under a cut out section of the lower kitchen cabinet. Olivia unlocked the box and opened the lid. Inside was a 9mm Ruger.

"Nice piece." Abbie added admiring the gun.

"Yep. " Olivia said removing the gun from the box and checking the barrel. "9 mm Luger, 3 DOT site with…"

"With non bio grip." Abbie said. She reached for the gun. "Like I said nice. So is this your drop gun?"

"Nope." Olivia said retrieving it back from the over interested companion. Olivia lifted the soft foam that once cradled the firearm. She retrieved gloves, the bullets and an extra clip. She put on the gloves and then began to load the bullets in the extra clip. Abbie reached to help and Olivia grabbed her by the wrist before she could touch anything.

"It has a bio grip for a reason. I am wearing gloves for a reason." Olivia gently let go of Abbie's wrist.

"Olivia do you know what you're doing?" Abbie beginning to get concerned.

"What I should have done a long time ago." Olivia said finishing the last bullet in the first clip. She slammed the clip into place. She pulled a side holster out f the box, placed the empty ammo box in the bottom and then replaced the foam insert. She placed the gun in the holster and clipped it to her belt. Olivia went to the front closet and took out a jacket. She checked to see if the gun was properly concealed. When she was satisfied she returned to the kitchen. Without a word she replaced the box in the cabinet and the key back in the drawer.

"Got another one of those?" Abbie asked her. Olivia looked at her questionably. "I'm in. TO what I don't know, but I'm in."

"I don't want you to be a part of this adventure." Olivia said matter of factly.

"Oh, the big bad cop can do it alone." Abbie said taking a step toward Olivia. "I have skills that you don't have. Federal skills." Abbie paused. "So I will ask you again, do you have another one?"

Olivia left Abbie standing in the kitchen. She crossed the room and entered the bedroom. Reaching under her bed, she ripped the holster from the bed frame. She walked out of the room.

"Here. You know how to use it." Olivia said placing the gun in Abbey's hand.

"Of course." She smirked. "I'm from Texas."


So, I deceded to keep Abbie in the picture. We'll see what happens.