A/N - Next update! Again, another M chapter. Fair warning.
Alex
Alex opened her eyes for a moment and groaned at the alarmingly bright light that accosted her. It was morning again and the blonde flexed and tried stretching her muscles, marveling at how tight and sore they felt. A whole day of strenuous activity would do that to a person, she thought with a playful smile. The body next to her stirred at her movements and they slowly untangled their limbs from one another.
"Urghh," Olivia said quietly, her voice strained. "I'm so sore."
Alex laughed aloud, reaching out and running her hand suggestively over Olivia's sheet covered backside. "It was worth it though, wasn't it?"
Turning on to her side to get a good look at the blonde, Olivia bit her lip. "It was."
"I thought so too," and Alex leaned forward, pressing a quick kiss to the detective's lips. She rolled over and tossed the sheets back, exposing Olivia's nude body in the process to the cool morning air. A sound of protest escaped the brunette's lips but died off quickly as she took in the sight of Alex's body sliding off the bed and walking to the bathroom.
"Like what you see?" Alex purred, pausing in the doorway and looking back seductively at the detective. Olivia nodded wordlessly.
"Good. You're not so bad yourself," she said appraisingly, licking her lips hungrily. "And I want you again in the shower later. After our run."
Olivia was quiet for a split second as Alex closed the bathroom door behind her and then the yell of protest Alex was expecting hit her ears.
"A run?!" Olivia cried. "I can't run. I hurt all over."
Alex remained quiet as she used the toilet and then washed her hands, grinning at her reflection in the mirror. Olivia would be just fine. A little more exercise was just what she needed to work out all that lactic acid buildup.
…..
Olivia
"Alex, I don't think this is a very good idea." Olivia said, her breath escaping and rushing back into her lungs in huge gasps. They had already run a solid mile up the mountain path Alex had found by chance, tucked away into the trees. It was secluded and challenging, and Olivia was struggling for air as they climbed higher and higher. The part of the trail they were now on was straight and led around the side of the mountain, so it was easier on even her now-aching calf muscles.
"Why not?" Alex asked, breathing normally. Olivia's eyes bugged out in her head. "I'm dying. I haven't run in ages."
"That's a terrible excuse to stop. Try again," Alex said teasingly, still jogging next to the exhausted woman.
"I'm going to pass out. Is that a good enough excuse?" Olivia wheezed. Smiling, Alex shook her head. "Sounds like you need some mouth-to-mouth,"
Olivia stopped completely and Alex had to do a double take when she realized the brunette was no longer next to her. She stopped a few steps up ahead and began walking back. Giving her a dramatic look, Olivia raised the back of her hand up to her forehead, southern belle style, and crumpled to the ground.
At first, Alex thought she was serious and had actually passed out, so the blonde sprinted the three steps it took to reach Olivia, bending down to one knee and placing her hands on the detective, one hand immediately going to her neck to check for a pulse. It was strong, racing even, and Alex looked into Olivia's face. Eyes still closed, the brunette was smiling mischievously.
"That's not funny," Alex said, thumping the brunette in the chest. Olivia flinched and opened her eyes as she sat up.
"You said mouth-to-mouth. I had to go for it," she said simply, as if there were no other options. Alex stood and extended a hand down to the detective. Olivia took it and allowed herself to be hauled to her feet. As she hopped up, Alex moved quickly, pulling the woman into her arms and planting a kiss right on Olivia's chilly lips. Their mouths moved together for a moment, tasting and exploring before they broke apart. Olivia opened her eyes and smiled, enjoying the way Alex's blue eyes looked in the morning light, even with the overcast skies and heavy snow clouds covering the sun.
"I think I'll pass out more often if you'll come to my rescue," she said and Alex grinned back at her. "Fine, but you've got leaves and twigs all over your hair. And I'm not helping you pick them out."
"Hey," Olivia said as Alex turned and began walking back down the trail to the cabin. "Alex, wait up!" But it was too late, the blonde had already started jogging again and Olivia rolled her eyes, trying to convince her legs that they would be all right and could make it the rocky mile back to the cabin without falling off. She jogged slowly after Alex, trying half-heartedly to catch up.
Back at the cabin well behind Alex, Olivia kicked off her shoes and rubbed her freezing hands together as she opened the door and stepped inside. A pair of voices reached her ears and she instantly tensed up. Glancing back out the window, she realized she had walked right by the SUV without registering its presence. Her hand twitched towards her concealed weapon, ready to pull it out if she needed to. A distracted mind was not one well-suited for awareness of her surroundings and she reprimanded herself inwardly. Thankfully, it was only Gabrielle's car and not a murdering psychopath ready to end both their lives. She released the curtain and moved farther into the room.
Alex and Gabrielle were sitting at the kitchen table, enjoying a cup of coffee and chatting as if they were old friends. Olivia felt a twinge of jealousy and knew that it was unfounded and baseless, but she didn't want any attractive women talking to Alex, ever. The possessiveness she still felt was a bit alarming, but she tried to ignore it as she walked into the small room.
"Hello, Ms. Pierce" Gabrielle said warmly and Olivia's brows furrowed in confusion before she remembered what her new name was. She and Alex had not been disciplined about using them. "We were just speaking about tonight's activities."
"Activities?" Olivia asked, glancing over at Alex who was smiling playfully. She wasn't sure what kind of activities these two had been discussing, but if it involved anything like what she and Alex had been doing the past 24 hours, Olivia wasn't feeling up to talking about it in front of Gabrielle. The Marshal had already practically walked in on them the day before, staying true to her word about checking in on them each day.
..
The knock had sounded on the door yesterday amidst another particularly enjoyable round of foreplay and startled them both. The detective's hand flew to her weapon on the bedside table and she pulled on a t-shirt while tiptoeing towards the front door, glancing quickly through the peephole as she kept her body to the side of the door. A sigh of relief left her lungs.
"It's Gabrielle," she said quietly to Alex, whose eyes were wide and scared. Hearing this, Alex breathed out and closed her eyes briefly, glad to hear it wasn't someone else, someone more dangerous. The blonde had pulled on an oversized t-shirt of her own and was now tossing a pair of shorts to Olivia, which she tugged on before she opened the door and allowed Gabrielle to step inside and out of the cold.
"Good morning," she said brightly, looking Olivia up and down with an increasingly raised eyebrow. And her eyes traveled over to Alex, who had stepped out of the bedroom, hair tousled, and definitely looking like she'd just had sex. Gabrielle's well-trained eyes took in the whole scene and then glanced back through the still-open bedroom door, where one bed was still suspiciously made and the other was torn apart, sheets everywhere, pillows lying on the floor and blankets nowhere in sight.
"A really good morning then," she said with a smile and Olivia rolled her eyes while Alex blushed, the red creeping up her throat to give them both away. And if Olivia wasn't mistaken, she could have sworn the Marshal looked just a little disappointed.
"Anyway," Gabrielle said when neither of them spoke. "Well, I just needed to poke my head in and check up on you two. Brought some more food as well. And a couple movies in case you get bored. Which, I see, is unlikely."
..
And now they were back again the next day in a similar situation, talking hopefully not, Olivia begged inwardly, about any more sexual-themed activities. Her muscles were aching and her fingers and forearms were sore and she didn't feel much like discussing anything of the sort with Gabrielle.
"Activities?" she asked. And then Alex nodded after giving her a playful look.
"Yes, we're having a date night." It was said so matter-of-factly that Olivia could only stand there in the living room and blink. Finally, she spoke.
"We're allowed to leave the cabin?" Olivia asked incredulously. Gabrielle rolled her eyes and looked back and forth between the two of them.
"Looks like you two have already broken that rule," she said pointedly. "Did you have a nice run?" she asked Olivia and the detective got the distinct sense that they were being watched while outside, at least for part of the time. There was no way anyone could have followed them up the mountain without their knowledge.
Nodding, Olivia smiled icily back at her. "Yes, we did," she said as she stepped to the kitchen and brought down a mug from the cabinet, pouring a cup of coffee for herself. She sat down next to Alex and stared across the table at Gabrielle, unsure of where this pent up aggression and hostility was coming from. Feeling a warm hand on her sweatpants-clad thigh, Olivia glanced up at the blonde, whose eyes were gentle and reassuring and her smile was one, Olivia knew, reserved just for herself.
The Marshal cleared her throat and looked between them. "I was just telling Emily here about the different things to do in town. The orchestra is playing over at the university, so that's one thing. And there's always the movie theater."
"What about ice skating?" Olivia asked, ignoring the foreign-sounding name as she remembered driving past a rink on their journey through town. And Gabrielle nodded, shrugging her shoulders.
"Yes, ice skating too. It's cold enough now that they've opened up the rink. And," Gabrielle paused, glancing behind her out the kitchen window at the sky. "It looks like it might snow today as well. Better bundle up."
She finished the rest of her coffee and stood up, rinsing her mug out in the sink and then turned to the still-seated duo. "Thanks for the coffee. And be careful out there tonight. Remember to use your new names."
Alex nodded and Olivia simply gave a tight-lipped smile as the Marshal walked past them in the kitchen and walked out the front door, closing it gently as she left.
….
"Why are you so quiet?" Alex asked, finishing the rest of her coffee and placing the mug back down on the table. Olivia shrugged noncommittally and played half-heartedly with the handle of her cup.
"Must be cranky from lack of sleep," she said after a drawn-out silence. And Alex raised a skeptical eyebrow. But she let it go.
"Okay then. Well, now that she's gone," Alex stood up and smiled, setting their mugs in the sink, she pulled the brunette to her feet. "It's time for that shower."
Olivia's mood brightened instantly as she followed the blonde willingly to the bathroom and they stripped their clothes along the way, leaving a trail of discarded items. Alex tossed her shirt behind her haphazardly and the detective managed to duck out of the way, only to be hit with a pair of shorts right in the face a second later. Olivia wasted no time in catching up to her, reaching forward to pinch Alex hard, directly on her left cheek and the blonde squealed in protest, jumping ahead and almost falling forward into the tub.
Olivia caught her from behind, holding her up as a now fully nude Alex reached down to turn on the water, giving it a chance to warm up through the probably almost-frozen pipes. Their naked forms pressed together and Olivia closed her eyes, reveling in the feel of Alex's impossibly soft skin sliding against her own. Her hands reached around to Alex's front, caressing from her hip bones, trailing up her stomach to cup her breasts. Palms pressing and fingertips rolling the already hard nipples, Olivia's mouth found Alex's neck and set to work on it with her tongue and teeth.
Alex leaned her head to the side, granting further access and Olivia took advantage, letting her tongue lick a long line up the length of her corded neck muscle to Alex's ear where she paused and nibbled briefly on the lobe there. All the way back down to her trap muscles and shoulders Olivia's tongue went and her hands found themselves occupied around Alex's front. One hand continued to massage a pert breast while the other tangled itself between the blonde's legs, unable to wait for the cleanliness of the shower. Olivia moved her hand into the slickness, spreading moisture from Alex's center all the way up to her clit before moving back down and dipping her fingers inside, pressing up and marveling in the way the blonde gasped at the penetration.
"Fuck, Liv," Alex whispered as the brunette began thrusting, holding the blonde up with one arm while she continued working on her insides.
"I would love to," Olivia replied and she released Alex, to the blonde's vocal dismay, stepping inside the perfectly warm tub and pulling her love in next to her. Olivia dropped to her knees right away directly in front of the blonde, letting her entire body soak under the warm spray for a moment and she looked up into Alex's eyes. She saw trust, complete and absolute in the blue eyes as she leaned forward and kissed her way up the blonde's thigh to her center. She lifted one of Alex's legs and placed it on the side of the tub, giving herself plenty of room. And without hesitating, Olivia pressed her tongue in as far as it would go and Alex's hands gripped firmly in her hair, steadying herself in the slippery bathtub as Olivia repeatedly weakened her knees.
After a few more teasing strokes of her tongue, Olivia relented her unfair treatment of the blonde and moved her mouth up to Alex's clit, wrapping her lips around it and sucking gently, causing even more expletives to fall from the blonde's usually prim and proper mouth.
"Oh, right there Liv. Please don't stop," Alex cried as she pulled the brunette head closer, grinding her hips gently against Olivia's flattened tongue. Alex closed her eyes as the feelings overtook her, and Olivia watched as adrenaline and pleasure spiked through her body. Olivia's own orgasm was close, after simply watching and giving to Alex.
"Fuck." Alex's toes squeaked against the tub as they curled and then her fingers tightened painfully in Olivia's hair. Her stomach muscles rippled and contracted as she shook, the orgasm blossoming now deep in her belly and exploding in her core. And her knees finally did give out as she came, and Olivia supported her weight as she slid down into the brunette's lap, unable to stand as she shook with the aftershocks.
As Alex opened her eyes and looked at the detective, she noticed Olivia's eyes were also closed, her arms were trembling and she was breathing hard. Her own hand was still buried between her legs, drawing out her own pleasure.
"Liv, did you . . .?" and her voice trailed off as she stared at the brunette's hand. Olivia opened her eyes and took a deep breath, steadying herself as she nodded.
"Why didn't you let me-" Alex started, but Olivia leaned in and kissed her, pressing her tongue into Alex's mouth aggressively and then pulled back after a moment. She blinked the water out of her eyes and smiled.
"I couldn't wait. It was too much, seeing you come apart like that," Olivia said, still breathless. Alex grinned at her and made to stand back up. She helped the detective up and they stood together under the pulsing water and kissed once more.
"Mmm. . ." Alex moaned into Olivia's mouth and reached behind the detective for the body wash. "Let me help you with this soap."
…..
Neither of them had many clothes to choose from, but they bundled into sweaters and jeans anyway, throwing on boots and scarves and warm hats and trudged off through the ever expanding snow pile towards town before the sun went completely down behind the mountains. A mile and around 15 minutes later, they reached the ice skating rink. It was dark by then, but there were hundreds of people scattered around, most of them college kids enjoying the snow. Several snowball fights were taking place on the outskirts of the rink, and Olivia and Alex had to duck and run quickly through the middle of it to avoid being hit.
Laughing hysterically at all the kids throwing themselves behind trees and mounds of snow, the duo brushed themselves off and approached the counter where there was a line to rent skates and buy hot chocolate. They told the twenty something-year-old boy tending the cash register their shoe sizes and waited as he pulled down the appropriate pairs, totaling up the amount in the register.
"Ten bucks even," he said, his eyes glancing over them and then out to the snowfight outside, increasing in intensity. It was obvious he'd rather be having fun than standing here in the cold working. Alex forked over the cash and they each grabbed their skates, slipping a bit on the icy concrete as they walked over to the benches to put them on.
"Do you know how long it's been since I've ice skated?" Alex asked, her eyes glittering with joy under the Christmas lights merrily burning all around them.
"Probably as long as it's been for me. I haven't done this since . . ." And Olivia trailed off, remembering the night her mother had taken her ice skating at Rockefeller Center when she was around 10 or 11. How wonderful that night had been, how normal they must have looked to everyone else. Just a regular mother and her daughter out ice skating on a chilly night. The nights after that hadn't been good. But that was usually how it worked. Good nights were rare, and she cherished those memories more than anything else. And the bad nights . . . well, she didn't like to think about those.
"You okay?" Alex asked as she finished lacing up her skates, watching Olivia stare off into space. The brunette nodded her head, ridding herself of the memories and smiled.
"Yep," she said, tying a double knot on her right skate and she stood up, wobbling unathletically. "You ready?"
The blonde nodded. "Always ready, babe."
Olivia smiled at the endearment and held out her hand. Alex took it and allowed herself to be helped to her feet. They both stumbled their way onto the rink, leaving their boots behind under the bench. Their first clumsy steps out onto the ice were hesitant and wobbly, but after a few laps around the rink with their hands on the outside rail, they got the hang of it.
"Like riding a bike," Olivia commented, her breath puffing out in a steam cloud, taking a confident step forward and allowing her skate to glide to the side. She pushed her other skate out as well, taking more confident strides. But then Alex gasped as Olivia hit an upturned patch of ice and her skate turned sideways, sending the brunette toppling and sliding across the cold surface. She came to a stop when her body thumped against the rail and rolled over onto her belly, looking up as Alex slid to a halt next to her.
The blonde was trying desperately to hold in her laughter but was doing a poor job of it. "God, Liv. Are you all right?" Olivia didn't answer when she saw Alex laughing at her, she simply struggled to her feet with the aid of the rail and gave the woman a scathing look.
"Just fine. Lost my footing."
"I'll say," Alex giggled, and she just managed to duck out of the way as Olivia lunged for her. The brunette kept her footing that time and skated more confidently towards the blonde, who was laughing uncontrollably at the pursuing detective, still covered with icy flecks from her fall.
After a brief high-speed chase, Olivia caught up with her and grabbed her from behind, keeping both of them from being able to stop as they rushed towards the far rail. Alex let out an uncharacteristic high pitched scream as she ran hips-first into the rail and they both tumbled head-over-heels over the top of it, falling in a heap of limbs on the other side into a soft blanket of snow. They laid there for a moment, shocked at the fall, and then Alex shifted.
"Ouch," Alex said as she rubbed her backside and hips. "Sorry," Olivia said, but her tone defied her words as she grabbed a handful of snow and tossed it playfully onto the blonde.
"Hey!" Alex cried as she retaliated, throwing her own crude snowball at the detective, hitting her square in the forehead with it, and Olivia blinked the ice out of her eyes while Alex laughed. While she was distracted with her giggles, Olivia moved quickly, clambering on top of the blonde and kissing her firmly. No one could see them on this side of the rink, behind the hill of snow and well out of the way of the snowball fights. Alex found no reason to protest as her lips parted to let the brunette push her way inside. Their faces were cold and their lips were cold, but beneath that chilly exterior there was heat. Fiery, untamed flames danced to the surface, and Alex found herself grinding up against the detective until she remembered all at once where they were.
A very public venue was the not the place for that kind of behavior and Alex pushed Olivia gently away. "You're incredible, Liv. But we're acting like horny teenagers."
Olivia smiled and shrugged, realizing too that their behavior was bordering on inappropriate, and she slid off of Alex, climbing to her feet and helping the blond up out of the snow.
"I can't help myself." And when Alex shot her a heated look that spoke volumes about what they might do later that night, Olivia moved to the rail. "Let's keep skating for a little bit. Then we can get some hot chocolate."
"Okay," Alex agreed and watched as Olivia vaulted herself over the rail, trying to show off her coordination and athleticism and then slipped again on the icy surface, falling hard on her ass. Alex didn't even try this time to stifle her laughter as she climbed carefully over the rail, back onto the rink and set herself down gently, wobbling a bit on her skates.
"That hurt," Olivia said as she got up again and held onto the rail more firmly. "It looked like it," Alex agreed.
"I think I'll take that hot chocolate sooner rather than later," Olivia groaned, rubbing her sore rear end as she skated towards the concession stand. Shaking her head, Alex followed her slowly.
…
They sat together on the bench, sipping their warm drinks as they watched people skate past. The snow continued to fall in tiny little flakes, catching on their hats and faces and eyelashes. Olivia stared at her as she watched the snowflakes flutter past. The brunette leaned over and kissed Alex's forehead, wrapping a warm arm around her shoulders as they huddled close together.
"You're beautiful," Olivia whispered into her and Alex smiled, her heart thrilling at this woman and everything about her. She turned to the brunette and tilted her head, allowing their lips to come together for a soft, sweet kiss.
"You are beautiful. Everything about you," Alex said as she pressed their lips together once more before she rested her head on Olivia's shoulder.
"Did you want to go listen to the symphony at the university tonight?" Olivia asked, and Alex thought for a moment.
"Not tonight, no. Maybe some other time. It makes me too homesick." And as Olivia rubbed circles on her back, she turned her head slightly towards Alex.
"You mean for the Philharmonic?"
Alex nodded, the wool of Olivia's coat scratching her skin softly. "Have you ever been?"
"I've lived in New York my entire life and have never been. Crazy, isn't it?" Alex gasped, surprised to hear this from the detective.
"You're kidding, right?" she asked incredulously and Olivia shook her head. "It's amazing. I can't believe you've never been."
"We'll go as soon as we get back," Olivia assured her, not exactly sounding thrilled at the prospect. It would be more for Alex's benefit than for her own. Olivia, as far as she knew, wasn't a huge fan of classical or even orchestral music for that matter.
"But it's in the summertime," Alex said, smiling up at the brunette. Olivia nodded, shrugging.
"Then we'll go as soon as it's summertime."
"You're sweet," Alex grinned and then turned her gaze back out into the blue-black horizon line. Looking out over the snow-capped trees and the dark, almost black mountains in the background, she breathed in the cool air and closed her eyes.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Olivia asked, following Alex's gaze.
"It is," Alex paused. "But you know what I really miss?"
And Olivia waited, watching the blonde as she stared out at the darkness.
"The Empire State Building. The whole skyline, really. Lady Liberty. Bridges over water."
"Mmm."
"All night diners."
"Yes, me too," Olivia agreed appreciatively.
"Hot dog stands." And at this, Olivia smiled, remembering eating hot dogs with Alex as they walked through the park near the precinct. Her stomach growled hostilely at the thought of the soft bun and tangy mustard.
"Stop, you're making me hungry."
"Court."
Olivia jerked her head up and stared at the blonde. "Court?"
Alex nodded and the brunette scrunched up her nose.
"I hate going to court."
Alex shrugged. "I'm a prosecutor. It's what I do. I put away the bad guys."
Olivia gave a half-smirk. "I miss that too."
….
Alex
Two weeks had passed, and Alex couldn't believe how quickly they had gone by. It must have been all the sleeping in until 9 or 10 each morning and running through the trails with Olivia, who to her credit, quickly regained her former running shape and stayed up with Alex effortlessly. Each day they found something new to discover in the town, whether it was tiny coffee shops or bars around the university, or little bookshops nestled in between businesses downtown. They still had no car, but everything was within walking distance, and being New Yorkers, they were used to walking everywhere. Enjoying their unprecedented amount of free time, they both felt as if it was a winter vacation away from work. But like with any vacation that drags on too long, there comes a point when home calls out to a person, and nothing sounds better than being able to sleep in your own bed and walk around in your own house, with your old names and true identities.
Careful about calling each other by the correct names anytime they were out in public, Alex found that it was difficult to keep from saying the detective's name. Instead, she had to keep quiet and only whisper it into Olivia's ear. Neither of them tried very often to use their new names at all. It was too strange, too foreign, and they both knew -well- hoped, that this arrangement would be temporary and the names would no longer be necessary. Back at the cabin, however, Alex made good use of their privacy and didn't hesitate to vocalize the brunette's name at all hours of the day and night. There was no one around them to hear, and she couldn't get enough of the way it sounded out of her mouth.
It was one snowy afternoon in early December and Olivia had gone over to the main building to ask Richard for some firewood. He happily showed her the pile out back and she carried several logs back to their cabin, tossing them into the fireplace. After a few tries, she got the fire going while Alex fixed two mugs of steaming hot chocolate. That was something she was capable of making without setting the kitchen on fire.
They sat together on the couch, enjoying each other's company and sipping their warm drinks as the fire crackled merrily on the wood. Warmth radiated off of it and they smiled together at the simple act of sitting in front of a fire trying to keep the cold away.
Feeling too warm and happy inside not to share her sentiments with Olivia, Alex set her mug on the coffee table and leaned forward to take Olivia's and set it down near her own. She bent her legs up under her and leaned forward on the couch, on her hands and knees now as she crawled slowly towards the brunette. Olivia grinned as Alex approached and let the blonde press her back into the couch, letting a breath out when their bodies contacted and pressed together.
Their mouths met, warm and chocolaty from their drinks and moved together languidly. And just as Alex was reaching up to caress other parts of the brunette's body, the landline rang out shrilly, interrupting their mood and cutting through the low sound of the fire burning in the grate.
Alex sat up, rolling off of Olivia as she ran a hand through her hair and gave the detective a questioning look. "Gabrielle, you think?"
Olivia shrugged, stood up to go answer the phone, and Alex scooted back on the couch, leaning her back against the armrest to watch Olivia pick the receiver up and place it to her ear.
"If it is, I'm going to tell her she's the biggest crotch-block I've ever met."
Alex snickered quietly, but was able to contain her laughter for long enough not to interrupt the phone conversation. Several moments passed where Olivia listened to whoever was at the other end and her face grew solemn. When she didn't make eye contact with Alex, the blonde stood up and walked over to her, worried about who it might be on the other end and what they might be saying.
"Who is it?" she whispered, her curiosity getting the better of her. Olivia didn't answer, she just kept listening, running a hand through her hair and then spoke after a moment. "So, tomorrow then?"
Closer now, Alex could hear the other person speak. It was a man's voice but his words were too muffled for her to make out. Olivia was nodding and without looking at Alex, she reached down and grasped the blonde's hand, squeezing it tightly as she continued to listen. Growing more and more worried, Alex squeezed back, wishing Olivia would look her in the eyes and give some indication to what this was about. Her thoughts went to her mother, and she prayed silently that it had nothing to do with Virginia, that she was safe wherever she was, unharmed by all of this madness recently.
"Okay, thanks for calling. We'll see you tomorrow evening then." And then Olivia hung up the phone, turning to Alex with a slightly stunned expression.
"Who was it?" Alex asked again, desperately in need of an answer now. Olivia took a deep breath and let out a relieved smile. She pulled the hands they had intertwined behind her body and grasped Alex in a crushing hug. Alex hugged her back and then pulled away, looking into the brunette's gleaming eyes.
"It was Hammond. The trial is over."
"Already?" Alex asked, although it had been two weeks and plenty of time had passed for the judicial process to take place. Olivia nodded, smiling.
"And?" Alex prodded.
"Velez fucked up. He set foot in Brazil, where the local authorities arrested him and the Marshals were there to bring him to the U.S."
"So the trial already happened. We missed the whole thing?" Alex was beyond disappointed. She wanted to witness seeing the man responsible for all of this sit on the stand and receive his punishment. Not to mention the burning need to send Zapata to prison for the rest of his life for all he had done as well.
"Alex, there was no way we could have gone to the trial. They might have tried to have us killed again."
"What about witnesses to Langan's death? Did they put Zapata away as well?" Olivia nodded.
"Elliot testified. Thank god he's all right. Kathy is going to kill me when we get back."
Alex had to take several steps back and sat down on the couch. This was a lot to take in. It was all over. And they hadn't been there for any of it. She marveled at herself, for her crazed desire to see these guys pay for what they did without a single thought to her own safety. That was part of the reason she'd been shot in the first place, not knowing when to stop pushing. She ran a hand through her hair and took a deep breath. Olivia sat down next to her, eyes full of concern.
"You okay?"
Alex nodded. "Fine. I'm just . . . I don't know. Crazy, I guess. I wanted to see him on the stand. I wanted to be the one prosecuting him."
Giving one of her half-smiles, Olivia took hold of her hand. "I wanted to see that too. But we're safe. Elliot's safe. And the bad guys are all in prison."
"And the leak? Did they figure out where it came from?"
Olivia nodded, smiling with an amazed tilt of her head. "Hammond said yes, but he didn't give specifics. He said he'd explain the whole thing when we got back to New York."
"Back to New York," Alex said, eyes wide. It was hard to believe. They knew their current arrangement wasn't long term, but it was beyond wonderful to hear that they would actually be going home. She looked back up at Olivia, wanting more information.
"What kind of sentence did Zapata get?" Alex hoped with all she had that Olivia wouldn't say a reduced sentence, that there would be no chance of that bastard seeing the outside world again in this lifetime.
"They took the death penalty off the table. He must have had some information about the leak. Life in prison for murdering a defense attorney and attempted murder of an NYPD detective."
"What about my attempted murder?" Alex asked, and Olivia shrugged, expression still amazed.
"They got him for that as well. Word got out about you being alive and in witness protection at the trial, and Elliot testified about that shooting too."
"But we didn't see the shooter," the blonde said, eyebrows furrowed. "Zapata was in lockup when the shooting happened."
"Zapata flipped on the hired hit man. They flipped on each other is probably a more accurate description. They caught the shooter, matched the gun and bullets to another murder, and he was quick to reveal who had ordered the hit. So Zapata got the blame for conspiracy to commit murder."
"Wow. So it's over. It's really over." Alex said, amazed at everything that had happened. All threats to their life had been taken away.
The brunette smiled, but then Alex looked down at her hands. "You know we've only cut off the Hydra's head here," she said, her voice low. Olivia stared at her, raising an eyebrow. "You mean the thing that grows two heads when you cut one off?"
"Yes. There are plenty more drug lords out there to replace Velez and Zapata."
But Olivia smiled, pulled Alex's arm up and wrapped it around her neck, bringing them closer together. "You're right. But at least the new guys won't be out for personal revenge against Alex Cabot."
Alex smiled. "And all the people she loves."
"Yes. That too."
"And we go back tomorrow?" Olivia nodded and grinned at the blonde.
"That's too far away," Alex said and Olivia agreed. "It is. But I'm sure we can find some way to pass the time."
Sighing in relief, Alex pulled the detective towards her, moaning into Olivia's mouth as they pressed together once again, this time with no interruptions.
…..
Gabrielle drove them to the airport the next day. Alex sat in the front see with her and Olivia resigned herself to the back, trying not to sulk as she watched the Marshal smile and flirt with Alex. But the drive didn't last long, and before she knew it, they were pulling up to the airport and waving goodbye to the woman.
"She was nice," Alex said, turning to watch Gabrielle leave the terminal and walk back to her car. Olivia nodded noncommittally but said nothing. Alex turned back to her and eyed her.
"You didn't think so?"
Shaking her head, Olivia stepped up to the ticket taker and was happy to show her actual I.D. and badge to the woman, pleased that someone other than Alex was calling her by her real name again. When she received her boarding pass and checked their single bag after Olivia had declared her unloaded firearm inside, she stepped aside and let Alex have her turn.
They walked together towards security and Alex was still frowning. "Are you going to be jealous like this for the rest of our lives?"
Olivia looked at her, grinning. "You bet your sweet ass I am. You're mine, Alex Cabot."
Alex rolled her eyes as they took off their shoes and stepped up to the metal detectors.
…
Thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far. I love hearing what you think.