A/N: Super short chapter, but I wanted to get it out and separate it from the rest.

CHAPTER 37

The Following Night.

Cragen listens from inside the van. He lost video feed long ago, but can still hear the muffled sounds inside the club.

"Take me instead!"

"No! What are you doing?!"

"Come on, this is about me, take me!"

"Stop it!"

"BOTH OF YOU, SHUT UP!"

"Don't you dare touch her!"

"It's fine, Matt!"

"I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF BOTH OF YOU TONIGHT!"

"Drop the weapon, Jackson, we have you!

"NOOOOOO!"

Gunshots.

"What did you do!"

"Shots fired. OFFICER DOWN. I repeat. OFFICER DOWN!"

"No, no, no, no, no! Stay with me here!"

Sobbing.

"Come on. He has this. You need to come with me. It'll be okay."

#

At 12:30 am, Elliot knocked on Alex's door.

"Oh my God, Elliot! What happened?" Alex was almost in tears. She knew there was a shootout, but had no other details. "Where's Olivia? Is she okay?"

Elliot turned around and faced the side of the door.

"She's right here, Alex. She's fine. But she needs you tonight."

Alex swallowed hard as he pulled Olivia through the door. She was covered in blood, and her face was pretty beaten up. She also appeared to be in shock.

Alex nodded as she took Olivia.

"I'll let her fill you in later, but she needs to sleep right now," Elliot said before leaving.

Alex led Olivia to the bathroom to help her get out of her bloody clothes. Alex could see as Olivia was undressing that she wasn't seriously hurt. She was relieved. Alex handed her a part of sweats and a t-shirt.

"Do you want to take a shower?"

Olivia nodded and closed the bathroom door while Alex sat on waiting in the bedroom.

Olivia came out, freshly showered and dressed about 20 minutes later and headed for the couch.

"Liv, why don't you sleep in the bed tonight? You need to sleep."

Olivia just looked at Alex and nodded. She laid down on her side of the bed, her back facing the middle of the bed, and Alex laid next to her. She gently put her arm around her waist. Olivia didn't say a word; she just drifted off to sleep.

Alex just laid there. She had no idea what went down at the club, but she had also spent the day thinking back to her conversation with Cragen. As Olivia laid there beside her, Alex wasn't sure that she could do this forever, and she realized she probably needed to tell Olivia that sooner, rather than later.

She woke up at 5:30 am that morning and realized Olivia was gone from the bed. She got up and walked into the living room to find Olivia lying on the couch. She wasn't asleep. She was just lying there.

"Good morning," Alex said as she took a spot on the chair.

Olivia sat up, "morning."

"Do you want coffee?" Alex asked.

Olivia just nodded, and Alex got up to make them some coffee, returning a few minutes later with two cups.

"Thanks, Alex."

"Did you get him? Jackson?"

Olivia nodded.

"Olivia, we need to talk. I know this probably isn't the ideal time, but there never is one."

"Is this about what Cragen said to you?" Olivia wasn't making much eye contact with Alex.

Alex just nodded.

"Liv, I love you, but I don't know if I can do this anymore. I don't know if I'll ever be prepared for Elliot to knock on my door like he did last night and you not be there. I mean, if it's not your job, it's my job. If it's not my job, it's Matt. I just don't know how this works anymore," Alex was finally honest. She was tired of fighting for something when she wasn't sure Olivia was willing to fight back.

Olivia sat quietly.

"Are you going to say anything, Liv?"

Olivia sighed.

"Matt's dead."

Alex's mouth dropped open, and she saw the tears begin to roll from Olivia's eyes.

A/N 2: If you're not happy with the rest, I know some of you will be happy with the end of this chapter. We're about to find out Olivia and Matt's full backstory.