"Oh, goddamn it," Olivia moaned as she rested her temple against the cool wood of the bathroom cupboard. With one hand, she flushed the toilet without opening her eyes. She was getting good at that. Too good. For all that movies and TV made a big deal of morning sickness, Olivia had never quite believed in it. It wasn't as though her life had been filled with mothers-to-be. And her own mother certainly had never been fond of sharing with Olivia the joys of pregnancy, for painfully obvious reasons. Well, she believed in it now. If it hadn't been for the wonderful event that caused this relentless nausea, she would have been wild with furious irritation. She was Olivia Benson. She did not get sick.

Her ego wasn't helping any now. She shifted her cheek to a freshly cool spot on the side of the cupboard and tried to decide whether the worst was over and she could get on with her day. The door to the bathroom creaked open and Olivia cracked an eye to look up at her wife. Alex was already perfectly groomed and she wore a fresh, bright smile. Olivia let her eyelids fall shut again and groaned in irritation. She hadn't even had time to splash water on her face yet. She wasn't ready to face the cheerfulness Alex had constantly affected since finding out about the baby. Her chipperness was just too much to take sometimes.

Alex ran her fingers and palm through Olivia's hair. She always did this when Olivia was ill. Now she did it every day. She had it down to a science, repeating the routine every time she heard the toilet flush. She petted Olivia's hair until she coaxed her to leave the bathmat. She'd press a glass of ginger ale into her hands as they went to the kitchen and then hand her her breakfast, a box of salt-free soup crackers. Olivia hated it but even she had to admit that they settled her stomach. Then, as Olivia munched sullenly on the dry crackers, Alex gave her a peck on the cheek and left for work. It had become a routine that Alex enjoyed immensely. She wished Olivia didn't have to be so miserable but, still, Alex loved taking care of her wife and their baby. When she finally left for the office, she always did so with a special spring in her step. She was going to be a mom and she was going to be damn good at it.

Though she knew that almost everyone had the pleasure of expecting a child at one point or another, Alex couldn't help the feeling that theirs was special. Olivia was special and therefore the baby couldn't help but be special. And Alex couldn't help feeling on top of the world. Life was finally good again and, after the dark depths they had endured together, it was even sweeter than before. And Olivia looked more beautiful than ever, once the waves of morning sickness passed at least. It really was true what they said about pregnant women glowing. Alex had never been so turned on. Her skin seemed even softer than before, her breasts were heavy and unbearably sensitive and, best of all, she was insatiable. Whatever other side effects the hormonal rages were inflicting, Alex could certainly live with these. And life with them she did, to the end of her stamina every night after work. She was completely exhausted but she had never been so happy in her life. She was getting laid more often than she brushed her teeth. Life was really, really good.

Olivia hurried out of the bathroom, gathering up scattered books and notes and jammed them into a bag. She had to get a move on. She wanted this degree quickly and now she had extra motivation. There was no way she would sacrifice her time with her new-born baby to sit in a library sifting through papers. She had already wasted too much of her life working instead of spending time with the ones she loved. That meant she had work to do and about six months left to do it. So far, she had a title and not much else: The influence of socioeconomic class and other factors on sexual assault victims' usage of counseling and psychological services. It was a topic close to her heart on many levels and she was grateful to her advisor for supporting it. And for supporting her accelerated graduation. Now she just had to make it happen.

Bag in hand, she caught a glimpse of herself in the bedroom mirror and stopped short. Tilting her head a little to the side, she brought her palm to her midsection and stared at her reflection. She looked, for lack of a better word, different. It wasn't that she hadn't noticed the changes happening in her body; daily bouts on her knees before the toilet were a hard symptom to ignore. No, she just hadn't taken the time to really look. Very slowly, she grasped the hem of her cotton blouse and lifted it, gradually revealing inch after inch of pale skin. Naturally, the first thing that drew her eye was the scarring but they had finally become old hat to Olivia. After more than two years of living with them, she had learned to accept them. She could look deeper.

Squinting, she turned and examined her profile in the mirror. She didn't know exactly what she expected to see but she looked anyway. It was still early but she searched for the telltale bump. No luck. Her belly was still flat but she had to admit that she looked a little… pudgy. She chuckled a little and, suddenly gleefully silly, she pouched her stomach out and laughed out loud. She ran her hand over her protruding belly and smiled to herself. Yes, she definitely was putting on weight. It wouldn't be long now. The thought jerked her reluctantly out of her pleasant reverie. It wouldn't be long until yet another day passed with too little work on her thesis. If she was going to make her appointment at the NYC Alliance Against Sexual Assault, she had to hurry. Sighing, she dropped the edge of her blouse and picked up her bag. Taking a last glance in the mirror, she tried to make her expression humble and serious. It didn't work. She simply could not wipe the stupid grin off of her face. It would just have to do.

Olivia sat in a dinette chair in the very center of the kitchen, struggling to remain perfectly still as Alex prowled in circles around her. They had hardly even begun their scene and already Olivia wanted to jump out of the chair and tackle her wife. With Alex, Olivia had always had a healthy appetite but, over the past two months, her libido had really gotten out of hand. Sitting in the library, Olivia constantly found herself fantasizing about what she might convince Alex to do to her. Once or twice, she had even dug out her phone with the mindless intention to give her wife a booty call. At least, that's what Alex liked to call it. Olivia preferred "spontaneous expression of love." Needless to say, she always managed to restrain herself, at least until she packed up her things and escaped from the library. But, to make a long story short, Olivia wanted it. She wanted it at breakfast, she wanted it at dinner and, most irritatingly, she wanted it now, if only Alex would finally give it to her. She shifted uncomfortably and winced as the chains rattled.

True to form, Alex whirled and bent so that she was face to face with Olivia. She grinned deviously and laid both of her hands atop Olivia's wrists, rechecking the tightness of the chains. She already knew that they were fine; she wasn't exactly new at this. Still, she couldn't help being excessively careful. After all, Olivia was in a… delicate state. No matter how long or loudly Olivia coaxed, Alex planned on being gentle. Besides, it would drive her horny wife crazy which was both safe and exceptionally fun.

"Well, well, if I didn't know better, I'd guess that you were trying to get away from me. You know I don't like that, Olivia, especially after I told you very specifically to keep still." She growled as she stalked behind Olivia. She nipped none too gently at the nape of her wife's neck. "You know disobedience must be punished. I'll let you choose: a whipping and I'll touch you or you can go to bed immediately. Now what will it be?" Falling silent, she hid her bright smile in Olivia's hair, nuzzling and inhaling her pretty scent possessively. She'd give her a moment but she wouldn't wait forever. She tightened her fingers in Olivia's hair and gave a sharp tug, not hard enough to hurt but more than enough to get her attention.

Olivia gasped and shuddered, making the silver chains around her wrists and ankles clink loudly in the quiet apartment. Alex chuckled almost silently. She loved that sound. She had had those chains made specifically for Olivia, as a wedding present, and the tinkling of the silver links was sweeter than anything else to Alex's ears. Well, almost anything else but she had a plan for that too. She tugged again.

"Whipping," Olivia hissed, squeezing her eyes shut and straining to ease the pressure on her scalp. Alex gave her a sharp nip, on she was certain would leave a pretty, red mark.

"I'm trying to be generous, Olivia, but you seem hell bent on testing me. Now, ask properly or you'll get a whipping and be sent to bed." Olivia jumped a squirmed to escape Alex's persistent teeth.

"Please, ma'am, I'm sorry." Her speech broke for a split second as Alex bit her again and she yelped reflexively. Damn, it really hurt. "Please whip me, ma'am!" Her words came out in a rush, forceful and desperate for relief from the nipping and from the insistent hormonal desire between her legs. At that moment, she was willing to suffer anything if only Alex would touch her.

Alex hummed approvingly and curled her hand under Olivia's jaw, coaxing her head to turn. Olivia's eyes were heavy-lidded and her irises seemed almost black. Her cheeks were flushed deep red with arousal and she… Alex couldn't identify it, but Olivia smelled lovely. If love and adoration had a scent, this would be it, sweet, musty and warm. It was irresistible. She had to get closer. With one hand raking through Olivia's hair, Alex lowered her lips to Olivia's, first touching and then pushing deeper, tasting and claiming. Sometimes, even strapping Olivia down wasn't enough for Alex. She wanted to have her all. And when she did, she wanted to enjoy it. Like now. She had the woman of her dreams here, pregnant with their child and begging for her touch with her body, words and lips. It was intoxicating.

Ruefully, Alex broke the kiss and paused to admire her wife's kiss-swollen lips and heaving chest. Olivia leaned forward, seeking her mistress's lips but Alex once again curled her fist in her hair and held her in place. She was very sweet but, if she couldn't follow the rules, Alex would force her to behave. She looked away just long enough to select a short riding crop from the implements she had laid out on the table. With her gentle intentions, Alex had arranged them to merely make Olivia uncomfortable and apprehensive. She hadn't planned to use them but she figured that giving Olivia a little taste couldn't hurt. She slapped the wide leather tip against her thigh and chortled at Olivia's tenseness. Alex had her just where she wanted her.

Careful to keep the crop in Olivia's view, Alex bent low and rested her chin on Olivia's shoulder. She tugged Olivia's head back so that they were cheek to cheek. She ran the crop over her wife's trembling legs, starting around her knees and winding a slow path up her thighs. She dipped it quickly between Olivia's legs, skimming the warm leather close to her center but moving away just as rapidly. Alex laughed and nuzzled her wife as Olivia sighed with disappointment. If Olivia was a violin then Alex was a first-string master; she knew exactly how to play her.

Licking her lips in concentration, Alex caressed Olivia's breasts with the crop, taking her time and coaxing her nipples to tighten before extending her arm. She hesitated just long enough for Olivia to focus on the pain that was sure to come before slicing the thin cane through the air. Under her touch, Alex could feel Olivia flinch and gasp through her clenched teeth. But, as the pain never came, Olivia opened her eyes and slowly let her breath out. The tip of the riding crop hovered an inch from her nipple and she could feel Alex smiling against her cheek. Suddenly, Alex's arm whipped out again and the crop clattered away, sliding into some unknown corner of the kitchen as Alex's peals of laughter followed it.

Alex pressed her lips to Olivia's ear and bit down on her earlobe. "See? If you behave, good things come. It's your lucky day, Liv. I think you'll be the next good thing to come here."