A/N: I haven't written any fic in forever, but I was just listening to some music the other day and then I heard this song and the first thing I thought of was the scene in Angels. The song that inspired this scene and literally won't stop bugging me every time I hear this song is Dress by Taylor Swift.

Alex didn't know what she was doing here. Scratch that. She didn't know what she was going here wearing this dress. She had picked it out on a whim, liking the way the red dress had looked against her pale skin.

That's not the reason you bought the dress Alex. The voice in the back of her head was annoying but it was true, and she couldn't brush it off. You bought the dress because you were thinking of someone else. She smoothed over the red dress, feeling as though she were wearing something entirely inappropriate for a business meeting. Because you'd rather be wearing the dress for Detective Benson, not your old buddy from college who is offering you a job at his law firm.

She flipped open her menu and pretended to be interested in the food, as she half listened to Trevor's pitch for his job. She wouldn't consider leaving the D.A's office and her detectives at the 16, but her father had asked her to meet with Langan as a favor and she didn't want to disappoint her father.

"Alex, I think you really should consider the offer. Leaving the D.A.'s office would be good for you. You're going to end up wasting your talent with SVU. Not to mention you could make 10 times what you're making now working for me."

She rolled her eyes at Trevor and took a sip of her wine.

"Trevor, I'll tell you the same thing that I've told you since law school. It's not about the money. If it was about the money I'd be a partner at your firm. I enjoy the work that I'm doing and if I ever want to be D.A., I need to be working for the people, not defending criminals!"

Trevor nodded, seemingly listening to her. Alex had known him for long enough however to know that he was not really paying attention to what she was saying. He was simply waiting for her to finish talking so he could continue with his sales pitch.

"Was there anything else you wanted to discuss tonight? Or were you merely dragging me here to tell me I've made a mistake working for the D.A. like every other time I've gone to dinner with you since law school?"

Trevor laughed. "Alex, if you're going to insist that you want to keep working at for the prosecutor's office at least be honest with yourself about why. I thought SVU was supposed to be a temporary assignment for you. You've been there for what, three years now? Why not ask Branch for a position in Homicide now? You're no wet behind the ears law school graduate now."

Alex inhaled and held her breath. She knew this would come up eventually. "SVU may have started out as a political position but I actually enjoy working with the detectives in the 16. Maybe if you didn't spend your time defending criminals you'd understand what I was talking about."

She wondered why she had even agreed to meet with Trevor again. Aside from the fact that she hadn't had a date in nearly two years and her father had asked her to. Her musing was cut short when her phone rang.

"Cabot." She tried to sound as bored as felt and was unsurprised when Trevor got up and walked away.

"Hey Alex, it's Liv. Are you busy?" Alex could feel her face redden as she listened to the detective's voice.

"No what do you need Liv?" She took another drink of her wine finding it sweeter than before.

"Can you get us a warrant?" Of course, Olivia would be calling about work. They were friends but the detective was in the middle of a case and typically was laser focused in the middle of an investigation. She wondered what it would be like to have that focus on her soley.

"Sure, I'm just at Angelo's having dinner with-"

"Great. I'll be there in 10 with the documents. See you soon Lex."

"Langan." She looked at her phone and realized that Olivia had hung up before she heard who she was having dinner with. At least her crappy business meeting seemed to be turning into a better night now that Olivia was on her way.

Alex shifted in her seat, adjusting her red dress once again. She now no longer felt overdressed for the occasion. She couldn't help but wonder what Liv would think of the dress. She flushed at the thought.

AOAO

"All we have are two phone calls? It's not enough." Alex looked at the papers that Elliot had handed her. She was mildly annoyed that Olivia's partner had shown up with her and glanced at the female detective before looking over at Elliot.

"We checked. Lynch's three kids are boys. God knows what he's doing to 'em right now."

She couldn't help glancing at Olivia again. It looked as though the detective's eyes were darker than usual but it was hard to tell.

"Are they legally adopted?" Alex watched as Olivia opened her mouth then scratched her eyebrow. It intrigued Alex to watch the detective as her partner spoke. It was almost as though Olivia was uncomfortable being at the restaurant with her and Elliot.

"We won't know that information until tomorrow morning." Elliot kept pressing her.

"Does he keep them locked up like Jansen did?" Alex was wondering why her two detectives were here if they had no evidence and was waiting for Elliot to continue speaking when Olivia opened her mouth. She could feel her eyes drawn to Olivia's lips.

"No, all three of the boys go to public schools."

She began to feel frustrated. Didn't Olivia know that she couldn't work miracles with what they had? "Are there any complaints of abuse?"

Out of the corner of her eye Alex noticed Trevor starting to make his way towards them. It was the last thing she wanted as she noticed Olivia's eyes on her dress.

"None to ACS or the local precinct."

Elliot interrupted, "Look we already have Lynch on failing to report Jose's abuse."

Trevor's voice cut through their conversation, "An 'A' misdemeanor. With no priors, I'd argue for a fine and no jail time."

Alex gave a tight smile to Trevor. She could she Olivia's betrayed look as she heard Trevor's voice.

"I think Alex is, uh, dining with the enemy."

"Can you give us two minutes?"

Trevor looked down at Alex. She knew the look. "Yeah, the game's on at the bar. Why don't I check that out?"

Alex inhaled as she processed what Olivia had said and watched as the detective stared straight at her. She tried to soften her voice even as was trying to contain her own hurt at Olivia's comment. She handed back the papers that Olivia had given her minutes before.

"Look, we take Lynch's kids away from him and we are wrong? A heavy hitter like him is going to drag us into court and make our lives miserable," she handed the call logs back to Olivia, distracted by the way the detective bit her lip, "get me some hard evidence.

Olivia had handed her the next paper before she could process more than Olivia's look.

"Computer crimes found this buried on Jansen's hard drive."

She read the document out loud. "Your special tour to Central America is confirmed. If your friends enjoy, have them get in touch."

She looked at Olivia wanting more context.

"That is an email from Damon to Jansen right before Jansen's trip two years ago. Now that sounds like a confirmation letter."

Elliot added to the conversation, "And that he's soliciting men to travel overseas to rape children. That's a federal crime."

Alex looked at Olivia and couldn't help glancing down at her lips. She had the entirely inappropriate notion she'd like to kiss the detective at that moment.

"Let's catch him in the act." Alex smiled at Olivia.

AOAO

Olivia watched as Alex walked towards the bar, leaving herself and Elliot sitting at her table. The dress looked amazing on the attorney, as though it was meant for her.

"So, uh Cabot dining with Langan is the enemy?"

Olivia could feel her face warm. "He's a defense attorney. I don't know why she'd be having dinner with him, she hates him."

Elliot laughed, "So now you can read Cabot's thoughts Liv? Sure you're not just hoping she hates Langan so you can not feel guilty about y'know?"

Olivia snapped around to look at Elliot. "What do you mean?"

"Y'know Liv," Elliot shifted in his seat as he watched Alex talk to Langan at the bar, "how you feel about Cabot."

Olivia bit the inside of her lip. Elliot couldn't possibly know how she felt about the attorney. She had kept that carefully hidden away.

"Yeah she's a great ADA. You know we're friends outside of work too. I'm just surprised she never told me she was seeing Langan."

Elliot looked at her in a way that she knew meant 'I don't believe you'. "Sure Liv," he made a show of looking down at his watch, "well I'm going to go back to the station and let the cap know what Alex said. You can work out the final details of the sting with her."

He stood and before Olivia could protest, left the table. She watched Elliot walk away and turned as she heard the distinctive click of Alex's heels on the restaurant's tile floor. She involuntarily took in a breath as she watched the blonde walk towards her, red was Alex's color.

"Where did Elliot go?" Alex raised her eyebrow, looking at Olivia.

"To let Cragen know," Olivia cleared her throat as she heard her voice come out lower than she had intended, "To let Dad know about catching him in the act. He told me to finalize the details with you and kinda left me stranded here without a ride back to the precinct." She frowned as she spoke.

Alex laughed. "I'm sure someone here would be willing to take you home with them." Olivia watched as Alex's entire face turned red and she started to stutter.

She felt her own hopes surge, but she took pity on the attorney. "Don't worry counselor, I know what you meant."

Alex's eyes snapped to Olivia's.

"You don't mind giving me a ride back to my apartment while we work out the details of the sting operation."

"R-right." Alex looked almost relieved and disappointed at the same time. Olivia couldn't help but wonder what was going through the blonde's mind, but it was not the time to ask. They had a sting to set up.

"Or, detective, we could order dinner to go from here and head back to my place while we work out the details. You may be comfortable, but I got dressed up and now that I'm working, it seems wrong to be wearing this while we work out a way to arrest a ring of pedophiles." Alex looked hopeful as she spoke and Olivia found herself grinning at the prospect of spending time in Alex's apartment.

"I can see what you mean Alex. The dress looks great on you, but not exactly the most appropriate for work. What's good to eat here?" Olivia watched as Alex's smile widened and her lips twitched.

"I don't know Liv, I've never been here. This isn't exactly my idea of a good place for a business meeting, but I wasn't the one in charge of picking the restaurant. You can thank my father for that." Alex picked up her menu and she looked to be considering the food.

Olivia now had more questions than ever. Her father? What did Alex's father have to do with her going out to eat with Langan here? She wanted to ask Alex, but the attorney was determinedly scanning the menu.

"Hmmm." Alex put down the menu and looked at Olivia. "See anything you want?"

Olivia made a sound she couldn't describe. "Uh, yeah, uh, I dunno about you counselor but I feel like pasta."

She watched as Alex snorted. "Liv, we're in an Italian restaurant. I meant more specific than pasta."

"Right. Look Alex it's been a long day, I just meant I'd be good with anything. I'm not picky. Just order whatever you want and some pasta for me and we can get you out of that dress." She let the statement hang for a moment before hastily adding on to it.

"So we can work."

Alex was laughing. At her. She watched as the blonde waived over the waiter and spoke to him in a whisper before he hurried away.

"What did you tell the poor boy Alex?"

"That we were working on a time sensitive case for the NYPD and we needed our dinner to go."

Olivia quirked her eyebrow at the blonde. "Abusing the fact that I'm a detective so that we can get dinner faster counselor? I'm sure there's some law against that."

Alex shook her head. "Nothing I said was a lie Olivia. We are working on a time sensitive child abuse case and you are NYPD."

Olivia laughed. It was typical Cabot. Say things to get what she needed while leaving out details that could change the meaning of the case.

"Come on Liv, I told him we'd meet him at the Maitre d to pay for our food. Wouldn't want to make a liar of the NYPD would we?" Alex stood and Olivia jumped out of her chair to hand Alex her jacket.

She stood slightly behind Alex, her hand guiding the ADA on the small of her back.

"Of course not. So since you're my ride for the night, just what kind of car do you have counselor?"

Olivia could feel Alex's laughter. "I didn't drive here either detective, so I guess we'll just have to take a taxi back to my place."

She almost stopped walking at those words. Take a taxi back to Alex's with takeout while they go to work on a case. If she wasn't sure that they had a case she could swear the young attorney was teasing her.

"I thought you said someone would be willing to take me home?"

Alex nodded, looking back at Olivia. "You're the one who took that to mean that I had a car and suggested we go back to your place."

Olivia couldn't help the 'O' her mouth formed. "I guess I did. Sorry Alex, I thought you were-"

The waiter interrupted their conversation. Shit, she's right I did assume she would be driving me home.

"Miss Cabot your food."

"Thank you." She handed the boy a bill, Olivia couldn't see what it was, and took the bag from the waiter.

Alex smiled at Olivia and then walked out of the restaurant.

AOAO

"If you don't mind grabbing some plates Liv, it'll just take me a moment to change." Alex nodded towards the cabinet above her sink and walked into her bedroom.

She heard the clink of plates as she opened her closet and looked at the clothes before her. Too formal. Too many suits. Goddamn Alex how many suits do you own? She had flipped through half of her closet before finding a sweater. Not too ratty, but not formal. It would be perfect.

Alex unzipped her dress and looked down at the matching red lingerie. It had been a waste to wear it for a business dinner with Langan. Not totally, the voice in her head interjected. Olivia did see the dress. And that was why you bought it.

Alex could feel her face turn as red as the dress as she finally allowed herself to process the thought. She had bought the dress because she had wondered what Olivia would think of it. Well that and you wanted her to take it off of you.

"Stop. Just stop thinking of Liv like that" Alex jumped as she realized she'd spoken the words out loud. She didn't want to be distracting herself with the thoughts of Olivia and her hands on her body. She stepped out of the dress and hung it back on its hanger.

"Alex?" She heard Olivia's voice through the door and her thoughts stopped. She could feel her heart beating against her chest.

"Yeah?" God Alex hoped she didn't sound as, uh, distracted as she felt.

"Did you say something to me?"

She shook her head. "No Liv I was just cursing not having done laundry this weekend. I can't seem to find the pair of slacks I want wear."

Alex heard Olivia snicker. "Sometimes I wonder if you're real Alex. You know you could wear your pajamas for all I care. I just want to eat and get this sting planned so I can go to sleep."

She couldn't help the shudder she felt when Olivia mentioned pajamas. Yeah, like I wanna be naked talking about sex crimes with Olivia. She could feel her core warm at the idea of being naked with Olivia. A picture flashed through her mind of Olivia and her asleep in her bed.

"Yeah Liv, but its not like I own any sweats that are fit for human eyes so…"

"C'mon counselor you know I don't care about what you look like." Alex felt the sting of Olivia's words.

"That sounded terrible. That's not-what I meant is-I'm sure you look beautiful in whatever you wear Alex. I need your mind right now though to make sure this sting we set up will hold up in federal court." She heard Olivia mumbling on the other end of the door and felt herself grin at Olivia's words. It sounded like the detective was nervous or worried about her words.

"Don't worry Liv I know what you meant. I really was just trying to find a pair of sweatpants. I'm not that vain." She couldn't help the amusement in her tone as she reached for the nearest pair of pants she could find.

Moments later Alex joined Olivia in her living room, watching the detective sit on her leather sofa and eating spaghetti as she looked over the case files that she had brought with her to dinner. It looks like Olivia was made for the leather couch. She watched as Olivia looked up to meet her eyes and grinned at her.

"Nice digs you have here counselor. Didn't realize ADAs made so much money."

Alex laughed, "You know ADAs don't make enough for this Liv. Family money. One of the few splurges I've made was buying this place."

Alex gestured to the open floor plan of the apartment and looked around. She did love her apartment.

"I know counselor. So what do you have to drink in such a fancy apartment as this?" Olivia grinned at her, teeth showing.

Alex couldn't help a return smile. "Well, we are working but I do have bottle of wine we could break into once we've put the Lynch case to bed. Until then, will sparkling water do for NYPD's finest?"

Olivia nodded. "Just bring out the wine glasses too for when we're done. You can explain all about your business meeting with Trevor Langan after the case too." Olivia was waggling her eyebrows at Alex now and the blonde couldn't help but roll her eyes at the detective.

"I'll have you know Olivia, Trevor has never been my type. I'm not his either." She was walking towards the fridge before she could see Olivia's face in response to her words but heard them.

"Not his type? What is he blind?" She could hear the incredulity in the detective's tone.

Alex shook her head. "That's not for me to tell Liv." As much as she wanted to tell Olivia Trevor was gay she would never out him for the sake of the detective's curiosity. She handed Olivia a sparkling water and picked up her plate of food.

"So, we need one of the detectives to go undercover to catch Lynch offering these trips," Alex paused as she thought about who would make the best believable one.

"Munch." It came out more like Mufph from between Olivia eating a meatball.

"You seem so certain Olivia. Is there something about John I should know?"

Olivia snorted. "He can pull off creepy well enough when he's staring at your legs every time you're sitting on my desk." She sounded annoyed as she spoke.

"And you would know he was staring at my legs how detective?" Alex raised her brow at Olivia as she paused with a forkful of her tortellini on its way into her mouth.

She watched as Olivia's face reddened, "I'm a detective! I'm paid to notice things."

"Like how John stares at my legs. But detective, that would mean that you were also starting at my legs. After all, how would you know he never looks away?"

Olivia gaped at Alex before responding. "Trust me, Munch will be able to pull this off. We'll need to a warrant to search Damon's travel agency."

Alex nodded, "After you run the sting. I can't go to a judge and say we need a warrant for what we'll find with this wire tip."

"Not even your Uncle Bill?"

Alex shook her head. "I do one favor for you the first case I work and you all expect me to work miracles every day."

The conversation continued much the same way for the next 20 minutes until Alex was sure that all legal bases were covered with what the squad had planned to do. She took the plates into the kitchen and began to wash them as she waited for Olivia to finish her conversation with the Captain.

"Yeah, thanks Cap. I'll see you in the afternoon." Alex watched as Olivia turned to face her, a smile on her face.

"Apparently putting in the extra hours with you prepping this means I get to take the morning off while Finn and Munch run this sting. I can't even imagine how good it will feel to get an actual eight hours of sleep."

Alex nodded absentmindedly, drying her hands off before gesturing to the bottle of wine.

"I guess that means we definitely have time for a drink tonight then."

Olivia nodded at Alex before a yawn came over. She blinked as she finished yawning. Alex couldn't help the concern and realized how tired Olivia looked. She knew the SVU often pushed herself hard and realized she probably hadn't slept in her own bed since they discovered the body of Jose.

"Or maybe detective I should insist you stay here and sleep over. You're looking exhausted now. I even have a clean toothbrush you could borrow in the morning."

"Mmm. I don't know counselor, I wouldn't want to put you out. I haven't seen a second bedroom around here." Olivia rubbed the back of her neck.

"C'mon Liv, you're exhausted just have a glass of wine, borrow some pajamas and we can share the bed. We are friends right? And friends share things." Alex hoped she sounded concerned, not hopeful.

She watched as Olivia stared at her a moment, then two before nodding at her.

"Just give me whatever pajamas you have Alex. I'm sure you have some sort of fancy ones." The detectives voice was teasing now. She was relaxing, Alex realized.

Alex shook her head. "Nope."

Olivia's brow crinkled, "What do you mean nope? You don't sleep naked do you counselor?"

Alex couldn't help the flush her face took on. She hadn't meant that when she said nope. But now that Olivia had mentioned it she couldn't help but imagine Olivia naked in her bed with her. The olive-colored skin contrasting with her pale color.

"I mean I don't own any fancy pajamas detective." Her emphasis on the last word wasn't intentional but to her own ears it sounded plainly seductive.

She watched as Olivia grinned. "You do, don't you counselor. You like sleeping naked in your bed and that's why you don't own any pajamas." Olivia's voice had come out just as low.

"I don't see what that to do with you borrowing something to sleep in Liv." She breathed out the words. Alex was grasping for anything to keep them back on even ground. "Besides with how fast your mind went there either you sleep in the nude or you're just entertaining thoughts you shouldn't be Olivia."

She felt the way the balance tipped back towards her. Olivia's face was flushed, and she looked like she didn't know what to say.

"Er-I don't, you're"

Alex interrupted the stuttering detective by opening the bottle of wine and handing her a glass.

"Drink. I'll grab you something to sleep in."

As Alex walked away she couldn't help but wonder which one of the options she preferred. Olivia sleeping nude or Olivia entertaining fantasies about her. She grabbed the first things in her top drawer, usually reserved for lounging around and handed them to the detective who was still in the kitchen.

Olivia snorted with laughter as she held up the tank top and booty shorts.

"Uh-huh. I'm the one entertaining thoughts counselor."

"Those were the first things in my lounging drawer Olivia!" She reached for the clothes but Olivia pulled them back and shook her head.

"I'd better go get changed before you change your mind and leave me with nothing to wear." She watched as Olivia walked towards her bathroom and was sure the detective was flirting with her. That was unmistakable. Right? She felt her heart beat a little faster. She'd have to see.