Chapter 4

Thursday

1:07 p.m.

Olivia wanted to check in with her wife.

They were leaving for Southampton on the following day and Olivia had been helping out when she got home from work, but she knew that Alex had a lot on her plate—both with the kids and the impending separation.

She had the morning off from the precinct—off until further notice from Haven House—and was to go to the 1-6 that afternoon to be apprised about Antonia Libretti and get familiar with the plan and all necessary information they would need before they met at the home base safe house—also in Easthampton and manned by Fin, Cragen, and two other DEA agents—before she and her new, fake wife would head to the residence provided, in the car they provided.

The brunette stepped up the last step to the second floor, Isabel on her left hip and Grace on her right and moved to the left and down the hallway to the office, where she knew her wife to be.

"What's your Mommy doing? Huh?" she asked the girls in a sing-songy voice as she approached the open door of the office. She began bouncing them up and down and smiled at what she witnessed upon entry.

Theo was on Alex's lap while the blonde was at the computer. Their little boy was reaching for the keys as Alex tried to type around his eager little hands, constantly taking and removing his in order to accomplish her work.

"Hey, Babe," Olivia said softly.

Alex swiveled in her chair then, two pairs of blues looking at her.

"Hey Liv."

"Whatcha doing?" Olivia entered the room then and moved to sit on the carpeted floor next to her wife, she let the girls go and Grace began crawling toward the blonde and Isabel began crawling toward the door. The brunette got on her knees and crawled to stop their blue-eyed girl from making the great escape, lifted her, and then brought her back to sit with her, Olivia's legs in a "V".

"Just answering some emails."

Olivia pulled Grace to her body, their brown-eyed girl wrapping her arms around her neck.

Alex typed something and then clicked on a few things before clicking on something, sending the PC into a sleep mode. She turned in her chair and faced her, watching her with the twins, Isabel now sitting and chewing on her left hand.

Olivia only looked at her.

"You go in this afternoon?" Alex asked.

Olivia nodded, watching as Grace used her shoulder to stand.

"What can you tell me, Babe?"

Olivia offered a thin-lipped smile. "You know I can't tell you much, Al." She held her hand out and Isabel began standing and she held her fingers outward, watching as their girl moved toward Alex.

"What can you tell me, Liv?" Alex's eyes were patient, yet expectant.

Olivia took a breath and then answered. "That party, on Friday, there was a woman…" she looked up from watching Isabel, "...when I was leaving, she came up to me and...offered...I don't know...a foursome? Maybe? Fivesome?" Olivia raised her eyebrows, watching the blonde.

"You should know what it was, Liv."

Olivia nodded. "You're right. She was saying that she had a friend that would be interested in me."

Alex swallowed and nodded. "And?"

"And I made it clear that I was married and that maybe we would speak again." Brown eyes looked at blue. "She was saying something about a few women with like minds should be able to enjoy themselves." Olivia only watched her wife's blank expression. "And I saw you waiting outside in the car and hurried off."

Alex only looked at her.

"Well?" Olivia asked, becoming slightly impatient.

"Well, what, Liv? Is this the woman that you're going undercover to watch?"

Olivia nodded.

"Is she pretty?"

Olivia closed her eyes, pulling Isabel back from trying to escape toward the door once more. She opened them and looked at the blonde. "Alex, please."

"She had her eye on you? Where was she at the party?"

"I don't know. I never saw her until she came up to me as I was leaving."

Alex nodded. "So, she already has some sort of interest in you."

It was a statement, not a question.

Olivia only nodded in agreement.

"And this is the woman you'll be surveilling?"

"Yeah…" Olivia hugged Theo close to her now. "What about her?"

"She's the one that is a suspect?"

Olivia brought her lips inward, licking them before answering. "Yes. She is."

Isabel crawled to Alex then and began using her legs to stand. Alex took her into her arms, her gaze not leaving the brunette.

"What if your wife—"

"Fake wife," Olivia interrupted.

"What if your fake wife tries to put the moves on you? Is she also a lesbian?" Alex's face was serious, yet somber.

"Are you kidding, Alex?" Olivia retorted. "If she puts the moves on me?"

Alex only looked at her.

"I can't believe you're even asking me that. If she puts the moves on me...in private? In public? What exactly do you mean?"

Alex shrugged her shoulders, holding a now-sleepy Isabel to her body.

"Jesus, Alex. I would hope that you would know what I would do. In public, if we're around people that need to see that we're together, then, I won't turn her away. If we're in private? Is that what you mean?"

Only a blank stare.

"I can't believe this…" Olivia lifted Theo now on her right hip and Grace on her left, "...let's put these guys down…" Theo squirmed against her body, "...and we can talk some more." The brunette stood and held both babies in her arms.

Within moments, they had all three with them and were moving into the nursery, all three in their cribs—Grace and Isabel in one, Theo in another.

Both mothers cooed and sang to them, trying to settle all three from the friction they were now experiencing.

The ladies stood back, watching as their three children began to succumb to sleep.

Olivia looked at her wife and spoke softly, her eyes filling with tears. "I can't believe you would even think—"

"OK, Liv." Alex watched her face.

Olivia took a deep breath, watching Theo close his eyes, sleep overtaking him. "I would never let anything jeopardize the absolute perfection of our marriage, of our family, Al." She looked at her wife. "You should know that already."

Alex only nodded, leaning into the crib to kiss Isabel and then Grace and then moving to kiss their son. "OK, Liv. But sometimes we can't control what others will do."

Olivia took another deep breath and moved out of the room. She stood in the hallway for a moment, thinking, contemplating on what her wife was saying.

Alex exited, as well, and they stood, next to each other.

"It's like...you don't trust me, Al." Olivia felt a tear roll down her cheek, her emotions unable to be hidden.

Alex moved closer and cupped her face. "I do trust you...I just...I guess I don't trust others when I know exactly what I have, Olivia. My sexy, amazing, intelligent, funny detective…"

Olivia managed a small smile. "I need your complete support and trust, Al. I need it so badly."

Alex nodded and then moved in to kiss her. The kiss was soft, gentle, yet unsure.

They pulled away and looked at each other.

"You go in at two?"

Olivia nodded. "I'll be back by the time they get up."

Alex looked at her eyes, then her face, her mouth, then back into her eyes, searching.

"A week, Alex. That's my goal." Olivia looked at conflicted blue eyes.

"How can you be sure?"

"Because I know my skills undercover, as a detective, and I also know that I don't want this to last any longer."

"OK, Babe."

2:05 p.m.

Antonia Berlusconi. Olivia scanned the folder in front of her. Eight years as a marine. Single. No children. Five years as an agent with the DEA. The brunette's eyes went to her photo now. She resembled a younger Eva Longoria-dark hair, dark eyes, petite, attractive.

Olivia took a deep breath and looked at Captain Cragen. "What else?" she asked.

Cragen motioned for her to sit on one of the chairs in his office and Olivia did so.

"It's in the other folder, but the cover is you've been married for ten years…your last name together is Libretti."

"Ten years?" Olivia interrupted, moving to the second folder. She cleared her throat. "Longer than Alex and I have been…"

"Be that as it may. Your cover, Olivia, is that you've been married for ten years. Have a Pomeranian named Princess, have been trying to get pregnant and/or adopt…"

Olivia scanned the files, feeling a huge lump in her throat.

"You're an artist, paintings and photography, and your works are on display in Easthampton at Studio 11, and Antonia is a housewife, works with the local SPCA."

Olivia cleared her throat and swallowed. She looked into her superior's eyes. "So, we should play this as—"

"As a married couple in every aspect of the words. Same house, same bed, same wavelength."

Olivia took another breath, her heart feeling like it might explode from the stress.

"You'll attend parties, bug the house, report back." Cragen's face was matter-of-fact. "Look, Liv…" He came around his desk to stand in front of her, "...I know this won't be easy for you. You and Alex…"

Olivia laughed lightly. "Me and Alex… it seems it's already caused a lot of friction, Cap."

"And I know that. Trust me, I do. But, like I said, you're the best for this job."

Olivia nodded. "And I know that. Do you…" Olivia looked up from scanning the files, "...do you think this might be done soon?"

"It's all what you make it, Liv. It could be done in a week...maybe two? All depends on the intel you gather in that time."

Olivia nodded again and looked up. "Then, I'll try my best, Captain." She smiled. "I promise."

2:07 a.m.

Alex felt Olivia move close to her in bed, her body pressed to her right side. A hand clutching her waist, warm breath on the right side of her neck. Then, lips on her skin, her hand sliding up to cup her left breast.

Alex felt her wife's weight now, on top of her, straddling her, and the blonde opened her eyes to see the brunette on top of her. Gentle kisses along her jawline now, and then working their way downward-her upper chest, her cleavage, her wife pulling her white, t-shirt nightshirt down to pleasure her breasts.

Alex submitted to what her wife was doing to her, lifting her upper body to facilitate the removal of her top before she lay back down and let Olivia begin her exploration of her body.

Olivia's mouth felt like hot fire on her skin, a frantic, love-filled escape that they both needed at the moment, until the brunette placed herself in between the blonde's thighs.

Alex exhaled, feeling her wife's warm breath on her lower lips, her core now pulsating with desire., as she clasped the top of Olivia's head in her hands, relishing in the feel of her mouth on her.

"I love you, Alex," Olivia uttered softly, before that plush mouth was felt on her nether regions-sucking, licking, pleasuring.

"I love you, Liv…" Alex managed amidst the euphoria. "And I trust you wholly, Babe."

And the blonde felt her wife relax, moving into her, feeling her love in her like only the brunette knew how to do.