Chapter 2

The First Message

She could hear the sound of her friend groaning as she tied her long blond hair back into a ponytail. If she rolled her eyes again, she was scared they would fall out of her head. Alexandra Cabot had always enjoyed a brisk morning run in the park, it was only recently that her dear friend Casey Novak decided to join her for whatever reason. Another groan.

"You know, you can go home?" Alex suggested looking up at the redhead who is carrying a Starbucks coffee and looking exhausted.

"It's the park. You're blond. You've worked in sex crimes, Alex." Casey quipped as she started stretching, still holding the coffee cup.

"It's seven in the morning?" She's quizzical as to who Casey thinks is going to attack her at seven in the morning on a Saturday.

"Yeah. Barely light out and you want to do laps of Central Park."

Alex changes position, putting her arm behind her head to stretch out her shoulder.

"The best time, not a soul in the park. I don't have to worry about stepping in dog shit or dodging kids." She says standing up fully feeling limber and loose.

She didn't get a reply from her best friend but she did watch as Casey drank the last of her coffee and tossed the empty cup into the trashcan by the bench they were using to support themselves while they stretched.

"I could've been in bed still, with a firefighter." She whines again.

Casey has been dating Nick, a firefighter, for about three months. Unlike past relationships this one seemed stable, comfortable, and Alex had never seen her friend so happy before. There was almost a skip in her step. If Alex was completely honest - she was a little jealous. She enjoyed spending time with Casey and Nick but the two were so interlocked in their own little bubble, it's all that Alex craved. Alex has truly been one for relationships but recently she felt a loneliness one that she couldn't quite fill no matter how many people she casually dated.

With stretching done, they set off on their run through the park. Central Park is peaceful at this time. Hardly anyone walked through and the early morning mist still hung in the air drifting, floating, and circling around every street lamp giving a slight autumn vibe. Alex loved running through the park this early, though tuning out Casey's complaining was always a challenge. The redhead complained about anything and everything from cramps to allergies. Alex didn't care though - she mostly let her thoughts drift for a moment, not having to worry about a case, trial, or victim. For a little over three years she's been working for Major Crimes - slightly different from her time in SVU, while she didn't have to cope with the heavy cases of Special Victims, she still has to deal with scumbag murderers and some in the worst way.

They turn on the bend, the sun is rising through the trees and the air is getting warmer. Alex can hear Casey start to pant and decides to lower the pace.

"So…" She pants. "How's… Lucy?" Casey asks through gasps of breath.

Alex chuckles. "Fine."

"You still… seeing her?"

"Yeah. Though it's not serious." She explains.

"Are you still doing Tinder?" Casey looks over at her friend.

"Not really. I rarely check the app. I get some matches occasionally."

"You should do tinder roulette."

Alex raises an eyebrow.

"You swipe right and see who you match with."

Alex scoffs. "No, it's alright. I'm not there yet."

Alex's approach to dating is very different to Casey. While Casey enjoys intense serious relationships, Alex enjoys more casual dating. Alex came out just before she stepped away from SVU. It wasn't something she eve hid from her colleagues, however, she kept it on a 'need to know' basis. She had a private life and she wanted to keep it that way. She met Lucy at a coffee shop while she was working on a closing statement. Lucy seemed nice enough. The coffee shop was full and Lucy needed a place to sit. Luckily, Alex had an extra seat and table space. The two hit it off rather quickly. Lucy was an investment banker and very much Alex's type. Tall, dark hair, dark eyes, and stern looking. There was something stopping her from a relationship, however.

"Is Lucy girlfriend material?" Casey asked thankful that their pace had slowed.

Alex shrugs. "Maybe? I'm not sure. She's nice but…"

"But what?" Frustration laced through Casey's voice as she stopped running.

Alex stops and turns to her friend, she's lightly panted and tried to keep her body moving so her muscles didn't tense up. Alex shrugged.

"She's nice and all but… something's missing."

They start running again.

"Stuff in common?"

"No, we have that."

"Sex?"

"It's great!" She adds.

"Maybe it's who she is?"

Something for Alex to think about.

Later in the morning, Alex opens the door to the coffee shop around the corner from the park. Casey limped over the threshold as Alex tried to stifle a giggle. The coffee shop is one of those independent places, art on the walls by local artists, coffee beans from eco-friendly organic fair trade farms, and the best homemade brownies anyone could ever eat. Alex adored this place. From its modest interior, to its rich ceiling plant-life that laced the various beams that decorated the coffee shop.

"Is it my turn or yours?" Alex asks as they join the line.

Casey offered a glare in response.

"To be fair, you were distracted. That cyclist tried to miss you."

Another glare. Alex knew she should probably quit while she's ahead.

"Latte? Vanilla with a cookie?" Alex unzips the nifty compartment on her sweatband and pulls out her card.

"And a brownie…" She glared at Alex again.

"You know, my mother would say 'Stop making a face like that. If the wind changes you'll stay.'"

"God, I hope so just as a forever imprint of how stupid jogging is." Casey hobbled off to find a table.

Alex got their coffees, breakfast, and Casey's treat and brought it over to their usual table towards the back out of the way. Alex placed the tray on the table and took a seat opposite Casey. The redhead sipped her coffee all the while still giving Alex the stink eye.

"Oh my god, stop!" Alex practically slammed her coffee mug down.

"Nope."

"I brought you coffee… a brownie! What else do you want?" She's starting to get annoyed but then again, should they be in opposite places, she understood why Casey might be a bit miffed.

The redhead held out her hand to her friend.

"Give me your phone." She demanded.

Alex frowned. "What?"

"I'm sick to fucking death of running at seven in the fucking morning. I'm finding you a girlfriend. Give me your phone."

Alex scoffed and reached for her other armband further up her arm and retrieved her iPhone and handed it to her friend.

"What are you doing? Don't text Lucy!"

"Relax, I'm not." She said as she opened tinder. "I'm just going to…oh!"

"What?"

Casey slowly turns the phone to face her friend. Alex's eyes widen and her jaw falls open as her eyes fall upon Olivia Benson's profile looking back at her. Casey turns the phone back to face her.

"This day has taken an interesting turn." She looks across to Alex. "Left or right?"

Alex's brain was sky high - she felt dizzy, sweaty, and a pain in the out of her stomach. Olivia Benson's profile was on her screen. She swallowed hard and felt her hands become sweaty. She had always held respect and a fondness for the detective. She considered her extremely attractive and never really thought about her in a sexual way until one evening, when she was coming walking into SVU to pick up some paperwork.

The case they were trying to solve a rape and murder of a fifteen year old girl. They were stumped. Most of the detectives had left, but Olivia stayed behind. She felt a duty to this girl. 2007 was a hell of a year. Alex thought back to her high heels clipping on the tile leading into the squadroom, the musky smell of coffee and fast food hit her nose all over again. Then she was greeted with the sight of a young Olivia Benson doing push-ups by the case board. Counting through her pants over and over again, as she tried to fight the exhaustion that weighed over her. Alex's cheeks flush and she's pulled back to reality by Casey handing her back her phone.

"It's a match by the way." She smirked to herself and drank the last of her coffee.

"Wait, I didn't even say if I wanted to…"

"That dissociated look on your face told me everything." She wiped her mouth with her napkin.

Alex looked down at her phone, the flashing fireworks shot across the screen, and the button at the bottom 'Send message' tempted her to press. Her mind raced with thoughts, what was she to say? She wanted to break the ice but they have known each other for two decades, this wasn't some random woman, this was Olivia Benson. The Olivia Benson. The one doing push ups in the squadroom, challenging Alex at every turn, the woman who winked at her at every win she attended in court.

Casey stood up and grabbed the bag that held her brownie and cookie. Alex looked up with a pleading look.

"Wait, you're leaving?"

"Well, I have to ice my foot and well - you seem… distracted to say the least." She winks and kisses the top of Alex's head. "I love you, see you tomorrow!" Casey said before she left Alex sat in the coffee shop on her own.

Alex finally summed up the courage to send the first message. She started to type something, but before she could…

Olivia:

I was wondering if you'd swipe right. ;)

Alex took a deep breath before typing.

Alexandra

How could I not? I was greeted with New York's Finest. Nice rock climbing picture by the way.

Olivia

Yeah, well, nice… ah, see, I can't - your pictures are just perfect.

Alex felt her cheeks flush. She sipped her coffee.

Alexandra

What brings Lieutenant Olivia Benson to tinder?

Olivia

Friends thinking it's time for me to get out there again. The problem is, last time I dated was about six years ago. What brings you to tinder? I would have thought of all people you wouldn't have trouble with getting a date.

Alexandra

Not as easy as it looks when they find out that I put murderers away. I am dating someone currently, but I'm not sure it's going to work out.

Olivia

Keeping the options open, huh?

Alexandra

God, that makes me sound awful.

Olivia

Nah, I think it makes you sound smart.

Alex smiles at her phone.

Olivia

Sorry, Al, I gotta run - I'm taking my son to a friend's birthday party. Send me your number, texting might be easier. I don't plan to look at this app again.

Alex

Oh, sure! Good call!

Alex sent her number over to Olivia. Within minutes a heart emoji was sent from a number not in Alex's contacts. A text shortly followed.

"Chat to you later, counsellor. ;)"

"Be safe, Lieutenant."