An hour had passed since the tears stopped flowing. Olivia had stretched
out on the couch and was using Alex's lap as a pillow. She closed her eyes
and concentrated on the rain as it pinged against the windows, trying to
vanquish the images of Plummer's victims from her mind.
"It's my fault they're dead," she said, breaking the silence.
Alex let out a small sigh as she casually ran her fingers through short brunette hair. "You are not responsible for the person Eric Plummer became, Olivia."
"Tell that to the families of the four people he killed, Alex," Olivia said, barely able to contain her passion. "Explain to them that their loved ones died because I put an innocent man in prison. Eric Plummer was the ultimate victim. I made sure of that."
"Olivia, you didn't put him in prison. Eyewitness testimony and a jury of his peers put him there," Alex stated calmly. "Regardless of what you may think, Eric Plummer killed himself. He just used you as his weapon. He wasn't the victim here. You were. Why do you think Elliot ordered a protective detail?"
Olivia sat up immediately when she heard her partner's name. "He didn't trust me, that's why. A protective detail is one thing, Alex. Not telling me, though- that's unforgivable."
Alex watched as a dark storm began to brew behind sable eyes. "How long are you planning to punish him for that?"
"As long as I want to," Olivia raged as she watched Alex roll her eyes. "What the hell am I supposed to do? If my partner doesn't have confidence in me to do my job, then fine! We can't work together. End of story, Alex!"
"You don't really believe that, do you Olivia?"
In a fit of exasperation, Olivia threw herself back into the couch. "Then why did he have me tailed? Why couldn't he tell me?"
Alex reached for Olivia's hand and caressed it softly with her thumb as she tried to calm the detective down. "From what I understand, both Elliot and Cragen tried to persuade you to take the protection."
"And I told them that I wasn't going to become Plummer's victim."
"But you did anyway, didn't you, Olivia? You became his final victim. You're just too goddamned stubborn to realize it. Eric Plummer got into your head and he played you." Alex watched Olivia's eyes as she tried to gauge how her words mere being received.
"Elliot saw this happening and he did what he felt he needed to do to protect you. You are family to him, to all of them. The bottom line is that as much as he respects you, Olivia, Elliot Stabler knows you. Give him the benefit of the doubt. He was worried" Alex felt the single tear fall down her cheek as she saw the fury in Olivia's eyes slowly subside. She drew the other woman into her arms and whispered, "I was worried."
Olivia, her frustration dampened by the honesty in Alex's words, returned the embrace and softly said, "I know Alex, and I'm sorry." She continued to hold Alex, thankful for the first time that night that she had opened her door.
Releasing her hold on the older woman, Alex sat back as Olivia stretched out on the couch, reclaiming the lap that had once been her pillow. She rubbed Olivia's back in a series of small circles and asked, "Feel better?"
Olivia looked up at Alex as she let out a bitter chuckle. "I don't think I'll ever really feel better. Every time I close my eyes, I see his face. His face, and the faces of the people he killed."
"You're going to see someone, right?"
"Brass is making me, but I don't think it will help."
"Give it a chance, Olivia. You can also talk to me. You know that, right?"
Olivia yawned as she answered, "I know, Alex."
"And you'll talk to Elliot?"
"I'm still pissed! He should have known he could come to me. I wouldn't have treated him like that. But, I'll think about it, okay?"
Alex nodded her head as she played with Olivia's hair. She hoped the two detectives would be able to work this out. They were too good together to let this come between them.
Olivia glanced at her watch and realized it was almost 3:00am. She looked up at Alex and said, "God it's so late. You probably need to go. Do you have court this morning?"
Alex smiled as she pulled a blanket off the back of the couch and covered the brunette. "I cleared my calendar. Let me stay with you tonight, okay? Let someone take care of you for a change."
Olivia didn't have the emotional strength to argue and simply nodded her head in agreement as she said, "I'm just so damn tired, Alex."
"I know, sweetie, I know," Alex replied as she slowly rubbed Olivia's arm. She looked at the exhausted face lying in her lap and softly asked, "Liv? Are we okay?"
Olivia looked up into eyes grayed over with emotion and answered, "Yeah, we're okay." She closed her eyes and fell into a welcome sea of slumber.
Alex laid her hand across Olivia's chest, matching her breathing pattern to the brunette's and resting her head on the back of the couch. She was asleep within minutes.
Olivia felt the warmth of sunlight on her face as she awoke. She shivered slightly as she opened her eyes to find herself on the living room floor, with a blonde head resting on her chest. A slow feeling of shock began to overtake her senses as she noticed the couch cushions and tousled blankets scattered around her. The last thing she remembered was closing her eyes while talking to Alex.
"Oh shit! Alex!" she unintentionally groaned aloud as possible scenarios began running through her mind. Her musings were interrupted as a throaty laugh reverberated against her chest.
"I assure you, Detective, I was a perfect gentleman." Alex grinned as she raised her head and looked into Olivia's questioning eyes. "The next time, however," she added as she leaned over and laid a gentle kiss on the brunette's forehead, "you may not be so lucky." She looked at Olivia and explained, "You had a nightmare a few hours ago. How are you feeling now?"
Olivia looked at the ceiling and answered plainly, "I'm fine, Alex."
Alex sat up and looked at Olivia. There were dark circles under her eyes, but the hint of a smile had made its way to the detective's mouth. It was a start. She turned her attention to the sunlight streaming in through the nearby window.
"The rain stopped," she said as she pulled the blanket tighter around her body.
Olivia got up from the floor and sat next to the younger woman. She wrenched a corner of the blanket away from Alex, wrapping it around her own shoulders. "Never saw you as a blanket hog, Counselor."
Alex smirked as she said, "That is the one downfall of sleeping with Alex Cabot, Detective."
"There's only one?" Olivia teased back. She tried not to think about the heat the younger woman emitted as they sat together under the blanket.
Tossing a nearby cushion at the detective, Alex returned her focus to the sunshine. She laid her head on Olivia's shoulder and quietly asked, "Will this always be a problem between us?"
"What? You stealing the blankets?" Olivia joked as she snaked her arm around Alex's waist.
"Seriously, Benson. Will differences at our jobs always interfere with our relation-- with our friendship?"
"I believe there will be times when we have opposing views on how a case is progressing," Olivia answered. "But, as long as we can agree to disagree, we should be okay."
"Yeah, I think we can do that," Alex said as she turned inside the blanket to face Olivia.
Olivia looked down and reached for Alex's hand, caressing it gently with her own. She raised her eyes to Alex's face and softly said, "Thanks for being here for me last night, Alex. It really means a lot to me."
"You mean a lot to me, Olivia Benson," Alex responded.
Their eyes met, locked in a bond filled with both hesitation and hope for what could be, silently daring the other to make the next move. Alex broke the gaze as she leaned forward, reaching to meet Olivia's lips with her own.
GRRRRROWL!
"Time for your feeding, Cabot?" Olivia chuckled as she sat back, acknowledging the broken mood. Things were changing between herself and Alex. They would find the right time to explore this, whatever 'this' was. She stood up and offered her hand to Alex.
Alex used Olivia's arm to pull herself from the floor. Not wanting Olivia to see the blush creeping up her neck, she walked to the window and looked outside. The sun was shining brilliantly over the city; there was no sign of the rain that had fallen through the night.
Olivia walked behind Alex and gave her a warm hug. "For what it's worth, Alexandra Cabot, you mean a lot to me as well."
She held the blonde tightly as they watched the new day unfolding. When she heard her companion's stomach growling again, Olivia left a tender kiss on the side of Alex's neck and released her grasp.
"Come on, Alex. Let's get you something to eat."
"It's my fault they're dead," she said, breaking the silence.
Alex let out a small sigh as she casually ran her fingers through short brunette hair. "You are not responsible for the person Eric Plummer became, Olivia."
"Tell that to the families of the four people he killed, Alex," Olivia said, barely able to contain her passion. "Explain to them that their loved ones died because I put an innocent man in prison. Eric Plummer was the ultimate victim. I made sure of that."
"Olivia, you didn't put him in prison. Eyewitness testimony and a jury of his peers put him there," Alex stated calmly. "Regardless of what you may think, Eric Plummer killed himself. He just used you as his weapon. He wasn't the victim here. You were. Why do you think Elliot ordered a protective detail?"
Olivia sat up immediately when she heard her partner's name. "He didn't trust me, that's why. A protective detail is one thing, Alex. Not telling me, though- that's unforgivable."
Alex watched as a dark storm began to brew behind sable eyes. "How long are you planning to punish him for that?"
"As long as I want to," Olivia raged as she watched Alex roll her eyes. "What the hell am I supposed to do? If my partner doesn't have confidence in me to do my job, then fine! We can't work together. End of story, Alex!"
"You don't really believe that, do you Olivia?"
In a fit of exasperation, Olivia threw herself back into the couch. "Then why did he have me tailed? Why couldn't he tell me?"
Alex reached for Olivia's hand and caressed it softly with her thumb as she tried to calm the detective down. "From what I understand, both Elliot and Cragen tried to persuade you to take the protection."
"And I told them that I wasn't going to become Plummer's victim."
"But you did anyway, didn't you, Olivia? You became his final victim. You're just too goddamned stubborn to realize it. Eric Plummer got into your head and he played you." Alex watched Olivia's eyes as she tried to gauge how her words mere being received.
"Elliot saw this happening and he did what he felt he needed to do to protect you. You are family to him, to all of them. The bottom line is that as much as he respects you, Olivia, Elliot Stabler knows you. Give him the benefit of the doubt. He was worried" Alex felt the single tear fall down her cheek as she saw the fury in Olivia's eyes slowly subside. She drew the other woman into her arms and whispered, "I was worried."
Olivia, her frustration dampened by the honesty in Alex's words, returned the embrace and softly said, "I know Alex, and I'm sorry." She continued to hold Alex, thankful for the first time that night that she had opened her door.
Releasing her hold on the older woman, Alex sat back as Olivia stretched out on the couch, reclaiming the lap that had once been her pillow. She rubbed Olivia's back in a series of small circles and asked, "Feel better?"
Olivia looked up at Alex as she let out a bitter chuckle. "I don't think I'll ever really feel better. Every time I close my eyes, I see his face. His face, and the faces of the people he killed."
"You're going to see someone, right?"
"Brass is making me, but I don't think it will help."
"Give it a chance, Olivia. You can also talk to me. You know that, right?"
Olivia yawned as she answered, "I know, Alex."
"And you'll talk to Elliot?"
"I'm still pissed! He should have known he could come to me. I wouldn't have treated him like that. But, I'll think about it, okay?"
Alex nodded her head as she played with Olivia's hair. She hoped the two detectives would be able to work this out. They were too good together to let this come between them.
Olivia glanced at her watch and realized it was almost 3:00am. She looked up at Alex and said, "God it's so late. You probably need to go. Do you have court this morning?"
Alex smiled as she pulled a blanket off the back of the couch and covered the brunette. "I cleared my calendar. Let me stay with you tonight, okay? Let someone take care of you for a change."
Olivia didn't have the emotional strength to argue and simply nodded her head in agreement as she said, "I'm just so damn tired, Alex."
"I know, sweetie, I know," Alex replied as she slowly rubbed Olivia's arm. She looked at the exhausted face lying in her lap and softly asked, "Liv? Are we okay?"
Olivia looked up into eyes grayed over with emotion and answered, "Yeah, we're okay." She closed her eyes and fell into a welcome sea of slumber.
Alex laid her hand across Olivia's chest, matching her breathing pattern to the brunette's and resting her head on the back of the couch. She was asleep within minutes.
Olivia felt the warmth of sunlight on her face as she awoke. She shivered slightly as she opened her eyes to find herself on the living room floor, with a blonde head resting on her chest. A slow feeling of shock began to overtake her senses as she noticed the couch cushions and tousled blankets scattered around her. The last thing she remembered was closing her eyes while talking to Alex.
"Oh shit! Alex!" she unintentionally groaned aloud as possible scenarios began running through her mind. Her musings were interrupted as a throaty laugh reverberated against her chest.
"I assure you, Detective, I was a perfect gentleman." Alex grinned as she raised her head and looked into Olivia's questioning eyes. "The next time, however," she added as she leaned over and laid a gentle kiss on the brunette's forehead, "you may not be so lucky." She looked at Olivia and explained, "You had a nightmare a few hours ago. How are you feeling now?"
Olivia looked at the ceiling and answered plainly, "I'm fine, Alex."
Alex sat up and looked at Olivia. There were dark circles under her eyes, but the hint of a smile had made its way to the detective's mouth. It was a start. She turned her attention to the sunlight streaming in through the nearby window.
"The rain stopped," she said as she pulled the blanket tighter around her body.
Olivia got up from the floor and sat next to the younger woman. She wrenched a corner of the blanket away from Alex, wrapping it around her own shoulders. "Never saw you as a blanket hog, Counselor."
Alex smirked as she said, "That is the one downfall of sleeping with Alex Cabot, Detective."
"There's only one?" Olivia teased back. She tried not to think about the heat the younger woman emitted as they sat together under the blanket.
Tossing a nearby cushion at the detective, Alex returned her focus to the sunshine. She laid her head on Olivia's shoulder and quietly asked, "Will this always be a problem between us?"
"What? You stealing the blankets?" Olivia joked as she snaked her arm around Alex's waist.
"Seriously, Benson. Will differences at our jobs always interfere with our relation-- with our friendship?"
"I believe there will be times when we have opposing views on how a case is progressing," Olivia answered. "But, as long as we can agree to disagree, we should be okay."
"Yeah, I think we can do that," Alex said as she turned inside the blanket to face Olivia.
Olivia looked down and reached for Alex's hand, caressing it gently with her own. She raised her eyes to Alex's face and softly said, "Thanks for being here for me last night, Alex. It really means a lot to me."
"You mean a lot to me, Olivia Benson," Alex responded.
Their eyes met, locked in a bond filled with both hesitation and hope for what could be, silently daring the other to make the next move. Alex broke the gaze as she leaned forward, reaching to meet Olivia's lips with her own.
GRRRRROWL!
"Time for your feeding, Cabot?" Olivia chuckled as she sat back, acknowledging the broken mood. Things were changing between herself and Alex. They would find the right time to explore this, whatever 'this' was. She stood up and offered her hand to Alex.
Alex used Olivia's arm to pull herself from the floor. Not wanting Olivia to see the blush creeping up her neck, she walked to the window and looked outside. The sun was shining brilliantly over the city; there was no sign of the rain that had fallen through the night.
Olivia walked behind Alex and gave her a warm hug. "For what it's worth, Alexandra Cabot, you mean a lot to me as well."
She held the blonde tightly as they watched the new day unfolding. When she heard her companion's stomach growling again, Olivia left a tender kiss on the side of Alex's neck and released her grasp.
"Come on, Alex. Let's get you something to eat."