Who Am I?
2.
/Two days later/
/Dr. Mays Office/
Olivia once again sat in the big leather chair. An uncomfortable silence filled the air between the two women. Dr. Mays decided to break the silence with small talk.
"Have you slept well the last two nights?"
"Not bad, not great." Olivia replied with out much thought.
"Did you sleep at all?"
"Not really," Olivia sighed.
"I see. Is there anything causing you not to sleep?"
"We are working a really bad case, some young girls witnessed their babysitter being murdered. Its just terrible."
"Sounds traumatic."
"It is, worse part is the sitter was raped, the good part is the kids didn't see that."
"Yeah, but let's talk about you for a little while."
"Okay."
"I bet you could be sharper if you were to get some sleep."
"Probably, but if you saw what I see everyday you wouldn't be able to sleep either."
"I guess you could be right. But lets try and figure out how we can let you get some sleep."
"Okay I guess."
"What do you do to relax usually?"
"I go to the bar with the guys after really bad days. When I get home I will take a shower and try to go to sleep. If I can't sleep I'll have a drink and/or watch television."
"Do you end up drinking more often than not."
"I'm not an Alcoholic."
"I didn't say you were."
"I know Alcoholics, my mother was an Alcoholic, I am most definitely not an Alcoholic."
"Well Olivia, your not pleading your case well."
"I know, I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry, its okay lets work through this. Do you have an answer to the question?"
"Yes, I often find that I drink more often than not after work, at least lately."
"Do you have a lot."
"No usually just one or just a half of a beer."
"Okay, it doesn't sound too bad, but I would be careful if you have a history of alcoholism in the family."
Olivia nodded, she knew, she tried to be careful, maybe every now and then she would join Cragen in a cola or club soda.
"Maybe to relax you could take a bath, get some aroma therapy, Lavender is suppose to help you relax. There is also a whole array of different things you can get, bath salts, candles, and sheet spray. Maybe you could do some sort of physical exercise to clear your mind before going to sleep."
"I go rock climbing when I'm not too busy with work."
"That's a great activity."
"Before you go, time is almost up, do you have anyone intimately in your life right now?"
"No, Why?" Olivia looked to the carpet.
"Sometimes it helps, if they are someone you really connect with?"
"Yeah I guess, but I'm pretty much an alone person these days. I'll see you in a couple days. How many more sessions before I don't have to come back every other day?"
"Just one then we have an every two weeks schedule, that is if you feel ready."
"Okay." Olivia once again gathered her leather jacket throwing it around her shoulders and exited the office.
&&&
/The precinct/
"Okay we got a lead on this guys here." Elliot pointed to a picture of a 30 something guy on the pin board.
"What do we know about him." Olivia took another sip of coffee.
She had only been in the building five minutes and they were already knee deep in the case, Elliot had gotten there really early, chasing leads from the day before.
"His name is Brett Doors. He lives in the apartment building across the street from where our Vic, Samantha Jefferies, was raped and murdered. He apparently has had his eye on the apartment that the crime took place for about a month, so some eyewitnesses say. The family had some money which was rumored to be stashed away somewhere, all rumored, well the stashing part. The money is in the bank. We checked the Phone logs for our crime scene and low and behold the perp called the place every few days only recording a 30 second call, just long enough for an answering machine or a person to pick up and be hung up on. He must have been checking to see when they were home."
"Do you think we got enough to check out his place, ask him some questions?" Olivia asked listening intently to everything Elliot was talking about. Nice thing about work was she could forget about everything else for a while.
"I don't know I hope so lets call Novak in." Elliot started back toward his desk.
"We can't Casey went with Munch and Fin out to Long Island to try and get the he-said-she-said case wrapped up before I quote 'the city wastes anymore money on this disaster.'"
"Oh, should we call Cabot?"
"Why not." Olivia choked out.
"Do you want me to call or do you want to." Elliot asked noticing the strange response.
"You call." She replied relieved, unsure if she would be able to talk to Alex.
"Okay." Elliot looked at his partner funny as she engrossed herself in her coffee and a file.
A few minutes later Alex came strolling into the precinct with a warrant, wearing her trademark suit and heals.
"Someone ordered a warrant?" Alex smiled at the two partners.
"We did." Elliot replied taking the paper. "We'll see you later, thanks." He waved as Olivia and he made their way out into the afternoon chill to collar their perp.
He was easy to find; right in his apartment. When they knocked on the door and he saw the warrant he took off in a run. Unfortunately for the detectives they were on the first floor so he shot out into the street. Elliot radioed for back up as they took off after him. Olivia was gaining on him. She caught up to him about a half-a-block away, tackled him to the ground.
"Why'd you run Brett?" She asked as she brought his hands behind his back.
"I didn't do anything."
"We got a warrant to check that very thing out." Elliot said out of breath as he caught up to the pair.
"Let's get you down to the station." She picked him up off the ground.
"Am I under arrest."
"No not yet."
"Can I still have a lawyer?"
"Sure Brett anything you want." Elliot said as he put Brett in the back of the sedan.
He and Olivia would be back later to check out the apartment. It looked like they needed to have a heart to heart with Mr. Doors first.
&&&
That evening Olivia and Elliot were back at their desks. They had cracked Brett. They also found the red hat and the white sneakers in his apartment. They were hoping that Casey would stop in when she got back so they could go over the case with her. She, nor Fin and Munch came back. They decided to just fill her in tomorrow. They finished up all the paperwork for the case around 7 and headed out into the crisp night air.
&&&
/The next day at the precinct/
The four detectives were sharing the stories of the day before with each other. Munch and Fin had an interesting day. Charges ended up being dropped on both sides when it came out that the delivery man and the customer where having an affair and the charges were filed only after the customer's husband came home early. Talk about waste of valuable detective work, not to mention ADA work. Casey was not happy on the way back to the city last night. Elliot and Olivia were a little nervous about the briefing they would have to do; Casey didn't like Alex too much.
Alex came into the squad room a little before eight.
"Okay guys I only have an hour, I have to make it to Hudson for a 9:15 class."
"Hey Alex." Everyone said at the same time.
Casey came breezing into the office seconds behind Cabot.
"Alright what did you guys do? How did you get that warrant?"
"We went to Alex, our consultant." Olivia said already frustrated.
"No, I know HOW you got it, I want to know why the judge gave it to you."
"I went to Petrovsky's Court." Alex said.
"She gave you the warrant?" Casey said with astonishment. "I can hardly ever get that woman to give me anything."
"We've known each other for a long time, she trusts the fact that I trust the instincts and skills of your detectives." Alex said stressing the word your. She by no means wanted to step on Casey's toes, even though in her heart they will always be her detectives.
"Fine, have we got enough to keep him and get him?" Casey asked Olivia.
"We did you one better, we got a confession even though he lawyered up, the lawyer was not pleased. And we found the red hat and white sneakers in his apartment. The sneakers had blood on them, the ME got the results back to us this morning. It matches the vic." Olivia said with a smile.
Alex watched Olivia tell the ADA what they had. She missed the working relationship that they once had. Something was happening before she left, it was a confusing time, but they never got a chance to figure out what it was, damn Velez. But she was back now.
Alex glanced at her watch and turned to the group, discussing the case.
"I have to get over to Hudson, I'll see you guys later."
"Bye Alex, hey are you up for drinks and pizza tonight after work?" Olivia asked, regretting the words as they spilled over her lips.
"Um, sure I can tell you all about the crazy underclassmen that are in my lecture." Alex was pleased yet surprised by the invitation.
Alex then strode out of the precinct toward a new chapter in her life.
Olivia turned her attention back to the case at hand. Casey was questioning Elliot about the handling of evidence, she wanted to make sure everything was set. She had to be in court in an hour for a preliminary hearing with Brett Doors.
&&&
Olivia sat at the table in the back of Uncle Tony's Pizza, it was a small place, only sat about 15 people. The precinct ordered pizza from him a lot. She had ordered the usual, at least she hoped it was still the usual, medium cheese pizza and a glass of beer for each of them. She waited for Alex to join her. They had talked to each other around 2 and decided on Uncle Tony's at 7.
As Olivia waited she let her mind go over the case that they had just finished with. Casey assured them that it was a slam-dunk, they had done a good job, even Alex, but Casey wouldn't admit to it. She wondered what Casey didn't like about Alex. They were both good lawyers in there own sense. Alex had a better connection to the squad but they had all gone through a lot together. Alex had started to trust the detectives' guts, Casey was still not at that point.
Alex slid into the booth just as the ice-cold beers were placed on the table.
"You have impeccable timing counselor."
"Why thank you detective." Alex grinned as she took a sip of the beer. "you order the usual."
"Medium Cheese."
"Alright, perfect end to a really great day."
"How was your first day teach?" Olivia smiled; it felt great just to get out socially.
"Fun actually, I enjoyed teaching while I was in the program. I have a great class. Its in a lecture hall but since it is an upper division class there are less students than a regular underclass course, so it is all Pre-law and some criminal justice prodigies. It was only the first day so we'll see. On Tuesday we are going to really get started on the material."
"Sounds like you are going to have a good time with this. Why don't you try to teach more classes?"
"I would but I don't want to commit to something then not be able to practice the law anymore."
"Yeah, your one hell of a Prosecutor."
"Thank you." Alex said with a smile. "You're not such a bad detective either."
"Thanks," Olivia said a blush starting to creep up her cheeks. She rubbed her hands over her face. The waiter then brought the pizza. Saved by the bell, or cheese be it the case.
They ate in silence for a few minutes.
"So, Liv, how have you been, we really haven't got to talk much since I've been back, other then when you were sick." Turning their talk to a serious tone.
"Um, I've been alright I guess. I never got a chance to thank you for keeping me company while I was sick." Olivia looked at her plate, a half eaten pizza slice left abandoned.
"Its no big deal. You were really sick. You looked terrible. They guys at said you hadn't been eating a lot lately and sleeping hardly at all." Alex replied. And I couldn't see you so hurt and upset, she thought to herself.
"Yeah I guess." But it's a big deal to me, Olivia thought to herself.
"So everything work out okay in that case," Alex tried changing the subject.
"Yeah," there seemed to be a tension between them now.
They ate in somewhat uncomfortable silence for the rest of the meal. The waiter brought the check over and Olivia left the money on the table. They both made there way out of the restaurant.
"I'll talk to you tomorrow, I have to stop by the precinct, if you're in."
"Okay." Olivia scraped her foot on the ground before waving and walking toward her apartment building.
Alex watched her go, getting farther away. She knew that a lot was going inside her head. She just wished that she knew what it was. She hailed a cab and climbed in heading to her new place. She had just moved in on Wednesday just in time to start her new jobs.
&&&
/Olivia's apartment, later that night/
Olivia sat on her couch, feet propped up on the coffee table. It was dark in the apartment but she didn't care, the darkness fit her ever-gloomy mood when she was home. She tilted her head to rest on the back of the couch. She closed her eyes and allowed her mind to go to a place she tried to stay away from.
Before Alex left. Right before. Before the Zapata case they had worked on a really hard case with a kid accusing his step mother of molesting him, after a lot of work they found the allegations to be false, but they put the family through hell. The court ordered the whole family into counseling, apparently there was something wrong. Apparently, no shit. Alex was really upset about the whole thing. Olivia had stopped by her office on her way home, well it wasn't really on the way. There was a moment between them, subtle, just a brush of a hand across Alex's face, but it was an unmistakable moment. Before they could figure it out, Olivia got called away for another call, then the next day the whole Zapata thing happened.
Olivia sighed, and pulled herself off the couch. She drew a bath and threw some lavender salts in the tub. She sunk into the steamy water it felt like heaven. The lavender calmed her worried and anxious mind and her confused heart. She wished she had tried this sooner. She reluctantly toweled off and slipped on some boxers and a tank and slipped between the fresh cool sheets of her bed. Drifting off into a gentle sleep she couldn't help but smile, if only she had someone to share all this with, Dr. Mays was right.
A/N: Stay tuned for part 3, should be done soon, it's already basically planned out. I hope you are all enjoying it. I get my kicks from reviews.