Sorry it took so long to add to the story. Blame my resent move and a major case of writers block. I hope things move more quickly now. As for disclamers.. Y'all know the drill.
Chapter Two
The view from the airplane window was breathtaking, despite the fact that she'd seen it a hundred times before. She use to fly in and out of New York all the time but never had seeing the outline of JFK ever meant so much. She was finally home to stay. As Alex looked out the window watching the city grow larger and larger before her, she felt a hand wrap tightly around her own. Looking over to the person sitting next to her, Alex couldn't help but smile.
"You ok?" Olivia asked as she rubbed her thumb over Alex's knuckles.
Alex smiled and settled back in her seat. "Never better."
The two women were quiet for a moment as they listened to the captain announce their arrival. "So what do you wanna do first?" Olivia asked as she buckled her seatbelt.
The smile and good mood that Alex had been in a moment ago faded quickly. She looked out the window again as she took a deep breath. "I want to say goodbye to my mother." She said softly. She then turned back to look at Olivia. "I didn't get a chance to even say goodbye."
Olivia squeezed Alex's hand. "Then we'll rent a car and drive up to Westchester straight from the airport."
Something in Olivia's eyes made Alex's head tilt to the side, the way it always did when she knew there was something wrong with Olivia. "What's the matter, Liv?"
Olivia turned away from Alex and looked up at the ceiling of the airplane. "Your right next to her."
Alex wasn't going to pretend that the idea of seeing her own headstone didn't gave her a major case of the creeps, because it did. She waited until Olivia looked back down at her and then squeezed her hand. She knew how hard all of this had been on her lover, and she wasn't sure if the guilt she felt over it all would ever go away.
"We'll pick up some fresh flowers if you'd like." Olivia said as they rose from their seats after the plane had pulled up to the gate. "I'm sure the ones I left before I came out to Arizona are withered."
A bright, yet sad smile lit up Alex's face. "You've been going up there?"
Olivia actually blushed. "I thought someone should until you got back. Besides, my visiting your.. grave.. made for a good show just in case. "
"You never cease to amaze me Olivia Benson."
When the two women disembarked from the plane they were greeted by Agent Hammond, which disappointed Alex. She'd been hoping that the boys and Casey would be there. Alex and Olivia walked over to the Agent who smiled at Alex.
"Welcome back, Ms. Cabot." He then handed her a large brown envelope. "Everything has been taken care of." He went on as he motioned for the two woman to walk with him. "IDs, credit cards, passport, birth certificate, legal papers reversing your death. All in that envelope. Along with a key to a storage locker in Queens were all you things were housed."
The three of them walked through the airport talking about Alex's re-acclimatization into her life until they came to a small visitors room. Hammond opened the door and ushered the two women inside. "There's one more thing we have to give back to you."
"My job?" Alex asked with a crooked smirk.
Hammond smiled back. "That's up to Branch. He'd be a fool not to give you back your job, even if you are a pain in the ass." Olivia bit back her laugh and Alex raised her finger, ready to snap back a retort when Hammond added. "Wait here."
As soon as the door was close, leaving the two women alone, Alex leaned against the small table and Olivia stepped closer to her. "What do you think he still has to give back to you?"
"Is it to much to hope that it's my old apartment?" Alex asked with a small smirk.
Olivia smiled as she tucked Alex's hair behind her ears. "You know that in that building that apartment would have gone to the next person on the list within a week. Don't worry, though. I'm sure you'll be able to find a better one. I even have the rest of the weekend off to help if you'd like."
"I'll call the realtor that Mother use to use."
"Better ask for Cynthia Myers, Dear. She knows the city well."
Both Alex and Olivia jumped at the sound of the new voice in the room. When Alex turned around she stumbled backwards at the sight of the older woman standing in the doorway. "Mother?"
"It's good to see you to Alexandra."
Alex stepped closer to her mother. "They told me you were dead."
Olivia's mouth hung open as she stared at Caroline Cabot.
Caroline smiled as she reached out to hug her daughter. "They told me the same thing about you, Dear."
After hugging her mother, Alex turned to look at Olivia and asked. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't know." Olivia replied.
"Unlike you Ms. Cabot your mother went into the program rather easily. No last minute requests." Hammond told them as he stepped back into the room. Caroline turned to look at the man standing behind her. "Now, Jack be nice. You know full well that if it had been you being forced to leave your life behind, you would have wanted to say goodbye to the person you love most too."
Alex and Olivia both stood there wide eyed and opened mouthed at Alex's mother's comments. Neither had had a clue that the elder Cabot had known about them. Mainly because they didn't know about each other back then.
"Close your mouths girls." Caroline told the two women once she turned back to look at them. Then she smiled. "Don't look so surprised Alexandra. You can't believe that I wouldn't have noticed that your face lights up at the mention of Olivia's name, or that her eyes sparkle at the sight of you."
Both girls looked at the older woman and then at each other. Olivia smiled as a light blush colored her olive skin and Alex laughed. "I should have known that you'd have figured it out before me, Mother."
Agent Hammond cleared his throat. "I'm afraid it's going to take a little while longer to get your home out of probate, Mrs. Cabot. We have a car waiting to take the three of you to the Plaza as you requested."
Caroline smiled. "Good. Come along girls. It's way past time we all got back to our lives."
None of them said much as they sat in the back of the town car that was weaving it's way through the streets of New York City. Each woman seemed to be lost in her own thoughts. Alex couldn't help shifting her gaze between the city out side her window, her mother who she'd been told had died of a heart attack, and the woman she loved and never thought she'd be able to have. It's not exactly how Alex had seen her life going, but maybe everything she'd been though had had a purpose after all.
"I should call the guys and tell them we won't be making it tonight." Olivia said as she pulled out her cell phone. Alex smiled. "Make it were?"
Olivia returned the smile, though hers was more of a smirk. "O'Malley's."
"There's no need to cancel your plans, Olivia Dear." Caroline smiled at the two girls. "I'm rather tired and will most likely make it an early night. We'll have all day tomorrow."
Olivia looked over at Alex. "So are you up for a little more reuniting?"
"I've been waiting a long time to see those guys again and I never got to tell any of you thank you for nailing my shooter."
Olivia put her cell phone back into her pocket. "I think we still have a bottle of champagne to open."
Heads turned as Olivia and Alex walked into O'Malley's. Most of the people looking at them where other cops and a few other ADA's who knew or knew off the SVU detective and the squad's former hardassed ice princess ADA. But wither or not they knew or knew of them, everyone was looking at them for one reason. It wasn't everyday you witnessed someone coming back from the dead, someone who'd been shot on the sidewalk right outside the very door they'd just walked through.
"Are you ok?" Olivia asked softly as she and Alex made their way towards the back room of the bar.
Alex looked around at all the staring faces and then back at Olivia. "Can't say they'll ever forget my name when it comes time for their votes."
Olivia laughed. "Your only back a few hours and your already after Branch's job?"
Alex smiled brightly. "Someone has to follow in his footsteps when he retires."
"Shouldn't that be Liz's job?"
"Normally I'd say yes but Liz doesn't want it." Alex replied as they approached the room.
Olivia looked at her oddly as she opened the door and stepped inside. "Why not? She'd make a hell of DA."
"Because I have a hard enough time keeping myself from choking the two ADA's I've worked with in Sex Crimes. I'd be up for murder if I had to deal with a whole gaggle of them."
"I think I've been insulted." Casey replied with a smile as she stood with a small group in the center of the room.
Alex smiled brightly at the sight of all of them. Elliot, Fin and Munch, Donald, Casey, and even Liz Donnelly were all standing there looking at her, smiling huge smiles. Elliot was the first to break off from the group and approach them. In one smooth move he had Alex in a huge bear hug, lifting her off her feet and spinning her around. "Welcome home, Alex!"
To say that Alex was caught off guard by Elliot's hug would have been an understatement. Out of all of them, it had taken him the longest to warm up to her. Part of it, she thought, had to do with her arriving at the same time that Elliot's competence as a detective was being scrutinized. But mainly, Alex knew that Elliot's hardness around her was from his protective big brother role in Olivia's life. "It's good to see you too Elliot."
It didn't take long for the group to fall back into their comfortable roles with each other. Alex had gotten hugs form everyone, even Liz, and she'd finally gotten the chance to thank Casey and the guys. But it was in a way a little odd for her. Personally, she was still their friend plus now she was with Olivia, so she still had a place in that part of their world, but as far as being part of the team she was now an outsider.
"So what are you plans now, Alex?" Liz asked.
Alex shrugged. "I honestly don't know. I had been teaching pre-law in Arizona, which was nice, but I missed practicing it."
Casey smiled. "Did I forget to mention that Branch wants to see you as soon as possible?"
"Really?" Alex's eyes lit up.
"He would have been here tonight," Liz added. "but he had a dinner with the Mayor he couldn't get out of."
Alex huffed playfully. "Since when is the Mayor more important then me?"
Olivia laughed. "Oh yeah, the old Alex is back."
By the end of the night, there was a permanent smile on Alex's face.
"You've been smiling all night." Olivia commented as they headed for the Plaza. "Doesn't your face hurt yet?"
Alex laughed. "It's been far to long since I've had a reason to smile. I don't see this going away any time soon."
Olivia smiled as they stopped in front of the hotel. "Good because I like seeing you smile."
"Then come up to my room with me and make sure I have more reasons too."
"Are you sure? We've spent the last two weeks together."
Alex leaned in and kissed Olivia. "I'm more then sure that I want you around now that I finally have you."
"Same here, baby." Olivia took Alex hand and smiled. "So lead the way."
