Distance Makes the Heart Grow Fonder
Summary: It's been years since Olivia last saw Alex Cabot. She's left SVU due to her heartache, and is now with the FBI. When she runs into the person she least expects to, can they put things back together again?
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: AlexOlivia.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Nada. Zip. Zero.

Chapter One
Olivia hated waiting. She watched solemnly as the clouds moved in over Chicago. They were a peculiar leaden gray-purple shading to black, full of unpredictable electrical impulses that made one's hair stand on end. It was going to rain, but it wouldn't be a soft rain; it would surely be rain that thudded against the earth with a vengeance, forcing trees and bushes to the ground with the sheer weight of water, pounding the grass flat. If she had to stay in this position- crouched behind a mailbox opposite an upscale Italian restaurant- much longer, she would probably become soaked, and then justifiably enraged. Just hurry up and get out here so I can bust you, the brunette mused, cocking her gun.

There was sudden movement. A heavier male exited Vedi Vini Veci and coughed. He drew from his evident designer suit what appeared to be a diamond studded handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his brow. Olivia could tell that this was her guy. She had been after this diamond smuggler for months, and now she had him. Ernesto Benvenuti, head of the Benvenuti crime family, not only had his hands dirty from exporting illegal diamonds, but had also dabbled in murder, drugs, and fraud. She watched anxiously as he smoothed his peppered mustache. Two other men opened the glass door to follow Ernesto. They were both brawny, probably in their early twenties, and were dressed in matching red silk shirts. Liv could tell from the bulge under their left arms that they were packing. It was now or never. She leapt from her hiding spot and shouted. "Freeze, FBI!"

Boy, was that a mistake. She should have just fired. One of the younger gentlemen drew his weapon, while the other pushed Ernesto into a waiting black limousine. Olivia felt her heart thudding in her chest as she observed passerby screaming and fleeing the scene. She aimed at her target and fired. The bodyguard dropped, still clutching his gun. Olivia sprinted across the street and flung open the door to the car. A burning sensation ripped through her shoulder, and she stumbled backwards. She was shot. The blonde man looked at his hands uncertainly at what he had just done, then he signaled for the driver to take off. But Liv wasn't done. Not yet. Slumping against the brick wall, she aimed for the left back tire and shot. Loud hissing broke into the air and the car spun out of control. Bullseye. She glanced down at her left side and saw that it was covered in crimson fluid. Clamping her hand tightly against the wound, she tried to retain consciousness. She watched as her fellow agents that were staged in set positions down the road approached the flipped automobile and pulled a bleeding Ernesto out. Olivia mumbled an incoherent 'yes' of congratulations, and looked up.

Two beautiful azure eyes locked with her own. A blonde woman that Olivia vaguely recognized pulled her crumpled body against her gently, screaming for help. "Someone call 911!" Liv smiled deliriously at her rescuer. "Don't worry about me. I'm with SVU…I mean, FBI. I can take care of myself." The mystery girl laughed and hastily wiped at her eyes. "Yeah. Hang in there, Olivia. Help's coming. You did a really good job. Just, don't leave me now-" She observed as the cop's eyes glazed over with exertion. She swallowed the large lump in her throat as the other woman struggled for words. "I won't…but who…are you?…Damn, here comes the rain."

A few days later-
It was quiet. Dim rays of sunlight filtered in through the blinds that covered Olivia's windows. The smell of flowers filled the room that she was confined in. It was nauseating in here; the hospital was her prison. She had to stay here for at least another day. She sighed and rolled over, careful not to put weight on her arm. The wound still stung now and then. Closing her eyes, Olivia remembered the face of the woman who comforted her after the incident. She knew exactly who it was, now that she wasn't in excruciating pain. It was Alex.

God. The one person she had tried to forget was now near her again. After Alex was put into WPP, Olivia tried her best to continue on with her job. But the reminders were always there…and Olivia found herself constantly comparing Casey to the former ADA. It wasn't fair to the young attorney. The two had tried a relationship. Casey was lonely, Olivia need a replacement; it was bound to fail.

"What are you talking about?" Olivia looked into the glistening eyes of her partner, unsure of what she was hearing.

"We're not going to work. I'm not Alex, Liv." Her heart stopped. She fought for breath, and her throat was tied in a knot. Words wouldn't come out.

"I thought you were in love with me. Really, you probably believed it too. But there's times when you see something that reminds you of her, and there's this look in your eye. And that's when I know you could never love me like you love her. You still want her, Olivia. So go find her."

Olivia tried to find Alex. But no matter how hard she begged, or how involved she was in the system, Witness Protection wouldn't issue her current identity. So, Olivia had done her best to push the insistent memories of her and Alexandra Cabot aside, until last Monday. And unfortunately for WPP, they couldn't interfere with fate. Olivia had seen Alex again, and it wouldn't be the last time. She reached for the phone and called her boss, Captain McClure. She wanted to know where Alex went after the ambulance came.