Normal Again

Summary: Alex goes to the SVU to announce her engagement. Slightest crossover with Conviction.

Spoilers: SVU- slight "Loss", "Ghost"; Conviction- the premeire and last night (March 31). Sorry I don't have the episode titles.

Author's Note: I had to mention something about her telling the SVU. She got her start on that show. Since Dick Wolf still had not addressed her Witness Protection issue, I'm still making it up. And on an un-story related note, "Fault" airs on Tuesday. ACK! To quote Mariska Hargitay, "The audience will freak out".
Those words had passed over Robert's lips. He wanted to marry her. She could tell that he meant it. "Talk" was not a bad thing. Like Jim had said, it was about what she was going to do with the rest of her life. It was something important. In a relationship, she would automatically guess that it was bad. Not in this case. This was good. Robert Mellon, her boyfriend since she was released from Witness Protection, wanted to spend the rest of his life by her side.

Sure, it was a little fast. She had only been out since Christmas. It was April. Although it was fast, Alex did not mind. It just felt right with Robert. He made her feel safe. With the threat of an attack from one of Cesar Valez's friends or workers looming over her head, Alex needed that security. Robert provided her with that.

She glanced down at her engagement ring. There was a single large diamond in the middle of the pure golden band. She knew Robert was rich, but she never knew how rich. It did not make any difference in her decision to agree to marry him, but it did make her feel special.

She smiled as she walked into the police station. No, she did not have any professional reason for being there. However, without these people she would not be the woman who she was today. Since her parents had both passed away, she felt that the SVU detectives should be the first people she told about the engagement. She walked over towards their door and glanced through the window.

No one on the other side looked busy. Cragen and Fin were talking near Cragen's office. Judging by how they were laughing, Alex did not think it was something official. Elliot stood up and walked over to join Casey and Munch by the coffee mug. His action gave Olivia the perfect opportunity to snatch the rest of his tuna melt. Elliot rolled his eyes at her, but he did not argue it. Alex smiled. Now was as good a time as any to tell them.

She pushed the doors opened and called out "Hello". Her entrance caught everyone else's attention as they greeted her with smiling faces.

"Alex, we didn't expect you," Cragen stated. "Is there something about a case that you need?" The last part of his question trailed off into almost nothing. Of course he was happy to see Alex again, but it was confusing. She would normally be at the D.A.'s office by this point. She had a lot of ADAs to manage.

"Were you looking for me?" Casey asked with the same amount of bewilderment as Cragen. "'Cause I'm sorry if I wasn't in my office. I was just delivering a search warrant," she started to explain before Alex raised her hand to cut her off.

"No, nothing about any case," Alex confirmed. "Just some personal exciting news that I'd like to share with you guys."

"Are you pregnant?" Olivia immediately asked as she placed the tuna back on Elliot's desk.

Alex turned and shook her head slightly at Olivia. "Not yet," she said with slight relief. "I don't think I'm ready for something like that yet." She wisely decided to leave out the fact that Olivia looked more pregnant than anyone else in the room.

"Well, then what is it?" Munch asked curiously as he inched closer towards Alex. "Did the Feds finally stick a needle in Cesar Valez's arm? 'Cause that bastard had it coming."

Again, Alex shook her head. "He's a busy man. They haven't even finished securing indictments for every case against him," she responded with a small laugh. "But you know how I've been out of Witness Protection for a little over three months now," she said as a segue into her announcement. She got nods from everyone around the room. "Well, almost immediately after getting back in New York, I met this man named Robert. Polite, rich, and everything I've wanted in a husband since I was young except for the fact that he's not Ted Danson."

The corners of Olivia's mouth turned up to a smile. "Husband?" she questioned Alex's word choice.

Alex nodded. "You heard me, Miss Maid of Honor," she stated with a joyous smile. "He proposed this morning, and I obviously said yes."

Fin walked over and took Alex's left hand in his. "Damn, that's a big rock," he stated as he saw her engagement ring. He shook her hand. "Congratulations. After all that crap with Valez, you deserve this."

Casey nodded as she saw the ring. "I'm officially jealous," she announced.

Elliot rolled his eyes at Casey's statement. "She means to say that she's happy for you," he stated as he pulled Alex into a hug. "We all are."

Alex smiled at all of them. "Thanks," she said. "I had to tell you guys first. I wouldn't be who I am today without you. I'm just really excited about this."

"And you should be," Cragen told her.

Alex grinned at him. "Robert and I are having an official engagement announcement slash party next Saturday evening to which you're all invited," she added.

"We'll be there," Munch promised.

Alex nodded before she returned her focus to Casey. "How'd you get here?" she asked. "'Cause I can give you a ride back to the office if you want," she offered.

"Thanks," Casey responded.

Alex smiled as the two of them exited the squad room. Everything was the way it was supposed to be. She was out of Witness Protection. She had a man who loved her and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Along with that, she had the continuing support of her friends. Her life was just about normal. It was perfect.