Before Alexandra could open her mouth, Adrienne was up out of her chair and running toward the glass door of the conference room. She swung it open aggressively, jogging toward her office near the front door. Alexandra shoved the laptop toward Marla, grabbed her cellphone off the conference room table, and quickly followed in Adrienne's footsteps, practically flying out of the conference room, turning right, and running – sprinting actually, heels and all – down the hallway toward her office.

She rounded the corner of her desk, dropped into her chair and typed her password into her computer hurriedly. She opened the NYSCEF website, logged into her account and quickly began loading all of the various documents the firm had drafted into the filing system. Instead of filing the original 1.8 motion, Alexandra attached an Emergency Motion for Temporary Spousal Support that she had drafted Tuesday afternoon – just in case. Now, it wasn't necessary that the firm seek permission to help support Olivia – they could help her now and assess her costs later since Holter going nuclear meant the Court would order Holter to allow her access to money to support herself, outside of litigation costs. All they'd have to do is adjust the costs aspect of their fee agreement. After hitting submit, she did a quick search of the Court's cases just in case and confirmed nothing had been filed by Bradley Hotler yet. At least they'd had a few days head start. Sighing, she glanced at the clock on her computer, 11:35 AM; still, this case was way ahead of schedule.

Don't let that happen again, Alexandra scolded herself – even though it technically wasn't her fault things had played out the way they had. Regardless, Alex was not the type of attorney who left things to the last second, typically operating a week or two ahead of schedule. Her work ethic was what allowed her to take on excess cases – 26 was a lot for an attorney to take lead on at her firm. Goldstein & Park, P.C. produced exceptional work, and with exceptional work came a hefty price tag. The typical client at their firm was wealthy – the kind of wealthy that came with estates worth millions. Cases were typically very involved and time consuming. – especially when 33% of the firm's cases weren't domestic relations at all. With the sheer volume of the firm's caseload, the lawyers just simply didn't have the time to jump in to help on one another's cases.

Alexandra stood up from her computer and walked out of her office, back to the conference room, relieved they'd at least won the filing battle. Marla was still sitting inside the room still but was now talking aggressively to someone on the firm's conference phone. She gently pushed the door open, trying to remain silent.

"No, we want a controlled environment, Andrew," Marla said sternly into the phone, banging her fits on the table, "You're not running the show here."

"Marla – you know I can't control the press," a man's voice responded from the speaker of the conference phone, his tone equally aggravated.

"You can control your network's response – you can control CNN, and you will control it now," Marla demanded, "Or I end this call now and give it to McLaughlin at ABC."

"I need a camera crew Marla," Andrew answered, his voice calming considerably, "If you say this is as big as it is, I need some proof – come on."

"One camera," Marla bargained, finally. CNN was a better option than ABC and she knew it.

"No cameras," Alex cut in harshly, "There will be no cameras."

"Who is that?" Andrew asked.

"Alexandra Cabot… charmed to meet you, I'm sure… Now, you don't know me, and I don't know you, but we're going to become fast friends right now, okay? Okay… CNN was it? Well, listen to me carefully Andrew with CNN – we both know you didn't nail a top position with such a prominent network by being lazy… We both know you don't need a camera to conduct an interview with us and our client… you can easily support your story with the public court filings that we will graciously provide you now, before the court accepts the filings and they go public… What you want is media to go with your story – a sob story to sell to the City for ratings – but we won't be partaking in that… You will come to our office now – and you will conduct an interview with our team alone – then you will run a story as soon as possible… and when you're done, you'll give me a call and thank me for spoon feeding you that story… and when we inevitably need to give additional comment, you, Andrew from CNN, will be my first call... and when this is all over you'll be elated you listened to me because this case is likely the biggest one you'll catch all year," Alex answered, taking control of the situation.

There was silence for a moment while Alexandra cooled off and regained her composure, Marla sat smirking, and Andrew probably gathered his thoughts.

"I trust this will be good… I'll see you in an hour, Ms. Cabot," Andrew answered curtly, and the line went dead.

"Okay, that was fucking hot," Adrienne's dry husky voice purred unintentionally from just inside the doorway of the conference room. The redhead had entered the room just in time to catch the tail end of Alexandra's rant.

"That is called getting things done," Alex answered confidently, gesturing for the redhead to enter the room.

"I'm with Adrienne on that one," Marla retorted, pretending to fan herself, "Damn, Cabot."

Alex shook her head like it was nothing.

"Did you handle the next steps?" Alex asked Adrienne as she sat down in one of the plush conference room chairs.

"Spoke to Fin Tutola at the 16th Precinct and filed the police report and provided them the letter and report to Child Protective Services. I called Melinda Warner and left a message, but I haven't heard back from her yet. Just in case, I sent an email with the letter, and the police report attached, and copied the two other social workers we had contact information for on the server," Adrienne told her.

"And the direct deposit paperwork?" Alex asked.

"Filed. The change should take effect in 24 hours… The address protection program paperwork was also filed," Adrienne added in response.

"Thank you," Alexandra said.

"Did you get everything filed with the Court?" Adrienne asked, sitting down in one of the chairs beside Alex.

"Yes. The divorce action has been initiated, opted against the 1.8 Motion and filed an Emergency Motion for Support instead, Bradley's access to Noah is officially suspended until we have a hearing sometime in the next 14 days, the protection order just needs a signature from a judge, and the request for a status conference should come back quickly," Alex answered.

"Have we informed the client?" Marla asked.

"Not yet," Alex responded, "I'll go let her know what's happened… We'll also need to prepare her for the interview."

"Yes, I think we'd better go talk to her," Marla agreed, "You go on, Adrienne and I will start devising a plan for our next move… Now that the secret's out, we'll need to inform the firm as well… we can expect increased press around here the next couple of days."

"I'll draft an email," Adrienne offered.

"Thanks, I'll go talk to Olivia. Is anyone else in the office today? Someone needs to watch Noah while we take care of all this… I think Abby is here," Alex said as she stood up and headed toward the door to the conference room.

"Abby needs to remain off this case," Marla warned.

"Why?" Alex asked, confused. Originally, Alex had thought Marla wanted to keep Abby secluded because she had a big mouth, but now that they were about to go public, it didn't make sense.

"Abby's safety could be at risk… from what I understand, Abby and Olivia dated briefly when she and Brad split up after Noah was born," Marla divulged, clearly deciding it was likely important information for the team to have.

"Would Brad go after her?" Alex asked, suddenly very concerned for her friend.

"He got her blacklisted at the DA's office," Marla responded simply, "He's capable of many things… he likely knows she works here now, but as long as we keep her off the case, I anticipate that he'll leave her alone. He's already done too much poking around where she's concerned to get away with it again."

"That's why she left?" Adrienne asked.

"Between us, yes," Marla explained, "We keep her out of this."

"Understood," Alex answered, brushing off the uncomfortable pang of jealousy she felt hearing that her best friend had likely been very intimate with her new client, "I'll go talk to Olivia now."

Alex turned and left the conference room, heading right, and down toward Marla's office directly beside her own. She walked through the clear glass door of the office, and found Olivia and Noah cuddling on the couch, both of them asleep. Alexandra couldn't help but smile at the innocence of it – Olivia lying on her back, the little boy tucked up under her arm, his head on her chest. His curly locks were a sight, messy from the beanie he'd removed. His mouth was slightly open, his bear and blanket tucked tightly under his arm. Alexandra wished she didn't have to wake them up and shatter their hopes of a clean break, but the attorney had no choice. She stepped further into the office and leaned over the couch. She reached her hand up and gently placed it on Olivia's shoulder, shaking her gently.

"Olivia?" She asked softly, trying her hardest not to wake the sleeping child.

Olivia stirred after a moment, her eyes fluttering open. Their eyes locked and a small smile appeared on Olivia's lips as she remembered where she was, "Alexandra?"

"We need to talk," Alex told her softly, "Can we leave Noah in here for a little bit?"

"Sure," Olivia nodded, wiping the sleep from her eye and adjusting herself so that she could slip out from under her son without waking him up. It took a few extra moments, but she successfully withdrew herself from below Noah without even causing him to stir. He was out cold.

"He hasn't been sleeping much," Olivia told Alex hesitantly as she covered the boy with his small baby blanket as best as she could, "I found him sitting outside my bedroom the other night… like he was waiting for something… watching… like he – like he was there to protect me or something." Olivia stood above Noah for a moment, running her fingers gently through his hair. Her heart broke for her son, but she was glad he finally had a place that he felt like he could relax – even if it was her lawyer's office… or car.

"He's a brave little boy," Alex said, her features softening as she watched Olivia share a moment with her son. Noah was such a sweet little boy, well mannered, timid, Alex couldn't understand how anyone would want to do anything to hurt him… and Olivia – how could anyone raise a hand to her body with anything but respect? Alex's mind couldn't comprehend.

"I wish he didn't have to be," Olivia said somberly, "He deserves to be a kid… dream about playing with his friends, worry about when the next time he'll get his hands on some ice cream… have normal nightmares about clowns and sharks… not about – not about his father…" Olivia stopped, stuttering on her own words as she tried to hold back her emotions, "he shouldn't have to spend his nights worrying about whether or not his mom was safe."

"We're going to protect you from him, Olivia. We are," Alexandra told her, leading the woman toward the door and out of Marla's office just in case Noah woke up, "But unfortunately, things are about to get worse before they get better."

She led the brunette into her office and closed the door behind them.

"What do you mean?" Olivia asked, fear spreading across her face.

"Brad will not be permitting us to move this along quietly," Alex told her, sitting down in one of the white chairs in front of her desk. She motioned for Olivia to take a seat.

"He answered?" Olivia asked, sitting down in the chair beside Alex.

"We've already filed the necessary documents," Alex told her, "And we're definitely still ahead of this… but yes, Brad answered. He won't be walking away quietly."

"So, it's all public now?" Olivia asked, her face scrunching into a disgruntled frown – fighting the tears threatening to explode from her eyes, "Everyone will know what he did to me? To us?"

"We're going to try our hardest to control the narrative," Alex responded, reaching out and taking Olivia's hands in her own, "Marla's friend from CNN is on his way to the office… we'll do an interview – and he'll air it as soon as possible… I know this is – this isn't something you wanted, but we need to control the court of public opinion. Most of the documents will be public tomorrow."

"I know how the game works, I've lived it for the last 8 years," Olivia retorted quickly. Being Brad Holter's girlfriend, then wife, then mother of his child had Olivia in the limelight a lot more often than she'd wanted. Add in the charity foundation, and Olivia had certainly had her fair share of exposure.

"Sorry," Alex apologized, letting go of the brunette's hands, "I – I didn't mean… Um –" Get it together Cabot, she reminded herself, she's had a rough day, she's smart, you don't need to over explain. Lawyer… Client… Got it. "I think it's important we prep you for Andrew… if you're up for it," she finished.

"How ugly is this going to get Alex?" Olivia asked, looking up at the blonde, ignoring her statement about CNN. Olivia's mind was elsewhere, lost in a perpetual cycle of different variations of how this would all play out for her and Noah.

Alex's heart broke for her. The sense of hope Olivia had had earlier seemed hidden, the realization of the problems that were to come finally sinking in. Why does it have to be this way? Alex asked herself, why couldn't Holter just let them go quietly? Doesn't he have a job to protect? Alex's expression softened, and she reached up, taking her glasses off her face and placing them on the desk beside her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before responding, "I'm not going to lie to you, Olivia," she said.

"Worst case scenario?" Olivia cut in, finally letting her gaze drift back over to the blonde. The tiniest hint of a smile appeared on Olivia's lips at the sight of Alex sans glasses. Little did Alexandra know, her client had just decided that without glasses, Alexandra was somehow softer – less intimidating – still incredibly gorgeous.

"In the worst-case situation, Brad goes to the press about your affairs – calls you a liar. Tells the world you're just trying to cover up your indiscretions… smears your sex life across the tabloids trying to convince the world that you're somehow a bad mother because of that… He'll fight the domestic allegations, drag both you and Noah into court… he'll try to ruin your reputation – find ways to kick you off the board of the foundation… He'll make things complicated with Noah, fight you on every decision you try to make… Use any amount of money he can against you… He might try to have you suspended at work," Alex rattled off ideas, thinking of all the ways she'd try to protect Brad if she were a sleezy enough attorney to take on his case.

"Won't it impact his likelihood of continuing on in politics?" Olivia asked, trying to process the overload of bad scenarios Alex had just thrown at her, some of which she hadn't yet thought of herself.

"It depends," Alexandra answered before she could stop herself. Those two words were a lawyer's best friend… and Alexandra had tried hard to never be that lawyer. But it was true – it depended.

"On?"

"We're in a post-Trump America," Alexandra replied, "It could go either way… New York is historically very liberal, but the conservatives have been coming out of the woodworks in droves… If he wins, this could skyrocket his career – a good 'ol boy family man falsely accused and acquitted? It makes for a decent comeback story."

Olivia feigned a gagging noise, "A comeback? The only comeback that man deserves is his own… in prison."

Alex couldn't help but laugh at Olivia's less than tasteful joke. It never ceased to amaze her just how strong Olivia was. In the midst of all of this, the woman still smiled more often than most, and was typically quick with a flirtatious comment or joke. It made sense to Alexandra, briefly, why she'd dated Abigail. They were pretty similar, after all.

"Sorry, not a joking matter…" Alexandra said finally, "I admire your ability to see the bright side in all of this."

"I have to be strong," Olivia answered, "For Noah… I'm afraid if I break down, he will too… Noah is quiet, always has been… but it's gotten worse, especially lately, I'm surprised he's even talked to you as much as he has… I'm just waiting for the night he finally breaks down… he hasn't cried you know, at all… not even the night he had to call 911."

Alex didn't say anything, letting Olivia speak.

"He – God it was bad…I – I'd just gotten out of the shower Alexandra…" Olivia's voice raised slightly as she spoke, she paused taking a deep breath to calm herself, "You're going to have to hear this anyway, huh?" She paused again, as if she was waiting for Alex to respond, but the blonde remained quiet, the look on her face invitation enough for Olivia to continue or move on. Alex wasn't going to push her.

Opting to be brave, Olivia continued, "I was – I was just in a towel… and Brad came at me after finding paperwork from Noah's school that I had requested to sign him up for counseling… I didn't even think anything of it," Olivia paused again to gather her emotions, she'd done enough crying over this man, "He grabbed me by my shoulders…" Olivia reached her hands out instinctively to demonstrate, placing both of her hands roughly onto each of Alexandra's shoulders, causing Alex to fall slightly into the back of the chair, "He grabbed me… " Olivia gripped Alex's shoulders and pushed her softly into the back of the chair, "and he shoved me against the wall of the bathroom… I – I remember the pain from the corner of the towel rod digging into my back being so strong that my legs started to give out… so I shoved my hands forward to get him off of me," Olivia moved her hands, shoving both gently into the front of Alex's chest in demonstration, "But his grip was so strong… and the towel fell, and I tried to reach down to grab it and get away from him – but he shoved me to the ground and climbed on top of me… he was screaming and – and choking me, digging his knees into my stomach – just screaming and screaming –" she lifted the hem of her long sleeved t-shirt, higher this time than she had the first time she'd shown Alex the evidence of Brad's violence. The bruises covered Olivia's taught abdomen. Alex counted at least five large purple, yellow, almost black bruises along Olivia's upper abs and sides, and several smaller ones along the lower expanse of her navel in various states of healing.

Alexandra couldn't help the gasp that escaped her lips Even though she'd seen the smaller bruises along the brunette's abdomen a few days prior, nothing had prepared her for the magnitude, or size of the damage done to Olivia's upper abs, making Alex wonder if they went even higher – she'd never seen Olivia without a long sleeve of some sort on. She suddenly got the overwhelming urge to touch Olivia, show her it was okay. Alex instinctively lifted her hand, inching it slowly toward Olivia's body before catching herself and bringing her hand to her mouth, "Oh, Olivia…" she whispered.

"He was screaming so loud that Noah came running…" she lowered her shirt again, placing her hands in her lap, "I - I just… I couldn't move and I – I watched him, still completely naked, from the bathroom floor – like… he moved like a robot – he just walked over to the phone and called 911… like he'd done it a hundred times before… And then Brad finally let me go, quietly begging Noah to put the phone down… and I just – I just was like a zombie… I couldn't take my eyes off of him… he hasn't said much since – unless he has to… I can't break down because I can't let him see me be anything but strong."

Alex had lost control of her own emotions at this point and the tears that had been threatening to fall for the last five minutes finally gave way and slid down the sides of her face. She wiped the droplets from her face and sighed, "I can't imagine what you've been through… What Noah's been through… but I will do anything in my power… stop at nothing… to make sure you and Noah are protected… That's – that's all I can do right now… I just – God Olivia, I am so sorry… You didn't deserve any of this."

Olivia smiled and nodded her head, "I know, Alexandra. I – We both already feel much safer now than we have in a while… Neither one of us have been able to nap for months… This – this is the longest I've seen Noah sleep in months – he's been sleeping since Nassau County… We – Noah and I are so grateful."

"This is the least we can do, Olivia," Alex answered, "I wish we could do more – I wish I could do more."

"You've done so much already," Olivia told her, "Have you even slept since I came in on Monday? You've done so much so fast – I – I never thought it could all happen this quickly."

"It can when it needs to," Alex answered, ignoring Olivia's question, "I wish we'd had the full week to execute the plan, but the snow… and Brad clearly had other plans for us."

"It'll be okay right? Noah and I don't have to sleep here, do we?" Olivia asked, half serious.

"No… you'll be spending the night in my guest room – at least for tonight… We'll have more time tomorrow once the snow is dealt with and we get word from the Court," Alex answered with a smile.

"With you?" Olivia asked curiously.

"Yes, it's the best option. You'd get swarmed at a hotel, an Airbnb is too expensive and not secure, and the last place you both need to be is in a shelter," Alex explained, "My building has tight security, and you'll both be safe there... I – I have a pretty huge mediation tomorrow, but other than that I can work from home if you don't feel comfortable being there alone – until we figure out an alternate plan."

"Thank you," Olivia answered simply, unsure of what else to say at this point. Alex had done more than enough for her.


BREAKING NEWS: New York City Mayor Bradley Holter accused of domestic violence, child abuse as Wife files Petition for Divorce with Supreme Court

"This is Andrew Hutchinson live outside the Law Offices of Goldstein & Park, the law firm representing Ms. Olivia Benson-Holter in the proceedings just filed moments ago by her attorney, Alexandra Cabot."

The video camera panned outwards, the building where Goldstein & Park, P.C. was located coming into view. The snow had picked up slightly again but wasn't coming down anywhere near the velocity it had been this morning.

"Ms. Benson filed for divorce citing cruel and inhuman treatment and irreconcilable differences. Attorneys for Ms. Benson stated that contemporaneously filed motions on behalf of Ms. Benson included a Request for Spousal Support, and a Request for a Restraining Order."

"The allegations lodged against Mayor Holter include years of physical, mental, and financial abuse. In a police report filed today, Ms. Benson also accused Mayor Holter of sexual misconduct, sexual assault, and child abuse."

"When we reached out to Ms. Benson for comment, her attorney had the following to say:"

The screen cut to a video of Alex, standing in the lobby of Goldstein & Park, P.C. Still dressed in her burgundy suit, her long blonde hair now tied up into a loose bun to the side of her head. She'd been nice enough to allow Andrew a quick on the record clip, as long as it didn't include Olivia or Noah in the spotlight. Instead, Olivia stood in the corner of the frame, off to the side with Marla, Adrienne, Ted, Rafael, Kim, Amanda, and Casey – all the employees that had shown up despite the snowstorm, sans Abigail and Conor Martin, a senior attorney at the firm. Olivia was protected – surrounded by the small team of attorneys, paralegals, and law clerks – Noah was purposefully absent – Alexandra having demanded he remain in Marla's office with Conor.

"Ms. Benson and Noah Holter are, thankfully, now safe from the abuse they've suffered at the hands of New York City Mayor Bradley Holter… No longer will either of them suffer from the pain and violence Mayor Holter has bestowed upon them for the last five years. We ask for privacy and respect for our client and her family during this difficult time. We ask that the public allow the men and women of the NYPD, the City of New York, and our judicial system to do their jobs – we trust that with careful attention to the facts, evidence, and the law, Mayor Holter will be brought to justice. We have no further comment at this time…Thank you."


Mayor Holter's publicist, Greg, had denied the allegations shortly after CNN aired their story. Having no time to prepare, Greg gave a quick statement, "Mayor Holter denies the heinous allegations by his wife. Mayor Holter wishes to keep his family matters private, and is confident the court will see Ms. Benson's allegations for what they are – a ploy to take Noah from his father. Holter will gladly cooperate with the relevant authorities to clear his name. At this time he asks for privacy for his family. Mayor Holter has asked that I speak directly to Ms. Benson - Mayor Holter has not seen or spoken to his son since Sunday and he is sick with worry. Please, just let him know that Noah is okay. Thank you, we have no further comment," at an impromptu press conference outside the Mayor's office door.

After watching the response on the firm's large flat screen television inside the east conference room, Olivia had stood up, walked out of the room, turned the corner, walked down the hallway into Alex's office, and let out the kind of pained cry that Alex had never heard from another person before. A moment later, Olivia was back – ready for business – in the conference room, helping her team of attorneys plan out the next move. Her reaction had concerned Alexandra – but with her colleagues bustling around, Alexandra hadn't had a chance to ask her how she was holding up after all of that.

The rest of the day had gone off without any further comment from Mayor Holter, or anyone from his team. While Alexandra was grateful for the reprieve, she couldn't help but fear something far less than scrupulous was amiss in Holter's camp. The press had already started going insane – a few stations had set up camp outside the building by the time Andrew and his crew had cleared out of the firm's office. Olivia, Alexandra, Adrienne, Marla, and Ted, who had been brought in on the case, had spent the remaining few hours of the day brainstorming ideas for Olivia's living situation and planning out multiple game plans for moving forward. with backups for their backup plans. Conor had been left on Noah duty, watching as the little boy drifted in and out of sleep while watching movies in Marla's office. Things had taken longer than they all had expected, and by the time Alexandra had driven herself, Olivia, and Noah back to her apartment, it was just after 9.

Alexandra was in the kitchen getting a glass of water for Noah to take to bed. Thankfully she'd still had a few leftover plastic cups from when she'd hosted the firms Thanksgiving potluck. Olivia had taken the little boy into the upstairs bedroom and was helping him brush his teeth before bed. She'd already helped Noah change into his favorite grey pajamas with little dalmatians wearing red and blue hats on them.

Alex brought the glass upstairs and set it on the bedside table in the guest room for Noah to have just in case. She exited the room, giving mother and son some privacy, and headed back downstairs to her desk.

Unfortunately, the hype of the day had caused Alexandra to fall slightly behind on some of her work. Most importantly, Alexandra desperately needed to review Trevor's memo for their mediation tomorrow and look through the very limited financial disclosures he'd finally sent over. Once she was done with that, she'd need to finalize the Palomo settlement agreement, review the offer from Plackard, send off the Rebecca Palmer Interiors agreement, and finish drafting a request for a business valuation for the Otto divorce.

Mediation with Trevor began at 9, and if she finished everything by 1 AM, she'd at least be able to catch six hours if she skipped the gym. Alexandra was not one for skipping the gym, typically telling herself she would sleep in so it was fine to stay up late working, but she always wound up getting up and going anyway. Running kept Alexandra's head screwed on the right way… and her twice a week yoga classes kept her balanced. The way Alexandra saw it, it was whiskey or exercise.

Alexandra was halfway through jotting down notes on Trevor's memo when she heard Olivia coming down the steps on the other side of the livingroom.

"I didn't realize you were working," Olivia told her when Alex looked up from her computer. Olivia paused; her breath caught in her throat at the sight of a less than casual Alexandra. The blonde had changed into a pair of loose-fitting grey joggers and a white t-shirt. Her hair was down after having taken a quick shower, drying, but still damp.

"Oh, don't worry about it, make yourself at home," Alex told her with a grin. Olivia looked almost vulnerable in an oversized black hoodie, leggings, and a pair of brightly colored fuzzy socks.

"Noah's asleep," Olivia said with a smile, "It's a miracle – I expected him to be wide awake after his thousand-hour nap."

"He's comfortable," Alex told her, "I'm glad." Truthfully, Alex was more than glad, but she wouldn't divulge that information to her client.

"Do you have to work late?" Olivia asked, walking over toward the couch in Alex's livingroom and letting herself fall onto it. She curled her body up into a comforting ball in the corner of the left L shape, so that she could still see Alex from her spot.

"Hopefully not too late, but I do have some things I need to finish," Alex told her. Her glasses were off again, and Olivia couldn't help but stare at the sight; Alexandra was an incredibly beautiful woman.

"I'm sorry if any of that is my fault," Olivia said, snapping herself out of her trance. She knew it was inappropriate, her attraction to her lawyer, but she couldn't help herself. Especially when Alex got flustered, it was a sight Olivia could look at all day.

"Only a little bit," Alexandra told her, winking.

Olivia didn't respond, gulping instead at the gesture, returning her silent staring at Alex. Alex turned her attention back to her computer, continuing to work on preparing for her mediation tomorrow for Hawthorn. From the corner of her eye, she watched as Olivia adjusted on the couch, making herself comfortable. The brunette spread out, pulling the blanket hanging over the back of the couch down and over her body.

"Can I turn on the fireplace?" Olivia asked softly after a few minutes, unable to stop herself from talking to Alexandra. It was comforting, having someone to talk to about everything – after years of having to keep silent out of fear.

"It's electric, the switch is next to the TV," Alex told her, not looking up from her computer, her fingers feverishly typing on the keyboard in front of her.

Olivia stood up, keeping the blanket wrapped around her, and walked over to the fireplace, turning on the switch, "Your place is beautiful." Within a few seconds the fireplace had turned on and sprouted flames so realistic, Olivia almost believed it was real.

"Thank you, this was actually my parent's first home together… They bought it in the late 70's off my grandparents for a steal. It's been in the family a while, but we've updated the space a few times over the years…" Alex explained, "Sorry, I'm rambling… thank you. I like it too." She shot Olivia an awkward smile.

"Tell me," Olivia told her simply, the sound of Alex's voice calming her nerves. There was something about the tone of Alexandra's voice that caused Olivia's head to swim. Between the directness, the compassion, the slight smokiness, the confidence – add in the intensity of Alexandra's gaze and Olivia was hanging on her every word.

"Oh... Okay, Um… Well, I lived here for a little while as a baby… This was my first home… My parents moved out east when I was a few months old… but, my parents kept the place. My dad used to come here after late nights at the office, or to escape for the weekend with my mom… Then my brother Wes and I lived here together for a little while when we were both in undergrad… and now it's mine," Alex explained, abandoning her work for a moment and looking up over at Olivia. It was clear her client needed to talk, and if Alex had to pull an all-nighter to make sure Olivia felt comfortable, so be it.

"I think I've met your older brother, Jake?" Olivia said, almost as if it were a question. She walked back over to the couch and made herself comfortable in the corner once more.

"6'3, looks just like me?" Alex asked.

"Blonde hair, your eyes," Olivia affirmed with a broad smile. Jake did look an awfully lot like Alexandra – he was taller, and considerably heavier than Alexandra from years of intense strength training and basketball. Jake had played college ball at Auburn before following in the Cabot legacy and attending Harvard Law School two years prior to Alexandra.

"That would be Jake," Alex agreed. She and Jake were close, both having been cut from the same mold as Alexander Cabot. Wes, on the other hand, got their mother's hazel eyes, the signature Cabot blonde hair, their mother's temperament, and had somehow wound up stuck at Alexandra's height, 5'10, despite Cabot men historically being over 6 foot.

"Your family is beautiful," Olivia told Alexandra, smiling, "I've only met your parents a few times… but they're lovely people… I can see where you get it from."

"Thank you," the attorney responded, watching as Olivia tucked herself back up in the blanket she'd stolen off the couch.

"It feels weird, being here," Olivia admitted.

"Is there anything I can do to make you feel more comfortable?" Alex asked, standing up from her desk and walking over to where Olivia was sitting in the livingroom. She knew it likely had nothing to do with her, and everything to do with being in her lawyer's apartment, instead of her own home, vulnerable, and scared.

"No, it's not you," Olivia told her, watching intently as the blonde practically glided into the livingroom. Even the way Alexandra walked caused the brunette to lose her ability to think properly.

Alex sat on the couch beside Olivia, making sure to keep a respectable distance between them, "Do you want to talk about it? I understand if you don't, but I am here to listen." Alexandra was used to playing therapist – practicing in divorce meant having to let your clients moan about their exes, the horror's they'd put them through – some legitimate, some over-exaggerated – but, with Olivia, she actually wanted to hear what was going on in her mind. With Olivia, Alexandra actually cared. For other clients it was about letting them vent long enough that they'd listen to a reasonable settlement off, or to gather more ammo against the opposing party. For Olivia, Alex just wanted to be there – something she'd rarely felt with other clients.

"It's strange being somewhere other than home," Olivia explained, "Not that those houses ever felt like home, but… I – I raised Noah there… his life is there, his memories – good and bad… it was his home. And now I'm here – sitting on my attorney's couch in pajamas, after divulging an abundance of personal information, just hoping to whoever the hell is out there that all of this is easy on him… that I can somehow shield him from it all."

"You'll build a new home with Noah, a happy home, where he feels safe," Alexandra told her softly, trying her hardest to reassure the captivating woman beside her, "My job is to help get you from point A, where you are now, to point B, the rest of your life… you've got your whole life ahead of you… Noah has his whole life ahead of him… and if you're really lucky, he will barely remember any of this... Other than how incredibly strong and brave his mom was."

"That's all I want for him, a happy home, a happy life," Olivia answered, hanging her head, feeling like an absolute failure for letting this go on around Noah for as long as it had. She should have been stronger, she should have left sooner.

"You didn't fail him by staying," Alex told her, recognizing the emotion on Olivia's face, once again reading her without her having to say it, "You tried your hardest… and sometimes it takes longer to get away, but you're doing it now. You're doing whatever you can to protect him, no matter the cost."

"How do you do that? How do you know –" Olivia asked, her eyes landing on Alexandra's softened expression. She shook her head, it didn't really matter how Alexandra knew what she was thinking and feeling, just that she knew… and Olivia hadn't had to say it at all, "What if he wins?"

"We could kill ourselves with what ifs, Olivia," Alex whispered, reaching her hand out as a comforting gesture, letting it rest flat on the couch between them, slightly closer to Olivia, "Truthfully, I do it all the time… you're not alone… but at the end of the day, we do what we can to control the situation… how the chips fall isn't always up to us. We can't live our lives with the fear of what if because, and I truly mean this, what if it works out? Then what, you've wasted all that time hiding and worrying."

Olivia had moved her hand closer to Alex, placing it on the couch beside Olivia's, their fingertips just barely touching, "But Alexandra… what if I'm making a mistake… taking Noah away from his father?"

"What if you're doing the best thing for him? Only you know what's best for Noah," Alex answered, her gaze lingering on their brushing fingertips, "It's not my place to tell you what is or isn't morally right for him. My job is to get you what you want within the confines of the law." There you are Alex, the blonde thought to herself proudly, you can keep your lawyer hat on.

"But what if I'm asking?"

Fuck. She paused and took a breath, preparing to give her opinion on a moral issue, something she never did for a client. It was easier that way, when clients didn't know where she stood on an issue, just that she would zealously support their position if it was backed by the law. Thankfully, she rarely disagreed with her clients, keeping any real moral dilemmas out of her practice. Goldstein & Park, P.C. was lucky enough to be able to afford being picky about the cases they agreed to take. Alex took a deep breath before responding truthfully, "Then I'd tell you I hope the bastard rots… he'll get what's coming to him… Noah deserves better, you deserve better."

"Do I?" Olivia locked her eyes on Alex, begging her to answer, her hand inching a bit closer to Alexandra's, resting the tips of her fingers on the tops of Alex's. Deep down she knew she did, but she needed to hear someone say it.

Alex sighed, how am I supposed to answer that? Yes, absolutely, without a doubt? You deserve to show the world that smile every fucking second of your life. "Of course, Olivia… Of course you deserve better…No one deserves the kind of violence you've experienced from someone who was supposed to love you… You deserve to be happy Olivia – safe – and this, where you were with him… that isn't it," Alex finally said.

"Thank you," Olivia said with a hopeful smile. Olivia's fingers slipped away from Alex's as she leaned up from her position on the couch and adjusted herself into a seated position, space between them re-established, suddenly feeling slightly better – safer, more sure of herself.

"Sorry – for distracting you… again," Olivia added with an apologetic grin.

"It's alright," Alex answered honestly, "I likely won't be settling this case tomorrow, so I'm not too worried about it… Another bastard husband."

"They're in abundance these days, aren't they?"

"Sometimes it's the wife, but, yes, there are plenty of shitty people to go around… Are you in the market for another? I may know a few…" Alex teased with a flirtatious wink.

Olivia laughed, genuinely laughed, for the first time in a while, "I think I'm at my max, but thanks for the offer… But, if you happen know any decent women, I might be interested," she winked back at the blonde, the innuendo evident.

The attorney swallowed – hard. Goddamnit, Alex thought to herself, tearing her eyes away from Olivia and looking out the big windows overlooking the park. Olivia's playful flirting, even in the midst of a shitty conversation caught Alexandra off guard. Olivia didn't miss the blush that crept up Alex's chest for the hundredth time since they'd met.

Olivia smiled to herself at Alex's discomfort, then leaned over and put her hand on Alex's shoulder. The blonde jumped slightly at the touch – not because Olivia had scared her – but because she was afraid to let Olivia's hand linger on her body for too long.

Sensing Alexandra needed a minute, Olivia opted to try and remove herself from the situation. "Do you mind if I use your bathroom to freshen up? I don't want to wake Noah turning on the shower in his room," Olivia asked softly.

Alex shook her head quickly in response, keeping her eyes locked on the large window in front of her, "No problem, there are towels under the sink," Alex answered, standing up from the couch and heading back toward her desk, putting space between them as quickly as possible, "I'll be down here if you need anything."

"Thanks," Olivia answered, getting up off the couch and heading toward the stairs to take a shower, "I'll sleep down here, if that's okay with you? Noah's kind of a bed hog and I could use a couple hours of decent sleep."

"Of course, anywhere you're comfortable… you can have my bed if you'd like… I might be up late, and I don't want the light from the computer to keep you up," Alex answered.

"No, you've done enough, I'll be fine down here." Olivia answered.

"I'll put out some extra blankets and pillows," Alex told her, choosing not to argue the point. It's just for the night, Alexandra reminded herself. If the firm, namely Alex, had anything to say about it, Olivia and Noah would be safely situated in secure, temporary accommodations by tomorrow. One night on the couch wouldn't kill the brunette, besides, Noah was comfortably sleeping upstairs and that was enough for them both.

"Thank you," Olivia replied, taking one last look at the blonde, raking her eyes unapologetically along the blonde's long, thin frame, before walking up the stairs and disappearing into Alexandra's bedroom.


To: ryanpalomoalt2

Cc: alowell ; tpark ; cnovak ; amurphy

From: acabot

Subject: IRM Palomo: Finalized Settlement Agreement


Ryan,

I apologize for the delay in returning this to you. We took on a new case on Monday that required my immediate attention.

Attached is the final copy of the Settlement Agreement with my signature affixed. This Agreement is now complete.

Just moments ago I filed a fully executed copy of this agreement, the executed parenting plan from November 14, 2021, and the required case finalizing documents with the court.

Once we receive the Decree, we'll be in touch with the Court stamped copies and any other documents you may need as we wrap up your divorce.

Please feel free to reach out with any questions. I am in mediation for most of the day tomorrow, but Ted and Marla will be around to help you with whatever you may need. Have a great rest of your week.

Respectfully,

Alexandra Cabot, Esq.

Goldstein & Park, P.C.


By the time Alexandra had hit send on the Palomo email, she'd already reviewed the offer from opposing counsel in Plackard, devised a final counteroffer, and sent it off to her client for approval. Before finishing that, Alexandra had reviewed the limited financial disclosures from Trevor on the Hawthorn case and completed writing her notes on Trevor's memo. They wouldn't settle tomorrow, Alexandra had already accepted that fact – she simply couldn't without proper financial disclosures, or she would run the risk of adversely affecting her client. Besides, Trevor's positions were so weak, he wouldn't stand a chance against her, even with the mediator as a buffer. It was a quarter past 10 and while sending off the Rebecca Palmer Interiors agreement would only take a few minutes, completing the draft for Lucy Otto would take her at least an hour. At least she was ahead of schedule.

"Still at it?" Olivia asked, coming down the stairs with wet hair, now re-dressed in the same leggings and sweatshirt as earlier.

"I got quite a bit done once you stopped distracting me," Alex commented. The room was dark now, the only light coming from Alexandra's Mac and the moon.

"Speaking of distracting…" Olivia started with a smile, walking into the kitchen and toward Alex's desk. Something about Olivia's demeanor had changed since going upstairs. The sad, lost look that was once behind Olivia's coffee-colored eyes was gone, replaced by something that looked almost mischievous.

"Yes?" Alex questioned, pushing the glasses she'd put on while Olivia was in the shower down off her eyes to look at the brunette curiously. I like this look, Alex decided. She could smell her own shampoo invading her senses as Olivia stepped closer, now standing directly in front of her, leaning over her computer screen. Alex's eyes fluttered closed for a moment as she took in the fragrance invading her senses before quickly opening them. She smells like me… Seriously, Cabot? She asked internally, mentally kicking herself from the train of thought.

Olivia's grin turned decidedly frisky, watching Alex's eyes flutter closed, then open abruptly. She licked her lips at the sight, before smiling down at the blonde. She waited for Alex to open her eyes, and then spoke, "There was something very distracting on your bedroom floor, Ms. Cabot."

Alex paused, thinking for a moment. She'd made her bed this morning, cleaned up her water glass from the night before, and hadn't left any dirty clothes or towels on the floor. In fact, Alex was almost obsessively clean. What could possibly be on my floor?

"Wouldn't have expected purple to be your color," Olivia added, trying to help the blonde along.

When Alex froze, her entire upper body turning an impossible shade of bright red, Olivia started laughing. The second genuine laugh Olivia had managed to have.

Alex was stoic, unable to respond in any fashion. Fuck, she thought to herself, are you kidding me? Sienna had thrown her strap-on off the bed last night right before Alex had kicked her out. She'd made a mental note to herself to pick it up before leaving for work, but with the unexpected happenings this morning due to the snowstorm, Alex had completely forgotten and ran out the door before removing the offending object from her floor.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry," Alex finally choked out, letting her face fall into her hands in embarrassment. This was not what she needed tonight.

Olivia continued to laugh, "Nothing to be sorry about Alexandra, you're a grown woman."

"God this is so embarrassing," Alex said, "I – I didn't… I forgot and – and fuck Olivia, can we please pretend that didn't happen? I'm so sorry."

"It's kind of serendipitous, you know?" Olivia asked, calming her breathing, "You know such intimate details about my life… and now I know one of yours."

"I can't imagine it was at all a surprise to you that I'm a lesbian," Alex responded, attempting to normalize the situation, "And that I'm probably not a thirty-year-old virgin."

"You're thirty?" Olivia asked, slightly shocked by the blonde's admission.

"Yes, I'll be thirty-one next month," Alex answered, grateful to have diverted the topic, at least for now.

"You present much older, but you look barely a day over twenty-two… I should've guessed thirty… makes sense," Olivia pondered aloud for a moment, her eyes never leaving the blonde.

"Thanks, I think?" Alex replied, pushing her chair back a bit to put some space between herself and Olivia.

"Thirty is the perfect age," Olivia answered, "I don't think I ever really knew who I was before I turned thirty."

"I've discovered I'm a workaholic," Alex told her jokingly, "Does that count?"

"A workaholic with an affinity for sex toys," Olivia retorted.

"I thought we moved on from that," Alex told her sheepishly, throwing her hands up in feigned annoyance.

"You shouldn't leave your toys on the floor you know, you're thirty, you should know how to clean up before bed Alexandra," Olivia teased, a twinkle in her eye Alexandra hadn't seen before but had completely transfixed her attention.

Alexandra's face turned bright red again at the way her name rolled of the brunette's tongue, "Jesus Olivia." She reached out and gripped the edges of her chairs armrests aggressively to take the edge off, her knuckles turning white.

"Something I said?" Olivia asked, knowing full well the affect she had on the blonde when she said her name like that. She glanced over at the blonde knowingly, watching Alexandra has her chest heaved a few times before regaining her resolve.

"Can you – you are – stop it!" Alex stuttered out, feigning frustration, "Can we please forget this ever happened?"

"On one condition," Olivia told her, moving around the desk to stand directly in front of Alex.

"Name it," Alex managed to choke out as her throat hitched at Olivia moving even closer to her. Don't come any closer, Alex begged, her body on fire. Olivia placed each of her hands on the armrests of Alexandra's chair, just behind Alexandra's locking her into her chair. Alex shuddered gently at the move, the sudden proximity of the brunette to her face. Their faces were a mere 6 inches apart, their eyes fastened intently on one another. Olivia inched closer, and Alexandra's eyes fluttered closed again, deep breaths escaping her lips.

Olivia moved her head closer and closer to the blonde until her lips were mere millimeters from Alex's right ear, "… Top or bottom?"

Alex snapped out of the trance Olivia had put her in and reached up with both of her arms, swatting Olivia away from her, "You're a jerk," she teased with a laugh.

Olivia took a few steps back and smiled, "Getting you flustered is very entertaining, Ms. Cabot."

"I'm glad my embarrassment amuses you," Alex groaned, standing up from her chair and heading toward the staircase. She needed to put some space between them, real space.

"Where are you going? I've already seen it, no need to hide it now," Olivia said, still laughing at her attorney.

"I'm going to throw that thing away," Alex answered, darting up the staircase as quietly as she could to throw the phallus away.

"Aw come on, it looked expensive," Olivia called after her softly, careful not to raise her voice and wake Noah.

A minute later Alex was walking back down the stairs with the offending object wrapped up in an old t-shirt. She walked into the kitchen, opened the large drawer closest to the sink where she kept her trash and recycling bins, and threw both objects away.

"I'll have you know," Alex said, turning back around to face Olivia who had made herself comfortable on the couch with the blankets and pillows Alex had left out for her, "It was expensive… Making you even more of a jerk."

"You didn't have to throw it away," Olivia answered, looking up over the back of the couch at the blonde, "I'm sorry for embarrassing you." Her apology was genuine, and Alex could tell she felt badly about having discovered the toy. At the very least, it had broken the ice a little bit for Olivia, she seemed much more comfortable than she had earlier in the evening.

"You didn't," Alex answered. You did, but I liked it more than I should have, she corrected herself. "It's good to replace them every once in a while… besides, I won't be needing it," Alex added with a wink.

"I just like teasing you," Olivia admitted, "It's cute when you blush… makes you seem a little less perfect."

Alex laughed, "I'm not perfect."

"You're good at pretending like you've got it all together then," Olivia told her honestly.

"I'm good at my job," Alex told her, walking over to the couch and sitting down on the cushion beside Olivia's head. Olivia adjusted herself so that she was lying on her side, propped up on her elbow, facing Alex.

"It's not just that," Olivia answered softly, "It's more than that… you –"

"Let's see… I am obsessive about going to the gym – every morning before 7, I can't listen to music, the tv, anything unless the volume is on a number divisible by two, except for 7 – 7 is fine… I'm thirty years old but I can't sleep if any part of my body is hanging off the bed – just in case there's a monster under the bed, I talk to myself more than I care to admit – out loud no less…" Alexandra said, cutting her off with a smile.

"That all just makes you somehow even more perfect?" Olivia said. Something about hearing the attorney's little quirks had made Olivia even more attracted to her, if that was even possible.

"As we established before, I'm thirty years old… and I haven't been in a stable relationship since law school," Alex added, "No less any relationship at all… I'm not perfect Olivia… just ask my last girlfriend."

"I find it hard to believe you can't find a woman that's interested," Olivia said dramatically, "If that strap was any indication, I'd say you've got no problems at all."

"If you must know," Alex groaned, "It's not them – it's me. I – I don't do relationships."

"Not interested in love?" Olivia asked.

"Look at my job, can you blame me?"

"Good point," Olivia answered, "But even I still believe in love."

"That's – wow," Alex said, not expecting that answer from Olivia. How could someone who had been so wrecked by someone that was supposed to love her still believe someone was out there for her, ready to love her back?

"If I recall correctly, a little yellow bird told me something about not dwelling in the what ifs," Olivia told her, using Alex's earlier words against her once again.

"Touché," Alex answered, "I guess you're right… I just – I don't have time," Alex shrugged, "That's a lame excuse…"

"It is a lame excuse, everyone has time for a life."

"Not when they're trying to be a politician… a gay politician…" Alex told her honestly.

"Times are changing," Olivia answered, "Colorado has a gay governor, even a state as conservative as Indiana had a city with a gay Mayor… and now he's Secretary of Transportation."

"I know," Alex answered, looking down at the plush white rug on her livingroom floor. Silence fell over them for a few moments as Alex thought about what Olivia had said. She knew Olivia was right, but allowing herself to get involved in a serious relationship was out of the question right now. If she wanted to snag a senior associate position, she needed to focus. She only had ten years to make partner if she wanted to hit that milestone before running for office.

"So, are you going to tell me?" Olivia asked, cutting through the comfortable silence.

"Tell you what?" Alex asked, curiously, being drawn from her thoughts.

"Top or bottom?"

Alex looked up from the patch of rug she'd been focusing on and laughed, "Are you kidding me? We're still on that?"

"Come on," Olivia begged, "You know more about me than my friends do now… It's only fair."

Alex stood up from her spot on the couch and headed back over toward her computer, "For a lesbian, it's very closed minded to assume that I could only top or bottom."

Olivia leaned up to watch Alex walk away, gasping at her response, "So a switch then?"

Alex sat down at her computer again, turning her attention back to getting the Rebecca Palmer Interiors email sent out. After the email was successfully sent off to the client, Alexandra looked back up from her computer at Olivia who was still watching her intently, seemingly waiting for an answer.

"You're ridiculous," Alex told her, another stupid smile spread across her face.

"You're enjoying it," Olivia told her matter-of-factly.

"What do you think?" Alex asked, suddenly feeling a bit bold.

Olivia paused, thinking to herself for a moment.

"Put on the spot, huh? Don't like a taste of your own medicine?" Alex asked, opening the Otto draft she'd started last week and never finished up on her computer.

"Well, it would be stereotypical to assume you're a top since you owned the strap… but the badass attorney attitude would typically add to that assumption… but now that you've said that I assume you're a switch," Olivia reasoned.

"Your gaydar is off," Alex admitted, keeping her eyes locked on the screen in front of her.

"So, you are a top?" Olivia asked, eyebrow raised, the smile evident in her voice.

"Very much a bottom," Alex corrected, barely above a whisper, eyes still locked on the screen in front of her as she typed.

"Too much control outside the bedroom?" Olivia teased.

"Something like that," Alex mumbled back.

"So, you never…" Olivia asked, trailing off before she could finish.

"I didn't say that… I thought we were discussing preferences?" Alex teased back. She swore she could hear Olivia gulp.

"You win that one counselor," Olivia answered, leaning back down on the couch and curling up in the extra blankets around her.

"You're a top," Alex said hesitantly after a few moments of silence. She'd tried desperately to ignore her desire – no, need – to know, but her curiosity got the best of her.

There was no response from Olivia. Alex shook her head, it was probably best she didn't know, it would only serve to make her situation with her client worse if she was. Or, Alex thought to herself, it would probably make things easier if she wasn't.

"Mhm, I prefer the control, for obvious reasons," she heard Olivia mumble finally, "At least one of our gaydars are working just fine."

Fuck. Alex closed her eyes, trying to compose herself with her newfound knowledge. That makes things worse.

"You exude confidence," Alex told her, suddenly, "It's admirable, especially after everything you've been through."

"Thank you," Olivia whispered, "I don't feel all that confident lately, so I appreciate that."

"You're welcome," Alex told her, turning her attention back to her work. She still had at least an hour or two's worth of work to get through before she could go to bed, and it was getting late.

"Goodnight Alexandra, thank you again," Olivia told her softly, closing her eyes to try and get some much-needed rest.

"Goodnight Olivia," Alex answered.


Despite hoping to be finished with her work before midnight, Alex's mind had been so pre-occupied with thoughts of the brunette that her simple motion had turned into a two-and-a-half-hour-long ordeal and she hadn't even edited it yet. Alex had just started editing when the clock struck 12:30 and her eyes were starting to water from starring at her screen. She'd been up for nearly 22 hours at this point, and having gotten no sleep the night before, Alex was running on fumes. So much so that she hadn't even realized her eyes were starting to droop. Before she knew it, she had dozed off, leaning back into her computer chair.

"Lay back," the brunette told her as she felt the backs of her knees and calves hit into the king-sized bed behind her.

"Make me," the blonde husked back, running her hands up the brunette's shoulders toward her neck, grasping the thick brown locks at the base of her neck. Both women were naked, their bare bodies pressed closely against one another.

The brunette tore her hands from the blonde's hips and grasped her shoulders, shoving her quickly onto the bed. Within seconds the brunette was straddling her waist. Alex could feel how wet she already was, her center slick against the firm muscles of Alex's stomach and pelvis. The brunette placed one of her hands onto Alex's chest, resting between her breasts, and brough the other up behind her, grasping Alex's thigh. Slowly the brunette began to rock her hips, lifting her ass slightly every so often to grind her core down against Alex's hipbone.

The blonde couldn't help the noises escaping her lips. The hot, wet heat of Olivia's core sliding against the skin of her lower stomach, her hip bone, her thigh. The loud throaty moans falling from Olivia's lips as she aggressively brought herself toward an orgasm.

"Fuck," Alex moaned, lifting her arms and wrapping her fingers around Olivia's hips. She squeezed, just tight enough, and started helping Olivia grind against her harder, faster. She lifted her hips to meet Olivia's thrust for thrust. The brunette looked so fucking beautiful like that, lost in lust for the blonde, desperate for release, using Alex's lithe body to get off how she wanted.

"Fuck," the brunette moaned, lifting her hips just enough so that Alex could see everything. Olivia in all her glory. Alex couldn't help herself. She slid her hand off of Olivia's right hip and tried to slide it down between Olivia's legs, but the brunette caught her by the wrist, shoving her hand back onto her hip.

"No," Olivia panted, resuming the sliding of her clit against Alex's hipbone, grinding against her roughly, recklessly, but with a sense of purpose, "Just watch."

Alex groaned again, her eyes locked on Olivia's undulating hips.

"Alexandra," Olivia moaned.

"Alexandra."

"Alexandra."


"Alex?"

The blonde opened her eyes with a start, practically jumping out of her computer chair at the interruption of her oh so pleasant dream.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you…" Olivia told her softly, taking a step back to give Alex some space. Alex looked positively flustered, like she'd just been awoken from a very heated dream, but Olivia couldn't quite put her finger on it.

Alex wouldn't look at Olivia, unable to face her after the dream she'd just had. The attorney took in a couple of hard breaths before straightening herself up and standing up from her chair, "Shit… I must have fallen asleep."

She finally looked over at the brunette who was now standing on the opposite side of Alex's desk, a glass of water in her hand. Alex unconsciously licked her lips at the sight of the brunette. She couldn't unsee the image of the very naked Olivia who had just played a leading role in her very sexy dream. When Olivia stepped closer, Alex took two steps back, trying to maintain some distance between them. She's your fucking client Alex, she repeated to herself over and over in her head, trying to shake the incredibly dirty thoughts from her mind.

"Are you okay? I didn't mean to scare you," Olivia told her, "I just got up for some water and you looked – uncomfortable…"

"Sorry. No, I'm okay," Alex told her, "You just startled me. I'm not used to having other people in my apartment," Alex lied. But what was she supposed to say? Stay away from me, I just dreamt you were naked on top of me, fucking yourself against my hipbone? If you come any closer, I'm not sure I can control myself?

"I'm sorry," Olivia told her, walking back toward the livingroom, "I didn't mean to scare you," Olivia repeated, "You should get some sleep, if you can? It's late."

Alex glanced down at her computer; it was almost 2 AM. She'd need to be up in a few hours if she wanted to make it to the gym – and boy did she need a good run after that.

"I can finish in the morning before mediation," Alex told her, locking the computer and moving toward the stairs, "Thank you for waking me up… I would have regretted that position in the morning."

"Glad I could save your neck from the pain," Olivia said, crawling back into her makeshift bed on the couch.

"Goodnight Olivia, again," Alex told her softly as she disappeared upstairs and into her bedroom.


By the time Alex laid down in bed it was just hitting 2 AM. She'd brushed her teeth, splashed her face with cold water, and debated taking a shower to cool the heat that had pooled between her legs. She'd already showered, so it might look weird to Olivia so she opted against it, taking off her sweatpants and crawling into bed. Alex typically preferred to sleep in nothing but her underwear, but she kept her shirt on just in case something happened overnight. She laid there for a while, willing herself to fall asleep, but she couldn't get her mind off the thought of Olivia's clit sliding roughly against her, the force of her hands on her body, the way her mouth said her name – moaned her name.

Before she knew what she was doing, Alex had slipped her right hand below the band of her Calvin Klein's. She was instantly met with her own wetness soaking her fingers. She drug the pads of the top of her middle and forefinger slowly across her clit a few times, her hips bucking roughly up into the air at the contact. For once, she didn't need to think about anyone - or anything. Alexandra was already so fucking close. She pressed her fingers harder against her clit and began drawing small, quick circles against her hardened bud, stifling the moan that ripped through her body at the increased pressure.

She slid her fingers further, letting her same two fingers thrust inside of herself with one swift movement, her head flying back against the pillows as her walls contracted tightly around her digits. Fuck yes, she groaned internally, using her other hand to pull a pillow from beside her up over her face to help stifle her moans. Surprisingly, yet oh so thankfully, she kept her thoughts away from the brunette lying on her couch downstairs, too turned on to focus on anything other than the burning between her legs.

She spread her legs further apart, flicking her fingers roughly against her inner walls over and over again without removing them until she couldn't take it any longer, a low, guttural groan tearing through her body. She moved, adjusting her arm so that she could thrust her fingers in and out in and out harder and harder with each pump. Her body was on fire, yearning for release. She curled her fingers inside of her, raking them along her inner walls with each thrust of her wrist.

"Fuck," Alex moaned, maybe a bit too loudly this time. She pressed the pillow harder against her face, trying to muffle the whimpers still spilling from her lips. Alex had never been one to be quiet, even when she was by herself. But, there were guests in her home and even though Noah was asleep, it was possible Olivia hadn't fallen back to sleep yet. She needed to be quick.

Alex reluctantly withdrew her fingers from inside of her, groaning unhappily at the emptiness she suddenly felt. She couldn't be quiet like that. She slid her fingers back up to her clit and made quick work of flicking the hardened bud back and forth, increasing the pressure with every slide of her fingers. Within seconds she felt that familiar burning sensation, her legs went stiff and she moaned, finally crashing over the edge. For the first time all week, Alex felt comfortable, satisfied.

She pulled her hand out from under the band of her underwear and rolled over, closing her eyes and willing herself to fall asleep. Within a few minutes, Alexandra was asleep, thoughts of her client gone from her brain – at least for now. For the first time in about 9 years, Alexandra didn't check her phone before falling asleep.