Note: Accidentally realized that December 18 is a Saturday, and that New York requires a hearing in four days - not fourteen like my state. So, I edited it to a correct date, whoops. Sorry.
I apologize for taking so long to get this one out! But, it's long to make up for it. As always, thank you for reading!
"And I'm supposed to stay away from her?" Olivia mumbled to herself as she pulled a coffee mug out of the large white cabinet beside the refrigerator. She placed it on the counter and started prepping the complicated machine on Alexandra's counter. Ever since the first time she tried to use it – she'd had to YouTube a tutorial – she realized that while it made an incredible cup of coffee, she hated the thing. After the machine started lightly humming, she made the mistake of looking back over her shoulder toward the livingroom.
Alexandra was on her side, facing toward the back of the couch, a loose black tank top and grey sweatpants on, her glasses crooked on her face, peacefully asleep. Her arm was draped carelessly around her son who was equally as asleep, his little body curled tightly into Alexandra's, snuggled between her and the couch.
Olivia groaned to herself at the sight, too much for her heart to take, and sat down at the counter to watch them. Noah had never taken to someone as quickly as he had to Alex. If Olivia really thought about it, Noah had known her best friend Amanda since he was two and he'd even taken months to get used to her. But here he was, day five of knowing Alexandra Cabot, and already sleeping soundly against her. It was clear that Noah was feeling his own kind of connection to the blonde.
It was a few more minutes before Alex woke up to the sound of the coffee machine letting Olivia know her coffee was ready. At first, Alex was confused as to where she was, who was in her arms, and what the scent invading her nostrils was. It took her a few seconds to adjust, but she soon realized she'd fallen asleep on the couch with Noah. The curly haired boy was still sound asleep, and Alex couldn't help but let her heart flutter at the sight. She adjusted her glasses with the arm she had inadvertently slung around Noah while sleeping and bent slightly so she could see what was going on in the kitchen. Olivia was prepping herself a cup of coffee and Alexandra couldn't help but think that she could get used to this. Cuddling with Noah, waking up to Olivia making coffee in the kitchen – it just felt so right. STOP IT ALEX, she scolded herself loudly as she tried to shake the vision from her memory.
"You slept in," Olivia said softly from the kitchen.
"I had good company," Alex answered, looking down at the sleeping boy with a bright smile. Fuck it, Alex told herself, I can enjoy this moment. It was for Noah after all.
"He's a good cuddler, isn't he?" Olivia asked, smiling as she took a sip of her coffee.
"The best," Alex conceded, letting her arm wrap back around Noah gently.
"I'm glad you came back," Olivia whispered barely loud enough for Alexandra to hear her.
Alex took in a deep breath before answering, "That was never up for debate."
"It is your apartment, after all," Olivia answered with a grin.
"You know what I meant," Alex told her. When Olivia didn't answer, Alex brought her hand up and started running her fingers slowly through Noah's hair, "I told you I was going to be here for you both and I meant that Olivia."
"You couldn't get out of here fast enough," Olivia told her quietly.
"I needed to not think for a minute," Alex answered, trying to wiggle her arm out from underneath Noah without waking him.
"Do you need help?" Olivia asked with a smile, knowing full well getting out from under a child without waking them is no small feat.
Alex shot Olivia a glare, and expertly slipped her arm free with a triumphant grin. She carefully adjusted so she was able to sit up without waking the little boy. Before walking over to the kitchen, she pulled the blanket up around Noah's body. Once inside the kitchen, she started prepping herself a cup of coffee, glancing at the time: 6:00. She'd have to skip the gym today or go into work late – neither idea seemed like a good one.
"I wasn't running from you," Alex told her as she pulled a cup from the cabinet. Alexandra was in no way ready to talk to Olivia, especially right now. She hadn't even had time to process what she'd done – who she'd done, why she'd done it. From the moment she started running down 5th Avenue to the second she fell asleep Alex hadn't had a second to just think. Processing her conversation with Olivia was at the bottom of her to do list.
"Did it help?" Olivia asked.
"How are you feeling?" Alex countered. Truthfully, Alex wasn't really sure yet. Last night it had felt good – freeing even. She'd successfully stopped herself from crossing a line with a client, she gave in to a need, took control of her relationship with Adrienne, and helped Noah talk about his trauma – even if it was only a little. But deep down, Alex wasn't sure what the fuck she was doing anymore. Mostly, she was utterly baffled at how off kilter Olivia had somehow made her in a mere four days.
"Confused," Olivia admitted, taking another sip of her coffee.
"About?" Alex asked, placing her cup on the machine and pressing the necessary buttons to start her espresso. She turned to face Olivia, leaning up against the counter behind her.
"You," she told her softly. Olivia was staring down into her cup of coffee, tipping the cup to swirl its contents, refusing to look up at the blonde.
"Why?" Alex asked, already knowing exactly why the brunette was likely confused.
"Alexandra," Olivia chastised softly.
"Sorry… Okay… I – I don't know what else to say Olivia," Alex told her honestly. What more was there to say? They couldn't be together unless Olivia fired her, or Alex withdrew. It was that simple.
"What is this Alexandra?" Olivia asked, still looking down into her coffee cup.
Alexandra didn't answer, just as the coffee machine chimed, letting her know her espresso had finished brewing. She turned and picked up the cup, taking a sip before turning back around to face Olivia. "Do you even know what it is?" Alex asked, deciding to divert, rather than answer. How the hell should I know, Alex asked herself.
"No, but I want to," Olivia told her, finally looking up at Alex.
"Is that what you're confused about?" Alex asked her softly, her eyes locking on Olivia's.
"What?"
"Do you think I don't want to find out?" Alex asked, trying to read between the lines of what Olivia was saying. For some reason it hurt her, thinking that Olivia had any doubt about Alex reciprocating whatever feeling it was between them.
"Do you?" Olivia asked softly. For once, Alexandra couldn't read the expression on the brunette's face. Between the intense emotion pouring from Olivia's dark eyes and the small smile tugging at the corners of her lips, Alex was lost.
"I want to know, Olivia," Alex assured her, barely above a whisper before taking another sip from her cup.
"Then who has to know?" Olivia asked her quickly.
"I'll know," Alex told her, "I took an oath."
"Alexandra, I know you did the research. Tell me the law," Olivia demanded.
Alex was slightly taken aback. Both by the demanding tone of the woman's voice and the fact that Olivia already knew her that well. Olivia was right, she had done the research, but it was still a little discomforting that she'd clearly let her armor down enough for Olivia to know she'd already scoured WestLaw for any and all disciplinary actions against attorneys for violations of Rule 1.8. A second later, a smile spread across her face, Olivia paid attention to her.
"You work all day Alex," Olivia told her, "You're a perfectionist, you don't recite law you don't know or understand, and you don't answer questions you don't know the answers to. I know you looked it up."
"There's not a whole lot," Alex answered finally. She took in a short breath and continued, "But the overall consensus across jurisdictions is that if we were to so much as send a sexual text message, I would be in violation of Rule 1.8."
"And someone has to report a violation of that rule?" Olivia asked.
"Yes, you get reported to the Attorney Regulation Counsel. Then there's a hearing," Alex explained, "And then you get punished if you're found to have violated the Rule."
"And you'd be suspended?" Olivia asked.
"Most likely, yes," Alex told her, nodding her head. It wasn't a guarantee. In all the cases she could find, across multiple jurisdictions, every single attorney had been reported by the client, and only after the lawyer had screwed up the case in some major way.
"For how long?" Olivia asked. The last thing she wanted was for Alexandra to suffer any consequences in her career over her, but she needed to know why this beautiful woman was such a draw for her.
"It depends," Alex slipped, chuckling at herself for a second.
"On?" Olivia asked, raising an eyebrow at Alex's response, shooting her a toothy grin.
Stupid, Alex growled to herself, stupid ass beautiful smile.
"I read one case about a lawyer who was only publicly reprimanded," Alex told her, "But was later suspended by New York for failing to alert the Arizona bar about his New York censure. Then, he was censured in Arizona for not alerting them about New York."
"So, what you're saying is that you might only be reprimanded?" Olivia asked hopefully.
"It's a possibility. But I also read a case where a lawyer was suspended for 18 months for having just a sexual texting relationship with a client," Alex told her, "But, he screwed up with the girl, and the case, and then refused to refund her."
"Most of them were reported by the client…" Olivia pondered aloud.
"Every single one of the ones I read were," Alex confirmed.
"Is that why you're running, do you think I'd report you?"
Alex froze. The thought of Olivia reporting her to the Attorney Regulation Counsel had never crossed her mind. It wasn't Olivia she was worried about at all. Bradley had ruined Abigail's career with the District Attorney's office, Bradley was preparing to run a smear campaign against the mother of his child. Bradley was who she was afraid of. What would stop him from coming after her? She looked down and sighed, "I'm not running Olivia… And no, I do not think you would do that."
"Your oath?"
"I told you to fire me Olivia," Alex deflected, not wanting to talk about the real reason why she was afraid. Sure, her oath was important to her, but she was more afraid of what Bradley could do to her future than the disciplinary boards reprimand. There was no way she'd screw up this representation, so at the least, the violation, if any, would be harmless. "I told you I would withdraw… I'm not running, I'm trying to protect us both."
"From what?" Olivia asked, finally getting up from her spot at the counter and walking around the counter.
"Making things worse," Alex admitted, stepping to the side to keep Olivia at a distance. Taking the hint, Olivia leaned back against the counter.
"How could things get worse? We're finally free and – Jesus, Alex… If we'd met a day before, would it have made a difference?" Olivia's voice started to raise slightly, her aggravation at the situation becoming apparent.
"Liv…" Alex tried softly, gesturing toward her sleeping son, "Lower your voice."
"Don't call me that," Olivia whispered harshly.
"Olivia," Alex tried gently, correcting herself, "Please don't yell."
"I'm sorry," she answered softly. "Just tell me Alexandra… Would it have mattered if we'd met on Sunday?"
"Probably," her voice was soft, but Olivia finally understood that Alexandra was aggravated by this fact too. It wasn't always fun knowing the law so well.
"Why?" Olivia asked, "Why would it be different?" She took a step closer to the blonde, and this time Alexandra didn't back away. She stepped closer, "Why Alex?"
Alex looked up from the ground, finding herself mere feet from Olivia. She took a deep breath this time and smiled, "I imagine we wouldn't have met in a law office in preparation of my representation of you." Good one Alex, she told herself, you've got this, "And if there had been a prior relationship…"
"This is ridiculous," Olivia sighed, interrupting Alex and rubbing her face with her hands in frustration, "Why the hell couldn't we have met Sunday?"
"It's not exactly a piece of cake over here either, you know," Alex said with a laugh.
"I don't know how you walked out of here last night," Olivia admitted softly, finally calming herself down a few notches.
"You have no idea how hard it was," Alex sighed honestly, taking a step back from Olivia.
"I do, I promise I do," she responded, taking a step back to give the blonde space, "how's your wrist by the way?"
Alex paused. What a peculiar question. Why would my wrist hurt? What? How? She knows? She looked down at her wrists, her left wrist was slightly red, but nothing out of the ordinary.
"Last night… You were squeezing your wrist so tightly I thought you were going to break it," Olivia told her, noticing the confusion on the attorney's face.
Alex hadn't even noticed she'd done it. She hadn't done that in a while. It was a nervous habit from childhood that she'd used to ground herself through particularly anxious days.
"I – I didn't realize… But it's… I'm fine," Alex told her, subconsciously rubbing her left wrist, "It was probably one of the hardest things I've ever had to do, and I took the freakin' bar exam."
"I get it," Olivia laughed. "So, uh… just wondering but… how long do divorces take?"
"I know you don't want to hear this, but it depends," Alex told her with a smile.
"Lay it on me," Olivia demanded with a laugh.
"If Bradley had cooperated, three months," Alex answered.
"Three months?" Olivia almost shouted, before she remembered Noah was still asleep on the couch.
"Oh, we're past that Olivia," Alex told her.
"Past that?" Olivia asked. She was flabbergasted, "How long do you think this is going to take Alex?"
"Olivia… you don't want to know," Alex told her seriously, trying to wiggle around Olivia and out of the kitchen. She downed the remainder of her forgotten coffee cup and gestured for them to take their conversation upstairs.
Once the two were safely in the confines of Alex's bedroom, the door closed so as not to wake Noah, Olivia spoke again, "Six months?"
"Olivia, you have to promise not to scream," Alex said, leaning against the doorway of the bathroom, "And I need to start getting ready for work."
"It's more than six months?" Olivia asked, genuinely shocked.
"Olivia, I would guess that we'll be litigating this for a year or two," Alex told her gently, but honestly. Alexandra wasn't going to lie to Olivia.
"Two fucking years?" Olivia choked.
"Maybe," Alex told her.
"I – I can't keep my hands off of you for two years," Olivia admitted, accidentally on purpose.
Alex almost choked on her own breath.
"Sorry," Olivia said with a laugh, "It slipped… But are you serious? Two years? That's insane."
"That's the worst-case scenario," Alex told her, "… Probably… I mean, it could take longer… but it probably won't. Most likely a year, a year and a half… depending on how Bradley acts. He's got investments, there's two houses, Noah, the criminal case… there's a lot going on. He can demand investigations, evaluations, we'll need to do a lot of discovery, depositions, interviews… It'll get complicated and New York isn't exactly a small county. Things move fast for emergencies – but after this, we'll be playing the waiting game."
"So, a year?"
"If I had to give an answer right now, yes, but don't quote me on that," Alex told her honestly.
"Alexandra," Olivia cautioned.
"It's a long time, I know," the blonde admitted sadly.
Olivia looked as though she was about to start crying. Alexandra immediately lowered her head, afraid that if she saw tears, that incessant pulling in her chest would return. It didn't matter though, the second she locked her eyes on the carpeted floor of her bedroom, that incessant pulling sensation in her chest made itself present.
"What you're saying is we'll probably never get to figure this out then?" Olivia asked.
"You're assuming I have time to date," Alex answered softly, yet sarcastically, still refusing to look up. Right now, Alex could confidently say she'd wait around to figure out whatever the hell this was, eventually.
"Oh, don't be obtuse," Olivia growled softly.
"Excuse me?" Alex asked, snapping her head up at the implication. Whether Olivia had intended to or not, she'd just hit a nerve.
"I'm not naïve, Alexandra."
"What are you implying?" Alex asked, her anger growing by the second. Olivia recognized immediately that Alexandra had taken her statement the wrong way.
"Look at you," Olivia said, throwing her hands out in front of her to gesture toward Alex, "You walk in the room and everyone stops to stare – everyone. The confidence, the class, the way you freaking walk, the way a suit slightly hangs off your body, that goddamn smile… your eyes – I can't even look at you sometimes… You're intelligent, you're witty, you're… impossible! You're sexy and yet still so goddamn cute – I'm rambling now, but goddamn, Alex – it's like I took drugs or something every fucking time I look at you… and… and there is no way in hell you can convince me that I'm alone in that… Alexandra, there's no way in hell we can do this for a freaking year."
Alex couldn't speak. Couldn't look up. Suddenly couldn't remember how to breathe. She was in trouble. All she wanted to do was run to Olivia, kiss her, say fuck it to everything. No one had ever spoken to her like that. No one had ever made her feel this absolutely out of control before. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
"Alexandra, breathe," she heard Olivia say gently.
Alex didn't respond, her body betraying her as she leaned over, concentrating hard on remembering how to suck air into her lungs.
Breathe Alex, she softly repeated to herself over and over again, her body frozen, unable to contract her lungs.
"Breathe Alexandra, you're okay," Olivia told her softly, quickly moving toward the blonde, "You're okay… I'm going to touch you, you're okay." Olivia crouched beside her and slowly placed her hand on Alex's back.
"It's okay Alex, you're okay," Olivia told her softly until Alexandra finally fell into her chest, taking in a few heaving breaths. Olivia wrapped her arms around her and held her tightly until Alexandra had collected herself enough to feel confident to pull away from the brunette.
She slid into the bathroom slightly and leaned up against the vanity, "I'm sorry. I… forgot how to breathe for a second."
"Don't apologize. I'm sorry for that – I just…" Olivia told her, trailing off. She didn't want to finish that thought and send Alexandra reeling toward another cliff.
"We both just proved why I should withdraw from this case, Olivia," Alexandra told her after a few moments of silence, "You talk to me like that and I forget how to function."
"I'll stop," Olivia assured her, "I promise. I'm sorry, Alexandra."
"You can't promise that, and you know it," Alex sighed, "Just like I – I can't promise it won't be me doing it right back." It was true, Alex knew deep down she wouldn't be able to stop herself if given the opportunity.
Olivia remained silent for a second before responding, "And you – you can't? You would get in trouble." She needed to say it out loud.
"If anyone found out…" Alex trailed off.
"You'd be in trouble, your firm could be in trouble," Olivia finished.
"Exactly," Alex answered, dropping her head into her hands. This was all way too much for her. The events of the last few days had her on edge and Olivia wasn't making things much easier. Alexandra had gotten way too good at forbidding herself any sort of processing time. But what was she supposed to do, avoid a woman basically living two feet from her.
"And there's no way we can hide this," Olivia added. Somehow, saying it out loud was making it slightly easier to comprehend.
"Marla already thinks I have the hots for you," Alexandra told her with an eye-roll.
"She's not wrong," Olivia quipped with a grin.
"Not the point, Olivia… The point is we're not exactly discreet," Alexandra answered, "The… uh… tension, is allegedly quite palpable."
"Would Marla report you? You two seemed like you were close… She seems to be friends with Donnelly too, I'm sure she could ruffle Marla's feathers a bit."
"Not only am I not allowing you to stick your goons on my boss, but I do talk to my friends you know," Alex informed her matter-of-factly, before laughing softly.
"I thought you had no time for a social life?" Olivia asked, shooting Alex a sly grin.
"Marla said that, not me. I said I don't do relationships," Alex corrected her, refusing to look at the brunette's beautiful smile.
"So, you talked to your friends about me?" Olivia asked with another playful grin.
"I talked to Adrienne," Alex admitted.
"Is that where you went last night?"
"Is that a problem?" Alex answered truthfully, she wasn't going to start lying to Olivia now.
"Can I be honest with you?" Olivia asked after a moment of silence.
"Of course."
"I'm jealous of her," Olivia admitted softly, her eyes darting to the floor of the bathroom where the two women were both now sitting, Alex leaning up against the counter and Olivia across from her pressed up against the open door.
"What? Why?" Alex asked, confused.
"I heard you guys yesterday… before Noah and I came downstairs… I had no right to be, but I was..." Olivia told her, still not looking up from the floor. Olivia was not a jealous person, but then again, she'd really never had reason to be. The way she'd felt when she heard the implications in she and Adrienne's banter had surprised her; but what shocked her even more was how long it'd taken her to get over it.
"Olivia, she's one of my best friends, and we work together. Yes, she's gay, but it's – it's not like that," Alex explained, half-heartedly. It was true, there was nothing there. She and Adrienne were just friends. Last night hadn't changed anything. "I'm sorry that you overheard that… and I'm sorry that it made you jealous. But, I promise, we're just friends and colleagues."
"Can I ask a personal question?" Olivia asked, finally looking up at Alex. Their eyes locked in a heated gaze and Alex almost – almost – reached out to Olivia, desperate to see those deep brown eyes up close.
"Are you sure you want to?" The blonde said softly, already knowing what Olivia's next question would be.
"Yes," Olivia answered honestly, even though she already knew, "I think I need to know."
"Then ask me," Alexandra said gently, "I'll tell you anything you want to know."
"Anything?" Olivia asked, raising her eyebrow.
"Settle down," Alex groaned.
"Have you?" Olivia finally asked.
Alexandra knew exactly what Olivia was asking. "Yes," she replied softly. Olivia didn't need to know when.
"That makes me even more jealous," Olivia admitted.
"I warned you," Alex said softly.
"I knew then."
"I know you did."
"I just needed to hear it," Olivia told her, clearing her throat. She almost asked if it was recent, if they were still sleeping together, but she stopped herself, realizing it was probably better if she didn't know. More so, she had no right to know.
"Do you have any more questions?" Alex asked, as if hearing Olivia's internal struggle.
"None I want to know the answers to," the brunette finally resigned.
"That's fair. You can ask me when you're ready."
"Okay," Olivia said with a smile, finally getting up off the bathroom floor. She reached her hand out to Alex to help her up. The blonde took it, ignored the tingling sensations touching Olivia caused in her fingertips, and stood up off the floor.
"Are you sure you want me to represent you?" Alex asked her, leaning over the sink and turning on the water, splashing her face with cold water.
"Yes… it's not for me anymore Alex, it's for Noah... I think he needs you to see this through," Olivia answered, watching as Alex started getting ready for work. Something about the domesticity of it all had Olivia's concentration for a few moments, before Alexandra finally broke the tension, turning to face Olivia and poking her softly in the chest to push her away.
"Well then, we need to set some boundaries," Alexandra told her seriously.
"Okay, okay," Olivia answered, taking a few steps back and smiling at Alex from the doorway while she got ready for work, "Boundaries."
"You can't talk to me like that," Alex told her as she started preparing her toothbrush.
"You can't look at me like that," Olivia countered as their eyes met through the mirror.
"How am I supposed to look at you?" Alex asked, confused, before starting to brush her teeth.
"Don't look at me," Olivia teased. Alex choked back a laugh, her mouth full of toothpaste and toothbrush.
Alexandra finished brushing her teeth, her eyes furrowed at Olivia through the mirror while she finished her task. She turned to block Olivia from her view, spit, rinsed out her mouth, and turned to Olivia. "Olivia I'm serious," she said sternly.
"So am I… You can't look at me like that anymore," Olivia told her pointedly.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Alex said sheepishly, a grin spreading across her face as she moved on to handling the mess that was her hair.
"Do you need me to not touch you?"
"No, it's okay," Alex answered with a small smile, "Just… don't if I ask you not to. I need you not to try and convince me."
"I'm sorry about that… I didn't know you couldn't – I didn't know and I'm sorry. All I knew was that you were feeling whatever the hell this is too, and I wanted you to hold me."
"I know. And I wanted it too, more than anything. I just knew if I did I'd eventually end up –" Alexandra put her hairbrush down and started to twist the front pieces back into a braid to tame the mess. She avoided eye contact with Olivia, gulping at the memory.
"Kissing me," Olivia finished for her.
"Yes," Alex replied softly.
"Do you really think we can ignore this?"
"I can; can you?" Alex answered, feigning a confidence level she hadn't reached. While Alexandra truly thought she was about 85% in control over her ability to keep a professional boundary with Olivia, she wasn't sure how that would play out in the long term, nor what the probabilities over time or rates of decline were attached to it.
"I don't know," Olivia was honest.
"Firing me would be easier," Alex remined her.
"Have you ever been fired?" Olivia asked.
"No."
"Not even once?"
"Nope." Alex reached over to the drawers in the middle of the lower cabinets of her dual sinks. She opened the top one and withdrew a makeup bag. Thankfully she'd showered last night, so while her hair had been a mess from sleeping on the couch with Noah, her face would be much easier to tame.
"I don't want to be the first."
"You're making excuses." Alex accused.
"I told you, it's for Noah… He's never laid like that with anyone – no one but me and his father… You're making him feel safe again Alexandra. I'm not selfish enough to take that from him," Olivia told her, entirely mesmerized by the sight of Alexandra applying the lightest amount of makeup she'd ever seen a woman apply – she couldn't help but stare.
"Neither am I," Alexandra agreed.
"So, we're making a pact not to sleep together for my son?" Olivia joked.
"Please never put it like that again." Alex rolled her eyes.
"Do the rules say anything about feelings Alexandra?" Olivia asked suddenly.
"I asked you not to talk to me like that," the blonde warned, her head bowing down as she started cleaning up her makeup and putting it away.
"That was the last question, I promise," Olivia told her backing into Alex's bedroom as the woman exited the bathroom around her, "Does it?"
"No, it says no sexual relations," Alexandra admitted, walking toward her closet to get clothes, "But –"
"Good, because I don't think I can –" Olivia started to say.
"Olivia, you promised," Alex warned as she stepped into the doorway of her walk-in closet. It was Friday, she would dress down today. She grabbed a black and beige geometric printed loose-fitting top, a pair of black skinny slacks, black boots, and exited her closet.
"Sorry… I need to get ready for work.," Alex apologized as she emerged with her outfit for the day.
"I'm going to take Noah to school today," Olivia told her.
"Out on the Island?"
"He's at Village three days a week, so I'm sure he'd like to go see his friends," Olivia responded. Noah was also enrolled in Goosehill in Cold Spring Harbor, but he was only enrolled for Monday, Tuesday, and after school. While Olivia had wanted to move back to the City full time, Bradley had forced them to keep the Cold Spring Harbor house and enroll Noah in school there part time to make sure they'd be there often as well. Unlucky for Olivia, Noah had wanted to stay out on the Island too.
"I'm sure he'd like that," Alex told her, "I've heard Village Community is a great school. A few of my clients' children go to school there."
Olivia smiled, Village was a great school, but if Bradley didn't want to pay for it, there was no way she'd be able to afford it on her own, "It is a good school, but Noah seems to prefer his public school out east."
"He's a good kid," Alex answered with a smile.
"I'm going to go to work today," Olivia told her.
Alex's head shot up, "What?"
"Work… I cancelled two classes on Wednesday, and office hours yesterday, but I'm done hiding," Olivia told her softly.
"Are you sure you're ready for that?" Alex asked softly. The blonde wasn't entirely convinced that Olivia going back to work was a smart idea. The news of the Mayor being arrested, and of Olivia's affairs, had just broken and Alex knew today was going to be tough.
"No, but I'm doing it," Olivia replied, "I want my life back."
"Okay, just promise you'll call us if you need anything… Are you going to let me get changed?" Alex asked her with a wide grin, gesturing toward the outfit in her hands.
"I don't believe I've stopped you," Olivia said slyly.
"Olivia," Alex warned.
"You can call me Liv again," she said softly, "I liked that."
"You're awfully stubborn, aren't you?" Alexandra asked, walking toward her dresser to get a change of underwear and a bra. She then started toward the bathroom so she could get changed in privacy.
"Aw man," Olivia whispered when she realized Alex was going into the bathroom to change.
"Oh, you thought you'd get a free show? I would think changing in front of one another would constitute a sexual relationship," Alexandra told her with a wink as she walked into her bathroom.
As hard as Olivia tried to stifle her agitation, Alexandra could still hear the huffed groan as she shut the door behind her.
Getting into the office was a challenge Alexandra had not anticipated when she started her walk down toward Goldstein & Park from her apartment building. She stopped for her usual coffee at the corner store on 76th and was lost in thought as she approached the corner of 69th. It wasn't until she turned to head toward Madison that she noticed the slew of news vans and reporters crowding the front of the building.
"Oh, come on," Alex groaned to herself as she approached. It wasn't shocking that multiple networks were camped out front, but it bothered her nonetheless. She wrapped herself into her black peacoat, hoping she wouldn't be recognized but her efforts were futile; It didn't take long before cameras were thrust in her face as she tried to maneuver around the crowd to get inside.
"Miss Cabot, is the Mayor's wife keeping his son from him?"
"Is Miss. Carmichael still involved with the Mayor's wife?"
"Miss. Cabot, can you comment on the recently leaked photographs?"
"Can you comment on the Mayor's arrest?"
"Is the Mayor's son safe?"
Alexandra ignored them all,barely hearing most of the questions as the reporters shouted over each other and asked questions without giving pause for a response. Not that Alex would have answered anyway. That was until the last question before she pushed through the double doors of the office building.
"Is the Mayor's wife claiming sexual assault to gain favor in the divorce after her numerous affairs?"
That stopped Alex in her tracks. The blonde whipped her head around and stopped directly in front of the door, turning her body to face the small crowd.
"First of all, Ms. Benson has a name. She is not the Mayor's property. Second of all, we have no comment as this is an active investigation. We thank the men and women of the NYPD in acting precipitously to protect our client and their son. We continue to place our trust in them, and Assistant District Attorney Swift, that justice will be served," and with that she turned and entered the building as the reporters threw more questions at her.
"Rough morning, huh?" the security guard at the front desk stated softly as he tipped his hat in greeting toward Alexandra.
"They're vultures," Alexandra sighed, moving toward the elevator.
"We had to bring Ms. Carmichael in through the service doors around back this morning," the man told her softly.
"Ugh, Abby," Alex answered, hitting the button on the wall, "Thank you for helping her."
"Us Texas folk stick together," he answered with a smile, "We'll take you all out the back if you'd like. Just call down before you leave, Miss. Cabot."
"Thanks Steve," she offered as the elevator signaled its arrival, "We appreciate you."
"Of course," he told her as the elevator doors closed.
Upon entering the office, Alexandra pivoted to the left, heading down the hall opposite her office toward her best friend's. For a change, the brunette's door was closed. Abby wasn't typically one to close herself off in her office, and Alexandra suspected it had something to do with the major invasion of privacy she'd experienced that morning. Still, Abby Carmichael wasn't shy. She was boisterous, wildly inappropriate, and had tougher skin than most. Alex expected she'd be embarrassed, but not closed off. The blonde didn't bother to knock, and instead simply opened the door. Abigail was sitting behind her desk, her head in her hands, in the dark. Abby Carmichael wasn't one to wallow.
"Abby?" Alex tried softly, entering the office and shutting the door behind her.
Abigail finally looked up at the sound of the office door closing behind Alexandra. Her eyes were red and slightly puffy with irritation signaling to the blonde that her friend had been crying. Alexandra had never seen Abigail Carmichael cry.
"Oh Abby," Alex sighed, walking over to the older brunette and pulling her into her arms tightly, "I'm so sorry."
"Fuck Alex," the Texan said crassly against her chest, "this sucks."
"What happened?" Alex asked. She already knew that the press had gotten wind of Abby and Olivia's illusive affair, but she hadn't seen the news since last night. She could only imagine what new horrors they had discovered over the last new hours.
"Haven't you heard? There are pictures everywhere, Alex… they even took pictures of my sister and I as if she was one of my freaking conquests… I'm New York City's most hated harlot," Abby growled, pulling back from Alexandra's embrace just enough that she could look at her, "I may be a harlot, but I preferred when I was an adored harlot."
Alexandra couldn't help but chuckle at her friends joke, "At least you're making jokes. I've never seen you cry Abby, I've got to admit, it's a little unsettling. Are you okay?"
"No, this is ridiculous. It was six years ago Alex," Abby complained, pulling herself out of her friend's arms and leaning back in her chair "I paid my dues already."
"With the DA's office?" Alex asked.
"He got me black balled in every fucking division," Abigail groaned, "I was a brand-new ADA… I had no pull anywhere. I had no choice but to leave… he ruined my career there before it even began."
"I'm so sorry Abby," Alex told her leaning up against Abby's desk, "This will blow over soon… You'll be old news by next week."
"I hope so, I couldn't even get in the office this morning… Jesus Alex, I haven't even so much as spoken to Olivia in like four years," Abby told her, the frustration obvious on her small features.
"Steve told me," Alex confirmed, "Do you think it would be easier if you made a statement?"
"I'm not feeding into this bullshit," Abby groaned, "This is insane. My past relationships have no bearing on anything. They were split up when we were seeing each other for god's sake."
"I didn't know you dated Olivia," Alex told her. Secretly, she simply wanted more information but had been too nervous to ask Olivia for the details. It was unsettling that the woman currently clouding up her brain had been with her best friend. Abby had gotten what Alexandra now wanted.
"We hadn't even met yet, Alex," Abby explained, "I was 29 and had just started at the DA's office after my clerkship… You and I didn't meet until Olivia and I were over, and I started working for Marla and Ted."
"Was it serious?" Alex asked, looking down at her friend with an inquisitive expression.
"Yes and no," Abby told her, "It could've been… but we didn't stand a chance. It was just fun at first but somewhere along the way it got a little serious, but just as quickly as it happened – it was over."
"Brad?" Alex asked.
"It was a lot of things," Abby admitted, "But he was the catalyst… If I'd known what he was doing to her – I… I wish I'd known."
"It's not your fault Abby," Alex told her, putting a hand on her shoulder, "You couldn't have done anything to help her if she wasn't ready."
"I know… and now all of this. It's insane," Abby groaned again, dropping her head onto Alexandra awkwardly, "Just hold me."
Alex laughed at her friend and wrapped her arms around her again, "I'm not sure how I feel about this side of you Abigail."
"Shut up," Abby groaned, "Your sex life isn't being splashed across every news stand in the City."
"That it is not," Alex said with a sigh, holding Abby close, "But, if it'll make you feel better – I'll let you in on a little secret."
"Oooh, do tell," Abby said, suddenly pulling back from Alex's grasp, interest sparked, wide grin across her face. Abigail had always been one to enjoy a good bit of gossip.
"What's the pool at?" Alex asked. Abigail was taken aback for a second, unaware the blonde had known about the pool she'd started months ago. For a beat, she thought of playing dumb.
"$2,400," Abby answered with a wide grin, opting not to play with Alexandra's intelligence.
"Who had December?"
"Marla, Ted, and I," Abby replied, her grin growing wider.
"Did we get specific with days?" Alex asked, "Or do you guys just split it three ways if it happens this month? What are the terms?"
"Whoever guesses closest without going over," Abby replied, "So I'd appreciate you two doing it next week… Tuesday, specifically."
"Anyone have this week?" Alex said with a smirk.
"Alexandra!" Abby squealed, slapping Alex's chest, "Weirdly, yes… I thought it was odd that Kim suddenly wanted back in after losing in succession like that… but Kim put in $200 yesterday for that night, Marla got wind of it and figured Kim knew something and threw in another $200, too."
"Well, you should let them both know they're $1,200 richer," Alex said with a wink.
"You finally had sex with her?!" Abby gasped, almost leaping from her seat with excitement.
"Mhm," Alex confirmed with a laugh, "While the news may be focused on your sex life, I grant you permission to spend your day teasing me about mine across the office."
"Aw Alex, I didn't get you anything… you shouldn't have," Abby answered with a laugh, "Anyway, how was it? Her body as hot as I think it is?"
"Abigail! Don't objectify her like that," Alex growled, taking her own turn at swatting her friend across the chest.
"Don't even… give me the details… wait, aren't Olivia and Noah staying with you?" Abby asked, suddenly confused.
"Yes." Alex answered simply, having no desire to divulge the Olivia issue to another one of her friends.
"Explain yourself."
"No."
"Alex!"
"I went to her place," Alex told her finally.
"You went to a 23-year-old's apartment, where her roommates live, to have sex with her? What are you, in college?" Abby asked with a chuckle. At least she seemed to be getting enough of a kick out of this that her own problems seemed like a distant memory.
"I had to get out of my apartment," Alex answered, smiling at her friend's excitement.
"What? Why?" Abby asked.
"I was suffocating," Alex answered simply. She knew Abigail would understand what she meant because the brunette had been around to witness an attack or two from the blonde at the office. Most notably, she'd been there after the Robinson fiasco. The attacks didn't happen often, but when they did Alexandra almost always needed external help to soothe herself – to bring her back to solid ground and Abby was particularly skilled at helping Alexandra with that.
"What happened?" Abby asked, concerned.
"Oh everything," Alexandra said with a sigh, "But I've got it handled now."
"Let Adrienne fuck it out of you?"
"Other way around actually," Alex corrected.
"Damn, okay Cabot… since when do you take off the crown?"
"Since last night," she shrugged, "It was fun… awkward, and definitely not my preference… but fun nonetheless."
"So, you finally going to give in and date her?" Abby asked.
"Absolutely not, and we're on the same page about that," Alex answered. Besides, I'm wholly addicted to the woman currently getting ready for work inside my apartment, she added to herself with a small smile.
"You're not telling me something," Abby said simply, eyeing her best friend as she smirked. Abigail was also exceptionally skilled at reading right through Alexandra. Alexandra shrugged as if she didn't know what Abby was talking about.
"Why were you suffocating Alex?" Abby asked again, sternly.
"There was a lot going on yesterday," Alex explained meekly.
Abigail eyed her friend again, her eyes dropping to her hands. She noticed the small red splotches on Alexandra's wrists and darted her eyes back up to her friends face quickly, "Alex… you were squeezing your wrists again?"
"I – I don't know actually, Olivia said she thought I was about to break it, but I – I don't remember, honestly," Alex told her, rubbing the small marks on her wrist and smiling subconsciously at the reminder of Olivia.
Suddenly, Abigail knew exactly what was going on. First the questions about her relationship with Olivia, the panic attack, finally giving into Adrienne after a year of torture, the nervous habit with her wrist – it all made sense now.
"You want Olivia," Abigail said simply.
"What?" Alex tried to act shocked but failed miserably. She couldn't lie to Abby.
"You've got a crush on your client."
"It's fine, I've got it under control," Alex assured her, brushing off the accusation as best as she could.
"Damn Cabot, are you going to withdraw?" Abby asked. Thankfully, she didn't seem at all phased by the fact that Alex, her best friend, was crushing on Olivia, her technical ex.
"No," Alex admitted, "I'm staying on… she – she asked me not to. We're going to ignore this."
"That's hysterical," Abby said with a laugh, "I've never known you not to go after what you want… and if she's into you too…"
"She is," Alex cut her off.
"Oh, then you're fucked Alex… You better withdraw now… That woman does not know how to keep her hands to herself when she wants you," Abby told her, accidentally revealing more information than Alex needed right now. It was too late, Alex cringed at the thought of how Abby knew that information, but at the same time couldn't help but know it was true. Olivia wasn't exactly good at keeping space between them or keeping her thoughts to herself. And to top it all off, the woman was incredibly disarming, leaving Alexandra uncharacteristically open to her advances.
"Shit," Abby said, recognizing the look of slight disgust on her friend's face, "Sorry."
"No, it's okay… We talked about it… She wants me to stay on for Noah – he's started to open up to me," Alexandra explained, "So we're going to ignore it… for him."
"Alexandra," Abby started, standing up to put herself directly in front of her friend, "I love you to death, but you're an absolute fool… Wait - Is that why you slept with Adrienne?" Realization suddenly dawned on the brunette and she narrowed her eyes angrily at Alex. Adrienne might be significantly younger than Abby, and more Alex's work wife than her own, but she and the redhead had gotten close over the last few months. Abigail truly cared for her.
"We talked about it," Alex defended, "And we're good."
"God Alex, what the hell has gotten into you?" Abby asked.
"I honestly don't even know," Alex said, "But I'm fixing it. Perhaps it's time to increase the frequency of my therapy sessions."
"Ya think?" the Texan laughed, slapping Alex again.
"Are you good though?" Alex asked, bringing them back to the topic of Alex's visit.
"Yeah, I'll be alright," Abby replied, "Like you said, it'll die down. The real story is the abuse, this distraction won't last for long."
Alex headed toward Abby's office door and opened it to exit, "You're right, it won't. She's in for a rough ride if Brad doesn't back down... We go to court next week on a few things." Alexandra knew she was supposed to keep Abby out of this, but there was no way she wouldn't share things with her now, knowing that most of this was public knowledge anyway.
"Good luck Alex," Abby answered with a smile. Alexandra wasn't exactly sure what she was wishing her luck with, the hearing, Olivia, Adrienne, her life. They all seemed plausible, and she needed luck in all of those aspects.
"I'm here for you, okay? We'll sneak out the back later together," Alex said with a smile as she left the older woman's office and headed for her own.
By the time lunch rolled around, the snow had started to fall again. Threats of a potential winter storm were starting to dwindle, as more and more stations started changing their tunes – now reporting a couple inches over the next few days. Aside from the weather, the Mayor dominated the news stations. He'd been arraigned this morning and was set to be released on $25,000 cash later that evening. Bradley's team had promptly issued a statement refusing the public's requests that he step down from his role as New York City Mayor and doubling down on his innocence. When Bradley's team had started to discuss that they had a team looking into possible legal recourse to take against Olivia, Alexandra had to turn the television off.
On Fridays, Marla and Ted catered lunch for the firm. Today they'd opted for catering from Chipotle since everyone would be in and out of the conference room due to conflicting schedules; the buffet style serving platters would serve that well. Alexandra joined the group around 12:30 after finalizing the Plackard settlement negotiations with her opposing counsel.
"Great, now that you're here, I'd like to make an announcement," Abby said proudly to the group just as Alexandra walked into the conference room. Nearly everyone was in the east conference room, save for a few especially busy co-workers. Alexandra instantly blushed when she walked in the room, knowing full well what Abigail was about to do.
She turned her attention to Adrienne and shot her an apologetic grin, mouthing, I'm so sorry, before taking a seat beside her with a huff, "Abigail, must you always be so dramatic?"
"Oh, but of course, Alexandra, if I remember correctly – you gave me permission to tease you mercilessly to ease my own embarrassment," Abigail mocked happily, "Plus, I think everyone will enjoy this little piece of Friday afternoon firm gossip."
Adrienne suddenly perked up, realizing what was happening, "Abigail…" she warned the brunette, eyes glaring at the older attorney. It wasn't that Adrienne hadn't already suffered from her fair share of teasing today. In fact, not only had Abigail spent the morning teasing her for bottoming, but Casey had crudely pointed out the deep red marks on her slender neck that makeup had been no match to cover.
"Adrienne?" Abigail asked with a smirk, "Standing up for Cabot, are we? Do you have something to share with the team?"
"Abigail…" Adrienne warned again, there was no need to alert the whole firm. Sure, there was a bet to settle – she understood that, but nearly everyone had made it into the conference room at this point. Adrienne's embarrassment was no match for her fair skin, her chest, neck, and face turning a deep shade of red.
"Well, I'll be damned," Marla laughed, turning to Kim who was seated two spaces to her left, and high fiving her, "Good call Greylik."
"You know you don't deserve that money, Marla, you baited me!" Kim yelped unhappily, a smile still on her face as she looked between Adrienne and Alexandra. While annoyed at Marla's usurpation, she couldn't help but pat herself on the back. After leaving the gym yesterday morning, Kim had gone straight to the office, barged into Abigail's office, and paid $200 to put in a same day entry – she just knew it would happen that night.
"You guys are ruining my fun," Abby said with a huff. She had wanted to be the one to break the news.
"Holy shit, did you two finally do it?" Casey yelped from across the conference room table, standing up and pointing at Alexandra and Adrienne accusatorily. Finally, a mumble of understanding erupted amongst the other employees of the firm as they understood what was happening.
"Yep! Alexandra and Adrienne finally did the dirty," Abby said with a proud laugh, looking around the room at her co-workers, most of whom had started smiling or laughing, "And it's time to award the funds to the winners of the latest wagers. Sorry to those of you who couldn't participate."
"I'd like to raise the argument that Marla only receive 25% of the pot. She clearly violated the rules by inadvertently listening to my wager. She cheated," Kim argued.
"That's fair… But, I'm the boss – overruled," Marla answered with a smile. "Thank you, Alexandra, Adrienne, this will buy me that new wallet I've been eyeing without pissing off my husband."
"What are you guys talking about?" Casey inquired, "And how do you know you won? When did you two do it?"
Alex turned bright red at the bluntness of Casey's question, again cursing the decision to not go big law where no one would even realize if she was there or not.
"Casey! Don't be so crude. Leave them some semblance of dignity," Abby chastised, "The rules of the game were simple – whoever guessed the closest to the actual date without going over wins… Both Marla and Kim entered same day bets yesterday… and it was confirmed this morning that they both won."
Adrienne dropped her head into her hands, embarrassed as it became abundantly clear to the entire firm that she and Alex had had sex last night. "Ugh. If your sex life wasn't being scrutinized by every major news network right now, I'd jump at the chance to embarrass you back, you asshole."
"Oh, shut up Adrienne, bedding Alex isn't exactly something to be embarrassed about," Abby chastised with a smile. Adrienne huffed, sitting back in her seat and glaring at Alexandra like it was her fault. Abigail laughed and then turned her attention back to her colleagues, "That's $1,200 for each of you." She pulled the cash out of the envelope she'd brought into the conference room with her and handed each their prize money. Once she was done, a couple hundred remained in her hand.
"What's that?" Amanda asked, pointing toward the small pile of cash still in Abigail's hand.
"$600," Abby replied.
"Well?" Marla asked with a knowing smile.
"I won't divulge the details of this bet, but one of you were correct," Abby said looking between Marla and Kim. Abby, upon seeing their likelihood of a tie, initiated a new wager between only the three of them.
"Care to venture a guess?" Abby asked the two of them with a grin.
Marla and Kim both studied Alexandra and Adrienne for a moment before looking up at each other and whispering at each other.
"Well?" Abigail asked.
"We think Marla was right," Kim responded with a smirk, shooting a wink at the blonde attorney.
"Oh come the fuck on," Alexandra growled, recognizing exactly what the second bet had been about. Abigail never ceased to amaze her.
"Ah, good guess," Abby responded handing the money to her boss.
"Goddamnit Adrienne," Kim mumbled under her breath.
"Atta girl," Marla said winking at Alex.
"Are we all through having fun at our expense now?" Alexandra groaned, looking sympathetically at Adrienne who looked as if she was about to throw up. It wasn't that Adrienne was embarrassed; it was more that she was not a fan of being teased by the entire firm.
"Yes, yes, let's all eat. Anyone have anything interesting to update us all with?" Ted said abruptly, his expression full of embarrassment. Alex shot him a grateful smile for cutting in to change the subject away from the two women.
Alexandra spent the remainder of her Friday working diligently. With the emergency nature of some of the issues Olivia was facing, her schedule had been thrown fully out of whack leaving little time for other matters. By the time the rest of the office cleared out around 4. to start enjoying their weekends, Alexandra had finalized all of the settlement documents for Hawthorn, Plackard, and Tyler. She'd secured a deferred judgment for her petty theft case, helped Abby garner a plea offer for her college admissions scandal client by calling in a favor to her Uncle Bill, and issued discovery in two of her newer cases. She finished off the night preparing for Olivia's hearing on Bradley's protection order in Family Court that was set for Monday morning. It was 8:30 by the time she left to head home and prep Olivia for not only her direct examination, but Trevor's cross examination of her. By midnight the two were asleep, having succumbed to exhaustion together in Alexandra's bed.
In the morning the two tried desperately to ignore the fact that they'd woken up together, Olivia having shifted in the night so that her arm was draped loosely around Alexandra's waist. Alexandra fought an internal battle she knew she'd never win as she made the three of them breakfast while Olivia helped Noah get ready for their move. She kicked herself profusely when the domesticity of it all became too much, and Olivia pretended she didn't want to kiss Alex when she placed their breakfasts in front of them. It hadn't snowed much, and Olivia tried to argue that taking a car service to the rental home would suffice, but Alexandra insisted on taking them out to Long Island.
After dropping Noah and Olivia off at their new home, Alexandra spent the remainder of the day working. She'd planned to work at home, but after drafting a Motion to Compel at her desk in her now empty apartment, she couldn't stand the silence any longer and went into the office. The emptiness bothered her more than she expected it to. While Alexandra had lived alone for at least the last seven years, the three nights that Noah and Olivia stayed with her had made her long for the noise again. Not that Noah or Olivia were particularly loud, but their presence had been. Like Noah's sticky fingers and little spills that had left spots on most of the surfaces in Alex's kitchen. Or the subtle hint of Olivia's musty cologne that lingered in the air of the apartment. Now that they were gone, it felt glaringly empty. The office had proven to be a much better option given that Adrienne and Marla had both come in to help her prepare for Monday, and a few of the other attorney's had drug themselves in to tie up loose ends from the prior week.
On Sunday, Alexandra finally had an excuse to call Olivia. Marla wanted her to come into the office to run through the motions of Monday's hearing again. Even though Alexandra had prepared herself to conduct both Olivia's direct examination, and Bradley's cross, Marla decided last minute that she would be doing Olivia's direct examination instead. Olivia had been apprehensive at first, but Marla had surmised that it would throw Trevor off if they handled it jointly – and, the young Langan had never gone up against Marla in a courtroom. Reluctantly, Olivia agreed to the plan, and Alex prepared herself to take on the monster that was Bradley, a man she so badly wanted to punch in the face.
By Monday morning, Alexandra was the picture of professional, calm, cool, and collected. She'd arrived early at the courthouse, dressed perfectly in a white cuffed turtleneck, a black blazer, sleek black skinny slacks, and her black heels. She and Marla were sitting just outside the courtroom doors with Olivia between them, a stack of 4 small binders, and their briefcases to the left of Alexandra. While Alexandra appeared quite confident now, she'd almost melted when Olivia had gotten in the car at Penn Station. She'd never seen the brunette in business clothes, but that woman could rock a pant suit.
By 8:30, they were allowed inside the courtroom, and at 9 AM, Judge Barth entered the courtroom. Olivia had purposefully placed herself as far down at the counsel table as possible, putting as much distance between herself and Bradley as possible. She had refused to look at him, nor acknowledge his attorney when Trevor greeted them that morning.
"All Rise," the bailiff called from the corner. It was more of a formality; most attorneys knew better than to still be sitting when the judge entered the courtroom.
"Please," Judge Barth said, taking a seat on the bench. Everyone sat down again.
"Good morning, this is Family Court Index. No.672542021 related case New York Supreme Court Index No. 87342021, may I have entries, Petitioner?" the judge continued.
"Good morning your honor, Marla Goldstein, registration number 258436," Marla stated, standing up.
"Alexandra Cabot, registration number 561478, on behalf of the Petitioner, Olivia Benson-Holter," Alexandra added, standing up beside Marla and gesturing toward her client.
"Good morning your honor, Trevor Langan, registration number 562549, on behalf of the Respondent, Bradley Holter," Trevor stated, standing up as well.
"Good morning, please be seated. We're here on a temporary protection order filed on Wednesday?" the judge asked.
"Yes, your honor. We request that this protection order be made permanent," Marla explained.
"Mr. Langan?" the judge asked, turning to Trevor and Bradley.
"We would be willing to agree to a no contact order during the pendency of these proceedings. But a protection order is not necessary. Mayor Holter is a respected member of this community, the implication would cause undue harm to my client's reputation and career, your honor," Trevor replied.
"Counsel?" the judge stated, turning back to Alexandra and Marla.
"Respectfully, the facts speak for themselves. The Respondent is facing very serious criminal charges for which he was just arraigned yesterday. Ms. Benson has suffered enough at his hands. We request that a finding be made that the injuries to Ms. Benson constitute aggravated circumstances warranting a permanent protection order. We are prepared to present our case your honor," Marla argued.
"Are there any other pre-hearing matters I need to address on behalf of Petitioner?" Judge Barth asked.
"No, your honor," Marla replied.
"Mr. Langan, would you care to respond, or shall we proceed?" Judge Barth stated.
"May I speak with my client for a moment?" Trevor asked.
"Two minutes," the Judge replied.
The court clerk cut off the counsel tables' microphones, and Marla immediately turned to Alex, "What's he playing at?"
"Typical Trevor," Alex responded, "He always tries to back down briefly before a hearing starts, this is nothing new."
"Are we moving forward here or is he about to agree? He's nuts to get all of this on record before the criminal trial," Marla opined.
"We'll see. He's either got something up his sleeve, or he's about to back down," Alex answered, "Olivia, what do you think his move is?"
"I – I don't know. He's – he's lost his damn mind," Olivia said softly, "I just want him out of my life for good." Olivia seemed distant, off. It wasn't uncommon for clients to be nervous at a hearing, but Alexandra was getting worried that Olivia wouldn't be capable of testifying for long.
"We're getting there," Marla said with a comforting smile, "Just hang in there."
"Do we have an answer Mr. Langan?" Judge Barth asked a few moments later.
"We're ready to proceed," Trevor said suddenly.
"Alright then, counsel, you may proceed," the Judge told Marla and Alex. "Any opening statement?"
"We'll rest on our motion your honor… I'd like to call my client, Ms. Olivia Benson," Marla said, gesturing for Olivia to stand and walk toward the witness stand. Olivia obliged, sitting down inside the small box toward the judge's bench.
"Ms. Benson, do you solemnly affirm that the testimony you are about to give is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?" The Judge asked Olivia.
"Yes, your honor," Olivia replied, her voice bold and confident, surprising Alexandra. The brunette had been much shakier during their trial runs, and even just now at the counsel table, she'd sounded nervous. Olivia never failed to impress her.
"Ms. Benson, can you state and spell your name for the record?" Marla asked.
"Olivia Benson; O-l-i-v-i-a B-e-n-s-o-n," the brunette answered her attorney.
"Ms. Benson, are you afraid of your husband?" Marla asked, opting to start off bold.
"I'm terrified of him," Olivia corrected, her voice remaining strong and steady.
"Has your husband ever hit you?" Marla asked.
"Yes," Olivia answered, glaring at Bradley as she spoke.
"How many times has he hit you?" Marla asked.
"I've lost count," Olivia answered honestly.
"More than five times?" Marla asked.
"More than twenty-five times," Olivia answered, "He's been abusing me for five years." Her resolve was starting to waiver, Alexandra could tell. Her face scrunched up uncomfortably, and she shifted in her chair. Alex shot her a reassuring smile, and instantly, Olivia relaxed.
"Can you tell me about the abuse?" Marla asked.
Olivia gulped, but turned her gaze away from Alexandra and toward Bradley who was sitting smugly beside Trevor. It was the first time she'd get to face her abuser, and while they weren't in criminal court, Olivia still got to have a moment of empowerment.
Alexandra couldn't help but feel like Trevor had a trick up his sleeve, but she was confident Olivia could do this. The urgency of the motion didn't give Trevor much time to formally respond, and the few pieces of evidence Trevor had provided them didn't tell much of a story to Alexandra. It irked her, but Olivia now seemed unaverred.
"I don't know where to start," Olivia answered honestly.
"Has he ever punched you?" Marla asked, opting to help her along.
"Yes, many times," Olivia said, looking down at her hands. A lone tear fell from the corner of her eye as the realization of what had happened to her hit her, full force.
"Has he slapped you?" Marla continued.
Olivia didn't answer at first. Her head remained down, and her right hand reached up to grip the front of the witness box. She stayed like that for a second before she finally looked up. Her gaze met Alex's, and for a few more seconds they stared at one another in silence. Alexandra smiled at the brunette and gave her a gentle, reassuring nod.
"Yes," Olivia answered, finally, keeping her eyes locked on Alexandra's baby blues.
"Has he ever physically restrained you?" Marla asked, trying desperately to stand in a way that blocked Trevor and Bradley's view of Olivia's intent stare-down with Alexandra. This was exactly why Marla had opted to handle the direct examination. It wasn't that she was concerned about their obvious mutual attraction to one another, but more that she was concerned Trevor would see the reassurance as coaching.
"Yes," Olivia answered, forcing her attention back to Marla.
"Has he ever touched you sexually when you said no?" Marla asked.
Olivia paused before responding, taking in a deep breath and looking over at Bradley again, "Yes." Marla had convinced her it would feel better to get it out now and Olivia would be damned if she didn't let Brad have it.
"Has he ever threatened you?" Marla asked her.
"Yes," Olivia answered through gritted teeth.
"How?"
"He's threatened to take Noah from me," Olivia said softly, "He's threatened to kill me."
"Has he ever actually put your life in danger?"
"He held a knife to my throat," Olivia answered, a fact Marla and Alexandra had only just recently learned, "He told me if I ever left him, he'd kill me."
"To your knowledge, has the abuse ever occurred in front of your son?" Marla asked.
"Yes," Olivia responded.
"How do you know that?" Marla asked.
"He told me," Olivia answered.
Suddenly, Trevor jumped up from his seat and shouted, "Objection your honor, hearsay." Trevor clearly hadn't thought that one through, acting on instinct alone when he heard the words "he told." Before Marla could speak, Alex sprung up from her chair, as if she was ready for Trevor's stupid error. This is where Alex's extensive knowledge of family court rules would come to serve them well. Trevor's lack of experience was showing. He may be a fantastic criminal defense attorney, Alex would give him that, but he was no match for her here.
"Not only does section 1046(a)(vi) of the Family Court Act provide a child hearsay exception regarding testimony of a child's outcries of abuse or neglect, but Cobane v. Cobane explicitly stated that evidence of corroboration, including testimony about witnessing the abuse of a child and or pictures can corroborate the allegations," Alexandra stated calmly, "Perpetrating domestic violence in front of a child in the State of New York constitutes child abuse under NY Penal Code 260.1."
"Overruled; Mr. Langan, please don't waste our time again," Judge Barth responded.
"Noah told you that he witnessed his father abusing you?" Marla asked, shooting an approving grin over at Alexandra.
"I also saw it; I saw Noah see Brad – he, he called the police," Olivia said.
"Did the police come?" Marla asked.
"Eventually," Olivia answered, "But Brad charmed his way out of it. Noah… he doesn't understand. He's only six."
"Have you taken any photos of the damage your husband has done to your body?" Marla asked.
"Yes," Olivia answered, "I saved them… for when – when I got the strength to ask for help."
"Petitioner's exhibits 1 through 4 your honor," Marla stated, walking over to the counsel table and picking up one of the binders.
"Any objection Mr. Langan?" The Judge asked, opening the binder Alexandra had supplied her earlier to the appropriate exhibits.
"No, your honor," Trevor responded, opening his own binder.
"Olivia, what are these exhibits?" Marla asked.
"These are photos I've taken of myself… of my body – the damage after Bradley's episodes," Olivia stated, refusing to look too closely at any of the images.
"Can you describe the first one for us? What happened?"
"This one was mild for him… I'd asked Bradley for a divorce about three years ago," Olivia responded, "He'd just taken office and he was livid… he held the knife to my throat that night. He restrained my arms with his other hand and dug his knees into my sides… I couldn't move… but we had events to attend so he refrained from hurting me too badly that night."
"Why didn't you leave him?"
"I was scared… I was afraid of losing Noah, I was afraid he'd finally go too far and kill me… I wanted to leave, I did, I just – I had no one, nothing," Olivia admitted, "And I was scared to leave Noah with him. I'd rather have died than let anything bad happen to our boy. I'd do anything to protect him."
"What do you want today, Olivia?" Marla asked, redirecting the conversation. It wasn't that Olivia had said anything wrong, but Trevor would certainly twist those statements.
"I want him to leave me alone. Just let me go. Don't talk to me, don't come near me, don't touch me. Just get out of my life," Olivia said, turning to talk directly to Bradley by the end of her statement.
"Your honor, please ask that the witness address only her attorney," Trevor stated.
"Ms. Benson, please speak only to your attorney," the Judge told her softly.
"I apologize," Olivia answered, "I just – I want him to stay away from me."
"You stated there was sexual activity without your consent. Can you tell the court what you meant?"
"He would force me to perform oral sex on him," Olivia answered, "And… and he…" She paused and swallowed hard, forcing herself to speak the words, "He would use his hands on me."
"Has he raped you?" Marla asked.
"No, he – he could never get it up when it came time to perform," Olivia answered, glaring at Bradley with an expression Alexandra could only describe as pure hatred.
"I know this is hard for you, but can you tell the court the last time he forced himself on you?"
"Two weeks ago," Olivia answered, shuddering slightly at the memory. Her eyes traveled back to Alexandra, who's eyes told her everything she needed to know: you're okay, you're safe, we've got you.
Marla's examination of Olivia went on for another twenty minutes. Olivia detailed out a few of the more recent attacks by Brad, while Marla presented the remaining pieces of evidence in their binder for the Court. Trevor tried to object to multiple text message and e-mail correspondences, but Marla expertly ensured their admission each time. Marla played two videos for the Court and by the time Marla rested with her witness, Alexandra was confident that nothing Trevor had up his sleeve would compare to the performance Marla had just put on. Bradley was toast. The aggravated abuse was apparent, Olivia was undoubtedly entitled to a protection order.
"Cross, Mr. Langan?" The Judge asked Trevor.
"Good morning, Ms. Benson," Trevor began.
"Good morning," she answered, her voice even but despondent.
"You stated my client had been abusing you for a period of five years?" Trevor asked.
"Yes," Olivia answered, remembering that Alexandra had coached her to not answer anything other than the exact question. She refused to display any emotion when speaking to him, Trevor didn't deserve to have any sort of effect on her.
"And you didn't leave because you were scared?" Trevor asked her, attempting to clarify her earlier testimony.
"Yes," Olivia answered dryly.
"Were you scared when my client allegedly hit you?"
"Yes."
"But you stayed anyway?"
"Y-yes," Olivia stammered, unsure where he was getting at with his line of questioning. Of course she was scared, the sheer level of damage to her body would have told any rational person that she was likely terrified the whole time.
"Interesting… Do you remember what the date was when Noah allegedly called the police?" Trevor asked.
"No," Olivia said. How was she supposed to remember a date? "It was a few months ago?"
"Is there a police report?" Trevor asked.
"No."
"But the police showed up?" Trevor asked.
"Yes."
"And you'd just allegedly been assaulted?" Trevor asked.
"Yes – he… he'd pinned me after a shower," Olivia explained.
"And the police were in your home?" Trevor asked.
"Yes."
"And you didn't ask for help?" Trevor asked.
"I – I"
"Did you ask for help?"
"No," Olivia finally admitted.
"But surely you felt safe now that the police were there?"
"No," Olivia responded on instinct, "No. I didn't feel safe. He – he threatened me, and Noah… He-"
"But you feel safe to go to the police now?"
"What? No, you don't understand…" Olivia tried, her frustration with Trevor growing obvious. She looked to Alexandra again, finding nothing but a warm smile.
"You went to the police on Wednesday, yes?"
"Yes."
"I imagine you believe it's different this time?"
"Of course it's different now!" Olivia answered, accidentally raising her voice.
"Did the police write a report when they came to your home, Ms. Benson?" Trevor asked, switching gears. He was clearly trying to throw her off, invoke a reaction from the brunette.
"Not that I know of," Olivia responded, calming herself by focusing her attention on the comforting face of her blonde attorney.
"Is that because the police determined nothing had occurred?"
"I don't know why they didn't do anything," Olivia answered as Alexandra smiled at her.
"Had the Mayor done anything to hurt you?"
"Yes," Olivia told him, her eyes remaining locked on Alexandra's.
"But the police ignored their duty to arrest on report?" Trevor asked as he glanced between Olivia and her attorney, recognizing that Olivia's gaze had been locked elsewhere for quite some time. He adjusted his stance, blocking Olivia's view of the blonde.
"Objection your honor, the party cannot possibly testify as to the law," Alexandra stated abruptly, jumping up from her seat so that Olivia's gaze wasn't entirely interrupted without warning. Before sitting back down, she gave Olivia a nod, letting her know she could do this.
"I'll rephrase," Trevor said smoothly, aggravated that Alexandra had interrupted his flow, "Was Mayor Holter arrested that night?"
"No," Olivia answered angrily, "He wasn't."
"To your knowledge, does Noah love his father?"
"Y-yes," Olivia answered honestly. It was true, Noah did love his father. While he knew how horrible he treated his mother, for every bad act toward Olivia, Noah received ten good ones. It had to be confusing for him.
"Do you want to keep Noah from his father?" Trevor asked, drawing Olivia from her thoughts of Noah.
"I want Noah to be safe," Olivia answered, turning to glare at Bradley who had remained smugly watching from his chair at Trevor's counsel table.
"But do you want him to be away from his father?" Trevor asked, forcing Olivia's attention back to him.
"I want what's best for Noah," Olivia doubled down simply.
"Your honor, please direct the witness to answer the question," Trevor stated.
"Ms. Benson, please answer only the question you are being asked," the Judge told her with a soft, reassuring smile. For the first time, it appeared to Alexandra that Judge Barth was understanding what Olivia had been through. Barth had a reputation for being stoic during hearings, and this was a rare glimpse of humanity.
"Yes. I want Noah to be away from Bradley," Olivia admitted, turning back to Trevor.
"And you just testified that you would rather die than let anything happen to Noah?" He asked her, turning to face his opposing counsel.
"Yes," Olivia answered.
"That you'd rather die at Mayor Holter's allegedly abusive hands than let him have Noah?" He asked, turning back toward her.
"Yes," Olivia growled.
"Isn't it true that you have cheated on Mayor Holter with no less than seven women?"
"Yes," Olivia answered softly, her voice reacting on instinct at this point. Trevor asked a lot of yes/no questions.
"Are you afraid that will deter this Court from awarding you primary custody of Noah?"
"Yes."
"Are you lying about the abuse to help your case?"
"Ye – wait, what? No," Olivia corrected quickly, having been drawn into his trap, "No. I would never –"
"No further questions your honor," Trevor stated, interrupting Olivia. His expression was smug as he walked back over to his counsel table.
"I would never –" Olivia tried again.
"Your honor," Trevor stated, his tone warning, face still smug.
"Ms. Benson, please refrain –" the Judge started to say.
"Redirect," Marla stated quickly.
"Proceed," the Judge answered.
"Ms. Benson, are you lying about the abuse you've suffered to gain favor in your custody battle against Mayor Holter?"
"No. I would never. I just – I got in a haze. I hate talking about this… I've – I've gone to therapy; I've worked through this… I was finally strong enough and I just – I wanted a clean break. I – I tried," Olivia started gently, "I just get in a haze when I talk about it now… like I can't believe these things happened to me. That I let them happen to me."
"Olivia, did you consent to anything Bradley did to you?"
"Beyond marrying him and having a son with him? No. Nothing."
"Did you love him?"
"I did," Olivia replied, "He beat that out of me." She lowered her head sadly. It was true, she had loved him, once upon a time. She even loved him still, after figuring out her sexuality – she just realized she wasn't in love.
"Do you want Noah to have a relationship with his father if you can guarantee Noah's safety while that happens?" Marla asked.
"Of course. If he's safe, I want Noah to have whatever he wants, whatever he needs," Olivia answered, "I just want Noah to be happy and safe." She wasn't completely sure that being with Bradley was what was best for Noah, but she wouldn't question the decision of the Judge if Noah would be safe from harm.
"Thank you, that's all your honor," Marla told the Judge.
"Ms. Benson, you may step down," the Judge told her. Olivia quickly moved from out of the witness box and hurried over to the counsel table where Marla and Alex both comforted her softly.
"Next witness?" The Judge asked Marla.
"Providing Mr. Langan intends to call his client, we'll rest," Marla stated.
"Mr. Langan?" The Judge asked.
"I will be calling my client, your honor," Trevor responded.
"We'll yield," Marla replied.
"Mr. Langan, proceed," the Judge stated.
"I'll call my client, Mayor Bradley Holter," Trevor stated.
Trevor's examination of Bradley went on for thirty excruciatingly long minutes. As the two spoke, Trevor's theory of the case became blatantly clear. Mayor Holter claimed he and his wife enjoyed an active sex life that often included rough sex, that the bruises were evidence of that, especially judging by their placement. He detailed how the stories Olivia spun were twisted to seem malicious but had truly been loving. He pointed to the lashes on her back in one of the more recent photographs as blatant evidence of that.
Bradley spun a tale of heartbreak when he learned his wife had cheated on him, that he'd asked for counseling to work on their marriage. He presented evidence of email and text message correspondences where Olivia is kind, gentle, and loving toward her husband sometimes just hours after an alleged brutal attack.
He explained how Noah had walked in on a particularly amorous moment and misread the situation. He explained how he did not want to punish Olivia, that he forgave her, that he wanted to simply move forward and raise Noah apart.
By the end of his fabricated defense, Olivia's face was bright red, her fists balled at her sides, angry tears falling from her eyes. Alexandra and Marla were baffled, unsure how Trevor had cooked up such a ludicrous defense.
Consensual? Loving? Alexandra thought to herself, God I like it rough, but you'd have to be insane to take a beating like that… Barth would be a fool to buy this shit. Alexandra had been practicing in front of Judge Barth for years. The blonde respected her. She gave good results, consistently, and had a great track record for ensuring the safety of minor children. There was no way Barth was going to buy this shit. Trevor didn't understand the nuances of family court. Here, what mattered was the kids, safety, ensuring battered spouses can live freely. This wasn't a criminal court, the standards weren't as high, judges err on the side of caution – a creative defense didn't always work.
By the time it was Alexandra's turn to attack, she was in rare form.
"Good Afternoon, Mayor Holter," Alexandra said, her tone icy, yet smooth at the same time. How she had the ability to speak to this man at this point was beyond her.
"Good afternoon, counselor," Mayor Holter responded with a smile.
Alex paused for a moment at the sight, gathering her thoughts and trying to hide her disgust. Bradley certainly knew how to push her buttons and all he'd really done was smile, "Mayor Holter, have you ever hit your wife?"
"As I told my attorney, I am not interested in divulging the details of our sex life," Mayor Holter replied, "Do we not believe in the sanctity of marriage?"
"Your honor," Alex stated, her voice remaining even.
"Mayor, please answer the question," the Judge responded.
"I apologize. Yes, Miss. Cabot, I have hit my spouse… I'm sure you understand that two consenting adults can engage in rough sex, no?" Bradley answered slyly.
"Please leave the questions to me," Alex told him smoothly, "You admit to physically assaulting Ms. Benson?"
"I did not assault my wife," Bradley responded.
"But you hit her?"
"Yes."
"Did she ask you to stop?" Alexandra asked pointedly, her voice dripping with resentment.
"Again – two consenting adults…" Bradley replied with a grin, refusing to allow Alexandra to break him.
"Did she ask you to stop?" She asked, looking him directly in the eye.
"Yes," Bradley answered, "She liked that." He licked his lips and peered around the blonde to look at Olivia. Alexandra rolled her eyes at the obvious action and adjusted to better block his view.
"Did you stop?" Alexandra asked him.
"It was part of the –" Bradley tried.
"Did you stop?" Alexandra asked, cutting him off harshly.
"You're not listening to me –" Bradley groaned, rubbing his hands against his face in frustration.
"Did you stop when your wife asked you to stop, Mayor Holter?" Alexandra demanded.
"No," he finally replied, looking toward the Judge who looked like her patience was running thin.
"Did you know Ms. Benson identifies as a lesbian?" Alex asked with a smile.
"Not until recently," Bradley spat, unable to hide his disgust for the revelation.
"How recently?" Alexandra asked, shaking off his hatred.
"My team discovered it while we were trying to figure out why Olivia would possibly make these allegations," Bradley responded.
"So, within the last week you'd say?" Alexandra asked with a smile.
"Probably," Bradley replied.
"Your honor, I'd like to introduce Petitioner's exhibit 18," Alexandra stated smoothly, walking over to the counsel table. She lifted a manilla envelope off the table and retrieved a stack of papers. She sifted through them for a moment and picked off a few pages from the middle.
"We haven't seen this exhibit," Trevor stated calmly.
"We're not required to provide impeachment evidence prior to a hearing," Alexandra responded cockily as she handed one of the exhibits to Trevor and walked back toward Bradley. She handed a copy to him, and moved toward the Judge, "May I approach?"
"Yes," the Judge responded. Alexandra approached and handed the Judge a copy before walking back to Bradley.
"Mayor Holter, can you please read the e-mail address in the upper righthand corner of the page?" Alexandra asked.
"Bradleyholter79 ," Bradley responded with a smug look on his face.
"Is that your email address?" Alex asked.
"Yes."
"Can you please read the name located on the "to" line?"
"Jack McCoy," Bradley grinned.
"Who is Jack McCoy?"
"Manhattan District Attorney," Bradley responded.
"Can you turn to page two, and read the body of the first email at the very bottom?"
"Jack, did I make myself clear." Bradley growled quietly.
"And the response above it?" Alexandra asked, pointing to the relevant portion of the e-mail chain.
"Carmichael is out." Bradley stated with a smile.
"And can you read your reply?" She asked, her ice blue eyes bearing down on him through the thick black frames of her glasses.
"She fucked my wife." Bradley answered, glaring back at Alexandra.
"And what did DA McCoy respond?" She asked him, her smile growing as she leaned in toward the Mayor.
"You made yourself clear Bradley." He told her, sitting back slightly in his seat. Ah, so he can bow to a woman, Alex thought to herself as she leaned in closer to make up for the distance he'd put between them.
"Can you read the date on this email?"
"July 18, 2015." He answered.
"So, you knew of your wife's affinity for women in 2015?"
"You asked if I knew she was a lesbian, not if I knew she slept with women," he countered with a smug grin.
Alexandra smiled again, knowing she had him right where she wanted him, "Your honor, Petitioner's exhibit 19."
"Your honor," Trevor growled, warning the Judge yet again.
Alex smiled as she repeated her previous steps and handed the exhibit out.
"Petitioner's 19…" Alex said smugly, "Can you please tell the court what this is?"
"How did you?" Bradley stammered, "Okay… okay, I knew. She – Olivia told me she thought she was a lesbian, and –"
"Can you please tell the Court what this is?" Alex cut him off, refusing to allow him to continue his bullshit story.
"A receipt for therapy," Bradley responded, "And the contract we signed."
"And what kind of therapy was this?" Alexandra asked.
"For couples," Bradley answered.
"And what did this counselor specialize in?"
"Sex therapy," Bradley answered.
"Isn't it true that this particular therapist specializes in helping couples open up their marriages during sexual orientation exploration?" Alex asked smartly.
"Yes."
"So, you committed perjury?" Alex asked.
"I – I'm embarrassed, Miss. Cabot," the Mayor responded, feigning sadness, suddenly succumbing to his alleged emotions – tears and all, "I – I wasn't enough for her, and I tried so hard to give her everything she wanted."
"She wanted bruises? To have a knife held to her throat? To be sexually assaulted?"
"Objection!" Trevor yelled, springing to attention, "She's badgering the witness!"
"Sustained, Miss. Cabot, watch yourself. Let the witness answer," the Judge scolded.
"Your testimony today is that Ms. Benson wanted you to bruise her?" Alexandra asked.
"Yes."
"She wanted you to force yourself into her mouth?" Alex asked aggressively. She was angry now, and that was evident to everyone in the court room, including Bradley.
"Yes. She liked it rough," he said with a smile, looking the blonde up and down as he spoke, "I bet you know something about that too, counselor… I see the look in your eye."
Alexandra had to physically fight her body as her stomach lurched and threatened to spill its contents on the courtroom floor. Bradley was a disgusting excuse of a human – and this man was their Mayor.
"Excuse me?" Alexandra asked, collecting herself rather quickly.
"All I'm saying is… You have to know what I'm talking about. Some women just like it like that," Brad answered smoothly.
"A lesbian enjoys being beat by a man?" Alexandra asked, trying to redirect the conversation.
"I can't imagine you'd understand, Miss. Cabot," Bradley responded.
"Enlighten me," Alexandra answered, regaining her posture and glaring down at the man.
"I'm just saying – I know you're – you don't date men… and maybe you truly don't understand… but some women enjoy this. They want to engage in rough sex with someone they love and trust… they want to let go of control," Bradley explained, as if he'd rehearsed the line before. Alexandra wasn't surprised to learn that Bradley had clearly looked her up, but she was slightly surprised he'd mentioned that he knew on the record.
"She wanted you to make her bleed?" Alex asked, redirecting the conversation.
"Yes."
"She wanted you to hold a knife to her throat and threaten her life?"
"Yes. I told you -"
"Yes, yes. You told me she consented to this… Mr. Holter, what was her safe word?"
"Her what?" He asked, taken by surprise by her question.
"Her safe word." Alex repeated, "Surely if you two agreed to this type of lifestyle, she was given a safe word, right?"
"We – we…" He stammered, completely and utterly lost as to what to say.
"Wewe?" Alex asked quickly, trying to throw him off.
"I – It was snow… snowball."
"No safe word huh?" She asked with a laugh, "no further questions." She was done with him. There was nothing more to ask. Olivia's testimony, and their evidence crushed him. After all, the evidence truly did speak for itself. Unfortunately, not knowing Bradley's angle, they hadn't prepared a proper rebuttal to his defense but all Alex could do was hope that Bradley's blatant disrespect of the Court as an officer of this City and the preposterousness of clear Hail Mary defense would be enough to sway Judge Barth to grant a permanent protection order for Olivia.
"Redirect Mr. Langan?"
"No need your honor," Trevor replied, confident that his defense had given the Judge enough doubt to grant nothing more than an Order protecting Olivia during the pendency of their legal battle. Of that, he was sure.
"I'll take a thirty-minute recess," Judge Barth stated, "And then I'll hear closing arguments and issue my ruling."
Note:I hope you guys enjoyed this! I'd love to hear your thoughts!
