A.N. I tried to keep this as in character as possible but it was very hard. I didn't really finish editing this, I'm posting as is. There was one more chapter planned but I don't really see the point. This chapter is still a decent ending. After a year or so of working on this story, I'm worn out. This story only depresses and disappoints me. I tried and hoped to improve things with each chapter, but I missed the mark. I'm just happy I stuck it out this far.

Snow floated down outside the high-rise's windows. A beautiful sight as nature intermingled with their sleepy modern world, blissful and calm.

City light filtered into the room, caressing everything it touched in a sobered artificial glow. Propped on an elbow Alex watched the snow, allowing a tender smile at the nostalgia Manhattan evoked, wanting to savor the moment as well as the warmth beside her.

Below her gaze, the detective laid on her stomach facing those awe-inspiring windows opposite them, her arm stuffed beneath the pillow under her head. Her eyes may have been closed but Olivia wasn't asleep; a thin sheen of sweat still along her back; moist strands of her short hair sticking to her temple.

The white sheet draped over the detective's naked skin and her own. Alex sat content in the moment, those "what have we done" thoughts fading, replaced by gratitude.

She stroked back Olivia's hair.

Everything was different now. They'd heard each other's intimate desires, seen everything their clothes hid.

Subtle nicks and scars on Olivia's body told a grim story of Olivia's past, and of her demanding occupation. A small slash mark at Olivia's side drew Alex's attention. She reached across Olivia's back, her finger ghosting over the raised scar. Darker in tone against Olivia's caramel-colored skin, it somberly intrigued her but her curiosity quickly died and her smile faded. Her palm slid over the scar, and her fingers curled around Olivia's side. Sneaking a gentle kiss to the detective's temple, Alex stayed close.

Part of her wondered—worried really—if Liv would come to her senses when day broke and try to forget what they did ever happened, as though it were just some poorly judged vice of the night.

Olivia was always cautious of others. And after years, still so much of Liv remained a mystery. She rarely mentioned her past, and if she did it was after being directly asked. Olivia never volunteered details of her life outside of the present moment or trudged up old memories. She lived in the here and focused on the now.

A black blur on Olivia's shoulder blade caught Alex's attention next and she squinted. A block-like shape with equidistant spacing…writing.

Alex traced the tattoo at Olivia's shoulder, her fingertips meandering softly over Liv's skin, along words she couldn't make out.

"What is it Alex?" Olivia stirred lazily at her touch, not bothering to open her eyes.

Alex leaned over, kissing the bridge of Olivia's nose, then her cheek, letting each linger.

"I'm starving Liv." Alex whispered and rested her chin on the detective's shoulder, slipping her arms under Olivia's stomach, gently hugging the detective's body to her own. She couldn't get past the joy of Olivia's warm skin pressed to hers; a smile plastered to her face. "Come on, get me out of here Liv." Her words caressed the detective's ear and Olivia's groan rumbled through their bodies. "You know, if I wasn't starving, I would tell you how great your ass is…" Alex slid her hand up Olivia's thigh, earning open eyes from the detective and a shift against her. She bit her lip. "I can stay hungry for another hour…"

Olivia grinned at her words and caught Alex's hand before it traveled any further.

"That smile Liv…" Alex kissed the corner of Olivia's mouth. "I want to see it more."

Olivia reached out, pulling her silver watch off the nightstand. "Alex, it's one in the morning." Her voice came out slightly hoarse.

"First restaurant in three miles."

Olivia snapped the watch around her wrist and rolled onto her back; a shudder down Alex's spine as their eyes connected and she met the uncertainty in that dark brown gaze for the first time since their rapture tamed. Olivia looked away and Alex tentatively relaxed against her, recovering from the way her heart skipped at the dread in Olivia's eyes. Olivia would come around eventually, even if it took her longer to accept that same disbelief she had spent hours mulling over just moments after they finished, when she hesitated to nestle close to the woman she thought might push her away.

"They've got squad cars covering the entrances." Olivia started soft, the metal links of her watch sending a chill across Alex's lower back as she took Alex's waist with an acquiescent and tender grasp. "We can't just walk out without answering questions."

Alex smiled at the way Olivia's hands fit so perfectly to the curves of her waist; this gentle, reassuring hold worlds different from the wrenching, ecstasy-filled grip on her shoulders earlier. "Well pull a James Bond and take me out a back exit." Alex caressed Olivia's cheek, her thumb aimlessly stroking the skin beneath it as the backs of her fingers grazed Olivia's jaw. "Come on, Liv."

Olivia closed her eyes. "Alex if something happens—"

"Don't worry about that."

Olivia's eyes opened and a stern gaze drifted Alex's way.

Alex hesitated, her sudden confidence a mystery even to her. Just days ago she was admitting her nerves. But this night with Liv couldn't end. They still had time, and this room suffocated them. She wanted to feel Manhattan air on her face and forget about the stress of tomorrow.

"Don't worry? Alex, you've got people who want you dead and you're asking me to take a very big risk."

"One man, Liv. One man who's in custody."

"You're not in a protective detail for no reason Alex. We can't take any chances."

"I'm only here because Hammond is following the rule book to the letter."

"I don't blame him. He's keeping you safe."

"The people who hired Connors are either dead or locked up. We have the last piece of the puzzle." Alex propped herself on an elbow and took Olivia's face. "Liv…I'm telling you it's okay." Alex inwardly sighed and could tell Olivia was doing the same. "I'll stay close. I'll listen to what you say. I'll go where you tell me to go." She paused. "I've been living in fear for two years. I don't want to feel that way tonight. I want to see the city one more time, with you..." Alex softly grinned, searching for the right words. "I finally have answers…" She trailed off, searching Olivia's gaze as Olivia returned her happiness with a relenting smile. "You do too. I can see it Liv."

"God Alex." Olivia closed her eyes again and turned away, her smile fading. Silence clamored the moment and Olivia's brow furrowed.

"Fine..." Alex's touch traipsed across Olivia's collarbone. "First restaurant in a mile. Please." That word felt foreign in her mouth but she relaxed to the pillow with an easy sigh. "How can you not be hungry after that?" Olivia's gaze opened to the ceiling and Alex focused on her fingers as they combed back the detective's hair. The worry in Olivia's eyes was toxic. If she looked into the detective's gaze again she'd second guess herself, or worse, give in. Olivia always softened her resolve, nothing ever changed that. "And don't think about leaving me here while you go pick something up. You have to stay by my side at all times, remember?"

Olivia couldn't help but smile as she put a hand over her eyes. She sat silent, her breaths easing in and out. "We can take the stairwell to the parking garage—"

"From the 29th floor?"

Olivia grinned, taking the hand from her eyes. "What did you expect? That we'd casually ride down the elevator? They're working in shifts down there. And where we go, they go."

"You sure this isn't all some elaborate plot to get you to sleep with me?" Alex joked, lingering a moment before she kissed Olivia's cheek. "Stairs it is." She slid out of bed and collected her clothes from the floor, a chill caressing her body. The sheets rustled behind her and she glanced over her shoulder with a smile, as the detective sat idly watching her. "Like what you see detective?"

Olivia glanced down with a bashful smile Alex had only seen a few times before.

Alex pulled her clothes back on. "Maybe when we get back that mouth of yours can do more than just smile." She scooped Olivia's clothes up and chucked them at her. "Come on."

"You still need to prep."

Alex walked to Olivia's side of the bed. "I love how you're obsessing over this case more than me…" She kissed Olivia, resisting the urge to climb over the detective and back in bed. "…I already read the file." She spoke as she pulled away, glancing to the tousled tufts of Olivia's hair, presumably from where her fingers dragged through it. "Fix your hair." She smirked, twisting her own hair into a messy bun and heading towards the bathroom.

The safety of the witness was the most important priority in a protective detail. That meant, an officer was always to be on guard…she was supposed to be ready for anything.

Sleeping with the witness was not one of those duties.

Stripped down, rolling between the sheets, Olivia could only imagine the hell she'd be in if an emergency happened. But tonight, time had been kind to them for whatever reason, allowing them the luxury of relaxing in each other's arms. A calm before the storm.

What would a chance with Alex be like? She'd envisioned it, innocently at first, her pining spurred after a successful conclusion to one of their early cases. The team went out for drinks and after a few relaxing hours they parted ways for the night. Her and Alex walked side by side. They only meant to walk to Alex's car but lost track of time in each other's company. Alex slipped an arm through hers, which was likely the three drinks she had softening her inhibitions.

But something happened with Alex's touch, Olivia's heart skipping and her breaths thickening as Alex held onto her arm. With each shared laugh Alex leaned closer, and that night saw the inside of her apartment for the first time. Alex never said anything about her place, just made herself at home on the couch.

Knowing how the city turned at night, she would have never let Alex venture back to her car. In her mind, Olivia saw Alex's heels clacking against the sidewalk in the dead of night, signaling her presence to anyone around. She wouldn't have forgiven herself for letting Alex go alone. And that's all it was…an innate sense to protect those she cared about. With her Alex was safe, but the sight of the attorney fast asleep on her couch inspired new emotions.

Trapped, those emotions would remain. Soon her gazes would linger and her mind would wander.

She always managed, and very well, to keep any sexual fantasies at bay, not wanting to degrade Alex in such a manner and make it hard for her to look in Alex's eyes the next time they met at work. But they happened; the sharp, intuitive observer often seeing right through the "calm" resolve she packed atop her flustered state, acknowledging it with a simple "You okay, Liv?".

Feeling Alex around her fingers, tasting her, hearing that sultry voice call her name—the fire running down her back, it intoxicated her in more ways than she expected.

Unrelenting hands around her waist…Alex held her like she never would again.

Finality invigorated their passion and Olivia thanked the heavens that other officers were permitted to the 29th floor only in the event of a true emergency. Otherwise, their "secret" might be heard down the hall.

It was all still surreal.

After Alex was forced into witness protection, she suppressed her unrequited feelings. Letting go of the past was her only way to move forward. Alex's office was occupied by someone else now, and she was still expected to keep the A.D.A informed. Casey was a worthy replacement for Alex. Still, she kept her visits brief.

"Your old A.D.A, what was she like?" Casey asked once, catching her completely off guard and she struggled to find an answer.

"She was one of the best." It was all she could muster, leaving the room shortly after.

Alex's fiery arguments against the defense kept Olivia on the edge of her seat in the courtroom, and fueled her admiration. She missed smirking at Alex's smart-ass remarks and her quick-witted comebacks. In the courtroom Alex seemed superhuman, but a tender person hid behind those concrete walls, as the night proved. She would protect that person at all costs, even better this time. She'd already failed once.

"Liv we couldn't have known."

Olivia remembered those hours in the hospital, waiting anxiously for Alex's prognosis with Elliot at her side. When they said Alex had passed in surgery she left the room, found a dark, deserted hall, and did her best not to break down. The cold wall in D-wing, she could still feel her forehead pressed to it, how her chest ached, and the moment she felt herself slipping. Why didn't she see the van? Why didn't she react faster when she heard the tires screeching around that turn and the roar of the engine?

Elliot called in for her the next morning, but she couldn't stay home with her thoughts. That was dangerous. A gut feeling got her off the couch, denial of Alex's death maybe. Something didn't feel right. And then Cragen handed her and Elliot the note with a location that changed everything.

Now Alex was back. No sling around her arm. She wanted her shooter behind bars but defeat still lingered in her eyes. Although, it was understandable.

This night of honesty, sharing a few candid confessions, it wasn't supposed to send them down this road. Alex was still vulnerable and their friendship just finding new beginnings. Familiarity helped them reconnect on a deeper level, but they were supposed to stay friends. Alex would sleep in the bed and she'd sleep on the couch.

"Don't do this", her mind screamed, but she gave in after Alex's kiss, wanting to feel those lips one more time. For breaking the ice, she was grateful to Alex. A myriad of things would have led her to rationalize her way out of initiating anything between them.

Her eyes burned. She could've cried her relief, even if dread strangled it; she felt herself on the verge after she slipped her clothes back on but held her emotion back. That side of her wasn't what they needed right now.

Olivia stood from the foot of the bed and moved to the table where her overnight bag sat. "Alex…"

"I hear it in your voice Liv." Alex emerged from the bathroom with a knowing look and approached. "It's only a mile down the street." Olivia's eyes locked onto the dark chasm inside her duffle bag as Alex's hands took her shoulders with a squeeze. Olivia clenched her jaw at the bittersweet warmth of Alex's touch; how it eased her, surprised her, mystified her…and how she yearned for it all at the same time.

Alex's arms encircled her waist, and dismay inundated Olivia's chest. She breathed when Alex let go and secured her belt, sliding her gun into its holster. In stillness, she stared out the window, her brow tensing at the night on the other side.

"Ready?"

Alex's voice pulled Olivia from her thoughts. She glanced over her shoulder as Alex slipped on her gray overcoat.

"Here." Olivia pulled a black beanie out of her bag and turned, tossing it to Alex. It was close to fifteen degrees outside and supposed to be colder tomorrow. That's why she brought it. Who would've thought it would come in handy when she least expected?

"A beanie?" Alex looked up. "I'm guessing you're not giving me this because it's cold."

"The blonde hair stands out in the dark."

"Liv, no."

"That's a condition if you want to go out."

"...Fine." Alex put it on and tucked her hair into it with a grimace. "What? Why are you laughing?"

Olivia walked to the door with a smile, unlocking and pulling it open without an answer. "Stay behind me."

"No complaint there. A Question though…"

"Hm."

"Do you plan on braving the cold in a t-shirt?"

Alex handed over the leather jacket she'd pulled off the rack. "I look out for you sometimes."

Olivia met her knowing smirk and slid her jacket on. She turned back to the Hotel's empty hallway, suppressing her escaping grin in favor of maintaining absolute focus.

When Elliot said his EX-Marine buddies knew a good place to stash Alex, she didn't think he meant an abandoned hotel high-rise. The Moon Fire it was called. The luxurious hotel and its equally luxurious owners the unfortunate victims of bankruptcy. Apparently, the new plan was to turn it into apartment spaces, and another owner was set to come on board within a month. So right now, the property lingered in a weird limbo, severely understaffed and not allowing any guests.

Alex's room had been strategically selected on a blueprint. Something close to an exit and secluded enough to not draw attention. The stairs were a room down on the right-hand side, and the elevators were at the far opposite end of the hall.

Olivia's heart thumped slow as they started down the hall; her hand instinctively bracing the gun beneath her jacket.

"Liv."

A hand grabbed her right arm and jolted her. She clutched her gun but recognized the hand. 'Jeez Alex.' Under her breath, Olivia scolded herself for almost drawing her gun in the absence of a threat before she turned in the direction of Alex's voice.

"I don't think there's anyone here you need to shoot."

Right, these were friendlies not foes. She took her hand off the gun and continued forward. "Just being careful." Olivia quieted her unease. 'All because she's hungry...'

Olivia pushed open the emergency exit. "Let's try to stay quiet."

They started down.

'28...27...26...25...24...23...22...21...20 —'

She stopped counting, trying her best to remain alert and aware as they looped from flight to flight, Alex keeping pace behind her; the never-ending staircase feeling like a labyrinth. Relief washed over her when she finally opened the door labeled "P".

Olivia froze in the doorway and Alex ran into her backside; a surprised hand squeezing Olivia's shoulder.

Lights flickered in the concrete parking garage that greeted them, a few police cruisers the only cars in the vast space.

From a distance Olivia stared at the police officer in a flak vest, slumped in a fold out chair next to the parking garage's elevator entrance. 'Is he dead?' He wasn't moving. She carefully took a step out the doorway, holding Alex back with an outstretched arm as she eyed him with a furrowed brow, sizing him for signs of blood, a struggle, or lack thereof.

A snore tore from his open mouth and she relaxed, as did the hand around her wrist.

"Nothing will get past him."

Olivia smirked at Alex's sarcastic murmur. "It's two in the morning I don't blame him." An un-doored stairwell entrance caught her eye. "Come on." She turned, ushering Alex out before she softly closed the door behind them.

They crossed the deserted garage with quiet haste, escaping down a cold, tight stairwell at the opposite end that led to the city level; a dim jaundiced light over them. Tucked away in an awkward nook, the stairwell entrance couldn't have been easy to spot from the street.

Olivia lifted a hand as she neared the open-air entrance to the city and held Alex back. With her shoulder pinned to the wall, she continued down the steps; a biting gust of winter wind hitting her face as she peered out the concrete entry way. A familiar, red-lettered sign across the street immediately caught her gaze.

"Tony's Food and Drug"

She looked down and smirked at the uncanny sight of three black Crown Vics parked along the curb, half bathed in red. Luck was on their side tonight. One was hers.

*Crunch, Crunch*

Heavy boots crunched debris and bits of gravel on the sidewalk.

Olivia leaned around the corner a little farther at the sound, spotting a man in jeans, a hoodie, and a flak vest; one of Elliot's military friends. At least someone was trying to keep Alex safe. The man turned in their direction and she slipped back into the stairwell as his footsteps approached.

She looked to Alex, shaking her head, the woman clenching her jaw.

*Crunch, Crunch, Crunch, Crunch*

The footsteps gently echoed as they neared, and she backed up a couple more steps, hearing the shift of tactical gear against his body.

He stopped right in front of the entrance surveying the vicinity, his back to them and his shadow casting into the stairwell.

She held her breath. Hiding from a friendly was a strange feeling.

The man turned in the opposite direction, continuing his perimeter, his footsteps fading as he disappeared around the building's corner.

Olivia looked over, her hand reaching out to Alex; those blue eyes shifting about the entrance, looking as though the prosecutor were rethinking her hunger. "Come on."

Alex took her hand and started down the steps. "I'm starting to feel like a damsel in distress."

"You?" Olivia playfully scoffed with a crooked grin and looked to the city street, a couple cars passing by. A kiss on the cheek surprised her as Alex's hand slipped from her grasp and grabbed the lapel of her jacket, pulling her in for a real kiss.

Alex let go with a soft smile. "Thank you Liv."

Olivia snapped out of her stupor and turned away. She had to keep it together. "Don't thank me yet." Her throat dry and her brow tense she started forward, almost reaching for Alex's hand again but deciding against it.

She stepped into the open and crossed the sidewalk with a quickened pace; her gaze darting from building to building, car to car, even searching mundane objects like benches and light posts as she led Alex to her car. She reached into her pocket and took out her keys, pressing the unlock button. The yellow lights of the car in the very front flashed.

'This is definitely not how I thought this night would go.'

She scanned the backseat windows as they approached, checking for any movement inside, any unwanted stowaways with bad intentions.

"Get in." Olivia pulled open the passenger door for Alex, pressing a hand to the woman's shoulder as Alex stooped to enter the vehicle, but Alex stood back up and looked her straight in the eye with a knowing smile.

"I'm not one of your perps. I can get into the car myself, detective."

Olivia smiled at her unconscious habits and backed off.

"However, if you'd like to handcuff me, I'm not opposed—"

"Just get into the car." Olivia rounded the front of the vehicle and pulled open the driver's side. She hopped into the seat, glancing to the rear-view mirror then over her shoulder, just to confirm nothing or no one was back there. She stuck the key in the ignition but stopped short of turning it; a memory flashing into her mind of the DEA agent blown to bits after his car exploded.

She glanced to Alex—who watched the ignition too—before hoping for the best and turning the key, collective relief filling the car at the normal hum of the vehicle.

She pulled into the road, scanning their surroundings with sharp eyes as her and her passenger rode in silence.

At a red light the car rolled to a perfect stop behind the designated white line, and Olivia relaxed into the seat, staring out the windshield with an enigmatic gaze; the tension she hoped to avoid beginning to make its presence known in the air as their silence staled.

A hand came to her thigh and her foot jumped on the brake, jolting the car and ripping her from the daze she'd slipped into.

"You seem rattled detective."

At the smile in Alex's words Olivia played off her discomfort with a sigh.

"Your hand is on my thigh."

"Didn't seem to bother you earlier." Alex leaned across the center console giving Olivia's leg a squeeze. "There's something I've always wanted to know…"

Olivia felt Alex's breath caressing her ear but kept her cool. "Hm?"

"How fast can you go detective?"

A smirk lifted the corner of Olivia's mouth and she glanced out of the corner of her eye. "No. I'm trying to keep you safe, not kill you."

"Come on, perfect opportunity. Open roads, green lights…" Alex's hand slipped into Olivia's jacket.

Olivia's jaw clenched as the air thickened, warming to a searing point in the midst of winter. This insatiable side of Alex kept her heart racing and her breaths flustered.

"Come on Liv."

"I don't think it's a good id—"

The light turned green and Olivia floored the gas pedal, taking advantage of the empty street—a rarity—and of Alex's distraction. The release of her own frustrations liberating as adrenaline rushed to her fingers; her hands clutching around the wheel to fight the tingle in its wake. The speedometer needle raced to 90 and then some, the engine roaring its steep incline as streetlights streaked past them as mere blurs.

The hand on her thigh clenched to a painful point; Alex plastered to the passenger seat, staring out the windshield with wide eyes.

Olivia smirked as Alex's chest heaved in the corner of her eye.

Catching a red and white sign still lit in the distance, its light spilling into the street, Olivia lifted her foot and let the car coast down to the 30 it was supposed to be. She turned into a dingy parking lot with three cars outside and parked where the light touched the asphalt. "And that Cabot, is why being a cop is more fun." She relaxed in the seat and looked to her recovering companion. "2 miles in a minute. Is that fast enough for you?"

The surprise on Alex's face died and Alex met her gaze tongue in cheek, an incredulous smile stretching across her face as she subtly shook her head, not accepting that she'd been caught off guard.

"So how many bruises am I going to count tomorrow?" Olivia smiled at the hand still clutched around her thigh.

*click*

A seatbelt unclasped, but before Olivia could register whose it was, Alex blindsided her, rushing over the center console and grabbing her face, pressing their lips together in a hurried kiss; Olivia's shoulder blade against the driver's side window as the 5'10 woman tried to climb over her in a Crown Victoria. It didn't work. But Alex quickly figured out how to rectify the situation, her hand clumsily searching for the seat's adjustment lever.

Olivia took Alex's arm before Alex could accomplish her mission of throwing the seat back and them with it.

At the waist she pushed her back, looking into Alex's eyes, suppressing her own desires and catching her breath. "I thought you were hungry."

"Fuck it" That's what she saw in Alex's gaze.

"Come on." Holding Alex at bay, Olivia reached between them, unbuckled her seatbelt, and pulled the door handle, swiftly escaping the car and inhaling a good breath of air. No matter how polluted and smelly the city was, any air was especially refreshing in a moment like this; her breath puffing into the cold on her exhale.

Alex flopped to her seat with a heavy sigh, her body still trembling from the adrenaline. 'It's like I can't control myself.'

"Pancke hose"

Through the windshield, Alex stared at the lettered sign atop the small restaurant, some sections of it burned out. Her door opened before she could get a sense of where they were, and a chill invaded her warmth.

"The first thing you saw, huh? You took what I said seriously."

Olivia held the door open. "Don't you trust a cop who's worked the night shift several times?"

Alex simply smiled.

"It can't be that bad, especially for this time in the morning."

"I'll take your word for it." Alex stayed in her seat a moment longer, very aware of the eyes watching her but not wanting to look over just yet. "Manhattan." She sighed, a sad longing slipping into her gaze. "Go down the street and you're in a completely different world…" She tossed her head back. "I miss this place Liv."

"I know."

Alex looked over, smiling up at the woman hanging off the car's roof. "I miss you too." Her words came before she could think, and a shudder shot down her spine as Olivia gave her an uncertain look and glanced away.

"Let's try to keep this to an hour. I'd love to stay out all night but..." Olivia trailed off, looking back to her with the reassurance Alex needed.

"If we did that…I'd never get you back in bed."

"Jeez Alex." With a worn smile Olivia pushed off the car and started towards the entrance.

Alex stepped out and shut the door behind her. Her eyes locked onto Olivia, the detective lifting her keys at the slam, locking the car without looking back.

'She missed me?'

The rich smell of coffee along with a few clinking pans from the kitchen welcomed them; the restaurant's suffocating warmth melting the night's chill from their beings as they stepped in.

Stopping at the front, Olivia eyed the small pancake joint with her hands in her pockets. The drab speckled carpet stuck to the bottoms of her shoes a little, and the worn walnut furniture decades old as well as the cook visible over the kitchen's counter lighting a cigar from a stove burner wasn't particularly appealing.

Alex had to be horrified on the inside. She was a New Yorker, sure. But she was also a wealthy New Yorker. These weren't places she frequented. For her, visiting the seedy underbelly of the city after dark was probably another thrill.

Olivia glanced to a lone man sitting in one of the red upholstered booths wearing a reflective safety vest, his hard hat on the tabletop.

A place like this…it's where her mother brought her when she felt like drinking not cooking. They stayed until the liquor ran out, and then some. The waiters learned their names and became good friends. Some even took her home when her mother was too strung out to drive.

"Take care kid."

She could still hear a particular waitress's hoarse voice and see her standing on the steps of their brownstone in her mind's eye.

Alex brushed past her, pulling her from memories that did nothing but upset and disappoint.

"Sit Anywhere"

A warped laminated sign hung off an empty host's stand. Alex must've seen it first.

"Keep away from the windows." Olivia followed close behind making eye contact with the guy, empathizing with the dead look in his gaze. "Head to the booth in the far-left corner." She picked the booth out spotting an adjacent, unobstructed kitchen entrance; there'd be an exit in the back in case they needed it.

Olivia slid into the booth, watching the restaurant entrance over Alex's shoulder.

"…You okay Liv—"

"How's it going ladies? Menus are right there." A blonde waitress with a lackluster gaze pointed to two sticky-looking plastic menus wedged between the napkin holder and the wall. "Can I get you something to drink? Water? Coffee?"

"Both for me." Alex answered first.

"Same."

The waitress left and Alex took the menus, sliding one across the table. She took the beanie off her head, and at that Olivia scanned the room again.

"I am in the mood for absolute junk."

Olivia lifted the menu and smiled behind it. "Is that what I do to you?"

"What you do to me I can't talk about here."

Olivia cleared her throat. Leave it to her to choke on her own spit at Alex's words.

"Y'all ready?" The waiter came beside the table, standing with a notepad and pen.

"That was fast." Alex looked over as Olivia set aside her menu.

"If you want I can come back in an hour." The woman chuckled a little. "We've got nothin' but time. I'm just trying to give Joe something to do. Keep him from puffin' the last bit of his life away."

Olivia met Alex's quirked brow and looked back to the waiter. "Just give us two of your best dish."

"Hm…one of those nights, huh?" The waiter smiled as though she knew exactly what they'd done. "Okay…comin' right up." She left and Olivia looked to the somber scene out the windows.

Snow flurries caught in the wind passed through the city in ephemeral wisps. Why was the road so empty? Maybe just for them. She turned back, doing a double take at Alex's smug smile.

"What?"

"So..." Alex leaned back. "Are we going to talk about it?"

Here it came.

Olivia looked down unable to contain the smile stretching across her face, as she put her elbows on the table and her face in her hands. It was too early in the morning for this conversation, and too soon after their encounter.

"Don't say "what?", Don't say "I'm not sure what that was", because you knew exactly what you were doing, and you weren't holding back."

Olivia heard the amusement in Alex's voice. "I thought you said you couldn't talk about this here."

"Sure, the R-rated version. But I can keep it clean." Alex smirked. "You're not getting out of this Olivia."

With a sigh, Olivia ran her hands down her face and looked up, meeting the mischievous gleam in Alex's gaze. "I feel like you're putting me on the witness stand."

"Detective..." Alex turned into a prosecutor again, her voice robust and matter of fact. "According to the evidence, how would you describe the nature of this encounter?"

They both chuckled.

"Old habits die hard." Alex's disarming tone soothed away any tension in the air as Alex glanced away with an enchanting smile. "I'm glad it happened."

Olivia glanced down, tightening her smile and folding her hands on the tabletop.

"So now what?" Alex asked, waiting expectantly as their gazes met.

"Why don't we just get through tomorrow and see where things go from there." Olivia watched Alex carefully. "Are you ready?"

"That's not a question you have to ask me Liv."

The waiter came up the aisle expertly balancing a tray across her hand. On the table she sat two steaming mugs of coffee, two cups of water, and a tall carafe. "Brought the whole pot, looked like you'd be here awhile. I told Joe to cook the food real slow." She grinned.

"Thank you." Alex spoke where Olivia kindly nodded.

The waiter left and Alex leaned forward as the detective took a much needed sip of water.

"Connors thinks he's invincible. My plan is to use that against him. His lawyer is definitely going to ask me if I saw my shooter. Unfortunately, we all know the answer is no. I'll be forced to admit it on the stand. However, it won't be in the way the defense is expecting."

Olivia raised an eyebrow, intrigued to hear the rest of this plan.

"I bet a proud man like Connors won't be too happy when I point out his failures."

Alex smirked at the end and Olivia smiled. The file was useful after all, just as she expected it to be.

"I know, I'm good." Alex reached across the table taking Olivia's hands. "And I'll be even better if I get to sleep with you beside me." She paused. "I wouldn't be able to pull this off without you."

Olivia tensed at the fresh memories Alex's touch brought back. It didn't help that Alex wasn't keen on the art of subtlety. "What about the guy in Wisconsin? The claims adjuster…"

"According to Hammond, Emily might as well be dead. I never got to tell you that part. Even if this doesn't work out tomorrow, I won't go back to the same place. And if I somehow did, it wouldn't matter." Alex gently squeezed Olivia's hands, staying quiet for a long moment. "Whatever that was, it's been there for a long time Liv." She looked to the windows across the room. "I'm starting to realize how big of a mistake I would've made, if I had died that day and never told you how I felt."

That declaration hit like a ton of bricks and Olivia kept her eyes on their hands. "Why didn't you?"

Alex smirked and looked back over. "Why didn't you?"

"Don't know." Olivia lied to keep her answer simple. Sure, she could've gone on about friendship, how intimidating Alex could be, and her own doubts but she didn't have the energy to say any of it.

Alex pulled away and glanced about the diner. "To think we would have just lived our lives circling around each other but never knowing."