Chapter 20
AN: Thank you for the support I really hope you like this chapter. Sorry about no update yesterday with my new job I have less time to write so I'm trying to spread chapters out so that there is never too long of a break.
The next morning Olivia can't help but feel a little concerned about Elliot, but at the same time she isn't letting that effect the morning she is spending with Alex and Noah.
"Are you going to be here tonight too, Alex?" Noah asks curious.
"I'm not sure," Alex admits. "Am I?" Alex asks curious, looking at Olivia, smiling slightly.
"If you want," Olivia says.
"I do want," Alex confirms.
"Yay!" Noah says, sounding glad, and causing both Alex and Olivia to smile.
"Do you want to go get your bag, Noah, it's almost time to go to school," Olivia tells her son.
"Yep!" Noah says, looking glad, before hurrying off to get his stuff, leaving Alex and Olivia together in the living room.
For the next day Olivia works a case where people are overdosing and being rolled. Having just had a conversation with Elliot who cornered her in the parking garage of the ME's office Olivia pulls her phone and calls Alex.
As Alex finished talking with Barba, Liz, and Antonio about a matter she is returning to her office when her phone rings.
"Hey Olivia," Alex greats, as she answers.
"Hey," Olivia greats, and because of her tone Alex can guess what happened.
"You've spoken to Elliot," Alex realizes.
"Yeah, he's a mess," Olivia confirms. "He's now obsessing about why someone would go after Kathy," Olivia admits. "He's not listening to anything I'm telling him," Olivia explains, feeling both worried and guilty for not doing more.
"Liv, you're doing everything you can," Alex says, as she realizes what would be bothering Olivia. "You can offer Elliot all the advice in the world, but he has to accept it; and if it doesn't that's on him," Alex reminds Olivia, saying what Olivia knows but needs the reminder.
"I know," Olivia says with a sign. "Doesn't mean I have to like it," Olivia admits. "How's Liz been? Has she said how her siblings are doing?" Olivia asks curious.
"I think they're the same, worrying about Elliot, trying to distract Eli from what's going on," Alex admits.
"Tell Liz that if there is anything I can do, just let me know," Olivia requests.
"Already have," Alex admits.
"You know me so well," Olivia says. "Fin's trying to call, I'll talk to you later, I love you," Olivia says to Alex.
"Love you too," Alex responds, before hanging up.
A few hours later Barba is alone in the bullpen, as Liz has gone to meet Antonio and Dickie, when the elevator opens and Olivia walks out.
"Hey Liv," Barba greats, then he notices the look on her face. "Liv, what's wrong?" Barba asks worried, knowing it must be something bad for that look to be on Olivia's face.
"Is Alex in?" Olivia asks, sounding both shocked, and pained.
"Yeah," Barba answers, his concern growing, and Olivia walks straight into Alex's office, without knocking.
"You need something, Rafi?" Alex asks, without looking up from her computer, but then once she does not get an answer she does, and the second she sees Olivia she stops what she is doing. "Liv? What's wrong?" Alex asks worried.
"My brother, Simon…. It wasn't an accidental overdose," Olivia reveals.
"What do you mean?" Alex asks, standing up.
"The case we're investigating, Johns being rolled; last year they were using the same drugs as what killed Simon," Olivia explains, as Alex walks over to her. "I know they're who killed Simon too," Olivia admits. "My squad things I'm overreaching, but I know…" Olivia says, not wanting Alex to react the same way as everyone else.
"I believe you," Alex assures Olivia before hugging her. "What can I do?" Alex asks as she kisses Olivia's cheek as she hugs her.
"Exactly what you're doing," Olivia says, as she continues to hug Alex.
"Okay," Alex responds, and the two of them continue to hug as they stand together.
For a while Alex and Olivia stand together and hug Alex wanting to do whatever she can to offer Olivia support; doing her best to hide the concern she is feeling for Olivia.
"Do you want to go home?" Alex asks curious.
"Yeah, there's nothing else I can do tonight," Olivia admits, and the two of them break apart.
"Just let me save what I was doing and then we can go," Alex tells Olivia.
"Is it okay for you to leave?" Olivia asks concerned, as she and Alex break apart.
"Yeah, it's fine. I just had a hearing this morning," Alex explains, as she walks over to her computer, knowing that if there are any emergencies then Barba can handle them.
"Okay," Olivia says, and Alex starts to do what she has to do on her computer. "I'll wait out in the bullpen, I think I worried Rafa when I walked in," Olivia admits.
"Probably," Alex admits, knowing that if Olivia walked into Vita Nova with the same look on her face that she had when she walked into the office then Barba would be worried, and Olivia nods and heads back into the bullpen.
After leaving Alex's office Olivia walks over to Barba who is sitting at his desk, trying to make it seem like he is working, but he is not.
"Barba," Olivia says, walking towards him.
"Are you okay?" Barba asks in the gentle voice he tends to only use with Olivia, Alex, or children.
"Not really," Olivia admits. "It looks like Simon's death wasn't an accidental overdose," Olivia explains.
"What do you mean?" Barba asks, standing up, feeling worried for his friend, and feeling that she has been through far too much pain.
"We're working a case, a group are using counterfeit drugs to roll Johns," Olivia explains. "Last year they were using the same drugs as the drugs that killed Simon," Olivia explains, it being no easier to explain than when she told Alex.
"Oh Liv," Barba says, feeling bad for her. "I… I don't know what to say," Barba admits.
"I don't know how to feel," Olivia admits.
"Is Lex taking you home?" Barba asks, as if she's not he's going to have a few words with his best friend.
"Yeah," Olivia explains.
"Good," Barba says relieved.
"Yeah, I think time with Noah and Alex are what I need right now," Olivia admits, as Alex comes out of her office.
"I think so too," Barba admits. "If there is anything I can do… just call," Barba says, as he wants to do something, but he isn't sure what that something is.
"I will, thanks," Olivia says gratefully.
"Ready to go?" Alex asks Olivia as she gets to where Olivia and Barba are standing.
"Yeah," Olivia confirms.
"I'll handle the emergency line, I don't want you to worry," Barba tells Alex.
"Are you sure?" Alex asks, as she knows that handling the emergency line can be difficult.
"I'm sure," Barba says, his eyes flickering to Olivia which tells Alex everything she needs to know. "I'll see you tomorrow Lex, remember what I said, Liv," Barba requests.
"See you tomorrow, Rafi," Alex responds.
"Thank you Rafa," Olivia responds, and the two of them head out of Vita Nova together, Barba watching them go and feeling concerned about his friends.
For the next two days Olivia continues to work the case, and with the more time that passes the clearer it becomes that the case Olivia is working is connected to what happened to Simon. Just like she has the previous few days Alex has stayed over at Olivia's. it's early in the morning, and Alex has left Olivia's apartment to get breakfast for the two of them and Noah, and is putting the breakfast on the bench when Noah walks out of his room.
"Alex? Did you cook?" Noah asks curious as he smells something amazing.
"No Buddy," Alex says, trying to hide her amusement, as she is pretty sure that Noah is the only person in her life who isn't horrified at the possibility of her cooking, and she likes that. "I went and got breakfast for us and your Mom," Alex explains.
"Mom's been sad," Noah says, as he has noticed that.
"Yeah, she has," Alex confirms, knowing that this has to be a delicate conversation, as unknown to her, and Noah, Olivia was just about to leave her room when she heard what Noah said so she paused, and is listening to the conversation.
"I don't like it," Noah admits, as he sits down across from Alex.
"Me either," Alex admits.
"Mom is really happy when you're around, I like that," Noah informs Alex in a matter of fact tone.
"I'll let you in on a secret, I like being around too. I like making your Mom happy," Alex informs Olivia.
"I'm glad," Noah says, and Olivia can't help but smile.
"What smells so good?" Olivia asks loudly as she walks out from where she was standing, wanting to give Noah and Alex some warning.
"Alex got breakfast!" Noah reveals.
"Wow, thank you," Olivia says to Alex, giving her a grateful look, thanking her for a lot more than just breakfast.
"You're welcome, I thought I nice breakfast would be good," Alex admits.
"It is," Olivia says to her girlfriend, feeling beyond thankful, and incredibly in love with Alex.
"Can we eat now?" Noah asks curious.
"Sure Buddy," Alex says, and the three of them proceed to eat the breakfast that Alex got them.
A little while after she, Olivia, and Noah sat down to breakfast, Alex is arriving at Vita Nova. When Alex walks into the bullpen she sees Barba walking back to his desk holding coffee, but no sign of Liv and Antonio.
"Morning. No Liz or Antonio?" Alex asks curious.
"Not yet," Barba reveals. "How's Liv doing?" Barba asks concerned.
"Struggling," Alex admits. "She's sure that the case is connected to Simon, but everything is really complicated," Alex admits.
"It's got to be so hard for her," Barba admits. "I know Liv has a lot of complicated feelings about her brother," Barba says.
"She really does," Alex admits, and she signs. "I just hope this case is over soon," Alex admits, feeling worried about how Olivia is handling this whole thing.
"I think we agree about that," Barba admits, as the two of them drift into silence as they stand together.
A while after she arrived at work, due to a phone call she had with Olivia after Olivia left a meeting, Alex is waiting in Olivia's office. As she waits for her girlfriend Alex is feeling incredibly concerned about Olivia as she worries that this case being connected to Simon is causing her incredible pain.
From where she is waiting, leaning against Olivia's desk, Alex sees when Olivia walks into the bullpen, and as she walks towards her office Alex locks eyes with her girlfriend and even though it is only a split second Alex can see how relieved Olivia is to see her.
"Hey," Alex greats, pushing herself away from Olivia's desk, as Olivia walks in and closes the door behind her, quiet forcefully. "I'm here," Alex promises as she walks towards Olivia and once they are close enough the two of them embrace. "I've got you," Alex says, kissing Olivia's cheek as they hug.
"Everyone's saying no one cared about Simon, but I cared about him," Olivia says, without moving away from Alex.
"I know, I know you did Honey," Alex assures Olivia, realizing how much guilt Olivia is feeling, and the two of them drift into silence as they continue to stand together, Alex desperately wishing that she could take away the guilt Olivia is feeling.
For a few minutes Alex and Olivia stand in silence together, holding each other, until their silence is broken by a knock on the door.
"Come in," Olivia says, as she pushes back from Alex, as Kat opens the door.
"Everyone's here form the lineup, Cap," Kat says, looking between Alex and Olivia, seeing how close the two of them are.
"Thanks Kat," Olivia responds, and Kat nods and leaves.
"Do you want me to stay?" Alex asks, as she will if Olivia needs her.
"No, I'm okay," Olivia admits. "You've already helped me so much," Olivia admits.
"Okay, if you need anything, just call," Alex requests. "I love you," Alex says.
"I love you," Olivia responds, and once she does Alex heads out of Olivia's office, still feeling incredibly concerned about her girlfriend.
A while after she found Alex waiting in her office Olivia is walking through the corridors of the hotel Simon overdosed in with Fin, and Elliot as it seems like the overdoses are connected to the cases Elliot has been working.
"Three OD's, Warner thinks they're all Purple Magic," Olivia explains.
"It's a knockoff of the brand," Elliot realizes.
"Hey, you should know that my brother, Simon, may have been drugged by the same crew," Olivia explains, it still being incredibly painful for her to talk about Simon.
"What? When?" Elliot asks surprised.
"Uh, year and a half ago. Warner though it was an OD," Olivia says, wanting to explain in the simplest way possible.
"Sorry to hear that," Elliot says as they walk into the room where Simon died, a room that it is incredibly hard for Olivia to be in.
"So this is where they found Simons body," Olivia explains, and as he knows this can be difficulty for Olivia Fin decides to take over the explanation.
"Paul Laundry OD'd in this hotel two nights ago in a room right down the hall," Fin explains.
"Nothing on the security cams? And you got three women in custody? They giving up the dealer?" Elliot asks.
"Oh, not yet" Fin answers.
"What do you know?" Olivia asks.
"Strictly off the record, the target of our investigation, Wheatley…" Elliot starts to explain.
"The person that you think is responsible for Kathy's desk," Olivia realizes.
"He's got a legitimate company that manufactures oxy. His side gig, he adds fentanyl to it and he peddles it as purple magic," Elliot explains.
"Okay, well this batch, someone cut it with too much fentanyl," Fin explains.
"I can tell you, Wheatley doesn't want bodies dropping," Elliot reveals. "Maybe it's a rival gang that's piggybacking off his brand name," Elliot explains.
"Kat's got something," Fin reveals. "TARU pulled this off Piper's snapchat," Fin reveals, showing Olivia and Elliot the video, as he does Olivia realizes something.
"That's Simon," Olivia says, taking the phone from Fin to have a better look and she sees that her brother is on the bed behind the people making the video.
"That's Simon?" Elliot asks surprised, as they continue to watch the video.
"That guy was the driver when we picked up Piper," Fin explains. "He's not the driver. He's the dealer," Fin realizes.
"Somebody from Wheatley's crew, maybe someone gone rouge," Olivia realizes. "Do you know him?" Olivia asks Elliot.
"Never seen him before, but we better find him before Wheatley does," Elliot says, as he knows how that will end.
For a while Olivia, Elliot, and Olivia's team continue to work the case, and after what just happened Olivia knows she has to call Alex and so she walks away from where Elliot and Fin are talking about what just happened and pulls her phone.
"Hey," Alex answers.
"Hey, so I have to tell you something, but I don't want you to worry," Olivia tells Alex.
"Olivia, whenever you tell me not to worry, I start to worry," Alex admits, feeling her concern grow. "What happened?" Alex asks worried.
"Elliot and I were shot at in my car," Olivia explains, knowing that direct is best, but also feeling concerned as she knows how Alex reacts to gunshots.
"What! Are you okay? Are you hurt? What happened?" Alex asks, asking each question in quick succession.
"I'm okay, I promise, I wasn't hurt," Olivia assures her.
"Are you sure?" Alex asks.
"I'm sure," Olivia assures her. "I promise, Sweetheart, I'm okay Ally," Olivia tells her.
"Really?' Alex asks.
"Really," Olivia assures her, using a gentle voice.
"Why did this happen?" Alex asks worried.
"I think we're getting too close to the crew that caused Simon's death and the others," Olivia admits.
"Be careful, Liv, please," Alex requests, as she doesn't want to lose Olivia.
"I will," Olivia responds. "Ally, I've got to go. IAB's getting here," Olivia says.
"Okay, I love you," Alex responds.
"I love you too," Olivia responds, and the two of them hang up. Once hanging up with Alex Olivia walks over to where Fin and Elliot are, while unknown to Olivia Alex mutters 'she's okay' to herself over and over again.
"Everything okay?" Elliot asks curious.
"Yeah, there was just a call I needed to make,' Olivia explains, feeling that Elliot doesn't deserve details of her life, not after the way he's been acting since he returned to New York, as the IAB member walks over to them.
For the next day or so Olivia and Elliot continue to work the case, and Olivia finally gets the closure she desperately needed. As she walks away from Elliot, who seems to be doing a little better but still not well enough to realize the effect he's having on his kids, Olivia feels relief, like a weight has been lifted off her shoulders. As she feels so good Olivia knows exactly who she wants to share the good feelings with.
Not long after she walked away from Elliot Olivia is stepping off the elevator at Vita Nova. As soon as she walks out she sees Barba, Liz and Antonio sitting at their desks, and Richard sitting on Antonio's desk, something which does not surprise Olivia.
"Hey Liv," Barba greats, feeling glad as he realizes that she is looking better.
"Hey Rafa," Olivia responds. "Ally in her office?" Olivia asks curious.
"Yep," Antonio answers.
"Liv, I'm about to get lunch, are you going to join us?" Liz asks curious.
"Yeah, I think I will," Olivia says, as she gets to Alex's door, which she knocks on.
"Come in," Alex responds, and Olivia walks in. "Hey, how are you?" Alex asks concerned, as she stands up.
"Much better," Olivia admits. "I know what happened now. I know how Simon died, know why, know everything," Olivia admits.
"I'm really happy for you," Alex says, as she walks over to Olivia.
"I am too," Olivia admits. "It still hurts that he's gone, but it's nice to know the truth," Olivia admits, and the two of them hug.
A little while after Olivia arrived at Vita Nova, Olivia, Alex, Barba, Liz, Antonio, and Richard are sitting together in the Vita Nova kitchen enjoying lunch together. After everything that has happened recently Olivia very much enjoys having lunch surrounded by people who she cares about, and who care about her.
