Chapter 14

Defend

It was 7:30AM when Olivia walked through the open door of the 1-6 with Alex closely behind her. She knew she needed to show her face, and needed to make sure everything was ok with the cases she was working. Quickly, a chorus of welcoming words greeted her, and when Fin saw her, he rose to his feet and clapped his hands—the rest of the squad joined in. Alex watched like a proud peacock as Olivia shushed and thanked everyone, holding up her hands and waving people off.

Elliot approached Alex and Olivia, giving his partner a hug, and wrapping Alex into the embrace.

"How are you? Thanks for taking good care of her. No brace already?" Elliot was speaking hurriedly, needy for information.

"I'm good, El. Yes, Alex has been taking good care of me," Olivia reached out and placed her hand over Alex's upper arm, stroking it lovingly. "No brace—intensive therapy 3 days a week, so hopefully I can be back soon."

Elliot noticed the affectionate touch and smiled, looking between the two of them. He moved closer to them both, motioning with his hand, and closing the gap in the tight triangle, lowering his voice to a whisper.

"I'm glad you two finally figured this out."

They both smiled at Elliot as Olivia turned to walk to her desk. She looked over her case files and smiled, as her fellow detectives had closed all of them out in the past few days. She sorted through each file, placing them away, until she reached the folder on the bottom, marked 'Kaley Adams.' She subconsciously felt a pain in her shoulder, but smiled softly because she knew Kaley was home with her family and would be ok.

Her smile shortly faded, though, when she saw Alex's face turn from a friendly gaze in conversation with Elliot to the Ice Queen glare. She wasn't sure what Alex was looking at, but quickly followed her stare, and her mood fell greatly when she saw what Alex was seeing.

Ed Tucker, the IAB sergeant, was standing in Cragen's office. Elliot and Alex convened on Olivia's desk as Elliot nodded in the captain's direction. "I meant to tell you about that…"

"Did they already talk to you?" Olivia looked down and noticed Elliot's gun on his hip. "Seems like you are good….right?"

"Yeah, they grilled me the morning after it happened. It was actually pretty straightforward, though. I know they're tired of talking to us, so I think they got the story from Cragen and just confirmed with me." Elliot paused and turned towards Cragen's office. With a nod of his head he said, "looks like it's your turn, now."

Tucker was walking out of Cragen's office, flanked by his partner and Captain Cragen. Cragen offered Olivia a warm embrace and looked from Olivia to Elliot. "Liv, sergeant Tucker wants to talk to you about Carlson. Everyone here is cleared so far, so it's really not a huge deal, but they just want to make sure that everything went by the book," he turned to Tucker, "Room 1 ok?"

Tucker nodded and headed that way. Cragen, Alex, Olivia, and Elliot were left in a small circle as Alex spoke hurriedly. "I'm going in with Liv for representation. I don't foresee them going this route, but neither of you said anything about…" she motioned between herself and Olivia, "this…right?"

Cragen looked between Alex and Olivia. "No. Because, technically, we didn't know anything about it until…well…right now."

Elliot jumped in. "Yeah, people jump in front of bullets for other people all the time, especially on the force. There's no reason for them to suspect anything." He moved closer to the two women and pointed his finger. "Now, I'll tell you both right now that if you two screw this up, I'm done with the both of you. I'm not working with a heartbroken partner or a shitty ADA anymore." They all smiled as Alex looked from Olivia to the others.

"We should probably go see Tucker," Alex said to Olivia. "And, as much as I hate to say it, we should probably disclose our relationship."

"No, not right now," Olivia said. "Alex, I'm proud of you and proud to be with you babe, but, especially with IAB, I'm not eager to disclose something that might move us away from each other—not right now. I'm not ready."

Alex smiled and started to walk toward the interrogation room. Olivia winked at her and followed closely behind. Alex opened the door and held it open for the detective as she passed through.

"Sergeant Tucker. I'm Alex Cabot, assistant district attorney." Alex reached her hand out and shook Tucker's hand. "Detective Benson hasn't asked for union representation, but since I'm here, I'd like to sit in and make sure we can close this out today." Her tone was authoritative, yet understanding, as if she was convincing him that everything would be taken care of today.

Tucker looked from Alex to Olivia, turned on the voice recorder, and began to speak.

"This is Sergent Edward Tucker, the 9th of August, 8:22AM, Special Victims Unit. Detective Olivia Benson and ADA Alexandra Cabot in attendance."

"Detective Benson, your partner has already given us the rundown of what happened on the night of August 2nd and morning of August 3rd, and your captain has independently confirmed it. I need you to tell me your version of the events once you arrived at the gas station to meet Stabler and Cragen."

Olivia looked at Alex, who nodded for her to answer, and then began. "My partner, Elliot Stabler, called my cell phone and instructed myself and ADA Cabot to meet them at a gas station a few miles from the cabin. We met, dressed, loaded our weapons, and put together a plan. From there, the four of us rode in the same squad car up the hill to the cabin we believed to be holding Carlson and Kaley." Olivia took a breath and continued. Alex could tell that this event had taken a toll on her, as she hadn't really spoken in depth about it since it happened. Still, the attorney listened intently.

"We made our way up the hill and exited the car. We met with the local police and decided how to go about securing Kaley."

Tucker interrupted. "Ok, and what was that plan?"

"We were instructed that Elliot and myself would take the lead. We were to charge the cabin, opening the front door, securing Kaley and allowing SWAT and the local PD to deal with Carlson."

"And what happened when you got out of the car?"

"Myself and Detective Stabler approached the front of the lawn, while ADA Cabot and Captain Cragen went around to the side of the house, protecting them both from any activity. It was at this point that Kaley came out of the house and was making her way towards a chair on the porch. For some reason, then, she saw my partner and went inside immediately." Olivia paused at this point in the story, obviously shaken by the memory.

"How did you feel when Kaley went back inside?"

Alex interrupted. "I don't think that's relevant."

Olivia held up her hand, directing a sympathetic look at Alex, not wanting to create waves with IAB. She knew that as long as she answered all of the questions, this case would be closed easily. It was a clean shoot, and Olivia knew that.

"I was upset. I had thought about running and grabbing her, putting her in a car and then dealing with Carlson. But, I knew it wouldn't be safe. I was conflicted, upset, and worried that she would tip him off."

"Ok. Let's talk about the shooting. Your shooting, detective. I don't expect you to remember your partner shooting Carlson."

"Ok." Olivia didn't offer any information, and it seemed that Tucker was surprised. Alex stepped in protectively.

"Is there a specific question you wanted to ask?"

"Detective, could you just run me through what you remember happening before he took a shot?"

"After Kaley went back inside, it wasn't a minute before Carlson busted out of the door, holding Kaley in a chokehold, with a rifle in one hand and his handgun in the other. He began to engage in dialogue with my partner, and became very agitated. It was at this point that he turned on the lights above the cabin, effectively blinding everyone for a few seconds. At this point, I heard some rustling around the side of the house and looked over to see Cragen and ADA Cabot making their way out to the front of the lawn, behind myself and my partner."

Olivia continued, visibly emotional at this point in the story, with tears welling behind her eyes. "As they took their place behind us, Carlson made a quick movement to release Kaley. As he dropped his rifle, I checked the coverage of Cragen and Cabot. He must have seen me, because in that moment he raised his handgun and pointed towards the both of them. The last thing I remember was jumping to my right to protect wherever he was shooting—I didn't know if they had seen him raise his weapon."

Tucker looked at Olivia with investigative eyes. "Ok. So, the specifics I didn't get from your partner or captain…how many times were you shot? And please describe your injuries."

"I was shot twice—once through the collarbone and joint in my shoulder, and once through the trapezius muscle. I required surgery to fix the joint connecting my collarbone to my shoulder, and required some hardware to put my bone back together."

"Isn't it protocol to wear your vest in situations like this?" Tucker asked this question judgmentally.

"I was wearing my vest. The area of the injury is thin and flexible on the vest, so it will fit over your shoulders and around to your back. The vest probably saved my life."

Tucker looked from Olivia to Alex and asked the last question. "Ok. Thanks for your statement, Benson. Is there anything else either of you want to say about this incident?"

Olivia looked at Alex, who shook her head, as Olivia spoke. "No, I think that's it."

"Thanks detective. Feel better. You should speak to your Captain about your assignment for the next few weeks."

Tucker turned off the recorder and packed up his belongings. He looked at Olivia and began to speak, as he was packing. "Detective, everything looks good. I normally wouldn't say this, but don't worry about IAB—everything looks clean." He smiled shyly at the detective as he walked around the table. He made sure to pat her on her uninjured arm and spoke, as he exited the room. "You're a hero, detective Benson." The door shut as Alex looked over to Olivia.

"It's finally good to hear someone else say something that you've known all along…you're a hero, baby." They both smiled at each other as Olivia blushed deeply. They rose from the chairs and walked back into the squad room, finding Cragen in his office. They both entered and shut the door.

"Captain, Tucker said I should speak to you about my assignment…?"

"Liv, I want you to take some personal time." He looked from Alex to Olivia and started speaking again. "I know you're going to say no, and I know you want to get back as soon as possible, but I think some time away will help you recover."

"How long?"

"However long you think you need. And, one more thing—when you come back, you two are gonna need to disclose your relationship."

"That's no problem, captain. I'll take a few days now and see how I feel. I'll call you. Thanks." She crossed the room and gave him a hug. Although she was upset that she had to take time off, she was grateful for the captain's support.

"Olivia, sweetie, we've gotta get you to therapy—we should go. I want to stop by Donnelly's office on the way out." Alex approached Olivia and rubbed her back, lovingly as she was speaking. Cragen smiled at the both of them and put his hand on each of their arms, pushing them closely together.

"Be good to one another, and take care of each other. Enjoy your time off."

They began to exit the office, but Cragen spoke again. "Oh, wait!" He motioned to Elliot and waited for him to come in the office. "You two and myself will have to attend a press conference tomorrow about the case. 1PP, 9AM, dress blues." Olivia and Elliot looked at one another, questioningly. Cragen seemed to notice and spoke again. "Guys! Just be there. See you then."

After exiting Cragen's office, Olivia and Alex said goodbye to the rest of the detectives and exited the precinct. A few minutes later, they encountered Judge Donnelly on her way to court.

"Alex! My god, when I heard what happened I felt so guilty that I made you go. I'm so sorry, Alex. I haven't texted or called you because I figured you were busy." She hugged Alex as she apologized profusely.

"Liz, it's fine. It actually ended up being…"Alex paused before trying to figure out what she was saying, "a blessing in disguise." As she said this, she placed her hand on the small of Olivia's back, looking to Liz and back at Olivia.

"I see. Well, detective Benson, I must say that I've always liked you, and I'm eternally grateful for you protecting Alex…take care of her."

Olivia smiled and gave a simple response, "I will."

Alex quickly started speaking, "Liz, listen, I know I've got some time saved up and I was thinking tha—"

Judge Donnelly stopped her and started speaking. "Take as much as you want. You don't have any open cases and Casey is taking care of SVU. Just call me if you need anything." She quickly looked into Alex's eyes and over to Olivia. "You two just take care of that arm…I've gotta get to court."

Alex turned to Olivia and smiled. "You ready for therapy?"

"Yeah…Alex listen, you didn't have to—"

"Stop. I don't want to hear it. I love you Olivia, and I want to spend every minute of every day with you…especially now. Liv, it's no big deal."

They smiled at each other and walked out onto the sidewalk to hail a cab. As they got in, Olivia's phone buzzed.

Love you Liv. So happy you and Cabot finally figured things out. Let me know if you need anything, ok? And don't worry about work—I know you. I can hold it down….but what the hell is this press conference about?

She smiled as she replied to Elliot.

Thanks, El. Love you too. You're the best…and, I have no idea. Hoping it won't be a huge deal. Just wanna move on.

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As Alex walked back into the detective's apartment, she noticed that Olivia was particularly worn out from her therapy session. She placed her belongings on the table and followed Olivia to the couch. She knelt before Olivia on the floor and removed her gym shoes, unlacing and delicately taking them off of her feet. She began to place them on the side of the couch when she felt a soft touch on the top of her head. She looked up to see the beautiful brunette detective beckoning her up to the couch. Alex stood up as Olivia closed her eyes and placed her hands on the blonde's hips, pulling her closer to the couch. When Alex's toes hit the bottom of the couch, Olivia continued to pull, causing Alex to collapse, her knees straddling the detective's thighs, and looking into those golden brown eyes face to face.

Olivia continued to hold the blonde on her hips. She leaned her head back and met Alex's blue eyes, as she started to speak.

"Thank you for helping me today, with IAB and everything." She said this as she moved her hands up and down the attorney's body, eyeing every inch of the blonde, and effectively flushing Alex's cheeks.

"You didn't think I'd let you go in there alone, did you?" Alex asked this question playfully, obviously not expecting a response. She was like a lioness hunting her prey—the words dripped out of her mouth as she smirked at Olivia, acting like she needed to protect her new love from the preying eyes of IAB. She took Olivia's face into her hands, with a wondering look. "Hey, I love this, Liv, but this position has gotten us into some...umm…trouble in the past." She gave Olivia a mischievous look as Olivia returned a questioning one. "The taxi…?"

"Oh, yeah." Olivia smiled, but continued to hold Alex on her lap, trying to memorize every inch of her body with her hands. She moved her delicate, yet strong hands from the pockets of Alex's jeans in towards her stomach, and to the small dip below her breasts. As her hands traveled back down, she untucked Alex's t-shirt from her pants and slid her hands underneath the shirt, claiming Alex's skin as her own. Both of their hearts beat faster, as Alex's head fell backwards and a moan escaped her lips.

"Oh Liv," the attorney didn't mean to moan out Olivia's name, but she couldn't resist. Her skin had grown hot with Olivia's touch, and she yearned for more of the detective. She reached down and grabbed Olivia's hands, pressing them both onto her breasts, and desperately leaned down to kiss the detective. She let go of Olivia's hands and reached for the detective's face. She pressed a hot, wet kiss against Olivia's mouth and forced it open with her tongue. Olivia responded and massaged her tongue around the attorney's, pulling her closer with every thrust from Alex.

With her left hand, Olivia reached behind Alex and unclasped her bra. She grabbed the attorney behind her neck and pulled her head onto her left shoulder, near her neck. She trailed kisses down Alex's neck, licking its full length. Alex moaned into Olivia's uninjured shoulder, and whispered into her ear.

"Oh. My god Olivia." She whimpered as she kissed the front of Olivia's neck, feeling the vibration on her neck as Olivia moaned. The detective threw her head back on the back of the couch. She reached behind the attorney and pulled her shirt and bra off, with Alex assisting her. The attorney's small, perky breasts stood at full attention, yearning for Olivia's touch.

Olivia looked into Alex's eyes, asking for permission. The attorney took off her glasses and leaned back to place them on the coffee table behind her. When she pulled herself forward towards Olivia, the detective met her bare chest with an open mouth, kissing the area between her breasts. She pressed her hands against the attorney's back, pushing her chest closer. Alex's breath hitched in anticipation, as Olivia reached up to grasp Alex's breasts. She cupped the attorney's small breast in her hands and she sighed lovingly, knowing the blonde above her would stop her advancing any further. She looked up at Alex as the blonde began speaking.

"As much as I love this…"

Olivia interrupted, pouting her lip. "I knew you were going to stop me."

"Baby, I really want this, but I want you to be ok when we do…uh, God, you're so cute when you pout." Alex leaned down and took the detective's face in her hands. She stroked Olivia's cheek with her thumbs and looked into her brown eyes. "I really can't explain how I feel about you Olivia—sometimes 'I love you' just doesn't seem like enough."

Olivia started to respond, but Alex shut her up with a kiss. She got off of Olivia's lap and put her t-shirt back on, folding her bra and putting it on the laundry basket, on top of Olivia's clothes.

The detective started to wonder what was up with Alex. That was two times that Alex had opened the door for Olivia to tell her that she loved her also, but then stopped her. Olivia was becoming slightly concerned, but brushed it off to worry about it another time.