A/N: As always, thanks for reviewing and favoriting! I thought the last chapter was a good time to introduce the ring story, but remember, just because Olivia has it doesn't mean something will come of it so soon: I am not a huge fan of quick engagements that are usually pretty common in fanfic, but we will see what happens. I will admit to not having that planned out yet. However, I hope you enjoy this chapter-Olivia becomes a little more vulnerable and finally lets down some walls that Alex knows she's been keeping up.

Thank you to the many guests that have reviewed and especially thank you to lizzy43, madbadger, and bellatisha. You guys really have inspired me to keep this story going.

Chapter 28

Touch

Olivia looked out the window, more content than she had been in a long while. She watched as the lush landscape rolled by, adjusting her large black Oakley sunglasses. Olivia thought back to the past two weeks and how blurry everything had been right after she was shot: she didn't know what to think, didn't know what to do, hell, she didn't know if she was going to live or not. But, seeing Alex's eyes before she blacked out was the highlight, if there could be one in that situation, of that moment. She thought about the hospital, and everything that she remembered Alex admitting—tears welled up in her eyes just thinking about being without Alex. She wasn't afraid to be alone, but now she felt her ever-independent heart wearing a bit, a spot that was becoming filled by the beautiful blonde next to her.

Everything was just Alex. She seemed to be the answer to every question the detective had lately. Morning, noon and night she consumed Olivia's thoughts, and the detective couldn't be happier. Olivia wasn't normally a worrisome person, but for any singular worry she did have, the mere thought of Alex cleared it. She knew that Alex was where she found her hope, where she could confide her fears, and where she always belonged.

"Where are you?" Olivia jumped at the words, barely aware that she was but a passenger, traveling wherever Alex pleased. Her mind had been floating, doing wonderful acrobatics far above her head, dreaming of Alex. She must have not answered quickly enough because soon she heard her again. "Liv?"

"I'm sorry, Al." She straightened up and took Alex's hand into her own. "I was just…uh…thinking." A second after the word left her lips, Alex heard the low double ring that signaled Elliot calling. Olivia quickly answered and Alex listened to her side of the conversation.

"Hey El…yeah, I miss you too…How're things?" Alex could hear the low murmur of Elliot detailing his cases while Olivia listened intently. There was a lull when Olivia started speaking again. "Yeah, it's great…I uhh, I think so maybe, yeah." At this comment, Olivia's face spread into a too-wide-to-hide smile. Alex listened as Elliot's voice questioned her on the line.

Olivia shifted a little in the passenger seat, moving the phone to her right ear, and lowering her voice. "Um, well, yes I did…I don't think that's any of your business…yeah, I said it! Nun-yah!" She threw her head back against the seat and laughed for a few seconds before speaking through a smile. "Yeah we've got a few more days out here. It's nice, El. And the company, well, I'd walk through hell with this kind of company." She took Alex's hand into her own, lightly squeezing and winking under her sunglasses. "Ok El. Give Kathy and the kids my love. Bye."

Alex knew exactly what he was calling to ask, and she wouldn't have been surprised if Elliot had helped her pick out the ring in the blue box. She pretended not to know anything, although she smiled to herself before she began speaking.

"So, what's new with my favorite SVU detective?" Both women chuckled at this—it was no secret that Alex and Elliot had many run-ins in the past 10 years, and it was no mystery as to why: they were both hardheaded and stubborn. Elliot didn't like Alex's apparent sense of entitlement. Since she began at SVU, she and Elliot had butted heads on more than one occasion. On the same vein, Alex didn't appreciate Elliot "bending the rules until they break," as she said many, many times. But, the brunette detective always brought the two together. Don't get it wrong, they weren't friends, but they both always had Olivia's best interest in mind, so they could get along over that.

"Oh, nothing. Just the usual, you know. Rape, homicide, drugs, child molesters…" her voice trailed off as she looked out the window. Quickly though, she shook her head and continued, "But, he said things were fine there without me and just wanted to make sure everything was good with me—with us." Alex smiled, knowing that Olivia was omitting some information, but she didn't press it.

Soon, they were pulling into the familiar long driveway. As Olivia exited the car, she turned and took Alex into a warm embrace, wrapping her arms around the small of Alex's back. She looked into her eyes and summoned up all the courage she had. "Hey." She waited for the blonde to still, wrapping her hands around the base of Olivia's neck, before she began speaking. "Can I talk to you about something for a sec?"

Alex's heart stopped. Olivia's face was solid, stoic. She wasn't sure what to expect, but since she was still held tightly in Olivia's muscular grasp, she thought it couldn't be too bad as she whispered her answer with a smile: "Yes."

Olivia dipped her head a little low, turning her eyes to the gravel beneath her, a sign that Alex knew—she was summoning up some courage. Alex had seen that gesture too often: when she had saved Elliot's life, when she spoke to a victim, and, most recently, when she approached Carlson's lawn. This made the attorney nervous but she waited, in Olivia's arms, for her to speak.

"Al, I just…" Alex watched as Olivia took a short breath in and breathed it out through her mouth, her cheeks inflating a little bit, before she shook her head quickly and blinked her eyes. Alex could tell that whatever she had to say was giving the detective a hard time—she just hoped it was something good. The ring box quickly arose in her mind, but she suppressed it, pushing it further back and focusing on Olivia.

The detective traced her hands from Alex's back up to her shoulders and down her arms, entwining their hands together before speaking. "I used to think that it was just me, out here. You know? Alone. I've always been alone, Alex." She took a breath, looking down at their joined hands. "I never had a father, and my mom…well, you know about her. As much as I try to remember her as hearts and roses, I can't always forget the truth for her memory's sake." Tears began to fill her eyes as Alex reached up and cupped her cheek, memorizing the brown hue of her eyes. She could get lost in those eyes. Alex always noticed how the area around Olivia's pupils was a more of a golden color, radiating into a deep brown. It reminded her of a sunset, in a weird way. The bronze-golden color quickly morphed into an imperceptible dark brown that Alex could lose herself in so easily.

Quickly, Olivia pulled herself together and continued, almost whispering through a breaking voice. "When I became a cop, I knew that there were people that I would lose along the way: victims, partners, even family. When my mom died, I essentially lost everything that I had to hold onto, except Elliot…and you. And then, when you went to WITSEC, my world fell apart again. And I knew, in that moment, that I loved you. I think I loved you more than I cared to admit, and I didn't want to let you go, but I knew I had to. I didn't know when I would see you again…if ever." At this admission, Olivia ducked her head as a solitary tear fell, but she didn't let go of the porcelain hand resting in her own as she looked up and finished her speech.

"I'm so sorry, Alex…for everything. My life has just been a huge mess, and I know it's because I've been denying what I know in my heart." She took Alex's face in her hands, the blonde attorney cupping her elbows in her hands. "And, what I know is, that I love you Alexandra. I've always loved you, even when I told myself I didn't. Even when I told other people I didn't…I did. I did, Alex."

"When I was in the hospital, after Carlson shot me, the first thing I remember was waking up to you talking to me. Or, talking at me I should say. I don't remember everything you said, but I remember a piece." She paused and looked into the deep cerulean eyes. "You said that you loved me, and that the time you spent away from me was the worst pain—I want you to know that I know exactly what you meant. I won't pretend that I know what it was like for you to be in WITSEC, but I know how I felt when you were away. I don't ever want to feel like that again Alex…I guess what I'm trying to say is, simply, that I love you. I love you so much, Alex. I wish I could explain it. And I'm so sorr—"

Her last sentence was muffled into Alex's mouth as she felt the attorney's hands snake around to her back, pressing their bodies unbelievably close. The kiss was among the most tender that either of them had ever felt. Olivia closed her eyes and relaxed into it, causing a tear to roll down her face.

Alex broke the kiss and stepped back. An undeniable smile spread over Alex's face, as she began speaking. "Liv, honey, you have nothing to apologize for. Nothing. Baby, I love you so much…Here's the thing Liv—you have nothing to apologize for, nothing to thank me for, you owe me nothing. This," she motioned in between them with her slender pointer finger, "this is what we do for people we love."

Alex took Olivia's hand and pulled her toward the door, opening it and helping her through. They sat on the couch, Alex topping Olivia, as was their usual position, facing one another. The attorney continued her response from outside. "Liv, I love you. I've loved you for as long as I can remember. Please don't thank me for taking care of you, or for staying with you…I did it because I love you."

She took a breath and began speaking, knowing what she had to say could be taken the wrong way. "Honey, I don't know a lot about your relationship with your mom, and I can't imagine the things that I don't know…but, I used to be worried that your definition of love was a little...skewed." She paused for a minute, gauging Olivia's reaction.

Olivia looked into Alex's eyes without any type of reaction. She thought she was safe, so the blonde continued. "Olivia, sweetie, I couldn't have been more wrong. From the minute I got in that car up to Rochester with you I knew it. Well, I hoped it. You are the strongest, bravest, and most genuinely loving person I have ever known. The way you deal with victims, with Elliot, and just with life in general Liv…you amaze me. You really do."

She cupped Olivia's face in her hands as she spoke slowly. "Sweetheart. I love you. I've always loved you, and I don't want you to feel obligated, in any way: to owe me anything, to thank me. Nothing. I just want this." She placed her hand over Olivia's heart, feeling its racing rhythm. "And I want this to be us, forever." She leaned forward and delicately kissed Olivia. The detective reciprocated but then pulled away, looking into Alex's eyes. Without closing her own, she moved forward and deliberately kissed Alex, eventually closing her eyes when the attorney relented, intensifying their connection.

One word escaped from the assault on Alex's lips, and that one word sent a shiver through Olivia's spine. Alex gasped for air, moaning at the absence of Olivia's tongue in her mouth. She felt whole, and she never wanted to feel any differently. She knew what she wanted, and it was Olivia. It was always Olivia.

"Bed."

Olivia grabbed Alex's hips and wrapped her strong arm around Alex, picking her up off of her lap, placing her feet firmly on the floor. The attorney's knee's buckled with one look from Olivia, as she felt the strong detective support her, holding her closely to herself. Her eyes opened without seeing, lost in an aroused haze. She reached up and brushed Olivia's hair out of her face, running her hand through the detective's scalp before a quick tug on the short brown hair.

"Now."

Olivia always found something so primal about monosyllabic Alex. The put-together, buttoned-up attorney who normally had an arsenal of words at her command was currently tugging at her clothes, pulling her hair, and teething her neck as she was directed backwards by Olivia's hands on her arms.

By the time they reached the bedroom, both women had significantly disrobed, stripping clothes off the other. Olivia pushed Alex onto the bed and unzipped her khaki shorts, pulling them down to reveal a baby blue lace thong, matching her eyes almost perfectly. Her shirt was lying in the hallway, torn from her body seconds before by the eager detective. Olivia pushed Alex down on the bed and climbed on top of her, unclasping her bra from the back and pulling it down her shoulders. She discarded it and leaned down to nip at Alex's neck.

The blonde moaned slightly at Olivia's touch, quickly becoming hypersensitive to every inch of her lover's hot skin. She pulled Olivia's bra off and gasped as she felt Olivia's teeth sink into her neck. "God. Fuck me." The words slipped out of her mouth before she was even aware of saying them. Instantaneously, she felt Olivia leave the bed, as she groaned and reached out to her.

Olivia watched as Alex writhed on the bed, her body beckoning the detective back. She slowly walked over to her tote and removed the toy and shorts that Alex was surprisingly fond of. She removed her pants and underwear tortuously slowly while Alex watched.

What Alex did next rendered Olivia frozen, speechless, and in utter shock. The attorney sat up, leaning her back against the solid, black leather headboard. She rubbed her hands down her body, kneading her breasts in her hands before working one down into her thong panties. She moved the lace elastic over, exposing her wet folds, running her hand through herself.

Olivia knew her mouth was hanging open, and she froze as she stepped into the tight spandex shorts, shimmying them up her thighs. They were midway up when she was taken with the sight in front of her. Alex was leaning on the headboard with her legs spread, playing with herself and smiling towards Olivia.

"You better hurry with that, baby…or I might just have to help myself." Her voice was pure sex, unlike anything Olivia had heard before. Quickly, she secured the toy and pulled the shorts up, barely covering her hipbones. Alex loved how the shorts revealed the bottom part of Olivia's ass, and took delight in grabbing it when Olivia leaned over her.

She crawled up onto the bed and whispered in Alex's ear. "As much as I love watching this…" she looked down at Alex's hand circling her clit and her eyes grew wide with desire, "I think I can help you out."

With one swift motion, Olivia reached under Alex and pulled her down to lay flat on the bed as she entered the attorney. She gripped Alex's hips as she stroked inside of her, Alex thrusting to allow Olivia to take her deeper. The detective slowly pushed completely inside the attorney, eliciting a whimper from Alex and a pleasurable moan from Olivia.

She began slowly, using each lunge of her hips to dictate Alex's pace. Olivia leaned over the blonde, supporting herself with her hands on each side of Alex's head. Her shoulder burned, but she knew that this connection with Alex would be worth any inconvenient pain that she temporarily experienced. Alex curled her legs around Olivia's ass, pulling her in closer as she ran her hands over Olivia's back, using her nails for emphasis.

The detective watched as she pulled out and pushed back into her lover, eliciting a low moan from Alex each time. Olivia got a thrill from watching herself sink deeper into Alex each time. She felt one of Alex's hands leave her back and rest under her chin, tipping it to make eye contact. "I love you Liv…Ah, you feel so good inside me. Look at me baby."

Olivia looked into Alex's eyes as she kept her pace, seeing the connection she was making with Alex. Nothing had ever felt this real: Olivia hovered closely above Alex, thrusting in and out of her lover. In that moment, she knew nothing else would be this real, and nothing would ever compare.

She felt one of Alex's hands on her ass, slowing her down, while the other skirted up to her shoulder. "Baby, don't hurt yourself. Here…" She moved out from under her and turned her back on Olivia. She went down on all fours in front of Olivia, and the detective could barely comprehend what she was suggesting before Alex gave her a look over her shoulder. "Well, detective, are you gonna fuck me or not?"

Something inside Olivia snapped. She moved behind Alex, separating her legs with her own. She rubbed the cock through Alex's dripping folds, covering it with pure Alex fucking Cabot, before thrusting inside of her. Alex cried out in pleasure as she felt Olivia sink deep inside her, grabbing her hips to strengthen her thrusts.

Within minutes, Olivia's pace was furious, warranting a scream from Alex as she came, grasping the covers in front of her tightly. Olivia slowed her pace, barely able to move through her own climax, but wanting to extend Alex's. She collapsed on top of Alex, panting and kissing her lover's back.

"Oh my God Olivia. Uhh. Shit." Alex was still coming down, and Olivia could tell. She began to pull out of Alex slowly and they both moaned in pleasure. Olivia disrobed completely and fell into the bed with Alex. They began to relax, as Alex's tremors rolled through her body.

"Wow." This seemed like the only coherent thing Olivia could muster, as Alex relaxed into the detective.

"Yeah…I know what you mean."

"I love you Alex."

"I know." With this, Alex smiled and nuzzled into Olivia's neck. She knew that she wanted to spend every waking moment with the detective, but sleepiness was overwhelming both of them. Relaxing into an afternoon nap, they both trailed each other's bodies with light kisses until sleep overtook both of the