A/N: Not to sound too repetitive, but thank you to everyone who has read, favorited, and commented. You all really do keep me going. I do have a bit of a warning-we will be smooth sailing here for a chapter or two more, but there are rough waters ahead. Good news though-I really love what Olivia does in this chapter. I think we start to see that Olivia is really in this to win this, and is a total 180 from the beginning of this story. Thank you so much again for all of your kind words. I hope you enjoy.

Also, if you're not familiar with the area I am referencing in this chapter, please google it. In my opinion, it is beautiful and really strikes me as somewhere Olivia would spend her quiet time.

Chapter 35

Peristyle

The shrill ringing of her phone jostled Olivia awake. She glanced at the clock and was surprised that they had slept until 1PM, but then she remembered how late they were at Serena's last night/that morning.

"Benson." Olivia answered sleepily as she stood beside the bed and rubbed her eyes. Alex raised her head off the pillow to hear Olivia's side of the conversation. "Yes, now is fine…Sure, it's Olivia R. Benson. And the address of the restaurant is 2432 Central Park West, New York, New York, 10023…Yes, full liability…Right, I sent him the information and the guy, uh, the uh, claims adjuster is coming out today I guess…Ok. Thanks."

Olivia hung up and put her phone on the dresser, returning to the bed to wrap her arm around Alex. "Ugh. That was the insurance company. I have to go to the restaurant and meet the claims adjuster. I'm sorry beautiful." Olivia placed a soft kiss on Alex's cheek as she rose up from the bed, finding a pair of jeans on the floor to put on.

Alex watched as Olivia's lithe body slinked across the room, pulling her jeans on as she walked towards the closet. Alex heard the scraping of hangers as she leaned over the end of the bed and saw Olivia's topless torso putting on a bra and an old t-shirt. Alex always liked when Olivia called her beautiful, or called her anything for that matter. She always knew that when she was with Olivia, she could never be more adored than she was in her presence.

"I can go with you baby—if you want me to, I mean." Alex sat up in the bed and found her cotton shirt she wore as a pajama top and placed it over her head, not bothering with a bra. Olivia watched from the closet, not taking her eyes off of Alex as she fit her brown leather belt through each belt loop in her jeans. She smiled sympathetically and began speaking to Alex.

"You really don't have to, if you don't want to. I know you've gotta be tired, honey. You drove all the way back here last night and you were up just as late as I was." Alex answered with an unsure look, to which Olivia began speaking back to her, hurriedly. "If you want to go, by all means, you are more than welcome to. Trust me, I'd love to have you come with me, but I don't want you to feel obligated."

Alex got off the bed and walked over to Olivia, embracing her in a compassionate hug. "Give me five minutes, and I'll be ready." She placed a light kiss on Olivia's forehead, a simple gesture, but one that always made Olivia's stomach do cartwheels.

Exactly five minutes later, Alex was jogging out of the bedroom, never one to be late. Olivia smiled when she saw what she was wearing. "You look good in my shirt, you know?" Alex looked down at the 'NYPD/FDNY 2006 Picnic' shirt and smiled.

"I like wearing your shirts—it's like…I don't know…" Alex's voice trailed off and she knew she shouldn't voice what she was thinking. Instead, she found another way to say it when Olivia's questioning eye looked her over. "I mean, it's like I belong to you, you know? Nothing like dominatrix or anything, but just a sweet reminder that I am all yours." They both chuckled and Olivia raised her eyebrows at the dominatrix comment, laughing a little harder than she probably should have.

Olivia smiled and ran her hand through her unwashed hair. "I'm going to apologize in advance…I am probably pretty nasty. I haven't taken a shower since before the club." They both thought back to that memory, and Olivia wished that she could go back to then, before any of this with Serena's happened. The memory was shaken when she felt Alex's delicate hand on her face.

"Come on." She took Olivia by the hand and led them out of the apartment. They decided on the subway, and when they were settled on the train Alex looked over to her girlfriend and took in the sight. Olivia was wearing light distressed blue jeans, secured to her waist with a brown leather belt. Her tight long sleeved t-shirt was a dark green, which softened her deep eyes when she examined the subway map above the seats across the train.

Alex always loved the fact that Olivia only wore a small amount of makeup—enough to disguise any imperfections, as if she ever had any. Today, in particular, she saw Olivia rub on a bit of concealer and lip gloss a shade lighter than her natural lip color. She wore a knit hat that hung off the back of her head, folding a bit at the crown of her head. It hid the majority of her hair, but a few pieces were sticking out the bottom, framing the base of her neck. Her bangs were swept to the side, poking out from the front of the hat. To top it all off, though, were those glasses. Olivia usually didn't wear them in public, but Alex could tell that she wasn't up for wearing her contacts—whether it was because she knew she may break down and cry today, or because she was just tired. Alex was drinking in Olivia when the brunette turned toward her and caught her eye.

"What?" A little bit of the New York attitude came out in her tone. Alex loved that attitude on some days, but on others, it was the bane of her existence. Luckily, today she thought Olivia had never been cuter.

"You are just so beautiful, Olivia. I don't think you know how breathtaking you really are." The detective blushed and fidgeted her hands in her lap. She looked sideways toward Alex and began speaking.

"Alex, trust me. You are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, but I'm glad you find me at least a little bit attractive." They both smiled before Alex replied.

"Quit putting yourself down. Besides, we are almost at our stop." Olivia had mostly gotten out of the habit of taking the subway, but liked the way it made her feel, and Alex could tell. She let Olivia lead the way as she followed closely behind, a minute later as they reached the restaurant.

Olivia held up the crime scene tape for Alex to walk under. They entered the restaurant and Olivia took in the sight again. It looked much different through the daylight lens: there were multiple holes in the drywall, pictures knocked off and broken, and glass shards throughout the dining room. Olivia walked around and examined the damage when she heard a faint tapping at the door.

"Hello? Ms. Benson?" An older, greying man stood at the threshold, lightly knocking on the opened door, a clipboard in one hand and his briefcase in the other.

Olivia walked to the front and reached out her hand, shaking the man's hand firmly. "Hello, I'm Olivia. This is my girlfriend, Alex." She signaled toward Alex and the blonde shook his hand.

"Very nice to meet you, just unfortunate under these conditions. I love this place! Name's Harry McIntire."

"Well, Mr. McIn—"

"Harry, please."

"Well, Harry, I'm glad that you know the place."

"Know it? I proposed to my second wife here. Very fond memories, this place." Olivia could tell that he was reminiscing, so she let him go off in his head for a minute, before he snapped out of it. "Anyways, I hate to do this, but let's get down to the business, huh?" He was purely New York, and Alex loved it. She could immediately see the likeness between him and Olivia, and knew that everything would be ok. She pulled up a chair not far from their conversation and began to listen.

"So here's what's up. Looks like most of this is just cosmetic damage. The money we can talk about later—that's the least of your problems right now. You've gotta get this place up and running again. I'm missing my Thursday nights at Serena's!" Olivia smiled and for once during this incident, Alex knew it was a genuine smile.

They talked about what the insurance would cover, and what it wouldn't, among other money issues. Alex's attention peaked when she heard something that she had been fantasizing about for a while. "Well, Harry, when I first bought the place, I had to rehab it anyways, so it won't be a problem again. If insurance won't cover it, it won't cover it. It is what it is. I can fix it."

"Well, Ms. Benson, it won't be anything major—the insurance will cover the break in, the glass window, the stolen money..." his voice trailed off, "I am just not sure about the drywall, cosmetic damage, etc."

"I understand. How long do you think it will take to get everything fixed through the insurance?"

"Not too long—I'll contact my contractor I use for things like this and he will get a hold of the insurance company. Then, they will call you and arrange to meet you and start work. After that, you will be able to figure out what you need to do for yourself, or what you can hire out."

"Ok. Thanks Harry for this…and of course, thanks for your business." Olivia shook his hand and he exited, waving back to Alex as he left. Olivia's attention was turned to Alex. "I'm gonna call Max and Kayla and make sure they are ok. Gimme a minute?" Alex nodded and walked outside, mentally noting the damage to the outside of the restaurant.

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Five minutes later they were back underground, walking next to one another before boarding the subway. Olivia had an idea, and knew what she had in mind would allow their minds to escape for a few hours.

When the usual stop for Olivia's apartment approached, Alex began to stand, but Olivia stopped her. "Hey, I want to spend a little time out with you today, and I have something in mind—are you up for it?"

Alex smiled and sat back down next to Olivia. She noticed the happiness in those familiar brown eyes, and relaxed into Olivia's shoulder, awaiting her next direction.

A few minutes later, they exited the stairs and headed down a row of houses in Brooklyn. Olivia wasn't sure how Alex would feel about PDA, but couldn't help but grasp for the attorney's hand, and when she found it, she intertwined their fingers as if she would never let go. Olivia turned to the left and immediately Alex knew where they were. As the road ended and the trees parted, they left the concrete jungle and entered Prospect Park when Olivia started speaking.

"So, when we first, um…when you were taking care of me after I got shot, you asked me what had changed, or what was different about the 'new' Olivia. And, I was truthful when I said that nothing has really changed, but, I would be lying if I told you that I didn't want my life to change." Olivia led Alex deeper into the park and stopped when they reached the peristyle. She felt Alex's grip tighten a bit on her hand as the perfect blue eyes took in the scene around her—it was breathtaking. Olivia led Alex into the structure and they sat down on the steps on the side.

"I knew that I was missing something, Alex. And, I made some really dumb decisions while you were gone." A silence fell over Olivia, as she seemed to be lost in that thought. Quickly, she gathered herself and looked around before she continued. "I've never brought anyone here before." Olivia took in the view in front of her; she had seen it a million times, in person and in her dreams.

"I think this place," she paused as she pointed to the ground, "right here, is where I should start." She turned to face Alex and took her hands into her own. "I've been told my whole life to hold things in—with my mom, with my job, and with my relationships. But, with you, I need to change all of that. No—I want to change all of that. The past few months have been full of regret for me—for not doing things that I probably should have, and for doing some stupid stuff I definitely shouldn't have."

Alex paused and the thoughts of the ring in Olivia's tote arose in her mind. She quickly tried to suppress them, as tears rose in her eyes from this newly vulnerable Olivia.

"When I lived in the city, before you left, I almost felt trapped sometimes. You know, or maybe you don't, but I grew up here—in Brooklyn. Whenever something went wrong, or I was upset, or I just needed to think about something, I came here." She pointed to the stone slab underneath the two of them as she continued. "It was here that I decided to accept a swimming scholarship to Sienna, to go to the academy, and to make probably one of the hardest decisions of my life when I decided to leave Elliot for a little while, for both of our sakes."

"I tried to deny that I needed a release when I lived in the city. I would work on cases with Elliot, and you, and everyone else, but when I really needed to retreat and deal with some of my emotions, I never had a place to go. I think it's been a while that I've known that I belong here, but more importantly," she caressed Alex's hands and looked deeply into her eyes, "it's been a while that I've known that I belong with you."

"I guess what I'm trying to say is this…" Olivia took a deep breath and Alex immediately felt nervous. "I want to be 100% transparent with you, Alexandra. And I'm sorry that there are some things that we probably still don't know about each other. I don't know a lot about what you went through in WITSEC, and you don't know what has happened back at the precinct while you were gone. But, that's going to have to be ok for right now. If there's ever anything you want to know, just ask me."

"Alex, please just understand me…" Olivia looked into Alex's eyes, pleading, gripping her hands as tears rose in her eyes. "I know that I love you, beyond any reasonable doubt." They both smiled a bit at the courtroom jargon as Olivia continued. "I thought that my purpose here, in my life, was to be tough, to hold things in, and to bury myself in my work—that's all I was ever taught. But, I want to tell you that now I actually know what my purpose is in life. And, it's to love you, Alexandra."

A single tear fell from Alex's eye as one single word escaped her lips: "why?" Olivia reached up and wiped her tear away, smiling into a sweet kiss over the wet streak on her cheek.

"Because I want you to be my life, Alex. You have shown me what it is to be truly loved, and I wouldn't ever want to be anywhere that you aren't." Olivia continued. "So, I guess the reason I brought you here is because I've never actually brought anyone here before, and I want you to be a part of my life—in every part of my life. I want you to help me make these decisions, instead of this old, cement block." Olivia patted a pillar next to them as the both smiled. "In you I know that I will find my solace, my peace, and my truth, and not here anymore. There have been a lot of things that have happened in the past few years and we haven't been around each other. But, I will try my best to be the most open and honest with you that I can be. I want you to know everything."

Alex started to respond but was caught off guard by the sheer vulnerability in Olivia's eyes. "Oh, Olivia." She reached up and pulled the brunette into a hug, grasping the back of her head as she took in her natural scent. When they broke apart Alex began speaking. "First of all, this is the most beautiful place I think I've ever seen. Thank you for bringing me here—it helps me understand you a little more, I think."

"You are so wonderful, Liv. You can't help that I went away, or that I wasn't here for the past few years. And, I'm so sorry about that. But, I want to be here for you for as long as you'll have me. It means so much to me that you opened up and brought me here. I love you Olivia."

"I love you too Alex. Thanks for letting me try to explain this all to you. I know that I owe you, and I hope that, one day, I will be able to repay you for all the grace and love that you've shown me."

"Don't be ridiculous Olivia. This is what we do for people we love." And, with that, Alex leaned in and tenderly kissed the detective. She felt Olivia's strong hand grip her neck with the gentlest touch. After a minute, they parted and Olivia had four simple words for the beautiful blonde across from her.

"Let's move you in."