A/N: Thanks for all of the great feedback from my last chapter. I thought you might enjoy a little bit of Olivia's point of view after everything has been pretty buttoned up from her since both incidents. I like to call this chapter 'the calm before the storm.' I will admit that a year ago when I started writing this story, I knew the general arc and thought I knew exactly where I was going with it. How wrong could I have been? HA! The next chapter will definitely be filled with a lot of emotion, and some unexpected actions as things come to a head for a lot of people, and especially for our favorite ADA and detective. This story twist was definitely in my original plans, and I'm happy to see that I've stuck with it long enough to put everything in place for it to happen. I've written the next three or so chapters, but I've had a little bit of problem getting through this one. Thank you all so much for continuing to stick with this and favorite—you really are my inspiration for keeping this story up. Sometimes, as I write, I fear that I am not living up to your expectations, but I am still greeted with the nicest of comments as soon as I post. Thank you all so much! I had to split this chapter into 2 uploads for some reason-it might have been too long.

Chapter 45-2
Monday

Alex stood up from her seat. She lied to Olivia a bit—she didn't have to be in court, really. Because she wasn't technically in court as she normally is. She was more of a spectator—she wanted to make sure that Conrad got what he deserved. And, so far, he was. Alex trusted Casey Novak more than anyone else in the courtroom, besides Judge Donnelley, of course, and she knew that Casey would give him everything he deserved.

She waved to Casey and she left, walking out of the courtroom. Five minutes later she was back in her office reading through a few emails when she noticed one from Olivia.

Ms. Cabot,

I know you're probably busy in court, but I was wondering if you had a few minutes, if you could come up to the precinct? I think Captain Cragen would like to see you.

Thanks

Detective Olivia Benson

Special Victims Unit

16th precinct

Alex smiled to herself: she knew that Cragen didn't need to see her. But, if that's what Olivia had to say to get her up there, it would work. She quickly ascended the stairs and entered the precinct to find Elliot and Olivia sitting at their desks, sharing files in between them. Alex watched as Elliot offered Olivia his half-eaten sandwich and she grabbed it over the shared files. "That looks…" before Alex could finish her thought, Olivia and Elliot both turned towards her, their mouths stuffed with unchewed sandwich. "You two," Alex shook her head and walked toward their desks.

Olivia and Elliot both smiled as she approached, and Olivia lowered her voice. "So," she turned in her chair as the ADA took her normal place leaning against Olivia's desk, "Cragen didn't really need you. But, I'm sure you figured that out." The brunette flashed that trademark smile and wink before she continued. "But, I had a thought. It's sort of an out of the box idea, but I thought that maybe we could umm, well, I think that—"

"Spit it out, detective," the ADA's smile beamed down at the stuttering detective.

"I was thinking that we could go to Serena's. It's almost finished, and the kitchen wasn't even really harmed. There's only 1 table in there right now, and I think that it would be kind of…" she looked around and lowered her voice, "romantic."

Alex smiled and looked towards the detective. "That sounds great." She watched as Elliot smiled behind his papers and tried to act like he wasn't listening. "And, it sounds," Alex scooted a little closer to Olivia as she also lowered her voice, "extremely romantic. I have especially fond memories of the last time we were there." With this, Elliot dropped his papers onto his desk and stared over at Olivia as Alex turned to leave.

"7:15!" The detective raised her voice and yelled this as Alex sauntered out of the precinct. She waved her hand over her head, signaling a goodbye without even turning around. Olivia and Elliot smiled at one another as Elliot's eyebrow asked all of the silent questions that ran across his face. "None of your business." Olivia smiled toward him as they dug back into their paperwork.

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It was about 6:15 when Alex left her office, headed for the apartment. She wasn't sure whether Olivia was home yet or not, as she didn't see her stop by on her way out. As she drove home, her phone buzzed multiple times, and when she stopped at a red light she glanced down at it.

I can't wait to see you. I'm out with Elliot right now, but he's dropping me off at the apartment. Be home in a few. I love you, beautiful.

Alex smiled. She didn't expect Olivia to still be out, but as long as she would be home in time for them to leave together, Alex was happy. A few minutes later she was in the elevator heading upstairs, planning what she would wear for dinner—she only had about ten minutes to get ready, and she wanted to look her best for Olivia. She was in the bedroom when she heard the front door open and heard the pattern of Olivia's slow, relaxed walk down the hallway.

"Hi baby." Alex was putting a pair of simple, stud earrings into her ear when she saw Olivia in the mirror. The detective looked up and met her reflection.

"Wow, Alex." Olivia stopped in the doorway and looked the attorney over. She was wearing a simple black sweater with a dark pair of skinny jeans that hugged her small curves in all of the right places. "How did I get so lucky?" Olivia walked toward Alex and pulled her into a soft embrace, rubbing her cheek against Alex's. Softly, the detective whispered in her ear, "you are so beautiful."

Alex could feel her face begin to flush as she kissed Olivia on the cheek, severing their embrace. "You're sweet…but, we've gotta go." Olivia glanced down at her watch and knew that Alex was right.

"I don't have any time to change…?" The detective started walking towards the closet when she felt Alex's hand touch hers.

"You look great, baby, as always. Common." Olivia rolled her eyes as Alex pulled her down the hallway, out the door, and into the elevator.

"You remember that I own the place, right? I think we could stand to be a few minutes late." Olivia leaned against one wall of the elevator, checking her phone for any notifications as she said this. She glanced up at the blonde, awaiting her response.

"But that wouldn't be fair to Max, or Lorenzo for that matter." A sweet, unsuspecting smile was stuck on Alex's face as she looked across the elevator towards her girlfriend. Olivia looked up from her phone and a sly smile spread across her face.

"Who said they were going to be there?" The detective met the attorney's confused eyes and chuckled a bit as they walked toward the parking garage, Olivia flashing her keys. "I'll drive."

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Olivia unlocked the newly installed ground level door and held it open for Alex. The blonde hadn't been there since they put the door in, and as she walked through she admired the new fixture. "This is nice!" She ran her hand over the rustic, wooden door; it was fairly solid, and had three small decorative windows at the top.

"It doesn't say 'the owners of this place are scared of a break-in?'" Olivia chuckled as she closed the door behind them and turned around to face the restaurant.

"No…It says, 'don't even try.' But, this," Alex turned and pointed to the huge window running across the front of the store, is somewhat of an invite." She turned towards Olivia with a questionable look on her face.

"Yeah. But," Olivia paused and unclipped her badge and gun from her belt. She noticed lately that Alex was a little nervous when she handled her gun, so she dropped the magazine and emptied the chamber, setting the full magazine, single round, and empty firearm on the makeshift table in the front of the restaurant. "It's shatter-proof, bullet proof…pretty much anything proof." Olivia smiled to reassure Alex as she saw the attorney's eyes move from the gun back to the window.

"Hey." Olivia's voice was low, comforting. She took a few steps towards Alex and took her slender hand into her own. "I know it's hard, honey. But, you've gotta trust me. That," she pointed over her shoulder to the gun on the table, "is nothing. This," she traced over Alex's shirt, where she knew the attorney had been shot years ago, "is nothing." Olivia pulled her long-sleeved polo to the side, revealing the recently healed scar near her collarbone. "This, this is nothing, Alex. But…this," she reached up and took Alex's face into her hands, running her thumbs slightly below the blonde's alabaster cheekbones, "this is everything, Alex."

Alex closed her eyes and reveled in the feeling of Olivia's hands on her. When she opened them again, she felt them fill with tears. "I know, Liv. I know. But, it just seems like every time things between us start going in the right direction-." Olivia stopped her with a kiss—and then another, and another.

"Al, it wasn't the gun. It was Connors, it was Carlson, and you know what baby? Sometimes…it's me. I've shot people, Alex. You were around when I shot Plummer—I killed an innocent man. Well, he was innocent, until he killed those people to get back at me." She chuckled a little bit before continuing. "I promise you that the only time you'll ever see me use that gun is to protect you. Ok? Because you are everything to me."

Alex nodded her head and started to speak, but she was cut off before she began by Olivia. "You hungry?" Olivia led her to the single table in the middle of the empty room as Alex sat down. "Well, it's not much, but we'll be alone." Olivia smiled and walked over to the large window, drawing the curtains closed. Alex couldn't help but feel the warmth in her heart radiate through her body. Just watching Olivia, hearing her speak the way she just had left no doubt in Alex's mind that Liv was the one she wanted to be with for the rest of her life.

"So," Olivia began, as she walked toward the front of the restaurant, where the makeshift hostess stand stood, with all of the electronics and an empty cashbox sitting atop it, "let's see how much the owner of this place actually knows about it." She laughed out loud as Alex watched her fiddle with the sound system in the front. Quickly, soft Italian music began playing throughout the restaurant and the lights dimmed down. Olivia jogged over to the table and lit the singular candle between the two of them. She sat down and took a breath, looking up at Alex.

"What do you want for dinner?" Olivia flashed a smile at Alex, waiting for her to respond.

"Doesn't matter—whatever you want, babe." Alex was completely transfixed; Olivia was stunning. Just plain ole' every day Olivia Benson, clad in work clothes after a long day, but yet somehow, she was dazzling. Olivia stared back at her, unaware of the thoughts flowing through her mind. "Who's cooking for us?"

"Yours truly!" She smiled and relaxed into the back of her chair. "Well, you and me, if you want."

Alex laughed, "Well, that's romantic."

"Yeah, I thought it would be nice." She stood up from the table and took Alex's hand, leading her into the kitchen through the swinging door behind them. Alex had never seen a cleaner, more organized kitchen.

"Wow, this is really nice, Liv."

"Well, it's one of the only areas that the robbers didn't hit. And, pretty much all of the food went bad when we had to shut down for rehab, so it gave me time to let Lorenzo and Max do whatever they had wanted to do to the kitchen for a while, so it looks…" she looked around the large, industrial themed kitchen, "damn good, actually." She laughed as she opened the fridge and took out a stainless steel pan with fresh, homemade, pasta on it.

"So…I had a little help." They both laughed as Olivia handed Alex an apron. "You might want to put this on—I don't want you to get your sweater dirty." Alex slipped the top loop over her head and turned around, allowing Olivia to tie the lower strings, and rest them on her back. "What are you thinking for dinner?"

"Well, how about I make us a salad and you," she poked her slender finger at Olivia's chest, "focus on that pasta."

"Got it." She planted a kiss on Alex's ruby painted lips and turned on the stove. She grabbed a pot and filled it with water, placing it on the burner to let it boil. "Find whatever you need Al—there should be pretty much everything here." She watched as Alex swept through the kitchen, piling everything she needed in her arms before returning to the stainless counter, spilling it all out.

Olivia couldn't help but admire the sight: Alex in an apron was something else, and she had sexually fantasized about it before she even finished tying it onto the attorney. But, watching Alex in the apron preparing dinner caused a different kind of fantasy in her head—one with a wife, maybe even kids, and a future. She watched as Alex sliced through a head of lettuce, dice some tomatoes, and imagined the diamond ring in her bag adorning her finger.

"What?" Alex's voice startled Olivia, who was focused on the attorney's skillful hands. The blonde wore a smile as she looked back toward Olivia, who quickly busied herself adding the pasta to the boiling water.

"Nothing." She tore her eyes away from Alex and began to stir the pasta with a spoon. "You just look really sexy in that apron." Alex said nothing, but returned to her lettuce and vegetables, her face reddening.

Ten minutes later Alex sat down at the table, per Olivia's request, when the detective emerged from the kitchen, holding a tray with their salads and alfredo, complete with two wine glasses and a bottle of red wine. She grabbed a stand and opened it next to their table, placing everything on it before sitting down. "Well, it might not be the best dinner you've ever had, but at least we made it together." She smiled over at Alex and winked as she uncorked the wine and poured it into their glasses, Alex's first, and then her own.

"Cheers!" Alex was happy: her smile dazzled Olivia, and the detective sat frozen for a second, transfixed on the beautiful blonde in front of her. She raised the glass and responded quietly.

"Cheers." They both drank from their glasses and as Olivia sat hers down, she began speaking. "So how was your day? What did Donnelley want? I think I scared her earlier when I saw her in your office."

They both began eating the salad Alex made, and Alex took a few bites before answering. She didn't want Olivia to know about the press conference the next morning—she was already going to be there, and she didn't to cause any unnecessary worry before then. "Uh nothing really. Just wanted to talk." She sipped her wine, hoping that would end the conversation.

"Yeah, right. Donnelley never wants to just talk."

Hurriedly, Alex remembered the first thing Donnelley said to her. "Well, it wasn't really work-related." She didn't want to tell Olivia that Donnelley had been asking about her, and she quickly searched for something else to talk about. "The food is great, Liv. This is wonderful." She reached over and put her hand on Olivia's, caressing it gently.

"I'm glad you like it." She paused for a minute, and Alex thought she was off the hook. "But," as Olivia began her sentence, Alex's hope of getting out of the conversation fell a little, "I know you, counselor. You're trying to avoid the topic." She smiled as she drank her wine, "but why? What did she want that wasn't work related? Was it about you and me?" Alex nodded, trying to get out of the conversation the easiest way possible.

"Oh, she brought you the disclosure papers? That's great, Al." Of course Olivia jumped to that conclusion, Alex thought. What else would she and Donnelley be talking about that wasn't work related? In a minute, Alex decided that there was no harm in telling a little fib here: after all, they would both have to sign the papers on Wednesday or Thursday anyways, so she knew it wouldn't be too much harm to just go along with it. Alex nodded her head as she sipped her wine, and that seemed like enough to help Olivia move to the next topic.

"Well, I guess I'll sign them tomorrow, then. Good news. Anyways, you ready for this press conference tomorrow? What's it about even?" Again, Alex tried to be succinct, answering the question without elaborating.

"Oh, the press wants to know about Kaley. Sort of a 'where are they now' thing. The city ate that story up, and I just think they want some more details." Olivia nodded in understanding as she twirled some pasta on her fork. "Hey so I got an email today from my cousin, Ames. He's a law professor at Brown, and he's getting married in a few weeks. I was wondering if you'd want to go with me?"

"Yeah, sure. If you think you're ready for me to meet your family. I'd love to be on the arm of the most beautiful woman there." She smiled and looked at Alex, sipping her wine.

"So what about you, detective? You ever thought about getting married?" Alex hadn't really asked Olivia this question, and even knowing what she knew about Olivia buying a ring, she still wanted to know what her opinions on marriage were. She leaned back in her chair and held her wine glass close to her chest, awaiting Olivia's answer.

"Well, my opinion on that has changed a few times." She put her fork down and took a quick sip of wine before continuing. "When I was younger, I never thought I would want to get married. And then, when Elliot and I became partners, I saw him and Kathy and thought that it would be nice to have a love like that. But, then when they started having problems, especially when they filed for divorce, I saw how it could go wrong." She paused for a minute, gazing down at her hands in her lap. The detective fiddled with her hands, tracing her fingers around the brace on her pinky. "But," she glanced up and met Alex's crystal blue eyes, "I'm coming around a little more on the idea." She finished her wine and stood up, motioning for Alex's hand.

They spent the next ten minutes wrapped around each other on what used to be the dance floor. Alex wrestled between the guilt she felt from lying to Olivia about the paperwork, and the realization that it wouldn't really matter because they would sign the papers this week anyway. Soon, though, all of her worries disappeared as she felt Olivia's hand press against the small of her back. She leaned into the detective, smelling the same comforting citrus and sandalwood scent. "I love you Olivia." She said it without knowing—it just spilled out of her mouth, but she meant it.

"I love you too, baby." They swayed together for a minute more, feeling each other breathe in unison as their hands intertwined and held each other dancing to the music. When the song ended, they separated. "Well, you ready to get out of here?"

"Oh yeah." Alex tugged at Olivia's shirt, pulling her close for a kiss. Before their lips touched, however, Alex stopped short, leaving mere millimeters between their lips as she whispered to Olivia. "I want to get you home as quickly as possible." Olivia's eyes widened as they kissed softly.

It took the detective a minute to gather herself and recollect her thoughts. "God, you're sexy." She began to clean up, taking the dishes from the table and putting them in the sink in the kitchen. Quickly, she approached the front of the restaurant, turning off the music and lights before closing the front door.

"Liv, the place really looks good. What all do you have left to do?"

"Well," Olivia pulled the door shut and locked it, checking the knob before leaving. "I've got to paint, and I'm thinking of doing like a rustic, pallet wooden wall at the front. We've also got to find some new lighting fixtures and a few more tables and a new hostess stand. But, other than that, we are almost ready."

"Well, I love it. Sounds great. If you need any help, let me know." She smiled and laced her fingers with Olivia's, as they walked to the car. Quietly, Alex asked a question that she knew she'd always remember Olivia's answer to. "So, what's making you 'come around' to the whole marriage idea? Because Kathy and Elliot got back together or what?"

Olivia paused for a second, and turned towards Alex, stopping her against the passenger side of her car. "Well, could be that...yeah." She brushed a strand of Alex's hair out of her face and looked into her eyes. "Or, it could be you."