A/N: Thanks again for all of the wonderful reviews and likes. I have a little bit of bad news coming your way—I know many of you have commented and said you like the frequent updates, and trust me, I do too. But, sometimes I can feel myself starting another chapter just to start it, and I really don't know where I'm going with it, and I don't like that. I'm going to try to update as often as I can, but I need a little time in between chapters to plan out where things are going and to develop my ideas. Don't worry though: it won't be months in between chapters, and probably not even weeks. But I wanted to try to let you guys down easy. Sorry! But enjoy!

Chapter 69

Recuse

Olivia rested her head back on the pillow, feeling the comfortable easiness that came with being back in her own bed. Tonight was the first night since the press conference that Alex and Olivia lay down in their bed together, unhurried by their own groping hands tearing clothes from each other. Alex crawled into the bed, welcomed by Olivia's open arm.

"It's so nice to have you back here." Alex lay on Olivia, her hand resting atop Olivia's cotton t-shirt.

"It's nice to be back." Alex smiled as Olivia pulled her close. "It's just nice to hold you every night—in our bed, or anywhere else." She kissed Alex's forehead and a content smile spread across both of their faces.

"This weekend was perfect, Olivia. I'm so happy you got to meet my family."

"I am too. They're really great. Now I see where you get it." They lay together silently for a few minutes, Olivia recalling her conversation with Roger that morning. She knew that she probably should have just told him about the ring she bought, but she knew she could do that later.

"And, I didn't know Dickie was such a good soccer player!" Alex sat up, looking at Olivia.

"Yeah, he's good. He works out with me and his endurance is surprising. I think that's why he's so good running the field the whole time and beating people to the ball. That's one sport I could never play." Alex lowered her head back down, resting it on Olivia's shoulder.

"You could play anything, baby." She took a breath and rubbed Olivia's stomach. "You ready to get back to work?"

"Yeah, I am. But, I'm still sort of worried about this Conrad situation."

"Me too, Liv. But, we'll tackle it together. You did everything by the book, honey."

"Yeah, Alex but no one saw it. I don't have anyone to back me up." Alex sat up and kissed Olivia tenderly.

"It'll all be ok." Olivia looked up at Alex.

"Somehow, when you say it, I believe it." She cupped Alex's face, bringing her close and kissing her. "Thank you for believing in me." Alex looked down on Olivia and smiled, brushing the short hair over her forehead to the side.

"We should get to sleep. Big day tomorrow." Olivia nodded and turned out the light on her nightstand. She turned around and pulled Alex close, kissing the top of her head, inhaling the familiar scent of her shampoo.

"I love you, Alex."

"Love you too, Liv. Goodnight."

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Olivia walked up the stairs to the precinct, stopping at Alex's office before starting her day. She poked her head inside and watched the blonde read a document, highlighting and noting certain pieces of information as she went. She jumped when she heard Olivia's voice.

"Good morning." The detective held a coffee cup in her casted hand, offering it to her girlfriend.

"Hi." Alex's smile glowed as she took the cup, sipping it slowly as she sat back in her chair. "That's good…" she smiled "thank you." Olivia nodded. "So what'd Dr. Foster say?"

Olivia opened the cast and offered her hand to Alex. She took it, examining her pinky as Olivia spoke. "She said all of the stitches are dissolved, so I can start doing whatever." Alex smiled and took her hand, kissing the scar on her pinky affectionately. Olivia put her hand back in the cast and winked at Alex.

"Have a great day, Ms. Cabot." She disappeared through the door and Alex sat in a daydreamed stupor for the next couple of minutes until she saw Donnelley appear, papers in hand, and Casey closely behind her.

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Olivia walked in to the precinct and sat down at her desk, smiling across at Elliot. "Nice to see you," he said as she opened her email, checking to make sure she didn't miss anything.

Fin and Munch were out on a case, and not much was going on at the precinct, so Olivia took the time to make sure all of her DD5's were done and she was organized, ready for the week.

A young man walked into the precinct, searching around for someone. He spoke loudly. "Elliot Stabler?" Elliot turned around and raised his hand, the man making his way over to the detective. He handed Elliot a folded document, slapping it on his desk. "You've been served."

Olivia's head snapped up. "For what?" She was shocked, scoffing out a laugh as she watched Elliot open the document.

"I'm being called as a defense witness for Conrad…?"

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"Alex, listen." Donnelley sat her papers down on Alex's desk before she took a seat across from the blonde—Casey did the same. "I'm sure detective Benson told you, but she signed your disclosure papers last week when she came in." Donnelley took a paper out of the folder in front of her and handed it to Alex.

The attorney smiled as she saw, for the first time, her signature written next to Olivia's. She nodded, handing the paper back to Liz. "So, there's no easy way for me to say this," Donnelley looked at Alex and back to Casey. "You need to recuse yourself from this investigation into Benson's actions."

Alex took a breath and looked from Casey to Liz: she knew they were right. "Alex, it's better this way. Especially because you guys just disclosed." Casey paused, "I'm gonna be honest, I didn't know you guys hadn't disclosed your relationship yet, so I'm happy we didn't get further into this because it could have caused a lot more problems for us here."

Alex's eyes moved from Casey's to Liz's. She nodded and flailed her hands. "Yeah, you're right." She sat back in her chair, giving up the fight that she hadn't even started. "So what now?"

"Well," Casey started. "I've already briefed Carolyn Maddox, and she's in to sit second chair." Alex was shocked.

"Carolyn? Really?" Maddox was a high-powered defense attorney, spending most of her days representing the millionaires of the city with whatever they needed. Casey nodded. "Why?"

Alex listened as Donnelley explained. "She likes Olivia." They all laughed as Alex looked down at her calendar, doodling as she listened.

"Who doesn't? Just don't tell her Olivia and I are dating." They all laughed as Alex saw an email come across her screen. "Are you kidding me?" Casey and Liz turned toward her, questioning looks on their faces. "Elliot got subpoenaed for the defense?!"

Donnelley stood up. "I shouldn't even be here, and I can't stay or I'll have to recuse myself." She left, closing the door behind her as Alex and Casey sat looking at each other.

"What's going on, Casey?"

"I'm not sure, but I'm guessing Langan is going to try to argue that Olivia was overly aggressive. Since you said Elliot didn't see it all, they're probably going to try to get him to say that he didn't see the beginning of the scuffle."

Alex sighed. "Carolyn have anything up her sleeve?"

"I think so." Casey smiled weakly. "Don't worry about it." She reached out and put her hand over Alex's. "I'll miss you at the table next to me."

"Oh, don't worry. I'll be watching," Alex smiled. "And, you and Carolyn better nail the bastard."

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Elliot heard Alex's heels clacking into the precinct around 5:30. He turned around as he saw her looking towards Olivia's desk. "She's not here."

Alex sat down at Olivia's desk, staring across to Elliot. He knew what she was here to talk about, and he started the conversation. "Listen, Alex, I don't know what Langan wan—."

"Elliot, it's fine. I know Olivia did the right thing and I know whatever you have to say will be the truth." She paused, "you know, it's true what they say…" Elliot cocked his head, encouraging her to continue, "the truth will out."

He nodded. "Shakespeare." He motioned toward Olivia's desk, "that's what Olivia would say, at least." They both laughed as Alex looked around.

"So, I've recused myself from the hearing, so I don't have much work to do—I'm gonna head home, I think. Where's Liv? Do you know?"

"Well, I saw her open her locker and grab her duffel bag, so I'm assuming since her stitches dissol—."

"The pool." Elliot nodded and smiled at Alex, as the attorney stood up and started to leave the precinct.

"Alex!" Elliot jogged toward her, catching her in the hallway right outside. "I just want to say thanks for having faith in me about this hearing. I told you everything I know when you came to the hospital. I just know she didn't do anything wrong."

She put her hand on Elliot's shoulder. "I know, Elliot. Everything will be fine."

The basement of the precinct had definitely gone through a makeover, Alex noticed. Two rooms that had been used for storage of files were now weight rooms, full of treadmills and free weights. Alex made her way down the hallway, following the smell of chlorine. She opened the door to the lap pool and sat down on a bench, watching Olivia in her element, swimming lap after lap.

She watched as Olivia's body seamlessly cut through the water, reaching the end of the lane and flip turning onto the next lap. Every four strokes, Alex noticed, Olivia turned her head and took a breath, always on her left side. She wore a green and white cap with a large 'S' emblazoned on both sides, and Alex assumed it was hers from college. Alex took her blazer off, folding it over her crossed legs as she leaned back against the wall, admiring the strong body in the water.

Five minutes later, she saw Olivia stand up in the middle of a lap. She faced away from the attorney, pulling her goggles up and resting them on her forehead. Alex almost said something until she heard Olivia's exasperated voice as she stretched her shoulder, pulling her arm over her head. "God damnit!" She smacked the water as her arms came down. Alex was taken aback: Olivia sounded frustrated, but moreover, she sounded like she was in pain. She, again, held her arm over her head for a few seconds and let out a long breath.

Olivia pulled her goggles off of her head and launched them out of the pool. They hit the wall and fell down to the ground with a thud. Alex watched as Olivia took off her cap and walked it over to the side, placing it quietly on the edge—she had calmed her temper. She lowered herself down and did a few slow push-ups against the side of the pool before she submerged her whole body. As she stood up, she turned around and slicked her hair back, finally noticing Alex sitting on the bench.

"Oh, hey." She knew Alex had seen her outburst, and the blonde could tell she was a little embarrassed. "Sorry, I was uh…" she flattened down her hair as she walked toward the middle of the pool, even with the bench. Alex uncrossed her legs and leaned forward.

"You don't have to apologize Liv…what's wrong?"

"I'm just annoyed." She hoisted herself up out of the pool, and this display of strength almost rendered Alex speechless. The blonde handed Olivia a towel and she took a seat on the bench next to Alex.

"By what, baby?" Alex took the towel into her hand and playfully tousled Olivia's hair before she moved it to her back, draping it over her shoulders.

"By Trevor. Like, what the hell does he think he's doing?" Alex shrugged and started to respond when Olivia continued. "And, I know I haven't swam in a while, but my shoulder just gave out in there—I only swam half as far as I normally do…And this brace is annoying as hell." Tears rose in Olivia's eyes as she chuckled. "Sorry, I'm just really frustrated."

Alex placed her hand on Olivia's back, over the towel and spoke softly. "Liv, it's ok. You're allowed to be aggravated." She looked at Alex and smiled.

"You always know how to make me feel better." She pulled Alex in for a hug, as much as the attorney tried to protest.

"Liv! Sto—!" Olivia pressed her wet body against Alex, kissing her hard on the cheek. "Olivia Benson!" Alex stood up as Olivia walked toward the locker room. She yelled across the room "You got my clothes wet!"

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They pulled up to Serena's in Alex's SUV around 6:45, parking in the employee lot. Alex got out and walked around to Olivia, pulling her close. "It's nice to be able to go places together, now. You know, riding in the same car and everything." Olivia nodded and took Alex's hand as they crossed the street. Bandit walked in front of them on his leash, eager to get out in the crisp late September air.

Olivia opened the front door and let Bandit go, allowing him to careen through the rows of tables and chairs. Alex laughed and watched the dog run through the restaurant, looking for something to play with. "I've just gotta look around for a few things, babe, and then we can take him for a walk." Alex nodded and waited for Olivia to find whatever it was she was looking for.

Alex noticed the new décor: the restaurant looked great, and it had to be close to being done. "Liv?" Alex called from the front area and she heard a muffled response from the kitchen. "When are you guys opening back up?" Olivia pushed the kitchen door open, shuffling through some papers.

"Well, here's the 100% from the health department!" She displayed a triplicate copy to Alex, grinning. "So, it looks like tomorrow!" She pulled her phone out and called Max, sharing the good news.

"That's great, Liv." Alex hugged Olivia, pulling her close. "I know this whole situation sucked, but I'm glad things are getting back to normal."

"Me too." They passed five cardboard boxes piled in the dining room that Olivia hadn't seen before. She pulled out a box cutter from the front counter and opened the top box, glancing inside. "Oh! The new menus—perfect timing." Olivia began to close the box when Alex stepped forward, peering into the box.

Olivia pulled her hand, ushering Alex toward the front. "We'll look at them later." Alex knew she was steering her away on purpose, but didn't know why. She didn't have time to think about it, as she heard Olivia's voice again.

"Bandit! Let's go buddy." She whistled and Bandit emerged from one of the dining rooms at a sprint. He jumped up on Olivia and licked her in the face excitedly. Alex watched and couldn't help but imagine this as their future—she and Olivia would be married, maybe with some kids…they'd take their dog for walks when they got home from work. It would be a great life, she thought.

Five minutes later Alex and Olivia walked hand-in-hand through Central Park, Bandit leading the way. "So, your birthday's coming up…" Olivia squeezed Alex's hand.

"Yes?"

"Well, what do you want to do?"

"Oh, Olivia it doesn't matter. I just want to be with you." The detective smiled as she let Bandit off of his leash. Alex watched as she took control of the rowdy dog with a few simple commands.

"Sit." He sat down, awaiting Olivia's next command. "Ball?" The dog's head tilted to the side and he jumped up in excitement before she pulled a tennis ball from her pocket. "Sit." Bandit sat back down and whined for the ball. Olivia handed it to Alex with a wink and she tossed it, watching as Bandit flew to catch it. He brought it back a few seconds later. "Drop it." He released the ball at Olivia's feet and sat down, waiting for her to throw it again. Alex watched as this scenario played out for the next 20-30 minutes.

"Well, Alex, I'd like to do something special for you. Is there anything in particular you want as a gift or something?"

"Olivia, honestly, there's nothing I want." Olivia looked at her quizzically, trying to detect if she was being completely honest.

"Alright. Well, can I at least take you to dinner?"

"That sounds good." Alex leaned in and kissed Olivia, her hands attaching to the base of the detective's neck. Olivia reciprocated, pulling her close, wrapping her hands around Alex's waist. They both jumped when Bandit barked up at Olivia, the ball lying atop her foot. "Guess we took too long?" Alex laughed and picked up the ball, throwing it one more time before Olivia reattached his leash and headed toward the car.

Jo Lewis sat on a bench in Central Park watching two women play with a golden retriever on the hill across the way. She could swear the blonde was ADA Alex Cabot: those piercing blue eyes were way too familiar, especially after they bore through her when she asked a question at a press conference weeks ago. And, although her hair looked shorter, she thought the other woman could be Olivia Benson. So, her informant had been right, after all. She picked up her iPad and made her way back to her apartment, eager to share her suspicions.