A/N: Oh it's good to be back! I've noticed that I've started to spend multiple chapters over a period of one to two days—hope that's ok with everyone. I know I've done it before, but I think that's how I get my best ideas out and it seems more real to me. In the next two chapters we will explore the surprise party and get an insight into Olivia's sleepwalking. Anyways, Alex's birthday is rolling along! I hope you enjoy, and always thank you so much for reading.

Chapter 89

Surprise!

Olivia stepped out of the shower and glanced at the clock discreetly, hoping Alex wouldn't catch on that she was watching the time. It was 6:40 and Olivia knew they needed to be at Serena's between 7:30 and 8, but she didn't want to rush Alex—the birthday girl wasn't supposed to know they had plans, after all.

"Liv?" She heard Alex call her name from the living room, so she wrapped a towel around her and headed down the hallway.

"What's up babe?" Olivia stood, clad in only a towel, leaning against the wall. For a moment, Alex forgot what she was going to say. She looked over to her fiancée and couldn't help but stare: Olivia's legs were perfectly tanned and toned, her towel just barely covered her ass, and her brown short hair fell flat on her head in an unkempt mess. Alex watched as Olivia ran a hand through her hair and smiled when those familiar ice blue eyes met her own.

"Well, I was going to ask you a question…but I don't really care about the answer anymore." A playful smirk pulled at Alex's lips as Olivia responded.

"Well, I can't help you then." Olivia returned the smile and playfully threw up her hands, turning back toward the hotel bedroom. Quiet footsteps approached and Olivia turned around abruptly, snatching up Alex around her waist as the attorney cackled. "You really thought you could sneak up on a cop?" Alex continued to laugh as Olivia set her down on the bed.

"Oops!" With one swift motion, Alex purposely pulled Olivia's towel off and tossed it onto the floor playfully.

"You know, it's a good thing you're such a good lawyer…because you'd be an awful actress." Alex's mouth fell open and they both chuckled, and after a minute, the laughter faded as the mood deepened. Olivia leaned over Alex, completely nude, as the blonde reached up and pulled down onto the bed. They lay facing each other, tracing the other with their eyes. Olivia reached out and took Alex's hand into her own, caressing it lightly.

"Are you sure there's nothing I can get you for your birthday?" Alex rolled her eyes and displayed her arm to Olivia.

"You got me this!" The detective held Alex's arm and saw the silver bangle that she had purchased just a week ago.

"Well, yeah, but I kind of took it upon myself to get you that. Is there anything you want, babe?"

Alex searched the detective's eyes: those golden eyes that she could get lost in were so deep and dark, that Alex couldn't help but fall deeper into her gaze. "You know what I want?" Olivia raised her eyebrows, prompting Alex to continue. "I just want to talk…I don't want today to be any different than any other day."

The detective looked a little confused but happily obliged. She knew that Alex was having a hard time with her birthday, and Olivia understood—she had been there many times. "Ok. Whatever you want. What do you want to talk about?"

"Tell me about this bracelet. I know there's got to be a story behind it...there always is with you." Alex looked at the bangle and then back toward Olivia, who had sneaked under the covers to warm herself up. Alex stood up, took her pants off, and crawled under the covers to join her when she heard Olivia begin to speak.

"Well, I saw it in a shop window a week or so ago and I was honestly just going to buy it for you because I thought the little heart was cute. Then I took it to the register and the woman told me that they normally engraved them with your handwriting on the inside. So, I thought about you…and me…and I picked something I thought you'd like…So I chicken scratched it out on a piece of paper and there you have it." Alex moved closer to the detective and was transfixed on every word.

"What's it from? It is Shakespeare?" Alex asked quietly, seriously.

"Uh no, actually. It's a quote from a philosopher." Alex leaned forward and began intertwining her hand with Olivia's, fingering and massaging the detective's hand lovingly with her own.

"Mhmm?"

"Oh let me see." Olivia took a deep breath and searched her mind for this specific piece of knowledge. "I believe it goes something like this: 'Who gives a law to lovers? For love is, unto itself, a higher law.'" She looked over to Alex and the attorney stared back, steadfastly listening to what she had to say.

"What do you think about that?" Olivia could always expect a question like this—Alex loved to pick people's brains, and Olivia knew that's probably why she was so smart.

"Well, I think a lot about it, actually." Alex straightened up and rested her head on her hand, looking across toward Olivia, prompting her to continue. "I think the phrase is normally used in gay rights initiatives, and, as much as I think it does apply to that line of thinking, I see it a little differently." Olivia took a breath and continued. "There's so many things that we are supposed to be in life—and so many roles that we are supposed to fill. Everyone wants to put their life into a little box and they want to be able to say 'Oh, I'm a mom and a business woman and I ran the NYC marathon last year, and I feed homeless people on the weekend, and I have a house in Aspen.' When in reality, everything we do as people should be in love, and not just to fulfill what we feel obligated to do to fill that box…And, I didn't understand that until I fell in love with you."

Alex was speechless. She sat motionless and watched as Olivia explained further, having no idea that she was affecting the blonde as much as she was.

"Take me, for example. If I had to describe myself I'd say I'm a detective. I'm a cop, I've been one for years. Most of my friends are cops, and while there are other things that matter to me, really my life mostly revolves around my job…But, when I think about you, and our relationship, all I can think about is the way my heart beats a little faster when I hear your heels clicking into the precinct. Or the feeling I get when I hear you say my name, or the look you give me across the room when we're with other people." Olivia felt Alex's hand reach over to her and pull her body closer under the covers.

"It's just the simple idea of love taking over everything, and having the capability to change your entire life. Because ever since I fell in love with you, I know that there isn't anything in the world that could put any rules on it; nothing that could put rules down on how I feel about you, and that's when I realized that the love I have for you really is something bigger than myself, bigger than anything I've ever known…and I'm ok with that."

Alex climbed atop Olivia and pulled her into a strong hug. Olivia smiled and wrapped her arms around her fiancée, holding her tightly to her body. Alex sat up and looked down upon the detective. "Olivia Benson," her voice was a little unsteady, "what did I ever do to deserve a love like this?" Olivia smiled and pulled Alex down for a gentle kiss, lingering on her lips for just a moment before she pulled away.

"Oh, also, it says 'law,' and you're a lawyer, so I thought you'd appreciate that." Alex let out a breath she'd been holding in and laughed uncontrollably. Olivia always knew exactly how to make her smile, and this joke did just that. "I love you, Alexandra."

"I love you, Olivia, more than you know."

As Olivia leaned up to kiss Alex one more time, her stomach growled loud enough that they both heard it in the otherwise silent room. It was almost as if her internal organs knew they needed to get moving and they knew she wasn't going to leave this bed without some encouragement.

"Sorry." Olivia cringed and Alex laughed as she stood up out of the bed.

"Let's go get something to eat, huh?" Olivia nodded toward Alex and hesitantly asked the next question.

"Anywhere special you want to go for your birthday?"

Alex turned toward her tote bag and pulled out the cotton dress she had worn the day before. She laid it out on the bed and began undressing. "Well, all I really want is as much of you as I can get…so…" Olivia held her breath as Alex finished her thought. "Serena's it is."

"Sounds great." Olivia had played it perfectly. Somehow she knew that Alex would pick the very place she had planned to go all along.

Ten minutes later Alex walked out of the bedroom and Olivia caught a glimpse of her in the mirror behind her own reflection. The detective turned around to see her fiancée filling out a coral, cotton dress that was cut just above her knees. The sleeves came ¾ down her arms and the bangle stood out in contrast to her fair alabaster skin. "Alex, you look…" Olivia reached for Alex's hand and pulled her closer, "so gorgeous, sweetheart."

Alex blushed a bit: even after hearing it almost every day, there was something about the way Olivia said it that made Alex beam. "Thank you." She took one look at Olivia and suddenly felt the same way about her fiancée. "You look great too. Man, I'm lucky." Olivia was wearing gray pants, secured with a black belt, and a burgundy low cut shirt covered by her leather jacket. Alex's gawking was interrupted by Olivia's outstretched hand.

"Serena's?"

The attorney smiled and took her hand, walking out of their hotel room. "Serena's."

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"Liv…?" Olivia knew that when they drove by the dark restaurant that Alex would have questions.

"Yes?" She tried to keep a straight face, knowing exactly what was going to happen within the next few minutes.

"Did you close it down…? Oh, babe. It's like the first time you brought me here." Alex smiled at the memory and Olivia knew she had her right where she wanted her.

"Well, it is your birthday. I thought I'd do something special for you." She parked the car and walked around to Alex's side, taking her hand when she got out. They strolled across the street and Olivia sorted through her keys, found the one to the restaurant and placed it in the door. She pushed the door open quietly and turned around unexpectedly, pulling Alex into a passionate kiss. "I love you Alex. Happy birthday."

She reached for the light switch and flipped it on, as everyone in the restaurant stood up and shouted, "Surprise!"