Chapter 13

"There is no person that love cannot heal; there is no soul love cannot save." - Carlos Santana.

"Liv, I saw the tape. I was alone when I did it." Abby answers softly.

It was silent for a second or two.

"Oh shit." Olivia mumbles softly.

But Abby heard it.

"Yeah, oh shit. I think it's safe to say that you know why we split up the case, don't you Liv?" Abby asks carefully.

"Yes I do. Did the cap see it?" Olivia asks worried.

"No he didn't, not yet. " Abby answers.

Alex looks at Olivia and then at her cellphone. She knows that she can't see Abby but she looks anyway.

"Can one of the two of you tell me what's going on? What's on that tape?" Alex asks anxiously.

"I don't want him to see it, Abs. I hate it that you saw it." Olivia says.

"You know he will, Liv. You know that he's not the only one who will see it. There's nothing I can do about that. I'm sorry Liv. I really am. How much did you tell Alex?" Abby asks.

Olivia looks at Alex briefly with a deer looking in the headlights look before she looks away and avoids the blonde's eyes.

"Nothing." Olivia almost whispers.

"Nothing?! Damn Olivia. Sorry, I shouldn't have said that. Do you want me to tell Alex or do you want to do it yourself. And neither is not an option. You can take your time to tell her if you want to do it yourself but my advice is to tell her it before the trial starts." Abby asks.

"I know. Do you have it with you at my place?" Olivia asks.

"Yes. Why?" Abby asks.

Olivia takes a deep breath before she speaks again.

"Alright. I'm gonna talk with Alex tonight. And you are right about the fact that more people will see it. Can you call back in a minute or two Abs? I need to talk about something with Alex before I ask you something." Olivia asks.

"Sure. I call ya back in two." Abby answers and ends the call.

"Liv, you don't have to tell me if you're not ready for it. I won't push you." Alex says softly.

"Yes I do Lex. I don't want you to find it out at the trial. I can't do that alone. And yes, I'm afraid and scared like hell that I'll lose you after you know it or have seen the damn tape. But Abby is right, you'll see it at the trial anyway along with everyone else in the courtroom. I can't do that to you. I can't do that to me. And I have to trust your word like I always have and always will about anything else. I have to trust you that you won't leave me. Even if I don't believe it right now." Olivia says.

"Alright, if you're sure we'll talk about it tonight. But you can take as much time as need. We don't have to finish it tonight, Liv. What is it that you need to talk about with me?" Alex asks.

"Would you mind going to the City tomorrow if Abby has no other plans? You could see the tape at my apartment then. I know I have to take things easy but I don't see any other option. As soon as Abby presses charges against the son of a bitch it's out of our hands how much time we have till the trial. And I don't think she'll wait till after the weekend." Olivia asks.

Alex thinks about it for a few of moments.

"How about we ask her to come here tomorrow? If it's not necessary I don't want you to travel too much. We already went two days in a row. I know Abs won't tell anyone about this place and you need to prep for both trials with her. If his lawyer asks for a speedy trial it could mean you have to go to trial next week for either case. Tomorrow is Friday so why don't we ask her to come here after work and if you're alright with it she could stay for the night and leave Saturday. I can see the tape and the two of you could prep for your trial." Alex proposes.

"Alex, no. You don't have to do this! I know you're right about traveling but I don't want this place to be a walk-in-house. Till yesterday you didn't have anyone else beside yourself here." Olivia answers.

"Liv your health is more important to me than not inviting Abby here. It's just for this one time. Unless you don't want her to be here I really don't have a problem with it." Alex says.

"Are you absolutely sure, Alex?" Olivia asks.

"Yes I am." Alex says firmly but with a soft tone in her voice.

Olivia sighs and looks in Alex's eyes for a few seconds.

"Alright, let's asks her to come here. But it will be an exception. I don't want anyone else not even Abby come here for me after this one time." Olivia says.

"Deal. Just this one time." Alex says.

The two minutes went faster than they thought. In fact Abby gave them five minutes before she calls back just when Olivia wants to react. Alex picks up after checking who it is and puts her cellphone on the speaker immediately.

"Hey Tex, you're on the speaker already." Alex says.

"Are you two finished talking?" Abby asks.

"We almost were but the rest can wait. Do you have any plans for tomorrow evening or Saturday morning?" Olivia asks.

"No not really. Why?" Abby asks.

"We would like to ask you to come to Alex's cabin tomorrow after work and to bring the tape with you so that Alex could see it. And the two of us could prep for my trial. It's just this one time and only because I've been traveling for two days in row. And you can't say it to anyone where it is. I know I can trust you, we can trust you, but this is Alex's secret heaven and I don't want anyone else knows about it. I'm sure you'll understand that. Anyway do you want to do that? If necessary you can stay for the night." Olivia asks.

"Of course I can do that. Alex is right about you not traveling again tomorrow. I know you didn't say that but I also know that Alex is the one saying that you shouldn't travel again tomorrow. You're too stubborn to ask for it yourself. But are you sure it's alright for me to come there Alex?" Abby asks.

"What is with brunettes and asking if I'm sure? Yes I'm sure otherwise I wouldn't have proposed it. I'll text you the address later." Alex answers.

"Alright. I'll let you know when I'm leaving the City. I think it will be late afternoon or early evening. It depends on how busy I am tomorrow and how fast things go." Abby says.

"That's fine. Don't grab something on your way here, we can eat together when you're here." Alex says.

"That would be great. Alright I'll leave you two alone for now. See ya tomorrow." Abby says.

"See you tomorrow Tex. Bye." Olivia says.

"Try to relax tonight, Carmichael. See you tomorrow." Alex says.

"That goes for the both of ya too, Cabot. Bye." Abby answers and ends the call.

Alex looks at her watch and sees it's 8 PM.

"How about I'm gonna make us dinner? I know I'm not the chef between the two of us, as we both know, but mac 'n cheese should go right without setting the kitchen on fire." Alex asks jokingly, as she stands up.

"Alright. Don't make too much though, I'm not hungry." Olivia answers.

Alex sits back on the edge of the bed.

"Liv, we don't have to do this tonight. I know you're not hungry because of you're afraid of what will happen after we talked. I also know you want to do this tonight so I'm gonna make dinner now so that it's ready and then we go talk first. We reheat it when we're done. If you don't wanna eat that's fine, I'm not gonna push it down your throat. I can reheat it just for me if that's the case." Alex says.

"Lex, you don't have to wait just because I'm not hungry. I can eat after we talked if I want to eat then." Olivia says.

"I don't mind to wait. I'd rather wait and eat with you later if you're up to it then. And before you ask, yes I'm sure." Alex answers.

"Ok. You make dinner first and we'll eat after we're done." Olivia agrees.

"Do you want to come and sit with me while I'll cook or do you want to wait here and I come and get you when I'm done?" Alex asks.

"I'd like to wait in the living room on the couch. I thought we could talk there." Olivia answers.

"Ok. Let's get you up then." Alex says.

Alex stands up again and helps Olivia to get up and the two of them walk to the living room. Alex helps Olivia to get comfortable on the couch. The kitchen is in the same area as the living room. After Olivia is seated Alex walks to the kitchen. Standing in the kitchen to get ready the blonde changes her mind and walks back to Olivia and looks into her brown eyes.

"I'm proud of you Olivia Benson. I know how hard it is for you to open up to people, even to me. But in what must be one of the hardest times of your life you're trying to let me in and trust me. I promise that I won't betray your trust. Nothing can chase me away from you or make me leave you. I won't leave you unless it's you who's asking me it. It would destroy me and break my heart in a million pieces for ever but I would respect your wish and do it." Alex says.