A/N: Thank you to the person who alerted me that there was an issue with some of my stories missing. For some reason FanFiction has been having fun screwing with me these past few days, but the problem seems to have been fixed.
This is a bit of a shorter chapter, but nobody told me that writing out an entire trial was going to be so hard! So just give me some time to figure out where I want this trial to go. Enjoy! :-)
Teresa sighed as she put the prison strap back on its hook on the wall and then turned back to join the others standing around in the punishment room. The energy in the room was awkward until the dormitory monitor began to speak.
"Alex, there simply aren't enough words in the English language to express just how sorry we are about this entire situation."
"I un-understand why you thought I looked guilty. I don't blame you." Alex said bravely.
"Well, that's very forgiving of you, dear, but the fact remains that you received a punishment you did not deserve and that's on us, that's not on you. Obviously your punishment is lifted, you can forget about that essay, and since there's no essay, there's no reason for you to report back here on Friday."
"Thank you, Ma'am."
"Captain Benson, visiting hours are over now, but if you'd like to stop by the front desk to get a pass from the receptionist, you are welcome to stay for as long as Alex would like you to stay. If you would like to join us for dinner, I'll see to it that our Cook makes up an extra dinner tray."
"Thank you, ladies. What do you say, baby girl? Should we stop by the front desk to get my pass and then go cuddle up in your room for a while?" Olivia asked kindly.
"Yes, Ma'am." Alex nodded against Olivia's shoulder.
"Here, use some more of this on her bottom. It will help." Teresa handed Olivia a tube of arnica.
It only took a few minutes for Olivia to get a pass from the receptionist at the front desk, and then they went to Alex's room. Olivia closed and locked the door behind them to give them privacy. Alex immediately shed her pants, leaving her only in her shirt and panties, her punished bottom peeking through the thin material.
"Come here, baby girl. Give me your bottom." Olivia sat down on Alex's bed with her back against the headboard and patted her lap.
Alex obediently draped herself across Olivia's lap, offering her bottom. Olivia gently pulled Alex's panties down to her knees and very carefully rubbed a generous portion of arnica onto Alex's strapped bottom. Alex winced a little at first, but quickly relaxed under Olivia's gentle hand.
"What happened here, baby girl?" Olivia gently caressed a round mark that was starting to bruise a little.
"Brooke pinched my bottom really hard." Alex sniffled.
"That girl. I'd like to take her over my knee myself." Olivia frowned and shook her head as she continued to gently rub Alex's bottom and then gently pulled Alex's panties back into place, "All right, my love, up you come into my arms now."
Alex got up from her position across Olivia's lap and snuggled into Olivia's arms, climbing almost on top of Olivia to be tenderly rocked and cuddled, laying her head on Olivia's shoulder. Olivia cooed to her so tenderly that Alex suddenly began to cry heavily, feeling sore and emotional.
"Oh, there, there. I know my good girl has been having a very rough time. You go right ahead and just cry it all out as much as you want, baby. I'm right here holding you. I love you so much and I'm so, so proud of my good girl. My good, sweet angel. My precious little one." Olivia cooed lovingly.
"I want to come home!" Alex sobbed.
"I know you do, baby, and I want you home more than anything. I promise it'll just be a few more days, then you'll be back home with me where you belong."
Alex cried until she was convinced she couldn't cry anymore, and then she cried some more. When she was finally finished crying, her eyes felt like sandpaper and Olivia took her into her bathroom to gently wash her face and soothe her eyes before going back into the bedroom and cuddling up on the bed again. Olivia reached underneath Alex's shirt to gently rub Alex's belly, offering much needed skin-to-skin contact. Alex went in and out of sleep in Olivia's arms, and still Olivia was there every time she woke up to offer more comfort. For the first time in what seemed like forever, Alex ate her dinner kneeling at Olivia's feet where she belonged being lovingly fed by hand. After dinner, they sat and watched a movie, and then Olivia took Alex back to her room and gently gave Alex's bottom another dose of arnica before she gently tucked Alex into her bed for an early night of sleep.
"I love you, baby girl." Olivia leaned down and gently kissed Alex's forehead, nose, and lips. She stayed until she was sure that Alex was asleep, and then she quietly tip-toed out of the room.
Finally, it was the day everyone had been anxiously waiting for. Alex was loaded into a car and taken to the courthouse. Grace was given special permission to accompany Alex to the courthouse, and she securely held Alex's nervous hand on the drive down there. Alex looked up at the familiar courthouse. The last time she had entered this building, she entered as an attorney and won her last case. This time around, she was entering as a submissive with her future hanging in the balance. After today, Alex would either be returned home to Olivia or her contract with Olivia would be legally severed, which meant that Alex would be returned to Kincaid Transition Station until another home could be found for her. On one side of the courtroom sat Alex and Rafael Barba, and on the other side sat the head of SPS and John Buchanan. Alex was both surprised and genuinely touched by how many people had shown up to support her, including every member of Olivia's squad and Don Cragen. Alex smiled across the room at Claire and received a motherly smile in return.
"Don't be nervous. If I do my job right, you'll be back home in your bed tonight, and I'm very good at my job." Barba said to Alex with confidence.
"All rise! The honorable judge Elizabeth Donnelly presiding." the bailiff announced, and everyone stood up. The judge took her seat and everyone sat down while the judge glanced through the file in her hand.
"Today's proceedings will determine the placement of Alexandra Cabot. Mr. Barba, we'll start with your opening statement."
"May 12th, 1999. That date doesn't mean anything to most of you sitting here today. But to submissive Alexandra Cabot and Madam Olivia Benson, it means a great deal. For almost twenty four years, Alexandra has lived under the care of Madam Benson. The other side will try to argue that Alexandra was taken from her home for her protection, because of severe injuries and malnutrition she sustained while in Madam Benson's care. We will prove that the report taken by SPS agents of Alexandra's injuries do not match the report taken by the hospital when Alexandra was rescued from a warehouse where she had been held captive for six weeks. Furthermore, we will prove that two reported claims of abuse at the hands of Madam Benson were given under false pretenses by two criminals for the purpose of casting doubt to earn a lighter sentence in a criminal trial of which a date has not yet been set. It is Alexandra's greatest wish to be returned home to her Mistress, and we aim to make that wish a reality today."
Barba sat down and Buchanan stood up to make his opening statement.
"Good morning. It is true that May 12th, 1999 was an important date for these two individuals. But I'd like to draw your attention to another date, October 17th, 2022, the day that Alexandra Cabot was hospitalized after sustaining severe injuries after she disappeared under the watch of Madam Olivia Benson who carelessly lost track of her submissive at a play party six weeks prior, and ask yourselves, if an experienced Mistress as Madam Benson claims to be could be so careless as to lose track of Alexandra, then is Madam Benson's home the safest place for Alexandra? We aim to prove that the answer to that question is 'no' and ask that Alexandra be returned to Kincaid Transition Station for her own protection."