I do not own the characters. I'm not making a profit off this rambling, slightly humorous update.

Rated M for some loving. ;)

Slammed

Chapter Eight: dressed to impress

I finished buttoning up my shirt, leaning against the doorframe of the bathroom and watching my lover fidget. "Liv, darling…would you stop already. You look gorgeous."

"I feel like a trussed up penguin," she grumbled back at me and continued to shift from foot-to-foot and tighten her black belt, threaded expertly through her trouser loops. "I really don't see why I have to dress up just to go to dinner. I mean, if anything, I should wear my Halloween costume from last year. Petrovsky will appreciate the creativity, right?"

"Yes, I am so sure that she will, but I will not and neither will her partner."

"After all these years of stealthy glares, I still can't believe that the 'dragon judge' is a Lesbian." She finished fiddling with her belt and met my gaze in the mirror right in front of her. "It's like finding out after all these years, that Cragen is really a cross-dresser or something. Or Elliott likes to wear red silk boxers. You know? It just doesn't gel in my brain." She shook her head and moved toward me, her dark eyes glinting and beautiful.

"Well, it better 'gel' because we're about to come head-to-head with the pair." I left the top two buttons of my shirt undone and reached for her. She moved into my arms with a comfortable ease of practice and nuzzled my neck, her soft lips kissing just below my earlobe. I smiled despite my sudden nerves at Liv's statement. "You smell good enough to eat," I said, my voice husky and low. Intimate.

She chuckled. "And eat you shall, just not me and not here. We're going to be late, and the last thing I want…" she nibbled my ear, suckling the lobe seductively, "is sex jokes about our tardiness from Petrovsky. Elliott is one thing." Her hands gripped my hips, fingers brushing my just under my belly button. I groaned in spite of myself.

"Babe," I softly panted, "you win." I ran my fingers through the fine hairs at the base of her neck and felt, as well as heard her breath catch, and closed my eyes. I suddenly wasn't interested in leaving and for sure Liv knew from my reaction to her touches.

"I know. What nobody knows about the great Alexandra Cabot, is how easily I can bring her to her knees," she whispered, then released me and stepped back.

The suddenness of her movement made me gasp and open my eyes. I looked up and into her eyes, and uttered, "Liv."

"Yes, Alex," she said, my name a benediction. Then in a whisper, "I know. Believe me, Baby, I know."

I dipped my head in a dejected nod. "I know you know…how you turn me on with just the look of your liquid eyes, and how you melt me with just a brush of your fingertips against my heated skin." I sighed, then muttered, "but we have a date with the devil and her lover, and no amount of aggressive arguing will get us out of it. So…let me grab my satchel and jacket, then we'll go."

"Hey, do you even know where Petrovsky lives?" Liv shouted, then mumbled just soft enough so I had to strain to hear her, "other than the Bat-Cave. Or maybe in Translvania."

"Do you really think that her lover would allow her to reside in a dark and drabby cave?" I buttoned up my jacket and stood by the door, waiting on her to gather her overcoat and keys which she promptly did as I gave her my 'hurry-up' glare. "Even if the Batmobile is better fitted for her stature. And, she gave me her address yesterday."

"Just say it Alex; Petrovsky is short. But, I've discovered that the short ones always pack a mean punch." Olivia opened the door for me, then waited for me to precede her, waving her hand with a gallant flourish. I grabbed her swinging arm and tugged her through the portal.

"You know, Liv, I really wouldn't put it past her spook lover to bug my apartment. I gathered that Amy spends quite a lot of time in the city. And you know, exactly how often I'm at home during the daytime hours. There would be ample time."

Liv tugged me back as she stopped, frozen in her tracks. I turned around and met her wide gaze. "I really hope not." Then she made a crossing motion in front of her chest. "What would Elliot say to that?"

I guffawed. "I just suggested that we might have ears listening to us and all you can think of is what Elliot will think?"

She stepped right up behind me and wrapped her arms around my waist, her fingers locking behind my lower back. "I meant, that after my incident today, what would he think of all this…softy behavior that I only let you see."

"You're making assumptions. You know how I hate it when you do that."

"I can't help it, Alex. I'm a cop, it's what I do." Olivia shrugged with in the circle of my arms, then sighed. "Let's just go and we'll finish this discussion later. I'm really just not in the mood for it."

"Okay, detective. We'll end this line of conversation for now, but don't think for a minute that I'm letting you off the hook."

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it," she burred, turning away from me, then leading me out of my apartment building, her free hand already going up to hail a cab for us. In just a few short breaths, we were nestled inside the cab and on our way to the suburbs and Petrovsky's estate.

As the scenery of the city flew by outside the darkened cab, I watched my lover as her eyes darted from the window to the cab driver, then back out the window. She's a cop to her core and will always keep an eye on her environment. It was one of the first things that I immediately noticed about her back when we were just colleagues and trying to develop a platonic friendship. I've never felt afraid to be with her, even when we get cross-eyed looks from people watching our public, affectionate caresses. I imagine that Lena feels much the same way I do when she's with her lover, Amy. While we all three sat awkwardly in the coffee-shop, I noticed Amy's observant behavior and felt the same comfort that I always feel when I'm with Liv.

I wonder how Olivia and Amy will react to one another. A vision of Liv and Amy circling one another, flashed through my head as I sat back in the cab seat and waited for the driver to stop at the designated address that Liv casually told him. I didn't tell her the address. But she is a cop and can find out anything she needs to with one short phone call to the precinct.

The darkness outside gave way to a circle driveway in front of a fairly decent sized brick house. Several porch lights lit up the walkway.

"That's about seventy-eight bucks ladies," the cab driver said, then coughing profusely. I rolled my eyes and slipped him a hundred.

"Keep the change," I murmured, opening my door and stepping out into the chilly night air. Olivia practically jumped out of the cab and came around the back as the car began to speed away.

She grabbed my hand and stared at the house before us. "So, what are we waiting for?"

"Hell to freeze over," I mumbled under my breath, gripping her fingers tighter and starting the walk up the perfectly paved walkway. Liv kept stride with my, our hips lightly brushing in between steps.

"I hear icicles cracking right now," Liv whispered in my ear.

I elbowed her in the stomach as I stepped up the steps, taking a deep breath then ringing the doorbell. I counted under my breath until I heard the door open, a trait left over from childhood, and one that always caused Liv to tease me mercilessly. I peeked at her and saw that she was biting her lip to keep from saying anything or laughing at me. "Liv," I burred as the door was opened and revealed our hosts.

Judge Petrovsky and Amy, her lover, wrapped in an affectionate embrace with their cheeks a rosy tint. They had obviously been cuddling before we arrived. The thought sent my head spinning, as I heard my lover gasp and cough.

"Welcome Alex," Lena Petrovsky stepped forward and gripped my hand that wasn't holding Liv's, shaking it vigorously in greeting. "I'm so glad that the both of you could come." Amy laughed softly.

"We wouldn't have missed it for all the perps in New York," Olivia rumbled, an amused smirk gracing her beautiful lips.

"Detective Benson. It's so good to see you again outside of the courtroom. I was beginning to think I would have to start charging you rent you stayed for so many hours," Petrovsky said, her hand releasing mine and moving over to grip Olivia's and giving it an equally friendly shake. "And, please call me Lena." She turned to her lover and said, "may I introduce my better half, Amy Morgan. Deputy Director."

Amy reached out her hand and smiled at Olivia, a gesture I recognized from Liv as a way to disarm and drop the defenses of your opponent. My lover reached out her hand, gripping Amy's tightly, and smiled an equally huge grin. "It's so nice to finally put a face with the name, Detective."

"Please call me Olivia, Director Morgan," Olivia said loudly, putting a slight emphasis on Amy's title.

"Perhaps you should call me Amy instead. I'm not the director of this household, if you know what I mean." Amy wiggled her eyebrows at Olivia, then stepped back to allow us entrance into their home, now that the introductions were over with and no guns were drawn. At least not yet.

Amy led us through the entryway and into the lounge area, a beautiful sunken room lined with creamy leather couches and plush area rugs. She waved her hands and said, "please, have a seat. Would either of you care for a beverage? We have a cabinet as stocked as any bar and every form of mixing device known to woman. So don't be shy about your requests." She flashed a smile at Lena, then moved over to the corner area, where a large bar and stools sat at the ready, guarding a large cabinet full of every alcohol imaginable.

"I'll have a beer," Liv said with a shrug of her shoulders, then turned to watch Lena and Amy interacting. The shock was slowly giving way to curiosity I could tell. I immediately noticed the twinkle in Olivia's brown eyes. I smiled at Liv, turned to Amy and then said, "a vodka tonic please."

"I'd like a scotch please," Lena burred and flashed her lover a smile and a wink. I heard Liv choke again at the wink, and so did Lena. "What's the matter detective? Not used to seeing me smile?"

Liv coughed to clear her throat then gasped, "not exactly..Pe..Lena. I don't believe I've ever seen you smile before actually."

"It's all right really. I think Alex had the same sort of shock in the bookstore when I introduced her to Amy. It's been really tough keeping my private life away from the public eye. When I first heard the rumor that the two of you had hooked up, which I predicted way before hand I might add, I really wanted to invite you both over sooner," Lena said, sitting on the sofa closest to the bar, her eyes dodging between me and Liv, and Amy at the bar, as she made the drinks. There was a sadness that clouded her eyes as she gazed at Amy. I watched them lock eyes, and it was almost as if I could see the thoughts and questions passing between the two of them in silent acknowledgement.

Amy broke eye contact with Lena and gathered up the drinks onto a tray. She inhaled deeply then sighed. I could picture Liv doing the exact same thing before revealing a secret long buried. "We've been through a rough patch these last few years, but I'm confident that we belong together," Amy said, her hands full of our drinks. She passed first Liv and then me our drinks, then she moved over to the couch and sat beside Lena. "As I'm sure you feel the same way about Olivia, Alex."

I felt Olivia wiggling in her seat, and her throat gulping with each large drink she took. I took a small sip of my perfectly made drink, meeting Lena's gaze, then softly said, "we haven't been together that long. Not nearly as long as you two. But, I do understand the connection between us and it's unbreakable threads. Even if something were to happen to one of us, I would go to my grave knowing that I met and loved such a beautiful woman."

"Hear, hear," Liv joked, her fingers gripping mine and then playing with my fingertips. "I have no argument strong enough for that. So in a gesture of rudeness, I'm going to say we're being too serious for before dinner conversation. Let's talk about something mundane, like courthouse gossip or what's happening down in Washington."

I slapped her in a playful gesture, then said to Lena, "She just isn't able to get serious. I beg your forgiveness, Judge."

She waved her hand. "It's already forgiven. I do live with a law enforcement officer too, Alex. They tend to slide toward the jovial when the conversation tilts to the emotional and the uncomfortable."

"What's for dinner?" Liv asked, interjecting into the conversation.

Amy laughed, then said, "steak and potatoes. Salad for the ladies. Chocolate cake for dessert." She winked at Liv then grabbed Lena's hand, her other hand playing with her drink glass.

"Oh, yum. I'm so glad we came then. Alex was probably going to feed me granola and soy milk or something equally…" Liv shivered in playful disgust.

"I would not. I was planning to order smoked chicken and ribs. But, you just shoved that foot way down your throat. Granola for the next few days for you…Detective." I glared at my lover and ignored the twin chuckles from across the room.

"You were right, Lena. They are just like us," Amy said in between chuckles.

"This is only the beginning," Lena murmured as she took a large drink of her scotch, her eyes twinkling at me from over the rim of the glass.