"I do not want protective..."
"You want Alex to though,"
"That's different Elliot,"
"How is it different? This guy is after both of you."
Benson and Stabler were on their way back to the precinct after interviewing Alex.
"We don't know that."
"We don't? Liv, what about the threats?"
"They weren't necessarily thr...oh my God, of course."
"What?" Elliot looked back and forth from the road to Olivia, trying to read her face, "What Liv?"
"Alex was so jumpy last night. She was so scared, but she wouldn't admit it to me. He'd obviously threatened her too."
"Well there you go; you'll probably be his next target, that's why I think you should have protect.."
"I don't want them Elliot! I don't want guys tailing me."
- - -
"You're in real danger Olivia. I think it's best if I pull you off the case."
Olivia and Elliot were standing in Cragan's office. They had filled him in on all that Alex had told them.
"But Captain..."
"I'm serious Olivia. You're off. And if you're not going to get protection, then I think you and Alex should stick together for a while."
"What do you mean?"
"I don't think it's wise for the two of you to be alone."
"But Captain," Elliot interjected, "they're both the targets, if we put them together than we just made it easier for them to find."
"By the looks of things, they already know Olivia and Alex's whereabouts; where they spend their time and when. At least together they have more of a chance of overpowering them. If we had room for it in the budget, I'd suggest we relocate you; house wise, for a time being, but that's not the case. Run the idea by Alex. If she agrees, I want you joined at the hip."
- - -
"Joined at the hip? He said that?"
Olivia nodded as she sat down in the chair beside Alex's hospital bed.
"So we'd have to...live together?"
"I assume that's what the Captain meant."
Alex sighed.
"No offense Olivia, I like you, but we don't have a lot in common. Besides work, we don't talk and we don't see each other. But I guess I don't enjoy being attacked, and, well, I do feel safer around you. Around people I mean. Just people I know...In general I feel safer."
Olivia smiled at Alex, who was looking quite a bit better than she was earlier in the day. She was sitting up now, with a pile of work in her lap. Her glasses were slightly bent from the attack.
"So Miss Cabot, your place or mine?"
- - -
The two women had settled on Alex's apartment. It was bigger, and she had a lot of stuff she needed for work. Alex was released a little after her conversation with Olivia, and the two headed to Olivia's place to pick up some things she'd need, before making their way to Alex's.
"I've never seen your place before," Olivia commented as she pulled up in the parking space.
"I don't see it a lot really myself."
They slowly made their way up to Alex's place; the ADA limping, and Olivia carrying a large box of her things. Alex put the key in the door and opened it. "Welcome to my humble abode."
To Olivia it was far from humble, "Nice place."
"Thanks."
The door opened into the living room. To the left was the kitchen, separated from the living room by kitchen counters. Through the kitchen, on the other side was a dining room and a stair case. To the right was Cabot's office. Alex pulled off her coat and hung it on the rack next to the door. She then hobbled towards the stairs, "Lucky for you, I have a guest room. My couch is shocking to sleep on."
Olivia followed the injured blonde up the stairs. They both stopped up the top, "First door is my room, second is yours, third is the bathroom."
Alex left Olivia to settle into her room and went downstairs to pour herself a glass of wine.
Olivia refreshed herself with a nice hot shower before heading down the stairs, "So what do you want to do about dinner?" She stopped at the kitchen counter and smiled, Alex was fast asleep on the couch.
The next morning Alex woke up to find herself in her bed. How did I get here? That sleep did her well. She was already feeling a lot better. Physically anyway. She wasn't ready to deal with anything yet, so she just pushed it aside. The smell of pancakes greeted her nose as she walked down the stairs. Detective Benson was in her kitchen cooking. Olivia greeted her with a smile.
"Good morning Alex."
"Good morning. You cook?"
"Not often. Don't get much time, but I don't have to be in so early today, so I thought I'd cook breakfast. Sit down. They're ready."
Alex sat down at her dining table, which was usually unused. She smiled as Olivia put down a plate of pancakes in front of her, "Thank you. Maybe having a bad guy after us isn't so bad afterall."
