"Olivia."

It wasn't a question. Alex knew whose big almond eyes she was staring into, eyes that had both tormented and comforted her years.

"Alex, what are you doing here? When did you…how…"

"I got back a month ago. I couldn't…It was too hard to tell you that I was back and…"

"That is not fair, Alex. How do you…we kissed and exactly two days later, I held you in my arms as you died. And you…you can't pick up the fucking phone!" A simple warrant. That's why she was here, but of course, Olivia's life could never be that simple.

Yes, Alex expected disappointment. She even expected an outburst. But what she didn't expect to see was the anger in her eyes.

"I'm sorry. Truth is, I don't have an excuse." Alex paused, "You scare me, Olivia. You…the kiss was, it was everything I never even knew I wanted and…I feel things when I think about you; things I never wanted to feel again. So, yeah, you scare me."

Alex would have to be blind to notice this golden colored haze that seemed to radiate off the detective. Alex wondered had she always glowed like this or is this what happens when you haven't seen the love of your life in years?

"I…Alex, I need time to…" Olivia's stomach lurched suddenly, "Fuck…I'm gonna vomit…"

Olivia ducked into a nearby restroom, with Alex following closely behind. Alex tried to follow her into the stall as well, only to have the door of the stall slammed in her face. Moments later, the toilet was flushed and the door opened.

"It never fucking stops…" Olivia groaned.

"Are you okay?"

"Why are you still here?"

"Why wouldn't I be? You didn't answer my question. Are you sick?"

"Not exactly."

"Liv, you're talking in circles. I know you're upset with me, but I do care about you. I love you and if you're sick, I want to help you…"

"I'm pregnant!" Olivia shouted, "I'm pregnant, okay?"

Alex stood, dumbfounded. Did that mean she'd found someone to settle down with? This was exactly what she was worried about…

"Who's the father?"

Olivia ran the water in the faucet, taking water in her hands and splashing it over her face, "There is no father. There's just me."

"I'm confused…"

"Biological clock is ticking, I've always wanted a kid. I didn't have time to wait on…" on you, Alex, I didn't have time to wait on you, "on a relationship. So, I've been trying to get pregnant for a year and a half. I'm two months pregnant and the morning sickness is horrendous." Olivia laughed sardonically, "Sorry to ruin your romantic feelings for me…"

"Why would that ruin it?" Alex reached out and touched Olivia's clammy cheek, "Maybe you didn't hear me, but I love you. This is not some kind of lustful fling for me, it's about being in love with you and knowing it when I kissed you that night years ago. I've only felt this way once before and, even then, it was never this strong. I've been in love with you forever, Liv."

"You…you are something else…"

"I like to call it persistent."

"Sometimes I hate you, for making me feel…things…"

"Sometimes I hate me too, for feeling those same things." Alex placed a kiss on Olivia's cheek, "I have a meeting with Arthur Branch in 10 minutes, but…I was hoping you might want to go to lunch with me today?"

"Alex…"

"Of course, you don't want to….I'm such an idiot…"

"Alex, pick me up at the precinct at 12:30. I'll pick the place."

Alex smiled, "Okay. Um…I guess I'll see you later." Alex started to leave the bathroom but turned around before she reached the door. Alex noticed her glow, the slight swelling of her cute cheeks, the happiness that just seemed to surround the detective, even as she recovered from vomiting, and said softly, "Pregnancy looks really good on you, detective."

XXX

Olivia had been placed on modified duty since the day she told Cragen that she was pregnant. Like an excited grandfather, Don fawned over Olivia even more so than usual, often showing up at either the precinct or Olivia's apartment with a home cooked meal. He made sure she wasn't put in the line of fire, literally and figuratively, on a daily basis by putting her on desk duty and putting her in charge of interrogations (but only when Elliot was around) and interviews.

Olivia didn't like desk duty, but she couldn't complain about this. She pretended to hate having people fuss over her, but she really did like it. The guys babied her most days anyway, but they didn't coddle her like they were doing these days.

The moment she stepped inside the precinct, warrant in hand, her boys rushed her.

"Here, Liv, let me take that warrant to Cragen." Fin practically snatched it from her.

Munch came up behind Olivia and reached for her coat, "Let me take that for you, Olivia."

"Munch, it's…" before she could finish, her coat was now on the coat rack and Elliot was pulling out her chair, "fine."

Elliot took her by the hand and sat her in her seat, "How are you today? Feeling alright?"

Out of everyone, Elliot was the most attached to Olivia's pregnancy. He'd held her hand at the doctor as they found out this insemination had worked. He'd sat with her and flipped through donor lists and watched as she settled on 6'1" blonde haired, blue-eyed Harvard graduate. And he had the courtesy not to mention the striking resemblance of Olivia's donor to a certain former assistant district attorney.

XXX

Alex sat in front of Branch's office door, deep in thought. She'd been shocked to hear that Olivia was pregnant, even though she kept her composure. She was taught to be cool under pressure and she would never let Olivia see her falter, at least not about something like a baby. She wouldn't lie and say that she wasn't the slightest bit relieved to hear that Olivia was pregnant because she didn't want to wait any longer for a kid and not because she was in a long-term, committed relationship. That gave her hope.

Knowing that Olivia was pregnant didn't change anything for Alex. She was still attracted to her, still in love with her, maybe even more so now. When she thought about the child the brunette was carrying, she already knew that he or she would be beautiful. The baby wouldn't have a choice when Olivia looked the way she did. A warm, almost fuzzy, feeling ran over her at the thought of the baby. She imagined herself rubbing Olivia's feet when she was just to big to do so herself, holding her hand during the delivery, the baby's first birthday, graduation…

It could be just the three of them, Alex thought. They could be her family. That was all the blonde really wanted.

So deep in thought Alex was, that she didn't notice Arthur Branch calling her name. When she looked up, the tall, formidable man was looking back at her.

"Alexandra Cabot. Nice to see you back, but let's have this conversation in my office, shall we?"