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Out of New York

Chapter 2: Scattered Shards.

The sudden rush of air into the squad room did not cause Elliot to look up. He knew it was Olivia. He knew that she was mad. What he didn't know was what she would do.

"So, did she ah give you a reason?" He said still looking at the DD5 he was scanning for the third time since the rush of adrenalin came through the door.

"Three million reasons. Literally." Olivia said throwing a copy of a Newsweek article on the Congo to him. Elliot turned the article around so he could read it better. He read it quickly looking for points of interest. Something that would make sense of why their ADA would leave them yet again. He found it, a small photo of a young girl brutally beaten and stripped naked. Left to die in the underbrush.

"Jesus." Elliot said in disbelief. "She can't be anymore than 4 years old."

"Makes our problems here seem almost digestible. Almost." Olivia said plopping down in her chair.

"Why would Cabot leave? She just got back here."

"El, we both know she didn't just get back here. She just made herself available to us. She's been back or years and has lived almost two lives and then decided we were worth coming back to." The words tasted like vinegar on Olivia's tongue.

"So, what are you gonna do?" He said cautiously.

"I am going to live my life. I am going to move on." Olivia said shaking her head. Her conversation with Alex played over in her mind. 'Old movie.' She said to herself.

"Good for you." Elliot said with encouragement. "You can start by signing this DD5 I just wrote on the Haslett case."

Olivia pulled out a pen from her drawer. She signed her name on the allotted spot. Just has she finished dotting the last "I"; she gave a good look to the utensil in her hand. "OLIVIA" was neatly engraved on the pen's shaft. One of the many small tokens that Alex had given her over the years prior to her first exit. Olivia smirked to herself. She handed the DD5 back to Elliot, stood up, pitched the pen in the trash can and said "Out with the old." She grabbed her jacket from the back of the chair. "See ya tomorrow, El."

"Yeah. Bye." He said watching her exit the room. He waited for her to disappear down the stairs before he dared to reach into the waste basket and retrieve the pen.

"Probably a good idea." He heard from behind him. Captain Cragen walked to the side of Elliot's desk. "Alex called. How bad is it going to be?" He asked Elliot.

'The jury hasn't even gotten the case yet, Captain. But I bet to say, this just might be the straw that breaks the Detective's strings." Elliot replied.

"Elliot, you have really got to come up with better sayings. These are so hard to make sense out of." Cragen said looking at him with a small smile. "But if it's anything like I heard in Alex's voice, we could be in for an early winter."

"Like that was much better." Elliot retorted.

Manhattan

"I really hope you know what you are doing." Serena said from Alex's couch.

"Serena, for the first time in a long time I feel that I have found my footing." Alex placed another leather bound law book into the moving box.

"I thought you found that when you and Olivia reconnected." Serena said puzzled.

"I did. I found my footing in my personnel life, but not my work life." Alex motioned for Serena to hold the flaps of the box while she taped it closed.

"Wow. I remember sitting on this very couch and you were spilling your guts about Jim, your sham engagement and your true feelings for Olivia." Serena paused. "I believe your very words were 'she is my one true love and I can't go any longer without her.'" Serena looked sternly into her friend's blue eyes. She saw a sadness there she had missed before.

"She said she would not wait this time." Alex sighed.

"And right she shouldn't." Serena saw the blue eyes grow larger in disbelief. "She waited for you to come back from WITSEC; she waited for you to finally show that you still had feelings for her. How much pining does one person have to do for you before you finally believe and commit?"

"Your one to talk." Alex shouted. She stood up and walked over to the book shelves. She began pulling books off the shelves.

"That's a load of crap." Serena said taking the books has Alex pulled them down and then placing them into another box. "I didn't ask for Samantha to stalk me. We dated, we fought, we made up and then it got old." Alex smiled down on her friend from her upper perch. "What? We were not meant to be forever. You and Olivia," Serena pointed at Alex with the book she held in her hand. Alex was reaching for another book when her hand caught a piece of paper. "You two are a forever." Serena finished. Her words were lost on Alex. Alex was reading the contents of the folded note she found between the books.

'Dear Most Wonderful Person on the Earth,

I Love you. I put this note in this spot so that you will

have something to read from me. I am not poetic

I am sometimes pathetic

In the way I stare and gaze at you.

I can't help it

Your just so beautiful and bring me so much joy.

I will love you forever, forever more.

Your Humble Civil Servant, Olivia'

Her hands shook has she held the note. The paper was quickly becoming transparent. Serena stepped on the lower wrung of the ladder. She reached up and gently touched Alex's hand. Alex would not let go of the paper. Serena guided her down the ladder over to the couch. Sitting next to her, Serena reached out and wrapped her arms around Alex and let her sobs dampen her shoulder. She did not try to read the note. She knew it was from Olivia. No one made her cry more than Olivia. Mostly in good tears. Mostly because she had gone and done something wonderful.

"Alex. You knew this would be hard. Do you want to rethink this assignment?" Serena secretly had her fingers crossed behind Alex's shoulder.

"Hard yes." She replied between sobs. "Terrifying yes because of the place. I just am not prepared to break my own heart." She buried her head deeper into Serena's shoulder and cried harder.

Neither woman heard the sound of the boxes being placed just outside the front door. Nor did they hear Olivia sigh and turn to walk back down the hall to the elevator.

So any thoughts on what they should do next?