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OUT OF NEW YORK

CHAPTER 7: A Foot IN THE MOUTH IS WORTH…

Alex struggled to focus on her case file. It's contents a bit nauseating for a first in the morning read. The photos were graphic of a 4-year-old girl brutally circumcised. Left to bleed out while flies and maggot infested her private area. Alex held the photo in her hand. It was a haunting reminder of how little life is regarded. She could feel the anger begin to creep through her body.

She didn't hear the door open. She didn't see Abbie standing at the chairs in front of her desk until Abbie spoke.

"Must be a great photo for you to be that moved." Abbie said with her Texas smirk.

"Well, ugh. See for yourself." Alex placed the photo on her desk in front of Abbie. Alex leaned back in her chair. She took a deep breath and then gave Abbie an eye assessment. Still beautiful, still athletic and still hell bent. In a nice way.

"So much for human kindness." Abbie picked the photo up and placed it back in front of Alex.

"To what do I owe this visit?" Alex asked coldly.

"I think you know. " Abbie said taking a seat in the chair facing Alex.

"It could be several things. So let me ask personnel or work?" Alex watched Abbie's face closely. She watched has Abbie's eyes got darker. 'Personnel.' Alex said to herself.

"Olivia is well a fantastic woman. She is a great cop and is indispensible to me in this investigation." Abbie realized she was starting to sound like a lost puppy.

"Well, its sounds like she is just the right person for you." Alex felt the anger rise in her again.

"Wrong reason. Wrong person. Alex, she loves you. She's very confused and needs to hear from you what happens."

"She was pretty sure about the two of you at the airport." Alex said curtly. "She nor you had any reservations."

"Alex, she knew you were there. She wanted to hurt you. Childish I know. But you. You were, you are her world." Abbie listened to her own words. She was not as heartbroken as she thought she would be. She gave herself an internal pat on the back.

"Her world is still very closed off to me. Things haven't been the same since I got back. I haven't been able to get a grip on what I really want." Alex struggled not to give Abbie any more information. She did not want her words to come back and haunt her.

"What you really want! Wow Alex." Abbie leaned forward in her chair. The force of her movement caused Alex to sit up straighter. "You are screwed up. All I heard while you were gone was about you and her getting back together."

"We are," Alex closed her eyes in correction. "We were together. I Love her and always will. But…" She turned her head to gather her thoughts. "Why do you care any way? You have her now."

"This is your problem. You are so closed off you can't hear or see what is being presented to you." Abbie's eyes narrowed. She was trying her best not to grab Alex by the neck. "How are you a good lawyer? "

"I must be good if the State Department would hire me!" Alex shouted back in defense.

"I know." Abbie took a deep breath. She was trying to calm herself. "She loves you. Don't let her leave without telling her how you really feel."

"I am not sure I can." Alex took a second to understand what Abbie had said. "Leave? Is her time up with the department?"

"No, not at all. Has a matter of fact, she is now solely working for the US Government." Abbie braced herself for the next words. They were even hard for her to hear. "Olivia is going to Afghanistan. With her features, she will be able to blend very easy." Abbie waited for a reaction. Alex just sat very still in her chair.

"We know there is a problem regarding funding of weapons to the Taliban. It's classified so that is all I can tell you."

"And the funding is coming from here?" Alex said still in shock.

"Yes. He does have the Ways and the Means to do so." Abbie hinted.

"How is she going to be of help? Does she even know how to speak the language?"

"Olivia is a quick study. She learned it in three weeks. " Abbie smiled. "Well at least enough to get started and seem like a real Aphgan woman.

"I don't understand on how her being in the middle of the war is going to help catch the senator that is providing the funds." Alex was trying to put the pieces together.

"You have to go to the source. She will work for the under secretary in Afghanistan. She too is a woman. She is the one that brought it to our attention."

"So she knows who Olivia really is?" Alex began to worry again.

"No. Olivia was hired by one of our insiders. " Abbie slid forward in her chair once again. She leaned in so that Alex could hear her hushed voice. "We can trust no on over there. I some cases not even our own."

There was a soft rap on Alex's office door. The two women took a few more seconds to look at one another. All the emotions that could possibly be surrendered were only visible in their eyes. Without taking her eyes from Abbie's, Alex softly replied to the visitor.

"Come in."

"Sorry Ms. Cabot." Her secretary, Elizabeth said poking her head in. "But you wanted me to tell you when it was time for your two o'clock."

"Yes, thank you Elizabeth. I will be ready in a few minutes."

Elizabeth nodded and shut the door.

"We good here?" Abbie asked.

"Secrets are always safe among friends." Alex replied.

With that Abbie rose and headed for the door. She turn has if to say something, but retreated once again. Once Abbie was gone Alex sat at her desk thinking about what she had just been told. She let it sink in, deep. She had been on such a run since she got to Washington, that she did not allow herself to really think about Olivia and what she meant to her.

Alex pulled her personnel cell phone from her desk drawer.

"You have reached the number for Olivia Benson. Please leave a message." The automated voice said.

"Olivia it's me. I, I , I just wanted to tell you…" Alex shook her head and hung up the phone. She stood and gathered her things and headed out the door. She would need time to know what to say and do, but she did not have much of it left.

Olivia watched the screen has the name "Alex" appeared. She just held the phone in her hand. She waited for the voicemail signal to appear. She pressed listen, over and over again.

next chapter, they meet. Promise