Sorry for the delay in getting this up- I meant to put it up last night but computer issues put an end to that idea. Anyway, it's here now! Chapter 3 will be up later tonight or tomorrow.

Thank you to everyone who's reviewed (and those who've just read!).

Disclaimer: Still not mine.

Olivia Benson returned to the 1-6 in a foul mood, slamming herself into her chair and roughly going over her files. This was not unnoticed by her colleagues. The 3 men she worked most closely with shared glances, but none was game enough to question her.

"What's up with Benson?" Fin whispered across to his partner.

"Not a clue," John Munch shook his head, "Ask Stabler?"

Fin looked across to where Elliot was seated, keeping one eye on his firey partner and the other on his paperwork. He shook his head, "Nah, he's just as clueless as we are."

After about 20 minutes of near silence, Olivia's cell phone rang. She looked at the number with a frown and immediately pressed END. The phone rang three more times and each time Olivia did the same. Finally, Elliot couldn't take it any more.

"Liv, is there something wrong?"

If looks could kill, Elliot Stabler would have been six feet underground "Nothing that concerns you," she said coolly.

Elliot took a breath before responding, "Okay Liv. But you know if there was something wrong, you can talk to me, right?"

Olivia nodded, "If there was something wrong."

"Okay." Elliot replied. Olivia gave a small smile.

"Sorry, El," She apologized, "Just got some..... stuff going on," She stood up and walked over to where Fin and Munch were pretending to be very engrossed in their paperwork. "You guys want coffee?" She offered. Both men nodded. On her way out she asked Elliot the same "My shout," She said.

"Thanks," Elliot nodded.

Olivia soon returned with a tray of fresh coffee and handed them out. She settled back into her own chair, feeling a little calmer than before, and sipped at her hot beverage. It was hotter than she usually liked but something about the burning down her throat was oddly comforting.

The rest of the afternoon went by fairly uneventfully, which was a rare occurrence in the Special Victims Unit but not unwelcome. However it did give Olivia more time that she really wanted to ponder over her earlier confrontation. She knew she was being unreasonable to Alex but she was also unsure of the ADA's true feelings. Did their one night of passion and confession all those years earlier mean the same to Alex as it did to her? If it did, then fantastic but if it didn't, well Olivia wasn't sure how she would handle that. She'd never felt like this about anyone and she certainly never thought she would fall so hard for the woman the squad called the Ice Queen, indeed she never thought she would fall so hard for another woman, which came with it's own issues both personally and professionally. But she had and now she had to deal with it.

It was just after sunset when her thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice and Olivia groaned inwardly. Not here, she wasn't going to do this in her own territory. Muttering something about needing to check an old case, Olivia got up from her desk and headed towards the file room, avoiding eye contact with with well dressed blonde who'd just entered the precinct.

"Alex," Elliot and Fin said by way of greeting.

"Counselor," Munch said.

"Hey guys, Liv around?" Alex asked, although she had not missed the detective's obvious escape from her "I've got something for her. About a case," Alex held up an envelope as proof.

Elliot replied "Yeah, she's just gone to check a couple of files," He nodded towards the corridor his partner had just gone down.

"Thanks, Elliot," Alex smiled at him and headed in the direction Olivia had. When she got to the file room, a frown formed on her face as she found the room empty. She sighed and retraced her steps. She figured Olivia was in the bathroom or the crib or somewhere, obviously avoiding her, and she didn't want to cause a scene in the precinct so she retraced her steps. Olivia was still not back in the squad room so she placed the sealed envelope on Olivia's desk and addressed Elliot.

"Couldn't find her, so can you make sure she gets this?"

Elliot nodded "Sure. Which case is it?"

"Connors'," Alex replied without hesitation.

Elliot nodded "Anything I need to know?"

Alex shook her head "No. Just make sure Olivia gets this?"

"Of course."

"Thank you, Detective. Have a good night," Alex forced a smile.

"You too, counselor," Elliot smiled in return "It's good to have you back."

"You've been missed." Fin added and Munch nodded in agreement.

"I've missed you guys too," Alex nodded at them all in turn, feigning her happiness as her heart sunk lower in her chest. Certain now that Olivia was not going to show herself while she was still there, Alex turned on her heel and left "See you all tomorrow."

Olivia emerged a few minutes later, empty-handed. Fin noticed that she gave a quick glance around the room before entering and he whispered across to his partner.

"Is something up with Benson and Cabot?"

John shrugged "There was something going on between them down at the scene," Fin nodded in agreement before getting back to the paperwork in front of him.

"Couldn't find the file?" Elliot asked as Olivia returned to her desk.

"Huh?" She asked, spotting the envelope bearing her name in Alex's handwriting "What's this?"

"The file that you were looking for? In relation to the Sampson case? And that," Elliot pointed to the envelope "Is something for you from Alex. She said it's to do with Connors."

Olivia ignored the curiosity in her partner's eyes "Oh, the MO I thought matched the Sampson case didn't. The weapon was a screwdriver, not an ice pick," She avoided his eyes as she grabbed the envelope and placed it in her drawer.

Elliot Stabler had been a detective for a long time and he was good at what he did so all of this did not go by unnoticed but he decided not to push, he knew the more he prodded the more Olivia retreated into herself. He knew she would tell him if and when she was ready.