A/N: Cracks starting to form ...

Yes, for those of you that have caught onto the openings, that's by design to start with Stabler being a little nosey while they're working. I know exactly where this is going over the next few chapters ... and then some.

Word Count: ~2,400 Rating: PG

CRACKS

"Cabot really catch her kitchen on fire last year or was that just rhetoric for court?"

Olivia looked up. They had just finished case where a young woman with down syndrome was raped by her boss and become pregnant. Elliot was staring at her again across their desks.

Olivia laughed. "I don't know, but she nearly did a few months ago," she said. "Or, that's what she said, I wasn't there." Olivia became somewhat aware of revealing too much to Elliot.

"I'm more shocked Cabot cooks," Elliot said.

"She's actually pretty good," Olivia said.

"She cook for you a lot," Elliot said, giving Olivia an amused look.

"No, but, I just mean, I've eaten food she cooked a time or two," Olivia said.

"Well, I'm just glad that case is over and Katie and her mother are at some sort of peace," Elliot said.

"Yep," Olivia got up and gathered her things.

"Going so soon?"

"Someplace else you think I need to be?" Olivia said.

"Nope, just observing that you are eager to get out of here today," Elliot said.

"Figured you'd be happy I actually have plans," Olivia said.

"A date?" Elliot said.

Olivia smiled, and walked away, yelling back. "Wouldn't tell you if it was."

It wasn't a date, but Olivia did have plans with Alex. They had done fairly good about abiding by their rules to keep their personal relationship to "just sleeping together" and nothing more. They also successfully had kept it private and hadn't let it impact their professional relationship.

It had been a couple of weeks since they had been together however. Over the past month and a half since their agreement, they started off spending nearly every night together and decided they needed to dial it back a bit, especially when a case was going on.

It had been just over two weeks, almost three, and now that Katie's case was put to rest, they were both eager to be together. The plan for the night was dinner and a movie at Olivia's.

Olivia hadn't been gone long when her office phone rang. Elliot didn't typically answer her phone, but he also knew she'd been trying to get a hold of a witness all day, so he answered.

"Stabler."

"Oh, um, I was calling for Liv," Alex said on the other line. "Did I call the wrong extension?"

Elliot noted Alex using "Liv." It wasn't like people around the office didn't call her that, but he'd never heard Alex use it.

"No, Olivia just ran out of here," Elliot said. "Can I help with something? Everything ok with Katie's case?"

"Oh, no, it's ok," Alex said. "No, Katie is fine. I wasn't calling about a case."

"Did you try her cell phone?" Elliot said.

"Yeah, and she didn't pick up," Alex said. "It's fine, I'll talk to her later."

"Okay, well, I think she has a date tonight, so you may want to hold off on calling her unless it's important," Elliot said.

Alex chuckled. "Oh yeah? Why do you say that?"

"Just had some goofy smirk on her face," Elliot said. "Hey, by the way, heard you almost caught your kitchen on fire a couple months ago, too."

"Oh my God, I'm going to kill Olivia for telling you that," Alex said. "She laughed her ass off at me rather than helping put it out."

Elliot opened his mouth to say he didn't think Olivia was there, had only been told about it, but before he could speak, he heard Alex's ringtone going off.

"Oh, I have another call coming in," Alex said. "Have a good weekend, Stabler."

Elliot hung up the phone, confused by the conversation, but decided to let it go.

#

Olivia got home from picking up dinner and checked the voicemail on her phone from Alex. She was going to be running late.

She changed clothes, something nice, but also comfortable. It wasn't a date, she reminded herself, but she also didn't want Alex to feel used or like a sex object. They had done well to maintain a good friendship to go along with their "benefits."

When Alex arrived, Olivia could tell she was tired.

"What a long day," Alex said. "I'm sorry I'm late. I got called into a meeting with the DA this afternoon and it kept me longer than I intended."

"You've been pretty stressed over the case with Katie," Olivia said, offering the blonde a glass of wine. "I'm glad it's all over."

"Me too," Alex said. She went to the living room and plopped on the couch while Olivia brought their favorite takeout. "You look nice."

Olivia shrugged.

"My favorite wine. My favorite dinner. Looking like … that. If I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to woo me," Alex said. "And that … would be against the rules."

Olivia shook her head. "I'm just trying to be a good friend," she said. "You've had a hard couple of weeks."

"Thank you." Alex took a bite of food, then a drink of wine, letting out a sigh. "Oh, by the way, your partner thinks you have a date tonight." She smirked at Olivia.

"I know," Olivia said. "For someone as closed off as he is sometimes, he's so nosy. Always asking about my plans."

"And you told him I set my skillet on fire a couple months ago?!"

Olivia laughed. "Sorry, he asked."

"Well, I told him how you didn't even bother to help put it out," Alex said.

"Oh, I didn't tell him I saw it, just that you told me," Olivia said.

"Oh," Alex said. "Oh well. I'm sure he won't think much of it."

Olivia nodded and went back to her dinner.

"No wine for you tonight," Alex said.

Olivia shook her head. "I'm on call this weekend, so want to keep clear headed. And you always seem to encourage me to drink more than I normally would."

"Maybe that's just because I want you nice and relaxed," Alex said, eyebrows raising suggestively.

#

It didn't take long after dinner was done for Olivia and Alex to find their way to the bedroom, Alex looking her shirt on the way. Olivia had to admit, when they were together, they were almost couple-like. Her feelings toward Alex were most definitely deepening, but she also knew it was still early on in their arrangement – they needed to keep thing causal as long as they could.

No sooner had they got into bed, than Olivia's phone started ringing.

"Ignore it, Liv," Alex said. "It's been almost three weeks."

Olivia looked over to see who it was. "It's Elliot." They both sighed, knowing Olivia had to take it.

"Benson."

"Sorry to bother you, but we have a vic," Elliot said. "You still on your date."

"It's not a date," Olivia said, glancing over to Alex who was annoyed by the call, too.

"So, it took you that long to answer a call when you're all alone?" Elliot said.

"El, can it," Olivia said. "Yes, I'm alone. Just tell me what I need to know."

"7-year-old girl dead," he said. "They think she was sexually abused."

"Dad?" Alex could hear what Elliot was saying through the phone, shaking her head at what she was hearing.

"Actually, no Dad in picture," Elliot said. "Patrol said mom was acting cagey … suspects she is involved, but no way to know until we can get there and talk to her."

"Jesus," Olivia said. "Okay, where am I meeting you." She started getting out of bed, mouthing to Alex to just stay there.

"Actually, I'm outside your door," Elliot said. "Let me in and I'll make us some coffee while you're getting ready."

Olivia's eyes got wide, then she motioned to Alex to be quiet and that Elliot was outside. She grabbed her robe and went out to let Elliot in. He made his way to the kitchen while she returned to the bedroom to change.

"Where's this at, Liv?" Alex whispered.

"I don't know," Olivia whispered. "All I know is what I assume you heard. But you should just stay here. I'll call later and let you know later."

"You sure?" Alex said.

Olivia nodded, and then kissed Alex before heading back into the bathroom.

Out in the living room, Elliot swore he heard whispering, but shook it off. Olivia told him she didn't have a date. Then he saw a pink button up shirt on the end table next to the couch. Before he could examine it, Olivia came out, ready to go.

"I'm ready," she said, reaching for her mug of coffee from Elliot.

"You sure you weren't on a date?" Elliot asked.

"Yes," Olivia said. "As you can see, we're alone."

He motioned down toward the pink shirt, wondering why he'd never seen Olivia in pink. Olivia's eyes went wide again and she quickly scooped it up.

"Dropped laundry," she said, taking it back to the bedroom and tossing it in the door, which she only cracked open.

"Ok," Elliot said, not sure he believed her, especially since there were two glasses on the coffee table, a wine glass – which he knew wasn't Liv's; she never drank when she was on-call, not since Eric Plummer. "Let's go."

#

Several hours later, Olivia arrived home – Alex still sleeping in her bed. The detective was exhausted. Elliot insisted she go home and get some shuteye. He said he'd go to the crib and sleep for a few hours to save a drive back home to Queens. Normally, she'd have invited him to at least sleep on her couch, but she wasn't sure if Alex would still be there or not. Olivia opted to lay down on the couch, so as to not disturb Alex.

When Alex woke up, she found the sleeping detective on the couch. Olivia had left her note, telling her note telling her she'd picked up bagels for breakfast. Alex smiled – her feelings for Olivia were growing stronger by the day. She loved how thoughtful and caring Olivia was even if they were just "sleeping together."

#

After Alex arrived at work, after going home for a change of clothes and shower, she decided to head over to SVU and find out what they had on the case. She'd had an email from Cragen waiting on her that morning just saying there had been a rape/murder of a child, which, of course, she already knew.

Her heels clicking down the hall, Elliot got up and grabbed some coffee, knowing he'd have to fill the ADA in on their new case and wake up.

"I suppose you heard the news," Elliot said, handing a cup of coffee to Alex and leaning back around the counter.

"Yeah, I got an email from the Captain," Alex said. "7-year-old girl. That's heartbreaking."

"Actually, she was 5-years-old," Elliot said. When they arrived at the crime scene, they learned the patrolman had gotten the girl's age wrong, confused it with her older sister.

"Oh, I must have read Cragen's email wrong," Alex said. The truth was, she had only glanced at Cragen's email since it was short and she assumed she already knew all the information.

"Funny you should say that though," Elliot said. "We originally thought she was 7. Maybe Cragen got it wrong." He knew Cragen hadn't gotten it wrong. He was copied on the email to Alex.

Alex shrugged. "Maybe," she said. "Anything new?" She was being careful now not to accidentally reveal anything she knew about the case.

"Mom is a good suspect," Elliot said. "She at least knows something."

"Ok, well, you and Benson keep me posted," Alex said. "And get some sleep. You all probably need it."

Alex left and Elliot went back to his desk. In the distance, he heard Olivia's voice coming in.

"Benson."

"Cabot."

That's a strange interaction, he thought. So formal.

Olivia nodded to Elliot before taking her seat across from him. "Morning," she mumbled.

"You sleep?" he asked.

"A little," she said. "You?"

"Same," he said. "Briefed Cabot."

Olivia nodded.

"She seemed to think the vic was 7, did you say something to her?" he asked.

"Um … maybe," Olivia said, trying to avoid the conversation. She went to a file on her desk and Elliot watched for a minute before he said anything.

"When did you talk to her?" Elliot said.

"What? Who?"

"Cabot," he said. "You said you may have told her the victim was 7. I'm just wondering when you talked to her."

"I don't know, Elliot," she said. "I may have called her on my way home this morning."

"Uh huh," he said. "Okay." Of course, Elliot knew Olivia would have known by that time how old the child was, and why wouldn't Alex have just told him that. He knew something weird was going on with Olivia and Alex, but he couldn't figure what it could be. Sure, there was a spark between them, but neither of them would jeopardize their career by keeping a secret, and Olivia would certainly tell him – wouldn't she?

Once again, he chalked it up to being paranoid. Been hanging out with Munch too long, he thought. Maybe Olivia just confused the age when she called Alex. It was pretty early in the morning and she'd gotten no sleep.

#

"You have to be more careful with Elliot," Olivia said, visiting Alex in her office later that afternoon, not even giving her a greeting.

"Good afternoon to you, too," Alex said, sitting at her desk.

"Sorry," Olivia said. "But, I'm serious. He's asking a lot of questions and after this morning, with the age …"

"I'm sorry, Liv," Alex said. "I'll be more careful. Do you want to reschedule last night for tonight? I'll cook."

"I think I'd rather just sleep," Olivia said. It was true, but she was also starting to question their arrangement, and specifically how long they could keep it up without anyone knowing.

"Oh, of course," Alex said, trying not to show she was a little hurt. After all, there were no expectations between them. "Yeah, you had a late night. We'll just make a plan some other time."

Olivia nodded and left Alex, who sat wondering if their arrangement was going to last after all. She surprised herself by caring that Olivia wanted to sleep instead of being with her. In fact, she surprised herself by how attached she had become to Olivia – not just as a friend, but as a lover.

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