Author's Note: Well, this is it. THE FINAL CHAPTER. Thanks for letting me entertain you. You're all amazing, and I truly appreciate your support and kindness!
I wanted to leave you, Alex, and Olivia with a proper send-off, so here it is. Cheers!
"I can't believe you wanted to come here," Olivia remarked as they stepped off the Alcatraz ferry onto the island. "Don't we see enough criminals in our line of work?"
"There aren't any criminals here anymore - they're probably all dead. Anyway, you know I love history. Forgive the pun, but Alcatraz is swimming in it. It was much more than just a prison. It's also a nature preserve and scenic area"
Alex and Olivia made their way to the main entrance of the prison. The pathway was dotted with immaculately cared for gardens. The bright colors of the plants starkly contrasted with the rotting, dreary structure that had been out of operation for fifty years. Several bird species flew around, piercing the sky with movement.
They took their audio tour mp3 players and listened as former guards and inmates described the prison. They were able to go into the small cells and experience a taste of what the prisoners did.
Olivia smiled from behind the bars as Alex took a few pictures. "We've both been on the other side of these bars," Olivia remarked. "It's nice to have an open exit."
"Agreed," Alex said. "I've never wanted to appease a judge more than when I was cited for contempt and put in a jail cell."
They saw other areas of the prison, such as the control room, the cafeteria, and the medical wing.
"You know what's weird?" Alex began, as they peered at the now-primitive medical equipment.
"What?"
"Take a deep breath, Liv."
Olivia breathed in the scent of the medical wing.
"What does it smell like?" Alex asked.
"A hospital."
"Exactly. This place has been closed for decades, and it still smells like a hospital. It has that antiseptic gauze smell even now. It's a little freaky."
"Yeah. And just think...you could be standing in the exact same spot where Al Capone once stood" Olivia added.
They followed the prompts for the remainder of the tour, and heard all about the legendary escape by three prisoners. These men were actually able to break out of the prison and were never seen again. This event fascinated Olivia. She led Alex outside near the guard tower and looked carefully over the island.
Olivia started to recite to herself. "How was that escape possible? This place was locked up tighter than Fort Knox. And even if they did make it out, that water is probably 40 degrees. If they didn't drown, they probably died of hypothermia. Unless there was another accomplice...ugh, this is going to bother me, Alex. It's like the Kennedy assassination."
Alex laughed as Olivia launched into detective mode. "Well, now you have another conspiracy to ponder."
Olivia held her hand up. "Don't make me sound like Munch. This is not a conspiracy. It's an unsolved crime. There's a big difference," Olivia insisted.
"Ok, Sherlock. Let's look around a little bit more before the last ferry leaves."
The two women explored the rest of the island, marveling at how well the island was kept. Before they left, Olivia bought a book about the escape.
"Look out, San Francisco. Detective Benson is on the case. We should have it completely solved in about an hour," Alex jokingly announced as they took their seats on the ferry.
"Just you wait," Olivia grinned. "I'll figure it out in no time."
"Some of these houses are incredible! And these storefronts – just wow," Olivia remarked as she and Alex walked down Haight Street. The 1960s atmosphere was still alive and well in this section of the city. Murals of famous musicians, head shops, and record stores lined the street.
Alex nodded. "I almost feel like I'm back in the 60s. The only thing I need is some flowers in my hair and a bong to smoke out of."
Olivia's mouth fell open. "Alex Cabot taking a bong rip? I…I don't even know how to respond to that."
"Well, you know, if it were 1967, and we were here right now, I imagine we'd be taking part in the counter culture, so to speak," Alex shrugged.
"Soooo…just out of curiosity. Have you ever tried it?" Olivia asked.
Alex blushed and gave a slight smile. "You'll probably find this hard to believe, but yes. I tried it a few times in college. But I could never turn off my uptight nerdiness, so all it did was make me a paranoid basket case. The few times I smoked, I was convinced that I'd get caught and thrown out of school. After suffering those weed-induced anxiety attacks, I swore off drugs entirely. I do think marijuana should be legal, and I don't judge others for using it, but it's not for me."
"I would have never guessed," Olivia conceded.
"Well what about you?" Alex inquired.
"My story is somewhat similar to yours, only I was in high school. I liked it enough, but by the time I was in my senior year, I knew I wanted to go to the police academy, so I completely quit. I didn't want anything to prevent me from becoming a police officer. Funny how that works though…I still developed a substance abuse problem," Olivia smirked. "But hey, even though alcoholism is something I'll struggle with for the rest of my life, I'm a million times better than I was. And it's all because of you."
"Well, you did all the hard work. All I did was offer support," Alex said.
Olivia stopped short and took Alex's hands in her own. "You did everything. You never gave up on me, even when I was at my worst. And for that, I'll owe you for the rest of my life."
Alex hugged Olivia tightly. "You don't owe me a thing," she whispered. "Having you in my life is the best reward I could have possibly gotten."
"Excuse me, can you tell me where our seats are?" Alex showed her tickets to the usher.
The usher nodded. "Follow me. Ma'am, you have great seats. Right down here by the Giants' dugout. Seats five and six in the middle of the row."
"Thank you," Alex responded as he walked back up to the main level.
Olivia and Alex settled into their seats, trying to balance their food as they did so.
"Oh wow, Alex. These seats are awesome! We can see everything from here. Maybe we'll even catch a foul ball!" Olivia excitedly said.
Alex's eyes widened. "I hope not. I don't want a concussion!"
"I'll protect you, don't worry," Olivia reassured her.
Alex observed the Giants finishing up their batting practice as the San Diego Padres took the field. "Sorry that the Giants aren't playing the Mets tonight, but I figured you would love to see a game while we were out here."
"I get to watch a ballgame with the woman I love and eat hot dogs and garlic fries. I am a happy woman. Hey Alex, see that guy running in from left field? His name is Chris Roenick. He used to be on the Mets."
"Number 37? The gorgeous brown-eyed one with the longer hair and rock solid body?"
"Yes – and hey, no fair crushing on the players while your girlfriend is sitting next to you!" Olivia fake pouted.
"Liv, I may be a lesbian but I'm not blind. He is incredibly attractive. Don't worry, you're the only one who has my heart. Anyway, I'm sure he has groupies in every city." Alex smirked as she took a sip of her soda.
"Hey Chris. Let's get a win tonight!" Olivia called out.
The player smiled and held up a ball. Olivia nodded and he tossed it to her just before heading down into the dugout.
Olivia beamed as she examined the baseball. "Alex, he gave me a ball! Oh my god, I just got a ball from a major league player! This is pretty much the highlight of my life!"
"Even better than meeting me?" Alex teased.
"Wow, that's a close one. Let me think...alright, it's one step down from meeting you. A very tiny step down," Olivia qualified.
Olivia handed the ball to Alex so she could look it over. "That was really nice of him. I'll be rooting for him tonight. And staring at his -"
"Knock it off, Cabot!" Olivia warned with a smile.
Alex chuckled. "If you would have told me a year ago that I'd be sitting at a ballpark excitedly waiting for a game to start, I would have thought you were crazy. But look at me now. I never knew about the strategy and mental game - it's fascinating. And the pennant race is intense - if the Giants win tonight, they'll be on top of the division."
"Of course, at home, you'll have to root for the Mets. That is not negotiable." Olivia reminded her.
"Naturally. But when in Rome, as they say. Anyway, the Mets are rebuilding. Give it a couple of years and we'll be in the World Series."
Olivia's raised her eyebrows "Wow! You really have done your homework."
"Yep, Liv. You've turned me into a baseball loving fool." Alex confirmed.
They settled into their seats and were treated to a nail-biting pitchers' duel. The Giants were losing 1 - 0 in going into the bottom of the ninth. With one out, and a runner on first, Alex and Olivia's main man came up to bat.
"Come on, Chris!" Alex shouted.
"Drive him home!" Olivia added.
They watched as the count went to 3 and 2. "Ugh, I don't know if I can watch," Alex said.
"Well if you don't, you'll miss out on his tight ass," Olivia smirked.
The pitcher threw a fat pitch right in the middle of the plate. Chris Roenick knocked it over the left field wall into the cove behind the stadium. As he jogged towards first base, he winked in Olivia and Alex's direction.
Olivia turned to Alex "Did he just wink at us?"
"I think so. I may have to join his groupies back home," Alex smiled.
"With Roenick's two run homer, the Giants win, 2 – 1!" The PA announcer exclaimed.
Alex and Olivia got caught up in the moment and participated in the cheering and high-fiving that was going on with the other fans.
"What a game!" Olivia excitedly said as they exited the stadium.
"Indeed. My first baseball game was a success," Alex agreed. She cuddled close to Olivia as they walked to the pickup area for their ride.
Alex wanted their last night in San Francisco to be a night to remember, so she made reservations at an exclusive rooftop steakhouse with panoramic views of the city.
They were seated next to a floor to ceiling window, with a clear view to the bay. "This is spectacular!" Olivia exclaimed. "You can see everything from up here."
Alex smiled. "I thought it would be a fitting place for our last San Francisco meal. Now, the dinner menu is delicious, of course, but the desserts are to die for."
"Oh don't worry about me, I always have room for dessert," Olivia assured her.
The women enjoyed a tender and juicy steak meal with sides of potato au gratin and glazed carrots. When it was time for dessert, Alex decided on the key lime pie and Olivia chose the German chocolate cake.
Their server quickly got their desserts and set them on the table. Olivia spotted something strange in icing of her cake.
"I don't want to make a scene, but I think there's something in my food," Olivia whispered. She retrieved the object from the dessert with her fork, wiped it off and examined it. When Olivia realized what it was, she gasped.
"A ring? Alex, I –"
Alex put her finger over Olivia's lips to silence her and gently took the ring with her other hand. "On the day I first met you, I hoped you'd give me a chance. I wanted to be in your life, even as just a friend. And over the years, we built a great friendship. But I always felt like there could be more. Finally, I worked up the courage to ask you out. And when you said 'yes', I was over the moon."
Alex smiled as she continued. "Since that day, I've experienced a happiness I never even knew was possible. It hasn't been easy, but I wouldn't trade the ups and downs we've had for anything in the world. Because now we're together. I want you by my side for everything. The good, the bad, and the mundane…whether it's traveling the country or watching baseball on the couch. I want to go pumpkin picking, decorate the tree, and go Easter egg hunting with you. I want to read the Times over your shoulder while we eat Sunday brunch. I want to…um…paint the house together and take walks, and…you know what? I'm babbling. I rehearsed this speech over and over in my head, but I'm so nervous that I've forgotten most of it. So I'm just going to come right out with my question."
Alex knelt down next to Olivia and took her hand. She looked up into Olivia's eyes. "Olivia Benson, will you marry me?"
Hearing those words come from Alex's lips sent Olivia into a stunned silence. Alex wants to marry me? Yes! I don't even have to think about that answer! "Was this the surprise I've been waiting for all week?" she replied.
Olivia silently cringed. That wasn't the response she hoped would come out of her mouth.
A look of confusion registered on Alex's face. "Huh? The surprise? Oh…yeah. Yep, Liv, this was your surprise." Alex's heart was now beating out of its chest. She could feel sweat beading on her forehead. Is Olivia going to say no? Why isn't she answering?
Alex gestured to Olivia with the ring she was still holding. "Now about my question…"
Seeing Alex wave the ring in front of her face snapped Olivia out of her trance. "Yes! Absolutely! Of course I'll marry you, Alex Cabot."
Alex slipped the ring onto Olivia's finger and jumped up to hug her new fiancée. When they broke their embrace, Alex let out a huge sigh of relief. She opened her mouth to speak, but was drowned out by the entire restaurant cheering.
The two women grinned as they looked around the room. People were clapping, toasting with their glasses, and taking pictures.
"I hope they don't expect me to give another speech. I barely survived that proposal," Alex joked.
Olivia smiled as she looked at her future wife's head resting on her shoulder. Alex had fallen asleep soon after takeoff, and Olivia was entertaining herself by flipping through the latest edition of Skymall.
"Hmmm…that Yeti statue would look great in the living room. Or even better, a peeing boy fountain." Olivia shook her head at the crazy merchandise in the catalog. "Someone must buy this stuff, otherwise Skymall wouldn't exist. But who? Who buys a human slingshot? Or a voice activated R2D2?"
Olivia felt her brain melting as she pondered these questions. She set the magazine down on the tray top table and gazed out the window at the clear, blue sky.
At first, she couldn't identify exactly what she was feeling. But as she thought about it a bit more, Olivia realized what it was. Contentment.
It was a feeling that she'd almost forgotten existed. Olivia smiled as she thought about how far she had come. "Things really can change for the better. I actually feel ready to go back to work. I have supportive friends who will stand by me through thick and thin. And now, I'm going to have a family. A real family. For the first time since my hospital stay, I truly believe that I can stay sober. It won't be easy, but it will be worth it. Alex is the most important person in my life. And I'll never let her down."
Olivia felt Alex slightly shift in her seat. "How's it going, Liv?" Alex sleepily mumbled.
"Everything's great, baby. I'm just thinking."
"Oh. About what?" Alex asked.
Olivia kissed the top of Alex's head. "About how incredibly lucky I am. About how I can't wait to start the next chapter of our lives. And about how I think we need to incorporate a Yeti statue in our decorating scheme."
"That's nice, Liv," Alex absentmindedly responded. "Wait! What's this about a Yeti statue?"
Olivia laughed and stroked Alex's hair "Nothing. Just don't be surprised if you receive several mysterious packages over the next few weeks."
Author's Note, Part Two: I have actually spent non-trivial amounts of time wondering about Skymall's product offerings and customers during long flights.
I hope you enjoyed this story! Thanks again for reading!