Name: KittyGetAwayFromTheBlanket
Title: Melting Under Your Gaze
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, their background lives, or nay aspect of the SVU legacy. I just am writing my take on the relationships that should have been.
Fandom: Law & Order SVU
Pairing: Alex/Olivia
Rating: Pg 13-18
Summary: Working on

Chapter 4

For most people, Saturdays are synonymous with a care free - end to the work week and height of relaxation. In that context it would be wonderful if everyone would abide, sit back and go to the beach with friends, chilling around bon fires with stories supplemented by a cool crisp beverage. Unfortunately, most criminals have the uncanny notion of misplacing that world-wide memo, because crime never sleeps, never rests – it falls far from the official meaning derived from New Zealand's Māori English, "washing day." Criminals air their dirty laundry, disposing of people's dignity and rights without a second thought. If it weren't for the legal system everyday would be free reign of hell on earth, but lucky for the civilians of New York they had hard working employed representatives from the 16th precinct on a 24/7 watch, dedicating each waking moment to justice and truth for all Americans.

No two cases were alike; each one was more horrible than the last; the universe's sick game of a challenge. For most people, such daily repetition would drive them mad – but there are those willing to match those advances, be strong enough to evade them and effectively crush them under their foot. Alex Cabot was one of them; she clobbered cases with her 1 ½ inch heels and ground them indefinitely – leaving behind her an icy legacy of non-submission.

Alex and the Detectives were in the middle of a recent court proceeding, the case had been drawn out for almost 2 weeks, each time they had a leg up on it – a comet of disbelief anchored it's way in, leaving a crater of questions and a lack of evidence to stall the prosecution.
Alex was doing her best with knowledge and evidence given, lucky for her she was highly intelligent, perceptual and could note any change in a witnesses demeanor, aiding her in swooping down and clawing away at holes in their stories.

The tab left on this case was a steep one. A janitor from John M Harrigan School of Brooklyn was accused of raping more than 5 children – 4 of the 5 being young boys, 1 a 7 year old girl. He was one of the suspects in their hierarchy of ruling out, as he was a single 49 year old male with a single rap of indecent exposure – which he had claimed was a misunderstanding. How one could misconstrue showcasing their privates was beyond comprehension – and how a volatile individual could be employed to an elementary school was another.

Alex was walking on egg shells as each lack of evidence; she had to stay afloat the pressure to cave on acquittal and lack of reasoning. The only evidence they was found in the crime scenes was a shoe lace. How on earth a shoe lace could be enough was unfathomable.

Alex had been reading over each statement from the witnesses, a ping of sadness piercing her heart as she envisioned the pain and fear that must have consumed children – robbing them of their innocence. None of it fit though, they were on all different days, different times and different ages and ethnicities of children. It was like shooting a barrel with a gun pointed backwards – this case was surely to blow up in their faces. Alex couldn't let that happen, she would be damned if it did.

Alex rose from her chair as the allotted audience in the back of the court hushed and settled with her ready appearance. Reaching for her glasses she had put down as she read, she turned them around, slipping them on, attaining her game face.

"So," the words bore an introduction of alertness, gaining the janitor; Bernie Holen's attention. "You say you weren't near any of the children at any time of the day, is that right?" she spun on her heel, taking a glance at the folders contents in the people's corner, before looking back up at the suspect with an arched eyebrow.

Glancing around nervously, he shrugged nonchalantly, his hands wringing together in a nervous state. "Yeah, that's what I said, I wasn' near them kids, I clean and do the job I'm payed t'sdo!" his voice slurred, reinforcing the suspicion of a lack of education and stupidity.

This may be easy, the lawyer observed internally.

"Wasn't near them," Alex echoed loudly, letting the words play along her tongue as she stood in thought. Turning back toward Bernie she tilted her head, stalking to the bench where his upper body visible and a small portion of his lower, where a pair of ratty shoes adorned them – set with a sloppy buckle made of Velcro.

"So, ..Mr. Holen, you are to state, for the record you never saw the children – talked to them, or even looked at them?" Alex strode even closer, her eyes opening to showcase battle, an icy Blue picking away at his statements.

"I – I, no, I don' do anything, no helping at all," he stuttered dumbly, his greasy face in high contrast to his jet Black balding head.

"Helping" Alex almost purred as recognition set in, and like a grandfather clock her internal mechanics wound around, each dictating a sense of understanding and you could almost visibly see the mechanics alive in her face, a smile twitching forward. "I didn't mention anything about helping, Mr. Holen," she stated, cocking her head fully glancing down her nose at his shoes.

"Mr. Holen, I would like to ask you a question – and if you could please answer loud enough for the court." She gestured behind her, keeping her eyes fixed on him as he nodded dumbly. "Here's a question, when the Detectives combed over the crime scene, they found nothing … nothing but a single, Black shoelace. Now Mr. Holen, looking down I see you don't have shoelaces, so this intrigues me. "Alex stepped away, turning her back and walking in a square formation, pacing as she played idly with a pencil between her fingers. The Blonde stopped short of her table, picking up the cases file folder and holding it open like a hymn book.

"In all of the child's statements, they were very contrast to one another – except in the fact they had muttered something about "couldn't do it". Well, what we assumed was something in a sexual manner, or explaining their attacker – but, here's what interests me." She looked up, her face contorted into a grin of confidence. "One of the children's exact phrases was – 'He didn't have them – I couldn't do it'. Now – aside from many other explanations, what would a child of learning have, and you not?"

The air in the courtroom became heavy with confusion, as no one was catching into this cat and mouse game, no one except Olivia whose head shot up, looked into the direction of Bernie then her eyes opened widely as they were firmly planted on the long legged Attorney stalking forward.

Alex just waved her hand dismissively, audibly exhaling. "Well we won't bore the court with a guessing game, what you don't have are shoe laces, is that correct Mr. Holen?" Alex left no time to answer as she continued. "So it seems to me – you couldn't teach the children anything, could you? What you could do is learn – learn to – tie shoes perhaps?"

Bernie's forehead mulled together, a single drop of sweat cascading down the bulging wrinkles and disproportionate cavities of his ugly structure.

"So that was how you did it, wasn't it Bernie?" Alex closed forward, coming nose to nose with the suspect, her palms placed downward on the bench's edge, "you went up to the children and instead of luring them with candy or promises of fun – you did what would intrigue any growing mind – to teach, to help – you played on their innocence, asking for help – to help a pitiful old fool like yourself to do something he couldn't do in his 49 years of living – tie his shoelaces. That's it isn't it, Bernie? Your master plan?"

Bernie began to tremble in anger and fear, his hands sliding against one another as sweat coated the hairy digits. "No- no I can tie – I"

"-You don't even have shoe laces, Mr. Holen – you don't even have them, isn't that what the children said? 'Couldn't do it' – 'Didn't have them'? I suppose you knew after the what – second, third victim your old routine was getting old, so you used a single shoelace to keep the façade going? You're a 49 year old man – who can't even tie his shoelaces! Doesn't that just make you feel a li-"

Cut off Alex was berated by a mumbling buffoon as he stood up duck footed, casting a maniac glance at the Jury. "NO!" he screamed, "THEY WANTED TO HELP – THEY WANTED ME TO-"

"-To rape them? How in the word of sanity is that justification?" Alex laughed with a mocking reassurance, however; before Alex could antagonize him, like a missile about to orbit planet earth the case in its entirety took off into its own direction and parachuted to a fitting end. Bernie all but confessed by spewing out words of filth and sad retribution to his pathetic childhood and lack of education. On top of that he let slip one of the children's names – who he had earlier stated not knowing any of them.

It took 2 weeks, 4 hours and 23 minutes – but Alex was able to play both sides of the Law – Lawyer and Detective. Alex had managed to get a confession from Bernie: 23 minutes into the last trial – this was not something she wouldn't forget, nor would she forget the smile she saw beaming at her from across the audience stands – Olivia was bursting of newly ground appreciation for the attorney, and if Alex was to be honest – she thought she saw a sparkle of a tear; of joy. Alex then and there vowed she would do anything to maintain that look of happiness – if it meant giving herself over completely – she would do it for Olivia – and she then realized, she didn't find Olivia attractive only, nor as a friend – she was definitely in being pulled into something else – something deeper, love maybe?

I'm in love with Olivia Benson… Alex voiced to herself, feeling giddy and scared at the same time, she smiled to herself and returned the Detectives smile with a grin. Walking past her stand she deposited the case folder and headed over toward Olivia, the woman she so desired – much more than before, much more than just a good friend – the woman she, maybe loved. Alex used her free hand to push the nose of her glasses closer to her Blue eyes, so she could get a good view at the Detective as she made a beeline in that direction with a newly set sense of confidence.

(Hope this was an Okay chapter…. I know it's a little less O?A but I think it's a start to kind of bridge the gap between them and of course the actual show which does deal with law and not just two incredibly hot women..lmao..Unfortunately .Hopefully the case I wrote up was alright.. Its actually harder than it looks to make up a crime and solve it in xxx amount of time…

Thanks again