Oh yeah, you'll be seeing a lot more of Ms. Novak :) Thanks for reading!
"Euthanasia?"
"Not exactly. That would be just another form of criminal homicide. She was simply fulfilling Andrea Downer's 'Do Not Resuscitate' order. It would have been illegal for her not to let her die after the cardiac arrest. However, father Joe wasn't happy with it and decided to exact his revenge," Elliot recounted the events leading up to Katerina Parker's murder.
Olivia shook her head as she watched Joe Downer's head fall to the table. "A woman who spends all her time saving lives, improving the world, and one time she pisses off the wrong guy and her life is taken away from her."
"Sounds familiar," Elliot mused.
She looked at him, and his knowing gaze penetrated her eyes. She looked back away.
"Speak of the devil," he called out. "Hey Alex!"
"Good afternoon, Detective Stabler. Detective Benson." Alex was cool as a cucumber, and while Olivia was trying to hide her expressive look, Alex's face was completely unreadable. "Did your new meat arrive yet?"
"Not yet," Munch popped out from behind his desk. "But I'm looking forward to constantly comparing them to you and Casey!"
"That so, Detective Munch?" Alex smirked. "I wonder if they'll be any good…"she trailed off.
"Hey, quit torturing us," Olivia pushed her playfully.
"Okay, I'll stop then," Alex smiled and whistled. Swaggering in came a very smug looking Casey Novak.
"Casey?" Elliot's eyes widened.
"You're our new ADA?" Munch asked.
"Well, you're partially right," Casey replied with a smile.
"What, cause you're not new?" Olivia tried.
"Not what I was getting at," Casey teased.
"Well, I give up," Elliot conceded.
"You've got two new ADAs," Alex provided for Casey. "Isn't that right, partner?"
"Partner?" Olivia nearly shouted. "Seriously? That's…that's amazing! You're not just jerking us around?"
"As much pleasure as we have each taken in jerking you guys around in the past, I'm happy to say that this time we are completely serious. Branch decided to make us co-council. And if I may say so myself, I don't think the perverts of New York will even know what hit 'em," Casey answered.
Olivia caught Alex's eye. She saw truth and…dare she say love? Alex watched as Olivia's eyes went from shocked to thrilled, filling with admiration and grace, and the urge to kiss her was almost overwhelming. Alex's smile was miles long, and Olivia did her best to communicate with her new girlfriend through her eyes: I hope you know how much this means to me. Alex stared back, as if to say: I hope you know how much YOU mean to me.
"Alex?"
"Hmm?" Alex broke her gaze with Olivia to look at Casey, who was smirking at Alex.
"Ready to break in our new office? We have to share it but I think it's a little bigger than either of our old ones. Plus I ordered takeout that you're welcome to partake in."
Alex searched for the source of Casey's teasing tone, but gave it up in favor of appreciating how wonderful the woman was being to her. "Thanks, I really appreciate it. Plus we have to start talking décor!"
Casey rolled her eyes at this. "Alright, guys, we have to book it, but what do you say we continue this game of catch-up at O'Malley's after hours tonight?"
"Hail to Good Idea Queen Novak!" Munch said raising an imaginary glass.
"That's extremely lame, John, but I'll take it as a yes," Casey chuckled. "Come on, Alex."
Alex insisted on paying for the takeout order. Casey protested but Alex wasn't hearing of it. Not after treating her so well after boasting the upper hand in McCoy's office. Usually when someone else had the upper hand, Alex got trampled.
The blonde took the bag from the receptionist who received the order and brought it back to set it on the lone desk in the new SVU ADA office. It was certainly bigger than her or Casey's former offices, as she had been told, but there was definitely going to have to be some renovating. Including a second desk. She began unloading the boxes from the bag when she became distinctly aware of the burn of a pair of green eyes on her face.
"What, Novak?" she asked irritatedly.
"How long have you been dating Olivia?"
Alex nearly dropped the carton of lo mein on the floor. "Excuse me?"
"I'm pretty sure you heard me," the redhead smirked. "How long?"
"What the hell would make you ask that?" Alex asked, floored.
"Sheer curiosity?"
"No, I mean what would make you think we're dating?" Alex was blushing furiously.
"Oh, I'm sorry, did you not mean to make it painfully obvious by gazing longingly into each others' eyes? Or was I completely imagining the blatant staring?" Casey began to laugh and rubbed Alex's arm. "Look, Alex, I'm happy for you guys. I just want to know how long."
Alex opened her mouth to deny it again, but at Casey's jerking eyebrow, she gave in. "About nine hours," she admitted, refusing to meet Casey's eye.
"Wow, brand new, I really am good," Casey chuckled. "You know, all those years ago during the Connors trial, I was wondering if there was anything between you two."
"We were really good friends. We still are," Alex said. "It just took us both a while to admit that we wanted more than that. That and a bit of a push from Serena for me."
"Ah yes, the infamous Ms. Southerlyn that Abbie wouldn't shut up about when I was in Washington teaching at Georgetown Law. I'm glad she talked sense into you." Casey began to munch on an egg roll. "Take anything you like, by the way."
"Thanks," Alex smiled. "No one knows about this, so I'd appreciate if you didn't say anything about it just yet. And thanks for taking this so well."
"How could I not? Olivia was one of my best friends in New York and when we spent time together and talked, it seemed like the conversation always strayed to you," Casey told her truthfully.
Alex grinned. "Hey, you ready to go desk shopping?"
"Oh, you bet! But I call the new one," Casey said pointedly. "I think I deserve it!"
Alex fought back the urge to stick her tongue out at the redhead who she thought she might actually get along with after all. Most of the time. "You got it, Miss Bossy."
"Funny, that's everyone's nickname for you."
"Oh, so Ice Princess was out by the time you got here?"
"Well this'll be the epitome of the dream team, eh?" Elliot and Olivia were driving to their next scene, and Olivia couldn't keep the smile off her face. He thought it was great, he really did, but he wasn't under the impression that it should've plastered such a cheesy grin on anyone's face as it seemed to plaster on Olivia's.
"Oh, yeah, for sure," she answered him. Elliot laughed, and Olivia turned to him, raising a questioning eyebrow. "What is it?"
"A little overly excited, aren't we?"
"They were our best ADAs ever, El, and now we have them both! Tell me that's not a wonderful thing."
"Of course it's wonderful. But you're the only one grinning like an idiot." Olivia scoffed. "Come on Liv, why are you really so happy?" Olivia remained silent. "Yeah, that's what I thought. You're totally thrilled Alex is staying."
"Of course, everyone is." Olivia took a deep breath. "Can I tell you something, Elliot?"
"Yeah, you know that."
"She did it for me."
Elliot looked at Olivia. "For you? Why?"
"Cause…we're kind of seeing each other now," Olivia admitted bashfully.
"Seriously? Alright, get 'um Liv! I knew if you made a move she'd never say no. When'd you hook up?" Elliot asked excitedly.
"About twelve hours, so don't tell her you know, okay Elliot?" Olivia pointed a warning finger at her partner, who chuckled.
"My lips are sealed. You know, kinda like you wish yours were sealed to Alex's right now?"
"Ugh, Elliot, I am carrying a weapon, remember?"
"You went back to the DA's office. For me."
Alex smiled at Olivia as she hung her jacket on one of the hooks in Olivia's entryway. "You left me a key."
"Hardly the same thing, Alex! I can't believe that you care about me enough to do something like that," Olivia admitted.
"I'd do a lot of things for you, Liv. I hope I've made that clear. If I haven't, I am now. And besides, the key is a big deal. To me, anyway. It tells me you want me in your house and by proxy, in your life."
"Dear, I've wanted you in my life since the moment you opened your mouth."
"Is that so? You're the first person to use a line like that who didn't say the moment they saw my legs."
Olivia smirked. "Nope, I wanted you in my life the moment I heard the way you command the English language and pretty much everyone around you. I wanted you in my bed the moment I saw your legs." Quickly, Olivia put a hand to her mouth when she realized what she'd let slip out of her mouth. "I'm so sorry Alex, that was completely inappropriate…"
Alex laughed. She knew she'd been overly sensitive when it came to ideas of a sexual or even affectionate nature lately and that Olivia had been stepping on eggshells with her a lot. Olivia had been the one to take control of the situation last night when Alex wasn't right within her own head. But now that she was more comfortable, she found Olivia's flirty forwardness kind of fun and even sexy. "No, Olivia, it was cute. And it was a compliment, which I always appreciate."
The flush covering Olivia's face was just too damned cute, and Alex pulled her girlfriend towards her to lay a sensual kiss on her lips. It didn't do much to remove the blush from Olivia's cheeks, but Alex was persistent and Olivia was desperate to gain entrance to Alex's mouth. The blonde's lips separated and welcomed Olivia's tongue, gently caressing it and tasting her and some tomato sauce, reminding Alex that Olivia was in the middle of cooking something.
"Oh!" Alex exclaimed pulling away. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt your dinner."
"You didn't interrupt anything. And I'd be honored if you'd stay to eat with me," Olivia smiled.
"Le plaisir est le mien, mon amour," Alex replied sweetly. "Which means, so you don't have to ask, 'The pleasure is mine, my love.'"
Olivia mentally froze for a minute. Alex had basically just said that she loved her. Olivia hadn't heard that from anyone in a good long time and it seemed like everyone who'd ever said it ended up leaving in the end. But when she looked into Alex's eyes and saw nothing but sincerity, Olivia felt that this time, she really could believe it. "No, I think the pleasure is all mine," Olivia said softly.
Alex grinned. "I'm just going to use your bathroom, if that's alright?" Olivia nodded, and Alex walked off to the restroom. Staring in the mirror, Alex couldn't stop her smile. She knew she'd been walking on an awfully high wire admitting her love for Olivia, even if cryptically, but the detective had responded in the best way Alex could've imagined. And suddenly, she knew that staying in New York had to be the right thing to do.