A/N Let me start by apologizing for the delay. Days after the last update my computer died. I was stuck trying to recovery several things. I have an 8 year old Shih Tzu that became extremely, and unexpectedly, sick. She required immediate surgery on her spinal cord and for 4 weeks now, our life has been about taking care of our baby. My wife was kind enough to offer up her new laptop for my writing once we were about to get our bearings again. The Shih Tzu is doing exceptionally well, so onward and upward my friends.

xxxxx

It was 11 am on Monday and Liv and Elliot walked toward the office of Alexandra Cabot. They already needed two different search warrants this morning, so this would be Liv's third trip to the ADA's office before lunch. Elliot knocked on the door and was granted a "Come in" from the other side.

"Here's the deal." Elliot started, as he walked through the door. "We have a confession from the guy that was working with Doyle on the kidnapping. He still isn't confessing to anything that implicates himself in the kidnapping, but he says that he knew about the plan. We also have Michael accounts of that night, two eye witnesses that ID'd him, and his finger prints on the girls phone."

"Sounds like enough to me. I'll get with his attorney and we can move forward on this." Alex smiled at them both as she noticed Liv just standing in the door way. "Good work."

The entire time that Elliot had been talking, Liv looked at the ADA with thoughts of everything, but this case going through her mind. The way they had spent Saturday night, making Friday nights events look like child's play. Then came Sunday. They had barely gotten out of bed for more than food and water. They joked at the Cinderella effect. Meaning, when the clock struck midnight, Monday would be here and the agreement was to stop all this by then. Liv smiled as she thought about the final time. It was 11:45pm and was enough to make Liv still sore this morning.

"Liv?" Elliot said

"Wha- what?" Liv tried to cover her state of complete detachment from the conversation that was happening just in front of her, and failed miserably.

"Alex just asked you if that's all we needed."

"Oh. Sorry."

"What the hell are you grinning about?" Elliot was curious what had his partner so distracted.

"Nothing. It was a joke I heard this weekend."

"Seems funny. What 's the joke?"

Liv looked over at Alex as the ADA looked at her and smiled. "I'm sure that I would also like to hear this joke."

She knew exactly what Liv was thinking about. The same things she herself had thought about every time that Olivia Benson had entered her office this morning- and every moment between. "It wouldn't be as funny if I told it." Liv attentions had to be turned back to Elliot. Quickly. "Something about Cinderella and the clock turning midnight." Alex's smile grew, that Liv would love to say had gone unnoticed.

"Well, okay." Somehow Alex felt that she had to come to Liv's rescue. "If that is all you two need, then I will get with Trevor and see what we can work out with Doyle."

"Thanks." Elliot said and walked out the door, walking right by Liv.

"Can I help you with something, Liv?" Alex smiled as she watched the internal fight going on in the woman, that had yet to move from the doorway.

"Ugh" was all that Liv said as she turned on her heels and walked out.

"Have a good day, Detective." Alex laughed causing Liv to turn back around.

"You too, Counselor." Liv said mockingly and left the room.

During the day Liv and Elliot and arrested two of the men that they received warrants on. One had ended in a shootout and the news had traveled to Alex due to her work on the case. Her heart skipped a beat at first, but she also knew that Liv was okay. She had been through this a thousand times with the detectives in the SVU. It was nothing abnormal, but everything was abnormal now. She had worried about Liv before, but never to this degree. She didn't like feeling this way. Feeling out of control. What she did next, she liked even less.

There was a knock at her office door. She took a deep breath. "Come in."

Liv walked through the door. "Hey. Captain said that you needed to see me."

"How did the arrests go?" Alex looked at the woman who was sporting a butterfly bandage of her right eye.

"Some shit, different day. I mean, getting arrested is on no ones to do list for the day." Liv chuckled.

"Well. I'm glad that it went down as well as can be expected." She paused. "What happened to your eye?"

"Alex, please don't start doing this."

"It's just a question, Liv. I would have asked you regardless."

"Look. You are working this case with us. You know that there was a shootout to get Michael. I assume that you also know that the resisting arrest and assault on a police officer involved me. You have to know that for the case, so why am I here?"

Alex just returned Liv's stare. "It's different."

"It can't be different, Alex. You said that once Monday came, that was over."

"I didn't expect to you to be pistol whipped and in a shootout by lunch the next day, Liv. It's DIFFERENT."

"We can't do this Alex. This can't work this way."

"Work what way. THIS isn't working at all. I just wanted to make sure that you were okay." Alex sat back in chair and sighed. "That's all detective."

"Alex-"

"You're fine, I see that now. So you can go."

Liv stood and walked out the door. The entire elevator ride back to her desk, all that she could think was that Alex was right. It was different. As soon and Michael was in handcuffs, her first thought was that Alex would be worried. She had never had someone to worry about them being worried about her. It was nice and confusing and terrifying.

It had been two weeks since Liv and Alex had spent that weekend together. Their paths had crossed only occasionally during cases, but Alex hadn't requested Liv's presence in her office since that morning. Today was turning out to be a day where they worked hand in hand with the DA's office. They were sent over to the office and she was surprised that they were shown to Casey Novak's office. The details of the case were discussed with Casey and warrants were issued. As Liv and Elliot were leaving the office, Liv turned to Casey. "You know that I love seeing your smiling face, but where is Cabot?"

"She called in sick today."

"Alex Cabot is sick?"

"Yeah, go figure. She is human apparently." They both shared a laughed as Liv walked out of the room.

"Alright so we are going to cuff this punk?" Elliot says as they make their way to their cars.

"Do you think that you could take Finn with you?"

"Yeah, but this is your collar."

"Yeah, I know, but I need to do something for a bit. Can you two handle it?"

"Sure. Call Finn and tell him to meet me at the warehouse asap."

"Will do." Liv said as she got into the car.

She stopped by a deli on the corner of the block and picked up a couple things before making her way to the building and knocking on the door.

"What are you doing here?" The blonde said as she opened the door.

"Well-" Liv said as she walked past Alex in the door way. "Novak said that you called in sick today. So, knowing that you never do that, I brought you some things." Liv said as she emptied that bags contents.

"What the hell?" Alex almost laughed at the assortment of items.

"Well, I got soup in case you were under the weather. The pink stuff and sprite in case you were vomiting. Some migraine medication in case that was bothering you. I remember that you got that Margarine once at work and had to leave." Alex was chuckling at this point. "And some Mydol, in case you were having a visitor."

"Thank you?"

"Ok. I gotta get back to the station. It's a busy day, but I just want to see if you were doing okay."

Liv started to walk toward the door when Alex extended her hand and stopped the woman as she was about to pass her. "That was nice. I am ashamed to admit, I had a little too much to drink last night."

"On Tuesday?" Liv was shocked.

"Yesterday, Tuesday seemed like an acceptable day to get trashed."

"Are you okay?"

"I will be." Alex realized that this was the closet that she had been to Liv since that weekend. "I hope."

"Is it something that you want to talk about?"

"With you?" Alex chuckled. "No."

Liv's heart dropped at the thought of this being over her. "Okay, then. If there is anything that I can do, you call me."

"There is something that you can do."

"We have been over this, Alex."

Alex stepped up closer to Liv. "You brought me all this stuff to make me feel better. I only need one thing from you."

"It's the middle of the day. I am supposed to be at a scene to arrest a rapist, but I am here with you. I can't stay, Alex."

Alex backed away hurt. "Okay."

Liv took a deep breath and stepped toward Alex. She brought a hand to the side of the blondes face and kissed her passionately. When she pulled back, she rested her head against Alex's. "It's not that I don't want you. Or that I don't miss you. I do. It's that we can't. I am trying really hard here." She bent her face down to kiss Alex softly one last time and then pulled away and walked to the door. Before she walked out she turned to look at Alex. "I will see you at work tomorrow, right?"

Alex tried her best to hold back tears. "Yes. Yes you will."

Liv smiled and walked out the door.