We lie on the bed together, our arms wrapped around each other, as close as we can be. It occurs to me what a great distraction this is, because all I can think about right now is how good this feels and how much I love Alex. So much that I want to spend the rest of my life with her. But Alex Cabot . . . well, the thought of being with her forever is daunting to say the least, but in an exhilarating way.
She's clearly not focusing on her father right now, and that welcome realization makes me feel a bit better. It's pathetic, but I'm almost glad that this happened, because it's brought us closer together. I wouldn't mind if we stayed like this, lying on my bed, holding each other, for the rest of our lives.
Eventually, I drift into a blissful slumber, dreaming of a world full of Alex, Alex, and Alex only. A world where nothing can hurt us and everything's okay. A world in which we can love each other forever and ever and ever and never let go.
I wake to gentle fingers running through my hair. Alex. Purring at the touch, I smile sheepishly up at her. "Was I asleep?"
"You talk in your sleep," she informs me, smiling back.
"And I tell you how much I love you, right?"
She laughs. "Right."
I'm pretty sure she's joking, but I can't be 100% sure, so I just laugh with her.
I'm about to lean in to kiss her again when my phone rings. Groaning, I consider ignoring it but decide not to, just in case it's Elliot and he has something important to tell me. Flipping open my phone, I bark, "What?"
"Did I interrupt something?" questions a voice laced with amusement. Elliot.
Blushing, I shake my head, then realize that he can't see me. "No," I tell him, glancing at Alex. "Not at all. So what's up?"
"We got him."
I let out a deep breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. "Thank God."
"He's down at the precinct now. With his lawyer." The distaste in his voice is evident.
Looking down into Alex's questioning eyes, I say, "We'll meet you there in ten, okay?"
"Okay. See you in ten."
I hang up the phone and turn to Alex. The fear in her eyes is tearing my heart out, and I reach out to gently stoke her cheek. "We got him," I tell her quietly.
She smiles weakly, letting out a sigh of relief. "Good."
"I'm going down to the precinct. Are you coming?"
"Yeah, just give me a second." She leaps out of bed and throws on one of her business suits, raking her fingers through her hair in an attempt to make it more presentable. Then she turns to me. "Okay, let's go."
She follows me out of my apartment and I hail a cab. Alex silently climbs in next to me and I tell the driver where we're going. Noticing the look on my girlfriend's face, I take her hand in mine. She gives me a wan smile, but doesn't let go.
Elliot's waiting at the door for us. We follow him to the squad room, where John and Fin are sitting at their desks. John looks up when we enter. "Ah, Olivia. Good for you to grace us with your presence."
Elliot shoots him a dirty look and it does the trick, because he doesn't say anything else.
Alex is glancing nervously around the room. "Where is he?" she asks, her face pale.
"In an interrogation room," says Elliot grimly. "But I think you should wait here, Alex."
Surprisingly, she doesn't object, just leans against my desk and crosses her arms over her chest.
"I'll be back in a few minutes," I tell her. She just nods mutely, and Elliot and I go into the interrogation room, where Alex's father and Trevor Langan are sitting.
George Cabot is sitting with his hands clasped in front of him, his back ramrod straight, and I'm struck with how much the way he holds himself resembles Alex. But then I push the thought away. I need to separate him from the woman I love, otherwise I'll end up doing something I regret.
I glance at Elliot and the message in his eyes is clear. He'll give me the floor on this one, and I won't screw it up.
Before I can say a word, George asks, "Where's Lexi?"
"Who?" I growl, clenching my fists so I don't lose it and smack him.
"My little girl. But not so little anymore, eh? You love her, don't you, Detective Benson?"
"We're not here to talk about me," I tell him through clenched teeth. This man is unbelievable.
He tilts his head to the side. "She cries in her sleep sometimes. You know what she says?"
I clasp my hands tightly behind my back and say as calmly as I can, "No. I don't."
His smile grows even wider. "She says, 'Livvy! I'm sorry! I love you! I –'"
This time I recognize the signs that I'm about to lose control. Instead of doing something I know I'll regret, I storm out of that suffocating little room and back into the squad room, where I can hold Alex in my arms and reassure myself that she's safe, that she's here, that she's mine and I'm hers. It's all I've ever wanted.
Review for chapter twenty!
