"That was quick," comments Alex as I storm into the squad room, fuming.

The fire drains from my eyes at the sight of my beautiful Alex, leaning against my desk, waiting for me. In two steps, I'm at her side, and I wrap my arms around her, hugging my Alex so tightly that I fear I might be restricting her intake of air.

"What's wrong?" she asks softly, loosening my grip so she can breathe again, but she doesn't push me away.

I glance at Fin, who is suddenly very interested in the DD5 he's filling out, and John, who's just staring at us. Subtlety is not one of his stronger points.

Burying my face in Alex's silky blonde tresses, I kiss her hair and murmur, "I love you, Alex."

I know she doesn't understand the reason behind my words, but she returns the sentiment anyway.

Elliot returns a few moments later. "He'll plead to rape in the first degree, sexual abuse in the first degree, kidnapping in the second degree, harassment in the third degree, and murder in the second degree. Twenty-five to life as long as the death penalty's off the table."

I glance at Alex, trying to gauge her reaction. Finally, she nods. "That's fine. I should – that's fine. We can't go through a trial again."

He squeezes her shoulder gently. "Should I have Abbie –?"

"No, no. I can do it. Just give me a moment." Extricating herself from my grasp, Alex steps away and takes a moment to compose herself. She corrects her posture, standing perfectly straight, with the poise of a princess. Then she turns to me. "Let's go."

"Are you sure?" I ask, then bite my tongue. I don't want to sound overprotective or as if I think she can't handle that.

But she doesn't seem bothered by my words, just nods. "I'm sure."

Elliot and I exchange glances, but we obediently walk with her down to the interrogation room, him on her right side and me on her left, taking a protective stance toward our ADA as if we can shelter her from this pain.

But she doesn't seem to need our protection. She walks into the room with her usual air of confidence, her indifferent façade up once again, the ice queen returning. I know she's not going to take any of his crap this time and God help him if he tries.

His face breaks into a smile at the sight of his daughter. "Hey, Lexi," he says, almost kindly.

Her face stony, she slides a piece of paper across the table. "Sign."

"Can't we –?"

"Sign," she repeats coolly. "Or we're done."

Clearly, he doesn't want that, so he signs the agreement. "So, Lexi, I had a nice chat with your girlfriend," he says.

She snatches the piece of paper and rises. "We're done. I'll see you at allocution." And with that, she stalks out of the room, Elliot and I at her heels.

"You did good, Alex," I murmur, giving her hand a comforting squeeze.

"I'm not that incompetent, Detective," she says good-naturedly.

I stare at her for a moment, then I understand. This has considerably lightened her burden, because now she knows he's going to jail for a long time, and she's going to be safe. Finally, she'll have some semblance of closure.

"Closure is a myth, Detective," Alex says, amused, when I mention this to her on the taxi ride home. "Your words, not mine."

I heave a theatrical sigh. "Will I ever live that one down?"

She shakes her head. "Never."

Groaning, I rest my head in her lap, which makes her laugh. Pushing me away, she teases, "Lying down in a taxi is a violation of state law, Detective."

"Eh, you're so full of it," I reply with a lopsided grin, but obediently sit up and buckle my seatbelt again.

She runs her hands through my hair and smiles. "Is this a good compromise?"

I smile back and close my eyes. "Mmm."

Her hands snake further down, stroking my sides, which sends a shiver rippling through my body.

"Not here," I murmur, but I can't help but lean into the touch.

She raises an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

"We're in a cab."

Her hands move even lower, stroking me through my damp pants. My panties are absolutely drenched from even the gentle touch, and I groan in pleasure. "You mean you don't want me to do this, Detective?"

I want to pull away, but I can't bring myself to break the contact. It feels too good. "Alex . . ."

She leans close and there's her hot breath in my ear as she squeezes tightly. "And you definitely don't want me to do this, right?"

I'm so hot that I can hardly breathe. This is what Alex Cabot does to my body, but still I manage to choke out, "Right."

She smirks and takes her hands away, folding them demurely in her lap. "Okay."

But I want to be close to her right now. So much. Growling softly, I lean toward Alex, pressing my lips to hers. She smiles through the kiss, then deepens it, parting her lips to accept my tongue. I close my eyes, leaning into the contact, but abruptly she pulls away, pressing a slender finger to my lips. "We're almost home."

I groan at the sudden withdrawal of physical contact, then it registers: she's called my apartment "home". And that makes waiting to get there worth it.

I think I'm on my way to wrapping this up. Review for the last few chapters!