Disclaimer: As you all know, these characters aren't mine. They belong to Dick Wolf and NBC.
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Day 43: Anonymous: Set during Alex's return from Witness Protection where Olivia admits to her that she and Casey had a one night stand while Alex was gone.
Universe: Season 6, "Ghost"
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The tension in the room is thick enough to cut with a knife.
Alex breathes out a sigh, sitting on the edge of the bed. Her eyes burn and tears blur her vision but she doesn't let them fall, not yet, not while Olivia is still in the room – besides, Olivia is an attractive woman and she shouldn't have to wait around for Alex to finally come home. She should be out living her own life, not stuck in this waiting game.
Olivia doesn't move from where she is leaning against the door. "Alex."
Alex shakes her head. She wants to tell Olivia that it doesn't matter what she did, wants to tell her that she would've done the same thing, but the words feel heavy in her mouth and too much like a lie to force past her lips. So she settles for not saying anything.
"It didn't mean anything. I was lonely and it was the anniversary of your death and I needed to feel…something." A pause and the, "She wasn't you."
Alex turns in the bed, pulling her knees up to her chest. She looks across the room at Olivia. "I met someone," she says, watching as Olivia pretends the words don't make her sick. "Well, Emily met someone. A man she works – I worked – with at the insurance company. He has soft hands like he's never done a day's worth of hard work in his life and he doesn't even know how to hold a gun but he doesn't wake up when I have a nightmare." She smiles a bit ruefully and looks down at her knees. "Did Casey wake up to your nightmares? Or did you leave before you had a chance to find out if she would?"
"Alex," Olivia says, her voice breaking. She's closer now, less than an arm's length away and Alex wants nothing more than to pull her to her and wrap herself around Olivia and just forget about everything that's happened in the last fifteen months. She sits on the edge of the bed, placing her hand on Alex's knee. "Why are we doing this to each other? We only have a few days together, do we really want to spend them fighting?"
Alex sighs. "No."
"Then let's just be here." Olivia moves to the top of the bed and pulls on the sleeve of Alex's shirt until she gives in and lies next to her. "Turn."
Alex sighs and rolls onto her side, facing away from Olivia. Olivia scoots forward, pressing her body against Alex's, and drapes her arm over Alex, linking their hands. "There."
Alex closes her eyes, a smile pulling at her lips. They fit together like they always have – like two broken pieces of a whole – and Alex thinks that, maybe, that's the best way to describe them.
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