Chapter 3: Back to Work

Two weeks after her return to New York, Alexandra Cabot was ready to start her first day at work. She had on a grey power suit and her classic Jimmy Choos. She had her confident stride as she marched down the halls of One Hogan Place.

Jack McCoy was waiting to introduce her to her new team.

"As you know, your former boss left to teach law at Stanford. I'm happy to present to you the return of one of New York city's finest ADAs, your new Bureau Chief, Alex Cabot."

People gasped as they saw the larger than life woman standing before them. She was as beautiful as the pictures suggested, realer than her obituary asserted, and she looked ready to kick ass and take names.

"This is awesome," Steele gushed like a fan girl.

"I'm glad to be back to back here, and I look forward to working with all of you. I want you all to sign up for a lunch with me, I'm buying, and I want to hear from you what would help make this place run more smoothly."

"Free lunch!" someone yelled out, and they all cheered.

"I think coffee would help this place run better, and not the sludge they sell in the cafeteria."

Alex cringed. "I had my own coffee pot in my office that stuff was so bad." Alex had been used to fine Turkish coffees. She had to make do in WPP, but now, she was back to the good shit.

The team was ready to accept their new leader. Jack nodded and headed off to work.

Find Your Place

It didn't take long for word of Alex's return to run through out One Hogan Place. Everyone was talking about it. Casey was worried that if she didn't learn to control her jealousy over the beloved blonde that it would cost her Olivia.

She knew the two had been together in some capacity before she left, and she had to find out from Alex what her intentions were.

She went right to the Chief's office and knocked on the door.

"It's open."

Alex was reviewing the file of a fellow ADA who had been murdered the year before. Her name was Alexandra Borgia, and although Alex, didn't know her, she felt like she did.

Borgia was smart, had been well respected, and got kidnapped by a gang who had been using fake DEA badges to commit home invasions. She put pressure on a defendant to give names, and she ended up dead.

When Alex looked up, she saw Casey Novak and frowned. "What can I do for you?" Please don't ask me anything about Olivia.

"Welcome back."

"Thanks." Alex knew that's not why she was here.

"I wanted to talk to you about Olivia."

"What about her?"

"I know you two had something going before, but we've been together for eight months, and we're really happy."

"I'm not going to make waves in your relationship. Whatever you and Olivia have going on is your own business."

"Thank you," Casey said graciously. "I don't want to be in the way if you two want to be friends. Her birthday's coming up and …"

"I don't think she would want me there," Alex said bluntly. "We didn't exactly leave on the best note."

Casey hadn't expected that. "You two seemed pretty cozy during the Connors' trial."

We made love every chance we got.

"It didn't work out in the end. It's in the past now."

"I'll leave you alone then."

Casey left her office. That's a relief.

Insecurity

Of course, the relief didn't last long. Casey used the gym across the street from her job and a lot of other ADAs worked out there.

She was changing in the girls' room when she heard, "I can't believe Alex Cabot is really back."

"She couldn't stay away. She's been a prosecutor since birth."

"I doubt she could stay away from Olivia either. Those two were sizzling hot together."

Casey wanted to interject, but she didn't.

"And they were always making out. Alex didn't lock office her door until she started dating Olivia."

"I heard from one of the janitors that her desk would rock back and forth in the late hours. They would hear it and have to come back to clean her office later."

"I thought they were going to go the distance."

"Maybe they still will."

Casey lost her desire to work out. She changed again and went home.

She was trying to figure out what to say to Olivia when the detective called her first.

"Hey, did you eat yet?"

"No."

"Want me to bring Chinese over."

"Yeah."

Forty minutes later, Olivia was there with food.

"How was work?"

"It was fine."

"You don't sound fine," Olivia wondered what happened.

"I had a chat with Alex Cabot."

"Really, why?"

"I'm sure you heard, she's the new Bureau Chief of Homicide."

"Actually, I didn't hear. What does that have to do with SVU?"

"Nothing. I went to congratulate her on coming back and …"

"And what?"

"Are you going to leave me for her?" she blurted out.

"No, why would you think that?"

"It's just … you two were so lovey dovey and the make out sessions at work and the office hookups. We're not like that."

Olivia was pissed. Did Alex tell her about their relationship just to freak Casey out?

"Look, Alex and I were different, but it's not a good different. What we did was really unprofessional and could have gotten us both fired. I am more careful with you because I couldn't let my hormones fuck up your life. You mean too much to me."

Olivia had to spend the rest of the evening assuring Casey that they were fine. She, however, was not fine. What the fuck was Alex thinking?

Confrontation

The detective decided to find out the next day. She tried calling, but of course, Alex had a new number, one Olivia didn't have. She tried calling her office just to hear, "Alex is at lunch; may I take a message?"

"No thanks."

Olivia knew the only way to get ahold of Alex was to go to her office herself, and an hour later, she did just that.

The Bureau Chief was working on a strategy plan with her deputy Jim Steele, and ADA Christina Finn. They were handling the Randolph murder, yet another ADA who got himself killed.

"You have a lot of nerve."

Alex was shocked to see her. "Excuse me?"

"What the fuck did you tell Casey?"

"You need to leave!" This was not the time or the place for an argument.

Olivia wouldn't be dismissed so quickly. "I don't know what your problem is but you had no right to insert yourself in our relationship. We're over and you need to get it through your thick skull that …"

Jim had enough. "If you don't get out here right now, I'm calling security." His voice was booming, and he was not about to watch his boss get threatened by an unhinged ex.

Somehow, Olivia snapped back to reality and left but not before saying, "Stay away from Casey!"

Alex just froze. She had no idea what just happened or even why, but it was hardly how she wanted to introduce herself to her team. Now they think she's an incompetent boss who can't keep her lesbian drama out of the work place.

"I'm sorry about that."

"What are you sorry for? You didn't do anything?" Jim questioned.

Alex tried to speak but she was too shaken up.

"I think we should reschedule this meeting for tomorrow," Jim told her.

He sent Finn on her way with work he wanted her to have done for tomorrow's meeting.

Consequences

Olivia mostly cooled down by the time she got back to the 1-6. She was sure that Alex knew to stay away. She didn't think that Alex would undermine her relationship like that, but then again it's been three years. Can she really say she knows who Alex Cabot is right now?

She got to her desk and started to work. It was about twenty minutes later when she heard, "BENSON!"

It was Captain Cragen.

"Yes Captain?"

"In my office NOW!"

This was bad. Olivia had no idea what it was about until she heard, "I just got off the phone with Jack McCoy. He was angrier than I ever heard him. Did you threaten Alex today?"

She snitched to McCoy? Olivia knew they had been close, but she didn't think she'd try to bring him into this.

"I confronted her, yes, but I didn't …"

"I don't care what you did or why. Here's the bottom line. You need to stay the fuck away from Alex. McCoy threatened to use every connection he has to make sure you couldn't even make it as a meter maid in this city, and he was not joking. If you care about your career, you will pretend you never met her. Do you understand me?"

She went that far? "Yes Captain."

"Good. I don't want to lose you Liv. Make sure I don't over some bullshit."

Of course Elliot wanted to know what it was about but Liv shook her head. He knew she wouldn't say it here or now, so he waited until after work.

"Liv, are you in trouble?"

"Not exactly."

"Not reassuring partner," he told her honestly.

"I got into a tiff with Alex."

"Cabot?"

"Yeah, she's back."

"Why didn't she come say hi?"

"Because I'm with Casey now."

"Ooh," Stabler said knowingly, "but why would that get you in trouble with Cragen?"

"It didn't. We got into an argument at her office, and McCoy found out. He was so mad that he threatened to get me kicked out the force. It was tough love from Don. He doesn't want me to get in any shit."

"That makes no sense. Why would an argument with Alex be on Jack's radar?"

"He's basically her uncle."

"What?"

"He dated her godmother on and off for decades. She used to call him Uncle Jack Jack."

Stabler made a face. "I had no idea. She's more connected than I thought."

"Oh yeah, anyway, there's no reason to worry. I won't be seeing her around anywhere anyway."

"Sorry it ended so shittily."

"Yeah, me too."