Chapter 6

The newlyweds had a lot of fun with their new toy. Olivia took her wife on all fours, cowgirl, and with Alex's ankles on Olivia's shoulders.

By the time they were loading up the car to go back to New York, Alex had a distinct wobble to her walk.

"I didn't hurt you did I?" Olivia started to feel guilty.

"Oh no, it's a good kind of sore."

"A good kind of sore?" Olivia was skeptical.

"You ever have a good workout that left you wrecked the next day."

"Yeah."

"Well last night was like that … and then some."

When they got back to the city, Alex was ready to curl up on the coach with a good book and relax.

Olivia put on the baseball game. The Yankees were playing the Angels.

Alex made Croque Madame for lunch. Olivia had no idea what that meant, but when she heard ham, cheese, and sandwich, she said "sounds good."

What the detective didn't expect was a crunchy sandwich with béchamel sauce and mustard inside and a fried egg on top.

"This looks way fancier than a ham and cheese sandwich,"

"It's a Croque Madame."

"I still have no idea what that means."

"Croque means to bite. It's because the sandwich is crunchy."

"So this is a crunchy lady sandwich?"

"Pretty much."

Olivia stabbed the egg with her butter knife, causing the runny yolk to ooze all over the sandwich.

She started to eat. It was good. The ingredients were all basic but together it was a symphony.

"This hits the spot."

"My grandmother used to make me these when I'd come to her house." She is a spitfire of a woman.

"You two are close," it was more of a statement than a question.

"Yes." She was always Alex's biggest fan.

They went to bed early that night. Both women had to work and Alex was getting her official assignment.

"I hope my placement works out."

"I'm sure it will," Olivia told her. "How could it not?"

They fell asleep in each other's arms.

Back to work

Alex got up early, so she could get in a run before work. She did a five mile loop, going around the neighborhood twice before she came back in to shower and change.

Olivia woke up while Alex was in the shower. She tiptoed to the bathroom and decided to join her.

"Good morning," Alex gave her a kiss.

"I had to come in before you used all the hot water."

"Excuses, excuses!"

Olivia laughed before she washed the shampoo out Alex's hair.

The two women helped each other get ready.

"How do I look?" Alex was scrutinizing herself in the mirror.

"You look scrumptious," Olivia told her before kissing her cheek. She had on this grey and blue power suit that brought out her eyes and showed off her perfect ass.

"Really?"

"I could just bend you over right now."

"Then I'll never get to work."

"Pity!"

Alex got bagels at the end of her run, so they'd have breakfast.

"I got bacon and scallion cream cheese for you."

"Tasty!"

Alex went with the lox cream cheese.

They ate quickly and then were out the door.

They had parking for the ADAs, so Alex dropped off Olivia on her way to work.

"Call me when you want me to pick you up?"

"Okay."

Usually, Olivia just walked home, but today was hot as balls. She felt a bit spoiled with Alex picking her up. Strangely, she liked it.

Olivia came into work wearing a new dark green and light green striped blouse and beige pants.

Alex had done a little shopping for them during her time off work. Everything fit perfectly. Alex really had a good eye for measurements.

When she got to the precinct, she heard a whistling. "Looking sharp Baby Girl," Fin noticed Olivia's new look and it worked.

"Thanks Fin. How was your weekend?"

He and Munch were catching cases. "Just a normal weekend with scrawny ass over here."

"One day, my scrawny ass will be gone, and you'll miss me."

Fin rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

Elliot came back from Hawaii feeling pretty refreshed. He hadn't had much time to travel since he came back from the core.

Like when most people leave, he expected everything to be the same when he came back.

Instead, there was something different about Liv.

"You get a haircut?"

"Not since you last saw me."

He frowned in confusion. Something changed.

"How was Hawaii?"

"It was great, perfect weather, lots of fish. Hard for me to complain."

"Get any time outside?" Munch asked while wiggling a brow.

"Shut up Munch."

"Elliot," Cragen started, "welcome back. I'm sure you didn't miss us, but now you're stuck here, so get to work."

"Aw, thanks Captain."

Alex was put on appeals.

"I know it's not the most exciting," Jack told her. "But it's where we need help at the moment." Something more interesting might open up in a couple of months.

"I want to be a team player. I'll go wherever you need me."

"That's the spirit. Welcome to the team Alexandra!"

The transplant from Boston met the other attorneys on appeals. Alex would get assigned to help with one of the hearings set for September. This would give her a chance to really learn the case and the requisite law needed to defend the conviction.

"Is there anything I can do to help now, cite checking or line editing," it felt like law review all over again, but Alex wanted to be useful.

"Nah, we got interns for that," desperate, unpaid interns from NYU and Columbia no doubt.

Realizing she wasn't needed or wanted, Alex bided her time until it was time for lunch.

Before she left, she called Olivia to see if she could take off for lunch.

Olivia was just filling out DD5s for Abbie. "Sure, I'm not busy."

Elliot looked over. Who is she talking to?

"…"

"Where did you want to go?"

She's going out for lunch. Since when does she go on lunch dates?

"…"

"I get to pick? How about pizza?"

Some date.

"…"

"Don Antonio, sounds good."

"…"

"I'll meet you there."

"…"

"You'll pick me up?"

Maybe I'll get to see this guy.

"…"

"Bye Honey."

"Who's Honey?"

Olivia turned to Elliot. She had forgotten that he was in the room. She tended to forget everything when Alex was on the phone.

"I started dating someone."

"And you're already at the Honey stage?"

Of course he has 50 questions. "It's going well. Can't a girl be happy?"

Olivia didn't offer any more information. Ten minutes later, she got a call and went outside.

"See ya later."

"A gentleman would come in and get you."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "You're just nosy."

As soon as she left, Elliot questioned Munch and Fin. "Have you seen this guy?"

Fin hadn't.

Munch could honestly say, "I haven't seen or heard about any boyfriend." Elliot is going to lose his shit when he learns the truth. Munch couldn't help but smile.

Alex was waiting for her outside of the precinct.

"I could get used to this," Olivia got into the air-conditioned car and Alex hit the gas.

"I'm eager to please."

"Well I love it when you please me."

Alex laughed.

"That's not what I meant."

"Yes it is!"

They got to 50th St and Alex was able to park the car around the corner from the restaurant.

"Perfect spot."

They went inside, hand in hand, and were seated promptly.

Olivia found the pizza more sophisticated than she had anticipated. "Is it crude to ask what has the most meat?"

Alex smiled. "Not at all." What's the point of servers if they don't answer your questions?

After questioning the waitress, they decided to share the stuffed pizza.

Alex doubted they'd finish it at lunch. "We can bring the rest home."

"We have the same home," Olivia commented.

"We do," Alex laughed.

"You know what I meant!"

"I know, but you're cute when you're flustered."

Olivia was stuffed when she came back to work. The pizza was good, but the slices were heavy. The detective probably didn't need to eat that third slice.

Alex took the rest of the pizza to put in the Appeals' fridge. It seemed like it would be safer there.

She came back to the precinct to see the others at work.

"How was lunch?" Elliot asked dryly.

"Delicious." Olivia wasn't sure when or how she would tell everyone about her marriage, but they were still in the all is good phase and the detective didn't want to mess that up.

Unfortunately, Olivia didn't realize that fate would force her hand.