This is a work of fiction, no infringement of the rights of the creators is intended. Thanks for letting us play with them.

A huge vote of thanks to Mariska Hargitay and Stephanie March for providing us with one of the longest slow motion subtextual torments on network tv, when we all know Cabot and Benson need to be together.

LA Women

Olivia's viewpoint

The flight back to New York was almost six hours long, we'd lose a few hours extra because of the time zones and we'd be getting into JFK way too early tomorrow morning. I knew should be trying to some sleep the way Alex was, curled up in her seat next to me; thank god for the wide seats in business class.

I'd never travelled business or first class before I became Alex's partner but I was so glad she insisted on paying for the upgrade, the extra room was a godsend, especially if it meant she got a good sleep.

I should be sleeping but I'd never been able to easily sleep on a plane, something not even the extra space could change. Besides my mind was too active so I'd ordered a drink and sat there in the darkened cabin and relived the last few days.

Sitting there, smiling at Alex where she was facing me asleep, four and a half hours flight time before we got into New York and we were back at work, I had to conclude that the weekend was worth all the hassles.

The trip out to Los Angeles had been all we could have hoped for; we'd reconnected with Jane and Maura, something we'd really needed to do after too long apart.

They were our closest friends, they knew us like no one else, they'd been there when Alex and I had finally stepped over the threshold from friends to lovers, consummating our most heartfelt desires. Turns out we'd both wanted it, but were afraid of damaging what we had, of putting our friendship at risk.

They'd been the same as well but somehow together, well with a big push from Alex and Maura, we'd been forced to face our fears and see what we had to live for, now I'd never been happier, loving the woman of my dreams. Jane was equally happy; she'd told me that her life had never been as good, as happy as it was now.

The trip out to LA had been something we'd needed to do, it was good to see that we'd still had that connection, that we were still so comfortable with them both and they felt the same way. They were our best friends, in a deeper and more important way than even the guys at SVU were for me or the other DA's were for Alex. They were workmates and colleagues and partners, Jane and Maura were our most important, deepest friends.

We'd also had the chance to meet their friends Ana and Nat who'd been all we'd been led to expect, they were happy and fun and very welcoming, really good company.

Alex had been a bit apprehensive about meeting them, especially after we learnt that Jane and Maura were planning on relocating to LA permanently, I'd been afraid that'd put a damper on the rest of weekend but Alex had apparently connected to Natalie and her bond with Maura was as strong as ever.

She told me later that the three of them had agreed that they were not going to let distance stand between us, that we'd continue to see each other regularly; it was just that we would be flying rather than driving. I didn't care; it meant Alex was happy and we'd see our friends regularly, if it meant we flew, then so what? We'd fly.

In fact by the end of the weekend Alex had been as thick as thieves with Natalie, who was such a warm and open, person that you just enjoyed having her around, life with her was never dull. I smiled to myself, remembering how she'd happily sat in my lap at one point during Friday night's 'half time entertainment'.

I'd asked her what exactly she thought was doing and she'd just laughed and told me she was taking me for a test drive, just in case she ever got sick of Ana. I'd wondered aloud what Alex might think of that, only to be told that sisters shared everything and as all three blondes were now honorary sisters, that applied to clothes, makeup and girlfriends.

I'd been about to protest when Alex walked up and handed me a drink, Natalie had gone to stand up but Alex had just smiled and told her to stay there, Jane was equally comfortable and before I could pick my jaw up she'd happily sat in Jane's lap, laughing at my expression. Maura had been no better, ending up cuddling with Anastasia for a while, from the looks on Jane and Ana's face I got the impression that the girl's teasing was nothing new.

By the end of the night I'd gotten used to how close and uninhibited Natalie was, I'd been surprised though at seeing Maura like that too, she was a lot happier and relaxed than she had been back in Boston, but I found myself liking her this way.

The night had finished well after midnight, we'd never got back to the game which I guessed had been their intention, but the time had flown, full of laughter and happiness and I'd been sad to see it end, as had Alex. Her blues had been well and truly chased away, replaced by the happy and outgoing Alex I loved.

We'd spent Saturday out at Disneyland with Jane and Maura, just being tourists and big kids, Alex and Maura had behaved just as they had been when we'd got together back before their move, laughing and carrying on like they didn't have a care in the world, while Jane and I'd a great time just enjoying the day and their happiness.

That night we'd gone out clubbing with them, meeting up with Ana and Nat and Jane's boss Brenda and her girlfriend, who'd been a real surprise.

Brenda Leigh Johnson and Sharon Raydor were nothing like I expected, I'd looked them up on the LAPD website before the trip, seeing a pair of women in dress uniform, hair in tight buns, stern and unapproachable, in the flesh they were nothing like that, dressed in the evening's requisite little black dresses they were gorgeous, fun and quite obviously newly together, they were so happily wrapped up in each other that I found myself smiling at them both a lot.

They reminded me of Alex and I in the first few months after we'd finally got together, when we couldn't get enough of each other, spending as much time together as we could. To be honest we were still like that, especially if we'd been apart for more than a night, after a decade of missed opportunities and wasted time, we wanted to make the most of every second we could.

We'd headed off to dinner at a nice Greek restaurant followed by a long night of fun and dancing at a gay club called Blush where we'd had a great time, dancing with each other's partners before wrapping up well after one in the morning.

Brenda and Sharon had begged off just after midnight, claiming that they were too old to stay up till all hours dancing. The looks on everyone else's face had reflected my skepticism, they couldn't wait to get to bed alright, but sleep was the furthest thing from their minds. They really couldn't keep away from each other.

Remembering what Alex and I had been like when we'd first got together I was more than happy to bet the sex was incredible. I was sure that being out with us was fun, but being together alone was even better. We'd just laughed and teased the hell out of them before they'd left, exchanging hugs all round.

We got home around two and even then we couldn't sleep, Natalie, Maura and Alex had apparently decided that they would spend the last hour in the club dancing as maddeningly sexy and close as possible, driving us half crazy with the teasing.

By the time first Natalie then Maura had finished teasing the shit out of me on the dance floor, I was a mess and I could tell both Jane and Ana were in no better state, I defy anyone to have those three incredibly sexy blondes dancing up against you, bodies teasing, hair flying, curves touching you and remain calm.

When Alex had finally got back to me after teasing Jane and Anastasia I was in an almost frantic state of arousal, not helped by the fact that she was equally worked up, I could see the dark wildness in her eyes that told me we weren't getting much sleep that night.

A heavy make out session in the cab back to their place only kept the motors running, we said a hasty goodnight to Jane and Maura and practically dragged each other to bed, trying to ignore the laughter and teasing from them, mind you they weren't much better, all wandering hands and hot kisses, I knew they weren't going to be in any fit state early tomorrow, just like us.

I finally dragged myself awake at close to ten in the morning, to find a sleeping Alex wrapped possessively around me, her head on my shoulder, arm around my chest and leg wrapped over mine, the sense of joy I felt when I awoke with her making me smile happily.

Those mornings when I woke up first I got to spend some time just looking at her, wondering what I'd done in a previous life to deserve the blonde angel snuggled up against me. Alex had been an inconceivable dream for so long that when we'd finally got together I kept feeling the need to pinch myself, to prove that it was real, not some impossible fantasy.

It wasn't a fantasy though, it was so much better, I loved a beautiful, smart, generous and caring woman and she loved me, life couldn't get any better. Well, actually it could. Hidden in a box of my old photos and memorabilia sitting at the very back of the highest shelf in our hall cupboard was a small box that contained an engagement ring, one that I fully intended to place on a long, elegant finger sometime soon, I just had to find the right time and place.

Jane had eventually banged on the door, dragging us awake and out of bed so we could meet up with Ana and Nat down at Rodeo Drive. Begging off from accompanying them shopping, Jane, Ana and I went off and found a decent bar where we'd played pool and darts and drank beers while watching sports and swapping stories, while the three blondes had shopped their way down Rodeo Drive.

We caught up a few hours later over lunch, before they dragged us off to 'get our opinion' at some boutique. It turned out to be a lingerie shop called Agent Provocateur, at which point I'd wanted to back out, but no such luck; Alex had turned to me, hit me with the big blue eyes and the sad look and asked me to stay; she 'really needed' my help.

Of course I'd stayed, I never could say no to the woman, something she used to her advantage from time to time, one of them being now. So I'd found myself walking in, surrounded by more satin, silk and lace than I was ever going to be comfortable with.

For the next hour Alex had paraded in front of me, wearing no end of outfits that lived up to the shops name, by the end of it I was feeling more than a bit provoked myself, especially when Alex had wrapped up her little show in something called the Mercy corset, which was showing me damned little mercy, all black lace and silk.

I may not really be into wearing lingerie, it's not really something I was comfortable in, not after more than a decade dealing with sex crimes, but on Alex, well I was all in favour of that.

She had a great body, tall and slender and one that never failed to turn me on, seeing it that erotically packaged, well I was all for bundling her back home for a private showing. She'd just laughed and suggested that we could have a private party when we got back to New York.

The rest of the afternoon had passed quietly; we'd had a quiet seafood dinner down by the water at Santa Monica, watching the sun set in the Pacific, bringing a quiet end to a really great weekend.

Ana and Nat had hugged us both, Natalie and Alex both getting a bit teary as they said their goodbyes, they'd both taken the whole 'sisters' thing seriously, it was obvious that they'd built a rapport in a short space of time, together with Maura they really were like three peas in a pod, thick as thieves, it was something I really loved seeing. Maura and now Natalie made Alex happy, I couldn't ask for anything more than that.

I'd got a hug from Ana, during which she'd whispered into my ear, something about seeing you sooner than you think. I'd given her a look but she'd just smiled and winked.

They'd taken their leave and together with Maura and Jane we'd made our way out to LAX for the flight home, with them sitting with us in the lounge until our flight was called.

At one point, while Alex and Maura had been off getting some freshly squeezed juices, Jane had leaned in and asked what we were planning for New Year's Eve. I'd shrugged and told her that honestly we hadn't planned anything. Jane had just looked around carefully, making sure that the girls were out of earshot, before asking me to try and get the time off, Maura wanted to celebrate New Year's Eve with friends and that the night wouldn't be the same without us.

I'd told her I'd do what I could and she'd just nodded, before looking around again. Then she'd leaned in and told me that the night was going to be really important and we really needed to be there. I'd looked back at her and given her my best sceptical look, but she'd refused to say anything more.

I'd had my suspicions, but the girl's return had stopped me hassling Jane. If what I suspected was going to happen, there was no way we were going to miss it, besides, I'd never hear the end of it from Jane, or Alex.

Eventually our flight had been called and we'd sadly left them there in the lounge, making our way out to the boarding gate.

I drained the last of my drink as I felt exhaustion finally tugging at me, so I lowered the seat back and settled down to get some sleep, the last thing I saw before sleep finally claimed me was Alex's face, relaxed and content.

Tomorrow was going to be a shit, facing lots of work on not enough sleep, but seeing that look on Alex's face? Totally worth it.