A/N Thanks for the reviews. I am going to try to post a new chapter daily, until I think the story has run its course.

Chapter Four

Cragen watched Alex for a few more minutes before he had to let Dana tell her. Dana was still pacing in Cragen's office. Alex was still staring at the pictures on Liv's desk. Cragen opened the door to his office and walked across the squad room to Liv's desk. He passed the desk and went to the coffee maker. He made Alex a cup of tea and set it on Liv's desk. He waited for Alex to look up. He leaned up against the desk.

"She's dead?" Alex asked, picking up the mug, slowly taking a drink.

"No."

"Why is Agent Lewis here, then?" Alex questioned.

"She needs to talk to you."

"Captain?"

"Alex, I don't know any more than you do. Please come into my office. I'll be in there with you. Let's go into my office and let Agent Lewis give us whatever news that she has."

"I don't want to know."

"Yes, you do, Alex. You want to know because you care about her. You want to know because of how she left. You want to know because you are worried about her," Cragen told her, as she turned to look up at him in disbelief. "It's okay, Alex. I know. Liv knew, too. Things happen for a reason. So, let's go into my office and find out what's going on, okay?"

Alex nodded, numbly as she stood. She held on to the mug of hot tea like it was her lifeline. She could feel the anxiety building in her chest and it was palpable as she entered Cragen's office. He led her to the couch and sat her down. He lean against his desk.

"Agent Lewis, please tell us what you know," Cragen stated.

"Well, Captain, a year and half ago, deputized Agent Benson went undercover for the FBI down South. She was getting us valuable Intel from the inside of an organization. She was in deep. She was in really deep. She had two handlers and an emergency contacts," Agent Lewis started.

"Cut the shit, Agent, and tell me what the hell is going on," Alex said, setting the mug down on Cragen's desk and staring at Dana.

"Alexandra Cabot, right? I know that you don't like me. I know that every time I show up in 16th something bad usually happens. I don't know what to tell you right now," Dana answered.

"Just tell me. Just tell me what happened. Where is Liv?" Alex asked, the tears forming but Alex willed them not to fall. She was not going to falter. She had to be strong, for Liv.

"We don't know."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"Alex, the FBI lost contact with Liv two weeks ago."

"And, you are just telling us this now?" Alex questioned, the anger in voice noticeable.

"My contacts in Georgia weren't sure."

"They weren't sure. Liv has been in your care for a year and a half. You lost contact with her while she was undercover and you weren't sure that you lost contact. What kind of operation are you running, Agent Lewis?"

"Alex…" Cragen started.

"No, Captain, I want to know. When exactly did you know that she was missing? Two weeks ago? Yesterday? Why all of the sudden after two weeks of no contact did you decide that something was terribly and horribly wrong with situation?"

"I'm sorry. I know your history and I know that Benson trusted you above everyone else. But, I can't answer that. I wasn't notified that Benson was missing until this morning, when we found out…"

"Found out what exactly."

"Well, Sugar, my best gal who is undercover was found dead in Savannah. No, Miss Cabot, it wasn't Liv. She was still undercover in Atlanta. My former partner, Special Agent Sally Watkins, was found dead by the St. Mary's PD by the ferry landing to Cumberland Island. She was on vacation, taking a break between cases."

"What was her relationship to the case?" Cragen asked.

"She was Benson's extreme back up. She was the last contact that Liv made. I knew that Liv was getting real close to getting us everything we needed. She was getting really deep. Russell was getting worried with how deep and how close that Liv was getting with her mark. I called Sally and had her go see Liv."

"What was her cover?" Cragen probed.

"Sally met her at the biker bar. She gave Liv some new boots. New boots that I had sent to be given to Liv, I knew that Sally would have to be the one to give them her. It would have to be public and the gang bangers would have to see them. It would make it easier when she started wearing them. Sally was pretending to be her ex-lover from Virginia. Liv was briefed before Sally showed. They had some banter and Sally gave her the boots."

"What was so special about these boots?" Alex asked, dismissing the comments about Liv's cover story, staring icily at Dana with her darkening blue eyes.

"We put a GPS in them. It was a way to track her without a cell or other planted device. I knew that Liv wouldn't take a chip and this biker gang is good. I mean real good. They've got goods that we could only dream about. I knew that they wouldn't suspect the boots."

"How?"

"They dressed Liv down during the initiation phase. Checked every stitch in her clothing. We decided to get the boots in. The GPS chip was in the heel, buried. We tested them in the lab. You couldn't detect the chip. Liv was ordered to wear them any time she went into a gang function and to the bar. She understood and agreed."

"So, you still can't find her, even though she was chipped?" Alex questioned.

"That's the problem. The chip isn't relaying properly. Ike and Russell have already called out the dogs out. I have every available agent scouring every inch of the area and other possible places trying to find Benson," Agent Lewis replied.

"But, yet, you have no leads?" Cragen asked.

"Yeah, I know," Dana answered, as she started pacing again, "I would be there if I could. Alex, I don't know what else to do right now. I came here because I need your help. I need you to help me find her."

"What?!"

"You are the only person that Liv trusts more than Cragen. I know that she has snuck out some mail through Sally back to you. All our covers have the one person they know they can use to forward through. They develop a code to work with. The contact translates and forwards the message. It may be months, sometimes but they do send word."

"I haven't gotten anything from Olivia since you gave me that later," Alex replied, flatly.

"Alex, any emails from a new online friend? A random postcard with no reason? Anything weird?" Cragen asked.

"I haven't had any contact with her, since before she left New York. Don, you knew more about her leaving than I did. I didn't know anything until Agent Lewis walked into my office and handed me the letter. The first of two that I am sure that Olivia wrote. I am sure that you have the second letter with you, and now, I understand why you wouldn't give it to me last year, Agent Lewis. I am not sure that I want it now…or ever. Could she have gone rogue?"

"No. Not Liv, she believes in justice too much. You know that, darlin'."

Alex sat there. She wanted to run out of Cragen's office. Cragen looked up in time to see Munch and Fin coming back into the bullpen.

"I'll go deal with them. You two stay in here and figure out what we can do to help Liv. If I have to pack a bag and go to Georgia and play 'Dad' I will. Agent Lewis, find her."

Cragen walked out of the office to deal with the other detectives. Dana and Alex just stared at each other not knowing what to say or to do. Alex was visibly shaken, but determined not to show it. She began to bolster herself up when Agent Lewis' phone rang.

"Excuse me, a second," Dana stated, answering her phone.

Alex started into space. Liv was in trouble. Something was wrong. She knew it. She could feel it and it hurt. She couldn't help Liv. She didn't even know where Liv was. She was powerless. The great and mighty A.D.A. Alexandra Cabot, niece of Judge Bill Herrington, one of New England's power house daughters, was utterly powerless to help. Money was not going to work.

"Alex?"

Alex could feel her self start to break. She could feel the tears forming again. She didn't want to appear to be weak, but she didn't know how to be strong without Liv there for her. Her soul was aching and she couldn't ease the pain. Something was wrong, she just knew it.

"Alex?"

"Yeah," she answered, choking on a sob, but still willing the tears not to fall.

Alex looked up, as Cragen re-entered his office and shut the door. He looked at Dana, who had a lop-sided grin. She was watching Alex. Cragen, immediately, put his hand on Alex's shoulder in comfort.

"Alex?"

"Just tell me," she pleaded, a little above a whisper.

"They found her."

"They found her?" Cragen asked.

"Yeah, the boots worked."

"But, you said-" Alex started.

"The battery was dying in them. It couldn't make a strong enough signal anymore. I'll have to remember to add that to my notes for later applications. But, we found her. She is okay. They are taking her to a hospital and then we'll transfer her somewhere safe. She'd been made."

"But, she's okay?" Alex asked.

"Yeah, Kiddo, she's okay. Now, I have to go talk to some more suits. But, if I was you, Miss Cabot, I'd pack a bag or two for a sudden Southern vacation. I've heard that Georgia is nice this time of year. But, then again, I might be heading for the rivers of Virginia. Maybe around Quantico, if I played my cards right."

"What are you telling me?"

"She is saying that they are going to extract her as soon as they can. You'll be able to see her once they get to Virginia. I am sure that Agent Lewis can make arrangements for you to get a secure enough clearance to go, isn't that right, Agent Lewis?" Cragen answered.

"That is exactly what I am saying. You need to take a vacation, a leave of absence, whatever you want to call it with the D.A.'s office. You are about to go on a field trip, understand?"

"Why me?" Alex asked.

"Because, Liv asked that you be notified first. She might need someone to smile at. I don't know. I can't keep her in Georgia. She's been made. I can't bring her home until she debriefs. I am sure that she would like a friendly face to be there. Besides, she's injured. She'll want a friend. I'd call Elliot, but she told me to leave him out of it."

"She might need help? Help with what? You told me she was okay."

"Alex, I need you to think. Think back to when you were Emily in Wisconsin. You were gone for three years. You became Emily. Liv has been under for over a year. She might need someone to remind her who she really is and that she isn't Julie Seabrook. I am sure that you can understand that. Sometimes we need a friend to remind us who we are," Cragen told her.

"Are you sure you want me? Are you sure she wants me? This could blow up in our faces. I don't know that I would be of any help," Alex stated.

"Alex, you were in WitSec. Who did you tell your secrets to when you got back? Who did you go to when you felt like you were losing your mind because you came back to your life?"

"Olivia," Alex answered.

"Exactly, and she's going to need your help."

Alex stared at them both. There was still something amiss but she couldn't figure it out. What did they know that Alex didn't? There had to be another reason.

"I'll agree to go, but only on one condition," Alex told them.

"What's that?" Dana asked.

"You tell me what is really wrong with Liv."

Dana looked at the blonde and smiled. She didn't have a clear picture as to what had happened. Ike had only told her that "Julie" had been found and she was alive. Being the senior Agent for the Task Force, Dana ordered that Liv be taken to the hospital and transported to Knoxville before she was flown to Quantico. Dana wanted to see Olivia first. She wanted to know what she was going to be dealing with before Alex was involved.

Dana knew that she needed to call Ike and Russell back. She needed to find out what they knew and fast. She would have to update the DEA and ATF that afternoon. She needed to be planning on who to get Liv home and safely, but she needed to know if Liv was Liv.

"As soon as I know something, you'll know. I need to get back to the office so I can follow up. I'll call you as soon as I know something, Sugar. Don't worry. Liv is strong and she's alive," Dana replied, snatching up her things and walking out of the office.

"Alex," Don started.

"Don't."

"She's alive, Alex."

"I know," Alex replied, as she started crying.

Cragen closed the blinds to his office. He didn't want anyone else to see Alex like this. Hell, he didn't want to see Alex like this.

"She's okay, Alex."

"I know."

"Go with Dana to Quantico. See for yourself. Talk to her. Tell Liv you forgive her and then for God's sake tell the woman you love her, so she'll come home and stop this foolishness. I am getting too old be worried about the both of you. Now, buck up and be the Alex Cabot, I know."

Alex just looked at him in horror. He knew. He knew that they loved each other and he never said a thing.

"Don't look at me that way, Counselor. I may be old and not out in the field that much, but I am still a detective at heart. Now, go home and clean up. Pack your bags, so you can bring Liv home. I'll call Cutter. I'm sure he won't mind you going on special assignment for the FBI."