A/N: Sorry for the delay in this one. Possession has been really "speaking to me lately." I don't want to abandon this story though, like I have others in the past (not here though). I will try to update them both, alternatively. I hope this way to keep my loyal readers happy and gain some new readers in the process. If you would like to see something in either story, message me or review it. I read them all and take your ideas in account. Sometimes we are on the same page, just saying. Please read and review. They are always appreciated.

Chapter Thirty-Three - Flight

Olivia was pacing at the gate. She hated flying but she knew that it was the fastest way they could get to Montgomery. Alex watched her. She knew that there was nothing that she could do that calm Olivia. She would hold her hand as they flew, but it would be little consolation for Olivia until they landed.

"Liv, calm down," Alex said, as she stared at Liv's pacing form over the newspaper.

"I can't."

"Look, stressing out now, won't help you."

"I know that."

"Then, sit down," Alex commanded her gently.

"Why is it that we have to fly?"

"Would you rather drive twelve hours or so?" Alex countered.

"I guess not."

"It will be a short flight. You won't even have time to worry about anything, because by the time you do, we'll be landing. Do you want a drink? Will that help you relax?" Alex asked.

"I doubt it."

"Liv, this isn't going to help you. We are going because you need to see it. You need to be at your best when we land. What can I do to help you?"

"I don't know."

"Come here."

Olivia looked at her. She couldn't understand how Alex could just sit there and read the paper without any care in the world. She was about to be sitting in a metal rocket full of jet fuel and sent hurling across the country. How could she be so calm? It wasn't right. Men weren't supposed to fly. That is why Olivia always kept her feet on the ground. It was another reason that she didn't vacation. She only went anywhere she could drive and since she had only had a car for the last few years, she still hadn't been anywhere far.

"Alex…"

"Just sit down."

Olivia finally sat down next to Alex. Once she was seated, she looked over at George who was always studying her. She knew that he couldn't help it. Olivia was his greatest wonder. Every time he thought he knew her, she gave him something else to chew on.

Abbie was reading the New York Times. She would huff every now and again and then share a knowing look with Alex, who would just smile back knowing what story that Abbie had just read. When Abbie noticed Olivia's distress, she finally decided to join the group.

"Liv, the plane isn't going hurt you," Abbie told her.

"I'm not worried about the plane," Olivia answered.

"You are trying to lie to a lawyer. Do you think that is wise? Come on, Liv, flying isn't that bad," Abbie said.

"Maybe not for you," Liv retorted.

"Would you like me to give you something?" Huang asked her.

Abbie and Alex both looked at him. A silent conversation passed between the three of them and Olivia was oblivious to it. Alex nodded, knowing that if Liv was out, she wouldn't be worried about the flight.

"You want to knock me out?"

"I don't want to knock you out. I can you give you a mild sedative. It would basically make you sleep so you could fly in peace," he told her.

"You want me to sleep on that death trap?" Liv asked as her anxiety mounted.

"Liv, you'll be fine. But, if you want something, you should take it now. The sooner you're relaxed the better you'll feel about this flight," Alex told her.

"I won't feel better until we're in Montgomery. No, I don't need your pills. I'll be fine. I can do this. I can do this," Liv started saying as her new mantra.

They boarded the FBI's charter plane and took their seats. Alex decided that if they could get Liv's mind off of the flight maybe she would relax. She didn't want her to be upset but she also didn't want her to be anxious about the flight. Alex and Abbie had already reviewed the notes on Mara's case, but they hadn't reviewed them with Olivia. Alex hoped that this would occupy her brain long enough that she would realize that they were flying until they landed.

Once they were airborne Abbie handed out the binders with the facts that they had from Montgomery. Olivia took the binder willingly. She was grateful for the distraction.

"I want to know what you see in the crime scene photos," Abbie told her.

Liv immediately turned to the photos. Her entire demeanor changed. She went from anxious to angry quickly. The savagery that she saw made her blood boil. No one deserved to be murdered, but no one deserved to be murder like that, period. She looked up at Abbie. Alex noted the pain and anger on her face and tightened her grip on Liv's clammy left hand.

Huang watched them as they studied the binders and the notes. He watched as the gruesomeness didn't bother Alex or Olivia like it did Abbie. He wondered how long it took them to get used to the depravity of man and the things that man can do to a fellow human.

"I'll never be used to the amount of blood," Alex stated, looking at Abbie's horrified face.

"I left New York because I was sick of this," Abbie added.

"But, you didn't leave the victims," Liv stated, "You still fight on behalf of victims that you've never met, that you've never seen, and most of the time never will. Abbie, you never stopped believe in justice. Sometimes as a cop, we do. We see the depravity of man on the daily. We can't stop what we see, but we try to stop it from happening again. You help with that process. We do censor a lot of what you get as the prosecutor. We give you only what we find relevant. Sometimes however we give you ever gory and abject bit of evidence that we find."

"I know."

"Do you see anything in the photos, George?" Alex asked, trying to change the subject back to the case at hand.

"The killer is organized. They knew exactly what they were doing. They knew exactly who they were going for. This wasn't a crime of passion or opportunity. It was an execution."

"You can see that?" Liv questioned him.

"There may have been more than one killer. The wound tracks are different. If there weren't at least two killers, I would say that your killer while organized is mental ill, possibly schizophrenic. The wound tracks and the emotion behind them changed."

"Show me," Liv said, trading seats with Abbie.

It had been a quick and silent agreement. Abbie didn't want to stare at the photos. She would rather talk to Alex about law and the charges that she was levying against Robin and D. J. Liv knew that the distraction of the case would help her forget that she was on the plane. It was a win-win situation for them both.

Liv and Huang poured over the photos. Each of them were trying to identify the different attacks. If they could separate the attacks, then they could realize how many attackers were there. So far, they could identify at least two different styles of attack. The knife wounds were fundamentally different.

"Left and right handed attacks. It doesn't make sense. It is like the killer just switched hands back and forth during the attack. That isn't normal. Why would they stay with their dominate hand? The depth is different. It is like one side was injured," Liv stated.

"I agree. It isn't normal behavior for this type of killing. What does the ME report say? Was there any sign of sexual assault?"

"It was undetermined. She was the owner of a brothel. The ME couldn't determine if she was raped because of her profession, Huang. All the report says is that there were possible signs of sexual activity. The ME couldn't narrow down a window but it was that day."

"Is there anything else that the other reports could tell us?" George asked, as Liv flipped through the binder trying to get to the other officer's notes.

"They don't have anything. They didn't know what they stumbled into when they got on the scene. Hell, there was so much blood. I wouldn't have known where to start if I walked in there without knowing what Mara was into. The place was…exotic and decadent. If I didn't know what Mara was doing there and didn't have my SVU training I wouldn't have known what to do there. They took pictures. They tried to take notes, but everything is so jumbled."

"Jumbled how?" Huang asked her.

"Like they were overwhelmed with the scene. Did they send rookies out to the scene? The notes don't make real sense. It is like they were just jotting things down on the fly."

"How so?"

"Listen to this one: 'Blood everywhere. No clear cast off. Dead prostitute. John gone wrong?"

"That is all it says?" Huang asked.

"Yeah, I can see the cast off. How could they miss the obvious splatter on the walls? The directional changes are actually discernible because they are grossly noticeable. You can see them can't you?"

"Yes, Liv, I see them. These notes were from the locals. Where are the notes from the agents on scene? Why aren't they in here?" Huang asked.

"I don't know, but I'm sure as hell going to find out when we get there," Liv told him.

Alex watched her from her side of the plane with Abbie. Abbie was carefully sipping on a scotch, watching Alex. Alex noticed the slight smile creep up on Abbie's face, but decided not to acknowledge at first. Finally she couldn't take it.

"What?" she asked Abbie, not turning her attention to the other lawyer.

"You really are smitten, aren't you?"

"Smitten?"

"I'm from Texas, darling. It happens. You are thoroughly smitten with her."

"I don't think that 'smitten' even begins to cover it," Alex answered.

"Do tell."

"Abigail Carmichael!"

"What? Can't a girl dream? You've got Detective Sexy McHotness over there in love with you and you can't give me one juicy detail. Just one?" Abbie teased.

"Not a single one."

"Well, damn, Alex, that's not fair."

"Tell me about it," Alex replied.

"She's doing better I see."

"She is."

"Alex, come on. This is me you're talking to. What's up? I can tell that something is bothering you. Is the sex bad? She snore?" Abbie questioned.

"No, she doesn't snore. And, no, the sex is incredible. It is just that…" Alex started, but she got sidetracked by the view ahead of her.

Olivia and Huang were both going through the binders. Liv had a pen out and was making notes, while George was leaving his copy blank. He would point something out and Liv would notate in her copy. It was a smart way to keep a clean copy for later reference when Liv's got full of notes.

She watched as Liv absentmindedly brushed her ever-growing bangs out of her face, tucking her shaggy short hair behind her ear. It was a tick of sorts. Alex knew that tick well. It was a tell that Liv was deep in thought about the case.

Alex knew that she was staring. She knew that Abbie was talking to her, but honestly, she didn't care. It did her heart good to see Liv pouring over a case file again. It made Liv happy. If it made Liv happy, then she was happy too. But there was something else about it, something that was purely sexual about the way Liv dissected a case file. It was erotic to watch her.

Alex found herself starting to breathe heavier. She knew that she would have to wait, probably until they were back at Quantico, but she would need Liv soon. There was just something about Olivia that made Alex's blood burn. It was a controlled simmer at the moment, but soon she would boiling and the need would overtake the rationale. Alex continued to stare while she tried to figure out what it was about Olivia that got her…so…bothered.

It could be the hair, but she had seen so many styles with Liv. It could be her olive skin and crazy natural beauty, but that was just who Olivia was. How did Olivia put it? She was "beauty that came from the beast." She was intoxicating. Then it dawned on Alex. She knew why she loved Olivia so much. It wasn't her selflessness. It wasn't the fact that she was a defender of the victims she helped in every way possible. No, Alexandra Cabot loved Olivia Benson for the simple reason that she was a cop. All the rest of it was just icing on the sexy cake.

"Hello, Earth to Cabot. Come in Cabot. Do you read me?" Abbie inquired.

"Sorry, what'd you say?"

"Wow, cowgirl, you got it bad."

"You've already established that argument, counselor."

"Touchy. Touchy. What crawled up your butt and bit you wrong?"

"It's nothing."

"Spill it."

"I love her."

"I know."

"No, Abbie, I love her. She is the one and only. She agreed to move in with me. She agreed to live with me and bring Xander along. She asked me to be his guardian should something happen to her. She practically asked me to adopt him, too," Alex stated.

"And, this would be a bad thing?"

"No, it is a good thing. It is all a good thing. I'm just scared."

"Of Benson?"

"No, of my heart."

"Why?"

"It's been wrong before."

"Not with her it hasn't. Listen, you're scared, but it isn't because of how you feel for her. You're afraid of what this case will do to her. We all are. We can see it in her face. But, you, the Ice Princess of New York, aren't hiding your displeasure with her very well. I knew that you were angry that she wanted to come to Montgomery. Hell, we all knew you were. We all understood her reasoning. Hell, we voted to send her. George and I were the ones that brought up only if you went along for the ride."

"Why would you help to punish me?" Alex asked her friend.

"I did it for both of you. I did it for Olivia because you keep her grounded, safe, and sane. I did it for you because I know that you would worry too much about her being here without you. I know that you are mad about her wanting to help. No matter how hard Olivia tries, if she's got a scent, she's going. She reminds me of you that way."

"Whatever," Alex retorted.

"Remember Connors? Or, how about Wit Sec? The Congo?"

"Okay, okay, point taken. Neither one of us knows when to stop. What's your point?" Alex asked, taking Abbie's drink and sipping it herself.

"You need each other. You understand each other. But, most and definitely most important, you love each other. You respect each other. You know that the other's job is important, not only for your lover, but the City and the populace at large. You are both seekers of truth and justice, defenders of the victims of heinous crimes. Most people can't, won't and don't understand that."

"I know," Alex stated, quietly.

"Then, don't give up. Fight with her when needed, but be there for her as well. She needs you more than she'll let on, Alex. I know. Olivia is a private person. She isn't going to beg you to stay. She'll let you leave because she'll think it is because you are unhappy with her. Understand? She wants a life with you, but she's been alone with the job for so long, she doesn't know how to think outside that box. You have to help her create a new box, a new way of thinking, a new life with you and Xander," Abbie told her.

"I know that."

"Then, stop being angry. Give her this. Make her give you something when we get back. Lay out some rules for her that she'll be able to understand and follow with your relationship. She wants to please you. She always has, even when she is mad with you or arguing. She was always looking for the out and to make you happy in the end."

"I know."

"Then, why are you still brooding?"

"Because I'm the Ice Princess and the good doctor has my lover's attention."

"Then melt down a little and let her see the emotional side more often."

"She has. Believe me on that one. She has seen me lose it," Alex replied.

"Do it again."

"Do what again?" Alex questioned.

"Lose your cool with her. Fight with her and then make up. Don't let it be all rainbows and sunshine. Sometimes you have to play dirty in order to get clean," Abbie stated.

"Gotcha."

"Good."

"I'm glad we had this talk," Alex told her sarcastically.

"No problem, Alex."

"Good, cause I'm texting Serena when we land. I'm sure she's wondering how you're doing. Or, maybe, I'll just go call her and tell about an intern that is showing you some favors. That would be a good conversation."

"You wouldn't? You couldn't? I didn't do anything wrong."

"I know that, Abbie. Calm down. I'll text Serena, but just to tell her you're okay. I was just joking. I know she's got you on a short leash, well, as best she can. I hear that you are quite the catch in Washington," Alex explained.

"You would know. Abbie quipped.