Chapter Forty-Two - Reunion

George drove Liv from the office building down to the FBI airport. He knew that Liv wasn't going to let him keep her in the office trying to "shrink her," as she put it, until she got Alex back in her arms. He slowed down as her entered the parking area.

"Liv, you need to calm down."

"I am calm."

"Prove it."

"How?"

"I want you to sit still for five minutes, here in the car, without fidgeting."

"Why?" Liv questioned.

"To prove that you are calm," he told her.

"Fine," she replied.

She sat back in her seat, undid the belt and waited. He watched her. He watched as a frightening calm came over her. He looked at the dash clock and noted the time. She looked straight ahead out the windshield. Her pulse was erratic and her breathing went from shallow and deep and controlled. George was waiting for her to break. He figured that she wouldn't make the five minutes, but he knew as he watched her anxiety growing.

Suddenly about three minutes in, her breathing evened and her pulse slowed. He watched as her body language completely changed. She was actually calming down. He couldn't believe it. He wanted to see her face. He had stared into "Julie's" face before at the hotel. He wanted to know if she was back and this was causing the calming effect on Olivia.

"Liv?" he questioned.

"Yes, George," she replied, turning to face him.

"Are you Julie now?"

"No, I am Olivia Benson, like I have always been."

"Liv, don't lie to me."

Liv giggled. He was taken aback at her apathy. She was ridiculously calm. He was worried that it wasn't Olivia with him anymore, but Julie. If he couldn't get Liv to admit, he would have to force Julie's hand before Alex landed. He couldn't let Julie out of the car and he couldn't let Alex see her like this.

"Liv, listen to me. I know that you have been stressed these past few weeks, but everything is coming together. We have more evidence and more charges for everyone involved. We are getting more and more players arrested and in custody at every turn and every new lead that you help us find and understand. Now, it is time for you to finish healing and be yourself again."

"I understand your worry, George, but there is no reason for it. I am fine. You asked for five minutes of calm and I have more than given it to you. So what other tests would you like me to do to prove to you?" Liv asked him.

"I want you to admit that Julie is here."

"Julie isn't here. She is part of me. I understand that. I have to be able to be trusted on my own again. If you can't trust me now, how can I go back to New York City and be myself again?"

"I don't know. But, Olivia, I am worried for you. I don't want you to be out of the street and Julie take over. She isn't exactly known for her tact and lawfulness."

"I know that, but I have to use her when she is needed. Wait, I know that I will have to use restraint and common sense when I unleash her. But, I also know that her prowess and abilities to get out of extremely sticky situations will still be needed. I can't totally let her go."

"I am not saying that. I am saying that you need to know that you when to let her take over. She is a not a crutch. She is a tool that we as officers of the law keep hidden until the time that she is needed. Can you still understand the difference? Can she?" George asked.

"Can Julie remain objective? I don't know, but I do know that I can be. Well, I can be except for when it comes to Alex. I will never be rational about her," Liv explained.

"I understand that. You love her. She loves you. I wouldn't expect you to be rational when it comes to be each other. That however, is another issue all together. Julie and you both think alike when it comes to Alex. You are both very protective of her. Julie needs to make her peace with the world and realize that she is part of you and will only be unleashed when she is needed. I would hate to think what this could do to Alex, if Julie doesn't…can't learn her place in your relationship. You need to think about that, Liv. You need to think about how Julie is going to affect Alex and effects that it will have on you both," George told her.

"I know that. I am working on that. The only problem that I have right now is that I am going to need Julie for last operation. I know that Alex isn't going to like. Hell, I don't like, but I know that I have to do it. I see that, now. One last mission undercover as Julie, then, I can shelf her."

"How do you plan on explaining that to Alex?" he asked her.

"I have no idea."

"Well, you better figure it out, Liv, cause she's back. And judging by the way she acted before we went to Montgomery and the incident in hotel, she isn't going to let you do it. I hope that you have a good story for this. I am not the only one who is going to need convincing. You are going to have to make Dana understand your point-of-view, too. She is going to have final say in the situation. She isn't going to be happy about this, either. What are you going to tell Dana?" he questioned her.

"I deal with Dana first, then, I'll go talk to Alex. I need Dana to okay my plan before I go to Alex. I need you to do me a favor until then," Liv stated.

"Yeah, and what is that, Detective?"

"Don't tell Alex about this little chat," Liv replied, getting out of the car and heading into the airport terminal, not waiting for his answer.

Olivia leaned up against one of the support columns in the terminal. Alex didn't think that she could look any sexier. She was leaning on the pole with all the cockiness that Alex was used to. It was the mixture of allure and leather that got to Alex every time. There was also something about the smile that Liv was giving her. She knew that Liv had something on her mind that she wasn't going to like, but she also knew that as long as Liv was giving her that smile she'd let her do it, no matter how much it might hurt her.

"Hello, Beautiful," Liv drew out as Alex approached.

"Wish I got welcomed home like that," Abbie stated as she walked past them.

Alex giggled as she allowed Liv to pick her up and kiss her. Liv spun her around and set her back down. Alex leaned into her embrace and smiled at Liv. Liv returned her smile.

"I can't wait to get you back."

"I can't wait for you to get me back, either," Alex stated, but only low enough for Liv to hear.

"I shouldn't have left you alone," Liv whispered to her.

"I am fine. I came back safely. But, we both know that if you had stayed that you wouldn't have been so objective about this. You would have demanded to be with me twenty-four seven. We don't have time for that. This case can't be solved like that. I can take care of myself. I am not the same person I was when we first met. I know when to back down. I know when to walk away. I learned my lesson. Now, I need you to do the same," Alex told her.

"I am a cop. I'll never learn that lesson. I am trained to run towards the danger, not away from it. It is instinct for me. I can't stop that," Liv answered.

"I know that, but you need to learn that you can't be everywhere at once. You need to learn that you are only one person. I know that you want to protect the world, but you have a family to take care of now. We are your world," Alex stated.

"I know that. That is what I am trying to do. I am trying to protect you and Xander. That is my only concern now. I have to make sure that you two are safe all the time. I worry about you."

"I worry about you," Alex told her, still in her arms, searching Liv's eyes for the answers to the unasked questions they were both unwilling to say aloud.

"Let's go. I have something to show you. And, it is something that I don't plan on sharing with everyone," Liv told her with a mischievous look in her eyes.

Alex smiled back at her with her own glint her eyes. She took Liv's hand and began to lead her away. She smiled at George, who tossed her the keys to the car. She nodded in thanks. She pulled Liv's hand up to her mouth and kissed it. She pulled Liv away from terminal and to the car, to their apartment at the FBI Academy and to their future.

Liv watched the change in Alex. She saw the happiness blooming inside her and hoped that she could continue the happiness that Alex deserved, that they deserved together. Liv wanted so much for Alex, so much for Xander, so much them to be all together. As they rode to the apartment, Liv started crying.

Alex pulled the car over. She turned at looked at Liv. Liv turned to face her.

"What is it?" Alex asked her.

"I am waiting for the other shoe to drop. It always does. Something always happens."

"Liv…you can't think like that. We have to believe that we are going to be happy. We have to want this to be our time, our happiness. We have to have hope in the system and justice."

"I have faith in you, Alex. I worry about the system. I can't afford for them to get off."

"They won't."

"I don't know that."

"I do."

"How can you know that?" Liv asked her.

"Because, I believe in the power of Abbie. I believe in the power of Detective Olivia Benson. I believe in the power of our love. I see it in Xander's eyes. He may not be my blood, Liv, but he is going to be my son. If I can't believe that I am going to give him the best chance to happiness, love and a future free of as much worry as I can prevent, then I have no reason being his parent."

"How can things be so black and white for you?"

"I'm a lawyer, Liv. There is no black and white. There is only muddled shades of gray. It is how light and dark that I decide those shades of gray can be to me that helps me prove justice does prevail. I may not get the justice I want all the time, but to stop believing in it entirely then I would have no faith in anything. With no faith, nothing will happen," Alex stated.

"Alex…"

"Don't, Liv. Believe in us if nothing else. Believing in us will give us the power we need to move on and be a family," Alex told her.

"I want to believe. I want to believe that we prevail. I want to believe in happily ever after."

"Then, take me back to the apartment and I'll prove to you that we can have that happily ever after. We've fought for it for so long, Liv. We deserve it. Our time is now. Believe me when I say that. I am not going to let anything stop us."

"What does that mean?" Liv asked.

"I already told you, Liv. I will fight for you, no matter what, who, or when things come at us. I will be there to defend us and Xander. I am tired of running. I am taking a stand, right here and now, for you, for us, for Xander. I am not losing you again," Alex explained.

"I love you," Liv replied.

"Good because I love you, too. Now, stop crying and let's go to the apartment. I do believe that you promised to show me something. I can't wait to see what it is," Alex said, pulling the car back on to the road.