A/N: Thanks to you who are still reading and reviewing. I've enjoyed hearing from you.
Chapter 10: No Fantasy
"So where are we on the Preston case? I have the DA and the mayor ready to take a huge chunk out of my ass if we don't solve this one soon." Cragen said.
Olivia stood and went through the evidence. She placed several photos on the board. "Danielle Preston, age twenty-seven, only child of Scott and Amelia Preston, CEO and COO of Preston Enterprises. Both parents and the victim would be considered model citizens, not so much as a parking ticket between any of them. The ME gave the time of death between the hours of four and eight am. That path in Central Park is usually pretty busy so, someone had to have seen or heard something."
"What did you get from the Prestons?"
"Not much. They seemed genuinely shocked by the whole thing." Nick added. "Apparently Danielle was a bit of a workaholic. She was completing her surgical residency over at Bellevue. Parents said she didn't have time for much of a social life because her hours at the hospital were so unpredictable."
Olivia looked at the photo of the victim and shook her head. "I don't know. A pretty girl like this… I'm having a hard time believing she had no social life at all."
Cragen nodded. "Head over to the hospital and ask around. Maybe her coworkers can give us a little more insight into our vic."
Bellevue Hospital
They had found out that Danielle worked in the ICU unit of the Trauma Center. When they entered, it was relatively quiet and somewhat idle. She approached the nurse's station and pulled out her badge.
"Excuse me. I'm Detective Benson. This is my partner, Detective Amaro. We need to ask some questions regarding a doctor that works here, Dr. Danielle Preston."
The male nurse looked down at the clipboard. "Sorry, don't know her. I'm still kind of new around here. I'm not really familiar with everyone yet."
"How about you call her supervisor? That would be helpful."
"Umm… sure. Let me see. I'll call Dr. Livingston. I think she's on call today."
Olivia and Nick waited in a small waiting area while the nurse made a few calls. Olivia closed her eyes and swallowed slowly as a wave of nausea hit her. Nick watched her closely.
"You okay, Liv? You've been looking a little green around the gills the last couple of days."
"Yeah. Just a headache. It's no big deal. I'm sure it's just a bug going around."
They both turned as an extremely attractive woman approached them. She was tall and slender with long black hair, olive skin and hazel eyes. She gave them a warm dimpled smile. Olivia saw her partner nearly drool. She elbowed him in the gut as she stood.
"Dr. Livingston?"
The woman flashed a warm smile until she saw their badges. She nervously offered her hand. "Yes, but you can call me Avery. What can I do for you?"
"We'd like to ask you some questions about Dr. Danielle Preston. Are you her supervisor?"
"Uhh… no. Why? Is there something wrong with Danny?" She asked worriedly.
"Danny?"
"Yes. That's what I always call her. She doesn't like me to call her Danielle."
"May I ask how well you know Danielle Preston?"
"Danny is my fiancé." She woman swallowed hard. "What is this about? Where is Danny?"
Olivia hated this part. "Umm…. Is there some place we can speak more privately?"
Captain Cragen, Nick, and Olivia all looked through the one way glass where Dr. Avery Livingston was sitting. Olivia had sat with her and explained to the grieving doctor what had happened to Danielle Preston. It looked as though the young woman was hanging on by a thread.
"So how is it that Danielle Preston was engaged to this woman and no one knew about it?" Cragen asked.
"That's what I'm about to find out." Olivia said walking into the interrogation room.
She placed a bottle of water next to the woman. "Thank you for coming down to speak with us, Avery. Anything you can tell us might be helpful."
The woman nodded. "I just want to know who did this to her."
"When did you last see Danielle?"
"It was morning before last… Thursday. She was getting ready for her run." The young woman smiled at the memory for just a moment. "I was teasing her about that ridiculous watch she always wore."
"Her watch?" Olivia asked knowing there wasn't a watch among the items found on the body.
"Yeah. It was this really expensive lime green athletic watch. It would keep track time, pulse, distance…you name it. She rarely took that thing off. She had borrowed some of my workout clothes that morning. I laughed and told her that people would probably think she was me if it weren't for that ugly watch."
Olivia offered her a soft smile.
"And you didn't talk to Danielle after that?"
"No. We've been on opposite shifts for the last couple of weeks so I only got to see her for about an hour in the mornings before I would head off to the hospital. We would usually see one another at the hospital throughout the day but there was a huge car pileup yesterday so we were slammed. I spent most of the day dealing with back to back surgeries. I just figured she was home asleep. To think that all that time, she was…" She started to cry again.
Olivia handed the young woman a tissue and waited until she was able to compose herself.
"Did Danielle normally go jogging in the park at that time?"
Avery nodded. "Yes. We both did. Our hours at the hospital are usually kind of crazy, but Danny would always jog the same path at the same time every free morning she had."
"Did you two live together?"
"No, she still had her own place. She had a fancy penthouse uptown on the East Side but most of the time she stayed with me." The woman shrugged her shoulders and wiped a tear away. "Danny said she never felt comfortable there."
"How long had you two been together?"
"Nearly six years. We met while at Princeton. I was a senior when she came in as a new freshman. I was assigned to be her tutor. We got to know one another then as time went by we became more than friends. We've been together ever since. Danny asked me to marry her about six months ago. We were planning to get married later this year."
"When we spoke with Danielle's parents, they said that she wasn't dating anyone. Do you know why they would say that since you two were engaged?"
Avery gave a harsh laugh. "That's not a surprise. Danny didn't really fit into the picture perfect family they tried to project to the world and they sure as hell didn't accept me."
Olivia raised a brow. "Why do you say that?"
"They hated everything about me. I didn't come from Danny's world. Danny was born with a platinum spoon in her mouth. I came from a regular working class family. Danny didn't have to work a day in her life if she didn't want to." She smiled sadly. "But that's what made Danny special. She worked her ass off at Princeton just like the rest of us. She couldn't have cared less about her family's money. She just wanted to be a doctor. You'd think that would have made her parents proud, but not those snobs."
"So, you'd say that Danny had some serious issues with her parents?"
Avery shrugged her shoulders. "Let's just say that they really didn't approve of any of Danny's life choices. They thought she should have been a young socialite, but Danny wasn't just a pretty face. When she told them that she was going to marry me and live openly, they went ballistic. Danny said she didn't care. There wasn't much they could do to her. The only time they got along was strictly for show… for the cameras."
"If Danielle felt such animosity for her parents, why would she bother to associate with them… even if it was for the cameras?"
"Because Danny wanted to protect the image of her grandmother's company."
Olivia raised a brow. "Preston Enterprises? I thought the company belonged to her parents."
Avery frowned and shook her head. "That's what most people thought. It's certainly what her parents, especially her father, wanted the public to believe. Danny told me that the company was started by her father's mother, Diane Preston. She still had the controlling interest in the company when she died years ago. Danny said that her grandmother and her father never got along. So, when her grandmother died she left it all to Danny."
"Are you telling me that Danielle was the owner of Preston Enterprises?"
Avery nodded. "Basically… yeah, but Danny was just a kid when her grandmother died, so her mother and father ran the company. When Danny turned twenty-five, she inherited everything. She just allowed her parents to keep the positions in name only. The board pretty much ran the company for her."
Olivia looked up and stared at the one way mirror knowing that her partner and Cragen were looking back at her. Her mind started working a mile a minute.
"Avery, do you know if Danielle was having any problems with anyone or if there was a reason why someone might want to see her hurt?" Olivia reached over and touched her hand gently. "I know this is difficult but if you can remember anything, it might be helpful."
Avery thought for a moment before shaking her head. "I'm sorry. I just don't know who would do this."
Olivia came out of the room and joined Cragen and Nick by the window.
"The hospital confirmed that Avery was in surgery at the time of the murder." Nick said. "She's clean."
"That's not a surprise. That poor woman is devastated." Olivia said shaking her head. "But the information she gave about the Prestons is definitely worth a second look, don't you think?"
Cragen nodded. "Check them out. See if they're hiding anything."
A week later, Olivia and Nick were still at square one and the Preston case had gone cold. Unfortunately it looked like this was going to be just another unsolved random attack in the park. With no other likely suspects in sight, they were just spinning their wheels.
Nick leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes. "We've gone over these files a hundred times already and we still got nothing, Liv. If you got any ideas, I'm listening."
Olivia shook her head. "I don't know why but I just got a bad vibe from the parents."
Nick looked at her skeptically. "I don't know, Olivia. I know people can be ruthless, but to have your own kid attacked and raped?"
"Melinda said the test came back negative for any fluids. There were no signs consistent with rape."
Nick shrugged. "So the perp used a condom. We've seen it before."
"Yeah, but how many rapes have you seen where the vic had no bruising in the genital area at all? Melinda said that there was skin tissue found under the vic's nails and she had scratches and bruises on her hands and upper arms. That means she was fighting back. So why no bruising on the thighs or lower body?"
"Maybe the vic was unconscious by then?"
"Or maybe someone wanted this murder to look like a rape. I think if we can figure out why… that will lead us to who."
"Maybe but we aren't going to figure it out tonight. So, I'm heading home to skype with the wife and get some sleep." He stood and grabbed his jacket. "You should too. We can take another crack at it in the morning with fresh eyes. You need a ride?"
"Nah. I think I'm going to go over this one more time."
Nick nodded and slipped his jacket on. "Alright partner. Just don't stay too late. This will still be here in the morning."
Olivia waved and went back to her files. Something about this case just didn't sit right with her. There were just too many things not adding up. The sound of her desk phone ringing made her blink awake. She quickly checked her watch. She'd nodded off to sleep and over an hour had lapsed. This case had exhausted her. It was definitely time to request for a weekend off.
"Benson. SVU."
"Hey."
Olivia smiled feeling sudden warmth in her stomach. "Hey you."
"I was really hoping that I wouldn't find you at your desk this late, but I can see that old habits die hard." Alex said in a chastising tone. "I take it there are still no real leads in your case?"
"That would be the understatement of the year. All we have at the moment are hunches."
"Well, if I recall correctly, your hunches were almost always dead on. Don't worry, babe. You'll get them."
"Your confidence is really appreciated, Counselor, although slightly biased."
Alex laughed. Olivia closed her eyes and tried to picture the beautiful smile that was attached to that laugh. It had been a long and hectic week for both of them. Olivia had been practically living in the squad room because of the Preston case and Alex had been busy wrapping up the loose ends of her open cases and transferring them to the temporary ADA. Quick phone calls and flirtatious text messages had been their only communication.
"I came by earlier. I thought I might be able to catch you for lunch, but Nick said you were out."
"I know. I really hate that I missed you. I went to see Avery."
"Avery Livingston… the doctor from your case?"
"Yeah." Olivia sighed. "She's been having a pretty rough time. Danielle Preston's funeral was today. Avery wasn't allowed to attend."
"Oh, that's horrible."
"I know. It was bad enough that she wasn't even properly notified that her fiancé had been murdered, but to be banned from her funeral just wasn't right. I was able to pull a few strings with the funeral director and I got her in so she could at least have some time alone with Danielle to say goodbye. She deserved that much."
"Although I hate the idea of you doing anything that might get you into trouble, I can understand you wanting to help her. I couldn't imagine if…" Alex hesitated not wanting to even think about something bad happening to Olivia. "I just couldn't imagine."
"I know me either." She was quiet for a moment. "Someone would contact you, Alex. You should know that."
Olivia had already changed her personal information on file. If something were to happen to her on the job, Alex would get the first call.
"And you should know that you would have nothing to worry about." Alex said softly, meaning every word.
Alex had no doubt that should something happen to her, her aunt and uncle would honor Olivia's place in her life but she wasn't so sure about some of her extended family. Money had a way of complicating things. If this relationship was going to be as serious as Alex hoped, she was going to have to sit Olivia down and have a serious talk about her finances and all that it entailed. Olivia had a right to know what she was really getting into.
"God, I miss you." Olivia whispered.
"You know there is a remedy for that? If you were with me right now, you wouldn't have to miss me." Alex said sweetly.
"I'd love nothing more than to be with you, Counselor, but it's nearly…" She glanced at her watch. "…midnight."
"And your point would be?"
Olivia frowned. "Umm… I guess I don't really have one."
"I'll expect you in half an hour, Detective." Alex said right before ending the call.
Olivia pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at it for a moment before laughing. 'What am I going to do with her?'
Olivia made it to Alex's apartment in less than thirty minutes as promised. She closed the door and locked it. She hung her leather jacket in the closet and her shoes were left by the door. She made her way up the stairs and down the hallway to Alex's bedroom when she saw a soft light coming from one of the rooms on the opposite side. Peeking around the corner, she saw Alex sitting behind a large desk poring over a pile of files and open law books. The blonde had yet to notice her so Olivia took the rare opportunity to study her.
Alex's long hair was down, flowing over her shoulders. It was slightly messy as if she'd been running her fingers through it all evening. Her eyes looked razor sharp and focused on whatever she was working on and perched on her nose were those 'fucking' black frames. Olivia thought the sight before her was the sexiest thing she'd ever seen.
Suddenly feeling watched, Alex lifted her head and spotted Olivia leaning casually in the doorway. She instantly smiled. She could clearly tell that the woman was tired, but she still looked amazing standing there in a pair of black jeans and a maroon sweater. Her eyes zoomed in on the familiar gold shield and gun attached to her belt. Alex thought to herself, 'God, Cabot, you are such a badge bunny! Who am I kidding? I'm just a Benson bunny!'
Olivia came inside and started looking around. She took in the beautiful dark wooden desk, floor-to-ceiling matching bookshelves that covered the entire opposite wall. "I like your office. It's very… you."
Alex smirked as she watched Olivia picking up and inspecting various little objects around the room. Alex always enjoyed how Olivia seemed to own every room she walked into. She was ever the detective. It was a turn on.
"What does that mean?"
Olivia shrugged her shoulders. "It just suits you. It looks like you belong here. That's all."
Alex nodded standing and meeting Olivia around the desk. She slipped her arms around the other woman's neck, immediately pulling her close.
"Hi."
"Hi."
They both sighed with pleasure at finally being able to touch for the first time in a week. Alex buried her nose into Olivia's neck taking in the intoxicating smell that was a mixture of the leather, vanilla, and hints of almond scented body wash. The scent was uniquely Olivia and incredibly sexy.
Olivia leaned in and took possession of the blonde's lips, her tongue immediately granted access. The kiss grew in momentum as the seconds ticked by. Finally in need of oxygen, Olivia pulled back and moved on to the incredibly graceful neck below latching on to the blonde's pulse point. She smiled to herself when she heard Alex whimper.
"I… umm…warmed dinner up…for… you." Alex managed to stutter out. "Aren't you… hungry?"
Olivia grinned smugly. She loved that she had the power to render the usually verbose Alexandra Cabot into a stuttering mess.
"I'm starving… but not for food." Olivia said staring intensely into the blue eyes before her.
The look was so smoldering, Alex felt her knees nearly give out. She held on a little tighter. Before she knew what was happening, Olivia had lifted her up. Alex's legs immediately locked around the brunette's waist. Olivia kissed her one more time before pulling back. They stared at one another for a moment.
"I want to make love to you, Alex. Can I do that?" Olivia whispered hoarsely.
Alex swallowed and nodded. "I'm yours, Detective."
Alex took a deep breath and watched the beautiful sleeping woman lying in her bed and smiled. She had put a lot of thought into what making love with Olivia Benson would be like. She'd imagined just about every scenario. She often dreamed of making love by candle light on a bed of roses with soft music playing in the background; something right out of the romantic comedies she secretly watched. She occasionally imagined Olivia storming into her office, angry over a search warrant, coming around her desk getting into her space, and finally taking her into a heated kiss that would lead to passionate lovemaking on the desk or possibly the sofa. There was also another fantasy involving a squad car, but that was not something she was willing to share with anyone…yet.
Yes, she had imagined it a thousand different ways. Sometimes those fantasies were the only thing that got her through those lonely nights in those small towns. Out of all the fantasies she'd imagined, the real experience of being with Olivia Benson turned out to be far better than anything she had ever thought of. In reality, Olivia had simply carried her to the bedroom and proceeded to worship her body over and over again and Alex had returned the favor. Alex recalled that her mother had always told her that being intimate with the person you love would be different than any other experience. Although Alex hadn't paid much attention, she now knew without a doubt that her mother had been right. Every single time she had touched Olivia, kissed Olivia, explored Olivia felt like she was feeding her soul. She now understood that making love was just that… making love. It really was the physical manifestation of one's deepest emotions.
Everything about being with Olivia had been a wonderful surprise. At a glance, one might have thought the detective would have been a little rough. Nothing could have been farther from the truth. Alex was still amazed at how gentle Olivia had been; how the detective's hands had shaken slightly when she touched Alex intimately for the first time. The way Olivia had held her, kissed her, and took her time after time was done with such reverence and tenderness, Alex had nearly wept.
There had been no fancy dinner beforehand. There had been no long drawn out date clouded with nervousness and uncertainty. There had been no first time awkwardness; just two people in love fulfilling a need in one another. It wasn't a fantasy. It was real and it was perfect for them.
Alex ran her fingers gently down Olivia's face, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. She watched in wonder as those big brown eyes blinked and slowly came awake. Alex instantly decided that this was something she would love to witness every morning for the rest of her life.
Finally focusing, Olivia smiled. "Good morning."
"Great morning." Alex said leaning in for a gentle kiss.
Olivia moaned pulling Alex tightly against her. "Perfect morning."
"How did you sleep?" Alex asked.
"Better than I have in a long time. You have a really comfortable bed. What kind of sheets are these?" She asked cheekily.
Alex moved over and straddled her. She narrowed her eyes and pinned Olivia's hands above her head. "Are you saying you slept well because of my sheets?"
"Of course not I'm kidding!" Olivia laughed. She trailed her eyes over the magnificent body above her. "God, you're sexy."
A mischievous grin grew on the blonde's face. "You're not bad yourself, Detective."
Olivia easily broke the blonde's hold on her and flipped them over. She now looked down into twinkling blue eyes.
"How much time do we have?"
Alex glanced at the clock on the nightstand. "About forty-five minutes… a little longer if you decide to shower with me."
"Plenty of time." Olivia growled making her way down Alex's body.
TBC...