A/N: Sorry for the delay. I didn't have much time to write this week. Thanks for reading and reviewing. I hope you are still enjoying this. Let me know.

Chapter 19: Back to Life

Two weeks after returning from Greece, life had returned to normal. Alex took over her new duties as EADA of Major Cases and was now busier than ever. Olivia was back to work as well, but Cragen had made it very clear that she had a few more days of desk duty to look forward to. Olivia didn't put up much of a fight considering she knew riding a desk was going to be in her very near future. She knew she wouldn't be able to hide the fact that she was pregnant much longer. She was now twelve weeks along and going in to see her OB for another checkup.

Luckily, today was a slow day and Olivia managed to sneak away from work without attracting too much suspicion. She had called and informed Brian out of courtesy the day before. Olivia had promised Brian that he could be a part of this and she had meant it. She wasn't surprised when Brian had said that he wasn't sure if he could make it; something about a new case he was involved in. Olivia wasn't buying it. She knew an excuse when she heard it, but she had taken his hesitation in stride. The choice to be a part of this was his choice and his alone. Alex, on the other hand, had seemed thrilled. Although Alex had expressed that she would do her best to attend, Olivia knew the blonde was scheduled to be in court all day and had insisted that it was no big deal if Alex couldn't make it. Now that she was sitting in the waiting room alone, she was suddenly regretting those words.

"Is this your first one?"

Olivia turned her attention to the smiling redhead next to her. "Excuse me?"

The woman pointed to Olivia's nervous tapping foot. She immediately stopped. "Oh. Sorry."

The tossed her magazine on the table and gave Olivia her full attention. "You seem a little nervous. Is this your first?"

Olivia sighed and nodded. "That obvious, huh?" She had no idea why she had suddenly gotten so nervous.

"Just a little." She held out her hand. "I'm Jessica."

Olivia shook her hand. "Olivia… and you're right. I suddenly have a case of the jitters. I don't know why this keeps happening. It's not even my first visit."

"It's completely normal to be a little nervous. I was a complete worry wart at every single visit when I had my first child. I drove my husband crazy." She chuckled.

Olivia didn't really know how to respond. She didn't have a husband. She had Brian and she had Alex. Yes, things were very complicated.

"You shouldn't worry. I'm sure everything will be just fine." The woman offered.

"Thank you."

"Olivia Benson?" The nurse called out.

Olivia stood. "That's me."

"Good luck."

"Thanks."

Fifteen minutes later, Olivia found herself dressed in one of those dreadful gowns lying on a table freezing to death. She kept wondering why in the hell the doctor's office was always so cold.

"Good afternoon, Olivia. I'm sorry I missed you at the last visit. I was at a medical conference. I hear congratulations are in order or am I just getting old and hearing things?"

Olivia smiled as her familiar OB/GYN, Dr. Sydney Powell, strolled in. She was a fifty-something woman with raven hair peppered with a little gray. She had emerald-green eyes that showed the wisdom of her years. Olivia had been a G.Y.N patient of Dr. Powell's for nearly ten years. The woman was an excellent gynecologist with a very pleasing bedside manner. When it came to choosing an obstetrician, Olivia knew she didn't need to look very far.

"Hey Doc. If you're asking if I'm pregnant, the answer is yes. As for you getting old, I wouldn't dare answer that."

"I always knew you were a smart woman, Olivia."

The doctor went through all the preliminary exam questions. Olivia asked a few questions and expressed her concerns. After taking her weight, blood pressure, and blood had been drawn, Dr. Powell took a seat and prepared Olivia for her exam.

"Well, according to your chart everything looked good at the last visit. How about we check you out and see how things are looking inside and then we can go from there, okay?"

"Sounds like a plan."

There was a soft knock at the door before a blonde head came into view. "Hey, am I too late?"

Olivia felt herself release the breath she didn't even know she was holding. She had wanted Alex there with her all along.

"Hey. You're here." Olivia said with a blinding smile.

She held out her hand to Alex pulling her closer. Alex leaned over and placed a quick kiss on her lips. Olivia smiled at her doctor. "Dr. Powell, this is my girlfriend Alex Cabot. Alex this is Dr. Powell."

"Well it is very nice to meet you, Alex. You're just in time. We were just about to get started."

Alex turned her attention back to Olivia as the doctor began the exam. "I'm sorry I'm late."

"Sorry? I didn't even think you'd be able to come."

"Are you kidding? I wouldn't miss this for the world."

Two weeks later…

Today just wasn't Olivia Benson's day. Nothing was going her way. The day had started with a bout of morning sickness that literally had her on her knees. At thirteen weeks, she was quickly realizing that the smell of certain foods would set her off in a second. She had dragged herself into work and found a mountain of paperwork waiting to be filed. Before she could even begin, Cragen had sent her and Nick over to Bellevue to interview a victim. She and Nick had tracked all the way across town to find that the victim was denying that an assault had even occurred. Olivia hated these situations. She could tell just by talking to the young woman that something had definitely happened to her, but she was just too afraid to talk. With nothing to investigate, Olivia had handed the girl a card with her personal information and encouraged her to call if she reconsidered.

Upon their return, she and Nick had to sit through a twenty-minute dressing down from Cragen about evidence being tossed in another case due to questions about chain of evidence. It didn't matter that neither she nor Nick was responsible for the beat cop who had fumbled the ball. It was their case so they got their asses handed to them.

Just when she didn't think things could get much worse, they found out that their new temporary ADA had botched an air tight case and was forced to cut a deal that would allow a serial child rapist back on the streets in less than five years. Breaking the news to the family of his young victims had been one of the hardest things she'd ever had to do. She couldn't help thinking how Alex would have never made such a rookie mistake. It made her miss the blonde much more. Olivia rubbed her aching temples and tried to will away her headache. She was having the day from hell and it wasn't even noon yet.

She had managed to work her way through nearly half the pile of paperwork on her desk when her phone rang.

"Benson. SVU."

"Cabot. Major Cases." Came the teasing response over the line causing Olivia to stifle a laugh.

"Cabot is on the phone!" Fin said grinning in Olivia's direction. Nick and Amanda saw Olivia blush and laughed.

Olivia returned the favor by giving them the middle finger.

Alex laughed at the amusing shouts that could be heard through the phone. "Are they giving you a hard time over there, babe?"

"Fin's just being an ass. That's all." She said glaring at him. "How are you?"

"I was calling to ask you the same thing? I got your text. I thought the morning sickness had finally passed. Are you feeling any better?"

Olivia glanced around and decided that it wasn't a good idea to take this call surrounded by four extremely nosy detectives.

"Hang on a sec and let me call you back, okay?" She quickly hung up and picked up her cell.

"I'll be in the crib for a few minutes if you need me." She said to Nick over her shoulder.

Once she'd climbed the stairs, Olivia closed the door to the small room and flopped back on the old sofa by the window. She sighed heavily as she hit Alex's number on speed dial. Alex answered immediately.

"How are you, sweetie? You sound exhausted."

"I'm okay. Sprout is just making it difficult to hold down my food today, that's all."

"Sprout?"

"I'm trying out nicknames. Sprout seemed appropriate at this point."

Alex chuckled. "I like sprout."

"I miss you." Olivia sighed.

"I miss you too."

Olivia and Alex had not laid eyes on one another since Olivia's twelve week checkup several days prior. Alex was in the middle of a huge murder trial but still managed to make it to her doctor visits. The blonde had not missed a single appointment yet. Olivia wasn't sure how she was pulling it off, but she was glad. Having Alex there with her was always comforting. The blonde simply had a way of making everything alright.

"And I hate the new ADA?

Alex chuckled. "Have you even given her a chance?"

"She's not you."

Alex knew she shouldn't, but felt pleased. She liked the idea of the squad not liking her replacement.

"Just give her a chance. It took a while for you to warm up to me too."

"Whatever." Olivia mumbled. "Don't mind me. I'm just pissy because I'm missing you."

"Listen, I'm sorry I've been so busy, Liv. This case is just…"

"Hey. Stop it. That's not what I meant." Olivia interrupted. "You've been great. I've been just as busy as you. We knew this wouldn't be easy, but things will calm down soon enough."

Alex groaned. "God, I hope so. I really need to see you because these people are driving me crazy over here."

Olivia laughed. "I take it you've finally met Detectives Goren and Eames? Interesting pair aren't they?"

"Detective Eames seems very competent and solid. Detective Goren is… a bit of a mystery to me."

"Goren has always been a bit of an odd ball. On the surface, he can seem like a real nut job but trust me Alex; the guy is a genius."

"That still doesn't offer me very much comfort, Olivia. You once said that John Munch was a genius."

Olivia couldn't help but laugh. "In his own way, he is. Listen, don't worry. Goren won't screw up your cases too badly. Eames does a good job keeping him in line."

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I long for the days when all I had to worry about was relying on your and Stabler's gut feelings. Having to sit through one of Detective Goran's maniacal theories is almost too much to take."

Olivia laughed. "Never thought I'd hear you say that."

"I know."

Olivia looked up to see Nick peaking around the door. "I'm sorry to interrupt, Liv but we gotta body downtown."

She nodded and held up a finger. "Hey Alex, we've got a body. I have to go."

"Alright. I'm due in court soon anyway. Promise me you'll be careful."

"Always. Good luck in court. I'll call you later. I love you."

"I love you too."

Olivia slowly made her way up to her apartment, exhausted and glad the day was finally over. All she wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep for eternity. As soon as she opened her door, she sensed something was different. She was about to draw her weapon when she caught a whiff of the delicious scent in the air. She slowly closed the door then smiled tiredly at the sight before her. There standing in her kitchen was Alexandra Cabot still dressed in all her courtroom glory wearing Olivia's apron while preparing dinner. The blonde looked up and gave her a soft smile.

"Hey, you're home."

"I am… and you're here." Olivia said pleasantly surprised.

"I used the spare key you gave me. I knew you would be exhausted and wouldn't eat properly. So I decided to make you dinner. I feel like I've been neglecting my girlfriend duties the last couple of weeks." Alex said sheepishly.

Olivia's heart melted. She stripped away her gun and badge and placed it on the counter as she made her way into the kitchen. She pulled Alex into a tight embrace and buried her face into the blonde's neck. They both moaned at the feel of each other.

"Thank you. I am so happy to see you." Olivia said kissing her lips. "And you have not been neglecting your girlfriend duties. If anything, you've been the perfect girlfriend. With everything on your schedule right now, you've still managed to show up for me and Sprout, even when the father hasn't." Olivia finished with a growl.

Much to Olivia's dismay, Brian Cassidy had not shown much interest in being an active participant in this pregnancy. He had yet to attend any of her appointments and rarely called to check in. The only reason Brian was even aware of how things were progressing was because Olivia had made the effort to track him down. Although Alex had remained silent on the matter, Olivia knew that the blonde was pissed on her behalf. Olivia just hoped that his current behavior would not be an indication of how things would be after the baby was born.

Alex ran her fingers through the soft brown locks and kissed her forehead. "What was his excuse this week?"

Olivia shrugged and stepped out of her embrace. "Same as last time. He said he's been working on something with the Feds."

Alex leaned back against the counter and folded her arms. "It's possible. Do you believe him?"

"I don't know. A part of me wants to believe him because at least that would mean he has a legitimate reason for not being around."

"And the other part?" Alex raised a brow.

Olivia thought for a moment. "Honestly… the other part of me just wishes he'd be man enough to just admit that he doesn't want to do this. That way I know where we stand and I can do this on my own the way I was prepared to in the first place."

Alex reached out and took her hand. "Hey, you are not in this alone okay? You have me."

"I know that, Alex. Like I said, you've been amazing, beyond amazing. You don't know how many times I've wished that you were Brian."

Alex's eyes widened.

Olivia stopped and frowned. "Wait, that didn't come out right."

Alex laughed and pulled her into a warm embrace. "Don't worry. I think I understand what you mean."

Alex kissed her gently then took her by the hand, pulling her through the apartment. "Come on. I know you're exhausted and I read that a warm bath is perfectly fine as long as the water is not too hot. It's also good for back aches, headaches, and your overall emotional well-being."

Olivia chuckled. "What would I ever do without you and your pregnancy books, Counselor?"

Alex opened the door revealing her bathroom bathed in candlelight. The claw foot tub was already filled with warm vanilla scented water. She smiled. Alex had remembered not to use the jasmine since the scent of it had made her sick the last time.

Olivia melted inside. "Correction. What would I ever do without you… just you?"

Alex slipped her arms around her from behind. She placed her hands over Olivia's still flat stomach and rested her chin on her shoulder.

"Luckily for you and Sprout, you'll never need to find that out." She placed a gentle kiss on Olivia's neck and pushed her inside. "Now, go have your bath. I've already double checked the water temperature and it was below the recommended temp. I laid out your favorite pajamas over there, so you should be all set."

"You're not joining me?" Olivia pouted.

"No. This is just for you. I'm going to finish up dinner. I'll keep it warm until you get out so don't rush. I think I'll just sit on the sofa and read my pregnancy books until you're finished." She winked before closing the door.

Olivia stood there for a moment. She placed her hands on her stomach then looked down and smiled. "How did we ever get so lucky, Sprout?"

After enjoying her bath, Olivia emerged a half hour later feeling much better. Just as promised, Alex had kept dinner warm, which turned out to be a light chicken penne' pasta dish with Italian bread. Alex had even remembered to pick up Ginger Ale and saltines in case Olivia needed them. After dinner was finished and the kitchen cleaned, Alex tucked Olivia into bed.

"Are you staying?" Olivia asked as her head hit the pillow.

"If you want me to."

"Of course I want you to." Olivia tugged on her hand. "Come lie down with me…please?"

"Okay, but I have to work on a few files." Alex said sheepishly. She knew that Olivia never brought work to bed. "That was the only way Maggie would allow me to leave the office early enough to come over."

Margaret "AKA Maggie" Malone was Alex's longtime secretary, substitute grandmother, and overall task master rolled into one. She ran an office with such efficiency that even some of the city's most notable judges and politicians had tried to steal her away, but Maggie would never leave Alex. When Alex had returned from Witsec, Maggie came out of retirement to reclaim her post. She said that someone had to take care of Alex since Alex obviously couldn't manage on her own. This was after Maggie had given the young attorney a piece of her mind for allowing her to grieve for her. Alex wasn't an idiot. She ignored the tears welling in Maggie's eyes when they saw one another again. That was just Maggie's way. The older woman often tried to appear tough and unfeeling, but Olivia and Alex could see right through her. Maggie loved Alex and Alex loved her just as much in return.

Olivia nearly laughed. "You do realize that Maggie works for you, right? She's your secretary, not the other way around."

"Olivia, have you met Maggie Malone? She's been managing me for years. If anything, I work for her. No one crosses Maggie. The only person she actually likes is you."

"That's because she knows how much I love you. She told me that she knew even before I did."

Alex snorted. "I wouldn't doubt it. Maggie knows everything."

"Well go get your files if you must. I don't want you to get in trouble with Maggie, but I want you here with me."

"Alright, I'll be right back."

A few minutes later, Olivia watched as her girlfriend undressed and threw on one of her old t-shirts. She now understood what men found so intoxicating about women wearing their shirts. The sight of Alexandra Cabot in just a NYPD t-shirt and lace panties was truly a sight to behold. She bit her lip and tried to find something on television as a distraction.

Alex slipped into bed next to Olivia and went to work. It wasn't long before she realized that working in bed next to Olivia Benson wasn't a very good idea. Who could possibly concentrate when their incredibly hot girlfriend was just lying there? She smirked and tossed the files on the floor. 'Maggie will just have to understand.' Alex thought.

Olivia turned and looked at her strangely. "What are you doing? I thought you had to finish those?"

Alex grinned mischievously. "Never let it be said that Alexandra Cabot allowed her girlfriend to lie in bed and twiddle her thumbs…" She leaned over and kissed Olivia thoroughly. "… when we could be making love."

Olivia grinned against her lips. She pulled Alex down until their bodies were touching. "What about work?"

Alex settled in between two lean thighs and sighed. "Fuck working."

Olivia moaned as Alex bit down on the sensitive area of her neck just below her ear. "How about just fucking me then?"

"That can be arranged, Detective."

"I do love a woman with a plan."

"Olivia?"

"Hmm?"

"Shut up."

TBC...

Coming Soon: The secret is out.