A/N: Thank you so much to those who have reviewed, favorited, and/or following this story. You really know how to boost a girl's ego. Sorry for the delay but here is the next chapter. Hope everyone enjoys it as much as the last one.

Alex looked up trying her best to hide her disappointment when Elliot appeared and Olivia wasn't behind him. She knew she was exhausted and knew she needed the rest but she was hoping she would come back down. As cruel as it sounded she almost hoped they would get a lead just so she could see her for a few more minutes.

"What happened to Liv?" Alex asked trying to sound as casual as possible.

"She's trying to catch thirty why?" Elliot answered while he straightened his tie. How long were these two women going to dance around each other?

"No reason I just thought she would be coming back down with you. She didn't grab anything to eat and I know how she is when she's on a case. She will starve herself which isn't good."

"Why not take a bagel up to her." Elliot said with a small smirk on his face. If they weren't going to do anything about the attraction they obviously had for each other then he mine as well torture them until they did. Have a little fun at their expense lord knew they needed the laugh. "She likes hers with a little bit of cream cheese on hers."

"I know how she likes her bagel Stabler." Alex bit out and wished she could take it back as soon as it was out of her mouth, especially when he had that look on his face. It was the face that told her he knew how she felt about Olivia.

"Well then" he said handing her the bag "Take it to her."

Alex jerked the bag from his hand and headed toward the stairs. She hated the fact that he knew that she wanted Olivia. It wasn't that she was scared he would say anything because she knew that without a doubt he would take a secret to his grave. To her showing any form of desire meant weakness to her and weakness she couldn't afford. Not when she had to work with the attractive brunette every day. When she was so sure she felt the same way just to have the ball tossed to left field instead of right field. As much as it hurt she did thank god that Olivia changed her attitude before she made a fool of herself and made a move. One that she now knew would make the workplace filled with even more tension than what it already was on a daily basis.

"Olivia" Alex called out softly hoping if the detective was sleeping she wouldn't wake her but she knew from experience that when she was in the crib she would wake when someone whispered her name.

"Yes Alex." Olivia groaned realizing that her attempt of escaping the attorney that tortured her was short lived. She knew how she could be sometimes when she was as exhausted as she was at that moment. The last thing she needed was to make a bigger ass out of herself than what she had already done. They way things were going lately it looked more like she was going to make a bigger ass of herself.

"I woke you I'm so sorry please forgive me." Alex said quickly as she started to back out of the room.

"Alex Stop." Olivia said a little harsher than she intended to cussing herself when she saw Alex shy away at the tone she used.

"No Olivia its fine. I know you're running on fumes and shouldn't have come up here to bother you. Please get some rest."

"Alex you came up here for a reason." Olivia said as she sat up in the bed "What is it you need?"

"It's nothing Liv please go back to sleep. I know you haven't gotten a lot of sleep."

Olivia shot out of the bed and gently grabbed Alex by the wrist but quickly let go when Alex acted as if she was about to be hit.

"Alex" Olivia asked questionably

"Sorry you just scared me. I forget sometimes how fast and strong you are being a woman."

"I use it to my advantage in the field" Olivia said knowing there was more to the story but feeling as if it wasn't her place to probe this time "Will you please tell me what you needed. You came up here for a reason."

"I was bringing you your bagel." Alex said looking away knowing that Olivia was putting two and two together scared to see the look in her eyes "You forgot it and I know how you are when you're on a case. You'll go days without eating. To be honest all of you will."

"Thank you." Olivia whispered as she reached out to take the bag allowing her fingers to graze across Alex's hand.

Alex's breath caught in her throat feeling the electricity shoot through her and her hand on fire where Olivia had touched her. She was torn between pulling back or trying to maintain the connection for as long as she could. Finally desire one out and she kept her hand there until Olivia pulled away.

"I..umm..put the cream cheese on it the way you like it." Alex said and then quickly amended "Or at least what I could remember from the day I met you and Elliot at the bakery."

"Thank you Alex I, well we, greatly appreciate it and your right I think it's been at least twenty-four hours since I've ate possibly longer. Unless you want to count the handful of peanuts I had this morning."

"I wish you wouldn't do that. You need to eat so you can keep up your strength. What if you had to wrestle the perp and you were too tired and he got you, killed you. What then? Mind telling me that?"

"Alex calm down." Olivia said in the calm and soothing voice she only used for victims. "Whether I'm full of energy and food or not I run a risk of being killed. Where is all this coming from? You've never been concerned before is everything ok?"

"Yeah everything is ok. I'm so sorry I bothered you." Alex said as she spun from Olivia and ran down the stairs before Olivia even knew what was happening. She couldn't believe she had just said what she said. She had got to learn to keep her distance from the detective. If she hadn't stopped when she did she was about to say what about how am I suppose to live without you? Thank god her brain caught up with her before her mouth got her in trouble.

Olivia shook her head as she darted after Alex. She took off at a dead run when she hit the bottom of the stairs hoping to catch Alex just glancing in Elliot's direction. By the time she hit the street Alex was nowhere to be found. Damn that woman can move Olivia said to herself as she pulled her phone out and sent Alex a message. Something was wrong and she wanted to know what it was. Hell it would eat at her till she discovered what it was.

Alex, I'm worried about you. I hope you know that you can talk to me if you need to. Please let me know you made it home ok.

Alex looked at her phone in the bathroom of the precinct as she shook. She had to back away from the detective keep her distance. She had almost lost it tonight something that she couldn't afford to she had learned her lesson a little over a year ago. Slowly with shaky fingers she replied to the text.

I'm fine thank you and I'm walking in my building now.