DISCLAIMER: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and all characters are property of NBC and Dick Wolf…with some play given to USA. All supplementary characters are completely fictitious.

WINDOW

Chapter 2: Count on it

The blonde ADA slouched low in her chair. Posture was obviously not one of her concerns at the moment. She wrinkled her nose at the stack of papers strewn in front of her. She let out a sigh as she pushed her black rimmed glasses back up her nose and propped her chin in one hand. This was rather a daunting task, certainly one of the biggest she's had to deal with since joining SVU. A flashy new politician involved in the brutalization of a young girl. It was just the scoop that would have the press salivating like Pavlov's dog, sniffing around and begging for scraps.

Begging. She let her mind wander to the night before and hoped she wouldn't have to beg the detective for forgiveness at causing her such blatantly obvious discomfort. What had happened last night? Had she come on too strong? She was fascinated by the detective to say the least, but thought she had her desire in check. She didn't want to do anything to jeopardize what she hoped would become a real friendship with Olivia, even if it meant stifling her strong feelings of longing for something more than simple friendship.

Olivia. Thoughts of the detective crossed her mind and a smile crept across her lips. Some days at SVU were harder than others, but seeing Liv was always a joy. She didn't even mind going head to head with her when the occasion called for it. She enjoyed the challenge of trying to hold her ground while Olivia tried to shake the foundation of the case they were working on. It was amusing…she was completely captivating.

Alex was no less than smitten. It wasn't very often one would find such a fascinating woman in their line of work. The other detectives and uni's were tough and Liv was no exception, but there was more there than brute force and sheer will to her detective. Alex had seen it briefly in their first case involving a child. At the sight of their vic, Olivia's eyes softened and her voice became a stream of dulcet tones that could lull and angry cougar to sleep. She made comforting gestures and revealed the beautiful soft woman under the tough cop exterior. Now that Alex thought about it, Liv showed the same kindness to all their victims. She could comfort a victim one minute and deliver a crushing blow to a perp the next without batting an eye. She was amazing.

Alex mused over her opinions of the detective, wondering if she showed the same force and care in every aspect of her life when her ears perked up at the sound of a knock at her door.

"Come in" She called absent-mindedly, as she scrambled to shuffle the papers on her desk so as not to suggest she had let her mind wander so far off course.

"Hi, Alex." She knew that voice even before she raised her eyes. Her pulse quickened, and she froze mid-shuffle. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle...I can come back." Once more Liv seemed to have lost all powers of all articulation. Must be the hangover, still lingering; her headache now no more than a dull beat pulsing every so often. Her eyes met Alex and a lopsided smile found Liv's lips as she contemplated the ADA swimming in a sea of paperwork, glasses slightly askew. "So I guess you heard about our new case," she said, motioning to the pile of potential paper cuts monopolizing Alex's desk.

"Yeah. I couldn't wait to get my hands on this one," she said, honestly. "If we can nail this guy, I will be all too glad. I've been secretly hoping for this all along. Newsome is a real piece of work"

Olivia raised an eyebrow at the ADA's frank comments on the potential perp, she wasn't used to Alex sharing political and social opinions in reference to a case. "Oh, I know that was uncalled for, but Newsome is a special breed of scum. I've had the pleasure of being harassed by him on more than one occasion. Political parties and what not." She said offhandedly. Olivia's temperature rose and her face heated at the though of Newsome any where near Alex, let alone "harassing" her at one of the many social functions attended by politician and socialite alike. "The way he was acting at mother's benefit, you'd think I had refused him a kidney. Doesn't deal with rejection well, that one. He made that quite obvious the next time we met and the time after that. Thinks he's god's gift..." Alex realized she was babbling and noticed the detective looking distinctively green around the gills.

"Sorry," she mumbled. "I got carried away." She regretted that she had once again made the detective uncomfortable. She wanted nothing more than to see Liv smile and had been unable to do so for quite some time. It seemed that lately her effect on the detective was quite the opposite. "Which reminds me...about last night, I'm sorr…"

"No, don't," Live interrupted Alex's apology. "It was my fault I'm sorry. You didn't do anything. I was...well...I wasn't myself. Really. I was really glad you came." Olivia said, carefully meeting the ADA's eyes, trying to gage her reaction. Good, Liv. Good. She reassured herself. Alex rose to her feet, pushing the chair out from under her. She beamed trying to suppress a laugh at how obviously nervous Olivia was in regards to her own admission. Alex leaned over the desk a bit, feeling the electricity in the air and the faintest clean scent that lingered around the detective.

"I made you uncomfortable. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you...I mean...If I did anything to...I'm sorry too." Alex groped for the right words. She struggled to convey her meaning. "I don't want to give you the wrong impression. It's just" she paused, considering her words carefully. It was true she cared a great deal for Olivia and that her desires weren't completely platonic in nature, but now was not the time for girlish games and confessions of love. Now was the time for building bridges. She continued, "Since coming to SVU I haven't really had any other women to talk with. These cases get tough and sometimes you just need someone to talk to. I though that maybe we could...I don't know..." She couldn't find the words to say what she so desperately wanted: a friend. She could settle for that right now.

"I know what you mean." Olivia's eyes met Alex's once more and then dropped as if fascinated by a piece of lint found on her sleave. She opened her mouth and words just fell out, "Would you like to get lunch later." What the hell did you just say!? She screamed. Her brain had not quite caught up with her mouth. "This new case is going to be tough and sometimes it helps to have a friend who knows what you're dealing with."

"That'd be nice, Detective."

"Nice." Olivia rolled the word on her tongue and looked down at her hands.

"Now, to business! I know you didn't come in here just to make nice with the new girl" Olivia smiled. Alex doesn't know how close to the truth she is.

"Where are we with the Newsome case? Details people, and sooner, rather than later. Munch, go" Cragen was itching for an update as he grilled his detectives for details on their newest case.

"Vic's name is Tawny Davis. Age 23. No known next of kin. She was found in the bathtub of the Palmdale, your typical rat hole. Her wrists were slashed. She was dressed like a pro, but dental records and other factors seem to contradict that idea."

"Other factors?" Cragen raised an eyebrow hoping this wasn't just another one of Munches conspiracy theories.

"Yeah. They found a necklace in the room: white gold, engraved. "Tawny, all my love. D. No leads on who D is, but we're looking at having it appraised and seeing if we can't nail down a buyer."

"Fin, go"

"I checked in with Warner, she says there are two different types of DNA in the sample we sent over. CSU confirms that there are two sets of prints besides the girl's in the room. We're checking the system, but nothing's turned up yet."

"We're talking about a high-traffic motel frequented by pros and dealers. Are we sure those prints are connected to our vic?" Cragen countered.

"The prints lifted by CSU were all over the room. And they were made with the girls blood. We're sure they're connected. Oh, and another thing. Warned found bruising on her thighs, hips and neck and lacerations on her stomach. Our girl was raped, and strangled. She was slashed after she was already dead to make it look like a suicide."

"Hey!" cried a voice from behind as Elliot and Olivia strolled into the station house. Elliot mocked offence, "starting the party without us?"

"Wouldn't dream of it, what'd you get from Newsome's secretary.

"Not a whole lot" Liv sighed looking disappointed. "Newsome was in DC trying to rally support as some political dinner. We confirmed his stay and his alibi sticks. He was at the part all night. Some other of his "fairer" collegues put him there getting tipsy and playing it fast and loose."

"And when we say it, we mean it." Elliot chimed in. "This guys was on every woman at this party, and apparently they all had something to say. If it wasn't him with Tawny, I bet we could nail his ass on a couple of these other..."

Cragen cut him off, "Speculation isn't going to help us nail him for this." He tapped the picture of a brutalized young girl, bloody wrist hanging limp over the edge of a bathtub taped to the glass next to a stock photo of Newsome. "What about the room? Anything we can go on?"

"His secretary assures us he didn't know anything about any room and that – what was it? Oh, yeah, 'any use of Mr. Newsome's alias must be merely coincidental.'"

"Naturally we believed her." Elloit passed of the comment with a sarcastic smirk. "Something's going on, and we'll figure it out. You can count on it."

Liv shared her partner's skepticism, but right now the only thing she could count on is a pleasant lunch with a certain ADA.