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.

PS: Sorry for the heinous delay, I'm hoping to have at least two more updates in the next month to make up for it.

WINDOW

Chapter 7: Daylight Robery

"Mghph…" Alex shifted slightly, opening her sleep-heavy eyelids. Somewhere she heard a familiar sound. What was it? She knew it… The sound was chipper and she knew that whatever it was making the sound would soon meet its untimely demise against a wall if it didn't stop. She took a moment to try and rouse herself from the sleepy haze she was in. An awareness of her own body slowly crept into her consciousness and she realized that for the first time in who knows how long, she was not alone upon waking. She could feel an arm wrapped, possessively around her torso, and a lithe leg draped across her thighs.

Olivia. She turned her head slightly and was met by the most beautiful sight. In the moonlight of the darkened room she could just make out the features of the beautiful woman whose face was mere inches from Alex's own. She could feel warm steady breathing tickling her neck, and had every intention of snuggling back into Olivia's embrace and drifting back to sleep. But then that infernal noise started again.

Cell phone her brain finally volunteered. Shit. Alex shifted Olivia's arm slightly and slipped from between the sheets. As she did, the other woman stirred and murmured something indiscernible before curling into herself, sleeping on. Alex felt a smile tug at the corner of her lips and, straightening the borrowed pajamas, let her mind drift slowly back to what had transpired earlier that evening. She loves me. It was almost more than she could bear. The woman she had loved, in secret and for so long, had felt the same way. Had felt…

The muffled ringing started up again and she remembered why she had gotten up. She glanced at the clock on the nightstand; they had been asleep for about four hours. Alex crossed the short distance to the chair and, sifting through her clothes from the day before, found her prize.

Aha! "Cabot, and this better be good!" She hissed into the phone as she walked into the living room, closing the door to the bedroom and her sleeping detective.

"Cabot! Where the hell are you? I've been trying to reach you for hours! Something's happened and we need your…legal assistance." Elliot barked into her ear. "Oh, and d'ya know where Liv is? You were the last to see her; did she tell you she had any plans? I've been calling and calling and there's no answer."

Alex almost choked on her words. Of course I know where she is. Instead she cleared her throat, "I'm sure she'll get back to you, she's probably just asleep. Maybe," she trailed off as she spied the detectives phone on the kitchen counter, "maybe her phone's just on silent." She walked into the kitchen and picked up the phone. Twelve missed calls. Alex sighed heavily, and swore under her breath.

"What was that? I didn't quite catch that counselor," Elliot's voice chirped, almost amused, in her ear. "Anyway, we need both of you ASAP." Back to business.

Elliot rattled off the details and Alex wrote down the address and the rest of the information on a notepad by the refrigerator and snapped her phone shut. So much for their plans for a good night's rest. Alex emotions were at once conflicted. She hated to wake the detective and have to experience this rather sudden reality check, but at the same time she realized that it could be worse.

If what Olivia had said was true, she had spent her life, thus far, in love with the job. At least Alex could share that with her now. She glanced down at her hastily scribbled notes. At least we can go together. Maybe now I can help. It's better than being with someone who didn't understand the late night phone calls, the emotional strain, and the stress of working with SVU. She could understand and empathize and, just now, Alex could think of no better gift to give the detective sleeping in the next room.

She picked up Olivia's phone and padded quietly back to the bedroom. Weighing her options she slid back between the sheets and pressed her body close to Olivia's. She watched with relish, as a faint smile played around the detective's lips and a bronzed arm absently wrapped around Alex's waist. She draped an arm over Olivia's shoulders and leaned in to kiss the sleeping woman on the cheek. Olivia stirred and Alex kissed her again, soft lips meeting, both chaste and rousing. Olivia's eyes remained closed, but Alex could feel strong arms envelop her as a hand found it's way to the back of her neck and drew her in to deepen the kiss. Alex could feel the detective smile against her lips and she pulled back, taking a moment to catch her breath.

"Cheater," she gasped. Olivia, now obviously awake, propped herself up on her elbow and gazed affectionately at the blonde. The smile Alex felt, rather than saw, was still present and Olivia's eyes danced.

"Morning," Liv said, her words heavy with sleep and newfound desire. "And I'm the cheater? So says the woman who caught me completely unawares." She raised an eyebrow and Alex sighed inwardly at the mere marvel that she was having this conversation, sitting in Olivia's bed.

"Well, it was either that or ambushing you with a pillow. I thought you'd appreciate my choice." Alex replied.

"Mmm." Olivia nodded, and glanced at the Alarm clock. It was barely past two in the morning and at the thought that there was a more pressing matter requiring her attention, her face fell and her smile was replaced with a look of concern.

Alex read Olivia's face and handed her the cell phone from the counter. "Elliot called. He needs us –both of us– to come in." Alex looked crestfallen and glanced down at her fingers, playing with the bed sheet. She felt soft fingers capture her chin and she raised her head as blue eyes met brown. Olivia leaned in and gave Alex a quick reassuring kiss.

"Hey, at least we can go together." Olivia gave Alex a lopsided grin. "Loving the job might not be so bad now; It's something I share with you. Sharing what I love with who I love makes life that much more bearable, wouldn't you say?"

Alex was touched by the older woman's sincerity, as she seemed to put a voice to Alex's thoughts. This was almost too good to be true. Her heart felt so full, she could hardly breathe. "Elliot gave me the address, I wrote everything down," she volunteered. She watched as Olivia swung her legs around and off the bed then came over to stand before Alex. The detective reached down and pulled the ADA up and into a firm embrace.

"I know this is a bit of a reality check, but I just want you to know, it doesn't change anything." Olivia pulled back from their embrace and tucked a loose piece of blonde hair behind her lover's ear. "Don't ever forget that, and don't ever doubt this…" Olivia trailed off as she brushed her lips to those of the beautiful blonde before her. Time seemed to slip away and as Alex demanded entrance to Olivia's mouth, her knees weakened and she fell back on the bed. Olivia's eye's widened as she was pulled, surprised, onto the bed, still wrapped in Alex's arms.

They both laughed and attempted to catch their breath. Alex reveled in this new feeling of happiness. Happy, she was happy. She released Olivia and stretched on the bed, contemplating this new revelation. She couldn't remember the last time she was truly content.

Olivia, still chuckling and lying half on top of the lithe woman beneath her pushed herself up onto her elbow. She gazed at the statuesque features of the ADA who seemed to be lost in some amusing thought. "Hey," She offered, "what are you thinking about?"

"Aside from the fact that if we keep this up, we're never going to make it in," Olivia subconsciously licked her lips, and she raised an eyebrow at the prospect of spending more time with Alex in their current situation, "I was thinking that this is the first time in an unbelievably long time that I can remember being happy. I mean really happy. It's amazing… and a little frightening." She paused and pushed herself up as Olivia shifted, letting her up. Alex sat on the edge of the bed and looked at the ceiling. She waited a moment before meeting Olivia's eyes with a look of soft contentment. "How can this feel so right? How is it that you're sitting here, with me? Wanting me. How can I be so lucky?"

Olivia looked, amazed, at the blonde woman sitting next to her. She was dumbfounded. She had been asking herself these same questions, wrapped in Alex's arms waiting to drift to sleep. It was startling to hear her own thoughts tumbling from another's mouth. She moved to speak when the phone resting on her nightstand sprang to life. She glanced, lovingly, at Alex, "We're not finished here, and there's more to be said." She reached for the phone and flipped it open. "Benson, and this better be good!" she barked into the phone.

"Whoa! You been taking lessons from the Cabot school of phone etiquette?" It was Elliot.

"Ha ha ha." She shot back sarcastically. "Yeah, I heard… I have all the info… Cabot cabbed over when I didn't answer… cause she cares… yeah yeah yeah… Look, we'll be there soon… Nah it was on silent… hey, you know what you can do with that phone of yours…" She said menacingly. Laughter shortly followed and she concluded her conversation with her partner and snapped the phone shut. "Sorry, looks like we have to cut this conversation short. But we'll come back to it, if you're willing." She brushed Alex's cheek with her thumb and followed its path with a quick kiss. Her heart fluttered as it did every time she kissed the younger woman. The sensation of simply being able to kiss Alex made Olivia's heart turn summersaults. "I'm going to hop in the shower, you're welcome to anything here, what's mine is yours. Oh and you're welcome to the shower, too; I'll be done in a few."

With that she left Alex alone. Alex fell back onto the bed once more, sprawling out. This was all happening so fast. She felt like laughing, crying and singing all at once. She felt like a teenager in love.

Exactly twenty three minutes later, both women stepped from a yellow cab to be greeted by Olivia's partner. He seemed flustered. Olivia drew her jacket tighter around her and caught Alex's eye. It was going to be a long day and it had only barely begun.

"So El, where are we? And why so cryptic on the phone?" Olivia asked glancing around. She could see steps to the apartment building between the team of unis huddled on the sidewalk, next to a parked ambulance, their breath puffing as they spoke in hushed tones. There was broken glass and the intercom had been smashed in.

"There was a break in, Liv. I didn't tell you what it was because I wanted you to come. I knew you might not if… It's Lucy. Her apartment." Elliot looked from Olivia to Cabot, finding it easier to meet the gaze of the stoic blonde than that of his stunned partner, "it was ransacked. They broke in while she was asleep, One of them came into her room… woke her up." He paused and Alex asked him to continue. "He wasn't counting on her having a gun under her pillow. He tried to rape her and she shot him. She shot him and called 911. The second perp ran when he heard the gunshot. Neighbors saw him jump from the bottom of the fire escape." He looked at his hands and brought them to his mouth, blowing hot breath through clasped fingers.

Alex rubbed her temple and glanced at Olivia who looked both shocked and enraged as she scowled at the ground. It seemed like she was watching the scene play out in her head. Her fingers curled into two tight fists and she shook her head. Aside from her rage at the break in, how could Elliot lie to her? How could he think that she would ever put her own comfort before the safety of a victim? How could... Just then, the detective felt a gentle had wrapped lithe fingers around her clenched fist. She and Alex were close enough that no one could see this comforting contact. Olivia blew out a frustrated breath. She relaxed her shoulders and slackened the clenched fingers. There were more important things tho focus on now. Alex gave her hand a squeeze before breaking the contact. Oliva cleared her head and took another breath.

"Where-"

"Where's Lucy?" Alex cut Olivia off, unintentionally. Elliot motioned to the ambulance, sirens silenced, with red lights spinning wildly. She saw the petite redhead wrapped in a blanket with a mug of coffee steaming up a pair of horn-rimmed glasses framed by wildly tangled hair. Alex started away from the detectives when she felt a strong grip on her arm. She turned to see not Benson, but Stabler's hand wrapped around her forearm. Her look was quizzical. Elliot drew her close and ignoring his partner's blatant look of shock, he leaned in, close to Alex's ear.

"Be extra careful with her, she's fragile and we're going to have to put her on 'round the clock watch, just to make sure she stays alive." Alex understood. Lucy was going to be put on suicide watch. She nodded slowly and was about to break free of Elliot when he added, "Normally we wouldn't need you here, and I know I said we had 'legal issues'…" That's not entirely true," Alex eye's narrowed. She was confused, "Lucy asked for you... She won't talk, Alex. She says she'll only talk to you. I'm sorry to put you in this position, but it looks like you're on our side for now."

Alex's eyes widened, she had always had contact with victims, but it had been limited to legal counsel and prep for the stand. How would she handle herself, what should she say? Especially in this instance, with such delicate subject matter... Lucy touched something within the blonde and Alex she wasn't quite sure the nature of what the girl unearthed. Alex sympathized with her, but also, she was afraid of her. Lucy had lost the woman she loved. How could she help Lucy cope with such serious pain when she herself felt like flying? Alex broke free of Elliot's grip and wandered toward Lucy, who became immediately alert upon seeing the ADA. As an afterthought she turned back to the Detectives.

"Don't forget, I've always been on your side and always will be!"

Upon later reflection, sitting in the back of the department sedan, arm draped around Lucy, stoic and numb, Alex didn't know if she said that more for Elliot or Olivia, or whether it even mattered. So much can change in the course of an hour.