A/N Sorry for the delay. And sorry for all my readers that are reading the other stories too. I've been really busy with studying for my exam and will be the next two days and I hope that after my exam I can catch up with my stories. I promise I will try to make it up with good chapters for every story. Now let's go back to the story quickly.

As promised in the last chapter, in this chapter things will be clear at the end of this chapter for y'all.

Chapter 16

It's been almost a week since Olivia sent Alex and Casey out of her room. Physically she's making progress slowly. Alex knew that the moment she left the room that Olivia would talk with Nathalie about Prof. Meander and would ask to send him back because she couldn't afford him. So the first thing Alex had done was talk to Nathalie about this. That no matter what, the Prof. would stay. She would still pay all the bills and that Nathalie needed to lie to the Detective and tell her that the Prof. offered to stay at the normal conditions for a surgeon in this hospital. By now Nathalie knows Alex and agreed with the blonde attorney. She talked with Prof. Meander about her conversation with Alex but much to her surprise the Prof. agreed to stay under the normal conditions for a surgeon here. He had read about Olivia's career and the things she had done to earn the many ribbons and medals she has. He also heard what happened to the Detective and how she got all the trauma's she has. As soon as he knew all of this he decided that if the Detective wanted him to leave because she couldn't afford it, he would stay anyway and under the same conditions as his colleagues here in the hospital. Alex had hopes that Olivia would get her head straight soon again. She thought, like all of them, that it was temporary and that Olivia had panicked and therefore acted like this. So she would leave Olivia alone for about a week, two weeks tops. How difficult it will be. Casey had tried to visit the Detective a few times, with the excuse that she needed to prep Olivia for the trial. But every time she tried to even mention Alex the Detective would shut down and the second time she had sent her out of the room, telling her that she didn't need to come back again, not even for prepping. That was yesterday and now Alex, Casey and the squad, including Cragen, started to get worried. It looks like Olivia is pushing away everyone in her life. As soon as the redhead had left the hospital Olivia had asked Nathalie for a phone telling her that she needed to make a phone call that couldn't wait. Nathalie had agreed with the Detective's request and brought her a phone. Olivia had called Liz Donnelly and said that she would use all the favors she had coming from the older blonde. The Detective told her that she wanted Liz to take over her case. When Liz refused at first, the Detective had made it perfectly clear in very few words that if she didn't do it, the Detective would let the DA's office to drop the charges against Prentiss concerning her. Liz reacted shocked of course and said that Olivia wouldn't do that. All the Detective had to say was 'Try me.' Liz knew that Olivia was serious about it and would actually do it. Now Liz was a Judge but had said a long time ago that she would lay down her position for a short time if she was really needed to try a case for the squad or if there would be case concerning Alex or Casey. To Liz Olivia was equal to Alex so she didn't hesitate when Olivia had dared her to refuse the case. That's how she ended up in the hospital and is knocking on the Detective's door. After Olivia asked who was at the door and Liz said that it was her, the blonde ADA, temporarily, walks inside and closes the door behind her. Turning around she is shocked when she sees Olivia. A lot of the cuts and bruises were healing or already healed but all the plaster the Detective's covered in is obviously still there. It's very clear to see the assault Olivia went through.

"Don't just stand there, take a seat Counselor. I may have a few broken bones but I didn't break them all ya know." Olivia says as a greeting.

Liz walks to the bed and takes a seat next to Olivia's bed.

"Good morning Detective. You also have looked better than this. My God, are you sure you have some bones left that are not broken?" Liz asks.

"Good morning Counselor. Yes I'm sure. Except for my face all the bones on my right side are not broken and there are a lot more. But I get your point and it's pretty bad." Olivia answers.

"That's an understatement. Now I think I deserve an explanation for why I am here prosecuting your case instead of Casey or Alexandra. Don't come up with the crap that Alexandra can't prosecute it because of a conflict of interest. Although it's true legally, I know it's not the reason why she doesn't try it or Casey would've tried it. And for your information, Casey didn't tell me why when I asked her. She told me it's about the conflict of interest crap." Liz asks.

The blonde sees Olivia flinched when she said the blonde's name but doesn't say it. Liz has a feeling if she does she will be out of the room sooner than she went in it. Olivia thinks about Liz's question for a moment and decides to tell her the truth, partially.

"I don't want them to see me breaking down or getting into a flashback in the courtroom. I don't want them to see me at all, neither of them. Not the guys or Cragen nor Casey and certainly not Alex. I don't want the only family I have, remember me as the weak Detective who couldn't hold up herself in court. I don't want my friend.., I mean friends, remember me like that after the trial." Olivia answers softly.

Liz noticed the hesitation how short it may have been and knows immediately that Alex and Olivia had talked with each other and that the blonde is more to the Detective than she tells. She knows that when Alex left the Detective's room it was as her girlfriend. Again she decides not to mention it.

"Olivia, it's completely normal if you would have trouble to keep yourself together in court. And I know for sure that neither of the people you just mentioned would look at you differently if you would break down. Like you said they are your family and friends. They will never see you as weak or broken. You may have broken bones but you are not broken yourself. Yes it probably will take a lot of therapy to get yourself back together but, again, that won't change their minds or the way they see you." Liz says.

"Yes they will. They will see my as the person I am, the person I was and certainly have become. But enough about that. You're not here to play my shrink. What do you know about my case?" Olivia ask, changing the subject.

They talked for half an hour about what Liz knows about it and Olivia fills in a few blanks. As for her testimony she tells Liz that Casey has her full statement and that she can get it from the redhead along with the rest of the papers and everything else she needs for this case. Liz promised that she will get everything from Casey and that she'll back tomorrow morning before Olivia gets another surgery. Olivia told her to come back in two days, after she recovered from the narcotics from the surgery. So they agreed to that and when they are done talking about the case Liz leaves the Detective's room. As Liz leaves the hospital she knows she is the one with the unpleasant and unfortunate task to bring Alex and Casey the bad news. So she calls both ADA's and asked them to meet her in an hour. Of course both Alex and Casey wanted to know for what but Liz told them both the would find it out soon enough. Knowing that it would piss off Casey and certainly more than piss off her Goddaughter but this wasn't something she wanted to explain over the phone. So an hour after Liz made the calls she was sitting in her office when two very pissed off ADA's marched into her office.

"What the hell is so damn important that you couldn't tell me over the phone?" Alex asks slamming the door behind her.

"Take a seat Alexandra, you're gonna need it. You too Casey." Liz answers.

"I'll think I just stay, thank you very much." Alex answers.

The blonde isn't the only one that keeps standing, Casey doesn't take a seat either and looks equally angry too.

"Take the damn seat, Alexandra. You too, Novak. Trust me, you do need it." Liz says sternly, internally cursing Olivia for leaving her with the unpleasant task she has now.

Both Alex and Casey takes a seat across from Liz but not without shooting daggers at the older blonde.

"Thank you. Now I'll get straight to the point as for why I wanted the two of you come here. There is not an easy way to tell you this so I won't even try it. I got a call yesterday evening from Detective Benson with a request, actually more like demanding, to take over her case from Casey and I accepted..." Liz starts.

"YOU DID WHAT?! WHAT THE HELL?!" Alex yells.

"Why the hell did you take over my case? How the hell is that possible, you're a Judge?" Casey growls.

"If you both let me finish and keep your mouth shut till I'm done explaining everything it will be a lot easier to tell and you will get your answers." Liz says looking at Alex and Casey.

"Fine. But you better have one hell of an explanation." Alex says angrily.

"Like I said before I got interrupted by you two, I accepted because I didn't have a choice. It was either that or Olivia would go to the DA's office and make them drop the charges against that asshole. The charges concerning her assault that is. I refused and said she wouldn't do that. All she said was 'Try me.' now you both now that wasn't a meaningless threat. So after she said that I accepted. I will come to the reason she gave me in a moment. When I accepted my position as a Judge I had an addition included to my contract. That if it become necessary to prosecute a case on either your behalf or the squad's I would temporary lay down my position and temporarily go back being an ADA for the DA's office for the time needed to prosecute the case. As for why Detective Benson asked me, I think things are a lot worse than we all thought they were. It wasn't because she thinks neither of you can do it, because she thinks you can. It's because she doesn't want anyone to see her in court losing it and breaking down or getting a flashback. She doesn't want anyone she considers family or friends remember her as the Detective who couldn't hold herself together in the courtroom after the trial. Actually to be exact family, friend or girlfriend. I wasn't born yesterday. She didn't say it Alexandra but she hesitated and said friend before she corrected herself. Not because she doesn't love you anymore but because she wanted to protect you and not outing your relationship. Now that on itself isn't something to worry about for too much. What comes next is. I think she wants they cut all ties with everyone loving her or she loves because off what she said after that. I told her that nobody would change their mind or the way they saw her and she said that you all would. That you would see her as the person she is or was and certainly had become. Again her words not mine. She didn't say it literally but she let it shine through that she meant that in her eyes she is, was and will always be damaged goods. And that's the way you will always see her. That's the reason why she threw the both of you of her room and refused anyone to visit her. And that's why she threw Casey out yesterday and called me." Liz explains.

As soon as Liz is done talking Alex stands up and walks to the door.

"Alexandra what are you going to do?" Liz asks.

Alex ignores her Godmother and opens the door.

"Alexandra Stephanie Cabot! Where are you going and what are you going to do?" Liz asks.

The only answers the oldest blonde gets is a door slamming behind the retreating form of the youngest blonde. Liz looks at Casey.

"Do have any idea where she's going or what she's going to do, Casey?" Liz asks a bit surprised about Alex's behavior.

Casey looks back from the door to Liz with a small smile around her mouth.

"She's either gonna set things straight or destroy her relationship for good. She's going to Liv." Casey answers.