Love and Litigation - An Alex Cabot/Law and Order SVU fanfiction

Chapter 6

Alex sat stoic in the New York State Supreme Courthouse. Closing arguments were delivered yesterday, and the jury had finally reached a verdict. The case she'd been trying had weighed heavily on both her and her colleagues. 

22 year old Hannah Poloma had been gang-raped, sodomized, and fatally stabbed to death. She was found near the Chelsea Pier with nothing more to her name than the clothes on her back. 

As the jury filed in, she looked over her shoulder at the back of the courtroom. There sat Nick Amaro and Olivia Benson, the two officers who had been first on scene. They traded knowing glances as the judge began proceedings. 

Within a few minutes the verdict was read: Ian Vortman, guilty of first-degree murder. 

Alex released the breath she didn't realize she'd been holding and looked over at the defendant. His eyes were cold and barren, and he displayed no reaction to the decision. Even after all this time, she never could get quite used to the pure evil that regularly sat opposite side of her. The actions of these people often reached far beyond her comprehension. 

As she gathered her papers into her briefcase, a male voice filled her left ear. 

"Nice job, counselor." 

She turned to find Nick and Olivia standing behind her, their satisfaction with the outcome apparent. 

"Thank you," she said, latching her briefcase and grabbing it by the handle. "Sentencing will be next week, and I will be requesting the maximum." 

After walking out of the courthouse in unison, the trio headed back to the precinct. Alex was met with congratulatory commentary and pats on the back. She had to admit, that was a feeling she never tired of. One glaring absence after her return was Luke. This case had been important to him too, and she had honestly expected to see him in court today. She found herself with a tinge of worry as she carried on about her day. 
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Later that evening: 
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Alex sat her desk, finishing up the tedious paperwork from the case this morning. As she neared completion, a soft knock sounded on the door. 

"Come in." 

Relief came over her as Luke stepped in and closed the door behind him. 

"There you are," she greeted him emphatically. "I haven't seen you all day. I thought you might be in court this morning." 

"Yeah, I had some things this morning and lost track of time." 

There was an apparent look of worry on his face, and he looked like he hadn't slept the night before. She studied his body language as he collapsed into the chair opposite her. 

"Are you okay?" 

"I'm fine." 

Alex cocked her head in unbelief. She knew him better than that. 

"Alright, well if you need to talk you know I'm here." 

She casually ran through the papers on her desk, waiting to see if he would suddenly feel the urge to tell her what's going on. 

"Would you like to get dinner?" 

Alex fumbled her pen at the sound of his voice. She looked up to find his eyes locked on her. As she opened the drawer that housed the takeout menus, he got up to stop her. With slight force, he closed the drawer. 

"Not takeout. I mean a real dinner. With cloth napkins and food that doesn't come with a fortune." 

The notion completely blindsided her. Was this his way of asking her out? He had taken up residence on the edge of her desk, close enough for her to smell the cologne wafting from his neck. 

"I'm almost finished up here, just give me--", she stopped. The weight of his gaze on her sent butterflies rushing through her stomach. Suddenly, her time had been freed up. 

"You know what? I can finish this up in the morning. Dinner would be lovely." 

Luke flashed a smile at her, and they headed out together.