Juliet and Juliet?

Chapter 2

Alex felt herself being pulled into a warm embrace, she reached up and blindly wrapped her arms around the strong shoulders of the Detective. She felt her chest contract and struggle for breath as she was being tugged towards the couch. She could hear Olivia whispering "It's gonna be okay Alex, I promise" over and over again in her ear.

They sat down on the couch, Olivia kept one arm draped over her shoulders and held her close.

"You're staying with me until he's caught. This isn't up for discussion this time, I know you're strong and can take care of yourself. I know you don't want anyone intimidating you or making decisions for you again but this time I-"

"Okay." Alex cut off the Detective's passionate plea.

Olivia had expected more resistance, expected to have to make a convincing argument to win over the independent ADA and was momentarily taken aback at the ease with which Alex accepted her invitation.

Alex sat staring at the mahogany coffee table in front of them, eyes unfocussed. She turned to face Olivia, "What do we know about the brother?" She decided to focus on facts and not the urge to sink into the comforting, one armed embrace and fall apart.

Olivia loosened her grip on Alex's shoulder and moved her hand to gently rub circles on the ADA's back hoping the movement would help ground her. Truth be told, she was trying to ground herself, and her emotions.

She took a steadying breath, "He served 12 years of a life sentence in Attica, voluntary manslaughter. He made a deal with the Feds for information relating to gun running and his brother's activities with the IRA, he-"

She was interrupted as Alex stood abruptly, anger radiating from her core, "AND HE GOT OUT?!" Alex shouted. She stood motionless, her face frozen in disbelief, the only movement the not so subtle clenching of her fists. She looked expectantly down at Olivia.

Olivia reached for the clenched fists of the ADA, tried to uncurl them but Alex pulled her hands out of reach and backed away. She walked around the coffee table and aimlessly wandered to the other side of the room.

Olivia realised where she was heading and leapt from her seated position, "ALEX!" As the ADA spun round Olivia grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the window.

Olivia embraced her fully. She felt arms cling to her and could feel the speed of Alex's beating heart pressed against her. She moved one hand up the ADA's back and began to stroke the silky, blonde hair in an effort to calm them both. She inhaled the scent of her shampoo. 'Citrus fruits' she thought absently to herself. She uttered nonsensical words into her ear trying to soothe her. She couldn't begin to imagine what Alex was feeling right now but she knew she never wanted to experience that feeling of loss again. When the ADA had been 'killed' and before the impromptu meeting with Agent Hammond had revealed a very much alive Alex Cabot, Olivia had been bereft at her death.

When Captain Cragen had taken her into his office in December 2000 and told her of her mother, Serena Benson's death,she hadn't cried. She held it together but when a doctor walked into a waiting room packed with law enforcement officials restlessly awaiting news of ADA Alex Cabot, Olivia had taken one look at the way he carried himself, the sorrow in his eyes and the slow shake of his head and knew. She knew Alex was gone. She had found the nearest stairwell and sobbed uncontrollably.

Olivia took a deep, cleansing breath as if to try and dislodge the remembered pain of a past she hoped to forget. She pulled back and motioned for Alex to sit back down on the couch with her.

Alex gave her a small smile, "Wherever you just went Liv, don't go back there. The windows are reinforced, bulletproof and one way. I need you with me, Detective." She used the formality to remind them both of their ability to handle situations that civilians couldn't comprehend. As they sat back down, Alex kept one hand enfolded in Olivia's. She raised a well defined eyebrow expectantly to Olivia and waited.

Olivia took her cue and smiled. She took a firmer grasp of the hand she held, savoring the connection. Alex was right, this was about now, not the past. "As I said, Connors served 12 years before making a deal with the Feds. Before you say anything, post 9/11, our government is willing to deal with the devil in order to protect this country. He was released in 2006 and disappeared off the grid. The intel we've managed to get so far indicates that he's been in Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. He's a mercenary, a gun for hire"

Even as Olivia was saying it she couldn't believe it.

Alex shook her head, "A mercenary is out to kill me? The brother of the man who shot me, destroyed my life, is the hired gun? This cannot be happening Liv, if the Feds made a deal why is he even in this country, why isn't he under surveillance? Why wasn't he extradited back to Ireland? Is he another ghost'? Is it a family thing? Christ, I've been back with Special Victims what, 12 months, I finally feel like I'm Alexandra Cabot again and now...now..."

Alex stopped as abruptly as she had started. 'Control,' she reminded herself, 'not now.' She felt Olivia tug her back to the present with a gentle caress of a thumb across the back of her hand.

Olivia spoke quietly, "I know this is a lot to take in right now, I know there are more questions than answers and I can't possibly begin to comprehend what you're thinking right now but Alex, you have to believe me, this is real. Cragen's drafted everyone in, we have a joint task force with the FBI, Elliot is using all his contacts in the bureau and Huang is researching Connors' prison profile. We're gonna get him and you're gonna be safe. I promise. I won't let anyone take you away again. Alexandra Cabot is going nowhere. Where you go, I go." Her voice faltered as she said the last part and she bowed her head hoping that Alex hadn't noticed her swallow the lump in her throat.

She and Alex had clashed from their first meting but this didn't affect their working relationship and over the months and then years they had become good friends. Both women admired and respected the other's strong mindedness and dedication to the victims. There was also an underlying current of something unexplored between them. Something, that despite the years and distance, never diminished.

Things hadn't been easy since Alex returned, too much had been left unsaid and there never seemed a good time to discuss what they really needed to be talking about. Olivia couldn't understand why the ADA had been out of WPP for three years and never returned her phone calls or emails. She had listened to Alex's flimsy response that she had 'picked up the phone to call' only to remember the events of that fateful night. Olivia pushed all these thoughts aside, determined to focus on their current situation and the potential threat that faced Alex. Faced them both.

"Alex. Alex, look at me." Olivia watched as Alex moved her head slightly she realised the time for panic was over, they needed to get their perspective back and right now that meant mobilising. There was a protective detail downstairs, all the exits were guarded. There was no way in or out without detection. The guys back at the squad were poring over every detail. Looking into every lead and the Feds were checking satellite imagery from O'Hara's location prior to his arrest looking for any sign of Connors.

Olivia spoke with purpose, "We need to get you out of here. Take what you need from your office. I know it's too much to ask you to stop working completely and I don't want to arg-"

Alex opened her mouth to protest but Olivia raised her free hand and silenced her with a finger to the blonde's parted lips.

She smiled and continued, "I don't want to argue with you. There's a car waiting downstairs, we need to get moving. McCoy's up to speed with what's going on and your case load is being redistributed, everyone wants to help."

Alex heard her but couldn't concentrate on anything other than the warm, slender digit resting against her lips. Olivia started to pull her finger away, realisation dawning at the intimacy of the gesture.

A hand reached up and brought the finger back to the lips and pressed a gentle kiss against the tip, "Thank you," whispered Alex.

Olivia smiled.

Suddenly an ear splitting siren filled the air.

The fire alarm.

The fire alarm never went off.

Except on drill day.

This wasn't drill day...