DISCLAIMER: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and its characters are the property of NBC and Dick Wolf.
THANKS: To Leslie for the awesome sketch of Alex & Olivia that sorta inspired this story and to all of you for reading and especially everyone on the Yahoo Group, vivalab – you guys rock!
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Part of the story range, Undercover.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
Undercover III: Charades
By VivalaB
Part 5
"Are you okay?"
Olivia blinked a few times as she shook her head, "I'm sorry, what?" she asked, forcing down the memories of their recently shared bath.
Alex raised her head from the cushion she was lying on and looked over at the dark haired woman sitting in the chair, "I asked if you were okay, you seem a little out of it," she asked again.
Olivia smiled over at the reclining figure in short and t-shirt, "Sorry, I was just thinking about tonight," she lied.
Alex nodded her head as she moved to an upright position and lifted her right hand, "This doesn't help us any, does it?"
"On the contrary," she replied, easing from the chair and moving over to the sofa. She sat next to the injured woman and smiled, "Makes you even more memorable," she said, giving Alex's bare knee a reassuring squeeze as she gazed into glittering blue orbs.
Alex swallowed at the unexpected compliment, "Are you always this smooth, detective?" she asked quietly, feeling her pulse race as her eyes glanced down at the deep 'v' of Olivia's t-shirt, remembering the feeling of hardened nipples pressing into her back.
Olivia shook her head as she removed her hand, noticing Alex's eyes slide downwards. She swallowed nervously as she wet her dry lips. Her mind drifting to the bath once more and the vast expanse of smooth skin that had been on display. Her stomach fluttered as she remembered the feel of Alex's body leaning against her own.
Alex licked her lower lip, fascinated by the rhythmic rise and fall of Olivia's ample bosom. She shifted her eyes upwards as Olivia's long fingers ran through her short hair and remembered how gentle those digits had been as they washed her own blonde locks. She realized she was staring and blinked slowly, she was about to speak when a loud knocking sounded from the front door.
Olivia's eyes shifted in the direction of the noise and instantly rose to her feet, cautiously peering discretely out the living room window. She smiled as she recognized the figure on the porch.
"Who is it?" Alex asked curiously.
Olivia smiled as she moved past her, "Someone who followed the yellow brick road," she answered cryptically.
Alex frowned and listened as Olivia greeted their visitor, rising to her feet as Dotty entered the living room, "Hi Dotty," she greeted, smiling at the older woman.
Dotty gasped as she saw the cast on Alex's arm, "I am so sorry, did that happen when you fell this morning?" she asked, stopping in front of Alex.
Alex nodded, "It's only temporary and I'm in good hands," she said, holding her left hand out for Olivia.
Olivia moved beside her and took the offered hand, holding it gently in her own. She looked at Dotty, "Won't you sit down?" she asked, indicating the seat she had recently vacated.
Dotty nodded and moved over to the chair, her eyes wandering around the living room. She settled in her seat and smiled at the two women sitting together on the sofa, holding hands, "Your home is lovely, you've done wonders in only a short time," she commented casually.
Olivia smiled, "Thanks, we had people move our belongings for us ahead of our arrival, all we had to do was unpack," she lied smoothly.
"I'll need to keep that in mind, if I ever decide to move," she said smiling.
Alex squeezed Olivia's hand, "Would you like something to drink? Tea, coffee, soda?" she asked Dotty, giving Olivia a gentle nudge.
"Don't go to any trouble dear, I just popped along to see how you were doing…Toto has been grounded with no TV for a week," the older woman replied seriously.
Olivia snickered, "Poor Toto…Alex was partly to blame, if she hadn't been so busy looking over her shoulder at me, she would have seen him on the path," she replied, wondering if she was tweaking them.
Dotty grinned at the dark haired woman, "I can see why she would be distracted," she said, casting her eyes appreciatively over Olivia's tight jeans and black form fitting t-shirt.
Alex bit the inside of her cheek, trying to suppress her smile as she noticed the blush rise in Olivia's cheeks. She leaned in and kissed Olivia's burning flesh before easing away and smiling at Dotty, "Yes, she can be very distracting," she agreed, unaware of the effect the simple gesture had caused.
Dotty laughed, "How long have you been together?" she asked.
"Almost ten years," Alex replied, glancing affectionately at Olivia.
Dotty smiled, "That's wonderful, you're very lucky…how did you meet?" she asked, directing her gaze towards Olivia.
Olivia smiled at her, "We were both working for a software firm, I was a program developer and she was a systems analyst…I was sitting alone in the office one day, when she walked in…" she paused, shifting her eyes to the the blonde beside her, "…sat on my desk and started asking a lot of demanding questions…I was instantly smitten by her cool demeanor and argumentative nature…we left shortly after and set up our own company," she said, smiling at the look on Alex's face.
"I am not argumentative," she pouted.
Olivia snorted, "Yes you are…you shoulda been a lawyer," she quipped.
"Cool demeanor? Is this going to end in an 'ice princess' comment?" she asked, arching an eyebrow in question.
Olivia shook her head, "I've never called you that," she said, wincing slightly as Alex squeezed her hand tightly.
Alex glared dangerously into playful brown eyes, "I bet you have," she taunted.
"Never…not once," Olivia confessed honestly, relieved when Alex loosened her grip.
Dotty watched the exchange and laughed out loud, "Oh my, I see why you two are a perfect match for each other," she commented innocently before adding, "Maybe I will have that drink after all."
Olivia closed the door and turned, surprised to find Alex behind her, "What?" she asked, shaking her head.
"Where did that come from?"
Olivia shrugged, "It's called improvising, I could say the same about you," she said, lifting her hand to the cheek Alex had kissed.
Alex's mouth dropped open as she realized what Olivia was referring to. She didn't know why she had kissed her and shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know, it seemed to fit the moment and…" she trailed off as images of Olivia's naked flesh appeared in her mind as she remembered how the detective had ignored her own wet flesh and gently towel dried her own. Their mutual embarrassment in the bathroom had been easily overcome as they focused on the task at hand, only now was Alex beginning to realize the intimacy of the whole act.
"Alex?"
Alex closed her eyes as Olivia called her name, "I need to lie down," she whispered, suddenly feeling unsteady on her feet.
Olivia reached for her instantly and guided her to the bedroom, "Why don't you have a rest, I'll wake you in an hour…do you need more pain meds?" she asked quietly, checking her watch and noting Alex was due to take another two pills in an hour.
Alex nodded and watched as Olivia left the room, returning with a glass of water and her medication. She swallowed the pills and washed them down with water, smiling up at the concerned face, "Thanks Liv," she said quietly as she lay down on the bed and closed her eyes.
Olivia looked at her friend and smiled, "If you need anything, just yell…I'll be in the kitchen," she advised, hesitating for only a second before leaning down and kissing her cheek gently.
Alex kept her eyes closed, "What was that for?" she mumbled sleepily.
"Oh I don't know…it seemed to fit the moment," she replied softly, quoting Alex's own words and smiling as she left the room.
Dinner had been interesting, Olivia had conjured up a surprisingly tasty chicken salad which Alex had thoroughly enjoyed. She watched as Olivia loaded the dishwasher, "I thought you couldn't cook?" she asked.
Olivia turned and smiled, "It was hardly a gastronomical delight," she replied, throwing the dish rag on the draining board and moving over to the seated blonde.
"It was delicious, I could get used to all this attention," she said smiling.
Olivia sat down across from her, "How is it possible that a beautiful, smart, sexy, intelligent, wealthy woman like you, is still on the market?" she asked, shaking her head with disbelief.
Alex's eyes widened in surprise as she considered her response carefully, "Luck," she finally drolled, rising from the table and effectively halting any further pursuit of that particular topic.
Olivia followed her into the bedroom and pointed to the closet, "Why don't you pick out what you want to wear and I'll help you get dressed," she suggested as she headed for the bathroom.
As soon as Olivia was out of sight, Alex blew out a shaky breath and ran her fingers through her hair. She swallowed at the thought of those gentle hands touching her body again and almost moaned aloud. She shook her head, dismissing naked images of the beautiful brunette from her mind and reluctantly moving over to the closet.
Olivia stood with her back against the bathroom door and sighed, running both hands through her hair. She looked over at the empty tub and rolled her eyes, "What was I thinking?" she whispered. She moved over to the wash basin and stared at herself in the mirror for a long, searching moment before nodding at her reflection, "You can do this, she's your friend, she's hurt and she needs your help," she encouraged herself quietly as another naked image of the beautiful blonde flashed before her eyes.