DISCLAIMER: The original characters are ours; the rest we're borrowing from Dick Wolf. This is a love story between two consenting female adults, and may contain adult material. Caveat emptor.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Third prequel series to the Lemon Seed Orange Tree series. This is the sixth of seven stories…
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
Falling For You
By Adrienne Lee
6. CAN'T HELP FALLING
Alex had scored another stunning victory. As the guards led the prisoner away, the blonde was immediately surrounded by well-wishers congratulating her on a job well done.
It was interesting how everyone seemed to have forgotten that Olivia Benson was the one who ran down a long block, scaled a fence, disarmed and apprehended the perp. Everyone including the detective herself.
She watched as their ADA shook hands with the victims and their friends and families, wishing she could have been the first one there, to let the blonde know how wonderful she was throughout the entire trial. Instead, she had to wait her turn.
The victims always come first, right, Benson? That's what you tell yourself when it comes to your job, she reasoned with herself.
But she knows I'm here, and she didn't even look at me, not one glance. She sighed into her hands, and sulked. It's like I don't even exist. What's up with that?
If it were me up there, I would've searched for her, and at least smiled. Olivia thought sorrowfully. Maybe I should just go back to the station… It'll be a while before she had any time for me anyway. Yeah. She made up her mind, and slipped out of the courtroom.
She didn't notice the slight tip of the blonde's head, nor the blue eyes following her moves…
Outside the court house, the detective leaned against a column, eyeing the press wearily. Nope, she's not going to have any time for me. None whatsoever. At least not until these bloodsuckers are through. She lowered her head, and started down the steps.
She didn't see a shorter brunette moving in her direction, didn't notice until she felt a hand on her arm, and lips against her own.
"Whoa!" Olivia yelped, pushing her attacker away.
"Whoa!" The other woman started to fall backwards.
"Shit, Becca!" She grabbed her ex-girlfriend, and helped her regained her equilibrium. In the process, however, she somehow lost her own. That she heard the press behind her saying, "Excuse me, District Attorney," or "Ms. Cabot, could you comment on the sentence", etc. probably had something to do with it.
Rebecca Hendricks walked down to the step where the detective had fallen, and extended her hand, "Jesus, Liv, are you okay?"
"Just get away from me, will you?" Olivia snapped. "And don't call me Liv," she hissed, while trying to get up. Unfortunately, doing so before she fully had her feet under made her fall once more.
The other woman took a few more steps. "Are you all right? I didn't realize I have that kind of power over you," she laughed. "Just one little kiss…"
"Shutup! Shutthefuckup!" Olivia nearly yelped, twisting her head to look for Alex. God, I hope she didn't see or hear any of this. Fortunately, the blonde was completely surrounded by people holding microphones and cameras.
"Ah," the former-cop turned psychiatrist sat down next to her friend. "So she's the real reason you fell from grace."
"No, Rebecca, I did it trying to keep you from falling."
"If you hadn't pushed me away, I wouldn't have…"
"What do you want?" Olivia interrupted.
"She's lovely, Liv, I mean, Olivia." Hendricks commented good-naturedly. "You know it's going to be hard for me to do that, to call you by your formal name, since I'm the one who gave you your nickname."
"What do you want, Rebecca?" The detective asked again, and sighed loudly.
Instead of answering, the smaller woman posed a question of her own, "You were afraid she saw me kiss you, weren't you? You still are."
"Just mind your own damn business," Olivia half snarled.
"You've really got it bad."
Olivia glanced up to the crowd, then looked away. "Why don't you shut up and leave me alone?"
"How the mighty have fallen; she's certainly got you whipped." Rebecca grinned.
The detective blushed a deep shade of red. "Just shut up. Why did you do it anyway?"
"It was just such a surprise to see you. I guess, well, I certainly didn't think you'd react so badly." The shorter woman explained. "Besides, I didn't think there were rules against one friend giving another friend a hello kiss. Especially considering our past."
"Will you stop bringing that up?"
"Did I even mention the nature of our relationship? God, Olivia."
"Fine. Now that you've seen me, ki… assaulted me and talked to me, why are you still here?" Olivia complained.
"Assault?"
"It's the intent to commit battery or the arousal of fear…"
This time, Hendricks interrupted, "Of bodily harm, Olivia? Believe it or not, I haven't forgotten anything I learned at the academy. I can see you haven't stopped being a drama queen either."
"Shutup."
"Why are you so hostile? It's not like she saw me ki…"
"Stopped using that word!" Olivia whined.
"Gee, didn't realize we're still in fourth grade." Rebecca laughed, ignoring the dirty look. She patted the detective on the knee. "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me."
"What secret is that?" Olivia asked suspiciously.
"That you're completely besotted. At least that's the only thing that makes sense. Otherwise you wouldn't be so worried about a little hello greeting from an old friend, and you wouldn't have slipped and fallen on your ass in public."
"Leave me the fuck alone, DOCTOR Hendricks."
"There you go again with all that hostility. You should see someone about anger management. You could make an appointment with me if you like," Hendricks teased.
Olivia beat her fists against her knees. "I don't need anger management, I just need you to go away and leave me alone."
"Does Blondie know how she affects you? My goodness, Benson, you've got it really bad. Really, really bad," the psychiatrist observed.
"Shutup! ... Just...shut...the...fuck...up!" Olivia said through gritted teeth. "Why can't you leave me the fuck alone? Go shrink someone else!"
"You have legs, Olivia, you can get up from these stairs and walk away."
Silence.
"Why don't you?"
More silence.
"Which tells me you really would like to talk. So let's talk. I'm sorry if you thought I was just having fun with you." Rebecca smiled sincerely. "So what would you like to talk about, Olivia?"
"I think I'm going to explode. Or implode," the detective began quietly. "If I don't share this with someone…"
"She doesn't know how you feel?" Then she rolled her eyes. "Oh wait, I forgot who I'm talking to."
"Forget it, Rebecca."
"Come on, Olivia," she tugged on the detective's pants. "Sit down. Have you been under more stress than usual lately? You never were like this, maybe except…"
"Shut up, Becca."
"Oh, my God, you haven't slept with her yet. Queen of the one night stands, Love'em and Leave'em Benson, and you haven't scored yet. Wow, I'm impressed with Blondie."
"Go to hell! And stop calling her that; you used to be blond, too!"
"Yeah, well, I'll bet hers didn't come out of a bottle. Oh, wait, you wouldn't know, would you?"
"Just go to hell." The detective sucked.
"I'm sorry, I just couldn't help it, I can't believe," Rebecca laughed and watched her former lover turned an even darker shade of red. "I want to know how she does it. How does she keep you around?"
"Can you just give it a rest?" Olivia groused. "Why the sudden interest in my sex life after all this time?"
"According to Maslow, food and water, sex, and avoidance of pain are the most basic needs for all animals. Except, maybe for you. Sex might be your only basic need."
"Are you done?"
"Have you even gotten to second base yet?"
Silence.
"Oh my god, you haven't even gotten on base yet, have you?"
"What are we, Rebecca? Six graders?"
"You tell me, Benson. I think, given this day and age, most six graders have at least kissed."
"Rebecca…" Olivia stared at her shoes and sighed.
"You're not going to cry on me, are you?" The psychiatrist gave her old friend's knee a quick comforting squeeze. "What has this woman got on you? Who is she? An ADA? Don't tell me she's your ADA."
"What do you care, and what damn business is it of yours?" Olivia asked dejectedly. "And she's not mine…"
"How long have you been in love with her, Liv?" Rebecca asked, point blank.
She let the nickname go. "Is it really that obvious?"
"Probably would be to a blind person."
"Thanks, Doc."
"You're welcome. So you haven't told her."
Shaking her head, Olivia sighed again. "She doesn't have a clue."
"Maybe you haven't told her, but she's got to know."
"I don't think so."
"Either she's blind, or she's got bigger issues than you."
Dark fire flashed from Olivia's eyes. "She doesn't go around shrinking people!"
"Temper, temper." Hendricks just shook her head, and continued, "Why don't you tell her?"
"I'm not sure I can bring myself to..." The detective laced her hands about her knees, pulling herself into a tighter ball. "What if she doesn't feel the same way?" The sound of her own little girl voice grated her ears.
"You'll never know until you take the chance, Olivia."
"That's brilliant advice, Dr. Hendricks. Is that the kind of suggestions you'd give your patients?"
"I haven't lost one yet. You'd better tell her soon, Benson."
"Yeah, whatever…"
"I guess this means I don't stand a chance, huh?"
"You're kidding, aren't you?" Olivia's head snapped up; she twisted to face the other woman. "You've had your chance. You dumped me, remember?"
"Well, you can thank me with flowers." Rebecca smirked. "You can send a thank you bouquet without getting in trouble with Blondie, can't you? Speaking of whom," she looked towards the dispersing crowd, and the approaching woman. "Think it's time I take my leave."
The detective whipped around, to see Alex looking into her eyes. "Uh, Rebecca…"
The psychiatrist chuckled and stood up. "I'd tell her soon, if I were you," she whispered. "Here, here's my card. If you want to talk, call me," she said sincerely, and smiled when her friend slipped the piece of paper into her pocket. When she was certain the blonde was within earshot, she added, "I'll even do it gratis, since I can't really charge you anyway, departmental policy, you know. Besides, you'll go broke before we can fix you."
"Rebecca!" Olivia eyes widened. Then a huge smile found its way to her face. "Hey, Counselor."
Alex nodded curtly. "Hello, Detective."
Rebecca extended her arm to the sitting brunette. "Well, it was good to see you, Olivia."
"Yeah," she got up and shook the proffered hand. "Good to see you, too, Dr. Hendricks."
Rebecca Hendricks smiled at the blonde. She then gave Olivia her parting advice, "Carpe Diem, Detective. Don't forget."
Her eyes narrowing almost imperceptibly, Alex asked, "Who's that?"
Most people would not have noticed the slightly shrilled hard edge to her voice, but Olivia did. It made her heart beat faster, and her smile wider to know that Alex cared. That perhaps she was even a little bit jealous. "An old friend, acquaintance really. We were in the academy together. Then she decided she'd rather be a shrink, than a cop. Can you imagine."
Alex smiled, seemingly satisfied with the explanation. "Sorry I couldn't catch you back in the courtroom."
"You saw me?"
"Of course. You always sit in the same spot. Like a constant."
"A constant?"
"Well." The ADA shrugged casually. "Sometimes it's kind of crazy in there. Then there's you… Anyway, where do you want to go?"
Her brows drew together. So I'm some beacon of sanity?
"Liv?"
"Go? Oh, you mean lunch?"
"Don't we have a standing date? Unless," she didn't cover her disappointment. "Do you need to go back?"
"No, I'm off today, switched with Munch, so we can go celebrate. Do you have time for dotted heart?"
"Touch of heart, Dim Sum, Liv, dotted heart makes me think British sponge pudding."
"That's spotted dick." Olivia smirked, and grabbed Alex's briefcase, slinging it over her own shoulder.
"Yeah, whatever," the blonde walked on ahead to hide her smile.
Quickly, Olivia followed down the stairs. "Touch of heart, then, Alex?"
Alex looked around, then briefly touched her friend's hand. "Sure."
Each wearing a smile reserved for the other, the two women disappeared down the street…
The End
Sequel Next Time I Fall