Title: Jagged

Author: wyldbluetruth

Feedback: wyldbluetruth@earthlink.net

Fandom: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Pairing: Alex/Olivia

Rating: PG

Warnings: None

Disclaimer: Wolf Films, Universal and others higher up the food chain have that honor.

The injured woman lay silent in the softly lit apartment.  The couch she was sprawled face down on was facing the night sky as it washed through the floor to ceiling windows.

To quite a few souls in the sometimes dark, dark city, she was seen as some sort of avenging angel.  An air of danger surrounded her, even when she was being the kind soul everyone had come to know.

But this cool spring night, the avenging angel was in pain; and more than that, alone again.

~~~~~

Olivia Benson had rushed headlong into her fair share of trouble.  Most of the time it was for justice or defense.  But there had been a few moments, admittedly mostly in her youth, that she did things for purely selfish reasons.  And as much as she would like to put the day's actions into the former category, she knew deep in her heart the real reason she had done what she had done. 

The dark eyed detective felt a light breeze float across her exposed back, actually soothing the jagged gash that had just recently been stitched up.  She allowed her eyes to close and willed the pain to leave her body, but it only worked a little.  Sighing deeply, Olivia forced herself to relax and began to think about her day.

~~~~~

Olivia had actually begun to accept the fact that she'd always be alone.  And that really didn't bother her, because she hadn't met anyone yet who really touched her soul.  Until Alex Cabot walked into the squad room.  It took a little while, but eventually Olivia managed to turn her intense adoration for the beautiful ADA into a manageable respect and friendship on the job. 

Olivia had never been one to be indecisive about anything.  She knew almost immediately that she had fallen long and hard for the strikingly intelligent Alexandra Cabot.  She absolutely relished the moments that they were together.  But she also knew that the ADA would probably be, at the very least, put off by any advance, and at the very worst, completely repulsed.

With the kind heart and gentle soul that Olivia knew Alex had, the detective knew deep in her heart that Alex would never shun her.  But even the strong Olivia didn’t think she'd be able to handle the change that Alex would show to her.  So she kept her mouth shut, and her feelings locked deep inside.

~~~~~

Olivia felt herself slipping deeper into unconsciousness as her thoughts began to focus on Allie.  Allies was the name Olivia’s mind had immediately started to call Alex.  Her mind flashed to the events of today.

~~~~~

Elliott, Alex, and Olivia had been interviewing a recently arrested skel to obtain information on multiple victims that had not been found yet.  The interview digressed rapidly with the skel, particularly evil man by the name of John Hanks, being absolutely no help.  Finally Alex decided that the interview was over and the three of them stood to leave.

Suddenly, the skel leapt across the table, a knife appearing in his chained hands.  Olivia and Elliot reacted instinctively.  Olivia pushed Alex back and covered the slightly smaller woman with her body as Elliott made a grab for the perp.

~~~~~

Lying there on the couch, Olivia’s memories slowed down exponentially, as she went over every detail of those few moments.

In those few heartbeats, the world almost stilled completely.  Olivia’s senses soaked up the moments, even as the back of her mind screamed at her the danger in the room.

Olivia felt the heat from the ADA’s body; she could also feel the toned muscles under her left hand flex as they were propelled into the wall.  She could smell the sweet vanilla of Alex’s muted perfume, mixed with the scent that was pure Alex Cabot.

Those few moments were short lived however, as she heard Elliot yell, “Watch out!” half a second before Olivia felt the knife tear through her shirt and slash across her back.  She kept quiet, knowing he’d be pulled off in a moment.  She knew she couldn’t leave Alex unprotected.  She turned her head, and looking into Alex’s face, assured herself that she was uninjured, then left the comfort of the blonde woman to help Elliott.

~~~~~

Alex was escorted out as the two detectives and the prison guards made sure that Hanks was secure.

Alex rushed the detectives as the exited the interview room; first Elliott, then Olivia.  She turned to Olivia and gasped at the now slightly bloody streak across the dark detective's back. 

“Olivia!  Why didn’t you say anything?”  Elliott demanded, concern for his partner coursing though his voice.

“It’s nothing,” Olivia tried to brush Elliott off.

“Yeah nothing.  Nothing to the hospital.  C’mon.”

~~~~~

The larger detective lead the way, grasping Olivia by her arm ad lead her to the infirmary first, where she was quickly patched up and then sent to Memorial for stitches.

~~~~~

The three seperated, with Stabler taking Benson to the hospital to get stitched up and Alex making her way back to the courthouse for an arraignment.  Donnelly needed her late though, and by the time Alex got out, the sun had far past set.

Stabler had been kind enough to call Alex and give her an update on Olivia, leaving the message on her voicemail during the late afternoon.  He had advised the ADA that his partner, as suspected, had needed quite a few stitches and had began her weekend early, at Captain Cragen's slightly fatherly order.

The beautiful blonde attorney placed the last of her files in her briefcase as she pondered whether she should visit the strong detective before heading home for the weekend.  Alex paused as she remembered her emotions during that brief moment that Olivia had forced her out of the way of danger.  Alex realized that Olivia's primary concern was her safety.  Olivia wanted to protect her.

Alex turned off the light to her office and walked briskly to the elevators, her decision made.  One she hoped she would not regret.