It had been a rough day for Olivia Benson. Not rough like scrapes and bruises; she could deal with those. No, this was rough like watching a kid get murdered, or seeing your best friend being hit by a car. Elliot Stabler was kind enough to keep the hell away from her, knowing full well that she hated discussing emotions, but Fin and Munch weren't nearly as accustomed to their female co-worker: Just as they were all leaving, Fin growled out, "Hey sour-puss, wanna go grab a couple of beers? It'll take the edge off ya." Olivia did her best to hide the surge of irritation at the playful jibe and stated simply, "Sorry boys, but alcohol just doesn't sound good right now."

Far from being able to understand the concept of alcohol not sounding good to somebody, it had only been the sharp whack that Fin received from Munch that had put an end to the over-extended invitation. Now Olivia sat alone at her desk, and she felt truly drained. Papers lay strewn across her messy desk, and much-deserved sleep crowded her mind. Unable to filter it out, she slowly leaned over her desk, face pressed to the cool metal, and her eyes didn't open until the feel of somebody's cold hand shocked her out of what could have easily been confused for a coma.

"Olivia? What are you doing here?"

Swiveling around clumsily, her heart rate slowed when she realized it was just Alex Cabot. The moment of relief was short-lived, however, and she glowed horribly when she noticed that she probably looked as crappy as she felt. The temperature inversion did not go unnoticed by the ADA, though it was definitely misinterpreted:

"Olivia, do you have a fever? You're burning up."

The detective thought that 'burning up' was precisely what she was doing. She felt like a flaming comet, bursting through the atmosphere at unbearably high speeds. It didn't help that Alex continued to press her palm against the back of her neck, going farther to smooth her hair back from her face.

"Come on Detective, let's get you home. Come on."

Slowly Alex coaxed her upright, and the tall blond gathered up her things, leading the groggy brown-eyed woman out into the parking lot.

"You're getting sick, aren't you?"

And Olivia nodded, because it was easier than telling the truth: She was in love with Alex Cabot, and there was absolutely nothing she could do about it.