Author's Note: This is a fluffy little piece that I wrote just for the heck of it. The characters associated with Law & Order SVU are the property of Dick Wolf and NBC. No harm, foul or infringement intended. The other characters belong to me and I can't imagine why anyone else would want them, but if for some reason you do, please ask first. I write for fun not for profit. I've rated this T for some language and adult situations. Feedback in any form is always appreciated. Enjoy!

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Getting called to her ADA's office to review a case at 3pm on a Friday was not exactly Detective Olivia Benson's idea of fun. She understood the need though and sighed as she approached the door to Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Cabot's office. The door was open, but Alex had the phone to her ear.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Kip." Alex looked frazzled, a look Liv rarely saw from her ADA.

Olivia knocked on the doorframe.

Alex looked up and motioned her in. She then held up a single perfectly manicured finger to indicate she'd just be a minute.

Liv slipped off her leather jacket and sat down in a chair opposite her.

"I'm growing desperate, Kip. Do you know of anyone else?" Alex removed her black-rimmed glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose.

Liv crossed her legs and drummed her fingers on her knee.

"Yes, I've already left a message with him. Ok. Thanks for trying. Will do. Ciao, Kip." Alex sighed and closed her eyes.

Liv smiled. "Man trouble?"

Alex rubbed her temples. "Hardly."

"You seem pretty stressed. Helping people is what I do. Bounce it off me. Maybe I can help." Liv uncrossed her legs and leaned in.

Alex opened her eyes and took a breath. "I have a social thing tomorrow at the club. Tennis with good family friends. My standing 'date' called a half an hour ago to cancel and now I'm scrambling for a date/mixed doubles partner at the last possible second." Alex scrubbed her face with her hands before replacing her glasses.

"Well, I'm sure you'll find someone. There's got to be a line three deep to get a date with you." Liv smiled reassuringly.

Alex laughed. "Flattering, Liv, but not the case. I haven't had a real date since...well, maybe law school."

"I know what you mean. Look, one of these society man-candy types in your little black book is bound to call any second now." Liv's face warmed. "They'd be fools not to."

As if on cue, the phone rang.

"I'm that good." Liv's smile changed to a smirk.

"Do you mind if I take this?" Alex smiled back. Liv shook her head.

"Alexandra Cabot." Liv loved Alex's professional tone. "Hello, Richard. Thanks for calling back so soon." She giggled over something he said.

'Alex giggling. There's something you don't hear every day.' Liv looked around trying not to eavesdrop.

"Yes, tomorrow. Kiki and Wilson." Alex smacked her forehead with the heel of her hand. "Of course. Silly of me to forget. Good luck at the regatta."

Liv mouthed "regatta" and rolled her eyes. They really were from different worlds.

"Love to Jeanette and Charles. Soon I hope. Ta, Richie." Alex hung up the phone with more force than necessary.

"Richie busy with a regatta?" Liv laughed.

The normally icy ADA shot fire from her glacier blue eyes. She slammed both palms down on her desk and screamed, "FUCK!" She buries her face in her hands. "Sorry, Liv." She mumbled.

"S'ok. Are you ok? You want some water or something?" Liv gestured that she knew where those items were.

"No, thank you though. I'd only want to add gin." She looked at Liv who was frozen in her seat with a deer in the headlights look.

"I've, uh, never heard you curse before." Liv broke the awkward silence.

"You haven't spent enough time with me then." Alex took a breath and collected herself. "Let's get to work, shall we?" She shoved a file across the desk to Liv.

"The Klinger case. I remember. What are we going over, exactly?" Liv thumbed through the file.

"Defense wants to argue that you placed the idea of rape in the victim's mind." Alex shifted her pen in her fingers and jotted notes on her legal pad.

"WHAT?! Are you kidding me?" Fury flashed in the big brown eyes.

"Nope. Langan wants to argue that. Says the victim wouldn't have claimed rape if you hadn't led her there." Alex steepled her fingers.

"Well, he can go to hell! We've got the rape kit, Alex. Along with the idea did I plant her uncle's semen inside her and bruise her inner thighs while I was at it?" Now it was Liv's turn to bang her fist on the desk.

"What did you say to the girl when you arrived on the scene?" Alex looked Liv in the eye calmly through her glasses.

"Same freaking thing I say to every vic, Alex. 'What happened?'" Liv took a deep breath, her chest heaving with rage.

"Easy, Liv. I'm not the enemy." Alex's voice was pure reason.

"I know. I know." Liv stood and began to pace. "We just work so hard and it's open and shut. Then some idiot like Langan comes along and makes mud where there is none." She ran her fingers through her cropped chestnut hair.

"I know. He's basing this on one time in six interviews that Vickie said the first thing you said to her was 'Were you raped?'. I can show your credibility, but a scared twelve year old..." Alex rubbed her forehead.

Liv laced her fingers behind her head as she continued to pace.

Just then, Alex's cell phone rang. Liv gestured that she should get it.

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An hour later Liv stood with her back against the door staring at the ceiling. For what had to be the sixth time, the phone rang and some society shithead named Kip or Biff or Blaine had explained how they were unavailable to play tennis with Alex. Liv cracked her knuckles one at a time out of boredom. She checked her watch. It was just after 5pm.

Alex hung with the same dejected look on her face...again. "Sorry, Liv. Let's wrap this up. I don't want to keep you from your weekend."

Liv laughed a short hard laugh. "What weekend? Biggest decision I'll make is whether to watch the Yankees or Mets while I eat my fishsticks and mac n cheese." She crossed over to the chair.

Alex titled her head with a sniff. "Actually sounds nice...and I loathe baseball." Alex tapped the legal pad with her pen. "Besides, every single man in the city has already called to reject me. There should be no further interruptions." She grabbed the file.

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A half hour later, they were done. Liv had never seen her ADA so dejected.

Alex pulled out her address book and glared at it.

"What is this deal tomorrow? Why are you so worked up and why do you need a date?" Liv kept her seat and regarded Alex as though she'd just asked her about the weather instead of a string of personal questions.

Alex sighed exasperatedly. She guessed she owed Olivia an explanation. "It's two really close family friends. It's their tournament and we play mixed doubles. It's an annual society benefit...a family obligation." She again removed her glasses and rubbed her tired eyes.

"Why do you have to bring a date?" Liv asked with an arched eyebrow.

"To play mixed doubles." Alex hoped she was finished with all of Liv's questions. She just wanted to be alone.

"I know, but does it have to be a man?"

"I...I don't know. Why?" 'What are you getting at, anyway?' Alex looked confused and knit her brow.

"I played tennis on the academy team back in the day. Now, I'm no pro, but I hold my own." Liv scratched the side of her nose with a swagger. "Rather than spending all night humbling yourself before every male in Manhattan until you wind up with Bernie from the mail room..." and there it was...the trademark Benson cocky smirk, "take me." Liv offered almost off-handedly.

Alex's jaw dropped. She squinted and stared processing what she heard. "You don't have to do that, but thank you. It's kind of you to offer."

"C'mon, counselor. Try me?" Liv walked around Alex's desk and leaned on it, giving a shrug. "Might even be fun. You said yourself I don't spend enough time with you. Who knows? I might get to hear you curse again." Liv smiled slowly.

Alex rolled her eyes and shook her head slowly. She flipped her long blonde hair back as she contemplated Liv's offer. "I guess so. But...can you play well?"

Liv gave a cocky crooked smile and gave a nod. "Yup. I do a backhand down the line that could change your religion, counselor." She gave an assuring wink.

"Ok, ok. Here." She jotted down the information on where to be and when. "We'll need to practice a bit before we play." Alex pursed her lips.

"Right." Liv nodded and grabbed her coat. "And hey, Alex?"

"Yes, Liv?" Alex looked up from the file she had begun to open.

"Don't stay here too late. I don't want my tennis partner to be too pooped to participate tomorrow." She winked again and headed for the door.

"I won't. Bye, Liv and thank you." Alex took a deep breath as Liv closed the door. "Any port in a storm, right?" Alex put down her pen and stretched. "Dear Lord, help me. I'm taking Olivia Benson in to the belly of the society beast." Alex smiled a small secret smile. "Should be interesting at a minimum."

As Liv confidently strode out to her car, she thought to herself, 'What have I done? I volunteered to attend a society function tomorrow as Alexandra Cabot's arm candy. Oh well, should at least be interesting.'

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