AN: thank you so much for your feedback so far, it's guided me with this story and helped me keep to some kind of schedule! As a thank you to all those who have reviewed – especially LOCISVU, Kendra23 and SilkpoetV – this chapter is longer than the last few  As a whole, this story wasn't meant to be very long at all, but it's quickly turned into my biggest piece of writing yet and I feel it's ready to draw to a close – I could easily go on for far too long! Anyway, I hope you enjoy it; let me know what you think!

"Would you like a coffee? I'm going to grab a quick shower," said Olivia as she opened the door to her apartment, plucking at her shirt as if she couldn't wait to divest herself of it. She flipped on the lights, realising just how dark it was outside.

"Sure, I think we'll need some caffeine to keep us going this evening," Alex said, tiring herself out just by thinking of the daunting task ahead. Somewhere in the city, a girl was stashed away – alive, or dead, nobody knew – and they needed to find her. If not to save her life, then at least for closure. The ADA knew that was just as important for the families, and the detectives; the thought that she may remain hidden and undiscovered was saddening.

"Kettle's through there," Olivia said, shedding her jacket slowly. She was aching but a hot shower would help. "Make yourself at home."

Alex nodded. "Give me a shout if you need a hand in there."

Olivia thought of taking the beautiful blonde up on her offer, but was resigned to the fact that there were more pressing issues at hand. The pace she and Alex had established seemed to work so far; if anything, she was worried about what would happen once the pressures of this case had lessened. She shook her head, shedding her jeans on her bedroom floor, and waited until she heard Alex reaching for coffee cups before she entered the bathroom. It's nice to have someone else here, she thought, realising that she and Alex hadn't spent much time apart in the last week or so.

As Alex heard the sound of running water, she left the freshly made coffee to cool and took the opportunity to look around Olivia's apartment. At work, the detective's private life was kept just that – private – and part of the woman's appeal had been her mystery. In some respects, the brunette still was a mystery that Alex couldn't wait to unravel. As she walked the length of the room, her fingers encountered the corners of photo frames; a cream lampshade; a small pile of newspapers and unopened bills. Although she wasn't taking every detail in, the attorney was getting a feel for the place, and after a few minutes, she decided that it was definitely an Olivia kind of place. Even the smell – clean, comforting – was just like the brooding detective. Alex wondered if the victims saw Olivia the same way she did; it would explain how they found it easy to take comfort in her presence. As she heard the water stop, Alex returned to the kitchen to collect their coffees before heading to what she assumed was Olivia's bedroom.

Aha...

The detective was towelling herself dry, rummaging in her closet for clean clothes.

"I think I remembered how you like it," Alex said, finding somewhere safe to put their mugs.

"Thanks," said Olivia, somewhat absently, cursing as she reached for some shoes.

"Here, let me."

The blonde gently pushed Olivia towards the bed as she reached for the offending footwear.

"Still a bit stiff?"

"Yeah," said the detective, running a hand through her cropped hair in defeat. She sat on the bed.

"If you think we can spare ten minutes or so...I could sort that for you."

Olivia raised an eyebrow.

Alex blushed as she explained. "Well, since you're not dressed yet...it makes sense for me to give you a massage now, rather than later." Olivia smirked at the sight of Alex's pink cheeks, feeling slightly guilty at finding the attorney's uncharacteristic fumble for words amusing.

"Sure, if that's okay."

There was barely a foot of space between them once the brunette stood, keeping eye contact with Alex as she dropped her towel. Alex struggled to keep her eyes above a certain level, and was sure that Olivia was finding the situation amusing. Neither of them said a word as Olivia turned, then moved carefully to lie on her stomach, fluffing up a pillow as she laid herself out for Alex. Your turn, Counselor.

The attorney was sure her gulp was audible but it was too late to turn back. You asked for this, Cabot. Taking a deep breath, she moved onto the bed; the dip of the mattress under her knees made it difficult to move with any kind of grace, and she struggled to keep her balance. She risked a look at the woman lying on the bed – Olivia's eyes were closed, her mouth turned up in a slight smile. Here goes nothing...

In one movement, she moved her leg over Olivia, effectively straddling her. She didn't miss the sudden intake of breath from the body beneath her, and it gave her confidence. You find this so funny, huh, Benson? Two can play that game. She made quick work of Olivia's lower back muscles, moving her way up to tanned shoulders and making a mental note of the scars she encountered. After a few minutes of working on a particularly tense spot on Olivia's left shoulder, she felt, and heard, the other woman's deep groan of approval. She could also feel the hips beneath her move slightly, and Alex wondered if Olivia realised what she was doing. Her fingers made their way back down, only this time, they trailed along the edge of the torso beneath her; feeling the strong muscles of Olivia's shoulders give way to the gentle bumps of her ribs, then the soft skin at the side of her breasts.

Olivia breathed in sharply again, unable to stop her body's reactions to Alex's touch. She soon realised that the attorney was teasing her, keeping her touch light and doing nothing to help the fire that seemed to have ignited low in her belly.

"Let me flip," she murmured, annoyed that she wasn't agile enough to move quickly. As she felt Alex's slight weight lift, she turned over. Her hands reached for the blonde's slim waist, tugging slightly at her sweater to bring their mouths together.

"Want something?" Alex said.

"You know damn well what I want," Olivia said softly, shifting her hips for emphasis. She grinned as she felt Alex straddle her fully, her deceptively strong thighs pinning her to the bed. Not that I'm complaining...

"Just a kiss, Detective. Otherwise we'll never get out of here."

"Of course," Olivia smiled, knowing she'd get her wish. Alex laughed at the Cheshire Cat grin, knowing full well that trying to withstand Olivia's charm was pointless. Olivia Benson was one big weak spot, and one that she'd succumb to again, and again. As they kissed, the blonde could feel warm hands slide smoothly under her sweater, and she gasped, arching into the touch. Before she knew it, Olivia was guiding her arms through her sweater sleeves, throwing the item across the room.

"C'mere," Olivia said, meeting Alex with a kiss as her nimble fingers started to undo the zipper on the blonde's skirt. The feel of Olivia's fingers on her skin was making it hard for Alex to keep track of what was going on, and she broke off the kiss to deal with her skirt herself. Resuming her previous position, she leant down to kiss Olivia again, running her fingers through the short hair; Olivia's hands were now reaching around her back to unclasp her bra, and then...

The phone rang.

Olivia's head fell back against the pillow, as she caught her breath. "Goddamnit," she cursed, realising that they'd got carried away and that it was, in fact, her phone that was ringing. Alex, still looking a little flustered, had the presence of mind to find the device, which was still in the pocket of Olivia's jeans.

"Benson." Olivia spoke curtly into the phone

"Liv...Sloan's dead."

That got her attention. Sitting up, she put the phone on speaker so Alex could hear Elliot.

"What killed him?" Alex's attention was now also fully occupied, and she looked at Olivia questioningly.

"He had a bleed in his brain, a subdural hematoma. It came up on the CT scan but he died before they could do anything about it."

"Shit." Alex sighed.

"They also found a tumour. It's rare, and he was probably prescribed some pretty strong meds for the pain. Munch just left to check out the pill bottles in his apartment, see if he used any other names. But without chemo, his days were numbered."

"So he had nothing to lose."

"Explains a lot. We're trying to notify his brother, apparently both parents are dead and he lives in the city. But talking of heads...how's yours?" Elliot tried to lighten the tone a bit.

"As solid as ever, El," said Olivia, smiling slightly. "We were just about to check out that photo place, see if the manager knows anything about him."

"Be careful," Elliot said, disliking the fact that his partner was still working when she should have been resting. With Alex there, however, he knew Olivia would take care not to put them in harm's way. And she might stop Liv going off anywhere without backup.

"Will do, El. I'll call you if we find anything."

"I've never seen that man before."

Olivia was exasperated. "Are you sure?" she asked, showing the manager Sloan's mug shot one more time.

"Yes, I'm sure. Pardon the reference, but I have a photographic memory."

Olivia sighed. The man was being polite and helpful, but she was getting nowhere. Alex's hand on her elbow helped calm her somewhat.

"Do you have a security camera? We'd like to see who picked up the photos." The attorney was polite and calm, though she knew that some poor soul would have to sit through the tapes. At least they had a rough idea of when, since the manager kept meticulous records of when each film was processed.

Just as he was about to lead them through the back, the bell above the door chimed and a tall, stocky man entered. Though he was wrapped up in a long winter coat, Olivia could tell he worked out; she also noticed how his eyes locked onto her badge, and the recognition that slowly dawned when he looked up towads her face. Suddenly alert, she waited for him to make eye contact with her, and a split second later, she knew he was going to run.

"Ah, you're in luck! This is him." As the manager commented on their good fortune, Derek Sloan turned and ran. Olivia was out the door almost as quickly, shouting back at Alex to stay put. The attorney watched as Olivia pelted out of the door, past the shop window. I'll be damned if I'm going to stay here. Reaching for her car keys, she threw out a thank you as she also left the shop, running towards her car as best she could in her heels.

Soon enough, she found Olivia, who was starting to lag slightly. It was unsurprising, given how badly she'd been injured; no doubt the adrenaline had started to wear off. She honked the horn, pulling alongside the detective and rolling down the passenger window.

"Get in!" she shouted, trying to keep an eye on the perp and other traffic. Thankfully, there were hardly any other cars around.

Olivia looked grateful for the ride and got in as quickly as she could.

"What happened to staying put?" she panted, gasping at the pain in her chest. Not waiting for an answer, she completed her radio call to dispatch, asking for backup.

"Damn, he's quick," Alex muttered, as the man in question turned down a side alley. She braked, trying to see where Sloan was running in the dim light of the winter evening. Luckily, the light above a restaurant's delivery entrance helped confirm that he was running straight through.

"Shit." Olivia realised where he'd gone, and moved to get out of the car, but her body refused. She groaned in pain. Alex accelerated.

"Liv, don't move. I'll just cut him off at the other side." Olivia relayed their location to the dispatcher, realising that she couldn't do anything to stop him. Completely ignoring a red light, and once again thanking whichever God was responsible for the light traffic, Alex merged onto the next road, then threw another left. Ahead, they could see their perp slow and then stop, looking behind and around him for any sign of pursuit. Apparently satisfied that he'd shaken Olivia, he was in for a shock when a red and blue cruiser pulled up directly in front of him, parking haphazardly. The uniforms inside had their weapons drawn before he could even think of a direction to run in.

"Don't move a muscle, Liv. I'll be right back." Alex's authoritative tone left no room for discussion, and Olivia settled back into her seat, turning on the heat in the car. She watched as Alex walked over to the arresting officers, slipping on her gloves against the cold night air. Her breath fogged as she spoke, and Olivia was entranced by it; sitting in the warmth had made her realise just how tired she was. Their evening wasn't over yet, though. Flipping her cell open, she called Elliot.

"Stabler." He sounded frustrated.

"El, we have something. We just caught the guy developing Sloan's pictures. What are the odds it's his brother and that he was in on the whole thing?" Her enthusiasm was infectious; sheer luck had provided the biggest break in the case yet.

"Where does he live?" Elliot sounded much more awake.

"Alex is just getting a note of his address. Wait...yeah, here she is."

Alex had re-entered the car, and took Olivia's phone. Reciting the name and address to Elliot, she hung up and started the engine.

"Ready, Detective?" The blonde was smiling, for at last there was light at the end of the tunnel. If Derek Sloan had been holding the girl captive, chances were that she was alive.

"As ever. Though I think I owe you two dinners, now."

Alex laughed, the light sound filling the space of the car and doing something funny to Olivia's insides. "I'll hold you to that."

There were squad cars already parked outside by the time Alex and Olivia arrived, and they could both see Stabler outside the building. Once Alex had parked, Olivia eased her way out of the car; though her short run had done her no good, she could at least breathe properly again. Alex held open the door for her, silently offering assistance just by being there. Though Olivia again refused it, she showed her appreciation by a quick squeeze of the blonde's shoulder as they both walked towards Elliot.

"Scene is clear, they've just taken her to the hospital." He looked grim but definitely less stressed since the last time Olivia had seen him.

"Is she okay?" She asked, wishing she could have spoken to the victim.

"She was in pretty bad shape. He left her food and water but there are signs of assault. She didn't wake up when they loaded her onto the bus, so nobody's had a chance to speak to her."

Olivia nodded. That would come later, and she was hesitant to let Alex see that side of her work. Speaking to traumatised victims – especially children – so soon after the event was something she did on a regular basis, and yet she still found it difficult every time.

"Ah, there you are."

Both women turned at the sound of Cragen's voice. He looked as if the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders.

"We're still waiting for CSU, and I'm about to send Elliot to the hospital. You did good, both of you."

"Thanks, Cap." Olivia smiled when Alex reached for her hand and gave it a supportive squeeze.

"There's going to be a lot of waiting around, why don't you head home? Olivia, you look a little peaky."

"She went running after him, Don. I've never seen anyone move so fast," Alex said, smiling as Olivia dipped her head.

"I'll bet that hurt," he commented, knowing his detective would never admit to it. Sure enough, she said nothing but sent him a muted glare. He chuckled.

"Go home. Alex, look after her for me, will you?"

The blonde nodded, happy to see that Cragen was in a much better mood. He tipped his flat cap towards them, before heading to speak to Elliot. Alex almost jumped when she felt Olivia's head come to rest on her shoulder.

"I forgot my gloves," she murmured, obviously cold and tired.

"I noticed that. C'mere," Alex said, opening her jacket and facing her lover. Olivia's arms wrapped around her waist and the ADA winced as she felt just how cold those hands were. The detective's head was resting on her shoulder again, and so absorbed was she in enjoying this moment with Olivia that it took her a moment to notice the change in weather.

A snowflake landed on her nose, and she looked up towards the sky to see flecks of white slowly drifting towards them.

"Liv," she whispered, speaking into the other woman's ear. "It's snowing."

Olivia raised her head, following Alex's line of sight. Unbidden, a tear spilled over her right cheek. She was exhausted, and in pain; but the heat of Alex keeping her warm and the beauty of the snow overrode everything.

"It's like it makes everything clean," Alex said, finally looking at Olivia.

"You're crying, Liv. What's wrong?" she asked worriedly, taking off a glove to run her thumb down the tear-stained cheek when Olivia turned to her.

"For once in my life...absolutely nothing. I love you," she whispered, ducking her head slightly as she kissed Alex, the warmth they shared isolating them from the cold outside. Snow fell around them as blue and red lights lit the street; the noise of the world was somehow muted as they ignored the existence of everything else in that moment. It was perfect.