Disclaimers – The characters don't belong to me, I'm just using them as pawns in a lovely game of cat and mouse.

A/N Post 'Countdown' Season Two – so there are some teeny tiny spoilers for that episode but not much. This is the first of a 3 or 4 part A/O beginning story, most of which is already written. It's my first SVU fic so be nice? Mature content in coming chapters.

After more than three days straight on the job hunting down the guy who was abducting, raping and then killing little girls, Liv just wanted to watch him hauled outside and into the van which would take him to Rikers. Kind of like good riddance to a bad smell. She knew that if she didn't, then at some point in the night when she eventually slept, be it alone or with some insignificant male by her side, when she woke again in a cold sweat she'd know she watched him being incarcerated with her own eyes.

"You should go home." Elliot mumbled, making his way out to go home and make it up to Kathy and the kids that he'd missed the majority of the Twins' eighth birthday. "Or at least call Michael and beg for another go?"

Liv rolled her eyes, half exhausted and about to fall dead on her feet she leant into him, pretty sure she'd be good for nothing more than a quick fuck followed by a lot of loud snoring, let alone the blind date she'd been calling to cancel with most evenings that week. "You know I never beg El," she whispered, her tone setting the hairs on the back of his neck on edge.

He shook his head slowly, wishing for her to just find someone who'd be her match. So that at the very least, after the shitty few days they all endured on no sleep and Munch's poor excuse for coffee, she wouldn't go home to an empty apartment and her second best friend - a refrigerator bearing cold beers and some 3-day old Chinese take-out.

"Detectives."

ADA Cabot left the building on her way back to her office to prepare for Arraignment the following day, having successfully managed to convince the DA to plead the bastard out in exchange for the location of his first ever victim. She knew that Liv and Elliot would go to the dumpsite the following day, and after that, if they found what they expected to find then they would go and tell another Mother what had really happened to her child.

For a moment Alex became lost in the thought of it, knowing that the detectives still kept her shielded from all but the end details of their investigations. She hadn't even known until Cragen gave her a mouthful that the last time Liv, or Elliot, Munch or Fin had slept, showered or seen the inside of their homes was sometime before midday on Monday. It was Thursday afternoon, and Alex had to admit her new 'friends' the detectives didn't look their usual sparkly selves.

Elliot raised his hand to wave behind him as he turned away. "Counsellor." He called, as he climbed into an unmarked sedan. "Do me a favour and see that she makes it home before she falls unconscious and sleeps the next two days in the crib?"

"Liv?"

Alex tried to pull her friend out of her daze but the brunette was lost, watching the van as it drove away.

"Er … Liv?"

Liv startled for a second, then flashed a sleepy, adorable smile up at Alex.

"I'm sorry Alex," she mumbled, softly rubbing the ADA's arm – half out of a need to steady herself in the intense afternoon sunlight and half to quell the look of concern on the blonde woman's face. "You said?"

"Just trying to get your attention." Alex smiled, "I wondered if you'd like me to call you a cab, I don't recommend driving in your current state you could end up being the cause of a rather nasty accident."

Liv's lips curled into a hesitant smile, not knowing if it was the sunlight, the ADA's genuine concern or simply the fact she hadn't slept in 72 hours that was responsible for formulating her reply.

"Alex, you always have my attention …"

The second those words left her lips she found herself stumbling to take them back. Alex simply smiled.

"Liv," she shifted their touch so that she had firm hold of the detective's arm instead of the soft touch that was occurring the other way around. "You need good food, a hot bath and a warm bed with clean sheets." She paused, hesitant over finishing her suggestion. "Give me fifteen minutes to collect my papers and I'm taking you home …" She struggled to leave things in a way that prevented Olivia from refusing, adding softly, "I simply couldn't live with myself if I came in tomorrow and found you even more wrinkled than you already are surrounded by empty wrappers of rubbish from the vending machines!"

Liv chuckled over Alex's astute description of the possible scenario to end her day. She merely shrugged, willing to allow someone else to take on the responsibility of her getting fed and into a bed.

"I'll wait right here." She mumbled, slumping to take a seat on the steps outside the precinct.

Alex grinned and hurriedly hailed a cab. "Don't fall asleep there!" She yelled, before hopping in and giving the driver the address. "You've made it this far another fifteen minutes won't kill you!"

Olivia smiled as the cab pulled away, wondering when they had started to become friends with their ADA. Or perhaps, more specifically, she wondered when Alex had begun referring to her as 'Liv'? When sharing the same air space, and the odd argument or two had turned into soft touches, lingering glances and an offer of Alex making her dinner, followed by a bath, and bed, and the intention of sleep?

In the cab, Alex shuffled nervously, suddenly regretting her impulsive need to put herself out there and appear caring beyond what was necessary in appropriate social norms.

She knew it wasn't out of charity that she offered Detective Benson her home as a place of rest. She'd known for a while that her motives when it came to the brunette detective were less than pure and sometimes downright impure and explicit. She figured that making a move on her favourite detective when she was sleep deprived, hungry and reeling from a particularly horrific case was tantamount to one of the cases she herself might try. So she contemplated taking care of one or two of the factors which put Olivia in a weakened position and then, if something were to happen, so be it.

Olivia checked her cell as she sat on the steps waiting, and began a trawl through the polite but increasingly frustrated voicemail messages left by this guy Michael who Abbie Carmichael had set her up with after Liv declared she was in a dry spot and didn't care much if it was male or female as long as it had a pulse.

The truth was closer to home, dry spells never really bothered her she had enough on her mind to occupy her time between acquaintances. It was the hot, steamy, wet puddle that she kept finding herself in after a series of run-ins with the new ADA that left her with a definite itch needing to be scratched.

Just a pity Alex Cabot wouldn't be the one doing the scratching.

"Liv?"

"Hmn … Itch …?" Liv mumbled, looking up to see Alex gently coaxing her awake.

"Come on." Alex purred, helping her to stand. She led them both to the waiting cab. "I can't believe you fell asleep Liv," she half scolded, not really knowing if the semi-conscious detective was listening to her or not. "Anyone could have taken advantage of you!"

In the backseat of the cab, her head resting in the nape of Alex's neck Liv inhaled deeply and, unaware of the words inside her head drifting out thorough tired, loose lips, she mumbled. "Only one person I want to be taking advantage of me counsellor …"

Before she promptly drifted off with a light snore.

R & R pretty please?