OK, so I haven't written a fic in, like, 10 years or so. I'm posting this as a first chapter because the more I go over it and reread it, the more obsessed I become with the details and I can't help but change stuff and I'll never be satisfied. So I'm setting it free here so I can get moving on the subsequent chapters and not worry about this section anymore. Hope y'all like it.

###

Alex Cabot was leaning next to Olivia Benson, who was sitting at her desk typing up a case report. The ADA's arms were crossed in a firm, authoritative fashion not unlike the pose she used in the courtroom to build suspense before she delivered a meticulously worded prosecutorial blow. "Olivia, come on. You've been working harder than anyone on this case. And now that it's been solved, you should take some time off. By my estimate you've worked 65 hours this week."

Olivia didn't look away from her computer screen. "Actually, it was closer to 75," she mumbled.

Alex pushed away from the desk and threw her hands up in exasperation. "All the more reason to get some much needed rest! You're no good to anyone if you're a zombie. You work harder than anyone else on this squad and no one's going to blame you if you take a little time away." She reassumed her position leaning next to the seated detective, who didn't move. Alex added softly, "Please, Olivia?"

Olivia turned slowly away from her monitor to finally look at Alex. "Why is this so important to you?"

Alex knew Olivia was close to acquiescing because she didn't just give a flat out no as an answer. "Because I worry about you sometimes. I talked to Cragen and he worries too. He said you have weeks of vacation on the books that you never use. You cover for everyone when they have plans and you never ask for any time off." She paused and looked down at her feet. "So we've decided you have the next week off."

"What?" Olivia looked surprised.

"Please don't be mad." Alex reached out and put a hand on Olivia's shoulder. "It doesn't take a genius to see that you're tense all the time and those dark circles under your eyes give away the fact that you haven't been sleeping." She gave a hopeful smile. "So what do you say? A week off?"

Olivia took a second to ponder. Alex was right. She was tense and sleep deprived, and she couldn't remember the last real time off she had. "OK," she said with a sigh.

Alex grinned. "Excellent. So what would you say to coming along with me to my family's cabin in Montauk for your vacation?"

Olivia pulled away from Alex's hand. "Was this the plan all along? Make me take time off and hold me hostage at some cabin in the woods?" Olivia snapped.

Deep down, Alex knew Olivia was tired and didn't like being forced into anything, so she took it in stride, but it still stung a little bit. "You don't have to come with me. I just figured since you need a rest that a quiet cabin in the woods away from all the chaos of the city would be rejuvenating. It's beautiful out there this time of year and I would love to have someone to share it with. But you're really not obligated to go," Alex said as she looked away from Olivia, slightly deflated.

Olivia stood up and took Alex's hands in hers. "Hey, I'm sorry. You're right. I'm physically and mentally exhausted and I could really use a change of scenery. And I can't think of anyone I'd rather spend a week in the woods with." Alex looked back to Olivia and smiled. "So, when do we leave?" she added with her signature lopsided grin.

Carefully pulling her hands from Olivia's, Alex turned and grabbed her coat and bag from the chair next to the desk. "Tomorrow after work. I'll be at your place at 6pm. That should give you time to pack and make arrangements."

"Sounds great." Olivia watched as Alex walked toward the elevators. "Hey, Alex?" she called.

Alex stopped and turned. "Yeah?"

"Thanks," Olivia said shyly with a slight nod of her head.

Alex grinned. "My pleasure." And she walked out of the room.

###

The next day could not go fast enough as far as Olivia was concerned. She'd gone home the previous night and packed her bags. She grabbed a beer from the fridge and sat on the couch trying to figure out why she was so giddy. Was it because she was finally taking a real vacation or was it more because of who she would be vacationing with? She knew she would enjoy the scenery and the quiet calm would soothe her seemingly always racing mind, but somehow when she thought of being alone with Alex her heart would skip a beat and the butterflies in her stomach would come to life. Alex was a close friend, so why was her body acting like she was a lovesick teenager? She couldn't deny Alex was a beautiful woman and certainly a catch. Maybe she did have a slight girl crush on the lovely lawyer. It wasn't as if Alex didn't make everyone's head turn when she walked into a room, so Olivia decided that she would just consider her reaction nothing more than appreciating a pleasing human form.

When it was finally time to go home Olivia practically ran out the door. She'd said a quick goodbye to Elliott, Munch, and Fin as she grabbed her things from her locker and pushed her way through the rest of the people trying to leave for the weekend. She had an hour to get home, take a shower, double check what she'd packed the night before, and wait for Alex to get there. For once she was really looking forward to relaxing and just doing whatever she felt like. Usually when she had time off she was restless and needed to keep tabs on what was going on at work, but she was confident that work wouldn't be in the forefront of her mind for seven whole days.

She unlocked the door to her apartment but didn't open it right away. Leaning against the doorframe for a moment to try and calm her rapid heartbeat, Olivia took a few deep breaths and when her hands had steadied, she pushed open the door and set out to get ready for Alex's impending arrival.

After a quick shower, Olivia dressed in a red long sleeved thermal undershirt and faded straight legged jeans. She pulled on her wool socks and laced up her hiking boots. Going to her closet she grabbed a grey and red plaid flannel shirt and put it on. Then she pulled her knee length down parka off its hanger and carried it out to put it with her bags. She checked her watch and sat down on the sofa. In ten minutes Alex would be arriving and whisking her away to a secluded location in the woods…where they would be alone…together. The thought of being alone with Alex sent a lightning bolt through Olivia's nervous system and a sly smile crept on to her face but quickly went away. Jesus, Olivia, she's taking you there as a friend. I highly doubt she's gonna put the moves on you. She's straight! Olivia chastised herself. She picked up a magazine from the table and tried to focus on the glossy pictures, but it failed to hold her interest so she threw it back on the table. She checked her watch again. T-minus seven minutes…

###

Alex pulled her black Mercedes C300 in front of Olivia's building. She didn't get out of her car right away, opting to give herself a few minutes to organise her thoughts before making her way to Olivia's door. She didn't know what to expect from this week in the cabin, but she would consider it a success if her companion looked even remotely relaxed by the time they had to leave. But thinking of herself and Olivia at the cabin made Alex question her motives for even asking the other woman to come along. She could say that she was being altruistic, but altruism was only part of it. She had always been drawn to the detective. She wanted to know what made Olivia Benson tick; wanted to see what the fiery police officer hid behind the walls she put up so she could do her job every day. This weekend would not only be about getting Olivia to take some much needed vacation; it would also be where Alex shared what was behind her walls with Olivia. The cabin had always been Alex's secret getaway and she'd never invited anyone up with her. It was the one place she could let the world pass her by, sort out her feelings and thoughts, let her guard down. There would be no phone calls in the middle of the night asking for warrants, no court dates, no interviewing suspects, no staying up all night prepping for a trial. It was her sanctuary, but she was willing to bring Olivia into her private world. Checking her face in the rearview mirror, she got out of the car and walked up the stairs.

###

Olivia was pacing when she heard the buzzer. She pressed the button and told Alex to come up. A minute later there was a knock at the door. Checking through the peep hole, she saw Alex with her hands in her jacket pockets and looking at the ground. When she opened the door, Olivia looked Alex up and down. The ADA was wearing a purple puffy down jacket, dark rinse skinny jeans tucked into tall chestnut coloured sheepskin boots, and a purple knit wool hat was on her head. Her blonde hair was loosely braided into two pigtails that hung just below her shoulders. When Alex finally looked at Olivia, the brunette had her lopsided grin in place.

Alex looked puzzled. "What?"

"Do you always look like you just stepped out of an LL Bean catalog when you're going up to the cabin?"

"This is practical winter wear for the region, detective," Alex said playfully. "So, are we ready to go?"

Olivia turned and picked up her duffel bag from where she had placed it beside the door and handed it to Alex. Pulling her parka on, she said, "Let's do this!" She reached back in to grab her back pack, slung it over her shoulder, and locked her door. She watched as Alex made her way down the hallway toward the elevator, still with the lopsided grin on her face.

Alex opened the trunk and put Olivia's bags next to her own while the other woman got in and settled herself in the passenger seat. When Alex got back in the car, she buckled her seat belt, put the car in drive, and pulled out onto the street. The light at the corner had just turned red and when Alex brought the car to a complete stop, she reached down into the centre console, picked up her iPod, and handed it to Olivia. "Passenger picks the music."

Scrolling through the list of artists, Olivia was impressed with the diverse selection she found. There was everything from The Ramones to Michael Jackson to Usher and everything in between. "I'd never guess you'd have such eclectic tastes in music."

"Well, I try to defy expectations as often as possible. If I like something, I like it. Simple as that."

Olivia smirked as she made a playlist with what she hoped would be good driving music. "Good to know. I had you pegged as an NPR junkie or only listening to classical."

Alex smiled. "Talk radio whips me into a frenzy. It doesn't even matter what they're talking about, it makes me crazy. And I listen to people talk all day long at work, so when I leave I just want a good melody to soothe my mind. And I like classical music, but no more so than any other genre. The music I like has to have at least one of the following: a strong melody, a steady beat, or just tell a good story."

"Well, I think it's cool that you don't limit yourself." Olivia put the iPod on the dash and looked out the window for a moment before turning back to Alex. "So what about dinner? Are we going to pick something up on the way, or are we going to make something when we get there? Should we swing by the store and pick up supplies, or-"

Alex glanced over at Olivia and then looked back to the road. "My cousin Josie's the caretaker at the cabin. She and her fiancé own the coffee shop in town. I called ahead and made arrangements for her to stock up the firewood and put some food in the fridge for tonight. I figured since we're going to be arriving fairly late that we could have something simple tonight and tomorrow morning go into town to get what we need for the rest of the week. And Josie's expecting us for breakfast tomorrow morning at the cafe. She bakes all the pastries in house and she promised to whip up a batch of her famous cupcakes just for us."

Olivia nodded. Of course Alex had every last detail planned out. "Sounds like you've got things under control."

"I try, detective," Alex said with a coy smile.

Friday traffic was pretty thick on the way out of the city, but soon they were on the interstate and making pretty good time. Olivia was looking out the window and noticing how beautiful the night sky looked when you were away from the lights of the city. She never realized that there were so many stars just shining in the sky that couldn't be seen over the constant glow that was Manhattan. Alex's voice broke her out of her reverie.

"Whatcha thinking?"

Giving her head a quick shake to bring herself back to reality, she answered, "I was just looking at the stars. I don't think I've ever seen so many at once. I forget how expansive the sky is outside the city. I didn't realize how much the electric light blots out the natural light."

Alex smiled. "Just wait until we get to the cabin. There are more stars than sky."

"Sounds nice." And they fell back into a conversational silence and listened to the music.

As they got closer to Montauk, some clouds had moved in and a light snow had begun to fall. "Are we going to have trouble making it up to the cabin if this keeps up?" Olivia asked, suddenly worried about getting stranded on the road.

Alex chuckled. "It usually snows here this time of year, but never more than a few inches at a time. Besides, this car has four wheel drive and we're almost there."

Olivia looked surprised. "I didn't know Mercedes made a four wheel drive sedan. Those Germans think of everything." Satisfied that their drive was almost over, she went back to looking out the window and watching the snow softly fall.

###

About twenty minutes later Alex was pulling off the road and making her way up a narrow gravel driveway. Nestled in a clearing was a small log cabin with an inviting wraparound porch. Alex wasn't exaggerating when she said it was beautiful in the winter. It looks like a painting with the light dusting of snow on the roof and light shining from the large picture window. All it needs is a plume of smoke coming from the chimney and it could be a picture on a postcard, Olivia thought.

Alex was just watching Olivia staring at the cabin and enjoying the look on her face. She placed a hand on Olivia's knee and said playfully, "Do you want to go in and get settled, or do you just want to sit here and stare at it for a while longer?"

Olivia looked at Alex and smiled sheepishly. "Let's go in. I'm starving and it's getting chilly in here!"

They retrieved their luggage from the trunk and Alex led the way up the flagstone path to the porch. Quickly unlocking the door and pushing it open, Alex put her bags down and took off her jacket and hung it on the rack next to the door. She then moved to the fireplace to pick up the note that was addressed to her on the mantle. Olivia closed the door behind her and stood there taking in the décor.

The place was essentially one large, open floor plan, like a huge studio apartment. To the left was a double bed in the corner with a fluffy down comforter spread out on it. In the opposite corner sat bunk beds with their own down comforters. Between the beds was a partially open door that revealed a small bathroom. From the sliver of light that made it in the door Olivia could see a claw foot tub. There was a door next to it, which Olivia assumed to be a closet. Directly in front of the door along the back wall was a kitchenette with a cosy looking breakfast nook with a door that led out to the back porch.

The real focal point of the room was the huge stone hearth that took up the majority of the wall directly across from the sleeping area. There was an overstuffed sofa in front of the fireplace, a loveseat to its right, and a rocking chair to the left. In the centre of the furniture was a large black bear skin rug and there were several sets of antlers mounted above the mantle. The walls were covered in a dark wood paneling that was varnished to a high shine.

It smelled like firewood with a vague hint of nutmeg and was lit by a single lamp on an end table next to the sofa. It provided enough light to illuminate the entire room with a comfortable amount of light but was soft enough to give a cozy atmosphere. There were two skylights that during the day would offer pure sunlight and at night, if the conditions were right, would let in an impressive amount of moonlight.

"Olivia?" Alex noticed the faraway look in Olivia's eyes as she scanned the room.

"Yes, Alex?" she said, finally looking at the other woman in the room.

"Josie said she put some French bread in the cupboard and several cheeses and a bottle of chardonnay in the fridge. And there are some grapes and apples in the bowl. We can get that out and have a snack before we unpack and get ready for bed." Picking her bag up and tossing it behind the couch, Alex turned around and started to build a fire in the fireplace.

Olivia bent down and picked up her bag. "Sounds like a plan. I'll take the bunk bed."

"Are you sure? If you want the big bed you can have it."

Olivia shook her head. "I'm sure. It's OK. You take the big bed. I spend a lot of nights in the crib anyway so the bunk bed isn't far off from what's in there. It's fine. Really."

Alex turned back to her task. "If you're sure."

Tossing her bag on the bottom bunk, "I'm sure." Olivia grabbed her pyjamas and toiletry bag from her duffel and went into the bathroom to change.

Alex pulled the grate in front of the fireplace and went to the refrigerator to get the wine and cheese out. She prepared a platter of cheese cubes, slices of French bread, apple slices, and grapes. Josie had picked out four different kinds of cheese to go with her home baked baguette: smoked gouda, manchego, fontina, and dill havarti. She smiled as she pictured Josie fussing over getting everything ready. Picking up a cube of fontina and popping it in her mouth, Alex carried the tray to the nook and went back to the cupboard to get two wine glasses and the corkscrew. She turned around to find Olivia standing next to the table smiling.

"Everything OK so far?" Alex asked as she moved back to the table. She was trying not to think about how adorable (and cuddly!) Olivia looked dressed in flannel pyjama pants and her NYPD hoodie.

"I love it. I don't know why I got angry when you asked me to take time off and come up here with you. This place is amazing."

Pulling a chair out from under the table and sitting down, Alex said, "There's a reason I take a week off to come up here every winter. It's the one place I don't have to be accountable to anyone but myself. I get to be Alex and leave ADA Alexandra Cabot in Manhattan. It's just me and my thoughts."

Olivia grabbed the corkscrew and proceeded to open the bottle of wine. "Well, thanks for sharing this week with me." Pouring Alex and herself a glass of Chardonnay she held up her glass. "I propose a toast." Alex lifted her glass in the same manner. "To us. May we enjoy this place in all its wintry glory and have a truly relaxing experience this week." They clinked glasses and sipped their wine. "I'm surprised you don't have a waiting list of people wanting to be here with you."

Alex put her glass down and reached over to grab an apple slice. "You're the first person I've ever brought here," she said shyly, taking a loud bite of apple.

Olivia was reaching for a cube of manchego and stopped suddenly when she heard Alex speak. She looked at the blonde woman across from her, but Alex was staring at the platter. "What? Really?"

Alex looked up and made eye contact with Olivia. The detective's brown eyes were narrowed and there was a puzzled look on her face. "Yeah. This place is my sanctuary. It always seemed like it was too personal to share with someone else."

Olivia cocked her head to the side as she took in what Alex was saying. "If you're having second thoughts about bringing me here, Alex, that's OK. I don't want to intrude on your time by yourself."

Alex shook her head. "No! I'm sorry. I'm not explaining this very well. In the city even when you're alone you're surrounded by people. Some you know, some you don't. But there're always people everywhere. Here I get to choose who's around and I guess I didn't know anyone who was special enough to come with me until I met you."

Olivia felt a blush colour her cheeks. "Wow. I'm touched. For what it's worth, I wouldn't have accepted if it wasn't you that had asked. I'd have come up with excuses for why I needed to stay in the city and it would have defeated the purpose of taking time off. So thanks for thinking enough of me to bring into your private world. It means a lot to me." She reached across the table and took Alex's finely boned hand in her own and gave it a squeeze.

It was Alex's turn to blush. Olivia let her hand go and picked up her wine glass. She drained the contents and stood up. "I'm, uh, pretty tired so I think I'm going to brush my teeth and get ready for bed. Can I help you clean up before I go?"

Alex gathered the platter and grabbed the bottle of wine. "I can take care of it, but thank you." She recorked the wine and covered the cheese with plastic wrap. "Are you sure you're OK with the bunk bed? The big bed is really comfortable."

"I'm sure, Alex."

Putting the last of the fruit and cheese in the fridge, Alex turned and nodded. "There are extra blankets and comforters in the closet if you need them."

"Thanks, Alex." Olivia went into the bathroom and dug out her toothbrush and toothpaste. She left the door open a crack and proceeded to wash her face and brush her teeth.

Alex walked over to the fireplace and poked around the coals a bit. She would build a small fire in the morning so they wouldn't freeze when they got ready to go out for the day, but tonight she would let the fire die. She turned around and switched the lamp off, letting the embers of the fire cast a pale orange glow in the room. As she made her way over to her bag, Olivia came out of the bathroom.

"Your turn."

Alex grabbed her toiletry bag and pyjamas and made her way to the bathroom. Olivia put her bags under the bed and pulled back the covers. As she slipped between the sheets, she imagined what it would be like to share the big bed with Alex. She envisioned them spooning, with Olivia taking the role of "big spoon", of course. Her arm would be draped across Alex's middle, and their fingers would be entwined tightly. Olivia would gently kiss Alex's neck before putting her head back on the pillow and whispering softly, 'Goodnight, love'. Alex would murmur softly in response. And both women would fall asleep feeling the sweet contentment of being in the arms of the person they loved most in the world. As Olivia's fantasy faded, she smiled to herself in the dark. You're such a sap, Benson, she thought to herself as she fell asleep.

Alex finished up and switched the light off as she stepped out of the bathroom. She looked over to check on Olivia. She had pulled the comforter up tight around her shoulders and was sound asleep. Alex tiptoed over to the bunk bed and crouched down next to her sleeping friend. Olivia looked so peaceful. She carefully reached out her hand to brush Olivia's hair from her eyes and whispered, "Goodnight, Liv." She stood back up and made her way to the bed in the opposite corner. As she settled in for the night, she imagined what it would be like to have Olivia next to her as she slept. Pulling the other pillow from the head of the bed and hugging it tightly, she pretended that it was the detective she was holding. With a soft sigh, she fell asleep.