"Did you pick a movie?" Olivia asked as she made her way to the couch to snuggle in beside Noah. "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory!" Noah squealed, the remote already in his hands. "Oompa Loompa doompadee doo," he sang. Olivia grinned at his excitement but, internally rolled her eyes as this would be the hundredth time they had seen the movie. She was at least thankful her son preferred the original to the Johnny Depp version. "Ok, you got it?"

"Yep!" Noah pressed buttons on the remote and the familiar beginning of the movie started to play. Olivia pulled the "fuzzy" creamed colored blanket onto her lap and around Noah, who was already melded into her side.

Nights like these were sometimes few and far between for the. Captain of the Special Victims Unit and her son and dinner and a movie at home without "Uncle Finn" calling was a treat.

They had made it almost to the end of the movie, Olivia holding Noah extra tight during the 'scary boat ride part' before there was a knock at the door. Olivia's and Noah's eyes both went to the door, both surprised at having an unannounced visitor at that time of the evening.

"Mom who is it?"

"I'm not sure honey. Stay here and I'll see who it is."

Noah did as he was told, but his eyes never left his mother as she walked to the door, looking through the peephole. Olivia took a deep breath before stepping back and unlocking the door.

She leaned against the now open door, "Alex".

Olivia looked at the now brunette, surprised, and a bit confused to see her.

"Liv," was all she said, unsure if she was even welcome in her home.

"Come in, come in," Olivia said moving aside, giving Alex room to step in.

Alex looked to Noah, immediately feeling his protective eyes on her. She gave him a smile.

"Noah, come here," Olivia said motioning for him. "This is mom's friend, Alex." Alex leaned in, extending her hand to the dinosaur pajama-clad little boy. Noah politely shook her hand. "Nice to finally meet you, Noah," Alex said, quickly mesmerized by the dimples in his cheeks.

When Alex turned to Noah, Olivia noticed Alex's bruised cheek that had been unsuccessfully covered by her makeup.

"Noah, Alex and I have been friends for a really long time," Olivia explained. Noah seemed to accept the explanation from his mother and eased his suspicion of the stranger in his house.

"I'm sorry, I thought he would already be in bed," Alex apologized, looking to Olivia, having noticed they were both already in their pajamas.

"No, no it's fine, he's actually up past his bedtime, aren't you bud? We were watching a movie and sometimes I let him slide when I have the night off." Olivia said running her fingers through Noah's curly hair.

"Oh, I don't want to intrude."

"Alex, you're never intruding. Besides, we've both seen the movie it a hundred times haven't we Noah?"

Noah shook his head, "Now a hundred and one," Noah grinned.

Both Olivia and Alex laughed.

"Come in, sit."

Alex sat down on the couch where Noah and Olivia were previously snuggled. The "fluffy" blanket blanket brushing against the tips of her fingers.

Alex had the urge to grip it tight.

"Can I get you something to drink? Glass of wine?"

Alex eyed Olivia's half drank glass on the coffee table. "Um sure, that sounds great."

Noah sat down at the edge of the couch beside Alex, ready for his interrogation.

"Are you the police too?" He asked his bare toes fidgeting with the edge of the coffee table.

"I'm actually a lawyer."

"Like Raphael?"

Alex smiled, "yes, like Raphael," she said getting his reference to SVU's former ADA Raphael Barba.

"Hey Noah," why don't you go brush your teeth and get ready for bed? Let mom talk to Alex." Noah slid off the couch, slowly walking back to the bathroom, obeying his mother.

Olivia handed Alex the glass of wine, pulling the thin cardigan closed around the tank top she was wearing, she then sat down on the opposite end of the couch, looking suspicious much like Noah.

"I guess it goes without saying I'm a little surprised to see you." Olivia began.

"What? An old friend just can't show up on your door on a random Friday evening?"

"Sure, but when I haven't seen said old friend in over a year and the last time we saw each other... well you had chosen an interesting occupation" Olivia said referring to Alex being apart of a ring of women helping women and children escape their abusers.

"I've stepped away from that position at the moment," Alex said vaguely, then taking a sip of her wine.

"Have anything to do with that bruise on your cheek?"

"Hazards of the job." Alex quipped.

Olivia raised her left brow. "Isn't that my line?"

Alex smirked, knowing it was.

"And the change in hair color?"

"Experimenting as a brunette," Alex said giving a smirk.

"Did you come here to purposely have a vague conversation with me?" Olivia asked, becoming a bit frustrated, but trying to be patient with whatever it was that was going on with Alex.

"Mom! I'm ready for bed!" Noah said, barreling towards Olivia and Alex.

"Did you brush your teeth?"

Noah gave a wide snaggled tooth grin in response to his mother's question.

Alex grinned.

"Ok, jump in bed and I'm right behind you for a story and a tuck in."

"Ok! Goodnight Alex!" Noah said, without prompting.

Alex smiled ear to ear, "Goodnight Noah, sweet dreams."

Olivia noticed the genuine smile on Alex's face and the way she was watching Noah.

"Are you ok to wait, I won't be too long."

"Oh, take your time. I'll be right here." Alex assured.

Noah was already in bed flipping a Rubix Cube back and forth.

"Sorry we missed the end of the movie," Olivia said, shutting his bedroom door and making her way to the lay down beside him.

"That's ok, your friend is here."

"Yep, and I'm happy to see her."

"Did you miss her?"

Olivia was taken a bit aback by such a simple question.

"Um yeah, honey I did miss her. I don't get to see her very often anymore and she used to be mommy's best friend."

"Then, I'm glad she came to visit."

"Thank you my sweet boy." Olivia said kissing the side of Noah's head. "Do you want to read a story?"

"No, you can talk to Alex."

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Yep, it ok."

"You're such a sweet and considerate boy, thank you," Olivia said as she got up and pulled Noah's covers up around him. "The Rubik's Cube?" She asked, holding her hand out to retrieve the toy. Noah gave it to her and she sat it on his bedside table.

"Mom?"

"Yeah?"

"Did Alex fall?"

"What?"

"She has a bruise on her face. When Molly fell off the monkey bars at the playground, she had a bruise on her face like that."

For a moment Olivia wished Noah wasn't so observant because she knew exactly what he was asking about.

"I don't know sweetheart, but maybe she'll tell me what happened."

"Will you tell her I'm sorry she got hurt, but Molly's bruise went away pretty quickly." he said, assured.

Olivia smiled, "I'll tell her that, okay."

Noah shook his head satisfied.

"Ok, eyes closed, snuggle with bunny, and I'll check on you in a little bit." Olivia said, now kissing his forehead repeatedly. "Sleep tight."

"And don't let the bed bugs bite!" Noah giggled.

"Silly," Olivia remarked before closing his bedroom door again.

Alex was standing, staring at the collage of photographs Olivia had randomly on the shelves. Her now empty glass of wine still gripped between her fingers.

"I'm only slightly obsessed with him," Olivia joked.

"He's a beautiful boy, Liv. Can't blame you for having so many pictures of him. He's so polite, he seems smart..."

"I'm a little biased, but he is. I'm so lucky."

"Deserving."

Olivia smiled.

"Alex," Olivia's tone more serious. "Tell me what happened."

Alex walked back towards the couch, sitting the wine glass back on the coffee table, but she didn't sit down, and neither did Olivia.

"You warned me." Alex confessed.

Olivia straightened her spine, and waited for what Alex was about to say.

"She had a little boy, four... She had packed everything they needed to get out, did everything we advised her to do. She had cried, she was angry, she had gone through all of the emotions, I had seen time and time again..." Alex folded her arms against her chest, her hands gripping her biceps. "It was a routine drop-off. 6am, the van was there, her car pulled up, I was standing there waiting for her and her son. We were ready. Then I saw her in the passenger seat. She was just staring blankly ahead. She never moved, even attempted to move. She never looked at me. Then he got out of the divers seat..." Olivia closed her eyes for a split second anticipating what Alex was about to tell her. "He came barreling towards me, the next thing I know I was lying on the ground, and John, my driver who is always with me was out of the car wrestling with him..."

"He hit you?"

"One solid right hook."

"God Alex!" Olivia said, now standing a foot apart. Olivia reached for Alex's chin, turning her cheek to her for further inspection. "You know who did this, Alex you need to..."

"I'm not pressing charges... Liv, you know I can't." She said, her voice never wavering.

"What about the woman, her son?"

"It's her choice. I tried protective services for both of them, then I finally got Child Protective Services to remove the little boy from the home, because I had proof of abuse."

"Alex, I'm so sorry."

Alex swallowed the lump in her throat. "It had been a few days, but something still didn't feel right, you know like that eerie feeling that someone is watching you. Then he showed up at my apartment last night."

"Al..." Olivia said, her eyes wide, now on high alert.

"I called the cops... I'm sure it was just a scare tactic on his part. Probably for and his wife, but..."

"But it worked, he's scared you."

Alex didn't answer immediately, she took a moment focusing on Olivia's bare feet, her painted toenails, and their color, like the red wine she has just drank. "I left my house this morning... and I can't seem to go back."

"Alex, why didn't you come here sooner? Call me? You should have called me last night." Olivia was nervously rambling. "No, you should have called me when this happened!"

"Liv, you warned me, you told me this would happen. You know how hard headed I am, you knew I wasn't going to listen."

"I do, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't help you."

"Liv, I can't come running to you. You can't be my savior every time. I knew the dangers of what I was doing."

"And I know the dangers of what I do..."

"You know it's not the same."

"What our God complex? Our need to be a savior?" Olivia questioned.

Alex smiled, and finally sat down. "I just needed to help those women, those kids."

"I know."

Olivia did know.

As much as she hated what Alex was doing, as dangerous as she knew it was, deep down Olivia knew why she was doing it.

She reached for Alex, her palm covering the back of Alex's hand. "You're staying here."

"What? No. Your son is here and I can't..."

"Alex," Olivia said stopping her. "You're staying here until we figure this out."

Alex opened her mouth to protest again.

"Alex, you scared. You dyed your hair brown to change your appearance?" Olivia said assuming. "You have been walking the city all day, in fear of going back to your apartment? You're staying here!" Olivia had gotten up and was now pacing, actually, she was biting at her thumbnail and pacing, thinking.

"Liv," Alex said watching her. "I'm okay."

Olivia stopped. "But you might not have been."

"I know, but I am."

This is is where they were in sync, where they knew how each cared for the other.

Olivia took a deep breath. "I'll get you something to sleep in, you can have my bed and I'll..."

"Absolutely not, the couch is fine. I've already interrupted enough."

Olivia nodded, agreeing, walking back to her bedroom to get Alex something to change into.

When she returned she handed Alex a t-shirt and a pair of shorts.

"I'll get you some sheets, and a blanket, make up the couch for you. The bathroom is straight down the hall, there's an extra toothbrush in the medicine cabinet."

Alex hugged the clothes against her chest before walking back to the bathroom.

Alex closed the door to the bathroom looking around. She hadn't been to this apartment.

Years ago, she knew Olivia's apartment like the back of her hand. She had been there a hundred times to chat, to console, for wine nights, because they we STILL arguing about a case.

Now there were toys lying around and homemade art on the refrigerator. The bathroom had a step stool for hand washing and teeth brushing and the tub was lined with plastic superheroes.

Alex began to undress. She went to remove her bra, then thought twice because of Noah. She pulled the soft t-shirt over her head, reading the words across the chest.

"Martha's Vineyard" Alex wondered when Olivia had been there and with who. She pulled on the shorts she was given, brushed her teeth, and then gathered her own clothes in her arms.

Walking back down the hall she found Olivia putting the finishing touches on making her "bed".

Olivia looked at Alex, immediately noticing her shorts were shorter on Alex's long legs.

Olivia had to make herself turn her head.

Alex sat down on the couch.

"You're safe here," Olivia assured. "We'll figure this out tomorrow ok?"

Alex nodded watching Olivia check the door locks one last time as if to assure her she was in fact safe.

"Liv?"

"Yeah?"

"This wasn't my intention, I mean for you to take me in, to protect me."

"Alex, I'm glad you came here, be it a little late. But, if I can protect you, or just be here for you..."

The right side of Alex's mouth turned to a smile. "Thank you," she said sincerely.

Olivia nodded, "goodnight Alex."

"Goodnight."

Alex laid on the couch covering herself with soft sheet and blanket Olivia had meticulously laid out for her. Olivia turned off the remaining lamp in the living room, and the night light from the bathroom dimly lit the hallway, reminding Alex again how much things had changed in each of their lives. It also reminded Alex that her feeling for Olivia remained the same.