A/N: This one shot is based of the Brad Paisley/Carrie Underwood song 'Remind Me'. I own nothing. I hope you enjoy!


She sat at the table with her head in her hands. She tried to figure out when things had changed, what had caused things to change. She ran her fingers through her hair and sighed as she sat back up. "Mama?"

She looked around and saw her daughter standing in the kitchen doorway. "Hey sweetie, I thought you were watching a movie with your brother."

The girl sat her bowl on the table "We ate all the popcorn. Can we have some more?"

"Sure." She stood up and began preparing more popcorn for her kids. The two were silent for several minutes before the little girl spoke up again.

"Mama is Mommy coming home tonight?"

The question cut straight to her heart and she had to take a moment to compose herself before turning around to answer her daughter "Of course Mommy's coming home."

The little girl looked down at her hands "But will she be home before I go to bed?"

The sad look in her daughter's eyes broke her heart but in all honesty she didn't know if her wife would be home before she went to bed, let alone the kids. "I don't know honey but I'm sure she'll try her best." The sound of the microwave going off pulled them from their thoughts. She poured another bowl for them and carried it in and sat down on the couch between them. She looked down at the kids curled up against her; seven year old Anna was the spitting image of Alex, blonde hair and piercing blue eyes while four year old Andrew was the miniature version of Olivia right down to his brown hair, brown eyes and olive toned skin. "Okay guys movie's over time to go to bed." She looked down and smiled when she noticed both had fallen asleep. She carefully shifted her daughter to the side and picked her son up and carried him to bed. After kissing his forehead and tucking him in she went back and picked her daughter up and walked to her bedroom. She was just about to close the door when she heard her daughter's voice.

"Mama not home yet?" Anna asked in a sleepy voice.

She walked over and kissed her forehead "No Mama's not home yet but I promise as soon as she comes in she'll come in and kiss you goodnight."

"I love you Mommy."

"I love you too." She finally let the tears fall once she left her daughter's room. She lay down on the couch and drifted off to sleep. She woke up when she heard a noise coming from the kitchen. She looked at the clock and saw that it was a little past eleven. She walked into the kitchen and saw her wife standing at the counter making a sandwich. "I was wondering when you would make it home."

Alex turned around "I'm sorry one of my ADA's screwed up royally so I was seeing what I could do to save the case. Being bureau chief isn't too bad until someone screws up and it's up to you to fix it." She looked at Olivia for a moment "Liv, what's wrong?" she asked as she began eating her sandwich.

"After you're done we need to talk." She turned and walked back to the living room and took a seat on the couch. She was surprised when she looked up and saw Alex standing next to her "I said you could wait till you were done."

Alex sat down and turned sideways to face the brunette "It's okay. Now what's bothering you?"

Olivia waited a moment as she collected her thoughts "Alex what's happening to us?"

Alex looked confused "Um, I'm not sure what you mean Olivia."

Olivia looked up and she had tears in her eyes "Alex things just aren't the same between us. I mean I know our jobs interfere a lot of the time but it's not always our jobs. I know there have been times over the years that I didn't make it home till the middle of the night but in the last year or two I've been able to be home more and it seems like you're working more. Alex you come in late at night."

Alex cut her off "Olivia are you accusing me of something?" She was trying her best to hold her anger back until Olivia answered her.

Olivia's eyes widened "No! Alex I know you would never cheat on me. I know if you tell me you're working then I know you're working."

Alex softened "I'm sorry."

"It's okay I should've phrased it a little better. What I was trying to say was I just wish you could be home more with us in the evenings. It seems like when I got my promotion it allowed me to be home more often and then you got your promotion and you're home less often. It's also getting harder to explain to the kids." Alex looked at her questioningly "Alex do you know how much it broke my heart to hear Anna ask if you would be coming home tonight? Then to have her ask if you would at least be home before she went to bed?" Olivia took a deep breath trying to calm herself. "I keep thinking what has happened to us, what's changed?"

"Olivia nothing's changed I still love you." Alex felt her tears threatening "Olivia do you still love me?"

"Of course I love you! I just want you to think about it; when was the last time we got to spend more than ten minutes together? When was the last time we made love?" Alex was about to answer but Olivia cut her off "And I don't mean just a quickie before we both fall asleep. I know it's hard to have time to ourselves with the kids but we managed when they were just babies. I still love you more than anything in the world but it just feels like we're drifting apart and I can't stand by and let that happen. I love you too much to allow it."

Alex quickly threw her arms around her wife and held her. "Olivia I am so sorry I was making you feel this way. I'll try harder I promise."

Olivia pulled back and wiped her tears "It's not just you Alex I'm at fault to. I could've found ways for us to have time but I haven't and that changes now." They slid closer together and settled into one another's embrace.

They had been sitting in silence for a while when Alex finally spoke up "Do you remember that time I had to go to a conference in New Orleans?" Olivia nodded. "Do you remember me missing my flight?"

This time Olivia smiled "Yeah we were kissing goodbye and I just couldn't let go of you, of course you were having a little trouble letting go yourself."

"Hey now, I couldn't help myself. It was going to be the first time after we'd become serious that we'd be apart for more than a day. I was having trouble leaving you. I had to make up an excuse as to why I was a day late."

"Yeah but it was worth it because it meant we had one more night together." She turned so she was facing Alex better "You've gotten your revenge through the years though." Alex raised her eyebrows "All those mornings I was late for work because I would wake up to you in the mood or you would join me in the shower. The worst was when I was getting reamed by the captain for being late and he got even madder because I couldn't stop smiling at the memory." They both laughed.

"I always liked when you would wake up in one of my old Harvard shirts. They were always a little snugger around the chest on you than they were on me."

Olivia squeezed Alex's hand "See this is what I'm talking about. Remind me of all the things we used to do, the things that made me fall in love with you. The things that made you fall in love with me."

Alex wiped her tears "I want to feel that way again to Olivia. I don't want to settle for good, I want us to be great. I know it's difficult with kids but I think we can do it." She leaned over and lightly brushed her lips against her wife's before finally deepening the kiss. She felt her tears begin again when Olivia slid her tongue against hers. Alex slowly leaned forward and pushed Olivia backwards until she was lying on top of the brunette. Alex sighed as she felt Olivia begin to run one hand through her hair as the other hand wrapped around her back and held her tight. Neither were sure how long they'd been kissing but they finally parted gasping for air "I think you once said that kissing me was reason enough alone for you to fall in love with me." Alex smirked.

Olivia burst out laughing "Yes I did, and you are still by far the best kisser in the world." She raised her head up slightly and pressed a chaste kiss to Alex's lips.

They wrapped their arms around each other and snuggled down into the couch. Alex wasn't sure how long they'd been laying there when she spoke up "What do you say I call my Mom and ask if she can keep the kids this weekend and you and I go away? It'll give us a chance to reconnect. No work, no phones," she paused and grinned slightly "And as bad as it may sound no kids running into the bedroom and interrupting the moment."

Olivia chuckled as she remembered the moment Alex was referring to "I remember Andrew had just started sleeping through the night and things were just getting pretty hot when it started thundering and Anna came running in scared." She began laughing harder "Lucky for me you were on top and it gave me a chance to pull my shirt back on."

"Oh yeah lucky you." Alex huffed and jokingly rolled her eyes "I was sitting up straddling my wife, topless mind you, when our four year old runs into the room. Do you even know how embarrassing that was?"

Olivia couldn't contain her laughter any longer "I'm sure it was but I thought it was hysterical after I got over being afraid she'd see me. Do you remember what she said once she started to calm down a little bit?"

Alex was laughing now too "How could I forget? She was curled up against you, which was where I was supposed to be, and she looked at me as serious as she could and said 'Mommy you should keep your shirt on Mama don't want to see you naked.' The look on your face was priceless."

"I know I couldn't very well look at her and say that I really did want to see you naked." Olivia noticed Alex was yawning. She began to sit up "Come on let's go to bed." Olivia checked the apartment door one last time before they headed up the stairs. Before going to their room they checked in on the kids one last time.

They were just settling into bed when Alex leaned over pressed a kiss to Olivia's lips. She sat up and pulled her shirt over her head and tucked it under her pillow. She pulled Olivia up just enough to pull her shirt over her head and tucked it under her pillow as well. Olivia gave her a quizzical look. "Just in case we get a surprise visit during the night." They both chuckled. Alex lay back down on her side as Olivia did the same. They curled up facing one another; Alex pulled Olivia close to her and sighed as she felt their bodies press together. She began running her hand up and down Olivia's back "Olivia I love you more than I can ever say."

Olivia choked up at the emotion in Alex's voice "I love you too Alex, I love you so much."

Alex held Olivia tighter "Olivia we're going to be okay, I promise you. I love you too much to let something happen to us."

"So where are we going to go this weekend?" Olivia asked as she snuggled as close as possible and buried her face in Alex's neck.

"I don't know but I've got two days to figure something out. I know my schedule is light for Friday so I'm going to clear it and I want you to tell the captain you're taking a personal day Friday. We'll leave Thursday evening and come home Sunday. Consider it a second honeymoon. Albeit a short one, but it'll be just us and that's what's important."

"I can't wait. I love you." Olivia knew she was as much at fault as Alex for allowing things to get to where they were, but she knew without a doubt that they would come back from this and they would be stronger than ever.

"I love you too." Alex settled in and began thinking about their weekend. She knew they both had allowed life to get in their way, but she was more than committed to showing Olivia everyday how much she meant to her.


Charlotte Cabot pulled the curtain back slightly and watched her daughter and daughter in law. She had never seen two people who were so in love and were meant to be together. She smiled as Alex pushed Olivia up against the car and began kissing her. She walked over and opened the door of her brownstone "Get a room you two!"

Alex pulled back and they both began laughing and blushing at the same time. "I guess that's our cue that our weekend is over." Olivia said as she placed a quick kiss on Alex's lips and took her hand as they began walking up the steps of her mother in law's home.

Alex looked around as she walked into her mother's home "It's still standing. Are you sure our kids were here this weekend?"

"I couldn't ask for more well behaved kids." Charlotte grinned "Especially when I spoil them. They'll do anything for Grandma." She took note of how happy the couple looked and the fact that Alex had her arm around Olivia's waist and her hand was resting on the brunette's hip. It was just like they were when they first got together, completely unable to keep their hands off each other. "So how was Cape Cod?"

Olivia blushed slightly "Um, it was nice." Alex's family owned a couple homes on the Cape and any member of the family was free to use them so they headed up to the home that had belonged to Alex's grandparents and spent their weekend there.

Charlotte knew in an instant by the looks on their faces she had them in an awkward position, she grinned as she decided to take advantage of it. "The Cape is lovely this time of year, did you have good weather?"

This time both ladies blushed even more. Alex looked everywhere but at her mother as she grinned "We don't know."

"Ah, I see." She looked at them both; Alex was blushing and trying her best to look her mother in the eye while Olivia was blushing and doing her best not to look her mother in law in the eye. She decided she had tortured them enough "Well if that's the case it's a wonder either of you are capable of walking today." She laughed as she left both ladies blushing furiously in the entryway.

After greeting their children Olivia stayed behind to get them ready to go home while Alex followed her mother to the kitchen. She pulled her mother in for a hug "Thank you Mom. You have no idea how much this meant to us."

Charlotte smiled "Don't worry angel. I love having them around, you know I look for reasons to have them over." She squeezed her daughter's hand "So judging by how you two were acting outside I'm guessing you're okay?"

Alex smiled and closed her eyes for a second to stop her tears "We're great Mom. We talked and I mean really talked for the first time in a long time. We both know we're at fault for letting things get to the point they did and we're both committed to making sure it never happens again."

"I'm so happy for you. Alex you two have a connection that is so rare, it's the kind that only comes along once in a lifetime. I would hate to see anything happen to the two of you."

Alex grinned "Well that's one thing you don't have to worry about."

Once they were home they sat their kids down for a talk "Did you two have fun with Grandma?"

"Yeah!" they both shouted.

Alex looked to Olivia who nodded giving her the go ahead. "So while Mama and I were away this weekend we talked about a lot of things and we have a surprise for you two." They both smiled at the look of anticipation on their children's faces. "Since school will be out next week Mama and I have decided that we're going to take a vacation and go to Disney World!" They both laughed at the reaction they got. Both children jumped from the couch and began laughing and jumping up and down before leaping into their mothers laps.

The kids were so excited that it took forever to get them to bed that night. Once they were finally in bed Alex and Olivia settled in for the night. Alex slid in close behind her wife and wrapped her arms around the older woman. She pulled Olivia tightly against her and pressed a kiss to her neck. She couldn't believe how close they'd come to possibly losing the best thing to ever happen to either of them. "So I know our schedules can change at a moment's notice but I was thinking that maybe we could plan a date night for this week. I asked Mom if she would mind babysitting for us one night and she said to call and she would be here." Alex was quite for a moment "I was thinking maybe Wednesday night?"

Olivia smiled as she leaned back for a kiss "It's a date."

Alex took her hand that had been resting on Olivia's hip and began sliding it up under her shirt until it was resting between her breasts. "I love you Olivia. I love you so much."

They may have hit a bump in the road but like they always do they came through it and their marriage was stronger for it. Olivia sighed as she snuggled further back into her wife "I love you too."