A/N: So this has been nagging at me for a few weeks and I had to get it out so I could continue to focus on my other story. This is set within my Through the Years universe, but it is not necessary to have read that before reading this. Since the kids have had a day out with their Moms it is only fitting the ladies get a day, or a weekend, to themselves as well. I hadn't really thought about this but my partner in crime Little Miss Nicap pointed out the ladies should get some time away so here we are. There will be at least one more chapter to this, maybe two, it just depends on how the next chapter goes. I do already have chapter two started and hope to update it soon. Let me know what you think. Enjoy!
Alex parked the car in front of their brownstone and sighed as she glanced at the home. It had been a long day, and it was only Monday, as much as she loved her family she couldn't face going inside just yet. She closed her eyes and sighed as she laid her head back against the seat. The silence was short lived however by her ringing phone, the blonde groaning as she recognized it was a number from the DA's office. She squeezed her eyes closed and covered them as she reluctantly answered.
Laura was in the kitchen cleaning up from the kids having dinner when she heard the door slam. She walked down the hall in time to see Alex toss her coat, purse and briefcase onto the couch before collapsing into a chair. "Rough day?"
Alex ran her hands over her face "I just need five minutes where I don't have to speak to anyone."
Recognizing the look on her daughter's face Laura lightly pat her on the shoulder and dimmed the lights before leaving the room. Knowing the kids would soon come to great their mother she intercepted them and asked them to give her some quiet time before saying hi. Joey returned to his room where he was doing his homework while the twins and Noah returned to the dining room where they had been coloring.
Alex breathed deeply as she tried to relax but it wasn't happening. She was aware of her mom telling her there was a glass of wine on the coffee table, it was all she could do to pick it up and take a sip. Finally after a couple sips she felt her body slowly beginning to relax. She tried telling herself that sentencing on her current case was day after tomorrow, and then this would be behind her. It wasn't like she hadn't had difficult cases in the past, she had, but this one just seemed to wear on her more. It also didn't help that both Buchannan and Calhoun were her opposing counsel. Feeling like she was now suitable company she stood and headed in search of her children. If there was one thing in the world that could sooth her soul it was hugs from her babies.
"Mommy!" All three shouted as the blonde entered the dining room.
"Hey babies!"
"I not baby." Noah said as he stood on his chair and held his arms out.
"You're a big boy Noah," she replied bringing a smile to his face "But you'll always be my baby." she moved around the table to hug each of the twins "You're all my babies."
After greeting the kids, stopping in Joey's room to see how his day had been, Alex headed to her bedroom. She sent a quick text to Olivia to ask when she might be home then changed into some comfortable clothes.
Olivia turned the corner at the end of their street as the text from Alex appeared. She'd had a horrible day but she felt relieved knowing Alex was home. Between work and taking care of the kids it felt like they'd hardly seen one another in weeks. Upon entering the house though she had to take a deep breath. She had gone from the sounds of a busy squad room to the chaotic sounds of a home with four kids. Granted, she wouldn't trade her family for anything, but a little peace and quiet at the end of a long day did sound good from time to time.
After receiving her welcome home hugs and kisses, Olivia headed upstairs to change then came back down in search of her wife. Alex was in the kitchen with her mom discussing their schedules for the next couple days. Lucy was still their backup, and helped out occasionally, but Laura was still her grandchildren's primary babysitter. Alex had once asked if she felt she was still capable of caring for the kids now that she was getting older…it was the last time Alex asked that question.
"Hey baby." Olivia said, giving the blonde a quick peck on the cheek.
"Not so fast." Alex said as she pulled her back for a slightly longer kiss.
Both grinned at one another then Olivia walked over to the counter to heat the plate of leftovers Laura had made for her.
"So, Noah has a doctor's appointment tomorrow afternoon, will you be able to take him? It's just a well visit."
"Sure can, already on my calendar." The older woman finished her cup of tea as she was about to leave.
"Wait, you're not taking him?" Olivia asked as she took a seat on a barstool at the island.
"I can't tomorrow."
"Why not?"
Alex looked as if the answer was obvious "I have sentencing on Wednesday, I'll be prepping all day tomorrow as well as meeting with the victim's family who will be making an impact statement." Not getting any response she continued "Why don't you take him?"
"I can't Alex, I have a meeting with Dodds tomorrow afternoon."
"So I need to rearrange my schedule but you don't?" Alex leaned forward on the counter, her courtroom voice taking over.
Olivia sat up straighter "You know what would happen if I cancelled on Dodds. He hates me enough as it is." Both seemed to back off at that comment. Alex knew how much Mike's death still weighed on the brunette, even if it was almost a year since the Sergeant had passed.
"I know Liv, but I can't just cancel on the victims."
"We always said one of us would be at his appointments."
"Hey!" Laura was now standing at the end of the counter between the pair. Both ladies jumped when they saw the same look they got as kids when they got out of hand. Alex stood up while Olivia sat up straighter. "I said I've got it. I've taken all of them to doctor appointments when you two couldn't, both sick and well visits. Besides," she smirked "He has more fun with Grandma anyway."
"I just hate we're putting this off on you." Olivia sighed.
"You've known me most your life Olivia, you should know by now that if I don't want to do something I won't do it."
Olivia nodded in agreement, she knew without a doubt if Laura Cabot didn't want to do something she wasn't going to do it.
Laura looked between the couple, both looking exhausted "Now, what's with you two? Lately you just look so tired and you argue easier than normal." She chose her next words carefully "Are you two okay?"
Alex and Olivia's eyes went wide as they looked to one another "What?!" they asked in unison.
Now the older woman looked concerned "Are you two okay?"
"Oh God, Mom!" Alex took Laura's hand in her own while reaching over for Olivia's "We're fine." She chanced a look at her wife and saw agreement in Olivia's eyes "We are good, Mom…I promise."
"We are Laura." Olivia squeezed her shoulder "We may argue from time to time, but we love each other just as much now as we did when we had our commitment ceremony all those years ago." She looked over at Alex and smiled "If anything, I love her even more now."
"I know you love each other, I do, it just made me worry."
"Well don't worry about us." Alex smiled "We're not going anywhere."
The tension having lifted from the room, Olivia went back to eating while Alex began to fix her own plate.
"I'm glad to hear that." Laura waited a moment before continuing "So, when's the last time you two got laid?"
"What?!"
"Mom, seriously?!"
The older woman shrugged. "Well, you've said you're okay and I believe you, but obviously something is causing this tension. And I know you have a lot with work and kids, but that's not all of it."
"I don't see how that's any of your business." Alex huffed.
"Alex, honey, it's perfectly natural. I mean, your Dad and I sometimes had dry spells throughout our marriage."
"Oh my God, we are not having this conversation." Olivia groaned as she ran her hands over her face.
"I'm just saying," she held her hands up "I know it's hard to make time for one another when you have kids."
"You only had one, Mom."
Laura smiled and leaned into Olivia "Technically that's true, but about eight years after you were born I suddenly had two girls."
Olivia wrapped her arms around the older woman and smiled, fighting tears as she looked at a smiling Alex.
"Here's the thing, even if it's not sex, are you making time for one another? I mean even if it's just to sit quietly with each other and do nothing."
"We try to." Olivia replied.
"Sometimes we just curl up on the couch or in bed and watch a little TV after the kids are in bed."
"One of my favorite things," Olivia began smiling "Is curling up next to Alex when she's reading in bed." At that Alex smiled as well. "She'll be propped up against the pillows, and I'll lay next to her and just watch her. Sometimes I'll rest my head on her lap, and once in a while she'll read to me if I'm interested in what she's reading." The brunette's voice going softer, tears starting to fill her eyes as well as Alex's "But my favorite part, is how she always runs her fingers through my hair. It doesn't matter if I'm next to her or my head is in her lap, she runs her fingers through my hair and it's so relaxing."
"It's relaxing for me too."
"See?" Laura smiled brightly, she had to fight her own tears at the amount of love shared between the two younger women. "This is what I'm talking about, just being together."
The rest of the evening felt a little lighter as they spent time with the kids before getting them ready for bed. Olivia taking Presley and giving her bath, then Alex taking Landon and Noah for theirs, both spending some time with Joey finding out how his day had been. Now as they were about to get in bed Olivia pulled Alex into her arms and held her tight "I'm sorry for being so snappy earlier."
"So am I." Alex ran her hands over her wife's back then pulled back to look her in the eye "It's been a rough few weeks for us both." She kissed the brunette lightly "So, how bad was it today?"
"Well, Amanda and Carisi were at each other's throats several times today. Then I had to deal with the brass over a recent case." Alex raised her eyebrow in question "Don't worry, its fine now. Then Fin comes in and tells me that Barba denied a warrant, so I had to go deal with that."
"Oh, so that's why he was snappier than usual this afternoon when I ran into him?"
Olivia chuckled "No, that was probably after Amanda had a round with him over one of her cases. I met with him just before I came home. So, not only did I have to fight with him over why he denied Fin, which he shouldn't have, I also had listen to him gripe about Amanda." She sighed "Which, in her defense she was right."
"So, you told him he was wrong twice today." She smirked.
"Twice in about twenty minutes."
Alex simply stared for a moment then shook her head "I can't believe I'm saying this, but Mom was right earlier."
Olivia chuckled "I can't believe you said it either."
"We do need to spend more time together, even if it's just like this."
"Mmm hmm." Olivia leaned in for a kiss "Maybe we can spend more time together in the other sense as well."
"I know, it's been what…two weeks?"
"Whenever Joey had the stomach bug." She nodded her head back and forth "So yeah, about two weeks." It was the first night in a while they'd both been home early. The evening was flirtatious and both knew what was going to happen the minute the kids were in bed. Things were just getting started, when they heard Joey's footsteps running down the hall followed by a heaving sound coming from the bathroom. Both climbed from bed and spent the rest of the night alternating caring for their oldest. "That was over a week ago, and it was a couple days before that we…had some fun." A mischievous grin on Olivia's face.
Alex pushed the brunette back on the bed and settled next to her. "What do you say we have some fun now?" as she placed kisses along Olivia's neck.
"You don't have to ask me twice."
"Momma?"
Both froze as Landon's sweet voice came through the bedroom door.
With no answer he continued, adding a knock "Mommy?"
"Oh balls!" Alex groaned as she dropped her head on Olivia's shoulder.
Olivia chuckled at her wife's choice of words, but groaned as she saw Alex's cami had slipped low enough that the top of her nipple was now showing. "I think oh boobs would be a more appropriate phrase." Nodding toward the exposed breast.
Alex fixed her shirt as she sat up, grinned with a shake of her head then kissed the brunette quickly. "Come on in buddy."
Their little boy entered the room wearing his Batman pajamas and a sad look in his eyes.
"What's the matter?" Olivia asked.
"I had a bad dream."
"Oh, sweetie, it's okay." Olivia leaned over and held him close. Feeling him start to relax a bit in her arms she pulled back. "Come on, I'll go tuck you in and wait till you fall asleep. Okay?"
"No, I wanna sleep with you and Mommy."
The couple looked to one another, both knew tonight wasn't going to be their night…again.
"Landon, why don't you at least try to sleep in your own bed? You'll be fine." Alex tried. "Momma and I will both sit with you till you're asleep."
"No." he started to whine. "I'm scared." then with those puppy dog eyes "Please let me sleep with you."
Just like Olivia had trouble saying no to Presley and her blue eyes, Alex had trouble saying no to the adorable brown eyes of their son "Oh all right." She grabbed the phone as Olivia helped him settle in the middle of the bed "I'll be right back." she said to the questioning brunette.
Alex stepped into their bathroom and pushed the door up, dialing a number she'd know all her life. "Mom?"
Olivia chuckled to herself as she realized what her wife was doing.
"No, we're all fine." She sighed "Here's the deal, can you watch the kids this weekend?" she groaned at the teasing she was receiving. "Mom, again, I'm not discussing our sex life with you." she peeked out the door and saw Olivia trying not to laugh. "Thanks Mom, we owe you." another groan at a teasing remark "Love you too Mom." She quickly hung up.
"I guess she's gonna give us a hard time?"
"How long have you known her?" Alex deadpanned. She looked down at their boy who was drifting off to sleep. She leaned in and kissed his forehead then kissed Olivia goodnight. "I love you."
"I love you too." Olivia settled down to go to sleep. The thoughts from earlier coming back to her and she had to force them away considering their son was next to them. "Hey, do you think your Mom could take them starting Thursday?" she waggled her eyebrows "Give us a four day weekend?"
Alex grinned brightly "Oh, I'm sure she would."
"Head up to your Mom's place in the Hamptons for the weekend?"
Alex kissed her again then whispered "Me and you alone for four days? I can't wait!"