Olivia locked her apartment door behind her, set her stuff down on the table and walked into her kitchen. She opened her fridge, popped the top off a cold beer, and kicked off her shoes. She thought about how awful the week had been, and then scolded herself for thinking about work. She had made herself a promise to have a work free weekend. She needed it. After grabbing a bag of chips from the cabinet, she walked through the living room and plopped down onto the couch. She flipped through channels on the TV until she eventually settled on the Yankee's game. Sipping her beer and munching on chips, Olivia was almost relaxed when she heard her phone buzzing on the table. Nope, she thought, I'm not answering it. She turned the TV up to drown out the phone. A few minutes later she heard the buzzing again. Jeez, can't I get a night to myself? Reluctantly, she got up and grabbed her phone, checking the missed call log to see who it was. Crap, it was Alex. Olivia dialed a familiar number.

"Detective Benson! Sorry to bother you, but I have a proposition," Alex declared. Olivia couldn't help but smile. Alex was her best friend, so she could excuse the interruption of her evening.

"And what might that be, Counsellor?" she inquired. Don't flirt, Olivia reminded herself, Alex is just your friend. Olivia sighed quietly. If only…

"Well, Detective, it's the weekend, and you're off of work for two days, according to Captain Cragen," she began, "and I was wondering if you wanted to accompany me to my beach house?" On the other end of the phone, Alex was crossing her fingers that the brunette would agree.

"Cabot, a beach house?" Olivia clarified. When did Alex acquire a beach house? Exactly how wealthy was this woman anyway?

"Is that a yes?" Alex implored, "it's in the Hampton's, so we'd have to leave within an hour if we want to make it before dark." Olivia scrambled off of the couch and sprinted into her bedroom.

"Yes, that's a yes. But Alex, when did you get a beach house?" she asked.

"I've always had it. I try not to broadcast my personal life at work because my financial status has nothing to do with the success of my career, and I don't want people to judge me by my wealth instead of my character and talent," Alex explained.

"Counsellor, none of us think that you got to where you are because of your bank account. You got there because you're the best ADA we know. You work hard, you're dedicated, and you're stu…" Olivia caught herself. You're stunningly beautiful. "You're stubbornly determined sometimes." Alex blushed at the compliment.

"Stop flattering me and start packing, Detective. I'll pick you up in an hour?" she confirmed. Olivia was throwing clothes into her duffle bag, trying to recall what exactly women in the Hampton's wore.

"I'll see you then," she agreed, and hung up. Olivia opened her closet and selected a navy blue dress, one she'd purchased for formal NYPD events but had yet to wear. Formal, but sexy, she noted. Benson, stop thinking like that! Alex is straight. She also pulled out a two piece bikini, in the event they ended up at the beach. After tossing a few more things into her bag, Olivia caught sight of her nightstand drawer. NO, Benson, don't even think about it! Olivia's face flushed at her rather carnal thoughts about the blonde ADA. A knock on the door drew Olivia back to reality, and she hurriedly hid the phallic accessory with belt-like rigging under the clothes in her bag. In my dreams. Doesn't hurt to dream, right?

"Coming, one second!" she called. She zipped up her bag and threw it over her shoulder. She shuffled down the hall and opened the door.

"Hey Liv! Ready to go?" Alex asked. Olivia looked the woman up and down, speechless. Alex had selected a white and teal lace sundress, which perfectly complimented her lovely blue eyes. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a low messy bun, to allow her straw sun hat to sit comfortably on her head. Her sunglasses were resting on the top of her dress, pulling the fabric down just enough to reveal a little more cleavage than Olivia was used to seeing from the ADA's usual pant suits and buttoned blouses. Wow, she looks incredible. Noting the slow verbal response from the Detective, Alex caught the look Olivia was giving her.

"Like what you see, Benson?" she mused, proud that her strategic choice of outfit hadn't gone unnoticed. It was the first step in her clever plan. She was almost positive that Olivia was as interested in her as she was in the brunette, but she knew Olivia was too respectful to cross that line without invitation. While Alex had always been attracted to the Detective, until this weekend, she had never imagined that their friendship could be more than that. For years, the two women had been close friends. They flirted relentlessly, but both had assumed it was all in good fun, until Alex had spotted Olivia across from her at a known lesbian bar in the city. She had ducked out of the club before Olivia saw her. After, she asked around, and discovered that Olivia was indeed a lesbian, and had even dated a mutual friend of theirs a while back. Ever since then, Alex had been wondering if their friendship had the potential to be something else. This weekend, she was determined to find out.

"I just finished packing!" Olivia fumbled, trying to hide the pink of her cheeks, "I'm ready when you are!" She flashed the blonde a nervous smile. Alex held the door as Olivia proceeded out of her apartment, her bag in tow. Once inside the elevator, both of them remained quiet as Alex silently celebrated her small victory in flustering the normally calm and composed brunette. When they stepped out onto the sidewalk, Olivia almost choked in shock as Alex popped open the truck of the car; a fully restored black '66 Mustang convertible, top down.

"Alex, whose car is this?! It's gorgeous!" Olivia exclaimed. Just like you.

"Would you be surprised if I told you it was mine?" she countered.

"Alex, this is your car?" Olivia asked, still floored that the ADA had such a magnificent vintage vehicle. Alex abruptly tossed her the keys, and climbed into the passenger seat. Olivia blinked at the keys in her hand, waiting for this dream to be over any second now.

"Be honored, Benson, I only let the women I really like drive it," she flirted, winking at the stunned brunette. "But if you can't drive a stick, you can enjoy the ride shotgun,' she challenged. Olivia skipped around the car and slid into the driver's seat, glancing over at Alex, who was grinning ear to ear. "So I take it you like it?"

"Alex, this car is incredible. How come you never told me about it? Or the beach house?" Olivia questioned.

"That would have ruined this surprise weekend, wouldn't it?" she kidded. Olivia started the engine, amused by the blonde's jovial demeanor. "One problem, Lex. I have no idea where we're going," she remarked.

"No worries, I'm an excellent copilot," Alex assured. Olivia pulled onto the road, and was amazed at how smoothly the car drove. I could get used to all of this.

A few hours later, they were well on their way to the beach house. Alex had settled on an oldies radio station, 'because it complimented the car,' and she and Olivia took turns serenading each other over the faint humming of the engine. Occasionally, Olivia would catch Alex out of the corner of her eye, her hair blowing in the wind, dancing along to the upbeat tunes. She has never been more beautiful then she is right now. She looks perfect. Olivia continued to play Alex's statement over and over again in her head. 'I only l let the women I really like drive the car.' What did Alex mean by that? Alex's sudden laughing pulled Olivia back from her daydream. "Liv, what are you thinking about?" Alex chortled, "You just drove right past my road!" Alex kept laughing, amused by the flush of color spreading across the Detective's face.

"Sorry Lex, I was lost in my own thoughts about how gorgeous these houses are!" Olivia recovered, slowing down to turn the car around.

"Uh huh, sure,' Alex teased. She turned towards her side of the road, and pointed to the first house on her road. "See that grey house? That's Uncle Bill's summer house. It was the first Cabot home built here." As they made their way down the long winding sandy road, Alex continued the personal tour. "The light blue house there, that's my Mother's. It's a little too modern for my taste," she informed Olivia, who was attentively listening as Alex spoke. "And that one," she pointed as they pulled up to a quaint, cozy beach cottage, "that is mine. It's much smaller than the others, but I don't find thirteen bedroom houses to be relaxing, so I built mine to be comfortable and welcoming."

"Alex, it's perfect! You designed this?" Olivia complimented. I am more and more amazed by this woman with every hour that passes.

"Yes, I mean I had help, but the layout was my idea. Care to see the rest?" she offered.

"Lead the way, Counsellor." Olivia smiled.

"Please, Liv, out here it's just Alex," she requested. Olivia smiled at the wonderful woman, and nodded. She grabbed their bags from the truck and followed Alex into the house. Benson dropped the bags down in the front hall, and took in the view before her. The kitchen and living room were surrounded by floor to ceiling glass doors, allowing for a full panoramic view of the beach. "There's more, follow me," Alex said. She led the brunette up the spiral staircase into the loft upstairs, which opened up to a master bedroom. The bay window in the front framed a built in reading nook, and beach wood side tables perfectly accented the white, weathered brass bed. The master bathroom consisted of a vintage claw foot bathtub and a double shower lined with sea glass tile. Olivia was beyond impressed.

"This place is incredible!" she confirmed. "I would never want to leave if this were mine!" Alex glowed, elated that the Detective was pleased.

"Thank you! I'm glad you approve. I haven't had many guests here at all, so I haven't had the chance to get an honest opinion on it. You're actually the only person who isn't family, who's been here," Alex shyly confessed. It wasn't that she didn't have friends, she just preferred to keep some things about her life to herself; her sexuality, her wealth, and her special place- the cottage.

"Well, I'm honored to be the first official guest! Alex, this place is amazing!" Olivia said, looking out the window at the beach below. Alex saw the expression on the Detectives face, and had an idea.

"Instead of having dinner right away, why don't we venture down to the beach and see how the water is? Then I can make dinner, and we can relax on the deck!" Alex tried to hide her excitement, but Olivia had already noticed how eager the ADA was to get down to the water.

"That sounds great! I'll go change and meet you on the deck," Olivia told her. As she passed the blonde on her way to the stairs, she paused, and turned towards her. "Alex, seriously, thank you for bringing me here. I needed a weekend like this." She smiled at blonde for a moment, and then left her upstairs while she went to get their bags. When Olivia was gone, Alex melted a little. The brunette really seemed to like the cottage, and this was making Alex extremely happy. She didn't want this to be the only time that Olivia stayed here with her. Lost in her own thoughts, she hadn't realized that Olivia had returned with their bags.

"Hey, I brought your bag up for you. I'm going to go change!" Olivia declared, as she pulled some clothes from her bag and stepped in to the bathroom. Alex quickly changed in the bedroom, and headed downstairs to the deck. She'd selected a tasteful but sightly revealing bikini to wear, and hoped that Olivia would approve. It was purple with pink polka dots with white trim, and it framed her body like it was made just for her. She leaned forward against the deck railing and closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation of the beach breeze against her skin.

"Wow," Olivia said as she stepped out of the sliding glass door, "Nice choice, Alex," she said. Alex turned around, startled by the woman's quiet approach, and was rendered speechless by the sight before her. Olivia had on a solid black bikini that barely covered her breasts, and showed off her spectacular ass. Not much was left for the imagination, and Alex certainly wasn't complaining. She had always known the Detective was strong, but she had never imagined the woman would be so toned, with rock solid abs. It was evident that Olivia had also gone tanning recently. She immediately felt her face turn to red as she realized she'd been caught checking her out for the second time that day.

"Like what you see, Alex?" Olivia mused, mimicking the blonde's antics from earlier. Olivia laughed as she grabbed a towel from the railing. "Well, are you coming or not?" she asked. Alex followed suit, still flustered, and shuffled down the stairs to the warm sandy beach. Olivia had already picked out a spot for them, and was laying her towel down when Alex caught up. Alex did the same, and then sat down on her towel.

"You're not coming in the water with me?" Olivia complained at the sight of the blonde sitting down.

"Of course I am, I just need to apply some SPF first. Unlike some people," she noted, "I do not tan, I burn." She shot the brunette Detective a look, and Olivia laughed.

"For your information, I burn too, that's why I go tanning. Ghostly white abs aren't a good look for me," she stated, catching the flush on the blonde's face.

"I could do this faster if you helped me get my back," Alex informed her, as she stood up and handed Olivia the bottle of sunblock. She turned, her back towards Olivia, and lifted her hair. Olivia put a dollop of the lotion into her hands and rubbed them together before she rubbed it into Alex's back. Delighted by the gentle massage, Alex let a little moan escape. Olivia smiled and rubbed a little deeper. That is the sexiest sound I've ever heard.

"Geez, Liv, your hands are magical," Alex said, before realizing she'd said out loud what was meant to be just a thought. Olivia had so many quick responses to that statement, but she kept them to herself. She had to remind her self that Alex was just her friend. That moan though, she's going to kill me with that sound. Olivia felt a pulse in her core, and knew she needed to calm herself down. Breaking the contact between them, Olivia dropped the lotion down onto her towel and smiled.

"Come on! Last one in the water has to buy the squad coffee for a week!" she called, making her way down the beach. Alex sprinted after her and caught up right as a wave broke and splashed both of them. Olivia threw her head back and laughed as the water soaked her body, and Alex was mesmerized by how stunning the woman looked. She hadn't seen Olivia genuinely laugh like that in a long time.

"Are you a good swimmer?" Olivia asked, eyeing the small island not too far out.

"I am. I should probably tell you, I was on swim team for all of high school and college," Alex gloated.

"Good! Then you won't have a problem keeping up!" she challenged. Olivia dove under an incoming wave and started swimming towards the island. Alex watched her for a moment, admiring her skill and athleticism. Eager to show off, Alex swam after her. Olivia was a little surprised when she saw Alex swim past her, but she was even more surprised when Alex left her in the dust and got to the island nearly a minute before her. She was standing on the beach, waiting when Olivia finished the trek through the water.

"Better late than never, Detective," Alex joked. Olivia stepped into the beach and turned to stand next to the blonde. The view of the shoreline from the little island was incredible. "Isn't it gorgeous?" Alex asked. Olivia nodded, taking in how lovely the sky looked behind the silhouettes of sand dunes and rooftops. The sun was beginning to set, and Olivia couldn't help but notice that Alex was starting to shiver.

"The tide is low enough for us to follow the sandbar back," she noticed, "let's go back and get our towels. You look a little cold," she remarked.

"Good idea. With the sun going down, it's a little chilly," Alex agreed. The two walked and talked for a while as they made their way across the sandbar. At some point, their conversation ceased and they found themselves walking in silence, just enjoying the company. Olivia was surprised when she felt Alex's hand reach for hers. Alex looked at her and smiled, and Olivia noticed that the look in the blonde's eyes was different than usual, but she wasn't sure what exactly it meant. They walked together quietly, hand in hand, all the way back to their towels. Back on the beach, Olivia picked Alex's up, shook the sand off, and wrapped it around her.

"Thanks Liv, that's much better," Alex said, "Why don't I go start dinner while you take a shower? I'll shower after dinner, and you can sit by the fire pit and make sure it doesn't die down while I'm gone," Alex offered, pointing to a custom fire pit just a few yards towards the house.

"That sounds like a good plan," Olivia agreed. The two stopped on the deck to shake the sand off of their feet before going into the house. Olivia went right upstairs and grabbed some clean clothes, and proceeded to the bathroom. Once undressed, she started the shower and slid in, her skin tingling under the hot water. She sighed, relaxing. Alex moaned while I was massaging her, and then she held my hand. What is happening? Olivia was replaying the day's events when she had a realization, unsure of how she didn't notice sooner; there was only one bedroom in the cottage, and that meant here was only one bed. Maybe the couch pulls out? Surely Alex does not plan on us sharing a bed all weekend. Olivia's daydreaming was abruptly interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Liv, it's me, I have sand in my contact and I need my glasses off of the bathroom counter," she called through the cracked door, "do you mind if I run in to get them?" she asked, desperation in her voice. Olivia looked around, and though the shower stall was glass, it was lightly fogged up, hopefully enough to cover her.

"Sure, but no peeking!" she flirted. Immediately, she regretted her boldness. What if Alex was just being friendly, and Olivia was reading too much into it? Alex scurried past the shower, over to the bathroom counter, and popped open the bottle of contact solution. She took both contacts out and put them into the solution. Blinking a few times, the stinging in her eye continued.

"Ow!" she mumbled, rubbing her eye. She put her glasses, on, blinked a few times, and gasped when looked up. In them mirror, she could see the reflection of Olivia, in the shower, lathering herself with soap. Suds ran down her breasts and collect around her nipples before the water washed them away.

"Lex, are you okay?" Olivia called, oblivious to the blonde's view.

"Uh, yes, I'm fine," Alex stuttered, "I think the sand scratched my eye, that's all. Nothing to worry about." Alex bolted from the bathroom. Once downstairs, she finished preparing dinner, while still thinking about Olivia in the shower. When she heard the water turn off upstairs, she set the table on the deck and uncorked a bottle of her favorite wine, pouring two glasses and placing them between the mason jar candles on the table.

"What smells so delicious?" Olivia asked as she joined Alex on the deck. Alex couldn't help but appreciate how sexy the brunette still looked, even when she was in her NYPD sweatpants and a tank top.

"My favorite beach house meal! Shrimp scampi, with garlic bread and caesar salad," Alex announced. Olivia sat down at the table, and glanced at the candles flickering. This is kind of romantic. She took a sip of the wine, glanced over at Alex, who was watching her, biting her lip. Alex only bites her lip like that when she's nervous. She looks stunning in the glow of the candlelight. Olivia took a bite of her food.

"Alex, this tastes even better than it smells!" she assured her, "I didn't know you could cook like this!" Alex was ecstatic that Olivia was enjoying the meal. As they ate, and drank, Alex told Olivia about how her father had taught her cook, and how her Mom taught her about a proper wine pairing. Olivia listed to every word Alex had to say. She wanted to know everything there was to know about the beautiful woman. When the meal was done, Alex insisted that Olivia stay on the deck while she cleared the table and started the fire. "I want you to relax, this weekend is about you taking it easy," Alex said. When the dishes were gone and the fire was going, Olivia relocated to the patio couches near the fire. Alex came down the deck stairs and handed her a blanket.

"Here, sometimes it can get too breezy down here," she said, unfolding the blanket over the brunette. She leaned over and hugged the woman from behind. "Don't go anywhere, I'm going to take a quick shower and then I'll be out to join you," she said quietly in the brunette's ear. Alex retreated back to the house to shower, leaving Olivia alone on the beach. Olivia watched the fire dance and crackle as the waves crashed in the background. I see why this is Alex's favorite place. It's quickly becoming my favorite place too.

Alex returned shortly later, freshly showered, wearing boxer shorts and a white T-shirt. Olivia almost choked when she saw the blonde turn the corner from the stairs, carrying a thermos of tea and two mugs. She sat down next to Olivia on the couch, and poured the tea into the mugs. She handed one to Olivia, and then leaned back.

"My special blend," she informed her as the Detective took a sip. "Green tea with honey, lemon, and ginger." Olivia took another sip, and then realized it was 10pm and she was drinking green tea. I'll never be able to sleep tonight anyway. A slight breeze picked up and Alex shivered.

"You're cold," Olivia stated, pulling the blonde closer to her and covering her with the blanker. Alex cuddling up under Olivia's arm, and laid her head down on the brunette's shoulder. Olivia looked up at the stars, enjoying that the sky was clear enough to even see were impossible to see from the city. The two stayed that way for a while, cuddling under one blanket. Olivia hadn't realized that she'd started running her hand up and down Alex's arm. When she stopped, Alex nudged her hand.

"That was nice," Alex whispered. Another few minutes had passed, and neither of them had moved. Alex was overwhelmed by so many thoughts, like how right it felt to be laying there in Olivia's arms, and how badly she wanted to tell the woman how she felt, but was too scared to. Alex tried to fight back the tears, but her emotions got the best of her. Olivia would have been content to stay like that forever, but a drop of water landed on her leg, causing her to sit up a little. Alex sat up too, and turned away from her. Olivia held her hand out, and when she had come to the conclusion that it wasn't raining, she looked in Alex's direction.

"Alex, I'm sorry," she said, concerned that she'd made the blonde uncomfortable. Alex wiped her eyes, but still couldn't look at the woman next to her.

"No Liv it's not you, my damn eye hurts still," she lied. It didn't take a Detective to know that was a lie, but Olivia played along, taking the hint that Alex didn't want to talk about whatever was wrong. The fire had dulled and it was getting cold, so Olivia stood up and tossed the bucket of water over the ashes, and then held her hand out to help Alex up off of the couch.

"Let's go inside, and I'll help you flush your eye out, and then maybe we can watch a movie? If you can see with one good eye, that is." Alex laughed, accepting Olivia's hand. She always knew how to make her laugh. As they walked up the steps to the house, Alex still held on to Olivia's hand, and she didn't let go until they were standing in the kitchen and she had to use it to close and lock the door behind them. As soon as it was gone, Olivia felt herself missing Alex's hand in hers.

"I think my eye is fine," Alex said, "why don't you pick a movie and I'll make popcorn? Netflix is open on the laptop, and the black cord connects it to the TV," Alex explained. Olivia sat down in the living room and searched Netflix for a good movie. When she saw the movies in Alex's queue, she was slightly surprised that they were all titles she'd seen before. They were also all lesbian movies. Why is Alex watching all lesbian movies? Wait…is this weekend…a date? Alex was returning from the kitchen, so quickly Olivia picked one of the movies from the queue and pressed play, plugging the cord in to the TV. Alex plopped down next to her on the couch and saw the title screen for the movie on her TV. She panicked for a minute, realizing that Olivia had seen her 'movies to watch list.'

"I picked my favorite movie, I hope that's okay," Olivia told her.

"If it's your favorite, I'll probably like it to," Alex assured her. She handed Olivia a bowl of popcorn. An hour later, they were engrossed in the movie. The bowls of popcorn had been moved to the side table, and the two women were sitting close on the couch. Slowly, Alex's hand crept across the couch cushion until if found Olivia's leg, where she rested it gently. Olivia got the goosebumps from Alex's touch, and when Alex was about to remove her hand, Olivia placed hers over the blonde's and laced their fingers together.

"Stay, please," she whispered. Alex cuddled in closer, and Olivia freed her hand from Alex's to wrap her arm around the her. They stayed just like that until the movie ended.

"Olivia, why is this your favorite movie?!" Alex questioned, wiping tears away. "It's sad! Simone and Annabelle are supposed to be together, and now they can't be?!" Olivia smiled at how worked up Alex was getting over he movie. Then she thought about why it was her favorite, and her mood shifted.

"It's my favorite," she explained, "because I can relate to the unrequited love in the beginning, and the love that she can't have in the end." Olivia looked at the floor.

"You've loved someone you couldn't have," Alex surmised.

"Yes," Olivia confirmed, "for a long time." Olivia was choking back tears.

"I know what it's like, Liv. Do you want to talk about it?" Alex offered, trying to comfort her friend. She did know what it was like, she knew all too well. She'd been in love with Olivia for years.

"I can't talk about it. It's too complicated, and too painful," Olivia said. Alex brushed the hair out of Olivia's face.

"Okay, you don't have to talk about it, but you do have to listen to me for a minute. Olivia, you are one of the most amazing people I've ever met. You're smart, you're beautiful, you're kind, whoever this guy, er, person, is," Alex corrected herself, "it's their loss. If they didn't see how incredible you are, then they certainly don't deserve you." Alex watched as the Detective let the tears fall. She wiped them away, and pulled the woman in close to her.

"She," Olivia mumbled.

"Huh?"

"She. It's a woman, the person I love but can't have." Olivia looked at Alex and waited for her reaction. Alex didn't let go of the brunette; instead she held her tighter.

"I thought so," she said. A few minutes later, Olivia broke from the embrace and excused herself to the bathroom. She splashed water on her face. Pull yourself together, Benson. This is supposed to be a fun, relaxing weekend. She took a few minutes to collect herself. When she got back to the living room, Alex was nowhere to be found. She checked the loft, but Alex wasn't there either. From the bedroom window, she spotted a shadow on the beach. She watched Alex kick sand and walk through the sea foam ripples. I hope I didn't upset her. I should have told her sooner that I liked women. I'm her best friend. She's my best friend. I should have told her. Olivia watched the blonde pace the beach for a moment before deciding she needed to explain herself, or at least apologize. She left the cottage and walked down the cold sand to where Alex was standing.

"Alex, I hope I didn't upset you. I should have told you, about me. I hope you don't think that today was about something else, I'm just comfortable around you, and, I mean Alex you're my best friend. I'd never do anything to risk losing that." Olivia was shaking, terrified that Alex was mad at her.

"Liv, it's okay. I already knew. And I should have asked you about it, but I didn't want to force you to tell me before you were ready," Alex confessed. She was disappointed to hear Olivia say that the day hadn't been about something else. Olivia wasn't interested her after all.

"How did you know?" Olivia wondered. Alex shifted awkwardly,

"I knew," she took a deep breath before continuing, "because a few months ago, I was at the club; Serena convinced me to go with her because according to her, I need to 'get back in the saddle.' You were there. I left before you saw me."

"She took you to a lesbian bar to get you back in the saddle?" Olivia questioned. "Wait, you're friends with Serena?" Olivia didn't know which part of Olivia's statement to address first. She was secretly praying that Serena hadn't disclosed to Alex anything about their past.

"Yes, Serena and I are old friends from her days on the force. She took me to a lesbian bar to get me back in the saddle because it's been years since I seriously dated anyone. It's hard to meet women with my schedule, so on my night off, we went out." Alex froze, waiting for Olivia's response. Olivia had a few thousand thoughts circling around in her head.

"How did Serena know before me?" Olivia asked first.

"She saw me on a date a few years ago," Alex told her. Olivia sighed in relief. At least they hadn't both slept with the same woman.

"Lex, you know that you could have told me, right?," Olivia said. Alex smiled, somewhat relieved that their sexualities were no longer a secret. Olivia began to wonder about the day they'd had. What does Alex want? Just friendship? I just told her today wasn't about something else, but it was, at least for me. What if it was for her too? Crap.

"I know. I was just nervous," Alex replied. She stepped forward and hugged Olivia, staying there in her arms.

"Alex, today was perfect. I can't wait to see what you have in store for us tomorrow," Olivia said. Alex smiled, glad that the tension between them was gone.

"You'll just have to wait and see, Detective," she countered. "I think we should get to sleep soon, if we're going to stick to my plan for tomorrow, we have to be up by 8am!" They raced back to the cottage, and though Olivia was there first, she waited on the deck for Alex. Olivia slid open the door, and as Alex stepped into the house, she turned and placed a small peck on Olivia's cheek.

"And they say chivalry is dead!" she mused. Once they were inside, Olivia was pouring them two glasses of water when she had another moment of panic. The couch definitely wasn't a fold out. Does Alex still want to share a bed with me?

Olivia went upstairs and put Alex's water on the nightstand, keeping hers in her hand. Alex came out of the bathroom from brushing her teeth, and pointed to a stack of pillows on the chair. "I don't know how many pillows you sleep with, so I left some extras on your side."

"Alex, I can sleep on the couch, it's not a problem at all," Olivia fumbled.

"Nonsense, Benson. We're both adults. We can certainly share a bed without any funny business, can't we?" Alex joked.

"You're right," Olivia agreed. Easier said then done. Both women got into bed, and Alex reached up to turn off the light.

"Goodnight, Counsellor," Olivia whispered.

"Goodnight, Detective," Alex responded. As she closed her eyes, a flashback to Olivia in the shower crossed her mind, and she smiled to herself in the dark.