TITLE: A Few Days Away
FANDOM: Guiding Light
PAIRING: Otalia
SUMMARY: Set mid-friendship, this is a hurt/comfort piece as I'm a hurt/comfort junkie. Olivia, Natalia and Emma decide to have a few days away...hopefully more interesting than the summary suggests. Please request before archiving.
RATING: PG for mild violence
Author's note: This was my first ever attempt at fanfic and has been posted some time ago elsewhere. I wanted to see how worked in terms of posting as I have an urge to write again, though not necessarily for this pairing, and thought this would be an ideal opportunity to test things out.
DISCLAIMERS: I do not own Guiding Light or any of the characters

Chapter 1

A few days away, what could be more perfect? Since the whole Decker affair, Olivia had been completely strung out. Her attempt at trying to keep her true physical condition concealed had only heightened her level of exhaustion and having experienced a bout of rejection and the fear of possibly losing her heart, Gus' heart, had raised her anxiety up another notch.

Natalia had noticed she was being called upon more and more lately and how quickly did she respond with an almost Dick Tracy-like 'I'm on my way'.

So, tentatively, as if approaching a wounded animal, she had broached the idea of a getaway. A couple of days away from the Beacon, away from Springfield and maybe, for a moment, away from the incestuous, cloying, meddling inhabitants who lived there.

~/\~

Olivia reclined on the chaise lounge, trying to conjure up the effort to reach toward the phone to call room service, when she heard the tell-tale whir and click of her hotel door opening.

"Hi," a breezy voice called into the room, "I thought maybe you and Emma might like something a little different tonight for food so I brought some home-cooked pasta."

Olivia arched an eyebrow and looked at the Latina woman, "Are you developing psychic powers? That's perfect. Em! Food's here!"

Emma came running from her room, "Natalia! Yay!"

"Hi Sweetie, have you been good for your mom?"

The girl nodded and then, after glancing at her mother, whispered conspiratorially, "I don't think mommy's been feeling very well."

Natalia looked briefly at Olivia before squatting down to look Emma in the eyes and told her, "Your mom's just tired Em but I have an idea that might cheer her up, okay?" and she tapped Emma on her nose as the girl beamed and nodded trustingly.

"What are you two conspiring about over there? Hm?" as Olivia slowly dragged herself upright to make her way over to the table, trying not to scare her daughter with how weak she was actually feeling.

"You know, I was thinking..."

"Dangerous."

"I was thinking," she continued ignoring the interruption and Olivia's smirk, "that it would be a good time for you and Emma to get away for a bit, maybe a long weekend, you know...get away from the Beacon for a while..." Natalia trailed off when she noticed Olivia's eyes narrowing and studying her intently.

"You did, did you?"

"Why not? A chance to just relax, fresh air."

"Uh huh?"

Emma's head turned to follow each speaker with eager anticipation at her mother's answer. She loved her mommy more than anything but, being the perceptive child she was, she'd noticed how hard she was finding things lately, always tired, always looking slightly drawn and sad.

"Well, it's an idea but honestly I don't know how I would..." Olivia paused "Jellybean would you be so kind as to run and get your mom a glass of water please?"

"Sure mom."

She waited until Emma left the room, "Honestly, it's a great idea but I don't think I could cope with it right now and besides, where could I go when I feel tethered to that damn Cedars," Olivia continued to grumble under her breath, 'probably for the rest of my life."

Natalia watched the woman before her giving in to her bitterness at her situation again and realised she did have a solution, "What if..." she hesitated.

"What?"

"What if I came with you, I could help out with Emma and I could..."

"What? Look after me? You do that enough now, let alone on a vacation."

Not to be deterred, Natalia persisted, "Change of scenery...what do you say?"

At that moment Emma stormed excitedly back into the room, "Yay mom, we could all go, it'd be so much fun, can we?"

Staring across at the very present, dimpled Latina and with her daughter's enthusiasm ringing in her ears, Olivia really didn't see a way to say 'no'.

~/\~

So here they were, a few days later, miles out of town and currently enjoying the fresh air while tucked away in a beautiful, rustic cabin, with a gentle river running by.

There were two rooms, a twin and a double, so it was quickly agreed that mother and daughter would share the twin room with Natalia having a room to herself. Naturally she objected but Olivia was clear that if she was going to be doing most of the work, she may as well have the benefit of having a room to herself at least.

Once their meagre weekend items were squared away, Emma immediately bolted for the outdoors, leaving the two women to sit on the porch bench and watch the world go by.

It was a glorious day when they arrived, the chirrup and clicks of summer's soundtrack could clearly be heard as they sat together, empty ice cream dishes stowed under the bench and no doubt becoming the utopia of any ants nearby.

"This was a good idea, thank you."

Natalia looked at Olivia and noticed how, just by being outside, almost in isolated solitude, the world had fallen away and as the sun poured down upon her she really began to see this frustratingly annoying, strong woman relax and exhale. Already the dark circles, Olivia had oh so carefully attempted to mask with make-up but had been evident to her, were fading away. She looked beautiful.

She was looking her way.

"What?"

"Nothing. I was just thinking how relaxed you look."

Olivia threw her head back and let out a long breath. "I don't think I really realised just how badly I needed to get away for a while."

She turned to look at Natalia, "Of course, I couldn't do this without you."

Natalia had to look away from the intensity of Olivia's eyes.

"Mom! Look at this. Look what I found." And the next couple of hours were filled with a child's laughter and curiosity with the world about her.

~/\~

That evening they played cards together before it was agreed, nobody stood a chance against a card shark like Emma and thankfully that shark had to go to bed.

"She's down for the night. All that fresh air, poor thing is exhausted," the last bit said around a stifled yawn.

"And not the only one it seems. You surprised me today."

"I did?"

"Yeah, I had no idea you were such a...a nature girl."

Olivia chuckled, "I grew up on an island you know, I know a lot about nature. I'm more than just a corporate shark and alpha-bitch you know."

"Why do you do that?"

"What?"

"Get so defensive, go on the attack?"

Olivia pulled her hair behind one ear in a gesture Natalia found endearing and decided to let her off the hook.

"I think the weather may change tomorrow. I can almost smell the rain coming."

"You can?"

"Sure. What? You can't 'nature girl'?"

They both chuckled together and enjoyed the comfortable feeling of just being in each other's company.