When Alex woke up in the morning, she was just as withdrawn as she'd been the night before. She showered, dressed, and got ready for the day without a word to Olivia, and only spoke to tell her that the funeral was at 1:00.

"Would you like to come down for breakfast or should I bring you up something? Or we could order room service," Olivia said.

Alex shrugged. "It doesn't matter. I'm not really hungry."

"I think they have a brunch buffet. You can come down and keep me company." Olivia winced at how cheesy that sounded. "I mean, maybe you'll see something you like." Oh, that was worse. "Or we could just stay here and get room service."

Alex nodded slightly. "That's fine."

Olivia rummaged around in the desk drawer for a room service menu. "Are you sure you don't want anything?" she asked, leafing through the book.

Alex nodded again, sitting down on her bed, pressing the pillows up against the headboard, and leaning against them.

Olivia placed an order for herself and perched on the edge of her own bed. She really wanted to sit beside Alex and maybe even wrap an arm around her, but she wasn't sure the touch would be welcomed. But Alex looked so despondent that Olivia longed to reach out to her and comfort her as best she could.

Instead she folded her hands in her lap. "Tell me about your mother," she said.

Alex's eyes darted up to meet hers. "We weren't close."

Her laconic tone made it clear that she didn't want to discuss it further, so Olivia didn't press. "Do you have any other family here? Siblings?" Olivia realized how little she actually knew about their enigmatic ADA. Though they had spent hours discussing and debating on her couch, she didn't even know if Alex had siblings.

"Half-siblings. Much younger than me. I barely know them."

Olivia was impressed with the amount of information Alex had just volunteered. "Alex, is there anything I can do for you?"

Alex's eyes, which had darkened for just a moment, returned to their glacial hue. "No." She crossed her legs, keeping her back perfectly straight and resting her hands in her lap. "I really don't feel like talking, Olivia."

Olivia felt her heart constrict at Alex's curtness. "Okay, sweetheart. I'm sorry."

Alex's head snapped up, her eyes boring into Olivia's. "Don't."

Olivia reflected on what she'd just said. "Oh, my God, Alex. I'm sorry – I didn't mean –"

Alex sighed, her shoulders hunching. "It's fine. Don't worry about it." She glanced at the clock. "We should get going."

Olivia cleared her throat. "Right."

They walked down to Olivia's car in silence. Olivia hardly dared to speak after slipping up and calling Alex "sweetheart". Her heart sank when she realized the sentiment was unwelcome and that Alex obviously didn't feel the same way she did. But she was here as a friend, because Alex was going through a tough time and needed someone to be there for her. Regardless of her romantic interest in Alex, Olivia wasn't going to abandon her now.

When they reached the church where the funeral was being held, Alex walked straight inside without pausing to speak to any of the relatives congregated outside the church's doors. She made a beeline for the last pew, but something caught her eye. A photograph.

Olivia looked carefully at it. There were two small children, the girl about two years old and the boy just an infant, in the frame. The boy was cradled in a woman's arms. Her icy blue eyes were the spitting image of Alex's, so Olivia knew this must be her mother. A man sat beside her, with the little girl clinging to his neck and grinning. The girl had blonde hair and blue eyes just like Alex and her mother. Alex, who looked to be a young teenager, stood slightly behind them, between the man and the woman. Her expression was somber, unlike the rest of the family, who were beaming. "Is that your father?" Olivia asked her.

Alex's spine went rigid. "No." She turned away from the photograph. "Come on." She led Olivia to the last pew, sandwiching herself between the corner and Olivia.

Olivia noticed the slight quivering of her hands, but chose not to comment, figuring she had overstepped her boundaries enough for one day.

The pews were almost completely full by the time the priest began the service, but tucked away in the back corner, no one noticed Alex. Olivia presumed she wanted it that way.

She barely paid attention during the service, focussed completely on Alex. Alex said stiffly, her hands clasped in her lap, her eyes glued to the priest. When people began stepping up to the podium to give eulogies, Alex gritted her teeth. Olivia knew better than to ask what was wrong or if she could help.

Alex inhaled sharply when a young woman with striking blue eyes and blonde hair just like hers stepped onto the rostrum. "My mother," the young woman said, "was a great woman. She meant the world to myself, my brother, and my father, may he rest in peace. Throughout my entire life, she was there for me, from scraped knees when I was tiny to breakups with various boyfriends when I was a teenager. She advised me, supported me, and loved me unconditionally." The woman wiped at the moisture in her eyes. "My mother was the kind of woman everyone loved. She taught me how to behave decorously in society, but more than that, she taught me how to be a good person. She taught me etiquette, but she also taught me to lend a helping hand to others. She is the reason I volunteer at an animal shelter and at a food bank collecting cans for the poor. She is the reason I went to medical school, because she always believed in me and told me I could be anything I wanted to be. She was my mother and I love her more than anything else in the world. She always protected me, always took care of me . . ."

Olivia started as she felt Alex slip her hand into hers. She didn't dare move a muscle for several long moments. Alex's hand was soft and warm and fit so perfectly into Olivia's, like it was meant to be there.

Olivia felt Alex start to yank her hand away and looked up, seeing Alex's widened, panicked eyes. She smiled gently, hoping to reassure her, and gave Alex's hand a squeeze. "It's okay," she whispered.

Alex's eyelashes lowered and she sighed, squeezing Olivia's hand back. "I think I want to go," she said quietly.

Olivia nodded. "Then we'll go."

"I'm sorry for dragging you all the way out here for nothing."

"It wasn't nothing. This is about you, Alex. She's your mother. If you want to leave, we'll leave."

Alex nodded, gratitude shining in her eyes. "Thank you."

Olivia smiled slightly. "Anytime, Alex."

Alex didn't let go of Olivia's hand as they got up and exited the church. As Alex stepped outside, however, she was greeted by a young man with dark hair, but piercing blue eyes like hers. "Alexandra," he said, "I didn't think you'd be here today." His gaze dropped to her hand, which was still intertwined with Olivia's. "And you've brought your dyke lover, I see."

Alex instinctively pulled her hand out of Olivia's. "She is my mother too, regardless of what you might think, Adam."

"You gave up that right years ago, Alexandra. Where were you when she was in the hospital dying breath by painstaking breath of cancer? Katherine and I were with her every day. We sat with her. We spoke with her. We comforted her. But you didn't show your face, not once."

Alex inhaled a shuddering breath. "She didn't want me there, Adam. You know that."

"Of course she didn't. You're crazy and you're a liar and a dyke to top all that off. You were the bane of her existence. She had to put you –"

Olivia stepped in front of Alex, giving Adam a hard stare and cutting him off. "Alex, I think it's time to go. Come on."

Alex followed Olivia mutely to the car. Her entire body shook, but she did not make a sound as she climbed into the passenger seat. She tried to buckle her seatbelt, but her hands were convulsing too severely.

Olivia glanced at her and noticed she was having trouble. "Here, let me," she said, reaching over to do up Alex's seatbelt for her. Her hand brushed against Alex's as she did so, and Olivia nearly sighed at the feel of Alex's soft skin against hers.

Alex's eyelids drooped and her shoulders hunched. She did not speak to Olivia for the rest of the ride back to the hotel. When they arrived, all she said was, "Stay here. I'll go get our things and be back in a few minutes. We're going home."

Thanks to McJoJo, Eljh55, rasaaabe, AIOILove, tattoo me1969, betterthanbefore, peterpeter, Alladin-Sane-X, Bkwrmchar, ThePartyAfterYouLeft, and all my anons for your reviews. Y'all inspire me to write more. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is love. :)