"So, peanut, you wanna go to the playground before lunch?" Olivia asked Lily, who was busy playing with the laces on Olivia's sneakers.

Lily nodded excitedly. "You wear!" she thrust the sneaker at Olivia.

Olivia laughed. "You do know that would be a more appealing idea if you hadn't drooled so spectacularly all over these laces, don't you Lily?"

Lily grinned triumphantly, as Olivia gingerly untied the laces.

"I swear she does that deliberately," Alex said as she came out of the bathroom, toweling her hair dry.

"Is that right?" Olivia advanced menacingly on their daughter, an evil grin on her face. "Well in that case, Lily Alexandra Benson, there's only one thing we can do with you. You're gonna have to be punished."

Lily squealed with delight, as Olivia scooped her up dramatically and turned her upside down, holding tight to her ankles. "I wonder," Olivia mused, dangling the laughing child. "Just where should we put you?"

"The tub's still full," Alex said.

"Great idea," Olivia headed to the bathroom, holding Lily very securely. She lowered her threateningly toward the water, loving the laughter from Lily as she came dangerously close to being dunked. "What do you think Lily? Shall I let go?"

"In! In!" Lily thought this was the funniest thing ever.

Olivia released one ankle. "Shall we drop her in Mommy?" she addressed Alex.

Alex reached around her and pulled the stopper out from the bottom of the tub, smiling as she did so. Olivia continued to tease Lily, lowering her inch by inch, as the water drained away swiftly. "Oh dear," Olivia feigned disappointment. "Next time, Lily-bean," she pulled Lily upright and hugged her close.

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After taking a great many photographs, Alex settled herself on the bench by the playground, and watched Olivia playing with Lily. Olivia was so caring, so tender, and so protective of their precious child that tears sprang unbidden to Alex's eyes. She was focusing so intently that she didn't notice the approach of the two elderly women that they had spotted at breakfast the first morning.

"May we sit here?" one of them asked Alex politely.

Alex jumped a little, and then laughed a little at herself. "Of course," she smiled, moving along to ensure they had enough room.

The women sat down, their hands casually entwined. One turned to Alex. "You have a beautiful family," she said softly. "Your daughter is such a cutie."

Alex smiled. "Thank you," she said. "I'm very lucky. She's called Lily. I'm Alex, by the way," she said, and that's Olivia with her."

The woman smiled back. "I'm May," she said. "And this is Wheels."

"Wheels?" Alex laughed as the other woman winked at her.

"My name's Helen, really," she said. "It's a nickname. I used to have a motorbike. A Harley," she couldn't keep the pride out of her voice. "May called me Hell-on-Wheels. The Wheels part kinda stuck."

Alex barked with laughter. "That's a great story."

"She made me sell it," Wheels said, pretending to pout.

"You know that's not true," May said, mildly, her hand idly caressing Wheels' fingers. "Your doctor suggested that you sell it."

"I don't know why," Wheels said, mock-grumpily. "Eighty's just a number after all."

"You sold your motorbike when you hit eighty?" Alex was astounded.

"She's just showing off," May said. "She hadn't ridden that thing for nearly three years."

Wheels grinned. "It's true. I was just trying to impress you," she laughed.

"Well it's worked. I am very impressed," Alex smiled.

"Are you enjoying your vacation?" May asked.

"It's wonderful," Alex told her. "It's the first time we've been away, since Lily was born. I can't believe we didn't do it before. It's so beautiful here, and the hotel is perfect. Everyone's so kind. Lily's having the time of her life."

May smiled at her. "We come here all the time."

"We've been coming for 53 years," Wheels interjected. "It's our favorite place to be."

"Fifty-three years? Wow! Hey, Liv," Alex smiled at her lover who was walking toward them, with Lily toddling unsteadily beside her, her hand in Olivia's. "Come meet May and … Wheels!"

Olivia came and introduced herself, laughing as the nickname was explained. Lily was hit with a sudden bout of shyness, and stood a little nervously behind Olivia's leg.

Wheels winked at Lily. She pulled a face, making Lily laugh. She did it again, delighted at the gurgle of pleasure from the child. "Hey, trouble," she said. "Wanna show me how the swings work?"

Lily looked at her parents. Alex nodded encouragingly.

Lily put her hand out to Wheels as she stood and went with her over to the swings, the rest of the group following alongside. Wheels lifted Lily into the baby swing, making sure that she was securely settled, before sitting on the bigger swing next to her.

"Mama!" Lily demanded.

"That's my cue," Olivia laughed. She stood behind Lily, pushing the swing carefully.

Soon Lily and Wheels were both swinging and laughing. May had a resigned, amused look on her face that Olivia bet was there much of the time.

Alex looked over and saw a pagoda being erected at the far end of the luscious green lawn. Several staff members were bringing chairs out, which were being organized in rows by a rather officious woman dressed in a business suit. "Hey, look," she pointed. "Something's happening over there."

May nodded. "It's a wedding," she said. "At 4pm."

"How wonderful," Alex said softly. "What a beautiful place to get married. And it's a perfect day."

May nodded.

"I wonder if it's somebody staying at the hotel," Alex said.

May grinned. "It sure is. I ask her to marry me every year, on her birthday. I've been asking for thirty years. And this year, she surprised me by saying yes."

"You? How wonderful!" spontaneously, Alex kissed May on the cheek.

Wheels grinned as she got off the swing. "That was great!" she declared. "Can I play with you again some time, Lily?"

Lily nodded, smiling.

Wheels looked over to the wedding set-up going on. "She's enjoying that," she said drily, pointing to the officious woman with the clipboard.

"Now behave yourself," May chided. "Susan's very efficient. She's just a little..."

"Irritating. Demanding. Pushy," Wheels supplied. "Bitchy."

May grinned. "Yeah," she agreed. "But look how much fun she's having."

Wheels turned to Alex. "Will you come?" she asked.

"To your wedding?" Alex was staggered.

"Please?" May said. "We'd love it if you came. And you too, sweetheart," she smiled at Lily. "It's not going to be anything fancy. It's just us and a few friends. You likely have plans, though," she looked a little sad.

"We'd love to come," Olivia said firmly. "As long as we're not intruding."

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"That was the best wedding ever," Olivia said, as she and Alex bathed Lily.

"I got a balloon!" Lily said.

"You sure did, Lily," Alex said. "We've tied it to the chair in our room, so's you can see it in the morning.

"You going out?" Lily sounded a little nervous.

"Not out, baby. We're just going to get some dinner. But we'll be in the hotel," Olivia reassured her. "And Amy's coming to babysit. You like Amy, don't you?"

Lily smiled. "Amy likes ducks," she stated.

"She does," Alex smiled. "And she likes you too, she told me so."

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Sarah let herself into Jay's apartment. "Hi, sweetheart," she called, hearing Jay's cello from the small guest room. The cello playing stopped.

Jay strode out into the living room, and took Sarah in her arms. She embraced her tightly, but didn't speak.

Sarah allowed herself to be held for a few moments in silence. "You okay?" she asked softly after a while.

"I'm okay," Jay's voice was a little muffled through the fabric of Sarah's shirt.

Sarah pulled back and looked in her eyes. "Oh yeah?" she said, half-teasingly.

Jay smiled. "I am okay. Really. I just missed you."

"And?"

"And I'm homeless," Jay said in a light tone, trying to inject a little humor. "Or I will be, in three months," she took a letter out of her back pocket.

Sarah read it. "Damn," she said, succinctly. "Time to go apartment hunting, huh?"

Jay nodded. "It's good of the landlord to give me so much notice. But he needs to sell."

"What about buying it?"

"He's got a friend lined up already, he told me when I phoned him. It's fine, I'll find somewhere. I guess I'll just miss this place."

Sarah looked around her. "Me too," she said. "I love it here. Lots of memories already."

"Some great memories," Jay agreed. The apartment was the first place they had made love, and for that reason alone she was loth to leave it. But she had always known she wouldn't be there for ever. It was only an apartment, after all. "We could make some more memories right now?" she reached for Sarah, pulling her to her. "God you're beautiful," she breathed. She kissed her deeply, grinning at Sarah's responsiveness.

"Do we have time?" Sarah was already fumbling at the button on Jay's jeans. "What time do we have to be there?"

"Mike said to get there around eight. That gives us...," she looked at her watch. "One hour twelve minutes before we have to leave."

"So why are we wasting time talking?" Sarah smiled, taking Jay's hand and pulling her toward the bedroom.

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"You are simply stunning," Olivia said as Alex emerged from the bathroom. She was wearing a low-cut red dress with spaghetti straps, one which Alex knew drove Olivia crazy. Her hair was curled loosely around her shoulders, and she wore a light make-up.

"Back atcha, Benson," Alex smiled lovingly at Olivia.

"Suddenly my appetite is for more than just food," Olivia's voice was low and lustful.

"Hold that thought," Alex laughed as she heard a tap on the door. She went to open it, smiling as Amy walked in. "Hey, Amy. Lily's going to be real disappointed, she's already asleep. She wanted to see you. You have a real fan there."

Amy smiled. "She's such a sweetheart," she said, feeling a small pang of disappointment. She was missing her girlfriend Robyn particularly badly that night, and the sight of Lily's happy face would have cheered her up immensely. "I'll have to make sure we catch up tomorrow."

"You certainly will," Olivia said. "We leave tomorrow afternoon, and Lily will never forgive us if she doesn't see you before we leave. But you'll be in New York soon, huh? You will come and visit us, won't you? If you have the time."

"I'll make the time," Amy said. "I want you to meet Robyn. She's gonna love Lily. She's told me she wants a whole houseful of kids one day. Okay," she shooed Olivia and Alex toward the door. "You too go have a wonderful evening. I have your cell numbers, and I have the restaurant's direct number. If we need you, we can get you back here in under two minutes. But we'll be fine."

"Of course you will," Alex smiled at her. "Thank you. C'mon Liv," she took Olivia's hand.

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Sarah turned on the shower. "C'mon, slowcoach," she called to Jay. "By my calculations, we have six minutes before we have to leave. We're gonna be late."

Jay grinned cockily. "It was worth it."

"It's always worth it," Sarah agreed, smiling. She pulled Jay off the bed and kissed her, pushing her toward the shower. "I've been thinking," she said.

"Uh oh," Jay teased, earning herself a swat on the backside.

"It's dumb, wasting money on rent." Suddenly she looked nervous, not wanting to put pressure on Jay. "What if... and don't say yes if you don't want to. It's just a thought."

Jay looked at her, a smile playing at her lips. Her heart leapt, as she realized what Sarah was about to say. "Go on," she said gently.

"We could get somewhere together. Just a small place. Buy somewhere, I mean. Or we could rent. I don't want you to feel forced into a commitment. I just... I just … I guess I want to be with you. All the time. I want us to be together all the time. There," Sarah smiled. "I said it."

Jay thought she would burst with happiness. "And I'm so happy you said it," she kissed Sarah deeply. She drew back and looked at her, the water pouring over her, a half smile on her face. "I don't think I've ever heard anything sweeter. Sarah, I would love to get a place with you. Hell, we're together all the time anyway, either here or at yours. And you're right, we should buy. Stop spending money for no return. You're earning now. I'm sure we could afford something together. Oh Sarah," Jay's eyes glittered with joy. "You have no idea how happy you've made me."

Sarah whooped with delight, flinging her arms around Jay. "We'll start looking tomorrow."

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Olivia looked at Alex, and almost whimpered with happiness. Her lover sat across the table from her, her golden hair glinting in the candlelight. Alex was relaxed and serene, and her eyes had regained their sparkle, and the often-hidden glint of mischief.

Olivia had deliberately packed Alex's red dress; it clung to the blonde attorney like a second skin, showing off her womanly figure that was so often disguised in a business suit. Alex looked so beautiful, and the low-cut front delighted Olivia beyond measure.

"You're looking at my boobs," Alex said drily when she caught Olivia staring.

"Busted," Olivia replied happily.

"Busted, or busty?" Alex teased. She reached out and ghosted her finger's over Olivia's full breast through her silk shirt. "I'd definitely describe you as busty," her voice betrayed a sharp jolt of desire. Alex looked into Olivia's eyes. "I was watching you. At the ceremony. And I realized that, when we're finally allowed to get married, that you would be mine. All mine. I nearly cried," she whispered.

"I am yours, Alexandra. Totally yours. I always will be. I don't care what the laws of New York State are. I give myself to you. Utterly. Completely. I am yours."

"And I am yours, Liv."

"You want dessert?" Olivia felt her own ardor rising.

Alex shook her head. "I want you to make love to me," she said in a quiet voice.

"Coffee? Tea?" Olivia teased.

"Benson…," Alex warned.

Olivia threw her head back and laughed, a joyful, throaty laugh that Alex loved so much.

Alex gestured to the waitress, and within a couple of minutes had signed the check.

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Amy looked up from her book when she heard the door open. "Hey," she smiled. "You two weren't long. Did you have a good meal?"

"Wonderful," Alex said in a dreamy voice.

"Was everything okay?" Olivia asked.

"Fine. Lily woke an hour or so ago, I think she was a little disoriented. So we had a little cuddle, and she fell right back asleep."

"She likes you," Olivia said, smiling as Alex slipped into Lily's room to check on her.

"She's such a sweetie," Amy replied. "You enjoy the rest of your evening, I'll catch up with you tomorrow."

Olivia thanked Amy, and then followed Alex into Lily's room. Alex was leaning on the rail of Lily's crib, just gazing adoringly at their daughter. Olivia stood behind her, wrapping both arms around her waist and resting her chin on her shoulder. Alex placed one hand over Olivia's. "We did good, huh, Liv?" she whispered. "Just look at her. She's perfect. She's so perfect." She turned in Olivia's embrace to face her. She smiled. "I'm so lucky."

Olivia kissed her softly. "This has been the best vacation ever."

Alex nodded. She took Olivia's hand, and led her to their room, shutting Lily's door quietly. She checked that the baby monitor was working properly, and set it on their nightstand. "Help me out of this," she turned so that Olivia could reach the zip of her dress.

With shaking hands, Olivia pulled down the zip. Alex stepped out of the dress, and stood in front of Olivia, wearing just her heels and some very tiny panties. "Your turn," Alex's voice was rough with desire. She laughed as Olivia flung off her shirt and struggled to undo the button on her pants, her shaking hands making hard work of it.

"Let me," Alex reached out and firmly undid the button and slid the zip down. Olivia put her hands on Alex's shoulders as she kicked the pants away from her. Alex grinned as her lover was revealed to her. "Okay, detective," Alex drawled. "You have the right to remain silent …," she giggled. "But I must insist that you can and will be held against me."

Olivia smiled. "As long as I can have my attorney present," her breathing hitched as Alex started to kiss her way down her body.

"I can allow that," Alex lips reached her nipple. "You," she kissed it softly, "will be pleased to learn," her tongue swirled around the stiff flesh, "that one has been appointed for you."

"And if I'm dissatisfied with my lawyer's performance?" Olivia's voice rose sharply as she felt Alex's teeth nip her teasingly.

"I don't think that's going to happen," Alex said between kisses. She slid a hand up the inside of Olivia's thigh.

"I think you may be right, Counselor," Olivia squeaked. "It all seems very promising so far."