AN: Just a reminder where we left off with the last chapter:

"Liv?" Elliot said, as he rolled over to look up at her. He saw her stop and turn slightly as she set Noah down and pushed him lightly in the direction of their room. He grinned up at her. "If you're going to come into my room in the middle of the night, I'll definitely keep my eyes open."

EOEOEOEO

Olivia showered and got dressed, pulling out a navy-blue sundress and some tan sandals. As she did her hair and put on a little make-up, she couldn't get Elliot's last words out of her mind, or the shiver that had run through her body when he'd said it. She hadn't answered…hadn't even reacted in any way he would have been able to detect. She had just turned and followed Noah and closed the door behind her.

She wondered about the change in him…in how they were around each other. In the past several months, they had definitely gotten more comfortable physically with each other, but the more intimate physical contact and innuendo was a big step from that. She thought about their discussion from the night before. About how she feet freer here…about her toast to possibilities.

She knew she shouldn't be surprised. When Elliot came back into her life, she had no idea where things would go. She had no idea what she would allow…could allow. She wasn't the same person anymore, and neither was he. And while she would have liked to think they could get back to where they were when he left, or even go beyond that and give in to all that was unspoken between them, she wasn't even sure it was possible. But something about Paris…

Olivia let out a sigh.

To possibilities…

She had to let her fear and inhibitions go…she had to push them to the side and let herself breathe. To open herself up to whatever could be.

Olivia looked at the pale pink scars low on her breasts. A reminder that she would always carry with her, but one that had less and less power over her as time went on. There were still certain things that were triggers for her, and she still had nightmares sometimes, but she was better able to deal with them now. It was a process, and she was smart enough to know that it wasn't something you would forget…or "put behind you". One day, she would tell Elliot about William Lewis and what happened in the beach house.

But not today.

She pulled on her bra and her dress, and fixed her hair. She heard Noah and Elliot playing outside her room, and she had only seconds before they would be asking when she would be ready to go. She sat on the edge of the bed and fastened her sandals, and as soon as she sat upright again, Noah was slipping through the door.

"Mama. Let's go!" He said, his tone somewhere between excitement and annoyance.

"I'm ready." Olivia said with a laugh, and they headed out with an oversized bag and the foldup stroller, ready for the rest of the day.

EOEOEOEO

It was another glorious day, and Elliot looked over at Olivia as he pushed the stroller down the Champs-Élysée. Noah was walking between them, holding each of their hands, and Elliot squeezed Noah's hand to make sure he wasn't dreaming. It certainly felt like a dream; like another life.

He couldn't take his eyes off Olivia…the way the light wind tousled her hair and the way the bottom of her dress danced around her knees as she walked…she seemed so light and carefree. He was continually surprised at the change in her since they arrived, and he couldn't imagine where they would be a few days from now.

"'Loon!" Noah said, tugging at Olivia's hand. She looked up and saw a balloon vendor at the entrance to the Tuileries Gardens, and she laughed. With everything there was to look at, it was the balloons that caught his attention.

Olivia bought Noah a balloon, and they wandered through the Gardens. They were more expansive then either of them had realized, but they had fun wandering through, playing hide and seek with Noah, and snapping photos. When they reached the pond, Elliot rented a small boat for Noah, and helped him navigate it on the pond. Olivia sat in one of the chairs that ringed the small pond, and watched the two of them together. She couldn't stop smiling as she watched them. The sun was high in the sky, the pond was full of colorful boats, and the air was filled with the sounds of kids laughing. Olivia committed this tableau to memory…it was one of those moments she would look back on fondly…that would always put a smile on her face.

She pushed herself out of the chair and joined them at the pond. Noah lost interest when another 20 minutes had passed, and they decided to find a small café before they tackled the Louvre. They walked along, and watched as locals peddled books, art and keepsakes out of the green bouquinistes perched on the stone walls along the Seine.

Olivia bought a book that caught his attention, and as they settled in a nearby café, he kept himself busy by looking at the colorful pictures. They ordered some wine and lunch, and then discussed their game plan for their visit to the Louvre. They knew that Noah wouldn't have patience for a long museum tour, so Olivia pulled out a guide to Paris, and found a section that highlighted the things that were a must see. They agreed to see those things first, and explore more if Noah happened to fall asleep.

Conversation lapsed as they sipped their wine and watched the people passing by. Elliot looked over at Noah and smiled. He was a great kid; Olivia had done a great job with him. He looked over at her. "You ever think about having any more?"

Olivia held her wine glass in her hand, poised to take a sip, when Elliot posed his question. She let out a small laugh. "That ship has sailed El."

"I meant adoption." Elliot said.

"Noah is all I can handle right now." Olivia said, shaking her head as she set down her wine glass. She reached out and placed her hand on his small arm. "I already feel like I don't spend enough time with him." She smiled as Noah looked up at her. "I'm happy about the way things turned out. We came into each other's lives at just the right time." She pulled her hand back. "I would have liked to be pregnant…to have a baby of my own. And looking back, I might have done things differently." She smiled back at Noah. "But maybe then, this little guy wouldn't have come into my life."

Elliot pressed his lips together, remembering the conversations they'd had about her wanting a baby. "I know what you mean." He said with a sigh. "There are a lot of things I would have done differently."

Olivia stared back at him, wondering if he was thinking about the same things she was thinking about. She'd spent so many lonely nights thinking about what if's…before and after he left. It was enough to drive a person insane. She reached out and placed a hand over Elliot's. "We can't change the past."

"Is that why we never talk about it?" Elliot asked.

Olivia smiled. "Talking about it isn't going to change anything." She pulled her hand back. They were moving into some serious discussion, and now was not the time or place. "I prefer to think that we're just focused on the future."

Elliot nodded. It had been working for them so far, and he wasn't trying to ruin their vacation by dredging up the past.

Noah tugged on Olivia's arm. "Mama. Let's go."

Olivia and Elliot both smiled. Leave it to Noah to ease the tension. They finished up their drinks, and left for the Louvre.

EOEOEOEOEO

It was after 6…almost 7…by the time they made it back to the apartment. Noah had napped in the stroller through most of the Louvre, so Elliot and Olivia had seen all the things they didn't want to miss. But as he continued to snooze, they spent more time going back through the sections they'd passed through on their way to the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo. The Louvre was larger than they ever could have imagined, and they were both exhausted from the day. They had agreed to make a small dinner at home, so they had stopped on the way home to pick up some food.

They were almost back to the apartment, but Noah had spotted some kids playing in a small park. Elliot had told Olivia to stay and play, and he would get dinner started. She watched as he played with the other kids, and smiled as they included him in their game. Apparently, language wasn't an issue.

Olivia had a hard time pulling Noah away from the other kids, but it had been almost an hour since Elliot had left them, and she knew dinner had to be close. They walked the last few blocks to the apartment, and Noah burst into the apartment, anxious to tell Elliot about his new friends.

Dinner was ready, and Noah chattered through the entire meal. He replayed everything that had happened that day, almost as if Elliot and Olivia hadn't been there with him. Elliot was laughing.

"When did he get to be so talkative?" He asked.

Olivia shrugged. "He normally isn't."

"I guess he likes being on vacation too."

They finished up dinner, and Elliot offered to give Noah a bath and put him to bed if Olivia cleaned up the kitchen. Olivia knew she was getting the raw end of the deal, but since Elliot had done all the prep and cooking, she knew it was the least she could do.

While Elliot took Noah into the bathroom, Olivia changed into some black leggings and a soft, lightweight sweater. The evenings were cooling off, and there was a chill in the air.

She could hear Elliot laughing as Noah splashed in the tub, and she allowed herself to daydream a little about a life with Elliot…with them as a family. She had closed her mind to that possibility a long time ago, and had refused to give the idea any new life in the past few months. But now, she could almost see it.

She was startled from her thoughts when Elliot and Noah came out of the bathroom.

"Tell Mommy good night." Elliot said. He watched as Noah ran across the room and threw himself into Olivia's arms. She scooped him up and smothered his face with kisses before she released him.

"Night Noah." Olivia said. She mouthed a thank you to Elliot when she saw him standing near the bedroom door. She pointed towards the balcony, letting him know where to find her when Noah was in bed.

Olivia took two wine glasses and a bottle of wine out on to the balcony, and Elliot joined her ten minutes later.

"He is out." Elliot said as he wandered out on to the balcony. "Hopefully he won't keep you awake tonight." He poured himself a half glass of wine, and joined Olivia as she leaned against the railing.

"I'm tired too. Sleeping won't be a problem." Olivia said as she took a sip of wine.

They both stood, staring out at the city as dusk creeped in. The streets below were relatively quiet, and Olivia was happy with the choice she'd made in apartments.

"You know, I wasn't sure about inviting you to come along…" Olivia started. "But now I can't imagine being here without you." She was speaking the truth. She knew she and Noah would have been fine, but it would have been completely different.

"You know I was surprised." Elliot leaned over, resting his elbows on the railing, with his wine glass dangling from the fingers of his right hand. "Why did you?"

"I told you." Olivia said. "I thought it would be nice to have another adult along. A friend."

"Hmmm." Elliot said.

Olivia turned to face him, resting her left arm on the railing. "You don't believe me?"

"I didn't say that." Elliot said evenly, glancing over at her before he looked back out towards the city.

"OK." Olivia stared at the side of his head for a moment, considering whether or not she wanted to voice the question in her head. She bit down on her bottom lip. "Why do you think I asked you to come with us?"

Elliot turned and mimicked her stance, leaning on his right forearm. He was staring directly at her. He wondered if she was ready to hear what was on his mind.

Maybe they hadn't had enough wine for that.

Olivia sensed Elliot's hesitancy, and the intensity in his eyes, and suddenly, she didn't want to hear what he thought. "Forget it." She said, turning back to face the city.

"Liv." Elliot said, a little disappointed that she had shut him down.

"Tell me about the kids. Tell me what they're doing." Olivia said, changing the course of the conversation.

Elliot wanted to tell her what he was feeling…what he hoped for. It was on the tip of his tongue. "Olivia…"

Olivia turned to face him again, and she reached out and put her hand on his arm. "El..." she said, and her voice was barely more than a whisper. "Tell me about the kids."