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Note: press rewind and play! Thank everyone for their comments, favorites, and follows. They make me smile. Lol sorry this one is a few days late (I usually post earlier in the week) but one of my managers at work went on vacation and I got a lot of hours to pick up the slack. I have a lot of hours next week as well so I may post later in the week again, if I can at all. But either way don't worry; I'm not bored of this story so I won't stop writing it. We're starting to see these two realizing their feelings so it won't be much longer now. I hope you enjoy!

~~~~~SVU~~~~~

It took two days for Alex to allow Liv out of her sight even though she stayed close. Four for her to calm enough to allow Liv to even think about leaving. Liv began to worry that she wouldn't get to see Amanda after all, but she knew she couldn't leave until Alex was okay. Or at least better than she was. She had nightmares every night though some seemed worse than others. But at least Alex would calm upon waking and seeing that Liv was right there next to her. Finally, Alex seemed to have sensed her inner anxiousness. She knew she was exhibiting signs of restlessness- she could hardly sit still, her leg jumped, she kept looking out the window- but she couldn't help it. Time was shrinking and she wanted to see Amanda. She and Alex were drinking some tea on the fifth day when Alex finally placed a hand on her jumping knee. When Liv gave her an expectant look, Alex smiled softly, "I can tell you want to get away from me Liv."

Liv shook her head, immediately protesting, "No of course not Al. I-"

Alex squeezed her knee to stop her. "Go," she said gently, "I'll be fine."

Liv gave her an unsure look, "Are you sure? I really don't mind staying. I want you to feel better."

"I do Liv. You've done wonders for my mental state."

"But your nightmares…"

Alex shrugged, "They aren't so bad anymore. I promise you. I'll be fine. I'll get freshened up and go outside and get some things I've fallen behind on done. Trevor will be glad that I'll be out of this room and that people will know I haven't withered away in here."

Liv was still worried but she could tell Alex would throw her out if she had to; she could see in Alex's eyes that, though she didn't want Liv to go, she had to let her go. Liv felt her selfishness begging to take control. Hesitantly, she nodded, "Alright Al. If you say so. But I'll stay close so that if you need me I'll know, okay?"

Alex smiled, "Deal. Thank you." She and Liv stood and hugged. She walked Liv to the door and watched her leave. It wasn't until she was around the corner that she allowed a huge smile to overwhelm her as excitement and joy flooded through her. She ran to the hotel to pack a small bag of clothes and things she would need for the next few days. If it all went okay, if Alex wouldn't need her to come back, Liv could spend a whole five days with her blonde dragon before she needed to be back to lead her men home. As she was leaving, she passed two of her men and told them she'd be gone for a few days but that she'd keep an ear out if she was needed; she didn't want anyone worrying about her. Then quickly, she was gone. If she remembered correctly, there should be a small hole in the city walls somewhere behind the hotel. She remembered stumbling upon it one day a couple years ago when she spotted teenage boys daring each other to climb through and out into the forest. She had reprimanded them for being reckless and stupid and sent them home, threatening to tell their parents. She knew it was here somewhere… Ah hah! There it was! It was well-hidden and well out of sight so she didn't think she'd have to worry about anyone seeing her. Just in case, she looked around before slipping through. It was a tight fit, but she managed to slide through. Then she was off into the trees before the guards could see her. When she was far enough, she stopped and called, "Amanda?" When she didn't get a response, she walked towards the front gate, thinking that maybe Amanda thought she would come out there. She called again, "Amanda? … Amanda?"

"Hello Liv," the sudden voice behind her caused Olivia to flinch and whirl around. Amanda was standing there with a sly, proud smirk on her face.

Liv instantly relaxed and stepped forward to hug the blonde, pleased when Amanda didn't hesitate to hug her back. When she pulled away, she punched the blonde's arm with a teasing grin on her face, "That's for scaring me you jerk." Amanda just laughed. "So where are you taking me?"

"Taking you?" Amanda's smile dimmed a bit in her confusion.

Liv chuckled, "Well yah. You didn't think we'd just sitting around in the open waiting for some human or dragon to stumble upon us did you?"

Amanda shrugged, "Guess I didn't think about it much. Where do you want to go? It would take too long to get back to my cabin." Then Amanda had an idea, "There's this one spot I like to go; it's really beautiful Liv. It shouldn't take us too long to get there- a few hours maybe."

"Sounds perfect. Lead the way."

"No Coffee?"

Liv shook her head, "The only way I can get her out is through the gate and that would bring too much attention."

Amanda nodded before turning to lead the way. They walked in companionable silence for a while side-by-side. After a few minutes, Liv had to hold back a gasp as she felt the skin of the back of her hand brush along Amanda's. It was like lightning struck her there and suddenly her whole body was tingling. She had the sudden, nearly uncontrollable urge to complete the contact and grip Amanda's hand in hers. Without giving it any more thought, she shoved the feeling away, though she couldn't bring herself to move away. Focused as she was on reining her urges, she failed to notice that Amanda's wings were twitching with each brush of skin as the blonde fought the same battle. As she forced her mind to think about other things, Liv realized that she had never noticed how beautiful and peaceful and clean the forest was before. It wasn't like she got much of a chance to admire her surroundings when she was too busy trying to keep herself and her men from being dragon food. This was the first time she was walking through the woods without reason or care. It was remarkable that she could feel so safe when all her life she had been taught of the dangers lurking outside and how to fight them. Now, she was even without her sword and couldn't bring herself to care even though she knew she should. She had one of her knives so she wasn't completely weaponless, but still, for a soldier to go out without their sword… She could picture Elliot reprimanding her for forgetting their training. But she knew that she was safe with Amanda. Liv wondered why she was so okay with that, but didn't have time to think of an answer. She was suddenly gently shoved to the side. When she caught her balance, she turned to see Amanda grinning playfully at her, her wings slightly arched as they returned to her body. Liv laughed and went to shove her back but Amanda darted forward and to Liv's other side. Using her other wing, Amanda shoved her again.

"Hey!" Olivia laughed.

Amanda giggled. She couldn't explain it, but being with Olivia at that moment filled her with a childlike joy. Amanda's wings flapped in excited giddiness as Olivia tried to come at her again. She jumped back, turned around, and started running away. Olivia's laugh was hardy as she gave chase, determined to get the blonde. A few times, Amanda felt Liv's fingers brush the tips of her wings so she would go faster. Liv chuckled through her panting, "Tease!" Amanda smirked and jumped up, using her wings to push her even higher, out of the human's reach. "Cheater!" Liv called. Amanda glided from tree to tree while Liv cursed her jokingly as she tried to keep up. Finally, Liv had no choice but so surrender. She slowed to a stop, bent over slightly, and panted, "All right. All right. I give up."

Amanda landed back at her side and chuckled, "Slow poke."

This time when Liv surged to shove the dragon-woman, she succeeded. Amanda squeaked in surprise as her wings flapped to help her rebalance. Liv smirked proudly.

"Now who's the cheater?" Amanda grinned teasingly.

"Still you! Ms. I'm-Gonna-Fly-Through-The-Trees!"

Amanda laughed. When Liv caught her breath, Amanda informed, "We're almost there. Can you keep up this time?" Liv stuck out her tongue, making Amanda laugh again. Liv found that she really enjoyed the sound of Amanda's laughter. They continued walking for a few minutes when Amanda announced, "Here we are."

The two pushed out of the trees and Liv gasped at the sight that greeted her. Directly ahead of them was a stream, not too wide across, with a small beach on its shore and a trail of stepping rocks connecting one side to the other. But the thing that enchanted Liv the most was the waterfall cascading down over the side of a wall of rocks. It had to be at least ten feet tall and at its bottom was a deep pool. It was midday by now, and the rays of the sun were hitting the scene just right, making it look like a piece of heaven. Liv let out a heavy breath. "It's beautiful Amanda," she sighed.

Amanda smiled. She had been watching Liv's face for her reaction; she hadn't been sure that the human would appreciate the sight of one of her favorite spots in the forest. But the moment they stepped out from the trees, Liv's eyes had widened and her jaw was slack with awe. Amanda knew that she saw all the beauty that Amanda did. "It's one of my favorite places," she explained, "I like to come here when the cabin feels too claustrophobic." She paused before continuing with a touch of sadness in her voice, "My parents used to bring me and my sister here. Sometimes there would be others here, but most of them preferred the lake that used to be closer to where we lived. A lot of the times we would have it all to ourselves. Just our family. My sister and I would splash around and swim while our parents watched. Sometimes our father would come in with us. He used to throw us around and teach us how to do handstands and use our wings to swim faster and spray our mom from in the water while she sunbathed. She would get so mad but we'd be laughing so hard we'd start crying, and she wouldn't be able to stay mad for more than a few minutes before she'd be laughing too."

Liv looked at her, her face filled with sympathy. Quietly she asked, "What were their names? You don't tell me much about your immediate family. Not that I blame you."

"It's too hard most of the time," Amanda agreed. She hesitated as she waited for her grief to overwhelm her, but Liv stepped closer and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Just that small touch was even enough to soothe and act like a balm on her old wounds. She spoke easier than she expected when she answered, "My sister's name was Kimberly, but most called her Kim. I was the only one allowed to call her Kimmy. She looked a lot like me- blonde, though her eyes were more blue-green. My mother and father both had parents who alive before the Gift and so were given more dragon-traditional names. Seraphina, which means 'fiery-winged', was my mother; she was blonde as well but with green eyes but in dragon form she was the color of fire, hence her name. And Auron, which means 'mountain of strength' was my father; he had brown hair, blue eyes, and always kept his facial hair slightly scruffy and in dragon form he was brown. I also had aunt, Wistala, on my mother's side, but we weren't close with her."

"How come you and your sister weren't given dragon names?"

Amanda shrugged, "It was necessarily required, though human names helped us blend in more. I don't know how my parents felt about naming us what they did, if they would've preferred dragon names, but I'm quite fond of my name as well as my sister's." Olivia opened her mouth to ask another question but Amanda beat her to it. "No, I don't know what either means or if they even chose our names based on meaning as dragons in previous generations had done. Do you know what your name means?"

"Olive Tree," Liv rolled her eyes, "But I don't think my mother chose my name based on meaning. I think she just picked the first name that came to her so she wouldn't have to think about it much."

Amanda exchanged the sympathizing look before smiling, "Ready to swim?"

Olivia blushed, suddenly taking on a shy look, "Actually, I don't know how to swim. Airia is landlocked and I've only visited Telemete, the city by the sea, once or twice. I've never learned."

Amanda's head tilted to the side, "Do you want me to teach you?"

Olivia's eyes widened. There were only a handful of times in Liv's life when she had been truly nervous and fearful. The first was when her mother got shitfaced drunk for the first time and attacked her when she was about 10 years old. Another had been when she developed her first crush and later shared her first kiss with a girl named Ziva. Another was when she first joined the Guard and again later when she left for her first trade as a mere soldier. Most recently, it was during the dragon attack, again when she discovered Amanda's true form, and again when she'd been cornered by those three dragons before Amanda came to her rescue. There were smaller instances Liv was sure but not many. But now she could add the idea of learning to swim to that. Illogical thoughts began to run through her head. What if she sunk? What if she got stuck in mud, the kind that pulls you down the more you struggle? What if she slipped on a rock, hit her head, and drowned? What if she got attacked by some kind of water monster? But she shook those impossible thoughts away as she told herself, 'Amanda won't let anything happen to me.' Besides, Liv was a soldier, an Assassin. She had faced every other fear she'd ever come across and, for the most part, had come out okay afterwards, came out stronger than before. Determined to face and get over this fear as well, Liv nodded, "Okay."

Amanda grinned happily, making Olivia feel better about her decision. She led Liv to the small beach where she instantly began to remove some of her clothing. Not expecting this, Liv could only watch in fascination, her body frozen. She stared as Amanda carefully pulled off her shirt, over her wings and then over her head. Her eyes roamed over the smooth, bare skin of Amanda's back starting at the bottom and working her way up. She took in the two small back dimples just above the fabric of her pants, the bumps of her spine which were noticeable in a healthy way though the blonde was on the skinnier side, the bones of her shoulder blades as they moved fluidly as she moved, and finally the place where Amanda's wings came from. The two shaft bones were between her shoulder blades and clearly moved of their own accord, Liv noted as Amanda shook out her wings before folding them against her back once more. She could see where the blonde's dark blue scales of her wings slowly melted into pale, perfect skin. It was like newly mixed melted chocolate and caramel the way the blue and pinkish colors blended together. Liv had to resist the temptation to step closer so she could study where skin met scales with not only her eyes but her fingers as well. Amanda fingers had just untied her pants and were pushing them down when Liv realized she was practically drooling over the sight in front of her. Modestly, she quickly looked away before she could ogle more of Amanda's body as she croaked, "Um Amanda? What are you doing?"

Amanda paused to look over her shoulder. "I'm getting ready to swim," she said it like it was the simplest thing in the world.

"No no," Liv said awkwardly, "I get that but… Just… why do you have to be naked?" 'And why is it turning me on?' Liv asked herself silently.

"Well there's several reasons. One, the clothes will get wet and heavy and make it harder to swim. Two, wet clothes chafe the skin of my wings. Three, I didn't bring a change of clothes with me. Four, I don't want to ruin them. Five-"

"Okay, I get it," Liv interrupted. She could feel the blush still raging on her cheeks.

Amanda lifted an eyebrow as she turned to face the human, making Liv only blush harder as she forced herself not to look. "This bothers you," Amanda stated. She wasn't offended; she had never been self-conscious about her body, and dragons were definitely not known for their modesty- they often walked around naked because human clothes were annoying and confining. But she didn't understand why Liv was acting as she was. "Does my appearance offend you in some way?" she asked innocently.

"No!" Liv practically shouted it, so she cleared her throat and tried again, "No. It doesn't offend me. Or scare me. Or whatever. I just wasn't expecting you to just get naked." 'Why exactly was this a problem again?'

Amanda still didn't understand, but for the sake of the human she twisted her wings around her to cover herself up. "Is this better?"

Liv's eyes flicked up and when she saw that Amanda's wings were blocking the view, she felt an odd mix of relief and regret. Still she nodded, "Yes. Sorry."

Amanda smiled kindly, "No need. I should have asked if it was okay first. I forget that dragons are less prudish than humans." Liv chuckled before Amanda added, "You do not have to get naked as well if you don't want, but it would help make you more buoyant."

Liv swallowed nervously. She wasn't nervous showing off her body by any means. Sure, she wouldn't walk around naked except for in the comfort of her own home, but she was comfortable with her body and knew it to be attractive. But there were two reasons she didn't feel comfortable getting naked here. One, she hardly knew Amanda, despite how close they'd become and how completely she trusted the dragon-woman; it would simply be too weird. Two, she was sure that, if she were to get naked, Amanda would be able to smell her arousal and that would be the end of their friendship. Neither is something Liv wanted to think about right then. She figured she would be conquering one fear today; two would just be pushing it. So she shook her head, "I'll just say in my under layers."

Amanda felt a flash of disappointment but shrugged and turned to head into the water. It wasn't quite the peak of summer yet so the air wasn't too hot, but after their chase, the cool water felt refreshing. Amanda sighed, spreading her wings again when she was deep enough the water covered her lower half. She felt the water sooth her hot muscles of her wings and hummed in pleasure. She was aware of Liv still watching her from the shore and, to show her that the water wasn't dangerous, she continued to walk until she could dive into the deep parts. Pressing her arms to her sides and her legs together, she pumped her wings to zoom through the water. Finally, when she came up for air she was by the waterfall. She folded her wings and used her arms and legs to swim the rest of the way. She let it flow over her head, closing her eyes and tilting her head back. Liv watched from the shore, once again fascinated by Amanda and the way she moved through the water. The water was crystal clear so she could see her until she resurfaced by the waterfall. The dragon-woman was so graceful and beautiful, and she made swimming look easy and fun. Liv took the opportunity to remove her vest and outermost clothing until she was in a loose, sleeveless undershirt and boy shorts. She tossed her clothing away from the water along with Amanda's before walking into the water. It was a little chilly, but after their game of chase earlier and standing in the sun, it felt nice. Liv understood why Amanda had hummed. She walked until the water reached her hips and then she stopped. She scooped up the water and dumped it over her head, smiling as it further cooled her. Her shaggy hair pressed against her head so Liv smoothed it back as she waited for Amanda to return.

Remembering Liv's modesty, Amanda stayed far enough away so the water covered her body, but she smiled and asked, "Are you ready?"

Taking a deep breath, Liv nodded and started walking closer. She started to get more nervous the higher the water got. Amanda said soothingly, "It's okay Liv. You can still stand where I am. That's it." Finally, Liv was close enough that Amanda could reach out and offer her hand.

Liv gave her a panicked look, "Wait! Aren't you gonna show me what to do first?"

"It's better to learn as you go. Don't worry Liv. I won't let you sink."

She said it so relaxingly that Liv instantly decided to put all her faith in Amanda. She put her hand in Amanda's and let her pulled her out further.

"Just start kicking your feet and moving your arms back and forth," she explained softly as Liv felt the bottom starting to get just out of reach. She did as Amanda said and was shocked when she stayed on the surface. "There," Amanda smiled, "You don't have to kick so hard or fast though. You'll tire out. Just do what I do." Amanda still held Liv's hand as she moved her arms and legs back and forth at a slow enough pace that kept her floating but didn't tire her out too fast. Liv slowly matched her movements. Amanda let her do that for a few minutes to build her confidence before saying, "Good. Now we're gonna move forward. Just keep moving your arms and legs like that but pull yourself forward instead of just treading. Like this." Amanda slowly moved forward, gently pulling Liv along with her. Then she moved a little faster, causing Liv to do the same. "It helps if you angle yourself so your head moves ahead of your feet." When they did this, they moved faster. Liv's confidence seemed to grew the longer she did it. Amanda kept smiling at her as her reward and guiding her. She taught Liv how to breast stroke and then how to back stroke. Liv was proud of herself for keeping up and Amanda was pleased that she learned quickly. Finally, Liv grew tired so Amanda taught her to float. With Liv's muscle mass, it wasn't easy, but she figured it out. They stayed like that for a while with Liv floating peacefully and relaxed while Amanda swam around her. Then they swam to shore to start preparing for nightfall.

Thankfully, Amanda dressed once she was dried before she went hunting, leaving Liv the task of setting up the lean-to she had stored there during her last visit. It was a few animal hides sewn together that would provide a roof and walls held up with several thick, sturdy sticks. In front of it, Amanda had dug a firepit and set up a meat rack like she had at her home. It was simple and rugged, but Liv loved it and found it ingenious. She was certain that, if left stranded in the woods, she would never be able to figure out how to survive like Amanda had. She had just finished setting up the tent when Amanda came back a short time later with a small doe. Liv grinned happily and said, "Good thing too! I'm starving, and I've been craving your cooking since I left."

Amanda laughed and responded, "Well better hurry up and start a fire so you won't starve to death then."

Liv devoured her meal as Amanda watched with amusement. When they were finally full, the sun had set and the light was limited but already they could see the stars. Content to just relax and be for a while, Liv and Amanda lay out one of the fur blankets and lay back on it to watch the stars. Amanda explained all the constellations she knew as Liv listened intently. Amanda would never cease to amaze her, she was sure of it. When Amanda ran out of stories, Liv asked through her yawn, "Do we have to worry about the dragons here?"

Amanda shook her head but then remember Liv probably couldn't see her. "No," she answered, "For some reason, they hardly come here. We can both sleep at the same time."

"Good. 'Cause I am way too tired to keep watch."

Amanda smiled, "Wanna head to bed?"

Liv rolled on to her side, facing Amanda, and sighed, "Can't we just stay here? It's so peaceful to be under the stars like this. I've never slept outside like this before."

The blonde chuckled, "Sure Liv. We can stay."

The night was a tad chilly, but Liv had redressed in all her layers and was comfortable and at ease. She felt herself losing the battle to sleep. Sleepily, she said, "Night 'Manda."

"Good night Olivia."

Liv was asleep almost instantly after that. Amanda stayed awake a while longer to continue to watch the sky. She was just feeling sleepy enough to close her eyes when Liv mumbled in her sleep. Amanda opened one eye to watch as the brunette slid closer and draped an arm over her stomach, trying to pull Amanda closer. Amanda held her breath. Liv grumbled again before sliding the rest of the way over, pressing tight against Amanda's side. The blonde instinctively moved her arm out of the way and Liv's head came to rest on her shoulder just above her right breast. She sighed and smiled in her sleep before stilling again. Amanda slowly exhaled as she carefully lowered her arm. It came to rest a top Liv's upper arm. She tried to still her rapidly beating heart and cool the burning blush that she felt heating her throat and face. It had been a long time since she was like this with another being. She often cuddled with her sister and with Dean. But with him it had never affected her like this. She felt heat and emotion swelling through her. She was hyperaware of the human next to her in a way she had never been with another being. She could feel the arm around her waist, the weight of the head on her chest, the soft, steady breathing against her side, and the exhale of air against the skin of her neck. It was doing things to Amanda that she both understood and didn't. She remembered what it feels like to be aroused and this was definitely accomplishing that. But in addition to that arousal, she could feel something else, some kind of warmth that spread outwards from her chest. It was confusing but nice. And the longer she let it happen, the more she relaxed and enjoyed it. Soon, the heat of Liv's body melted her until she closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep.