A/N: June 25, 2017 - I'm back after a wonderful vacation. I'm off to work today, but here's a quick chapter to tide you over. After this one, we'll get into Alex's time away.

Thanks for the reviews and reading and patience while I was gone.

LEAVING

"All done, Mom," Noah said, handing a homemade card to Olivia.

"That's great, Noah," Olivia said. "Lex is going to love it."

Noah smiled and put his crayons down, looking pleased with the big, but awkwardly shaped, heart he drew under the words Olivia wrote for him, "We'll miss you, Lex!"

Alex was leaving the next day for two months in Albany. They had explained this to Noah, but still wasn't sure he understood why Alex was leaving. He had grown to seeing Alex several days out of the week; Olivia had, too.

A few minutes later there was a knock at the door. Noah grabbed his card and ran, knowing it was likely Alex. Olivia followed to check and make sure, then unlocked the door to allow Noah to open it and let the blonde in.

"Aren't you a handsome doorman?" Alex said when she saw Noah standing there. Olivia leaned against the wall to the side and grinned.

"I made for you, Lex," Noah said, handing the card to Alex.

She stepped inside and shut the door behind her, sitting down her overnight bag so she could hold the card with two hands and get a better look.

Alex smiled when she read it, holding back tears at home much she was going to miss the two of them.

"It's very good, Noah," Alex said. "Thank you. Did you draw the heart?"

Noah nodded yes. "Mommy wrote the letters."

"Oh, I would have never known the difference," Alex teased. She bent down and gave Noah a hug. "I'm going to miss you, too, buddy. But it'll just be a short while and I'll visit."

"Ok," Noah said, then turned this attention to Olivia. "Can I watch a movie?"

"Yes," she answered. "You can finish the one you started earlier while I get dinner ready for us, ok?"

Noah nodded and ran off to the living room. Alex walked over to where Olivia was leaning against the wall.

"He's so adorable; I don't know how I'm going to leave him for two months," Alex said, putting her arms on Olivia's shoulder.

"And his mom?" Olivia said, sliding her hands around Alex's waist to pull their bodies against each other.

"Oh," Alex said, putting her lips on Olivia's neck and slowly kissing her collar bone. "I'm going to miss her the most." Alex looked into Olivia's dark brown eyes before pressing their lips together.

Knowing Noah was close by, they keep the kissing brief, but still filled with the lust of two people who were barely going to see each other for the next two months.

Olivia moved into the kitchen and Alex took a seat at the breakfast bar, watching as Olivia began to slice tomatoes for the burgers she was making for dinner. Alex's eyes followed her around the compact kitchen, smiling each time their eyes met.

"Before I forget," Alex said, reaching into her purse. "Here's the key to my apartment so you can check in on it and water the plants like you agreed to do."

"I'm pretty sure I didn't agree to that when you asked," Olivia laughed. "I mean, I'll water them, but no promises on whether they'll be alive come March."

"It's ok, there's no guaranteed I'd be able to keep them alive until then even if I was there," Alex said. She took the key ring and walked over to the key holder by the door where Olivia kept her keys.

Olivia followed behind her. "That reminds me," she said. The brunette reach up for a single key on a key ring that depicted a map of Central Park. "Here. It's um…uh…key to my apartment."

"Liv, I don't think I'm going to be coming from Albany just to water your plants," Alex joked.

"No, I…well…I thought when you do come to visit, if I'm not here, you could still come over," Olivia said. "I mean, in general, it's probably a good idea. There's no reason for us to keep passing keys back and forth when we need in the other's apartment."

"Oh," Alex said, realizing Olivia was giving her a key to her apartment. "That…make sense."

"That doesn't mean you have to give your key to me, or well, let me keep it when you return," Olivia said. "We spend more time here anyway."

"Liv," Alex said, taking her hand. She gave her a quick kiss. "It's ok. And I agree. I think it's time we…took that next step of at least having keys to the other's apartment."

Alex did agree. It was a simple thing really, exchanging keys and something they probably should have done sooner. But it was still a symbol that they were moving forward. Of course, Alex had hoped before her trip they could broach the topic of moving in together when she returned. A key was a little bit of a letdown comparatively, but still going in the right direction. Besides, with Noah, Alex thought it best to leave that decision of timing up to Olivia.

Over dinner, the two women talked about Alex's trip and schedule, and when she expected to be back in the city to visit.

"I don't have a full detailed itinerary yet, but I know the first week there is a social function thing Friday afternoon and evening, then some organized 'get to know you' fun on Saturday," Alex said. She had already shared this with Olivia, but wanted to remind her she wouldn't be home the first weekend of training. "I guess being Week 1, they want the leadership class to get to know each other a little better."

"That makes sense," Olivia said. "But we'll see you the following weekend?"

"Yes," Alex said. "I'll be home either late Thursday or Friday mid-morning. I mean, I know you'll be working, but at the very least, I should be here when you get home from work. And now that I have your key, I can literally be waiting at home here for you."

"That sounds nice," Olivia said, then turned to Noah. "So, Noah, we won't get to see Alex for two weeks. Is that ok?"

Noah nodded. "You go work?" he asked.

Alex smiled. "Yes, I have to go away for work."

"Mommy goes for work, too. Sometimes she's not here when I wake up," he said.

"That's right," Olivia said. "And Lucy stays with you. But this time, Alex will be gone a little longer than when Mommy has to work at night."

Noah looked a little worried and studied Alex for a minute. "Is Lex gonna be gone like Tuck?"

Olivia's heart sank. So did Alex's. It was what Olivia feared most about relationships and about Alex leaving. She and Ed had been so careful with Noah, just like her and Alex, but even still, when they broke up, it affected him more than Olivia would have imagined. Her fears of him equating Alex leaving to Ed leaving were coming true.

"Oh, no, Noah," Olivia said. "Alex is just gonna be gone for a little while. She'll be back, I promise. Right, Alex?"

"That's right," Alex said, wiping a tear that had seeped out away from her eye. "And I'll call and we can FaceTime. You'll barely know I'm gone."

"Ok," Noah said, seemingly satisfied with the answer.

#

After the night of the three of the cuddling on the couch, Olivia and Alex put Noah to bed and then made their way to the bedroom. It had been a mellow night for them, both dreading the following day and the weeks to come.

"I'm sorry," Alex said when they were both in bed and facing each other.

"For what?"

"For leaving," Alex said. "I shouldn't have done this."

"Of course, you should have," Olivia said. "You have to do it."

"But Noah's so confused," Alex said. "He thinks it's going to be like Tucker."

"Sweetheart, Noah is four. He'll be ok," Olivia said.

"But you know I'm not leaving, right?" Alex said. "I mean, like Tucker."

"Yes, and Ed didn't exactly leave me," Olivia said. "That was my decision, or our decision, I guess. Look, you're not Ed. I know that."

The words were simple to say, but the truth was Olivia had to keep reminding herself over and over. It was true. Alex wasn't Ed. Olivia's feelings for Alex had been around longer and were stronger, as much as she had loved Ed.

But still, there was this lingering doubt in the back of her head. If she couldn't make it work with Ed, as easy going as he was with her and Noah, why did she think it would be different with Alex? Perhaps she wasn't cut out for having a partner.

Then, there was the fact that it seemed Alex was always leaving her. Granted, this time was much shorter than other things in the past, but for Alex, work would always be her top priority. As much as she loved the blonde, and knew Alex loved her and Noah, was Alex really cut out for motherhood? Olivia knew Alex would make a great mom, but was it really what she wanted out of life? Would it be enough for her if she had ever had to choose between work and family?

Olivia knew she was crazy to question Alex on it, it's why she didn't. She knew Alex would tell her that Olivia and Noah were her top priority. Olivia even believed that Alex believed it. And Olivia of course wanted Alex to achieve her goals, be it the DA's seat or something even bigger. She knew she needed this leadership program; she had just been taken aback when Alex sprung it on her.

Of course, maybe all those doubts were just excuses for the fact that Olivia was afraid that she was the one that wasn't cut out for relationships. Even after all these years of counseling, she felt like maybe she didn't deserve what everyone else had. It was those fears after all that sank her ship with Ed. She was going to fight like hell against them with Alex.

"I'm going to miss you so much," Alex said, kissing Olivia, who was still lost in thought.

"I'm going to miss you, too," Olivia said. "More than you'll know."

"Well, we only have one night left," Alex said. "Why don't you show much how much you'll miss me?"

With that, Olivia leaned forward and rolled Alex back. She slid her hand down Alex's side, then back up her stomach, caressing her breasts under the blonde's shirt. Her lips trailed down Alex's neck, pausing behind the ear.

"I love you so fucking much," Olivia whispered before letting her tongue drape across Alex's earlobes, knowing it drove her crazy.

Alex let out a low moan, then sat up for Olivia to pull her shirt off. Olivia laid Alex back down and let her hand slip between the blonde's leg, caressing the outside of her panties before sliding them down. Alex arched her back up, aching for more contact. Olivia took the hint and slid a finger, then two inside Alex, feeling the blonde clench around her and let out a whimper as Olivia pushed deeper inside, making love to the blonde slowly with her hands and mouth for the next hour until both collapsed in each other's arms. Exhausted and in love.

As always, your reviews are appreciated. Love it, hate it, have ideas? Let me know with a comment or on twitter -rileyclocks!