Thanks again to everyone who has read and reviewed, favourited and followed! Its great to hear from other fans and I hope that this story is even a little bit entertaining for you. Let me know what you think of Chapter 23...24 is just around the corner, never fear! Don't forget to R&R, F&F! :)

"I'm sorry Mr. Rollins, because you have booked the room through a third-party reservation website, we are unable to change the reservation here at the hotel."

Seth had a hard time hearing the front desk clerk, one of three very busy people working check-in - each one with a line of at least eight people in it. Dozens of people swarmed around the lobby, causing Olivia to stick as close as she could to Seth to avoid getting lost in the crowd. The energy in the lobby was almost overwhelming from the small children running around, the high school seniors laughing and cackling, and the parents speaking far more loudly than they needed to. Olivia felt for the staff - most of them looked barely older than twenty, but they moved ably between the guests, and seemed to not be bothered by the chaos.

Seth's eyebrows were working overtime while he spoke to the front desk staff, Olivia noticed. Some people used their hands while they spoke...Seth's heart was all over his face - his eyes, his eyebrows, they conveyed so many things. He was trying to change the reservation he'd made months ago through but wasn't having much luck at it. He also wasn't very good at hiding his frustration, unfortunately.

"I want to give you more money for a bigger room, though - I could understand if I was trying to get a better view, but I want you to have my money - why is this a problem?" Seth was trying to stay calm - it wasn't the end of the world if he and Olivia had to share a bed again, but he thought she might be wanting the option of choosing her own space. Seth wanted her to have that option.

"I might have been able to help you if it were another weekend, Mr. Rollins," he gestured at the scene behind Seth, "but it's grad week at U of M and we have been booked for months. Even if I went against policy and changed the reservation for you, I don't have another room to give you - I don't even have a cot you could roll in. If there's any way you can work around this, we would love to keep your business," the clerk looked meaningfully at Olivia, "but I understand if it won't work for your situation."

Olivia smirked and regarded her shoes intently, watching Seth's expression shift seamlessly from frustration to resignation. Olivia wondered what 'situation' the clerk thought she and Seth were currently in… She took a step closer to the front desk and touched Seth's forearm lightly, "It's okay, Seth - we'll make it work with only the one bed." She nodded to the clerk who went to process the room keys.

He turned to look at her, his disappointment with his failure written all over his face, "I'm sorry Livs...I tried."

She frowned, "Seth, it's no big deal, really...it was great last night - if it was that much of a dealbreaker for me, I wouldn't have come on this trip in the first place." She pulled his head down to hers, touching his forehead to hers, "I appreciate you trying, though." She kissed him gently and he pulled her into his arms just as the clerk cleared his throat to interrupt.

"Mr. Rollins, here are your keys - I do want to thank you for your continued business here at the Graduate, and your understanding about the reservation.," he smiled lightly at Olivia.

Olivia was just glad to be in a home base again, even if just for a few nights. She underestimated how much traveling Seth had done as part of managing his little fitness empire - this was a trip he made four times a year - that was a pretty big chunk of time. If he did go ahead and start up a fourth over the course of this trip, that would add at least another week to the trip length. Would she be able to go on future trips with him? Would she want to?

They arrived at the room and Olivia flicked the card key in the reader. She stepped in and sighed contentedly, "I really need to get out more - I love this room…I love this bed..." she flopped onto the king size bed and closed her eyes. "I know we've only been up for five hours, but I could very easily go back to sleep right now…"

Seth pulled his shirt off and threw it on top of his suitcase. "Don't do it without drinking water first - after the workout you had this morning, you'll be crippled tomorrow if you don't flush out all the lactic acid. Which reminds me…" he grabbed his water bottle and took a long swallow.

Olivia propped herself up on her elbows and felt her heart lurch when she saw Seth, shirtless, downing his water. Why….WHY does he have to walk around looking like that? God does he ever look good...she flopped back onto the bed, covering her face with both hands...and WHY is there only one bed...maybe we should just get it over and done with...this shouldn't be such a difficult decision - he's crazy about you, his parents are crazy about you, and you lo-really really REALLY like him...maybe he's a part of your healing, and coming back to the real world...it's been a VERY long year…

"Livs? Are you okay?"

She opened her eyes, then glanced down the length of the bed at Seth - who was still shirtless, but now sitting on the edge of the bed, looking at her with some concern.

"You have to know how hot you look with your shirt off...right?"

He laughed for a moment, then a different sort of look came over his face. Seth started to crawl over to her slowly, "It may have come up in conversation...once or twice…" He lay down beside her, face to face, deliciously close. Olivia reached a hand up and ran her fingers through his hair, resting against his bearded she pulled him closer until their lips were almost touching, she could feel Seth's heart beating in his chest like she could feel her own. They looked into each other's eyes as if trying to find an answer to the question that seemed to have settled between them.

Seth waited for Olivia - he had to, and after just a brief hesitation she closed the gap between them, bringing her mouth to Seth's. Tentatively at first, then when Seth began to respond, she took his head in both hands, running her fingers through his thick dark hair. Seth's tongue briefly touched her bottom lip and she opened for him, sighing as he slipped inside her held on to both sides of his head and wriggled closer to him, and hooked her foot around his calf. Their tongues intertwined and Seth groaned as he felt her press up against him.

Olivia had almost forgotten what it was like to be physical with another person - and it seemed like it had been a lifetime ago since she had the luxury of doing this on a whim. And boy had they...the winter that they had conceived Bean, they had spent an entire weekend in the condo, coming up for air only to graze out of the fridge. Olivia remembered walking out onto their patio in her thin robe, gazing out at the Seattle night lights, Mark walking up behind her and burying his face into her hair from behind, his arms circling her and letting her know that it was just the two of them, forever…

Until it wasn't.

The wave of grief that came from nowhere was swift and sudden, choking her. She felt the tears down her cheeks before she realized they were there.

Seth felt them and his eyes flew open, "Olivia - Livs, oh my god, are you okay? Did I hurt you?" He sat up, his arms on either side of her holding tight to steady her.

Olivia was wiping at her eyes, the feeling of loss fading, leaving only a trace in the tightness in her chest, the pressure behind her eyes, and the pounding of her heart . "I - I'm sorry Seth, I - this happens sometimes...but not for a long time now. Oh god, I'm so sorry...I didn't mean…"

Seth pulled her closer to him, managing to bring her beside him in a side hug, "Shhhh shhhh, now - it's okay. It's okay...we have plenty of time, sweetheart...you don't need to apologize for anything… we're good...we're good, right?"

Olivia nodded her head against his chest, eyes closed, trying to take long slow breaths and forget.

They sat quietly on the bed together for a few moments. When she thought she felt closer to normal, Olivia hugged Seth tightly then tilted her head to look up at him. "Sorry about that...I was actually enjoying myself for a minute there…"

Seth looked mildly offended, "Only a moment?" He laughed, "Olivia, really, you have nothing to apologize for...and I meant what I said - we have plenty of time, I'm not in any rush, so don't feel you have to be either."

Olivia exhaled loudly, "I just thought ...well, I guess I thought that this - " she gestured between the two of them, "That this would go more smoothly than that...I guess it's still a work in progress." She reached up and brought Seth's mouth closer, "Thank you for being so understanding…"

Seth kissed her lightly, then leaned in for something slightly more substantial. Reluctantly, he slowly rolled off of the bed, leaving Olivia to recline alone.

"I'm going to have a quick shower - after we're both washed up, maybe we can take a walk around and check out the university before dinner?"

Olivia nodded, "That sounds fantastic…"

Seth closed the door to the bathroom, leaving Olivia alone for the moment. She turned on the TV, and randomly flicked through the channels, trying to find something to distract her from her thoughts. The local news, Spongebob, soaps, an afternoon movie-of-the-week...nothing caught her attention for long. She toyed with her phone, thinking of Renee and Dean...should she call them? Or should she wait for them to make the first move - would they be wondering the same things? She tossed the phone beside her on the bed and heard the shower turn off.

Olivia grabbed her bathroom bag and a change of clothes and waited for Seth to come out of the bathroom. When he did, he was clad only in a towel wrapped around his hips, and not leaving much to the imagination.

"You are absolutely impossible...did you only bring the one shirt?" She grinned and tamped down the warm feelings that kindled at the sight of Seth in all his glory, long wet curls and tanned muscles pretty much everywhere.

Seth grinned impishly, "You love it - I may never wear another shirt when you're around again…now if you don't mind…" He stepped over towards his suitcase, "I need to get changed and you need to wash the Murph stink off…"

Olivia stuck her tongue out at Seth and dodged the t-shirt that was thrown her way, "Don't stick that thing out unless you plan on using it…" he warned with a laugh.

Olivia closed the door behind her, then rested against it for a moment, her heart once again racing and light. The weighted sensation of grief was gone with no trace...is that a good thing? She had no answer. Instead, she ran the water, which was still warm from Seth's shower, and stepped inside, focussing on the heat and the steam. Without realizing it, she began to do something in the shower she hadn't done since before the accident...she began to sing.

When are you gonna come down?

When are you gonna land?

Should have stayed on the farm

Should have listened to my old man...

Seth cocked an ear in the direction of the bathroom and chuckled to himself. He wouldn't have pegged Olivia for an Elton John fan, but somehow it fit. He hadn't heard her sing before, but he knew she was a musician, so it wasn't so much of a surprise that she had a lovely voice. He didn't know the words as well as she did, but he did know the chorus...kind of...and sang along when it came around.

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Where the dogs of society howl

Can't plant me in your penthouse

Going back to my plough…

His voice cracked a bit on the high notes, and he didn't remember the words exactly, but he realized he hadn't sung anything, not even on a drunken karaoke night, in years...Zahra thought karaoke was childish and concerts were impersonal...what the hell did I ever see in her? Seth thanked the universe once more for putting Olivia in his path. Humming the rest of the song, he dried his hair and got dressed for dinner.

Seth had a rough plan for how he wanted the rest of the evening to go, and he hoped it suited wanted to take her for a walk through the university campus...hopefully it's not as busy as the hotel is...and then catch a ride share to the Wolverine for dinner and a night of trivia with his crew. Olivia assured him she was the ace in the hole as far as trivia went, and although he assured her he didn't care if they won or not, he was extremely curious to see how the night went. She had definitely made an impression of sorts on the members of the gym - Eric thought she was some sort of marketing savant with her outreach ideas, and he suspected Theresa was either very protective...or very jealous. Before Zahra had come into his life, he and Theresa had been part of a competition team. The last time the team had competed, they had won their division and gone out to celebrate - he had woken up in her hotel room the next morning with not a lot of memories from the night before. They didn't make a big deal about it, and he had thought things were good between them until...until I saw her and Olivia leaving everything on the gym floor this morning - they seemed okay with each other, didn't they?

Olivia came out of the bathroom just then, dressed and humming 'Crocodile Rock' as she towel dried her hair. Seth felt the corners of his mouth turn up when she looked at him, "Hey there...you know how hot you look with your hair like that, right?"

Olivia laughed and tried to flick her towel at him, "Oh yes - the wet hair, no-makeup look is very sexy these days...smartass…" Seth dodged the shot and grabbed the end of the towel, trying to disarm Olivia and pulling her into his arms in the process.

"You are beautiful no matter what you're wearing, makeup or no makeup...I have no problem reminding you of this on a daily basis." Seth's voice was low and sultry as he pushed a damp tress back across her forehead. Olivia ignored the tingly sensation starting at the base of her spine - she was still processing their earlier intimate episode and although she definitely felt an incredible attraction to Seth on a variety of levels, she was a bit gun shy about going back to that place for now. Instead, she caressed Seth's bearded cheek and went on tiptoe to kiss him gently.

"I'll let you know when I get tired of it…" she whispered, patting his cheek and disengaging from their embrace.

"So what are our big plans for the afternoon? Dinner, dancing, a little bit of romancing?" Olivia's nerves were affecting her filter...she really needed to get out and get some fresh air. She wanted to get to that next step with Seth, but today hadn't been a great start. She hoped he could continue to be patient.

To her surprise, Seth blushed and ran a hand through his long hair, "Well I don't know how much romancing is possible with ten other people in the room, but i'll see what I can do. I thought you might like to go for a walk around the Michigan campus? It's probably going to be a little busier than i'm used to - obviously i've never been here during grad week." He rolled his eyes and looked to Olivia for her reaction.

"I think that's a great idea - walk off the worst of this afternoon...and then? Do we have time for dinner before trivia night? Or should we just drive over and catch an early dinner at the pub?" Olivia looked into her suitcase, "My vote would actually be for a dinner at the pub - my entire trip wardrobe consists of t-shirts and yoga pants...i'm not fit for fancy dinner parties at the moment."

Seth walked over and took a look into Olivia's bag, "Well, we'll have to do something about that tomorrow - there's a ton of shopping in Ann Arbor, and close to the gym. I usually coach a class first thing in the morning, and then I have staff reviews with Eric in the afternoon. I can carve out some time around lunch for just the two of us to go on a bit of a shop?"

Olivia looked up at Seth, her brows knit together in a question, "Are you anticipating going somewhere nice for a dinner on this trip? I thought this was a business trip…"

Seth shrugged his shoulders, "Yeah, well...i've never brought my girlfriend along on this trip before, so plans change…"

Olivia chuckled, "Oh I see...well in that case, we definitely should go for a shop. I think we could both use a nice private night out." She nudged Seth and went to finish getting ready for their evening out.

The walk around the campus was much-needed - it was a beautiful June evening in Michigan, no clouds anywhere and a warm breeze blowing through the campus quad. It was definitely busier than Seth had ever seen it at this time of year, but most of the grads and their families seemed to be elsewhere for the moment. Seth and Olivia strolled down the green pathways and Olivia thought back to her days as a freshman at the University of Western Washington. All campuses seem to have that same feel to them...she thought.

"This campus is gorgeous...I love it when the grounds are so green - look at all these trees!" In June, the tree canopy was hard to see through the thick veil of maple leaves, but they provided some relief from the midafternoon sun.

They walked throughout the campus, not really heading in any particular direction. Neither of them really said much, they enjoyed just being quiet together and feeling connected to one another. Holding hands or arms around one another, they looked no different from any of the other couples strolling around the campus at this time of day.

After a good hour, Seth looked at his watch and suggested they call for a Lyft to take them to the Wolverine to grab dinner before the trivia night got going. They chose to sit together in the back seat, Olivia leaning her head on Seth's shoulder, not even realizing she was watching the passing traffic with a sense of unease. This was another first for Olivia that occurred without her even realizing it - she was a passenger in a car driven by a stranger.

They arrived at the Wolverine a few hours before the trivia evening was scheduled, plenty of time to themselves before plunging once again into the high-energy, high-volume environment of Seth's staff. Seth felt a buzzing in his pocket and reached for his phone to check the text. Hey man, just checking to see how today was...thanks for the call this morning, you have no idea-

"Seth? Are you coming?" Olivia was standing by the front door, a line etched between her brows as she tried to get his attention. Seth could feel a flush creeping up his neck, and the hand holding his phone suddenly felt very cold.

The text went on for a few more lines, but he couldn't read it now with Olivia standing there. He hadn't yet told Olivia that he'd even given Dean a check-in call after breakfast, and he really wasn't sure if he'd done the right thing or not. He thought so at the time. He absolutely knew that keeping it from Olivia was the wrong thing to do, but now that he had the time, he couldn't seem to find the words without ruining the evening.

"It's Eric, I just need to go over something with him before we do the staff evaluations tomorrow," he walked over to the door where she was still standing, and held it open for her, "I'll be in shortly, this won't take long." He leaned down and kissed her softly.

Olivia leaned into the kiss, then smiled up at him, "See you inside, then - don't take too long…" She walked through the tinted double doors, and Seth fished for his phone to read the rest of Dean's message. - you have no idea how relieved Renee and I were to hear from you. If you are able to talk her into it, we would love a call from Olivia. But I understand if that doesn't happen on this trip. Talk to her, Seth. Let her vent and get it all out. Keeping it bottled up isn't healthy for her, and it's not going to be good for the relationship you want. Anyways, when you can, tell her we love her and hope she's well. I hope the trip goes well for both of you. Don't hesitate to call if you need something, or just want to talk.

Seth read the message over three times, feeling more and more guilty for having called Dean each time he read it. He hadn't planned on calling more than that once, just to let them know that Olivia seemed to be doing okay. He hadn't even told them about Olivia's nightmare, or the fact that they'd shared a bed, that was for Olivia to tell. 'Talk her into calling?' They have a very inflated opinion of my ability to persuade Olivia to do something she doesn't want to do. He knew the opportunity would present itself...at least he hoped it would. He selfishly wanted some time with Olivia that wasn't anyone else's to share, and then he'd tell her about the call.

Seth began to type a reply to Dean, Today went well. Olivia hasn't mentioned anything about last night yet, and i'm going to let her talk about it in her own time. She doesn't know I called you guys this morning, but when I tell her, I'll also pass along your love. I know she hasn't forgotten that. Hopefully she will be the one to call you next, but if she tells me she doesn't want to, or doesn't want me to - I have to respect her wishes. I hope Renee is doing better - take care of yourselves.

He pressed 'send' and put his phone on silent. He knew Dean - he wanted to help, and most of the time he was helpful. But sometimes even the best-intentioned help backfires. Dean needed to give them some time - the whole point of the trip was to get away and let Olivia think about her next steps...and if there was some time for them to do boyfriend-girlfriend stuff, so much the better. Seth rolled his eyes and shook his head boyfriend-girlfriend stuff...what are you, in grade six?

Seth walked into the pub and scanned the room for Olivia, who was seated at a booth getting her drink order taken by a very attentive waiter. He slid into the seat across from Olivia, earning a slight scowl from the waiter, and a bright smile from Olivia herself, "Here he is now...did you want something from the bar?"

Seth took a quick scan of the menu to refresh his memory, "I'll take a pint of the Irish Hills and...appies?" He directed the question to Olivia who nodded, "Trust me?" She grinned and nodded again. Seth looked up at the waiter and tried not to glare too harshly at him, Olivia was a beautiful woman, but she was with him, and Seth felt justified at a little male posturing. "Two baskets of the chips and pico de gallo with guac." The waiter nodded, and with a wink at Olivia, he left to place the order.

Olivia snorted, "I think he was hoping I was here by myself…"

Seth chuckled, "Well, I can't say I blame him. I was a little jealous myself when I came in and saw him trying to get you to give him the time of day." He reached across the table and took Olivia's hand in his, "I keep telling myself i've got to be the luckiest guy I know to have someone in my life who is as beautiful as you are, inside and out."

Olivia felt a flush come into her cheeks. She couldn't ever get used to hearing Seth say such complimentary things. She tried to hold Seth's very intense gaze but found herself dropping her eyes to the table, finding anything that made her feel less overcome with...well, with everything. If Renee were here, she'd be whisking me into the ladies' room and asking what the hell was wrong with me...this very fine man openly adores you and you can't even maintain eye contact! The thought of Renee was slightly sobering, and Olivia felt a mix of guilt and resentment bubble up...maybe she should try to at least text and make sure everything was okay. Not tonight, sister - tonight is for you and this kind, beautiful man...and ten of his staff. So make the most of the time you have now...Renee can wait.

"Damn straight," she muttered.

"What was that?" Seth asked.

Olivia thought quickly, "I said...damn straight you're lucky to be with me...but we both must have some kinda crazy-ass luck to have found each other."

Seth squeezed her hand, "You know a little later on, they open up a dance floor...can I ask you to save me a dance?" His hand was warm on hers, and she never wanted him to let go.

She only had time to nod before their drinks and chips arrived, delivered by a completely different server.

"Matt went on a break, so he asked me to cover your table for him. I'll be back to take your dinner order when you're ready." The server was bubbly and cute and didn't seem to have a problem taking on the extra table. She spun away to take another order, leaving Seth and Olivia alone.

Olivia raised her pint glass, "Here's to new beginnings…" She met Seth's eye and this time she didn't look away.

Seth joined her in the toast, "New beginnings...and happy endings" They clinked their pint glasses together gently and drank to their toast.