Happy Tuesday! Hope you are all out there keeping safe and beating the heat! Thank you again to everyone who took the time to read not only this new chapter, but all the chapters of Come Through. I am really enjoying taking Seth and Olivia into new places and finding new faces for them to interact with. Let me know how you think it's going! Big thanks to Levesque-Rollins823 for another fantastic review! Remember to Read & Review, Favorite & Follow….enjoy!

"Oh my god, Dean. This is the best thing I've ever tasted…" Renee mumbled through a mouthful of breakfast, eyes half-shut in satisfaction. She sat in the breakfast nook, scarfing down the waffles Dean had made that morning.

Dean grinned while filling the waffle maker with another round, "Darlin' - those are plain vanilla waffles - an old Ambrose family recipe handed down for generations from -" he grabbed the mix box and looked at it closely, "- great grandmama Krusteez…lovely woman." He set a timer on the stove and came over to enjoy a waffle with his wife. She'd been slowly recuperating over the last few days from the big blow out with Olivia on Thursday night. Renee didn't cry every time she thought about Olivia, but an air of sadness had settled in and Dean thought that could only be erased by a long heart-to-heart with her cousin.

Renee continued to make approving noises with her eyes closed, and Dean couldn't help but think he must be the only man to find the sight of a woman enjoying waffles so erotic. "Maybe…after breakfast , we could head upstairs and see what other kinds of vanilla work for you…?" He waggled his eyebrows suggestively, taking another sip of coffee.

Renee snickered and rolled her eyes with a laugh, "You just get smoother as you get older, did you know that?" She half-rose in the breakfast nook, leaning over to kiss Dean when she heard the mail flop onto the floor by the door. "Oh - mail's here!" She scootched out of the booth and walked purposefully to the door and giggling, leaving Dean to watch her go, hanging in mid-kiss.

She squatted down to pick up the mail - bending right over these days ran the risk of a quick visit to the bathroom. Slowly sauntering back to Dean in the kitchen, she flipped through the collection of envelopes and fliers…bill…bill…real estate agent…sidewalk sale…Seattle Symphony…bill…wait, what? Renee flipped back and froze, "What do they want with her…why do I think that that old cow has something to do with this?" Renee knew that Meredith Madsen had used her influence to have power of attorney over Mark's estate awarded to her when it was determined that Olivia was not fit to have control. Olivia knew this too, but like everything else in those early days, it was a hazy swirl of random details blotted out by the overriding bleakness of her situation.

They had only had one interaction with Meredith and Arthur Madsen -well, Meredith, really - Arthur Madsen was a quiet milquetoast man who was content to play his piano, and work on his train dioramas for hours, leaving the running of his finances and entire life to his overbearing wife. The memory of that one run-in with Meredith in the entryway of their mansion got Renee's hackles up every time…

"She's mentally incompetent…and my son is dead. I have no use for her, not that I ever had much use for her…" Meredith did not enjoy the unwelcome and unexpected intrusion from her daughter-in-law's family. Meredith had what she wanted…although she couldn't alter the conditions of Mark's will, she would make sure that backwater bitch never got another penny beyond that. She was thoroughly put out at having Mark's wife's poor relations on her doorstep, berating her. She did enjoy the feeling of towering over the little shrimp and looking down her nose at the blonde in front of her. The husband looked next to useless, just standing there watching his wife spit and fume.

Renee bristled, remembering the image of Olivia in her bedroom, practically catatonic, and resolved to take her back to Cincinnati with them when they left tomorrow. "She's grieving! She's spent the last three months curled up in the bed grieving her husband and baby…your son and grandchild…and you left her there! You sanctimonious bitch! Did you ever think to check in on her - make sure she was okay? Mark loved her - enough to marry her against your wishes, I might add - does that mean nothing to you?" Her volume was rising, and Dean tried to put a hand on her arm to bring it down a bit, but she brushed it off, stepping into Meredith who just stood like a marble statue, unmoving and unfeeling.

"She has just been through the worst experience any one of us could live through…she's lost her husband…her child…and she's been reliving it in her head since she got home from the hospital. You were her family…and you just abandoned her…what the fuck is wrong with you?" Renee got closer and louder the longer she ranted, but Meredith stood unmoved.

"She's no relation to me. You want to care for her…be my guest." She made a move to close the door, but Renee stayed put, standing toe-to-toe and craning her neck to maintain eye contact to make sure her message was heard.

"If I hear that you've been trying to bilk Olivia out of her share of the will, you will regret it…am I getting through to that ice bitch heart of yours?" She punctuated her statement with her index finger, poking Meredith in her shoulder.

She looked down her nose at the little snip, barely holding back a sneer of disdain, "She'll get what she gets, and nothing more from me. The service for my boy and his child will be held privately next week. Now if you don't mind getting out of my doorstep…"

"Next week? But we're taking Olivia to Cincinnati with us when we leave tomorrow - I can't bring her back next week…and I sure as hell am not leaving her here to her own devices. Can't you wait until Olivia is a little better? Like in a month or two?" She hated the pleading tone that had crept into her voice, but she wanted Olivia to be able to say goodbye to her husband, she should be at their memorial…even if it meant begging this piece of shit for the opportunity.

Meredith sniffed, "She's no family of mine - and she has no place at a Madsen memorial service. Your cousin is not invited, even if it were a month from now. If I ever see her again it will be too soon." With that, she pushed Renee back away from the front door and closed it in her face.

Renee still got hot under the collar thinking about Olivia's bitch of a mother-in-law. Olivia had not been able to bring herself to say goodbye to Mark and Bean, and had resisted any suggestion about flying back to have their own personal service. She wandered back into the kitchen, placing the bulk of the mail onto the counter, turning the letter from the symphony in her hands. Dean wandered up behind her and lightly wrapped his arms around her slightly-rounded waist, "Whatcha got there, lover?"

Renee showed him the handwritten address, "It's from the symphony, Dean - what do they want with her now?"

He rested his chin on her shoulder, "I'm not sure...do you think it can wait until she gets back? The anniversary of Mark's death is coming up - maybe it's a letter of support, something to say they're thinking of her?"

"Jesus, I hope so...I can't think of what else they'd want…" Renee sighed, "Why can't things just settle down, Dean?"

He turned her in his arms and looked at her, "Sweetheart, we can only take things as they come, and try to have the strength to deal with them. Whatever comes, we'll be there for Olivia - and deep down she knows that. If we don't hear from her in a couple of days, then I'll give Seth another call - maybe I'll try to speak to Olivia." Dean looked down into Renee's eyes, sad yet there was still hope in there.

He hugged her to him, relaxing when he felt her arms reciprocate and pull him in closer. He kissed the side of her head tenderly, and they stood together in the kitchen until the smell of sugar burning brought them back to the here and now. "Shit! The waffles!" Dean yelled and ran to dig the carbonized waffle out of the iron.

The next morning, Olivia was up first and getting ready to check out. She wasn't always an early bird, but the sun had woken her up and she wanted to make sure everything she bought yesterday had been packed. She also didn't want Seth to see the surprise she had purchased at Victoria Secret - not until she was ready to show him, of course. Olivia held up the emerald green lacy set she'd allowed herself to be talked into - it came with a satin short robe, and the saleswoman had assured her that it made her green eyes pop…and that it would definitely have the same effect on Seth when he saw her in it.

She took a look over her shoulder at the slowly rising Seth and quickly folded it into the suitcase, covering it with a couple of pairs of leggings and her gym shoes. Olivia zipped up her suitcase and put it by the door, then went to help Seth wake up.

"How's the elbow this morning?" She sat down on his side of the bed, trying not to jostle him too badly.

Seth moved his arm experimentally and she saw him wince, "I'm calling the doctor-"

Seth reached out with his good arm, "Olivia wait - if it's sprained, they're not going to be able to do anything with it anyways…I just need to keep it in a sling or something and keep icing it when I can…which is all the doctor would be telling me to do anyways." He pulled her back down beside him on the bed, resting his hand in her lap, "I've got the best caregiver I could ask for - I don't need to go to the doctor, I promise you."

Olivia looked into the puppy dog eyes he was currently assailing her with and sighed, "Alright, fine. I will continue to ply you with ice and Advil, and find something to tie your arm up with…but what are you going to do about driving? I don't think either of up wants to see me on the freeway…it would add another hour or two to - where are we going again?"

Seth smirked and propped himself into a sitting position, "I can't tell you - it's on a need to know basis…and right now, you don't need to know."

Olivia furrowed her brow and narrowed her eyes at him, "Why are you being so weird?"

He reached out with one arm and snaked it around her waist, drawing her closer to him. "I guess you just bring it out in me…" he drawled. He couldn't help the low moan that settled in his throat when her lips touched his. Seth closed his eyes and gently pulled Olivia back onto the bed, the arm around her waist sliding down to her thigh. Just as Olivia was settling in on the bed next to him, his phone rang.

"Don't answer it," she murmured, working her way down his neck with her lips. Her fingers were threaded into his hair and she loved the heavy, silky feel of his dark tresses under her hands.

The phone continued to ring and Seth, concerned it might be Dean, reluctantly sat up and reached over a protesting Olivia to see who was on the other end. He released the breath he'd been holding when he saw that is was Eric, "Olivia, I have to take this…sorry babe." He kissed her, then took the call.

"Hey man, what's up?"

"Hope I wasn't interrupting anything…I know it's a little early to be calling, but I wanted you to know I was able to bump up your appointment with the accountant - if you can get downtown in twenty minutes, he can see you right away, and then you can get on your way to your little side trip." Eric sounded very pleased with himself, and Seth had to admit it was good news to get interrupted by.

"That's awesome, my friend - I owe you big time…Come on down to Cincinnati later in the summer with James and we'll treat you to an evening out," he couldn't help the smile in his voice as he spoke to his friend. "Take care, man - and say hi to James. Sorry I missed him this time out," he hung up the phone and looked over at Olivia who had turned on the TV and was idly flipping through the channels.

She looked back at him, eyebrows raised expectantly, "What did Eric want?"

Seth got up and grabbed some clothes before heading towards the bathroom. "I had an appointment with my accountant that was going to keep us in Ann Arbor longer than I wanted - Eric fixed it so we could leave, " he checked his watch, "in about forty-five minutes." He turned before going into the bathroom,"Which would put us in our next stop in time for dinner."

Olivia sat up on the bed, "And the sooner we get there, the sooner we can pick up where we left off?"

She crawled toward him, never breaking his gaze. Seth found the strength to stay standing and not to spend the remainder of their stay in Ann Arbor in bed. "I guarantee-damn-tee it."

Olivia sat in the reception area of Seth's account's office, waiting patiently for their meeting to be over. She was idly paging through the magazines: People, Us, National Geographic, Sports Illustrated, The Economist, and had just finished reading about Nile crocodiles when her phone buzzed. Her heart raced up into her throat and she was sure her heart rate was sky-high. There was a slight tremble as she reached into her purse. pleasedon'tbeReneepleasedon'tbeReneepleasedon'tbeRenee

It was not Renee, as it turned out, but Eric. Hey girl - just wanted to see if you got to the accountant okay? Shouldn't be a long meeting this time around…hope you're not too bored.

She smiled in relief, Well, it was a bit of a mad dash to get out the door on time, but we got here with a couple minutes to spare. She thought for a moment, Do YOU know where Seth and I are going next? Olivia thought that if anyone knew Seth's next move, it would probably be Eric…if he were willing to share.

Apparently, he was not. Well, it should be Davenport -although you'll be there a couple of days early…have fun with that, Davenport is not exactly a happening town…

She pursed her lips, considering whether she should try to pry a bit further or just leave sleeping dogs to lie. And Seth gave you no idea of what we might be doing with those extra days?

The three dots appeared and stayed there. Then stopped. Then came back for a few more moments. I have no idea what you're on about, little girl - but I'd just sit back and enjoy the ride, if I were you. I'll be in touch.

Olivia smiled and sent a happy face with hearts. If there was a secret plan, she was mostly happy to let it play out - she trusted Seth that it was not going to be something she wouldn't want to do. Like skydiving. Please god don't let it be skydiving…

She toyed with her phone a while longer, scrolling through old text conversations with Seth, and the crazy hospital-bound ones from Renee…she missed her. She opened a new message and tried to start typing…Hey Ree. It's me. Olivia immediately deleted the ridiculous rhyming message and tried again. Hey Ree…how are things? She didn't hit send right away, but sat and stared at the five words on the screen. Olivia was angry with Renee. And Dean. Did she want to let them off the hook so quickly by opening up a conversation? Didn't they deserve to sit and stew for a little while longer?

Olivia's decision was made for her when Seth and his accountant came out of the back office, finishing up their conversation. She quickly exited the app and dropped her phone back into her purse, standing to meet them both. She adjusted her clothes, not quite used to the fit of the knitted tank top she'd bought yesterday - it clung to her just a bit more than she was used to these days, but she liked it.

She saw Seth's eyes light up when he saw her, and felt her heart tick up a notch in response - she hoped she never lost that feeling when he was around. Seth took her fingertips in his and she leaned into the gentle kiss. The accountant cleared his throat awkwardly, "Well, Seth - it looks like everything is in order here." He rubbed the back of his neck and tried to find a place on the wall to concentrate on, "I guess we'll see you in a few months then, Seth. Uh - nice to meet you, Olivia."

He shook Seth's hand, and sketched a tip of the hat to Olivia, then went back into his office to make some notes on Seth's account. When he was gone, Seth swooped Olivia around in his arms, making her squee in surprise. He set her down, looking every bit like the cat that ate the canary. "Seth what is up with you?"

Seth took Olivia's hand in his, "Why does something need to be up?" He had a coy grin on his face, and she felt an immediate blush spring into her cheeks. Together they walked out to the car.

After a quick stop at a cafe in St. Joseph and a short walk along the shore of Lake Michigan, they continued their drive. Olivia watched Seth intently the whole way, waiting for him to reveal where they were going, and she was about to abandon any notion that they were going anywhere other than Davenport when Seth pulled over to the side of the highway just a few minute past Gary, Indiana. Olivia looked over with a question on her face, "Something wrong?"

Seth turned in his seat to face Olivia, his face was unreadable, in his hands he held a black silk scarf. He handed it to Olivia, who took it slowly, "What…what am I supposed to do with this?" Her brow furrowed in confusion, "Are - are you kidnapping me?"

He laughed, and shook his head, "Not exactly, Livs." He took the scarf back from her, "I wanted us to have some time that was just ours…no gym, no meetings, no staff events…just us. Our - " he ducked his head and rubbed a hand along the back of his neck, "Our one-month anniversary is next week, but I thought we could celebrate a week early?…I made some arrangements with Eric's help - but I wanted our final destination to be a surprise. I thought you wouldn't mind wearing a blindfold for a few minutes until we get there - but if it's too weird, I totally get it - we're still pretty new…" He looked up at her from under his eyelashes, and Olivia was lost in his eyes for a few seconds. Dear lord those eyelashes should be criminal…

She reached for his hand and took it in hers, "You are seriously the cutest thing…of course if you turn out to be a serial killer, I will take that back…" She pulled the scarf from his hands and turned her back to Seth, covering her eyes with it and holding the ends out to him.

Seth leaned forward to gently tie the blindfold in place, "I promise this won't be for very long…maybe half an hour tops - I couldn't leave it any later or you'd guess where we were going…" When he had the blindfold secured, he brushed her hair away from the back of her neck and kissed her gently by the shoulder, making her shiver.

Olivia settled back into her seat and reclined the seat slightly. I could very well be the luckiest person I know…unless he's a serial killer, in which case I will take that back also… She felt the car accelerate back onto the freeway and onwards to who-knew-where. She could tell when they moved away from the freeway when the car started to slow down and make turns. Her heart started to beat faster in anticipation, and when Seth turned the car off, she almost clapped her hands with excitement. She felt the warmer outside air waft over her face as Seth opened her car door, and felt him take her hands.

"Okay Livs, take my hand and just take a step out and I'll show you where we are," she heard a tenseness in his voice - was he nervous? He should try wearing a blindfold for a half hour… His hands were cold in hers, he's definitely nervous - this is a big deal for him…I mean it's a big deal for me too, but I don't even know where we - oh mama... Seth slipped the blindfold off of her face and Olivia was suddenly awash in city sights and sounds - and water noises too…Where the hell are we? She had to admit as a west coast girl, her intimate knowledge of cities outside of Washington and Oregon state were woefully lacking.

She looked up at the front entrance of what Olivia assumed was their hotel, but it wasn't helpful, "LondonHouse…holy crap Seth, where are we?" Olivia was starting to get caught up in Seth's air of excitement, her eyes were wide as she took in her surroundings in a bit more detail. The building that was LondonHouse was definitely old - but well-kept, she could tell they were close to Lake Michigan. She turned in a slow circle, trying to take in everything, It's been too long since I've been in the big city…you'd never know I lived in downtown Seattle for ten years…suburban Cincinatti isn't quite the same thing…

Seth watched Olivia marvel at Chicago - the anxiety he had felt worrying about if she would like it was quickly fading, replaced with something stronger, more secure. You have full-on gone and fallen for her… "Olivia, meet Chicago…Eric's brother-in-law works here, pulled a couple of strings and got us a room for a couple of nights…I hope you like it."

Olivia turned to Seth, her eyes wide with excitement, beaming like an idiot on the outside, but on the inside felt fragile, like something was starting to crack, "Seth - I - I don't know what to say…" She knew what she wanted to say, but something held her back. It's just the excitement - how can you know anything about someone after only a month - even a month like the one you've had with Seth…the last man you felt this way about died - and here you are…a broken shell…it's too soon…

She was suddenly seized by a wave of dizziness. She clapped her hands over her mouth, terrified her thoughts would come out of her mouth. Olivia knew what she felt, no matter how quickly it had come on - she wished the voices telling her otherwise would go to hell. Why were they coming back now of all times…She knew grieving was different for everyone - and she definitely knew she had a way to go before she approached anything close to normal. She knew though that she saw glimmers of what her normal could be. With Seth. Nothing was going to be the same after Mark and Bean, but that didn't mean it couldn't be different. Or better. Now she just had to convince herself of that.

Seth earlier confidence began to fade, and he started to wonder if maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Olivia was standing in front of him, holding her hands over her mouth, looking like she was trying not to scream. He reached out a hand to hers, "Olivia?" She looked up at him, her eyes…well he actually couldn't figure out what was going on there. "Olivia, please say something," he pleaded. "Is this okay?"

His relief when she finally nodded and lowered her hands was palpable. "Oh my god, yes. This - this…this is amazing. I can't believe you pulled this together…" She went on tiptoes to give him a reassuring kiss. "Thank you."

The valet came and placed their luggage on a cart, then took the car keys from Seth. Seth put one hand on the cart, and reached the other out to Olivia, "Shall we?"

Olivia gladly took his hand, and hugged his arm, "Oh yes, please."

The lobby of LondonHouse was sharply upscale and new in comparison to the original architecture. Olivia didn't think she'd ever been anywhere so…expensive. "Seth, tell me this is not breaking the bank - we don't need to stay somewhere fancy just to-"

Seth stopped and turned to her, "Olivia. Stop." She did, taken aback. He placed a hand gently on each of Olivia's shoulders, ensuring he had her full attention."You are worth whatever it cost to come here. I'm not going to tell you if it was free or five hundred dollars a night. You are worth it. I am too, come to think of it…" he smiled to take the sting out of his words, and took her hand again. "We deserve this. Now say it with me…"

Olivia hesitated, "Say…"

Seth repeated, "We deserve this."

She smiled, and together with Seth slowly repeated, "We deserve this."

"Again."

"We deserve this."

"Damn straight. Now let's go check in." He kissed the top of her head and together they walked up to the front desk.

Oh my god - its so bright in here…They had arrived in Chicago mid-afternoon, and the sun shone through the floor-to-ceiling windows facing the Chicago River. She ran to the window and stood with her toes touching the glass, her palms flat against the pane. "Oh my god - this view is to die for! I never thought Chicago was such a beautiful city… can we go on the river?"

Seth finished taking the last of their bags inside and left the cart in the hallway. He saw the excited look on Olivia's face and felt the corners of his mouth turn up in response. He walked over to join Olivia at the window, gently weaving his arms around her waist and nuzzling the crook of her neck. "We can do whatever you want to do - we have a dinner reservation for tonight, I think - I just need to check in with Eric's brother-in-law and see what the plan is."

Olivia closed her eyes at his touch and tilted her head back, simultaneously savoring the feel of Seth's bearded chin on her shoulder and internally batting away the memories of Mark, determined to keep them at bay. She turned in Seth's arms and looped her arms around his neck, "You…you are the…well, I don't know exactly what you are, but you make me very happy, Seth Rollins."

Seth couldn't tear himself away from her, and so they stood for a few moments in the light of the late summer afternoon holding one another and holding on to the feeling that this was where they were both meant to be. Olivia with her head resting on Seth's chest, enjoying a momentary feeling of peace, and Seth resting his chin on top of Olivia's head, eyes closed and memorizing the feeling of her arms around him. Finally, reluctantly, Seth let go of Olivia, "Although I could easily do this all day - unfortunately we only have a couple days here - did you want to check in with the concierge and see what trouble we can get into before dinner?"

Olivia chuckled, "We usually do okay getting into our own trouble, but tonight let's go to the professionals."

Seth agreed, "Well, I'm not saying that we eliminate getting into our own trouble later, but we should at least go to dinner first…" He highlighted his point, dipping his head to give a tender kiss.

"How's the elbow? You drove that whole way - is it sore at all? Need some drugs?"

Seth flexed it experimentally, "It's still a bit tender, but I think it's feeling better. I'll take some ibuprofen before we head downstairs, I just need to text Alan first."

Walking through the lobby of LondonHouse reminded Olivia of the symphony receptions she'd attended with Mark. Maybe it was just that all old structures were built bigger, larger, grander. She hugged Seth's arm closer, trying to keep her focus on him. Just for tonight, please…stay away…she thought silently. Seth pulled out a seat at the bar for Olivia and then joined her, signaling for the bartender.

"Seth?" They both turned around to see Alan reaching out a hand in greeting, "Hey there - nice to meet you both. I'm Alan, welcome to Chicago."

He had several brochures in his hands, and shuffled through them, selecting a handful and pocketing the rest, "If I were in town for the first time, and wanted to see the sights with my wife, these are my top five - six. You can get through all of these in the next two days without feeling like you're being pushed for time." He handed a few to Olivia, a few to Seth. "You will definitely want to do a river cruise, I highly recommend the architectural cruise - 90 minutes and very professional; the Art Institute of Chicago you have to see…if you're okay with heights the 360 Chicago Observation Deck is amazing; Millennium Park and the bean are very popular, but can be busy if you go later in the day…the Cubbies are actually playing tomorrow afternoon at Wrigley Field, I can get you a couple of tickets to that, no worries…and of course being on the river here - you could easily kill a couple of hours walking the Magnificent Mile and the Riverwalk."

He paused, giving the couple in front of him a measured look, "The rooftop dining experience here at LondonHouse is also a really special experience…a late night snack or a nightcap? The view of the river at night is incredible - you would love it."

Seth and Olivia looked at each other, and then turned to Alan, "Can we get a reservation for the cruise for this afternoon?" Olivia asked.

"Absolutely - boarding happens at the foot of the Wrigley Building, which is about a five minute walk from here. I'll give them a quick call and you should be able to board the next boat which leaves in-" he checked his watch, "- about fifteen minutes."

"Alan, I don't know how to thank you - this is fantastic…"

Alan waved off Seth's effusive thanks, "Don't worry about it. Eric speaks very highly of you - both of you. I'm happy to help you guys have a great first trip to Chicago - if you ever come back, just give me a call and I'm sure I can get you in again."

Sitting on the water and letting someone else drive for a change was just what Seth and Olivia needed to relax and start their getaway. The breeze on the river was enough to take the worst of the summer afternoon heat away. Olivia, who as a teacher had always loved learning about new things, was listening to the tour guide raptly. Seth was listening to the guide, but his attention was on Olivia - her brunette curls whirling around her head in the breeze, her eyes where everywhere taking everything in, and her lips were slightly parted as she absorbed the tour information. He'd never seen her look so relaxed, so natural…like she'd never had her life ripped away from her. He wanted her to not feel so alone…he thought she was getting there, but he would have to be an idiot to think that the memories of her husband and child would disappear overnight. He stretched his arm around her shoulders and smiled to himself when she scootched closer and rested her head on his shoulder. Seth cared for her, maybe more than he was prepared to admit at the moment, he would be patient. She was worth waiting for. Seth hoped Olivia knew that.

When they disembarked, they strolled hand-in-hand along the riverfront - they still had a couple hours before their dinner and the opportunity to go full tourist was irresistible. Standing on the riverbank across from their hotel, Olivia closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Even the city noises seemed quieter by the water. The feel of the sun on her face made her smile - being by the water like this reminded her of Seattle. Different water, but the breeze, the sounds of moving water, the boat traffic…it made her think of home…well, of Seattle, anyways. She felt Seth's fingers intertwined with hers, warm and strong, and she realized that Seattle wasn't home anymore. She opened her eyes suddenly, her feelings for Seth were obvious to anyone who saw them together, but she couldn't allow herself to admit them to herself. Seth deserved someone who was not quite so much of a basket case…who could keep it together for a full twenty-four hours…who could sleep through the night without screaming in the darkness. A month ago, she had thought she was that person. But she wasn't. She wanted to be, so desperately, but she wasn't there. Not yet.

She felt a tug on her arm, and realized Seth was trying to get her attention, "Everything alright, Livs?"

Olivia looked out across the river, to where it began in Lake Michigan, and then they ended on Seth. He had put his hair into a loose ponytail for the cruise, but the wind was still whipping the lose strands around his face. His dark eyes were warm and liquid as they looked at her, but she also saw something else there…his brow was slightly furrowed, and there was a tightness in his jaw as his lips pressed together. He's worried about me…Olivia wanted to assure him, to make that uncertain look go away. Hard to do that when I am so unsure myself…but I have to try…he's done so much for me. She took two steps closer to him, reaching out to brush a stray hair blowing across his face. He's worth it. Her hand moved to the back of his neck, pulling his face down to hers for a careful, delicate kiss.

"Not yet…" she wanted to be honest with him, "but it's getting better."