Some of you have read this, please disregard. I am putting 2 stories together (moving the recent Christmas one here) and republishing to have an even 100.


Kids are in college; 22 and 21.

A/N: I hope you enjoy these final two chapters in the "Love Won't Leave" series. I am putting two chapters on this one back to back.

It's been a pleasure to write these two incredible, amazing women. Thank you to all the readers who have undyingly supported me throughout the past 7 1/2 years. You can always reach me here. I would love to hear from you on this, the final chapter.

May life bring you happiness, health, and all that you desire.

Sincerely,

Patricia


Story 1:


You're My Everything: A Very Special Benson-Cabot Christmas

December 23rd

10:00 a.m.

The doorbell rang for the fourth time that morning. Olivia looked up from the top edge of the New York Times and eyed her wife who had stopped folding the kids' bathroom towels at the kitchen table to go and head down the hallway to answer it, casual in a pair of blue and white checked flannel pajama bottoms and a white, long-sleeved Henley.

She turned her left wrist and looked at her watch—10:07 a.m.—and then lifted her mug and took a small sip, her eyes now moving to the hallway, watching as Alex entered again, this time holding a box the size of a couple of bed pillows.

Alex hefted the box onto the table, along with three others that were sitting there, before proceeding to finish folding the towels.

And without thinking, Olivia's thoughts floated from her mouth. "We sure are keeping Amazon in business this year." Olivia cringed at her own utterance and brought her lips inward, closing her eyes tightly.

But it was too late.

When she opened her eyes once more, she saw what she knew she would find-her wife's jaw dropped, expression frozen in disbelief.

"Really, Olivia?"

Olivia couldn't help but smile now as she watched the heat creep into the blonde's cheeks, her anger evident.

"Look who's calling the kettle black." Alex lifted the last towel and shook it out with force before folding it into neat thirds, then thirds again.

Olivia let her eyes return to her periodical, still smiling. "I didn't mean anything by it, Al. I promise. It's just...four times in less than an hour?"

"Some of us haven't had the time to go out shopping because some of us have been busy working, Olivia." Alex froze then, looking at her.

They held each other's gaze for a few, unhealthy moments.

"I'm sorry," Alex said softly.

Olivia swallowed and pursed her lips, adjusting the sling on her right shoulder. Three weeks after a necessary shoulder surgery and she was on the mend, but not quite in the place physically that she wanted to be yet. She had been going to physical therapy three times a week over the past two weeks and, as her knee therapy had been a few years ago with working the soreness and stiffness out of the muscles and tendons in order to get full use and range of movement back, her reconstructed shoulder had been no easier. It had actually been more difficult in comparison to a knee. Not being able to use one of her arms had humbled her in more ways than one.

The brunette returned to her paper, lifting her mug to her lips once more. "It's OK."

She stood now, adjusting her robe as best as she could with her left hand and then took her mug to the kitchen sink and set it in the basin, turned the water on, letting it fill up before turning it off again and moving back to the island and refolding the paper.

"I'm gonna go up and change." Olivia paused in the middle of the hallway and carefully worked on retying her belt. "The kids are coming over at 12:00 to help put the boxes in the attic and help get ready for tonight." She felt her eyes sting with tears now, her nose begin to run.

"Liv…"

Olivia looked up now, her wife now slowly approaching her. Alex placed her hands on her waist and looked at her, her face soft, gentle. "What, Alex?"

Alex opened her mouth to speak just as the doorbell rang again. "I—"

They looked at each other once more.

"Just get the package, Al." Olivia forced a small smile. "I'm gonna go change."

"Need help?" Alex asked, eyebrows raised.

"I'm getting better, Babe. I have a system, remember?" Olivia smiled. "Right arm first, then neck, then left arm."

"Or button downs…" Alex winked.

"Or button downs."

"You don't need help with your bra?" Alex wiggled her eyebrows, smirking.

"Already on, Al…" Olivia parted a lapel, revealing a hint of black lace.

Alex eyed the fabric and then looked back into her eyes, nodding slowly. "OK, Liv."

"Get your package, Al." Olivia kissed her wife's cheek and then made her way to the bottom of the stairs before ascending them to get ready for their children's Christmas holiday arrival and stay from college.

Alex folded her arms and eyed her wife as she went up the stairs, eggplant purple robe floating behind her.

Olivia was upset. Alex could tell. After all these years, the blonde could tell even the tiniest nuances of the brunette's moods. She had been cooped up, at home, not able to do much on her own for the first couple of weeks, while Alex worked at the law high school, gave final exams, and got ready for the Christmas holidays.

But Alex knew her wife's demeanor well.

Over the past weeks, Olivia had felt helpless. Just like when she had had her knee surgery almost three years prior, it had taken its toll on her mind, on her well-being, on her sense of independence. She had been miserable and the blonde had tried to be supportive, had tried to be as helpful as possible without hovering, and Olivia had still reached many breaking points throughout the healing process.

And this surgery had been no different.

The tension was still there. The tiptoeing, the careful placement of soles on eggshells. The snipping and snapping. The passive aggressive comments.

Alex took a deep breath, hearing as music flooded the upstairs floor now, Matchbox Twenty singing about being bent, and smiled to herself. She closed her eyes and simply enjoyed these instances, these moments, having known her wife would need to listen to music at that moment.

Behind her, she heard another package being dropped on the porch and she opened her eyes. Turning, she unlocked the door and stepped out before she bent down to pick up the brown boxes and looked up to find the delivery driver waving at her from his truck. She smiled and waved back before closing the door with her foot and awkwardly locking the door with her left hand.

Heading to the kitchen, her wife's words echoed in her head again.

"We sure are keeping Amazon in business this year."

Alex set the boxes on the kitchen table next to the others and narrowed her eyes, folding her arms once more.

She wondered what Olivia had gotten everyone for Christmas and how she had managed to get gifts without going out. Maybe she bought online, as well? Maybe she thought ahead of time? Maybe she got them before her surgery?

However, she did it, she did it. The comment she had made about keeping the large multi-billion-dollar conglomerate in business had been a harmless joke, just as her own quip about having to work had been, implying Olivia had been doing nothing.

The digs and the jabs had meant nothing but they had been there and the tension was high.

She was positive their children would see it, as well, when they came over. It had only been a week since they had visited from college and they had kept in constant daily touch wanting to support their brunette mother, but Alex was sure they would notice the intense increase in the thickness of the air between their mothers.

She was almost certain of it.

She lifted a box and decided to put all six in the garage for the time being. She would at least get them out of the way for now and would deal with opening them and wrapping them on the following day.

For now, she would join her wife in getting ready and anticipate the arrival of their children, anxious and eager to get their takes and reactions to their parents' current marital status.


1:37 p.m.

Theo shoved the last box marked "Christmas Tree" into the attic with a huff. He exited, clapping his hands off before placing them on his hips. "Anything else?"

Olivia smiled from her spot perched on his childhood bed. "No. That's all." She heard the rasp in her own voice and she cleared it quickly. "Thank you."

He half-smiled, nodding. "What's going on?"

Olivia took a deep breath. God, their son was handsome. Not only was he a gorgeous specimen to look at, but he also had the heart that went along with him and had always gone along with him. And this filled the brunette with immense pride every time she noted it. She grinned back at her son. "Is it that obvious?"

"Your face, Mama. I can tell." He stepped closer, concern etched on his face. "Are you in pain?"

Olivia shook her head quickly before nodding. "Yeah…no…yeah…" She looked up at Theo, smiling.

He sat now, next to her, and placed his hand on her back. "What is it? Is it Mom? Is it the holidays…Christmas? Iz or Gracie?" He smirked.

Olivia reached her left hand out and cupped his face, the tears filling her eyes. She let her thumb move slowly along his rough stubble, feeling the smoothness of the skin beneath and swallowed hard. "It's just been hard, Theo. I've only just begun getting a little movement back…see?" She rolled her right shoulder in a couple of circles, feeling the pull. "But the first couple of weeks…" she shook her head now, looking ahead at the still-open attic door, her eyes glazing over as she cupped her left elbow, "…I hate feeling helpless…" she looked back at Theo, "…you know that my boy…" She reached up and raked his thick chocolate hair backward, noting the product in it. She brought her hand down and smiled at him. "Just rough. That's all. But I'm getting better…I just—"

"Have to make it right again with Mom?" he finished for her.

Olivia nodded slowly. "Exactly."

"Then all will be right with the world."

"Joy to the World." Olivia smiled.

Theo looked at her for a few moments, the brunette doing the same.

"I'm so proud of you, Theo." Olivia's voice cracked again.

"Mama…" he blushed.

"I am, Theo. You and your sisters…I'm so proud…"

Theo took her in a side hug then, kissing her temple. "I know you are, Mama. I've always known."

Olivia lifted her head from her son's and looked at him. "Ready for hot chocolate and putting the star on the tree?"

"It's only one of the famous Benson-Cabot traditions I look forward to every year." He smiled. "I've been waiting with bated breath for this very moment," he teased.

Olivia shoved him playfully. 'Well then. Let's go." She stood and pushed the left thigh of her faded jeans down and adjusted the sling over the left shoulder of her green and navy plaid flannel shirt, looking down.

"Mama?" Theo questioned.

Olivia looked up. "Yeah, Baby?"

"It's gonna work out."

"I know it will, Theo."

"You and Mom…even when at each other's throats…"

Olivia smirked.

Theo continued, "…the love is always still ever present."

Olivia nodded, feeling that same impeding lump now. She swallowed hard. "Yeah…I know…I love your mother more than…" She stopped herself and brought her lips inward to avoid blubbering.

"I know, Mama." Theo wrapped his arm around her once more.

They walked slowly towards the door, their blue-eyed son pausing only briefly to close the attic door, before they ventured downstairs to perform another, necessary Benson-Cabot Christmas tradition.


6:15 p.m.

The tree had been lit, the star placed atop as they shared hot chocolate with candy canes for stirrers and sat on the sofas talking.

Theo had driven Olivia to her two-hour therapy session at three and had waited there with her. When they had come back, he told his blonde mother that he really enjoyed the process the therapists went through with his brunette mother, watching her workout, and he had absorbed all that he could about the practice of physical therapy, which was one branch that he was still trying to decide if he wanted to go into or not.

The afternoon while Olivia had been gone had been spent with she and the twins preparing for their small dinner party—a crown roast, crispy new potatoes with rosemary, firm asparagus with lemon zest and asiago cheese, hot, homemade buttery rolls, a cherry and rhubarb cobbler for dessert.

And with the food ready and just staying warm, the guests were expected to arrive at any moment, as well.

Christmas music was playing softly on the TV. Currently Burl Ives was singing about a holly jolly Christmas as a crackling fire blazed in the fireplace.

Alex looked down at her emerald green, fitted, sequined long-sleeve, just-above-the-knee-length dress, a glass of Chardonnay in her left hand, before taking a sip and setting it on the island. Her hair was in a low, chignon, tan heels on, her glasses off for the evening.

Olivia entered now, looking drop-dead-sexy in a tiered, burgundy, beaded cap-sleeve dress, her hair down and wavy, make-up impeccable. The twins followed her, both dressed in their own holiday attire.

The ladies caught eyes with each other briefly.

"You have the sling off, Liv?" Alex furrowed her brow. "Don't you think you should stabilize it?"

Calmly, Olivia reached onto the island stool opposite the blonde and lifted her trusty sling. Wordlessly, she put it on and strapped the Velcro securely. Brown eyes met her own again, her expression stoic.

"Jeez," Isabel commented. "What's happening?"

"Mom?" Grace questioned, looking at Alex now.

Alex tore her eyes from Olivia and looked at their brown-eyed daughter, smiling. "What, Baby."

"Are you two mad at each other?" Grace's brow was furrowed.

Alex returned her gaze to Olivia and watched as the brunette moved to open the refrigerator door and then try to manage pulling a large platter of hors d'oeuvres from it, the heavy glass serving platter cumbersome, the tray almost toppling from the weight and one-armed maneuver.

But Alex caught it just in time, both hands flying beneath, black and green olives, radishes and marinated artichoke hearts sloshing and rolling and threatening to fall to their death.

"God, Liv. I can help you, you know." Alex huffed, carrying the platter to the island, and beginning to remove the loose plastic wrap.

Alex crumpled it into a ball and handed it to Isabel. "Throw this away and you two go upstairs and get my glasses and contact case. They're both on the bathroom sink. I think these contacts are gonna be too dry for my eyes tonight."

"OK, Mom!" Isabel beamed, running down the hallway in heels, Grace following suit.

Alex looked at her wife again, noting the brunette's eyes were now tearing.

Alex moved closer, brow furrowed, "Liv?" She gingerly placed her hand on her wife's right shoulder.

Olivia closed her eyes tightly.

"Talk to me." Alex dipped her head to try and see her wife's face better, wanting her to look at her.

Finally, morose chocolate eyes looked at her. "It hurts, Al. Today's session…" she swallowed hard and let out a breath, "…it was brutal."

Alex nodded slowly and moved into the brunette, wrapping her arms around her, and rubbing her back slowly. "Did you take any of the pain pills?"

Olivia shook her head against her. "I didn't want to because I didn't wanna feel weird tonight. When our friends and family came over."

Alex smiled. "Oh, but it's so much fun to watch…"

Olivia's body began shaking with laughter now and Alex joined in. The blonde held her even more tightly now.

"I love hearing you laugh again, Babe," Alex said softly, turning her face and kissing just next to Olivia's ear.

Olivia nodded again before her body began shaking once more, this time whimpers accompanying them.

"Liv?"

"I need you, Alex…"

Alex listened intently. "I know, Babe. And I need you…always."

"But I hate that I need you, Al. I hate that you've been so good to me, so patient with me…and I've been…"

Alex smiled. "Don't say it, Liv. Because I completely get it and understand. I promise you I do. You know that."

"But I wanna be better," Olivia whined. "I wanna be able to use my arm and hover over you, make love to you, and…my right hand, Babe…it's almost useless without my shoulder. I never realized all the muscles that come from the shoulder that affect the hand and fingers. Brushing my teeth with my left hand has been horrible!" she whimpered softly.

"I know, Babe. I know it has."

"And washing my hair…you've been doing that for me…one arm doesn't cut it…" Olivia added.

Alex smiled again, the two now gently swaying. "And I've loved every minute of it, Liv. Hearing you moan when I massage the shampoo into your head? It's…it's everything…"

Olivia pulled away now and Alex witnessed the redness, the puffiness on her face now. The brunette sniffed and pulled her lips inward. "And I love it, too, Al. And I thank you for it. All of it. Doing everything that I can't I want you to know how much I appreciate it, but I also want you to know how hard I'm working to get back to Wonder Liv."

Alex's grin broadened and she licked her lips. "I know you are, Babe. And you'll be back to my amazing Wonder Liv in no time." She cocked her head to the side. "That's because of your strength and determination that you've always had."

"Sometimes I just need to hear it, Al." Olivia's voice was soft.

"And I'm here to tell you that any time you need to hear it…because it's true." Alex puckered at her wife.

"And I have another confession…" Olivia looked at Alex guiltily, demurely.

"You've really enjoyed my lotion rub downs, too?" Alex raised her eyebrows. "I have to say, that assortment of Victoria's Secret creams the girls got us have been a lot of fun to try out." Alex wiggled her eyebrows.

Olivia smiled at that. "Yes, they have. And I've loved that, too…but…that's not it…"

Alex waited for her wife's divulgence.

"I took an oxy…about fifteen minutes ago…" Olivia bit her bottom lip.

"You're allowed to, Liv. You shouldn't have to suffer. Especially after a hard therapy session, Liv."

Olivia nodded slowly.

Alex smirked and wiggled her eyebrows. "So, what you're saying is…you'll be feeling pretty good in just a few minutes?" Alex began giggling, clutching Olivia's waist firmly.

Olivia only nodded, those pupils getting smaller as the seconds went by.

"Well then…we can be quite the pair tonight…Absolutely Fabulous comes to the Upper East Side! You with your pills and me with my Chardonnay. What do you say?" Alex smiled, tilting her head once more, admiring her wife's now-calm demeanor.

Olivia nodded. "Sounds like nothing's gonna stop it, Al."

"Prepare for take-off…" Alex winked and eyed her wife's beautiful caramel face again.

And this time, Olivia brought her into a tight hug.

"Thank you, Alex…I mean it…for everything…"

"You're welcome, Babe…" Alex whispered. "I'd do anything for you. You know that my love."

Olivia nodded against her again. "And I, for you…"

They pulled away and Alex placed her palms on Olivia's jaw, wanting, needing that closeness, that connection at that moment. She scanned her face before settling on that plush mouth. Leaning in, she let her lips linger on her wife's warm softness, the kiss slow, familiar, reassuring.

A rumble down the last half of the stairs and then shuffling, jogging footsteps down the hallway.

"See?" Isabel breathed. "I told you they couldn't be upset with each other."

The ladies finally broke apart and smiled at each other. Alex reached up with her thumb and swiped a small bit of stray lipstick from below Olivia's lower lip and grinned broadly.

"At least never for long," Grace added. "Right, Mom? Mama?"

"You've got that right," Alex declared softly.

The doorbell rang now.

"Girls go get that. Aunt Casey said she's gonna have her arms full." Alex's gaze remained on Olivia.

The girls went to answer the door.

"We good?"

Olivia nodded. "And only to get better."

"Check back in with each other later?" Alex raised her eyebrows.

"I can't wait, Babe." Olivia leaned forward and kissed her gently. "I can't wait."


8:47 p.m.

Olivia was half-smiling. Or was she full smiling?

She narrowed her eyes, thinking.

The pain in her shoulder was completely gone and the sofa sectional's cushion she was sitting on felt like it was moving—like she was sinking into it. She wiggled her toes, having lost her heels a little while ago, and scrunched them into the carpeted floor of the living room, closing her eyes and moaning.

The had eaten, talked, and then had dessert and coffee and were all just sitting around, looking at the Christmas tree and enjoying full bellies and more conversation, while the kids hung out upstairs.

"Aw, Liv…" Fin started, "…you feelin' good right now, Baby Girl?"

Olivia opened her eyes, feeling a confused smile cross her face. Am I smiling? It felt like she was, but at the same time, it didn't. "I'm good, Fin," she rasped. "Really good. Just…tired."

She felt a presence now, standing to her left and she slowly turned her head, raised her eyebrows to find her wife and smiled broadly. "Hey, Babe…" Olivia reached out her left hand.

Alex placed her own into it and they interlaced fingers. "Liv had a really hard therapy session today. What was it…over two hours, Liv?"

Olivia nodded slowly. "But it feels good now…I mean…I feels good now…now…now…wha…wha…" Her lips made an "o" and she held her mouth like that, narrowing her eyes and breathing in and out like that.

"She's not used to the dosage, I think. She took one, but these are more milligrams than she's taken before." Alex continued to play with her fingers.

"Oh…" Olivia began, attempting to stand, "…I have to…"

"Careful, Babe…" Alex tried.

Within seconds, Fin and Alex and Casey were standing, Fin and Alex helping the brunette up.

"I have to…" Olivia looked at Alex, "…you know…" she whispered.

Alex smiled and brought her lips inward. "Well, Johnny's down here in the guest bathroom."

"But I have to go pee," Olivia almost whined, her voice serious, her expression fretful.

"OK, Babe. Let's go upstairs…I'll help you…"

"My hero…" Olivia oozed.

"Need my help?" Melinda offered coming down the hallway from having been upstairs. "Your girls sure do know a lot about Tik Tok stars."

"It's a curse," Alex offered smiling. "No, we got it, Mel."

Melinda watched Olivia now, smirking. "Well, I think we're all gonna let you all go and wrap up for the night. The girls said they're cleaning up and Theo is, too. They're all staying the night?" she asked.

"Yeah," Alex offered. "They're here through New Year's."

Olivia clutched Alex's elbow more firmly now, feeling the floor moving like she was on a cloud treadmill.

Within moments, their guests were saying goodnight, the brunette feeling kisses and hugs against her without warning, uttering "Good nights" and "Merry Christmas's" and still feeling that same confusing quasi-smile on her face.

The door closed and so did Olivia's eyes.

"Liv?"

Alex's voice.

"Olivia…are you OK?"

Olivia smiled, now feeling her entire body fuzzy and warm.

"Yeah, Babe. Pee."

"Let's go…" Alex made her way behind her wife.

Olivia felt hands on her backside now, gently guiding her. "Someone's getting frisky."

"I'm only making sure you don't fall, babe."

Olivia could hear the smile in her wife's voice.

They made their way to the top step and then headed to the master bedroom.

"I have to pee, Alex."

"I know you do, Babe.

"I don't like the word 'pee'"

"I don't either, Babe. But you keep using it, don't you?"

Olivia looked up and to her left as they entered the bathroom. She backed herself up to the toilet and lifted her dress, pulling her black panties down and sitting, letting out a groan as she felt immediate relief. "Ahhhhh…." she moaned, closing her eyes, and leaning her head back. "I drank so much water, Al. I've been so thirsty."

"I know you have, Liv. Water's good for you."

"Mmm hmmm," Olivia offered, feeling her body complete the process. "I'm done."

"Good. You need help?"

"I got it…" Olivia stood and pulled her underwear up with her left hand on her left hip before reaching across her belly and pulling up the right side. She let her dress fall back down and then flushed, moving to the sink, and turning the faucet on, washing her left hand, and carefully bringing her right hand to join the mix.

"Be careful, Liv."

"It's good, Al. We did exercises today that had me bringing my right arm straight ahead…ninety-degree angle." She lathered her hands with the blue, mint soap and then rinsed. Wiping her hands on a towel, she turned and looked at her wife. "I wanna lay down, Al. I think I might sleep."

"OK, Babe. Let's go lie down."

They exited the bathroom and Olivia headed to her side, lifting the covers, and slipping underneath before tossing them over her. She leaned back and closed her eyes, moaning again. "Feels so good."

Shuffling now and then a knock. Olivia opened her eyes again to find all three children standing in the doorway.

"Mama, OK?" Grace asked.

Olivia smiled at their children and reached her hands out.

"Mama's just fine," Alex cooed. "Better say goodnight now. I think she's gonna be out soon."

"How's your shoulder, Mama?" Isabel moved close, leaning over her brunette mother.

"No pain." Olivia smiled.

"None?" Theo questioned.

Isabel gave her hugs and kisses, then Grace, and then Theo hovered over Olivia. She looked at his face, those thick eyebrows, those blue eyes.

"None, my boy." Olivia closed her eyes again and moaned, smiling.

"Liv?" Alex whispered, slipping into bed on her own side, facing the brunette.

Nothing.

Alex reached to her left and turned the lamp off before sliding further beneath the sheet and quilt and laying on her right side.

Olivia was on her back, mouth open, breathing deeply, already out within the space of the ten minutes that their children set off to head downstairs to do the dishes and clean up downstairs, just enough time for Alex to change into pajamas, brush her teeth, and wash her face.

She watched her wife once more, happy that she was finally resting.

Closing her eyes, she said softly, "Goodnight, Liv. I love you."

She heard a shifting noise now and Alex opened her eyes to find her wife rolling over onto her left side and inching closer. Olivia moved up to her and placed her head on Alex's right shoulder before she took a deep breath and sighed.

"You're my everything, Al." Olivia's voice was lazy, almost incoherent.

But Alex heard it. She smiled and kissed the brunette's temple. "And you're my everything, Liv."

Olivia took another deep, peaceful breath and within moments, they were both out, ready to take on the following day, Christmas Eve, together, and be there for each other in any way that they could.


2nd Story

(and last "Memories" story)


"I love you with a deeper love than any human heart has ever known, I love you with a soul that has lived a thousand lifetimes, always waiting to meet you again, so I can promise to be yours forever."

Christy Ann Martinez

100

We've Only Just Begun

5:17 p.m.

Olivia adjusted the ice pack on her right knee as she sat on the sofa, glass of Merlot in her left hand. She rested her right hand against her forehead again, right elbow on the back of the sofa, and took a deep breath staring ahead into space, Luther Vandross singing about how a house is not a home when there's no one there.

It had been a pathetic day. It had been more than trying and one of those that made the brunette question why she was still doing what she was doing.

A DV admittance at Haven House had gone bad, the abuser following his family to the rehab center, and the brunette had chased, fallen, and then fallen on and banged up and scraped the knee, the one that she had previously had surgery on, all the way through the thick fabric of her black denim, a deep gouge ensuing, in pursuit of the alleged perp, who was in his late twenties. Then, she had been shot at three times, almost hit two, a bullet grazing her on one, and then had almost killed that same person in a standoff, repeatedly telling him to drop his weapon.

Had another officer not entered the scene at just the right moment, she would have shot him instead of Officer Willard, point blank, in the chest, in self-defense.

Her knee throbbed and stung, her head along with it, and it was one of those evenings, wallowing in self-pity and alcohol, that Olivia wanted to be through with it all.

She was a sixty-four-year-old woman, after all, her wife sixty-one. But age meant nothing in her life, to either of them, and never had, in her pursuit, in both of their pursuits to live life to the fullest and be the best women in their careers, in life, and be the best mothers they could be. Her family was now grown, her wife aging right along with her, the blonde often complaining and wishing to retire as well.

The garage door opened now as the song on Spotify changed to Lionel Richie's "Lady"—the perfect choice for her wife's entrance.

"Babe?" Alex's concerned voice.

Olivia closed her eyes, feeling a tear fall, hearing the tinny metal of her wife's keys on the island, soft footsteps coming toward her.

"Olivia?" Alex was closer now. "I came as soon as I could. Traffic wouldn't move."

The brunette opened her eyes to find her wife moving to sit on the small space at the edge of the sofa—jeans, white t-shirt, white Converse, long gray overcoat, and smoky gray scarf still on.

"How are you, my love? Your knee? It hurts?" Alex lifted the ice pack, examining her swollen knee through her black sweatpants, leaned down, and kissed it, and then returned the coldness to her injury once more.

"Yeah, Al…" Olivia rasped before clearing her throat. "And…" She patted her left upper tricep with her right hand. "Just a graze."

Alex's face was horrified now. "He shot at you? You didn't tell me that on the phone."

"Because of your reaction, Al." Olivia's mouth attempted to curl into a small smile, but smiling was far from what she felt at the moment.

She wanted to cry. She wanted to hold her wife and let the room, the world, all of her current problems, fall away as they always did, melting in her arms, her touch, her voice.

"Oh, Liv…Babe…" Alex's voice was shaky now and she leaned forward, briefly hugging her before quickly pulling away and taking Olivia's wine glass from her left hand, setting it on the coffee table, and then returning to the embrace.

"Closer, Al…" Olivia whispered. "Lay on top of me. Please."

Alex pulled away and looked at her now, the most empathetic expression Olivia had ever seen on that clear, porcelain face and the blonde smiled. She stood up and then carefully lay her body on top of her own, sinking into her, turning her face to rest her cheek next to Olivia's head on the throw pillow, and looking at her.

"Tell me what you're feeling, Liv," Alex said softly.

Olivia felt her tears filling her eyes again. "I wanna quit, Al." Her voice was soft, depleted. She could feel her wife's breath against the left side of her neck and she held her even tighter.

"Well, you've been working for a long time…we've been working for a long time. But you're still putting yourself in danger and you shouldn't be. Haven House was supposed to be a chance for you to get out of the line of fire, be safer."

"I know, Babe. You're right. It was." Olivia let her right hand begin a slow stroking along her wife's back.

"But you always have to get in there."

"Back up hadn't come yet. I couldn't wait…the situation couldn't wait."

"My amazing bad ass had to get in there, like I said. No matter the circumstances. But Liv…" Alex raised her upper body now to look at her, "…how many times are there gonna be close calls before something really bad happens to you?" Blue eyes scanned her face.

Olivia studied her wife's still-mesmerizing beauty. Same flawless skin, now etched with laugh lines, smile lines, life lines. Her face was always a comfort to the brunette and now with all of the memories evident on that eternal gorgeousness, Olivia felt a connection like she had never felt to her wife in her entire life—at that moment, in that look.

Olivia swallowed hard, feeling her emotions again. She reached up and held her wife's jaw in her right hand. Alex turned her head and kissed her palm gently before inhaling and closing her eyes.

"Come here…" Olivia uttered.

Alex smiled and bit her lower lip before moving in. The blonde pressed her mouth to her own and all jest left Olivia's face, her mind, as her wife kissed her—slowly, exploring, tasting, feeling.

The kiss broke as languidly as it began, Olivia's eyes still closed. "I need you," she whispered.

Olivia felt the sofa jostle then, her wife's weight being removed, and she finally opened her eyes. Alex held out her hand and Olivia placed her left into it, the brunette only wincing slightly as she stood.

Arms around waists, side-by-side, they slowly made their way down the hallway as The Carpenter's began to sing about only having just begun, ready to head upstairs and make everything OK once again.


8:30 p.m.

"We have to keep your shoulder and knee out of the water, Babe." Alex brought the washcloth from the warm, soapy bathwater and wrung it out over her wife's belly.

They had just made leisurely love in the bedroom, and were both now in the claw footed bathtub, both on their backs, Olivia laying in between Alex's parted legs, a lavender candle lit off to the left on the sink ledge, the only sound was the intermittent dripping from the spigot.

Olivia reached her right leg up and stuck her big toe into the spout, a dribble of water gliding down her deep mauve polished toe and rolling down the instep of her arch.

"How does it feel?" Alex carefully ran the wet washcloth just below her wife's abrasion on her left shoulder—raw and exposed now that the bandage was off.

"It's OK, Al." Olivia mumbled, her eyes closed.

Alex looked down at her wife's face, the back of the brunette's head on her right shoulder.

"I think I am gonna retire." Olivia's eyes opened now, looking straight at her, those chocolate orbs looking deep into her own.

Alex nodded, continuing to dip the washcloth and then squeeze it over her wife's lower belly and breasts. "When would you retire?"

"Soon. Within the year."

A pause, both just thinking.

"What do you think?" Olivia asked.

"I don't want you to regret it, Babe."

"I don't think I would, Al. I feel…" she swallowed, "…I feel pretty certain now. More than I ever have." Deep brown eyes looked back and forth between her own now.

And Olivia's beauty captivated her still.

Those eyes always killed her—so warm, so inviting, so deep and empathetically caring. That caramel skin, still amazingly supple—the hinting of age only visible to a scrutinizing eye—and still desirably touchable. Sparse grays intertwined with her still amazing, thick, lustrous chestnut locks. That nose, that chin, that jaw line. Hers for all these years, allowing Alex to ogle, gawk at, and admire in the flesh shamelessly for almost thirty years, which she had done openly, eagerly, and unabashedly.

Alex smiled. "Well, you've accomplished a lot…"

"So, have you," Olivia rasped. "We both have."

"Allow me the floor, detective, please…" Alex smirked down at her.

Olivia smiled and closed her eyes. "Now that you've pleasured me fully and my body is more than content, it's easier to do." She smiled even more broadly now. "Go on, my wonderful wife."

Alex returned the grin and kissed her nose gently. "As I was saying…you've been working your ass off and busting perps, helping victims for almost forty years. We've raised three children, you've had a knee surgery and then last year a shoulder surgery. We've been through the experiences we've been through…together…and those were trying. You deserve it, Liv. You know you do. You worked as hard as you could have, harder than anyone I know…you deserve a break."

Olivia shifted now and sat up, angling her body to face her, that tanned, glistening skin shining in the candlelight glow.

Alex took a deep breath, still in awe of her wife's body, as she looked back into her eyes.

"I want to stop…I feel it's right…but I also don't want to stop living. It feels like it would be the end." Tears began to fill those brown eyes now.

Alex reached up and swiped a drop of moisture below the brunette's left eye with her thumb, the sight of Olivia crying, overly upset, always did things to the blonde, and always would. Her strong wife, her superhero weakened always brought a great emotional and physical reaction in her that sometimes made it difficult to breathe, hard to take in a steady inhale.

Alex collected herself and took a deep breath and let it out in an "o" before speaking. "It's our turn now, Liv. We had our time before we had kids, we raised them, now they're almost out of the house. Then it's gonna be our time again, Babe. Watching them start their own families, watching our grandkids grow, watching our own kids get old, get gray hair and wrinkles…it's our turn to find the just you and me again, too." Alex smiled.

"Back to our sex-crazed, premarital—" Olivia began.

"—and marital…nothing has ever stopped us, Liv…" Alex husked.

"Nothing, Al…" Olivia smiled, leaned in, and kissed the blonde's collarbone. Chocolate eyes roamed the blonde's upper chest now appreciatively. "You're so beautiful…still, Al. You still turn me on more than anyone ever has." Olivia managed a small, lust-drenched smile.

"And you to me, Liv," Alex rasped.

"And we're gonna get those twin beds at The Atria, and push them together?" Olivia began giggling.

"Push them together and put Charles and Landon's painting above our beds. Absolutely…just like we planned before we got married." Alex cupped her wife's face. "Just like we planned, my love."

Olivia kissed her palm now. "Eighty-year-old cowgirls?" She began giggling.

"Only with you, Liv. My dream, my love…my everything…" Alex's eyes filled with tears now.

Olivia shifted her body to lay against her once more.

And Alex knew, in that moment, that everything they had ever dreamed of, planned for, thought would happen in their lives together, had already come true.

For better or worse, in good times and bad, even when death would eventually, physically, but not spiritually, do them part.

Love would never leave. And in the lives of Olivia and Alex Benson-Cabot, it never had, and it never would. For all of eternity.