"Gracie, come inside, dinner's ready!"

Five-year-old Grace Graham laughed at her mother's frustration, peeking up over the wall of her backyard fort. She could see her mother standing on the porch, but Grace was deeply involved in an intense game of cops and robbers with her dolls and action figures to worry about such trivial things as dinner.

"Grace Adia," her mother snapped, "Come inside this moment or we'll be having a discussion about punishment over dinner."

Grace sighed, tucking a strand of brown hair behind her ear. Her mother had on her "I mean it voice" and Grace was not in the mood to deal with the repercussions of it. She left her action figures in their battle line against the Barbies, and slid down the slide to join her mother inside their house.

Suzanne Graham ruffled Grace's soft brown hair as Grace sat down to her dinner of fish sticks and fruit.

"Momma?"

"Mmhmm?" Suzanne asked, flipping through the newspaper.

"Who's Olivia?"

Suzanne's head shot up, blue eyes wide behind tortoiseshell frames, "What?"

"Olivia. Who is Olivia?"

"How…where did you hear that name?"

"You yell for Olivia at night when I'm asleep. I woke up last night and you were calling for her. Do we know Olivia?"

Suzanne sighed, dropping her head into her hands to hide the tears from her daughter, "We used to know Olivia. She's momma's friend from a long time ago, Gracie. But she lives far away, and momma hasn't seen her or spoken to her for a long time."

Grace nodded, accepting Suzanne's explanation and turning her attention to her fish sticks.

Suzanne watched her daughter, letting her mind drift to days past and days that would never be again. She had Grace now, and she focused her attention and energy to the little ball of energy that was Olivia all over again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Olivia Benson woke up, drenched in a cold sweat. Alex's voice, screaming her name, echoed in her ears as she pushed the blankets down and stood up, padding into her kitchen for a glass of water.

She leaned against her counter, staring at her living room while she sipped her water. It had been almost five years since she'd last seen Alex and their baby girl, but so often it felt like yesterday. She walked over to the couch, hitting play on the tape that almost lived in the VCR. Alex's beautiful face filled the screen as she waved Adia's hand at the camera.

"Hi Momma!" Alex chirped, bouncing Adia on her knee, "We love you so much and we miss you!" Adia giggled, clapping her hands together as Alex ran fingers through baby soft hair, "We're doing well, love. We are enjoying life here but we wish you were here to enjoy it with us. Today is Adia's 9-month birthday. She weighs 17 pounds but she's my tall girl, isn't she?" Alex giggled at the baby; standing her up on her knees and holding her under her arms, "See how tall she is? She looks so much like you, Olivia. And we miss you so much, every day and every night." Alex hiccupped, biting back a sob and instead turned a too-bright smile towards the camera, "We love you, Olivia. I love you."

Olivia wiped stray tears away as she watched little Adia gurgle happily at the camera. How are you, Adia? What do you like to do? You're five, little girl, are you in school? What do you read? How high can you count? I miss you every day, love. You and your mommy are so important to me and one day, I will see you again.

Grace slammed open the front door of her mother's house, little feet flying as she raced down the hallway, "MOM! MOMMY!"

Alex poked her head out from the kitchen, "Gracie? What honey?"

"Mommy! A POLICE Offlicer came to my school today and she brought her badge and her handcuffs and she talked about being a police offlicer and she said if we wanted when we growed up we could be a p'lice offlicer or anything we wanted!"

"Offlicer…oh! Gracie, police officer, yes. One came to your school, huh?"

Grace nodded excitedly, digging through her backpack and pulling out a small plastic badge, "Mommy, she gaved us these and she talked about how she helps people and I want to be a police officer when I grow up!"

"Oh, Gracie, that's wonderful. That's a really good job, honey. It's a hard job, and you have time before you have to decide, but you know you can be whatever you want."

Grace nodded, slipping her plastic badge into her pocket, "Yes, I know mommy. But I'm going to be a police officer! Can I go play with Andy please?"

Andy was the six-year-old son of their neighbor, and Grace's best friend since they'd moved to Utah. He was in Grace's kindergarten class and Alex was certain he too had a police badge.

Alex nodded, "Yeah, honey, let me call his mommy and make sure they're not doing anything okay?"

"Kay, mom, but I ready know they're not doing nothing because I talked to Andy on the bus and Andy wants to play Police Officer with me. We're gonna 'rest his doggie for being naughty and parking in a no parking spot."

Alex laughed, picking up the phone and dialing the Carter's house. She spoke briefly with Andy's mother, then hung up the phone, "Naomi says you can stay for dinner, Gracie-girl, but then you come straight home, okay?"

Grace whooped, running out of her house and straight to Andy's, "Bye mom!"

Alex watched Grace cross the lawn, and when she had disappeared inside the other house, Alex went to her office. She unlocked her desk drawer and pulled out a notebook labeled, "Adia Grace, 5 years."

Dear Olivia,

Today Grace came home with a plastic badge. A police officer (Gracie speak says "Offlicer") came to talk to her class today. She wants to be a police officer when she grows up because she wants to help people. Liv, I wish you could see her. She's so beautiful and she's smart and loving. It was so amazing to see how excited she was about this cop coming to her class, and it aches how much I wish you were here to help guide her. Kindergarten is a hard year for someone so small, and while I know life only gets worse, I can't help but want to shield our daughter from everything cruel. She's been through so much….so much she doesn't remember and I long to tell her everything I can about you. I wish she could know about you and that she could learn from your example. Please understand why I don't tell her about you. Children so often don't think before they speak and we're settled here, Liv. I don't want to move again, I can't move again. I have friends here, and my job, and to have another life ripped away from me would hurt more then I am capable of withstanding. I would give up everything here, everything, to be able to take Grace home to New York and spend the rest of our lives together. Where would we be if I hadn't been so headstrong? We'd have our baby girl, and a puppy and maybe even another little baby. I dream sometimes about what might have been and I see a house with a yard and a swing set. A little boy with blonde hair and blue eyes playing with Grace in a sandbox, and you and I on the porch, safe in each others arms. And I gave it up. I gave it all up and I have to live with that, and without you, for the rest of my life. I want to come home so badly, Olivia. What's changed? Do I even have you to come home to…did you find someone else, do you have a family? Does Grace have siblings? And do I even want to know the answers to those questions?

I love you Olivia. I will see you again one day.

All my love,

Alex

Alex sighed, closing the notebook and slipping it back in the drawers with the others, notebooks chronicling Grace's life from the day they'd left New York the second time. Five thick notebooks paired with five scrapbooks so that when she saw Olivia again she'd have something to give her. So that Olivia could see Grace grow from the tiny baby she'd last seen to the beautiful little individual she was now…see all the little details she'd miss. Her first hair cut, her first day of school, her first ride on a two wheeled biked, her first lost tooth. All pictures neatly organized on scrapbook paper, and still not enough to really allow Olivia to be included.

Someday, love, Alex thought wistfully, locking the drawer on her desk and standing up, Someday we'll be back.

Hammond walked up the path to Suzanne ranch-style house, passing by her carefully tended garden and a birdfeeder that could only have been designed by Grace. He'd been skeptical of Alex Cabot's devotion to the Witness Protection Program at first, certain she'd break protocol to contact Olivia at her first opportunity. Once the baby had been born, Alex had put all of her concern into caring for her daughter and while she never stopped loving Olivia, she always put Adia's safety first and stopped begging Hammond to contact Olivia.

Now, with her child about to turn six and a life finally established in Salt Lake City, Hammond was going to turn her life upside down once again.

He knocked on the door, glancing around the porch decorated for Halloween, painted pumpkins guarding the door and was surprised when a tiny child opened the door a crack.

"Hello?"

"Hello, is your mommy home?"

"Yes," Grace said, not moving.

"Could I speak to her?"

"Yes," Grace said, "But you'll have to wait outside for a moment."

Hammond nodded and the door closed. It was several minutes before he heard voices from the other side of the door.

"Gracie! What did I tell you about opening the door for strangers?"

"But mom, you were busy and he looks important."

"I don't ca –" Alex's voice trailed off as she opened the door to see Hammond standing on the porch, "Grace, go to your room and play. I need to talk with this man."

Grace nodded obediently, heading to her room while Alex ushered Hammond inside.

"Can I get you something to drink?" she asked nervously, wiping her hands on her jeans, "Coffee, soda, water?"

Hammond shook his head, "I'm fine, Miss Cabot."

Alex's head jerked at the name and she sank to the couch, "Do you mean to tell me that…"

Hammond nodded, "I understand this is difficult, Miss Cabot. In addition, please know that you're under no obligation to do anything, now or in the future. Velez was shot by police during a raid two months ago. The investigation is complete and we are comfortable with allowing you the option of returning to your previous life."

Alex let her head fall into her hands as the room spun before her, "I never…I didn't expect…I only hoped and imagined and I never thought…oh my god. How am I going to explain this to Grace?"

"Many people who enter the program don't leave, Miss Cabot. They go on to have families, lives, jobs, and they grow to be comfortable with their lives. They don't want to go back."

"Olivia. Does she know?"

Hammond shook his head, "I felt it would be in your best interest to contact you first. There is no obligation to…"

"Of course there is an obligation to return!" Alex practically shouted, "Grace is Olivia's daughter and Olivia has a right to be part of her life!"

Hammond nodded, then handed Alex a manila envelope, "There is some necessary paperwork to go through then."

Alex snatched the envelope from his hands, opening it rapidly and thumbing through the papers, "I'll sign them tonight. I…I need to talk to Grace. I don't know how I am going to explain this."

"I understand," Hammond said, turning and walking to the door, "I'll come by tomorrow, five o'clock?"

Alex nodded, staring at the papers that would make her Alex Cabot again, "Yes."

"Alex?"

"Mmmhmm?"

"Congratulations."

Alex sat still on the couch, her heart pounding. Grace was due home from school in an hour and Alex knew she couldn't wait to tell her daughter. How she was going to explain the situation without making it seem like the last five years of her life was a lie was currently beyond her. Alex stood on shaky legs, going to her office and unlocking her drawer. She pulled out a small box with a few pictures of Olivia, and one picture of Olivia with Adia. She would start with the basics. This was Olivia; Olivia loved her very much. She'd venture into details; Olivia is your mother also, soon.

And by the way, your name is Adia and mine is Alex, and our last name is Cabot, not Graham and I've lied to you every day since you were a year old.

Alex sighed, dropping into her chair and staring at the picture of Olivia, curled around baby Adia in the hotel bed. I just want her to know you, Olivia. I just want to come home.

When Grace came crashing through the front door, Alex hadn't moved from her desk chair.

"Mommy! MOM!" Grace's little footsteps echoed as she raced through the foyer, down the hall and into her mother's darkened office, "Mom? Mom, are you okay?"

Alex nodded, wiping her hands over cheeks stained with dried tears. She handed Grace the photo of her as a baby with Olivia, "That's Olivia," she said simply, "with you."

Grace's dark eyes widened slightly, "I knew it. I knew she was important. Who is she, Mom?"

Alex sighed, "Come sit with me, babygirl," she motioned with her arms for Grace to come sit on her lap, and Grace slid into her mother's arms.

"Okay, Grace. I, um, I don't really know how to explain this to you. What I want you to know is that I love you, and that while this is going to be hard to understand, I want you to try, okay?"

Grace nodded, watching her mother with concern, "What's wrong mommy? Are you sick?"

"No, no, Gracie. I'm fine, everyone's fine. It's just…a long time ago, before you were born, I lived in a place called New York City. I was a lawyer, like Noel's daddy. Do you understand?"

Grace's brow crinkled, "Yeah?"

"Okay. And my job was to make sure that bad people went to jail, so they couldn't hurt anyone anymore. But one day, I made some bad people very upset with me, because I tried to put their friend in jail. And they wanted to hurt me. So the police, the good people I worked with, decided I should move away from New York City so that I wouldn't get hurt."

Grace's little eyes were dark, and she nodded for her mother to continue.

"So I moved to a little town in Wisconsin. Do you know where Wisconsin is?" Grace nodded, and Alex continued, "And I had to move away from my friends, and away from Olivia. And then I found out I was pregnant with you, Gracie-Grace. So, it was very important to me that I stay safe so that you would be safe, because I loved you from the second I knew about you. When you were one year old, my friends in New York needed my help so I went back, and I brought you with me. This was the first time you met Olivia."

"She looks nice," Grace said, tracing her finger over the picture.

"She is nice. She loves you so much, Gracie, and she hasn't seen you since that picture was taken, when you were just a baby."

"I don't understand."

"Gracie, after I helped my friends, I had to move again. Only this time, the police were worried the bad men would find me in Wisconsin, so they had us move to Utah. To help keep us safe, they wanted us to have different names so that the bad men would have a hard time finding us. My name when we lived in New York was Alex Cabot."

"But…mom, your name is Suzanne. Why did they make you change your name? Did I have a different name? And why didn't Olivia come with us if she loved us so much?"

"My name is Suzanne here, because the bad men were looking for Alex. You are my Gracie baby, and you can stay Gracie. When you were a baby, I called you Adia. Olivia couldn't come with us because to keep us safe the police couldn't tell anyone where we were."

Grace nodded once, then burst into tears, "Mommy, are the bad men going to find us now? Do we have to move and pretend to be someone else again?"

Alex wrapped her arms around her daughter, rocking gently, "No, no, honey. The bad men are all gone, now, honey. And the police called me and told me that if I wanted to go back to New York, I could because it is very very safe again."

"Do I have to leave Mickey?" Grace shrieked suddenly, eyes wide.

"No, no, honey, your hamster can come with us. I wanted to talk to you about moving away from Salt Lake City and going to New York to live. I think you would like New York, and I would like for you to be able to meet Olivia."

Grace nodded, wiping tears from her eyes, "Mommy, are you still my mommy?"

"Of course I'm still your mommy, Gracie-bear. I'll always be your mommy, no matter what."

"But you lied about what your name was! And you aren't a lawyer here, you have a different job! And you never told me about Olivia before even though I asked you before about her!"

Alex sighed. Breathe, Alex. You knew this would be hard, you need to finish this , "Grace, I know this is hard for you to believe. But what I need you to try to understand is that I never lied to you. I'm your mom, Grace, and I love you. I used a different name and a different job because I wanted to keep us safe. But now the bad men are gone, and I can tell you about Olivia."

"So are you going to?"

"What?"

"Tell me about Olivia. Your eyes change when you say her name. Does she love you like she loves me?"

Alex's eyes softened, "I love Olivia very much, Grace. When I lived in New York, Olivia and I lived together. Olivia is your mom, too, honey."

Grace laughed then, "That's not right, mommy! You told me how babies are made and you need a boy!"

Alex smiled then, her first real smile since she's first heard the news, "I know honey, but you're gonna have to trust me on this, and I'll try to explain more as I can, okay?"

Grace still looked skeptical, but she smiled at her mother, "Okay, mommy. I want to meet Olivia."

Alex blinked back tears that threatened to fall and she hugged Grace tightly, "I'm so glad, Grace. I want you to meet her, too."

"Let's go now!" Grace said, leaping from Alex's lap and heading for her bedroom.

"No, no, Grace," Alex said, laughing, "Let's have a snack, and I think someone has a play date with Amanda today. And I will call the airport and set up and time for us to fly to New York, okay love? I promise to tell you everything as soon as I know and we will do this together. I love you, Grace."

"I love you too, mommy. I'm glad you're safe now, and that the bad men are gone."

Alex smiled at her daughter, then followed her into the kitchen to find a snack for the little girl.

Grace skipped beside her mother, dragging her roll-along Barbie suitcase, "We're going on an AIRPLANE, momma! I've never been on an airplane before!"

Alex smiled, gently squeezing Grace's tiny hand, "You have been on a plane twice before, Grace, but you were so small you don't remember. This will be your first airplane that you will remember. Did you remember your camera?"

Grace nodded brightly. The neon pink Barbie camera hung from a cord around her neck. How Alex Cabot had managed to raise a child so in love with Barbie was a question that had confounded Alex from the day Gracie had come home from her friends house, clutching the tiny doll fiercely. But Alex as a parent was nothing if not flexible, and Barbie had been made welcome in their house ever since. She watched as Grace took pictures of everything as they made their way through the airport.

Alex could hear her heart pounding in her ears already, and she attempted to refocus her attention on the child scampering along beside her in an effort to keep from throwing up. She couldn't believe she was going home…

Olivia. What do you look like? What will you think of me? Of Grace? Have you found someone else, and if you have what am I going to do?

Two days earlier, Alex had placed an anxious call to Donald Cragen, explaining her situation and begging for his help. He'd spoken to Elliot and managed to get him to persuade Olivia to go to the airport to interview an employee who'd witnessed a crime. Luckily enough, the employee worked at the restaurant across from Alex's gate and the employee thought they could meet in the waiting area there to complete the interview.

Now, grasping Grace's hand and hurrying to her gate, Alex began to wonder if she'd made the right choice in surprising Olivia.

XXXXXXX

Olivia sat in the hard plastic chair, periodically glancing over at the restaurant across the way. She'd give the employee five minutes and then she'd go over there herself to find out just whom exactly she was supposed to be interviewing. Elliot had been sketchy on details, and had told her the girl would meet her at the gate during her break.

"Oh, great," Olivia mumbled, rolling her eyes in annoyance as the gate she was sitting at was suddenly flooded with people, "Of all the gates to pick, she had to pick this one."

Olivia rose, intending to go stand near the restaurant until the flood of people quieted. She had only moved several steps when she heard a voice she hadn't heard in years yell, "Grace!"

Olivia stopped, frozen for what felt like an eternity before she finally had the courage to turn around. She spun slowly, lifting her eyes and looking through the crowd of people. And then suddenly, like they'd been there forever, there stood Alex and her baby right in front of her.

Olivia stared at Adia, identical brown eyes locked as Grace stared back at her. She finally raised her eyes to Alex, who stood behind Grace grinning furiously at Olivia, tears pooling in her eyes.

"Oh my god," Olivia managed before her sob broke loose and she stepped forward, touching a soft hand to Alex's cheek, "What…what…I don't understand."

Alex smiled, bringing her hand up to hold Olivia's palm to her cheek, "Velez is gone. Hammond came to see me. He told me I could come home."

Olivia swallowed hard, "Alex," and then dropped to her knees in front of Grace, "Hello, honey, I'm Olivia."

Grace smiled, "I know who you are. Mommy says you're my momma too. My name is Grace."

Olivia sniffed, tucking a strand of lose hair behind Grace's cheek, "Hi Grace. Can I have a hug?"

Grace opened her arms and went towards Olivia, letting her mother wrap her in a tight hug, "I missed you so much, Grace. I'm so sorry I haven't been with you. I promise to start making up for it."

Grace stepped back, allowing Olivia to hold her hand, "It's okay, momma. Mommy explained about how we had to move away and not tell you because of the bad men. She says you're a police oflicer and that you keep the bad men away and will keep us safe. She says the men we had to move away from are all gone now though!"

Olivia smiled then, giving her daughter another gentle hug before standing up to face Alex, "She's beautiful. You're beautiful. I can't believe you're here. I don't even…Elliot…you set me up!" she finally realized, her eyes lighting up.

Alex nodded, eyes still fixed on Olivia, "I knew how nervous I was. I wanted to save you from that. I just…I hope I'm not too late."

"Too late?"

"Is there still…us?" Alex said, suddenly shyer than she'd even been in her entire life.

Olivia's rapid blinking did little to prevent her tears, "Yes, oh god yes, Alex. I've only thought about this day every day since you left. Of course…oh, do you and Ad-I mean Grace have a place to stay?"

"We hadn't gotten that far yet. We're here for five days, then we have to go back to Utah to finish wrapping up lose ends…"

"You'll stay with me then?"

Alex smiled, "Of course."

"I haven't moved…when you left, I didn't see any reason for the new apartment. We'll make a bed for Adi-Grace on the floor for now."

Alex squeezed Olivia's hand, "I'm so glad we're home," she said, finally wrapping her arms around Olivia and hugging her tightly, "I can't wait to kiss you," she whispered in Olivia's ear, before placing a gentle kiss on the soft spot on her neck, "I love you."

And suddenly, Olivia's world was right again.

Chapter 3

Olivia stood next to Alex at the baggage claim, eyes torn between staring at Alex and Grace. Grace held Olivia's hand gently, and her big brown eyes were trained on her mother, as though trying to memorize features she only remembered from photographs.

"Momma?" Grace asked quietly, eyes wide.

Olivia's cheeks were starting to ache from the permanent grin she'd had plastered across her face since Alex and her daughter had stepped off the plane, but Grace's serious voice made Olivia somber, "Yes?"

Grace locked eyes with Olivia, very somber, "Do you like hamsters?"

Olivia laughed, the stillness of the moment broken, "Sure, honey, I like hamsters. Why?"

"I have a hamster named Mickey. He's staying at Andy's house right now, but Mommy told me he could come live with us in New York. He is brown and white and I have a rolly ball he plays in, and I feed him every day and water him every day and Mommy helps me clean his cage and we buy him treats and he likes to play with me. He can live with us right?"

Olivia smiled at Grace, squatting so she was at eye level with the little girl again, "Honey, of course Mickey can live with us. I can't wait to meet him."

Grace's eyes lit up, and she flung her arms around Olivia, "I love you, Momma!"

Alex saw the tears threaten to fall from Olivia's eyes as Olivia gathered the little girl into her arms and held on to her as though she was going to drift away again. Grace, for her part, tolerated the hug for several moments and then wiggled, "Momma, you're squishing me."

Olivia let the little girl go, "I'm sorry honey. I didn't mean to squish."

"S'okay," Grace said, watching anxiously for her suitcase now as other suitcases began to fall from the baggage claim, "Mommy, you make sure you get my suitcase because I put my Barbies in the one we gave to the plane man."

Alex grinned, "Yes, Gracie. I promise."

Alex's suitcase was first, a simple black one with wheels. Grace's was the absolute last suitcase off the conveyer belt and she squealed with delight when she saw it, "Mommy, there! Get it!"

XXXXXXXXXXXX

The ride to Olivia's apartment seemed to take hours, and as Alex and Grace got settled in, Olivia called for pizza. She loved the sound of Alex and Grace giggling in the other room as they set up a makeshift bed for the little girl on the floor, the sound of her daughter's laughter rising above Alex's.

I have a family, Olivia realized, I have a family and they're home.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Chapter 4

It was nearing 9 o'clock and Alex and Olivia were wrapped around each other on the couch. Grace had gone to be without incident, exhausted from the flight and was snoring softly in the other room. Alex had dragged a duffle bag into the living room, dropped it next to the couch and stared at Olivia for almost a minute before crawling into her arms and burying her face in Olivia's neck.

They had sat in silence for the last ten minutes, not wanting to break the mood with words. Finally, Olivia lifted her head and kissed Alex gently on the forehead.

"I love you," she whispered softly, wrapping her arms tighter around Alex. Alex sniffed and kissed Olivia's neck.

"It's so surreal to be home," Alex whispered, "I mean, we have a house in Utah, but it was never my home."

Olivia glanced over to the blue duffle bag lying on the floor, "What's that?"

"Oh! Those are for you, from Grace and I," Alex said, pulling it over and unzipping it. She pulled out a pile of notebooks, and five scrapbooks, "The notebooks are numbered, and the scrapbooks go by year. I didn't want to you miss anything -- and I know it doesn't compare to being there, but…"

Olivia shut her up with a forceful kiss. Alex moaned, twining her fingers in Olivia's hair as Olivia held her close and kissed her until she was breathless, "Thank you," Olivia whispered, "Thank you for everything."

Wordlessly, Alex handed Olivia the scrapbook labeled, "Two Years Old." Olivia paged through it slowly, allowing Alex to point to various pictures and explain the back story that went with each one. A lock of Grace's hair was taped in next to a picture of her in a beauty parlor, inked prints of her hands and feet covered the front of the album. "Three years old" included a copy of the program to Grace's first dance recital, and a picture next to it of her in her sparkly tutu. Four years old included a tiny envelope labeled, "Grace's first earrings" next to a picture of a red faced Grace with sparkling earlobes. There was a picture of Alex and Grace, hands up, fingers spread, nails bright red. "Grace's first manicure," read the caption.

Olivia could have stared at the pictures for hours. Watching Grace grow, even through photographs, was like nothing she'd ever experienced before -- and the mirror image expressions Olivia and Grace shared were uncanny.

Olivia laughed as Alex pointed to a picture of Grace, rolling her tongue and crossing her eyes, "Can you do that? I can't roll my tongue, never could."

Olivia did it then, complete with crossed eyes that sent Alex into another fit of giggles, "It's gotta be genetic," she managed, "and I don't know whether to be jealous or embarrassed that you can do that."

"Probably a combination of both, especially if I start doing it at work," Olivia said, closing the book and gathering Alex's lithe body into her arms, "but we could talk about other things I can do with my tongue," she whispered into Alex's ear, running the very tip of her tongue over the edge and making Alex shiver.

"We could, yes," Alex agreed breathily, already squirming in Olivia's lap as Olivia took Alex's earlobe gently between her teeth, sucking lightly.

Olivia planted gentle kisses over every part of Alex she could reach before shifting Alex to half lay, half sit on the couch, scooting her hips forward so she rested just on the edge of the couch. Olivia knelt in front of her, letting her hand trail over Alex's stomach, under the soft cotton of her t-shirt until she was able to cup Alex's breasts, brushing her thumb over already hard nipples. She moved slowly over skin she'd committed to memory so long ago, making new memories and marveling at the fact that she was even able to touch Alex, much less make her squirm.

She finally slid her hands from Alex's chest, skimming gentle fingertips down Alex's sides before hooking her thumbs in the waistband of Alex's pajama pants. Alex lifted her hips helpfully and Olivia slid the silky material down Alex's trembling legs and dropped the pants in a careless pile on the floor.

She placed soft palms on the inside of Alex's knees and pushed them apart, kissing her way up the inside of Alex's left thigh before placing her lips just above where Alex wanted her.

"Please, Liv…no teasing," Alex moaned, pushing her hips towards Olivia's eager mouth. She slid her lips around Alex's clit, flicking it with her tongue, making Alex writhe above her before sliding two fingers slowly into her.

Alex came almost instantly, her muscles clamping down on Olivia's fingers while Olivia sucked harder at her clit, pulling a second orgasm from Alex before the first one ended. Slowly, Olivia removed her fingers, licking them clean before grabbing at a blanket piled next to the couch. She moved to sit next to Alex on the couch, pulling Alex into her arms and curling up behind her on the couch.

"Sleep, beautiful," she whispered, running gentle fingers through Alex's hair, "I love you."

Alex nestled as close to Olivia as possible. The small couch wouldn't be a problem tonight, Alex couldn't imagine anywhere else she would rather be.

"But I don't…it's not fair," Alex mumbled, fighting against the sleep that threatened to overwhelm her.

"We have the rest of our lives ahead of us, Alex. I'm just glad you're home," Olivia said, blinking back the tears that had been building behind her eyes since the moment she'd seen Alex and Grace.

"Mmm," Alex murmured, "I love you, Liv."

"I love you too, sweetheart. Sleep well."