A/N: Some notes below ... hopefully you enjoy this chapter (I think you will). It ends with a bit of a cliff hanger (which I'll address tonight).

Word Count: ~2,00 Rating: PG

GET AWAY

Friday night.

"It this thing with the doctor serious?"

Olivia sat back in her chair, tightened her shoulders and looked up, taking a breath. She wasn't sure how to respond to Elliot.

"It's … progressing, but slowly," Olivia said. Things were progressing with Sophia, but their schedules made it hard, especially Sophia's, who was one of the of the top pediatrician's in in the state, if not nation. If it wasn't a long-hours or an emergency surgery, she was jetting off to speak at some conference.

Elliot nodded. "But you get to go away this weekend?"

"Yes," Olivia said. "Barring any emergencies. But she was promised it was a real weekend off."

"Must be hard to be with someone with an even crazier schedule than we have," Elliot said.

"Well, I understand it, so …" Olivia said.

"Sure, but at some point, you're going to want to settle down, right?" Elliot said. "Is that something she plans on doing at some point. Settling down? Having kids?"

"Elliot, it's just been a few months, you're getting way ahead of where we are," Olivia said.

"Okay, but I'm just saying … if your future goals aren't compatible, why keep investing time in it?" he said.

"I thought you liked her," Olivia said.

"Oh, I very much do," Elliot said. "Maybe the best of anyone you've dated."

"The best?"

"Liv, you haven't given me much to work with, and well, you know I have mixed feelings about Alex," Elliot said.

Olivia sighed. She also had mixed feelings about Alex. The woman was doing her best to woo the detective. Flowers. Coffee. Encouraging texts. She was persistent, Olivia had to give her that. And she hadn't tired of it since the day Olivia found the roses on her desk.

"Anyway, I have to get going," Olivia said. "If I'm late picking Sophia up, they may rope her into something else and she'll be stuck."

"Okay, get going," Elliot said. "Enjoy time away with the Doc. Where are you going, by the way?"

"A little bed and breakfast just outside the city – Farrell's," Olivia said.

"Farrell's?" Elliot said. "Isn't that where –?" Olivia was gone before he could finish his question. Off to pick up the Sophia for their first real weekend away.

#

Saturday morning.

"Liv, I'm so sorry."

Olivia sat on the bed while Sophia was packing up her bag. There had been a school bus accident in a nearby county – students on a field trip and several of them were in bad shape.

"Are you sure you don't want me to drive you?" Olivia said. Her tone was solemn.

"No," Sophia said. "I already called for a cab, and we have this gorgeous place all weekend. There is no since in ruining your weekend because of me."

"A little too late for that," Olivia pouted.

Sophia stopped. "Liv…"

"No, I really do understand. It's just … I like you, a lot. And this is hard," Olivia said.

Sophia sat down next to her. "And I like you, too, but my job …"

"I know," Olivia said. "This isn't going to change, is it?"

Sophia shook her head. "Probably not for the foreseeable future. But Liv, you've been so understanding and amazing with me."

"I understand how important our jobs are," Olivia said. "It's hard to be mad."

"So you're not mad?" Sophia said.

"I'm just disappointed," Olivia said.

"Last night, when we were having dinner and you asked about the future…"

"I wasn't trying to pressure you, I was just asking in general," Olivia said, feeling the need to explain.

"No, I know that," Sophia said. "But I also know what you were doing, what I was doing, was trying to find out if our futures are compatible. I mean, I think it's normal to think about that, especially given the hard work we have to put into even spending time together."

Olivia sat quietly.

"You want a family," Sophia said. "Kids."

"I do," she said.

"And I do, too," Sophia said. "But … I don't know when. I guess part of me thinks saving children for other parents is maybe more important than starting my own family. As much as I may want that."

Olivia nodded again, holding back the tears forming.

Sophia leaned over and kissed Olivia on the cheek. "You are an amazing woman, Olivia Benson, and one day there will be someone great enough to deserve your love. You'll find her. She's out there and maybe you've already met her."

Olivia cocked her head at Sophia's curious statement. The doctor just smiled and squeezed Olivia's hand. She let go, pick up her bag, and headed downstairs to wait for her cab.

They had just broken up without even saying it and Olivia didn't know whether she was sad or relieved.

#

Saturday evening.

Olivia sat in her car on the side of the country road. She was in the middle of nowhere, having left the bed and breakfast for home when her car just died and wouldn't start back up. She knew she should have just stayed all weekend like Sophia had said, but it seemed weird to be there all by herself.

She called for a tow truck, but they couldn't fix her car until Monday they said. Small towns. Also, they wouldn't be able to make it out to her for hours. They only had one driver that night and he was otherwise busy. They instructed her to push the car as far off the road into the field as she could, leave the keys in it and they'd take care of it. Nevermind the fact that now she was stranded, too.

Olivia debated who to call. She didn't want to go back to the B&B. She figured she'd come pick her car up Monday or Tuesday. She couldn't call Sophia. She didn't even know where she was and she didn't have a vehicle either. She could call Elliot, but she was also pretty sure they had a birthday party going on this weekend for a cousin. Fin and Munch were working. She didn't want to call Cragen. Finally, she dialed a familiar number.

#

About an hour later, she saw the car lights from Alex Cabot's SUV coming at her. Alex turned around in the road and pulled in behind Olivia. It was late and Olivia knew it had been a huge inconvenience for Alex to come all the way out there.

"You know, a friend of mine always said I shouldn't pick up hitchhikers on the side of the road," Alex said, smirking with her arms crossed.

"Haha," Olivia said. "Laugh on you want. I'm just glad I could find someone willing to pick me up." She went around to the truck to pick up her overnight bag and put in Alex's SUV.

"What were you doing out here this late anyway?" Alex said.

"Coming home," Olivia said. "Or, I was trying."

"All alone?" Alex asked.

"I … um …" Olivia tried to come up with something to say to not hurt Alex. She can't believe she hadn't thought of it before this moment.

"Wait – where were you?"

Olivia was quiet, still looking for words.

"Oh," Alex said. "Farrell's." She took a deep breath realizing why Olivia was traveling this country road. It was one they had travelled once when they were together, having spent an amazing weekend together.

"Alex, I…"

"No, you don't need to explain, Liv," Alex said. "I know you're seeing someone else. It's not my place to get upset."

Olivia stayed quiet, nodding and shut the door to Alex's vehicle as she got inside.

"Where is the doctor anyway?" Alex asked, trying to remain cool.

"Bus crash."

"Oh, I heard about that," Alex said. "I'm … I'm sorry it messed up your weekend away."

Olivia rolled her eyes. She doubted Alex was very sorry. "It's fine."

"So, do you take all your dates to Farrell's?" Alex asked, once they were back out on the road.

"Alex, stop," Olivia said.

"What? I'm just asking," Alex said. "I mean, you took me there. I thought maybe it was our special place or something, but whatever."

"I shouldn't have called you," Olivia said.

"Then why did you?" Alex said. "So you could rub into me that you were spending a weekend away with your fabulous doctor girlfriend?"

"I called you because I knew you would come," Olivia said, raising her voice. "I called because I knew I could count on you."

Alex clenched her jaw. Now was her turn to remain silent.

"And I didn't pick Farrell's – Sophia did," Olivia said. "What was I supposed to say? 'Oh, I can't go there with you, Sophia, because I spent an amazing fucking weekend there with my ex-girlfriend Alex, who you didn't even know we dated?' I mean, how would that have went over?"

Alex took a deep breath and tilted her head back.

"And by the way, Sophia is not my girlfriend," Olivia said. "We broke up."

"You what?" Alex said, snapping her neck over to the detective. "Because she left or…?"

"No. Well, I mean, because we don't have time for each other," Olivia said. "And because we want different things from life."

"I'm sorry," Alex whispered.

"Yeah, right," Olivia said.

"I am," Alex snapped. "And maybe instead of getting attitude with me, you can just be grateful I drove all the way out here to pick your stranded ass up."

"I'm sorry," Olivia said. "You're right. And thank you, Alex."

Alex glanced over for a second, and when she looked back, she saw a cop car up ahead of them, and several flashing lights beyond it.

"What's going on officer?" Alex asked when she rolled down the window and the cop walked up.

"I'm afraid if you're headed this way, you're going to be stranded for a while," he said. "Fatality accident up ahead and it's going to take some time to get enough tow trucks and emergency crews out here to clear it out."

"Oh," Alex said.

"Your best bet, if you have a place to stay, is to go there," he said. "Both lanes are going to be blocked for the foreseeable future tonight."

"And there is no other way into the city?" Alex said.

" 'Fraid not, ma'am," He said. "There's a nice bed and breakfast back up the road that may still have some room. Worst ways to spend an evening."

"Yeah, we know it," Alex said, glancing at Olivia. "Okay, thanks."

#

"They hopefully still have my room available," Olivia said.

"Hopefully they'll have another spare room for me," Alex said. She wasn't going to press her luck by asking to stay with Olivia, and Olivia didn't offer.

"Ok," Olivia said. "I'll take care of your room too since I'm the reason you're stuck here."

The bed and breakfast did still have Olivia's room available. She explained to them the car trouble, Sophia having to leave, and that her friend who came to pick her up needed a room, as well.

"Well, we actually just cleaned your room," the lady said. "Not that it needed it much. You two ladies kept it tidy. But anyway, you'll have fresh sheets and towels."

"Thank you," Olivia said.

"As for your friend here," the lady continued. "I'm afraid I just booked up my last two rooms due to the accident. You're lucky I still had yours available. Perhaps the two of you could share? If not, there's another inn up the road. I can call to see if they have anything and will hold a room."

"That's not necessary," Olivia said. "We can share a room, right, Alex?"

A/N: Yes, there will be a part 2 to this...I'll pick directly up.

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