A/N: Have a little patience with them ... they're not young and immature anymore.

(Also, I know I said I *was* going to write Turmoil, but I've changed my mind/direction - and this is really winding down now)

GOODNIGHT

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

"Oh, um, yeah, I guess that will be okay," Alex said, stumbling. Part of Alex was excited at the thought of sharing a room – and a bed – with Olivia, but she was also trying to do things the right way if they ever were going to get back together.

"I can see if we have any roll-away left, if you'd like," the woman offered. "I know our beds are on the small side."

Olivia looked to Alex to make that decision.

"Um, sure, if you have one," Alex said. Olivia was secretly relieved.

The innkeeper, Lois, went to the back room calling out to her husband to check. She returned a few minutes later and her face told them she didn't have good news.

"I'm afraid we also have used the couple we had on standby," she said. "Both rooms we booked because of the wreck were families with kids. I can still call the inn up the way if you want."

"No, we'll be fine," Alex finally said. "I appreciate you checking."

"You've had quite a weekend, Ms. Benson," Lois said. "What with Dr. Patterson leaving and then getting stuck here. At least you have a good enough friend here with you willing to drive all the way up here to get you."

Olivia smiled and glanced at Alex. "Yeah, I am lucky to have Alex."

"You missed dinner, but I can have Harold send some leftovers up," Lois said. "I'm sure the two of you are hungry."

#

Olivia and Alex went up to the room, the brunette sitting her bag in the corner and sitting on the bed – the same place she sat earlier when she and Sophia were breaking up.

"I should ask them for some water or something," Olivia said. She was nervous and it was apparent. "I'll run downstairs and be back in a few." She wasn't sure if it was Alex's presence or what had happened with Sophia – or both.

"Ok," Alex said as Olivia opened the door. "Do you happen to have anything I can sleep in besides these jeans?"

"Maybe," Olivia said, hurrying to get out the door. "You're welcome to anything in the bag." She quickly shut the door and headed off down the stairs, barely aware of what she had just said. She was just happy to be out of that room.

Alex picked up Olivia's bag and sat it on the bed, opening it up. She began to rustle though looking for some short and t-shirt or something to sleep in. She found something, but not before picking up two nighties of Olivia's – one black, one red.

Alex shivered and tossed them back in the bag, then went to wash her hands.

Olivia returned with a pitcher of water and sat it on a small table. She poured both of them a glass.

"You find something to wear?" she asked Alex.

"Oh, I found something all right," Alex said, rolling her eyes. Olivia gave her a confused look then walked over to the bag – where she saw the items that had been the ire of Alex.

"Oh," she said. "I didn't … I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking."

"It's whatever, Liv," Alex said. She picked up her water and grabbed a seat in the chair by the window, turning to look out.

They sat in silence for the next bit until their late dinner had arrived. Leftover meatloaf and mashed potatoes, served with a remaining half-bottle of red wine.

"Can I sit?" Olivia cautiously asked Alex, who was sitting at the small dining table.

Alex just nodded and scooted things around and off the table to make room for Olivia's plate.

"I'm sorry," Olivia said.

"It's not your fault," Alex said.

"I mean, I'm sorry you're stuck here with me … in this situation," Olivia said. "And … I really appreciate you coming to pick me up."

"You're welcome, but Liv, why did you call me?" Alex said. "I mean, of all people, why me?"

"I … I don't know," Olivia said. "I knew you would come and it wouldn't be an ordeal."

"Wouldn't be an ordeal?" Alex smirked.

"Well, I guess this is kind of an ordeal, huh?" Olivia said. "I don't know, Alex, things are just easier with you."

Alex shook her head and took a drink of wine. "You know, some day, I may not be here," Alex said.

Olivia scoffed. "Yeah, I've been there."

"Always with me leaving, Liv?" Alex said. "Can't you come up with some new reason to hate me? I mean, I've busted my ass since I've been back to show you how much I care about you – how much I love you. And I've been willing to accept that maybe, just maybe, that meant we'd only ever be friends. But I haven't stopped trying because I never want to be able to say that I gave up – I did that once. I won't make that mistake again. But, you…you've moved on, but keep me hanging on just enough that I think there is a chance. I feel like your toy that you only play with when you need me."

"Alex … I …. I had no idea I made you feel that way," Olivia said, stunned. "Do I really make you feel like I don't care about you?"

"I know you care about me, Liv, that's the worst part of it," she said. "It's watching you pretend like you don't that gets to me."

"I'm sorry, Alex," Olivia said. "I really am. I wasn't intentionally doing that."

"I know," Alex said. "And, for what it's worth, I'm sorry, too."

"For what?" Olivia said.

"For leaving you – twice," Alex said.

"You didn't have a choice," Olivia said.

"You're right, I didn't," Alex said. "But, I should have said goodbye. I could have said goodbye, but I was too chicken shit, and selfish for not considering how that would affect you."

Olivia took a drink of wine, taking in the long-coming moment.

"And … I should have called you when I came back," Alex said. "I wish I had some excuse for that, but I don't. I was wrong and if I could take it back, I would in a heartbeat."

"I thought you had moved on," Olivia said. "That you had forgotten me … us."

Tears began to form in Alex's eyes. "I never forgot you," Alex said. "Every day in WitSec, I thought about you. I wondered about you. I thought about the day I came home and called you and could start a life with you."

"Then why didn't you call?" Olivia said, tearing falling and voice raising slightly.

Alex clenched her lips together and shook her head. "I don't know. I really don't," she said. "When I got the call that said I could come home, I was in shock. It just happened one day, randomly, at 2:14 p.m.

"I'll never forget getting off that plane and feeling like 'home' was this strange place," she continued. "I had a couple weeks of debriefing. Marshals talking to me about how it's difficult to transition back to your old life, how I may not even want it. I thought they were crazy the first few days. But then, when I started trying to get settled back in – reconnecting with my family – it all just seemed foreign. My dad isn't the same person. I mean, he lost his daughter, then his wife.

"And home, it's not even home without Mom there. It's hard for both of us – me and Dad," Alex said. "I thought going back to work would fix it and I decided to on in guns blazing. Focus on the job. Think about the long-game and protect myself from caring so much about a case or anyone so that I'd never be in that position again."

"I…I didn't know," Olivia said. "I went to your mom's funeral."

"I know," Alex said. "My dad told me that woman detective was there."

Olivia smiled. She didn't even know Alex's dad had noticed she was there, as she'd never even met him before and just offered condolences the day of the funeral, not sure if he knew who she was.

Olivia reached out and put her hand on Alex's, then spoke slowly. "I forgive you."

Alex's blue eyes, shining from tears, darted up to Olivia's and saw the truth and compassion in them. "Thank you," she whispered.

#

After their talk and dinner, they both readied for bed, still unsure how everything would go.

"Do uh, you want me to sleep on the floor?" Olivia said.

"And leave me in the bed you probably had sex in this morning?" Alex said, smirking.

"I …" Olivia started to protest, but Alex waved her off.

"Don't even try to tell me you didn't," Alex said. "I'm pretty sure we had more morning sex than nighttime sex."

"I'm a morning person," Olivia said, grinning. "What can I say?"

Alex laughed. "Don't I know it."

"So, are you really not sleeping in the bed?" Olivia said. "I mean, there are clean sheets."

"Okay, can we just not talk about it and maybe I'll forget before we go to sleep?" Alex said.

Olivia nodded agreeing. "So, you're okay to share?"

"Yeah, but if I wake up with your arm around me again…" Alex said, stopping when Olivia bust out laughing remembering Alex's drunken night.

"I'll do my bed, but it's a pretty small bed," Olivia said. "So if you start kicking at me, I'm grabbing on and taking you with me if you push me out of bed."

"Deal," Alex said.

#

After they climbed into bed, they both rolled over to face each other, a position they had been in a hundred times. The tension between them was high and they were both nervous about the other.

"I'm glad you're here, Alex," Olivia said.

"Well, I'm sure your weekend didn't turn out the way you wanted," Alex said. "And I really am sorry about Sophia. She seemed like a good woman."

"She was," Olivia said. "But it wasn't meant to be. And yes, the weekend has been challenging … but, honestly, I can't complain about how it ended up."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," Olivia said. "I don't know where you are, what you want from me, if you still want me. And, honestly, I'm going to need some time to process everything with Sophia, so I don't want to rush anything, but if you still want to be with me, then …"

Alex pressed her lips against Olivia's – kissing her quickly, but gently. It only lasted for a second before she pulled back.

"Yes, I still want to be with you," Alex said. "And I promise, until you are ready, that's the last time I'll kiss you. I want us to do this right, too. And to not rush, but Liv, I don't want us to waste time like we did before."

"So…"

"So…" Alex said.

"I guess maybe we should go on a date or something," Olivia said.

"Are you asking me out?" Alex said.

"Yes. Alex Cabot, will you go on a date with me?"

"I've never been asked out in bed before," Alex smirked.

"Nor have I, but here we are," Olivia said. "So…don't leave me hanging."

"Yes, I'd love to go on a date with you," Alex said. "But this time, I want to take you out, woo you."

"You've been wooing me for a couple of months now," Olivia said.

"And I don't plan on stopping anytime soon," Alex said.

"Ok, then," Olivia said. "You can take me out. But I get date number 2."

"Date number 2?" Alex questioned. "Awful confident in yourself, aren't you?"

"Not at all," Olivia said. "I'm just hopeful."

"Me, too," Alex said.

"Goodnight, Alex," Olivia said.

"Goodnight, Liv," Alex said.

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