Author's Note: We've reached the second-to-last chapter of our story. I wanted to continue the story for many more chapters, but my life has changed pretty dramatically in the last few weeks. For the better! I'm going on a new adventure– I have no idea what's in store, but I'm looking forward to starting a new chapter in my own life. Writing this has been a blast, and I'd love to do another story when things settle down :)
I figured that Alex and Olivia needed a vacation, so I sent them to the opposite coast.
"Flight attendants, please prepare for arrival."
With that announcement, Alex and Olivia prepared for their landing at San Francisco International Airport. Of course, Alex had bought them first class tickets, so the six hour journey from LaGuardia had been relaxing and comfortable. And Alex had arranged to have their luggage shipped to the hotel, so they didn't have to lug any bags around, outside of their carry-ons.
The airplane taxied to the gate, and soon, Alex and Olivia stepped into the terminal. Olivia glanced around at her surroundings.
"Wow. This is so…modern and not depressing. It makes the New York area airports look like prisons," she remarked.
"Yeah, all of our local airports are terrible," Alex agreed. "Now, let's find our driver." Alex had booked a car service to drive them around for the entire duration of their stay. They soon spotted an older, well-dressed man holding up an iPad with "Cabot" displayed on the screen. He took both of their carry-ons and escorted them to the car. He held the door open while they settled into the backseat.
"Gee, Al, a girl could get used to this. Do you always travel like Jackie Kennedy?" Olivia had never flown first class, and on the rare occasion when she take a vacation, it was usually a long weekend at the Jersey Shore.
Alex smiled. "On vacation, absolutely. It's my chance to take a break and treat myself." She also wanted to reassure Olivia about her splurging. "And please, don't even think about the cost. This is all for you – I love you, and I want you to relax and enjoy yourself."
"How did I get so lucky?" she asked as she leaned in for a quick kiss. She squeezed Alex's hand and cracked open the window. "Just walking out of the airport into this cool weather was a relief. I'm so glad to be away from the disgusting heat wave we've been having at home."
"Just wait until tomorrow when we go exploring. San Francisco is fantastic – you'll love it. I have a ton of fun things planned for us," Alex said.
"Yeah, you've been making secret plans all week. Come on, spill. What are we doing? Give me a hint. Just a tiny, little hint."
Alex smirked. "Liv, I think you're actually whining. You sound like a five year old."
"That's because I hate surprises. Now how about it?" Olivia pleaded.
Alex shook her head. "Ok, ok. You've worn me down. I didn't want to spoil the surprise but…we're going to see a very special concert at an exclusive club."
"I love concerts! Who are we seeing? And where?" Olivia excitedly asked.
"Jesse and the Rippers. At the Smash Club." Alex was struggling to keep a straight face.
Olivia tilted her head. "The Smash Club? Jesse and the Rippers?" She wracked her brain trying to remember who they were. Then it dawned on her. She lightly slapped Alex's arm. "Really, Al? Full House? Yuck! That show was horrendous. No fair – give me a real hint!"
"No. Cut. It. Out," Alex laughed.
Olivia groaned. "I hope you have other San Francisco pop culture references that don't involve that vile show."
"Of course I do, Liv. We can look for the Scorpion killer, eat Rice-A-Roni, and get pedicures with Mrs. Doubtfire."
"My dreams are all coming true," Olivia joked.
They sat in a comfortable silence and soon arrived at their hotel in the Financial District. Olivia's jaw dropped when they entered the hotel. A huge vaulted ceiling overlooked the ornate columns and old wooden furnishings. This hotel screamed luxury and status.
"We're staying here?" Olivia asked
Alex nodded. "Yep. This is one of the best hotels in San Francisco. Nothing but the finest accommodations for us."
She wandered around a bit as Alex went to check in. Intricate flower arrangements lined the hallway. On one side was an elegant ballroom with three chandeliers and a baby grand piano. On the other side was a large swimming pool and modern gym with all the latest equipment.
Alex walked up to Olivia and held out a room key. "This one's yours. I've gotten us a platinum suite." Alex led Olivia to the elevator, which they rode to the top floor.
A few minutes later, they were in the living quarters of their suite. A lounge area with two couches and a large screen TV was in one corner, and a desk and table were on the other side of the room. The suite had large windows overlooking the downtown neighborhood. The bedroom had a California King bed with a fluffy comforter and more pillows than anyone could ever need.
"You didn't have to do this. A regular room would have been perfectly fine." Olivia felt quite out of her element.
"I know I didn't have to. I want to. Now, will you stop worrying and enjoy yourself?"
"Sure, baby. Thank you, I really do appreciate everything you're doing. I'm just not used to being, well..."
"Spoiled?" Alex suggested.
"I don't mean that - I'm certainly not saying that you're...I just..." Olivia was interrupted by Alex laughing.
"Liv, it's OK. I promise. I know what you mean. It's a different lifestyle than you're accustomed to. And believe me, I certainly don't spend like this in all areas of my life. But vacations are special. They're a time to get away from the drudgery of real life and treat yourself."
Olivia sat on one of the couches. "Ok. I'll relax. And as a matter of fact, relaxing is very easy on this couch. It's much more comfortable than yours. My butt is happy."
Alex rolled her eyes. "I know it's late, but are you hungry?"
"Starved."
"Let's get some room service. The kitchen is open 24 hours and takes special requests."
"Sure thing. But before we eat, let's do one thing," Olivia suggested.
"What's that?" Alex asked.
Olivia placed several quick kisses down Alex's neck. "Christen that bed," she whispered.
Alex grabbed Olivia's hand and practically dragged her into the bedroom.
The next day, Olivia and Alex decided to visit to Fisherman's Wharf.
They walked around for awhile, taking in the sites and attractions before spotting an open door behind a building.
"What's back here?" Olivia asked as she made her way to the door. "Oh it's…an arcade. I love arcades! Let's play some games!"
Alex smiled. She had never really been into arcade games, but she figured that with Olivia, anything could be fun. "Sure, let's do it," Alex said.
The arcade had arcade games dating from the turn of the century to the present day. Olivia walked up to an older looking machine."Oooh the Passion Meter...let's see what rank I get," Olivia said.
She inserted a quarter and held her hand onto the sensor. The machine cycled through all the options from 'Dead' to 'On Fire', before landing on "Mild".
"Mild?! This machine is obviously wrong. I've never been 'Mild' in my life," Olivia shook her head, mildly insulted. "Well, what about you, Alex?"
Alex did the same and waited for her rating. "On Fire! This machine is totally accurate." Alex grinned devilishly at Olivia and gave her a quick kiss. "Aw, I love you anyway. Even if you are just 'Mild'."
Olivia jokingly stormed off. The two women circulated around the arcade, playing several of the machines. Olivia spotted an Addams Family pinball machine and made a beeline for it. "Now this. This is my game." Alex watched for a few minutes as Olivia kept racking up points. She never knew that Olivia was a real life pinball wizard. But watching someone else play a game wasn't nearly as interesting as playing for herself, so Alex decided to do something else.
"Hey, I'm going to look at some of the old photographs," Alex said.
"No, I'm still playing this one," Olivia replied, not paying attention to Alex at all.
"I'm also going to strip naked and streak along the Embarcadero," Alex declared.
"That's great, honey. I'll catch up to you in a few."
Alex rolled her eyes and laughed as she walked towards the photographs. "Note to self," she thought, "Never buy a pinball machine. You'll never see Olivia again."
After about five minutes, Olivia appeared by her side. "I'm out of practice," she sighed. "But that was so much fun."
"I'm glad you enjoyed it. Hey, let's go see some of the other sites." Alex linked her hand with Olivia's as they walked outside.
They wandered through the shops and attractions, enjoying the constant activity at the pier. They spotted a mime mimic the actions of a little boy. They saw a group of street acrobats do backflips and other assorted gymnastics that looked incredibly difficult. They watched the boats cruising along the bay. As they turned a corner, Olivia and Alex heard howling. They looked over and saw a crowd gathered by a fence.
"Oh wow! Seals! There must be a hundred of them!" Olivia exclaimed.
They laughed at the antics of the seals for a little while, watching as they both fought and played with each other. After a lunch of burgers and fries, the two women decided to take a narrated bus tour so that they could relax while soaking up some San Francisco culture and history.
Alex and Olivia gazed at the large orange structure in front of them. They were standing at a lookout point on the other side of the bay, just outside of San Francisco.
"I mean, if you can call a bridge beautiful, the Golden Gate Bridge is beautiful," Olivia remarked as she looked out at the bay. Olivia continued to look around in silence, taking in the gorgeous scenery around her.
Alex snapped a few pictures of her girlfriend taking in the view. "It's the second most beautiful thing here. Liv, turn around. Let me get a few of you with the bridge in the background."
Olivia happily obliged, smiling and making goofy faces as Alex snapped some photos.
"Hey, let me get a few shots of you," Olivia insisted.
They switched positions and Alex posed in a few stereotypical supermodel poses.
"Work it, girl! Oh yeah, that's how we do it. Make love to the camera," Olivia egged her on.
"Let's get a few of us together." Alex asked a woman standing nearby, who happily agreed to take a few pictures of them. The woman handed back the camera and Olivia and Alex headed towards the pedestrian walkway.
"Are you ready for this?" Alex asked. She and Olivia were going to walk over the bridge back to the city.
Olivia shivered as a cold gust of wind blew. "If I don't blow away, absolutely. Good thing I brought my fleece. They weren't kidding when they said San Francisco is cold."
Alex and Olivia began their trek. They slowly wandered on the pathway, making stops along the way to take in the view and get some pictures.
They soon came across one of the suicide hotline telephones along the bridge. Olivia sadly shook her head and stared out at the bay. She struggled to keep tears from forming in her eyes.
"Hey, what's wrong, honey?" Alex asked, as she rubbed Olivia's back.
"I was just thinking...about everything that's happened. I was so close to giving up on my own life. I don't think I could ever jump off a bridge or turn my gun towards myself. But drinking, not taking care of myself...it was almost like a form of slow suicide. Without you, and the rest of our friends and Dr. Forrester, I'm not sure I would even be alive right now," Olivia confided.
"Liv, please don't talk like that. Losing you would have killed me."
"Al, I'm happy it didn't go that way. I'm blessed. My life is wonderful right now. But seeing that sign reminded me of how dark everything was just a few months ago. It really is amazing how quickly life can change. But not everyone is so lucky. Seeing that sign was like a punch in the gut. It reminded me of how far I fell. I have to constantly fight to make sure that I never hit rock bottom again."
"And you will, Liv. You have a strong support system and you've developed coping techniques. Whatever happens, good, bad, and in-between, you have people who love you. People who would do anything for you. I'll always be here for you," Alex promised.
Olivia nodded. "I just wish everyone was as lucky as I am."
"Well, that's what the hotline is here for. I'm sure that several people have been saved just by seeing this sign." Alex assured her.
Olivia turned and linked her arm with Alex's. "You know, when we get back home, I'd like to look into volunteering to help people with depression or substance abuse. I think it's my turn to share what I've learned with someone who may need it."
"That's a great idea. I'd like to get involved as well. Seeing you spiral down into alcoholism, almost dying...it was hell." Alex shuddered at the memory. "But if I can help even one person escape from that cycle, it will be worth it."
The two women silently continued their walk back to the city, both lost in their own thoughts. They both fully appreciated that they may not have been able to experience this moment if Olivia had not gotten the help she needed.