[I am SO sorry. I know I keep saying this. Bonkers busy at work. But calming now, I hope. Was planning to finish the story in this chapter, but I've not finished yet. So there will be one more chapter. Thanks for sticking with it!]

Five months later

Alex heard the bedroom door creak open, followed by Olivia's soft footsteps padding across the floor. She reached out blindly, but couldn't locate her glasses. "Hey," she said softly. "Whassa time?"

"Just after three-thirty. I'm so sorry to wake you, sweetheart," Olivia's voice was hoarse, as if she were catching a cold. She lifted the quilt and slid into bed.

Alex reached out for her, letting her fingers caress the warm skin of her face. "You didn't wake me. Are you okay? You must be exhausted."

Olivia nodded, finding her emotions bubbling close to the surface. She had been holding it in for nearly a week, but now that the hunt for the serial pedophile had – finally – concluded, she felt a little overwhelmed. For the past five days, Olivia had never made it home before 2am, and had been back at her desk at 7.30am at the very latest. Her efforts, and those of the others in the squad had paid off, but not before the perp had raped and mutilated eleven little boys, killing two of them. And she knew that the remaining nine would never forget, would never lead normal lives.

"Bad?" Alex knew all about the case.

Olivia nodded. "Yeah," she admitted, reaching out to grasp Alex's hand. She kissed it tenderly, and then leant forward and kissed her lips.

"Wanna talk?"

"Not really. Not right now."

"Okay." Alex understood how she felt. She gathered Olivia in her warm arms and held her close. "Sleep, honey."

"The girls?" Olivia was already drifting off.

"They're great. Missing you, but they're great. Lily drew you a picture, it's on the kitchen table."

Olivia was already asleep.

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6.37am

At the first sound of Maisie's morning call, Alex reached over and shut off the baby monitor. She looked down at Olivia, and smiled. Her wife was still sleeping, her mouth slightly open as she snored very gently. Olivia did not usually snore, so Alex guessed that she was, indeed, catching a cold. She wasn't surprised. Olivia had worked herself almost into the ground over the last case, and Alex would bet a substantial sum that nobody at the 1-6 had eaten properly during the investigation. Olivia mumbled in her sleep, and reached for Alex. Alex stroked her face lovingly, which seemed to soothe her. Carefully, she got out of bed, pushing a pillow into Olivia's arms in the hope that she wouldn't realize she was alone and wake up.

Alex shut the bedroom door carefully behind her, smiling as she saw Lily sitting on the floor in the middle of the living room, playing with her Legos. "Hey, peanut," Alex crouched at her level.

Lily grinned. "Mommy!" she cried.

Alex put a finger to her mouth. "Shh, sweet girl. We don't want to wake Mama, she's real tired."

"Mama's home?" Lily was excited. She hadn't seen Olivia in nearly a week. She had always been asleep when Olivia had sneaked into her room and watched her sleep for a few moments before heading to her own bedroom.

"She is, and she can't wait to see you. But she's been working real hard, so we'll wait for her to wake up, huh?"

"'kay, Mommy," Lily spoke quietly.

"I'm just going to get your sister. What do you want for your breakfast?"

"Pancakes!"

"Okay, baby, since it's Saturday, we'll have pancakes. Just let me get Maisie, before she wakes up your Mama."

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8.20am

Olivia awoke, realizing that she was alone in the bed. Her nose felt a little congested, and her head was woolly, but she was home, with her family. She listened, but couldn't hear anything. She got out of bed and shrugged on her robe. Her heart melted at the sight she beheld when she stepped into the living room. Lily was sitting on the couch, holding on to Maisie with one hand, as she held the soft toy hedgehog to her ear with the other. "See, Maisie?" Lily was saying. "Harry Hedgehog says Mama is sleeping, and we've got to be real quiet so's we don't wake her up."

"It's okay, Lily," Olivia smiled, "I'm all awake now."

"Mama!" Lily called excitedly. "Me and Maisie were keeping quiet for you."

Olivia leant down, taking Maisie from Lily's arms, and gave her a big hug and a kiss. At the same time, Alex emerged from the kitchen, drying her hands on a dish towel. Olivia smiled at her and handed Maisie to her. She held out both arms, her heart filling with pleasure as Lily flung herself into them. "I missed you, Mama," Lily said.

"I missed you too, chipmunk. So much. All of you," she reached out and caressed Alex's cheek.

"You should still be sleeping," Alex eyed her closely.

"But we need to get to the park!" Olivia declared. "We decided last week that we'd try out Lily's new kite today, I wouldn't miss that for the world."

"How are you feeling?" Alex noticed her slight pallor. "I think you may be coming down with something."

"It's just a cold," Olivia tried to stop her voice sounding too scratchy. "Anyway, the fresh air will do me good. Have you all had breakfast?"

"Mommy made pancakes. They were scrummy."

Olivia pouted. "I missed out on the famous Cabot pancakes?"

"Benson," Alex reminded her with a smile. "And there's a plate with your name on on the countertop. Thirty seconds in the microwave should do it."

"I knew there was a reason I married you," Olivia smiled.

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Alex sat on the rug, leaning back against a tree. In her arms was a nursing Maisie, and in front of her, she saw her wife and eldest daughter running around crazily, laughing as they flew the multi-colored kite. Lily loved the time she spent with her Mama. At nearly 5, she understood that, from time to time, Olivia would get caught up in a case, and couldn't spend much time with her until she "caught the bad guy". Olivia, too, hated to be away from her girls, and relished every moment she spent with them. She did her very best to ensure that Alex did not have to do all of the parenting.

Alex looked down at Maisie, who was nearly asleep as she continued to suckle. She was such a sweet, loving child. She was different in temperament from Lily – quieter, more pensive, a little shy. But they shared a sweetness, and an eagerness to please. Alex smiled, feeling a little silly that she was assigning characteristics to a six-month-old baby, but she was sure she was right.

"Counselor Cabot?" a voice called out.

Alex looked up, to see a lycra-clad, slightly out-of-breath Casey Novak. "Benson, now," she smiled. "But yes, it's me. ADA Novak, right?"

"Casey, please," Casey grinned. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to interrupt. I was just on my run."

"You're not interrupting," Alex said. "We're just having a day out with the girls. Excuse me for not getting up, this one's having her lunch."

Casey smiled. "She's beautiful. I heard you two had had a second daughter. Anyway, I just wanted to say hi, I'll be on my way."

"Sit awhile," Alex patted the rug next to her. "Olivia and Lily will be back soon, and Lily loves meeting new people. This," she looked down at the now-sleeping baby, "is Maisie, by the way. And you must call me Alex."

"I don't want to intrude," Casey felt uncomfortable.

"Don't be silly," Alex said firmly. "And look, here come Olivia and Lily. I told you Lily hates to miss out on making new friends. You look thirsty," she reached into the cooler next to her and passed her a bottle of water.

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"She's a hit with our daughter," Olivia laughed, as she watched Lily and Casey running up and down with the kite. She yawned involuntarily. "I should go rescue her, Lily would happily play for hours."

"They're both happy," Alex said. "Lie down with me for a little, huh?" she guided Olivia down onto the rug, encouraging her to lay her head in her lap. "Just try and relax," she ran her hand through Olivia's soft hair. "Casey can take care of herself."

Over an hour later, Casey returned, Lily on her shoulders, smiling broadly. "Who needs to go jogging? That was much more fun," she said, as she lowered Lily to the floor. She kept her voice low when she saw Olivia sleeping on Alex's lap. "They did well with that case," she said quietly to Alex. "I don't know how they do it. I don't think anybody slept in a week. It was Olivia that cracked him, did she tell you that?"

"She didn't say. She hasn't really talked about it. I think she might later," Alex said softly. "Thank you," she smiled. "Lily had such a great time. What do you say, Lily?"

"Thank you, Auntie Casey," Lily said. "Will you come play with us again?"

"I'd love to, Lily. I had a wonderful time."

Lily hugged her tightly around the knees.

Casey looked at her watch. "I must go. My boyfriend is expecting me. I'd better not be late."

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It was late afternoon by the time they got back to the apartment. Alex went to put Maisie down for a nap, while Olivia emptied the cooler. By the time Alex emerged from Maisie's room, Olivia was crashed out on the couch, Lily at her feet on the floor. "Mama's sleeping," Lily stage-whispered to Alex.

Alex looked at her wife, and her heart contracted. Olivia was shattered, but she had put her own needs to one side to ensure that her family had a good day. She sat on the couch next to her, and ran her hand down Olivia's cheek. "C'mon, baby," she said softly. "Bed."

"Too early," Olivia protested, without opening her eyes.

"You can get up later," Alex lied, knowing that Olivia wouldn't otherwise agree. "C'mon," she put out her hands, helping the reluctant detective to her feet.

Olivia was docile and obedient, allowing Alex to take charge of her. Before she knew it, she had washed up, and was dressed in her favorite pajamas. Alex helped her into bed and kissed her gently as she lay on the pillow. Alex stroked her face, and then pressed the back of her hand to Olivia's forehead, realizing her skin was a little warm. She disappeared into the bathroom, returning a moment later with two Tylenol and a glass of water. She persuaded Olivia to take them, and levered her into a sitting position while she swallowed the water.

"'m'okay," Olivia protested.

"I know you are, sweetheart. But you have a cold, and this will help you to feel better. There," she smoothed the hair off Olivia's forehead. "I'm just going to sit here awhile, while you fall asleep."

"The girls..." Olivia slurred.

"Maisie's taking a nap, and Lily's watching the cartoons. They're both fine. And so are you. You did so well, baby. Casey said it was you that cracked him. You're the best. Now you need to take some time for yourself. There," she heard Olivia's breathing start to even out. "You just drift off, sweetheart. That's it. That's good. Sleep, my darling," she pressed a kiss to her forehead.

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"Mrs Kazinsky?" Sarah called.

"Yes, Mrs Kazinsky?" Jay tried not to laugh.

"Nothing. I just like saying it," Sarah grinned.

"And I love hearing it," Jay took her in her arms and swung her around. "I'm not sure what I ever did to get so lucky. It's official. I have the hottest wife in the city."

"The city?" Sarah pretended to be affronted.

"You win. The planet."

"Nuh uh. I'm the one with the hottest wife on the planet," Sarah smiled, as she flicked open a button on Jay's shirt.

"Oh c'mon. Have you not looked in the mirror lately?" Jay gasped as Sarah nipped at her earlobe, a move which always sent her wild.

One of Sarah's hands was busy helping Jay out of her shirt, while the other cupped her center gently through her jeans. "Are you going to agree with me? Or," she pushed harder against the denim, laughing as Jay groaned, "are we just going to have to settle this one by wrestling?" she dragged her shirt to one side, impatiently tugging down her bra to reveal her bejeweled nipple, standing stiff and dark against the surrounding skin. She dropped a tender kiss on the pebbled flesh, smiling as she felt Jay's hand in her hair, pulling her closer.

"This had better be going somewhere," Jay's voice shook. "Or I swear I'm gonna … oh my God," she cried out as Sarah's teeth dragged across her nipple.

"You're so beautiful," Sarah whispered. "I want to make love to you. Can I do that?"

"If you don't, I think I'll lose my mind," Jay bit out. Her shaking hands were already dragging Sarah's t-shirt out from the waistband of her jeans. Clumsily, she hauled the garment over Sarah's head, her eyes fixed on her wife's ample breasts, encased in a plain, white bra. Eagerly, she thumbed a nipple, feeling it plump and stiff under the fabric. Gazing into Sarah's eyes, she knew she had her consent, so she unhooked the bra, and dragged it slowly, sensuously, down her arms, catching her full breasts in her hands. She took one perfect nipple into her mouth, tonguing it roughly as Sarah gulped with desire. In one swift movement, she swept Sarah into her arms, and carried her to the bedroom. She lowered her onto the bed, grinning at the look of open lust in her eyes. "Hi," she said softly.

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Olivia slept for 17 hours straight. When she emerged from the bedroom the next morning at around 9.45am, she saw Lily sitting at the table, paintbrush in hand. "Mama! Mommy and I are making a volcano. I'm just painting it. She says, when it's ready, we can put in the powder and make a splosion!"

"A splosion, huh?" Olivia grinned. "That sounds real exciting," she looked up to see a smiling Alex. "So, Alexandra, just where are you going to get the gunpowder?"

"It's right here," Alex grinned, holding up the baking powder and vinegar. "We have it all organized, don't we Lily? Shall we ask Katie and Theo if they want to come over later, so we can all watch it together? Maybe Gracie will want to come too."

Lily nodded excitedly, clapping her hands.

Alex eyed Olivia, pleased to see that she looked well rested. She placed a hand on her forehead. "No fever," she said, sounding satisfied. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm great, just a little sniffy. And I'm starving!"

"I'll do you some eggs," Alex said, taking her hand and leading her to the kitchen.

Olivia sat at the table, while Alex started to cook. She looked closely at her wife. "And you, baby, are you okay? You seem a little tense," Olivia asked.

"I'm fine," Alex replied automatically, but then caught the expression on Olivia's face. She grinned, sheepishly. "How do you always know?"

"The same way you always know," Olivia smiled. "C'mon, Benson, spill."

"I talked to Wheels," Alex told her, as she placed a glass of orange juice in front of her.

"I thought she was still traveling?"

"She is. She's in Thailand right now. But her cell had reception, and I just wanted to check in. I was hoping to persuade her to come to Thanksgiving. It's only seven weeks away, and I hate the idea of her spending it alone, for the first time in God knows how long."

"And?"

"And she said no. Well, she didn't actually say no, but that's what she meant, I could tell. She said she'd try, but she wasn't sure where she'd be then. She sounded so sad, Liv. It doesn't make sense, her traveling alone. I'm sure she's only doing it because she promised May she wouldn't pine away at home. But she must miss her so much. I know whenever we go places, it's being able to share it with you that's so exciting. I just can't think it's doing her any good. And I hate the idea of her being alone on such an important day, when you should have your family around you."

Olivia nodded. "Maybe that's why. It might be too hard for her, to be around us then," she reached out for Alex's hand. "We have everything. Everything she doesn't, now that May's no longer here. That would be hard to see, huh?"

Alex nodded, and turned her attention to the pan on the stove. "I guess. I can't even begin to imagine what I would do."

"We'll try and persuade her to come for Christmas," Olivia suggested. "And we'll keep it real small. I wish she'd come stay for a few weeks, Lily would love it. I wish she could settle. Can you ever really settle after something like that?"

"Maybe if you have a family," Alex buttered some toast, and tipped scrambled eggs onto them. She put the plate in front of Olivia. "If you can be part of a family, that's gotta help, right?"

"Thanks, baby," Olivia said. She was hungrier than she realized. "We just have to keep reaching out, not let her disappear from our lives. Not let her disappear from her own life. She'll get tired of traveling soon, surely. It's not like she's a young woman any more. I'm not sure I'll be up to traveling through Asia at 83 years of age."

"As long as you stay fit enough for our bedroom activities, that's all I ask," Alex said with a smile.