It took her a few days after their final talk for things to start to settle between the two women, but it came as a relief to Olivia that things were starting to calm down between the two. (It was also a huge relief for Hannah, who had been witnessing the tension between them). Alex hadn't quite forgiven Olivia, and she was definitely still being a little distant, but at least they were back on speaking terms. Alex had realised that she had a choice, she could either hate Olivia for the rest of their time in the WPP, or she could work through her pain and attempt a platonic relationship with Olivia.

She had wanted to hate her. Good God had she wanted to hate her. And she had, at least for a little while. She lashed out and slammed doors; she glared at the brunette and she ignored her. But deep down, she knew she didn't feel better. She realised that her anger and attitude were only making her unhappier. There was nothing she could do to change Olivia's mind. She couldn't force her to resume their relationship. She had finally accepted that in order to be happy, she needed to let go of her anger. She didn't agree with the brunette's decision by any means, but she would respect it at least. She needed to, because Alex knew she couldn't continue this way. She didn't want to live life like Emily had. Emily had been depressed, alone, and incredibly sad. She had hated life. Alex would not live like that again. She couldn't. So she had taken the first step towards amending things between them.

It had been hard the first couple of weeks, but eventually things started turning around, and the two women were able to settle into a safe and comfortable routine. Things were getting better at home, and work was going great for both women; they were both starting to feel like they were fitting in well.

Olivia easily fell into a routine with Mr. Jones (Randy) at the Youth Centre. She enjoyed working with and learning from him. He was laid back and easy-going, listening to the teens when they were having a hard time, but he was tough with them when the occasion called for it. Olivia quickly grew to respect; it was obvious he knew what he was doing and that he cared a great deal.

The students gave her a hard time at first, as she had expected, but they seemed to slowly be coming around, especially the ones who had been so reserved around Randy. He had explained that some students opened up more easily to a certain gender, and he had had trouble connecting with the two that Olivia was bonding with rather quickly. They were clearly more comfortable with Olivia because of the fact that she was a woman, and Randy backed off immediately so that the brunette could bond with the two girls. Olivia was incredibly happy that she was starting to make a connection, even if it was with only with two of the students. She knew that with time, she would start to connect with the others. The job was difficult, draining, and demanded a lot of her emotionally, but not unlike her previous job with the SVU, it was proving to be immensely rewarding.

Alex, for her part, was happier at work than she had been in a long time. She loved the library, and she found that when things were getting too difficult at home, she was easily able to lose herself at work. She loved that they followed a strict routine in the morning, while the afternoon was left for more creative endeavours. She was quickly adapting to life at the library, spending most of her days browsing the various titles that came through (it was incredible the vast array of books that existed) and chatting with Jodie, someone she warmed to almost immediately. The woman was hilarious and had effortlessly roped the blonde into friendship. Alex spent most of her day laughing at something Jodie did or said, loving the woman's quick wit and sarcastic responses. She was silly and fun, her playful side coming out at every turn. The blonde had never felt so relaxed at work, and Reg proved to be a wonderful boss. He was kind and caring, soft spoken and gave direction in a way that made you want to do what he asked.

Everyone who came into the library was so friendly, greeting the "new face" and asking her how she was liking the job, the new city. They asked her her name and where she was living, and most left her with a "welcome to Little Current" as they headed out the door. The blonde felt incredibly welcome, spending most of her day smiling, something she had so very rarely done while living as Emily. So far, Valerie was meeting a ton of new people, who were nothing but kind, friendly, and helpful. Alex had been grateful for this, especially when, on a Thursday afternoon, just over three weeks after starting her new job, the blonde found herself alone at the front and the computer at the self-check-out counter began acting up.

Alex quickly apologised to the patron who was trying to use it, checked out the person on the computer at the front desk, and then made her way to the self-check-out counter. She wished she could go ask Jodie for help, but the woman was currently in the middle of story time. The library got busy when story time ended, with patrons coming to check out books for their children. She needed to get the computer working again before that happened, so she leaned forward and squinted, trying to see behind the tower of the computer. Was a wire loose? She didn't even know what to look for. Maybe if she tried just tried touching…

"Something I can help you with?"

Alex swallowed her gasp of surprise at the voice behind her. She pulled away from the computer and turned, looking at the smiling woman next to her. It was Lori, the volunteer who picked up books from the library to bring to the elderly. She was incredibly kind, and Alex always enjoyed her visits.

"Hi, Lori. You scared me."

"I figured," she said, rubbing her arm. "I didn't mean to. You just looked a little lost."

"I am. The screen shut off and I have no idea what to do," Alex confessed. "I don't know why it's not working."

Lori nodded.

"It does this a lot. You just have to wiggle the back wire," she explained, guiding Alex to the computer. She bent forward and pointed to a wire at the back. "See this one? It comes loose. You just have to wiggle it back into place," she explained, reaching forward and pushing it into the back of the monitor. The screen flickered for a second before coming back on. "Tada! The wires get loose when you move the screen. We try to remind people not to touch it," she leaned in as if to tell a secret, "but they don't listen very well," she whispered.

Alex smiled, grateful for her help.

"Thank you. I wasn't looking forward to having it down with the rush after story time."

Lori nodded as she touched her arm affectionately.

"Well, now you know. There's so many things to learn, but you'll get to know all the little tricks in time. Like the back door for example. It sticks when you try to use your key," she explained as she hoisted the boxes of books from the back counter, "but if you push forward and jiggle the lock while you turn, it'll open without a problem."

Alex stood there, staring.

"Seriously? I've been arguing with that door since I started."

"Seriously. Try it tomorrow, you'll see."

"I will. Any other tricks I should know about?"

Lori grinned at her, amused. She moved to cradle the box under her arm as she replied.

"There are tons to learn about the library, but there's also a lot of neat things to learn about this city. Have you gone exploring yet?"

"Not much to be honest."

"Well, do you have plans tomorrow night? I'll bring you around to the most famous places and I'll let you in on more of my library secrets," she said with a wink, carrying the boxes of books to the door.

"Okay," Alex smiled, excited at how easily she was making new friends. "It's a date!"

"Is it now?" Lori teased, as she pushed her way out the door.

Alex completely missed the smile on the other woman's lips.