By the time they pulled into the driveway, it was well after ten. Alex was definitely feeling the effects of a long day, as well as their late date, yawning widely when the car stopped. Lori chuckled at her.

"Guess it's a good thing we turned in when we did."

Alex nodded.

"I'm about ready to pass out," she confessed, leaning down to pull off Lori's shoes. "Thank you very much for trading shoes with me tonight. You saved my feet."

Lori smiled at her as she watched her put on her boots. The woman winced, her sore feet protesting at being forced back into their torture chamber.

"Are you going to be able to walk tomorrow?"

The blonde smiled.

"I sure hope so. I really need to do groceries."

"Well, on Wednesday, make sure to wear more comfortable shoes."

Alex nodded. They had decided to go to the antique shop after work on Wednesday night. Lori offered to pick her up at home, and Alex had happily accepted.

"I'll be sure to. Thanks for taking me out tonight. I had a great time."

"You're welcome. I'm glad that you did."

When she made a move to exit the vehicle and walk the woman up to her door, Alex protested. She grabbed her arm and held her in place, telling her it wasn't necessary.

"It's rude for me to just leave you here."

"You picked me up, showed me all around town, got me dinner and an ice cream, traded shoes with me, and now you've dropped me off at my door. You've been everything but rude. I can make it to the door myself, but thank you."

"Are you sure?"

"I am. I'll see you Wednesday," she said, getting out of the vehicle. She then turned around and added: "Thanks again, Lori. Have a good night."

"You too, Val."

The blonde closed the door, walking to her door and wincing as her swollen feet rubbed against the inside of her boots. She unlocked the door and looked back to the driveway, seeing that Lori had, of course, waited until she was safely inside to leave.

Alex smiled and waved her off before closing and locking the door behind her. She was surprised to find that the house was dark, so she quietly dropped her things by the door, removed her shoes, and tiptoed upstairs. She found Olivia lying on her bed, reading. When the brunette noticed her, she put the book down on her chest and smiled.

"Hey. Did you have a good night?"

"I really did," Alex said, leaning against the doorframe. "My feet are killing me though. I didn't break in my shoes before going and now they're on fire."

Olivia smiled at her.

"One of your faults. You never break in your shoes before you go out."

"I know," she whined. "At least I only had to wear them for a few hours."

"Definitely."

Alex stood there awkwardly for a second before pushing away from where she was leaning.

"Well, have a good night."

"Goodnight, Val."

Alex felt a small pang of sadness when Olivia said her "name". She swallowed it down, nodding at the woman.

"Goodnight, Cam."

Alex turned and made her way to her room, the smile she wore from that evening now just a little less wide.

AOAOAOAOAOAOAOAOAOAOAOAOAOAOAOA

Alex awoke the next morning to the sound of voices floating up from downstairs. She groaned and turned over, trying to make out who it could be. She recognised Olivia's voice immediately, and after straining for a second, recognised the sound of Hannah's as well. She waited a minute to see if there was a third person, but it didn't sound like it. She begrudgingly got out of bed, since it was now nearly 10 am, and searched for her bra. She put it on and made her way to the living room.

"Good morning, sleepyhead."

"Shut up," she mumbled. "Coffeeeee."

Her voice came out whiny, just as she had intended it to. Olivia chuckled and got up, wrapping her in a warm hug. Alex didn't respond, because she knew what was coming. The woman was going to make fun of her.

"Who's my little grumpy bunny in the morning?" Olivia cooed.

"You're such an asshole," she muttered, pushing her away. She couldn't hide the smile on her face though. At least she had been able to suppress her laughter. The brunette would have kept going if she'd have gotten that kind of reaction.

"Go sit down. I'll get you the coffee."

"Good. You woke me with your big mouth."

"Well, it's about time," she called back, walking to the kitchen and getting Alex her coffee. "It's already 10!"

"Hey, don't exaggerate!" the blonde protested. "I still have…four minutes and thirteen seconds before it's actually 10."

The brunette returned, shaking her head. Alex gratefully took the cup that Olivia offered her, groaning when she finally had her first sip. After swallowing a bit more coffee, she sighed and smiled over at Hannah.

"Hi, you," she said, finally acknowledging the teen. "How are you?"

"I'm doing great."

"Good. We've missed you."

The girl smiled shyly.

"I didn't want to interrupt too much when I knew you guys had to talk, so… I thought I'd just give you some space."

"Hey," Alex said softly. "We didn't want that. You never have to give us space."

When the girl didn't respond, Olivia spoke.

"It was awkward with us not talking, wasn't it?"

Olivia knew she had hit the nail on the head when the girl gave another small smile. She then nodded.

"Kind of."

"I'm sorry, sweetie. Didn't mean to make it uncomfortable for you."

"It's okay. I know sometimes you need to work things out."

Olivia nodded.

"How has school been going?" Alex asked.

"Good. Exams are coming up in a few weeks and I'm only freaking out a little."

"Have you started studying yet?"

"No," she admitted. "But to be fair, it's kind of early and way too hard to study with two little kids yelling in the background."

"You could come to the library and study. It's quiet there and I'm around if you need help."

"I could."

"Or you could come here and study," Olivia suggested. "It's always quiet here in the evening and there's a table to study at. Your room upstairs also now has a desk in it. You know you're more than welcome here any time."

The girl smiled. They had decided a couple of weeks ago that since Hannah loved the lime green bedroom so much, she could have it. She hadn't yet spent the night in it, but it was nice to know she was so welcome in their home that she even had her own space.

"Thanks. Maybe I will."

"You should," Alex stated. "We'll paint the room eventually though so you won't have to endure that awful green."

"I love that green! Stop threatening to paint it."

"It's like a puke neon green," Alex teased as she always did when they had this discussion.

The teenager laughed.

"It is not. It's cool."

Alex gave an exaggerated nodded.

"Oh ya, sure, so cool."

"Sorry, Val. I guess you're just too old to understand," she replied.

The blonde's mouth dropped as she laughed.

"Hey, be careful. She'll beat you with her cane," Olivia said. "She's a mean old lady."

Alex got up, shaking her head.

"You guys are a bunch of assholes. I'm going to the kitchen."

"Don't fall. Those bones are brittle."

Alex raised her hand and showed Olivia a choice finger. The other two laughed. Hannah sat back and smiled; she was glad the earlier tension had dissipated.

Once in the kitchen, Alex went about emptying the dishwasher. She made it a point to ignore the brunette when she entered the kitchen, pretending to be angry with her.

"Oh, come on, fussy pants," Olivia stated, noticing Alex's scowl. "Wait a minute. You still remember what we said earlier? Praise Jesus! Your memory is improving!"

The enthusiasm in the woman's voice made Alex laugh.

"Such a jerk," she muttered.

Olivia joined in her laughter, wrapping an arm around her waist and tugging her close. She laid a playful kiss on her cheek, still giggling when she pulled away.

"You're fun to tease."

"Mhmm," Alex replied, unable to say anything. The feel of Olivia's lips so close to her own had sent a wave of warmth through her body, momentarily shutting down her brain. Her arm pressed against the brunette's chest when she pulled her close hadn't helped either.

"Listen. Hannah and I are going to hit up the hardware store in a few minutes. I think we're going to patch up the deck and then we'll paint it next weekend if that sounds good to you?"

Alex nodded eagerly.

"Definitely. I hate looking at the off-white colour they chose. Why would you do that? We're going to stick with white and grey, right?"

Olivia nodded.

"Grey deck, white railing, as per your specifications."

"Good. It'll match the house so much more nicely. I'm excited."

Olivia smiled.

"I'm glad. So, we'll be back in a couple of hours, maybe less."

"Probably not. I know how you feel about walking around that place. Don't bore Hannah."

"No promises," she called back as she headed out the door.

Alex puttered around the house, making a note to thank Olivia for cleaning. The place looked great. She decided to bake them some cinnamon rolls, knowing that they were one of the brunette's favourite desserts. She would probably appreciate it; the woman had a wicked sweet tooth.

Just as Alex put the first tray of rolls in the oven, she heard a knock on the door. She immediately froze. Who was it? They definitely weren't expecting anyone.

The blonde took a deep breath and calmed herself. If someone were here to kill her, they probably wouldn't be knocking at the front door, she thought, chastising herself for getting so paranoid. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Agent Thomas standing on the other side of the door.

"Hello, Val. I know I wasn't supposed to come by until next Monday or Tuesday, but I figured I'd come sooner since I had something for you."

He stepped aside and pointed to the white car currently pulling into the driveway. Another Agent exited the vehicle once it came to a stop. He nodded in her direction before getting into Agent Thomas' black sedan.

"As requested. I'm sorry it took so long."

She grinned widely.

"It's okay. I love it! Thank you so much."

He nodded, following her into the living room.

"You and Cam decided not to carpool anymore?"

"No, it's not that. It's just that it's really inconvenient not having a second vehicle when she's out and I need to go into town. Plus, it's kind of nice to know that there's another vehicle in case one of ours stops working."

She wasn't lying, per se. Those were also reasons why she wanted a second vehicle. She decided not to inform of the reason that had first prompted her to ask for a second car. He didn't need to know that they had been fighting.

"Alright. How are you two getting along?"

"We are getting along well."

"How are you adapting?"

"As well as can be expected."

"You're still using each other's new names?"

"Yes."

"How are your jobs going? Do you feel like you're still fitting in well?"

"I think so. Cam loves her job and is adapting nicely. She's not loving the paperwork though. I'm doing alright. It's easy enough to be honest. There's a lot to remember but I'm used to that."

"Right. And is there anything you two need? Do you have any concerns?"

"I don't think so. We're doing pretty well so far."

"Good. I'm glad to hear things are going better. And you've gotten rid of the initial files and paperwork we gave you, right?"

She nodded.

"Cam burned them the second or third night we were here."

"Perfect. It sounds like you're doing well, then. I'm glad to hear that."

Alex appreciated the sincerity in his voice.

"How are things back in…"

"Not as bad as they could be, but still not good. You do need to lay low, Val. It's incredibly important that you do. If you need anything else, you have my number. Otherwise, I wish you two well. I'll probably check in in a month or so to make sure that everything is still on track."

"Okay. Thanks for coming. And thank you for the car."

"Take care, Val. Tell Cam I'll call her later to make sure everything is going aright for her too."

"I will."

She thanked him and wished him well before turning back to the kitchen. She would check on the car as soon as she finished baking the rest of the cinnamon rolls.

Alex was in the middle of putting in the final batch of cinnamon rolls when she heard the sound of the front door flying open, followed by Olivia's frantic screaming.

"Val! Val?!"

"Cam?" Alex asked, confused. The brunette sounded near hysterics. She emerged from the kitchen, spotting Olivia immediately.

"Oh thank God!" Olivia practically shouted, racing to her and engulfing the blonde in a tight embrace. "Fuck. I was so worried," she whispered in her hair. "Thank God," she repeated, her entire body sagging as she was flooded with relief.

Alex hugged her back, still confused as to what was going on.

"I'm fine. Why are you so worried?"

When the brunette pulled away, her eyes were glossy.

"That damn car. Who's here? I thought it was…"

Realisation suddenly hit Alex.

"Oh, God. I'm sorry. That was for me. I called Agent Thomas when we were fighting and asked him to bring us a second vehicle. He dropped it off while you were out. I didn't even think-"

"It's okay. I'm just so relieved," she replied, a slight chuckle bursting from her chest as her panic calmed. "Fuck. I about had a heart attack."

Alex looked over her shoulder to Hannah, who had just joined them. She was standing awkwardly in the hallway. The teenager was understandably confused and worried.

"Is everything okay?" she asked timidly.

"Oh, Hannah!" Olivia suddenly remembered the girl. "God, I'm sorry. I kind of left you pretty quickly, didn't I?"

The truth was, Olivia had only managed to put the car in park before bolting from the vehicle, yelling for the blonde. She had completely abandoned the confused teenager.

"It's okay. I understand. Here are your keys. I closed the doors and locked them. I also brought the stuff we bought inside. It's in the living room."

Olivia made her way over and squeezed the girl's arm affectionately.

"Thank you, sweetie. I got spooked when I saw that car in the driveway. I didn't recognise it. It just turns out Val here got herself a car without telling anyone. They delivered it while we were gone."

Alex gave a sheepish smile. Olivia, finally free of panic, began sniffing the air.

"What smells so damn good? I feel like I'm in a bakery."

Alex grinned.

"I made cinnamon rolls. I figured if you guys were going to be working outside, I'd make you a treat to say thank you."

"Ohh, you're the best."

Olivia quickly made her way to the kitchen counter, spotting the cinnamon rolls immediately. She grabbed one and bit into it, groaning at how good it tasted. Alex was the best baker she knew. Cooking wasn't the blonde's forte, but baking… God damn.

"These are amazing," she said through the bite of food, earning her a disapproving look from the blonde.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you not to talk when your mouth is full?"

Olivia cocked an eyebrow.

"Pfft. You wouldn't complain if I-" then, spotting the teenager still within earshot, Olivia decided not to finish the sentence. Instead, she cleared her throat and grabbed the plate of cinnamon rolls. She walked over to a laughing Hannah, offering her one. The teenager nodded her thanks and dug in, also making a small noise of approval.

"Thanks," she said through her mouthful.

Alex shook her head.

"You two are impossible. Get out of my kitchen!"

She grabbed the plate from Olivia and shooed the two of them out.

"Go fix my deck."

Alex pushed at the two laughing women. When they were out of the kitchen, she turned around and went to the oven, checking on her rolls. Deciding they were finished, she pulled them out and sighed happily. She had made way too many, but given that Olivia tended to eat two in one sitting (more than once a day), they wouldn't go to waste. Plus, she could always give Hannah a few.

She then went about doing her dishes, staring at nothing while she washed. She refused to think about how good it had felt to have Olivia wrap her in such a warm hug. She also refused to think about the fact that it was kind of nice that the brunette had been so worried about her. It was normal to enjoy feeling cared about, she reasoned.

She was, however, only slightly willing to admit that something inside of her shifted when she saw how concerned Olivia was, thinking that something had happened to her. There was no denying that she had been moved by the woman's sincere worry.

Maybe Olivia really is trying to keep you safe.

She sighed as the thought passed through her mind. Deep down, she knew it was true. She knew Olivia cared about her, it just sucked that the woman was going about it all wrong. However, she was not going to dwell on that. Things were going well between them. They were safe, and they were together. Sort of. They would tackle the rest with time. Besides, she was pretty happy here. She had a great job, a nice house, and she was even making friends. Emily had been unable to make friends, but Valerie… well, Valerie had another evening planned with a new friend, and she sure as hell was looking forward to it.