A/N: TW!!! Mention of physical abuse.

Chapter 36

Bah Humbug

Alex was quiet for the next 24 hours. Casey had repeatedly asked her what was wrong and what happened, but Alex brushed her off; assuring her it had nothing to do with Olivia and their relationship – which was the truth. In reality, Alex couldn't stop thinking about the visit with Olivia's mother, and the confessions of how she grew up. When she closed her eyes, all she could see was Serena hitting Olivia, or Olivia crying, or Olivia being hurt, or Olivia having a panic attack. And she couldn't stand it.

Sitting at the table at home with her head propped in her hand, Alex carefully twirled the noodles around her fork repeatedly. She had been like this for 10 minutes, not even taking a bite of her food.

Rosemary eyed her daughter carefully from across the table. It wasn't like Alex to not eat.

"Lex… what's the matter, honey?"

"Huh?" Alex said, looking up at her mother before shaking her head. "Oh, nothing."

"Do you miss Olivia?" Rosemary asked.

Alex abruptly sat her fork down. The thoughts of Olivia being hurt again started flying through her mind. She took her phone out of her pocket – Olivia still hadn't texted her. She looked over the last message she sent.

Alex: Made it home. I love you, Olivia. I miss you.

Alex sat her phone down and swallowed hard, tears threatening to escape her eyes. Her mother was still watching her intently.

"Did… something happen between you two?" Rosemary asked cautiously. She didn't know if Alex had experienced her first heartbreak or not.

And she had, in a sense. Just not what her mother imagined.

Alex looked up at her mother as tears began to fall from her eyes. She carefully scooted the chair back and got up, walking over to her mother and throwing her arms around her tightly, trying to fight back the tears.

Rosemary stood up and held her daughter, running her fingers through her hair.

"What happened, Alex?"

Alex began sobbing, holding her mother tighter.

"Mom, I'm so sorry for Thanksgiving. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to be such a headache." She was completely blubbering.

Rosemary chuckled. "Alex… what are you apologizing for? I thought we had a great Thanksgiving?"

Alex shook her head. "No, I snuck around with Olivia. I mouthed off to you. You were nice enough to bring her here and I was –"

"Shhhh," Rosemary said, rocking her daughter to comfort her as she laughed. "Lexie… you're still a teenager. Who was in her first relationship. Sure, I gave you some grief, but sweetheart… you didn't do anything that warrants an apology." Trying to lighten the mood, Rosemary added the next part. "Well… maybe the sex in the middle of Thanksgiving was a bit much, but it's nothing we can't come back from."

That worked. Alex laughed a little as she retreated from her mother's embrace and wiped her eyes. "Sorry, Mom…"

Rosemary smiled at her daughter as she held her face in her hands. "No need to apologize, dear. Now… do you want to talk about it? Why did you two break up?"

Alex shook her head, wiping the last of her current tears away. "We didn't break up."

Rosemary nodded. "Okay. Why are you two fighting?"

Alex shook her head again. "We're not fighting. We're okay, I think… it's just… something did happen. And I can't stop thinking about it. It makes me so sad…"

Rosemary sat down, a concerned look on her face as she pulled Alex back down to the chair next to her.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Her mother asked quietly.

Alex nodded before starting to tell her mother about Olivia's mother. She explained to her that Olivia didn't have any family besides her mother, if she could even call her that; just like she had mentioned before Thanksgiving. Rosemary recalled the discussion as well as when Olivia had cried on the couch that morning after making the food. Alex continued on about the meeting with Olivia's mother, telling her everything; how mean, rude, and terrible her mother had treated the both of them, as well as the nasty things she said. And then, Alex told her the hardest part.

With tears streaming down her face again, Alex swallowed a few times before telling her mom. She didn't know if she should be telling her Olivia's past, but she had to tell someone. The pain was too much for her to bear alone anymore.

"Mom… her mother… she used to… hit, Olivia. When she was growing up, she just… she'd slap her, and punch her, and throw her into walls, Mom… she abused her…" Alex laid her head in her hands and started crying again. "How could anyone hit Olivia? She's so nice and sweet, she never deserved any of that! It's not fair!"

Rosemary was listening intently as she rubbed Alex's back. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. From her experience, Olivia was a well-mannered and polite girl; she couldn't fathom how anyone could hit her either.

"And that's why I'm so emotional, Mom… I just don't get it… and it makes me feel guilty, for how I acted on Thanksgiving… because you and Dad and everyone was so… accepting, and kind, and sweet, and all I did was act crazy because I was horny… and I'm so sorry… you two are the best parents anyone could ever have and I didn't mean to take that for granted…" Alex's tears picked up again as Rosemary wrapped her arms around her daughter and held her, kissing the top of her head.

"Alex," Rosemary chuckled, still stuck on the "horny" line. "You didn't take that for granted. At all. I'm being truthful – you have nothing to apologize for at all. You're a teenager, honey. I understand how hormones can fly. You have never disappointed me once in your entire life. You are my daughter, and I love you unconditionally forever. Okay?"

Alex looked up at her mother and gave a weak smile as her mother wiped her tears away.

"Now. What is Olivia doing for Christmas?"

Alex shrugged as more tears welled in her eyes. "Spending it alone."

"The hell she is. What is her phone number?"

Waking up to an empty house was somewhat therapeutic – especially with the mood Olivia was in. Crawling out of bed, Olivia moseyed her way into the bathroom to take care of business. She brushed her teeth and her hair before staring at her reflection in the mirror. Tilting her face up and to the side, she surveyed her skin, which was flawless. Yet, she couldn't stop picturing hand marks on her skin. Taking a deep breath and shaking her head, Olivia walked downstairs in her boxers and tank top.

God, this place really is a mess…

She immediately opened the fridge and rummaged through the old food containers and old leftovers before pulling out a can of Bud Light. Cracking it open, she chugged it down in one go before crushing the can and throwing it on the floor with everything else. She then opened the cabinet and pulled out two Poptarts before grabbing two more beers and throwing herself on the couch, Xbox controller in hand.

After about 2 hours, Olivia was swaying on the couch, unable to focus on her game anymore. She paused it and held her head in her hands before throwing back the rest of her 6th can of Bud Light. She had only eaten half of one Poptart, so her stomach was full of nothing but alcohol.

Shifting slightly on the couch from the uncomfortable fill of her bladder, Olivia got up and began staggering back upstairs to the bathroom. Once she was finished, she retreated to her room and plopped on the bed. She picked up her phone and began blinking rapidly trying to look at the screen, before it fell from her hands and hit her in the face.

"Yous sonofa bitchh," Olivia slurred, picking her phone back up and looking at the photo of her lock screen – it was a picture of Alex kissing her cheek with her arms wrapped around her shoulders.

"Ohh, Alleexx… I lllove you." Olivia kissed her screen before sitting her phone down as tears began filling her eyes. "Stupid ffuckking Mom… ugh! Always tryna roo-in my ssshhit."

Olivia wiped her tears away as she got back up to head back downstairs, stopping at the bathroom again first. Once downstairs, she grabbed yet another couple of beers before throwing herself on the couch to watch a movie.

Chuckling to herself, Olivia cracked open a beer and chugged half of it. "It'sss only l-like 3 and I'm drrrunk! Alllooonne. Pathetic."

About halfway through the movie, Olivia got up one more time to use the bathroom, staggering into the walls as she walked. The room was absolutely spinning around her. She could feel herself about to pass out, so she quickly finished and made her way back to the couch before dropping to her stomach, blackness surrounding her as a text came in:

Alex: Made it home. I love you, Olivia. I miss you.

Alex spent the day with her mom, watching movies and playing Scrabble as they talked about any and everything. Alex was on a winning streak, as she usually was. Her mom briefly got up from the table and got out two glasses of wine, handing one to Alex before returning to her seat.

Alex looked at her mom with an eyebrow raised. "Wine?"

Rosemary smiled and nodded. "Since it's just us girls, I figure why not? Your father is bringing home Grams and Gramps tomorrow."

Alex took a sip of the wine and moaned in approval at the taste. "So much better than beer."

Rosemary chuckled. "Yes, it is. I don't know how your father drinks that crap."

"Same with Olivia. She's a beer and whiskey type of girl. I don't get it."

Rosemary shook her head. "Goodness, your father and her will get along just fine then. Has she texted you yet, honey? It's getting late."

Alex picked up her phone and checked – still nothing from Olivia. A sad expression on her face, she shook her head.

"I hope she's okay."

Rosemary gave a sincere smile as she played her next word on the board. "She's probably not feeling well after the visit with her mother, Alex. Give her time. I'm sure she's okay."

Ringing. Loud, loud, ringing.

Sitting up, Olivia grabbed her head as she squinted from the light in the room. "What the fuck happened?"

More ringing.

Wincing from the throbbing in her head, Olivia looked down at her phone. The screen was lit up with the name "Alexandra, Hot Lawyer" – Olivia had changed it shortly after they started dating.

Picking the phone up, she slid her thumb over the screen and answered.

"Hello?" Olivia said, her voice quiet and raspy.

"Are you okay?" Alex was frantic on the phone.

"Yeah, Al. I'm fine." Olivia's eyes were shut tight as she held her head.

"It's 12:30 at night. I haven't heard from you all day. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Huh? 12:30?!" Olivia said frantically, immediately wincing at the volume of her own voice.

"Yeah… are you… sure you're okay? How do you not know what time it is?"

"Well…" Olivia started. "You want the truth?"

"Always."

"I got drunk this afternoon, and I passed out. I had like… 8 or 9 beers, I think? And just fucking blacked out on the couch."

There was a silence on the other end of the phone.

"Al?"

"Yeah, I'm here. Olivia… you worry me a bit. When you thought I hated you, you almost drank until you passed out. Now after what happened with your mom, and you drink until you do pass out? I'm… worried."

Olivia sighed. "And both of those times, I was stupid. Don't be worried about me, Alex. I know alcohol is not a good coping mechanism. Trust me… growing up with my mom taught me that… I just get… carried away sometimes. I promise I'm okay. I just overdid it."

"I'll say…"

"Are you mad at me?"

"No, Liv. Just worried. And I miss you. A lot."

"I miss you too, Alex. I'm sorry. I promise, I'll be okay."

"Okay. I love you, Olivia."

"I love you too, Alexandra. So much."

"And I love you so much. Merry Christmas Eve, baby."

Olivia gave a weak smile. "Merry Christmas Eve. Enjoy your family, okay?"

"I will. Except there's one person that won't be there, so I don't know how much I can fully enjoy it."

"Who isn't going?"

"You."

"Alex…" Olivia sighed.

"You're just as much my family as anyone, Olivia. Plus, we've already christened the house."

Olivia chuckled as she shook her head, getting a water bottle out of the fridge to take some headache medicine. "I suppose you're right."

"I am right. I miss you so much. I can't believe I am going to be away from you the entire fourth month of our relationship pretty much…"

"We'll make up for it when you're back."

"We better."

"Oh, we will."

"Yeah? How?"

"I could think of a few ways," Olivia purred, throwing some pizza bites in the microwave.

"Mmm, you'll have to tell me later."

"Later? Why not now?"

"Because sleeping beauty needs her rest. Should've answered me earlier if you wanted phone sex!"

Olivia couldn't help the laugh that escaped her. "Tease. Goodnight, Al. I love you. I promise, we'll talk more tomorrow."

"M'kay. Night Liv. I love you too."

Olivia sat the phone on the counter as she pulled out the pizza bites from the microwave, looking around at the empty and messy house.

"Bah Humbug."