A/N: We have come to the end of this little journey. Thank you to everyone who has taken time to read as well as review, thank you also for the favorites and follows. I have began the next chapter of Through the Years so it will hopefully be up in the next few days. Let me know what you think. I hope you enjoy!

It had been two years since the day Alex walked out of their apartment. Two years of tears, therapy and talking; but there had also been happiness, laughter and most importantly, love. When Alex agreed to have lunch with Olivia she wasn't just agreeing to lunch, she was agreeing to a second chance. Olivia gave her all in showing Alex how much she meant to her. She would stop by her office for lunch, call her just to see how she was, and leave the precinct as soon as possible. While Alex was a little concerned about going back home to soon Olivia told her that if she felt she needed time she would respect it. Alex spent another week at her dad's before coming home. The day she decided to come back Alex didn't tell Olivia, she decided to surprise her. Olivia walked into the apartment at a little after seven and began sobbing as soon as she saw Alex sitting on the sofa going over files. It was also that night that while neither of them liked the idea of therapy they both agreed that talking to someone couldn't hurt, it turned out to be one of the best decisions they ever made.

Olivia stood in the doorway of their bathroom and watched Alex as she lay in bed staring out the window. It was a week before Christmas and a light snow was falling outside. While Olivia had never really looked forward to the holidays until she and Alex began dating, she knew this was going to be the best Christmas she had ever had. Olivia was pulled from her thoughts when she heard Alex's voice "I'm sorry?"

"It's snowing." Alex said as she rolled to face the brunette. Things may have been difficult between them for a while but Alex knew they were now stronger than they'd ever been. She smiled as she watched Olivia push herself off the door frame and begin walking toward her, her hair was shorter than it had been in several years and she was wearing an NYPD t-shirt. Alex thought the brunette looked great in everything she wore, or didn't wear, but there was something about her in just a t-shirt.

Olivia walked around to her side of the bed and crooked her finger motioning for Alex to join her.

"It's cold Olivia." Alex groaned causing the older woman to laugh.

"Pleeeease?" Olivia begged as she gave her best puppy dog eyes.

"Ugh!" Alex said as she crawled across the bed, her own sleep shirt riding up causing Olivia's breath to catch. "This better be worth it."

Olivia took a deep breath as she hoped it would be. Once Alex was sitting in front of her Olivia dropped to her knees and took Alex's hands in her own. "I love you so much! I know I don't deserve someone as wonderful as you or your love but I am grateful every day for it." she began to tear up and just hoped she could finish what she needed to say "I hurt you and while I don't think I should forgive myself for what I did, I have finally forgiven myself because you have forgiven me. I will forever be grateful for you giving me a second chance."

Silent tears were now sliding down Alex's cheeks. No matter how difficult things had been between them she still couldn't believe she was willing to walk away from someone as wonderful as Olivia. "It was a second chance for me too."

Olivia smiled as she tried to keep the tremors from her hands and reached in her bedside table. She took one last breath before opening the small blue box she'd retrieved "Alexandra Marie Cabot, will you marry me?"

Alex gasped, both from the proposal as well as the amazing engagement ring. Tears were now streaming down her face as she tried to find her voice "Yes Olivia. Yes I'll marry you!" she said as she leaned forward and crashed their lips together.

Olivia laughed when they finally parted for air "Now that you've got that out of your system can I put the ring on you?"

Alex held her hand out as she struggled to wipe the tears that just wouldn't stop. Once Olivia slid the ring on, she placed a kiss to Alex's left hand. Alex held her hand up to admire her ring, it was gorgeous and had to have cost a small fortune. The ring was a one carat, Tiffany setting with diamond band. "Oh Olivia, I love it! It's so beautiful but it had to cost a fortune."

Olivia leaned in and kissed her again "You're worth it."

"Thank you, but seriously how did you afford it?"

Olivia chuckled as she rose up to sit next to her fiancé. Her fiancé, she never imagined she would get to call Alex that. "I've been saving up for a long time." Alex raised her eyebrows and asked for how long. "Since about a month after we started dating." She laughed at the surprised look on her face "I knew that soon that I wanted to be with you for the rest of my life. I'm sorry I kind of lost my way a little along the way but I want this more than anything."

"Olivia we both lost our way. Maybe you didn't ask what was wrong but at the same time I never said what was bothering me." she leaned forward and pressed their lips together "But let's forget all about that now." She whispered against Olivia's lips. She grinned as she pulled back "I can't wait to tell my Dad when we go over for lunch." Every Sunday they tried to have lunch with Robert, and now that Olivia had been promoted to Sergeant and her hours were more regular it had become a family tradition.

"He already knows."

"What?"

"After Thanksgiving I told him I wanted to ask you and I wanted to know if I could have his blessing and support." She grinned "As you can see, he was okay with it."

Alex couldn't hold back any longer and pushed Olivia back on the bed, straddling her body and kissing her as she did so. How she ever got so lucky to have Olivia in her life she would never know. "We still have a few hours before we have to be at Dad's." she said as she began placing kisses along Olivia's neck.

Olivia ran her hands along Alex's thighs "Mmm, what do you have in mind?"

Just as Alex began running her hands across Olivia's torso a familiar cry came from the monitor on Alex's bedside table. Alex groaned as she dropped her head onto Olivia's shoulder "Your daughter's awake."

"My daughter? Why's she always my daughter first thing in the morning?"

"Because I'm not a morning person and she apparently is, hence she's your daughter." She laid there a moment as the crying stopped. She was hoping the infant had decided to go back to sleep and had just started moving her fingers along Olivia's sides when she heard the cries begin again.

Olivia chuckled as she pushed Alex off of her and stood, pulling Alex up with her "Come on, we need to tell our little girl that her Mommies are getting married."

The former spare bedroom was now decorated in soft pink's and white with a name spelled out in wooden letters painted a soft mint green. The room was now fit for a princess, their princess. Nearly eight months ago they began looking into adoption. They were surprised when a little over a month later a friend of Alex's, who was an adoption attorney, contacted the couple to see if they were interested in a private adoption. They met a sixteen year old girl who was pregnant and knowing she couldn't care for her child wanted to find the best home possible for her. While the adoption was private both ladies informed the girl that if she wanted to contact them to check on her child it would be okay. The young girl was grateful and said she would think about it. Alex did email her pictures once a month just so she could see that she was okay. The only response was always a thank you.

As soon as Olivia leaned over the crib the little girl began smiling. "Hi baby girl." To anyone who didn't know they would swear the six month old was Olivia's biological child, she had brown hair and eyes and her skin was just a shade lighter than Olivia's. Olivia picked her up and hugged her tight "How's my princess this morning?"

Alex leaned in and placed a kiss to the little girl's head causing her grin to widen "Hi Gracie." Little Olivia Grace Cabot Benson was the light of her mothers' lives. Both loved the name Grace but Alex had been dead set on naming her Olivia, especially after seeing how much she favored the brunette. It had taken a lot of talking, begging and pleading but she finally won.

Olivia changed her diaper while Alex went to prepare a bottle. This was one of the many reasons Olivia was grateful she had taken the sergeant's exam. Her hours had become more regular which allowed her to now be home with her family more often. On the weekends Olivia would get Gracie changed when she woke up and play with her while Alex prepared her bottle. They would then curl back in bed while Gracie ate and decide how they were going to spend their day.

"Are you ready to go see Grandpa today?" Olivia asked while Gracie sat in their bed playing with one of her toys. She looked up and smiled, showing off the few teeth she now had. Gracie loved her mommies but she loved her Grandpa too, and she had him wrapped around her little finger. Gracie was the first granddaughter since Lori had two sons but was now pregnant with a little girl.

"I'm so glad Lori's having a girl." Alex said as she entered the room "She and Gracie will be close in age and it gives them both a playmate."

Olivia took Gracie in her arms and settled her in with her bottle. After a few minutes of silence she spoke up "Wonder what Lori will think about us getting married?"

"She'll be happy. She's always liked you Liv." she grinned at the look the brunette was giving her "Okay there for a while she wasn't you biggest fan but she does love you. She was just looking out for me, same as I've always done for her." she began laughing "I remember once in high school, I was a senior she was a sophomore, I went into the bathroom and found her crying. I asked what was wrong and her best friend said it was because a guy she had gone on a date with was telling his friends all the things she did in his backseat. I stayed until she calmed down, then I saw red."

"What did you do?" Olivia asked.

"I walked over to the stadium where they were having football practice and stormed into the boy's locker room. A bunch of them told me to leave but I told them they didn't have anything I hadn't seen already. I walked right up to him, grabbed him by his shirt and slammed him against the lockers. I told him he needed to tell the truth about their date, my Dad had drove them to and from, my sister never set foot in his car. I then told him if I ever saw him near her again he wouldn't have to worry about a girl in his backseat because he wouldn't have anything between his legs. I kneed him in the crotch before my boyfriend ran over and pulled me off him."

Olivia stared at her wide eyed for a moment before looking to Gracie "And here everyone thought I would be the one your future boyfriend would have to look out for."

After she was finished eating Gracie sat between her mothers' while she played. Alex held her left hand out "Gracie, what do you think about Mommy and Mama getting married?"

Gracie grabbed her hand and toyed with the ring before smiling.

"I guess that means yes." Olivia said before kissing the girl on the head.

That afternoon as they were walking up the steps to Robert's home Alex turned to Olivia "So how do you want to announce this?"

"However you want to do it. Since Lori and her family are already here it would be kinda hard to hide your ring for very long."

"Good point." Alex said as they walked in the door. "We're here." She called out as she took Gracie's coat off.

"There's my little princess." Robert said as he entered the room and took Gracie from Alex's arms. The infant's face lit up, aside from her Mommies' her Grandpa was her favorite person in the world. He would often babysit to allow the couple an evening out.

Lori walked in and smiled at her niece before looking to Alex and Olivia "See I told you, once you have a kid they forget all about you." she began heading toward the dining room "Come on everything is ready."

Alex and Olivia entered the room greeting their brother in law David and hugging their nephews, Bobby and Carson. Olivia pulled the highchair that Robert kept over to the table and sat Gracie down before she felt Alex take her hand.

"Before we eat I have an announcement." She smiled at Olivia as she squeezed her hand tight "This morning Olivia asked me to marry her and I accepted."

A round of laughter and cheers rang out as everyone got up to congratulate the couple. Little Gracie not wanting to be left out laughed as she hit her hands against the table. Everyone went on about the ring and how beautiful it was. Olivia smiled as Lori hugged her "I knew you would come to your senses eventually."

Lunch was a lively affair with Lori, Alex and Olivia discussing wedding plans and Lori's upcoming baby shower while Robert and David discussed the Yankees and the boys kept Gracie occupied.

After a wonderful afternoon with family they decided to bundle Gracie up and take a walk around the neighborhood to look at the Christmas lights. Gracie loved to look at the lights on their Christmas tree, often times content to sit in the floor and simply stare at the tree. When they returned home they put Gracie through her bedtime routine which included her Mommies' giving her a bath then her bedtime bottle from Olivia while Olivia read her a story.

Olivia stood and walked the sleeping girl for a few more minutes to ensure she was asleep. Every night when she put Gracie down for bed she thought about how lucky she was to have the life that she did. She could feel tears prick her eyes at how close she had come once to never having this. A smile spread across her face though when she felt Alex step next to her and wrap one arm around her waist and place her other hand on Gracie's back. They each took turns kissing her goodnight before Olivia laid her down then turned on the monitor and her little night light before quietly slipping out.

They settled on the sofa wrapped in one another's arms. Alex looked down at her hand for what felt like the thousandth time that day and admired her ring. "Olivia this ring….it's amazing."

Olivia smiled as she ran her fingers through Alex's hair. "I didn't know what I was looking for I just knew I'd know when I saw it. I looked in the case and saw this one; it was beautiful, amazing, elegant and classy. Which are also words that describe you."

Alex leaned in for a kiss, their lips moving gently against one another before finally parting and tongues began sliding against one another. "I love you." Alex whispered against Olivia's lips.

"I love you too."

They settled down further onto the sofa. This felt right, this was the way it was supposed to be, lying in one another's arms with their little girl asleep down the hall. This was love. They lay silently in each other's arms, the only light coming from the tree and the only sound was their breathing and two hearts beating as one.