A/N: This will be another quick chapter. A lot of fluff to recover from the previous few chapters.

-oo0O0oo-

Communicating with no words, Elliot agrees to let her take the wheel. Olivia makes sure Elliot is comfortable before pulling back onto the main road. Elliot has always been able to sleep anywhere and through anything. She dials the volume down and lightly plays music. About 45 minutes pass by and she notices the sky going from a solid black to a lighter gray. Olivia can hear her and his stomach start to growl. She had thrown up her sandwich from earlier and was starting to feel hungry again.

A sign for a 24-hour diner catches Olivia's eye. 'One more mile,' she thinks. Against her better judgment, she reaches over and lightly taps her partner's shoulder, "El…" Elliot remains in a deep sleep. She pats his shoulder more aggressively, yet still softly, "Elliot."

Elliot jumps a little, "Huh?" He looks around, "Are you okay?"

Olivia smiles lightly at his concern, "Just hungry."

"It's 4:30 in the morning, in the middle of nowhere," Elliot rubs his eyes with the palms of his hands.

"Lucky for us there is a diner off of this exit," Olivia switches her blinker on, even though they are the only car on the road. Pulling into the diner, they notice multiple cars parked. She notes the appearance of the building, "This is quaint…"

Elliot grins, "This looks like a place we would get serial killed at."

"Serial killed?" Olivia side-eyes him.

"Mhmm," Elliot rubs his stubble growing in. Much to their surprise, they are not the only people eating at the diner. They find a booth and look at the menu that spans four pages. Elliot watches Olivia set her menu down almost instantly, "You know what you want?"

"Omelet and coffee."

"I'm thinking waffles… And coffee." Olivia smiles which radiates to Elliot. Elliot glances up at her and backs down at his menu.

"What?

"Nothing…"

"If you have something to say, say it."

"It's just… Just normal."

Olivia rolls her eyes and grins. Leaning her head back, "What is it with you and 'normal?'"

"I'm not afraid of it so don't ask me," he points at her, "The real question is what is it with you and 'normal?'"

"I'm not afraid of being normal, or having normalcy."

"So what is it?"

Olivia leans back in her squeaky booth. She thinks deeply about his question. Answering as she thinks, she responds, "I think… I think it is not a fear… But rather… Rather an aversion."

"An aversion?"

"Yeah…"

"You sound like you're trying to convince yourself that's what you feel."

"I just… I have never had a single moment in my life that was the universal standard of 'normal.' My father raped my mother. And my mother, a hopeless alcoholic, constantly told the world how she could never love me," Olivia starts to rapidly fire her life experiences, "I adopted my son after I found him in a dresser drawer. I work with victims of some of the most heinous crimes known to mankind. Nothing about me has ever been and probably never will be 'normal.'"

"That doesn't mean you can't seek out a little normalcy in your life."

"And what would that normalcy look like?"

Elliot reaches his hand out and places it on top of hers which lies gently on the table. Longingly looking into her eyes he softly says, "Opening your Christmas present."

Olivia rolls her eyes and swipes her hand away from his. Elliot giggles to himself as she takes a breath, "I'll think about it." Olivia tucks a tuft of hair behind her ear as she forks a piece of omelet into her mouth. She can once again feel Elliot's gaze. Placing her fork down and sipping her coffee she asks, "Looking at anything interesting?" And before Elliot can even respond she throws her finger up and cocks her head, "And don't say the scenery."

Elliot puts his hands in the air signaling defeat, "You got me, Captain." She smiles as she cuts into her egg. Elliot swipes the check as it hits the table, "I take it I'm driving?"

"And why would you assume that?" she shovels her last bit into her mouth.

"Because this was supposed to be a 10-hour trip and if you keep driving like a grandma you're gonna make this a 10-day trip," Elliot places his card down on the table.

"I am highly offended," Olivia leans back dramatically.

"Yeah, yeah," Elliot waves it off and grabs the keys off the table. "Let's go, partner."

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Olivia scoots herself out of the booth. Struggling to get up, Elliot reaches out his hand. Olivia delicately grasps onto it and pulls herself up. She straightens her blazer that she has now been wearing for just about 24 hours. Standing mere inches away from each other, Olivia notices Elliot becoming more breathy. She holds onto his shoulders, "Thank you."

Snapping out of it, Elliot steps back, "Welcome." Walking out of the diner Elliot notices Olivia beaming. Her radiance glows. Elliot opens the passenger side door, "M'lady."

Olivia furrows her brow but allows his chivalry, "Thank you, Detective."

"Anytime, Cap," Elliot closes the door making sure not to catch her leg in it. They get back onto the main road after a quick meal. Elliot makes sure to note Olivia's continuous smile throughout the next few minutes.

-oo0O0oo-

A/N: I hope you enjoyed the fluff. I will be getting back to them and having more conversations about their missed time next chapter.