Title: The Wolf

Author's Note: For disclaimer, see chapter one.

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Chapter 6

Everything about heading into town is different than Alex remembers it. The road is now a highway with four paved lanes rather than one and a half dirt and gravel lanes, and there is a Walmart where her favorite corn field used to sit.

The weather is unseasonably warm and sunny so the top of Olivia's Jeep is down, and Alex is grinning as the wind whips her hair around her face.

Watching Alex out of the corner of her eye, Olivia smiles. She reaches across the center console and links her fingers with Alex's.

Alex feels the blush light up her cheeks and her smile widens even more. She's so happy - so, so happy, it's like all of the pain from the last ten years can just fade away.

...

...

The Walmart is packed - as it usually is on Sunday mornings.

Everywhere Alex looks, there are children running around without their parents. Sidestepping to avoid yet another running child, Alex turns around to see what he is running toward and gasps, tightening her grip on Olivia's hand.

Olivia winces slightly. "What's wrong?"

"He has a gun, Olivia, strapped to his back."

Olivia nods. "That's pretty common around here."

"He's a child."

Olivia shrugs, gesturing to the Glock strapped to her hip. "I can't really say much, Al."

Alex huffs. "It's different."

"I know," Olivia says, giving Alex's hand a squeeze, "but there's nothing I can do about it."

Alex sighs, pushing her hand through her hair. She winces slightly as her fingers graze the raised scar tissue toward the center of her head and she sighs, praying Olivia didn't notice. "Still," she says, "it's not safe."

Olivia turns down an aisle, pulling Alex with her. She browses the shelves of soap before deciding to stick to the same one she always uses. She grabs the bottle off the shelf and drops it into her basket. "What kind do you use?"

Alex shakes her head. "Sorry. What'd you say?"

Olivia smirks. "Caught ya staring, didn't I?" She laughs, shaking her head. "What kind of soap do you use?"

Alex shrugs, blushing. "Whatever I can get my hands on, usually."

"Well what do you have at home?"

"I don't…have a home, Olivia."

"What?"

Alex stares down at the ground, the scar on the top of her head burning. "I don't…" She trails off, sighing. "Look, can we talk about this somewhere else?"

Olivia nods, and they finish their shopping quickly and in silence. Out at Olivia's Jeep, they load their bags into the backseat and settle themselves into the front and Olivia immediately reaches across the center console and takes hold of Alex's hand.

Alex breathes a sigh of relief and watches out the window as Olivia pulls out of the parking lot.

…

…

It takes the better part of an hour to get back to Olivia's house, but as soon as they get there Olivia unloads the bags as quickly as she possibly can and puts all of her purchases away. Then, she stands in front of Alex and grins, hope etched into every single microexpression she makes.

Alex frowns slightly. "What?"

Olivia reaches out, taking hold of Alex's hands. "Do you trust me?"

Alex quirks her eyebrow. "Why?"

"Just" – Olivia sighs – "answer the question. Do you trust me?"

Alex nods. "Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Sleep with me tonight."

Alex's intake of breath is sharp. "Excuse me?"

Olivia shakes her head. "Sleep with me tonight. Just sleep. You haven't slept in a bed in…I don't even know how long. So just…sleep with me tonight."

Alex sighs and takes a step back, letting go of Olivia's hands. She rests her back against the closed door and closes her eyes. "Liv…"

"Just think about it, Alex. Maybe…maybe sleeping next to someone you trust could help."

Alex is quiet for a few minutes, chewing on her bottom lip. When she opens her eyes, she has never looked more resolute about anything. She nods. "Okay."

Olivia's eyes light up. "You'll stay?"

"I'll stay," Alex says, "but under one condition."

"Yeah, anything."

"The light stays on."

…

…

"Do you mind if I use the shower?" Alex asks, returning home from her after-dinner run.

Olivia looks up from her book and nods, noticing Alex is already standing at the bathroom door. "Go right ahead," she says, returning her gaze to her book.

Alex hesitates for an extra moment before shaking her head and pulling off her shirt. "Liv?"

Olivia looks up and her book falls from her lap. She swallows hard and looks anywhere but at Alex. "Yeah?"

"You're welcome to join me. I mean, if you want to."

Olivia squeezes her eyes shut and counts to ten in her head. When she opens her eyes, Alex is looking at her hopefully. "Okay," she says.

Perched on the closed lid of the toilet, Olivia faces the wall the entire time Alex is in the shower, only turning around when Alex asks her for towels.

"Ya know," Alex says, "this is not what I wanted when I asked you to join me."

Olivia laughs, shrugging. "I know," she says, "but it's been a long day. You must know that I want to."

Alex quirks her eyebrow, letting her towel fall to the ground. "Oh yeah?" she says. "Prove it."

"Alex!"

Alex snickers, grabbing the towel off the floor and wrapping it back around herself. "Relax, Liv," she says. "I was here yesterday. I know you want to."

Shaking her head, Olivia rolls her eyes. She grabs Alex's pajamas off the table by the tub and tosses them at her. "Get dressed." Alex's laughter follows her all the way to the bedroom. She flops down onto her bed and seriously considers taking a cold shower.

Alex comes into the room a few minutes later and stands at the edge of the bed, looking more nervous than Olivia can remember seeing her. "Five years," she says.

Olivia sits up, folding back the blankets, thankful she remembered to put clean sheets on this morning. "What?"

Alex sits on the edge of the bed and looks down at her lap, wringing her hands. "Earlier you said that you didn't know how long it's been since I slept in an actual bed." She shrugs. "It's been five years."

Olivia nods and settles into her spot, tapping the spot beside her. Alex swings her feet up onto the bed and moves into the empty spot beside Olivia.

Sighing contentedly, Olivia rests her hand on Alex's stomach. "Is this okay?" she asks.

Alex nods. "Yeah," she says. She moves her right hand up onto her stomach and intertwines her fingers with Olivia's. "Good night, Liv."

"Good night, Alex."

…

…

When Alex wakes up it is mid-afternoon. She sits up slowly, stretching out her sore muscles. Breathing in the smell of pancakes and bacon, she realizes that she slept through the night for the first time in ten years.

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