Chapter 1: Cody Benson's New Life
Everyone in the 16th are wrapping up paperwork after a long week solving a case and one Olivia Benson was just about done with her report when there was a knock on her door.
"Come in!" Olivia commanded lightly.
An officer walked through the door.
"Excuse me, lieutenant, but there is a gentleman in the breakroom wishing to see you." The officer said to his lieutenant.
Olivia looked up from her paperwork to look at the officer in front of her desk. She sighed as she mentally tells herself that she's going to have to call Lucy and tell her that she is going to be late yet again to relieve her of her babysitting duty. Olivia got up from her chair and had her officer escort her to the guest in the breakroom.
"Thank you, Officer." She thanked the officer.
"yes, Ma'am!" He said back and walked away.
Olivia looked through the glass doors and noticed that this gentleman was wearing a camo military uniform. She couldn't see who it was because the man had his back turned towards the glass doors, but she could tell that the soldier looked like a bit like a bodybuilder and the soldier was not wearing a cover on his head nor saw one in his hands since he is at parade rest. Olivia opened the doors and walked in and introduced herself.
"Hello, sir. My name is Olivia... " She didn't get the chance to finish because the soldier had turned around to look at her face to face. The man looked about 25 years old, blue eyes, brown hair styled like a clone trooper from Star Wars and a grown beard on his face. The seasoned detective instantly recognized that it's her son.
"Cody? Cody you're home!" As the mother raced to hug her military son with so much love since the day she adopted him and brought him home. Cody hugged his mother tightly as if afraid to lose the only mom he knew and love.
"Hey Mom. Its been a couple years, and sorry for not calling sooner to let you know I'm back home." Cody said as he asked for forgiveness.
The mother and son broke apart to look at each other to savor the happy reunion. Olivia noticed that Cody had a tear running down his face but he had a bright smile on him. Olivia put her right hand on his left cheek and smiled back. Cody shifted his eyes from his mother to the glass doors where he sees the rest of the detectives staring at them. He then looked back at his mother.
"I think your detectives are curious to know who I am." Cody said.
Olivia turned around and saw that Fin, Rollins, and Carisi are very confused. She rolled her eyes a bit due to their childish staring and gestured for her son to follow suit. Fin was the first one to recognize the young man who he had the opportunity to watch him grow into a soldier like he had many years ago. Fin approached Cody when stepped in front and gave him a hug.
"What's up man? when did you get back? we haven't seen you in two years." Fin asks.
"I got back about half an hour ago."
"Well you're doing well for yourself like any SEAL would." Fin said.
Cody had an instant sad face before forming it into a smile. Amanda and Sonny greeted him back home just as Peter Stone walked in on the reunion. Cody saw him walk towards him with a confused look.
"Who are you?" Peter asked.
Cody went into parade rest and introduced himself in a military manner.
"I am Chief Petty Officer. Cody Benson. United States Navy, sir!"Cody said with pride.
Stone was a bit suprised by this. He knew that Liv had an oldest son that was in the Navy but never knew what he does in the Navy, But he was suprised that he introduced himself in such a manner. Stone noticed the camo uniform he is wearing and knew that the color is desert based. Stone met a couple of soldiers wearing that same camo color when he got off the plane coming back from Chicago.
"pleasure to meet you, Chief. Thank you for your service!" Peter said to Cody.
Cody gave a strained smile but other wise stayed quiet. Stone turned to Liv then walked up to her to give her a file on a case that landed on his desk an hour ago.
"This just landed on my desk an hour ago. 17 year old girl was sexually abused by her stepfather tonight and was brought to the hospital by one of her friends, Nova Pride, who dropped by to get a textbook for school from her, but when she knocked no answer, so she went inside and found her passed out and beaten all over starting from the face to all over her upper body." Stone briefed her swiftly while liv herself looked at the file.
"Vic's name is Sara Tetch, lives in Staten Island with her mother: Linda Tetch and her stepfather: Joe Tetch. Mother and daughter are at Mercy so lets go pay visit! Rollins, Carisi! Get the mother while Fin and I get the daughter!" She commanded and everybody left but not before saying 'welcome home' to cody.
Liv was the last to leave but she wanted to talk to her son for a minute before heading to Mercy.
"Duty calls, I guess." Cody says while looking where everybody had left.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I tell you what! Noah is going to be very happy to see his big brother again. Even if its for a short time. Here! I have an extra key. Go home, I'll be back home later tonight and we can catch up, yeah?" Olivia said to her son.
"Yeah, can you call Lucy and tell her I'm on my way there, please? Cody asked.
"Will do! now, go home and be with your little brother!" With that said she was off to Mercy after giving the key to her son and Cody had a warm smile on his face.
Seeing family again is a blessing, he's happy to his family but he wished he wasn't the only one who came back home alive. He shook his head and went to the parking lot, got into his truck and drove home. When he got home and opened the door, he was tackled by a little boy around six years old hugging him for dear life.
"Cody you're back! I missed you!" Noah exclaimed
Cody hugged him back while fighting the urge to fall apart in front of Noah. "I missed you too, buddy!" Cody said with a cracked voice struggling to keep his emotions in check. "Where's Lucy?" He asked Noah.
"I'm right here! Welcome home!" Lucy said from the kitchen.
Cody nodded at her while he holds Noah a little longer enjoying the moment of reuniting with his little brother. Noah was the first one to break the hug and started talking about how homework sucks and how he hated eating vegetables. Cody laughed at Noah's antics on both topics. Reminded him of himself when he would deny the demon which was vegetables and homework.
"Hey, Noah, I think its time for bed. Go get ready and I'll tuck you in, in a moment, yeah? Let me talk to Lucy for now!" Cody said.
"Okay!" Noah ran towards his room and got ready for bed.
Cody had another warm smile on his face and can't help but remember the times they played together before Buds. He heard Lucy walk towards him with two bottles of Belguim White. Beer. Lucy gave one to Cody and he accepted the beer and they made their way to the couch. When they sat down, Cody took a drag from the beer and savored the taste that the alcohol gave off. Lucy known Cody since the beginning of highschool together and have been best friends since.
"What do you want to talk about, Cody?" Lucy asked.
Cody looked at her and back at the T.V. in front of them and stayed silent for a moment before saying anything.
"I'm leaving the Navy!" he said to her and it shocked her.
"Why? I thought you wanted nothing more than be in the Navy." She says to him. He talked about being in the Navy since 9th grade.
"Yeah,well now I'm through with it and don't plan on going back ever again! never again." At this point he is shaking and balling his fist at the same time opening his fist. Lucy sees this and she puts a hand on his left shoulder and try to calm him. He noticed the touch from his best friend, then looked at her and he knew that his anger is flaring, so he calmed down enough to hold the rest of the conversation.
"Sorry, can you keep the curtains closed on this, please?" Cody asked.
Lucy nods her answer but raised a question.
"What happened over there? And where?" She asked.
"I can't, I can still hear them. The screams, the were dying, Lucy. I'm the only one left. I can still see the blood splattered all over the battlefield." Cody whispered aloud to Lucy. Lucy was shocked but at the same time she is not.
Cody told Lucy after graduating from buds that if anything happened to him that he wanted Lucy to be there for his mother and little brother, but never about him ever getting out the military.
"I'll keep the curtains closed on this matter, but you're going to have tell her that when you are ready. For all I know she believes that you're home for about a month or so. I'm truly sorry for whatever happened overseas, but I don't think your fellow SEALs wanted you to die there, and I also believe that they want you to live for your friends and family." Lucy said swiftly.
"Cody? Eddy wants to say he misses you too!" Noah loudly said from his room which made the older brother smile warmly and at that moment he knew what Lucy was saying was true with meaning.
"I have a funeral in two days at the Cypress Hills National Cemetary on Coney Island at 10:00 AM. Navy SEAL. Rex Hunter was my team leader and he is the one of many people that saved my life three weeks ago. He was like a father to me. I only wish to have told him that before..." Cody said but couldn't finish. Instead he got up and walked to Noah's room and told him goodnight as he tucked him in for the night.
"Cody?" Noah called out to him just as he was about to get up.
"Yes, Noah. Watcha need?" He asked
"Are you sad about something?" Noah asked in a small voice
Cody looked at Noah for a moment before answering his question. He balled up his fist and fistbump Noah.
"I'm sad about my friends but never with you. I'm very happy to see you and Mom. Do you understand me, Noah? Cody said softly and Noah nodded yes.
"I love you, buddy. Always, no matter what. Goodnight." He softly spoke again.
"Goodnight, Cody!" Noah said.
Lucy was taking the empty beer bottles to the trash and was starting to pack her things. Cody entered the living room where Lucy was waiting for him on the couch. She had gotten a text from her husband saying that he is home and was wondering if she was on her way or was she staying late.
"*I'll be on my way here in a few minutes. An old friend just came home. I love you, Tony.*" Lucy texted back.
She noticed a shift on the left side of the couch. Lucy deterred her attention away from her phone and point it towards the person beside her. Cody was once again staring at the T.V. like it was the most interesting thing in the whole house. Cody felt a hand land on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry that I couldn't be there to walk you down the isle last year." Cody apologizes to Lucy.
"I knew you were not able to make it. It's not your fault!" She said sternly.
"I broke my promise to you. I didn't get to see my best friend marry the love of her life." Cody said softly to her.
Cody looked upwards keeping himself from falling apart at the seem. When he got his bearings, he faced Lucy and smiled with that Benson trademark smile. Lucy smiled as well as she knows that he was going to make up for lost time, but he has things to take care of first.
"You look like you have not slept in days. Go, sleep, I have a car parked infront of the building. I'll be fine!" with that said, she stood up as well as Cody and hugged him tightly. their bond have not wavered since highschool but the future has much in store for them very soon.
"Thank you, it's nice seeing familier faces again." Cody said and bid Lucy goodnight and lucy left for home. 13 minutes later Cody got a text from Lucy saying that she made it home safely and Cody took off his boots and gloves then searched for a pillow and blanket. When he got them, he started getting ready to turn in for the night turned off the lamp behind him and fell asleep for the first time in two weeks.
The next morning Cody woke up to the smell of breakfast. He got up slowly to stretch his muscles. Cody flinched a little on his right side.
"Looks like it's still healing from the blast." Cody thought to himself.
He looked behind him and saw his mother cooking eggs and bacon with chedder cheese. His favorite. Cody got up to walk to the breakfast bar.
"Morning, Mom!" Cody greeted his mother from the otherside of the bar.
Olivia turned around to look at her son. She smiled brightly at him as she served him his plate of cheesy eggs and bacon. Cody thanked her and started eating like have not in days. Liv laughed at his antics.
"This is amazing! its better than the MRE's we were eating!" Cody said with a mouth full.
"Its always amazing! Noah loves it too. He'll end up asking for more after scarfing it down his cheeks. Reminds me when you were his age." Liv said with fondness. "So? How long are you staying? How long do we have?" She asked Cody.
Cody finished swallowing his food and dranked his OJ that was set out a while ago.
"I'm... out the Navy. I'm finished." He answered his mom.
Liv was a little shocked. She sees the look on his face and now she is concerned about her little boy. Something happened.
"Honey, are you alright? What's going on?" Liv asked
Cody looked at his mother for a moment. He smiled for a second then said.
"Tomorrow... I want to be alone. I'm turning off my phone so I will not be disturbed. Please understand that I'll tell you everything you need but not now. I need to be able to get everything straight, yeah?" He said and Liv nodded but that did not less the worry for her boy.
"Ok, I'm going to wake up Noah, he likes his satuday breakfast." with that said she went into Noah's room and woke him up for breakfast. Noah came walking in the kitchen rubbing his eyes wiping the sleep away.
He climb onto the stool and started eating his breakfast that landed in front of him.
"I don't go in until one, so what shall we do for the next four hours of this beautiful morning?" Liv asked
And for the rest of the morning the family had a small picnic at the park and enjoyed each other's company before the day actually start.