AN: This will most likely be a short mult-chapter story with about 3-4 chapters. A little background, this story is AU and anything in italics is a flashback. Also, I own nothing, the characters from SVU all belong to Dick Wolf.
Imani, Erica, Fiona & Diana, don't hate me, k? You guys wanted me to write and this was the outcome 3
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Olivia's eyes fluttered open as her senses awoke, the aroma of coffee and bacon drifted into her room and the sounds of laughter coming from the living room filled her heart with more joy than she could ever imagine. Olivia beamed as she walked past the kitchen and into the living room where Brian and Henry were sitting and watching cartoon, she smiled to herself before interrupting the special daddy-son bonding time they shared every Saturday morning, "something smells incredible, which of you two handsome men made breakfast?"
She tied her robe tighter as the chilly morning air brushed against her skin and Brian stood up to greet his wife, "I showered this morning, thanks for noticing." Brian joked before he placed a soft kiss on Olivia's lips as she chucked at her husband's stupid joke, "Good morning, gorgeous." "Morning, Bri" Olivia nestled her head in the crook of her husband's neck and smiled when he wrapped his arms around her, her smile grew brighter when she heard her son calling for her, "Momma, Momma! Daddy made breakfast, pancakes and bacon." Olivia smiled at Brian before bending down to be at eye-level with her son, she wrapped her arms around him and placed a kiss on his head before letting him go, "He did? I though you made mommy breakfast. How was daddy's cooking, was it as good as mommy's?"
"Even better!" he proudly proclaimed, a huge smile plastered on his face.
Brian burst out laughing as Olivia mocked being hurt, "that's my boy!" Brian said as he tousled Henry's hair, and gave him a kiss on the head before Henry turned back to his cartoons.
Olivia smiled contently as she watched Henry laugh at favourite cartoon. She made her way to the kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee as Brian pulled up a seat at the breakfast bar, his eyes glued on their little boy, "You know, Bri he adores you. You're his hero."
Brian's face lit up as he glanced back at the child he was once so convinced he wasn't ready to father, "the feeling is mutual, Liv. That little boy…" Brian paused to look over at the boy who was laughing at something on TV, "that little boy saved me. I don't know what I'd do without you two. You and Henry have been the best thing to have ever happened to me. Thank you, Baby."
Olivia crooked her head to the side and squinted, confused as to what her husband could possibly be thanking her for, "Thank me? What for, Bri? I didn't do anything…"
"Yes you did, Liv. You knew me better than I knew myself; you believed that I could be a father to our baby, even when I was convinced having a baby was a terrible idea. You trusted me to be a good father when I assumed I'd be the worst father in the world and for that, I'll forever be thankful."
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Olivia lay silent in the large bed, her head resting on Brian's pillow. Her heart ached at the realization that his pillow was starting to lose his scent; it now smelled more of her own shampoo than of the scent that she could only describe as 'Brian'.
Her head was pounding and her body was tired from lying awake and crying all night, it seemed that no matter what she did, her mind wouldn't let her think of anything other than Brian and the moments they shared together.
She perched herself up on the bed as she heard the second bedroom door open and listened as the pitter-patter of little footsteps approached her bedroom door. She quickly wiped her eyes and shook her head, trying to regain her composure. She smiled when the door opened and she saw his head pop in, "momma? Can I come in?"
"Of course you can, baby." Olivia smiled as 4 year old, Henry jumped into her bed and snuggled his head into her chest.
"Momma?"
"Yes, pumpkin?"
Henry looked up at his mother, his eyes full of hope as he asked the same question he's asked every day since the accident, "is daddy home?"
Olivia's heart broke hearing her son ask for his father, her eyes glanced quickly at the diamond rings that sat firmly on her fingers before placing a soft kiss on her son's head, "no, bud. Daddy's not coming home today."
"When momma?" Henry's voice was quiet and defeated; it had been 12 days since the accident. 12 days since Brian got called into work on his day off to try to help close a case they've been working on, 12 days since Olivia last heard her husband's voice, 12 days since Henry got to see his father.
Olivia picked up her son and placed him on her lap so he was looking at her, his eyes were clouded with sadness and his lip quivered as tears threatened to spill from his eyes. Olivia inhaled deeply and smiled softly at her son, hoping he wouldn't see the pain in her eyes, "Henry, remember mommy told you that daddy was hurt? Well, he's still sleeping and I don't know when he's going to wake up. We just have to wait and see."
"I miss daddy." The tears that were threatening to fall from his eyes were now streaming down his face as he his buried his face into his mother's chest as he cried.
"I miss him too, baby. I miss him too." Olivia said sadly as she placed a kiss on his head and her own tears started to fall.
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Olivia hurriedly packed away the dishes as Henry sat quietly in the living room watching his favourite episode of Bananas in Pyjamas, just as she packed away the last of her dishes she heard a quiet knocking at the door, "that must be Uncle Nick, go to your room and get your bag, please."
She walked toward the door and greeted her partner, "thank you so much for taking him this weekend, Nick. I owe you."
"No you don't, Liv. How are you holding up?"
Olivia offered Nick a smile that didn't reach her eyes, "I'm doing the best as I can for Henry but, I'm just so tired Nick. I don't know what to do, every morning since the accident he's come into my room and asked me where Brian was, asked me when he's coming home…" Olivia shut her eyes tight, trying her best to kept the tears that were welling in her eyes at bay, she took a deep breath and looked back at her partner, "how do you tell a 4 year old that his father may never come back home?"
"Liv, I'm so sorry you have to go through this, I know me and Cassidy didn't always see eye-to-eye but I know how happy he made you, and I've seen how much he and Henry love each other. No one should have to endure what he did."
"God, I was so happy when he decided not to take the transfer to homicide because I was terrified something like this would happen. These things like this don't happen to IAB detectives…" Olivia's voice broke as tears streamed down her face, "he was supposed to be off, Nick. He should've been home, with Henry and me but he couldn't leave his squad when they needed him. He was a good man, a good cop..."
"Is, Olivia, is. He is a good man, he is a good cop. I know you're preparing yourself for what could happen but you need to stay positive, for Brian. For Henry." Nick pulled his partner in for a hug and felt as her body relaxed into his, and felt as she let a few more tears stream down her face, he pulled away and looked at her once more this time with a small smile and put his hand on her shoulder, "he'll pull through this Liv. Cassidy wouldn't give up on you and Henry so easily."
"Thank you" Olivia whispered, wiping the tears from her eyes and smiling appreciatively at her partner, "I should go check on Henry, he's been in his room for a while…"
"Let me, Liv."
"Are you sure? I'm sticking him with you for a weekend, the least I can check on him before I send him off with you."
Nick chucked at Olivia and offered a reassuring smile, "he's the most well behaved child I have ever met, it's my pleasure to watch him for a few days and he's my godson, it's also my duty."
As if on cue Henry walked out his room with his backpack on and joyfully exclaimed "all ready mommy!" His smile widened when he saw his godfather smiling at him "Uncle Nick!" Henry ran to his godfather and hugged him tightly, smiling widely as he informed him of their plans, "momma says I get to spend the weekend with you and Zara!"
"I know pal, we're going to have so much fun together. I missed you." Nick gently let go of Henry and smiled at him, "go say goodbye to mommy so we can go get Zara and go to the park, okay?"
Once Olivia and Henry said their goodbyes, Olivia handed Nick the bag she had packed for Henry, she smiled sadly at her partner and thanked him once again before they left. Once she was alone, Olivia sat on the couch and cradled her hand in her face as her memories took her back to her wedding day.
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It was a beautiful mid-July afternoon, and the sun was shiny brightly over the gazebo where Brian and Olivia stood, both beaming with joy and love. Brian wore a dark grey suit and Olivia opted for a simple, ivory empire waist chiffon dress that accentuated her tiny baby bump perfectly. They stood in front of each other, their hands clasped tightly as the officiant spoke "Brian and Olivia have written their own vows and Olivia has asked to speak first"
Olivia looked at Brian and smiled as she recited her vows "Brian, I woke up today and it was just another Saturday morning. The sun rose, a baby was born and somewhere, someone took their last breath. But I stand here, now, in front of you and our friends and family and it's no longer just another Saturday afternoon; it's the day I marry my best friend, the father of child, the man who showed me the light during my darkest days. Today is the day I, we get forever. I promise to love you, cherish you and to respect you but most of all; I promise to never give up on us and to believe in all the greatness that will come out of our union. I love you." Olivia looked up at Brian and smiled sweetly, her vision cloudy with tears.
Brian gently released Olivia's hands and wiped the tears from her face before clasping their hands again, and placing a tender kiss on her knuckle as the officiant spoke again "Brian, you may say your vows."
"Olivia, from the first moment I laid eyes on you I knew there was something different about you, something special. You're presence made my life brighter, your smile made the days easier, your laugh erased all the troubles life threw my way. When we first met, I was young and naïve. I let you go and I ran, but now? Every day that I wake up I thank whatever God is listening for bringing you back to me. We've weathered many storms together and we've shared the brightest of days, you've been my greatest challenge but you've also been my biggest blessing. I vow to always love you like I'll never love another day in my life, to grow old with you and to cherish every moment we share. You have my heart, Olivia, today, tomorrow and forever more. I love you."
Brian looked at the woman standing in front of him and his heart swelled. Her eyes portrayed more love than he ever imagined possible. He blinked back a few tears and gently squeezed her hand while the officiant continued with the ceremony. They said their "I do's" and shared a tender kiss before heading into the reception hall.
Brian and Olivia sat comfortably together while their friends and family congratulated them and made their toasts, once dinner was served and the wedding cake was cut, Brian and Olivia shared their first dance as husband and wife to Bon Jovi's Thank You for Loving Me. Brian sang along with the song, whispering each word in his wife's ear; Thank you for loving me, for being my eyes when I couldn't see, for parting my lips when I couldn't breathe. Thank you for loving me…
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Olivia made her way through the white hallway of Mercy, and stopped to breathe deeply before reaching the large doors that led to the ICU, no matter how many times she walked through those doors the pain, anger and fear never let up. She walked the short hallway and said hello to the nurses before stopping abruptly at the last door, she carefully turned the knob and entered the room. The room was exactly as she left it the night before, a cold reminder that Brian hasn't woken up, that everyone's unsure of if he ever will, or what his life would be like when if he does awaken. She took the seat beside her husband's bed as she has done for the last 12 days. She gently held his hand and placed a soft kiss on it on as tears rolled down her cheeks, "hey, Bri" she whispered through her tears, "Baby, I need you to wake up for me, I need you to come home. I'm trying so hard to keep it together for Henry but Bri, every day that I wake up alone in our bed I fall apart. I'm so lost without you, Baby. You've always been the one who helped me through the darkest periods in my life I have no idea how to cope without you.."
Olivia sobbed quietly as she watched her husband's chest rise and fall with the help of a machine; Brian had always been the strongest man she knew and watching as he lay hopeless in a hospital bed broke her heart. She sat in the solitude of the room with nothing but her thoughts and the constant beeping of the machines until she heard a quiet knock at the door, "Sergeant Benson, good morning."
Olivia smiled politely at the woman standing in front of her, "hello Dr. Flores."
"We have some good news, your husband's CT scan came back clear of clots and bleeds and his MRI shows that the swelling in his brain has reduced tremendously, there is still some swelling but we want to lessen his sedation and attempt to bring him out of the medically induced coma to see how his body would react."
Olivia listened intently as Dr. Flores explained Brian's updated condition to her, smiling at the feeling of hope she received from her words but as quickly as hope built up inside of her, fear began to set in, "is it safe to try to bring him out of the coma if there is still swelling in the brain? I don't want you to rush anything, please."
"We aren't rushing anything, Sergeant; we need to see where Brian is and how much he has recovered since we put him under. Many patients recover naturally with slight swelling but some still need the extra time, there is no way of determining what would happen with Brian until we begin to wean him off the sedation."
"Okay. When will this happen?"
"We'll be back in about 4 hours to reverse the effects of the sedation," Dr. Flores looked at Olivia and smiled sweetly before she turned around and walked out of the room, once again leaving Olivia with nothing but her thoughts and the sounds of the machines that were monitoring him. She gripped his hand once more and gently laid her head on the bed beside his leg and eventually dozed off.
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Olivia woke up when she heard quiet a quiet knock at the door, Dr. Flores entered the room with a team of doctors and she quickly explained to Olivia what they would all be doing, Olivia listened intently and said a silent prayer as she stood at Brian's head side, she placed a tender kiss on his forehead and whispered "you can do this, Brian. I'll be right here waiting for you" before moving out of the doctors way and watched as they slowly added medication to reverse the effects of the medically induced coma. She held her breath when the doctors stopped and took a step back; she looked at the doctors who were all closely monitoring Brian's stats when his body erupted into violent trembles, "what's happening?" Olivia cried from the corner or the small hospital room,
Dr. Flores glanced at her quickly before turning her attention back to Brian, "he's seizing. Someone get Sergeant Benson out of here, now!"
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