A/N: Here's chapter two… thanks so much for all the feedback on chapter one. I love seeing the familiar names from Home and Life Here After as well as the new names! Enjoy, everything goes to its rightful owners.
A few months had passed by before a New York adoption agency had contacted them, saying they were fully eligible to adopt from them. The agency wanted to meet with them right away. So, on their next free weekend, the trio went to meet with the agency.
"It's cold," Calvin complained, shoving his hands further into his red sweat shirt as they walked towards the building. He leaned into Olivia for warmth as they were climbing the stairs to the door.
"Oof," Olivia grunted as he pressed against her. "Remember when we were moving into our old apartment and you complained I would knock you down the stairs? The roles are reversed."
"Sorry," Calvin responded sheepishly, leaning off of her as they entered the doors. Past the doors, it was a large brightly lit room. There was a hallway to their left, and chairs scattered all around the room. In front of them, a woman sitting behind a large oak desk stared at them. "May I help you?" she questioned.
Olivia walked over to the desk while Marcus and Calvin went to sit down. "My name is Olivia Benson," she told the woman, using her work name. "We have an appointment in regards to adoption."
The woman behind the desk stared at Olivia for a minute, as if sizing her up before she turned to her computer. "One of our workers will be with you shortly."
"Thank you," Olivia replied to her before walking over to join Marcus and Calvin. Before she even sat in a chair, a blonde middle aged woman walked down the hallway and into the room. She was wearing a black skirt suit, and had a manila folder in her hands. "Benson?" she called out.
After Olivia's nod, the woman walked over to them, a slight smile on her face. "Hello, I'm Sandra Adams. If you'll follow me we can get started." She led the family down the hallway into a smaller, more private room. "Please have a seat," Sandra said, gesturing to the large round table in the center of the room.
Olivia sat between Marcus and Calvin, while Sandra set her folder down onto the table and sat across from them. "Now, your application said you would prefer and older child, correct?"
"We believe that would work best with our jobs," Marcus answered.
"Of course. Tell me about your selves," Sandra said, looking between the three.
Olivia explained how she was a detective for the Manhattan Special Victims Unit, how Calvin was also adopted, and explained how Marcus was a principal.
"Wow," Sandra commented, her eyes sparkling with some emotion.
"Do you have anyone?" Calvin asked.
Sandra smiled at him, "We do. Would you like to meet a potential match today?"
Calvin's eyes lit up. "Today? Can we mom?"
"What's the adoption process like?" Olivia questioned.
"Here, we discuss with the family what would work best for them. We let the child in question meet at least once with the family. Usually that takes places at one of our foster homes, depending on the child. If both the family and the child seem to make a connection, then we launch into the paperwork straight away and the child can come and live with you as soon as then or can stay with the foster family until needed."
Olivia nodded so Sandra continued, "Based on your requests, I pulled…" she pushed the manila folder across the table.
Olivia opened the folder and smiled. A dark brunette girl with chocolate brown eyes was holding a stuffed bear, smiling up at the camera.
"Aw," Calvin commented.
"She's adorable," Marcus agreed.
"She is," Olivia said. Olivia scanned the piece of paper that was also in the folder. "What's her story? There's hardly anything here," she looked up at Sandra.
"She's only been here for three weeks," Sandra explained, massaging her temple. "As you read, her name is Samantha Ray. She's nine, and as far as we know, she lived with her grandparents in Pennsylvania until they died about two months ago. A couple found her on their way back from vacation, roaming around her neighborhood, they brought her here."
"Has she told you anything?" Marcus asked.
Sandra shook her head, "She hardly speaks. Her foster parents say she's improving very well, though. With the right nurturing hand, she'll be a normal nine year old girl. I understand if you have some worries, but if you give her a chance…"
"Of course we will," Marcus said. He looked at Calvin and Olivia, "Right?"
"Right!" Calvin agreed while Olivia nodded.
"Excellent, we can arrange a meeting this afternoon or another time that would work better for you."
"This afternoon is perfect," Olivia said.
"I'll call the foster family and be right back," Sandra said, walking out of the room.
"What do you guys think?" Olivia asked.
"I think this little girl needs a loving home," Marcus voiced.
Olivia smiled at him as Sandra walked back in. "I contacted the foster family; they said you're more than welcome to come. But, they said since Samantha is so nervous around new people, it might be best if only one of you come for now."
Olivia looked over at Marcus. "You should go," he told her. "She would probably be more comfortable around you."
"Okay," Olivia responded. She looked over at Calvin who was pouting slightly. She raised a questioning eyebrow at him.
"I wanted to go," he explained.
"If everything goes well, you're more than welcome to come later and see her, if Samantha is up to it. You could say, come over after an hour if Samantha has opened up some."
Calvin smiled at the idea.
"I can take you over to the foster home if you like," Sandra offered Olivia.
"Just let us know how it goes and Calvin and I will come visit or come pick you up when you're ready," Marcus told her, kissing her cheek as she stood up.
"Here's the address," Sandra said, sliding Marcus a piece of paper over the table as Olivia kissed the top of Calvin's head. "Visit's usually last about an hour and a half."
"We'll be there."
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
After about a twenty minutes drive, not counting the traffic, Olivia and Sandra pulled up to a nice two story house with a white picket fence surrounding it. A couple of boys a few years younger than Calvin were throwing a football in the front yard behind the fence. A woman around Olivia's age opened the front door of the house as they walked up to the fence. "Sandra," the woman greeted warmly.
"Mary," Sandra returned, letting Olivia into the yard. "This is Olivia," she introduced once they were inside the house.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Mary said kindly to Olivia.
"You too."
"Samantha is in the kitchen," she said with a small smile. Nodding, Sandra led Olivia through the house into the kitchen. A little girl whose dark brown hair was pulled up into a messy ponytail was sitting at a table in the kitchen with her back to them. She was scribbling on a piece of paper with crayons.
"Hi, Samantha," Sandra greeted, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I brought someone to see you."
Olivia stepped forward and sat next to the girl at the table. Samantha didn't even look up, just continued to color. "My name is Olivia," she told the girl softly.
Samantha still didn't look up, only impatiently brushed a few strands of hair out of her face that had escaped from her ponytail and chose another crayon.
"Do you know why I'm here?" Olivia asked, nodding as Sandra gestured she would be in the other room.
Samantha nodded slightly.
"What are you drawing?" Olivia studied the picture. "A pool?"
"It's a lake," Samantha corrected quietly, glancing up at Olivia slightly.
"A lake? Oh I see it! It's a lovely lake," Olivia complimented. "Do you like going to lakes?"
"My grandparents used to take me there," she answered. Samantha studied Olivia for a second before asking, "Do you have any kids?"
"I have a son," Olivia told her with a smile.
"How old is he?" Samantha placed a piece of paper in front of Olivia and gave her a few crayons.
"Oh, thank you," Olivia picked up a crayon and started to doodle. "He's fifteen, his name is Calvin."
"And a husband?" Samantha stared at the ring on Olivia's left hand.
"Yes, his name is Marcus."
"What are you drawing?" Samantha asked, leaning forward. "The sun?"
"Yes! You're much better at guessing than I am."
Samantha grinned at her and let out a giggle, her eyes lighting up for the first time.
"You're very pretty," Olivia told her.
Samantha's cheeks became red as she blushed. She turned her attention back to adding more details to her picture, "Thank you." She bit her lip before looking back up at Olivia, "Can I meet your family?"
"Would you like to?"
Samantha nodded.
"Hey, Sandra?" Olivia called out, smiling comfortingly at Samantha who looked alarmed.
"Yes?" Sandra asked, sticking her head in the door.
"Samantha would like to meet my family. Think we can make that happen?" She winked at Samantha, causing the girl to giggle again.
A wide smile broke across Sandra's face, "Absolutely."
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
After fifteen minutes of more coloring and creating small talk with Samantha, the girl moved her hair out of the eyes for what seemed like the hundredth time.
"Here, you want me to fix your ponytail?" Olivia offered.
Samantha's eyes widened for a fraction of a second before she nodded and pulled the elastic band from her hair and handed it to Olivia as she stood up from her chair and walked behind her. Olivia combed her fingers through Samantha's dark locks a few times before gathering it into a ponytail and putting the band back on. "Better?" Olivia asked as she sat back down.
"Much, thank you."They both heard the front door open and Samantha looked at Olivia, eyes full of fear.
"Shh, it's okay," Olivia assured. She ran her arm across the girls arm slightly. Olivia smiled warmly at her husband and son as they walked into the kitchen. Marcus moved to sit on Olivia's other side after Calvin chose to sit by Samantha, across from Olivia.
"Hi," Calvin greeted, pulling a piece of paper over to him.
"You're Calvin," Samantha stated simply.
"Uh-huh. You're Samantha," he said with a smile.
"Yup," she said, giggling slightly.
Olivia grinned at the two. "Samantha, this is Marcus," she introduced.
"Hello," she greeted with a shy smile in his direction.
Marcus waved, smiling fondly at her.
"I get to live with you guys right?" Samantha blurted out.
Olivia and Marcus shared a look while Calvin said, "I hope so."
Samantha turned to him, "Really? Why?"
"We have a lot in common."
"What do you mean?"
"Well," Calvin started, "we were both adopted, or going to be, in your case. My grandparents died too," he told her softly.
Samantha stared at him. Sandra walked back into the room, "I know you four are having fun, but our time is up."
"Noo!" Samantha whined. She wrapped her arms tightly around Olivia's waist once she had stood up.
"Aw, sweetie, we'll come visit again real soon, okay?" Olivia told her, rubbing her back soothingly.
"Promise?"
"Pinky promise," Calvin supplied.
Samantha released Olivia, "Okay." She walked with them to the door. "Bye," she told them waving as the front door shut after they left.
"You guys sure make an impression," Sandra said, turning to them once they reached the cars.
"A good one I hope," Calvin said with a snort.
"Very," Sandra said. "Samantha hasn't opened up to anyone of us like that. We've tried everything."
"That's a good sign then, right?" Marcus asked.
"If you're interested in adopting her…" Sandra trailed off.
"We are," Calvin insisted. "What?" he asked after he caught the amused looks Marcus and Olivia gave him.
Olivia shook her head at him, "We're interested."
"Great. I can start the paperwork right away."
"How long will that take?"
"It varies," Sandra said. "She can stay with the foster family for awhile if this is happening too fast."
"Can we come get her tomorrow?" Marcus asked.
"I don't see why not. I'll go back inside and talk with Mary and I'll contact you tonight. Would you like to tell Samantha yourselves tomorrow if everything works out?"
"Please."
"Very well. I'll contact you tonight."
"Thank you."
"Now we're getting to the good part!" Samantha exclaimed, dipping one of her fries into ketchup.
Olivia smiled at her, "We certainly are."
"I'm glad you picked me," Samantha told them.
"We are too," Calvin said. "No matter how mad we get at each other when we fight, I really do like you."
"Aw, Cal," Samantha teased. "I love you too."
Calvin smiled at her while blushing. Olivia leaned into Calvin fondly.
"Okay, back to the story!" Samantha said, looking at Olivia expectantly.
"Where was I? Oh yes…"