Excuse any typos, I hope you all like this chapter. Don't forget to review.
Four months into arriving, she'd been out with him dozens of times. Christmas time came, and he'd invited her over for Christmas Day with his family next door. She didn't have anyone anyways. But with him, she'd felt a spark, she'd felt like she wouldn't feel that she needed to walk away. But falling for him meant giving up a big chunk of herself. Although maybe that happened no matter who she fell for. Olivia had a quick wit, and men flocked her. She'd date them for a few weeks, then discard them as if they were an article of clothing that didn't quite fit-apparently with no hard feelings on either side. She partied hard in the local bars but didn't bring it home with her.
Cragen never got calls because she had missed a shift, or no had she ever needed someone to drive her home, and no one would ever see her stumble down stairs. But no one had seen Olivia Benson let anyone get too close. Sure she'd dated guys completely unaware of her intellect, only wanting to get home with her, but she hadn't been able to settle down with any one. During her days in the NYPD, she had a life she could handle and at least pretend to be happy, but now she had a life to actually handle, and she was actually happy.
During her first year in Savannah, after dating Scott for nearly a year, they had spent holidays together, spent weekends together, and weeknights. She never allowed a man to get this close. But Scott had changed everything. He had helped Olivia let people in, he'd help her learn how to let others love her. How to not run away from a situation she couldn't handle. Eleven months together and he invited up to Charleston, South Carolina, where his family lived. It was a two hour drive, but he'd put on an album of country songs and started singing to them. Scott made her laugh with the ridiculous deep voice he had used. Road trips with him were always the best with him, and she enjoyed every second with him.
"Here, get a twenty from my wallet"
Scott takes on of his hands off the wheel, taking his wallet out from his back pocket and handing it to Olivia.
"Why?"
"There's a Cook-Out at the next exit."
"Wait what's Cook-Out?"
"Only the best take out Southern food in South Carolina."
Olivia looks at him oddly for a second
"You don't have them back in New York do you?"
"Guess not." Olivia says, laughing as they pulled up to a drive through
"I'll order for us."
He pulls up in front of the ordering machine.
"Two pulled pork barbecue specials."
He pulls up toward the next window. Olivia hands him the twenty dollar bill to pay, and puts the change back in his wallet. Before closing the wallet, she notices the picture of them taken about four months ago at Easter. It was a candid photo of him leaning in the door way next to her as they clinked glasses of wine together in mid laugh. He had told her it was his favorite photo of them. He had smiled at her after the photo was taken, and he had kissed her while his family looked for a brief moment, happy for him to have a woman he loved in his life.
They had reached his family's house, and they had parked the car in the drive through which had four other cars parked. The house was large, peach colored and with a balcony in the front on the second floor. It reminded Olivia of a plantation house. Over holidays, she had met his family, but hadn't visited them with him.
"Ready?"
"Yeah." She responds, smiling as she tugs on his hand a bit.
Scott wraps his hand around hers and kisses the top of her hand.
They rang a door bell to the house, and Olivia saw a person approach the door through the glass oval window on the door. The door swings open and Olivia is smothered with a hug from his father. His father was a sweet man who deeply cared for his children. His mother was a bit on the rough side, hard to get used to but when she did get used to someone, she was a sweet heart. There was no problem between her and Olivia, because she came to liking Olivia a lot.
"Hey John" Olivia says softly hugging him
John releases her and called for Scott's mother.
"Vivian, Scott's here with Liv!"
"Don't let them wait any longer, tell them to come in." Vivian says from a back room
"Come on in"
Scott's entire family was there, and Olivia had met his two brothers and one sister yet again. She had along met distant relatives, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. They had eaten outside on the back patio, where it faced a bare valley. It was calm, and Olivia thought of the months she had spent with him. She had learned he liked to get out early to do activities, that he liked long calm walks with someone, that he would let God give him as many children he was blessed with, and that he liked tough women. Sundays were special to him because that's when he went to mass. Olivia didn't believe, or maybe she didn't choose to. She had grown up with a drunk as a mother, and once, she had tried praying, to whatever was there to supposedly make everything alright. She wondered if things would actually get better. But her mother kept drinking, and kept spewing words at her, blaming her.
Olivia hadn't told him about her mother, or how Serena abused her. Scott had convinced her to go church with her a few times. She didn't hate it, or favor it. She was content with it. Her mind couldn't comprehend how people believed in a higher body, believing someone could help when needed. Scott respected the hell out of her though, he made sure not to push boundaries, maybe because he hadn't had the chance to push any. Olivia hadn't told him the things she'd always kept to herself. He didn't know her vulnerabilities just yet. Scott hadn't known she still had occasional dreams about her mother, or that she didn't let people love her, until now. But Scott was someone she felt comfortable with, no tension, complete opposites, yes, but she loved him.
The entire family had been sitting together outside, while Scott stood up at the end of the table.
He raised his glass of wine up, while everyone followed.
"I'm glad to be here with my family and of course, Olivia."
Olivia smiles at him.
"Mind coming up here?"
Olivia looks at him and then his parents. She gets out of the chair she's settle on and stands next to him, allowing him to wrap an arm around her waist.
"Olivia Addison,"
At the moment she feels slightly guilty, having him believe that's her full name, but at the moment she's content to be with him and only him.
"You've changed my life for good, and I don't think I'd be anywhere else but with you."
It's when she sees him put his wine glass on the table, and then leaning down on one knee. He takes both her hands in his and looks up at her, drawing her in with his bright green eyes.
"Will you marry me?"
He pulls put a ring, bare from its box, but holds it, curling it in her fist. Her breath stops, and she nods. Scott envelops her into a hug, kissing the side of head and then releasing her, placing the ring on her ring finger. His family stands, rushing towards them, giving one another hugs. Olivia's heart could jump out of her chest right now, but at the moment she's happy with Scott, with Savannah, she's happy that she's led her life to this.
Scott had asked her to marry him, and she had said yes. She felt as if it was all pretend because she was only in Savannah to prevent herself from getting hurt while trial awaited for a case. She realized it wasn't an undercover job, and she knew it was her life, and as long as she kept certain things to herself, she'd be alright. And right now, she was considered a soon to be married woman. Engaged, and with someone that cared for her, someone who she felt complete with. Whenever the trial news came, she'd have to show up in New York, a changed woman. She had left Manhattan as a woman running from potential danger. Her mind thought of what the squad would say if she showed up again. She would show up, the case out away with a guilty verdict and then the squad bombarding her with questions, only she'd probably say I'm Olivia Leary now, I was hiding out in Savannah, got married, and who knows, I might of had a kid or two.
It's then she recognizes a fear of having to tell Scott the truth. She would be married to a man she promised she would take care of in sickness and health. Someone she'd stick to for the rest of her life. She would have to tell him and his entire family that she was a sex crimes cop in the NYPD who was put in the witness protection program to prevent getting killed. Her head ached at the thought until Scott interrupts her by knocking on the bathroom door.
"Liv?"
"Sorry, I'll be out."
"No it's fine, just wanted to make sure you were okay."
She smiles to herself, allowing herself to be thankful for Scott.
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