Author's Note: I'm sorry for the very late update. I've been suffering from severe writer's block and, well, other health issues so it's been a challenge to get this much out and I'm sorry if it's not up to par. I will try to be less awful with my updates but I can't guarantee it. Thank you so much for your understanding.
Chapter Four: Baby Steps
"Hey kid," Voight grins at Noah, bouncing the baby – well, not so much a baby anymore as a rather rambunctious and, if truth be told, sassy toddler. A toddler that rather enjoyed running Uncle Hank until he was ragged. Voight had forgotten how exhausting young kids could be but he's enjoying reliving the experience through Noah and his own grandson.
There were many days he still can't fucking believe he was a grandfather. And, boy, did Liv get a kick out of it. She'd tease him about how well he'd do things for an old man. That usually ended with her underneath him. "I'll show you old." He'd whisper into her ear as he slid into her. And she'd laugh.
God, how he wanted her back in his arms. In his bed. Just with him.
Noah starts babbling excitedly, as he usually did when Voight was around. Want to play with Elmo? Want to have some froot-loops? Mommy never lets me have those – maybe you could let me have them, please?
"Kid, you really gotta learn to start talking. Giving me that look doesn't tell me anything."
Noah's lower lip sticks out in a pout and his green blue eyes start filling up with tears.
Mommy can always tell what I'm thinking. Where is Mommy?
Voight looks at Noah somewhat suspiciously. He's been the recipient of the teary eyes many times and usually they'd go away once he gave Noah what he was, most of the time Noah either wanted something with sugar in it or his Mommy – neither of which Voight could give him right now.
"No, Noah." Mrs. Amaro walks over and lifts the fretful toddler out of Voight's arms. "You cannot have more sugar now, entiendes?"
Noah manages a glare through his tears. I don't like you. Where's Mommy? I want to go back to Uncle Hank. He'll give me sugar – I just need a few more minutes...
"It's time for your nap now, hijo." She clucks at him affectionately, smoothing his hair. Noah still has a sulky look on his face, sniffling angrily. Voight covers his mouth with his hand, trying not to laugh at the clearly disgruntled toddler.
"Say goodbye to Uncle Hank." Mrs. Amaro says, trying to calm the irate baby down.
Noah reaches out for Hank and starts to cry. I don't wanna go to bed. I don't want to take a nap. I want my Elmo. I want my froot loops. I want my MOMMY. I DON'T WANT TO GO TO BED.
"It's okay, kid." Voight says affectionately. "I'll see you soon. And your mommy will be home before you know it."
Olivia was going to be all-right – she just had to be.
…
"Tutuola." Hank gives Fin a quick call to update the detective on his CO's condition.
"Hey, man, what's goin' on? How's Liv?"
"She woke up. She's gonna be okay." And, for a moment, there is complete silence, but a silence that is absolutely loaded with emotions. Relief, worry, fear... they're almost tangible.
Voight could sense rather than hear the sigh of relief over the other end of the phone.
"Good, good…look, Sergeant Voight, we got somethin' we think you should see. You free to come down?"
"I'm gonna check in on Liv again but I'll be there when I can. Anything you can tell me over the phone?"
"Turns out Hernandez has relatives in New York. An aunt – Yolanda Diaz."
"Name doesn't ring a bell." Voight frowns. And yet an alarm in his head goes off. As if he should know that name somehow.
"That name wouldn't – but another might. Yolanda Diaz has a nephew who has a long list of priors, most of them committed in Chicago. He goes by Adres but most people call him…."
"Pulpo. Yeah. I know. Fuck." Voight spits into the receiver, rubbing his face with his hand. No. Not this. Not again.
"It's why I called you." Fin says quietly. "Adres looks like he's tangled with Chicago PD."
"That's one way of puttin' it." Voight says tightly, his hand gripping his phone tightly. "He was responsible for the kidnapping of the son of one of my detectives whom he later shot. He also was responsible for the murder of one of my detectives." And if I had my way, he'd be at the bottom of the fucking river with a Chicago necklace wrapped around his scrawny neck.
He should have killed the son of a bitch when he had the chance.
"We've got a BOLO out on Hernandez. Little shit shouldn't get too far." Fin comments.
"We can only hope he's as big a dumbass on the run as he was in trying to gun down Liv." Voight mutters. "I'll be over there shortly. I'm gonna check in on Liv."
"See ya. Don't wear her out or I'll kick your ass." Voight could hear the faint smirk in the detective's voice over the phone.
"10-4." Voight quirks a grin. He likes Fin. Tutuola took no bullshit and wasn't afraid to speak his mind. They were two of a kind in that way.
…..
"Hank." Olivia's face is still white and he doesn't like the pinched look to it but there was a bit more color in it than there'd been the day before.
"Hey, Liv, how ya feelin'?" He grins at her affectionately, not a hint of the worry he had been feeling the last few days on his face.
"Pissed off." She smiles faintly. "They won't let me go home, Hank."
"Liv." He shakes his head at her, rolling his eyes. So stubborn. "You took a bullet to the chest. Of course they're not gonna let you go. Did you really think you were gonna bounce back the next day and just go home?"
"I just hate this goddamned bed." She grumbles. "I hate not being able to do anything but just lie here." Beneath the anger, Hank can hear the frustration, the worry…and a note of fear. As if she was just now realizing how close she'd come to not being here. "I miss my son."
"I can tell you he's doin' just fine." Voight grins at her. "A little cranky and tryin' to bat those eyes of his at me to get out of takin' a nap."
Liv rolls her eyes. "He probably wants sugar and Elmo too."
"Can you blame him? That baby food is disgusting." Voight makes a face.
Liv simply chuckles. "I'm just wanting him to be healthy, Hank. That sugar stuff isn't good for him."
"But it tastes fucking better than the other crap." He mumbles.
Liv looks at him reprovingly, with a little twinkle in her eye. "You didn't feed him any of it, did you?"
Voight gave her his best who, me face. He's used it on her many times. Usually when he's pulled some shit she wouldn't like. Which he did on a frequent basis.
He can't help himself.
"Hank…" she says warningly.
"I didn't, Liv." He holds up his hands. "But it is fun seeing you squirm. Although…" he takes a seat next to her, speaking softly so only she can hear, "…there's a whole different kind of squirming that I'd rather see you doing."
"Henry Voight!" Liv's face flushes bright red.
"There. Now you have more color in your face." He leans back in his chair and crosses his arms with a smirk on his face. "Mission accomplished.'
Liv glares at him but has a hard time repressing her smile. "I don't know what I'm going to do with you, Voight."
"I have a few ideas." He grins impishly at her.
Oh, I bet you do...
"Is your mind ever out of the gutter?" She asks, raising an eyebrow.
"When it comes to you, never." Voight eyes her mischievously. "Where's the fun in that?"
Liv starts to laugh and then starts coughing, struggling a little to regain her breath.
Voight leans forward with concern. "Don't tire yourself out, Liv. My jokes aren't that good."
"You're damn right about that." She manages a wink and a wan smile.
"I'm hurt." Voight gave her a mock pouting face.
Olivia merely rolls her eyes.
He put his hand on hers and rubs it with his thumb. To his worry, she feels warm. "Liv, are you sure you're okay?"
"Sure." She replies, a ghost of her old grin flitting across her face, "I've never been better."
"You can't lie to me." Voight says, no smile on his face now. "I know you, Liv."
"I'm fine, Hank." She touches his hand back. "As fine as anyone could be with a bullet in their chest."
He looks at her intently, mouth set, lines deepening around his eyes.
"Stop worrying. I'll be back busting your chops before you know it."
-God, Liv, you know just what to say to turn me on.-
"I just don't want anything else to happen to you." He says. Clearing his throat in a somewhat unaccustomed burst of emotion, he starts, "Liv…" And there's so much he wants to say to her. What was on his mind when he was waiting for news about her, those long bleak hours after Erin had left. When he had thought he'd lost her.
Liv looks at him intently. "You don't have to say anything." She interrupts him, her smile a little sad. "I know." She knows because she's been there. Plunged deep in the darkness of anxiety and fear.
Voight leaned forward and over and kissed her, his mouth hot and fierce on hers. Bringing his face down to hers, she kisses him back deeply. "I'll be okay." She whispers reassuringly. "Now, speaking of busting chops, have you caught this asshole yet?"
"Not yet but we got some leads." He leans back in his chair, a thoughtful frown on his face.
"What did they find?" She looks at him keenly.
"Nothing important." He says dismissively. "Nothing for you to worry about right now."
"Hank Voight." She glares at him, more like the badass Benson he's familiar with. "Don't you pull this 'you're too fragile for this' shit or I'll kick your ass. You know better."
"Olivia." He looks at her seriously. "As soon as I got some tangible leads, you'll be the first to know. Right now we're just chasing theories."
She sighed. "Did I happen to mention how much I hate being stuck in this bed?"
"Only a few million times." He smiles.
"I'm really glad you came." Liv looks up at him. Voight's breath catches in his chest as he looks into her eyes, really looks, there was such vulnerability there and it scares him a little. He isn't used to seeing her this way – it isn't often that she lets down her walls for him to see her fears. Neither of them are very good at vulnerability.
"I wish I coulda come sooner but you know how airplanes are. Too goddamn slow." He smiled a little, trying to reassure her. "Liv, we're going to find the guy who did this."
"I know you will." Benson's eyes are fluttering, she's exhausted and simply can't stay awake anymore.
Voight leans down and kisses her briefly, running his thumb along her face. "I'll be back soon." He promises.
She's too tired to say anything else but her smile gives Hank the answer he needs.
I love you.
