"I want to go home."

"We're not going anywhere until the doctor says you can, Gina."

"But mom…"

"But mom nothing. So far, I've let you do whatever you want, but that's enough. We both have to accept you are sick and need to slow down."

"I didn't ask to have cancer!"

Olivia sat on the bed next to her daughter and held her close to her chest. "No one asked for this. Believe me, I would change places with you in a heartbeat if I could."

"Why can't I get better? Why do I have to die?"

Before she could say anything, Voight walked in interrupting them. "Olivia, the doctor wants to talk to us."

"Tell him to do it in front of me."

"Kid…"

"I'm the one who's sick, dad. I deserve to know what's going on with my body."

"I'll go get him." He was gone for two seconds and stepped back in with the doctor. "You can tell the three of us what's going on."

"How are you feeling now, Regina?"

"I've been better, doc."

"The tests we ran show that the cancer in your liver has spread to your stomach and your lungs."

"What does this mean?" Hank asked as he felt Olivia squeezing his hand.

"It means Regina can no longer play volleyball. Her lungs aren't working properly and the extra activity wouldn't be good for her. It also means that sometimes you will get sick after eating," he looked at the teenager, "that's because from time to time your stomach will reject the food."

"So, how long do I have? Still nine months?"

"I'm afraid not. With how fast the cancer is spreading, you now have three to six months left."

"Can I go home now?"

"Yes, just make sure you get some sleep. We kept you awake all night so you should use today to rest."

Neither of them spoke on the way home because there were no words that could possibly bring any comfort. One day Regina was fine, traveling back and forth between her parents' houses, and the next she was dying. Neither Voight nor Olivia could understand how life could be so unfair and take away the only good thing they had done in their life. They had made many mistakes, many things they regretted having done, but Regina was definitely not one of them. Regina was the product of the truest and purest love. Because, despite everything, their love had been magnificent and had given them the best gift. They couldn't imagine life without that gift, without their beautiful daughter.

"Do you want to skip school on Monday?" Olivia asked as they were done with lunch and sat around the table looking at each other.

"No, I want to go. I want to spend time with my friends."

"I get that, kid, but maybe you should wait and see how you feel tomorrow morning."

"I agree with your father."

"Whatever you say. I'm going to sleep now. I feel tired." She pushed her chair back and left the kitchen heading towards her bedroom.

"I have to be in court tomorrow, can you stay with her if she doesn't end up going to class?"

"You don't even have to ask."

"Thank you." Olivia rubbed her eyes pushing the tears away.

"It's okay to cry, Benson."

"It isn't. I have to be strong for her."

"She's not here right now. How about I'm the strong one for a while?"

"I would like that very much."

"You got it."

As the tears started rolling down her cheeks, Olivia felt Hank wrapping his arms around her and scooping her up. He didn't say anything because he knew she didn't need that; she just needed to be held while she cried. His arms were her home, in them she felt the safest she had ever been. Benson knew that no one could hold her that way. No one could love her like he did. Because in that moment, as he embraced her and she listened to his heart beating, she understood the love was still there. Infidelity and other sexual partners couldn't stop that. Nothing could stop their love from existing. That kind of love happened but once in a lifetime. It was unique and it could survive anything.

"I want to show you something," she took his hand and led him towards her bedroom. Voight watched her every move as she reached for a box inside her closet. Olivia sat down on the floor and patted the spot next to her. "Family photos I've kept all this time."

"Yes, you kept those in the divorce."

"Be nice, Henry." She shoved him gently as she placed a photo between his hands. "This is from the first time we took Regina to the beach."

"I remember she spent the entire week trying to eat sand."

"And she succeeded." She pointed at a photo of Regina with a fist of sand in her mouth. "She was such a mess."

"She was always putting things in her mouth. Like with the snow that time we went skiing."

"I have that photo. Hold on!" She stood up and went back to looking inside the box that held their family treasures. "Here it is." As she walked back to him, Hank pulled her leg making her sit on his lap.

"Show me."

"See? Here she's shoving snow in her mouth," they both laughed remembering that day. "And here she's skiing for the first time."

"There's so much life in her. I can't understand how someone like her can get sick."

Olivia shifted around on his lap so she was facing him, her legs wrapped around his waist. "I don't think we will ever understand why this is happening. Is it a test life put in our way? I have no idea. Nothing will ever take the pain away. Nothing will ever fill the void she will be leaving. But I am grateful for her. My god, I am so grateful. She is the most amazing thing life could have given me. She is the most amazing thing you could have given me. Because she is ours, we created her. Our love brought to life the most perfect human being and, even with this horrible sickness, nothing can take that from us. And maybe we were given a certain time with her, the best of our lives. Maybe this is life's way of showing you your way back home. A horrible way but a way at last."

"I am home," Voight whispered as he kissed her lips tenderly and he could still taste the trace of the salty tears she had shed minutes earlier.

Before they could say anything else, Regina yelled calling for Olivia. She found her daughter laying on the bathroom floor in a pool of her own vomit. In that moment, all the pain, the fear, was pushed away and she immediately focused on her child. Benson picked Regina up and got in the shower with her. She could feel her hands shaking as she washed the vomit away and cleaned her daughter's body. Her clothes were soaking wet as she got her little girl into a fresh pair of pajamas and in her bed. As she cleaned the bathroom floor, she allowed the tears to flow. Cancer was showing its signs and she wasn't ready to see her baby girl suffering.

"I'm sorry, mom."

"You have nothing to be sorry about, Gina. I'm sorry I wasn't here to help you earlier."

"I didn't want to call for you. I thought I would be fine but then I lost control of my body."

"Regina, I want you to always call me or your dad if you feel like you are about to throw up. We are here for you so whatever you need, you tell us."

"I will," Regina said as she yawned. "I'll go back to sleep now."

"Do you want me to stay?"

"No, I'll be fine."

"I'll come check on you in a few minutes."

Voight was going through old photos when she walked back into the bedroom. He was about to ask if everything was okay but he could see in her eyes that it wasn't. "Come here," he took her hand in his and led her to the bathroom where he got the shower running. Slowly, Hank started undressing her, his fingertips slightly caressing her skin. She was still shaking, she felt numb and all she wanted was to be in his arms again. "Join me," she whispered as he helped her step in the shower. He nodded and removed his clothes before standing under the water with her.

Olivia took a step closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. It was the first time they saw each other naked in five years. The first time their bodies touched. But it didn't feel like it. It felt like no time had gone by. Their bodies felt familiar, like they had never been apart. Voight ran his hands along her body feeling her wet skin shiver at his touch. He kissed her neck before pressing his lips against hers.

"I need you," Olivia whispered.

"Are you sure?"

"I've never been surer about anything in my life."

He picked her up wrapping her legs around his waist as he slid in her and pressed her back against the shower wall. Softly he started working his body, his hips moving in circle motion against hers. Olivia kissed his neck and a soft moan escaped his lips. Five years had gone by since the last time they had had sex. Her body felt just as good as the last time. Voight nibbled her earlobe before he kissed down her neck to her chest. His hands were placed on the small of her back preventing her body to slam against the wall as he thrusted his hips going deeper in her. Benson moaned his name as her legs tensed around his waist and her walls tightened around him as he hit her core harder each time. He worked his hips going deeper and hitting her g-spot; a loud moan came out of her mouth as he drove her over the edge and spilled his seed in her.

"I love you, Olivia Benson." He looked into her eyes as he helped her wrap a towel around her body.

"And I love you, Hank."

"I don't know how things will go from here. I have no idea what our future will bring, particularly with Regina's condition. But if there's one thing I know, it's that I don't ever want to lose you again. Despite everything, you are my wife…my ex-wife, but still mine. My heart is yours."

"I promise I won't let it get broken again."

"I trust you, Benson."

"Good," she said before kissing him. "I have to go check on Regina."

"Let me do that." Hank put his boxers and shirt back on before heading to Regina's room.

As he stepped into the bedroom, he saw his daughter peacefully sleeping. She didn't look sick. She didn't look months away from dying. He wished she wasn't. As he watched her sleep, Hank wished he had come back home sooner. He wished he hadn't waited until a tragedy happened to come back to his daughter and wife. He knew Olivia and he would never be separated again but Regina wouldn't get to enjoy that. If only he hadn't been so stubborn. If only he had come back sooner, he might had been able to give Regina a couple more years of happiness.

"Dad?" Regina shifted in bed as she woke up.

"Didn't mean to wake you up, kid."

"It's okay. Did something happen?"

"No, I just came to check on you."

"I'm okay, dad."

"I wanted to tell you something," he sat on the bed next to her. "Your mom told me about your last wish."

"Oh."

"I wanted to say you can stop wishing."

"But dad, you belong with her!"

"No, you don't understand what I'm saying. I am never leaving your mom again."

"Thank you, dad!"

"No, thank you. Thank you for showing me where I belong."

Reviews are always welcomed and appreciated; they motivate me even more than you know.