Hope you are all having a great weekend! Here is the next chapter. For those who haven't seen, I published another story. It's a CSI Cath/Sara fic. If you haven't, please try it out. Please excuse any errors in this chapter. Also, I have no idea what Noah's babysitter's name is so I made one up. Thank you!
Olivia sighed, rubbing her aching eyes as she threw her reading glasses half-hazardly onto her desk. It had been three weeks since the shooting and they still had nothing. Every lead they had turned out to be a dead end.
After speaking to Tony Marcetti, the Don of the crime family Marsko had worked for proved that he had nothing to do with the shooting. In fact, he had no idea he was even out of prison. Things kept plummeting downhill after that. They had checked with rival families and they turned out to be as informative as the Marcettis.
They had a warrant out for his arrest and his pictures were circulated at every rental car agency, train station, and airport in the tristate area. Nothing.
On top of that Amaro, who had been spending as much time as he possible could in California with his daughter, turned in transfer papers. He wanted to be as closer to Zara, which was understandable, but it left them exceedingly shorthanded.
Olivia raised her head from her hands she saw Amanda packing her stuff to leave for the night. The brunette left her desk and made her way to the bullpen.
"You got plans for the evening?" She asked the blonde. Amanda spun around and forced a smile.
"Oh, you know, shuck my shoes and watch a movie with Emmy." She told the Sergeant. Olivia's eyes narrowed at the younger woman, seeing right through her façade.
"How are you doing, Amanda?" She asked. The blonde's smile falter slightly.
"We're okay." She assured the brunette. "I…I" When Amanda's voice begins to waiver Olivia tugged on her arm and pulled her inside her office and onto the couch.
"Okay," Liv said "spill."
"I just keep thinking 'is this what Ryan went through after I left?'" Amanda told her. "Things were tense and then I just disappeared. Now it's happening with Ryan, but at least I know that she's coming back…I hope." Olivia took a kneeling position at Amanda's feet, rubbing the younger woman's knee reassuringly.
"Did you guys walk at all before she left?" She asked. Amanda nodded.
"We know that we have to talk, but we put that on pause until she gets back and everything with the shooting in cleared up."
"Pause? Like How I Met Your Mother?" Olivia asked through a smile, causing Amanda to laugh.
"Yea." Amanda said, wiping her eyes and taking a deep breath. "How is Alex?"
"About the same as you, I guess. Focusing on work, Noah, really anything but Ryan." The blonde nodded understandingly. "Hey, how about you guys come to dinner tomorrow? We could all use some family time." Amanda smiled, nodding shakily.
"That would be nice." She said.
The two talked a bit more before parting ways. Olivia shared a cab with Amanda, making sure she got home safe, before riding the rest of the way to her own home.
Upon opening her door she found Alex, casefiles sprawled around her on the coffee table and one in her hand, with a sleeping Noah in her lap. The sight warmed her heart. She finally had everything she had ever wanted in life. She had Alex and they were in the process of adopting a son.
"You going to stand there all night?" Came Alex's hushed voice. Olivia smiled as she walked up behind her girlfriend, pressing a kiss into blonde locks.
"Having fun?" She asked cheekily, taking a seat next to the other woman. Alex pulled her glasses from atop her nose and placed them, along with the file from her hand, on the table before them, her hands then came to rest on her son, cradling him gently.
"I wasn't, but now that you're here things are looking up." She answered. Olivia scooted forward on the couch and pulled her family in her arms. After speaking to Amanda that night, she felt all the more lucky to have what she did; a loving girlfriend and an amazing son. She smiled when Alex snuggled deeper into her embrace, sighing gently.
"I love you so much, baby." Liv whispered into Alex's hair, her voice clouded with emotion. Alex pulled back slightly, still staying in the Sergeant's arms, her hand raising to cup the older woman's face.
"I love you too, sweetheart." Alex replied. "Are you okay?" Olivia nodded.
"All my life I have fought so hard to find someone to love me." The brunette said. "I finally have everything I have ever wanted; you and Noah." Liv grasped the hand on her cheek, pressing a soft kiss to her palm.
"I want us to be a family." Olivia continued. "Forever."
"I want that too, baby." Alex said with a smile.
"Marry me." Olivia said. The brunette watched as Alex's eyes widened considerably. He heart felt like it halted in her chest as she waited for an answer. After what seemed like years of waiting, the blonde vigorously nodded her head, a bright smile taking over her features. Happiness flowed through Olivia's body like a drug, butterflies filling her stomach.
After placing Noah in bed, Olivia met her girlfriend, now fiancé, in their bedroom. Alex was sitting on the edge of the bed, waiting. The brunette smiled brightly at her, making her way to sit next to her.
"I have a question." Alex said quietly, the joy in her eyes suddenly being dampened by doubt. "Is this because of the shooting? Because-"Her sentence, however was cut off by a pair of soft lips crashing with her own.
"Wait here." Olivia breathed against her lips when they pulled apart. The older woman stood and opened the gun safe in their closet. When she returned to the bed she carried a small, velvet box along with a thin piece of paper. "Normally I wouldn't show you this, but I think you need to see it." The brunette said, handing the paper over.
It was a receipt from a well-known jewelry store in the city. The most surprising part, however, was the date of sale. It was three days before the shooting. Alex smiled brightly at the woman next to her. Olivia then slid from the bed, landing on her knee before her seated love.
"I've been trying to find the right way to ask you for weeks." She said, taking the blonde's hand in her own while she spoke. "I know it isn't the most romantic, but coming home tonight and see you working on the couch, holding our son…I just couldn't not ask you anymore." The older woman then opened the box, reveling a white gold band with a beautiful, yet still modest, sapphire glistening at the top. Alex held out her hand while Olivia the ring on her finger, where it belonged.
"I love you so much, baby." Olivia said, kissing Alex gently.
"I love you too." Alex replied. "The proposal was perfect, you are perfect." She said, pulling the brunette with her onto the bed.
Olivia settled atop her new fiancé, kissing her soundly. The blonde's nimble hands slid under the Sergeant's shirt, both moaning at the feeling.
"Make love to me, baby." Alex whimpered.
"I have to tell Ryan when she gets back." Alex said some time later as she stared at the ring on her finger. Olivia laughed.
"She already knows I was going to propose." She said, causing Alex to look at her curiously. "She helped me with the ring.
"You're sure this is it?" Ryan asked again as the stood at the jewelry store checkout.
"Yes." Olivia said with a smile as she handed over her credit card. "It matches her eyes." Ryan smiled at her, happy someone loved her mother that much.
As the two made their way through the New York afternoon foot traffic Olivia asked the question that had been stuck in her head all day.
"This is alright with you, right?" Ryan looked at her questioningly.
"Walking back to work?" The younger woman asked. "Its fine, I guess. Good exercise."
"Not that, ya dork." Olivia said with a laugh. "Me marrying Alex." Ryan stopped them abruptly, looking at the older woman closely.
"Why would I have a problem with you marrying her?" She asked.
"I don't want you to think that I'm trying to replace your mom, or anything." Olivia told her. Ryan smiled at the older woman.
"Liv, I have no doubt that Alex loved my mom." She said. "But, it's different from the way she loves you…deeper, if that makes sense."
"I won't lie and say that, in the beginning of your relationship, I didn't feel a bit like Alex was settling for Mom and I as a replacement for you." Ryan continued. "But, I know that isn't how Alex felt about us. And the fact that you are asking me this shows that you not only respect me, but my relationship with her. I couldn't ask for more than that." Olivia smiled at the younger woman warmly, pulling her into a tight embrace.
"I love you, kiddo." She whispered. "You know that, right." Ryan nodded against the Sergeant's shoulder. The two pulled apart, both realizing that a congested sidewalk was probably not the place for a heartwarming talk. The two continue onward, Olivia's arm slung over Ryan's shoulders.
"I see you as more than just my girlfriend's daughter." Olivia said. "I see you the same way I see Noah, as one of my kids. I want you to know that." Ryan's arm wound around the older woman's waist tightly as she leaned heavily against her, trying to keep her emotions in check.
"I know." She said, thickly. "Me too." Liv smiled, kissing the younger girl's temple.
"You really said that to her?" Alex asked, tears forming in her eyes.
"I told her the truth." Olivia replied.
"I love you so much." She whispered, rolling on top of Olivia, her hand sliding beneath the sheets.
The first thing Amanda noticed the next day was the glee filled smile on her boss' face. "Well, what's got you so happy?" She asked.
"She said yes." Olivia told her.
"What?!" Amanda asked, shocked. "You asked?!" Olivia nodded happily. Amanda waddled as fast as she could, throwing her arms around the older detective.
"I'm so happy for you." She said.
"What's with the hugs?" Fin asked as he and Carisi came into the bullpen.
"I proposed." Liv said when she and Amanda separated.
"She said yes?" Carisi asked, causing Liv to look at his incredulously.
"Is that so hard to believe?" She asked.
"Oh! No, that's not what I-"
"Ha, chill Carisi, I'm messing with you." Liv said. After hugs were given from the men, everyone meandered back to their desks and got back to work.
Everything was quiet until a few hours later, when all hell broke loose.
Everyone was in Olivia's office trying to decide what to get for lunch when the Sergeant's cell phone rang. Recognizing the number, she immediately answered.
"Hello." She said, still laughing at something Fin had said.
"Olivia!" Said Clara, Noah's babysitter, frantically. "You need to get home, now!"
"Clara?" Olivia asked, gesturing for everyone else to hush. "What's wrong? What's going on?"
"He's gone, Liv! I tried, I swear!" The brunette's body ran cold at the girl's words.
"Who's gone, Clara?" She asked, her words coming out surprisingly even.
"Noah!" Clara cried. "They took him!"
Hope you all like this chapter. Sorry about the cliffhanger, but I will be updating soon! Don't forget, feedback is loved.