Brian Cassidy wanted to marry Olivia Benson. He's wanted to marry her since the day he laid eyes on her fourteen years ago when he started at SVU, but in the last two years being with her, and now having a baby with her and watching her be a mother to their baby daughter, he was now more sure than ever. He wanted to be Olivia Benson's husband if it was the last thing on earth he ever did.
Three months ago, right before Aurie was born, Brian put a down payment on the perfect engagement ring for Olivia. A princess-cut, one-and-a-half carat diamond that was small enough to wear during work but big enough to sparkle twenty-four hours a day. Two days ago, he paid off the ring and took it home, stuffing it in the bottom of his underwear drawer where he knew Olivia wouldn't find it.
Now, there it sits, just waiting for the perfect moment to be put on her ring finger that has sat bare the last fifteen years, and then some. He was thinking it was going to happen this weekend, when they're all at his mother's house for an Easter get-together. The three of them surrounded by his family that absolutely adores her? There couldn't be a more perfect moment than that.
Brian is sitting on the couch in their apartment with Aurie sleeping soundly on his chest, watching the game on television with the volume down low while they waited for Olivia to come home from work. Now that she was commanding officer and had a baby, her hours were a lot lighter and she was able to make it home at a reasonable hour. It made him feel so much better knowing she'd be home at night with their baby, and that she was safe and sound in the house and not on the street risking her life anymore.
As if she could hear his thoughts, Olivia comes into the house with a soft 'click' of the front door, shrugging her coat off and hanging up it by the door before walking around the wall of the living room, a smile immediately coming to her face when she sees her boyfriend and baby. She waves softly and takes her shoes off before walking into the living room and toward the couch.
"There she is! Hi mama." Brian says gently, not to wake Aurie, and manipulates her little hand to wave at Olivia, causing the sergeant to giggle. "We missed you."
Olivia sits down next to Brian on the couch with a huff, leaning down to kiss the baby's forehead before kissing Brian quickly. "Oh, I missed you guys, too. What a day." Her head comes to lean over on Brian's shoulder, and she smiles softly when she feels Brian's lips graze her head softly.
"Tough one?"
She shrugs. "It's just hard to leave you both for most of the day. Before Aurie, I basically lived at the precinct. But now since she's here, I don't know…" She trails off, and Brian maneuvers to look down at her with an eyebrow raised.
"What are you thinking about?"
Olivia sits up now and crosses her legs underneath her on the couch, running a hand through her short dark hair. "I just don't know if this is my calling anymore. You know, I just never thought I'd have a family or do anything with my life other than be a cop, but now that I have you and we have Aurie, I'm just so nervous going to work now. It's not just my life on the line anymore, ya know? It's our daughter's now, too."
"I get that. But you're commanding officer now, so how often are you going to be in the field, you know?" Olivia sighs and shrugs, and Brian sits up now, his hand on the small of Aurie's back to not wake her. "Look, Liv, you know I'm going to support you in everything you do, but I also know that you love your job, you're really good at it, and it is what you are supposed to do. And sure, it's dangerous, but I think having the baby to come home to makes you extra careful on the job."
As if the infant knew she was being spoken about, Aurie stirs on Brian's chest and whimpers softly, finally coming out of her sleep. A bright smile comes to Olivia's face when she sees her baby's big eyes come into view, and she reaches out to grab her gently.
"Well, hello, my love. You heard us talking about you, didn't you?" As if she was answering, Aurie coos making both Olivia and Brian giggle.
"She really does make everything worth it, doesn't she?" Olivia asks Brian, and he leans over to kiss Olivia lightly, nodding his head.
"Everything." He says, kissing her again before pulling away and standing up off the couch. "Now, you stay there, I'm going to go start dinner." Olivia nods and mouths an 'okay', looking down at her daughter who was looking up at her mom with wide eyes and a toothless grin. The daughter that looked exactly like Brian, no matter how many times he said she looks like Olivia.
The daughter with the man who thirteen years ago she blew off, not wanting to mix business with pleasure and fall in love at the workplace. The man she knew she wanted to marry. She was just waiting on him to finally pop the question. She hoped it was sooner rather than later, or she was about to take matters into her own hands.
XXX
"Liv? Are you almost ready to-woah." Brian stops in his tracks in the doorway of the bathroom, his eyes going wide and his jaw dropping as he takes in her appearance as she stands in front of the mirror.
Olivia was wearing a burgundy long-sleeved wrap dress that stopped at the knee, with black tights underneath and black ankle-booties with a touch of sparkle on the zipper. Her short black hair was curled to perfection and her eye makeup was subtle was stunning. Since having the baby, Brian noticed that the glow on her skin was permanent and stunning, so she didn't need extra make-up. She shined so bright without it.
She giggles and looks over at Brian, a blush on her cheeks. "Do you like it?"
Brian sighs and walks over to Olivia, an arm snaking around her waist. "Are you kidding? You look beautiful, Olivia. You're easily going to be the most beautiful woman in the room."
Olivia gasps and fakes offense, placing a hand over her heart. "Don't let Aurie hear you."
"I think she'll agree with me, honestly. Plus, she looks just like you; she'll grow up thanking you."
"Oh, no, she definitely looks like her daddy. Especially those eyes that'll make her mama cave and give her anything she'll ever want." Olivia says, throwing a wink up at Brian and leaning up to plant a chaste kiss on his cheek. "Give me ten minutes to finish up and we'll be ready to roll." She says, smiling when she feels Brian kiss the top of her head before turning to head out of the bathroom to get Aurie ready to go.
The smile on her face doesn't fade as she finishes getting ready, adding a nude sparkly gloss to her plump lips and tousling the small curls in her hair to loosen them a bit. Olivia absolutely adored Brian's mom, especially since Aurie came into their lives, but she was still nervous as ever and wanted to look her best. And wanted to look less exhausted since having a baby. Not that his mom or family would judge for something like that, but she just really wanted to give a good impression, since she loved them so much.
Ten minutes later, she's stepping out of the bathroom and toward the living room to get Brian and Aurie so they could leave for his mom's. "There's mama." Brian whispers to Aurie when Olivia walks up to them with a smile on her face. "Are you ready to go?"
Olivia nods and reaches out to smooth her hand over Aurie's back gently, smiling softly at her daughter in Brian's arms. "Ready if you are. Let's go."
Brian leans down to latch Aurie into her car seat while Olivia grabs the diaper bag and the car keys, smiling at Brian when he gets the baby strapped in, and they walk out hand-in-hand to spend some time with his family.
XXX
The Easter get-together was going so well. Olivia was getting along with Brian's sister, Victoria, and everyone was loving Aurie. She was being passed around into everyone's arms and, judging by the smile on the infants' face, she was absolutely loving it. Olivia was so glad she was now included in such a beautiful family, and that they loved her and her daughter like one of their own.
As Olivia is talking to his sister, Brian comes up behind her and places his hands on her hips gently, leaning forward to kiss the back of her head softly. A small smile comes to her face as she leans slightly against his touch, and Victoria places a hand over her heart as she watches them. The two of them were truly so in love, and it infected everyone around them.
"Hey, babe. Victoria hasn't run you out of the kitchen yet with all her badgering?"
"Now, Brian, I would never do such a thing." Victoria says, winking at Olivia and causing both women to laugh.
"Well, we're all going into the living room for a little Easter basket exchange for the littles if you wanted to come over."
"I'll be right over there; I'm going to go grab Aurie." Olivia says, leaning back to kiss Brian's cheek quickly and he smiles and lets go of her hips to go into the living room with his sister while Olivia goes to find Aurie with whatever aunt decided to snuggle her last.
When she finally intercepted her daughter, from Brian's sister-in-law, she heads into the living room with the rest of the family and finds Brian, sitting down on the couch next to him with a smile on her face. His arm immediately wraps around her shoulder, and his other hand traces a soft line on his daughter's chubby cheek. Olivia turns her head to smile at him, her heart feeling like it's going to burst with all of the love she had for her little family and her now-extended family.
"Alright, is everyone here and ready?" Brian's mom asks, and the room fills with "yes"'s and words of agreement, and she claps her hands with excitement. "Perfect, let's get started."
Brian clears his throat and stands up, though, and Olivia looks at him with an eyebrow raised. "Actually, I have something to say first." He says, smiling down at Olivia before rubbing his hands together nervously.
"Brian, what are you doing?" Olivia asks through a chuckle, and Brian just puts his hand up to silence her.
"Liv, just…bear with me for a couple minutes, please." He says, and Olivia nods and motions for him to continue. "I've been waiting for the right time to do this, and I figured now, surrounded by my family, is the best time." He takes a shaky breath and reaches down to hold her hands and smiles at his daughter, who is giving him a toothless grin.
"From the day I met you all those years ago in the SVU squad room, I knew you were something special. And then when you rejected me and I wouldn't take no for an answer, I knew." Everyone laughs now, and Olivia just shakes her head and feels her cheeks redden. "You are the strongest, most brave person I know, and you are the most amazing mother to our little girl. Aurie is so lucky to have you in her life, and I am, too. And I think it would only make sense that we have you for the rest of our lives, and become an official family of three."
Olivia truly realizes what's happening now, and the tears begin to spill over now as she lets go of one of Brian's hands to place a hand over her mouth in shock. The family sitting around them gasp, and a few exclamations can be heard quietly. Brian stoops to one knee in front of Olivia, reaching into the pocket of his pants to pull out a black velvet box, blinking away tears before opening it up. Nestled inside was a beautiful 4 carat princess-cut diamond on a band wrapped in smaller diamonds, small enough to wear to work but big enough to truly shine.
"I love you so much, Olivia Benson. Seeing you in this new light as a mom over the last few months has truly been incredible, and has made me fall even more in love with you. Please do me the honor of becoming my wife. Marry me?"
Everything in the room suddenly gets quiet as they wait for her answer, and she nods her head so slowly and softly at first that she doesn't even think Brian can see it. But when a smile comes to his face and tears line his lower lid, she realizes he can. She starts nodding faster now as the tears begin to flow freely, and she mouths a quiet 'yes', leaning down and grabbing both sides of his face to kiss him passionately while everyone in the room cheers for them.
When they finally pull apart, Brian pulls the ring out of the box and slides it gingerly onto her ring finger, the finger she always thought would remain bare. Olivia looks at it in awe for a minute before Brian stands up and leans down to kiss her again, smiling against her lips as his family begins cheering louder now.
She was so happy. She had a beautiful baby and was marrying the best man she's ever known, and she truly believed her life couldn't get any better. This was the happy ending she always dreamed of, the happy ending her mother kept telling her she'd never get.
XXX