August 8, 2022 was the first day of the trial of the People vs Sebastian and Sophia Sullivan. The grand jury had been a week before. Olivia and all the children, except Noah, had testified.

Olivia wasn't allowed to attend the opening statements as she was the first witness ADA Carisi was going to call, but Rafael was seated directly behind Carisi's chair. Noah was next to him, much to Liv's dismay, but the other three children were also on the witness list for the prosecution, having been approved by the judge to answer questions for the trial.

Rafael had spent the week prior preparing the kids with Carisi, they had taken turns asking questions. His experience being a defense attorney was incredibly handy because he knew the kinds of things they ask so he was able to prepare the three kids for any possible questions thrown their way.

Their playing court had also been good preparation because they had learned different phrases the lawyers and judge would use and if that meant they would have to answer questions or not.

Rafael and Noah were holding hands as they listened to Carisi's opening statement. He was confident and eloquent, sure of himself.

Noah leaned toward Rafa, "he sounds really good."

Rafael nodded, he wholeheartedly agreed and if he wasn't as nervous as he was, he would've been proud.

Carisi had done well with the jury, picking a lot of parents. The defense had managed to slip a couple in that he was unsure of, but he felt his case was strong.

"The people call Captain Olivia Benson," Carisi stated.

Noah squeezed Rafael's hand.

Liv still had a slight limp and was still moving a bit slower than normal as she took the stand.

"Good morning, Captain," the ADA greeted.

Liv gave a small smile.

"You were the one who took the initial statement of the first child to make an appearance?" Carisi inquired.

She nodded, "I was. She arrived at the precinct unaccompanied and refused to speak to anyone except me."

"Were you aware of the situation prior to her arrival?"

"No," she responded.

The questions went on exactly as they had prepared.

When Carisi went to sit, he gave the slightest nod to Barba.

The defense lawyer was someone new, Carisi had never heard of her, and surprisingly, neither had Rafael. Her name was Maria Benito and she had deep brown hair which drastically contrasted her icy blue eyes.

She carried herself with more confidence and cockiness than Rafael, which reminded him of Liv's advice to not be too cocky because it turned a jury off. Clearly this woman hadn't received that memo.

Her questions were almost demeaning in nature, as though Olivia was on trial.

Carisi was objecting every few questions and the judge seemed to agree with him wholeheartedly.

Listening to her questioning made Rafael grow more nervous about the three children. He'd pressed, he'd prodded and poked at them, ensuring that they knew the defense wouldn't go easy and he was confident in them… but this woman worried him.

When Maria had failed to find some hole in Liv's story, she declared that she was done with this witness.

Olivia gave Rafael a look as she passed him on her way out.

It wasn't certain that they would get to the kids today but he hoped they would do they could get this out of the way for them. He was worried enough about the three of them sitting in the witness room with Rollins.

The friends of the Delgados and the Paxylls that the squad had found were next. Two friends each and they all testified to the fact that there were no issues leading up to the births of these children. In fact both couples were perfect prior to having children, but once the kids were born it was as if those people disappeared and were replaced by imposters. The ladies disappeared from social lives and the men grew more aggressive. All four of the stories told by these friends were so similar that it was scary.

After their testimonies it was time for lunch.

Noah held tightly to Rafa's hand the whole time, when they stepped out during the recess to stretch their legs and get food, Liv joined them.

"How's it going?" She whispered.

"Carisi is doing good," Rafael nodded, "hard to read the jury, though."

"There's a media circus out front," she informed.

"Great."

"She's kinda mean," Noah whispered.

Both adults nodded and the three of them quietly ate their lunches, worrying about the three absent family members.

After the recess, Liv joined them in the gallery.

Mr Delgado was next, his orange jumpsuit was starkly contrasting the rest of the apparel in the courtroom.

Noah gripped Rafael and Olivia's hands tighter as he realized this was the man who'd hurt Maddox and Felix's mom. He was engrossed in the questions Carisi was asking and cringed at the ones Maria Benito asked.

He testified to the fact that he killed his wife because he snapped, he'd been so convinced that she cheated on him. It broke all of his trust in her, in the world. He talked about how deeply he regretted it and how strongly he wished he could take it back.

Aspen's former nanny went next, testifying that she'd been the one to find Maxwell Paxyll's body. That she hadn't received final payment and went to ask him why. She spoke about how he wouldn't come home for days on end with no warning and how Lauren Paxyll would cower when he was home.

After her, it was Aspen. She was wearing the suit she'd gotten for her birthday and she looked even smaller than normal as she sat on the stand.

"Hello, Aspen," Carisi greeted.

"Hi," Aspen's voice was soft.

"Is it alright if I ask you a few questions?"

"Yes."

She had been taught to answer with one word only unless the question required more.

Rafael looked at her, he kept a reassuring smile on his face just in case she looked at him.

Liv, on the other hand, was watching the jury. She could immediately pick the parents out as they all shifted upon seeing this little girl take the stand.

"You told Captain Benson that your dad had the nanny put you on the train?" Carisi asked.

"Yes."

"And he told you to only speak to her?"

"Yes."

"Did he explain why you were going there or what was going on?"

"No."

"You told Captain Benson that your dad yelled a lot?"

"Yes."

"At you? Or your mom?"

"Mom, mostly," she looked toward Rafa.

He gave her a small nod, she was doing well.

Olivia was watching the hearts of the parents in the jury break.

"Were you scared of him?" Carisi continued.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Sometimes when he was mad he would break things or I would hear mommy crying because he would push her."

"Where would you be?"

"My room."

"What would he get mad about?"

"He said mommy did something bad and that I proved it."

"Do you know why he said that?" Carisi stood near her.

"He would yell about me not looking like either of them," Aspen looked at her shoes.

"What else would he get mad about?"

"He got mad anytime mommy wanted to go spend time with any of her friends. He said they helped her do bad stuff."

"And he said these things in front of you?" Carisi questioned.

"Not always. Sometimes I would be in my room reading or watching a show on mommy's iPad. She tried to put headphones on me a lot."

"Thank you, Aspen."

Carisi made his was back to his chair.

Aspen looked at Rafael again and took a deep breath as she got ready for the defense.

"Aspen," Maria Benito approached her, "you were taken in by Captain Benson and her partner, Rafael Barba?"

"Yes."

"Do you know why?"

"Yes."

"Can you tell us?"

"They are my biobi… um, bibological parents."

"Biological?" Maria offered.

"Yes."

"Do you know how your dad found them?"

"He found Captain Benson's name when he got a letter from a place that proved I didn't belong to him and my mommy."

"Did your mom know that you weren't their kid?"

"No."

"How do you know?"

"One time I saw a scar on her tummy and I asked her what it was and she said it was from having me and it was her most special scar."

"So your mom gave birth to you."

"Yes."

"But you weren't their kid?"

"Yes."

"Did you know that that is very unlikely?"

"Objection, you've seen the DNA!" Carisi stood up.

"Nothing further," Maria went to her chair.

"You may step down, Aspen," the judge said to her.

She nodded and slid off the chair and wrapped her arms around herself as she headed from the room.

Felix was next, he looked even smaller than Aspen had especially on his little dress shirt and slacks.

"Hi Felix," Carisi greeted.

"Hi, Mr Carisi."

"Are you ready to answer some questions?"

He nodded, "yes."

"Can you tell us about your dad?" Carisi asked.

"He yelled a lot and made me and Maddox stay in our room a lot."

"Maddox being your twin brother?"

"Yes."

"And your mom?"

"She was nice. She was scared a lot and she didn't like to spend a lot of time with me and Maddox because it upset papa."

"Papa being your dad?"

"Yes."

"Did your papa ever say nice things to you?" Carisi asked.

Felix seemed to think for a minute, "I don't think so. I don't even think he said happy birthday when we turned five."

"Did he ever give you any gifts?"

"No."

"And your mom?"

"Mami gave me a stuffed dog when we turned five and a set of blocks when we turned four."

Carisi nodded, "do you remember the night you left the apartment where you lived with your mami and papa?"

"I fell asleep while papa was yelling and I woke up to flashing lights and Maddox wouldn't let me leave the room. He said mami was hurt."

"You didn't see anything?"

"No."

"But you remember yelling?"

"Yeah."

"Thank you, Felix."

Felix nodded and turned toward Maria as she stood.

"Can you think of any reason your papa would yell at your mami?"

"He said she must have cheated."

"Do you know what that means?"

"No."

"Okay. Do you know why he would say that?"

"He would yell about our eyes being green. Mami and papa both had brown."

"Your eyes have some brown," the defense lawyer said as she approached him a bit.

"Yes."

"But that wasn't enough?"

"Objection! Calls for speculation," Carisi stood again.

"Sustained."

"Nothing further for this witness," Benito moved to her chair.

Rafael got more nervous knowing Maddox was next. He felt like he could throw up, knowing that the little boy was going to have to relive everything again to tell the story.

Carisi scratched at the back of his head and stood up, "I'd like to call Maddox Barba-Benson to the stand."

With each of the kids having received their new birth certificates, this is the last name they'd had put on them. They'd each agreed to it and eventually if he were able to adopt Noah, he'd receive the same last name.

"It's getting late," Maria Benito pointed out.

"With all due respect your honor," Carisi took a deep breath, "I would prefer to allow this little boy to tell his story today so he doesn't have to have the building anticipation and anxiety overnight. So he can go home and relax with his family?"

"I agree with you, counselor. We'll finish up with Maddox and allow cross and then tomorrow morning we will pick up fresh with your next witnesses," the judge decided.

Maddox was wearing a his slacks and dress shirt and a little black bow tie. He kept his head down and his arms crossed over his stomach like he was feeling sick from being nervous.

Rafael and Olivia both sat forward with concern upon seeing him.

He slid into the chair and looked up at Carisi, he was a bit pale and he was very focused on the ADA.

Rafael moved, swapping his hand further from Noah to hold his hand and reaching behind the boy to hold onto Liv's hand.

She did the same, clinging tightly to her first baby and the man who's been her rock for years as they worried for Maddox.

"Hi, Maddox, how are you feeling?" Carisi approached and stood next to the stand to offer support to the boy.

"I'm okay," Maddox said with a shaky sort of confidence.

"Do you feel up to answering my questions today?"

"Yes, sir."

"Okay," Carisi gave him a supportive smile, "your papa and mami, did they fight a lot?"

Maddox nodded, "yes. Well, papa yelled at mami a lot, she was usually quiet so he didn't get madder."

"What would you do when your papa yelled?"

"I would read or play with my toys."

"What if he yelled late at night?"

"Felix was always able to sleep through it but I would stay awake and listen and make sure papa didn't come in to our room."

"Why would you do that?"

"I didn't want him to hurt Felix… or me."

"You were worried he would hurt you?"

"He did once, but mostly he hurt mami."

Carisi's eyes met Liv's.

She hadn't heard that part of his story before. She didn't know that he'd been hurt before.

Rafael tightened his grip on her hand. He knew, he hadn't told her because they were trying not to discuss the kids' testimonies too much.

"Do you remember what happened the last night you were at the apartment with your mami and papa?"

"Yes."

"Would you be willing to tell us?"

Maddox took a deep breath, "do you want me to start from when the fighting started or when the bad things started?"

"The beginning, so the fighting?"

Maddox nodded, "papa usually worked until the clock said five four five so we didn't normally see him. Felix and me tried to stay where he couldn't see us because if he did he'd he mean to mami. But that day we got home from school and walked in and he was on the couch with one of his dark bottles with the red label."

The courtroom was so silent aside from Maddox's story that you could hear a pin drop when he paused.

"We went to our room as fast as we could but he saw us and threw the bottle after us and it hit the wall next to the door as I pushed it closed. He started yelling at mami calling her things."

"Can you tell us the things?"

Maddox looked to Rafael, almost asking permission to say the words.

Rafael gave a small, barely there nod.

"They were bad words, is it okay for me to say them?" Maddox turned to the judge.

"Go ahead, sweetie."

"Objection! Relevance?" Maria Benito stood.

Maddox waited.

"It goes to the state of mind of these men because of the decisions made by the defendants," Carisi explained.

"Overruled. Go ahead, sweetie."

"He called her a cheating whore," Maddox's brow furrowed as he focused on remembering, "and a bitch… and I think a slug, no, no, with a t. Slut."

Carisi nodded, "so he was yelling and calling her names?"

"Objection! Leading!"

"I was reminding him where he was in the story," Carisi looked at the judge.

"Overruled."

"He was yelling at her for a long time the clock said the numbers four one five when he started and we didn't get to eat that night because we normally would eat before he got home but he didn't stop yelling so mami didn't get to make food. I watched the clock by my bed almost all night because I didn't bring home a book. After a long time, when the clock said eight zero zero, Felix went to sleep because he sleeps through the yelling."

Carisi kept standing close to the stand, not wanting to leave the boy's side.

"But I don't sleep when there's yelling. I heard another breaking noise and I heard mami crying and then a sound like a clap," he clapped to demonstrate, "but I tried to sleep and almost got to sleep but then he started yelling again and I went to peek out the door because I kinda had to pee but I was scared to leave because I knew if he saw me it would be even more worse for mami so I just peeked through the door just a little."

"What did you see?" Carisi asked.

Maddox had tears on his face now, "mami's hair was all messy and she was crying and there was red on her work shirt and he shoved her and called her a dumb whore again and she fell on a table and didn't move anymore."

"What happened next?"

"Felix woke up and wanted to go get water but I wouldn't let him see mami. I knew she had gone to sleep with the angels now like my abuelita did a long time ago and I didn't want Felix to see all the mess and papa was still out there and mad and kept shaking her and telling her to stop being a 'stupid dramatic bitch' and wake up. The red and blue lights showed up after a little bit and some really nice police guys took me and Felix out and we never saw mami or papa again…" he pulled his knees up on the chair and wrapped his arms around them as tears fell down his cheeks, he looked tiny on the chair like that.

Olivia looked at the jury and saw tears on every face.

Carisi was crying, too, "I'm sorry to ask you more questions. Do you feel up to answering more?"

Maddox nodded and wiped at his face, "yes."

"Did your mami ever tell you why your papa was so mad?"

"Objection! Calls for speculation!" Maria stood.

"I'm asking for direct quotes, he's proven that he remembers a lot of things."

"Overruled. Only answer if you remember what she said specifically, please, Maddox."

Maddox looked at the judge, "mami said that papa thought she did a bad thing to get Felix and me but she promised she didn't and she didn't know what happened and he didn't believe her."

The judge looked at Maria.

Maria sat down and made a note.

"I don't have any more questions. Thank you, Maddox," Carisi gave him a weak but supportive smile.

Maria stood, "how old are you?"

"Five almost si-"

"Okay. When did this happen?"

Maddox looked down at his hand and started counting on his fingers, "there have been five ones on the calendar since then."

"Five months?"

"Yes."

"And you remember all of this so clearly why?"

"I dream about it a lot."

"Do your dreams ever change what happened?"

"No."

"How can you be sure?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know? Then how do you know that what you just told us is exactly what happened?"

"It's what I remember," his bottom lip quivered a bit but he straightened up.

"But you just said you don't know if your dreams change the story?"

"Objection! Badgering!" Carisi slammed a hand on the table as he stood.

"Sustained. Miss Benito, get to a point."

"My point is this five year old is an unreliable source. How do we know this story wasn't fed to him?"

"You saw the police reports from that night. He told those officers the same thing and the neighbors' stories of what they heard lined up," Carisi didn't sit back down, "we've already discussed this!"

Olivia was still watching the jury. Unless Carisi made some big mistakes in the next few days, this case was already decided based on the looks on the jury members' faces.

"How can a five year old remember all of that?" Maria was beginning to sound more like a five year old than Maddox did.

"Your honor, may I?" Carisi stood.

The judge gave him a go ahead gesture.

Maria stood to the side.

"Maddox, when is your birthday?"

"August fourteenth."

"What color was the suit I wore when we met with the judge last week?"

"Grey with a white shirt and a pink and white striped tie."

"What did your mami give you for your last birthday?"

"Pebbles the otter."

"Can you close your eyes?"

Maddox did.

"What color shirt is the very first person in the jury wearing?"

"She's wearing a pink shirt but it has little white flowers on it."

Rafael looked over, he hadn't been looking at the jury much at all and if he'd been asked that question he would've been wrong. Maddox wasn't wrong.

"The very last person on the second row, what color is their hair?"

"Her hair is brown with some blue and pink underneath."

"What shape are the glasses the judge is wearing?"

"They look black but up close they're purple and they're square but the corners are kinda round."

Carisi looked around, "and the lady in the back row of the room by the aisle you walked down when you entered. What color was her jacket?"

"Brown and it's made with the stuff that is only soft if you brush it one way but feels weird if you brush it the other."

Velvet. Olivia held in a laugh, because she didn't realize exactly how brilliant this little boy was until now.

"What were the three questions I asked before I had you close your eyes?"

"My birthday is August fourteenth, your suit was grey, and I got Pebbles the otter when I turned five."

Carisi turned to the judge and then to Maria.

She looked furious, "I don't have anymore questions for this kid."

"I suppose that we're in recess until nine tomorrow morning," the judge seemed irritated by the petulance of the defense lawyer and she slammed her gavel down.

Maria Benito stalked from the room as her clients were removed by the court officers.

Carisi went to Maddox and helped him off the stand.

Maddox looked at him, "did I do okay?"

"You did amazing, buddy."

The judge walked over the the prosecution table where Maddox was standing by the ADA once the jury had been escorted out.

"Yes?" Carisi looked at her.

"I wanted to shake your hand," she said to Maddox, holding a hand out to him, "you are a very bright little boy and you held your own up there."

Maddox shook her hand, "I like your glasses."

She laughed, "well thank you. You remind me a lot of an ADA that I used to know," her eyes traveled to Rafael who hadn't moved from his seat in the gallery.

"Papi Rafa?" Maddox followed her gaze then looked at Carisi, "he used to do what you do?"

Carisi nodded, "he taught me a few things once."

The judge looked away, "I didn't hear that."

"Oops," Maddox looked nervous, like he'd said something he shouldn't have.

Aspen and Felix came running in with Amanda trailing behind them.

"Papi Rafa," Aspen attached herself to him immediately.

He scooped her up and held her close.

"It's good to see you back in my courtroom despite the circumstances, Rafael," the judge said, "and closer to where you belong."

"It's nice to see you, too," he said as he held Aspen, moving to shake her hand.

The judge shook his hand, "I should go before they decide I have a bias that I do not actually have. I just wanted to say hello and tell all these kids that they did well up there."

"Thank you," Felix said as he clung to Noah's now free hand.

Maddox nodded and took Carisi's free hand once he had finished packing up his briefcase.

The judge departed, leaving the Barba-Benson crew, Amanda and Sonny in the empty courtroom.

"Let's get these kids home," Liv said softly.

Rafael nodded.

Aspen kept her face hidden in Rafa's neck, "can we get food?"

"Sure we can, sweetheart," Rafael assured her.

"Can we eat it at home?" Noah asked, "I want to be at home."

Aspen nodded in agreement.

"Sure, sweet boy," Liv said softly.

Rafael didn't drive and Olivia's SUV was too tall for her to lean into to buckle the kids into their seats while she was still healing, so Rollins and Carisi helped Rafael.

The kids decided to have a slumber party with the four of them on their smaller sectional in their little corner of the living room, so after dinner they all put on pajamas and brought pillows and blankets and arranged so all four of them could fit together on the couch.

Olivia and Rafael tucked them in and gave each of them a kiss on the head before heading to their room.

"I'm glad they're all up here tonight," Olivia admitted as Rafa pushed their bedroom door closed.

"Me too," he said softly as he stepped toward the closet to change.

Liv grabbed his wrist and swung around to hug him, tightly, "fuck."

"I know," he whispered back, "it was a lot."

"I just wanted to get up there and protect them," she breathed.

"Carisi did pretty well," Rafa admitted as he pressed a soft kiss to her collarbone.

"I know," she whispered, "doesn't change that I wanted to protect them."

He kept placing soft kisses along her collarbone and up her neck, almost intoxicated by her scent, "well, that defense lawyer didn't have your advice. Too cocky and rude."

Liv tilted her head to give him more access to her neck, "you're really trying to distract me."

He hummed affirmatively and nipped lightly at the edge of her jaw below her ear, "is it working?"

The low, gravelly tone to his voice made her a bit weak in the knees, "maybe."

"Good," he mumbled as he took a few steps to lead her backward toward the bed.

She slipped her hands between them to unbutton his dress shirt and unhooked his suspenders.

Rafa guided her down gently onto the bed, his eyes were dark as they met hers, "is this okay?"

She looked at him and smiled slightly, "yes."

"Tell me if you want or need me to stop, okay?" He took the bottom of her shirt and tugged it up a bit.

A bit of red tinged her cheeks as he tugged at her shirt, she grew nervous and shy at the idea of him seeing the fresh scar on her ribcage.

Rafael had actually been hoping to catch a glimpse of the scar because Amanda had been the one changing Liv's bandages until she could handle doing it herself. She hadn't let him see it up close.

He carefully tugged her shirt over her head and revealed the back bra she was wearing and the rest of her torso. Despite the heated nature of the exchange he slowed down and took a step back, hesitating for a moment.

Liv leaned up on her elbows, "is everything okay?"

Rafael chewed on the inside of his cheek and nodded a bit, "just… is it alright if we slow down?"

"Of course."

"Okay," he took a deep breath and slid his suspenders off and stripped down to his boxers, "there's just something I need to do."

She watched him, but didn't say anything and didn't move.

"Again, tell me if you want or need me to stop."

She nodded, she was a bit confused.

He very gently removed her pants and looked over her, his eyes trailing over each scar. He started at the one on her ribcage, the newest one, placing a very careful, ghost of a kiss next to it.

"What're you doing?" Liv whispered.

"Kissing each one better," he mumbled as he moved to another scar on her stomach, "and apologizing for each time I wasn't there to protect you, couldn't protect you."

Her breath caught in her throat and her eyes welled with tears.

"Apologizing for not kissing them better sooner," he whispered against the warm skin of her stomach, "and for not knowing the story of all of them."

Her head fell back into the blankets on the bed.

He paused and looked up at her, at the tears on her face, "do you want me to stop?"

She shook her head, "no. It's okay."

"Here move up on the bed so you're more comfortable," he helped her.

Her head now in the pillows she looked at him, "I love you."

Rafa moved to kiss the edge of her mouth, "I love you, you're beautiful."

Liv let out a soft sigh.

There were some he knew the origins of, specifically the ones from William Lewis. He had seen the photos of each and every one of them from the exam, they'd been in the file, and he remembered that the first time he'd seen them, he was alone in his office and he'd rushed to a bathroom and lost his entire lunch. Rafael had already blamed himself for Lewis getting let go, but when he'd seen what had happened to solicit because of it, he'd been sick for days. People in the DA's office had commented repeatedly that he looked pale and should be resting and he had ignored them all, determined to get the man.

"Raf?" Liv whispered.

He looked at her.

"Where'd you go?" She asked.

"I was admiring you," he whispered.

She tilted her head at him.

He moved to one of the key shaped burn scars and pressed a kiss to it, and then leaned back to look at her.

"Oh," she sat up, shaking her head, "no. Raf, stop come here."

He let her pull him up to her, his face close to hers as he laid beside her, he didn't say anything.

"Those are not your fault," she grabbed his face gently with both hands, looking into his eyes.

"If I hadn't let him-"

"Rafael."

He fell quiet.

"Those are not your fault," she whispered, "it has been nine years and I have found closure."

Rafa's jaw worked.

"You didn't."

He shook his head a bit in her hands, "I couldn't… if I had gotten him locked up for the first thing…"

She looked at him, tilting his chin up a bit so he'd meet her eyes again, "will this bring you closure?"

"Maybe."

"You can continue, but after this," she raised an eyebrow, "he is not welcome in your mind again, nor in mine, or our bedroom. Okay?"

He nodded some.

"Find your closure, Raf."

He nodded again.

She kissed him softly and released him.

He continued his kisses over each scar, pausing longer on the ones he knew to be from Lewis. He knew the whole story, he had to in order to prosecute, but with each kiss an apology to her, he felt the guilt and anguish disappearing. He didn't skip a single scar, each one was kissed and each bit of pain she experienced was acknowledged.

There were tears on her face, but not from sadness or pain or anything of the sort. She had never felt so loved in all her years of life, not by Brian, or Ed, or even Elliot. Not one of them had acknowledged or even tried to acknowledge her pain or experiences in such a deeply personal and intimate way.

As he kissed the final scar, he leaned back and looked at her, moving to carefully straddle her hips, "are you tired?"

She looked up at him, "not even a little."

He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her cheek, catching one of the tears as it slipped. He gently brushed his thumbs to wipe away the tear stains.

"You're far too good to me, Raf."

He pressed a careful kiss just below her ear and whispered, "I'm only giving you what you deserve."

She shivered slightly.

One of his hands trailed slowly across her stomach and slipped behind her to unhook her bra, "you're sure?"

"Yes, Rafa, you can stop asking."

He smiled crookedly, "I learned a thing or two working with you."

"You have my consent wholeheartedly."

"Good," he kissed her and unhooked her bra and tugged it off, tossing it across the room.