Chapter 2: Home

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Mercy Hospital - PICU Waiting Room

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Sonny got up from his seat in the relatively empty and quiet waiting room when he noticed Liv wrapping up her phone call and walking toward him. "Any cameras?"

Liv shook her head. "None. The portion of the park where you found her and that whole two block radius is like a dead zone."

Sonny sighed as he ran a hand through his messy silver locks.

"Any update from the doctor or one of the nurses?" She asked as she slid her cell back into her pocket.

"Not yet." Sonny said as he looked down at his watch. "It's been a while so hopefully we'll hear somethin' soon. I…"

He let his voice trail off and squinted his eyes down the hall. Sonny was surprised to see his wife walking toward him.

"Hey." He said greeting her. "What are you doing here? Who's watchin' the girls?"

"I heard Mrs. White up moving around." Amanda said, referring to the elderly widow who lived next door to them. "She's staying with Jesse and Billie. I wanted to come help and see how the baby was doing."

"They were trying to warm her up." Sonny told her, adding. "They also did a bunch of blood work and were running some other tests. Haven't heard anything back yet."

"And there isn't much to go on in regards to who left her in the park." Liv said. "There are no security cameras, there were no clues in the trash can, and the only prints lifted from her onesie were Carisi's."

Amanda nodded and was about to ask another question when her thoughts were interrupted by a doctor coming their way.

"How is she doc?" Sonny asked anxiously.

"We noticed some frostnip on her toes and ears, but it won't cause any permanent damage." He said in a reassuring tone. "Her blood work came back good and, though she's a little underweight for her age, she's otherwise healthy."

"How old is she?" Liv asked curiously.

"We've estimated around 7 months." The doctor said as he removed his glasses to clean them. "Now while she is healthy, I did notice a heart murmur. After running a few tests we discovered she has a septal defect; a hole in her heart."

Sonny frowned and fixed his lips to speak but the doctor cut him off.

"The whole is tiny." He said as he put his glasses back on. "It doesn't cause her any problems and will very likely close on its own by the time she's one, one and a half. It should be monitored, but it's not life threatening. She's going to be just fine, thanks to you. If you hadn't found her when you did, we'd be having a very different conversation."

Amanda placed a comforting hand on her husband's shoulder and gave it a light squeeze.

"Can we see her?" Sonny asked hopefully.

The doctor nodded and signaled for the trio to follow him down the hall, but when Liv's phone buzzed she motioned for them to go on ahead without her.

When Amanda and Sonny reached the little girl's hospital room they were greeted by a friendly nurse who was sitting in a chair with the baby. "You're the lawyer who found her, right?"

Sonny nodded. "Yes, I'm Dominick and this is my wife Amanda, she's one of the detectives who's looking into what happened.

Amanda and the nurse exchanged smiles.

The baby's curious eyes shifted back and forth between Amanda and Sonny before eventually fixating her gaze on the ADA.

"I think she recognizes you." The nurse told him. "Do you want to hold her? She's pretty wary of almost everyone, but I think she'll let you."

Sonny nodded so the nurse stood up and slowly handed the baby off to him, who as predicted, was at ease in his arms. He grinned down at her as she rested her head on his chest and looked deeply into his blue eyes with her own hazel ones.

"She's precious." Amanda said while staring at the little baby in her husband's arms. "And she has the most beautiful eyes."

The nurse nodded her head in agreement. "She does and, since we're not sure what her name is, we've been calling her Hazel."

Sonny caressed her little cheek and rocked gently with her back and forth. "I think Hazel's a perfect name for you." He said smiling at her. "What do you think? Do you like it?"

He held her a little closer and rubbed her tiny back. "I know you're probably really scared right now. But I promise ya everythin' will be ok."

Amanda smiled softly as she quietly observed her husband with baby Hazel.

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Three Weeks Later…

February

Family Court - Monday Morning

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Life eventually went back to normal for Amanda and Sonny. Though SVU had originally been looking into baby Hazel's case, both Garland and Hadid thought it would be best if SVU recused itself from the investigation considering Sonny's involvement in finding her and the possibility he would need to testify if criminal charges were ever brought up against the person who abandoned Hazel in the park. However, Sonny continued to think about the little girl he saved often so when he was notified of an upcoming hearing regarding her case, he cleared his schedule so he could attend.

As Sonny entered into the courthouse and headed toward the room where the proceeding was set to take place, he noticed Liv walking down the hall and both seemed surprised to see each other.

"Hey Cap what are you doing over here?" He asked.

Liv gestured toward a room down the hall. "I just got out of a meeting with Judge Turner. What about you? Didn't you have a couple arraignments this morning?"

Sonny nodded. "I did. But I moved some things around so I could go to Hazel's hearing. The court has my deposition but I just wanted to see how things were going in person."

Liv nodded and looked down at her watch. "Want some company?"

Sonny smiled and two made their way over to the courtroom and quietly sat down in the back of the room. Liv was pleasantly surprised to see it was Judge Linden who emerged from the back and would be the one presiding over the proceeding.

Before beginning the hearing, Judge Linden noticed them and acknowledged their presence. "Captain Benson, Counselor Carisi…nice to see you both here. Especially you counselor. I've read over your deposition and I must say Baby Girl Doe is extremely lucky that you found her and was able to resuscitate her as quickly as you did. Your actions that night were heroic and are to be commended."

A slightly embarrassed Sonny, who didn't really feel it was necessary to be praised for doing what he felt like any person in his shoes would've done, just quietly nodded and smiled softly.

Judge Linden then redirected her attention toward the female counselor who stood before. "So where does everything stand with Baby Girl Doe as of today?"

"Well she's been given the name 'Hazel' while we, in conjunction with NYPD's juvenile division, work to figure out her identity and try to locate her family." The young, blonde counselor said to her.

"Have there been any leads?" Judge Linden asked as she combed over a few of the documents in front of her.

The counselor shook her head. "None yet, but since Hazel isn't a newborn we're hopeful that there are some relatives out there who know of her existence and would take her in if we were able to locate them. We've expanded the search outside of New York to New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania."

Judge Linden nodded. "Has she been placed with a foster family yet?"

The counselor sighed. "No. She's currently in an ACS facility. We tried putting her in two foster homes, but neither were a good fit."

Judge Linden frowned. "Why is that?"

"Hazel's very shy and cautious of most of the new people she's encountered since she was found. She won't let a lot of people hold her, which can make it difficult to care for her. It's going to take a special person or persons whom have patience and are willing to let her develop that trust naturally."

"Does she have more of an issue with men? Were there any signs of abuse?" Judge Linden asked.

"No signs of abuse." The counselor said shaking her head. "And no she doesn't appear to be more adverse to men. According to Hazel's nurses she was actually quite comfortable with the counselor." The blonde nodded toward Sonny. "He visited her in the hospital a couple of times before she was released."

Judge Linden nodded as she searched through some of her documents, looked up at Sonny, and then returned her gaze back down. "Counselor..."

"Yes?" She asked, waiting for the judge to ask her a another question.

Judge Linden shook her head. "I meant Counselor Carisi."

"Me?" Sonny said pointing to himself as he stood up.

"Yes. Do you have children?"

Sonny nodded his head slowly. "Yes. I…I have two stepdaughters. Seven and four."

Judge Linden nodded, pressed her lips together and shifted her gaze back and forth between Sonny and her documents before finally asking him, "Counselor, would you be interested in fostering Hazel?"

Sonny's eyes widened in shock as both a surprised Liv, as well as the blonde ACS counselor, looked at him and awaited his response.

Sonny began stuttering over his words. "I…I uh…me?"

Judge Linden nodded. "Every once in a while I get a good feeling about something." She briefly locked eyes with Captain Benson before turning her attention back to Sonny. "And I have a feeling that baby Hazel would do well in your care. You saved her, bonded with her, and have shown a demonstrated interest in her well-being."

Sonny stood quietly for a brief moment contemplating her proposition before finally responding. "But I—I've never done…anythin' like that. ACS would just give her to me? It…can't be that easy."

"It could be." Judge Linden told him. She cleared her throat and then continued. "As you know, more than most, I have a lot of discretion when it comes cases like these."

He stood quietly for a long while before speaking again. "I…can't make that kind of decision…w-without speaking with my wife."

Judge Linden nodded and thumbed through her papers for a specific document, which she quickly located. "Yes, of course. Detective Amanda Rollins. It looks like she also participated in the initial investigation along with Captain Benson."

Sonny nodded. "Yes and yes."

Judge Linden returned her eyes back to Sonny. "How about you talk it over with her and let me know by the end of the day?"

Sonny slowly nodded his head and Judge Linden ended the hearing. Sonny and Liv then both exited the courtroom together.

"I can't believe she thinks I should foster Hazel." Sonny said to her shaking his head. "I mean, the idea of it seems ridiculous, right?"

Liv noticed how, despite the words that came out of his mouth, his eyes conveyed something very different. She fixed her mouth to respond, but was interrupted by her phone ringing.

"It's Fin. They probably need me back at the precinct."

Sonny nodded and watched as Liv, who excused herself and told him she'd see him later, answered her cell and left the courthouse. He stood there for a short while, deep in thought, before eventually shaking his head and leaving the courthouse himself.

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Sonny's Office - Monday Afternoon

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When Sonny heard a knock on his door, he was pleasantly surprised to see his wife entering.

"Hey." He said smiling. "What's up?"

"Fin asked if I could pick up the Bennett files from you." She said to her husband as she plopped down in the seat across from his. "And I was hoping you'd tell me how the hearing went. I know you ran into Liv at Family Court and she went to it with you, but she's been working out of the office most of the day and I haven't really talked to her. Anyways, I texted you about it earlier but you never answered me."

Sonny sighed. "I know I'm sorry. I got…busy with things around here and it slipped my mind."

Amanda nodded, though she didn't entirely believe him. "So how'd it go? Did they find Hazel's parents or any relatives?"

Sonny shook his head. "Not yet. But they've expanded the search to some of the surrounding states."

Amanda nodded. "So is she with a foster family now?"

Sonny sighed. "No, she's in an ACS facility."

Amanda frowned. "Really? But why? I'm surprised that—"

"She's very shy and wary of new people." Sonny said, cutting her off. "Doesn't like a lot of different people holding her. So ACS has been having some trouble finding a placement that's a good fit for her."

"Poor thing." Amanda said sighing. "She's probably just scared."

Sonny nodded his head in agreement and then the two sat quietly together for a few moments before Sonny finally broke the silence.

"It's funny, Judge Linden actually asked if I" he then gestured between Amanda and himself, "or I should say if we…would be interested in fostering her."

Amanda raised her eyebrows in surprise. "She did?"

Sonny nodded. "I think the judge recognized that I care about Hazel's welfare, which I do, and because I was the one who found her and she bonded with me in those first few days that…it might be a good fit. But…"

"But?" Amanda asked curiously.

Sonny stood up and began pacing around. "That was a couple weeks ago. She…probably doesn't remember me. Besides, we both work…demanding jobs. Not to mention we have Jesse and Billie to think about. I know she needs a family to stay with while ACS works to find her relatives, but we…we can't just bring her home."

Though he meant it as a statement, Amanda noticed his last sentence came out as more of a question and it felt like Sonny's words to her were said more in an effort to convince himself that it wasn't good idea. She could feel deep down that no matter what was coming out of his mouth in that very moment, his heart was saying something entirely different.

"Why can't we?" Amanda finally asked him as she stood up.

Sonny's eyes grew big. "W-what do you mean?"

"I mean, we have the space. Jesse and Billie already bunk together. We could change your office back into a bedroom for Hazel." Amanda said as thought the logistics out, aloud. "And most of Billie's baby things are still in the storage unit."

Amanda moved closer to him and looked up into her husband's eyes. "If Hazel needs a home while they work to find hers, let's welcome her into ours."

"You're really sure about this?"

Amanda nodded. "Absolutely."

A smile slowly creeped across Sonny's face as he placed his hand on her cheek and gently rubbed it. "You're amazin' you know that?"

She shook her head. "No you're the amazin' one. I'm still not sure how I managed to snatch you up."

Sonny chuckled as he brought his lips to hers for a kiss and pulled her in for a hug.

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Administration for Children's Services - Early Monday Evening

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After filling out a bunch of paperwork and waiting for what felt like an eternity, a caseworker finally walked out with Hazel.

Sonny and Amanda got up from their seats in the waiting room, greeted the ACS worker and then turned their attention to Hazel, who was staring at them both intently. She eventually reached her arms out hesitantly towards Sonny.

He grinned at the little girl as he scooped her up into his arms. Amanda, knowing Hazel might be a little wary of her for a bit, gently rubbed the baby's back, but was careful not to overwhelm her.

"Let's go home." Sonny said to his wife and the trio exited the building together.

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Sonny and Amanda's Apartment - Early Monday Evening

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Sonny and Amanda filled Sienna in on what was going on and she did her best to explain it all to Jesse and Billie, who were impatiently waiting by the front door for Sonny and Amanda when they entered into the apartment.

"Is that Hazel?" Jesse asked excitedly. "Can I hold her?!"

"Not right now, Jesse." Amanda said to her eldest daughter. She quickly thanked Sienna, who then left the apartment, and locked the door behind her. "Why don't we all go into the living room, ok?"

Everyone then moved into the living room and sat down together on the sectional.

"Her eyes are so pretty." Jesse said while smiling at the baby. "How long is she going to stay with us?" She asked looking up at Sonny.

"Until they find her family." He said as he sat the baby down on his lap.

"What if they can't find anyone?" Jesse asked curiously.

"Then she'll probably be placed with a family for adoption." Amanda told her as she ran a hand through Billie's messy blonde locks.

"But couldn't we just adopt her?" She asked innocently.

Sonny and Amanda, neither of whom had thought much about what might happen if in fact her family wasn't located, were at a loss for words. However, their thoughts were interrupted by Hazel, who buried her head into Sonny's chest and clung to him tighter after Billie made an attempt to reach out to her.

"Why doesn't she like me?" a frowning Billie asked her mother. "I'm really friendly."

"Oh I know baby." Amanda said in an effort to reassure her daughter. "Hazel's just really shy, but I'm sure once she gets to know you better she'll love you like we all do."

Billie sat thinking for a moment before hopping down and scurrying off into her and Jesse's bedroom. She emerged a minute later with a plush puppy dog, which she offered to Hazel, who cautiously accepted it.

"That was really nice of you to give her Sammy." Sonny said smiling at Billie. "But you go to bed with him every night. Are you sure you can sleep without him?"

Billie nodded. "Yes. I want Hazel to have him."

Amanda and Sonny exchanged looks at each other, both pleasantly surprised and happy at how both girls seemed to show a genuine interest and desire in welcoming Hazel into their home. They then turned their attention back to Jesse and Billie.

"Ok, I think it's time we get dinner started." Amanda said standing up. "It's my night to cook, which means…we're having pizza!"

Sonny chuckled as he watched the girls cheer enthusiastically. Amanda gave his hand a light squeeze, gave Hazel a great big smile and then got up to go order the pizza.