Even though this story is rated M...but I am still going to warn you about this chapter. It's not full on smut, but it gets a bit sexy at the end. So if you're uncomfortable, the last part in Italic you can skip past.
Savina's eye narrowed at the sight of the takeout in Carisi's hand. "You got food?" she asked incredulously. Carisi handed both Olivia and Barba their coffees, the latter was exceptionally grateful for it. "I knew you probably hadn't eaten anything all day, and I figured the hang-over should be better by now, so maybe we can give it another try?" he suggested, as he dangled the takeout bag. "And besides, I had to get the councilor his dose of caffeine before he goes into withdrawal on us!" he quipped, and she laughed, hissing in pain at the end, as she held her side. "Sorry," he apologized. She threw her hand up in exacerbation, "why is everyone apologizing for making me laugh today? Trust me, that's a good thing!" she exclaimed dramatically, and Carisi gave her a look of faux disapproval. "Not if it hurts your ribs," he argued. He knew she was right, it was a good thing for people to make her laugh after what she went through, and it took her mind off of things. But he also knew that his boss was quite enjoying the banter between them, so he was dragging it along. He so didn't want to be standing in the room when the awkward silence descends, it was going to happen sooner or later, and he intended to be miles away.
"Sonny, I broke my ribs twice before. This the only thing about this entire situation that I actually know how to handle!" she stated bluntly, and Olivia's eyebrows shot up her forehead at her use of Carisi's first name. Carisi had already pulled a plastic container from the bag, and popped open the lid. The room was filled with the smell of something delicious, but Olivia was not quite sure what it was.
"I called Eddie to ask him what you liked to eat, and he said that you can never resist Auntie Anne's chicken and cheddar pretzels," he started, and Olivia immediately saw Savina's entire face light up at the mention of her favorite snack. "I was at my sister's who deemed it a crime for me to go buy you something like that, when she can do it a thousand times better!" he continued, and she was now sitting up in bed, trying to see inside the container. "So she made a few with mozzarella, black olives, parmesan, and real chicken, not the 'fake' cold cut you get." He air-quoted the fake part, and Savina was almost drooling by then. Carisi moved it closer to her, and she took a whiff. When she didn't scrunch her nose like she did that morning, both Barba and Olivia breathed in relief. She pulled one out of the box, and took a bite. She slowly chewed, various sounds of pleasure escaping her closed mouth. "Send your sister my deepest gratitude, and tell her she may have gotten me addicted!" she complimented, before she took another large bite from it. Carisi smiled happily at her, before he moved the box towards Olivia and Barba. "She made enough for everyone," he said, and when they looked inside, it was indeed full.
"So I guess you know?" Savina alluded.
"Of course, knew before your mom did," he said flatly. "You should've seen the look on our ME's face," he continued. "She was glaring at the file like it personally insulted her!" he quipped, and she chuckled. "Well, it did resurrect me, so I guess she had every right to glare at it," she mumbled through her mouthful.
By the time Barba and Olivia stumbled through the door, it was almost Noah's bedtime. They relieved Lucy, and profusely thanked her for her patience. Noah had practically thrown himself at Olivia the second he saw her, and she happily obliged, and hugged him tightly. She had barely seen him in the past couple of days, and she knew that she had to figure out a way to balance between the two. "Hi, baby," she cooed, as she planted a number of soft kisses on his cheek, and inhaled his scent.
"Raf!" Noah squealed happily when Barba made his way into the living room after paying Lucy, and thanking her for the umpteenth time. He let her know that they might need her earlier than usual the next morning, and she promised to be no later than 7:30. Barba put his arms around both Olivia, and Noah, and kissed both of their temples. He knew it was hard for Olivia to leave Savina, he had to practically drag her away from the room. Despite Carisi, and Diana's – who showed up to spend the night, despite Savina's adamant protests – assurances that they won't let her out of their sights, he still had to drag her away.
By the time midnight rolled around, Noah had been put to bed, Trevor had faxed over the custody papers, they filled out the paperwork, faxed them back to Trevor, and were now waiting for Trevor to call with a time for their meeting. Olivia had just exited the bathroom, just as Barba got off the phone. She was towel-drying her hair, noticing for the first time, just how exhausted Barba looked.
"That was Trevor, he got you in with Judge Linden at 7:30 because she has a court appearance at eight," he informed her, his voice finally betraying just how exhausted her felt. She nodded at him, as she threw the towel into the hamper he had by the closet. She made her way over to him, and wrapped her arms around his waist, nestling her head into his neck. She sighed contently – tinged with a hint of sadness – when his arms came up and protectively encircled her. He rubbed his hands up and down her back, as he rested his head against hers.
"I have no idea how to thank you. I never would've been able to do this on my own," she mumbled appreciatively, and he tightened his arms around her. "Liv, I already told you that you never have to worry about that anymore. She's my daughter too," he tried his luck, and when all she did was tighten her arms around his waist, he continued. "I'm where I belong, and I'm not going anywhere," he vowed softly. "And about that, there's something that I need to talk to you about."
She pulled back from his embrace, and worriedly looked at him. He smiled reassuringly at her, one hand finding its way to her face, where he rubbed the back of it across her cheek to sooth her. "I was gonna ask you yesterday over lunch, but never got the chance."
"Ask me what?"
"To move in with me," he whispered, a small smile tugging at his lips.
Olivia gaped at him, not entirely sure if she heard correctly. It's not that she was against the idea, it's just that she didn't think he would ask after less than a year together. She loved falling asleep in his arms, and waking up to him; she loved how normal it felt when she woke up to the smell of breakfast, and the sight of him in sweat pants in the kitchen; she loved watching him play with Noah, how easily Noah took to him. She also couldn't deny how much the relationship had helped Noah; he was talking more, even picked up a few words in Spanish, and she even had people in daycare comment about how his development had improved greatly. But because she was never one to get her hopes up, she wasn't entirely sure if Barba would want anything more than what they already have. So the question was quite the surprise to her, albeit a pleasant one.
She saw the worry start to creep into his eyes, fear that he may have just scared her into running out the door. She always found it endearing that a man who was ruthless when it comes to fighting in a courtroom, and who always gave the impression of arrogance when he walked into a room, was so insecure when it came to his personal life. She saw his mouth open, surely to fire off some frantic rant of reasons why it made sense for them to move together, or to take it back, and swear that he wasn't trying to push her into anything she wasn't comfortable with. She leaned up and caught his lips in a gentle kiss, and also to silence him before his brain carried him too much down the rabbit hole. His mouth was almost desperate against hers, almost as if he thought he was about to lose her.
"Are you sure you want this?" she asked softly once she pulled back from the kiss.
He nodded. "Liv, I've never been this happy before. I never thought I'd like the domestic life, but waking up to you and Noah is the best thing that ever happened to me. I want this, I want it with you."
The sincerity of his words melted her heart, and the love she saw shinning in his eyes was both beautiful and terrifying.
"What about Savina?"
"What about her? It makes even more sense that you move in with me, for her sake. Your apartment barely has enough space for you and Noah, she's gonna need her own space," he reasoned.
"What she's going through….." she trailed off, not entirely sure how to finish. "It won't be easy….on any of us!"
"At the risk of repeating myself, she's my daughter too. I want to help her through it, she's gonna need all the stability she can get. And I think if she moves into a stable environment from the beginning, it'll help her," he pointed out gently.
"You're sure about this?" she pressed, and he nodded.
"I've never been so sure of anything in my life," was the simple, sincere answer he gave her, before kissing her forehead gently. She believed him, he had never given her any reason not to. From the first moment they met, he never lied to her. He was the only person who never treated her any different after Lewis. And he vowed to put the world at her feet when they got intimate, and not once did he break that promise.
The genuine smile that she gave him was the first he'd seen in two days, and it was quite a refreshing change from the sad, haunted look she'd had for the past two days. He mirrored her smile, and pulled her in for another kiss. She moaned into his mouth when his marauding tongue invaded her own, and gently tangled with hers in a passionate battle. His hands pressed her body flush against his, and he shuttered at the feeling.
"Let's get you into bed," he breathed. She was the only one who was able to knock the wind out of him with a simple kiss.
"Can we check on them first?" she asked, her voice sounding so vulnerable it broke his heart. He knew that they were both venturing into unknown territories with Savina, and neither knew how to handle it. He knew Olivia was scared of making a wrong move and spooking Savina, or pushing her away. He wordlessly nodded, and pulled his phone out, as they both climbed under the cover. He put the call on speaker, and waited for Carisi to pick up. The phone kept ringing, and when it went to voicemail, Olivia was about to have a panic attack. He hit the redial button, and smiled reassuringly at a panicking Olivia. Thankfully, Carisi picked up on the second ring. But rather than the usual 'hello', they heard Savina's exacerbated voice.
"If they had listened to the damned dog, none of this would've happened!"
"If they had listened to the damned dog, there wouldn't be a movie for us to watch!" Diana retorted cheekily.
"And that would've been fine!" Savina shot back childishly.
"Ladies!" Carisi chastised playfully, before he finally turned his attention back to the phone. "Hey, Barba," he greeted.
"Hey, everything alright?" Olivia wondered.
"Yeah, it's all fine. Hold on, let me put you on speaker."
"We're watching a movie," he clarified, his voice sounding a bit distant.
"What movie?" Barba wondered.
"The conjuring!" Savina grumbled. "That's the last time I'm letting you pick!" she added.
Both Barba and Olivia chuckled at the protests escaping Diana's mouth at the accusation.
"I feel like I'm in high school all over again, getting in between my sisters," Carisi whined.
"Why are you watching a horror movie?" Olivia wondered.
"Thank you!" Savina yelled triumphantly.
"She's your mom, it's basically her job to take your side!" Diana retorted. "And besides, admit it, it's taking your mind off of things!" she justified.
"This isn't taking my mind off of things, this is giving me new material for nightmares!" Savina shot back incredulously.
"You're welcome!"
"And as you can both see, I can't decide if I'm back in high school listening to the bickering of my sister, or stuck in an alternate dimension where I'm somehow a preschool teacher!" Carisi quipped.
Olivia's shoulders shook with laughter at Carisi's comment, especially at the identical set of protests the girls gave.
"Just don't stay up for too long," Olivia requested gently, and both girls sounded their approval. And with that, they wished them all a good night, and ended the call.
"She's in good hands," Barba soothed, and she sighed. "I know she is, but I also know what will happen the second she closes her eyes, and drifts to sleep."
Barba pulled her into him, and she offered no resistance. She laid down next to him, her head resting on his chest, as he adjusted the covers around them both. "I know that, but she's not alone. Carisi already managed to handle the first night, and I'm sure Diana will be fine with a few nightmares."
His voice was soft, soothing, and the way his fingers moved in her hair helped calm her. She loved the feeling of his lips against her head, how that way she can feel not just hear the sincerity. She couldn't help but remember the first time he did it, the first time he had promised her something.
They had been seeing each other for a week, discretely of course. He took her to fancy restaurants, and she cooked for him. They mostly went back to her place, because she always had to relieve Lucy. But they hadn't slept together….not once. They had gotten into heated make-out sessions almost every single night, but right when things were about to take a turn, Noah always woke up wanting his Mama. Even that Sunday when he followed her home and kissed her for the first time. He had her pinned against the wall, their tongues tangled in a passionate battle for dominance, his hand desperately grabbing at her ass, and pinning her to him. She could feel his arousal every time her hips rocked forward, and she couldn't wait to feel him buried deep inside her. But Noah chose the moment when Barba was trailing kisses down her neck to let out a loud cry. And that was basically how the past week had gone.
But this day was a bit different, a lot different actually. They were in his place, and Noah was with Lucy back at Olivia's. They had finished court early, and since it was a Friday, and a slow one at that, they both decided to call it a day. She was beneath him on the couch, her legs wrapped around his waist, aligning his aroused body perfectly to her own. His hands were roaming her body, and she had one hand tangled in his hair, while the other dealt with his tie and dress shirt.
"Olivia," he shuttered into her mouth when her hand finally found the skin of his chest.
"That's my name," she teased.
"I still can't believe that this is happening," he admitted breathlessly. "I've fantasized about this so many times, that I'm still scared that I'll open my eyes, and that's all it's gonna be. Another fantasy!" he continued truthfully.
Olivia was sure that if she wasn't insanely turned on, that she would've had tears in her eyes! How is it that she waited three years to be with him? But she decided not to ruin the mood. She really wanted this, and she wasn't going to wait around any longer.
"Can a fantasy do this?" she purred seductively into his ear, as she bucked her hips, rubbing her now very wet pants against the bulge straining against his dress pants. He shuttered violently at the action, and caught her lips in a sensual kiss once more.
An hour later, he had made her climax twice before he even entered her. His hands and mouth did things to her body, things that she never thought she would even feel again. They were still on his couch, her legs wrapped tightly around his waist, her entire body shivering beneath him as she climaxed for the third time. His name had tumbled out of her lips in the throes of passion, and it was the final straw for him as well. A few Spanish expletives escaped him, as his orgasm ripped through his body.
He was propped up on his elbows, and the love she saw in his eyes was absolutely terrifying. She had given up on someone ever looking at her like that, didn't even think that this kind of love could exist. But there he was, his face flushed and covered with a thin layer of sweat. His green eyes practically dancing with joy, and sparkling with after-glow. He was still inside her, and she tightened her legs around his waist when he kissed her forehead.
"I've never felt this way about anyone before," he confessed. "Didn't even look for it. You gave me everything I've ever dreamed of, and things that I didn't even know I wanted," he continued, his lips lightly brushing her forehead as he spoke. He finally pulled back to look at her, and this time she did have tears in her eyes. He bent down and kissed her gently, before he whispered. "You can ask for the world, and I'll gladly lay it at your feet," he vowed.
And he did, he provided with her safety when she needed it, gladly accepted the role of a father to her son. And now, not only was he accepting her daughter into his life, and heart. He was also putting her best interest before his eyes. After all, like he said…..she was his daughter too
Okay, so here's another chapter for you all, because I am sure we are all in need of some Barson fluff after last week's episode! I mean, they went from standing basically glued to each other watching the priest's speech, to glaring at each other and disappointment! It broke my poor Barson heart! But I gotta say, I'm with Barba on this one! I'm not saying it's Murder one, but it's not necessary force either! This was over kill, and it was prejudicial as hell!
Anyways, this is not the time or place to rant! We are here to indulge in fantasy :) so let me know what you all think of this chapter. Reviews help me update faster...so keep'em coming!
Also, I don't live in the States, so I'm a little murky about next Wednesday...are we getting an episode or not? And one more question, any body have an idea what happened to Alex Cabot and Casey Novak? They both just disappeared, and I don't remember getting an explanation, unless I missed it somehow, so if anybody knows, I'd really appreciate the help.