Chapter 2
Cragen hung the phone up and waited for the fax. He read through Amanda's jacket. She was young for a detective, just 25. There weren't any red flags in the jacket, but his friend Sam Reynolds seemed pressured to move her along. They weren't really friends, it was just how people with the same rank talked. He knew Reynolds was a young hot shot asshole. He also knew looking at Amanda's age, that he was most likely watching her backside, rather than her back.
He saw his newly promoted Sergeant walk in and hug her coworkers. Olivia Benson was young when he took her on. He remembered looking at her jacket and having the squad question why take on someone that young. She had a lot of baggage being a product of rape and her drunk mother who succumbed to her illness Olivia's first year as a detective. She made it though and recently she took on everything else. Her partner of 13 years walked away without even a goodbye and shortly before that she found out she was pregnant.
When she showed up at Cragen's office door crying he wasn't sure what happened. They just had a major fault in a case Olivia took on in her younger days. An innocent man had been sent to prison, but to his surprise that wasn't it. "Captain, I'm pregnant and it's David Haden's baby." David Haden was an ADA and the entire relationship should have been off limits. Captain Cragen was like a father figure to Olivia. Cragen sat back, "Do you love him?" Olivia shook her head, "I did but the Omar Pena case really put us in a bad spot. We're over."
He closed Amanda's file, "Sergeant Benson! Welcome back kid! You look good. How's Noah?" Olivia took out her phone and showed him the latest picture, "He's great getting bigger every day. Lucy is a huge help. She's the only reason I'm back so fast." He asked her to sit. "It's good to see everyone. Fin said Nick is working out well." Nick Amaro left Narcotics and joined in Olivia's absence. "So, who's my partner, since mine jumped ship?"
Captain slid Amanda's jacket her way. "Captain, I shouldn't read this." He held up his hand, "You're it. Munch is putting in his papers." He went to close the door, "I'm looking at her. She will be here in the morning for an interview and I need you to sit in on it." She was confused, "In the morning? Where is she?" Olivia opened the file, "Cap, Atlanta? Oh gosh she's young!" Cragen laughed, Says my 38 year old Sergeant? I remember a stubborn 25 year old I took under my wing."
Olivia smiled and kept reading. "Ok, I'll follow your lead." He looked, "I know her Captain and he called in a favor. I need you to read her Liv. She may have some baggage. I don't entirely trust him, but it's not against her." Olivia agreed. "Oh and Liv, she'll be here for a week. I was hoping she could stay with you and you could get to know her. Sometimes people show you more off the clock. Show her the ropes." Olivia laughed, "Sure Cap, I only have a 3 month old at home. You sound like you already hired her." Cragen smiled, "Just a trial run."
Olivia said goodbye and headed home. She walked into her beautiful 4 bedroom condo. It wasn't until Noah was born that she decided to sell her mother's house and finally use the insurance money she left her. It was actually the only good thing her mother ever did for her.
She saw Lucy working at the computer. She needed Lucy there permanently. That worked out perfectly. She was young but responsible. She saw David holding Noah, "Hey Liv." Olivia looked at Lucy who had a smirk on her face. "David, how are you?" He loved Noah and that was all that mattered. He proved over the last 3 months to be a great dad and even though they split he was there for the entire pregnancy. "I'm sorry I got off early."
Despite their split, Noah had everything that Olivia didn't. A stable home life, a mom, and he would know his dad. Olivia learned that her mother was raped, before she knew what rape was. She knew her mom hated her and that she must have looked like her rapist father. She didn't have any of her mother's features. She had brown hair and brown eyes, instead of blonde hair and blue eyes. Her mother, a successful college professor by day and drunk by night, died shortly after Olivia became a detective.
When she looked at her sweet baby boy, she saw her brown hair with David's blue eyes. His sweet face was a perfect mix of both of them. If she did anything right in life it was him. The pregnancy was a slip though and she smiles thinking about that night. Eddie Sandow, a confused teenager, held her, a mother, and daughter hostage. He accidentally shot the mom and Olivia talked him down. When she finally was released, David was there. She remembered being frustrated that she couldn't run into his arms after being released. Their relationship was a secret. Looking back they did that wrong.
David sat in the car and watched her partner drop her off and leave. When he knocked on her apartment door, she jumped into his arms. They didn't even make it to the bedroom, so the condom never went on. They didn't make love, they straight up fucked each other senseless. Olivia remembered feeling him cum inside her and when she yelled "Fuck!", it was definitely for more reasons than one. By the time they went for round 2 in the shower, Olivia thought about making an appointment for better birth control. That appointment gave her the shock of her life.
They had become what Lucy called the "champions of co-parenting". Every Wednesday they had dinner together with Noah and switched off custody. Lucy would still be the stable nanny at Olivia's place and because they lived in the same building, they could see Noah every day no matter who kept him. After dinner, David stood up to leave. Olivia kissed Noah, "See you tomorrow sweet boy. Night David."
Lucy smiled, "When my parents got divorced it was the ugliest situation ever. They fought constantly. I didn't even see my dad for a year and a half. You two don't even need the courts, not for custody or money." Olivia laughed, "Lucy, what are you trying to say?" Lucy smiled, "Maybe you two should be together." Olivia rubbed her long brown hair, "That ship has sailed."
On David's week he would pick him up from Olivia's in the afternoon and drop him off early in the morning. He was promoted to Executive Assistant District Attorney right after the Pena case. The case actually caused the split. If Olivia told David would have never gotten the promotion, but she wasn't petty. He often had early mornings and a few late nights. They did well working together for Noah.
Olivia headed down the hall, "Oh I almost forgot, Lucy we have a guest coming tomorrow for a week." She walked to the guest room which was clean of course. Lucy followed her, "It's always ready." Olivia thanked her, "What would I do without you." Lucy wondered, "Who's the guest?" Olivia took the blanket out of the closet and laid it on the bed. "Amanda Rollins, she's a detective from Atlanta. She's looking to move, so she's going to shadow me."
Olivia walked across the hall and clicked the light on in Noah's room. Lucy had cleaned Noah's entire room and everything was in its place. When she got to her door, her bed she left unmade and bathroom a wreck was in perfect condition. She smiled and took her shower. She dried off and looked at her flat stomach. She was proud of her hard work to get back in shape. She loved Noah, but it was hard and she was older. She even thought about settling, but she knew David wasn't the one.
She walked to the other side of the condo to Lucy's room and knocked on her open door. Lucy smiled, "Yeah Liv!" She saw Olivia's face and frowned, "You're hard headed. I told you don't have to clean up behind me." Olivia smiled and Lucy relaxed. "When Noah takes his naps, I get bored." Olivia sat on her bed, "Ever try school work." Lucy was taking online classes and had a few late classes, once David or Olivia switched off. "I'm working on school."
Lucy's mom passed away when she was 16 and she lived with her dad, but she had issues with her stepmom and was glad to leave the house. "Have you talked to your dad?" Lucy shook her head, "I gave him my school schedule and he turned in my healthcare stuff."
Olivia stared at her, "Liv, please don't play the mom card." Olivia laughed, "I am old enough to be your mom you know." Lucy sighed, "I love him, but she's not my mom, you're more of a mom then she is." Olivia smiled, "I don't mind playing that role, but if I am like your mom. I don't expect my kids to clean my room." Lucy laughed and Olivia kissed her head, "Night sweetheart."
Olivia put her phone on the charger, set her alarm, and laid down in her bed. She thought about Amanda and remembered how it was when she became a detective so young. She also knew there was more to her story. You don't just transfer to a new state after living your entire life in one place. "Ok Amanda Rollins, let's see what you've got." Olivia fell asleep quickly.
