Post Ep Gone Baby Gone. Cause that final scene with him at the door. Actually every time they interacted. I may HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE how it all ended with Sheila (and I hate it. A lot. If you are curious about my thoughts, I'm khughes830 on Tumblr. An anon asked me about it and I wrote a short novel about it all), but all the Barson interactions throughout were amazing.

And it seems that every time
We're eye to eye
I can find another piece of you
That I don't wanna lose
And I'm staring at you now
There's no one else around
I'm thinking you're the girl I need
I'm just saying it's fine by me
If you never leave
-Andy Grammer (Fine By Me)

She closed the door, leaning her forehead against it, breathing in and out. She was glad they had all come over. She needed that. She needed to know there were people in her corner. She even found herself honestly laughing when Fin told her about Dodds visit to the office and him calling Dodds a dick under his breath. Noah and Jesse had sacked out hard and the sight of Barba carrying her son into his room took her breath away.

She rolled her head around, looking at his coat still hanging by her door. She listened for a moment, wondering if he too was going to leave. But he wasn't there. She could hear water running and she pushed off the door, moving around into the living room to see him standing at her sink, doing dishes.

"Why does Carisi have to use more than one cup? He was here, what… two hours?" She smiled at his form, running her eyes over him as he scrubbed and rinsed her glasses and plates and utensils.

"You don't have to do that" she said, leaning her arms on the counter, just being in the moment, loving the sight of him, sleeves pushed up, suds on his hands.

"It's fine, Liv. I really don't mind. But you are making me feel like a piece of meat, just standing there, staring at me." She laughed and shrugged. "That sounds like a you problem, Rafa." He glanced at her over his shoulder, smiling and nodding.

He quickly finished, drying his hands on her towel, turning around and leaning back against the sink. He crossed his arms, leaning his head to the side. "Should I go?" he asked quietly. She shook her head no. She didn't want to be alone. She was tired of feeling alone. She thought for a while that her and Sheila could find a peaceful existence. Being alone right now would cause her brain to work overtime and she was not in the mood for that. But more importantly, she quickly realized, was that she didn't want HIM to leave.

"Can I make us some coffee?" She wasn't sure why that was her breaking point, but the memory of him in her office a little over a day ago, offering her coffee when he didn't know what else to do made her laugh. Hysterically. Till she had to rest her head on the counter because laughing was all she could do in that moment. She finally was able to calm herself, wiping the tears off her face, pushing herself up to gather her breathe. He stood there, unmoved, glaring at her.

"It was the thought that counts" she said, finally pulling a smile onto his face. "And yes, coffee would be amazing." But her laughter quickly died as she watched him move around her kitchen like it was second nature. She didn't have to direct him at all. He just knew. Sure. This wasn't the first time she had willed him to knock on her door and have it happen. But she was just now realizing that he was there. Always there. She COULD have a family, like he had said in her office. He had dropped everything the moment he heard. He didn't leave.

She watched him with wide eyes, making her coffee exactly how she liked it, in her favorite mug and walking it over to her, leaning his hip against the bar. His presence right there suddenly had a very different effect on her. One that made her sway into him slightly. Without her shoes on, he had a slight height advantage on her. He smiled, taking a sip of his coffee and placing it on the counter, next to her untouched cup.

"Noah is going to be fine" he said.

"I know" she replied.

"You are going to be fine. You just need to grant yourself some time, Liv. Time to breathe and get back to normal. Soon you won't scary nice women at the fruit stand for thinking your kid is cute."

"Thank you for being here."

"There is nowhere else I could have imagined being tonight, Liv. None."

She ran her eyes over his face. His handsome, honest, amazing face. That face that she knew she could always trust and always count on. She found herself basically throwing herself into him, wrapping her arms tightly around his shoulders, burying her head in his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her waist. She breathed him in and felt her center start to form again. It had disappeared the moment she answered that call from Sheila.

"I can't prosecute the case, Liv, as much as I want to. But I promise you that I will stay on top of it." She pulled back slightly, just enough to look at him. She bit her lip, tightening her arms around him just a hair. Enough for him to notice as he did the same to her.

"I never doubted you for a second, Rafa." They both stood there, frozen, staring at each other. "Liv" he whispered, not being able to utter any other words. She watched his eyes dart from her eyes to her lips and then right back again and she was done. She ran her hand up into his hair and yanked him forward, unceremoniously smashing her lips to his.

He didn't miss a beat, though. Why she thought he would, she would never be able to answer. He quickly turned her, pressing her between the counter and his body, toe to lips. The feel of him against her, mouth moving deliciously over hers, hands holding her gently, but firmly – she knew in that moment that he would never leave. She wouldn't let him.

He finally broke from her, just slightly, resting his forehead against hers. He opened his mouth to speak and she pinched him slightly.

"I swear, if you are about to apologize I may have to pistol whip you." The rumble of his laugh against her chest felt like home.

He pulled back a little further, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Well, I definitely don't want that."

She nodded resolutely. "Good. Cause that was the first of what I'm hoping are many, many, many kisses. Like millions of kisses that we will share. Got it?" He nodded, smirking at her. "Got it" he growled out, pressing a bruising kiss to her lips.

"Now what?" he asked.

"Stay."

"Yeah. For how long?"

"Not sure. You ok with that?"

"Absolutely."

It was the next morning before he left. They talked and kissed and talked and eventually fell asleep on her couch, wrapped up in each other, her head resting on his shoulder, his arm wrapped around her waist, soft hand resting on the small of her back under her shirt. He stayed through her panic attack about whether or not to send Noah to school. He promised to return as soon as he could after work, telling her to take the day with her son, to try to find her footing again. And he was back that night, just him, with homemade lasagna, courtesy of Lucia and a very lengthy promise from her that if Olivia ever needed some help, she would gladly submit to a background check and lie detector test to ease Olivia's mind. He stayed that night, in her bed with her instead of the couch. And the next night. And the night after that. Until they all agreed, as a family, with a ring in a box and legal papers on the table, that none of them should ever leave. And that was fine by her.