What about Us?
Chapter Seven
"Rafa!" Noah screamed in delight as he came to the door expecting to see Lucia. "Mommy Rafa is here! Do you see him?" He asked throwing himself into Rafael's arms.
"Oh Hijo, yes I am here!" He answered hugging the boy tight as her stood back up with him in his arms his eyes still locked on Olivia's.
Olivia did not miss that Rafael had called Noah son and she felt her heart swell. She could not believe he was standing there holding Noah that after three months she could reach out and touch him. She did just that she touched his arm and he instinctively drew her into the embrace with Noah. She felt his lips press against the side of her head and she prayed this moment would not end afraid that maybe she was dreaming.
"Olivia? Noah? Why is the door open?" She heard Lucia's voice call out then a sharp gasp, "Rafael, Hijo." She cried out.
"Mami" Rafael responded releasing Liv and setting Noah down so that he could hug his mother who was already in tears.
"You're here, you're all right and you are here." She whispered through her tears.
"Yes, Mami I am here and everything is all right." He assured her.
"Abuelita Lucia is taking me to school today." Noah announced proudly "Right Abuelita?"
Lucia wiped away her tears, "Si, Nieto, go get your things we don't want to be late. Your Mami and Rafael have a lot to talk about."
"Rafa will you still be here when I get back from school?" Noah asked as he carried his bag into the hallway.
"I promise I will be right here when you get home today Noah and I will tuck you in and read to you tonight." He promised the boy as he helped him with his jacket and bag, "Te amo, hijo." He told the boy hugging him tightly one more time.
"I love you too Rafa. Come one Abulietia I don't want to be late. Bye Mommy I love you." He called out.
"Love you Sweet Boy have a great day." She called out as she felt Rafael's arms wrap around her waist.
The door closed behind them as they left for school and she heard Rafael chuckle, "How is it she gets to be Abuelita before I get to be Pappi?" He asked.
Olivia turned to face him sliding her arms around his neck, "She's been here and she asked him if he would like to." She explained gently not wanting to ruin this moment. "There will be plenty of time for him to call you Pappi if that's what you want.'' She said before kissing him.
He pulled back, "Is that a yes then?" He asked her.
"What?" She asked.
"You still haven't answered my question." He explained as he dropped to one knee again as he had in her doorway moments before, "Olivia, please say that you will marry me, that we can be a family and raise Noah and this baby, and grow old together and squabble when we are eighty five. I know I have made things harder on us and I promise if you give me the chance I will spend the rest of our lives making it up to you."
Olivia knelt down in front of him and took his face in her hands, "Rafael Barba you have nothing to make up to me, just promise to love the way that only you can, promise me that you will love me and our children every day that's all I need."
Tears spilled from Rafael's eyes and Olivia wiped them away, "That is the easiest promise that I will ever make." He said as he kissed her.
After three months without each other it didn't take long for the kiss to turn heated as their hands began to roam over each other in her living room much as they had in his all of those months ago. This time it was her turn to lead him back to her room. There was no stopping or hesitating this time there would be time later for slowness and to savor each other. This time was filled with all the emotions and longings that had filled the last three months.
Afterwards they lay wrapped in each other's arms a million questions that still needed to be answered but for now they were content to hold each other. Olivia smiled as she felt his hands roam over her stomach where the slightest bump was beginning to form just as she had imagined so many nights. .
"That's really our baby in there isn't it?" He asked.
"It really is My Love. On a night when we had no idea what the future held we made our future." She answered kissing him pouting slightly we he pulled back and moved to get out of the bed. "Where are you going?" She asked as he padded across the bedroom to where his pants had been discarded.
He returned with the ring box he had been holding earlier, "You might want this." He said opening it for her to see.
"Raf, it's beautiful, but how on earth did you get a ring so quickly?" She asked as he slipped it on her finger.
"It was Catalina's I took it with me when I left for Turkey. I kept it with the pictures I had of you and Noah to remind me of what I had to come home to."
Olivia studied him for a minute, "You knew when you left? Before the baby?" She asked him in amazement.
He kissed her slowly, "Liv, I've known for a very long time this is what I wanted, don't get me wrong I am thrilled about the baby, but if it had just been you and Noah that would have been enough for me."
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"So, now what?" Olivia finally worked up the courage to ask as they sat curled together on her couch later that afternoon.
"We could go pick Noah up from school and get noodles for dinner." He answered knowing full well that wasn't what she was asking.
"Raf…" She said pointedly rolling her eyes.
He dropped a quick kiss on her lips, "I actually have an interview tomorrow morning." He confessed.
Liv laughed a little, "An interview? You mean this trip home wasn't just about us?"
Rafael kissed her again, "No My Love it was completely about us and our future and as much as the idea of stay at home dad sounds appealing I figure raising two kids in Manhattan is going to require more than one salary."
Olivia laughed again at the thought of Rafael Barba as a stay at home dad, "You would lose your mind in about two days and start teaching Noah criminal law before school in the mornings."
"Funny you should mention teaching." He told her.
"Is that what the interview is for? A teaching position?" She asked.
He nodded with a smile, "Columbia approached me before I left for Turkey."
"Do you want to teach Raf? You love the courtroom you know Jack said you could always come back to the DA's office." She reminded him.
He kissed her again, "I can't go back to that Love, yes I love the courtroom and miss parts of it but I can't do that every day anymore. Besides teaching offers more stable hours something that I think it would be good for one of us to have. I'll be home at night to help Noah with his homework, make sure the baby is all right, all of those things."
Olivia smiled at him, "You have really been thinking about this whole family thing haven't you?" She asked.
"I have a lot of empty hours to fill." He laughed
"All right but I just have one stipulation." She told him.
"Just one, that's an improvement." He teased.
"Well you're not going to like it." She hedged and watched as he raised an eyebrow at her. "You have to finish your commitment in Turkey."
He pulled back from her on the couch, "No way Liv, I'm not leaving you here alone and pregnant so that I can play hero half way around the world. We've missed too much time already." He stated firmly.
"Rafael, it's only three more months, you will be home before I begin the third trimester. I'm not alone, I have my doctor, my squad, Lucy and your mother. You are doing good work over there Raf, you need to finish it."
"Liv…" He started but she silenced him with a long lustful kiss. "Are you going to waste what little time you have with the mother of your children fighting a fight we both know you are going to lose?" She asked with a smile when she pulled back. She watched a mix of resignation and desire washed over him.
"You don't fight fair," He whispered as he pushed her back against the couch his hands already roaming under her shirt as his lips moved to her neck.
"I don't hear you complaining." She managed to say before he moved his mouth over hers demanding her lips against his own.
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"Why did Pappi have to go back to Turkey?" Noah asked again as Olivia tucked him in to bed two nights later. "I thought he was going to stay with us forever and with the baby."
Olivia smiled and kissed his forehead. They had told him the day before that he was going to be a big brother and that Rafael would be his Pappi. He was thrilled but now confused by Rafael's departure.
"Pappi has to finish his work in Turkey, then his is coming home to us and we are going to be a family. You, me, Pappi, your brother or sister, Abuelita and Lucy," She assured him but she could still see the sadness in his face.
"I'm going to miss him until he comes back." He told her sadly.
"Me too Sweetheart, me too." She agreed sliding down next to him and holding him close until long after he was asleep.
She returned to the living room a little while later and straightened it up from the day. She picked up a blanket that had been tossed on the floor smiling when she could still smell his scent on it. They had wrapped themselves in it after they had made love the day before, before he had made his demand of her.
"All right Liv, I will finish my time in Turkey on one condition." He announced his face turning serious and Liv had a good idea what was coming. "You take yourself out of the field until after the baby is born."
"Raf, I am in charge of my division, I can't just..." She started but he cut her off.
"You can Liv and you will. This isn't a debate we are going to have. You aren't going to put yourself and our child in unnecessary danger." He asserted.
"Do you really think I would put our child in danger? Rafael I know what I am doing." She countered.
"I know what you are doing too Liv, you are taking yourself out of the field until the baby is born." He reiterated unwilling to budge.
"Who do you think you are, demanding this of me?" She challenged.
His face softened and he moved back to take her into his arms, "I am the man that loves you, the father of your children, and I will be thousands of miles away from you and I cannot be over there if I don't know that you are doing everything you can to stay safe here."
Olivia sat silently for a minute but made no effort to leave his embrace, "It won't be easy."
"Nothing about us has ever been easy." He reminded her brushing her hair back from her face.
"I will probably be really unhappy with you sometimes" She said softening a little.
"That will be nothing new My Love." He replied kissing her softly. "Does that mean you are agreeing?"
"I didn't think I had a choice. Do I?" She pouted.
"Not really no." He said with a half-smile, "But thank you, don't think that the sacrifices you are making are lost on me."
Olivia kissed him, "You are giving up the courtroom for our family, I can take myself out of the field for a few months."
After she finished picking up the living room she made her way to bed crawling in wishing desperately for his arms around her as they had been the previous two nights. She glanced down at the ring on her finger, then she reached out and picked up the new picture from her nightstand. Lucia had insisted on taking one of her, Rafael and Noah and she was glad she did. She smiled at their happy faces in their first family picture. She smiled again knowing in three months he would be home to them and that in six months their baby would join their family. A few more months until their family was together and complete.
TBC
