Chapter 39

Back at the precinct

Liv was quietly finishing up her paperwork. Ever since Dodds had spoken to her and given her the good news of making her Captain it seemed she had mountains upon mountains of paperwork to file. She was planning to surprise Amanda by finishing earlier. Except now, she was filling out the paperwork for Fin to become her Sergeant. Despite his protests and groans there was no better man for the job. Nor anyone she would rather have by her side leading her squad.

He walked in. "You about done filling out that paperwork?" He knowingly insinuated.

"Just about. What's up?"

He sat down, "Nothin." He looked behind his shoulder to make sure they were alone as Carisi was always there, behind on his paperwork. "Just, I don't know, Liv. It feels as if we still missin' something. You know?"

Liv lowered her reading glasses. "Yeah, I do actually." She hesitated. "I sent officer Leroy to watch over Amanda and the kids at the zoo. Until I get there at least."

Fin nodded his head. "Maybe we're just being paranoid. Too many years on the job."

"Hmm." She nodded her head in agreement but stayed deep in thought. O'Donahue had been put away for life with no hope of ever seeing the light of freedom. But he maintained that he didn't know who Olivia was and continued to deny that he was ever after her. Olivia didn't know why but this made her uneasy. Fin had the same thoughts, as by now, most perps would have fessed up.

"Anyway…" Fin smiles as he gets up. "I just wanted to say that I'm really happy for you and Manda. You both deserve this. And until you're ready, your secret's safe with me."

"Thanks, Fin. Are we that obvious?" She calls out as he's walking away.

"Do birds have wings? Anyway…what'a'ya still doin' here. Go be with your family."

She chuckles at her oldest friend and starts gathering her things.

"Lieu, I mean Cap'n…there's been a shooting. There's an officer down, but we got called cause two little kids were found wandering alone near the vicinity without their parents." Carisi still looks excited every time they catch a new case.

Liv calmly asserts, "Alright Carisi, let's go."

"No, Liv. You go on to the zoo. I've got this." Fin interjects.

"The zoo?" Carasi asks. "Bronx zoo?"

"Yes, why?" Liv's eyes now etched with concern.

"That's where the shooting happened," he explains not knowing what this implicates.

Fin and Olivia lock eyes and immediately start racing for the exit as she frantically dials for Amanda. She momentarily realizes she has a missed call from her girlfriend and she takes a deep breath, assuring herself that Amanda was probably just calling to let her know they are alright.

As she dials she holds Fin back as he presses the elevator button, "She called. She was probably calling to let me know everything is ok."

"What's going on? What's happening?" Carisi is extremely worried as both Fin and Liv have gone pale and appear out of breath and panicked despite trying to hide it.

Liv looks at her text messages and sees picture after picture of Amanda with the kids and even officer Leroy in some of the pictures. 'How in God's name did she miss her call?' She continues to call Amanda as she rationalizes with herself that all is going to be okay but the drops of sweat are already pouring down her back as she pounds on the elevator button repeatedly.

Fin was calling officer Leroy. He looks solemnly at Liv, "No answer from Leroy."

"What's going on?" Carisi is still in the dark.

Fin was the more rational at the moment, "Amanda is at the zoo with the kids. Fuck it. Let's take the stairs!" He yells before Liv breaks her fingers on the button.

Just then the elevator dings. They all make a move to enter but AD Daniels, along with a team of FBI agents and officers from one PP pour out.

The squad eyes them in confusion as Liv yells at AD Daniels, "I can't right now!" She frantically turns to Fin, "She's not picking up!"

She feels AD Daniel's pull her by the shoulders, "Olivia, Olivia!"

Another agent is standing in front of the elevator, preventing anyone from entering. Carisi is arguing with him and just about ready to deck him to gain entrance.

AD Daniels is pleading with her, "Listen to me, your children are safe. An agent is bringing them in right now."

Liv's eyes water as she looks into Stephanie's eyes, "What is happening?"

Stephanie takes her by the arm and signals for a stunned Fin to help her as she settles Liv down on a bench. Liv is lost in a world of confusion, anxiety and panic. 'Where is Amanda? Where are Noah and Jessie? Why are they being brought in?!' In her state of disbelief she remembers, 'the shooting!'

She jumps up, "Who was shot?! Amanda?!"

"No, please. The children are on their way."

Liv was still bewildered, "Why are you here? I have to go get them!"

"Listen to me. You cannot go. It is not safe out there for you! We received an anonymous tip about you, Detective Rollins and the children. We sent out a few agents and that's when they found the children."

Liv was like a bulldozer pushing through paper mache, "They're in danger! I have to get Noah, Jessie…Amanda!" She repeated their names like a mantra. Willing their existence into her world as if by repeating their names they would automatically manifest on the other side of the elevator door.

This quickly became a fight between SVU and the FBI as the agents attempted to hold her back and Fin and Carisi began to push them off.

"Everyone please! Enough!" Stephanie screams. "Lieutenant Benson!"

"It is now Captain Benson and if you don't let me through those doors…"

During the heated moment Liv hadn't noticed the elevator sound as it rose to their floor. She barely registered the ding that came through as the elevator opened with it's new occupants.

Olivia Benson was breathing fire as she turned to leave the precinct. But the sight before her stopped her dead in her tracks. Pouring from the elevator came the two children running and crying as Noah and Jessie both leapt into her arms.

Jessie held on tight as she buried her little head into Liv's neck. Noah was hysterical.

"She said run. She said run."

Liv's tears were falling as her heart was breaking at watching the children in such distress. Their tiny hands gripping onto her.

"Are you hurt? Noah? Jessie?!" She pulled them back and away from her trying to check them but they kept crashing their little bodies into her and holding her for dear life.

AD Daniels stepped in, "EMS checked them and said they were fine."

"I don't care I want a bus!" Liv demanded; then turning her attention back to the children, "Baby, who said run?"

But Noah gave no answer as he could barely form words through his sobs.

Jessie is the one that lifted her little head and responded for him, "Momma. Momma run bad man."

"There was blood." Noah being the older child was articulating more clearly but could barely put a sentence together at the moment.

"Noah, baby, who was bleeding?" Liv was frantic. But the boy was clearly in shock and kept burying his head into her shoulder.

Jessie kept crying, "Momma!"

"Oh God." Liv whispered to herself. "I know sweet girl. I know you wanna see your momma. I wanna see her too. Was momma bleeding?"

"No!" Noah screamed hysterically, "Leroy." He pointed to his chest, "Leroy. She said to run with Jessie so I did. Mommy, where is she?"

Liv's head was spinning and if it wasn't for the fact that she needed to hold on to the children she would have passed out.

Stephanie explained, "Officer Leroy was shot. The kids were found hiding in the primates exhibit by a zoo keeper. They are looking for Detective Rollins."

Olivia felt the bile rise in her throat and she swallowed hard to suppress it. She turned to Fin silently asking him to take the children so they could spare them from any further trauma.

"Who shot Leroy?" She implored to Stephanie.

But Noah started crying again, "We were looking at the Lions. Leroy got hurt."

Stephanie interjected as the team was taking notes, "He was found close by. By the exhibit. It doesn't look good." Stephanie shook her head.

Noah continued, "Momma said to run." It wasn't lost on Liv that this was the first time Noah was referring to Amanda as momma. The women had agreed that they wouldn't push the topic of what to call them but instead allow the children to naturally migrate to what they felt comfortable with. To Noah, Olivia was Mommy because she was his mother.

To Jessie, Amanda was always Momma. They referred to each other as such in preparation for the new baby who they had agreed would call Amanda, Momma and Liv, Mommy. Olivia had spoken to Noah and asked if that was ok with him after Jessie began to refer to Liv as Mommy one day at breakfast. Noah smiled and simply said, "You are her mommy like you are mine and Manda is hers and mine too." But up until now he had never called Amanda Momma. It pained her soul that Amanda may be hurt somewhere instead of hearing this. "Is Leroy gonna be ok? Is Momma gonna be okay?"

"I am going to find her sweet boy. But right now I need you and Jessie to let the nice doctor take a look at you okay? And I will go look for Momma." She said to both children.

Noah was reluctantly allowing the female ENT to pull him away but Jessie held onto to Liv, screaming in a frenzy, "Mommy, no let go. Mommy, no let go!"

Liv held her hand up to hold them back. "I won't baby girl. I've got you. Mommy's here." She reassured Jessie. She carried Jessie into the squad room with Noah hugging her side. She realized that in the minutes she held the kids, Fin and AD Daniels were by her side but Carisi and the rest of the FBI agents were frantically making calls and checking video surveillance.

"I need to check on the local team. They are scouring the zoo, Olivia." Stephanie explained somehow hoping this would appease the Captain for now.

"He has her. I know it. He has her." Liv repeated to the Assistant Director.

Meanwhile Jessie was so exhausted that she'd fallen asleep on Liv. She cautiously carried her over to her office where Fin had taken Noah. They half hazardously set up the couch cushions on the floor where she set the little girl down and covered her with a blanket.

"Fin." Liv started.

"We are gonna find her. I called Lucy to help with them."

"Olivia, you need to stay here with your kids." AD Daniels explained, making quick eye contact with Fin, as Liv was standing outside her office door.

"I need to go find my…" But she couldn't complete her sentence. She choked on her own words. The idea of something happening to either the children or Amanda was enough to end her. Right now their children were safe and sound. All thoughts were on the woman she loved and she feared the absolute worst.

"We don't know anything. For all we know Detective Rollins chased the son of a bitch and is hauling his sorry ass down here right now. Or maybe she's out looking for the kids." AD Daniels knew how pathetic that sounded but she needed to keep Olivia Benson in the precinct and judging by the little time she had known her and seen her interaction with the blonde detective, they appeared like an unstoppable force.

Liv felt the hint of hope as she pulled out her phone and started dialing Amanda, "I'm calling her." She expectantly held the phone to her ear but felt immediate dejection as she heard the call go to voicemail. She felt like an idiot! She had missed Amanda's call. It must have been when she was having her meeting with Dodds earlier in between all the paperwork.

She mentally berated herself at just realizing she had a voicemail. When playing it back it was silent. It sounded muffled and then the line had dropped. No words from Amanda permeated the speaker the way she had hoped. Fin was about to suggest they submit it to TARU for a deeper audio analysis when two agents came in as they lifted a crime scene bag, "We found Detective Rollin's phone, a diaper bag and this…" In a smaller see-through bag he held the rose gold bracelet Liv had given her when they'd spent the weekend at the cabin. Amanda hadn't removed it since.

"That's Detective Rollins,'" When she spoke again it was so quietly that only Stephanie could hear Olivia, "I gave that to her. She doesn't take it off."

Carisi walked over, his face red with anxiety and his brow glistening with beads of sweat, "I don't understand. Were they targeting Noah?"

"No." Liv could barely form a word as she paced. "I don't know?"

She turns to AD Daniels, "I can't stay here knowing that Amanda is out there." She made a last ditch effort to go past her when they heard a loud voice overhead.

"Olivia Benson, now where do you plan on going in such a hurry?"

Even before turning around Olivia felt every hair in the back of her neck stand on edge. Somewhere in the dark recesses of her mind she registered a familiarity to that voice. When she turned around and locked eyes with the TV screen where it had come from, it was as if she'd been hit by a bucket of ice water.

I'm very sorry for such a long delay. I had to take a pause because of work and other life events. Only a few more chapters to complete story! Hopefully! Lol These following chapters were very tough to write and I think, in part, I needed a break myself. Let me know what you think and hang on for the ride.