A mother for Bella

Sequel to A home for Nathan

2 of 4 in series

Chapter Five

"Mom! I'm home!" Nathan called as he came in through the front door.

"Living room!" Olivia called back knowing he was kicking off his shoes and taking off his school jacket.

Nathan walked into the living room and saw that Olivia was sat with a man that even from behind he knew wasn't Elliot. Isabella was sat on her knee reading a book and he shrugged his shoulders, he missed having Olivia all to himself already.

"Nathan, this is your Uncle Simon, my brother." Olivia introduced as he walked forward towards them.

"Hi." Nathan said shaking his hand.

"Hi Nathan your Mom's been telling me all about you." Simon smiled as Nathan slipped into the armchair and relaxed back a little.

"Have you got any homework?" Olivia asked.

"Math and English." Nathan replied as he picked up the TV remote.

"Nathan, I don't care if we have guests, homework, now." She said with her typical stern 'mom' voice.

"Fine." Nathan groaned switching the TV off again before going to get his school bag.

Olivia smiled as her son listened to her, she still wasn't quite used to being a parent, it definitely didn't come natural to her being a mom to her adopt twelve year old.

"So where were we?" Olivia asked turning back to her brother.

"Oh yeah, so we've got move to a bigger place, you've called all those numbers?" Simon asked signalling to the newspaper on her lap.

"Yeah start viewing tomorrow, I'll call Cragen and ask for a personal day." Olivia replied.

"I'll be with you." He told her gently and she nodded gratefully. "Ok then we need to see a lawyer, you got any lawyer friends in mind?"

"Yes, and I'm going to call a lawyer for Isabella too, she's an old friend who fights for children's rights and wants and if Bella wants to stay here she'll help make it happen." Olivia explained and it was Simon's turn to smile and nod.

"Then on Sunday you, Nathan and Bella to call by our house for dinner and we can show that we're working on our relationship so you have family ties. You're going to win this Olivia, they won't take her from you." Simon told her just as her cell phone rang.

"Benson." She answered as she gave Simon another grateful smile. "What?" She asked her face becoming a picture of shock. "Now?" She asked and Simon began to worry. "Of course it's a problem!" She yelled and Simon took Bella from Olivia's lap and took her to get a cookie. "It's completely absurd! She's my niece! She belongs with me and her cousin not in a home! No… I know the law I'm a cop… You know what I am going to hang up now and call a lawyer and then we'll see you in court tomorrow." Olivia hung up the phone and dropped her head into her hands.

"What's wrong?" Simon asked coming back into the room without Bella who'd gone to colour with Nathan.

"That was CPS." Olivia said lifting her head to look at him. "They want to put Bella in a group home so she won't get attached and they're putting her up for a closed adoption."

"Closed adoption?"

"It means I'll have no right to see her… Simon I can't lose her now." Olivia said with tears in her eyes.

"You won't, call a lawyer Olivia and start fighting for her." Simon replied as he wrapped an arm around her.

"You're right. I can't lose her she's family Simon, she's our niece." Olivia told him.

"You're right, she belongs with you and Nathan, she's our family." Simon smiled as he rubbed his hand across her bicep as she dialled a number.

"Hey it's Olivia Benson, I need a favour…"

Simon, Olivia, Isabella and Nathan all sat together in the hot waiting room. Nathan was playing with Isabella keeping her occupied while Simon tried to calm Olivia's nerves.

"Olivia Benson?" A woman asked.

"Yes." Olivia said standing up.

"Mr Langan will see you now." She smiled.

"Nath you stay here with Bella, we won't be long." Olivia told her son and he nodded softly.

Olivia and Simon went into the office and Olivia knew this meant telling Trevor Langan everything about her past.

"Detective Benson, it's great to see you." He smiled shaking her hand.

"I wish I was here for a better reason then." She smiled back.

"Please sit." He said his hand pointing to the direction of a couch and arm chair.

Olivia and Simon sat side by side on the couch while Trevor sat back in the arm chair.

"Now you want to tell me why you're calling a criminal lawyer?" He asked her with a playful grin.

"I need your help Trevor." Olivia said honestly. "My niece, Bella, she lost her parents, her father, my other brother, was killed in Rikers but that's not the point, they've decided that I'm not suitable to look after her and … and they want to put her in a group home tomorrow and put her up for a closed adoption."

"Ok where is Bella now?" Trevor asked.

"In the waiting room with my adopted son." Olivia replied and Trevor nodded as he thought.

"Where has she been saying since she lost her parents?" He asked.

"With me." Olivia replied. "She's my niece. Simon and I weren't in touch at the time and they contacted him, he said he had no interest in having Bella and she should be with me, he was told she was with me but that I wasn't a suitable guardian… I can't lose her Trevor she's my family."

"Who's Simon?" Trevor frowned.

"Me, I'm her other brother." Simon explained and Trevor just continued to frown.

"I thought you were an only child." He said and Olivia groaned inwardly.

"I thought I was." Olivia replied. "Simon, Lucas and I have the same father."

"Oh ok." Trevor nodded. "So how do you two know each other?"

"I ran my DNA through the system about five years ago and found Simon." Olivia explained. "I tracked him down, got him out of some trouble but we lost touch, neither of us knew about Lucas."

"Ok so Lucas is the other brother, the one who died in Rikers, I'm with you. Now Bella has been with you how long?" Trevor continued.

"Five days." Olivia replied. "Her DNA was taken to try and track down family and the match came to Simon and Lucas, Don knew I knew about Simon and that he was my brother so they took my DNA and compared it to Bella's and Lucas' and we found that I am Bella's aunt. Custody was given to me as the only family member they could find but I need to make it legal, that they can't take her and that's how we've ended up with CPS deciding I'm not good enough."

"Why don't they think you're good enough?"

"I work long hours, I live in a two bed apartment, I have no family support." Olivia replied listing them from memory.

"Can you sort those out?" Trevor asked seriously.

"I am looking for a bigger place, I am viewing some properties tomorrow, Simon and I are back in touch, he's married with kids of his own and we're going to work on our own relationship, he's going to be a real uncle to my son and to Bella. Work is something I can probably work on but Nathan goes to afterschool club when I work and then comes to the precinct after if necessary till Elliot can take him to his ex-wife's house, she's been a real big help but I have Simon now too who's here to help." Olivia explained.

"Ok well we'll go to court and we can fight but it's going to be long, it's going to be tough and I am not going to sugar coat it for you Benson, it's going to get rough, they're going to dig through your past like a fine tooth comb so whatever it is you're hiding from me regarding you and your brothers, it's now time to talk."