After Melinda left(Don called in a few favours), he kissed a sleeping Olivia's head before quietly leaving to his own room. He used the bathroom and took a quick shower before putting pyjamas on. It wasn't that long after that he crawled under the covers and fell into a fitful and light sleep.
Meanwhile, Olivia Benson walked quietly to her dad's(wow, it was surreal to finally have one) room.
Her anxiety growed the closer she got. "Will he be mad at me for waking him up?" Little did she know that he was a light sleeper as he woke up, having heard her footfalls. "It's okay princess. Come in." Olivia walked in and hesitantly sat down on the bed next to her dad, his mere proximity to her keeping her somewhat calm.
"What's wrong darling, can't sleep," Don Cragen lovingly asked as he pulled Olivia into his arms. She blinked back tears as her head fell on his chest. "I had a nightmare," she said as she tightly grasped his pajama top in between her fists.
"Oh honey." Don pulled the covers around them and dropped a kiss to her brown hair. "Precious, I love you so much. Get some sleep. I will be the first face you see when you wake up and the last one you see before going to sleep." He chuckled quietly to himself upon hearing soft snores coming from her tiny body.
The Next Morning:
Donald Cragen smiled as Olivia gazed up at him. A sleepy smile appeared on her face as he tenderly cupped her cheek. "Good morning daddy."
"Good morning beautiful, are you ready to face the day?" The smile waned, and Olivia blinked back tears as she averted her eyes.
"I am scared dad. What if he comes back?" Don pulled Olivia fully into his arms and tucked her head under his chin.
After taking a deep breath, he pressed a soft kiss to her hair before replying. "A daughter's fear is no match for a father's love. He will not even dare come near you because he will have to go through me first."
She sagged against her dad in relief as his words echoed in her mind. It was then a memory resurfaced. A memory that she had thought was long since gone.