All I Ask [A Bensler Fan Fic]

Chapter Twenty-Four

The small family got into a cab and took it to the 1-6 precinct. Olivia was worried that once she walked in, everyone would attack her for her choices. That they would still hate her with a burning passion.

"Do you think Cragen will take you back?" Olivia asked as she looked down at Evie. The small girl was sleeping against her mother's chest, and she didn't seem affected by her mother's anxiety at all.

"I have already talked with him. He said that I can come back, but I'm on probation. Fin didn't tell him the reason I'm coming back, or that my girls are joining me." Elliot smiled gently. He reached over and ran his hand over Olivia's back. She gave him a nervous nod before sighing.

"If he goes after me, I'm going to burst into tears. I can guarantee that, El." Olivia whispered.

"I'll cry too. Then everyone will feel bad." Elliot chuckled as the elevator dinged and the door opened.

The couple stepped out of the elevator and took a few moments to compose themselves, then they wandered towards the open doors.

"Hey there." Fin spoke quietly once he spotted them. He didn't want to draw attention to them until they were ready, especially Olivia.

"Hi." Olivia whispered. She looked at her friend as tears welled in her eyes. 

"You can hug me if you want."

"I really do." Olivia smiled tearfully. She stepped forward and hugged Fin. She couldn't hug him nearly as tight as she wanted, but just knowing her friend didn't completely hate her made her feel better.

"It's great to see you, baby girl. You are almost glowing." Fin spoke as he looked Olivia over.

"I am? Uh, I guess it's the baby... I have a daughter." Olivia smiled before hearing as Cragen called Fin's name.

"I'll meet her soon, baby girl. I've gotta update Cragen on our current case."

There was about fifteen minutes where Elliot and Olivia moved outside of the squadroom and waited for Cragen to dismiss the squad. Once he did, Olivia and Elliot walked in and straight to Cragen's office.

"I told you all to investigate." Cragen groaned as the door was opened from the outside. He looked up from his computer, and his eyes went wide. He had expected his new detective, Amanda Rollins, to be there asking questions. But instead, he saw the two detectives he thought he had lost forever.

"Hey, Don. We just got back into town and wanted to stop by and see the crew." Elliot smiled as Olivia shook beside him.

"Uh, hello... where were you two?" Cragen questioned quietly, his eyes focused on Elliot the entire time. The moment he transferred Olivia and then found out she quit, he had regretted his choice to listen to Kathy and Maureen. That he didn't even think to ask Olivia about her side of the story, and if there was actually something current between herself and Elliot.

"Liv was living in Sedona, Arizona. She and Casey moved there together, and that is where I found her."

"When you run, Liv... you really take off, huh?" Cragen said with a nervous chuckle. Olivia looked at her former boss and nodded slowly.

"I didn't have another choice, Don. My life was falling apart, and if I wanted to be a happy mother to my child, I needed to distance myself from the bomb that had exploded here." Olivia breathed, her voice shaking.

"Liv-"

"I'll see you around, Captain. Elliot and I are co-parenting our daughter together, and we may be trying a relationship with each other... bye." Olivia whimpered, before turning and walking out.

Standing in the office where her life fell apart was way too hard for Olivia, and she couldn't stand to be in there a second longer.

"Stabler, I know I hurt her by transferring her and only listening to Kathy and Maureen. But I am sorry about that. Our squad hasn't been the same since she left and you ran off."

"She asked me if I thought you'd take her back. Would you?" Elliot asked.

"I don't know, Stabler. I'd have to ask my bosses to make an exception to the rules."

"I'd probably start on that. She'll want an answer, eventually."

///

Once they arrived at their apartment, Olivia and Elliot moved the most important stuff in. It took until dark to have a majority of their important items tucked into their spots, but it felt good to be in a place that was hours away from Casey. But even being that far away from her, still meant that there was drama waiting here for them.

"I'm going to see Lizzie tomorrow. Would you like to join me?" Elliot asked as he got ready for bed.

"Are you still talking to her?" Olivia questioned, as she laid Evie in her bassinet before padding towards the bathroom.

"I told her I had some business to deal with, and that I'd contact her once I got my head on straight. So I called her before we flew out here, and she asked to see me. She wants to know what happened."

"El, I'd love to see your daughter... but I don't want to fuck it up. I have made too many mistakes in the last year. The last thing I want to do is ruin your relationship with Liz." Olivia replied.

Elliot turned towards Olivia before wrapping his arms around her body. He pulled her flush against his chest before leaning in and kissing her lips softly. Olivia's eyes closed tightly, and she kissed Elliot back. This was the first time they have actually kissed in many months, so it was a shock for her, but also very much welcomed.

"You won't ruin the relationship, Olivia. If anyone does, it will be me... so please join us tomorrow. I'd like my daughter to meet her baby sister, and I think she might stop worrying about you if she sees you with her own eyes."

"She worried about me?" Olivia whispered, as she rested her forehead against Elliot's.

"Maybe even more than I was, and I was a mess after you left."