Forgotten Memories [A Bensler Fanfiction]

Twenty-Three

Olivia laid in the hospital bed, her little boy swaddled in a hospital blanket and resting in her arms. She kept her eyes focused on the tiny human in her arms, as she tried to remember every second that led up to his birth. All the scary moments flashed before her eyes, before being replaced with the moment her little boy had cried for the first time. The way Elliot looked at her with his sparkly blue eyes wider than they had been before. He was shocked that after Olivia had carried two little girls, they had brought a little boy into the world.

"Hey there, beautiful," Elliot whispered from the doorway. Olivia looked up from her son and reached her hand out to Elliot.

"C'mere. You gotta see him all cleaned up..." Olivia trailed off. Elliot shut the door behind him before stepping towards the bed. 

"How are you feeling?" Elliot asked as he sank down in the chair beside Olivia's bed.

"I'm exhausted, but I can't fall asleep. All I want to do is look at him." 

Elliot smiled as he leaned close and kissed Olivia's temple gently. Then he reached out and caressed his son's head. 

"Liv, are both of you okay? Like giving birth at home with no doctor supervision-"

"We are good. El. Dr. Oakley looked me over and said that I tore a little, but it isn't a big deal. One stitch and I was better. Then our son is perfect. He's healthy and I'm not scared that he'll just get sick out of nowhere," Olivia breathed.

"Good, because I don't think any of us could handle it if you and Elliot Junior were sick," Elliot spoke. He thought that he had gotten away with naming their son after him, but Olivia was quick to laugh and shake her head.

"He's not Elliot Junior. I love you and all, but the world doesn't need another Elliot Stabler right now. So we need to name him something else," Olivia replied.

Elliot sighed as he stood and slipped onto the edge of the bed. He wrapped his arms around Olivia and held her and their little boy close. 

"We could let Ava name him."

"She'll name him something weird," Olivia breathed, as she ran a finger over the slope of her son's nose.

"That's why we need to name him after me. It's a perfect name," Elliot grinned.

///

Elliot sat on the couch by the window, his shirt unbuttoned so his son could lie directly against his chest. Olivia was snoring from where she slept in her bed. The door creaked open, and Elliot hesitantly lifted his eyes from his son. Standing in the doorway was Ava, and she smiled when she noticed her father.

"Hi Daddy," Ava whispered.

"Hey, princess. C'mere," Elliot replied. Ava quickly walked towards her father, before stopping suddenly and running to the bathroom. Elliot listened for a moment and chuckled softly when he heard the sink start up and stop after Ava scrubbed her hands. She ran out of the bathroom and went straight to where her father sat.

"Sorry, Daddy. I needed to wash my hands," she smiled, her cheeks flushed and eyes bright. She climbed onto the sofa beside her father and looked down at her newest sibling.

"Did Alex tell you that instead of a little sister, you have a little brother?" Elliot asked, his voice low so that Olivia would hopefully sleep through everything. 

"I did, and she squealed so loud. I swear that this kid was more excited about having a baby brother than a baby sister," Alex whispered. She shut the door and walked to where Ava was meeting her brother.

"I'm glad you took it well," Elliot grinned. He leaned over to Ava and kissed her hair, before hesitantly lifting his son from his chest. He situated him in the crook of his arm so Ava could have a better look.

"Did you come up with a name for him yet?" Alex asked.

"I wanted him to be called Elliot, but Olivia said no. So we settled on Jude Elliot. I'll still probably call him junior from time to time," Elliot replied. Alex shook her head and smiled softly, before glancing at her friend.

Olivia looked incredibly peaceful as she slept for the first time in a while. Between her pregnancy, finding out about Lanie, and trying to process what happened back in California that she hadn't slept. Now she was sleeping because things went better than expected.

"Jude, I'm gonna do everything to protect you. Nothing will hurt you..." Ava trailed off. 

///

Olivia woke up and got to snuggle her youngest two children. She also helped Ava actually hold Jude, which the little girl had a hard time sitting still because she was so excited. 

"Olivia?" a voice asked from the doorway. Alex had left, and now Elliot was getting Ava ready to leave. Ava turned away from her mother before turning back quickly.

"Mama, is that her?" Ava asked.

"Who?" Olivia replied, as she yawned and snuggled Jude closer.

"Lanie, Mama. Isn't that her?" Ava whispered. Olivia and Elliot turned quickly to spot the teenager in the doorway.

To travel out of the state, Lanie's foster parents would have to get permission from her caseworker. So they must have worked hard to get the teen able to leave the state and fly all the way to New York City to see her birth mother.

"Olivia?" Lanie asked again. 

"Hi, sweetie," Elliot spoke, since Olivia was in shock. She stared at the teenager, but wasn't able to say anything. Olivia had expected weeks to continue processing everything, but her eldest was standing in the same room as her.

They weren't on a video call that would end after an hour or when Lanie's internet turned to crap. Now they were in the same room and Olivia could hug her daughter. She could watch Ava interact with her, and watch as Lanie held her baby brother for the first time.

"Olivia-" Elliot spoke, as he led Lanie towards her bed.

"I'm okay... just in shock," Olivia admitted weakly. She reached her hand out and gently caressed her daughter's cheek as everything fell into place.