Olivia let out a tight-lipped sigh as she took her glasses off. She was exhausted from looking through reports, but no matter how tired she was, she'd never stop.
"Captain?" Amanda asked softly as she opened the door. Olivia looked up and shook her head as tears burned her eyes.
"Nothing new tonight, Rollins... it's been ten years, and he is never coming back." Olivia sighed.
"I'm sorry, Liv. I really am... but it's late and you should really head out."
"Amanda-"
"C'mon, Liv. Please. Either go home to your apartment or come home to my house. Sonny said the kids all crashed early tonight, so we can drink wine and talk." Amanda smiled.
"I'm okay, thank you, though. Tell everyone else to head out, too. I'll work the night shift." Olivia spoke, before dismissing her Sergeant.
///
Olivia kept dozing off in her office. She was supposed to stay up, but it was hard. The days had gotten so hard and longer that usual, that nothing could keep her awake right now.
"Captain Benson?" The desk officer asked as he opened her office door. Olivia kept sleeping with her head against her desk.
"Captain." The officer whispered once he had made it to her side. He shook her quickly, and Olivia sat up as she smacked the officer's hand.
"I-i'm sorry." Olivia mumbled once she realized who was beside her.
"It's okay... but there is someone out there asking to talk to the person in charge. So do you want me to call Lieutenant Tutuola or-"
"Don't call Fin nor Rollins. I'll deal with it. Please, just show them to an interview room and I'll be there in a moment."
Olivia gathered her items and found her glasses before heading out of her office. She went into the occupied interview room before knocking on the door.
"I'm Captain Benson. I was told that you needed to talk to me?" Olivia asked.
"Uh, yeah. I just turned eighteen, and I needed to report what I think was my kidnapping." The teen spoke. Olivia looked at him for a moment before nodding as she sank down across from him.
"Why do you think you were kidnapped?" Olivia asked.
"Well, when I was eight, my grandmother came into town and then we left town together. I know I had a mom, but it's been so long that I don't know much about her anymore. She's like a blurry picture in my mind." He breathed.
Olivia nodded weakly as she thought about her son's kidnapping. When Noah was taken from her, it was as if he had never existed. He and Sheila fell off the face of the Earth, but that didn't stop Olivia from searching for the last ten years, hoping to find her little boy.
"Can I have your name? Then I can search up your family and hopefully help you reunite with them." Olivia smiled weakly.
"Oh, yeah. Sorry... It's Noah, Noah Porter." He replied.
Olivia's hand froze as she scrawled out her little boy's name. She couldn't muster up the courage to lift her eyes and looked at Noah again.
"Captain Benson?" Noah asked softly.
"Noah, what is your grandmother's name?" Olivia breathed.
"Sheila Porter. And we need to get this going. She thinks I left the hotel to get some air."
"She's in the city?" Olivia asked, and Noah nodded.
"Yeah, we are staying in a hotel near the river. Why?"
"I'll tell you soon."
///
Olivia didn't plan on calling in her squad, but after laying eyes on her little boy for the first time in ten years, she needed their help.
"What's happening, Captain?" Kat asked, as she stumbled into the squadroom with a to-go cup of coffee in her hand.
"Um, so we have a kidnapping case." Olivia breathed, her voice shaking just as much as her hands.
"Okay, then why don't we have more officers here?" Fin asked.
Olivia swallowed hard before turning around and taking slow breaths. She was so overwhelmed and upset that she didn't know what to say. She also didn't want to get so worked up that when they arrested Sheila, she would take things too far.
"Liv?" Amanda asked softly. Olivia felt when Amanda touched her back, and Olivia shook from the touch.
"A boy came in after midnight. He just turned eighteen and said that he believes his grandmother kidnapped him... are you all following?" Olivia asked, and Fin swallowed hard as he stood up from his desk and walked to Olivia.
"Is it Noah?" Fin whispered, and Olivia nodded as tears slipped down her cheeks.
"Yes, it is. He confirmed Sheila's name and his own. He said that he was gone for so long that I am a blurry picture in his mind." Olivia sniffled.
"Is he-"
"I sent him back to the hotel with three officers in street clothes. They are monitoring the hotel and making sure that Sheila doesn't catch wind of what is happening. We need to get over there and arrest her."
"Wait, who's Sheila?" Kat asked. Even if she had been here and watched as Olivia searched every day for her missing son, Kat really never knew what was happening. Olivia didn't want to explain everything once again.
"She kidnapped my son. That is all you need to know, along with the fact she's crazy. So put on your vests, make sure you go in pairs. Even if I want my little boy back, we don't need anyone to be heros."
///
Noah was getting ice when his grandmother was arrested. Olivia let her squad take her back to the precinct while she looked for Noah. It took a little bit, and she ended up finding Noah leaning against a wall as he texted someone.
"Noah?" Olivia asked softly.
"Captain Benson! What happened?" Noah asked, his eyes wide.
"We just arrested your grandmother. We are taking her back to the precinct to interrogate her, and you need to grab your things and come with me."
"What? It was that easy?" Noah breathed, and Olivia nodded weakly.
"Yeah, it was. We have been working on this case for ten years, kid."
"Y-you have?" Noah whispered.
"Yeah, we have." Olivia spoke.
They walked back to the room, and Noah was allowed to pack up his items. He wasn't in trouble, and Olivia wanted to make sure he had everything. They then headed downstairs and to her vehicle.
"So can I go home?" Noah asked, and Olivia frowned.
"I guess. You are eighteen."
"Okay, so I guess I'll stay for a bit longer and then go back." Noah sighed.
Olivia turned the SUV on before looking at Noah.
"Can I tell you something?"
"Sure. Is it something about my mom? I still haven't remembered anything about her." Noah spoke.
"Noah, your old name was Noah Porter Benson. I'm your mother, and I have been searching for you for ten years."
Noah didn't move as he processed what Olivia had said. When they had talked, Noah didn't even think that she was more than a cop. But now that they sat together, Noah remembered things. Especially the love that his adoptive mother had for him. That Olivia still had for him.
"She erased the name Benson from my mind, I guess. I didn't even recognize you, Mom." Noah sniffled.
"It's okay, sweet boy... You have grown up so much that I didn't even recognize you either..."
///
Noah and Olivia stood side by side as they watched Fin and Amanda interrogate Sheila. She kept denying that she had kidnapped Noah, because she was certain that being blood was the only thing that mattered.
"What is going to happen to her?" Noah asked, once Amanda and Fin left the interrogation room.
"She is going to be sent to the tombs and on Monday she will be heading to court. Then this is probably be heading to trial. You will have to stay in town until after the trial, then you can go home." Olivia sighed.
"I'm not going back now that I know who you are, Mom. I'm staying here and we are going to make up for lost time. Now, can I talk to her? Or-"
"No, Noah. I am going to talk to her. Stay put."
Olivia swung open the door and stepped in slowly. She shut the door behind her before turning to look at Sheila.
"I said that I'm done talking to anyone until I get a lawyer. What I did wasn't wrong, because he is my grandson. No one should have put him up for adoption or allowed that bitchy lady to adopt him." Sheila huffed.
"I was only a bitch because you tried to take me to court. You kidnapped my child, and that is unacceptable. And it was incredibly dumb for you to bring Noah back to the city that you took him from."
"Just shut up, Olivia." Sheila grumbled.
"I am in charge, Ms. Porter. Now, we will get you a lawyer, but nothing is going to be happening until Monday. It's Saturday, so you will sit in jail over the weekend."
"No way!"
"Yes, that is how it works. Lieutenant Tutuola and Detective Tamin will take you to the tombs. Once there, contact your lawyer and I will see you at arraignment." Olivia smiled. She turned and walked back to the door, but stopped when Sheila spoke again.
"My daughter was murdered under your watch, Olivia. You deserved to feel the pain I felt when my daughter was taken from me. Noah doesn't even remember you, and he never will. He wasn't even in the room when I was arrested, and I doubt you found him." Sheila sighed.
"I'm right here, Grandma. In a few minutes, I am going home with my mother, and I'm never going to go back with you again."
"Noah-"
"You asked for a lawyer. You probably shouldn't be talking anymore." Olivia grinned before leaving the room. She pulled Noah close and hugged him tightly.
"I love you, sweet boy, and I think we really should go home... I have so much to learn about you."
///
For the first time in ten years, Olivia had her son under the same roof as her. She had left his room the same way for those ten years, and Noah laughed as he looked at the stuffed animals covering his bed and the dinosaur sheets.
"You didn't change a thing, Mom." Noah spoke, as he turned around. Olivia was standing in the doorway of her son's room, tears slipping down her cheeks.
"I couldn't. I prayed every night that you'd come home and we could pick up where we left off. That you would still be my little boy, not a full grown man."
"Mom, I may be eighteen, but I still need my mother."
"I'm glad, because I still need you." Olivia whimpered. She was embarrassed by the tears she was shedding, and she tried to get away from her son to clean herself up, but Noah stopped her instead.
"Hey, don't leave." Noah spoke. He turned Olivia towards him slowly before hugging her tightly.
"You have gotten so tall." Olivia laughed weakly.
"I know, and you may have shrunk a bit." Noah teased.
Noah led his mother into the living room where they sat and caught up. Noah told Olivia about all the friends he made in Michigan, and especially the boy that he had fallen hard for. Noah kept saying that he had been happy, but everything seemed so fake. That Sheila tried way too hard most of the time.
"When you came into town, why did you report her?" Olivia asked softly, before taking a sip from her teacup.
"I love my grandmother, but she did something really wrong. I couldn't just sit back any longer and let it happen. Mom, I wanted to find you. You found me for a reason, and that reason is because I am meant to be your son. After years of being apart, I still want that." Noah smiled.
"I'm glad you want that, Noah... because I do too. I will update your room and we can go to Michigan together to pack up your house. We-"
"Mom!" Noah laughed, as his mother started to ramble.
"What?"
"Can't we just focus on what is happening right now? I just want to spend time with you, and everything else can wait."
"I'm fine with that... I love you so much, Noah." Olivia smiled.
"I love you too, Mom."