She ran down the hallway of the hospital in a pair of sneakers and her pajamas. A smile was lingering on her lips as she tried her hardest to stay calm, but it was hard. She was becoming an aunt today, and she couldn't wait to hold that baby.
"Any news yet?" She panted as she came to a stop in the waiting room.
"She's still in labor, so we are in a waiting game right now," Fin replied with a yawn.
"Are you excited or something, Liv?" Dominick teased, as he gave Olivia a nervous smile.
"Excited or nervous... I just want Amanda and the baby to come out of this happy and healthy," Olivia replied with a sigh.
Olivia, Dominick, Fin, and eventually Barba all sat together to wait for news of Amanda's baby finally being born. Everyone was buzzing with anxious energy, and Olivia had to get up and pace the waiting room so she wouldn't go insane.
Nearly six hours after they arrived, a nurse came out and asked for Olivia.
"I'm Olivia," she replied, a nervous look on her face.
"Can you come with me?" The nurse asked, her face pale. Olivia looked around at her friends, before hesitantly nodding and following the nurse.
"Is Amanda okay? The baby?" Olivia mused. The friendly nurse reached out and gently took Olivia's hands into her own.
"Amanda's blood pressure spiked when she was pushing. We helped her deliever the baby and started to push medicine, but nothing helped. Olivia-"
"She's dead, isn't she?" Olivia asked softly, her heart aching for her friend.
"I'm so sorry. She had a stroke and started to hemorrage."
Olivia felt like the edges of her vision went blurry and her heart started to pound in her chest. This was not the news she had anticipated getting when she got the call from Amanda herself saying that her water broke and she was on the way to the hospital.
"Olivia, do you want to see the baby?"
"S-shouldn't her mother and sister see the baby first? I think someone called them... if not I can-"
"This baby needs someone. You are Amanda's emergency contact, so I think you should hold that baby and bond with her. She just lost her mother and needs someone."
///
Olivia tiptoed into Amanda's room as if her best friend was only sleeping. Yet Amanda laid on the bed, lifeless, as a few nurses removed the monitoring equipment. In the corner, a doctor and a nurse examined the baby that ended up being a orphan before she was even an hour old.
"Dr. Armstrong, this is Olivia Benson. She is Amanda's emergency contact. She'd like to hold the baby."
Dr. Armstrong turned to face Olivia and gave her a frown.
"I am sorry about your loss. We all tried our hardest to save her, but-"
"Please... I know you didn't give up on her. You all tried your hardest to save her, but this entire pregnancy was so hard on her. She was hospitalized several times, and we almost lost them both a few weeks ago... So please, don't apologize more. I just want to hold the baby and make sure she knows that she's loved," Olivia spoke weakly, as tears slipped down her cheeks.
Dr. Armstrong took the baby from where she was being examined and cleaned up, before laying her in Olivia's arms. A nurse took her arm and led her over to the sofa, where Olivia sat and zoned out on the beautiful little girl laying in her arms.
She didn't even notice when Amanda's body was wheeled from the room, or when the janitor came in and mopped up the puddle of blood on the floor. Olivia did move when a nurse led the others in.
"Liv, what's happening?" Dominick asked, his voice shaking as the words left his mouth. Olivia looked up from the baby, and looked at her friends.
"Amanda had a stroke and bled out. She passed away, but her baby made it. Guys, I'm so sorry," Olivia frowned.
The guys exchanged looks before Dominick started to cry. Olivia stood on shaky legs and wrapped an arm around him and held him close.
"We will make it through this... We kinda have to for the sake of this baby girl."
"Who is going to raise her? I'm certain that Amanda doesn't want Beth Anne to raise her, and Declan is nowhere to be found," Fin sighed, as he quickly brushed a tear from his cheek.
"We will work together. Until she can be released, I guess I'll be her best friend. Auntie Liv will not let her be alone."
///
Olivia contacted Beth Anne and even tried to contact Declan to inform him that Amanda had passed away and he now was the only parent to a newborn baby girl. Declan didn't answer, but Beth Anne did and she rushed to New York to be there for the baby.
"Is it okay that we stay here?" Olivia asked, as she looked at Amanda's mother. Laying in Olivia's arms was little Jesse. The only reason why Olivia knew what Amanda had planned on naming the baby was because she had to go to the apartment and get clothes for the baby and noticed the beautifully painted wooden letters on the wall.
"Yeah, I think she'd want her baby to use her nursery. At least for a little bit," Beth Anne replied. She unlocked the door and let Olivia into the apartment.
"A little bit?" Olivia questioned, concern filling her heart and mind.
"I'm going to take Jesse back to Atlanta. There is nothing keeping us here now," she sighed.
Olivia felt offended by that, but didn't respond. If she even wanted to video call Jesse in the future, she had to get along with Beth Anne.
Olivia spent the next few days sleeping on the couch in Amanda's living room while Beth Anne took the bed. Olivia got up every time Jesse cried and took care of her. She snuggled her and talked to her about the amazing mother she had, even if she'd never met her. She did everything for the blonde baby girl, while Beth Anne took on the roll of the grieving grandmother and mother.
Olivia watched as Amanda's belongings were sold or packed up and sent to Atlanta for Jesse to look through when she was older. And within a week, Olivia was standing in an empty apartment with her niece resting against her shoulder.
"I can't believe how fast she just packed everything up," Fin grumbled, as he came up and stood beside Olivia.
"This whole place reminds her of-"
"She is just happy to have Amanda's money and another kid to fuck up," Dominick grumbled, as he walked out of Amanda's bedroom with a picture that had fallen behind her dresser at one point or another.
"Carisi, we can't change what happened. I guess we just gotta focus on the fact that this baby is going to be with her family. When Declan gets back, he will probably get her and bring her back here... hopefully," Olivia sighed.
The door opened, and Beth Anne sniffled as she stepped into the apartment.
"Jesse and I will stay at a hotel for the night. Tomorrow morning we are getting on a plane back to Atlanta," she announced.
"Do you want help tomorr-" Olivia started.
"She's my granddaughter, Detective. I think I can manage, darling."
Beth Anne took Jesse from Olivia and walked from the apartment. Olivia swallowed hard and wiped tears from her cheeks before turning to her friends. Dominick held the picture out to her, and Olivia took it into her hand.
She looked down at the glossy image and saw herself and Amanda standing together. It was at Amanda's birthday party last year before she was pregnant with Jesse. She looked so happy, but not nearly as happy as she was when she used to talk about her baby. The one she'd never meet.
///
She closed the lid to her coffee pot and listened as the coffee machine came to life and hissed as it made coffee. Olivia turned around to grab a bowl for her cereal, when a knock sounded on her front door. She glanced at the clock on the stove and realized that it wasn't even six, yet someone was already here.
"Hello?" Olivia asked as she opened her apartment door.
"Are you Olivia Benson?" The man questioned. He was dressed in a nice suit and a brown briefcase held in his hand.
"Yeah. Who are you?" Olivia questioned hesitantly.
"I'm Arnold Eugene. Amanda Rollins was my client. I prepped her will," He replied. Olivia's eyes went wide and nodded slowly.
"It's nice to meet you, I guess. I'm just confused about why you are here," Olivia said with a weak laugh.
"May I come in?"
"Sure... I can get you some coffee."
Olivia led the man into her apartment and to her kitchen. He took a cup of coffee from Olivia as he opened his briefcase and pulled out a file. Once Olivia sat beside at her island, he spoke.
"When Amanda got sick during her pregnancy, she decided she needed to decide who would take her baby if anything happened to her," He explained.
"Okay. Uh, she left Jesse to Beth Anne, her mother. So that is who has her."
"Ms. Benson, Amanda didn't leave her baby to her mother. She left her to you."
"M-me?" Olivia asked, her jaw dropping.
"Yes, ma'am. She told me she didn't want her mother involved in raising her baby. So she listed you as the one to take care of Jesse. She knows Jesse has a father, but he isn't involved and doesn't want to be involved. You are now Jesse's legal guardian. There will be paperwork and lots of visits from a caseworker, but she's yours," He smiled.
Olivia felt tears slip down her cheeks as she tried to process things. But then she suddenly snapped out of it and realized what today was.
"Shit!" Olivia swore, as she stood quickly and ran to grab her shoes.
"Ms. Benson-"
"Beth Anne is catching a flight home to Atlanta this morning! We need to get to her so she doesn't take the baby!" Olivia cried.
///
Mr. Eugene and Olivia rushed to JFK. When they arrived, Olivia flashed her badge and ran through the airport. She felt like she was losing her mind as she searched for the flight to Atlanta. Once she did, she had less than ten minutes before boarding, and the flight was on the other side of the airport.
Olivia sprinted as Amanda's lawyer struggled to keep up with her.
"Beth Anne!" Olivia called, as she quickly dodged a few travelers.
"Olivia? What are you doing here?" She asked, annoyed to see Olivia.
"You can't take Jesse with you," Olivia replied, as Mr. Eugene came to a stop beside her. He was panting as he opened his briefcase.
"Jesse is my grandchild. My daughter died, so she's mine now!" Beth Anne replied, as she still tried to keep that good ol' southern charm about her. She smiled, but Olivia wanted to smack that smile right off her lips.
"This is your late daughter's will. Amanda specified she wants Ms. Benson to take Jesse."
"I doubt-"
"Read the damn will, Beth Anne!" Olivia snapped. Jesse whimpered from the carrier, and Olivia stepped towards it but was stopped by Amanda's mother.
"Not so fast. Give me that dumb will."
It took several minutes before Beth Anne threw a fit. She kept saying that she'd fight Amanda's decision. Mr. Eugene told her she could, but that Amanda's will was binding and she couldn't take Jesse out of the state or out of Olivia's custody without permission from Olivia.
"Let me-"
"I do not give you permission to take Jesse with you. Now, your flight is boarding, and that baby is crying," Olivia spoke. She grabbed the diaper bag from Beth Anne before stepping towards the baby carrier.
Olivia reached in and carefully lifted the baby from her carrier before holding her to her shoulder. Olivia placed a kiss on the baby's soft blonde hair before speaking.
"Jesse, Auntie Liv will never let you go. I'm going to love you forever and make sure you know how amazing your mother was," Olivia cooed.