Flight Risk

~ Chapter One ~

Olivia lays wide awake staring at the spinning ceiling fan. Sleep never comes easy anymore, and tonight's no exception. Her mind runs wild worrying about him even though she doesn't have to anymore. He was usually home by now, but with their marriage ending, it wasn't a shocker he was still out on the town. Terminating their sixteen-year relationship wasn't proving easy for either of them.

Being with the same person, exclusively, since the eighth grade certainly came with its issues. Getting pregnant at fifteen strained their relationship, but back then they promised each other they'd stay together for the sake of their kids. After high school, they rushed into marriage and built a good life together, but now, everything seemed to be falling apart.

Sixteen years later--ten of them as husband and wife, they're done. Lately, everything seemed to turn into a screaming match. It was the right choice, she knew that. She'd had enough of the drinking, screaming, cheating, lying, and make-up sex.

"Mommy?" Small voice questions, as the bedroom door, creaks open.

"Yes, Emme?" Olivia smiled, turning on the bedside lamp.

Standing before her in the doorway, with her purple blanket in tow, is the youngest Stabler. Olivia slipped out of bed and lifted her daughter, placing her on her hip before pushing the bedroom door closed.

"I had a bad dream, Mama," Emme mumbled, hiding her head in the crook of Olivia's neck.

"What was it about, honey?" Olivia questioned, climbing back into bed.

Holding Emme on her lap, rubbing her back she hopes to coax something from the small child. Nightmares had been surfacing a lot lately as the divorce progressed, and out of all the kids Emme was taking it the hardest. Big, tough, high school boys don't show much emotion, but she knew it wasn't easy for them either.

"Emme?" Olivia whispered, kissing her daughter's curly locks.

"Yeah, Mama?"

"What was your dream about?" Olivia asked again, moving her head to look into her daughter's eyes.

"Daddy, " Emme whimpered, closing her eyes and snuggling impossibly closer to her mother's chest.

"Okay, " Olivia spoke a little worried, "what happened in the dream?"

Before words could leave the young girl's mouth she broke out in sobs. Olivia knew then and there whatever her little girl had just dreamt was dark. Worried Olivia soothed her daughter before holding her at arm's length.

"Nobody's going to hurt your Dad, honey, but I need you to tell me what happened in the dream, okay?" Olivia spoke calmly, reassuring her daughter as she wiped tears off her cheeks.

"Someone took Daddy away from us. They took him away and he didn't come home because he got hurt, " Emme whimpered, "and you went away too, but you came home."

"Who's they?" Olivia questioned, wondering if it was someone her daughter knew.

"I don't know, Mama, they were dark shadows."

"Okay, " Olivia sighed, hugging her daughter tightly. "Emme, you know that no one's going to hurt Daddy, right? And no one's going to hurt Mama? It was all just a dream."

"I know, Mama, " Emme yawned, "where's Daddy right now though, Mama."

Olivia rolled her eyes and sighed, "he had to work tonight, baby girl, but he should be home in the morning. Why don't you try to fall back to sleep in Mama's bed, huh?"

"Okay, Mama, " Emme yawned as Olivia slid her into the middle of the bed.

Olivia dimmed her bedside lamp and relaxed against her pillow. She knew she wouldn't get any sleep tonight, not a chance with Emme beside her, and considering there was less than an hour between now and the time her alarm would go off she knew sleep was a lost cause.