Strong [A Barson Fan Fic]

- 32 -

Adam and Rafael quickly walked into the squadroom and looked around for the detectives that arrested Olivia.

"Detective Munch and Stabler!" Adam exclaimed, as he led Rafael to the back.

"Mr. Bently, what can we help you with?" Detective Stabler sighed.

"Your proof is old." Rafael blurted out, as he opened the folder of pictures.

"Excuse me? Who the hell are you?" Detective Stabler huffed as he looked at Rafael.

"That doesn't matter, Detective. Did you and your partner even go out and see Sophie Benson? Because if you did, you'd see that Sophie has a pixie cut. It's short and in these pictures, her hair is much longer. Look." Rafael sighed, as he shoved one of the pictures into the detective's hands.

"Okay? So?" Detective Stabler asked, and that made Rafael even more pissed off than he had been to start.

"So? Detective, these pictures are from when Serena Benson abused her daughter. You are using old proof to put my client in jail for something she didn't do. So you need to get better at your job and do some actual investigating before arresting the first person you see." Adam spat.

Detective Munch and the Captain joined them, before looking at the picture. 

"Mrs. Barba will be staying in the cell until we can prove that Sophie Benson has short hair now and that these are old... but we will move her up to these cells to make sure she doesn't get arraigned." Captain Cragen spoke, which just made Rafael and Adam even more angry.

"Yeah, and be prepared to get your ass sued. My wife is sitting in the tombs because you all wanted to take the easy way out and fake a case. Fuck you all!"

///

Olivia was moved back to the Special Victims Unit's holding cell. She was given water and a stale sandwich, but wasn't told what was happening. She sat in there for another six hours, and it was nearly eight in the morning before anyone came and saw her again.

"Olivia?" Detective Munch asked as he approached the cell. Olivia looked up from her hands before swallowing hard.

"Y-yeah?" She breathed.

"You are free to go." He spoke, and Olivia shook her head as she looked back down at her hands.

"You are charging me with something that I didn't do... I'm not free to go. You are going to take me to court where I will enter a not guilty plea, to only not be believed again." Olivia sighed. 

Detective Munch unlocked the door before opening it and standing back.

"We dropped the charges against you. You are free to go. Your husband is waiting by the desk officer, and he has all of your belongings."

"Are you sure?" Olivia whispered, and he nodded.

"Yes. We are sure."

Olivia stood quickly and left the cell before walking into the squadroom. She started to cry when she saw her husband, and she ran to him before hugging him tightly.

"Hey, babe. You are okay. They know that it was all a lie, and this won't stay on your record or anything."

"So I can still become a cop? I won't get kicked out of college?" Olivia whimpered, and Rafael shook his head.

"No, baby. It's like this never happened." Rafael cooed gently before he placed a kiss to her temple.

"Mrs. Barba?" Captain Cragen asked as he approached the couple.

"Yes?" Olivia sniffled as she stepped back and looked at him.

"We are so sorry about the misunderstanding. Please-"

"It wasn't a misunderstanding, sir. I kept telling your detectives that I didn't hurt my sister, and you all just ignored me. You were just trying to blame this on someone, and I just happened to be that person. So please, do a better job investigating because no one deserves to feel how I feel."

///

Olivia went home and had to take a shower before doing anything else. Ezra was with Lucia and Catalina, so Olivia could take her time and not worry about being interrupted when her son decided to rush into the bathroom.

"Feeling any better?" Rafael asked.

"I don't feel as disgusting as I did... and I could finally wash all of that hairspray out of my hair." Olivia yawned.

"I'm sorry that everything got ruined." Rafael frowned as he reached out to his wife before pulling her onto the bed beside him. 

"Our wedding was still amazing, even if I ended up getting arrested. I'm sorry that we missed our flight."

"That's fine, love. I guess we can spend our honeymoon here. In bed. Together." Rafael smiled before he started to kiss his wife's neck.

Olivia let herself relax with every kiss, but then grew anxious again as she started to think about Sophie. She was wondering how she was doing in foster care. Olivia was even wondering if Sophie would end up back with them again, or if she'd stay in foster care until Serena was released from jail.

"You wanna get started?" Rafael asked, and Olivia blinked a few times before looking at him.

"Huh?"

"Do you not wanna make love? I thought that since it's the day after our wedding and now that you are a free woman, that we could start working on what we planned."

"Or maybe we should wait a bit longer before trying for a baby... I need to get some air. Sorry." Olivia frowned before she untangled herself from her husband and climbed out of bed.

///

Rafael found his wife on the back porch. He brought her a cup of coffee, and he sat beside her on the stairs.

"I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, Liv. I'm sorry." Rafael frowned, and Olivia shook her head as she sat her mug down, before placing her hand against Rafael's leg. She rubbed it gently as she sighed.

"You didn't make me uncomfortable, Rafa. There is just a lot going on in my head right now, and I'm still worried about Soph. I know that she and Serena worked together to try to get me in trouble, but she's still my baby sister... and I'm thinking about how I almost went to jail for a few years because no one listened to me."

"I think that Sophie will be better off in a foster home, because then Serena won't have a reason to plot against you anymore. And we can wait as long as you want to start trying for another baby, because I want you to be comfortable. I want you to feel safe and confident enough to take any step forward. Whether big or small." Rafael smiled softly.

"Thanks, Rafa... I think that we just need to focus on getting back to normal... and focus on me getting through college and into the academy before we do anything big. Ezra is still just a little thing."

"I get to be your husband for the rest of our lives, so I'm not too worried. We can take our time and just enjoy being a family of three."