Forgotten Memories [A Bensler Fanfiction]

Eight

It was a few weeks before Olivia, Ava, and Elliot were finally back in Manhattan. This was the first time that Ava had ever flown on a plane, so she sat in the window seat and talked most of the flight. 

"So, what do we do here?" Ava asked as she held her mother's hand. 

"What do you mean?"

"Like, do I go to school? Do you work?" Ava replied, as they stopped near the baggage claim. Elliot had already grabbed Ava's pink bag and was now just waiting for the ones that he and Olivia had brought.

"I work at a grocery store. Elliot and I will have to find you a school to attend... I don't know much about that," Olivia breathed.

"You used to, Mama..." Ava whispered. Olivia looked at her daughter as tears welled in her eyes.

Olivia didn't know how to do a lot of anything. Parenting was such a weird thing for her, since the four years she had raised Ava had washed away. All she knew was that she loved that little girl to pieces and wanted to try her hardest to raise her into an amazing person.

"Please don't cry," Ava spoke, as she tugged on her mother's hand. Olivia didn't even realize that the tears were now streaming down her cheeks, and she hated Ava had to see her cry.

"I'm sorry, Ava. This is a lot harder for me than I thought it would be."

"Do you want to send me back? I think that foster home would take me back!" Ava exclaimed, since she will give up her own happiness for the sake of her beloved mother.

"No! Ava, you are staying here, princess. I just need time to get used to be your Mama again..."

///

While Olivia was in Utah with Elliot and Ava, the detectives that Elliot worked with bought a bed, dresser, and toy box for Ava's room. Then Alex, the ADA and Olivia's friend, decorated and set up Ava's room with all the items that had been shipped there.

"This is my room?" Ava smiled as the door swung open. Elliot stood beside the little girl and ruffled her hair as she looked around.

"Yes, ma'am. Your Mama's friend helped to finish this, since we didn't want you sleeping on the floor when we got back," Elliot chuckled.

Ava ran away from him and quickly opened the closet, the dresser, and the toy box. She explored her entire room as Elliot went into his own bedroom and saw Olivia making their bed.

"How are you doing?" He mused. Olivia frowned before shrugging.

"I started crying at the airport... Elliot, I don't know what I'm doing. Like yes, I'm glad that she's here. That the nightmares have mostly stopped, because now I know what I was missing the entire time. But El, I don't know if I can do this."

"Do what? Raise her? Liv, we will try our hardest to raise her into a well-rounded human. She'll be respectful and caring. She's just a mini version of you," Elliot smiled softly. He stepped closer to Olivia and pressed a soft kiss to her shaking lips.

"Do you know how we enroll a little girl in school?" Olivia mused. Elliot shrugged before looking over as the door opened.

"Is everything okay?" Ava asked.

"Yeah, everything is fine. Do you like your room?" Olivia smiled.

"It's really cool, Mama! Can I meet your friend so I can thank her?" 

"O-of course. Maybe we should take a trip to the courthouse. Catch Alex before she starts her day."

///

Alex only had a sentencing hearing to attend, so afterwards she joined the newly formed family for an early lunch. Ava was an incredibly polite and thanked Alex many times for making her room so pretty. She also pulled Alex to the side at one point and thanked her for being her mama's friend. Ava told things to Alex about Olivia, that Olivia didn't even remember. By the time they reached the park for the last few minutes of Alex's break, Olivia was pulled to the side to talk.

"That kid is amazing," Alex breathed. Olivia looked over at her daughter and nodded slowly.

"I completely agree. But how is she my kid? She's too smart, kind, understanding, and funny to be my kid..."

"Maybe you were like that before," Alex teased, as she gave Olivia a jab to the side with her elbow.

"I used to know exactly what to do, or at least Ava told me I did. But, I don't know if I believe her. I used to drop everything and take Ava on the road with Kevin. The only time that changed was when I got a job at the post office... Ava told me she used to run out of the house and give me the biggest hug when I'd deliver mail to the house... Alex, do you think she still loves me enough to want to do that? Drop everything to give me a hug? Or is the fact I don't remember a damn thing going to mess everything up?"

Alex wrapped her arm around her friend's shoulders before pulling her closer. She rested her head against Olivia's and sighed softly.

"This is going to be a learning process, Liv. In the end, things may not go back to what it once was, but you'll be happy. Ava and Elliot both love you, and they will work with you to make this go smoothly."

"I just really want things to go well. The last thing I wanna do is have Ava get hurt again."