What a life for Barson.

Individual Rights

Authors note- So this a huge huge time skip, if you didn't realize that we were still in season 15 right now and we're gonna skip to Pornstars Requiem. It's not really going to be along the plot line of the episode or anything but it's like 3 months after Rafael is released from the hospital for the *hopefully* last time and Liv is still commanding officer with people under her and sigh this will be one of the last ones.
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3:47pm Olivia Benson's apartment; November 19th.

Noah sat up in the small play pen that Olivia had set up for him in the corner of the living room near the large television. She had just come home from an 18 hour investigation into a what they had thought was small but really a huge case of rape of a college girl and had just finished giving Noah a bath when she turned on her television for the first time that day.

And that's when she saw it.

The headlines were large and clear 'DA shot outside of courthouse' she fumbled for the remote and turned the volume up as a report showed up on the screen. "To recap what just happened after the court over turned DA Rafael Barba's conviction in a rape case a sniper shot or shots has hit him as he was exiting the courthouse." The reporter said, a African American middle aged woman, the camera angled and zoomed in on a small group of Goverment agents huddled around a mass of bloody flesh. "This reminds us of the JFK assignation as no one saw this coming as he had fought for the victims rights far enough to be threatened with contempt. All we know so far is an ambulance has arrived and left with out Mr. Barba." The screen changes to a solemn looking need host in the studio.

Olivia's gut sank to the floor. He had been getting better, he was really trying and they had worked things out so they could be friends at least in the past several months. He had tried. Liv fumbled again to get her phone out of her pocket which she had turned off while interviewing suspects that day. She turned her phone on waiting a minute before it powered up. Her latest notifications were co workers and friends texting and leaving voicemails asking if she was okay and if she had seen the news.

The one text that stood out was the one from Rafael from noon that day 'just remember I love you.' It was just so bittersweet.

The reality of it was she wasn't ready to give him up, to death, up on him, give up anymore. He had treated her as a woman not a broken doll and he was so much more the the cocky, arrogant asshole that he seemed to be. She still loved him too.

And now it was over.

It wasn't until 2 days after his death did Olivia face the reality and cry. She had cried before but that was just because of the memories. This time was for herself and him.

The only picture worth actually having out on her desk of him and her was a picture of them standing, backs towards the camera; from the day they wore they wore the exact same color shirt. She mentally thanked Rollins for sneakly taking it and sending it to her the next day.

Truth was they all sorta missed him.

And that's why they all attended his funeral.

Olivia stood in the same graveyard her mother was buried in and subconsciously took the role of grieving widow. Other than his grandmother, Liv was crying the hardest not wanting to face reality.

Rafael had just calmed down, or tried to in a small conference room in the court house when he made his way outside, past the giant concert pillars and started down the steps. 'Pop' 'Pop' 'Pop' he heard in the distance as the media rushed towards him. He didn't think about the sounds until he felt this searing pain in his head, liquid running down his forehead. He fell to the hard ground as police and security rushed towards him, he felt his stomach and shoulder starting to burn also. Before he knew it everthing went black.

The grass was semi wet with dew when Rafael with an American and Cuban flag on his casket was lowered to the ground. Olivia stood sobbing quietly as her friend, her lover, her vain ADA was placed to rest.

She was last to say something before everyone left and she knew she would get emotional when she said it but she did it anyways. "Rafael once told me that I had made the cases actual humans with victims and meanings not just another batting score average raiser. But it's time to say that I should have told him that he made feel human when all others didn't, he treated me like a woman when nobody else did, he made the hard things in life.. easy. And that's how I'll remember him. A man with too much vain and cockiness that just covered up a man that needed a ligule attention but a man that knew no matter what the circumstance you treat every one like humans. And I'll hope you remember him like that too." By the end of her speech she was stuttering and stumbling and choking back sobs.

They all left one by one but Liv stayed and prayed for hours.

If only that was him they had buried.