So here it is the first chapter of the sequel to Gluing Glass!
Six months had passed since that life changing day when Bayard asked for Olivia's hand in marriage. Now, sat in her office chair she knew that she had made the right decision. She was happier than she had ever been as she hummed quietly to herself and looked at the solitaire diamond shining from its gold band, catching the light causing it to sparkle.
She smiled softly as she glanced over at the build-up of pictures on her desk. She hadn't expected there to be so many but with every occasion there was a need for a picture and as Olivia added them to the collection on her desk she didn't have the heart to take one off.
The wedding date was picked and they were in the early stages of planning. Olivia and Bayard would be engaged exactly a year to the day when they would finally become man and wife. With six months to go he felt like there was more than enough time for them to plan everything down to the last detail but Olivia wasn't so sure.
Olivia's life was now in a comfortable place. She had finally allowed Elliot back into her life. It started with emails here and there followed by texts and then phone calls and now they met up once a week for coffee and a chat keeping each other up to date on their privet lives, work speak was off limits though as Elliot missed the one six but had no desire in returning.
Her relationship with Don Cragen had developed further too. Every Wednesday they trekked up to the cliff to have some 'Daddy/Daughter' talk followed by dinner and then took flowers to his wife's grave. She felt like she owed him her life as she wouldn't be the person she was now if he hadn't loved and supported her the way he had when she was at her worst.
She still saw Elizabeth Olivet once a month, mainly to calm her own fears about regressing back to the person she'd almost become with her drinking and smoking. Elizabeth didn't mind though, she was happy to help a friend and the truth was their therapy sessions had turned more into a time for tea and catch up rather than the usual sit down and talk sessions she held.
As Lieutenant Olivia found herself doing a lot more administrative work as well as running a few cases without Cragen's involvement especially around COM STAT and Annual Psych evals where he had been far too busy and he was honestly grateful that he had her to take some of the weight off his shoulders, even though she was still determined to be out on the streets, she felt that's where she belonged.
Things weren't perfect though. Her relationship with Bayard wasn't perfect either. She loved him and he loved her but as a defence attorney who was on retainers by rapists, child abusers and sexual deviants their professional lives had crossed paths multiple times and they spent hours arguing their side of the case and giving each other the silent treatment for a couple of days after the result. However, the best thing for both of them about fighting was making up afterwards.
There were parts of their lives together that was perfect though. Such as, Molly, who was always playing mediator between her Dad and Step-Mom but loved doing it because she saw their love through their passion which was at its most visible when they were fighting. There was also their home situation. Though Olivia still spent most nights at Bayard's house they had decided to buy a place together, suitable to raise a family, to move in when they returned from their honeymoon. A family was the other, they both wanted a family together and Molly was desperate for siblings and was impatient about the fact that once again her parents had decided to wait until after the wedding but as a fourteen year old girl she was just happy that she finally was getting the family she'd dreamed of growing up she had a Dad and a Mom in her life.
"Baby girl that ring isn't going anywhere you don't have to stare at it." Fin chuckled and Olivia smiled and dropped her hand, she'd been day dreaming for the past ten minutes or so.
"Shut up Fin man, when she's like this she's leaving me alone!" Nick teased as Olivia shot him a warning glance followed by a playful smile, she and her partner were closer than they had ever been, she trusted him and let him in more than anyone expected her to which meant he caught the brunt of any anger on her part.
"Am I not allowed to be happy?" Olivia questioned looking at her co-workers.
"Course you are, so what were you dreaming about?" Fin asked. "Let me guess, the next ball?"
"Ball? They're galas Fin not Balls." Olivia chuckled. "And no I was mentally going through the wedding list."
"Oh the one taped to your desk that you could just look at?" Nick asked with a laugh.
"I'm trying to think if I've forgotten anything, we're half way through our time limit now and I'm beginning to panic." Olivia replied honestly.
"Baby girl you've got six whole months to plan this thing, seriously you need to chill." Fin replied.
"Yeah well I've got half of Manhattan's aristocracy coming include the Mayor and the Police Commissioner, this day cannot go wrong." Olivia replied with a huff and Nick and Fin both knew it was time to back off.
The rest of the day passed quite slowly and Olivia was looking forward to her weekly time with Cragen. It was a routine now that they left the precinct at five o'clock on the dot and went to the cliff for an hour depending on the weather, through the winter they'd spent their time on the cliff in the car except for when it was snowing and they stopped to by boots and walked up and stayed only ten minutes.
"Liv you ready to go?" Cragen asked coming out of his office already in his coat and hat, it was early March so it was warming up outside but still not warm enough to go without their coats.
"Yeah just … need to finish… this… and… it's … done." She said as she finished writing an email to Elliot and clicked send.
"Then let's go." He smiled holding her jacket out to her.
They spent the first ten to fifteen minutes in complete silence just staring out into the horizon, Olivia throwing pebbles and small rocks out as she thought. It's what they did, they would think through everything that had crossed their mind in the week since their last visit and then talk about it together, offloading to each other, supporting each other.
"So how are Bayard and Molly?" Don asked when Olivia's rock throwing stopped which meant she was done thinking.
"Great, Bayard asked me to ask if you're coming to dinner Sunday." Olivia smiled, that was a once in a month thing for them but Olivia still asked on the Wednesday before.
"Absolutely." Don smiled.
The truth was having his time with Olivia on Wednesday's followed by being with her on a monthly basis on Sunday's had given him the one thing he'd always dreamed of, in Olivia gaining a family, he'd gained one to.
"Great." Olivia smiled. "We thankfully don't have any galas or parties Saturday so we'll both be relaxed."
Don smiled. Olivia's life had certainly improved in the last six months dramatically and he'd watched her bloom and change with it, he was so proud of her and everything she'd achieved.
"So how's the wedding planning coming?" Don asked knowing Olivia was working relentlessly to make sure that the most talked about wedding of the year would be worth all the hype even though he knew she would prefer to elope or just turn up at the courthouse.
"Don't get me started." She sighed and Don saw some of the light in her eyes fade.
"Liv what's wrong?" He asked her and she gave him a weak smile, he always could read her like a book.
"I guess I'm just scared." Olivia replied. "Of marriage, commitment, of the wedding itself."
"That's completely normal Liv." Don reassured giving her knee a gentle squeeze.
"Even though the wedding isn't for another six months?" She asked with a raised eyebrow questioning her superior.
"Even though the wedding isn't for six months." He reassured. "When Marge and I got engaged, we had a long engagement of two years because we couldn't afford the dream wedding that we both wanted so we decided to save and every day until the day I put that ring on her finger I'd be scared, I didn't let it rule my life or how I lived it with Marge but the doubt was constantly there until I saw her walking down that aisle and blew me away and all the doubt and fear I had right along with it."
Olivia smiled. She loved hearing Don tell her about his late wife. She loved seeing the spark in his features and the light in his eyes.
"Ok." She said. "There was something I wanted to ask you actually, about this wedding, I've been meaning to ask you for a long time but I guess… I let the fear stop me. Now feel free to say no and you won't have to explain your decision but you've always been there for me Don, you've really been the man in my life that I've looked up to and wanted to make proud … so would you… would you walk me down the aisle?" She didn't look at him as she asked scared and worried he wouldn't want to so she failed to see his whole face light up along with his broad smile.
"I would be honoured Olivia." He said taking her hand in his own.
"Really?" She asked turning to look at him and she saw the tears sparkling in his eyes.
He just nodded and swallowed the lump in his throat. He was really honoured that Olivia had asked him, he'd never thought he'd get to walk his 'daughter' down the aisle. It was just one of those things he'd accepted when he realised that he and Marge wouldn't have children as she passed to early.
Olivia scooted closer to him and then pulled him into a hug to hide her own tears. She wasn't' sure why, but she'd convinced herself, possibly out of fear that he would say no. To see him react in such a way to her asking warmed her heart.
"Thank you." She said as she pulled away.
"No Olivia, thank you. You've grown into such a magnificent lady. You deserve all the happiness in the world." He told her caressing the hand he held.
"Oh Cap…" She said wiping her tears. "You made me cry."
"Hey you made me cry first." He teased nudging her should making her smile. "Now how about some dinner?"
Once at their usual restaurant they were quickly shown to the table reserved the week before and ordered their drinks. Since Olivia's problem she never drank in front of her superior except a glass of wine when he would come round on their monthly Sunday's so when they came to the restaurant he had his club soda and Olivia would have a sparkling water.
As soon as their food was ordered as always they began talking about work and their current cases.
"I need to re-interview the witnesses on the Sandhurst case, something isn't just adding up." Olivia said having been working on the two month old cold case.
"Sure, as long as nothing new comes in you and Nick can split them up between you." Don smiled.
"Then there's the Downing case, I think the vics holding something back that we could use to crack it wide open." She added just as their food was brought over.
"Go with your gut on it Liv, your gut is usually right." Don reassured.
Olivia smiled and nodded in reply.
"There's the Mayor's lunch on Tuesday, don't forget, full dress blues." Don said and Olivia groaned and rolled her eyes, that was another thing since her promotion too, more political responsibility.
"You're coming right?" Olivia asked, Don had skipped out on one lunch a month ago and she had been left to her own devices which had her pulling her hair out by the end.
"Of course." He smiled. "Even though if I hear him call you Lady or Miss Benson again I'm going to pull… no I'm not I don't have any hair to pull." He laughed softly.
"Oh come on he knew me as Miss Benson first." Olivia laughed.
"Yes he did but when you're in that uniform you're Lieutenant and he should do well to remember that." Don said firmly before breaking out into a smile.
"Well we'll see but if he asks me anything about Bayard, the next gala or my wedding I will struggle to bite my tongue." She said with a cheeky grin on her face.
Don just laughed softly in reply, he loved spending time with Olivia whatever they talked about they always had fun.
Olivia and Don walked arm in arm through the graveyard just as daylight begun to fade away. She knew the way now having been there so often but Don enjoyed sharing this privet moment with Olivia, he never wanted alone time to talk with his wife, he did that Sunday mornings at the cliff but he liked to keep her grave tidy and make sure there was always flowers there.
Don removed the old flowers and Olivia placed the new bouquet in their place without breaking the link in their arms. They then stood in silence for a moment giving Don time to think about what else to tell Olivia about his wife as he did every week.
"This one time, I came in from work and she had been home all day with back ache, she had been crocheting a blanket for a friend's newborn and had fallen asleep in her rocking chair. She looked like an angel Olivia. I'll never forget how peaceful she looked that day. I'd not long bought myself my first camera and you know what I'm like for taking pictures but anyway I grabbed it quickly and took a photo of her and back them cameras were noisy and it woke her and she was so angry with me until I sat her down and told her why I'd taken that photo and she cried and said I'd never said anything so sweet. I wiped her tears with my thumb and we cuddled up on the couch and she fell back asleep, she must have been so exhausted." He smiled fondly at the memory as Olivia rested her head on his shoulder. "I still have that photo, it's black and white of course I'll have to show it to you someday."
"I'd love to see it." She said softly.
"Well until next week." He said leaning his own cheek on the top of Olivia's head.
"Till next week." She echoed before they walked back to Olivia's car.
After dropping Don off at his house Olivia drove across town to Bayard's palace. Tonight she didn't feel much like being in her apartment.
She snuck quietly into the house knowing that Molly would be in bed and that Bayard would be in the study. Quickly she deposited her gun, handcuffs and shield in the lock box and made her way upstairs to Molly's old bedroom which was now Bayard's study.
"Hey." He smiled and spun his chair round as he heard the door squeak open.
"Hey." Olivia smiled as she walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Nice evening with Don?" He asked knowing of their weakly event.
"Yeah. I finally asked him to walk me down the aisle." Olivia smiled.
"Good, and what did he say?" Bayard asked knowing that Olivia had reservations about asking such a thing from her superior who would be walking her in front of his own superior officers.
"He said he'd be honoured… and then he cried." Olivia said with a soft laugh.
"See I told you he would want to." Bayard said as he pulled Olivia into his lap while she kept a tight hold on his neck.
"Now there's only the reception venue to choose, the flowers, the dresses, the suits, the…"
A hand slipped over her mouth.
"One thing at a time Livia, the church is booked that's all that's important." Bayard said softly. "How about we choose the reception venue while Don's here on Sunday, you said you wanted to involve him in the planning if he agreed to walk you down the aisle."
"Ok." Olivia smiled.
"And we've already agreed on the colour scheme." Bayard reminded her and she nodded her head where it rested in the crook of his neck. "So that will make everything easier."
"We need to choose the food…"
"Which we'll do once we've chosen the reception venue, we've got six months Liv we can take it one step at a time."
"The rings…"
"Liv…"
"The first dance song…"
"I thought we'd already chosen that." He said with a frown.
"Have we?" Olivia asked sitting up to look at her fiancé.
"I thought it would be 'our' song, I thought that was a given." He said.
"You mean the song you sang to me when we had our very expensive and illustrious and over the top engagement party?" Olivia asked remembering back.
"Yes." Bayard nodded. "You said the song said everything you couldn't find the words to say to me and I said that's why I requested it and dragged you on the dance floor to sing it to you."
"Oh yeah, then that's another thing down but then you've reminded me we need to find a good Dj, and then there's the choir and string quartet for the service…"
"Seriously Liv, one step at a time and we'll get there. In six months you will be my wife and I your husband and the wedding will be all over and you'll be wondering what on earth it was you were worrying for a year about." Bayard chuckled and Olivia smiled, she hoped he was right.