[2]

When Olivia heard Abbie say that Cade was her son, Olivia grew violently ill. She shook like crazy as she got sick right there in the hall outside of the nursery.

"You are so disgusting!" Abbie yelled, as a few nurses ran to Olivia's side.

"Ms. Benson, are you in pain?" One of the nurses asked, as she squatted down beside Olivia and held a bag in front of her mouth.

"Get me away from her." Olivia panted before getting sick again.

"Ms. Benson-"

"Get me away from her! I want my son!" Olivia sobbed.

"You are such a freak! That boy is going to be way better off with us!" Abbie screamed, as Olivia was wheeled away. 

"Keep her and her husband away from my baby. Please." Olivia begged.

"No one will be near your son unless you give them permission. Your little boy is safe in the nursery, I promise."

///

Olivia laid in her hospital bed with her arms wrapped around Cade's body. She was terrified that she'd take her eyes off of him for a second, and he'd be gone. That someone would rip him from her arms and take him away forever. 

She had lost her husband, her home, and she knew that if she lost her son that she'd be broken beyond repair.

"They already brought him back? He must be starving." Alex smiled, as she came into the room with a stuffed bunny in her hand.

"He isn't going back to the nursery. He is safer here with me."

"Safe? Olivia, what's happening? Or like, what happened when you went down to see him before you napped?" Alex breathed.

"Abbie was down there. She said that Cade is her son... Alex, they want him and I think that they are going to get him. Who would honestly side with a single mom over a married man?" Olivia whimpered.

"I will make sure that you keep your baby, Liv. Elliot took everything from you, but he won't take Cade. Let's start the fight first. We can file for your want of full and complete custody. If we take the first step, I think that the judge should side with you. After the hell Elliot put you through-"

"But I'm not married, Alex. I have seen custody hearings before. Married parents have a better chance of getting their child compared to single parents. No matter what happens, I'm screwed. I always have been and always will be." Olivia whispered. She looked down at her son for a moment before kissing his forehead gently.

"I refuse to let anything happen to you, Olivia. To him. Now, get some sleep. I can protect him." Alex spoke, as she caressed her friend's hair.

"I don't think that I'll ever get sleep ever again."

///

Olivia and Cade were kept in the hospital for two days after he was born. As soon as the sun rose, Alex was at the hospital to pick up her friend and nephew. Olivia had talked to her doctor and explained what was happening, so Olivia's release was scheduled earlier to prevent any overlapping.

But that didn't matter. Elliot still managed to see Olivia and Cade before Alex arrived.

"You are adorable." Elliot cooed softly, as he leaned over the cot that his son slept in. Olivia had went into the bathroom for less than five minutes, and he managed to sneak in when her guard was down.

"Why the fuck are you in here?" Olivia spat, as she left the bathroom. Elliot turned around and smiled at Olivia.

"I'm just checking out my son. I have rights to him." Elliot spoke, as he reached down to lift Cade up, but Olivia moved quickly to him and pushed him away.

"Stay away from my baby." She growled, as she moved herself between Elliot and Cade. 

She knew from the moment she heard Cade's heartbeat for the first time that she was going to be extremely protective of her son. She would die for him if she had too.

"He's my son! Olivia, I don't know why you have to be so difficult! You should just give him up since you love your job more than you love anyone else!" Elliot screamed, as he got right up in Olivia's face.

A few nurses heard Elliot's scream, and they quickly moved into the room to check in on their patient.

"Excuse me? Why are you in here?" One of the bigger male nurses asked.

"He's here to try and scare me into giving my baby up." Olivia breathed.

"She doesn't even want him. She'll probably completely abandon him just like her mother did her." Elliot smiled.

"Leave me alone." Olivia struggled to whimper.

"I'll have him in my care by the end of next week. Trust me."

///

The whole first night home, Olivia wouldn't let Cade out of her sight. She snuggled him for hours and only put him down when he needed his diaper changed. Alex said that she could help out, but Olivia was too scared to let even her best friend hold her little boy.

Within a week of Cade's birth, Elliot had held up to his promise. But instead of having Cade in his care, he had Olivia served with papers.

"What's happening?" Alex asked, once she got into the apartment. Olivia was pacing the living room floor with Cade sleeping in a sling across her chest.

"I just got served with papers."

"Liv?"

"The papers are Elliot's request for full custody of Cade. It even has a request to change his name in it. All three of his names. We didn't beat him to filling and I know now that he's going to take my baby from me." Olivia cried.

Alex moved to Olivia and stopped her from pacing before taking Cade from the sling. She put the baby in his bouncer before helping Olivia to sit down.

"Olivia, you have to trust me in this matter. You may have seen custody hearings before, but they are all different. You may be single and work as a detective, but that doesn't mean you won't be a good mom. Cade is lucky to have been born to you and not Abbie. You will raise your baby, and I'll make sure of it."