Chapter Text
Baby Benson was born on November 16th, 1998 bright and early at 6 am. Cragen had been at the hospital the whole night pacing the waiting room floor ever since he had arrived with Olivia at two am. They had been working a crime scene much to his many protests but Olivia had insisted. They were short-staffed and she wanted to get as many hours in as possible. As they had finished up their initial assessment Olivia had let out a large scream. Cragen had rushed her to the hospital immediately. She held his hand the whole way squeezing it occasionally when the pain became too extreme.
Cragen felt like a whole day had passed when the doctors finally came back into the waiting room. He rushed to Olivia’s room. She was laying back against the pillows her dark brown hair sticking to the sweat on the sides of her face. Tucked tightly in her arms was her small baby. She smiled at Cragen as she entered the room.
“Captain,” She said softly, “They told me you were here all night.”
“Of course, I had to make sure you were okay Liv,” He smiled walking closer towards her bed.
He had taken a risk-taking on a two almost three-month pregnant detective onto his squad but she was quickly becoming one of his best detectives. He had no regrets taking her one. She had become a daughter to him.
“Do you want to hold her?” Olivia asked looking back down at her baby before looking at Cragen again.
“Of course,” Cragen smiled.
Olivia extended the small baby out to Cragen. He took her gently in his arms rocking her back and forth. Olivia looked at the scene and couldn’t help but feel her heart begin to warm. She had never had a father but she imagined this is what the scene would have looked like if she did.
“Her name is Ella Alina,” She told him.
“Hello, Ella. I’m Captain Cragen but you can call me PawPaw,” Cragen said his smile growing bigger.
“And here I thought you would have been more of the Gramps type of guy,” Olivia laughed as Ella was placed back in her arms.
“When Marge and I were trying to have kids I decided I wanted to get called Pa. Just like I called me dad. I figured PawPaw was a good grandpa adaptation. As long as you don’t mind.”
“I think that’s great Cap,” Olivia said and then sighed, “I’m going to need all the help that I can get.”
“And I will give you all the help that I can. Why don’t you get some sleep?” Cragen replied pulling the bassinet close to Olivia’s bed.
“You’ll stay for awhile right? Just to make sure that everything with Ella is okay,” Olivia asked worried holding Ella close to her.
“Yes, I told Elliot that I would take the first shift. He has second and then you have to deal with Munch on the third shift.”
Olivia merely laughed and gently placed Ella in the bassinet. She made sure the blanket was still tucked tightly around her before she leaned in and gave Ella a quick kiss on her forehead. She whispered a quick I love you before she leaned back against the pillow. Cragen sat in the chair that was positioned on the other side of the bassinet. Olivia kept one hand gently over Ella as her eyes began to flicker close. Soon she was snoring as exhaustion set in. Cragen tried to stay awake but soon fell asleep as well.
The long wait was finally over. Ella Alina Benson was now the center of Olivia’s world.