I CAN READ YOU

AU. Olivia and Rafael meet by chance but it's faith who seems to pull them towards one another. Barson.

Sorry for the long wait guys! Had eye surgery a month ago and sat on this chapter for quite a while. Let's see your theories.

Chapter 7:

Rafael had come home a bit earlier than usual. He and Olivia had planned on taking the whole family to Miami where some of Lucia's family lived. It was only two days away. If he was being truly honest it made him bit uneasy about having the kids have to spend hours on a plane. Thankfully he had Katie to give them a hand.

"Papi! You are home!" Sofia smiled as she came bouncing up and down. "Abuelita is here already." Rafael kissed his child's forehead.

"Hola Rafi, how was work?"

"Officially closed for the holidays. That's all I'm going to say about it until January." He sighed loosening his tie.

"Good, Olivia just called. She's on her way too. She just had to make a quick stop before diner."

"Of course she did." Rafael smiled. This latest case they've been working on had taken on Olivia hard, especially around Christmas and she wanted to make sure Tammy and her kids were settled during her absence.

"What's for dinner?" That smells amazing mami."

"It tastes even better" Sofia added. Rafael sneaked on the side to take a peek on the dish. She almost slapped his hand like a little boy. "Have some bread mi amor. We're waiting for Olivia. No one is eating until she gets here."

"Don't pout. It doesn't look good on you Rafi." Katie said behind him as she led Noah out of his room.

"Well at least one of us is eating around here." He pointed out as he spotted the baby in Katie's arms. Little Leo's green eyes sparkled as he spotted his daddy. "Come here amigo."

" you can give him a bath while Liv gets here. Keep yourself busy" Katie said. Rafael loved one on time with each of his children. Whether it was watching a movie with Sofia or building a Lego tower with Noah or giving Leo a bath.

"Okay. I guess I could do that. Meanwhile, what about you two go and put on your PJ.'s. Then put on a movie?"

"It's my time to pick!" Noah announced. Within minutes both children were gone. Rafael sighed.

"Let's see here amigo. Too warm?" Leo giggled as Barba put him down on the tub. His hand splashing around. "Think I can persuade mama to stay here for Christmas?"

"Mama beach!" He giggled.

"Yeah, that got her pretty excited, huh?"

Truth be told, he was a bit anxious about Liv meeting everyone. He had enough family to scare anyone into a corner, even Olivia Benson.

Olivia had said her goodbyes to everyone at work as she was going to be off the radar for a few weeks. A well-deserved break with Rafael and the kids. The warmth of the beach instead of snow.

It was definitely going to be different. But she'd learned to accept it and embrace her life. So much had changed in her life in the last four years since she'd met Rafael and Sofia Barba.

"Hello?"

"Liv?" Katie smiled as she opened the oven one more time. Benson could listen to the TV turned on the next room. "How was work?"

"It was okay, but frankly I'm glad to be home. Where's everyone?"

Just like that, her children bolted into the room. Leo going as fast as his small legs would allow him to.

"Mommy!" It was the best feeling in the world, Olivia's work didn't allow her to detach from the victims, hell, her own existence didn't, but seeing her children's faces was what made it all worthwhile. "Slow down there amigo, mama can´t lift you remember?"

Rafael came behind them with a smile.

"And who's to blame for that?" Liv said as Rafael picked the little boy so he could kiss her.

"Oh no mi amor. I seem to remember you were there too." He reached to hold her growing belly, giving her a sweet kiss on the lips. "Everything okay?"

"It is now." She admitted. "I'm off duty for the next two weeks. All yours." They kissed again.

"If papi puts another baby in a there, she's going to explode." Sofia said breaking their kissing. Rafael sighed as Liv giggled.

"Mi amor, that's not how…" Liv shot him a look. "Where's Abuelita?"

"Over here you two. Let's eat." Lucia called.

Two days to go.

Olivia was dreading this flight in hush just as Rafael. It wasn't easy being six months pregnant with twins, having two 9 year olds and a toddler.

"Here mom, I'll help you." Noah said with a smile as they got out of the cab. Olivia got a hold of Noah's hand.

"Stay close everyone." Lucia took Sofia's hand. Katie followed closely with Leo.

"Here we go." Rafael entered the plane first, followed by Liv and Lucia. "Buckle up both of you." He told Sofia and Noah.

"Papi? Can we watch a movie?"

"Can I pick one?"

"Of course, each of you can pick one and if you like it you can switch." Rafael told them.

They were quickly on their business. Rafael sighed.

"Here I'll take the baby for a while." Lucia offered Olivia.

"Mi amor why don't you take a nap?" It'll do you good."

"Are you sure?" She asked.

"Yes." He kissed her softly. "Sleep."

Liv woke up just as they were meant to land. She couldn't believe she'd been able to do sleep the whole flight. She slowly opened her eyes. Sofia and Noah were so into their movie she was sure there hadn't even spoken a word and Katie had a close hold on Leo.

"I was out this long?"

"You were. Looking so peaceful I didn't have the heart to wake you," he confessed with a smile.

"Thank you." She said softly.

As soon as they made it over to baggage claim Rafael began to tense a little. Liv could see it. "Dad?" Noah asked.

"Stay close to your mom." He told him. He got a hold on to Sofia's hand as they made over to their luggage. Rafael and Noah had managed to put it all up on a trolley.

"Are you sure someone's here to pick us mijo?" Lucia asked.

"Of course mami, I just texted them,"

"Them?" Lucia asked. Olivia raised an eyebrow at him.

"Uncle Carlos!" Sofia broke into a run as she spotted a familiar face.

Rafael turned around to see his old friend approaching. Leonardo wasn't that far behind.

"There she is! How's my favorite goddaughter?" He swept her up in a hug.

"I'm good. Almost ten."

"So I heard. When are you going to start dating?"

"Not until I'm forty. That's what papi says anyway." Carlos put the little girl down.

"Oh, is that so?"

"It is, don't get any ideas into her head," Rafael said. Carlos smiled.

"Right," He said. "I hear you Mano."

"You better." Rafael hugged his friend warmly. "Where's Leo?"

"Oh he was parking the car." He reached for Olivia. "Liv, nice seeing you again. Congratulations on those babies. How are you feeling?"

"Like blowing up?" Olivia admitted hugging him close. "You?"

"Sleeping barely." Carlos sighed. He'd just become a parent for the 6th time. Married since he was 18, he'd known Rafi since they were 4 years old. He would spend every summer with him and Leonardo.

"Noah my man. How are you?"

He highed fived the little boy. Carlos had met them last summer in New York. It was as if Rafi transformed himself into a younger version, into a boy with a different light in his eyes as he laughed with Carlos. They met Leonardo, who was actually Rafael's cousin, outside. Taking action he held his namesake and godson as he opened the door for Olivia. "Flight okay?" He asked as he strapped in the little boy in his own boy's car seat.

"Papi?" Sofia asked as soon as Leonardo turned the engine on. "Can we go swimming?"

"Yes! Can we?" Noah echoed. "Please Dad?" It wasn't as cold as Rafael remembered, global warming.

Carlos had insisted they should stay with him, Leonardo had not enough space in his flat as he and his wife had a little one, still, Carlos had more than enough space for the growing family.

Alexis was Carlos's wife. They've met in school and married soon after. Rafael had been best man, their first child, Felix had been born shortly after. He'd just moved out a few years back going to college and was home for the holidays.

"Uncle Rafi. I've seen pictures of Olivia but they don't do her justice." He said with a charming smile.

"Don't trust him mi amor, he's quite a Don Juan this one." Rafael rolled his eyes.

"Hey, I'm a one woman kind of guy. All is good."

"It better be." Rafael told him.

It was warm enough for Sofia and Noah to join the rest of the Solera kids at the pool. Tanya was 16, Ricky 14, Mateo 10, Karla 6 and Valentin had just turned 1.

Olivia could see Rafael was in his element with Leonardo and Carlos, she hadn't really understood all his worry until they made it to her aunt's for the first time.

"I still don't know why you let your aunt get to you Rafi." Carlos said in all seriousness as they began washing the dishes in the kitchen. Leonardo had tried to keep his mother at bay as his wife had joined them in the kitchen.

"She just doesn't approve of Rafael wanting more out of life. That's why he left Miami for good. Never comes to visit. But that's no crime Raf,"

"No one has ever given me a reason to come more often." He told her dryly. From the corner of his eye he could see Olivia talking to Alexis "Have they?"

Having been born and raised in New York, Rafael used to love coming to Miami every summer, it was a way of getting away from everything else in his life and actually feeling like he belonged, Olivia had learned so much about Rafael in the last few years as to know where that fire within him came from, the sense of right and the conviction of fighting for others. She remembered when he'd first began working at SVU. Not only was he Sofia's dad but he also proved to be useful for the team. It was his Latin blood, Nick who quarreled with him said. And Olivia loved that aspect of Rafael, so warm and loving and yet focused and smart.

"You could just spend Christmas with us." Carlos told him a few days after the Margarita incident. "We might be a little too much to handle but you could go over with Lucia's family Christmas morning."

Rafael sighed. Christmas at the Solera's wasn't that different from his own experience but it was definitely better than having his aunt disapprove of every part of his life.

"Why is Aunt Tanya so mad at you Papi?" Sofia asked.

Rafael smiled softly. "She just wanted me to take another path in my life." He told her. "Wanted me to be…"

"Like me." Carlos said. "Be in the family business, get married and have kids."

"But Papi is married and has kids." Sofia said.

"Yes, but your aunt wanted him to do whatever she thought was best for him when it was actually something she wanted for herself." Carlos explained. "Does that make sense?"

"I guess." She admitted.

"Hey mano where's Olivia?" Carlos asked as he joined Rafael a stool at his bar.

"Out doing some last minute Christmas shopping with your wife"

"She take your credit card?"

"I'm a lawyer, what do you think?" The two childhood friends laughed.

"And all I'm glad you're here, Olivia is great, especially with Sofia. She needed that."

"So I keep hearing." He took a sip of his beer, he wasn't a scotch type of guy right now.

"Does she ever ask about her mom?"

"I don't give her a chance to, although I think she wonders, not so much now with Olivia though,"

"Are you ever going to tell her?"

"Eventually. On my death bed I think."

"Raf, I'm serious. Does Olivia know?"

"She knows enough."

TBC. Theories? Just a side note, Rafael's friends Leonardo and Carlos are supposed to be played by Lin Manuel Miranda and Carlos Ponce whom I love.