Fanfic: Anchored Harbor Ch 16, Law and Order: SVU

Chapter 16: Ireland

P O V: Olivia Benson

Florence Court, County Fermanagh

Ireland July 2020

This will be the final chapter thank you for reading and reviewing.

"Falling for you was like taking an afternoon nap. Promising myself only a brief slumber, but as soon as I had fallen, I was already dreaming."

"Amanda, what a funny thing to say because if the only place I could see you were in my dreams, I would dream forever."

"So that explains why it was so hard to wake you. I mean not that I wanted to because you looked so adorable this morning."

Amanda's smile is slow and slopping as she takes my hand, walking along the beach. Just being in her arms is more than enough for me. She's healthy, laughing, and smiling.

Amanda pauses as we stand by one of the restaurants she slips something out of her pocket and onto my finger. I gasp when I see the beautiful diamond Claddagh ring "Liv you have shown me what true friendship means, you have opened my heart to true love. Let this ring be a promise to you that one day I will ask you to marry me; I promise you to be faithful, loving, and devoted to you and Noah. You two saved me, I owe you my life, but not because you saved me, I owe you everything because you own my heart."

"Do you know the story of this place?" I shake my head in between kissing her lips. "The original house at Florence Court was begun around 1718 by Sir John Cole (1680-1726), whose ancestors came from Devonshire during the reign of Queen Elizabeth and lived at Enniskillen Castle until it was burnt in 1710. Cole's 'very costly and sumptuous building,' which he named after his wife Florence Wrey, was built in what was then 'a majestic wildness. So wild that it was scarce inhabited by any human creatures but ye O's and Mac's, who ranged through the woods like so many freebooters pillaging all that came in their way'.

"Who is this, Sir John Cole?" Amanda's lips taste fantastic a mixture of gin and cherry. Warm, wet, and delicious. I can't get enough we haven't even made love yet, but I can taste her on every part of my body, I can smell her, feel her. I want her so bad. "John Willoughby Cole, 2nd Earl of Enniskillen K 23 March 1768 – 31 March 1840, styled Viscount Col from 1789 to 1803, was an Irish peer and Member of Parliament. Cole was the son of William Willoughby Cole, 1st Earl of Enniskillen. He succeeded his father to the peerage and the Florence Court estate in 1803."

"In 1810 he started an affair with Charlotte Paget, Marchioness of Anglesey. It was claimed that Paget had pursued her ruthlessly and that she had asked her husband to stay close to her in public "for the express purpose of avoiding Lord P's importunities."

At the divorce trial, several witnesses stated that the couple had an affectionate relationship. Charlotte's brother Henry Cadogan challenged Paget to a duel; honor was satisfied, though neither was injured. Following the divorce, Wellesley was awarded £24,000 in damages against Paget. Referring to the incident in later years, when Paget, now Lord Uxbridge, was assigned to Wellington as his second-in-command at the Battle of Waterloo, Wellington is said to have commented: "Lord Uxbridge has the reputation of running away with everybody he can. I'll take good care; he doesn't run away with me."

"A duel for honor sounds so romantic. I would duel you for your honor, Amanda." She laughs a sound I can get used to touching her face lightly. I breathe her in so happy she is alive. So thankful we got to travel to this magical place to build these memories.

That evening we dance on the beach under the stars holding each other tightly. Aisling's house is beautiful on its private beach. We sway to the beat of the violinist as she takes my hands. Beautiful stars are burning above our heads. "Will you do me the honor of this dance?"

Amanda holds her hands out to me as I turn slowly. "Love, Amanda, that's why we are here under the Irish starlight. Love has brought us here. Love has many paths. It doesn't always happen when we want it to; it takes its time. I know you dreamed of this forever; for me, this is new, but it doesn't make it any less true. It's real, Amanda, not a dream. I love you, Amanda Sienna Rollins. So will you please do me the honor of this dance?"

"There's no music Liv."

"Who needs music, Amanda? We can make our own music listen to our heartbeats, close your eyes, listen to the sounds around you, the light patter of rain, stars twinkling, the ocean below us, traffic above us, birds chirping."

Settling into her arms, she rests her head on my shoulder, stealing a kiss from her perfect lips under the North Star. "I have dreamed of this moment for years now. It's happening; it seems surreal. Timeless like a fairy-tale."

"God has a plan for everything that happened

over the years, so has this always been his plan?"

"Was he testing me? "Will always have Paris." Tucker's words to me even to Noah when he was knocked out, but Tucker deserves to have his memory as his own. I could have easily picked Paris for Amanda and me, the city of Romance. However, Amanda and I deserve our place in history.

Her hands are around my neck my face turned to her left our lips move softly in-sync, we can't stop kissing we keep eye contact. I'll remember this classic look of bliss in her eyes forever.

Even when we break apart from kissing we never stop touching each other or dancing, it's incredible how perfect she is, how she moves, I never knew she is such a fantastic dancer. Well, why would I, though? We barely got along for most of these last ten years; I grew up dancing in the streets of the Bronx there were all kinds of music, most of it not my taste so I would close my eyes and listen for my beat. I listened to the boys in the court bouncing the basketball, shouting smack to each other. I looked to the older men playing chess, laughing smooth like the sax. I listened to the ladies on stoops yelling to kids, smacking their gum as they gossiped about the latest affairs in the hood: barking dogs, my hand slapping my leg, or my voice as I sang to myself.

Now I hear the sound of our lips sucking and smacking it's not romantic, but it's warm, it's sweet, like American Honey on Apple Pie fresh out of the oven in Nana's kitchen. Nothing is more delicious or purer than a Grandma's love and her soul food. Amanda and Noah are my home, my heart, my American Honey.

"Golden." She breathes out, "Timeless as a kiss Liv; your beauty never fades, age or time can never erase your beauty because it comes from your soul. God, forgive me for my sins, but I am going in full throttle."

Tears fall down our faces as she holds me tightly dancing slowly our bodies pressed so close there is no space left between us, even our breaths hit each other's checks. "You are perfect, Liv, my sunshine, my anchor, my hearts harbor. I never want this to end."

"It won't, Amanda. I promise you I never want to miss a moment Amanda to tell you how lovely you are how pure and beautiful in body, mind, and soul from the first moment I saw you. I knew you would change my life forever impact it somehow. I just never knew how much."

We stay silent for a while, dancing under those stars. My head rests on her shoulder for the longest time. I am just savoring this moment, afraid it will end despite her promise.

Nothing this beautiful ever happened to her; I know it by looking into her eyes. I am honored to be the one to bring this magic to her world. So when she picks up her head, I look into her eyes and see them smiling up at me. I don't even think about what I start to sing; it just comes out naturally.

"For as long as I can remember

You were there, all the memories and the promises that we shared

Cause you and I both know that life doesn't always go as we planned

That's just how it goes

I know the Valley is still darkest in the shadows

But I know that you are going to be there in the end

Your my light when I am lost

Your my walk in the dark

I feel you after the sunlight is gone

You always bring me back home

When I'm lost on the road, my hearts with you where ever you go

Cause you are my North Star

Through the good times, and the bad you took my hand

Showed up to cry upon when nothing makes sense

Oh, you and I have grown apart, but we both know if you need me, I'll be there

I know the valley's always darkest in the shadow