AUTHOR'S NOTE: No Kathy or Stabler kids in this one! Just EO and the trouble they manage to get themselves into! ;oP

Second Chances

(Chapter One: Back To The Beginning)

Olivia laid in bed alone trying so hard to sleep. Instead she stared up at the ceiling in the darkness and began to think of all of the things she had done to screw her life up. But this time, it wasn't her life that she had managed to destroy, she thought as she placed her palm against the swollen bulge of her belly to feel her unborn child kicking inside.

As hard as the decision to give the baby up had been on her, Olivia was sure it was the only way to give this child the life it deserved. Keeping the baby would just be selfish and she was in no way ready to be a mother. But that didn't make the choice any easier.

For almost six months now, this little person had been growing inside of her. For almost six months he or she belonged to her and she was a mother. And in just over three months she would give birth and hand this child off to strangers to raise.

Olivia knew it was going to be the hardest thing she would ever do, but in her heart she felt it was the best decision for her child. She hadn't meant to get pregnant, that one night so long ago. She hadn't even meant to have sex for that matter. And if she had known that the events of that night would bring her here, she would have been a lot more careful to make sure it never happened.

Twenty Five Weeks Earlier….

Olivia sat at the table sipping red wine as the piano player played a familiar tune.

"This place is nice," she agreed as the waiter sat their food on the table in front of them.

"I told you," he said with a smile.

Olivia smiled nervously as she picked up her knife and fork and began to cut her salmon.

"This is really good," she said chasing the first bite of her dinner with another sip of wine.

"We have waited so long for a first official date, I thought I should make it a memorable one."

Olivia smiled.

"It sounds odd….to say that you and I are on a date, I mean."

"I'm sure we will get used to it," he said watching the sparkle in her eyes as she took another bite of her food. "I thought after dinner we could do a little dancing," he said pointing to the dance floor across the room.

"Dancing?"

"You don't like dancing?"

"Oh, I do. There just aren't many men out there who like to anymore."

"I'm not like many other men."

"No," she said tipping her head to one side and smiling at him, "no, you're not. You are very different." She cleared her throat as she realized exactly what she had just said. "Different, in a good way I mean. You open car doors and pull out chairs. I thought chivalry was dead."

"It doesn't have to be. It never hurts for a gentleman to show manners when accompanied by a lady."

Olivia smiled again. Something about the way he called her a lady made her feel like the most important woman in the world.

After dinner they danced for a while. Elliot held her so tight against him that she felt as if they were made to fit together. Olivia had waited her entire life to feel this way. So safe and secure in the arms of a man she lo….cared about. It was really too soon to tell if it was love, she thought to herself. She had never really been in love before, but this was exactly how she always imagined it would feel.

Of course she had never dated a man she fully trusted before either, so it was hard to let her guard down long enough to tell if there was even a possibility of real love. A few of the relationships she had been in had actually managed to last a year or so, but even then she hadn't felt the way she felt right now.

After they left the restaurant, Elliot took her on a horse drawn carriage ride through Central Park. Olivia had lived in Manhattan her entire life and never been on of these rides. It was magical as the brisk fall air seemed to dance around them and Olivia nestled the side of her face against him as she smiled. Elliot put his jacket up around her shoulders to keep her warm and the twenty minute tour of the park seemed to last for hours.

That evening as Elliot walked her to her door, he held tight to her hand in the elevator and escorted her down the hallway. They stood there for a moment just staring into each other, unsure of what to say to end this perfect night.

Then something happened. It was like a spark of electricity ignited a fire between them as Elliot gently placed his fingertips against her cheek and raised her chin to kiss her lips. A soft sweet kiss suddenly grew more passionate and before long they were kissing and touching in places they had never been allowed to touch before.

Without a word, Olivia reached behind her and unlocked the apartment door. They backed inside and she tossed her keys and purse into the floor as they stumbled down the hallway in the darkness.

Before she knew it, her little black dress was crumpled in the floor next to Elliot's clothes. Olivia laughed playfully as Elliot kissed his way up her abdomen and her bra fell on the top of the underwear pile beside the bed. She smiled and brushed her nose against his as he stared into her eyes.

Elliot kissed her tenderly and before they knew it, they were making love. The sex was smoking hot, but it was much more than that. The way he looked at her, the way he touched her and kissed her, the way he made her feel like she was the only woman in the world, it was without a doubt the most incredible night of her life.

In the morning she woke still wrapped tightly in his strong arms. Olivia smile and sighed as Elliot kissed his way up the back of her shoulder and around the side of her neck. She rolled onto her back to look up at him and the sparkle in her eyes told him that she felt the same way he did.

She raised up and pressed her lips to his. Olivia smiled and smoothed her fingertips over his muscular chest and back. She kissed him passionately and Elliot raised up over her as they began to make love again.

They spent most of that Saturday morning in bed together making love between catnaps and it seemed as if they were the only two people in the world. All was well until later that afternoon when they were woke from their peaceful slumber by the ringing of a cell phone.

"Is that you or me?" Elliot groaned as Olivia raised up to look at her phone.

"It's mine. But I missed the call," she said as Elliot's phone began to ring.

Elliot sat up and kissed her as he reached around her to answer his phone.

"Stabler," he said pulling her back against the bed with him.

Olivia moaned softly and tried hard to resist laughing as he kissed a tender spot behind her ear.

"Yeah," Elliot said to their boss over the phone. "No, I saw her last night. Yeah, I can be there in about an hour. Alright. I'll swing by and pick Liv up on my way in."

Olivia pressed her forehead against his bare chest and laughed a muffled laugh.

"You have been a very bad girl," Elliot joked as he closed his phone and dropped it into the floor beside the bed.

Olivia laughed.

"Oh, I have, huh?"

"Yes. It seems Cragen has been unable to reach you to update you on the Tierney case."

"Well, I have been a little preoccupied," she said kissing his neck.

"Liv, baby, we don't have time."

Olivia stopped and smiled as she laid back against the bed. She had never liked for a guy to call her baby before. Yet somehow when Elliot did it, it felt good.

"I have to grab a shower and get by my apartment to change. I cant wear the same suit I wore yesterday, I'm sure if I did they would know something was up." Elliot kissed her shoulder as he climbed from the bed. Although, it would be nice if you wore that amazing little black dress to work."

Olivia smiled.

"You liked the dress, huh?"

"I loved the dress and everything in it."

Olivia smiled again.

"I'm gonna grab a quick shower and get dressed. We probably shouldn't go into work smelling like sex."

"Sweaty, hot, amazing sex."

"Yes, it was. But we can't take that into work. All hell would break loose."

"Liv, I was serious last night. This wasn't some one night thing for me. I really want to see you again."

"I'd like to see you again as well."

"And I don't just mean for sex. I want to date you. I want to finally be able to call you my girlfriend."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I'm crazy about you, Olivia."

Elliot watched as a big smile crossed her pretty face.

"I'm crazy about you, too."

Olivia showered and dressed quickly. At Elliot's apartment she made a pot of coffee and filled two travel cups while he showered.

"Hey, you made breakfast," Elliot said as he walked back into the kitchen where she waited.

"I did," she said with a smile.

Elliot kissed her tenderly as he took the mug from her hand.

"What was that for?" Olivia asked.

"A little thank you for the coffee."

Olivia laughed.

"Well, you'd better get it out of your system now. We can't walk around at work kissing on each other."

"It's a shame, isn't it? That would make for a much better work day."

"We're gonna be late."

That afternoon as Olivia sat at her desk filling out paperwork when a man arrived with a dozen roses.

"You got a new boyfriend we don't know about?" Munch asked from across the room.

"You don't have to know every little detail of my personal life, John."

Fin joked teasingly with her for a few minutes as he made his way to her desk. Olivia sat with a dreamy smile on her face as she twirled one of the roses in her hand as stared at Elliot. He watched her for a moment then turned to see the foolish look on Elliot's face as he stared back at her.

"They are from Elliot?" he asked tossing the unsigned card down in front of her.

"What?" Olivia asked in shock raising her eyes to stare at him.

He smiled and shook his head, he could tell by the guilty look in her eyes that his hunch was right.

"Relax, Olivia. I'm not gonna say anything. But if you don't wipe the drool off your chin and stop making googly eyes at him across the room it will only be a matter of seconds before everyone else figures it out. Then the shit will hit the fan. How far has it gone?"

"We have only been on one date," she said and he stared at her like he didn't believe her. "We're kind of dating."

"Dating or sleeping together?"

"Umm, both."

He sat down on the edge of her desk and blocked her view of Elliot.

"You know its against the rules?"

"Yes. But that's silly. Look Fin, I know what I'm doing. I have waited my entire life for a man to care about me the way that he does."

"I know you have. And I don't doubt that he genuinely cares for you."

"Then why the lecture?"

"I just don't want to see you get hurt."

"You honestly think that Elliot would hurt me?"

"Not him, Liv. Things are all great and happy now, but you can only keep this relationship a secret for so long. And when the secret is out…." he paused as she stared at him.

"I know."

"Do you? Do you care for him enough that you are willing to let this relationship ruin your career?"

Olivia stared at him as the reality of the situation set in.

"I just want you to be happy, Liv. But I don't want you to go into this blinded by reality, either."

"You think I should break it off?"

"Absolutely not. I mean, if this is what makes you happy, then I fully support you. I just want you to be aware of the consequences when this all breaks loose. Even if it doesn't, how happy and normal can a relationship be if you have to keep it hidden and sneak around all of the time?"

"I care about him, Fin. I may even love him."

"I know you do."

"I appreciate your concern, Fin. But this is something that Elliot and I are going to have to deal with together."

Two days later as they sat on a late night steak out, Olivia found herself tangled in his arms. The were laid back in the front seat of the squad car kissing passionately and touching as they heard a tap on the fogged up window.

"Shit," she said as they sat up and she re-buttoned the top part of her blouse.

"Can I help…." Elliot began as he rolled down the window pausing as he sat face to face with his boss.

"What the hell is going on in here?" Cragen barked.

"She had something…."

"In her eye! I have heard that one before! Hell, I have even used it before! But while the two of you were rolling around half naked in the front seat of a patrol car, our suspect just slipped out unnoticed and could be half way across town after his next victim by now."

"We're on our way," Elliot said starting the car.

"No, your not. I've got Munch and Fin shadowing him. You're both off the case. Now get back to the station! I want to see you both in my office in twenty minutes!"

After being lectures for over an hour about the dangers of interoffice dating. Elliot drove Olivia home. The sat on her sofa for a little while discussing things. As hard as it was to walk away, that was exactly what they agreed to do.

Now, Olivia laid in bed and wondered how different things would have been, could have been if they had taken the chance at a relationship. She fixed herself a cup of warm milk and stared out the window into the city night as she sipped it from her favorite mug. She exhaled softly and smiled as she felt the baby moving inside of her.

"You are the only good thing that came of that night," she whispered softly.

She dropped her mug into the sink and headed back down the hall to the bedroom. Olivia yawned as she slid back under the blankets and drifted off to sleep.