It Will All Work Out
"Damn it," Elliot said as he rolled over to face the nightstand to answer his cell phone. The digital alarm clock read 2:45.
"Stabler," he said into the phone.
"Elliot," the other voice responded.
"Liv?" he asked.
"Please come over, El, I need you," she said.
Elliot could hear the panic in her voice as he ended the call. His mind raced at what could possible be wrong. In ten minutes he was knocking on Olivia's apartment door.
"Liv, what?" he asked as soon as she opened the door. Olivia was visibly shaken. Her face was tear-stained and blotchy, so Elliot knew that she had been crying.
"Elliot, here," she said as she handed him a white box which had already been opened. Elliot knew what it was before she asked for his help.
"Did you already take it?" Elliot asked.
"No, I wanted you to be here. I'm scared Elliot, I don't want to be a single mom.
"Shhh," Elliot said trying to comfort her. "No matter what that stick says, I'm always going to be here." Elliot dried her tears with his thumb.
"If I'm pregnant, you know who the dad is, right?"
"Me, I'd assume," Elliot said with the realization of her statement sinking in.
"Yeah," she said.
"Are you ready to do this?" Elliot asked her.
"No, but I think I have to," she said as she pulled Elliot into the bathroom with her.
"Do you want me to wait outside for you?" Elliot asked a little uncomfortable with the present situation.
"Okay, as soon as I'm done, I'll come out," Olivia said giving in to Elliot.
Two minutes later, Olivia joined Elliot on the couch with the test. Olivia set the timer and placed the test on the table, and then she went back to the couch and sat next to Elliot.
"I'm scared," she said.
"It will all be fine," Elliot said. "I'll take care of us, all of us."
Olivia traced her stomach with her fingertips trying to imagine her possible baby.
When the timer went off, neither Olivia nor Elliot moved.
"Do you want to read it first?" Elliot asked Olivia. Elliot knew what her answer would be because he could feel her shaking under his strong hold on her.
"No," she replied weakly.
Elliot slowly made his way to the table and picked up the test. Olivia didn't need to hear him say the words, she knew instantly from the look in his eyes. She broke down in tears on the couch. Elliot put the test down and went over to Olivia.
"It's okay," he said.
"No, El, it's not," Olivia sobbed.
"We can do this."
"I don't care if we can. I don't want to."
"Do we really have a choice, Liv?" he asked.
"No, I don't want to quit work though," Olivia said.
"Why would you quit?"
"I'm having a baby, Elliot, your baby."
"I'm happy about that, Liv, but take a few months off after the baby's born, and then you can come back to work."
"As soon as we tell Cragen, you know, I'm going to be put on immediate desk duty," Olivia complained.
"Well, since it's yours and my baby, I can't say that I would argue his decision."
"You are so mean," Olivia teased. "El, what does this mean for us? I mean, we are barely even dating, an now I'm pregnant! Cragen will probably think I'm a slut."
"He would never think that, Liv. As far as us, we can go as slow as you want. Whatever you're comfortable with is good with me."
"Okay, well, right now, I know I'm not going to want to be alone at night," Olivia said.
"Your wish is my command," he said.
"Thank you for all that you've done for me, El, I love you."
"I love you and baby too."
Elliot led Olivia to her bedroom and helped her into bed.
"I'll see you in the morning, Liv," he said as he headed for the door.
"Where are you going?" she asked.
"Couch," he replied.
"Sleep with me, please?" Olivia asked.
"Of course," Elliot replied climbing into bed next to her. He wrapped his arm around her stomach and then whispered, "I love you Olivia, and Baby Olivia."