Peace
Thank you to April and Gena for beta reading!
Author's note Kathy was killed in an auto accident 3 years prior…Elliot and Olivia have since started a relationship and have gotten married.
The Stabler home 2 AM
Although it was still early in the morning, a few candles lit up the Stabler's living room. On the record player, a 33 1/3 spun, playing the melodious works of Bach. In the center of the room sat a large kiddie pool, filled with very warm water. Olivia leaned over the edge moaned through a contraction as Elliot rubbed her back helping her to ease the pain. Elliot thought back to the day Olivia had told him she was expecting.
(Flashback)
Elliot walked into the dining room of their new house. He and Olivia had bought an entire new table set, large enough for the whole family. Since Kathy's death, they had eventually fallen in love and married, and Elliot's four children had been living with them, and they bought a cute little house outside the city. At the table, Olivia had lit some candles and set the table for two. "That's strange," he said to himself. He listened for a second, but the house was eerily quiet. "Olivia?"
She answered him by coming out of the kitchen with a white meatloaf, Elliot's favorite. "Wow, you cooked for me! What's up? Let's see, you're hooking up with Munch and making my favorite dinner to let me down easy?" Elliot grinned Olivia put the meatloaf down on the table as he grabbed her gently and pulled her close.
After an amazingly romantic, knock-your-socks off kinda kiss, Olivia looked him in the eyes, and with the straightest face she could muster, gently answered, "Yes, that's exactly what I am about to tell you. John and I have been having a torrid affair for quite some time and we have hot sex on your desk." Finally she couldn't take it anymore and started laughing so hard that tears started pouring down her face. As soon as she regained control, she led him to his seat. She grabbed the mashed potatoes and peas and sat down next to him. "Ok, time to be serious…it's hard, I know. Here, take a look at this." She handed him a card she had made. It read… Dearest Elliot, thank you for making me your wife and mother of your five beautiful children. Love, Olivia. He read the card a second time before realization hit.
"Five? Wha-? Um, Mrs. Stabler, unless there is a wonderful, amazing, I love you so much kinda occasion you are trying to tell me, you can't count. Are we expecting a bundle of joy or do I need to send you back to elementary school?"
Olivia laughed, "Bite your tongue! And to answer your question, yes, in 8 months, we are going to add another little angel to our brood."
Elliot stood up and pulled his wife into another romantic embrace. "Olivia Stabler, you have made me the happiest man alive!"
The eight months that followed were a happy occasion for the family. The kids were excited about the baby and anxious to find out the gender, leaving them quite disappointed when Olivia and Elliot had opted to go to a homebirth midwife and forgo the usual medical hustle and bustle of birth. "Better be a boy." Rick commented playfully. In Olivia's seventh month, the couple decided to go one step further. They only wanted to share this beautiful occasion with each other and their family. Olivia asked Casey if she would be willing to help out with the kids during the birth which she agreed to immediately, and the midwife was delighted to be their back up and to let the couple choose the type of birth they wanted.
Elliot and Olivia had read everything they could get their hands on and felt confident that they could do this.
(Back to the present)
The children sat on the couch in awe at the miracle that they were witnessing. Casey was watching them as she had agreed, but was also serving in a runner sort of capacity. She kept the cool washclothsfresh and if Olivia was hungry or thirsty, she would go and grab those items.
Olivia was breathing evenly and deep, as relaxed as she could possibly be and looked around at her surroundings. This was how it should be, she thought. Surrounded by her family and her friend during the second happiest moment of her life, the first being her marriage to the greatest man she had ever known. She tensed up with the next contraction. "It's ok sweetheart, it's ok, just let your body do what it's supposed to do." Just hearing her husband's words made her relax immediately.
"Baby is coming," she said simply. Elliot peered down in the water to see the baby's head emerging with a ton of gorgeous dark hair. With the next contraction, the baby slid out and Elliot caught his brand new baby boy. He pulled the baby up out of the water, and soon after heard the soft cry as he handed the baby to Olivia. "Madam, your son."
In the background they both heard, "YES!" from Rick.
Olivia's eyes flooded with the love she had for this sweet baby boy. "What should we name him El? I think he looks like an Elijah, what do you think?"
"I agree, how about Elijah Benjamin Stabler."
"Perfect," she replied. "Just perfect." She looked down at her son who was nursing for the first time. His entrance into the world was so peaceful that already no one could remember their lives before having him around. Elliot helped her out of the pool and took her and their son upstairs to lie down. Casey took the kids to her apartment for the rest of the night and the next day, so the new parents could concentrate solely on the new arrival. Olivia looked out at the gorgeous night sky and saw how at peace the world was at that very moment. Tomorrow morning, they would face the realities as a family, but for now, there was nothing but peace.