Olivia lay on the couch with the remote control in one hand, cell phone resting on her stomach, flipping through the channels searching for something entertaining. There was never anything on TV that interested her when she had the time to actually sit down and watch it. When her phone rang she smiled, glad for the interuption. The screen lit up with a name that hadn't graced it in a very long time and the smile melted right off her face. She sat up quickly and answered the phone.
"Everything okay?" She breathed out. She wasn't sure what to make of this.
"Hey Liv," came the voice from the other end.
At this point she wasn't sure if she was happy to hear from him or wanted to throw her phone across the room in hopes he could feel the pain as if it was inflicted on him. It was incredibly awkward for her. "Elliot..."
"I know," he cut her off. "I'm an ass."
"What do you want?" She practically growled into the phone.
"Meet me for coffee." He never asked, he always told.
Olivia blew out a sigh. "Why?"
"Coffee shop around the corner from you. The one with the good coffee."
Olivia sighed and rubbed a hand down her face. "When?"
"I'm here."
"Okay, give me fifteen minutes." She hung up the phone without a reply from him. She sat up and shook her head. "Its been almost two years, what could you want now?" She said to herself. "And why am I even doing this?"
Olivia took a few minutes to run a brush through her hair. When she looked in the mirror she saw her makeup smudged all over and decided to wash her face rather than try to touch it up. Once clean, she moisturized, put on some light mascara and a little little gloss. It was just Elliot. She shrugged her shoulders at her reflection and turned to leave the bathroom. Simplicity would have to do tonight. She didn't feel like getting made up just to listen to whatever bullshit he was going to sling at her.
Olivia pulled open the door to the coffee shop and stepped inside. Immediately she knew where Elliot was and it seemed he could say the same about her. They locked eyes and she walked over to where he was seated in the corner booth. He stood up as she approached and opened his arms to her. She was taken aback for a moment, but embraced him. It felt good to see him, smell him, and feel him. After all the time that had passed, and the hurt he had caused, she was genuinelly happy to see the asshole. He looked good.
"You look great," he smiled when they pulled apart.
"You too," she said as she sat down on the bench across from his. He did look good. His skin had some color to it and he appeared a little more relaxed. "I haven't seen you in over two years, Elliot. Why now? What's going on?" She got right down to business. There was no sense in beating around the bush.
"I'm sorry, Liv. I treated you like shit."
"I'm not gonna argue," she said when he stopped speaking.
Elliot nodded. "You have to know it was me. Had nothing to do with you."
"I know you can be a selfish prick and for whatever reason you didn't think to put aside your own shit for two seconds just to tell your partner of 13 years that you were okay, or at least that you were working on it." After two years she had moved passed it, but since he was right in front of her she was going to speak her peace.
"LIv..."
"I'm sure you know I spoke to Kathy and she filled me in on what was going on with you."
"Yes."
"It should have been you to tell me. I deserved more from you, Elliot. I would have backed whatever it is you wanted and you know that." He simply nodded. "Why do you have to be such a bastard?"
Elliot wasn't surprised she went right for what she wanted to say. Olivia was never one to stay quiet when it came to defending others or herself. "Liv, I deserve nothing from you. But I missed you and I wanted to see how you were doing."
"I'm fine Elliot. When you left they assigned me a good partner. Nick always had my back right from the start."
"I know. I checked him out when I heard he was assigned to the unit."
Olivia rolled her eyes and shook her head. "God, have you been watching me too?"
"I had to make sure you were okay," he smiled smuggly. He nodded to the ring on her left hand. "Who is he?"
Olivia looked down at her hand and twisted the bands with her thumb. "You haven't been a very good spy if you don't know that."
"I wanted to make sure you were safe. I didn't spy on you after that. So, who is he?"
She knew Elliot would never let it go, and truth was, she was very happy in her life and liked to share it. "David Haden. He works for the DA's office."
"Met on the job," he said.
"Is there any other way?" She smiled at him. "He's a good guy, Elliot. You'd like him."
Elliot shook his head in disbelief. "You're married."
Olivia nodded. "Yeah I am. Always thought I'd die an old maid?" She teased.
Elliot grinned. "No. You're too good to pass up. You just had to be ready for it."
Olivia smiled at the compliment. "It's been a long time since I heard from your family. How is everyone?"
"Kathy's back to work as a nurse and I'm the one that's home now. I retired."
She had heard about that, but still couldn't believe it. "Do you like it?"
"I like the time with my family. I coach Eli's baseball and soccer teams." He grinned. "It took a while to get used to it, but it was a long time coming."
"I'm happy for you, Elliot. How are the kids?"
"The twins really like college and seem to be doing well. Kathleen has stayed pretty stable and she actually lives in Jersey with my mother."
"Wow."
"I check up on them once a week. That worries me but they seem to be doing well. Kathleen takes care of her and watching those manic moodswings seems to help her stay on her meds." Elliot was proud of his daughter for taking care of herself and not letting anything drag her down.
"That's good. And Maureen?"
Elliot shook his head. Maureen was his pride and joy and Olivia knew they always shared a very special bond. "Maureen is about to make me a grandfather."
"You're kidding?"
"No. And I've never been more excited." When his own children were born it was always a strange mix of anxiety and excitement. With a grandchild it was going to be all the fun and loving parts and none of the stress and worry.
"Are you really that old?" She teased.
"You're not far behind me. You want a coffee?"
"Yeah, I'll get it."
"Sit." He said as he stood. "Any new way you take it?"
"Same as always." She pulled out her vibrating phone and smiled at the message. She typed back as Elliot went to get the coffee. When he returned, she had her phone resting on the table and was watching the people around them.
"Here."
"Thank you." She took a welcoming sip as he sat back down across from her. "God, a grandfather?"
"Hey, you're not that much younger!" He reminded her again.
"Yeah, but I won't be a grandmother for a very long time."
If Elliot had been a dog his ears would have physically perked up at that statement. He realized then that he hadn't yet asked about her husband having kids. "How many does Mr. Detective Benson have?"
"He has two. Five and seven," she smiled fondly. He knew she loved it without having to ask her. She pulled out her phone to look for a picture to show him. "And then we have one together." She handed him her iPhone with the picture of the kids together displayed.
Elliot couldn't believe it. He was starring at a picture of Olivia's well deserved family. "Wow," was all that he could come up with to say.
"I know."
"You must be so happy."
"Happier than I ever thought was possible."
Elliot tried to snap out of the awe he was feeling. "So, who is who?" He smiled up at her.
"Jake is seven. He's so funny, and is such a boy. He teases his sisters to no end sometimes. Then there's Hannah. She's so sweet and loving; reminds me of Lizzie when she was that age."
"And the baby?" He grinned. He couldn't help it; he was so happy for her. Olivia deserved only the best from the world and he was really glad to see she was getting some of that finally.
"That's Ella," she couldn't keep the smile off her face.
"Ella?"
Olivia nodded. "Her namesake can be a real ass, but he was my family for a long time and I wanted her to have someone great to share her name with."
Elliot didn't know what to say to that. As if he didn't feel awful enough for what he had done to her, she had gone and named what was fair to assume would be her only child after him. So he didn't address that. Instead he said, "She looks just like you. She's gorgeous."
Olivia felt that Ella was the most beautiful thing that she had ever seen her life. "Thank you. I think she's pretty great."
Elliot handed the phone back to her. "How old?"
"Eight months tomorrow."
"Crawling?"
Olivia nodded. "Oh yes. She's getting her little hands on everything. I'd like you to meet her one day. All of them actually."
Elliot nodded. "Liv, I'm sorry for how I did things. I never meant to cut ties completely. After so much time went by I figured you'd rather not hear from me."
She eyed him and he knew she wasn't going to let him get away with that. "You know me better than that, Elliot."
"You seem to be doing well without me," he countered.
"Doesn't mean I want it to be that way. We were in each others lives for fourteen years. You were all I had for a very long time and you knew that. You knew how much you meant to me." She didn't want to bring too much up from the past. She and Elliot had always had a way to communicate without speaking. She didn't have to tell him she felt abandoned and alone when he left. Like there was no one in the world that would truly miss her if she was gone. Elliot knew all of that.
"Think you can ever forgive me?" He knew the answer to that. She was too forgiving sometimes and would go above and beyond for anyone, even those who didn't deserve it.
"I forgave you a long time ago. What you did hurts, but I forgave you."
He nodded, glad to move on from that conversation and onto something else. "So, how is it that you're alone on a Friday night?" There was no way she would have left her family to meet him for coffee if they had been with her. No one was going to come before them.
"David took Ella with him to birthday shop for me. Or so he says. I can't picture him willingly shopping with an eight month old, specially not on his own. He has something up his sleeve."
"And the older two?"
"We don't have them this weekend. They're with their mother. They'll be over Wednesday after school."
"Your birthday isn't for two weeks," he pointed out.
She laughed. "That's what I told him. He said I needed some time to myself for a few hours."
"Needed a break?"
"Not really. I didn't even know what to do with my time. You know I've never been good at relaxing. I like my routine of giving Ella a bath and the whole bedtime thing. Without her there I just sat on the couch and dozed off."
Elliot knew she was never one to sit still very long, that combined with the fact she had waited her whole life to have a family. He knew she was present every second of that child's life. Something he wishes he could say about himself. But he's trying harder with Eli to be in the moment. "How drugged up were you to name her after me?"
Olivia laughed. "Not at all. I was just out of my mind when I was pregnant." She sipped her coffee and turned serious. "She was always going to be Ella. David and I talked about names and he wanted a strong family name, didn't matter whose family it came from. You're an ass, Elliot, but you're my family and I knew you'd come around one day. And if you didn't, then I was going to hunt you down and find out what the hell happened to the man I named my child after."
"I needed space. I never stopped caring. I just put myself first and I shouldn't have done that. You always put everyone else before you and I wanted to be more like that. My family likes me whole hell of a lot better since I've started that."
"Where is the family tonight?"
"Eli is at a friend's. I have to pick him up soon and Kathy's working."
Olivia glanced down at her phone when the screen lit up with a text message. It was David letting her know that he was home and asking if she wanted him to give the baby a bath or wait for her. Olivia quickly replied and then looked back up at her former partner. "That was David. I'm going to get going."
"Okay," Elliot stood up with her. "Let me walk you back."
"I don't live that close anymore. I took a cab."
It hadn't even dawned on him that she would have moved. But of course she would have moved. She was married now and had a family. She wouldn't have been able to stay in her one bedroom apartment. "Well let me drive you then." Without waiting for an answer he guided her out of the coffee shop.
When they were in Elliot's car she looked over at him. "I really glad you called."
"Me too." He pulled out into traffic and then glanced over at her. "When do I get to meet this guy?"
She laughed. "Whenever you want, Elliot." Her phone vibrated again and she answered it. "Hey, I'm on my way now."
"How'd it go?" The voice on the other end asked.
"It was really good." It felt nice to have Elliot happy for her and not suspicious of her husband. "Is that the baby?" She could hear splashing in the background.
"Yes. She's making a mess of the bathroom," he looked down at his shirt, "and of me." Olivia could hear the smile on his face. "She was a bear until she hit that water."
"That doesn't sound like a fun shopping trip." She was fishing for any information on what he had been actually doing.
"We got what we needed, but I think she just doesn't like being away from her mama for long."
"I don't like that either," she said honestly.
David almost dropped the phone in the bath water and decided it was best to let her go. "I'll see you in a bit, baby."
"Bye." She hit end on her phone and looked at Elliot. "Sorry."
"No, that's okay. Everything alright?"
"Fine. Just a cranky baby until he put her in the bathtub."
"Missing her mother?"
"Its only been a few hours so I doubt it."
"I don't buy that," he said.
Olivia shrugged. "Well, maybe she is a little. David seems to think that's it, but its good for the two of them to spend time without me. I should probably make more of an effort on my part to make that happen," she thought aloud.
"Always knew you'd be a baby hog."
Olivia smiled. "Maybe a little," she admitted. She pointed to the last brownstone on the right. "That's me."
"Wow." He knew the prices on those houses and there was no way a city cop and an attorney that worked for the state could afford that.
"David didn't always work for the state and had his hand in real estate when the market was good. Thank God its paid for. We'd never be able to afford something like this otherwise."
Elliot pulled up in front of the building and unlocked the doors. "I'm glad you came."
Olivia looked over at him and down at the clock. It was almost eight thirty and Ella had a few good minutes left in her before she conked out. "Wanna come in and meet them?"
"Nah, it's bedtime. I don't want to interupt."
"Its okay. Just come say hi." She really wanted him to meet her and just by the look she gave him, he could tell that it was very important to her. "We can make more plans later when we have the other kids, but since you're here you should say hi."
He nodded and put the car in park and shut the headlights off. "Okay. I'll say hi."
"Great," she smiled as she climbed out of the car and pulled her keys out of her pants pocket. "I know David really wants to meet you." They climbed the front steps together and Olivia unlocked the door. All the lights in the house were on. "David?"
"Upstairs," he yelled, exasperated.
Olivia smiled. "Have a seat," she pointed toward the living room. "I'll be right back." She climbed the stairs and peaked in the bathroom to find it a wet mess, but no husband or baby. She walked down the hall to the last bedroom on the right where she found the two people she was looking for.
David had her on the changing table and was trying to put her diaper on. "Come on Ella, you're slippery with all that lotion on. Just be still so I can get this on you."
"Hey," Olivia said stepping into the room.
David glanced. "Hi." He groaned when Ella twisted her body toward her mother's voice. "Ella, come on sweetheart." He quickly fasted the diaper. "There!"
Ella kicked her legs and began to squeal as her mother approached. "Hi baby girl." Olivia grabbed a pair of stripped pink and grey pajamas as she approached. She sat them on the changing table and leaned down to kiss her daughter. "Did you have fun with Daddy tonight? I missed you!"
David moved out of the way so Olivia could finish the job of dressing their daughter. "We had fun, but we both missed Mama." He kissed the side of her head as she dressed Ella.
"Elliot came in to say hi. He's waiting downstairs."
"Oh, okay. I finally get to meet him."
Oliva made quick work of the snaps on her daughter's pajama's. "And so does Ella," she said in a cheerful voice for her daughter. "Think you have a few more minutes of happiness left in you before we settle down for bed?"
Ella grinned widely as her mother picked her up. She laid her head down on Olivia's shoulder causing her mother to smile and rub her back tenderly. "Aw, did you miss me?"
"You know she did," David said. "Let me mop that bathroom up. I'll meet you downstairs in a minute." He looked down at his wet shirt and decided he'd better change that too.
Olivia nodded. She grabbed the prepared bottle David passed her and then followed him out of the room. "Okay. Come on, pretty baby. Mama has a friend she wants you to meet." Olivia carried her eight month old downstairs. Elliot was walking around the living room looking at all the pictures and thoroughly enjoying seeing glimpses into Olivia's life.
He heard her descending the stairs and turned around to see her carrying her adorable daughter. The child was in her footie pajamas, complete with damp curly hair. Her rosey lips shaped just like her mother's. "Hi," Elliot smiled.
"Can you say hi to Elliot?" Olivia asked. Ella looked at the new person and smiled.
"Wow Liv, did you have this kid cloned, or what?"
Olivia laughed. "This is Ella," she introduced. "David will be right down."
Elliot nodded. "Hi Ella," Elliot approached. "You're beautiful." She smiled shly and laid her head down. "Are you shy?"
"Not at all," came a masculine voice. "She's a shameless flirt and we need to figure out how to put a stop to it before she gets older."
Elliot looked at the man who entered the room. "I have three daughters and wish I could tell you how."
David extended his hand when he got closer and the two men shook. "Nice to finally meet you."
"You too. Ella is gorgeous."
"Thanks. She takes after her mother."
"Does she ever," Elliot agreed. He looked at the baby again and touched her little hand. "You look just like Mama."
Ella look at her mother. "Mamamama," she babbled and reached for the bottle in her mother's hand.
Olivia kissed her daughter's cheek. "Are you showing off for Elliot?"
"Do you want something to drink?" David asked their guest. "Beer?"
"No thank you. I can't stay too long."
"He just came in to say a quick hi," Olivia said.
"You sure?" David asked again.
Elliot shook his head. "I have to pick up my son soon." He turned back to Olivia. It was like he couldn't take his eyes off of his former partner now that she had that baby in her arms. A baby that so clearly belonged to her. It was so obvious she was living the life she always wanted but never thought she was capable of. "Maybe another time?"
"Anytime," David said. "I know Liv would like to see you come around."
She looked over at him and shook her head. "David," she stated.
"What?"
Olivia rolled her eyes. It was fine that Elliot knew she missed him, but she didn't want it spoken out loud. She and Elliot didn't say things like that.
Elliot smiled. He knew what it was like to be the clueless husband who said things he wasn't supposed to. "I'd love to meet the other two kids. And you should see how Eli has grown," he looked at Olivia. "I better get going."
"Let me walk you out," Olivia handed Ella to her father.
David took his daughter and cradled her into the crook of his left arm. He stuck his hand out to Elliot. "Nice to meet you."
"You too," Elliot shook his hand and smiled at the baby, then followed Olivia to the front door.
David looked down at his sleepy daughter as she worked on her bottle. He smiled at her and sat down on the couch so she could finish it and hopefully fall asleep. "We had a busy day, didn't we baby?" He spoke softly to her. "I think Mama will be pleased when she sees her birthday present." After a few moments passed she had finished her bottle and he took it and sat it on the table next to him. She closed her eyes and snuggled into her father, causing him to shift her onto his shoulder so she could bury her face in his neck like she loved.
He sat there for a couple of minutes just cuddling his youngest before Olivia reappeared. She made her way into the living room and shut the lights off on her way, leaving just the lamp in the corner of the room on. She smiled as she sat next to her husband and laid her head on his free shoulder. "She's so beautiful," Olivia whispered.
"Gets it from you," he said. He wrapped is arm around her and pulled her into him a little closer. "Make any plans with Stabler?"
"Not yet." She rubbed her hand down her daughter's head and let it come to rest on her back, right above David's hand.
"We could invite them to the beach for the weekend when we go," he suggested. "The house is big enough."
Maybe one day they could do that, but for now it was too early to spend that much time together. "Maybe a cookout here?"
"That works. Whatever you want."
Olivia smiled. She was so greatful, still, to have a man like him in her life. He was so supportive and easy going, that it brought out the relaxed and fun part of her personality. "What did you do tonight? You really exhasted her."
David shook his head with a smile. "That's our little secret." He kissed her upturned lips. "Ready to put her down? You promised me a movie tonight."
"I'll do it." She stood up and gathered Ella into her arms. "And its my turn to pick the movie," she whispered so as not to interupt their daughter's slumber.
"Oh no. You forefited that last weekend when you let Jake and Hannah make us watch Brave for the tenth time."
"Its a cute movie," she defended. "Kiss the baby goodnight."
David stood up and kissed Ella's damp head. "Daddy loves you, sweet girl. Sleep tight." He looked at Olivia. "I'm picking the movie. I'll make it something we'll both like."
"Fine," she sighed in defeat. "But you better have a glass of wine waiting for me when I get back down here."
David laughed. "Go put her bed already. I'm going to lock up." He watched her walk up the stairs and then went about his nightly routine of locking up.
Olivia came back downstairs five minutes later dressed in pajamas and arms baby free. David was back in the living room, two glasses of wine on the end table next to him and remote control in hand. "What did you pick?" She sat down next to him and he passed her a wine glass.
"Just watch." He pressed play on the remote.
Olivia cuddled into his side and brought the blanket from the back of the couch down to spread over them. She groaned loudly when she began to figure out what it was. "Are you serious?"
"You don't know what it is yet."
"Its some dumb super hero movie."
"They're not dumb. You need to catch up on them. I promised Jake we'd watch The Avengers next weekend."
"Hannah is not going to sit through that, which means I don't have to either."
"You're going to deny your stepson his family movie night?"
Olivia grumbled and sipped her wine. "Hannah won't like it."
"Its family movie night and that means the whole family attends. The only one excempt is Ella because she doesn't watch anything anyway and she passes out within twenty minutes. You made the rule."
Of course it would come back and bite her in the ass. "Yeah, yeah. Which one is this?"
"Captain America. Tomorrow is Thor," he laughed.
Olivia rolled her eyes and relaxed into his side. "I'm doing this for Jake and not for you." Jake was a huge superhero fan.
"Understood." He was grinning like the cheshire cat. In the past year his son had really taken to comic book superheros and David had been loving every minute of it. Whenever he could, he would introduce him to the super hero movies and now they were both caught up. Now it was Olivia's turn to play catch up and she resigned to that. Jake was all about the super heros and most of the time she was clueless when he tried to talk to her about them.
This is what her life had come to. Watching super hero movies on the weekends with her husband so she could relate to her stepson on his latest interests. There were no more late night calls about crimes and victims, no more crime scene or hospital visits, or visits to the morgue. All of that ended when Ella began and she wouldn't change a single thing. Olivia felt comfortable with her choices in life. She put in her twenty plus years on the police force and retired a decorated officer. She had a family to take care of and a family that took care of her.