Family Portrait

An SVU Fanfiction Story

Ship: Elliot/Olivia

AN: The middle part may not seem relevant now but trust me it's crucial for

Chapter One: Taking Out The Trash

Sunday, February 14, 2009

Pegasus Motel

4631 Valencia Dr. Manhattan

10:17 PM

"Sam! Sam! I need a word with you!"

"What do you want?" Samuel Williamson gazed up at a thirty-one year Italian woman who had just put a trash bag on top of his desk. "I have work of my own to do you know! And where do you get off putting a trash bag on the front desk where decent guests check in?" He shoved the bag on to the floor where it split open. "Pick it up!"

Alisa stooped down with a groan. "Eight-fifty an hour," the girl spat stooping to pick the garbage up. "Not enough for my trouble!"

Williamson rolled his eyes. "Damn it you ingrate," he yelled. "Back in the day immigrants like you and your husband earned their money by cleaning manure out of stables but here you are a maid at a very respectable motel. And I even give you the graveyard shift so you can spend time with your children while Giovanni is working because I know you can't afford to put them in daycare and this is how you repay me guinea?"

"Respectable motel! Ha! If I had any papers I could've gotten a job in a place a hundred times nicer but instead I'm stuck picking up after the day maid who makes more mess than she cleans!"

"Well it's your neck on the line right now not the day maid. No matter who made the mess I want you to clean it up right now or your Valentine's Day present to your husband will be a pretty little pink slip. Understood?"

The maid let out a huff as she hefted the trash over her shoulder and headed out back. "Figlio di un cagna falsa!" she hissed tossing the trash into the dumpster. "Non sappia con chi lui sta dando!"

A muffled cry sounded from without the dumpster as if in agreement with the woman's statement. The maid let out a piercing scream! There in the midst of all the garbage lay a flailing red-faced infant.

Stabler Home

Sunday February 14, 2009

7212 Castleside Street, Glen Oaks, Queens

9:22 pm

"Zoom, zoom!"

Olivia Benson couldn't help but smile at the sight of twenty-five month old Eli who was scrambling around the Stabler den with his toy fire truck.

"El is already grooming the kid for a life of public service," she chuckled going back to her novel.

Until her newest breakup a few weeks ago Benson's idea of Valentine's Day had not including a babysitting gig but Elliot had really been in a bind so Liv really didn't mind doing her partner this favor. Besides Eli made a better Valentine than that scumbag Olivia had been seeing could ever aspire to.

Friday evening when Munch, Finn and Olivia had been over for dinner, Elliot and Kathy's fifteen-year-old twins had informed the table that they had agreed to go on a weekend ski trip and they would have to back out of babysitting their brother that Sunday while their parents went out to dinner.

Elliot being a naturally suspicious man had instantly jumped to the conclusion that Lizzie and Rich (as Dickey preferred to be called now) were using the "ski trip" as a cover to go to a Valentine's make out party at one of their friends houses. This was an idea that raised eyebrows around the table.

"What?" Elliot shot back. "You can't tell me there's a fifteen-year-old on the face of the earth who wouldn't have that in the back of their mind. We were only a couple years older than these two when Maureen was born."

Kathy laughed, "Elliot is they say it's a ski trip than I think they're telling us the truth." She looked across the table at the two people in question. "Although I wish you would have said something to us sooner because we can't cancel the dinner now. Your father got two reservations at Lucinda's."

There were whistles from the adults who knew Lucinda's was one of the most chic (and therefore expensive) bistros in Manhattan.

Elliot sighed. "Guess we'll just have to find another baby—," Eli's face contorted indignantly from his booster seat. "—I mean big-boy sitter. Know anyone who would do it on such short notice?"

"I'll help out," Olivia offered. "This weekend is free for me."

"I find it hard to believe that Valentine's Day is coming up and Olivia Benson has no plans," teased Finn sipping his tea.

"Yeah!" Elliot chimed in. "You and that Andrew guy were going strong for a while there."

"That creep is history," Olivia assured him.

Elliot nodded. He of all people knew her track record with men wasn't exactly stellar. "All right then Eli, looks like you'll be hanging out with Olivia on Sunday."

"Libya!" the little boy cheered….

"Libya!" he called again waving his plastic fire hat in her face until she put her book down.

"Yes honey?" Olivia smiled at the child's pronunciation of her name which was pretty good for someone whose second front tooth hadn't come in yet.

He pushed the toy aside. "No more."

Olivia had no kids of her own but she knew from interviewing child victims how short their attention spans sometimes were. "All right. How about we read a story now?" Eli shook his head wildly. "Then what do you want to do?" asked Olivia

"Me car," he laughed running so many dizzying circles around the couch that Olivia was surprised he didn't face plant.

The next time the little boy came around Olivia scooped him out of the air. "Gotcha!" He kicked at the air for a few seconds before admitting defeat and burying his head in Olivia's chest. "Eli Stabler you are under arrest for speeding," she grinned sliding him onto her hip as she headed into his Toy Story themed bedroom. "Now let's get some jammies on you shall we?"

Eli was too tired to put up much of a fight and before Olivia had finished tucking the Buzz Lightyear sheets around him the boy was asleep.

"Night-night Libya," he sighed as she turned on his nightlight.

"Goodnight sweetheart

Olivia had just finished putting the last of Eli's toys back in the wooden chest when the phone rang.

"Who would be calling at this hour?" Olivia muttered to herself rushing to pick up the cordless before it could wake the sleeping boy upstairs. "Stabler residence?"

"Liv?" asked the familiar voice of Dr. Melinda Warner, the SVU medical examiner. "I've called your cell twice already!"

"I haven't heard it all night." Olivia reached in her pocket. "Because it's been on silent the whole time. What's up?"

"Before I answer that," Warner said in a mischievous tone. "I have a question of my own. What are you doing over at Elliot's?"

Olivia sighed. "The twins backed out of babysitting so I had to step in or Elliot and Kathy would risk losing their expensive Valentine's dinner reservations," she informed the caller employing extra emphasis when she mentioned Elliot's wife. Several of their colleagues—Warner included— seemed convinced that were Kathy Stabler not in the picture Elliot would magically confess his undying love for Olivia, despite repeated assurances that the two were best friends at most.

"Ooh where are the reservations?"

"Lucinda's," Olivia replied. "Why?"

"Fancy," the doctor whistled. "Much as I hate to break that up I need Kathy to come relieve you of munchkin duty so you and El can meet me at the Pegasus Motel right away. You've got a baby dump on your hands."

Olivia immediately tensed as she listened to Warner spit out the address. "Of course we'll be there! I'll call Elliot right now."

Elliot Stabler held open the passenger side door while his wife climbed in the car before getting in himself and pulling out of the Lucinda's parking lot.

"That was delicious Elliot," Kathy gushed. This is the kind of thing I was looking forward to when we got back together. I figured we'd have more time to do stuff like this now that the kids are older and then…well Eli wasn't exactly planned."

"Kathy all of the kids were surprises." Elliot pointed out somewhat dully.

Kathy seemed to ignore this comment and steamrollered on. "The one chance we get to go out in a while and it feels like it went far too fast. Olivia hasn't called you yet, do you think she'll mind if we stay out a little longer?"

Elliot thought for a while not wanting to take advantage of his partner's generosity. "I guess I could call and ask if she would mind us seeing a movie," he gave in.

"Thank you," Kathy whispered into Elliot's ear as her husband fumbled for his phone. Before he could even flip it open it buzzed loudly.

"Ah!" Kathy screamed as a startled Elliot dropped it.

"Well speak of the devil," Elliot laughed pressed the Answer button." Hey Liv, how's Eli…that's good. Well Kathy and I were just about to call and ask if we could stay out a while longer, see a movie or something. Oh...ok when does she want us…no I'll come you might need backup. We'll be home right away," he promised hanging up.

Kathy looked at him questioningly. "What does 'you might need backup' mean?"

"It means we'll have to take a rain-check on that movie."

"Elliot!"

"I'm sorry Kathy but Liv and I have to work tonight."