Disclaimer: I am not Dick Wolf or NBC/Universal productions. Therefore they are not mine. Lucky them.
A/N: Just popped into my head. Please Read & Review!!!
Chapter 1: Too Good To Be True?
"No, seriously -- let me get it. You bought last time." Olivia slid her hand to her seat belt and unbuckled it.
Elliot glanced over at her. "Last time was five dollars and fifty cents for two bagels and coffee. Not a birthday cake. You know how much those things run these days?"
Liv rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. But from what I hear, you and Kathy spent enough already on the presents. The least I can do is cover the cake."
"From what you hear? Just where might you have heard this?"
Olivia winked and gave him an innocent smile. "A lady never reveals her sources."
"Fine," Elliot sighed. She could be so stubborn. It never helped to argue with her. "But at least let me give you some cash for the ice cream."
"Nah-uh. Munch and Fin have that under control." She stepped out of the car and onto the sidewalk. "I believe the twins will have their pick of either Mint Chocolate Chip or Rocky Road. I think."
"Really? They actually agreed on two flavors?" Elliot asked, sounding impressed.
Liv laughed. "Are you kidding? It's because they couldn't agree that they're getting two flavors. They went round and round for an hour before Cragen finally paid them each a dollar just to shut the hell up. So now Munch is picking one, and Fin another."
Elliot nodded his head as he visualized the scene. Munch and Fin bickering over little decisions wasn't that hard to imagine.
"Be back in a bit," Olivia promised.
"You better. What would I tell my kids if I came home without their birthday cake?"
Olivia smirked. "Oh, I don't know. You'd think of something."
"Yeah, right. I can picture that going over real well."
"I bet," Liv giggled as she slammed shut the car door.
Elliot turned to watch her enter the bakery. She disappeared from view as she rounded the corner on her way to the pastries counter in the back of the store. He flipped on the radio to kill the time, and chuckled when he realized how good he really had it.
He and Kathy had managed to sort things out and rekindle the relationship. His four beautiful kids had gotten older, but they still loved him. Just the other morning, Dickie had presented him with his "Hero in my Backyard" essay he did for his English class. Lizzie admitted she would have done it on him, too, but since Dickie had already done so, she wrote about Olivia instead. Olivia didn't know it yet, but Lizzie was planning on surprising her with it at the party. Kathleen and Maureen were happy he moved back in as well. And, he had a fifth child on the way.
At work, things were just as great. For some odd reason, the frequency of cases had slowed recently and Elliot found he had more time to spend at home. Cragen had tamed down a bit and become more friendly -- even joining them for drinks after work sometimes. He didn't drink, of course, but came just for a few laughs. Munch and Fin were still Munch and Fin, providing a sense of brotherhood and a never-ending source of amusement at the same time. And Olivia? She was still the same -- always had his back. They had built up an unbreakable friendship and were each others' support systems.
Everything in his life was perfect. It almost seemed too good to be true.
The gunshot brought him out of his reverie.