Further Down The Road
(Chapter One: Small Blessings)
Elliot held Hannah's hand as they walked quickly from the elevator and down the hallway. Her little four year old legs moved as quickly as they could to try to keep up with her father. Elliot lifted her up and put her on his shoulders and carried her to the window. She held tight to a balloon string with one hand and a single pink flower she had picked out especially for her mother in the other and wore her I'm The Big Sister tee shirt as she pressed her little nose to the glass to peer in through the nursery window.
"What one is our baby daddy?" She asked with a smile looking down at Elliot below her.
"This one right here by the window."
As Elliot pointed down at the newborn a nurse walked over and held the baby up for Hannah to see.
"That is my new baby sister?"
"Yep. Isn't she beautiful?"
"She's pretty."
"Do you think she looks like mommy or like daddy?"
Hannah laughed and almost squealed.
"That's silly daddy! She looks like mommy cause she's a girl!"
"You're right Hannah, she does look like mommy."
"Does she look like me daddy?"
Hannah leaned over and pressed her forehead against Elliot's staring into his eyes. He slid her off his shoulders and into his arms kissing her and making her squeal again and burst out into laughter allowing her balloon to slip from her hand.
"Yes Hannah, she looks just like you. Almost exactly like you did when you were a tiny baby."
Hannah smiled and placed a hand on each side of his face as she kissed her fathers lips. She reminded him so much of Olivia it was unreal. Like a little miniature doll like version of her mother.
"Uhh oh, daddy."
"What honey?"
"Mommy's balloon," she said as she pointed up to the ceiling. "I dropped it," she whispered.
"I think I can get it," he said pretending to reach for the string. "Nope, I need some help." Elliot scooped her up in his arms and raised her up to reach the balloon string.
"I got it daddy! I got it!" She said full of excitement with an ear to ear grin on her face.
"We'd better go give it to mommy before we drop it again. Hold on tight to it and don't let it go."
"I won't daddy."
Elliot carried her through the big double doors and down the hall to Olivia's room. He pushed the door open slowly as Hannah stepped inside. She stopped and looked up at the pole holding the IV and the wires taped to Olivia's arm.
"What's the matter baby?" He asked picking her up once more to survey her frightened look.
"What's wrong with mommy?"
"Nothing sweetheart, that is just medicine. Mommy's sleeping right now, but I bet if you give her a big kiss she will wake up."
Hannah turned and looked at Elliot.
"It's okay baby. Mommy is alright."
Elliot carried her over to the bed and pulled up a chair for her to stand on to lean in and kiss Olivia's cheek.
Olivia opened her eyes to see Hannah grinning at her.
"Good morning mommy," she whispered softly.
"Good morning baby," Olivia said pulling Hannah into the bed to hug her and kiss her.
"Look," Hannah said handing her the flower.
"Oh, that is really pretty."
"It's for you mommy."
"Well thank you, sweetheart."
"You're welcome. I picked it for you."
"You mean you picked it out for me?"
"No, she means she picked it for you. From the planter in front of the hospital. She already had it picked before I could stop her. She said she wanted it for mommy. And it was pink for a girl."
"You're right miss Hannah. It is pink for a girl. And it is very pretty. I love it!"
Hannah grinned at her as Elliot walked to the bathroom to put some water in a plastic cup and placed the flower in it.
"We also got you a balloon, it's for a girl too!"
"It sure is," Olivia replied looking up at the balloon dancing above her bed. It was pink Mylar with a stork on it delivering a baby and said It's A Girl in bold pink letters. "Thank you."
"You're welcome again mommy."
Olivia kissed her and held her for a minute.
"Did you see your new baby sister?"
"Yeah, she's real pretty."
"You think so?"
"She looks like you mommy, because she's a girl. If she was a boy she would look like daddy."
"Is that so?"
"Yes."
"So how does it feel to be the big sister now?"
"I like it."
"Yeah? You know being a big sister is a lot of work. Mommy will need a lot of help taking care of the baby."
"I will help you, mommy."
"I was hoping you would say that," Olivia said as she tucked a dark curl behind Hannah's ear.
"Mommy…"
"Yes, Hannah?"
"What is my baby sister's name?"
Olivia looked into Hannah's eyes and rubbed her nose against Hannah's.
"Well, daddy and I are needing a little help finding a good name for the baby. We have two names picked out, but we don't know which one fits her better. Her name is either Abigail Rae or Mickey Mouse. What do you think?"
Hannah giggled. "Mommy, Mickey Mouse is a boys name! The baby is a girl!"
"Oh, you're right. So what do you think we should name her?"
"Abigail Rae Stabler."
"I like that, Hannah. And you know what? I think we could call her Abby. What do you think?"
"Yes."
"Yes. Oh, thank you for helping us name the baby."
Hannah leaned in and kissed Olivia and hugged her.
"You're welcome, mommy. Does that hurt?" Hannah asked placing her finger tip gently on the medical tape holding Olivia's IV in place.
"Nope. It is kind of like a band aid. This tube has medicine in it and that tape holds it there so the medicine wont spill out."
"Oh. Look mommy, you're skinny again."
"Well, remember when my belly was really big? That was because your baby sister was in my belly. And now she came out so my belly isn't that big anymore."
Hannah smiled and laid her head against Olivia's chest.
"Mommy, when can you come home? I miss you."
"Abby and I both can come home tomorrow morning. And I bet you can come with daddy to pick us up."
"Good, because I don't want to stay with Aunt Casey again. I get scared at her house."
"Why baby?"
"Because it is dark in her room and there is a monster in the closet."
"Hannah, what did mommy tell you about the monsters?"
"Monster's are just pretend."
"That's right. And if they aren't real then there is nothing to be afraid of is there?"
"No. But it is scary mommy."
Olivia twisted one of Hannah's dark pig tails in her fingers then let it go and watched it bounce back up.
"I tell you what. Do you see that teddy bear over then in the window?"
"Yeah."
"Can you go get it for me?"
Hannah climbed down from her chair and stood on her tip toes to pull the stuffed bear from the window ledge. She ran back across the room and climbed back up and into the bed beside Olivia and handed her the bear.
"This is a big sister bear," she began as Hannah turned her big brown eyes toward Olivia. "She is called a big sister bear because she is the big sister to the little bear over there by the TV. Uncle Munch got her for you and the baby bear for your baby sister. And she spent the night here with mommy last night and I wasn't scared a bit."
"Not even when it was really dark?"
"Nope. Because she is magic. And any time you get scared, you just hug her tight and close your eyes and tell her what you are scared of and she will protect you so you don't have to be scared anymore."
"Really?" Hannah held the dusty pink bear in her hands and looked at it as she grinned.
"Yep."
"What is her name mommy?"
"I don't know. She didn't tell me."
Hannah held the bear up and whispered into it's ear then held it against the side of her face. She smiled again and hugged the bear tight.
"She said her name is Rose," she whispered to Olivia.
"That is a pretty name."
Hannah grinned again.
"But mommy if Rose spends the night with me at Aunt Casey's wont you be scared?"
"Nope, because sissy's bear is still here with me."
Hannah climbed down and ran to get the smaller pink bear then climbed back into the bed.
"This one is…..Lily." She nodded her head and handed the bear to Olivia.
"Nice to meet you Rose and Lily."
Hannah tucked the bear beside Olivia's pillow and covered it with her blanket. "She will keep you safe mommy, so you don't have to be scared either."
"Thank you, Lily." Olivia picked up the bear and held it to her ear. "Do you know what she said?"
"What?" Hannah asked leaning forward at attention.
"She said if you get scared when it is dark in the room ask Aunt Casey to leave the closet light on."
Hannah smiled again.
"That's a good idea Lily."
Olivia smiled at her daughter and kissed her forehead.
"I love you baby," she whispered softly.
"Mommy, I'm not the baby any more. Abby is the baby. I'm the big girl."
"I love you big girl," Olivia said with a smile.
"I love you too mommy." Hannah leaned in and kissed Olivia's lips as she hugged her around the neck.
Just then the nurse entered the room with the baby.
"Hannah, would you like to hold your baby sister?" Olivia asked looking down at her.
"I can?"
"Only if mommy and daddy hand her to you and you have to be sitting down, okay?"
"Okay."
Elliot took Abby from the nurse and carried her to Hannah and Olivia. Olivia positioned Hannah's little arms and Elliot placed Abby inside them.
"She's so little." She said looking down at her little sister.
"She is now. But she will get bigger. You used to be this size," Olivia explained to the four year old.
"Wow, I got big."
"Yes, you did." Elliot added as he kissed her forehead and reached for the camera.
The nurse checked Olivia's IV, then offered to take a picture for them. It was their first family picture of the four of them. Elliot, Olivia, Hannah and Abigail. Elliot smiled as he reviewed the picture on the camera screen.
"Perfect," he said smiling at Olivia.
Olivia smiled back at him and kissed the top of Hannah's forehead.
"Alright Hannah, why don't you go with me to find mommy something for dinner while she feeds the baby?"
"Okay, daddy."
"We will be back in a little while," he said kissing his wife gently. He then leaned down to place a gentle kiss on the top of Abby's little head. "Tell mommy bye," he said reaching for Hannah.
"Bye mommy," Hannah said kissing Olivia. "Bye Abby," she whispered as she placed a little kiss on the baby's head the way she had watched her father do moments earlier.
Elliot sat her up on his shoulders again.
"I hear we are drawing quite a crowd of visitors out in the waiting room. I'll see if I can buy you about half an hour to feed her and then bring them back."
"Okay," Olivia said with a smile. "I love you Elliot."
"I love you, too angel." Elliot kissed her again and he and Hannah headed out to greet their visitors.
"Hey," Cragen said to them as they entered the waiting room and Elliot put Hannah back on the ground. "Congratulations daddy, I hear she is beautiful."
"Thanks, she is. She look just like Liv."
"Hey Hannah banana," he said leaning down to pat her on the top of her head. "I brought you something."
She smiled a shy smile as he held out his hand in front of her. She stood on her tip toes to look into it. She smiled up at him again and giggled.
"A necklace?"
"Yep. It is a heart and it has the letter H on it. What starts with an H?"
"Hannah," she answered with a smile.
"That's right." He slipped the little gold chain over her neck and she smiled as she held the little gold heart charm in her hand.
"What do you say," Elliot said nudging her gently.
"Thank you."
"You are very welcome."
Cragen looked up at Elliot.
"So what is this baby's name?"
"Abigail Rae Stabler," Hannah called up to him from the ground.
"That is a pretty name."
Hannah smiled again.
"I know Liv was all about picking names by their meaning's. What does Abigail mean?"
"Actually I picked her name out. Abigail means father's joy or brings joy."
"It's perfect."
"That is what I thought."
"Mommy let me help pick the baby's name."
"She did? Well, you sure did a good job."
"Thank you."
"Well, Olivia is feeding Abby and we were just headed down to find something for dinner if you would like to join us?"
"Sure," he said reaching down for Hannah's hand.
She reached up for him and he picked her up in his arms and carried her to the elevator.
