Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters (except Elly and Dani).
Chapter 2: A Bump in the Road
It was months later before Olivia even heard from Elliot
It was months later before Olivia even heard from Elliot.
The phone rang, and rang, and rang. Olivia looked at the caller-ID. 'Elliot calling' it read. She looked at it for a minute, debating whether or not pick up. She pressed 'ignore'. She couldn't bear to talk to him. Not now.
She sunk down in her couch and ran her hands over her swollen belly. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. She wanted to talk to him, so badly... but she couldn't.
The phone beeped, receiving a message. Olivia picked it up and listened to the voicemail.
"...Hey, Livvie. It's me. I just - just wanted to hey. Wanted to see how you were doin', how Nana's doin'. So... if you wanna give me a call back, my number's the same. I miss you, baby. I love you."
Olivia closed the phone, biting her lip, trying to keep from bawling. She didn't realize how much she had missed his voice.
She cradled her new daughter in her arms. She had a strong face and strong features, like her father's. She had her father's dark hair and cerulean blue eyes, but she had Olivia's olive skin.
"Ellen," she whispered to the sleeping baby, "my little Ellen."
She stroked the baby's face gently with her finger. She looked so much like Elliot. Olivia curled Ellen's small amount of black hair around her fingers. She smiled at her baby.
Ellen Isabella Benson-Stabler... Olivia thought it might be the most beautiful thing she had ever heard in her entire life.
"You're my perfect little angel, aren't you Elly?"
Elly gurgled and smiled in her sleep.
Olivia chuckled slightly.
"I love you more than anything in this world, baby girl."
They both lay in the hospital bed, in the dim light, Olivia awing over her new baby.
Eight years later...
The door closed loudly behind Olivia. "Elly! I'm home, baby!" She hung up her coat on a rack.
"Mommy!" the tiny eight year old girl cried, leaping into her mother's arms.
Olivia scooped her up and snuggled her. "How was your day, sweetie?"
"Good," Elly said as her mother put her back down.
"Did Danielle take you to the park?"
Elly nodded as Danielle walked into the room.
"Hi Dani," Olivia said, "Thank you so much."
"It's not a problem, Liv," the young woman said, pulling her coat on. "I love babysitting your daughter."
"Bye Dani! See you tomorrow!" Olivia said as Danielle walked out the front door.
"Bye-bye Dani!" Elly cried after her.
Elly plopped herself onto the couch as Olivia walked through the archway separating the living room from the kitchen.
"Are you hungry, Elly?" her mother called from the kitchen.
"No." Elly picked up a black and white photo of a man and a woman hugging and looking at the camera, huge smiles on both of their faces.
"Are you thirsty?"
"Yeah!"
"Do you want a juice box?"
"Okay," Elly replied as her mother walked back into the room with a juice box in her hand.
"Mama?"
"Yes, baby?"
"Whose this man in the picture with you?"
Olivia sat next to her daughter on the couch, handing her the juice box and taking the picture. She grinned. "His name is Elliot Stabler. I used to work with him. He was my best friend."
There was a minute of silence. "He's also your father."
"Do you still talk to him?"
"No, I don't, baby."
"Why not?"
"I moved away before I had you."
"We should go see him, mama."
There was another pause. Olivia held her daughter with one arm as they both gazed at the picture.
"The kids at school make fun of me for not having a daddy."
"Oh, baby," Olivia said, holding her daughter closer, "I'm so sorry."
"So, can we?"
Olivia smiled. "Maybe when you're older, baby girl."
