Sorry it's taken me so long to update this….Work is sort of ruling my life this summer, but I'm trying to get a bunch more updating done before I go back to school in a few weeks. Thanks to all of you who've shown an interest in this story. Hopefully it'll live up to your expectations. The last section of this chapter contains dialogue taken directly from the season finale (Screwed)…you'll recognize it. Enjoy!

Chapter 2 – The Catalyst

They were smack dab in the middle of the trial from hell. Darius Parker and his lawyers were dragging the entire squad through the mud. Casey came by the squad room the evening it all started, already looking as exhausted as Olivia felt. She collapsed into Elliot's desk chair, eyeing Olivia as she sat staring down at the file in front of her, her chin propped on her hand.

"You okay Liv? You don't look so great," Casey observed, leaning forward in her chair to study her friend.

"Eh," Olivia shrugged weakly, taking a deep breath and sitting back. "I think it's just this case. I'm almost nauseous, but I think it's just from worrying about everything." She tried to explain.

"IAB still pressuring you?" Casey asked softly and Olivia nodded.

"They've started tracking Dean Porter. They're trying to get him to make a statement against me."

"What are you going to do Liv?"

"I don't know," Olivia shrugged again. "I know it was stupid, but- oh," she took a sharp breath, rising shakily and taking off down the hallway. Casey ran after her, following her into the women's restrooms, where she winced as she heard the unmistakeable sounds of her friend getting sick.

"Liv?" She called softly, lightly tapping her knuckles against the cool metal of the stall door. She stepped back as Olivia unlocked the door and it swung open slowly. Olivia was in a ball on the floor, huddled beside the toilet, her face pale and hands shaking.

"I think it's more than the case," Olivia whispered shakily from the floor, looking up at Casey with fear in her eyes.

"What happened sweetie?" Casey asked as she gently lowered herself to sit cross-legged on the tile floor beside her friend. Olivia took a shuddering breath as she tried unsuccessfully to ward off another wave of nausea. Casey rubbed her back soothingly, holding her hair back, until Olivia finished and leaned back against the wall of the bathroom stall with her eyes closed. When she opened them again, they were brimming with tears.

"I think I might be pregnant," Olivia choked out in a whisper.

"Oh sweetie," Casey pulled her into her arms, hugging her and rocking with her as she sobbed. When she'd calmed a little, Casey pulled back to glance down at her friend. "You okay?"

Olivia shrugged as she made an effort to dry her face. Casey stood and offered a hand to Olivia, pulling her up off of the floor. "Let's get you home, huh?" Casey suggested, and the women slipped out of the bathroom, heading back to the empty squad room.

A half hour later, Casey knocked on the door to Olivia's apartment, white pharmacy bag in hand. Olivia opened the door slowly. She had changed while she waited for Casey, and wore yoga pants and a standard issue NYPD sweatshirt. Her hair was pulled back in a haphazard ponytail, and her face was pale as she stepped back to allow Casey to enter the apartment. Casey handed her the white paper bag as she shrugged out of her coat and stuck it on the hook by the door. Olivia held the bag by two fingers, eyeing it with thinly veiled fear in her eyes.

"Not gonna bite, Liv," Casey almost laughed, and Olivia glared at her. "You going to do it now?" She asked as she perched on the arm of the couch.

"N-now?" Olivia stammered. "I – uh-"

Casey sighed, "Sweetie, you have to know. You can't just ignore this and hope it goes away. Especially if you are pregnant."

"I know, I know, I just-" Olivia sat heavily on the couch beside Casey.

"You're scared." Olivia nodded and Casey wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her friend into a hug. "I get it Liv, I do. And I'm not going anywhere, okay? You are not alone."

Olivia nodded against Casey's shoulder before taking a deep breath and standing. Casey squeezed her hand, nodding her support as Olivia disappeared into the bathroom with the pharmacy bag. She came out a few moments later and sat back down beside Casey. "Three minutes," she said softly. "God, I can't believe this is happening."

"Wanna talk about it?" Casey offered.

Olivia sighed, leaning back against the cushions of the couch, one hand coming up to rub her forehead, the other resting over her abdomen. "It was the night after the Royce case."

"The guy who killed his fiancée and family?" Casey clarified and Olivia nodded.

"When I came in that morning, Elliot was on his way out. He was really out of it. I found out later that he had gotten the confession, but he'd nearly killed the guy in the process." Casey winced and Olivia chuckled humorlessly. "He came over later that night, to- talk. He said he saw his kids every time he thought about it, and the only thing I could think to do was to hug him." Olivia looked down at her hands with a sigh. "I'm still not entirely sure how it happened, but- he was kissing me, and we- we-" Casey squeezed her arm sympathetically. "He left- when he thought I was asleep. He just got dressed and- and walked out." Her tears were starting to fall and she brushed them away. "Eight years, and he didn't even have the courtesy to stick around to tell me I was a mistake."

Casey pulled her friend into her arms, rubbing her back as she spoke. "You are not a mistake Olivia," Casey told her fiercely. "Elliot is an asshole. He had no right to treat you like that Liv."

"I know- I just-" Olivia exhaled shakily, "It hurt Case."

"I know sweetie." Casey glanced down at her watch. "Uh, Liv? It's been five minutes," she told her softly.

"Look for me?" Casey nodded, standing up and slipping into the bathroom. She emerged a few minutes later, an odd look on her face. "Case?"

"They're both positive sweetie," Casey told her softly, and Olivia gasped.

"I'm pregnant?" She whispered, closing her eyes. "Oh my god, oh my god."

--

Her pregnancy was pushed to the corner of her mind as she and the rest of the squad were pulled farther and farther into the insanity of the trial and the press. On top of everything, Casey was pushing her to tell Elliot about the baby soon, before it became too obvious or got out somehow. Olivia had finally agreed to talk to him when the trial was over.

Now though, the partners stood outside the courtroom, waiting to be called in to testify. She leaned against the wall, fighting exhaustion as he paced the hall, glancing down at his watch every so often.

Finally she sighed. "Elliot, you checked the time two minutes ago. What's going on?

He hesitated slightly. "Kathy's pregnant."

She felt physically ill as she tried to mask her surprise. "I didn't know you went back home."

He winced almost imperceptivity. "I haven't." He ran a hand over his head. "I'm pathetic, fooling around like a kid." He shook his head.

He'd just been fooling around with her too, she'd guess. "So what are you going to do?" The words were out before she'd thought them through and she winced inwardly at the look he gave her.

"What do you mean by that?" He asked, becoming defensive.

Her heart was in her throat as she struggled to come up with a response. She was saved though, when the door to the courtroom opened and the defense attorney exited.

"We're in recess. We won't be calling you today, Detective Benson." He turned to Elliot. "You're on after lunch." Olivia took the chance to escape when her cell phone vibrated, alerting her to a text message, and she slipped out to find Simon. When she left Simon in the park, she headed straight to the DA's office. Casey glanced up from sifting through papers on her desk to see Olivia hovering in her doorway.

"Can it wait Liv? I really need to find a few things for the trial," Casey sighed.

"I can't tell him," Olivia said softly in reply, and Casey looked up sharply.

"Close the door Liv." She waited until the detective had closed it and sagged into one of the chairs beside the desk. "What happened?"

"He's going home," she said softly, resigned. "His wife is pregnant." There was a certain degree of bitterness to the statement.

"Oh Liv," Casey came to sit beside her, taking her hand. "I'm so sorry. Do you know- how far-"

Olivia pulled her hand away. "I didn't exactly make it a point to ask."

"Liv," Casey chastised gently.

"I know, I know," Olivia sighed. "I just- I don't want to leave, but- I think I have to."

"Leave?" Casey asked, taken aback.

"I have to. He'll know as soon as I start showing." She shook her head. "I won't make him choose. I won't be that woman," she paused, "besides, it's not as if he'd choose me over his wife and family." She took in her friend's sad expression and squeezed her hand. "I'll take the consequences of my actions with Simon. Then, I'll have to leave SVU."

Keep in mind, that last section was taken directly from the episode! Please review!

If anyone is interested, I am looking for a beta so that I can post this on SVUFiction. Let me know!