A/N: Here is chapter two. Sorry if it seems a little slow paced, the real action begins next chapter, I promise. Please read and review for more.
Disclaimer: Only own Greg and Brylee.
After quickly dropping Casey off at the hotel, Elliot drove back to Olivia's house and decided it was time for a stake-out. Olivia would hate him for doing it but he didn't care, he needed to make sure she was safe.
So there he sat in the rented car in the shadows, watching the house, waiting for some kind of movement but he hadn't seen anything yet.
*************
"Hey there, sweetie," Olivia whispered to Brylee as she laid her down on a changing pad on the bed to get her ready. "You're going to look so gorgeous in this dress," she said as she changed the infant's diaper. She blew a raspberry on her chubby baby belly, causing Brylee to giggle and kick her legs in joy but the bliss was brought to a standstill.
"Hurry the hell up, Olivia. We have to get going," Greg snapped from the doorway off the master bedroom.
"Yes, honey. We're nearly ready," she replied softly and slipped the dress on Brylee gently.
She smoothed it out and picked Brylee up before grabbing the diaper bag and her purse on the way out.
Leaving the house, Olivia's detective instincts kicked in and she noticed the car in the shadows and knew someone was watching them, she guessed it was Elliot.
She sighed and laid Brylee in her car seat, buckling her in securely.
"Hurry the hell up, Olivia," Greg demanded as he started up the car.
"Coming," Olivia replied and closed the back passenger door before getting in the front herself.
**************
Elliot pulled out from the curb after them and followed them at a safe distance all the way to a fancy restaurant on the other side of town.
He watched as Olivia get the baby out of her car seat and laid her in the stroller, that she had grabbed out from the car's trunk. The whole time Olivia was getting the child situated and comfortable, Greg just stood there as if he didn't know them. He didn't do a damn thing for Olivia and Brylee and that angered Elliot. He just wanted to jump out of the car and run over to them and punch Greg out but he had to keep himself restrained and keep watching from the shadows.
He watched as they walked from the car in to the fancy restaurant and sit down with a large group of fancy, business like people in suits with briefcases and Elliot wondered how on Earth she was fitting in with people, since he had only seen her with detectives and ADAs unless of course she was undercover.
'Oh, what on Earth has she gotten herself in to,' Elliot thought to himself.
*************
Elliot watched the group at the table for the next couple hours from the confines of the car. Olivia looked incredibly bored and Brylee slept in her stroller through most of it except when Olivia had to feed and change her, then she went right back off to sleep, uninterested in what was going on.
Finally at just after nine, they finally emerged from the restaurant. Olivia following close behind Greg as she pushed a now wide awake Brylee, who was kicking at the toys dangling on her stroller. Olivia lifted the infant out of the stroller and in to the baby car seat, buckling her in securely as Greg got in to the driver's seat of the car. She closed the car door and just as she folded up the stroller and put it in the trunk, Greg started to beep the horn angrily.
"Hurry the hell up, Olivia. I have some things I still need to do before going to bed!" he snarled at her.
Olivia sighed and slammed the trunk shut. "I'm coming, I'm coming," she grumbled and climbed in to the passenger seat.
She wasn't sure how much longer she could handle this. She would have to talk to Jennifer Campbell about it in the morning.
*************
Olivia was woken at two past five the next morning to her own personal human alarm clock. Brylee.
She rubbed her eyes and sat up, yawning.
"Shut her up," Greg grumbled half asleep and rolled over, going back to sleep.
Olivia sighed and got up, taking the two steps to the pink, frilly bassinet containing the infant. "Oh, it's okay, Bry. Mommy's got you, princess," she murmured, picking Brylee up. "Come on, sweetie." She carried Brylee out of the master bedroom and in to the nursery.
Olivia turned on the overhead light and sat down in the polished pine rocking chair on the other side of the pale purple painted bedroom, in front of the window. "It's okay, precious," she whispered to the still screaming baby as she moved her pajama top and adjusted Brylee to her breast. "There you go, Bry. Fill up your baby belly, then Mommy will give you a bath, huh?"
As Brylee suckled from her mother's breast, Olivia hummed to her and rocked gently back and forth.
The stars in the still dark sky and the silence, except for the suckling sounds coming from Brylee, were soothing and this feeding was Olivia's favorite time.
It was just her and Brylee. Mother and daughter all alone. Time just for the two of them to bond.
Once Brylee finished and burped, Olivia got kissed her cheek and got up. "Bath time, baby girl," she whispered and headed in to the bathroom, just in time to see Greg walking out, wet and just in a towel.
"Morning," he grumbled and lightly pecked her cheek before continuing to get ready for work.
"Morning," Olivia mumbled back and walked in to the bathroom.
She filled up the baby bath and checked the temperature of the water. With the temperature just right, Olivia undressed the baby and Brylee began to fuss unhappily.
"It's okay, sweetie," Olivia cooed as she laid her in the lukewarm water, holding her to keep her head above water.
As soon as her little body touched the water, Brylee smiled.
"Ah, there's that gorgeous smile I love," she said as she washed Brylee. "You love the bath, don't you, Bry?... What are Mommy and Brylee going to do today? You got any suggestions?" she asked, although she knew she wouldn't get an answer from her gurgling baby girl.
At the sound of Greg demanding breakfast, Olivia sighed. "I'm coming, Greg! I just need to dry and dress Brylee!" she called back and made quick, gentle, precise work of Brylee out of the bath and in to her fluffy, light pink towel to dry her before she got a cold. "Let's get you dressed, Bry," she said softly and headed in to the nursery.
*************
With Greg finally gone to work, Olivia could breath freely without him ordering stuff and breathing down her neck.
Just as she went to lay Brylee down in her stroller and head to the park, there was a knock on the front door.
Olivia ran a hand through her hair and picked Brylee up again. "Who is it?" she called out as she slowly approached the door.
"It's Elliot and Casey," was the answer from the other side of the thick wood.
Olivia opened the door and greeted her friends with a smile. "Hey. Come on in," she said and let them in.
Both Elliot and Casey greeted her and entered the beautiful home.
"Take a seat. Would either of you like something to drink?" she asked as she laid Brylee in her bouncer seat.
"No, thank you," replied Elliot, after hugging her, being careful of Brylee.
"No, thanks, that's okay," Casey said and took a seat on the couch.
Olivia nodded and took a seat on the arm chair opposite to her old work mates. "So..." she started and stopped, not knowing what to say. But then she remembered Elliot watching her last night. "Elliot, why were you watching me last night?" she asked, getting straight to it, not wanting to beat around the bush.
Elliot gasped in shock, realizing that he had been caught red handed. Once a detective, always a detective. "I may not be a detective anymore, Elliot, but I know you were watching," she said emotionless, only half telling the truth, waiting for an answer.
Elliot sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm sorry, Liv, but I needed to make sure Greg wasn't hurting you. Olivia, why are you with him? He doesn't respect you... He doesn't love you or Brylee. He treats you and Brylee badly."
"And you were oh so respectful and loving when I was home in New York," she said sarcastically.
"Okay, I deserve that, and I'm sorry," he apologized.
"Why were you staking out? I can look after myself and my child, Elliot," she groaned. He had always been over protective of her. She had to admit she did love and appreciate it but he had a habit of taking it too far, just like he had the night before by watching her.
"As I said, Liv, I had to make sure he wasn't hurting you or Brylee. I know you can take care of yourself and Brylee but I still had to make sure. I love you, Olivia, and I don't want anything to happen to you or the baby, even though she isn't my daughter. Please, Olivia, leave Greg, and come back home to New York with Brylee, where you two belong," he practically begged her.
Rubbing her hands together, Olivia sighed and said, "I can't, Elliot. I have things I am committed to here. When they're done, then maybe," she informed him. No matter how badly she wanted to go back home and raise her daughter in New York City, she couldn't yet, she had to stay here in San Fransisco, which reminded her. She had to call Jennifer Campbell after Elliot and Casey left and before Greg got home from work.
"Committed to what?!" Elliot asked confused, furrowing his brow.
Casey just sat there in silence, watching the two former partners hash out their problems, which needed to be resolved.
"I can't tell you, Elliot, I'm sorry," she apologized.
Elliot bit his bottom lip and shook his head. "Unbelievable," he muttered.
"What?" Olivia asked, slightly tilting her head.
"You used to be able to trust me, Olivia... You used to tell me everything."
Hearing the hurt in his voice, Olivia sighed and ran a hand through her long, brown hair. "I still do, Elliot," she admitted softly.
"Then why won't you tell me?!" he asked a little too harshly.
"Cause I can't," she replied again, just as softly.
Elliot growled in frustration and momentarily forgot about the happy, gurgling baby in the bouncer. "You obviously can't trust me if you won't tell me! We used to be best friends, Olivia, until you up and left one day. If you really loved me, you wouldn't have left!" he yelled, upsetting Brylee, causing him to sigh. He hadn't meant to. "I'll get her," he said and went to get up but Olivia stopped him.
"Oh no, you've done more then enough already," she said and got up to tend to her child. "It's okay, sweetie-pie. Mommy's got you," she murmured assuringly as she picked up the wailing infant. "Uncle Elliot and Aunt Casey are going to leave us alone now cause we have lots to do today," she said softly and kissed the crown of Brylee's head before looking up at Elliot giving him the evil eye. Boy, if looks could kill, he'd totally be screwed.
Both Elliot and Casey got the hint and got up, heading for the front door.
They said their goodbyes and walked out sadly, leaving Olivia and Brylee alone.
*************
Getting in to the rented car, Elliot sighed. "Something is happening to Olivia and she is refusing to let us help her. Why must she be so damn stubborn!" he growled and slammed his hands down on the steering wheel.
"Elliot, you know what Liv is like. She know she doesn't like to be helped. She thinks she can be some sort of super woman," she said sadly and put on her seatbelt.
"Yeah, I know," he sighed and put his key in the ignition, turning on the engine. "I just wish she wasn't so stubborn," he said and drop off.
*************
Olivia stood at the living room window, holding a now calm Brylee, watching her two best friends, walking away as they talked, most certainly about her.
A tear fell from her left eye as she saw them get in to the silver four door sedan parked at the curb. She couldn't believe what was happening. She was letting Elliot and Casey drive away and she didn't know if she would ever see them again. She didn't even know how much more she could take of this.
She was certain that Greg didn't love her and she didn't love him. He wasn't even the father of Brylee but she wasn't sure if he knew that or not, not that she really cared. She just wanted to go home, where she and Brylee belonged. With Elliot. With the people that she considered her family. Cragen would be thrilled to have a 'grand-baby' he could spoil, even though he wouldn't willing admit to it but Olivia knew he would.
Olivia didn't know how long she'd been standing there staring at the empty street until Brylee decided she wanted her mother's full and undivided attention.
Brylee bounced in Olivia's arm and babbled at her.
Rubbing Brylee's back, Olivia cleared her throat. "Sorry, baby. Mommy just needs to make a call then we can go to the park," she said and kissed Brylee's cheek as she looked around for her cell phone. She never called Jennifer from the house phone because she couldn't let Greg find out who she was calling.
Once she found her cell, which was in her nightstand drawer where she had left it the night before, she made the call.