Okay, so here's the next chapter :)
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN LAW & ORDER:SVU; DICK WOLF DOES
Rhonda Roo:
hahahaha..loved the last part, when it usually is what it looks like...and they probably will get together because of this, he loves playing daddy when she's mommy.
~haha, yes this is true. It ususally is what it looks like, but the question is, what does Maureen think it looks like... lol and yes, I agree, he loves to play "house" with her ;)
justliziam:
Elliot is an AMAZING father. He is already taking such good care of the kids and wow Liv is a natural. Olivia, Elliot and the kids have already formed a little family :) I can only imagine what Maureen thinks is going on. I'm excited to see where this story goes :D
~yes, it does seem like they have formed a family, but you should know me and my writing, nothing comes without a little drama. Poor Maureen, probably thinking the worst...
He stands there, unsure of what to say to make this seem anything other than what it looks like. Maureen's timing has never been quite convienent, ever since the day of her birth, but he knows that without that little trait his daughter possesses, his life would be quite dull.
Maureen watches as her father shifts uncomfortably under her stare. She's been out of state for a little over a year, and hasn't had much contact with her family, so she doesn't exactly know what's been going on. She knows her parents have been divorced for almost a year and she also knows that her mother was not pregnant when this had happened, so the only logical explaination is her father knocked up someone else, and she has a feeling she knows who this someone is. "Really?" she asks, walking up to his cart before she takes out the package of diapers inside, "Because it looks like you're baby shopping."
Elliot watches as Maureen smirks, a trait she has aquired from him, and lets out a sigh. "Then it's exactly what it looks like," he mutters, before grabbing the diapers out of her hand and putthing them back into the cart. He then grabs the handle of the cart and starts walking down towards the kids' clothing isle.
Maureen follows her father, wanting answers. She forgets why she's come to the store originally, deciding that finding out why her father is here in the middle of the night shopping for baby diapers and formula is much more important. "So, do the other kids know?" she asks with a certain curiousity.
Elliot stops in front of a small rack of boys clothes and pajamas, before he turns to face his eldest. "What do you mean?" he asks, as he spots a pair of police pajamas perfect for Noah.
Maureen rolls her eyes, before walking over, looking at every item in his cart. "Come on Dad, aren't these for Olivia?" Elliot only nods, knowing if he tries to explain the truth, it'll all sound like a giant lie. "So, how long after you and Mom got divorced did you get her pregnant?"
Elliot looks his daughter in the eye, and raises an eyebrow. "Maureen," he begins, his voice a strict tone, as if she's thirteen and about to get scolded.
"No Dad, I think it's cool you and Olivia finally got together, and actually I'd like to meet the little tike. I'm sure he or she is beautiful."
Elliot lets out a laugh. It's nice to know his eldest daughter would support the decision if he and Olivia ever decided to try out a relationship, but he knows he has to set the record straight. "Today one of our rape victims commited suicide while having lunch with Olivia."
Maureen gasps, before placing her hand over her mouth, shocked. "That's horrible. How is she holding up?"
Elliot puts the pajamas in the cart, before looking at a few t-shirts and a pair of jeans. "Olivia?" Maureen nods her head. "She's holding up. I think she's too busy right now to actually think about it."
"What do you mean?" Maureen asks, watching as her father throws in two tshirts and a small pair of jeans, before throwing a pack of underwear in as well.
"Well our victim left custody of her two children to Olivia. Kids didn't have anything so I decided to come over and buy some stuff, just at least to help her for the night."
Maureen looks at her father, unsure of what to say. She feels dumb for thinking that her father was here buying things for his love child with Olivia, but it was an honest mistake. She opens her mouth to speak, but before she can get any words out, her father cuts in. "You know, if you're not busy right now, I'm sure Olivia would love to see you."
Maureen nods, wanting nothing more than to see the woman who's been protecting her father's back for years, and the woman who's become more like a second mother to not only her, but her siblings as well. Elliot smiles, before pushing the cart to the nearest check-out stand. "I wouldn't mind seeing Olivia with kids either," Maureen says with a wink, and Elliot can't help but think it's her way of giving him a hint.
Elliot smiles once more, before paying for his purchase. He grabs the bags and walks out of the store to his car, Maureen right behind him. The two get in and drive off, making it to Olivia's apartment in a little under ten minutes. When they arrive at Olivia's building, Maureen grabs a few of the bags so her father can ring for his partner. When they get to her front door, he opens the door with his key, and the two walk in, surprised to see the scene in front of him.
Olivia sits on the couch talking to the baby, telling Hannah how beautiful she is. She looks away from the baby momentarily to see Elliot come inside, before she looks back at the baby. "I brought you a surprise," he says, before walking out of the way.
Olivia looks up and spots Maureen, her eyes widening. "Maureen!" She stands from the couch and holds the baby close to her chest. "How have you been sweety?" she asks, giving the young woman a hug.
"I've been good," she answers, before looking down at the baby. "Looks like you've got your hands full. Dad told me what happened."
Olivia nods, before lifting the baby up, giving her a small kiss on her forehead. "Yeah, but Olivia Benson doesn't back down from a challenge," she says with a wink.
"So then, where's Noah?" Elliot asks. He's had the experience of dealing with five kids, he knows how much trouble they can get into. Before Olivia can respond, a crash is heard from the other room. Olivia's eyes widen when she realizes Noah could be hurt.
The three quickly rush into the bathroom and see Noah on the floor covered in powder. His eyes are clenched closed, and he lets out a small whimper. "Noah, baby what's wrong?" Olivia asks, wondering why he hasn't moved since they have entered the bathroom. She quickly hands the baby to Maureen so she can deal with the four year old.
Elliot picks him up and places him on his lap, making sure the boy doesn't have any injuries, before he sees Noah begin to rub his eyes, crying. "What's wrong buddy?" he asks, taking off his filthy shirt.
Noah opens his eyes, before squeezing them shut. "My eyes hurt," he says, squeezing his eyes shut tighter. "Livia, they burn," he says, this time his voice filled with more urgency, fear.
Olivia looks at the broken container on the floor, and picks it up. She notices it's her foundation. She shows Elliot the last of her make up, before turning on the shower. She watches as Elliot strips the boy of his dirty clothes, and tests the water, before sticking him in the shower."Keep your eyes closed, okay bud?"
Noah nods his head and does exactly as Elliot says. Elliot quickly washes away any of the remaining foundation off Noah's head and face, and grabs the bottle of body wash. Might as well give the kid a quick shower now that he's already in it. "You can open your eyes now," Elliot says, smiling.
Noah opens his eyes, blinking a few times, before looking over at Olivia. She can see how red they are, irritated with the make up that has fallen into them. "I can see," he says, causing Olivia and Maureen to laugh.
Olivia watches as Elliot squeezes some of the soap into Noah's hand and instructs him to wash his own body, before she takes a seat on the edge of the tub, turning the shower off and into a bath. "What were you doing?" she asks, watching as Noah takes a seat and plays with the water around him.
Noah looks up at her and smiles. "I wanted bath like 'Nannah," he says, before he resumes playing in the water.
Olivia smiles, before she looks over her shoulder at her partner. She hears Hannah begin to fuss behind her, and knows it's time to give Maureen a break. "You got this?" she asks Elliot, as she walks to the bathroom door. He nods, telling her to go, before turning back to Noah, splashing water at the child, eliciting a laugh from the both of them.
Olivia watches this little exchange, before she walks out of the bathroom and over to Maureen, who is desperately trying to get the baby to calm down. "Need some help there?" Olivia asks, taking a seat on the couch. She watches as Maureen shifts the baby so she's able to lay her head on her shoulder, but even then Hannah doesn't calm down.
"I should be getting as much practice as possible," Maureen mutters, before handing the crying baby over to Olivia. "I'm just no good with babies."
Maureen watches as Olivia kisses the baby's forehead, before holding her close to her chest. She takes a seat on the couch next to her father's partner, and can't help but feel like a fail, especially since she wasn't able to keep a baby occupied for a few minutes. Olivia places the pacifier Elliot bought into the baby's mouth, and lets a smile graze her face when she sees Hannah stop fussing. "There you go, you're just sleepy huh?" she asks the baby in a soft voice, watching as Hannah's eyes droop slightly.
When she's certain that Hannah's comfortable and content, she turns to face her partner's eldest child and raises an eyebrow. She hears Elliot's laugh come from the bathroom, followed by a sound she's completely new to: the laughter of a child, and lets out a happy sigh. "How far along are you?" she asks Maureen, who has been quiet since she handed over the baby.
Maureen looks up and meets Olivia's eyes with her own. She doesn't bother asking how she knows, Olivia's always seemed to have this sixth sense so to speak. "Seven weeks," she whispers.
Olivia nods at the twenty-three year old, before looking down at Hannah, who has fallen asleep, her hand gripping the fabric of Olivia's shirt tightly. "That's why you came back," she says, more of a statement than a question.
Maureen nods. "I figured I should tell Dad-"
"Tell me what?" Both women turn to face the bathroom door. Elliot stands there, in his arms is Noah, wrapped in a towel. "What do you need to tell me?" he asks, placing Noah on the couch, before warning him to keep his towel closed; he's given Eli plenty of baths, he knows what happens when boys are left in towels for too long.
Maureen watches as her father grabs a pair of the pajamas he bought for Noah, as well as a pair of underwear, out of the bag, and walks over to the couch. "Um, do you want to have lunch tomorrow?" she asks, knowing now is not the right time to tell him about the baby.
"Sure," he says, before scooping up Noah, and taking him back into the bathroom to get changed.
Olivia turns to Maureen and smiles. "You know he's going to be here for you, no matter what."
Maureen nods. "I know, I just don't know how he's going to deal with meeting Scott."
Olivia nods. "So he's your boyfriend?"
"Yeah. We started dating about a year and a half ago. He's really excited about the baby."
Olivia smiles. She's happy that Maureen has found someone she can trust and she knows is going to help her through everything. "That's good. Well, I can't wait to meet him," she says with a wink.
Maureen nods. "I'll be sure to bring him over before we leave."
"Livia, look!" Noah quickly runs out of the room and over to where Olivia sits.
Olivia quickly places her finger over her lips, telling Noah to be quiet, before she gives him a smile. "I see, I like your pajamas," she says, tilting her head.
Noah smiles with pride. "I police, like you and Ewiot."
Olivia smiles, before placing the sleeping baby into the carrier. She turns to Elliot and gives him a small smile, before turning to Maureen. "I'll see you soon," she says, before giving the young woman a hug. She grabs Noah's hand and walks over to her bedroom, leading the small child inside. "You ready for bed?" she asks, letting out a small chuckle when she sees Noah begin to rub his eyes, trying to fight the sleep.
He nods, watching as Olivia pulls back the covers from her bed, before climbing in. He gets himself nice and comfortable, before Olivia sits on the edge of the bed, and smiles down at him. "Livia?" he asks, looking up at the woman.
Olivia tilts her head, and nods. "Yes?"
Noah looks around before leaning back into the bed. "Where's Mommy?" he asks quietly.
Olivia's heart skips a beat, and she forgets to breath for a second. How is she supposed to explain to a four year old that his mother isn't coming back to get him, that she commited suicide because she found out she was pregnant from her rapist. "Noah, do you know what it means when people die?" she asks, hoping the four year old will understand and make it easier on both of them.
Noah nods. "Grandma died before," he says, before looking back into Olivia's eyes. "Did Mommy die?" he asks.
Olivia nods. "Yes sweetheart, your mommy died."
Noah sighs, letting himself process the information. "Are you going to be my new mommy?" he asks, his eyes widening.
Olivia thinks. How is she supposed to answer that? "Yes baby," she says, pulling the blankets over his body.
Noah nods and gives her a smile. "Good," he mumbles before drifting off to sleep.
Olivia looks down at the boy, before leaning over and kissing him on the forehead. "Night Noah," she whispers, as she gently tucks him in. She watches the child sleep for a minute, before she realizes she's crying. This poor boy, as well as his sister, have been thrust into an unfamiliar environment because their mother couldn't deal with her situtation. Olivia can't help but feel a sense of anger, not for Valerie's death, but for the fact that these children will never have their mother with them again.
Olivia stands from the bed and takes one last look at Noah, before walking out of the room, closing the door gently. She joins Elliot on the couch, sitting closer than necessary, before turning back to Maureen, watching as the young woman gathers her belongings and rises from the couch. "I'll see you tomorrow then. Bye Dad, bye Liv."
Elliot waves a quick goodbye to his daughter, too exhausted to rise from his spot on the couch, while Olivia gets up and follows Maureen outside the door. She gently closes the door, before looking up at her partner's child. "I'm here for you," she states, hoping Maureen knows that she would gladly help her and her future child out.
Maureen nods. "Thanks Liv," she says, as she wraps her arms around the detective. Olivia hugs the woman back, smiling. "And could you not tell Dad until I have him meet Scott."
Olivia nods, understanding what she wants. "My lips are sealed," she says with another smile.
Maureen laughs. "Thanks Liv." She gives the brunette another quick hug, before walking down the hall into the elevator.
Olivia lets out a sigh, before walking back into the apartment. She stops when she sees Elliot on the couch, his breathing already slow and steady, signaling he has fallen asleep. She lets out a quick chuckle taking in his position. His right arm is over his eyes, blocking the light, as his left rests gently on his stomach. She knows if he falls asleep like that, he'll wake up with a sore back and neck, and unlike her, he has work in the morning. She walks over to Elliot and takes a seat on the edge of the couch. "El," she says, shaking him slightly.
He awakes, drops his arm and raises his head. He's confused. "Liv?" he asks, wondering what she's doing waking him up now.
Olivia feels guilty about disturbing his sleep, but she knows he'll be grateful in the morning. "Why don't you go to the bedroom?" she whispers, placing a hand on his shoulder.
Elliot blinks the sleep away, before sitting up. He stares at his partner, his eyes focusing on the tear stains on left on her cheek. "What's wrong?" he asks, suddenly feeling awake.
Olivia looks away, knowing she can't stare into his eyes and lie to him. "Nothing," she mumbles, trying to stand.
Elliot grabs her hand and pulls her down to the couch. "Liv, don't lie to me. What's wrong?"
Olivia takes a deep breath, thinking back to the small conversation she had with Noah in the bedroom. "Noah wanted to know where his mommy was." Elliot remains quiet, unsure of what to say. "I told him she died, and then he asked if I was going to be his new mommy." She looks up at her partner and he can see the tears begining to form in her eyes. "What if I've bitten off more than I can chew," she says, as a few tears escape her eyes.
Elliot shakes his head violently. He leans in towards his partner, cupping the side of his face in his hand. He uses the pad of his thumb to wipe away a few stray tears, before he offers her a smile. "Liv, you are one of the strongest people I know. These kids need you, and I know you'll be able to get through it. Noah and Hannah ave only been with you for a few hours, and already you're a natural." He offers her another smile and she can't help but smile back.
"Thank you," she whispers, before wiping the water off her face with the back of her hand. "Now, you go to the bedroom and get some proper sleep."
Elliot shakes his head. "You go ahead Liv," he says, massaging out the kinks in his neck that have already started forming. "Besides, Noah's asleep in there."
Olivia reaches her hand out for Elliot's and he gladly accepts it. She pulls him off the couch and into her bedroom, before pushing him down into the bed. "Sleep Stabler," she says, before walking out of the door, closing the door gently.
Olivia goes over to the door and checks to make sure it's locked, before she turns off the rest of the lights in her apartment. She walks to the couch and lays down, making herself as comfortable as she can. She adjusts Hannah's carrier next to her, so she can keep an eye on the baby. She closes her eyes and in a few minutes she's asleep, exhausted with everything that has happened in the past few hours. In the morning she'll go to the precinct and talk to Alex. She'll show her the paperwork Valerie left for her, giving her custody of Hannah and Noah. Until then, she'll have to live it one day at a time, and hope everyone can adjust to this sudden change.
Okay, so I really didn't know how to end this one. It was more of a filler chapter anyway, seeing how there wasn't really anything too important in it.
Anyway, like always, read and tell me what you think :)
Please review :)
