Silver Lining

by Chronicleofabutterfly

The after math of Hell Hath No Fury. Part five in the series. AU

4. Dinner and a Mint

Silver Lining

Chapter 4: Dinner and a Mint

She rocked the chair softly, the same rocking chair Elliot had purchased her when Isaac was born, the same rocking chair she had almost considered moving from Hannah and Solomon's room because Isaac pitched a fit that she rocked Hannah in the mornings and Solomon at night but he was not being rocked, anymore. She'd tried to explain to him that he was a big boy, much too heavy for her to transport from the nursery to the boys' room if he fell asleep in her lap.

Isaac couldn't care less how big he was.

The boy wanted his mother to rock him just like she rocked his younger brother and sister and so, to prove to her his determination, at the young age of three and a half, he'd push and pull and grunt and kick and tug at the rocker, taking it from Hannah and Solomon's room, and negotiating the terrain of the home to get the rocker into his room.

Nightly.

It wasn't a five minute deal, either. No, Isaac was his father. Determined and thick headed. No amount of time-outs or scolding or loss of free time ever deterred him from his mission.

Maybe he had a little bit of his mother in him, too.

And so, after weeks of the toddler being placed on lock down, Elliot had come home with a gift for Olivia. A fixer-upper of a rocking chair he called it. She called it an abomination. She wasn't sure what to do with it until Elliot suggested taking it down to the wood and re-doing it so it was specifically Isaac's.

A wood varnish so dark it was black, and to Elliot's surprise, she'd taken a wood engraver and etched in Isaac's on the head of the chair and painted the deep grooves of his name in a matte silver so that no one ever had any doubt as to whose chair it was. Elliot and Olivia had slipped into the room as the boys and their side-kicks slept. They'd placed the chair near the window just as it had been in the nursery where she'd held him as an infant, fed him from her breast and rocked him in her arms.

And it's never been moved from that spot.

"It goes down now, Mom?" he whispered and held out his arm, watching as the sun slowly started to retire for the night, igniting a streak of orange and purple in the sky.

"Yeah, it's about that time," she smiled and ran her hand through his hair before kissing him gently. Tradition number two had been this small moment in the day where she rocked Isaac softly in his chair, watching the setting sun and talking about nothing and everything. Super heroes and villains. Smiles and sniffles.

"Are you and daddy leaving tonight?" he asked playing with the cover of a Doctor Suess book he had on his lap.

"Yeah," she nodded softly and squeezed him in her arms. "Will you miss me?"

He giggled, "Yeah. Daddy get's all my time with you. He doesn't share so good."

She laughed against him, the stray strands of freshly washed hair gently tickling her chin, "Me and Daddy need some alone time."

"Cause we're bad?" he asked softly, his pudgy five-year-old belly making itself known.

"Bad?" she whispered and continued to rock him, "No, not bad, honey. You're amazing. You're wonderful and I love you so much."

"I get a lot of time-outs. More than Hannah and she's one bad little girl."

She nuzzled his ear softly with the tip of his nose, "I think you might be giving her a run for her money… its okay. You're learning. Neither of you are bad. You're my babies, my beautiful, perfect babies."

He sniffled, the first indication that he was starting to cry before his belly began to heave through his Spider-Man pajamas, "I got time out at school today… a lot of times," he confessed and suddenly slammed the cover of the book shut. "School is stupid, mom."

Determined not to show him that his sudden un-ease with school made her both nervous and incredibly happy, nervous because it seemed uncharacteristic and happy because he wanted to be with her; she continued to rock him softly and rub his belly in small circles, "What did you get time outs for?"

He took a deep breath, "'Cause, stupid jerk-wad-Jordan wiped a big boogie on me and I pushed him down and gave him one of my own boogies… it was more bigger."

"Isaac-Reagan," she groaned, "What have I told you about your language? And since when is it okay to wipe boogies on someone?"

He exhaled, "But mom," he whined, "It was more bigger."

"Not okay," she told him firmly but followed closely with a kiss. "It's that kind of stuff that gets you locked up in time out."

" S'not good," he whispered.

"Did Jordan get a time out?"

"Yeah," he shook his head, "Aunt Alex… she don't let no one get away with nothin'," he said sadly, "she says, I do the crime, I do the time… no mercy."

Olivia grinned, "Good."

"Mom?"

"That's me," she whispered as the purple streaks across the sky turned into air-brushed black, telling her that their time alone was coming to an end.

"I don't like school. Can I be home with you like Hannah and Solo?"

"Don't you want to be a big boy like, Sam?"

"No," he shook his head, "Sammy can be a big boy. I wanna stay with you."

Yeah baby!

"Tell me why you don't like school."

"Dunno," he whispered and began to cry. Long, laborious cries that left him struggling for air even after she'd turned him around on her lap and held him close to her to try and sooth him. His heart beat pulsing far too rapidly against her chest.

"Shhhh," she soothed him, "shhh, you're okay. Tell me three things you like about school…. number one?"

He sobbed against her neck, holding tight to her as his tears caressed her skin, "I can play on a tricycle."

"Wow!" she purposely embellished her surprise, "how cool is that? I've never ridden a tricycle."

"S'cool."

"Number two reason why you like school?"

He pulled back, sitting on her lap as his knees bent so he could look at her. He smiled as she wiped her thumbs over his tears, "I get snacks and I get to draw and color and paint."

She grinned, "So… I shouldn't worry about you using any more color crayons on the walls?"

He smiled sheepishly, "That's a whole lot of time outs… long ones."

She laughed. Fact of the matter was, she liked the scribble he put on their wall. Liked it enough to schalak the frantic blue and green design that would later encourage Hannah and Solomon to place their own designs next to it. She used a whole lot of schalack that year. "One more reason you like school."

He crinkled his nose, "Got nothin'."

She tickled his belly, "You got one more in there somewhere. Tell me."

He furrowed his brow in thought and looked up at the ceiling for several seconds before looking back at her, "Mom… I get to be with my Auntie!"

She grinned showing her teeth as he offered his own toothy grin and sat back in her lap so he could watch the final moments of their sunset. "Honey… can you give me the reasons you don't like school?"

He exhaled, surprised her when his little hand tightened over her slender fingers and he began to sniffle again, "I don't like it!" he yelled and tried to leave her lap.

She held him firmly, soothed him quickly with her voice as she continued to rock him, "Do you know how much I love you?"

He used his fists to rub his eyes as he sniffled and hiccupped, "As far as the east is from the west."

"And how much is that?" she whispered and felt his cheek rise in a grin against her cheek.

He raised his hands into the air and in spite of his state of unrest announced happily, "To infinity and beyond!"

She grinned, "Yeah, Buzz has nothing on you, honey."

"Nothin'," he repeated sadly. His ability to be happy and sad simultaneously caused her to wonder just who in the world he got that from. And yet she knew.

"Why don't you like school? You've got to tell me or the sun will disappear and we won't be able to draw in it tonight."

He exhaled as her hands covered his chest, his tears falling on the back of one, riding the ridges of her knuckles it's moisture seeping under her wedding ring, "It's super small," he began to breath rapidly as he covered her hands with his, "I don't like Jordan, not one bit and I lost my lunch today and my cubby smells bad and my letters don't look like our letters and my numbers don't look like our numbers and my name don't look like my name and my pencil is super hard to hold and Jordan makes fun of me a whole lot and I'm gonna nail him, Mom. I am. And school is super small and my playtime is just by the pole and the school is small and-"

"Hey," she squeezed him gently, "I asked for three and you're giving me a whole shopping list."

He sniffled and nodded his head rapidly, "Mommy, please. I don't like it there."

She exhaled, wanted nothing more than to tell him he didn't have to go, "Is you're Aunt Alex good to you? Is she fair?"

"Yeah," he whispered, "Aunt Alex is like you."

"How do you mean?"

"If I do bad and Sammy does bad we both get busted… If I do bad and Jordan does bad, we both get busted."

"Okay… well, I'm sorry… you've got to go back."

He sniffled, tried so hard to keep his tears in but she still felt them. Right now he wasn't a big boy, right now he wasn't a man. He was her baby and from the racing of his heart against her palm, he was scared of something. Right now he was her baby and she couldn't be more willing to love on him, to adore him and to hold him, "Hey," she whispered as the last curve of the sun set leaving only streaks of light and color in the sky, "let's forget about Dr. Suess, tonight and draw, huh?"

He sniffled, "Yeah… I'll be the painter and you can be my assistant."

She grinned, kissed the back of his head and held his wrist, "Can you show me your brush?"

He extended his index and middle finger as she held his wrist to the darkening sky, "I got it," he whispered.

"You find anything, yet?" she asked as they both analyzed the shapes in the sky. Her neck bent awkwardly to stay close to his chubby cheek and look up through the window at the same time.

Long seconds past as he closed one eye and traced the lines of the sky with his 'paint brush', "I got a doggie right here, Mom." he whispered and traced the patterns of the sky, "He's not cool like Zeus, but he's a doggie."

She leaned her cheek against his and peered up at the sky, "Yeah," she whispered following his fingers with her eyes, "I see it."

Moments passed in silence as he 'painted' against the sky until his arm grew tired, his body leaned back against hers and sleepiness began to take it's toll, "Mom?" he yawned and curled up into a ball on her lap, his hand covering the tattoo on her side, "Where are you and Daddy going?"

Her brows arched as a blush crept over her neck, "I don't know. He's surprising me."

"Oh," he whispered, "I like surprises… who is coming over?"

Olivia exhaled over his blond hair, allowed her eyes to close in relaxation as she continued to rock him to sleep, "I thought you might like to see Addison tonight."

His eye lids closed as his eyes rolled into sleep, his smile lazy and small, "Yeah… I wanna see him."

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It never failed. Ever. Exactly thirty minutes after the sun set, or thereabouts, Elliot knew exactly where two of his family members would be ninety-eight percent of the time. A sexy wife, holding a sleeping son in a black-finished rocker he scored from an Estate sale. Okay, maybe Chloe helped him by seeing it one day and calling him to tell him about it to which he told her to purchase it and he'd pay her back. In the end he was the one to present it to Olivia so it didn't really matter who came upon it first. All that mattered was that he knew he would find her and Isaac asleep in that chair thirty minutes after the sun set. Or thereabouts.

Olivia had shocked him by embracing tradition. A separate one with each of her children that was shared only between her and that child. Hannah's early morning bonding sessions, Isaac's nightly conversations and while she hasn't exactly figured out something Solomon and her are able to do together, she and Sam have taken to Saturday morning walks, just the two of them.

She's sexy when she falls asleep with her glasses on, her hair pulled back in a ponytail, their son asleep in the comfort of her embrace. Her slender hands resting over his chubby belly as his pajama top rides further up his tummy. This has become Elliot's nightly routine as well, placing his cane in the corner of the room before carefully unfolding her fingers from his son and extracting him.

In exactly three steps, just as he places Isaac in the comfort of his bed she'll struggle to wake up. Too exhausted from long hours and juggling house hold chores and children's demands and she will say, in exactly, three-two-one-

"Elliot," she muttered from the chair, "baby, you need your cane."

He smiled to himself. Perfect timing.

"Olivia," he whispered and leaned over the back of the chair, kissing her temple softly as she continued to sleep and wake at the same time, "you're so tired… maybe we should stay in, tonight."

"Nuh, uh," she murmured.

"Liv," he smiled and rubbed his palms down her shoulders and arms before lacing his hands over the tops of hers, "it's okay, lets-"

"Stabler," she laughed and opened her eyes, "I've got a really great pair of shoes to try out tonight and-" she arched her brow looking up at him. White collard shirt. Tie draped around his neck, "Wow," she grinned and stood up to assess him. Her mouth fell open, "Oh… really wow."

He chuckled and blushed, reached out to her and pulled her close to him, "We can stay in if you want to."

"No way," she grinned and tugged at his belt, "these pants really accent your rear-end. I'm going out with you just to show all the other women what they can't have."

He smiled down at her, rest his hand at the small of her back letting his thumb rest just under the cloth of her shirt, "The guys only wish they had a taste of what I have."

"Just a taste? They wouldn't want more?" she asked with a cocked brow.

He smiled, kissed her slowly on the mouth, "They'd die with just a taste… you have no idea what just a little bit of you can do to a man."

She grinned, lightly grazed his crotch with her fingertip, "I know what it does to you."

He laughed, spun her around so he held her from behind and walked her out of the room, "Elliot-"

"I know. I know," he groaned and snatched his cane before they left, "I forgot it."

She laughed, "Where are we going that you had to get all pretty for me?"

He kissed her neck softly, "I'm gonna finish getting the kids ready for the night. I need to go over Sam's homework… go get ready, there's a dress on the bed for you."

"A dress?"

He grinned, kissed her neck again, "Don't worry, Alex helped me pick it out."

She reached back, touched his cheek and smiled, "Will I like it?"

"I don't know… but I will."

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"Monkey pile on daddy!" Solomon yelled as he suddenly launched himself off of the couch and tumbled on his father, "Come on Nana, help me!" he shouted as Elliot laughed and playfully stretched out on the floor pretending to be suddenly held captive by a three-year old.

"Daddy bushted!" Hannah giggled and quickly slipped off of the couch forsaking The Lion King and piling on top of her brother and Elliot. "Daddy a gonner!" she grinned.

"Oh no!" Elliot feigned fear, "Help me, help! I'm being attacked."

"Can't get us daddy… I'a tickle monster!" Solomon growled and promptly began to tickle Elliot as Hannah joined and then suddenly both were taken by surprise when Elliot simply made his body ridged and produced a perfect push up hearing both children gasp in surprise.

"Hurt your back Daddy," Hannah told him through a grin.

Elliot lowered himself, laughed and pushed himself up again, "Oh, you two are too light to hurt me," he told them but when his elbows began to crack as he lowered himself both children laughed.

"Mama gonna put you in time out," Solomon scolded, "you not 'posed to do hard tings wid'out a helper daddy."

Elliot chuckled deeply and turned under both of his children so they piled on his torso facing him, "You two are so amazing… have I told you that?"

"Yeah," Hannah grinned, "I amazing… Solo not so amazing."

Elliot's eyes went wide, "Apologize to your brother young lady."

"Nuh, huh."

"Hannah-"

"Nuh huh."

"Hannah Elizabeth-"

"Uh oh," Solomon looked to his sister with wide blue eyes, arched brows, "Daddy useded bowf of ur names… bushted."

She grinned at her brother, "I bushted, but ur not amazing."

"Hannah Elizabeth Oli-"

"Okay!" she raised her palms to her father's chest, "Okay, I sowry daddy. I sowry."

"I'm not the one you owe an apology to… tell him you're sorry."

Her nostrils flared as she slowly looked to Solomon, she pursed her lips in thought, weighing the consequences. She sized up her brother and looked back to her father, "You no tellded mommy I say hard words and I no tellded mommy you do hard things without a helper."

Elliot's mouth fell into a perfect 'O'. Bribed by his wife this morning and blackmailed by his daughter this evening, "Say. Sorry. Now."

Hannah smirked, "Sorry. Now."

"Hannah," Elliot's voice grew firmer with his only daughter. There was nothing more difficult than trying to be firm with Hannah when all he wanted to do was gather her into his arms and love on her and tell her she could say, do or have anything she ever wanted, "Be a big girl and apologize."

"No," she shook her head, "Nope. Nuh uh-"

"That's a one little girl," Olivia suddenly chimed in from the hallway holding the back of a black dress closed with her hand.

Hannah met Olivia's stern eyes with her playful ones and simply smiled as if her mother should be proud that she could stand up to her father. That her father couldn't make her melt the same way he could make Olivia melt. Fold. "I'a amazing girl, mommy."

"That's true," Olivia confirmed, "but that's also a two… Solomon help your daddy up. Mommer needs help."

"Mom," Sam's voice suddenly cut through the banter and discipline. It was pained, cracking, struggling to maintain a steady sound, "Mom?"

Olivia turned quickly as the two smallest Stablers helped their father up into a sitting position, Hannah handing him his tie that was still not secured around his neck. His shirt now a little wrinkled and pulled out of his waist band. She didn't care. It was the sign of a playful father, of her adoring husband. She'd take that over a perfect shirt any day of the week.

Sam held the cordless phone at his side, his face crinkled in a mess of confusion and pain, "Baby?" Olivia said in a voice so coated in concern all conversation stopped and Elliot carefully stood to his feet.

Hannah, ever the sneaky Stabler calmly turned to her brother once she thought Olivia's attention was diverted and stuck her tongue at him.

"That's a three," Olivia told her without so much as having to look at her to know that she'd committed a misdemeanor offense within the home, "Warning."

Elliot moved quickly to help Olivia with her zipper as she flicked her much longer hair to the side and made her way to Sam, "What's wrong, honey?"

He exhaled, his face crumbling into misery before he reached out and fell into his mother's arms, "Mom," he sniffled "Crystal is going to have surgery."

She exhaled in relief. He'd been doing so well, but occasionally, on days when they least expect it a nightmare will strike and while he and Elliot have become close, Olivia knows that when it comes to matters of Daddy Wilson, she will always be the one he runs to.

Birds of a feather.

"She'll be fine, honey. She will."

"She doesn't need one, mom. She's fine the way she is. Why won't she believe me?"

Olivia pulled back and cupped his face. How he'd developed Elliot's jaw line was beyond her but he reminded her of her husband every day, "Sam, you need to support her. Some surgeries are required-"

"But this one isn't!" he snapped and pulled his face from her hands, "Mom," he furrowed his brows, "she doesn't need it. Not like dad needed his surgeries to walk or to live or to fix his head or-"

"Sam," Olivia exhaled and brushed her hand over his hair, "if you really love her and you really want to be a good friend to her then you need to support her even if you don't think she needs it."

"But mom," he pleaded with her, "she… she…never mind."

"Sam," she pulled him back and kissed the top of his head, "I've made decisions your father hasn't agreed with but he stood by me and supported me and he loved me… it makes a difference."

He smacked his lips and nodded, "Can I visit her in the hospital, mom? She said she's gonna have to be there cause they are going to draw graphs and stuff."

Olivia furrowed her brow in confusion then realization settled, "You mean, they're doing skin graphs?"

"I think so," he exhaled, "I don't know. She said they have to take her skin off of her leg put it on her face."

She kissed his forehead again, "You tell me what time you want to go and we're there."

He smiled against her and hugged her tighter, "You smell really pretty tonight, mom."

She laughed out loud and pulled back to look at him, "And your as handsome as the day I first saw you… you gonna help out around here while I'm gone tonight?"

Sam exhaled, "Yeah, I told Isaac I'd help him with his tie tonight, he wants to be a ladies man, mom, but I don't think he realizes that it's not his calling."

Olivia and Elliot both erupted in laughter and Olivia playfully pushed Sam's shoulder, "Be nice, Son."

Sam smirked and walked away, "Always."

"Mommer!" Solomon's eyes went wide, his lips curled into a smile as he pointed at her, "You so purdy, Mommer."

Elliot watched the blush creep along her neck as she squatted low to her son, "You sure do know how to make a lady blush little boy."

His face turned to stone. She'd said the big, 'no no'. "I'na man, Mommer. Daddy and Sammy say so."

She grinned wrapped him in her arms and kissed his cheek, "Yeah, but you're my man."

"Hey," Elliot grinned at his wife, "what about me? I thought I was your man."

She rolled her eyes and peered back down to her son, "You thought of a name for your snake?"

"I gotta frog!" Hannah interrupted clearly irritated that her mother's arms were around her brother and not her.

Olivia laughed, "And have you thought of a name for him?"

Boldly she looked at her mother and allowed her smile to form slowly before she was showing all teeth, "Kermit."

"Kermit?" Elliot crinkled his nose, "Sweetie, that's not the most original thing you've come up with what about-" he shut up the minute his daughter's smile broke in front of him. Her eyes welled up but she refused, absolutely refused to break in front of her brother.

"El," Olivia whispered as he looked on with raised brows and bugged eyes, it was his classic look that told everyone he'd just realized the error of his way… too late.

"Oh, morning glory," Elliot whispered and moved to touch her to which she simply huddled into her mother's body and declined his touch, "I'm sorry, Hannah… I like the name Kermit, I do. It's got to be the best name I've ever heard of," he said softly and rested his hand on her small back, "I'm sorry, little girl. Daddy didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

"I tired, Mommy," Hannah whispered, "I'na go sleepies."

Olivia pulled her back gently, "Honey, your daddy was talking to you…why don't you talk with daddy while I finish getting ready?"

Hannah exhaled, turned back to her brother who was watching his parents and sister with careful concern, until Hannah stuck her tongue at him and his eyes widened in shock, "Oohhh,"

"Time out," Olivia whispered knowing full well what Hannah had done. Her mother and father would be leaving soon and instead of allowing her father to apologize to her, instead of allowing him access to her wound, she willingly ate the 'time out bullet' to get away from him. Olivia closed her eyes and exhaled as she felt her daughter slowly walk away, head up shoulders back and sit at the kitchen table. How a three year old Hannah could have the emotional make up of Olivia when she was twenty or even thirty, she doesn't know, but she'd sell everything she and Elliot had to break her of it. To break her of growing up to be like Olivia.

"Mommer?" Solomon looked at his mom as she stood to her feet.

"Yeah, baby?"

"Nana be okay," he nodded softly, "No sad Mommer."

Olivia smiled down at him, "Not sad honey." Just scared for her.

"I go be wit her, no worries," he told her and hugged her leg tightly before moving and doing exactly what Elliot would do for Olivia, sit next to her while she endured her punishment.

"I guess I should have thought before I said that, huh?" Elliot asked and exhaled.

Olivia smiled softly, "That's a one."

He laughed at her and kissed her mouth softly before pulling back, "I didn't mean to hurt her."

Olivia cupped his bearded cheek, "She'll be fine. She's a trooper."

He nuzzled her nose with his, "Finish getting ready. Casey is gonna be here soon, and we're running late."

"Where we going?" she asked and bit her bottom lip to hold in a smile, "come on, tell me."

"No."

"That's a two," she grinned and kissed him softly, "I like this dress."

"Yeah?" he whispered and grazed her lips again, "I do too. You look really sexy in it," and just before he could bend lower to kiss the rise of her breast Casey Novak announced her presence with the ringing of the door bell.

"Aunt Casey!" Solomon yelled from the kitchen table with a grin as Hannah quickly found her mother's eyes and asked silently for a pardon.

"Go ahead," Olivia smiled and watched the two youngsters bolt to the front door.

"Who be there?" Solomon asked through the door.

"Yeah, who it be?" Hannah said with a giggle.

"Are you kidding me?" Casey's muffled laugh came through the door.

"It's Santa Claus," Paul chuckled through the door.

Hannah tip toed and between her and her brother they both opened the door, "He not real!" Hannah laughed and immediately held up her arms for Casey to pick her up.

"Oh, I'm sorry honey, I'm hurting today."

"Owie?" Solomon asked peering up at her.

"Yeah, your Aunt Casey stayed in the sun too long," Paul laughed and gently lowered Addison to the ground.

"Hi, guys," a now four year old Addison Novak smiled. He took after his father, tall. In fact, at four he was an inch taller than Isaac. But it was his hair that made everyone stand in wonderment as it turned from a dingy blond to a light brown and from the looks of it now, was starting to take on his mother's original red, "Isaac?"

Paul laughed and picked up Solomon who was eagerly pulling on his shirt to do so as Casey took Hannah by the hand and led her back into the living room.

"Woah!" Casey laughed and covered Hannah's eyes, "You're folks are up to no good."

Hannah giggled, "Give'em time out, Aunt Casey."

Olivia and Elliot quickly separated from a heated kiss. She smoothed out the front of her dress, bowing her head to cover her blushing face, "Uh, I gotta finish getting ready."

"Hey," Paul smiled at Elliot who cleared his throat in nervousness.

"Hey," he laughed, "good too see you….holy crap." Elliot's eyes widened as Casey stepped into the light, "Casey… what happened to you?"

Paul grinned, "Oh, that's just a little sunburn."

"A little sunburn?" Elliot raised his brow as he slowly picked up Addison and gave him a strong squeeze before letting him down, "Looks like you fell asleep on the beach or something."

"Well," Casey laughed painfully, "that's exactly what happened. Notice I'm not burned on the back?" she chuckled and turned around to show her milky calves, "Nice huh?"

Elliot grinned and raised his brows, "You look like a lobster."

"I feel like burnt toast," she groaned and exhaled, "Where's your better half?"

"Better half?" Elliot pursed his lips and let his smile take over, "she's getting ready."

"Then why are you in here?" Paul asked with a smirk, "When Casey is getting ready, I love to-"

"Finish that sentence and your dead," Casey eyed him playfully and moved past the men to entertain children that were happily waiting for their aunt to occupy their time. In spite of the sunburn that Casey had, in spite of the pain she felt when the kids touched her, she happily let her son climb onto her lap followed by the Stablers and eventually her husband who sat next to her as Elliot moved through the hall to be with Olivia.

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Olivia has never looked more beautiful to Elliot than right now. Of course, he'd probably think that tomorrow and the next day and the next day after that because to him, she's always beautiful. Even when she's ready to kill him. In fact, that's when she's the most beautiful because that is when she is the old Benson he remembers sitting across his desk when they were both members of an elite team instead of a crippled lieutenant forced to retire and a disgraced cop booted out on her butt in the midst of her most trying challenge that had ever faced her.

The possibility of loosing her husband.

Of being a widow.

And so, tonight, as she smoothens the fabric of her black dress that Elliot bought her just because he wanted too, she is beautiful; just as she will be beautiful tomorrow night and the next night.

He leaned up against the door frame of the room, content to continue watching her reflection in the mirror. The way she moves has always been so incredible, strong yet feminine. Sexy. He smirked seeing her adjust the spaghetti strap of the dress and frown in the mirror. She pulled the strap down, re adjusted it and ran her finger over the top of her breast only to frown again. He continued to watch her, his eyes widening as she exhaled, pursed her lips with an obvious look of frustration as she looked at herself in the mirror.

She didn't like the dress.

Uh oh.

He licked his lips, swallowed and pushed himself off of the wall, slowly making his way to her as she continued to adjust the dress. She jumped in surprise, her brown eyes growing large as she grinned into the reflection of the mirror at him. She leaned back against his chest, just as soon as his arms wrapped around her waist, "If you don't like it," he whispered and kissed the top of her shoulder softly, "I can take it back… you can wear something else or we can stay in ton-"

"I love it," she smiled wide and wrapped his arms tighter around him, "I do…I just don't… do you think… well… what do you think about my boobs?"

He grinned against her and looked up to meet her eyes in the mirror. Her perfume and shampoo and whatever else came out of the thousands of little bottles in their bathroom, practically screamed at him to take her to the bed and keep her there all night with him. "I happen to think they're pretty remarkable."

She frowned, pursed her lips and cupped the base of both breast, "They're sagging, already."

He laughed aloud, held his cheek against hers and wrapped his arms around her entire body, "No, Liv… they're beautiful. You're beautiful… gorgeous."

She reached back, touched his face and smiled, "Thanks for trying to make me feel better, but uh… I'm getting old now, El… I've had three kids latched to these girls. They're not in the best of shape."

He kissed her cheek softly, and slowly moved her hair that fell just below her shoulder blades to the side and gently kissed and tongued the back of her neck as he unzipped the back of her dress and slowly lowered the straps of the dress.

"Elliot," she chuckled, leaning forward slightly and grinning, "we'll be late and… Casey and Paul are in the front room."

"Casey and Paul have sex while they talk to us on the phone," he said softly, more focused on the line of her black strapless bra as he lowered the dress to her waist. "We should have sex one day while we talk to them on the phone."

She laughed and blushed, "No."

He held the material of the dress at her waist and locked his eyes with hers as he slowly unclasped her bra with his free hand, "New bra?"

She smiled, "Yeah."

"Frivolous purchase?"

"Definitely."

"You're starting to like those types of purchases aren't you?" he whispered in her ear and gently released the fabric of the bra from her body.

"Yeah. I do," she said softly and looked away from the mirror only to have him guide her face back and encourage her to look at herself.

"Believe me, Olivia," he kissed the lobe of her ear, "you're not the only one who likes the frivolous purchases… what's wrong with your body, Liv?" He asked softly and cupped her breast with a warm hand, "Huh?" he muttered against her skin as she leaned her neck back over his shoulder, "Tell me."

"You expect me to think… with your hand on me?" she smiled and straightened herself, gently removing his arm from her waist so she could gather her bra, "Come on, Elliot. We'll be late."

He stopped her, turned her to face him and kissed her mouth softly, "You're sexy, Liv."

"I've got grey hair, Elliot."

"I think it's hot."

"My boobs are gonna be hitting my knees in five years."

He smiled compassionately at her, "Liv… you're in the best shape of your life, believe me… I feel your thighs tighten around my body and sometimes I think your gonna kill me."

It was her turn to laugh out loud. She held the dress and bra with one hand, ran her other hand along his chest and exhaled, "You still think I'm hot?"

He grinned, "Hottest thing I've ever seen."

She closed her eyes, a small chuckle before turning back to the mirror, "Hold my dress?" she asked and was surprised when he shook his head no and simply took the bra from her.

"You hold it," he waggled his brows and quickly wrapped the material around the front of her body before she could protest.

"El-"

"Shh… just… work with me, I've never actually put one of these things on."

"Really?" she grinned and raised her hair, "You'd never know that by the way you take it off of me."

He laughed and gently aligned the cups to her breast pulling the fabric along her ribs and behind her, "You like that one handed trick?"

She bit her bottom lip as he fastened the bra and helped her raise the dress, "I like your one finger trick."

He froze. Swallowed. "Liv."

She laughed, "Shut up, Elliot. Just zip me up, please."

He grinned, growled into her neck and playfully pulled her back into his body as they laughed together, "You look amazing in this dress, Liv," he whispered once their laughter subsided and he'd successfully zipped her tanned body into the black fabric.

"Well," she said softly and smiled at him, "this sexy guy picked it out for me… it made me really happy, tonight."

He stopped and look at her intently, "Were you… not happy, Liv?" he asked softly.

She smiled at him in the mirror, "I'm always happy with you right next to me, Elliot. This just… I don't know… made me feel, like when we were first married, you know?"

He grinned, "I like doing things like this for you."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah… I like to see your smile."

She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes at him, "Elliot… you've always made me happy. You know that, don't you?"

He exhaled, "Sometimes I do. Sometimes… I think I test your patience too much."

She laughed, "Like I don't test yours? Come on, Elliot, you and me… we'll always make each other happy, we'll always make one another smile, even when we want to gouge each other's eyes out."

They chuckled together before he grew serious and took a deep breath.

"What?" she tilted her head and turned to face him, "What is it? You look worried."

He licked his lip, "I got something for you… I was going to give it to you tonight, but I want to give it to you now."

She grinned, "You got something for a gray haired, saggy boob, chapped lip, woman?"

He furrowed his brow, "No."

Her brows mimicked his, "You just sa-"

"I got something for this dynamic, perfect and sexy wife of mine… let me know when she gets here, huh?" he smirked.

She slapped his chest playfully, "So I'm having an off night."

He leaned in softly and kissed her mouth gently, "Liv… you've been having an off last couple of months… what's with the self esteem issues, huh?"

She shrugged, exhaled, "Just… feeling… not really, sexy. I guess."

He kissed her lips gently, didn't mind the chapped lips she had suddenly developed, enjoyed the feeling of his tongue passing across her lips and into her mouth, his beard tickling her, "I have something that… well," he pulled back and pushed her hair behind her ear, "it might not make you feel sexy… but maybe it'll make you feel like I was thinking about you today."

She cocked her brow, "Even though I ticked you off?"

He grinned, "Well… I got it a few days ago… picked it up today."

She smiled, "What? Tell me. What?"

"Your patience really sucks, Liv."

She laughed, "Times ticking Stabler… we going out or are we gonna stay here in this bathroom?"

He smiled, reached into the inside pocket of his suit jacket and pulled out a long slender box, it's black covering telling her that whatever it was that was inside of it, was gonna be perfect. He opened it slowly and suddenly snapped it shut like he was some kind of Richard Gere and she was supposed to grab her chest and laugh, but before she could do anything he pulled her out of the vicinity of the bathroom and into the bedroom.

"Elliot!" she half laughed and half scolded, "Your cane!"

He kissed her quickly and opened the small box as they separated. She looked down, brows raised, mouth ajar, "Wow," she whispered and continued to stare.

"I didn't want to give it to you in the restroom," he smirked. "Take it."

She looked up at him, "It's for me?"

He furrowed his brow, "No, I went and bought a tennis bracelet for my three-year-old daughter… Liv!" he laughed and took the diamond bracelet from the box and smiled at her, "Give me your wrist."

She obeyed and grinned as he clasped the gift around her wrist, "Just… I saw it, Liv and I thought… man, that would make her smile."

She smiled softly, fingered the bracelet and cupped his bearded face, pulling him down to her mouth and kissing him, sipping softly from his bottom lip and taking in the scent of his cologne. She separated slowly, "Thank you, Elliot. I… needed this. I needed to feel sexy again. Thank you for noticing."

He kissed her softly, rested his forehead against hers, "I always know you, Liv. Always."

"You coming with me on this outing," she smiled and kissed him again, "or were you gonna hang out in this bedroom?"

"You're anxious to get out?"

"We missed the last few Tuesdays," she nodded, "I want to spend time with you, yeah."

He rubbed her shoulders with his palms and took her body in, the strong shoulder line, the way the dress caressed her perfect breast. He didn't care if she thought they weren't perfect. His mouth was always on them, his hands, fingers, tongue, his lips was always on them and he says they're perfect. The way the fabric held to her slender waist and flowed along gorgeous hips stopping at strong thighs just above perfect knees.

He also noticed a naked left ring finger.

He frowned, tickled the palm of her left hand, "Where's your ring?"

She looked down and mentally kicked herself for not putting it back on after getting out of the shower. She knew it bothered him, but if it bothered him this much when she took it off for thirty minutes, what would happen when it washed down the drain and it was gone for good?

Instant coronary.

"El-"

"Why do you take it off? I hate that you take it off," he whispered and exhaled.

"Elliot," she cupped his face and smiled softly, "I just-I told you, it slips off in the shower and I don't want to loose it. It's on the counter… I'll get it, right now," she told him and turned to retrieve the wedding set.

"You're not leaving…ever, right?" he whispered.

She stopped and turned to face him, "Elliot… where'd that come from?"

"I just… I hate that you take the ring off, Olivia," he clenched his jaw.

She nodded softly, "I'm not leaving, Elliot…. never. I've made bad choices, but I've also learned from them, too."

He exhaled, "I'm sorry… I'm not sure where that came from… just… don't take it off, huh? I don't like it."

She turned and retreated to the bathroom, quickly located the wedding set and slipped back into its rightful place. She smiled as soon as the cool metal caressed her finger. She'd never really though she would be the kind of woman that would hold such sentiment in a ring. Then again, she never thought she'd be wearing a wedding ring. She grinned again, flipped the light switched and stepped out of the restroom to see Elliot scrunched over tying his dress shoe.

"One wedding ring, back in place," she smiled and held up her hand before sitting next to him as he lowered his foot back to the ground.

"You ready, Liv?"

"I need those amazing shoes you got me."

He laughed and moved to retrieve them.

"Your cane, Elliot. Where is it?" she asked skimming the room quickly. She's used to his hiding spots. Under the bed. Behind the bench seat of his truck. Between the mattress and the most creative of them all… Solomon and Hannah's toy box.

He knelt carefully in front of her with the strappy heel in his hand, "If I get a note from my doctor saying I don't' have to use it anymore… will you stop nagging me?" he chuckled.

She smirked, "He'll never clear you, so, yeah… I'll agree to that."

He smacked her calf playfully and carefully helped her foot into the shoe before securing it around her ankle, "Fit?"

"Looks like it," she grinned and let him help her with the last one.

She watched his careful hands, even the one that still at time at a slight tremor in it. Nerves that were too damaged to truly let his hand function at a hundred percent. But she'd take the ninety seven percent the doctor had said he had.

Ninety-seven percent and a small tremor was better than dead.

"Why does it bother you?" she asked softly vaguely aware that Casey had just let out an intense yelp from the living room and Paul was profusely apologizing as Isaac scolded him for hurting her.

"What?" He asked rubbing the back of her calves and producing heat.

"The ring… why does it bother you that I take it off to shower?"

He exhaled, rested his hands on her thighs, gently rubbing with his thumbs, "Just… I don't."

She nodded slightly and caressed his cheek, "Never leaving, Elliot. Never. God himself will have to come for me. I'm not leaving; I promise… just because I take the ring off… it doesn't mean I'm thinking anything other than not wanting to loose it in the drain."

He nodded, "I know I sound irrational, but… the day I saw you without it… that day you came home from school when I was still in that ridiculous chair. I knew I'd never make it without you, and when I see the ring on the counter… I don't… I wonder if you can live without me be-"

"I can't," she interjected his ramble softly and smiled, "I can't, Elliot… I've tried everything to worm my way out of going to this conference… we haven't been away from each other in a long time. I'm not looking forward to it."

He waggled his brows, "Is that why you want to take my penis with you?"

Her eyes went large as she grinned and then let go in laughter, "Elliot!"

"Come on!" he laughed and pushed himself up, extending his hand, "Come on, we've spent too much time in here."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Mommer!" Solomon pointed and bolted to meet his mother in the hallway as she and Elliot finally made their way to their awaiting friends.

"Up! I wan up!" he grinned and Olivia immediately picked him up, holding him high into the air before touching her nose to his.

"Hey, good lookin'. You show your Aunt Casey your snake?"

"Yeah!" he grinned and held tight to her, "I pickded a name, Mommer."

"I had nothing to do with it," Paul interjected and pointed to Casey, "That woman is your culprit."

Olivia stared wide-eyed at Casey, "Oh… what…. Case… you never heard of sunscreen?"

Casey rolled her eyes, "Yeah, a woman as pale as myself regularly goes out without sunscreen… real bright, Liv. No pun intended."

Olivia grinned, "About as bright as your sunburn… fall asleep on the beach."

Paul bent over in laughter, "For four and a half hours!"

Elliot's brows went high, "Geeze, really that long Casey?"

"You know," Casey smirked, "I'm glad you all are getting a kick out of this, but the real question should be, 'what was Paul doing in those four and a half hours I was asleep on the beach?"

Paul groaned, "Casey!"

"Yeah," she smiled, "tell them… tell them, why I had to go to the beach by myself for the day."

"Casey-"

"He wanted to learn the hula,"

Elliot's mouth went wide as he stared at a blushing Paul, "You wanted to shake your bon bon, Paul?"

Paul grinned, "Shut up."

"Das a one!" Hannah said suddenly and pointed at Paul, "Keep it up bushter."

Paul laughed and scooped her up, "Tell your folks to get out of here so we can put on cartoons and make a party in here."

Hannah grinned a perfect set of primary teeth, "Bye bye, Mama."

"Be good, guys," Olivia grinned as Sam entered the room.

"You leaving now, mom?" Sam asked.

"Yeah… you got everything you need?"

"Yeah," he smiled and hugged her tightly, "Love you, mom."

"Me too," she whispered and kissed the crown of his head.

"Alright," Elliot called out to the kids, "come get hugs and kisses, quick, or were gonna be late."

And just like that, two fully charged three year olds ran to their mother almost toppling her over. She moved a quick step back and caught her balance as she laughed and hugged them both, a kiss given as they moved to their father.

"Isaac?" Olivia said softly noticing that her middle son sat on the couch, his shirt un tucked, hair a mess, brows furrowed. Pissed. "Do I get a hug and kiss?"

He folded his arms and stared at a muted television screen.

"We told him you two were heading out," Casey said softly, "he's not too happy about it."

Elliot exhaled, "He was happy to see Addison."

"Yeah," Olivia said softly and looked at her son, "Come one honey, give mom a kiss goodbye huh?"

Isaac had his fathers thousand yard stare down pat.

"Get out of here!" Paul jumped in happily, not wanting their night to be full of worry, "get out of here, have fun and don't worry about the kids."

"Yeah, mom," Sam called from the kitchen, "we're good; go have fun tonight, dad's got good things planned."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

She felt like a teenager in his truck. She hated the truck at first, but the only think she loves more than making love to him on the bench seat of his truck is watching Elliot back out of the drive way with Sam, on their way to a voice lesson that Elliot had strongly opposed until he heard his son sing for the first time only months ago. After that, Elliot is determined to be the one to take him.

And the only thing she loves more than watching him back out of the drive way with Sam, is when Elliot starts the engine and instantly pulls her close to him so that she is sitting in the middle of the seat. She loves that he insists she be there, right next to him, as if the three foot separation was too much. She loves that he allows her to fall asleep on his shoulder when, on those rare occasions, their date has went into the early hours of the morning. She especially loves that he puts her arm around her shoulders and drives over the track of the gate without pause or concern for what took place there only a few years ago.

It might have taken him seven months to check the mail box by himself when she wasn't at the house. It might have taken him thirteen months to get close to the gate without flinching or staring at the control box and it might have taken him a little while longer to go from a nightmare every night, to only one or two a week, but he's done it and as the gate slowly close behind them and he accelerates the grumbling truck, turning immediately onto the street. She can think of nothing more magnificent than the man next to her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You lied to me, Elliot," Olivia said with a small smile, "You said your cane was in the back of your truck."

He grinned as they waited to be seated in the restaurant, "I did say that, didn't I?"

"I'll tell Hannah… she'll put you in a time out."

He laughed and rested his hand on the small of her back as they stood in the darkened waiting area of the restaurant, "No kids, tonight. Just me and you."

She pulled back and laughed, "Yeah, we've never been able to do that, why do we always say that? Waste of breath."

He smiled, brought her hand to his lips and kissed her softly, "No kids, tonight, Liv. Just you and me."

She eyed him, "You're particularly sappy tonight… what's going on?"

He smirked, "You've got a way with words."

She smiled, "You know what's really great about these heels, El?"

"What?"

"I'm at perfect kissing height."

He grinned, cupped her cheek and kissed her softly unconcerned with the older couple sitting down and waiting for a table, unconcerned with the teenage group staring on in horror that two older people were making out in public and definitely unconcerned with the guy that had been staring at Elliot's wife since the moment they walked in. He'd kiss her, let him know that if he came within a football field of her, he'd kill him.

Slowly.

"Ahem," the hostess smiled sheepishly, "uh… sorry, but your table is ready."

They separated with a smile and followed the hostess to the back of the restaurant they'd taken their seat and she was surprised to see that after being married for six years, after being a couple for eight, they still flirted like they were first married.

It was somewhere between the salad and main course that she'd moved her leg to his, their conversation was easy as they caught up on things that only consisted of him and her. Their nightly talks that they'd taken to having as they fell asleep in one another's arms, their plans for the week ahead. Elliot's daunting task of taking care of the kids while she was away.

Yep, they couldn't go on a single date without talking about the kids.

"You lost," she smiled, "you brought the kids up first."

He grinned, "What's my punishment."

She arched her brow, "I'll think of one."

"Careful, I might enjoy a good punishment."

Her eyes went wide in laughter as she tossed her napkin at him, "Perv."

"Want to dance?" Elliot smiled and nodded to the small area reserved for couples who simply wanted to slip away into the comforts of a darkened space and listen to music as they held each other close and simply allowed one another to be.

She shook her head and stabbed her fork into her salmon, "No. You hate to dance and you didn't bring your cane."

He licked his lips and smiled as he cast his napkin to the table and stood extending his hand to her, "You don't think I bought you those shoes so you could sit down all night did you? Those are dancing shoes, Liv."

She smiled slowly and looked at the three couples dancing close to one another, "You planned to dance tonight?"

His smiled turned to a grin, "Yep, and there was no way I was bringing that ridiculous cane if I was gonna dance next to someone as gorgeous as my wife… let's go, Liv."

She stood, placed her hand in his and let him lead her to the dance floor that occupied the back section of the restaurant; they found their place quickly, her arms around his neck, his hands on her hips. She pulled him close to her, rested her chin on his shoulder and let him lead her slowly around the dance floor swaying softly to a melody she recognized but couldn't place.

"Thank you, Elliot."

"For what?" he asked grazing his lips over the rim of her ear before kissing her hair softly.

"For… everything. Just… we've changed so much."

He held her tighter, "We've grown together."

"Yeah," she nodded against him, "remember when we used to fight and it was like the end of the world?" she chuckled; "now we fight and we still go out."

He laughed softly, "Viv's trained us well."

"Yeah," she whispered and held him tighter, "Elliot?"

"Hmm?"

"I think something is wrong with Isaac."

He continued to sway softly, guiding her hips to the same rhythm as hers, "Now who's the one bringing up the kids?"

She smiled, "Sorry."

"Well talk about him later, huh?"

"Yeah," she exhaled softly and lowered her hands, slipping them into his suit jacket and locking them at the small of his back.

"Liv?"

"Hmmm?" she answered, unlocking her hands and pulling his shirt tail out so she could slip her hand under it and caress his flesh.

"We'll have a baby, right?"

"Look at you," she shook her head, "were not allowed to bring up the kids we have, so you bring up the kids we're gonna have. Pathetic," she smiled and felt him smile against her.

"So, you agree we'll have another one, then?" he whispered softly in her ear.

She pulled back to look at him, searched his face before cupping his cheek softly, "I'm saying, let's see how your test goes, then we'll go from there."

He nodded, "I think you should… call the attorney."

She furrowed her brows, "You don't want the test?"

"I do!" he nodded as another couple stepped onto the floor to dance. "I do," he nodded, "but, if it doesn't come out the way we want… I guess, we should start looking at plan B, huh?"

She nodded softly, kissed his mouth, "We'll have another one, Elliot… might not be exactly how we plan it… heck God might make us have a plan C or D… but we'll have one."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was just as Elliot had gotten the zipper of her dress stuck as she lay laughing under his shirtless body on the bench seat of his truck, his slacks pushed down to his thighs allowing his erection to stand at perfect attention against the actions of her hands, that they'd gotten the call from Casey that Isaac had been crying hysterically since they'd left and refused to calm down, going so far as to systematically destroy the boys' bedroom by taking all books including Sam's audio books and sending them flying through the air.

"Something is going on with him, Elliot… I should have stayed home," she exhaled as he helped her out of the truck.

"We need our time too, Liv… he's a big boy. He probably just doesn't like being away from you," he explained as they drug themselves up the steps of their home. "He was at school, then we went out… to him that's a whole day of no mom… and to him that's not good," Elliot laughed and wrapped his arm around her, "He'll be fine."

"I can hear him crying through the front door, Elliot… geeze, what's happening to him?"

Elliot exhaled, kissed her cheek, "He's adjusting, no Stabler in his right mind likes school."

"Sam does," she smirked.

He smiled, unlocking the door, "Cheap shot."

"I won, though."

"Touche."

The screams were ear curdling.

"Mommer!" Solomon ran to her frantically and pointed at Isaac who sat on Casey's lap simply staring at the television and crying, his cheeks red, his belly convulsing with his hiccups and ragged attempts for air. No calm no matter how much Casey tried, and from the look on Casey's face she'd been trying for a long time.

"Mommer! Sac, browken!"

"One-two-tree, mommy," Hannah ran to her, her face twisted up with concern as she pointed back to Isaac who, if he'd seen his parents, it didn't register. He continued to cry laboriously in his aunt's lap. "Time out!" Hannah said pointing at him and then looking back at her mother, "he no go. Fart Knocker, bworken."

"That's a one," Olivia said softly, "you should be in bed, pumpkin."

"Come on, Morning Glory," Elliot whispered and picked her up, taking Solomon's hand and walking them to their room, "Let mommy work her magic with Isaac, huh?"

"Yeah," Solomon agreed softly, "Sac in big twouble, big mess. Long time out."

"Olivia," Paul shook his head softly, "I'm sorry… we didn't have a choice but to call… he lost it."

She furrowed her brow, tilted her head and looked at her son, "Isaac?" she said softly and he didn't budge but continued to cry, "Honey?"

"He's been like this," Casey said softly, running her hand through his hair, "as soon as you left, he started to cry and he was so angry."

"Did he say why?" Olivia asked as she slowly made her way to him and knelt in front of him, "Where's Addison?"

"Asleep in your room… hope it's okay, he couldn't sleep out here."

"It's fine," Olivia said absently and gently touched Isaac's leg to which he flinched and began to sob uncontrollably louder, "Hey," she said softly and framed his face, forcing him to lock eyes with hers.

He was distant. There, but not there. Isaac, but not Isaac at all. He was looking right through her. Terrified, his body shaking, "Isaac!" she called his name firmly and when he still didn't snap out of it she lowered her face so her nose touched his, "Isaac, its mom!"

And as if her name, her touch, her voice and her skin had the power to make him better, his eyes focused solely on hers and his face crumbled as he slid off of Casey's lap and into his mother's arms. Casey hissed in pain but quickly recovered, "Sorry, to cut your date short, Olivia."

Olivia shook her head as she rocked her son who held tightly to her as she kneeled, "I'm glad you did… he's never been like this."

"I'm surprised he can still cry… he's been going for hours," Paul said softly.

"I'm sorry, you guys," Olivia whispered. "I am… he's usually good."

"We know," Casey smiled softly, "That's why we called… maybe the first day of school was just too much and he wanted you back."

Olivia continued to rub his back and he continued to cry softly against her, "Maybe," she said and carefully stood with him in her arms.

"We're gonna head out," Paul said helping Casey up, "we want to give you time with him without us hanging around."

Olivia nodded, "Thank you, I'm really sorry. I just thought he was having a tantrum that we were leaving I didn't think he'd cry like this."

Casey grinned, "Oh…he did more than cry."

"Huh?" Olivia asked nodding for her to follow her to get Addison.

"You don't have a clean room in the house, Olivia," Casey grinned, "Courtesy of your Tasmanian devil."

Olivia groaned, "You try a time out?"

"Made it worse… thus the no clean rooms."

"Nice," Olivia whispered and continued rubbing Isaac's back as he shuddered out breath.

"Hey," Elliot smiled as he met the ladies in the hall, "I'll take him and get him ready for bed, and you help out with Addison."

Olivia smiled softly and slowly peeled Isaac from her body passing him to his father and watching as his blue and brown speckled eyes filled with tears the farther his dad took him from her. She quickly went into the bedroom hoping it would save him the misery.

Out of sight out of mind.

"Nice picture," Casey smirked pointing to the picture of Olivia's pregnant and naked body on the wall.

"Shut up, Casey," Olivia blushed and quickly took off her heels and slowly pulling the comforter back from Addison's body, "He's gotten so big."

"He weighs a ton," Casey grinned proudly, "Just like his father."

Olivia smiled and gently ran her finger over his cheek as he slept, "He's got Paul's nose… too bad he's got your pigment challenge."

Casey laughed, and rubbed his belly from the other side of the bed, "Wake up big boy."

He didn't move and Olivia simply grinned watching Casey's face light up as she stayed next to her son. Years ago, she'd done everything to get away from him, including telling Paul to take him and leave. Today, she's a changed woman, all mom. And proud. "How you feeling with him these days Casey?" Olivia said softly.

"He's amazing, Olivia," she whispered as she rubbed the smooth skin that showed itself from just under his polo shirt, "He loves to sit and spend time with me in the house office. I give him the junk mail and he opens it and reads it while I go through the other stuff… he digs me. I never thought that would happen, but this little guy loves me."

Olivia grinned, "That's good, I'm glad to hear it."

"We have Thursday morning breakfast, no daddy aloud. It's just me and him and it's great."

"You guys decide on having another one?" Olivia waggled her brows, "It's a great excuse to get in as much sex as possible."

Casey snorted and moaned, "Don't make me laugh… it hurts my cheeks to laugh."

"Come on," Olivia smiled softly and extracted Addison from her bed, "I'll take him to Paul for you since you're fried… think you'll at least get a tan out of that?"

"Nah," Casey said, standing painfully, "pasty chicks just burn, the top layer falls off and bam! Instant milky white again."

Olivia shook her head as they made their way back down the hall, "That su-" she stopped instantly.

Casey exhaled looking down the hall to the boys' room. Isaac's shrieks and desperate crying suddenly louder than ever, "He's been upset."

"I'll take him," Paul interjected and delicately took his son, "we'll see ourselves out… be with him."

"I'm sorry guys," Olivia said again and quickly made her way deeper into the house, hearing the front door close with their exit before Sam stopped her in the hallway.

"Mom?"

"What!" she snapped and quickly corrected herself, "I'm sorry, baby. I didn't mean to sound so grumpy… what's going on, tonight?"

"He's nuts mom… he totally thrashed my stuff. I don't know where anything is!"

She exhaled, "Was Hannah messing with him tonight? Is that why he's in a mood?"

"No," Sam shook his head, "he's been really mean to Hannah and Aunt Casey said he kicked Solomon in the gut."

Olivia's brows shot up, "Serious?"

"As a cataract."

She smirked, "Your humor is something else."

He pointed his thumb over his shoulder to Isaac's screams, "His temper is something else… will you help me with my stuff if you find the off switch to him?"

Olivia grinned, wrapped her hand around the back of his neck and kissed his forehead, "Go crawl in our bed honey. You've got school tomorrow."

He hugged her tightly, "Night, mom… did you have fun dancing?"

She grinned, "How'd you know?"

He waggled his brows, "I suggested it."

She nodded softly and kissed him again, letting her lips linger, "Thanks son… I needed it."

"Dad's a good guy, mom… little macho, but we're men… he really loves you, he tells us that all the time."

She smiled even in spite of Elliot's grumbling voice from the room, "I've got to get in there before Isaac takes your father down."

Sam smiled and walked away, "Night mom… beware of flying objects."

She should have taken his advice because just as she stepped foot into the room, Donatello the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle he'd gotten for his birthday was headed right for her face. Her hand shot up reflexively and her fingers instantly wrapped around it. He moved for Leonardo. Last time she checked there were four of those action figures and if Isaac was really desperate, Splinter the rat was close by, too. She wasn't waiting.

"Young man!" she glared at him. He simply moved to find something else as he continued to cry. To growl in frustration and destroy what ever was in his path.

Elliot exhaled and rubbed his head, "I think Shredder gave me a concussion," he said holding up the figurine that seemed to be a villain in real life. Well, when used as a weapon that is.

Isaac turned quickly and pulled his blanket and stuffed animal off of his rocking chair before tipping it over on its side and kicking it with his bare foot only to yelp in pain. Zeus groaned from the corner and just as soon as it was safe to make a quick exit, he and Moses tucked their tails between their legs and darted to safety.

"You throw one more thing, and you'll loose it, buster," Olivia warned.

He locked his eyes with hers his hand fidgeting with the Lego block he picked up just after tipping his rocking chair. He raised his arm.

"Isaac!" Elliot warned.

The blue Lego shot through the air nailing his mother in the neck. She closed the gap between them in two long, angry strides. "Stop!" she snapped, wrapping her hands around his small arms, "That's enough, son!"

He kicked her. Right in the belly.

And before Olivia could respond, before she could hide the shock on her face, Elliot had snatched him up so forcefully his head snapped to the side, a gasp of air at the surprise motion of his father being so rough with him.

"You do not hit your mother!" Elliot seethed and marched him quickly out of the room taking him to the living room, "I've never wanted to spank you, son. But you're begging me to do it."

"I hate you!" Isaac screeched, "You leave me! It's too small! I hate you!"

"Elliot!" Olivia followed them into the room concerned with Elliot's sudden uncharacteristic handling of their son.

"I hate you mom!" he said kicking his body in Elliot's arms before Elliot finally got him on the couch, "I hate you!" he sobbed into his hands.

"That's it," Elliot pulled him off of the couch, "you're getting a spanking!"

"NO!" Sam screeched making himself known and suddenly pushing past his mother to his father's voice, "NO!" he yelled and just as he touched Elliot's body, Sam used all of his weight possible, used all of his force and will and did the unthinkable.

He took Elliot down.

"Samuel!" Olivia yelled as Elliot gasped from the air being knocked out of his lungs, Sam's fist raising into the air to come down on Elliot's face, "STOP!" Olivia shouted and quickly restrained Sam.

"Don't touch him!" Sam yelled, "Don't touch him! He's just a boy!"

"Sam," Elliot pushed himself into a sitting position his eyes still wide as Isaac continued to screech from the couch, "Sam, I wasn't… it was a threat, I wasn't gonna-"

"I heard you! You bastard! You said you'd never! Bastard!"

"Samuel!" Olivia squeezed him firmly, placing her lips at his ear, "Stop! Now!"

He sobbed, his body growing limp in her hold, "Don't touch him," he said softly and began to cry, "don't you touch him, Dad."

"I won't," Elliot replied and stood on shaky legs, "Sam," he said softly and motioned for Olivia to let him go. She did so and Sam stood boldly in front of his father just as he did that night when he and Olivia had fought and Sam tried to get his little brother out of the house.

"Don't touch him."

"I'm sorry, I upset you, Sam," Elliot said and gently and as slowly as possible rested his hand on Sam's shoulder, "I'm sorry you thought I'd actually do it. I'm sorry, son."

Olivia grabbed Isaac and took him into the kitchen as he continued to express his dissatisfaction with whatever had crawled up his five-year-old butt and died. Olivia watched as Elliot and Sam seemed to reconcile quickly, another sign of tremendous growth on Sam's part. His sudden vocabulary though, that would be addressed in the morning. For now, she held a fistful of Isaac's pajama shirt in her hand keeping him close as Sam walked back to their bed to sleep.

"You've got a record breaking time out coming up," Olivia exhaled, "it starts just as soon as I can let you go and your not gonna run."

"I don't want a time out!" he growled.

"Not an option."

"So!"

She shook her head, "Honey, you're so frustrated right now, you can't even come up with a good come back. Just take a few breaths, relax so I can let you go. You can do your time out, clean up the mess you made of the house and then well talk."

"No talking. I'm not talking. I'm not doing a stupid time out and I'm not going to school!"

"Isaac. Reagan. Benson. Stabler," Elliot seethed, "you keep talking to your mother that way, and you'll never see another toy until you're fifty you got me?"

"Shove it!"

Olivia and Elliot both looked at each other in shock. They almost wanted to laugh.

Almost.

"Son," She pulled him around to face her. She knelt quickly, pulled on his shirt until she was so close to his face both of their eyes crossed to look at each other, "Now, you listen to me, little boy," she said in a voice so cold, it startled all three of the people in the room, "you keep up with this attitude and you're gonna get exactly what's coming regardless if Samuel steps in to help you or not, you understand what I'm telling you?"

He sniffled, the first sign the he was breaking, "I hate you," he said softly.

She pulled back, something in his voice; the softness with which he said those three words somehow burned her so deeply she felt the ache in her bones. He stared at her, "You let me be scared all day. It's too small there and you make me be there. I hate you," he whispered and hiccupped.

She stared at him in shock. How can one sentence hurt so much when it only consists of three words that when written independent of one another are meaningless? "Do your time out," she whispered.

He stood still, motioned to where he was standing, the part of the kitchen separated for the children's time outs, "I am. I still hate you."

She swallowed, "You know what?" she sniffled, "I can't look at you right now, you've hurt me that much," she exhaled and pulled a chair to the corner of the kitchen. She picked him up, softly placed him in the chair, "I can't look at you Isaac. So I want you to look at the wall, because if you look at me, I'll cry," she whispered as her tears already fell. She pushed the chair close into the corner and turned to leave.

His sudden shrill was the only thing that stopped her from falling into Elliot's waiting embrace. She turned to see his profile, his little chest beating so frantically she thought he'd hyperventilate and pass out right there in the kitchen before she could get to him.

And that's exactly what happened.

"Elliot!"

"Get him!" he commanded as they both moved quickly, picking up their son and laying him on the cool of tiled floor, "Here," Elliot said frantically as he tossed her a cool rag, "put it on him."

She held it against his forehead and touched his cheek, "Wake up, baby," she said softly, "It's okay… you got scared, you're okay," she whispered and waited anxiously to peer down into blue eyes.

"He's gonna put us through the ringer by the time he's in first grade." Elliot smirked.

"If he ever makes it to first grade," she exhaled and rested her hand on his little chest, "It's so fast, Elliot… he's so scared."

"Wake up, Son," Elliot said softly and bent painfully and touch his son's cheek.

"Come on baby," Olivia whispered and smiled quietly as Isaac moved, his eyes fluttering open and blinking once then twice before settling in on his mother. He cried.

Not angry. Scared.

"Come here," she whispered and pulled him into her lap. "You're okay."

He sobbed into her body, his hands resting innocently on her ribs and breast, "Mommy, it's so scary."

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"He go down?" Elliot whispered, handing her his dress shirt to sleep in.

She smirked, "Dress shirt? Maybe I wanted to wear my frumpy night gown."

He grinned and pulled the covers back on the pull out sofa, "You don't have a frumpy night gown."

She reached behind her, fumbling for the zipper of the dress before finally finding it and pulling it down, "He's finally asleep… only took me two and a half hours."

"He say anything?" he asked widening his legs on the edge of the bed as he sat in his boxers.

"Not a word, just cried the whole time."

"Kindergarten can't be that rough," Elliot smirked as Olivia's dressed pooled at her ankles and she quickly unclasped her bra and let it fall. He watched her reach for the shirt, her nipples hardening instantly with the cool of the air.

"Doesn't mean I'm horny," she smirked. "Means I'm cold."

He shrugged, motioned for her to sit in front of him, he worked instantly on her shoulders with his hands and kissed the back of her head before smiling and resting his cheek against hers, "I could make you horny."

She laughed, "Nah, I think Isaac ruined it for us tonight."

He chuckled softly, "Yeah, you're tense."

She exhaled, leaned forward, "Lower," she whispered and exhaled as his large hands splayed over her tanned back, "Something's wrong with him, Elliot."

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One week after Isaac Stabler had suddenly taken an extreme displeasure in attending school, serving time outs and even refusing to take a bath in the boys' room after Olivia had taken down the clear Spongebob shower curtain and replaced it with a solid blue one, nothing had gotten better. Had she'd known that changing a simple shower curtain would send him into orbit she would have kept the clear one and duck taped the hole.

While the evenings were tolerable, the mornings were anything but. He refused to get out of bed going so far as to hold tightly to his bed and force both mother and father to drag him to the breakfast table where he was sure to toss his food on the floor making sure to rub it into his hair in hopes he would have to stay home.

It only made for another fight, this one involving water and soap and a very pissed off little boy. Time outs were useless and there wasn't a toy in his room after the first two days. He hadn't been outside for playtime, lost Spongebob privileges and even lost the Friday night soda pop for dinner. There wasn't much more she and Elliot could take from him to get him to bounce back and there wasn't much more she could take.

They'd called Huang and made a mental note to kill him for daring to be on vacation when their five-year-old was slowly loosing his mind. Next stop was Mags and to their surprise Sam had thought it humorous that his little brother was gonna sit on a couch right along with him.

She didn't think it was funny.

Especially when Mags was unavailable.

Alex had made it a point to stop by each day to go over lessons that he missed in school, because by the time the bell for the first recess sounded, Isaac's stubborn butt was already in a time out where he was screeching and eventually taken to the office so the rest of the children could learn without a screaming banshee in the midst.

He didn't work for Alex at the house either. Refused to read her flash cards, refused to write his letters or numbers and the very thought of having to go over his sight words was enough to spark a migraine. Elliot couldn't take it and as of yesterday had told Olivia to stop trying to get him caught up in his school work for the sole purpose of the family's sanity.

As bad as the week has gone she knows that today is going to be worse than rough. Today she would deal with Isaac in the morning and Elliot's test in the afternoon, only to come back home to Isaac in the evening.

Sandwich of rage. Like father like son. They were the bread and she was the meat. Dead.

"How long have you been awake?" Elliot whispered with a smile.

She opened her eyes slowly and smiled sloppily, "My eyes were closed."

"The worry on your face gave you away," he said and kissed her cheek tenderly.

"That coffee in your hand?" she asked groggily, playfulness trying to push through the exhaustion.

"Yep," he exhaled and took a sip of it, "just the way you like it… figured after twelve times, you'd need some to start the morning off."

"Twelve times what?"

He chuckled and looked at her telling her she knew exactly what he was getting at, "You checked on Solomon and Hannah twelve times… you're getting better."

She exhaled, grinned sleepily and pushed herself up to sit in the bed, "You gonna give me coffee or a hard time?"

Slowly, he handed her the mug and crawled in the bed next to her forcing her to scoot over, "That's an improvement from the sixteen times a few weeks ago," he laughed softly and wrapped her in a warm embrace.

She rested her head on his chest as she wrapped her hands around the coffee mug. A peace offering before the war. "Five."

His brows dipped, "Five?"

"I checked on Solo and Hannah five times… checked on Isaac seven."

He exhaled, kissed the crown of her head and stroked her arm softly, "You ready?"

"No."

"We've got to get him up."

She groaned, "Elliot… I can't do this another day, it's brutal."

"I know," he whispered pressing his lips to her again, "I know…Alex getting irritated yet?"

She laughed softly, "No. Says some kindergartners really hate school," she's keeping the principal at bay, convincing her to keep giving him a chance but if he doesn't get it together, I don't know what they're gonna do… can a kindergartner get suspended?"

He chuckled, "If he's a Stabler he's required to."

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"ISAAC!" Sam snapped just as soon as the scrambled egg his the side of his cheek, "What is your problem!"

"No school!" Isaac yelled from the kitchen table and promptly threw his cup of juice against the wall, "No! It's stupid! It's small! I hate it!"

"Shut up!" Sam groaned, wiping the napkin over his face before tossing it into his plate and quickly standing to get away from his maniacal brother.

"You shut up!" Isaac chirped, launching his fork into the kitchen and barely missing his older brother, "You said School was fun… stupid liar, butt!"

"Isaac, Reagan!" Olivia marched down the hall way and quickly pulled him out of his seat and putting him down right in front of Sam's body, "Apologize. Now."

"No!" he hissed and wiggled and twisted to get away.

She fought him, held his arms at his side and rested her forehead against his, "Please son," she whispered in exhaustion, "not today. Mommy can't take much more. Give me a break little man, please, just one break."

"NO SCHOOL!" He yelled, his eyes burning into hers as he pushed his forehead against hers like a stubborn goat using his horns to bully another.

"Alright," Elliot bellowed into the kitchen, "everyone in the car, lets go. Move." he said firmly but made sure to kiss and hug his children as they filed out. Hannah and Solomon still in their pajamas. There had been no time to change them.

Not when a certain five-year-old was destroying every item he could get his hands on. Picking a fight with Sam at every possible second.

Isaac was driving them nuts.

"MOVE!" Elliot hollered as Isaac simply slid onto the chair and griped the edge of the table until his hands turned while.

"Elliot-" Olivia went to say something and gave up mid sentence. She'd woken up with one nerve left and Isaac was dangling a chainsaw like a pendulum right over it.

Elliot moved quickly to his son, pried his fingers from the table and moving to the next hand only to have Isaac reattach his freed hand, "Liv- a little help," he snapped.

She exhaled moved to partake in the same thing they have done every morning since school hand started. She pried his left, held it firmly while Elliot pried his right and immediately heaved him over his shoulder, "You want to go to school with food in your hair and milk on your shirt?" Elliot grumbled as he walked out of the house with the screaming toddler, "Fine!"

Olivia groaned, tossed her head back and then forward pulling the keys off of the counter and following them as Isaac continued to kick and scream, "No school!"

"You're just like your mother!" Elliot snapped, "Stop being so stubborn!"

Olivia smiled softly and got into the car knowing full well that it would be all screams. All the way.

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"You ready?" Elliot scrubbed his hand over his face.

"This is so ridiculous," Olivia shook her head, "Sam got out of the car just fine."

Elliot smiled, "Yeah, well… Isaac is Isaac… you head up the back? I'll take the front?"

Olivia raised her brows, "I can't believe we have to do this every morning," she mumbled as she opened the car door, "Let's go Isaac."

"NO!" He barked and quickly began undoing his booster seat and climbing over the back of the seat.

"Back, Liv!" Elliot yelled as Solomon and Hannah watched in giggles as their mother and father were out maneuvered by their brother.

Olivia opened the hatch and reached for Isaac who half laughed and half cried as he launched himself over the seat again effectively dodging his mother and providing more laughable material for his little brother and sister who clapped their hands in encouragement of their brother. "Elliot! Driver's side!"

"Got him- no, he's going out the other-"

Just as Isaac had opened the passenger door and attempted to make his daring escape, his mother had cut him off grabbing a fist full of his shirt as he leaped out of the vehicle, "Wrong," she said calmly and made sure he landed softly on the cement.

He squirmed and fought her until she spun him around, "No you listen to me!" she snapped, her patience running out quickly, "Either me or your father is taking you to class, now I don't care who it is but you had better pick because I don't care if you like school or not. YOU'RE GOING!"

He looked at her with the saddest blue eyes she'd ever seen from him. He had bags under his eyes from a combination of no sleep and constant crying. His bottom lip had been chapped from his constant biting and chewing and fresh tears flowed.

"Baby," Olivia exhaled and wiped his cheeks, "please tell me why you are acting this way."

"No school," he whispered and hiccupped, "I don't like it. Jordan says I'm stupid and yesterday, I nailed him-"

"I know… Aunt Alex and the principal called."

He sniffled, "I got a super long time out. I don't like school, the numbers and letters are stupid and I don't like Jordan and its super small, mom… please, no school."

She exhaled, tangled her fingers with his, "Come on, Daddy can take Hannah and Solomon with him to work and I'll come to school with you, huh?"

"Liv-," Elliot interjected, "I've got a doctors appointment and how are you getting home?"

She smiled, kissed Elliot softly careful not to loosen her grip on her son, "I'll take a cab. You'll be fine at your doctor's. Tell Santos to keep an eye on the kids. They love him."

Elliot nodded, "Sam?"

"If you're not done in time, I'll call Robert and let him know."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dead man walking.

At least that's the attitude Isaac had as Olivia struggled to walk him down the hall of the Elementary room. The closer he got the heavier and more uncooperative he got.

As if he could get any more uncooperative.

"Honey," Olivia knelt in front of him outside of room 16. A welcome sign with giant primary red apples dangling and Mrs. Grey written proudly on the largest one.

"Mommy," he sniffled and wiped his cheek as he leaned into her "I don't like it here."

She tipped his chin up, "When God gave me you… I promised Him I'd make you fearless. I'll be right here with you. You need to get over this baby; you need to want to come to school."

"But… you will always be with me, right mom?" he asked her, "you'll always be with me and make me food when my tummy grumbles and you'll find my sock that matches and you'll help me with my zipper when it's stuck… you'll always be with me. Why do I need a small school?"

She ran her hand through his blond locks, "I'll always be with you, son, but you still need school in case I can't be with you."

His brows shot up in worry, "You'll leave me, mom?"

She shook her head, "Not on purpose, no. Never. But, sometimes God has different plans, and one day I may not be able to teach you your numbers or your letters or fix you dinner, so you'll have to be super smart-"

"'Cause if you're not at home, Dad won't get off of the couch? He'll be super broken, like never before?"

She pressed her lips together and held back tears never had really thought about the aftermath of her leaving or worse, dying, "He'd be really broken," she whispered. "You've got to get super smart so, just in case something happens to mommy, you can take care of daddy and Sam and Nana and Solo… come on, Isaac, let's go inside, son."

He shook his head, "No."

"That's not an option."

"I hate you."

She cupped his cheeks, stared at him with watery eyes, "That's too bad, because I love you with everything I have."

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"Mr. Stabler?" A young female voice entered the examination room.

Elliot's face shot up in a mixture of horror and surprise, "You're a woman."

The red haired doctor laughed, "You have amazing decoding skills. Amazing."

Elliot blushed, "I mean…. it's not-" he slipped off of the table, "I'm not doing this. Where's my doctor? What the hell is the matter with you people, every since we've been on this health plan I don't think we've had the same doctor not one damn time-"

"Mr. Stabler," she smiled softly and rested her hand on his shoulder to which he flinched and moved away. She licked her lips, obviously comfortable with his reaction as if it happened frequently. "I can assure you that I'm a professional, sir. I'm only here to help you."

"Where's my other doctor?" Elliot demanded, "He was perfectly capable of helping me. I'd like him to help me now. When I made the appointment they didn't say you were a girl."

She exhaled, "Mr. Stabler… where's your wife? Is she here?"

"My wife?" Elliot's eyes grew wide, "What do you mean my wife? I'm married. I've been married for six years. We're happy-" he stopped when the doctor laughed hard. "What's so funny?" Elliot demanded.

She held up his file, "Doctor Hallzman briefed me on all of his patients… said you were gonna be the one to freak out… he's doing an experimental surgery today, it's a once in a life time thing. He asked me to fill in… all I'm asking is for you to fill'er up," the doctor smiled and tossed a cup at Elliot.

Elliot visibly deflated, he bowed his head, "I was expecting a him… this is already embarrassing enough."

"He also said, since he knew you were gonna loose your mind, I could ask for your wife. He said you're a lot more easy to handle if she's here… she here or is this gonna be a nightmare for both of us?" she smiled softly. "I need to ask you a few questions… would you like her in here-"

"She's not here!" he snapped in annoyance, "Geeze, just… ask. Get it over with."

She smirked, "Normal erections?"

"That's it," he shook his head, "I'm leaving. I'll re-schedule."

"Wait time is five months… he was doing you a favor," she said matter of factly. Her annoyance with him finally showing.

He groaned, reluctantly sat on the table, "What?"

"Erections? Getting them?"

"Yes."

"How often?" she asked retrieving a pen from her pocket.

His jaw clenched, "Uh… I dunno. A lot." he smirked.

"Can you assign a number to it, what is 'a lot'?"

"Uh… anytime my wife is near me."

"Really?" she asked in surprise, "that's sweet."

He closed his eyes in sheer embarrassment, "Yeah, can we keep going please?"

"Sure, what about-" she stopped when a knock on the door interrupted them.

"Elliot?" Olivia peeked in, "Sorry, I'm late I got-" she stopped and raised a curious brow at the doctor, "You're not Doctor Hallzman."

She smiled, "We've established that… just going over some questions. You must be Mrs. Stabler?"

"I am," Olivia nodded softly and Elliot almost died of sheer pride that jealously momentarily flashed over Olivia's features as she quickly assessed the woman and turned to Elliot, "Hi," she whispered and kissed his cheek softly, letting her lips linger longer than normal before she whispered softly, "She might be pretty, but I'm the only one that can get you to fill that cup."

He blushed furiously and smiled as Olivia pulled up a seat and kept a skeptical eye on the doctor and her perfect jaw line and supple breast and soft skin and obvious appreciation for soft perfume. Her fancy shoes.

Her naked wedding finger. Olivia let her mind wonder.

"Are your erections pretty strong?" The doctor asked.

Suddenly, Olivia was back on track making a mental list on how she would slowly decapitate the woman with a pocket knife if she even so much as thought about hitting on Elliot. Just a flirtatious smile was all she needed and she would pounce. She smiled to herself; she was starting to sound like Elliot, assessing the men that stood within a mile of Olivia. Assessing the threat even though they both knew without a doubt, that there would never be a threat because the only people they'd ever want was one another. Not some young kid with wondering eyes or some woman whose mascara was obviously expired and need of another application. Not the doctor with a run in her panty hose.

He would want Olivia and she would want Elliot.

"Hello?" Elliot smiled and snapped his fingers playfully in front of her, "did you at least take me a picture?"

She furrowed her brows in confusion, "Huh?"

"A picture of wherever you were just now," he smiled and tossed her the cup, "we get to go to the room."

She grinned, forced herself not to blush in front of the woman with damaged nylons, "Well then, better get a move on."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Isaac," Alex raised her brow, "I suggest you go back to your desk and get a pencil."

"But, Aunt Al- um, Mrs. Grey… I don't like the pencil."

"Just get it stupid! It's carpet time!" Jordan snapped and pushed up his glasses on his pudgy nose.

"Jordan," Alex raised her brows, "you may go into time out for name calling."

"Ah, but, Mrs. Grey, he's so stupid. He just sit's there and cries like a girl!"

Enraged, Isaac slapped his hand over his desk, growled low and ran to the sandy blond boy with hazel eyes and lunged to punch him, "Absolutely, not!" Alex stood between them, "You," she pointed to Jordan, "Time out. Now. And you, Isaac, over in that one," she said pointing to the second identical corner with low hanging shelving.

"No, please!" Isaac pleaded, "Please, Aunt Alex. No."

"Move it," she said firmly and looked over her glasses, "now, and your recess is mine young man."

"Bu-"

"Want to work on your lunch recess as well?"

Isaac groaned, looked at the time out area and sobbed as he slowly walked himself to it and sat in the chair. His world getting small and smaller.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Liv!" Elliot laughed as his head bounced off of the wall, "that hurt."

She grinned, kissed his mouth softly, "Sorry," she whispered and nipped at his lower lip, her hand cupping him softly through his pants, "I didn't like that doctor."

He smiled, "Jealous?"

She let out a small laugh as she began to unbutton his shirt, "She wanted you… I saw the way she looked at you."

"Liv that's not-"

"It's true… you're mine and she wanted you," she whispered, bit harder on his bottom lip and sucked softly when he gasped, "you're mine."

His smiled was all sex as he rubbed her back softly, "What are you gonna do about it?"

She arched her brow, smirked and stepped back slowly. She dug into her front pocket pulled out a small tin and smiled, "I picked these up after I left Isaac-"

"He made it today?"

Olivia grinned, "I stayed with him all day… I snuck out when he started to finger paint, he seemed happy. Alex called said he was doing fine… now, will you shut up?"

He waggled his brows, "You gonna help me fill that cup?"

"Can't do it without me?"

"No."

"Not even with this abundance of porn?" she asked nodding to the small collection in the corner of the sterile facility.

He slipped his hand up her shirt slowly and narrowed his eyes down at her, smiling softly when he reached the curve of her breast, "That's nasty, Liv… you're the only one that does it for me. You know that."

She grinned, "Yeah, I know… I like knowing it. Why'd the doctor make you nervous?" she whispered and unbuckled his belt with her free hand as the other held the small tin in her hand.

He moaned as her fingertips brushed against his skin while she slowly unbuttoned and unzipped his pants, "Liv… why'd you buy those?"

"I like Altoids."

"No you don't… I've never seen you use them."

She grinned broadly, kissed his lips softly and dragged her mouth along his jaw, down his neck, "Why don't you help me out and put one in my mouth? My hand is otherwise occupied."

He looked down at her and smiled, taking the tin of mints and opening it, placing a white tablet into his own mouth and immediately attacking her mouth with his lips, his hand cupping the back of her head. She moaned as his tongue pushed the peppermint tablet past her lips. She immediately pushed his pants past his hips, laughing against his mouth as the sound of his belt hitting the floor made his erection twitch in her hand. "Liv-" he closed his eyes and leaned his head against the wall. The taste of her mouth, the feel of her hands, already making him one happy individual.

"Think that doctor would use an Altoid, El?" she asked lowly and kissed his lips, blowing softly on the moisture that formed in the seem.

"For what?" he asked licking his bottom lip as she opened his shirt, kissed his chest, his nipple and continued to move lower.

"I think you know what, Elliot," she smiled over his belly button as she lowered to her knees, her hands resting on his hips.

He groaned at the very thought of her mouth over him. The coolness, the change of temperature, "Please." His voice was painfully tight.

"Please what?" she whispered, bending forward and blowing softly again on the tip of his length before kissing him gently.

Reflexively, he moaned, tangled his hand in her hair, "Liv, please," he tightened his fist around her hair, "Please, right now. Right here."

Slowly, she ran the tip of her tongue around the head of his penis, "There's people in the waiting area, Elliot… doctors and nurses walking by."

She was teasing him. Making him beg. Olivia was making Elliot beg to have her mouth on him. How much better could life get?

"Liv. Baby, please… right now."

She licked her lips, felt the cool of the mint spreading. She tucked the gum in her cheek and slowly took him into her mouth. He let out a small shriek, panted already out of control as he thrust carefully into her mouth. She raked her nails along his thigh with one hand, moved her palm around the base of his shaft as her mouth occupied the remaining sensitive skin.

She felt his legs weaken, splayed her hand up and over his chest as she allowed her mouth to give more pleasure, she felt him grow even harder, felt his body shake and begin to stiffen, "Liv… Liv, cup."

She grinned, released him softly and handed him the cup, careful to take full control of his lips, her hands locked at the back of his neck and his tended to unfinished business. He groaned, his body jerking as his chest heaved with his release. She pulled away, panting. He swallowed hard, exhaled slowly and smiled, "We should buy Altoids. We should invest."

"Good?"

"You have no idea."

She laughed, "Enjoyed yourself?"

He kissed her again, "Yeah… I could give you an idea tonight, you know? Save me one of those, and you'll know exactly what I'm talking about."

She grinned, "Deal… you ready? We've got to pick the kids up."

He licked his lips and nodded, "Give me a second, I'm a mess."

She looked down, grinned, "Take care of your 'sample'," she whispered and ran the sink's water to warm. She used the paper towels, held them under the stream and as soon as he turned back, she immediately took him into another kiss, felt his body flinch and then relax as soon as the warmth caressed him.

She pulled back, rested her forehead against his and waited for him to open his eyes, "How long until we'll know? Did she say?" she whispered.

He exhaled, "A week to ten days."

She nodded, kissed him softly again.

Ten days until disaster.