Pretty Poison

(Chapter Nine: Children And Confrontation)

It had been a long day for the new mother and her son. They had a check up at the pediatrician that went very well. Noah was now five days old and weighed right at nine pounds. He was doing very well.

After their appointment they went by work to visit daddy and see everyone there. Olivia actually lost track of her newborn as Cragen pulled him from the carrier and walked around the squad room and office with him. He gave little Noah the tour and talked to him about one day when he is a big boy and can come work there as well.

Elliot smiled and took his son from his boss as he carried him back to the desk and held him to feed him from a bottle. He held his son against his arm holding the bottle in his mouth and the phone against his shoulder as he waited on hold to set up an interview with a witness.

Olivia sat at her desk and completed a few pages of paper work and packed up a few files to take home to work on. Elliot stood up and handed the baby back to Olivia as he began to get fussy. She held Noah against her shoulder and gently patted his back as she swayed slowly back and forth with him until the baby had settled. He curled his little face in against her neck and closed his eyes making only a few little grunting sounds before he had fallen asleep.

"You're a natural Olivia," Cragen said as she lowered her son back into his carrier and strapped him in then covered him with his blanket and kissed his forehead.

"Thanks. It's funny, I never would have imagined myself as anyone's mother. I wasn't even sure that I wanted children until I found out I was pregnant."

"He really is perfect," Cragen said as he brushed his fingertip gently across the baby's cheek.

"Yeah," she replied with a soft smile.

Later that evening the Stabler children joined them for dinner in a little restaurant across town to meet their new baby brother.

The girls were all smiles and Dickie happy that he had another brother instead of a sister.

"He is so cute," Maureen said as Olivia handed Noah to her.

"Thank you."

"So are you and dad getting married?" Kathleen asked staring Olivia in the eye.

"Umm….I…I don't know."

"Kathleen, don't be rude." Elliot glared at his daughter in an attempt to try to ward off her attack on Olivia.

"What? You are either together or your not."

Olivia looked at Elliot as his eyes dashed to hers.

"Oh come on dad, you and mom told us when we were like ten how babies were made. Or are we supposed to believe this was an Immaculate Conception?"

"Kathleen! That's enough!" Elliot slammed his hands down on the table making the kids jump and the baby began to cry.

Maureen handed him back to Olivia as she laid him against her shoulder and stood up to walk to the bathroom with him.

"No, Liv. It's okay. Stay."

"Elliot, it's okay. He needs changed and I think maybe you guys could use a minute just family."

She turned to walk toward the ladies room as Elliot reached for her hand.

"You are family, both of you. Please, stay."

Olivia looked into his eyes then turned and looked at the children seated around the table, all of whom nodded in agreement except Kathleen who sat quietly with her arms crossed in front of her staring at the table obviously pissed off. Olivia looked back at Elliot again then sat back in her chair and rocked the baby in her arms. Elliot reached over and caressed the top of his son's head.

"Daddy's sorry buddy."

Noah grunted and pulled his fist to his mouth.

"This is bullshit!" Kathleen declared as she stood up from the table and stormed out of the restaurant.

Maureen stood up to go after her.

"Let her go," Elliot said looking up at Maureen. "Have a seat honey. Give her a minute to cool down and I will go talk to her. Let's all try to enjoy a meal as a family. Does everyone know what they want to order?"

Elliot flagged the waiter over to the table and everyone ordered their food. A few minutes later he walked outside to find his daughter leaned against the brick wall of the restaurant smoking a cigarette.

"You want attention? You got it," he said as he jerked the cigarette from her mouth and stomped it out on the ground. He reached for the pack in her hand and crushed it in his fist.

"Hey, I am an adult now. I can smoke if I want to!"

"Not in front of me you don't." Elliot had to remind himself to keep a mellow tone with her. "So what's the deal Kathleen? What is the real problem here?"

She stared at him and rolled her eyes as she turned away from him and walked a few steps down the side walk.

"If you're pissed at me, talk to me Kathleen! But don't take it out on Olivia!"

She shook her head and he could tell she was crying.

"Kathleen. Talk to me."

"It just isn't fair!" She began to cry and Elliot knew he was finally getting somewhere.

"What isn't fair?"

She shifted her blue eyes to look at him.

"You just walk away from our family! You didn't even ask us what we wanted! And now you just have a new baby and a new life with Olivia?"

"Kathleen, you have it all wrong. First of all, I didn't walk away from this family. Mom and I agreed that a divorce was best for both of us and I moved out. And as for Olivia, we have been dating for a while now. And Noah is your half brother. I am not asking you to like it, Kathleen. I am just asking you to give it a chance. Give her a chance. This isn't some fling for me. Our relationship is serious and someday, who knows I may even get married again/ She is my best friend and I care a lot about her. She is a very important person in my life. And now we have a baby together."

"You're thinking about marrying her?" Kathleen just stared at him waiting for an answer.

"We're not engaged or anything. But I love her. We have talked about it and maybe someday, sometime in the distant future….. Honey, what is your problem with Olivia?"

"I don't have a problem with Olivia, dad. She's great. But she isn't mom."

"Kathleen…."

"I know, you agreed it was what was best. But now she is dating some guy from Jersey and we never get to see you anymore."

Elliot took a deep breath. She was right. It had been nearly two months since he had spent a weekend with his children. He had gotten busy with work and life and then Olivia had the baby. He had let them down.

Elliot leaned in and hugged his daughter.

"I'm sorry, baby. You're right. I haven't spent much time with you guys. But that is going to change now. It is in the custody agreement that I have you guys every other weekend, Kathleen. But you and Maureen are adults now and living on your own. And I know your mother wouldn't mind if any of you wanted to come over at any time. You are always welcome." She smiled. "I'll tell you what. From now on we will all meet up and have dinner together one night a week. I'll work it out with your mom, so that the twins and Eli can be there. You girls work it out with your schedules with school. Even if it is just a quick slice of pizza and you tell me about your day at school, we're going to do this. Deal?"

Elliot offered his hand to hers to shake.

Kathleen stared at it for a minute. "Deal!" She said with a smile.

"Good! Now lets get back inside and get some dinner before everyone else is finished eating."

"Okay dad."

"And one more thing…."

"What's that?"

"How many times have I told you how bad smoking is for you? The cigarettes have got to go."

"Okay, I'll quit."

"Good girl."

Elliot hugged her and kissed the top of her head.

Olivia returned from changing Noah just as they returned to the table and Elliot flagged the waiter to give him their orders. Kathleen looked over at her baby brother in Olivia's arms.

"Would you like to hold him?" Olivia asked as Kathleen looked into her eyes and smiled.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. You're his sister. You can hold him any time you like."

Kathleen smiled and laughed as she tool Noah from Olivia's arms.

"He is so sweet," she said with a grin as the baby looked up at her and grunted. "He looks like you dad."

"He does, huh?" Elliot said looking down at his son.

"Yeah, dad. Only he has more hair than you do," Dickie added with his classic Stabler charm as everyone laughed.

Elliot caught Olivia's eye across the table and winked at her.

"I love you," she mouthed to him as she smiled.

"I love you, too." He mouthed back to her.