A/N: So this chapter is way way way way over due! I apologise for such a long delay between chapters but life kind of got a little crazy, particularly what has been my life the past couple of weeks. But I promise you even with how crazy things were, i was writing and spent numerous hours writing. I have written a couple of chapters ahead of this one and am in the process of editing them, so hopefully there won't be so much of a delay between chapters. But without further ado, i hope you enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think at the end?

Chapter 10

Elliot was currently sitting at a local diner, having dinner with Richard and Elizabeth. He'd arranged to meet up with all of his older children for burgers on a night during the week he was in town, when they were all free. However, Kathleen had a late class tonight and then was spending time with her boyfriend, so she had to pass but Elliot was glad Elizabeth and Richard could come. Tomorrow, he would be spending the day with Eli and doing everything that the little boy wanted to do, starting with practicing for his baseball try out next week. It was currently the beginning of may, baseball season would be starting very soon and Eli really wanted to be selected for the team and be the best on the team. But he knew that he would need his father's help and thus that was what he wanted to do with Elliot on their day together tomorrow. Elliot was going to help Eli with some of his baseball skills so hopefully he would make the team, then if he was on the team then Elliot knew he would have to come back for a game. Elliot knew that tomorrow he was going to have to try and explain to Eli how he wouldn't be able to make the games every weekend, but he was definitely going to make the effort to be there for a few. The twins however, knew about Olivia and knew the reasons for Elliot's sudden departure from them all about a week ago. However they didn't expect to see their dad back again quite so soon but knew that even though he was back, he wouldn't be staying for long.

"So dad, have you found a place to live in New York yet or are you still couch surfing at Mo's?" Elizabeth asked, she was not one to particularly skirt around an issue, and she was known to be rather abrupt in the way she got things across from time to time.
"Yes actually, I've found an apartment in upper manhattan that is what I was looking for. I move in next week, it has 2 bedrooms, so you guys can have somewhere to stay when you come and visit" Elliot explained, just as the waitress brought over their burgers.
"You're not moving in with Olivia then?" Richard clarified and Elliot almost choke don his food, there were times that he really did forget how direct his children could be. But there was definitely no change of him moving in with Olivia, at least not yet anyway. They had not seen each other for several years and they had a lot of ground to try and make up before there was really any chance they could explore something more.
"Um no, Olivia and I are really only just becoming friends again and it's hardly appropriate for me to move in with her just because were trying to re-establish our friendship. So, I needed to get somewhere of my own to live" Elliot explained.
"You're just becoming friends? That's a lie. Dad you spent more time with her when you were working at SVU then you did with either mom or us. How are you not already friends?" Elizabeth asked, seeking some form of clarification over this whole situation. Elizabeth had seen first-hand how close Elliot and Olivia had been when they were working together and she knew that her dad and flown back to New York just for Olivia, she really didn't understand how they were now 'becoming friends' when they had been so close before.

"It…It's complicated honey. When we had to leave New York, it was a situation where I didn't tell Olivia, I didn't even say goodbye. She thought I had died or was shutting her out of my life and thus until I went to see her in the hospital, we'd not seen each other for a long time"
"You love her though don't you? You're moving to New York to try and fix things with her…so you love her still" Elizabeth stated and Elliot looked down at his plate. Was he really prepared to admit that he still had feelings for Olivia to his children when he wasn't even sure if Olivia would feel the same towards him.
"I…I do, I always have but I never once did anything against your mother. Part of me will always love your mother as she has given me the most wonderful children"
"Does she love you?" Richard asked, taking a sip from his soda and looking at his father with interest. Richard quite liked Olivia, he'd always thought she was incredibly attractive and very nice. He'd been harsh towards her when his dad worked with Olivia because he was convinced they were cheating on his mother. But Richard knows that his mom has now moved on and would like it to be time for his dad to do the same, with someone whom he clearly cares so deeply about.

"I…I don't know. It's very complicated"
"Dad, you kept her photo with you the entire time we've been here – it was beside your bed almost every night and we could tell something was going on with you and mom. You weren't right before we had to leave New York and thank you for trying but Mom's moved on now, she's happy and it's time for you to be the same. So you need to fight for Olivia, make things better between the two of you" Richard explained and Elliot was almost shocked with how wise his eldest son was becoming. Richard was someone who had always thought that there was more going on between Elliot and Olivia, so the fact that he was now, in a way giving his blessing for Elliot to pursue something like this, was a huge gesture that meant a lot to Elliot. He wasn't going to give up on Olivia, he was going to try his hardest to make something work between them – but he would never force what wasn't meant to be.

Noah was sitting on the floor of the living room, playing with his toy dinosaurs whilst Olivia watched cautiously on. They had been very busy today so it was nice to just relax a little. They had spent time at the precinct, with Finn and the others as even though Olivia was technically on leave, she had gone in just to grab some files that she was sure needed her attention and to check in with everyone. Fin was holding down the squad rather well and Olivia felt very comfortable leaving everything in his hands. They had recently solved the latest case they were working on and now it was just with Barba to go to court but things were pretty much lined up to send the perp away for a very long time. After the precinct, they had gone for lunch with Don and spent more time at the park with the ducks.

Don had asked Olivia a lot about how things were going with Elliot and she hadn't had much to really say because she didn't completely know. She had seen him a couple of times when she was in the hospital, but he had been away since she was released. They had spoken or texted over the phone a couple of times and it sounded like he was having a really great time in North Carolina again but she had to admit she missed him. It was a weird feeling when he'd been out of her life for so long and then now that he's come back, they've only seen each other a couple of times and she was missing him. Olivia really didn't know where all these emotions were coming from. Elliot had broken her heart into a million pieces with the way that he left but at least now she understood why that was in the first place. Don had tried to offer advice and giving him time, taking things slow and Olivia agreed that was a good idea. She wanted Elliot back in her life, she wanted to be spending more time with him but she was hesitant about it because she felt like she couldn't be sure that he'd even stay. She knew the next step for them in spending time together would be introducing Noah to Elliot but then that would open up the whole discussion about where he'd come from and if there was a dad on the scene. Olivia knew that Elliot would be very interested in the whole situation. But she also knew that she wanted Noah to get to get to know Elliot, she wanted there to be more male influences in her son's life because that was one thing that she couldn't be for him. She did often fulfill the role of a mom and a dad but as he gets older there are going to be things that she can't help him with or explain because she's not a male. However Olivia felt like she had to make sure that Elliot was going to be sticking around before she let Noah start to get attached to him. Just like she had her personal wall up towards him, Olivia had a wall up to protect Noah from Elliot if eh wasn't going to be around.

He's got an apartment here Olivia thought as she continued to think about the discussion between herself and Don in regards to Elliot and Noah. Elliot had told her over the phone the other day that he had an apartment here in New York now and that was a clear sign he planned to stick around. It's a temporary home, he's going back to North Carolina at some stage Olivia's conscience kicked in, keeping things realistic but causing Olivia to doubt the intentions of Elliot. She knew that just because he now had an apartment, there was no proper sign that he wouldn't move back to North Carolina. He could be planning to be here to make sure that she properly recovers and then simply head back to North Carolina. But if he was going to go back to North Carolina eventually, he wouldn't be there now grabbing his things to move into the new place Olivia debated again, she could easily feel the two sides of the situation going over and over in her head as she tried to process things through. There was really nothing at the moment though that she could do as Elliot was away and she didn't want to discuss this over the phone nor did she feel like it was particularly her place at the moment. But she knew she should just focus on spending more time with him, introducing Elliot to Noah and taking things a day at a time. The events of the future would lay out the exact way that they are supposed to when they are supposed to and there is really not point in trying to make things any different, just take it all as it comes.

E; Hey, how's it going? I'm sitting at the airport, waiting for my flight back to New York and wanted to check in. Elliot texted, hoping that Olivia would see his message and decide to respond. He'd spoken to her last a couple of days ago when he'd called her simply to talk. She'd told him all about her adventures at the park with Noah and dinner with Don, he'd warned her about over doing things and she denied it. However, he could tell something with her had been off over the phone, she seemed a little closed off and he wondered what was going on. Elliot hadn't brought it up over the phone though as he didn't want to overstep the boundaries, when they had made so much progress recently.
O: Hey yourself, I'm good. Currently sitting watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse with Noah as it's raining and we can't go to the park. How are you? How was your time with the kids? Olivia replied and Elliot smiled, he knew that she would be a little disappointed not to go out but part of him was glad for that considering that she was still supposed to be taking it easy.
E: It was nice, both the twins send their regards and hope you're better soon.
O: That's nice. What time does your flight get in? Olivia asked, Elliot knew she was trying to change the topic a little off her and on to him.

E: About 7pm tonight, so should be home around 8-8:30ish Elliot responded, he honestly wasn't sure what Olivia might be getting at here, whether this was just pleasant conversation or something else. He figured that at that time of night, Olivia would likely be home and Noah would likely be in bed. So he wasn't sure exactly she would be up to going out somewhere else, but if she were to invite him somewhere else then she certainly wouldn't say no.
O: Not too late then, that is good. Would you like to come to the park with Noah and I tomorrow if it's not raining again? Olivia texted and Elliot smiled, she was here offering him time to get together.
E: That sounds wonderful, I'd love to. But how about if it does end up raining, we could meet up for coffee? I happen to know a great café that I used to take the twins to when they were younger which was very child friendly Elliot suggested, he wasn't sure what the weather in New York was going to be doing tomorrow but if it did end up raining he still wanted an opportunity to catch up with Olivia again.
O: Great! I'll text you in the morning to confirm what time and where but I'm glad you can come. Now have a safe flight and text me when you land, just so I know you got back ok Olivia responded, Elliot couldn't help but smile at the phone, clearly she was here caring for his safety and travels just as much as he cares for her.
E: Will do, enjoy Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and the evening with Noah…I look forward to meeting him soon Elliot replied the final time before placing his phone down again, he was really looking forward to tomorrow now. There had been so much which had happened in his time away from New York and if he was honest, he just wanted his friend to be able to tell this all to. So, he was rather glad to be getting back to New York tonight and seeing Olivia tomorrow.

A/N: Thoughts? Let me know what you thought of this chapter in the reviews? :)