The penthouse had emptied quickly; with Elliot, Jim, and Olivia packing up all of the boxes while Alex was at work, the move did not seem half as bad as it could have been. After a few trips down the service elevator, and a few trips to Olivia's apartment, the stacks of boxes seemed to go from Alex's living room, to Olivia's living room.
By noon, Olivia was back at her apartment trying to finish every last detail, from clearing some drawers for Alex, to changing the sheets; the seasoned detective was brimming with excitement. After years of painful longing, she was finally getting the life she wanted, with the woman she loved.
Olivia strode down the hallway to find her two merry movers asleep on the couch. Smiling, she carefully nudged Elliot and Jim awake. Jim jolted, slightly startled.
"W-what's wrong?" he yawned.
"Nothing, you guys want to grab something to eat?"
Stretching, the men nodded in affirmation. Jim gathered his coat and keys,
"Where were you thinking?" he asked.
Olivia and Elliot glanced at each other,
"Vincent's?" Olivia asked.
Elliot grinned and nodded, "Vincent's."
Olivia took one last look around. One room in particular caught her eye: the guest room.
"What do you guys think about clearing out the guest room?" she asked.
Elliot and Jim turned from the couch,
"What about it?" Elliot asked. He couldn't fathom how many nights he had slept in that room while he and Kathy were separated.
"The baby is going to be here in less than five months. She's gonna need a room." Jim stated.
Elliot grinned, "What makes you so sure it's a girl?"
Jim smiled, "I figured I had a fifty-fifty shot. I just got a feeling about this."
"I think you're full of shit, Jim. But that's exactly what I was thinking. The baby is going to need a room. As to whether it's a boy or a girl, we won't know until February. Alex wants to be surprised…" Liv said, staring at her hands, "…All I want is the baby to be healthy."
"That's the same way Kathy and I were with Eli. We just wanted a healthy baby, boy or a girl." Elliot stated.
Olivia bit her lip and took a seat on the loveseat behind her,
"Was your stomach in knots while Kathy was pregnant?"
Both Jim and Elliot resumed sitting on the sofa,
"Of course. There's a lot of emotion involved when you find out the woman you love is pregnant, Liv. There's fear, excitement, nervousness. Until that baby is born, you're gonna be walkin' on eggshells. But it's worth it, Liv. It is completely worth it."
Olivia nodded in acceptance,
"She's been through so much. I just want her and the baby to be safe, happy and healthy."
Jim leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees,
"Olivia, I guarantee you now that she is with you, she is much safer and feels safer. She is right where she needs to be, and that's with you. I know I'm sounding sappy and sentimental, but it's the honest to God truth."
"Thanks, Jim. Thanks both of you; no way in hell would I have been able to get all those boxes here myself. After Alex gets off of work I'll take her by the penthouse and we'll see if there's any furniture she wants to keep."
Elliot rose from the couch,
"I say we get the bed and the dresser moved from out of your guest room, stick it in the back of Rick's truck, and we'll put it in storage for you. Then we'll grab lunch. Sound good?" he stated.
Olivia nodded, Jim rose from the couch and strode over to the guest room, peering in the door,
"Quick question, nothing too urgent, but uhm- how're we gonna get a queen sized mattress, box spring, bed, and dresser out of this building?"
Elliot and Olivia shot each other puzzled glances. Jim turned back around,
"Lunch is on me." He said as he walked out the door. Grinning, Olivia and Elliot followed.
= = AO = =
After one too many meetings with various members of the eighth floor, Alexandra Cabot was more than ready to go home. Wading through pile after pile legal motions, records, etc. was beginning to take a toll on her hormones, and going from meeting to meeting was taking a toll on her ankles. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the clock struck three fifteen, and the pile of finished papers outgrew the pile of unfinished papers. She grabbed her belongings and headed for the door.
Flipping open her cell phone, she dialed the number that had become second nature to her fingers. Pressing the elevator button as the dial tone rang in her ear, she waiting patiently for a voice at the other end of the phone.
"Benson."
"Hey, what are your plans for tonight?" Alex asked.
"That depends, how are you feeling? You tired? Or are you hungry?"
"I'm a tad mixture of both. You want to meet up for take-out at my place?"
"I'll tell you what, how about you head home and change, and then meet me over here for dinner?"
"Sounds like a plan."
"I'll see you in a little bit, okay?"
"Okay."
Alex flipped the phone shut and entered the elevator.
Olivia grinned to the other gentlemen sitting across the table from her,
"She's gonna be at her house any minute. I need a lift back to her place. I've got an idea."
= = = AO = = =
Alex fiddled with her keys as she reached the door to the penthouse. As she placed her key in the lock, the door slid open. Silently, Alex cursed Olivia for leaving the penthouse open, yet again. As she stepped into the apartment, she was taken aback at the sight; the apartment was empty, except for a few random pieces of furniture, such as the couch, and the refrigerator. She walked to the couch, and was surprised to see Olivia, laying on the couch, her chest slowly rising and falling with her slumber filled breaths.
Alex dropped her keys on Olivia's stomach, sending Liv into a mild jolt.
"Oh, I was hoping to meet you here. I th-"
"Can it, detective. Where's my stuff?" Alex demanded.
"Well, it was here when I fell asleep…maybe, aw damn it. Those damned repo gremlins must have walked off with all of your stuff!"
"This isn't a joke, Olivia. Where is it?"
"Calm down, Alex. I am well aware of where your things are. First, let's go to my place and we'll figure out how to get it all back."
= = = AO = = =
By the time they had reached Olivia's apartment building, she had been heard every insult and not-nice-comment that could be thrown at her. Olivia was well aware that the main reason of Alex's rant was hormones, but she still couldn't help but feel a little hurt at some of the comments. She tried to remind Alex to "relax" and to "think of the baby," but the more she said that, the more scorn she received.
Olivia went around to the passenger's side of her Mustang and chivalrously helped Alex out of the car. Unfortunately, her act of chivalry was left unrewarded; Olivia had successfully tweaked the nerve that unleashed the wrath of a pregnant ADA. Allowing Alex to think that Elliot had the place cleared and impounded was one of the worst mistakes she could have made during this nine-month incubation of their child.
Finally, the elevator reached the fourth floor of Olivia's apartment building, and not a second too soon. Olivia allowed Alex to exit the elevator first in hopes to alleviate the tension that she had created.
"How could you be so careless, Olivia? You're a detective, for Christ's sake! You could have at least flashed your badge and signed an impound waiver! Why in the hell didn't you call me?"
"Alex, can we argue once we get inside the apartment?" Olivia asked as she opened the door.
"Don't you dare try to condescend me, Olivia. I have no idea where m-" Alex's rant ceased as she caught a glimpse of the various boxes and familiar furniture that was scattered about the apartment. Alex gasped as she suddenly realized what had actually happened; the NYPD didn't abscond with her furniture; her girlfriend took the liberty of moving her in while she was at work. Olivia grinned as she noticed the astonishment on Alex's face,
"I thought it would be less stress for you if Jim, Elliot and I moved you in while you were at work. I guess I didn't think the 'grand reveal' through all the way." she smiled.
Alex turned to face Olivia,
"Liv, I'm so sorry, I-I thought th-"
Alex wrapped her arms around Olivia's neck and Olivia wrapped her arms around Alex's waist,
"Don't worry about it. I just want to make things as easy as I can for you and the baby, which brings me to my next surprise."
"What? I don't think I can handle another surprise!" Alex sighed. Olivia placed her hands over Alex's eyes and guided her over to the now empty guest room.
"….just wait, one second. Keep your eyes closed," Olivia stated.
She carefully lead Alex through the door frame of the empty room and removed her hands from Alex's eyes,
"…now open them."
Alex's eyes fluttered open as she took in the sight of the empty room. Olivia walked to the center of the room,
"What'dya think?" Liv asked.
Not quite understanding the significance, a confused expression crossed Alex's features,
"It's an amazingly empty room, Liv. What am I seeing?"
"Well, if we put a crib in here, changing table over there, maybe a dresser, a coat of paint, and we'd have one hell of a nice baby room! There's a door to the hallway and a door to our room, too."
Alex placed her hand over her stomach,
"Liv, I don't know what to say. How did you do all this in one day?"
"Jim and Elliot helped out a little bit." she smirked.
Olivia crossed the room and took Alex's hands in her own,
"This is just the beginning, Lex. It's all going to work out. I'm taking care of Robert, so you'll never have to see or hear from him again."
Alex looked down at the hands holding her own,
"Funny you should mention hearing from Robert," she began. Olivia looked at her quizzically,
"…he called me yesterday afternoon. In fact, he was the one who called me when you dropped me off."
The grin slowly melted from Olivia's face,
"….what did he say?" she stated. Alex didn't quite know how to respond. She tried to retrieve the words that she had fought so hard to suppress. Unfortunately, they all too quickly returned,
"He said that he forgave me for going to the police. He told me that this child is our connection; that as long as I kept this baby, he would have a way, or more of an excuse, back into my life. He said that money talks, and his fortune spoke volumes. He's never going to see prison, Jim. He's exactly right. The jury is going to see a wealthy expectant father with hopes and ambitions to start a family; not the disgusting, rat bastard he is."
Olivia shook her head; she wasn't quite disappointed, wasn't disgusted, she was outright pissed. For once in her life, Olivia Benson decided to rid herself of all restraint to put his ass ten feet under. Her anger became apparent,
"He forgives you? Why the hell should you be forgiven? You've done nothing wrong! It's his creepy, narcissistic, bull-shitting, slimy, bastard ass who should need forgiving! Tell him he's gonna rot in hell."
"I think that was the point I got across." Alex grinned. Suddenly, Olivia's anger seemed to subside with Alex's smile. Olivia's shoulders dropped, her jaw unclenched, and she placed a chaste kiss on Alex's cheek,
"He's never going to lay a hand on you or your…our baby ever again. I'll see to it." she stated with every ounce of conviction she had. Alex found herself, once again, with tears in her eyes at the sudden gentile words that Olivia had just spoken. She sighed and dabbed at her eyes with the back of her hand,
"These damn hormones…"
"Don't worry about those damn hormones. I can take whatever you're gonna dish out." Liv grinned.
Swallowing the lump in her throat, Alex smirked,
"By the way, He told me how eager he is to see his new little girl. And yes, he has it set in his mind that I'm pregnant with a girl. I guess contact with the cosmos comes quicker in jail."
Olivia placed her hand gently on Alex's swollen stomach, Alex placed her hand atop Olivia's,
"I don't think it's a girl. I think it's a boy." she stated, staring into Olivia's chestnut-brown eyes.
"The whole damn precinct and the whole damn DA's office has bets on what the gender is of the baby. Munch, Fin, and Elliot are all convinced it's a boy. Please, prove them wrong."