When I Lay Our Baby Down
Chapter 10 Come up for air
Olivia ran her head through her hair and let out a frustrated growl as she tried to make sense of the information taped on the chalkboard. As she brainstormed and mulled information over in her mind she wrote the information next to corresponding photos and then erased the graphite when it was apparent to her that the theory wouldn't work.
"Frustrated?" Elliot asked offering a cup of coffee and leaning against his desk.
"Elliot." She pointed to the board, "There's nothing here! This is ridiculous!" she shook her head and took a sip of her coffee, the taste caused her to smile. "Where'd you find hazelnut?"
"I've got connections that extend to places you can't even pronounce." He smiled playfully.
Olivia returned his smile taking a few steps to close the gap between them, "How do you always get my coffee right? Especially when you use Munch's coffee as the base…it's got to be difficult." She stood closer to him.
Elliot noticed the smile but also the uncertainty in her eyes, "You okay after last night Liv?"
She smiled blushing as she casually took a last step closing the gap completely, "Depends on what part of last night your talking about. Are you tal-"
"If you two get any closer, I'll be forced to vomit." Fin interjected as he walked past reading a file.
Olivia and Elliot smiled at the fact that they'd been caught flirting at work. She turned back to the board and stared, "Got any Ideas Elliot?"
"Well, what did you get out of Sylvia Vinville? He folded his arms as they bounced ideas off one another.
"Nothing really, other than she takes some king of happy pill." She scoffed "No one is that happy."
"Did she ask anything specific from you?" He asked her trying to trigger her memory.
"No. Nothing. Although, she did say she was pleased when the women with children came to the group." She turned and took a drink of her coffee. "She wasn't pushy or creepy, just obnoxiously giddy."
"So maybe she's feeling you out?" Elliot suggested picking up chalk and underlining the woman's photo. "Maybe she's our perp."
"That doesn't make sense though." She picked up another piece of chalk.
"Why not?" Elliot shrugged.
"Well," Olivia put an astrix next to the medical report pinned to the wall, "All the victims were raped with evidence of penile penetration, how is a female suppose to pull that off?"
"Well," Elliot looked at the board, "I guess we can also raise the question, "How can a woman as small as Sylvia," he said pointing to her picture and then the pictures of the beaten husbands, "cause this much physical damage to men twice her size?"
"Well," Fin called to them from his desk mocking Elliot's previous tone, "Maybe Liv's right and there's nothing there." He offered still buried in his own case file.
Olivia looked closely at the board and slipped her hands in her back pocket. She spoke softly as if she were speaking only to herself. "No. It's here, I'm starting right at it…I just don't see it."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
After having spent all of Thursday and Friday staring at the board brainstorming, filling out paperwork, theorized as to motive and suspect and chased leads that led to nowhere, it was time for Olivia and Elliot to go home.
"Surprised you didn't catch a case El." She laughed softly putting copies of the information from the board into her workbag. That was what the crew called the 'Elliotic Curse'. It seemed that nine times out of ten, when he was getting ready to leave for home he'd catch a case.
"Wouldn't matter, with the undercover work Cragen won't let us have any new cases."
"Yeah, thanks for the extra work load." Munch called peering over his glasses from his desk.
"Shut up John." Elliot and Olivia spoke simultaneously and laughed as they gathered their belongings and left the bullpen. As they walked down the hall Olivia stopped.
"Hey El, can I ask a favor?" She asked seriously.
"Sure what's up?" He placed his hand on the small of her back urging her to keep in stride with him.
"Um Casey wanted Alex and I to come over after work…would you mind?" She asked with a since of hope in her voice that cause Elliot to laugh.
"Liv," He smiled, "You don't have to ask me to go out." He assured her.
"I know, I just didn't want to stick you alone with Isaac, he's still breast feeding and its Friday night." She reminded him just in case he would change his mind.
"You have some milk in the fridge right?" He clarified.
"Yeah, there's enough and I'll have my phone on in ca-"
"Liv-" He kissed her forehead, "Have fun tonight!" he smiled and walked out of the station house.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Olivia," Casey greeted her with a smile at the door, "I'm glad you came," Casey embraced her and took the bag of soda from her hand. "I thought it would be next to impossible to get you separated from Isaac and Elliot in the same night."
"Well, I think Elliot knew I needed a night away." She smiled, "This case is driving me up the wall." She laughed.
"Anything I can do?" Casey asked offering a soda from the bag.
"Yeah, show me the movies you rented." She grinned trying to lighten the mood as she read the titles, "Amityville Horror…Saw…Exorcist…Casey!" Olivia laughed, "I don't get sleep as it is."
"Oh come on, those aren't scary." Casey laughed, "More like psychological thrillers you could say."
"Never knew you were a horror flick chic." Olivia smiled imagining Casey watching a scary movie alone.
'Well, I didn't get to curl up to Paul, so I didn't watch them…but now." She blushed letting Olivia imagine whatever.
"Hey, you girls talking about me?" Paul smiled walking into the kitchen.
"Paul!" Olivia smiled happy to see him, "I didn't know you were here." She embraced him with friendly warmth. "How are you?"
"I'm great, gonna go out so you girls can do…whatever three gorgeous women do." He laughed and walked closer to Casey in the kitchen. As he walked behind her he grazed her mid drift and hip as he kissed her cheek softly. Olivia smiled seeing the couple falling back in love with one another.
"Need anything else before I go?" He asked Casey.
"Yeah, actually, can you fix that blind? Scary movies tonight…the living room has to be dark." She laughed playfully as Olivia rolled her eyes.
Paul moved to the window and pulled the vertical blinds to the right, "Whoa- Hey Casey – Liv, come here." He called to them with a boyish grin.
"What?" Casey asked as her and Liv approached the window.
"Look" he pointed down two floors to the street, "Isn't that Alex?" he asked.
"Whoa" Casey's mouth seemed to be stuck open in shock.
Olivia raised her eyebrows in shock, "Yeah, that's Alex…but I think a more appropriate question is-"
Casey finally managed to compose a question and cut Olivia off, "Who's the guy she's kissing?"
"She gonna come up for air?" Paul laughed.
"I don't think so." Olivia smiled back.
"Well she better, she's got the pizza in that car and at the rate she's going it'll be cold." Casey informed them.
"Anybody think that watching Alex right now is wrong?" Olivia asked out of curiosity but certainly not turning from the view.
"Only if we don't have popcorn." Casey said matter of factly.
"Alright, alright, shows over ladies." Paul closed the blinds and clipped two of the fallen vertical slats back into position before walking to the hall to leave.
"Case." He called to her as he patted his back pockets.
"Yeah honey?" She called back after taking another peek out the window and seeing no evidence of Alex.
"I lost my wallet again." He confessed.
Olivia watched as Casey walked to the exact spot she knew it would be as if he always placed his wallet in the same area. Casey walked to Paul and kissed his mouth separating his lips with her tongue as she slipped the wallet into his back pocket. "I'll see you tonight." She smiled and then shut the door and turned to see a very smiling Olivia.
"What?" Casey blushed as she wiped the remnants of the kiss from the corner of her mouth.
"Nothing," Olivia shrugged. "But between you and Alex, I guess there's no need for a chic flick tonight." She giggled.
"Shut up!" Casey laughed.
"How are you two love birds anyway?" Olivia asked taking a sip of her soda.
"Were doing good, counseling has completely changed the dynamic…" Casey paused.
"But?" Olivia spurred her on.
Casey exhaled and leaned onto the kitchen countertop, "Paul asked if I wanted to try for a baby."
"And?" Olivia smiled at the confession.
Casey beamed, "I told him I'd think about it a couple of months ago," Her beam turned into a blushing smile, "We started trying last night."
Olivia raised her brows as she smiled, "Case, that's great!"
"Yeah, I'm excited." She smiled like a schoolgirl and then was startled by the knock at the door.
"Oh, that's Alex." Olivia jumped up, "Let's tag team her."
"Your cold" Casey laughed "But I'm in." She walked to the door opening it for Alex.
"Alex! Good to have you." Casey smiled passing the pizza to Olivia who set it on the counter top.
"Yeah, even if you are late." Olivia teased.
"I know, I'm sorry." Alex followed them into the kitchen. Enrique puked on me, so, I had to go home and change.
"Someone put their tongue down his throat?" Casey quipped as if it were a standard question.
"Excuse me?" Alex gave a confused smile.
"Tell me something Alex," Olivia folded her arms and circled her as if she were a perp. "where were you, say, five minutes ago."
Alex was still confused but decided to answer in order to pacify her own curiosity. "I was pulling up to the building." She offered a short and concise answer.
"You were driving?" Casey shifted into prosecutor mode.
Alex laughed, "Guys, what's up?"
"Answer the question" Olivia encouraged, "Were you driving?"
"Why do I have the feeling-"
"Why won't you answer the question?" Casey smiled, "Must be hiding something."
Olivia smiled, "I bet that something is about six foot and maybe two hundred and twenty pounds huh?"
Alex blushed, "Busted."
"Who's Enrique?" Casey pressed.
"Wait a second." Alex laughed, "Enrique is a student of mine that had the flu today." She justified herself.
"Okay," Casey gave her that round, "Then who's the guy you were locking lips with?"
"No one." Alex tried to sidestep the tag team but Olivia stood in front of her.
"Didn't look like no one the way he was kissing you." Casey suggested.
"A cop and a prosecutor," Alex sighed, "Theres no way out is there?"
"Nope." Olivia offered.
"Huh uh." Casey chimed.
"Fine," Alex caved. "His name is Robert Gray, he's a middle school teacher I meant at a conference about two months ago."
"Two months!" Olivia asked shocked.
"Gee, thanks for sharing Alex." Casey pouted.
"Come on guys it's not like that, I really like him and I wanted to make sure there was something to talk about before I said anything." She spoke apologetically.
"Does he treat you well?" Olivia asked seriously.
"Far beyond what deserve."
"Does he make you happy?" Casey asked pulling plates from the cupboard.
"Yeah, I really enjoy him." She answered looking at the videos and giving Olivia a questioning look to which she mouthed silently, "Not me." In her own defense.
"All right girls," Alex smiled, "Enough third degree, it's show time." She smiled holding a video in her hand.
"Hey Alex" Olivia sat slowly on the couch.
"Yeah?" She responded handing the DVD to Casey who was setting the TV for viewing.
"You realize," Olivia smiled, "Elliot and I will be running a background check right?" she chuckled pulling a pillow into her lap.
"I had a feeling you would."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Olivia tiptoed through the house stopping first to find Isaac's crib empty. She continued padding lightly across the hall to the master bedroom that was equally empty. Olivia was growing slightly nervous until she saw the pale light of the office room glowing.
She stood smiling and then remembered the camera. She continued moving about the house quietly until she located the camera and returned to her sleeping family. She laughed inwardly as she took the picture of Elliot's boxer clad body leaned back in the desk chair, his bare feet resting on the desk with Isaac on one shoulder. He held a bottle in one hand while his other hand rested on paperwork he must have fallen asleep trying to complete.
Olivia sat the camera down and gently pried her sleeping son from her husband's arms. She returned shortly after laying Isaac in his crib and gathered the bottle and blanket, smiling at the paperwork that was hers. Elliot was good to her; always making sure her needs came before his own. She ran her hand over his shadowed cheek and kissed him gently. "Elliot" She whispered his name softly causing him to stir and then grimace in pain.
"Oh my neck." He moaned looking up at her from his chair and smiling. "Hi."
"Hi." She smiled kissing his again and resting her hand on his abdomen. Elliot kissed her back wondering if she knew that the simple act of resting her hand on his abdomen drove him crazy with desire for her. Her touch was entirely soft, he could barely feel her fingertips but that was what was so sexy about it. He didn't know why, but when she did it he wanted her immediately.
"How was your night out?" He asked moving his feet from the desk and pulling her into his lap.
"Well, three horror flicks…I'll be sleeping pretty close to you tonight." She smiled resting in his embrace. "How was Isaac?"
"He peed on me." Elliot laughed.
"What is with the bodily functions today?" Olivia asked remembering Alex's excuse for being late. "How did he end up pulling that off?" She asked out of sheer curiosity.
"I didn't get the new diaper on in time…water pistol." He laughed and looked at his watch. "We don't have to go to work tomorrow." He kissed her cheek softly.
"Want me to get the knot out of your neck?" she asked pulling herself to her feet and offering her hand to him.
"I just want you to touch me." He smiled softly.
Olivia looked at him and then suddenly pieced the night together; Elliot had fallen asleep with Isaac for a reason other than Isaac being fussy.
"Nightmare?" She asked softly as he stood to his feet.
"Yeah. Same on." He confessed.
Olivia whispered softly in his ear as she walked backwards leading him into the bedroom. "I'll protect you."
Elliot smiled, "Good to know." He kissed her gently and laid her softly on the bed.
"Turn over, I'll do your back." She whispered as he kissed her neck and seemed as if he wouldn't stop. "El, come on…we need to get that knot out." She felt her skin beg for more as he left her body and lay on his abdomen.
Olivia straddled his back and massaged his body slowly hearing the satisfaction of his moans as she worked knots and muscles. When she was confidant he should be feeling better she leaned down and kissed the back of his neck, making her way down his spine and lower back. She repositioned herself and whispered playfully, "Guess who's got a boyfriend?"
Elliot tried to turn but opted to feel her hands against him instead, "Munch?"
"Try Alex." She smiled feeling Elliot's body move as he laughed.
"That's great! Is she happy?" he asked muffled from his pillow.
"Yeah, looks that way." She kissed his cheek. "Guess who wants to try for another baby?" she asked and felt Elliot's body shift under her until he was facing her. He pulled her into a kiss and then separated with a smile, "Us?" he offered a sincere answer that caused Olivia to rest back on his hips.
"Excuse me?" she smiled.
"Us." He repeated simply.
"Um…you realize Isaac isn't even seven months old right?" she repositioned herself again and kissed him. "Are you being serious?" she asked again.
"Would you want to have another one?" he asked running his fingertips over her back.
"I hadn't thought about it, but it's not like were using protection." She smiled.
"Wait…your not on anything?" He asked seriously.
Olivia smiled in shock, "How do you think we got Isaac."
"I thought that was just us forgetting the condom on the first time." He laughed realizing that they had been having unprotected sex since they'd been married and neither one was particularly upset about it.
Olivia kissed him again. "Do you want another baby?"
"I don't know." He smiled. "We could always go for a girl."
"Well, what do you say we keep doing what were doing and see what happens?" she offered.
Elliot smiled caressing her neck, "Sounds good to me."