God Bless The Broken Road
(Chapter Ten: Forever With You)
Olivia woke to the sound of Hannah's little coos and playful sounds over the baby monitor. She rolled over and smiled as she looked up at it. If she woke up like this every day for the rest of her life she would be the happiest woman in the world. She sat up on the edge of the bed and sank her toes into the plush carpet as she stretched. She stood up and pulled her robe from the back of the bedroom door. She slipped it on over her tank top and boxer shorts and headed down the hall to greet her daughter.
Elliot returned to his room from taking a shower and smiled at the sound of the beautiful little girl making all of her little happy baby sounds from the next room. He still could not believe this was his daughter. He pulled the blankets back neatly making the bed and put his shaving kit of toiletries back into his suitcase zipping it shut and sitting it in the closet.
He walked down the hallway to greet his baby girl and spend a little time bonding with her not just as Olivia's daughter, but as his as well. Elliot quietly turned the door knob as Hannah's coos calmed and quieted. He pushed the door open and peered inside, but what he saw was not what he had expected at all.
Olivia was sitting in the rocking chair nursing the baby. Elliot felt his jaw drop and he lost all words as her eyes flashed up to look at his. She quickly pulled her robe from the back of the rocking chair and covered herself.
"I….I'm….sorry, Liv." Elliot stuttered as he backed out of the room pulling the door shut behind him. He leaned against the wall in the hallway for a minute to collect his thoughts and allow his brain to register all that had just happened. He stumbled to the kitchen and started a pot of strong coffee. After what had just happened he had a feeling they were both going to need it.
About fifteen minutes later he heard Olivia emerge from the nursery and head for the bathroom across the hall. He waited as his heart pounded in his chest, he felt almost like a child waiting in the principal's office after being caught doing something bad. He felt awful for walking in on her like that. He had no idea she was even awake yet. He had opened the nursery door to peek in at Hannah sleeping before he had gotten in the shower twenty minutes before and the house was still. When he heard Hannah, his intention was to get her so Olivia could sleep in. He had really messed this up. This wasn't the first thing he had ever messed up when it came to Olivia.
Elliot raised his eyes to look up at her as she carried a now fully clothed Hannah into the kitchen and sat her in her high chair buckling her in. Olivia said nothing. Infact she didn't even look at him as she moved around the kitchen and prepared Hannah's bottle. She handed the bottle to the baby and walked past Elliot and into her bedroom. He heard the shower start and a few minutes later she returned wearing his favorite pair of her jeans and a tank top.
Elliot poured a cup of coffee and slid it across the island to her, not saying a word. Olivia took a deep breath as she wrapped her fingers around the cup and pulled it to her lips. She exhaled softly and shifted her eyes up to meet his.
"Olivia, I didn't mean to…. I should have knocked. I wasn't thinking. I just heard her and I thought I would go get her and let you sleep in. I didn't even realize you were awake. I sure didn't think that you were in there….."
She smiled at him. "It's okay. Besides, it is nothing you haven't seen before, right?"
"Not under those conditions."
She laughed. "Five kids and you have never seen Kathy breastfeeding?"
"That is different."
She looked at Hannah sitting in her high chair and then back at Elliot.
"Elliot. It was and accident. I know that." She smiled again.
"What?"
"The look on your face." She laughed. "I thought you were going to have a heart attack."
"Yeah, I thought I was too. I thought you just gave her formula. I didn't realize that you…."
"Breastfed?" He was working his way into a stutter again so she figured she would help him out.
"Well, yeah."
"I did when she was younger. It is so much better for the baby. Then when I went back to work I would just pump and leave it for her. As she got bigger and I got busier at work that became a challenge and we had to start her on formula. I still nurse her once at night before she goes to sleep and in the mornings before I leave for work. It is kind of like our time, you know. Just me and her. And this way she still gets some of what she needs from the breast milk. I guess I should have told you."
"I don't know why you would."
"I mean, I should have told you that I nurse her in the mornings. Then you would have known to knock on the door before you opened it."
He looked into her eyes and they both laughed.
"I will knock from now on, I promise."
EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO
That evening Elliot cooked dinner for the two of them. Olivia sat across from him at the dining room table sipping slowly on a glass of wine. Her soft wavy hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail with a few little strands that hung loose around her face. She wore jeans and a black tank top and her skin kind of glowed from her summer tan. Her smile was beautiful and Elliot could not help but stare quietly and think of how badly he had messed up when he left her to go back to Kathy.
"Just a few more days until the wedding," he said trying to make conversation as she spread her food around with her fork.
"Yeah," she said smiling. "You're gonna stay, right?"
"Yeah, I can do that."
"Good. Because I really want you there. His entire family is coming in for this. I don't have anyone. If you aren't there."
"I'll be there," he said reaching across the table to hold her hand. He knew it was going to hurt to watch her marry someone else. But he also knew what it meant to her to have him there. And he couldn't let her down again.
Olivia smiled a soft smile. "I have my dress. I picked it up this morning. Do you want to see it?"
"Sure," he said as she her face lit up and she walked quickly to the hall closet.
She pulled our the white satin gown. It was beautiful. Strapless with a long skirt and train. Elliot tried to imagine how she would look in it. "It is pretty, Liv."
"Give me a minute. I have not tried it on since they altered it."
She carried the dress to her bedroom and returned a few minutes later wearing the gown. She looked amazing.
Elliot watched her as she picked up part of her layered skirt and walked across the room and took a large mirror off the wall sitting it in the floor to look into it at her reflection.
She smoothed her hands down the beaded bodice of the gown and onto her hips. Then turned to her side to look at it from that angle as well.
"What do you think?"
"You look amazing. Jack is a very lucky man."
Olivia smiled.
"I'm a lucky woman."
She raised her hands and held her hair up a little higher still trying to decide how she would have it fixed. A few minutes later she went into the bedroom to remove the wedding dress, but realized that the zipper was stuck. She picked up her skirt and returned to the living room asking Elliot for assistance.
Elliot stood behind Olivia as she raised her hair up for him to fix the zipper. He took a deep breath and tried not to notice things like how soft and warm the skin on her back was. How this strapless dress made her perfect shoulders and toned arms look so sexy. And the way she held her hair up exposed a small mole on the side of her neck and just a little behind her ear. Elliot remembered all the times his mouth somehow found it's way there placing baby kisses in that exact spot until she just couldn't take it anymore. Then they would make love and fall asleep together.
"There you go," Elliot said softly taking a deep breath as he stepped back. He had to let this go. In two days Olivia would be another man's wife.
She moved one hand to hold the top of the dress up as she looked over her shoulder at him and smiled. "Thank you," she said softly as he stared into her eyes. Olivia let her hair down and picked up her skirt again, moving once more to the bedroom to change her clothes.
Even that look was sexy as hell. He wanted her more than he had ever wanted anyone in his life. But she was in love with Jack and he was pretty sure that she didn't think of him like that anymore.
EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO
That night as Olivia laid in bed she heard a noise from the baby monitor. She sat up trying to decide if she should go check on Hannah. Just then she heard Elliot's voice speaking softly to the baby as he watched her sleep. Olivia laid back down and closed her eyes.
Elliot sat in the floor beside the crib and watched the little angel inside as she slept. He reached through the bars and twirled his fingers in her hair.
"I don't understand it," he said softly to his sleeping daughter. "How you can be so perfect and still be a part of me. I have screwed up so many things in my life. But you are one of the few things that I did right. I should be here with you. I should have made us a family when I had the chance to, you, me and mommy. But I screwed it up angel. I left mommy and I broke her heart. And I ruined everything we had together. I hurt her and I will never forgive myself for that. But what is worse is that I continue to lie to her every day. I want her to be happy. And she is happy here with Jack. I know Jack is a good guy to you both, but she shouldn't marry him. She should marry me, Hannah. And give me the chance to make right everything I wronged. I love her. I love her more than I have ever loved anyone in my life. I will probably always love her. And I never got over her. I have missed her every second that I was away from her. And now that I am here with you both, I don't want to leave without you. But I guess things in life don't always work out the way we want them to. Because if they did I would take you and mommy back home to New York with me. And I would marry her and never leave either of you ever again. So you do me a favor, will you? The next time that you and mommy are talking, you put in a good word for me."
Elliot took a deep breath and sat quietly just watching her for a moment.
"You sleep tight my little angel," he said as he placed a soft kiss on her little forehead and turned to walk out of the room. As he did he looked up to see Olivia standing in the doorway looking at him.
He walked over to her as she leaned against the wall.
"How much of that did you hear?" He asked.
"Enough," she said with tears in her eyes. "The next time you make a confession to a six month old you should probably turn off the baby monitor," she whispered softly.
"It's alright. It was all stuff you probably needed to hear anyway."
"Elliot…."
She looked at him as the tears rose in her eyes.
"Liv, it's okay. It was just stuff I needed to get off my chest."
He reached up to wipe the tears from her cheek. But as he did and his thumb brushed against her cheek he leaned in to her. It was as if they were drawn together magnetically as his mouth met hers and his thumb moved slowly down the side of her face and under her chin they way it always did before. He thought she would pull away or fight him, but she didn't. Instead her mouth opened as she tipped her head granting him access as his tongue entered it slowly and brushed against hers. For a moment she kissed him back, hungrily like she needed nothing in the world but this kiss to survive on. It was intense and sweet and sexy as hell. Elliot felt his right hand as it found her knee and made it's way up slowly under her thin night gown and caressed the outside of her thigh.
That was when Olivia broke the kiss as she turned her head away from him. She placed her hand against his and pushed it back downward and away from her body as he noticed more tears on her face. She placed her hand softly against his chest and pushed him away from her as she started to walk away. A few steps toward the door and she stopped to turn and look at him.
She had tears now streaming down her face as her eyes stared in to his.
"This can not ever happen again," she said quietly, but sharply as she walked out of the nursery and back into her bedroom where she turned off the monitor and climbed back into bed.
The next morning Olivia sat at the dining room table with a cup of coffee. Hannah was seated beside her mother in her high chair eating a hand full of Cheerios one little "O" at a time. She cooed and said her "ma…ma…ma…ma." Elliot walked in and kissed the baby on the top of her head, then looked up at Olivia who was obviously avoiding making eye contact with him.
Elliot poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down on the other side of the high chair to share breakfast with his daughter. She smiled and began to feed him Cheerios one at a time.
Olivia just sat quietly, unsure of what to say or if she even wanted to speak for that matter. She could not believe she had allowed anything at all to happen the night before. And although it hadn't gone far before she stopped it, it still happened.
"Good morning," Elliot said looking over at her in an attempt to encourage her to talk to him.
Olivia bit her bottom lip and stared at her coffee cup. "Good morning," she mumbled still avoiding eye contact with him.
"I am going to run in to town and pick up a few things. Do you need anything?" He asked as he stood up and walked behind her to put on his shoes.
She stared at her cup and took a deep breath. "Elliot, I am going to marry Jack tomorrow," she said without turning around. But the way she said it sounded more like she was trying to convince herself than Elliot.
"Olivia…"
"No. I made a promise. I promised Jack that I would spend the rest of my life with him. And I am not going back on my word. I know how that feels."
Now she turned her head to look at him. He could see so much in her eyes. She was angry and scared and confused and about to break down.
"And I don't think you should stay here anymore."
"Okay," he said softly and made his way to the spare room to get his suitcase.
Elliot came back into the dining room and kissed the baby then headed out the door. He drove into town and checked into a motel.
That afternoon he had returned from dinner to find a note stuck on his motel room door that he had a package waiting for him in the lobby. Elliot went and picked up a small padded envelope from the front desk and returned to his room to open it. Inside was a burned DVD. Elliot put in the DVD and sat down on the bed.
He could hear Jack talking to Olivia as the picture came into focus. She was laying in the hospital bed in labor about to give birth to Hannah. He watched as Jack held Olivia's hand and coached her through the delivery. Elliot counted as they counted between pushes and cried when he heard Hannah's first cries. He watched with tears in his eyes as Olivia held Hannah for the first time. And he watched her smile as she kissed the tiny baby on the top of her head.
When the film was over Elliot just sat there on the bed trying to collect his thoughts. He picked up the phone and dialed Olivia's number. But before he could hit send someone knocked at the door. Elliot walked over and opened it to see Jack standing there in front of him.
"We need to talk," Jack said as Elliot opened the door letting him in.
Elliot closed the door behind them and looked at Jack.
"Thank you for this," he said pointing at the DVD case.
"I figured you missed it. This way you would at least get to see…."
Both men were quiet for a minute.
"Nothing below the sheet," Jack said as Elliot looked up at him in confusion. "That was what Olivia said when I told her I wanted to film the delivery. She didn't want me to at first, that was our agreement. I set up the tripod across the room so I could be there with her. Now I am really glad I did."
"Me, too." Elliot looked up at him and their eyes met.
"I remember that night like it happened yesterday. It was the scariest night of my entire life. Liv was coming out of the bathroom when she called to me. I looked up and she was standing in a puddle, her water had broke. It was January and we were in the middle of a bad snow storm. I took her to the hospital and her contractions were close. Part of me wasn't sure we would make it in time. The baby was early and we were both so afraid. The doctor gave her an epidural and said she was too far into labor to stop it. I held her hand through every contraction and push. And when that baby was born I had never been more proud of anything. Olivia told me when she found out she was pregnant that there was a chance the baby wasn't mine. But I loved her anyway. Even before she was born, from the second I found out about her. I didn't want to know. I just figured it didn't matter. As long as I loved her she was mine. And part of me still wants to believe that. Olivia told me that the two of you kissed and she asked you to leave. She….we still want you at the wedding tomorrow. I love her with all of my heart. And this time tomorrow she will be my wife. I need to know that this is not going to happen again."
"It isn't," Elliot said looking across the room at his suitcase. "After the wedding tomorrow I am going back to New York. I want to be a part of Hannah's life. She is my kid, I want to be her father. But I am not going to interfere with your life together. Last night was a mistake. And it will never happen again. But I will be back around here every few weeks or so to see Hannah."
Jack just sat and looked at Elliot. He stood up to leave and as he opened the door he turned back to Elliot. "You broke her heart. When you left her and went back to your wife. It made her almost timid and afraid of love. She finally let me in. I would do anything for her and Hannah. And all I want to do is love them forever." And with that he turned and left.
The next afternoon Elliot was at the church waiting for the wedding. He walked down a hall and knocked on the door to the room where Olivia was getting ready. A moment later she opened the door and let him in.
Across the room was the playpen where little Hannah sat in her ruffly white dress and little white headband. She looked so much like Olivia as she looked up at him with her big brown eyes and cooed and smiled. Elliot kissed her gently then walked over to sit next to Olivia in front of the mirror where she had been sitting before he came in.
"Hey," he said softly.
"Hi," she said turning to look at him.
"You look so beautiful, Liv. You are the most beautiful bride I have ever seen."
She smiled at him and he could tell she was nervous.
"Thank you."
"Listen, I'm not going to be able to stay."
Her eyes shifted to his and began to fill with tears.
"Cragen called this morning…..but that isn't really why I am going back."
They both sat quietly for a minute then Elliot pulled a small gift box from his pocket and placed it on the counter beside her.
"It's for you. I got a wedding gift for both of you, it is out with the other gifts. But this one is just for you."
Olivia looked at him and pressed her lips together as she picked up the box. Inside on a silver chain was a small diamond butterfly pendant. Olivia just watched it as it sparkled and shined.
"It reminded me of you. Butterflies always make me think of you."
She looked at him as her tears began to fall. Elliot leaned in and hugged her tight.
"It is going to be okay, Liv. I understand. I want you to be happy. And Jack is an amazing man. He loves you and Hannah and I couldn't have picked anyone better myself. You look beautiful and you are going to have your dream wedding in about an hour. And he will love you forever, the way you deserve to be loved and give you everything you ever wanted. And we are always going to be best friends. And I will come back here as often as I can to see you and Hannah. And you can come to New York. And everything is going to work out. You'll see. I just can't do it, Liv." He laced his fingers in hers. "That part of me that is still in love with you feels like it is dying. I will be okay as long as I know that you and happy and taken care of. But I can't stay sit here and watch as you marry another man. I just can't. I am sorry."
She was crying and she looked into his eyes.
"Elliot."
"Shhhh….come here." He hugged her again and held her for a second then he kissed the top of her head. "I will see you again in a couple of weeks."
"Yeah." She tried to smile.
Elliot walked over and picked up Hannah as Olivia put on the necklace he had given her. He held the baby and kissed her little forehead. "Daddy loves you baby. You be a good girl for mommy. And I will see you again as soon as I can." He kissed her again.
And as Hannah looked up at him and said her little "ma, ma, ma," Elliot slowly walked out of the room.
Olivia sat alone with her baby girl and cried.
EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO
Thirty minutes before time to walk down the aisle and Olivia sat in the little room alone holding her daughter who sat playing with a blush brush. Olivia heard a small tap on the door.
"Liv, look I know I am not supposed to see you before the wedding, but can I come in?" Jacks voice called from the other side of the door.
"Yes," she said softly.
Jack opened the door and quickly stepped inside closing it behind him and locking it to give them privacy.
"I saw Elliot leave. I thought maybe you could use a little company. You look gorgeous."
"Thank you," she said softly trying to hide the fear in her voice.
Jack turned a chair around backward, then picked Hannah up and sat her back into the playpen kissing her gently. He walked back to the chair and sat down beside Olivia taking her hand.
"Tell me what you are thinking," he said softly trying to read the look on her face.
"I don't really know. I'm just nervous, I guess."
"Liv, look at me."
She closed her eyes for a second then turned her head to look at him.
"If you don't want to do this…. It isn't too late to call it off."
She stared at him for a second.
"But your entire family is out there," she whispered softly.
"Baby, look at me for a minute. Think about this. Not everything up to this point, but from right now on. Are you sure this is what you want?"
"You sound like you are trying to talk me out of it."
"No. I just kind of feel like I talked you in to it. I kept pushing you until you said yes. Olivia, I love you. And I love Hannah. But I have to admit the thought of forever scares me a little, too. Don't get me wrong. But I cannot help but wonder if we didn't jump into this a little too fast."
"Yes," she agreed.
"I don't feel like this is the right time for either of us."
Olivia stared at him.
"And I know that you still have feelings for Elliot. He was the love of your life. That is not an easy thing to get over. Olivia, I love you. But I really don't think we should get married. At least not today. I think maybe we should take a little time. And you should figure out whatever this is between you and Elliot. Because I don't want to marry you and always have to wonder if it is really me you are in love with."
Olivia wanted so bad to deny it, but she knew he was right. "Jack, I am so sorry. I didn't realize I still had feelings for him until he came back around."
"Olivia, he will always be around, he is Hannah's father. You can't be married to me and always carry a flame for him."
"I know."
Jack held her hand.
"Go after him. Give it a real try. And if it doesn't workout, you can always find me hanging around the airport trying to pick up women."
She laughed.
"I don't want us to end badly, Jack."
"This is not a bad ending. I care for you, I want you to be happy. And as much as I love you, I am not the one who makes you smile anymore. You should never feel guilty for loving someone Olivia. And as long as you are with me, you feel guilty for caring about him. You are still in love with him."
"Yeah," she admitted out loud for the first time in a long time.
"I would like to still be able to see Hannah. I love her so much, I feel like she is mine."
Olivia smiled. "I'm okay with that. I am sure Elliot would understand."
"Yeah. And we'll stay friends?"
"Okay," she smiled.
Jack brushed back her hair and gently kissed her forehead. He handed her his Jeep keys and squeezed her hand.
"You go out the back. The car seat is in it and it has a full tank. Be careful and keep in touch." He turned to look at the door then back at his watch. "Fifteen minutes. I will stall them until then, give you a little time to get out of town. I'll take care of this." He walked over to Hannah's playpen and picked her up handing her to Olivia. He folded up the playpen for her, then took the baby back in his arms. "Hannah, I love you princess. And I will see you every chance I get to come to New York." He hugged her and kissed her and looked back at Olivia.
She stood up and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Thank you for being so understanding."
Jack kissed her on the forehead. "You'd better get going. It is about a twenty seven hour trip by car."
"Yeah," she said.
"Olivia, why don't you fly? I will call and have a ticket for you on the next flight to JFK. It would be a lot faster and safer with the baby."
Olivia thought about it and looked at Hannah. A Twenty seven hour car trip would be really hard on her.
"You are probably right," she said.
"You can come back later and get your stuff."
"Okay. I'm going to run back to the house and pack some clothes and things for the baby."
"I will call you in a little bit with your flight information."
Olivia picked up Hannah on her hip and slid the diaper bag over her shoulder.
"Jack, thank you."
"Anytime." He smiled and she headed for the car.
That night Hannah and Olivia were on a flight back to New York. It was much shorter than driving, but was still about a five hour trip. They were both exhausted when they arrived and Olivia climbed into the back of a cab heading for Elliot's apartment.
She carried a large duffel bag with their clothes, the baby seat with the diaper bag in it and dragged the playpen behind her with Hannah on her hip as she climbed the steps to Elliot's building.
"New Yorkers," she scoffed as the driver pulled away before she was even up the steps.
She got to the door and buzzed Elliot's apartment as it began to rain. But no one answered. She dropped her things on the step and began looking for her phone
"Shit!" She said realizing she had left her purse in the back seat of the cab and didn't have her cell phone.
Hannah began to cry and Olivia pulled off her jacket and wrapped the baby in it. It was dark and cold and she was now soaked and the rain showed no signs of letting up as the thunder began to boom. Olivia held Hannah tight against her covering her the best she could with the jacket as she began to buzz random apartments hoping someone would have a heart and just let them into the building.
It was nearing three o'clock in the morning when Elliot got home. He had been trying to keep himself busy with work trying not to think about Olivia. But so far it wasn't working. He walked in through the dark hall way to his apartment door. He had just put the key in the door and pushed it open turning on the light when he heard a baby cry behind him.
Elliot turned around to see a drenched and exhausted Olivia curled up in the corner with Hannah in her arms. She had actually been sleeping until they baby had cried and woke her. Elliot dropped his keys in the floor and stared at her in disbelief.
"Olivia?"
"El?"
She sat up a little and looked up at him.
Elliot knelt and took the baby from her arms.
"Liv, what are you doing out here in the hall?"
"I don't have a key," she said shaking her head trying not to cry.
Elliot pulled his jacket off and put it around her. Her hair was still soaked and her clothes were, too. He reached for her hand and helped her to her feet as he helped her drag all of their things inside.
Elliot gave Olivia dry clothes to take a hot shower. He fixed Hannah a warm bottle and held her and fed her. He was so glad to see them both. It broke his heart to leave them behind. When Olivia got out of the shower she held the baby while Elliot sat up her playpen and prepared a little bed for her.
He held his daughter and kissed her and laid her into the playpen, within moments she had fallen asleep. She was warm and safe and loved.
"Why don't you take the bed?" He suggested looking into her tired eyes.
Olivia nodded and sat on the edge as she pulled back the blankets.
Elliot sat in the floor next to it and held her hand.
"I am glad you came back, Liv."
"So am I," she whispered as a tear rolled from her cheek onto the pillow.
Elliot leaned up to kiss her. The kiss started out slow and sweet and got more passionate as it progressed.
"I love you, Olivia." He said staring into her eyes. "I always have. I never stopped loving you."
"I love you, too."
Elliot kissed her again and before long they were in bed together making love. It was slow and sweet and amazing, like it had always been between them. Elliot kissed her like she had never been kissed before as he moved his hands over every inch of her soft skin.
They moaned softly together through several orgasms. Neither of them had ever made love like this. And when they were finished, he held her so tight in his arms and gazed into her beautiful brown eyes as they listened to the storm outside. Elliot held her body close to him and made a silent promise to love and protect her always and to never let her go again. Before long they had fallen asleep in each others arms.
The next morning Elliot opened his eyes to see Olivia sleeping beside him in his tee shirt. Between them in the bed sleeping like an angel laid little Hannah, curled up under the blanket with her pacifier in her mouth.
Elliot smiled and kissed the baby girl, his baby girl as he combed his fingers through her hair. He leaned over and kissed Olivia gently on the forehead as he eyes fluttered open to look in to his.
She smiled at him.
He smiled back and looked back down at Hannah. "I could wake up like this every morning for the rest of my life and I would be the happiest man in the world."
"Yeah?" She asked with a smile.
"Yeah. I have the woman I love more than life and our baby girl right here with me. There is nothing else I need."
"Is your alarm set?"
Elliot reached over and shut it off so it wouldn't wake the baby.
"Nope."
Olivia smiled at him as he laced his fingers in hers.
Elliot picked up his phone and called Cragen to take a personal day. He closed the phone and they went back to sleep for a few hours, the three of them there together.
A few hours later Hannah woke up again and Olivia sat up and nursed her for a little while. She carried her into the kitchen where Elliot was making her favorite pancakes for breakfast and they sat on a barstool at the counter to watch. At breakfast Elliot fed his daughter her very first bite of pancake. She cooed and smiled and giggled.
After breakfast they all got dressed. Elliot called the cab company so they could get Olivia's purse back. Then they made a surprise visit to the precinct to introduce their daughter to everyone.
Olivia carried Hannah as they walked inside.
"Elliot, I thought you needed a personal day," Cragen said as he walked into the bullpen.
"I did," he replied as Olivia stepped in behind him.
"Oh my God," Cragen said hugging Olivia. "Look at you! And she has to be yours."
Olivia smiled as Cragen picked Hannah up.
"Hey, pretty girl," he cooed to her as he looked up at Olivia. "She is beautiful, Liv. What is her name?"
"Hannah."
"Well, hello Hannah."
Cragen looked back up at Olivia. "You know, we all worried about you."
"I didn't do so well at keeping in touch. I'm sorry."
"I figured that was where you were headed when you took your sabbatical," he said looking at Elliot.
Cragen looked back at Olivia. "You know that is the first time I have seen him smile since before you left."
Olivia laughed.
"Well, I have a lot to smile about," Elliot replied. He put his arm around Olivia and kissed the back of her head. "I got my girls back."
Cragen looked up at them, "so you two are finally a couple, huh? Well, it's about time."
"Actually…." Olivia started looking up at Elliot.
"That is my daughter you are holding," Elliot offered up to Cragen.
"Really?"
"Lucky for her she gets her looks from her mother," a voice from behind them said.
"John Munch," Olivia said with a smile as she turned around.
"Hi, Liv." She threw her arms around him and hugged him tight.
"Oh my gosh, Fin!" Olivia reached out to hug him.
"It's good to have you back Olivia."
"You are back, right?" Munch asked.
"Well, I kind of left Denver last minute and came here." She turned and looked at Cragen.
"I still have a position open. Now it isn't for a Senior Detective and the guy I'm needing a partner for is apparently picky and hard to work with." He looked up at Elliot.
Olivia smiled.
"Actually, I would have to do a little rearranging to cover all of our butts. But if you want to come back Olivia we would all be glad to have you."
"I would love to. I have missed this place and all of you guys so much. This is home to me."
Elliot kissed the top of her head again. "Welcome home, Liv."
"I'll probably stick you with Fin and put Elliot and John together. I'm sorry, but I can't put the two of you back together if you are involved."
"That is fine. Fin and I work pretty well together."
"Hey, thanks partner!"
"We'll probably need a few days to get her settled. We need to make a trip back to Denver to all of her things moved back."
"Can you start back next week?"
"Yeah."
Before going home they decided to stop by Kathy's and let the kids meet their baby sister.
"Are you sure Kathy isn't going to freak out?"
"Kathy and I still get along really well. I went and talked to her before I left for Denver. I told her I was going to find you. I also told her that you were the one I had a relationship with while she and I were separated and that I was still in love with you. She said she thought I should go find you."
"Really?"
"Yeah, Kathy and I are good."
"You know, we are going to have to put Hannah in daycare if we are both working." Olivia looked at Elliot with concern.
"Kathy might be able to help us out there, too. She is laid off from work right now and staying home with Eli for a while. She probably wouldn't care to keep her. And that would give Kathy a little extra income."
"As long as you trust her. You don't think she would mind?"
"We will talk to her."
"Okay." Olivia smiled and Elliot kissed her.
Kathy agreed to watch Hannah and she and the kids adored her. Hannah laughed and played with Eli and it was nice to see her interacting with her brothers and sisters.
That night after dinner Elliot moved the playpen into the spare bedroom and set up the baby monitors so that mommy and daddy could have a little privacy.
Olivia called and made an appointment for the movers to pick up her things at the house. Two days later, Elliot, Olivia and Hannah flew back to Denver and packed up her things and then flew back to meet the movers to unload the boxes.
A few nights later after finally getting Hannah's nursery set up and her asleep in her crib for the first time in over a week. Elliot and Olivia settled in for bed.
Elliot rolled over and looked into her eyes.
"I love you, Liv."
"I love you, too."
He laced his fingers with hers. "I'm not trying to rush things and I think we need to take a little time before we move forward with this, but you know I want to marry you, right?"
She looked at him and smiled. "I would love to marry you, Elliot. I just kind of want to take this slow for a while. I'm in no hurry. I am home and I am staying here. Me and Hannah."
"I got my girls back," he whispered and kissed her lips.
"You know we are going to need a bigger place?"
"I was thinking about that. I know this really great apartment in Manhattan. Has a great view from the private roof access. Last I checked it was vacant."
Olivia smiled.
"I wonder if it is still open."
"We can call tomorrow and check with the real estate agency."
"I love you, Elliot."
"I love you, too." He pulled her into his arms and kissed her.
She turned out the light and pulled her tee shirt off and tossed it into the floor and they made love for hours.
"God, I missed you," she whispered against his hear as she clawed down his back and he thrust inside her. She tipped her head back and moaned as they finished together. Falling breathless in each others arms.
"I missed you too," Elliot said as he laughed and kissed her lips.
He held her tight in his arms as she rested her head against his chest.
"Olivia?"
"Yeah?"
"I love you. And I am never going to leave you again. It is you and me forever. You and me and Hannah and any other babies we may decide to have down the road."
"El, you have six kids. Do you really want more?"
"With you? Are you kidding? Look how beautiful she is. I wouldn't mind having a dozen beautiful babies with you."
"I don't know about a dozen," she laughed. "Maybe one or two more. Later down the road. I'd like to get her out of diapers first."
"Yeah. And I would really like for us to be married before we have any more babies."
Olivia smiled.
"El?"
"Yeah, baby."
"I can't wait to spend forever with you."
He kissed the top of her head.
"Me either sweetheart."
And with that the drifted off to sleep in each others arms.