The next morning, Olivia rolled over in bed and opened her eyes slowly. She ran her fingers through her hair after realizing that she was the only person in the large bed. She sat up slowly and slid to the edge of the bed. She stood up and walked across the room and over to her bag, which was set over by the empty closets. She slid off her sweatpants and grabbed her dark wash jeans out of her back. After putting her jeans on and pulling down her short sleeve ivory shirt over her body, she pulled her hair brush out of her purse and ran it through her hair before pulling it back into a low side ponytail. She walked out of the room and down the hall where David was standing in the almost empty living room.
"Morning," she said softly as she slowed her pace.
"Hey sleepyhead," he said with a soft smile. Olivia smiled as she looked around the room. Other than the loveseat and glass coffee table and a few various boxes, the room was empty.
"Did you hear the movers at all this morning?" he asked walking toward her. Olivia shook her head and laughed.
"I slept like a log," she replied.
"They pretty have everything done. They have to take the rest of this out and then the stuff in the bedroom," he said.
"Well I have absolutely nothing to pack in my apartment. Everything is ready to go," she said.
"We should be out of here in less than an hour so we will head over to your apartment."
"Sounds like a plan," she said softly before kissing him lightly. "You sure that you are ready to do this?"
"Absolutely," he said leaning in and kissing her again.
"Where's Tyler?" she asked looking around slightly.
"He is across the hall talking to Mrs. Sanders. She wanted to say goodbye to him," he told her. Olivia smiled lightly as the two movers walked into the apartment. She smiled lightly at them as they walked further into the apartment.
"Gary, Jim. Olivia Benson," he said motioning to Olivia.
"Oh so you were the sleeping beauty in the other room," Gary said stepping forward and extending his hand. Olivia laughed as she shook their hands.
"Yeah, sorry about that," she said as they lifted the coffee table and carried it out of the apartment.
"Why don't we get the rest of these boxes down there," Olivia said.
"No you don't," David said grabbing her arm lightly. Olivia closed her eyes and sighed as she turned back to face David. "I don't want to see a single box in your hands today. You are merely the supervisor."
"David, I am fine. I know what I can and cannot do. I'm not going to carry a box with the dishes from the kitchen or the books on your bookshelf," she said with a light smile. David clenched his jaw before smiling lightly.
"You feel tired, or anything you sit down," he said firmly. "Got it?"
"Yes sir," she said sarcastically.
"I'm serious. I don't want anything happening to the baby," he said gracing her stomach. He leaned in and kissed her lightly.
That night Olivia sat on the couch in the center of the large living room. She watched as David lifted pictures and candles out of the box at his feet and setting them on the mantle. "I would put the tall candles on the end," she said pointing to the right side of the mantle.
"Daddy!" Tyler called from the stairs behind Olivia. "When are we going to put my room together?"
"As soon as I empty this box bud," David said looking over his shoulder.
"I'll tell you what Tyler," Olivia began standing up. "Why don't you and I get started on your room while your dad finishes up down here?"
"Okay!" he exclaimed. Olivia smiled as she got up off of the couch and followed Tyler up the stairs and into the bedroom. "So do you like the colors that we painted your room buddy?"
"Yeah!" he exclaimed. "Green and blue are my favorite."
"Hence why we did it," she said with a light laugh.
Thirty minutes later David walked into the bedroom as Olivia lifted a small box with some toys and books in it, off of the floor and onto the bed.
"Woah, woah, woah," David said stepping forward quickly and taking the box from her. "What did I tell you about the boxes?"
"David, half of that box has stuffed animals in it. I am pretty sure I am safe," she said with a light smile.
"Even so, it's been a long day and I just want to be safe," he said setting the box on the bed. "Remember I am only doing this out of love." Olivia laughed lightly as she sat on the bed and watched as David set some books on the bookshelf. Tyler ran into the room, carrying his basketball in his arms.
"I am ready for my basketball to be put up!" he exclaimed. David laughed as he lifted Tyler so that he could reach one of the higher shelves of the bookshelf. Tyler gently set his basketball on the clear plastic holder before being lowered back to the ground.
"Looks good dude," David said stepping back.
"My room is done!" Tyler squealed climbing up onto the bed and jumping up and down. Both David and Olivia laughed as David lifted the final set of books onto the shelf. "Alright mister jumping bean, come here." David lifted the box of stuffed animals and dumped the contents onto the bed. "Listen, your job is to pick four friends to keep in the room with you. And you can sleep with them, or put them on the bottom shelf or wherever, but the rest are going to go up in your hammock," David said nodding to the small hammock which hung in the corner above his bed.
"Only four?" Tyler said with a sad face.
"Only four," David said.
"But why?"
"Because I don't want them all over your room again like in the apartment," he replied. "If you want to get one of your other friends just tell me or Olivia and we can get it for you."
"Okay," Tyler said.
"But if you take someone out of the hammock, you have to put someone else in it," David said. "Deal?"
"Deal," Tyler said as he dug through his stuffed animals.
Olivia walked out of the kitchen and into the fully decorated living room. David closed the front door after throwing some empty boxes onto the porch. Olivia smiled as David locked the front door and walked toward her. "So," he began. "Is it everything that you thought it would be?" Olivia smiled as she looked around the room.
"It's pretty great," she said.
"I am glad that we had the painters come in a few weeks ago and not the other day. I wouldn't want you around those fumes," he said.
"You have been Mr. Protective pants lately," she said with a light laugh.
"Well, I would just rather be on the safe side," he said leaning in and kissing her lightly. "I can't believe this is happening."
"The baby?" she asked confused.
"The baby and the house and everything," David said as he turned and walked around the couch. "I mean I look at Tyler and he is growing up so fast. Like last year, if I were to tell him that he can only have four of his stuffed animals, it would have been the end of the world. Tonight he was so into decorating the room and deciding where he wanted to put everything." Olivia laughed lightly as she followed him.
"Well, Tyler growing up isn't such a bad thing," she said. "On the plus side, maybe we can teach him how to change a diaper." David laughed as he fell onto the couch.
"I like where your head's at," he said continuing to laugh as Olivia sat down next to him. "But in all seriousness, I am glad that you are here. Obviously for me, I love you and want you here but I am glad that Tyler is finally going to have sort of a mother like figure. I mean for the past five years it has always been me-it's all he knows."
"So in a matter of a year, I manage to go from a single, lonely, detective living in a tiny apartment in Manhattan to sitting on a couch, in a house with you, and Tyler upstairs," she said. "And me pregnant," she added.
"Sounds good to me," David said with a smile. Olivia smiled before leaning and kissing him, bringing her hands to the back of his neck.
Olivia walked through the front door a month later to find David and Tyler sitting on the floor of the living room, playing a board game. "Hey guys," she said as she set her bag down by the door and hung her jacket in the coat closet. "Sorry for being so late."
"I have pasta left over from dinner in the fridge that I can heat up for you," David sad looking up as Olivia walked toward them.
"Elliot and I had a late lunch so I'm not really hungry," she said bending over to kiss him lightly before sitting down onto the couch. "How was school today Tyler?"
"Good. I painted a picture of the jungle today in art class. It's on the fridge," he said.
"That sounds fun. How did your team do in your soccer game at recess?" she asked.
"We didn't get to finish. It was a tie so we have to finish tomorrow," he replied.
"I see," Olivia said leaning back on the couch and pulling her legs up.
"How are you feeling?" David asked looking up to her.
"Tired," she said running her fingers through her hair. "There was a lot of running around today."
"I really think that you should start taking it easy. I mean you are in the final month and a half of your pregnancy, and your maternity leave is starting in just under a week," he said.
"I know," she said. "I usually just sit at my desk all day but, today was just one of those days."
"Just be careful. I mean I trust your judgment. Just stay safe," he said.
"I will. I promise," she said with a smile.
Thirty minutes later David placed the board game back in its box and put the box back in the cabinet under the television. "Alright dude, it's bed time," he told Tyler. "It's late."
"Can I do tv for ten minutes?" Tyler asked as he stood.
"Only ten minutes," David said. Tyler smiled in joy as he grabbed his tiny slippers by the couch.
"Night Olivia," Tyler said as he walked toward her.
"Night buddy," she said as she kissed the little boy on the cheek and hugged him before he ran up the stairs. "I think that I am going to head up too. Just lay in bed for a little." David smiled as he held out his hand and helped her off of the couch. She cradled her stomach as they walked toward the stairs.
Later that night Olivia laid in the bed and watched as David walked around the bedroom. She watched as he walked in and out of the master bathroom and over to the closet.
"What are you looking for?" she asked with a light smile.
"My silver cuff links. I know I took them off the other night and stuck them somewhere," he said.
"They are under the lamp on my dresser," she said. "I stepped on one yesterday."
"Oh," he said walking over to her dresser. "Are you getting anxious about the baby coming in a month?" Olivia nodded lightly.
"I am worried about where I am going to be when I go into labor, or who I am going to be with," she said shifting positions slightly. "I guess I don't really know what to expect, so I am probably not panicking as much as I should."
"Well being that I have never been pregnant, I can't really help you too much," he said as he climbed onto the bed. "But all I can say is just try not to think about it too much. Everything will be okay and in a month and a half, we will have a little boy or girl." Olivia smiled as he leaned in and kissed her lightly.
"Have you thought about names at all?" Olivia asked.
"Is that a hint that I should grab the name book?" Olivia nodded with a light smile. David laughed as he climbed off of the bed and walked out of the bedroom.
A month later, Olivia walked out of the kitchen and through the living room toward the front door. After hearing the repeated knocking again, Olivia called out as she stepped up onto the landing. "Coming!" Seconds later she unlocked the door and opened it to a woman, about the same age as Olivia, just slightly shorter, standing on the front porch.
"Can I help you?" Olivia asked lightly.
"I'm sorry, I must have the wrong house. I am looking for David Miller," the woman said.
"He's working right now. Um, who are you?" Olivia asked slightly confused.
"I'm Justine Gordon, his ex-girlfriend," she replied. "And the mother of his son Tyler." Olivia felt a wave of nervousness overcome her. "I am assuming that you are his wife."
"Actually I'm not," Olivia said tucking her hair behind her ear. Silence fell between the two women as Olivia glanced down at the ground. "I can tell him that you dropped by. Does he have a way to reach you?"
"Yeah, he has my phone number. I am sorry to bother you," she said kindly.
"Not a problem. I will let him know that you stopped by."
"Thank you. I apologize for asking, but are you two…" she asked motioning with her hands. Olivia nodded slightly, raising her brow in confusion. "I am sorry again for bothering you." The woman turned and walked down the steps of the porch and down the walkway to the street. Olivia closed the door slowly, and turned to face the living room.
"That was bizarre," she said softly before walking back to the kitchen.
Later that night, Olivia carried the empty dinner plates from the dining room into the kitchen. "Tyler, if you want to watch that movie, I would go and get your shower now," she called from the kitchen.
"Where is dad?" Tyler asked walking into the kitchen.
"I think that he is working late tonight buddy," she said.
"Can't I wait until he gets home to shower?"
"No bud because if you watch the movie, he is going to want you to go right to bed," Olivia replied, turning around after placing the dishes in the sink.
"Please," Tyler begged. Olivia raised her brow and crossed her arms at the young boy. "Fine,"Tyler finally said walking out of the kitchen and toward the stairs.
"Thank you Tyler," Olivia said with a soft smile as she walked back into the dining room to clear the rest of the table. A few minutes later she heard the front door open and David call from the living room.
"In here," she called seconds before he walked through the archway.
"Hi sweetie," he said kissing her cheek lightly. "Sorry for being so late, but our consultant meeting ran late. Where's Tyler?"
"Upstairs taking a shower. The Incredibles is on TV tonight, and he wants to watch it," she said plainly walking past him, back into the dining room.
"Everything okay?" David asked confused as he turned and watched Olivia stack the placemats in the middle of the dining room table.
"Your ex-girlfriend came to the house today while you were at work," she said glancing up at him.
"For what reason?" he asked, slightly stunned.
"I don't know, but she was extremely pleasant and told me to let you know that you can call her-being that you have her number," she said standing straight.
"Alright, I'll call her later to find out what's up," he said as he walked into the living room. Olivia turned off the light of the dining room before following him into the room.
"I didn't know that you continue to talk to her," Olivia said as David fell onto the couch.
"I don't. That's why I am shocked that she even came by," he said. "Are you okay?"
"David the mother of your son, who I assumed you hadn't talked to in five years just stops by at our new house looking for you. Doesn't ask about her son or anything? I mean, you don't seem so shocked," she said.
"Olivia, what are you saying?" David asked leaning forward as Olivia stepped in front of the fireplace, facing him on the couch. Olivia ran her fingers through her hair as she glanced down at the ground. "You don't think that I am like, trying to get back together with her."
"David, this is the third time in the past two weeks that you came home over an hour and a half late. You never called, even after I have tried to call you," she began looking back at him.
"Olivia," David began, standing slowly.
"I mean, why wouldn't you want to go back to her? I look like a whale, I am tired all the time, and she is beautiful and younger and you have a past together," she said as David stepped in front of her. "And she literally came out of nowhere and knocked on our door looking for you and." But before she could continue, she felt David's hand on her back of her neck, and his lips press against hers. She adjusted her lips to his for the next few seconds before they parted. She felt his hands frame her face, forcing her to look up at him.
"Listen to me," be began looking down at her. "You are not a whale," he began smiling lightly. "You are pregnant with our child. Our child. Nothing and no one would ever make me want to leave you. I love you and I love this baby too much." Olivia smiled softly as she felt her eyes begin to water.
"David, I am sorry. I think that this baby is toying with my brain function too much," she said with a soft smile. "I'm still not used to this whole idea that someone actually loves me." David smiled before leaning in and kissing her again.
"I am going to run upstairs and change and say hi to Tyler," he said after they parted.
"Alright. Those dishes in the sink are calling my name," Olivia said.
"No no no. You are ordered to relax until this movie thing happens tonight," he said guising her over to the couch. Olivia smiled as she sat down slowly. "I will get the dishes when I come down."
"Thank you," she said softly. David smiled before kissing her cheek lightly and walking across the room and up the stairs.