Bleagh, so unmotivated this week. BUT I've also started working on a new EO. The first chapter should be up in a few days :) Olivia gets stuck staying undercover as a burlesque stripper at the Matryoshka Club - owned by the Russian mob. Elliot has to step in and there's plenty of smut and vodka. But anyway...I'm pretty sure this is going to be the last chapter, but you never know...SO review my darlings! xoxo
That night his eyes never closed for more than a nanosecond when he blinked.
Around 6 am, Ella's soft cries woke Olivia – and she opened her eyes to see Elliot leaning against the headboard. Their two babies snuggled into his broad chest. Lucas' little fist was up by his mouth as he slept but Ella kept making little disgruntled squeaks as she pursed her tiny lips.
"Oh baby, you're hungry" Olivia cooed.
Elliot skillfully juggled the babies and pillows, just managing to prop a few pillows behind Olivia as she sat up, painfully slowly, achingly aware of just how weak she still was.
Her breasts felt rock hard in their swollenness – she didn't know how she was going to manage to feed the babies without crying out in pain.
Elliot handed Ella over to her and Olivia looked unsure; "what if there's no milk? God, El they hurt so bad – is something wrong? How are we going to feed them?"
Elliot brushed his hand across her cheek, letting it fall to just graze the top of her breast – causing her to look down and see her eagerly rooting daughter.
The moment the baby closed her tiny rosebud lips around her; Olivia stiffened at the tug of pain deep in her womb but soon relaxed as it ebbed away. Leaving only a warm spreading feeling of contentment and relief as her milk began to flow.
And it looked like their daughter was equally grateful.
As the baby nursed, Olivia wondered over every part of her – tracing her features, kissing every finger and toe.
She smiled up at Elliot as the baby's tiny fist caught hold of her finger, but after a moment her expression grew serious. "We need to get them to a hospital El; they need more specialized care than body heat and milk".
Elliot glanced at the clock, "just a few more hours Liv, they'll be here as soon as the sun is up". He shifted baby Lucas slightly over to the right, reaching over to brush Olivia's hair back from her face; "How are you feeling?"
Olivia smiled tiredly as she leaned back against the pillows. "I'll be okay as long as they are".
Trying to jostle Olivia as little as possible, Elliot lifted tiny Ella out of her arms and handed her Lucas to nurse.
Elliot could literally pick each baby up with one arm, his hand able to cover their head and shoulders.
"I can't believe they were in my belly just last night" Olivia wondered aloud as Elliot's hand moved to gently rest on her still swollen, but empty womb.
It wasn't long after Lucas had fallen asleep at Olivia's breast that they heard the approach of the police chopper and Elliot went out to meet them.
Olivia protested when they tried to secure her on the stretcher, but Elliot calmed her down from the post partum hormone swings by promising her he'd be right by the babies' during the flight out.
But when everyone had boarded the small helicopter, there was a third cry that could be heard apart from Lucas and Ella's.
The sheriff went on to explain that they'd been called out by the chopper to investigate a seemingly abandoned crashed car down the mountain.
When his men had arrived, they'd found the driver – a lean blonde woman slumped over the steering wheel. Her head split open from hitting the front window when she'd lost control of the car.
She had had a baby with her. A little girl about 8 months old who had been sleeping peacefully in the backseat when they'd found her with barely a scratch on her from the accident. ,
"Julia" Olivia breathed, and Elliot nodded as another EMT pointed out a mobile bassinet near the front of the helicopter.
"El, Elliot you have to call Shauna Neves" Olivia struggled to get the words out.
Maybe it was because they were in the air but she felt so dizzy she had to shut her eyes to keep from being sick. But as her eyes closed they felt so heavy she couldn't resist the allure of keeping them close for a few moments…until the blackness pulled her under and the few moments turned into a great deal longer.
"Her blood pressure's crashing – heart rate down to 40 over 60" the relatively calm inside of the helicopter turned instantly to a flurry of activity as the medics worked over Olivia.
"Pupils not responsive to light, nothing blocking the airway".
Elliot watched in wordless terror as he saw the proof on the computer screen of Olivia's life slipping away.
Sitting up by her head, he pressed his lips to her forehead as he held her still for the medics to perform CPR.
"Olivia, Olivia baby listen to me. "You've done so good. You've been so strong for our babies but I need you to hold on a little longer Liv, just a little longer till we get to the hospital".
His throat caught and his chest felt as though it would burst. "I love you so much, Olivia Benson. Only you…it's always been you. You are the strongest person I know Liv – and you've been so strong these last months and days. But you did it. They're here and they're perfect Olivia. You told me that feeling them kick in your belly was what gave you the strength to go on sometimes. You've been so strong, and endured what most women couldn't. And I know its not fair to ask you to endure any more. But we're almost there. And they still need you Liv…I still need you. Think about our babies Liv – think about holding them in your arms while I hold you in mine. Because I'll never let go Liv, ever.
Olivia's eyelids fluttered slightly and her lips parted in a low moan although her eyes still didn't open.
"Pulse is rising – keep the IV going she's still in shock".
With three other patients in the helicopter, albeit tiny ones – all the emergency heating blankets were in use so Elliot, with a nod of permission from the paramedics lifted Olivia into his arms with heart breaking tenderness holding her to him so she could absorb his body heat.
"Keep talking, keep her awake and lucid" the medic demanded, still fiddling with monitors and hanging the IV from the ceiling. "It'll be another 20 minutes until we land".
Elliot brushed aside her hair so that he was whispering into her ear. "Did I tell you how beautiful our babies are Liv?"
"My babies" she murmured into his chest, Elliot's heart clenching painfully at the relief of hearing her voice.
"They look like little sausage rolls Liv. They're all wrapped up in the aluminum warming blankets".
Olivia scrunched up her nose slightly, frowning at the use of sausage rolls to describe the babies.
"But they're the cutest sausage rolls I've ever seen".
"Not sausage rolls" she mumbled drowsily, her head still drooping onto Elliot's chest and her eyes closed.
"Not sausage rolls, huh? Okay how about burritos?"
"You can tell that story to Ella on her prom night" Olivia said with a ghost of a smile on her face but a moment later clenched up uncomfortably.
"Liv…What is it?"
"Hurts" she whimpered, turning more into his chest and burying her face in his shoulder.
"What hurts, baby?"
"Everything…my head, my belly, my arms" she raised her hand weakly to bring Elliot's hand down so that it just grazed the sides of her breasts and a tear rolled down her cheek.
Even though she was shivering with the after-effects of shock, Elliot could feel how rock-hard and hot her breasts were through the thin fabric of her shirt.
"I know Liv, I know it hurts…it's all your milk coming in".
Olivia tried to push herself off of Elliot's chest but she was too weak.
Eyes blinking open and shut slowly with exhaustion she looked up at Elliot tearfully, not able to say anything so he just rocked her back and forth. Holding her gently to him as the helicopter landed on the roof of the hospital.
A couple hours later Olivia was in a private hospital room after having various injuries stitched up and what felt like a million tests run.
Now she was clean and warm and in serious danger of falling asleep due to the heavy duty anti-biotics and other medications swirling around in her IV drip.
She'd told Elliot to go with the babies while they were checked out, and she wouldn't sleep until she heard it from his lips that they were okay.
Her eyelids got heavier and heavier and then she heard a rubber squeak by the door and turned her head on her pillow to see Elliot wheeling in some sort of high tech bassinet.
She closed her eyes in relief at seeing her babies; even the two hours she'd just spent away from them already seemed unbearably long.
Olivia looked up at Elliot with questioning eyes and he nodded at her smiling. "As long as we keep them skin to skin we can hold them.
As Elliot picked up Lucas the baby's red little face scrunched up in a cry and his legs tucked up to his belly.
At the sound of her baby crying, Olivia felt a further achy heaviness in her breasts.
But the medicine was making her so tired, and she was still so weak that she didn't trust her arms to hold her precious little bundles.
Seeing the distress on her face, Elliot sat down carefully on the side of the hospital bed, after putting the railing down. Olivia leaning into his chest as he helped her to hold their son.
"Help me" she whispered up to Elliot, never taking her eyes off the baby.
Elliot parted the folds of her hospital gown and helped Lucas to latch on. Olivia's eyes closed and her head dropped back slightly with a moan of relief as the baby nursed, giving her blessed relief from the burning agony of being unable to nurse for several hours.
After Lucas was done, Elliot propped the tiny baby on his shoulder and rubbed his back before placing him back in the heated bassinet and picking up little Ella.
"Oh sweet girl" Olivia cooed as the baby wrapped her hand around Olivia's finger while she sucked.
She pressed her cheek against the baby's soft downy head and gazed over at the second tiny bundle in the bassinet.
"I'm so in love with them, Elliot" she looked up at him, almost looking nervous. "I never thought it would be like this. Even though my belly's empty I still feel like I'm carrying them with me. I'm responsible for these two lives Elliot…and they're the most precious lives imaginable".
"That's why I'm here Liv…I'm never letting go".
Show me the love guys! Hope you've enjoyed this story :)