First off, thank you all so much for the kind reviews after the previous chapter! There is no need to apologize for not having reviewed before or regularly ... I appreciate all the feedback I do get! Having said that, this chapter was conceived this Sunday during two long drives to and from a family visit. I actually chocked up a few times (behind my sunglasses) while thinking up some of the scenes. All that was left today was to put it all in writing. My undying love for E/O will shine through here a bit, but Olivia's heart belongs to Mike in this story. Enjoy!
...
28.
Elliot pointed at the little boy sitting in the sand with his nanny, who was trying to feed him a sausage from the barbecue.
"You adopted him?"
Mike and Olivia both answered "yes" simultaneously, and Elliot raised an eyebrow. His eyes met Olivia's again and he asked,
"You too?"
Olivia smiled and nodded.
"Yes. It's a long story but I adopted Noah some time ago, and today Mike became his daddy legally."
"That's great Liv," Elliot said, and she could tell he really meant it.
They were interrupted when a few other friends wanted to congratulate the couple, and Elliot retreated, heading for the barbecue to grab a plate and catch up with Munch and Cragen. Mike watched his wife's face while she watched her old partner walk away, but she only looked for a second or two before giving all her attention to Nick, her other old partner, who had come over from California for her wedding. Mike's father called him and beckoned him to come on over so he could introduce him to a few people he had invited. Probably people with some influence to get him a better job, Mike thought, but he didn't mind. He had been on desk duty at 1PP for the time being. After the shooting and disclosing his relationship with Olivia, he had decided that he wasn't going to take another job that would put him in the field so much again. He had a family to consider now and he and Olivia had agreed that she would start taking it easy as well, while he would try to find a job that wouldn't take him away from home too much. And if his fathers' connection could help with that, why not?
...
Olivia had been chatting with judge Linden and Fin when the DJ stopped the music and asked for everyone's attention. Everyone turned to look at the man, and she was surprised to see Mike standing next to him with a microphone in his hand. Mike cleared his throat and pointed at Olivia.
"My dearest wife, would you please come forward and sit down on this chair?"
Olivia moved to the front of the group and sat down on a lawn chair that had been placed there moments before. She looked at Mike, grinning and with one eyebrow raised, wondering what he was up to.
"Now I know it may not be completely original, but I didn't have a lot of time to prepare for this, and actually, I think this song is completely appropriate for my Olivia. My bride. My wife. The love of my life."
Olivia bit her lip, trying to hide her trembling chin. She would never get used to hearing those words said about her. When the music started then, and she recognize the tune, she could hardly keep from crying, and Mike hadn't even sang a single note. She was amazed at his beautiful singing voice when he did start singing, while stepping off the tiny stage and walking towards her very slowly.
Wise men say, only fools rush in
But I can't help falling in love with you
Shall I stay? Would it be a sin
If I can't help falling in love with you?
Like a river flows surely to the sea
Darling, so it goes.
Some things are meant to be.
Take my hand, take my whole life, too
For I can't help falling in love with you
Mike had dropped to one knee and when he sang, 'take my hand', she had. He pulled her up with him while he stood up again, and she swayed with him to the music, resting her head on his shoulder while he continued singing.
Like a river flows surely to the sea
Darling, so it goes.
Some things are meant to be.
Take my hand, take my whole life, too
For I can't help falling in love with you
No, I can't help falling in love with you.
The crowd went wild, cheering and applauding for Mike, who wrapped his arms around her. Olivia was trembling, near tears. She kissed his neck and when Mike tried to look at her, she hid his face for him. He chuckled and held her while she let out a few tears. She was overwhelmed, feeling exposed without her Badass armor but realizing she didn't want to put it on anymore. She was different now, and it was all because of Mike. When she finally revealed her tear-stained face, eliciting a few aww's from their guests, she let Mike kiss her tears away. She couldn't stop smiling and when his lips found hers, she kissed him passionately with all the love she had for him. After breaking off the kiss, they danced slowly together to the romantic music the DJ had started. Olivia could feel Mike's heart pounding against her chest and she relaxed against him. She was home whenever she was with him. She didn't need her armor, as long as she had his love.
...
As the sun began to set and all the guests had had enough to eat, Mike looked out over the beach and their little party. The caterers were serving drinks mostly now, and people were dancing to the upbeat music of the DJ. He spotted Olivia dancing with Noah. She was barefoot and absolutely beautiful. Lucy had changed Noah into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, and he was making an effort to follow Olivia's feet with his while holding on to her hands, squealing that he was dancing.
"Noah dance, Noah dance."
Mike smiled. They were his wife and his son. His family. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. His chest was fluttering with happiness. He truly couldn't help falling in love with her. His eyes drifted to the left and then he spotted Elliot, who was also watching the party from a short distance, standing alone with his arms crossed in front of his chest. Mike walked over to the man and they stood next to each other in the sand, looking at Olivia.
"She's missed you," Mike offered after a minute.
Elliot nodded, not taking his eyes off Olivia and Noah.
"I've missed her too."
"So why'd you leave?"
Both men looked at each other then, and he could tell that Elliot was debating in his head what to say and what not to say to Olivia's brand-new husband.
"The job broke me," he settled on, but both men knew that wasn't what Mike had asked.
"I get that, but why cut her out of your life too?"
Elliot sighed and looked out over the water.
"I couldn't give her what she deserves."
He looked at Olivia again and Mike did the same. Before he could decide if he wanted to know more about what Elliot felt Olivia deserved, the man spoke again.
"How did you catch her?" Elliot asked, and he could hear the beginning of a smile in the man's voice. He had known her for years so the question shouldn't surprise him. Olivia wasn't easy to pin down and her old partner knew it. Mike decided to just be honest with him.
"I think it was about a week after I was assigned as her number two at SVU, that I saw in her eyes that she wasn't just the tough-as-nails boss she was pretending to be. I saw a vulnerability in her eyes that drew me in from the start."
He looked at Elliot, who was still looking at Olivia, and saw him swallow hard.
"I know what you mean," Elliot said, his voice a little hoarse, and Mike understood then that the man had had the exact same feelings for Olivia that he had. "I'm happy for her."
"I'm the lucky one that she even gave me the time of day," Mike said and that put a small smile on Elliot's face.
"You sure are, but you must have done something right."
Mike just nodded and smiled, deciding not to go into the details of how their relationship had started out. He knew he'd done something right, and he was still doing it right almost every night. He blew out a breath slowly and tried not to dwell on those particular thoughts. There would be time later to do it right with Olivia again.
Both men watched the group of dancing people and saw Noah take off with a little girl, while Munch took Olivia's hand and asked her to dance. She danced gracefully with her old co-worker, unaware that she was being watched by her husband and her old partner. She laughed out loud at something Munch was saying to her, and both men smiled, loving the sound of Olivia's carefree laughter.
After a few minutes, she and Munch broke apart, and Olivia smoothed out her dress over her stomach, cupping her baby bump with both hands and beaming proudly at Munch. Mike heard Elliot gasp next to him and looked at the man. He was wiping his mouth with one hand and said softly,
"She's pregnant ...!"
Mike was bursting with pride but the emotion in the man next to him didn't go unnoticed.
"Yeah, she's nineteen weeks along," he said, watching his wife show off her belly and laughing and smiling when his mother and Alexandra Cabot both headed her way to take a closer look.
Elliot took a shaky breath and Mike looked at him again. His eyes were a little red and he was biting his cheek.
"She is finally getting everything she ever wanted. Everything she deserves."
Mike understood then and there why the man had walked out of Olivia's life. He was right. He couldn't give her what she deserved, although he would have wanted to. And that had been the problem. He had wanted to, but he couldn't. So he needed to leave, so she could find someone else. Someone who could give her everything, while he stayed with the family that needed him.
Olivia spotted them then, and called his name. A few guests were leaving and wanted to say goodbye to the bride and groom. He glanced at Elliot one more time, and a look of understanding passed between them. He knew that Elliot would not be a threat to his marriage, ever. He loved Olivia, but he loved her enough to want her to be happy without him. And she would be. She was now Mrs. Mike Dodds.
...
Olivia let out a content sigh. It had been a long day but it had been a beautiful party. She was standing on the balcony of their hotel room, looking out over the river. The night air was still warm but getting cooler now, and she smiled when Mike joined her on the balcony and wrapped his arms around her from behind. He kissed her bare shoulder and Olivia tilted her head so she could kiss his jaw.
"Mrs. Dodds, our bath is ready," Mike said softly and the sound of his voice sent a chill down her spine.
Their room came with a Jacuzzi and Mike had told Olivia to wait on the balcony while he got everything ready. The combination of Mike and a hotel room was enough to make her body respond, but add a Jacuzzi and their wedding night to the equation and she was weak in the knees already.
"I hope your parents can cope with Noah," she said, while turning around in his arms.
Mike's parents had surprised them when they had offered to take Noah for the night, together, and they wondered if maybe they were rekindling their relationship after all the years apart.
"They'll be fine Liv," Mike assured her. "After all, they managed to raise me, so I think they know what they're doing."
She laughed and kissed his chin. Then Mike led her through the bedroom to the spacious bathroom, and Olivia gasped when she saw what he'd done. There were candles everywhere, around the tub and on all the shelves and cabinets in the entire room, and the Jacuzzi was filled to the rim with bubbles and rose petals. Mike kissed her cheek and suggested they get out of their clothes and into the tub.
They undressed each other slowly, stealing kisses along the way, and then Mike helped her get into the water, making sure she wouldn't slip.
"Have to keep my pregnant wife safe," he mumbled, and once she was seated, he slipped into the tub behind her, so she could lean her back against his chest.
Olivia relaxed against him, the feeling of the hot water on her skin and her husband's warm body behind her incredibly soothing. Sometimes she could still hardly believe this was her life now. She had come so far. Seeing Elliot again had only confirmed that for her. She still cared about him, but it didn't hurt anymore. She had seen the emotion in her old partner and friend and that didn't hurt anymore either. He had made his choices, and she had moved on. She was happy, with her husband, her son and a baby on the way. They didn't know yet how her pregnancy would go because of her advanced age, but so far, it was perfect. And she knew, no matter what would happen, that they would get through it. She loved her husband and he loved her in a way she hadn't thought was possible. It wasn't complicated. It was natural. Meant to be, like the song had said.
"Sing to me again?" Olivia said softly, tilting her head to look at Mike behind her.
Mike kissed the top of her head and then started singing the beautiful, timeless love song for her again. It moved her again and Mike stopped singing when he felt her trembling.
"Are you okay?" he asked her, wiping her hair to one side so he could look at her profile.
Olivia just nodded, pursing her lips, but then she let out the breath she'd been holding and let one sob escape her.
"Yeah," she whispered. "It's just so beautiful."
"You are beautiful," Mike said without missing a beat.
Olivia wished she could turn around to kiss her husband, but he had other plans.
"Don't cry, Olivia," he said, while moving his hands across her expanding belly and up to her breasts. "You deserve to be loved."
His hands moved over her nipples in the hot water, and they hardened instantly from his touch.
"I only want to hear you cry in ecstasy tonight."
Olivia exhaled slowly, letting the intense emotion leave her body, to be replaced by her physical reaction to her husband.
"Make me," she said huskily.
Mike bowed his head and kissed her neck.
"Oh, I will, Mrs. Dodds. I will."
...
They were slippery and it was almost impossible to get close enough. But Mike's hands were working on her body in a way that was making it so incredibly sensitive, that even the feeling of his thighs against her hips was stimulating after a while. He was sucking on the skin behind her left ear while his right hand was on her right breast, kneading it and rolling her nipple between his thumb and forefinger. His left hand was between her parted legs, finding her clit over and over again, until she thought she might just disappear under water. She could feel his erection pressing against her back, but Mike was completely focused on her pleasure, reminding her that they had all night. This was just for her. When he switched hands and started sucking on her neck behind her right ear, she was beginning to feel lightheaded. His left hand was on her left breast now, and she moaned loudly when two fingers of his right hand found her entrance and he pushed them in. The palm of his hand was creating some much needed pressure on her clit while his fingers moved inside her, stroking her until she knew she was reaching the point of no return.
"Mike!" she gasped and he just groaned, kissing her neck and rubbing her nipple. His fingers went even deeper and she couldn't fathom how he was managing at this angle, but when he hit a particularly sensitive spot inside her, she stopped thinking altogether, and bucked her hips forward to meet him.
"Oh God," she groaned, and Mike didn't let up.
He wrapped his left arm around her, just below her breasts, to keep her upright while he focused completely on her hot center now.
"Just let it happen Liv," he whispered and she responded with another long groan.
Her body was twitching and when Mike found her g-spot again, she knew she was going over the edge.
"I'm coming," she sighed, moving her arms up to reach behind her and grab the back of his neck with both hands. Mike moaned with her when her body started shaking and contracting around his fingers.
"Oh baby," Mike groaned and the sound of his voice only increased the intensity of her orgasm as it washed over her in several waves.
She panted and moaned as she rode it out around his fingers and against his hand. When her body finally calmed down a little and Mike pulled his fingers out, she squeezed her thighs together, still feeling so sensitive between her legs. She dropped her arms into the water and turned her head to find his lips with hers. He kissed her softly and told her to just relax for a bit. Olivia rested her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes, enjoying the tingling of her body after her husband had made her come for the first time since they had become husband and wife.
"I love you," she whispered, and she smiled when she heard him whisper back,
"I love you, Mrs. Dodds."
...
A/N No, this wasn't all. Next up will be the rest of their wedding night. Fluff or Kink? Or both? Please leave a review if you can be bothered.
