A/N: I'm so sorry for the delay...again. I have been so busy with school and work that I have had little time to write. Luckily break is next week so I will have plenty of time to write for you guys. Please don't hesitate to leave me your thoughts and enjoy the chapter!
"I just realized how much furniture we need for the new house," Olivia thought out loud from her spot on the bed. She had been looking through the catalog she got in the mail earlier that day, checking off things that would need to be purchased in order for them to have a fully furnished home.
Elliot came out of the bathroom, his tooth brush in his mouth and the foam running out of the corner of his mouth. "Huh?" he mumbled.
She chuckled, sometimes he was just a big kid, "The furniture...we need a lot."
He nodded and turned back into the bathroom, spitting out the toothpaste and rinsing his mouth out. " I have some of the stuff from the apartment we could use."
"No offense babe, but you're leather sofa and the mattress you considered a bed isn't really the type of furniture I was thinking of putting in our house," Olivia chuckled, fixing her glasses and flipping through the magazine.
"You really don't like that couch do you?" He smirked, pulling on a pair of pajama pants.
She looked up from the magazine, "It has a hole in it and it's falling apart at the seams."
"Dickie wants it for his apartment," Elliot defended, sliding onto the bed next to Noah who had tired himself out hours ago and fallen asleep on their bed.
"Well for an apartment with three guys it's not a big deal. I would prefer our house to not look like a frat house," Olivia joked.
"Okay okay," he surrendered. Propping his head up in one hand, brushing the other across Noah's tummy, "Is Don coming to watch him tomorrow so we can go Christmas shopping?"
"Yeah, he should be here around eleven," she answered while folding down the corner of her page. "Do you think Eli would want to help pick out his room? He could do any theme he wanted."
Elliot looked to her with all of the love he held for her in his eyes, she was truly an amazing woman. "He would love that," he said softly, leaning over Noah to place a gentle kiss against her cheek.
"What was that for?" Olivia smiled, pushing her glasses up on top of her head.
He returned the smile and shrugged, "I don't know ... you're so amazing, and caring, and loving that it always surprises me. I've never known anyone like you ... there's nothing like the love your life loving your kids just as much as you do. I love you so much as it is, but when I remember how much you love them, it just blows everything else away."
"I love you and I love them. There is nothing I wouldn't do for you or the kids," she said softly, cupping his cheek in her hand and bringing him closer to her.
"I love you," he murmured, nuzzling his nose against hers before kissing her lips softly.
She kissed him back, parting her lips and taking his mouth with hers, kissing the corner of his mouth when she pulled away, "I love this...you...being able to feel so connected to you just with a kiss."
He brushed her bangs from her face, "I've always been connected to you." Noah stirred between them as Elliot reached for her again. "I'll put him in his crib," he said softly moving to scoop him in his arms when Olivia's hand stopped him.
"I'll do it," she said wrapping an arm under Noah's little body and holding him against her as she slid to the edge of the bed and pushed herself up. Elliot made to follow her, "I'm fine, babe...really."
"Okay," he gave in, sitting back against the head board, "I just don't want you to overdo it."
"I'm putting my son to bed, not running a half marathon," she defended, turning on her heel and leaving the room.
He hit the back of his head off of the head board and let out a sigh, she was so stubborn sometimes.
"We can do this without Daddy can't we little man?" Olivia murmured while she rocked Noah in the rocking chair. "The belly makes it a little more difficult but we make it work." She kissed his forehead and brushed her fingers through his hair, "We just have to make some room for your brother...you are going to be the best big brother."
Noah was sound asleep but rocking him and having him close to her were the moments she cherished the most. She wouldn't have that much longer with just him and she wanted to savor the time she had him alone. One of her biggest fears was not being able to give Noah the time he deserved once the baby got here.
"Okay baby boy, Momma loves you so much," she said softly, kissing his cheek as she stood up from the rocker. Gently laying him in his crib and rubbing his back as he turned onto his side, cuddling his blanket, "Sleep tight, you're gonna have a good day with PopPop tomorrow."
The room was dark when Olivia walked back into her bedroom. She could see Elliot laying on his side facing away from the door, his boxers peeking out around where the sheet fell across his body. The lights from the street filtered in through the gap between the blinds and fell across his bare chest ... God, do I love this man.
Quietly padding across the room, she gently slid onto the bed and pulled the sheet around her waist. His arms made their way around her waist and he pulled her against him, "I thought you were sleeping."
"You know I can't sleep if you're not by my side," he replied kissing her cheek. "And I wanted to say that I'm sorry."
She laced her fingers through his, "Don't be. You worry because you love me and the baby...you just want what's best for us and I can't fault you for that."
He nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck, "I love you so much."
"We love you too," she murmured.
The next day Olivia and Elliot were making their way through the crowded toy store with two shopping carts.
"Okay, so we got Eli that new video game thing he wanted," Olivia said looking down her list.
"It's called a Wii and don't let him here you call it anything but that. Trust me, I learned that the hard way," Elliot chuckled.
"I'll try to remember that," she quipped crossing off a couple things on the list. "Eli wrote on his list for Santa that he wants a puppy. Does he write that every year?"
Elliot laughed, "Well, for a while it was for a little brother but since we got that covered I guess he's shooting for something different now."
Olivia ran a hand over her bump, the size amplified due to her winter coat, "Too bad he won't be here for Christmas."
"He's not done in there yet and plus, next year he'll be a little bit bigger," he said.
"That's true. Have you ever thought about getting a dog?" She asked as they moved through the store.
"Kathy and I talked about it once but back then I was working full time, or over time I guess... I was never home...I've always wanted a dog though, since I was a kid."
"Me too," Olivia said. "Maybe we should think about getting one?"
Elliot gave her that little boy grin that always melted her heart, "I think that would be a good idea. Maybe we could look into getting a retired police dog?"
She pulled him to her by the lapels of his jacket and kissed him softly, "I love you...and yes, we can look into getting a retired service dog. That's going to make you and your son's Christmas."
"I love you too, but you already made my Christmas...you made my year," he said softly kissing her and rubbing the side of her belly.
"You made my year too," Olivia smiled and kissed his cheek.
Elliot kissed her forehead, "What else do we have to get?"
"Eli wants some little race car thing and we have to find some other things for Noah," she answered, pushing her cart down the aisle.
"We should get the boys a jungle gym for the new house...the owners are taking theirs with them," Elliot said as they walked past the area where they were set up.
Olivia stopped in front of him and looked for one that was a decent size, "That one in the middle looks good. It has slides and swings...they'd love that one."
"Should we get it now or just have it sent to the house?" He asked walking towards it and checking the price.
"Just have it sent there...we don't want to have to lug that giant box from the apartment to the house when we move," she said writing down the number on her piece of paper.
"We can't put it up until spring anyway," Elliot added.
"Let's go look for some stuff for Noah," she said.
"I'll follow you," he smiled.
They spent another hour getting the rest of the things on the list, Legos, bubbles, all of the action figures a seven year old boy could want. They made their way toward the section that was full of decorations and different sized artificial Christmas trees.
"Do you have a tree?" Elliot asked.
Olivia looked at him, her eyebrow raised, "Until this year I haven't even really celebrated Christmas." He gave her a frown, reaching out to hold her hand, his thumb running over her knuckles. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze, "It's fine...I'm fine. This Christmas is just that much more special...it's my first real family Christmas."
He kissed her softly, "Let's get some ornaments then and tonight we're going out to get you a real tree."
She smiled, "Do you have to like, cut it down and stuff?"
"We could," Elliot chuckled.
"Can we?" She asked and he could hear the excitement in her voice.
"Whatever you want baby," he smiled,
Olivia kissed his cheek, "Thank you."
"You're very welcome," he nodded and they walked down the aisle. Elliot grabbed a small little blue ornament that had Baby's First Christmas inscribed on it. "Do you want to get one for the baby? So we have a little bit of him on the tree too."
Olivia took the delicate ornament in her hand, her fingers running over the glittery snow surrounded the outside, "That would be so sweet. We'll start him a little ornament collection."
Elliot kissed her temple, "So we'll get this one and I think we should get a little one for Noah too."
"How about this one?" She asked pointing to an all whit snowflake that said Sweet Angel on it.
"Perfect," he smiled.
They paid for their cartfuls of toys and decorations and loaded the car, making their way home.
"I sent a txt to the kids and told them we are going to go get a tree tonight and decorate the apartment later. They'll be over around five," Olivia told him scrolling through her phone.
"Where are we going to put all of the toys?" He chuckled.
Olivia looked over at him, her eyes wide, "I didn't think about that."
Elliot smiled, "Me either...we could just leave them in the car until we have time to wrap them?"
"Okay," she nodded and turned her attention back to her phone.
Olivia and Elliot had relieved Don once they brought in all of the decorations. They changed into some warmer gear, getting Noah fitted with his winter coat, gloves and a hat.
"You look like a little marshmallow," Olivia cooed, blowing raspberries against Noah's cheeks.
Noah giggled and tangled his fingers in her hair, "No mama...Mama."
"Okay sweet boy, no more," Olivia giggled.
There was a knock on the door, "I got it."
"Hey Dad," the kids chimed as Elliot threw open the door.
"Daddy!" Eli practically screamed throwing himself into his Dad.
"How you doing buddy? You ready to get a tree?" He asked Eli, picking him up and
hugging him tight.
"He's been talking about it the whole ride here," Maureen said, hugging Olivia.
"Noah looks so chubby in that."
"He's so cute," Lizzie chimed in after hugging her Dad.
"Yeah Liv, he's adorable," Kathleen added.
"Thanks girls. He missed you all," Olivia smiled, handing Noah over to Kathleen
"Girls," Dickie sighed, rolling his eyes making Elliot chuckle.
"Just a couple more months," Elliot said, clapping Dickie on the shoulder.
"The longest months of my life," Dickie chuckled.
"Are we all ready to go?" Elliot asked, closing the door and turning to his
family.
"I think so," Olivia smiled.
The Stabler family were walking down a row of trees trying to find the perfect
one.
Eli was running and playing through the snow, sneaking little snowball into his
mouth. Dickie had Noah on his hip who was giggling every time a snowflake hit
his cheeks.
"How about this one, Liv?" Elliot asked, pointing to a lush green tree that was
covered in a light dusting of snow.
"I think it's perfect," Olivia smiled.
Olivia and Elliot sat on the sofa and watched as all of the kids decorated the tree. Eli had gone crazy with the tinsel on the areas he could reach which left the top half of the tree mostly bare. Noah was playing with the fake snow that was surrounding the base of the tree, patting his hands against the soft fluffy material.
Elliot took her hand in his and pulled her up from the couch, "Lets help them. Do you want to get the boy's ornaments from their box?"
"Oh yeah, I almost forgot," Olivia said, walking into the kitchen to grab the bag.
"Noah, you gonna help your Momma put up your ornament?" Elliot cooed, picking Noah up from the floor.
"Alright little man," Olivia smiled, helping Noah hold the string for his ornament and gently placing it on one of the branches.
"Good job, Noah," Lizzie cooed, patting him on the back and he smiled, clapping his hands together.
"Eli," Olivia called and he came running.
"Yeah, Livvie?" he asked, looking up at her with his toothy grin.
She ran her hand through his curly blonde hair, "Do you want to put your baby brothers ornament on the tree?"
"Really?" he asked and she nodded, handing him the baby's ornament. "Don't worry, baby," Eli said, patting Olivia's belly, "I'll pick a good spot."
"He's amazing," Olivia said softly so only Elliot could hear.
Elliot kissed the top of her head, "They all are...it blows my mind sometime."
Eli walked around the tree before settling on a spot right in the front. He stepped back and admired his work before turning to Olivia, "Is it okay?"
"It's great, Eli. Good job," she smiled and hugged him tight.
"How's it coming?" Elliot asked looking at the tree.
"I think we're almost done," Dickie answered, finishing up with the lights and plugging them in, the whole tree lighting up.
"Do you like it?" Elliot asked Olivia, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her into his side.
"I love it," she smiled, tilting her face up to his and capturing his lips with hers.
