SORRY FOR SUCH THE LATE UPDATE.

I had some issues writing this chapter, shout out to Amilyn for throwing me some ideas.

Also, I am a mother of two boys who were overly excited about Santa coming this year.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUATOIN OF LOVE AND SUPPORT AND PLEASE REMEMBER TO REVIEW. AS ALWAYS HAPPY READING.

And... HAPPY HOLIDAYS.

After the realtor told them she would call them the next day with what she thought was a good asking price, Elliot insisted on celebrating Olivia's promotion. Since she was too tired to go out, he sent her home to enjoy a nice bath, while he and the boys went to the grocery store.

She was just stepping out of the tub when she heard the sounds of their voices entering the apartment.

"Dad! Why do you always have to be so embarrassing!?" Eli groaned as he set the bag of groceries in his hand on the counter.

Noah, who was holding a bouquet of flowers they had picked for Olivia, laughed loudly, "But… but the way you hit the door was so funny"

Elliot was the last to enter the door with two bags of Chinese food in his hand. With a voice full of laughter, he said, "See Eli, it was funny."

"It was not funny! She was really cute and I was trying to make a move!"

Elliot chuckled, "Staring is not making a move son. I was just trying to help you out."

Eli threw his arms above his head in exasperation and walked to the couch, throwing his body on it dramatically. "By rubbing my head like I was a child and saying hello loud enough for her to hear you."

As he set the food down next to the groceries, Elliot said, "I was trying to pull you back into reality and get you to at least say hello. The best way to start to get to know a girl Eli is to talk to her. Show interest, learn her name and her favorite thi..." The sound of the bathroom door opening, cut him off.

Olivia was standing in the doorway with a towel wrapped head and one of Elliot's t-shirts and pajama pants. "Really?" Her arms were folded in front of her and her tone had taken on a sarcastic tone. Her and Elliot had already discussed the age difference between the boys. While Eli was old enough to understand that girls had a choice on whether or not they wanted to be interested in a boy or not, Noah was not. There were certain steps that still needed to be fully explained to Noah, that did not need to be explained to Eli.

Elliot looked at her strangely. "What?" The sarcastic tone was one that did not go unnoticed by him, nor did he understand what exactly she was giving it towards. It wasn't as if him and Eli were talking about sex. He was only teaching the boy the basics on how to be a gentleman. When his look was met with a look he felt like he was quite fond of, he groaned. It was a look that he had seen plenty of times during their partnership, but one that he had not really seen during their romantic relationship. Olivia was not happy. His eyes looked in between her and the boys, with them landing on her, "Why are you looking at me like that right now?"

With her responding glare, Eli whispered a "I'll get the plates" at the same time Noah said "Uhoh." Olivia shot them both a look, which caused them both to become busy with something around them. When she looked back at Elliot and was once again met with a look of confusion, she rolled her eyes.

He stepped in a half of an inch closer to her, "I'm really not trying to be an ass right now but I don't know why you're upset."

When she spoke, her tone was an angry hush toned, "Seriously?"

Before he had a chance to once again question her, Eli spoke, "The plates are ready."

She glanced up at Eli, then back at Elliot. Shooting him a glare once more, she pivoted her body around him to make her way towards the table. As she stepped on by him, she whispered, "Later."

Elliot inwardly groaned. The woman had just been promoted and they had picked a place to buy together, the last thing he wanted to do was fight with her. In fact what he wanted to do with her was so far off from fighting, that he almost started to bang his head against the wall. Instead, he took a breath and walked to the table as well.

As Olivia sat down, Noah handed her the bouquet of flowers. "Congratulations on making Captain mommy."

She smiled widely at him, shook her head out of her towel and pulled him in for a hug, "Thank you, baby."

"Yeah. You're pretty great." Eli added when he sat her plate before her.

She was glad the boy didn't hesitate when she released one of her arms from Noah, to pull him in as well. "Thank you. I love you. Both of you, so much."

Noah was quick to respond with, "I love you too mom!", while Eli didn't respond. Since he had not yet told her, with words, that he loved her, Olivia had restrained up until that point. The last thing she wanted was to make him feel uncomfortable. However, Elliot had hinted towards her that a teenage boy sometimes needed a push towards something like that. Because, just as she was worried about making him uncomfortable, Eli was worried about the same thing. She felt the boy exhale against her neck, before he sat up, looked her in the eye and said, "Love you too, Liv."

She smiled and looked up just in time to see Elliot snap a picture of them with his phone. "How about, if I can manage a day off this weekend, we celebrate? The promotion and the house?"

"I vote pizza." Eli said as he sat down.

Noah and Elliot were quick to follow suit, sitting in, what had become, their designated seats at the table. Elliot chuckled, "You always vote pizza Eli."

"That's because everyone likes pizza dad."

Noah nodded, "That is so true! I don't know anyone who doesn't like pizza! Do you know anyone who doesn't like pizza mom?"

Olivia, who was in the middle of a bite, shook her head. She couldn't help the smile that spread across her lips as she recalled all the times her and her squad throughout the years ordered pizza. She could even remember the pizza her and Elliot had always shared together, a large meat lovers. One that they would always devour between themselves within an hour. When she made eye contact with Elliot, she could tell he was recalling the same thing. "No honey, I haven't. But then again, I am a cop and I seriously don't think it's possible for cops to not like pizza."

Eli laughed, "Like doughnuts?"

She laughed, "Yeah, like doughnuts. There is a reason why cops gain weight throughout the years. To much pizza and doughnuts on those long stakeouts we're made to endure. Good thing your dad got out when he did because he'd probably be twice the size he is now."

Elliot chuckled and leaned forward on his elbows, "You are not twice the size you were when you first walked into that precinct."

She leaned forward slightly as well, "Yes, I am."

The shake of his head in the negative caused her, in spite of herself, to smile. He looked at both the boys, "Don't believe her when she says that. She was perfect then and is perfect now." The simultaneous groan of the boys, caused him to chuckle again. "See, a compliment." Although the reddening of her cheeks began as a blush, it was quick to turn into reddening of irritation. Once again, he was fast to realize. He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. Instead of commenting on the look, he chose to respect her earlier demand of 'later', and changed the subject. "So, are either of you interested in any sports?"

Eli nodded his head, "I definitely want to do baseball."

"Do you know when tryouts are?"

"They said they were gonna announce them sometime this week. So, as soon as I know, you'll know dad."

"Okay, just don't forget to tell me." He watched Eli nod in understanding and turned his attention to Noah. "What about you Noah?"

The young boy looked between the adults and shrugged his shoulders, "I'm not sure yet."

"You don't want to do baseball again this year baby?" Olivia asked.

He shook his head in the negative, "Baseball was kind of boring mom. I don't think I want to do it again."

"Boring? I thought you loved it."

"It was okay."

Her and Elliot exchanged looks before Elliot asked. "Well, if you don't want to do a sport, is there any other activity you may want to do instead?"

Once again Noah looked back and forth at the adults. They watched him as he took a breath and set his fork on the table. "I want to dance."

"You want to dance?" Olivia asked, turning her full attention to him. She had never heard him express any interest in dancing before. It was always baseball and soccer, that was all.

"Yeah. You know that dance place that was by our old apartment?" He waited for his mother to nod, before he continued, "That. I want to do that." He looked at Elliot, "Can I do that?"

Although he already knew the answer, he glanced at Olivia to gage her reaction. When he was met with the look he knew he would receive, he smiled, "Of course you can. Your mom and I will look up how to sign you up."

"Awesome! Thanks!"

The remaining of the time before bedtime was spent with Elliot and Noah curled up on the couch googling the dance studio and famous male dancers, while Olivia and Eli played a video game that he had been asking her to play with him. Once he ensured the kids were asleep in bed, Elliot took a deep breath and migrated to the room.

Olivia had headed to bed as soon as the boys said goodnight, while Elliot had stayed in the kitchen cleaning up dinner. She was laying down on her side of the bed with a book when he finally emerged.

Closing the door behind him, he looked at her. After dinner, she seemed to not be upset anymore, however they had put their full attention towards the kids, so he wasn't all the way sure if she was still wanting to discuss the 'later'. All he really wanted to do was properly reward her for her hard work. When she glanced up at him, he opted for, what he thought, was the most rational thing at that moment. "You're so beautiful."

Instead of blushing, like she usually did, she huffed. "Another compliment?" The fact that the man still had absolutely no idea why she was upset with him, was mind boggling.

He sighed, "Okay, are you gonna tell me what I did now?"

That response had her pushing her glasses up, throwing her book on the night stand and sitting up, "Have you forgotten what it's like to have sons with an age gap Elliot? Because Richard and Eli have a larger age gap than Eli and Noah do. You would think you would remember the difference."

"Of course I remember the difference but I don't see why your upset with what I was saying Liv. I wasn't saying anything inappropriate. I was simply teaching the boy how to be a gentleman. Something that Noah is never too young to learn."

"It wasn't what you were saying to him Elliot, it was what you weren't saying to him."

He groaned. He didn't know if it was because he was just a man, but that didn't make any sense to him. "What I wasn't saying to him? How can what I didn't say to him cause a conflict? That doesn't even make any sense Olivia."

She glared at him and sat up even further on the bed, "Noah is only six years old Elliot. If you're going to be giving Eli girl advice in front of him, effectively giving Noah advice as well, you may want to include some major details."

"Okay? What major details are we talking about."

The breath she blew out of her mouth at that moment, accompanied by the look on her face, would have had him ten feet under if possible. "Are you serious right now?" When she was met with a stare that indicated the man in front of her was really trying to figure out what she was referring to, she groaned, "What about the girls thoughts or wants Elliot? Ask for her name, compliment her, show interest. What if she doesn't want to tell a boy her name or doesn't want a compliment?"

"Seriously? You wanted me to include by the way if she says she's not interested, leave her be." His tone was definitely more curt than he intended it to be.

"When you're talking in front of Noah, yes I do! I haven't talked to him about girls, at all Elliot. If you are trying to be a father figure to him, you need to make sure that while you're in front of him, you're including small details that you no longer need to include with Eli. He doesn't automatically know that girls need to be interested as well, it needs to be told to him."

The neurons firing in his brain at that moment, had him having to take a deep breath to control the volume of the voice that was about to escape his mouth. He wasn't exactly sure when it went from 'being his father' to 'trying to be a father figure', but it pissed him off. If she wanted him to be Noah's father, she needed to start believing that he wanted to be his father also. In every way, shape and form possible. He crossed his arms in front of him in a defensive manner, "Okay, two things. One, boys learn that girls are supposed to be interested in them by themselves. However, if you would like me to talk to Noah about the importance of girls' opinions, I can do that." When the look of relief crossed her face, he continued, "But, if I'm just 'trying to be a father figure' to him, I guess I don't really have to explain anything to him. If I'm 'trying', doesn't that mean I get to pick and choose what I teach him?"

She didn't respond to him, instead opting to look at her hands. She didn't know how to do this. As much as she wanted Elliot to be Noah's father, she couldn't help the slight fear that flowed through her veins everytime she thought of it. Sure, Elliot had taken Noah in as his own, but the truth was, Noah wasn't actually his. He was hers since she found him in that dresser drawer. There was no way for her to know if Elliot would treat him differently than he treated his biological children. And since he had left her during the young years of Eli's life, she had nothing to compare his parenting style with Noah to. He could never love Noah as much as he loved his own kids, could he?

When he was met with silence, he sighed quietly, "Do you want me to be his father or not Olivia? Because trying to be a figure is different than actually being his father."

With tear filled eyes, she looked at him and whispered, "But you're not his actual father Elliot."

One side of his brain wanted to hold her and tell her that he wanted to be, while the other wanted to walk away from her. If he hadn't proven to her that by that point that he wanted to be Noah's father, just as much as he wanted to be with her, he was either not doing something right or she was to blind to see it. Choosing a route that he had promised himself he would never take with her, he walked to his side of the bed.

She was anticipating him to sit down next to her, so was halfway in the process of pulling his side of the covers down, when his hand snatched a pillow off his side of the bed. She drew her eyes up to his face, that was already turning around to head towards the door, "What are you doing?"

As much as it pained her to say the words, he said them anyways, "I'm sleeping on the couch."