Thanks for all the love from the story that I found in my google docs. Here is the epilogue to get a glimpse of what happens next for our favorite couple after their long journey. Enjoy! And don't forget to keep reading "I Choose You" and the EO - Taylor Swift Playlist. You guys rock!
One year Later…
Olivia taped up the last box. Stood up and looked around at her empty apartment. It felt so strange. All these years later and it was empty. This space that had been hers and hers alone. She took a deep breath, pulled her hair up into a ponytail and stood there quietly. She heard the door open, and smiled as his footsteps hit the ground behind her. She leaned against him when he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed the back of her neck.
"We have just enough room for your last box." He held her tighter, "Whenever you're ready."
She listened to his words. She knew what he was saying. She knew he was giving her the freedom to feel sad about leaving her home. She wrapped her arms around his and squeezed, "I'm ready."
He turned her slowly, looked deep into her eyes and asked, "You sure?"
Pushing up on her tiptoes, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and smiled, "I'm sure El. I'm ready. We're ready."
He stepped back, lifted the box and pressed it to his side, "After you."
Olivia looked back at the apartment one last time and walked with him towards the door. As they stepped out into the hallway, Mr. Carr, the very man that had let Elliot into the apartment a year ago was about to walk into his apartment. He turned to them and smiled, "Ah, today's the day, huh?"
Olivia smiled at him, "It is. I gave my keys back. I'm out of here. Thank you for being such a great neighbor."
The older man looked past Olivia at Elliot, "I always wondered...that night you asked for her key."
Elliot smiled and rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand, "Yeah...that would be the night we-"
Mr. Carr smiled and gave them a wink, "Save me a seat at the wedding then. I think you owe me." He turned the door knob, "Good luck. Treat each other well."
Elliot slipped his hand into Olivia's and squeezed, "We will."
They walked together towards the elevator and climbed in. Olivia leaned back against the wall and took a deep breath. She looked over at Elliot and he smiled right back. When they reached the first floor, they walked in silence out to Elliot's car. He packed the box inside and then walked to the car door and opened it for her, "Ready to go home?"
She looked up at the apartment, then back at him. Slowly, she leaned in and pressed a hand to his cheek, "Yes."
He kissed her forehead, climbed in beside her on the driver seat to take them home.
Two years later...
Olivia drove home after a long day at work. Elliot had been transferred out of the Unit and it was still an adjustment for all of them. But, as she pulled into the driveway of their house, she sighed with relief. It was worth it coming home to this. Sitting in the car, she looked in the front window and saw Elliot and the kids sitting around the coffee table playing a game. She had been so surprised by the support of the kids. Of course it had taken a little getting used too, but now it felt like it had been this way forever.
Kathy was happy with her boyfriend. Olivia and Elliot were happy. The kids were happy. And that was all that mattered at this point. It was hard to believe that it had been two years since it all started and she had never been so damn happy. Climbing out of the car, she walked up to the front of the house and let herself in. The sound of the laughter coming from the living room warmed her heart. She tossed her keys on the table beside the door and slipped off her boots. Walking towards the living room, Lizzie looked up at her and smiled, "Hi Liv!"
Olivia sat down on the edge of the couch and smiled, "Hey guys. I hope someone is beating your Dad finally."
Richie snorted, "Oh I'm kicking his a-" Elliot's hand came out and playfully smacked him upside the head, "Geez Dad! Was that necessary?"
"It was." He sighed and looked up at Olivia, "Hi." Standing up he pointed to the board game, "Girls. Make sure your brother isn't cheating."
Olivia followed him to the kitchen and felt her heart squeeze in her chest when she saw a plate waiting for her on the table, "You were able to save me some food? Richie usually eats all the leftovers."
He smiled and popped the plate in the microwave, "It wasn't easy. But I got you what I could."
She sat down at the counter and smiled, "Thank you. Sorry I'm later than I expected."
Elliot shrugged, "You know I get it. We have all day with the kids tomorrow anyway. I'll probably drop them off at Kathy's around 6. And then I was thinking we could go out to dinner?"
Olivia smiled at him, "Sure. That sounds nice. Any special occasion?"
He smiled and shot her a look, "Very funny."
She tugged off her cardigan and put it down on the stool beside her, "Oh right...I think I remember. Our Anniversary."
He rolled his eyes and took out the plate, placing it in front of her, "You're hilarious."
She laughed and picked up her fork, "I do what I can."
She was quiet as she ate and he could tell something was on her mind, "Work okay?"
He hated being disconnected from her life at work but also knew it had been the best choice for everyone. He liked working in the Organized Crime Unit but it had been an adjustment. The biggest being not seeing her as much. The beginning had been a struggle but they learned how to make it work. Finding time whenever they could. Buying the house had helped because they didn't need to negotiate where they were staying each night. The answer was simple.
Their home.
Olivia smiled and swallowed the food in her mouth, "Yeah…" She put down her fork and then looked at him, "Cragen wants me to take the Sergeants exam."
Elliot's face lit up immediately and he walked around the counter, "What? Liv, that's amazing!" He turned her slowly on the stool and kissed her, "I'm so proud of you!"
She sighed and looked at him, "El…"
He frowned and sat down beside her, "Why do you look upset about this? This is an amazing thing."
She smiled and shrugged, "I'm not upset. I'm just...conflicted I guess."
"About?" She didn't answer and he reached for her hand, "Liv, what is it? I mean this is an honor."
She cleared her throat and looked up at him slowly, "I just always thought...I'd be watching you do this. You deserved it El. And I feel like-"
"Stop." He squeezed her hand, "Olivia, stop. I know what you're thinking and you're wrong. I chose to leave and I don't regret it for a second."
She leaned closer to him, "Are you sure? I just...I feel guilty. I mean I want it. I do want it. I just wanted it for you too."
Elliot smiled and leaned in to kiss her, "Well...that's good. Because we can study together."
She frowned, "What? You mean you can help me?"
He chuckled and shook his head, "You know they do have Sergeant's in other Unit's too Liv."
Her eyes went wide and she reached for him, "You're taking the exam too?"
He smiled and leaned in, "My boss asked me today. I was going to tell you. But you beat me to the punch."
She stood up, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek, "I'm so proud of you! El no one deserves this more."
He smiled at her and shrugged, "I could argue that you do. But turns out we get to do it together."
She held his face in his hands, "You were right. You said we'd always do everything together. Partners. In everything."
"Onto the next big adventure." He said giving her a squeeze, "I'm ready. Are you?"
She kissed him softly, "As long as I get to do it with you, I'm ready for anything El."
He really hoped that was true..
The next night, Elliot took Olivia to their favorite restaurant. He gave her flowers, held the door open for her, had them sat at the most romantic table and spoiled her all night. All the things he had promised to do that night in her apartment. She was deliriously happy, and it wasn't because of the wine she had had at dinner. It was all because of the man beside her. They were in the car, and she was so lost in thought it took her a moment to realize they weren't driving in the direction of their house.
Looking out the window she frowned, "El, where are we-"
He parked the car, "You'll recognize it in a minute. At least I hope."
She looked back out the window, but didn't have time to think before the door was opening for her again. He held out his hand, gave her that grin of his that made her weak in the knees. She was glad he was going to hold her hand, she was pretty sure she was going to fall over.
He pulled her towards the sidewalk, "Anything look familiar yet?"
She looked at him, then over at the buildings, "N-" She paused when she saw it and smiled, "Why are we here?"
Elliot pulled her hand, "Come on."
She felt her heart hammering away in her chest, she could feel the shift. Feel that this moment was going to be important, "Elliot…"
He shook his head, turned around and walked backwards, all the while tugging her along, "Keep walking."
Slowly, she followed him, not able to keep her eyes off of him. And then they were standing in front of his old apartment building. He sat down on the steps. The very steps that they had sat on that first night. Where he had asked her to come up. Where all of this had started. He patted the space beside him, "Sit."
Taking a deep breath, she slid into the spot beside him, "This feels familiar…"
Elliot looked at her otu of the corner of his eyes, "I know that...things got a little confusing after that first night. I know we...took the long route to get here. But I don't for a second regret asking you to come up that night. I knew it was right. I knew what I wanted. And I know what I want now."
She swallowed hard, trying not to cry, "And what do you want now Elliot?"
He stood up, and then knelt in front of her, "I want to marry you."
She bit her lip and ran her hands along her bare knees, "Elliot…"
He reached for her hand and squeezed, "Olivia, I told you I wanted a future with you. And I want that now more than I did before. I want you to be my wife. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. To have a child with you. To grow old with you. That's what I want. So I guess...the question is...what do you want?" He pressed her hand against his lips, "Will you marry me?"
She couldn't take her eyes off of him. Couldn't believe this was her life. That night, it all seemed too good to be true. And yet here she was. She took a deep breath, looked right at him and whispered, "Yes."
The smile on his face, grew wider, he reached into his pocket and took out a black velvet box. Popping it open, he took out the ring and heard her gasp. Reaching for her hand, he slid the ring on her finger and whispered, "Don't say I never gave you anything."
He heard her laugh before leaning in and capturing his face with her hands and kissing him hard. Yeah. It had all been worth it.
After a rather short engagement, the couple tied the knot in a small ceremony surrounded by their friends and family. Neither of them wanted to wait too long to make it official. Now two months after their wedding, Elliot came home after a crappy day. He couldn't wait to relax and spend some time with his wife. Walking in the front door, he noticed that there was quiet music playing and he saw two candles on the table. Smiling to himself, he took off his coat and hung it on the hook. "Liv?"
He looked up when he heard a noise on the steps, his breath caught in his throat, "Welcome home."
He took a deep breath and watched her walk towards him. She had on a black dress that clung to her curves, her hair was wavy and flowing over her shoulders. Walking up to him he sighed and reached for her, "Wow." He pulled her closer and kissed her, running his hands along her back, "What did I do to deserve this? Am I missing something important?"
She smiled and kissed him gently, "Does a wife need an excuse to surprise her husband with a romantic dinner?" She stepped backwards and pulled him with her, "You're not the only one who can be romantic."
He followed after her and smiled, "I know you can. You have no idea how badly I needed this. It's been one hell of a day."
She reached for his tie and started to pull it off, "You tired? We can-"
He shook his head and pulled her up to him, "No. I just...want to spend some time with you."
She smiled and kissed him gently, "Wine?"
He sat down hard on one of the chairs and smiled, "Please."
Olivia walked into the kitchen and reached for a glass, "You want to talk about it?"
He leaned against the table, resting his head in his hands, "Not even anything important. It was just tiring. You'd think after all these years of being a cop you'd stop being surprised by the things people do."
"I know." She brought the glass over to him and set it down, "Yet no matter what we do, there's always another asshole out there to find."
He sighed and reached for the glass, lifting it to his lips, "So why do we do it?"
She reached out and squeezed his arm, "Because, we believe in what we do. And to protect the people we love."
He set the glass down and sighed, "You're right." He stared at her for a moment and then noticed she didn't have a glass of her own, "What? I'm drinking alone tonight?"
He saw her bite her lip. She stood up and walked away from him, he watched her carefully, "Liv what-"
Suddenly she was beside him holding out a picture, "There was a reason for the dinner."
He frowned, took the picture from her hand, "Wh-" His breath caught in his throat and he sat up a little straighter, "Liv..."
She pressed a hand to her belly and smiled, "Don't say I never gave you anything."
He stood up quickly, pulled her into his arms and lifted her quickly, "You're pregnant!"
She felt tears burning in her eyes as he held her close, "I'm pregnant."
He pulled away, held her face firmly in his hands and kissed her, "Oh my God. This is...this is…" He looked down at the picture again, then at her belly, "I can't believe this."
She chuckled, "You've done this before. You know how it works."
He smiled at her and shrugged, "Yeah, but I've never done this with you." He kissed her again, 'This...this is different Liv. I'm so happy. So incredibly happy." He pressed his hand to her belly, 'Are you feeling okay?"
"I feel fine." She squeezed his hand, "Everything is good. The doctor said everything looks and sounds good. I'm about 8 weeks along."
He sighed and sat down on the edge of the table, "A baby...a little piece of you and me." He pressed a hand to her stomach, "Liv, I just...I'm so happy."
"Me too." She looked down, and pressed her hand over his, "This is all I've ever wanted Elliot."
He smiled at her, "I told you you'd get it. We'd get it."
Leaning against him she smiled, "Yeah. You did. And I'm damn glad you didn't let me run from this."
"I've got you Liv. I've always got you." He looked down at her belly, "Both of you."
Elliot stood in the doorway, he had worked late again. His new role as Sergeant was proving to be an adjustment. For both of them. But they always made sure to put their daughter first. He watched her sitting with her, rocking her in the dimly lit room of her bedroom. The young girl was pressed against her Mother's chest. He thought back to that night in his apartment when she came to him after a long day. Looking to forget. Looking for release. He had asked her for more and she had run.
In the days following he couldn't imagine them finding their way out of that mess. She seemed to be so far away from him, so unattainable. And yet she had let him in. She had chosen to listen to him, to trust him. She had let him stay. And now...now they had everything they ever wanted. He heard her humming softly to their daughter, she looked up at him and smiled, "You're home."
Walking closer to her, he knelt down beside them, "I'm home."
She smiled and looked down at the baby in her arms, "We missed you."
"I missed you both more than you know." He settled down on the ground, "You know what I was thinking?"
She turned back to him, "What?"
"When we got together...we always found each other after a hard day. It was...complicated. But you were the only one that could calm me. Make me feel...understood." He touched the little girl's head. "It felt so good to be with you. And now…"
She was watching him, looking for any sign of sadness or worry, "Now?
"Now…" He looked back a ther, "Now I get to come home to you. To our daughter. To our family. And it's everything. Thank you for letting me stay…"
She took a deep breath and leaned down to kiss him softly, "Thanks for wanting to stay when no one else did."
The End.