Fate
Chapter 4: A Shot of Courage
A/N: All your girlfriend guesses are hilarious. People really hate Beck. I will be adding an old character back into the story, as Olivia's friend. Picks up where we left off in Olivia's apartment on Monday morning.
"Is cereal okay?" Olivia inquired, staring at the strange boy from across her kitchen counter.
Oliver nodded, "Of course."
Olivia placed a bowl in front of her ex partner's son, and rummaged around her kitchen to get him the necessities to eat some cereal. "I called Lucy, that's Noah's nanny, to tell her not to bother coming today," Olivia informed him.
"Yeah, Noah told me about her," Oliver explained.
"Hmmm," Olivia mumbled, "So just how did you and my son pull this little stunt off?"
Oliver laughed lightly as he dug into his Cheerios, "Well once we figured out we were twins, it wasn't too hard. We spent the rest of our time at the camp learning each other's lives. I bet Noah will tell you the hardest part was cutting his hair. There may have been tears."
Olivia clasped a hand over her heart, "My poor sweet boy!" she exclaimed.
Oliver shrugged, "If it makes you feel better it was my idea," he confessed, with a mischievous smile and glint in his eyes.
Olivia opened her mouth to respond when her phone rang.
Glancing at the screen Olivia moaned, "Uh I have to take this, you can watch TV if you want."
Olivia entered her bedroom and quickly walked to her bathroom, shutting and locking her door, before answering her cell, "Barba thank God!"
"Hey, where are you? You sleep in or something?" Rafael Barba her good friend and ex ADA asked her.
Olivia furrowed her eyebrows as she sat on her bathroom floor. Shit, she was suppose to meet him for breakfast before work.
"I completely forgot," Olivia confessed.
Now it was Barba's turn to be confused, "Everything okay? Did you get called in or something?"
Olivia chuckled darkly, "Or something."
Olivia proceeded to tell Barba what had transpired that morning in her apartment.
"Wow, identical twins!" Barba gasped, unable to believe her situation.
Olivia rubbed her forehead, already feeling the beginning of a headache coming on.
"I don't know what to do, what am I going to do? I mean I haven't seen or heard from this guy for 10 years!" Olivia complained.
"Where are you now?" Barba questioned, he could hear Olivia spiralling through the tone of her voice.
"I've locked myself in my bathroom. I mean what am I suppose to say to Oliver? He's some 8 year old stranger in my home!" Olivia grunted.
"Hmmm, that's the real problem though isn't it? He isn't just some random kid. He's Stabler's son," Barba stated wisely.
"Arrrrrrrrgh," Olivia grumbled.
"So you have to take him to the Four Seasons this morning?" Barba confirmed.
"Yes, so I can get my son back," Olivia replied.
"Do you want me to come with you? Moral support and all? I'm at the café so I'm literally just a two minute walk from your apartment, I can leave my car here or I can drive us?" Barba offered.
"No I couldn't ask you to join this shit show," Olivia muttered.
"Nonsense, I offered, I'll be right there," Barba told her.
Olivia rubbed her temple, "Thank you Rafael, I owe you."
XxXxXxXxXxXxX
Olivia glanced down at her work attire, she didn't know if she should change for the conference. Should she wear a skirt and blazer, or a dress? Was she dressing for the Four Seasons or for meeting Elliot?
Olivia got up and unlocked her bathroom door, she sank heavily onto her bed and flopped onto her back. She stared at the ceiling of her bedroom. She was going to see her ex partner today. After a decade apart and no communication what so ever. She couldn't wrap her head around it. Never in a million years did she think this was how her Monday was going to go, when she woke up this morning. Her thoughts were interrupted by someone pounding on her door.
Olivia exited her bedroom, and bypassed the small boy watching cartoons on her living room couch.
Glancing through her peephole she saw her friend and flung her door open.
Barba gave her a small smile, the look of anguish very apparent on her face.
"Come on in, I'm just about ready to leave," Olivia explained.
"I brought you some breakfast and a coffee from the café," Barba told her as he held out a paper bag and a coffee.
Olivia shook her head, "I think I'm too nauseous and nervous to sleep, do you mind just leaving it in the fridge? I'm just going to grab a few things from my room, then we can go."
Barba nodded as he and Olivia moved into the main living area and sure enough sitting on her couch was an identical copy of Noah Benson. His hair was shorter than the last time Barba had seen him, but aside from that he couldn't tell a difference. It was unnerving.
"Hi," the little boy greeted, he chanced a glance at Olivia, "Is this your boyfriend?"
Olivia shook her head, "No this is a friend of mine, Rafael Barba, Barba this is Oliver St-Stabler," Olivia stuttered, introducing the two men.
"It's nice to meet you Mr. Barba," Oliver said.
"You too Oliver, you can call me…" Barba trailed off, Noah called him 'uncle' but that wasn't really appropriate in this situation. "Uh, you can call me Rafael or Barba."
"Cool," Oliver smiled at them.
"Do you have all your stuff packed and ready?" Olivia asked as Barba put his purchases into her fridge.
"No, everything I brought with me was Noah's, so I don't have anything to pack."
"Right…" Olivia trailed off. "Give me five minutes and we can leave, use the bathroom if you need to before we go," Olivia reminded him, just like any mother or parent would.
Barba watched Olivia walk into her bedroom and close the door. He knew his friend was confused and hurting among many other emotions.
Reaching into her liquor cabinet, Barba poured her a couple fingers of bourbon. He knocked on her bedroom door, waiting to hear the response before entering.
Olivia spied the glass in his hands immediately, "Christ Barba it's not even noon!"
"You need this," Barba insisted. "I'm driving so here take this, you need to relax, calm down," he explained giving her the glass.
"I'm not sure being inebriated in the presence of Elliot Stabler, is a good idea," Olivia grumbled, while downing the dark amber liquid, grimacing as it burned down her throat.
"It wasn't enough to even get you tipsy," Barba confirmed. "You ready?" he asked.
Olivia chuckled darkly, "Not even remotely."
Olivia sighed, "Do I… Do I look okay? Should I change?"
Barba looked at her sensible work slacks, dark blue blouse, and long jacket. "Hmmm," he responded.
Barba viewed her open closet door, he knew she secretly wanted to look good in front of Elliot but didn't want to admit it.
Barba browsed through some shirts and pants, before picking out a pair of dark jeans and a sheer red blouse. He placed them on her bed. "Pair these with your knee high boots and a black camisole underneath and you're good to go Captain." Barba knew if she felt she looked good, her confidence would grow as well.
"I'll meet you out there," Barba nodded towards her door, taking her empty glass with him.
10 minutes later the trio was on their way to the Four Seasons hotel in Barba's car.
Oliver sat in the backseat as he watched building after building go by, "Are you excited to see my Dad again Mom-"
Everyone in the car took a sharp intake of breath, "Sorry, um Ms. Benson?" Oliver corrected, he had gotten use to calling her 'Mom,' that weekend.
Olivia sighed and hung her head, "Just call me Olivia, Oliver. And it's been 10 years since I've seen your father. To be honest I'm not sure what to feel or expect."
"But you were friends, weren't you? Best friends?" Oliver probed.
"We were…" Olivia replied cautiously. She wasn't sure what Elliot had told this boy about her, their partnership, or why he left. Hell, Elliot hadn't even told her about that last one.
"My Dad talks about you, and he has pictures of you around our home, he said you were his partner and his friend. And Eli has told me the story of how you saved his life," Oliver rambled on and on.
"Yes I guess so," Olivia confirmed.
"Why'd you stop being friends, because my Dad had to move to Northern Ireland for work?"
Olivia gasped, "You're Dad hasn't been in Manhattan all these years?" Olivia asked as she moved in her seat to question Oliver.
"Uhhh," Oliver drawled out slowly, "No? He found me during some case, here in New York, but then we moved to Northern Ireland when I was 1 I think. My sister Kathleen moved with us too."
"What about your Mom, she just let your Dad take you to a different country?" Olivia inquired, not believing Kathy would do such a thing.
"Mom? I don't have a Mom," Oliver stated confused.
Olivia scrunched her eyebrows together, her mouth forming a frown, "What about Kathy?"
"Oh you mean my brother's and sister's Mom? Yeah, she was in the USA, I think she lived in Florida by then. She still does," Oliver explained as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"So to clarify, Elliot adopted you, not Kathy?" Olivia asked.
"Yep, it's always just been Dad and me. Sometimes my siblings would come visit, oh and Kathleen moved with us like I said, but she ended up staying there," Oliver stated plainly. "Dad's been single as long as I've known, plus Kathy got remarried a few years ago, Kathleen flew home for the wedding."
They were stopped at a light, as Oliver unknowingly dropped that bomb in the car.
Barba and Olivia glanced at each other.
Seeing Elliot Stabler again after a decade was one thing. Seeing a divorced, Elliot Stabler, was a whole different ball game.
A/N: Last chance to guess who the girlfriend will be. Find out in the next chapter! Thank you for the reviews. Beta'd by my wonderful husband, all mistakes mine. English not my first language so I apologize for any mistakes. Canon up until the beginning of the most current season. No L&O: OC storyline.