Tuesday, January 23rd
"Liv" Elliot whispered, gently shaking her. "Olivia" He said again, getting louder. He chuckled when she reached out and grabbed the pillow next to her, covering her face with it. "Come on Liv, it's almost ten. It's time to wake up". She let out a groan, removing the pillow from her face.
"What's the big deal? It's not like we have anywhere to go today" She sighed, pushing herself up into a sitting position. A delicious smell filled her nostrils, fully waking her up. She watched as Elliot grabbed a tray off of her the top of her dresser, carefully setting it in her lap. He had made her french toast and bacon for breakfast and was serving it to her in bed. A girl could get used to this.
"Happy birthday, Liv" He said as he sat down next to her on the bed. "I like what you've done with your hair" He teased. She had gone to bed right after her shower last night, which meant that her hair was still wet. Now her hair was wavy in the front on the left side, fairly straight on the right because she primarily slept on that side, and several pieces were sticking straight up in the back. Remnants of yesterday's makeup could still be seen under her eyes, but she looked beautiful nonetheless.
She found herself feeling guilty for the way she cut him off the night before, but she didn't want to ruin the good mood by bringing it up."Thanks, El. You're not going to eat?" She asked, taking a bite of her bacon. Elliot grabbed her hand, bringing it to his mouth and taking a bite of her bacon. "That wasn't exactly what I meant, but that's fine".
"I already ate" He explained. "We're in serious need of some groceries. The french toast used the last of the eggs. I'm going to run to the store. Any requests?" He knew that she hated grocery shopping, and it relieved her when she realized that he wasn't going to ask her to come with him.
Olivia shook her head, unable to think of anything specific. Breakfast in bed and she didn't have to go grocery shopping? Today was shaping up to be a pretty good day. He ran his hand up and down her back, leaning in as if he was going to kiss her on the cheek, but stopped about an inch away. He awkwardly backed off, mumbling something about being back in a bit. Once she heard the apartment door close, she leaned back, resting her head against the wooden headboard.
It was after noon and Elliot wasn't back yet. Olivia had changed into yoga pants and an old sweatshirt. Her hair was haphazardly held back with a clip, leaving a few pieces out to frame her face. She washed her face and brushed her teeth, knowing that she wouldn't feel ready to get to work until she did so. Knowing that they didn't have all the time in the world to clean out the second bedroom, she convinced herself to get to work. Unfortunately, the first box she opened was full of old photos and she couldn't resist the temptation of looking through them. So here she was an hour in, sitting criss cross on the floor with stacks of pictures surrounding her. She heard the creaking of the door opening, and she assumed that Elliot was back.
"Hey did you get my text about the prune juice?" She yelled without looking up.
"Feeling a little backed up Liv?" A familiar voice asked from the doorway, but it wasn't Elliot's. She looked up to see Kathleen leaning against the doorframe holding a gift bag, wearing the same smirk that Olivia had seen on Elliot countless times.
Olivia could feel her cheeks reddening, but she didn't have anything to be embarrassed about. Constipation was just one of the many wonders of pregnancy. She was surprised to see Kathleen, especially because if she was remembering correctly, today was the first day of the spring term at Hudson. How did Kathleen even know that she'd be home?
"Mom told me about your suspension. I'm sorry, Liv" Kathleen said as she sat down on the floor next to Olivia. Elliot must have called Kathy after she went to bed. Interesting. "I don't have my first class until two, so I thought I'd stop by and wish you a happy birthday!" Kathleen screamed the last part, making Olivia chuckle. Kathleen thrusted the bag at Olivia. "Everyone kind of threw their gifts in there, so I honestly don't know what exactly is in there" She admitted.
"Everyone?" Olivia questioned as she set down the pictures and tugged at the tissue paper.
"Maureen, Lizzy, Mom...There's even a card from Dickwad in there".
She didn't know how to feel about that. On one hand, it was very kind of them to think about her, but on the other hand she hoped that they didn't feel obligated. Kathleen was watching her patiently, waiting for her to open the gifts. Olivia reached her hand into the bag, grabbing a small, round container. "Mama Bee Belly Butter" She read aloud.
"That's from Mom. She said that it helps your belly stay soft and smooth. Apparently she doesn't have any stretch marks from Eli. Keep going! Try to save the big one for last" Kathleen requested.
Olivia felt around the bag making her hand brush against what felt like a picture frame, figuring that was what Kathleen wanted her to save for last. Her hand found some fabric so she pulled it out. "Oh my gosh" she gasped, "this is too cute. Let me guess...Maureen picked this out?" It was a navy blue onesie that said NYPD across the chest in yellow lettering.
"Yeah. She was a little too proud of that if you ask me" Kathleen said, rolling her eyes.
Once again Olivia fished her hand into the bag, trying to find the card from Dickie, but instead she felt more fabric. She pulled it out, smiling at the tiny navy blue hat and matching socks. "Did they mean to coordinate?"
Kathleen nodded. "They went shopping together. Although I'm quite proud of my gift. I think you're going to get a kick out of Dickie's card".
She finally found the card, chuckling at the stick figure portrait of her with an over exaggerated belly on the front of the card. He wrote the word "you" next to it with an arrow, making she knew it was her. The party hat atop her head was a nice touch. She opened the card, reading it out loud. "Dear Liv, I'm sorry you're stuck with my dad. Hope you can manage to enjoy your birthday. Love, Dickie. P.S. I hope the baby is a boy. There's already too much estrogen in this family". Olivia cackled, cracking up because of Dickie's card. It was reassuring to know that he obviously didn't hate her or the baby. The craftsmanship was the icing on the cake. It looked like Eli made it. "This is fantastic" She chuckled as she wiped the tears away. It had been a while since she had laughed so hard that it made her cry. "This is going on the fridge".
Kathleen grabbed the bag out of Olivia's lap, pulling out the picture frame, holding it against her chest so Olivia couldn't see the picture. "I need to explain before I show you. I was helping mom pack some of Dad's stuff into boxes and I found a couple of pictures in one of his drawers. I really liked one in particular so I drew it". Kathleen turned around the frame, handing it over to Olivia.
It was a standard eight by eleven piece of paper, framed in a basic black frame. Olivia recognized the pencil drawing of her and Elliot immediately. The actual picture was from their first year working together. She remembered the day well. John had bought a new camera and he wouldn't leave them alone until they let him take a picture. She had stuck her tongue out and Elliot made bunny ears behind her head. Kathleen had made almost an exact replica with only paper and a pencil.
"This is amazing Kathleen" She sighed. "Is it narcissistic to say that? Or if I hang it up in the living room? I can't get over how good this is. You are talented" Olivia complimented, truly blown away by how accurate the portrait was. Kathleen was beaming with pride. "Are you going to school for art?" Olivia asked. She felt bad that she couldn't remember the girl's major. Maureen was working for her bachelors in education, but she only knew that because Elliot mentioned something about her student-teaching this semester. She watched as Kathleen's face fell, and she wondered what she said wrong.
"No. I wish, but Dad said that art is a hobby, a business degree is a future".
Olivia contemplated dropping the subject because it was clear that Elliot had made his opinion known. No one had asked her for hers, and maybe she shouldn't involve herself because it never worked out well for her, but there was something she had to say.
"I'm not trying to tell you what to do, or say that your father is wrong, but you have to remember that this is your life. My mother flipped out when she found out that I wanted to be a cop, and I'm surprised that she didn't have a heart attack when I started in sex crimes. You are extremely talented. There's plenty of work in art. You could be an illustrator, or graphic designer, or you could even be a sketch artist for the NYPD" Olivia encouraged. Kathleen was grinning ear to ear now.
"You really think so?"
Olivia nodded. "I really do. This is a city of endless opportunities, you just have to be careful".
"Will you model for me one day? I want to work on doing portraits in color and having a live model would be easier for me".
"I'm free any day this week" Olivia agreed, "just not tonight".
Kathleen gave her a knowing look. "Special plans for the birthday girl?"
"Your father insisted that we do something so I'm letting him take me to dinner". She immediately regretted saying anything because what if Elliot didn't want anyone to know?
Kathleen giggled, making Olivia blush. "Well, I'm sure you'll have a good time. So, what's up with all the pictures?"
Olivia appreciated the change of subject. "Going through my mom's old things and I found a box of pictures. A lot of them are actually mine from high school and college". She handed Kathleen a stack, watching as the girl flipped through them. They spent the next twenty minutes going through the pictures and laughing at some of the hairstyles Olivia used to rock. Olivia was in the middle of telling a story about her senior prom when they heard the front door open. A moment later, Elliot was standing in the doorway, watching as they looked through the pictures.
"What are you two up to?" He asked with a small smile. It was nice to see Olivia in a good mood considering how she had shut down the night before. It was especially nice to see Kathleen spending time with her. Everything would be so much easier if everyone got along as well as those two.
"I stopped by to give Liv her presents. Now we're looking at old pictures. Look at her hair!" Kathleen said, handing her dad the picture. Elliot closely examine it, smiling. Her hair was big and curly, but that was the style back then. What amazed him was that her face looked pretty much the same. It was a bit fuller now, but it was becoming to her.
"Alright, I gotta head out" Kathleen announced, standing up. Olivia stuck out her hands, needing some help up. Kathleen pulled her up and wrapped her arms around Olivia in a quick hug. She turned to her father, hugging him. "Can we do a family night soon? I know it might be weird with you, mom, and Liv, but I think it'd be nice".
Elliot looked at Olivia, who simply shrugged. Of course it would be a little awkward at first, but the group being able to function as a family would make things better down the road.
"Maybe Friday night?" He suggested.
"Cool. I'll talk to Mom. Bye guys!" Kathleen quickly left, leaving the two of them alone.
"I see you've been working hard" He joked, noticing that she had only made it through the one box.
"It's been harder than you think" She sighed. "Please tell me that we're going to take a million pictures of this kid when they pop out. It kind of sucks only having three baby pictures".
"A billion" He promised, reaching out as if he was going to tuck her hair behind her ear, but froze a few inches away from her face. She wanted to tell him that it was okay, that he could touch her, but she didn't want to make things any weirder. "Do you want a grilled cheese?" He asked, changing the subject.
"That sounds great. Thanks, El".
It was nearly five o'clock, and Olivia knew that she was running late. Her hair had been much harder to straighten than she had anticipated, making it so that she was behind schedule from the very when she went to grab her makeup out of the bathroom, she ran into Elliot, who was dripping wet and only wearing a towel around his waist. She hadn't seen him without a shirt since the night they had sex, and she wasn't prepared for what the sight would do to her. To be honest, it shook her up enough that she spent twenty minutes sitting on her bed trying to calm herself down, in more ways than one.
She stood in front of the mirror, running her hands down her body to smooth out the few wrinkles on her gray dress. It was hard to not question her outfit choice when Elliot refused to tell her where they were going. She had opted for this specific dress because it was simple, but still nice. It was a basic long-sleeved dress that cut off at her knees. The only thing she was self conscious about was how much cleavage showed now that her breasts had gotten bigger, but she doubted that Elliot would complain. Normally she'd wear heels with a dress, but tonight she had chosen a pair of black flats. A soft knock on the door made her smile.
"Are you ready? I don't want to miss our reservation" Elliot called through the door.
Olivia made her way over to the bedroom door, opening it for him. He entered the room slowly with his hands behind his back. She watched as he eyed her, taking his time to look her up and down.
"Well, these look like shit compared to you" He said as he revealed the bouquet of flowers he had hidden behind his back.
He had cleaned up rather well himself. She tried to subtly check him out, but he definitely caught her in the act. He was wearing a pair of dark jeans and a button down shirt with a sports jacket. It was a more casual look than what he normally wore to work, but that wasn't a bad thing.
"You look nice...And these are beautiful. Thank you". She took the flowers and walked past him to get to the kitchen and put them in some water. "Alright. I'm ready".
Olivia hadn't even asked Elliot where they were going because she knew that he wouldn't tell her. So she tried to let go a bit and embrace the idea of a surprise. They had been walking for awhile and she wasn't that familiar with the area, but she trusted him.
"This is it" He said as he grabbed her hand. It was definitely an Italian place, which was good because she loved Italian food. "I've been here a couple of times," he explained, "you're going to love it.''
Elliot led them to the hostess, rattling off the name and time for the reservation. The hostess gave him a confused look."I'm sorry, sir. A couple came in about a half hour ago for a reservation under the name Stabler. Could your reservation be under a different name?"
Olivia had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach, but she decided to brush it off. Mistakes were made every day, it was no big deal. Elliot shook his head and was about to say something when the hostess started to speak again.
"Oh, it seems that we have two reservations under the name Stabler, how strange is that?"
Olivia looked at Elliot, who knew exactly what she was thinking. It wouldn't be strange if it was a name like Johnson or Smith, but Stabler? There was no way that it was just a coincidence. The young woman led them into the main dining area, which was rather crowded for a Tuesday evening. Olivia scanned the room, stopping in her tracks when she saw a familiar face.
"Everything okay?" Elliot asked in a whisper.
"Kathy" she whispered back to him, trying to point without making it obvious. On the opposite side of the room sat his wife with a man that neither of them had ever seen before. She could only assume that this wasn't the first time that the two of them had been out together because they looked comfortable with each other.
Olivia put her hand on Elliot's arm, hoping to pull his attention away from the laughing and obviously flirty pair, but he didn't budge. "Elliot, why don't we go?"
He didn't even think about her offer before answering. "Olivia Margaret Benson, we are going to sit down, relax, and enjoy some delicious food in celebration of your birthday. Kathy is clearly enjoying herself, so we should too". He pulled out her chair, helping her to move closer to the table once she was seated. Olivia would be lying if she said that she wouldn't have been upset if he had chosen to leave. As much as she hated to admit it, it felt nice to be the center of attention for once, but only because it was Elliot's attention.
Dinner had gone incredibly well considering its rocky start. Kathy and her date left only ten minutes after they had arrived and the blonde never even noticed them, which was a relief to Olivia. While she knew that Kathy and Elliot were getting a divorce, she couldn't help but feel like she was doing something wrong by going out to dinner with him. Her tension had eased as they talked and joked. Elliot had made a couple of recommendations for what she should order, and she was glad that she had listened because the food was absolutely divine.
They were now back in her apartment and watching tv in her bedroom, wearing their pajamas. Elliot was dozing off sitting up with his back against the headboard, even though he had insisted that he wasn't tired enough to sleep yet.
"El, just lay down" She instructed him, gently tugging on his arm. He mumbled something about moving to the couch, but she reached up and put her hand over his mouth, waking him up a bit. "We're adults, we can share the bed". She knew that he was trying to be a gentleman, but she didn't care. Screw being a gentleman. He was tired and he hadn't slept in a real bed for months. He went from the pathetic excuse for a mattress in the cribs and then to her couch, which she knew wasn't the most comfortable to sleep on.
Too tired to protest, he lazily kicked down the covers and laid down. He turned on his side so that he was facing her. He leaned in close, just like he had a couple of times throughout the day, but this time he didn't stop. He placed a chaste kiss on her forehead, making her heart skip a beat. The skin that he had kissed was on fire, but it was a fire that she hoped would never fizzle out.
"Happy birthday Livia" He mumbled, already sailing away to dream land.
