"I'm sure it will be fine...." Olivia said smiling putting her hand on
Elliot's shoulder. Elliot reached over giving her a hug. 'Not it won't,
Liv.' he said in his head. The both didn't move, didn't speak just sat
there holding each other; until Elliot's phone rang. He shook, startled by
the sudden ring, and he took his phone out of the pocket and answered it.
"Stabler....ok...thanks, bye." he said as he closed his phone and put it back in his pocket. "That was Munch; they found the prick that killed the girl; Novak's booking him now."
"Makes our job a lot easier." Olivia added. Elliot started the car and pulled out of the parking place. Olivia tried to ascertain why Elliot wasn't thrilled, while trying to cope with the shock herself. She tried to tell herself that Elliot was going to be a dad once again.
"How far along is she?" Olivia asked breaking the silence.
"About a month, she says." Elliot replied. He looked depressed as he stared out the car window waiting patiently for the light to turn green. Olivia was getting weary that her best friend as doing something he didn't want to.
"Look, El. I love you; you know that. If you ever need anything at all, I'll be there." she promised him. The light turned green and with the car still stationary, Elliot gazed into her dark brown eyes. The beeping cars behind him made him snap out of it.
"Um.....uh, thanks...Liv." he replied driving off. They finally got back to the precinct and Elliot went straight to the bathroom. Olivia on the other hand went straight to Cragen's office. She knocked on the door and he signaled her to come in.
"Olivia....what's up?" Cragen asked.
"Captain, I know this....um...isn't any of my business, but I think Elliot needs to take some time off. A week or so, you know, with Kathy and the kids." Olivia suggested.
"Why? He doesn't seem too....out of character." Cragen argued.
"Captain, he's confused, and a bit frightened. He was in a complete daze when we were coming back from interrogation in Chinatown."
"Why was he in a daze?"
"I don't think it would be just if you heard it from me, it's not my...." Olivia began but was interrupted by Cragen.
"Olivia?"
"Kathy.....she's um, pregnant Don." Olivia explained not giving any eye contact to Donald at all. Then a knock came from the door. Elliot was back from the bathroom and at the door; Cragen was apparently shocked by Olivia's statement.
"See ya later, Cap'n." Olivia said as she was about to leave.
"Olivia, stay right here. I want to talk to Elliot about this with you." Cragen said as he signaled Elliot to come and join them. Olivia's heart began to beat faster and faster.
"Captain...." Elliot began as he closed the door.
"Elliot, take a seat." Cragen instructed.
"Captain, I'm a bit under the weather at the moment." Elliot commented as he sat down in the seat. Olivia was standing at the door sitting on a bunch of boxes.
"Elliot, I would suggest that you'd take a few days off." Cragen added.
"No, captain...I'm not that bad, it's just some bug going around...."
"Elliot...." Cragen muttered.
"Captain...Kathy's pregnant. I have to work as much as I can to support my ever growing family." he joked. "Please, I need to work."
"I understand Elliot. But I just want you to make sure that everything at home is alright, first. Here....you work until the end of the week and take a week or two off and go away with the family. I promise, you'll come back refreshed. I know how stressful this time in your life can be." Cragen explained. Elliot nodded his head and replied with "ok" while Olivia was trying to keep herself from crying. She turned and looked out the door seeing Munch and Fin packing up to leave. Elliot got up from his seat, thanked Cragen and left with Olivia. They met Munch and Fin putting their coats on.
"You two coming for a cocktail?" Munch asked Olivia and Elliot.
"Sure sounds great, Elliot?" Olivia asked.
"Sorry guys, duty calls..." he replied. Olivia smiled and nodded trying to conceal her sorrow for Elliot. He never acted the way he did in the past two hours. 'It never stops, does it?' she told herself. Elliot parted form his colleagues and left for home. Munch, Fin, and Olivia went to O'Malley's.
"What'll it be?" asked the bartender.
"One vodka and coke for me, one Captain Jack for the lady, and a Coors for the cave man here." Munch instructed laughing at Fin. A few minutes later, the bartender came back with their orders. Fin got up to go to the bathroom as a diversion he created with Munch, so Munch could talk to Olivia.
"What's wrong?" he asked sipping his vodka.
"Nothing....why?" she answered casually, lying.
"Olivia....You can always tell a woman is upset when her eyes are really red and it's taking her a long time to sip a Captain Jack's. Believe me; I've had lots of experience." Munch said.
"Munch....", she replied shaking her head and looking at the floor.
"It's about Elliot, isn't it?" he asked.
"Yea....he's so....unhappy with his life, it tears me apart. Kathy's pregnant again, and he claims it's the only thing saving his marriage.""
"And you think you can fix this?", Munch asked. Olivia shook her head and tears ran down her eyes.
"Liv, I know you two love each other a lot, but Elliot is one of the strongest men I know. He's made it through this before. Look, take it from me. I've been divorced 3 times, and there is no way in hell a baby would have saved my marriages. There is so much love Elliot has for Kathy and she has for him. He's just exploring his options a little. But look, let him do this; it's only a phase. Don't let this get to you; because things might happen between you two that will make a baby just a burden and will ruin the good thing that he has." Munch explained with great detail.
"He's not happy John....." she said burying her face in her arms.
"It's just a phase, Liv. Watch, give him nine months and he'll be the happiest man in the world." Munch replied rubbing her back in an attempt too make her feel better. She finally lifted her head and smiled at him.
"You're right John, thanks." She said wiping a tear from her face. "I'll be back." She told him as she walked to the ladies room. She didn't notice that for the whole time they were talking, Fin was gone. Fin finally came out of the bathroom when he heard the steps of Olivia's shoes across the hall. He rushed back over to Munch.
"You talk to her?", asked Fin sitting himself down on the barstool.
"Yup. I think she'll be fine.", Munch said with a smile.
"Good.", Fin replied sipping his beer.
In the bathroom Olivia washed her face with cold water until the color of her skin was the color of her eyes. Although she felt better than before, she still didn't feel right. She stared at her reflection in the mirror exhausted from washing her face over and over. She fretted at the sudden ring of her cell phone, and she quickly took it out of her purse. She looked on the window of her phone...it was Elliot.
A/N: R + R all comments and suggestions welcome as always. ;-)
"Stabler....ok...thanks, bye." he said as he closed his phone and put it back in his pocket. "That was Munch; they found the prick that killed the girl; Novak's booking him now."
"Makes our job a lot easier." Olivia added. Elliot started the car and pulled out of the parking place. Olivia tried to ascertain why Elliot wasn't thrilled, while trying to cope with the shock herself. She tried to tell herself that Elliot was going to be a dad once again.
"How far along is she?" Olivia asked breaking the silence.
"About a month, she says." Elliot replied. He looked depressed as he stared out the car window waiting patiently for the light to turn green. Olivia was getting weary that her best friend as doing something he didn't want to.
"Look, El. I love you; you know that. If you ever need anything at all, I'll be there." she promised him. The light turned green and with the car still stationary, Elliot gazed into her dark brown eyes. The beeping cars behind him made him snap out of it.
"Um.....uh, thanks...Liv." he replied driving off. They finally got back to the precinct and Elliot went straight to the bathroom. Olivia on the other hand went straight to Cragen's office. She knocked on the door and he signaled her to come in.
"Olivia....what's up?" Cragen asked.
"Captain, I know this....um...isn't any of my business, but I think Elliot needs to take some time off. A week or so, you know, with Kathy and the kids." Olivia suggested.
"Why? He doesn't seem too....out of character." Cragen argued.
"Captain, he's confused, and a bit frightened. He was in a complete daze when we were coming back from interrogation in Chinatown."
"Why was he in a daze?"
"I don't think it would be just if you heard it from me, it's not my...." Olivia began but was interrupted by Cragen.
"Olivia?"
"Kathy.....she's um, pregnant Don." Olivia explained not giving any eye contact to Donald at all. Then a knock came from the door. Elliot was back from the bathroom and at the door; Cragen was apparently shocked by Olivia's statement.
"See ya later, Cap'n." Olivia said as she was about to leave.
"Olivia, stay right here. I want to talk to Elliot about this with you." Cragen said as he signaled Elliot to come and join them. Olivia's heart began to beat faster and faster.
"Captain...." Elliot began as he closed the door.
"Elliot, take a seat." Cragen instructed.
"Captain, I'm a bit under the weather at the moment." Elliot commented as he sat down in the seat. Olivia was standing at the door sitting on a bunch of boxes.
"Elliot, I would suggest that you'd take a few days off." Cragen added.
"No, captain...I'm not that bad, it's just some bug going around...."
"Elliot...." Cragen muttered.
"Captain...Kathy's pregnant. I have to work as much as I can to support my ever growing family." he joked. "Please, I need to work."
"I understand Elliot. But I just want you to make sure that everything at home is alright, first. Here....you work until the end of the week and take a week or two off and go away with the family. I promise, you'll come back refreshed. I know how stressful this time in your life can be." Cragen explained. Elliot nodded his head and replied with "ok" while Olivia was trying to keep herself from crying. She turned and looked out the door seeing Munch and Fin packing up to leave. Elliot got up from his seat, thanked Cragen and left with Olivia. They met Munch and Fin putting their coats on.
"You two coming for a cocktail?" Munch asked Olivia and Elliot.
"Sure sounds great, Elliot?" Olivia asked.
"Sorry guys, duty calls..." he replied. Olivia smiled and nodded trying to conceal her sorrow for Elliot. He never acted the way he did in the past two hours. 'It never stops, does it?' she told herself. Elliot parted form his colleagues and left for home. Munch, Fin, and Olivia went to O'Malley's.
"What'll it be?" asked the bartender.
"One vodka and coke for me, one Captain Jack for the lady, and a Coors for the cave man here." Munch instructed laughing at Fin. A few minutes later, the bartender came back with their orders. Fin got up to go to the bathroom as a diversion he created with Munch, so Munch could talk to Olivia.
"What's wrong?" he asked sipping his vodka.
"Nothing....why?" she answered casually, lying.
"Olivia....You can always tell a woman is upset when her eyes are really red and it's taking her a long time to sip a Captain Jack's. Believe me; I've had lots of experience." Munch said.
"Munch....", she replied shaking her head and looking at the floor.
"It's about Elliot, isn't it?" he asked.
"Yea....he's so....unhappy with his life, it tears me apart. Kathy's pregnant again, and he claims it's the only thing saving his marriage.""
"And you think you can fix this?", Munch asked. Olivia shook her head and tears ran down her eyes.
"Liv, I know you two love each other a lot, but Elliot is one of the strongest men I know. He's made it through this before. Look, take it from me. I've been divorced 3 times, and there is no way in hell a baby would have saved my marriages. There is so much love Elliot has for Kathy and she has for him. He's just exploring his options a little. But look, let him do this; it's only a phase. Don't let this get to you; because things might happen between you two that will make a baby just a burden and will ruin the good thing that he has." Munch explained with great detail.
"He's not happy John....." she said burying her face in her arms.
"It's just a phase, Liv. Watch, give him nine months and he'll be the happiest man in the world." Munch replied rubbing her back in an attempt too make her feel better. She finally lifted her head and smiled at him.
"You're right John, thanks." She said wiping a tear from her face. "I'll be back." She told him as she walked to the ladies room. She didn't notice that for the whole time they were talking, Fin was gone. Fin finally came out of the bathroom when he heard the steps of Olivia's shoes across the hall. He rushed back over to Munch.
"You talk to her?", asked Fin sitting himself down on the barstool.
"Yup. I think she'll be fine.", Munch said with a smile.
"Good.", Fin replied sipping his beer.
In the bathroom Olivia washed her face with cold water until the color of her skin was the color of her eyes. Although she felt better than before, she still didn't feel right. She stared at her reflection in the mirror exhausted from washing her face over and over. She fretted at the sudden ring of her cell phone, and she quickly took it out of her purse. She looked on the window of her phone...it was Elliot.
A/N: R + R all comments and suggestions welcome as always. ;-)
