"In the criminal justice system, sexually based offenses are considered especially heinous. In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit. These are their stories."
It Comes with the Badge
Last Time:
Alex arrived to pick up the Stabler kids and found the entire lot empty, except for Ryan's truck. Feeling a knot grow in her stomach, she peeled out of the driveway and headed for the station house. Cragen would know. God, she hoped Cragen would have the answers she needed. She'd just gotten Ryan back, she couldn't lose her now.
Chapter Twenty
Bastard Child
Olivia moaned in pain as the contractions seemed to come one after the other. Squeezing Ryan's hand on one side and Maureen's on the other, she cringed. "Where the hell is he?"
Ryan flinched at her iron grip, "We haven't been able to reach him yet..."
"And-" she was interrupted by another contraction, "The kids?"
Maureen smiled, "They're in the waiting room with Fin. Olivia, he won't be able to get here in time, you're in labour.
She squeezed their hands again, let out a groan of frustration and pain. "Get. Elliot. Here. NOW!"
---
"In labour? Olivia's in labour?" Alex paled as Cragen nodded. "What are you doing here then?"
Cragen frowned, "Elliot's missing."
Alex repeated him again, "Missing? What do you mean 'missing'?"
"I mean no one has been able to account for his whereabouts since around seven p.m. yesterday night." He looked older; the stress was getting to him.
She nodded, "Should I go see Olivia? Or do you want my help?"
He looked at her as if it had never dawned on him that she could offer some assistance. "Um, it's up to you. Munch is trying to get him to answer his damned phone."
Alex bit her lip, "Can I see the case file he was working on?"
"Aren't you jumping to conclusions?" Cragen watched her nervously.
She shook her head, "If he won't come watch Olivia have his child, there is definitely something wrong."
Cragen followed her out, sitting at the desk with her as they went over his notes.
---
"What do you want? If you let me call the station house, you can talk to the captain. I'm just a detective.." Elliot was thankful the gag was removed.
The girl laughed airily, she sounded young. She couldn't have been older than 30 from what he'd been able to deduce. "I know who and what you are, Detective. You wouldn't be here if it wasn't you I was after."
Elliot groaned, "Why am I here?"
"To pay your debt, Detective Stabler."
He tried to adjust to the light she'd turned on. He couldn't see her, the light was shining down on hi alone. "What debt?"
A soft laughter rang through the room. "Have you forgotten, Detective? Tsk-tsk."
---
"It could be any one of the hundreds of cases he's worked before..." Alex looked defeated.
Cragen sighed, "I'm going to call missing persons."
"Wait!" Munch ran in to the bull pen, "His phone's on. I can't quite hear everything, but I heard him talking... And I think a woman."
Alex rolled her eyes, "Little surprise."
Don frowned, "Let's not jump to conclusions."
John nodded, "Elliot wouldn't do that to 'Liv. He knows Fin and I would pummel him for it."
"You pummeling anyone doesn't exactly strike fear in to my heart, John." Alex laughed softly.
---
Olivia couldn't stop crying even after the baby was born and in her arms. She held him, but she didn't even look down at the gurgling bundle.
Ryan smiled, "He's beautiful 'Liv! Such a perfect little boy, you must be thrilled."
Tears continued to stream down her cheeks, "D'you want to hold him?"
Looking surprised, Ryan stammered a reply. "Uh-sure..." Taking the small bundle into her arms, Ryan smiled at him, looking at Olivia with concern, "What's the matter?"
Olivia sobbed again, "Where is Elliot?" She didn't even look at her son, worry and fear evident in her expression. "I just want to see Elliot."
---
Munch pulled up to the ramshackle house and turned to Fin, "They say we're here." It was amazing how easily the police could track a cell phone signal. Turning off the ignition, he climbed out. "Call for back-up." He removed his police issue from the hip holster and approached the porch, ascending the stairs. He knocked on the door.
Fin came up behind him as a young blonde answered the door, "How may I help you?"
He frowned, "I'm Detective Tutuola and this is my partner Detective Munch, would you mind if we took a look around?"
Looking rather displeased, she shook her head. "I would mind. Terribly."
"Well, that's too bad because we have a warrant on the way so you don't really have a choice." Munch looked at her with a pleased expression on his face, glad to have ruined her day.
There was a loud crash downstairs, interrupting the snide girl's response. Munch growled, "Did you hear that scream?"
Fin nodded, "I think we need to respond immediately." Pushing past the girl, Fin headed into the house while Munch detained her. He heard her cry out something about there not having been a scream, she obviously didn't understand. "Elliot!" He heard more commotion in the back of the house, causing him to draw his gun. "Elliot?"
---
The girl, his captor, shifted uncomfortably. "Is the cavalry here already?"
Elliot grinned softly, "You shouldn't have underestimated my team." He tried to sit up again, "Tell me why you brought me here, let me see your face."
She stepped in to the light; her lovely brown hair fell to her waist and tempestuous grey eyes. A deep scar marked the side of her cheek all the way to her lip. "Remember me, Detective?"
He looked at her again. Yes, he did remember. "Eva, right?"
The young girl looked at him with bitter contempt. "Yes, only, last time I saw you I didn't have this rather unattractive scar. I have you to blame for it, in fact. If you'd put Tony away right the first time, he never would've come back for me."
Elliot looked honestly regretful, watching the range of emotions the girl was going through. "I was a new cop then... I couldn't control my temper. I let it cloud my judgment."
She shook her head, "That's still a problem with you, Detective Stabler." Eva kicked him angrily in the stomach, or at least Stabler was awaiting the impact.
When he finally looked up at her to register why her foot hadn't hit him, he saw Fin. Grinning, he tried to sit up. His head still hurt, "Thanks."
Fin was restraining the girl as he looked to Elliot. "Are you okay?"
He laughed, "I will be if you can untie me..." Elliot shifted again eventually admitting it was futile.
Once Munch came down, Fin took Eva up the stairs. John because to untie Elliot, pulling out a Leatherman with a frown, "What was this all about, Elliot?"
He frowned, "Let her go... She had every reason to be angry with me."
"So does your fiancée," John couldn't help but remark smartly.
Elliot rose to his feet, "What's happened?"
He frowned, "She's in the hospital," Munch's frown turned to a faint smile, "She's having the baby."
He headed up the stairs quickly, eager to get to his fiancée's side. "Fin, start the car!"
Munch followed him quickly, watching Elliot climb in to the driver's seat as Fin lowered Eva into the back of the sedan. Once the door was closed, he sped off, leaving Fin with a surprised look on his face. John shook his head and sighed, "I guess I should have waited."
Fin turned to his partner, watching him laugh. "You think this is funny? Then your sorry ass had better be finding us a ride."
John simply continued to laugh, "Backup will get here soon..."
---
Ryan held the baby as Olivia slept, not wanting her to wake up and wonder where her young boy was. Cuddling the child, she took a moist cloth and wiped the streaks remaining from her tears away. Evan was an ideal infant, gurgling and happy and rarely crying.
She shook her head softly. Olivia seemed so heartbroken when Elliot wasn't there and once she held the baby and looked at him, things only worsened. Ryan sighed, it was incomprehensible to her. When her little girl had been born, Mariah became the light of her life. She smiled softly, it made sense that the Spanish phrase for giving birth was 'dar luz' or 'to give light.' Ever since her daughter was born, she had been the light of her life. Inspired beyond imagining by this little innocent life, Ryan was changed. When she looked at Olivia, she didn't see that change.
The door of the room flew open quickly, startling Ryan and the baby. She stood up immediately as the baby's big brown eyes flew open and he began to fuss. As soon as Ryan realized it was Elliot, she began to calm the baby. She certainly didn't want to wake 'Liv with her in the state she was with Elliot standing right there. Elliot immediately quieted down, not wanting to disturb Olivia or the baby. He grinned, looking over Ryan's shoulder at Evan. "You want to hold him, Dad?" Ryan beamed right back at him.
This Stabler boy had the most priceless face. He could soften even the hardest of hearts. Elliot nodded and took his second son into his hands for the first time. "How's Olivia doing?" He coddled the baby boy gently, kissing his forehead.
Ryan bit her lower lip as she debated how to explain. "She's a little distraught I guess, from all that's happened. We had no idea where you were..." She looked at Elliot. "She flat out refused to have the baby until you got here." They both chuckled softly, "Luckily Mother Nature had other plans."
Elliot nodded. "I'm glad. I doubt it's healthy for her to be under all that stress and in labour..."
His fellow detective gave him an exaggerated expression, "You have no idea. She- We had no idea if you were alive or dead..."
He frowned, "There was nothing I could do about that..." Elliot looked back to Evan, smiling again.
"What happened?" she questioned inquiringly.
Elliot shook his head, "There'll be plenty of time to discuss it later. When Olivia wakes up, I want to tell her first. She has every right to know why I wasn't here for the birth of our son."
Ryan's eyes went soft for a moment, remembering the day of her daughter's birth. "This the first time you haven't been there then?"
He nodded, "And I really think this is the time it mattered most." Elliot sighed wearily; the lines in his face became evident. "I mean, I love all of my children beyond measure but Kathy and I never shared the bond that Olivia and I do. I don't think she really saw my presence as an important aspect of her giving birth..."
She nodded softly, trying to convey her understanding. "Well, you were both young, weren't you? I mean, Olivia told me it was mostly because of Maureen..."
Elliot sighed, age showing in his face. "Yes- No, for her it was... I loved her." He shook his head, another tired sigh escaping his lips, "I guess it doesn't much matter now, hmm?" The deep blue eyes that were usually so firm and decided seemed lost in memories and thought.
"Don't think to hard on it," Ryan gave a supportive smile, "You've got something more important to worry about now." She smiled down at the sleeping infant in his arms as Olivia began to stir. Standing up, Ryan opted to take her leave at this point. Smiling softly at him, she waved and headed out; an exhausted look fell over her face once the door closed. Perhaps Alex was right; she should've stayed home today.
Shaking all the what-ifs from her head, she called Alex's cell phone and made arrangements to meet her for a drink.
---
"El?" Olivia whispered hoarsely, "Are you there?" She blinked a few times, as if to convince herself. Once she was sure, Olivia sat up and smiled at him.
Elliot smiled right back, still holding Evan. "Hey there beautiful, I heard about this little miracle." He bounced the boy up and down gently. "You're amazing, Olivia. He's going to be as handsome as his mother is beautiful."
She shook her head, looking away from the child. "Can you put him down and then we can talk?" Olivia didn't want Elliot out of her sight, but if it would get rid of the child, she'd allow it.
He looked surprised, but nodded. "Okay, I'll be right back."
When Elliot returned, he began to recant to Olivia why he'd been unable to get here in time. A few moments later, the Stabler kids came in. Olivia smiled at them, "Hey." She still looked slightly drowsy. "What d'you think of having an younger brother?"
Elizabeth grinned, "I can't wait to hold him!" Olivia smiled softly, at least someone wanted to. Liz was at the age where little babies were precious and cute, so Olivia was grateful for the help that would get her. Kathleen looked rather excited as well.
Maureen smiled, "I'm going to drive these three home; they have school in the morning." She hugged her dad a moment. "The doctor told me you can take Evan home as soon as you feel up to leaving. They'll keep you overnight but tomorrow, you're free to go." She smiled again, ushering her three younger siblings back through the door once they'd hugged their father.
Elliot turned back to her, "Is everything alright, 'Liv? Something seems off with you today..."
She shook her head, pushing her own doubts from her mind. "I just need to get home, that's all." Olivia squeezed his hand, "D'you think you can take a few days off work now that the baby's here?"
He put his hands on his hips, pondering a moment. "I can try. On account of what happened today as well, I can probably get two days off. And then there's the weekend..."
Olivia nodded, understanding how difficult it was. "Alright, we can talk about it some more when you pick me up tomorrow." She yawned, obviously exhausted.
Kissing her softly, he brushed the hair from her face. "I love you. I'll see you in the morning." Once she'd returned his statement of affection, he headed down to the nursery and rocked Evan for an hour or so before finally heading home. He was a dad. Again.
---
Olivia tried to forget the sight of her son's deep brown eyes. Eyes just like Jerry's. Clamping her eyes shut, she struggled to sleep. It was difficult with all the thoughts swirling through her head. Elliot had been kidnapped. Jerry had called her. She would have to go back to work soon enough. It wasn't until she was finally asleep and dreaming that her son came to mind. And the thoughts weren't pretty...
-End Chapter 20-
A/N: I'm sick of everyone here pretending that they're fucking obgyns! None of you are doctors, so stop correcting me. I've had two pregnancies and both were supposed to last 40 weeks from conception (40/410months for those of you who aren't math geniuses either) so stop correcting me. I know from experience, okay? Cool. Thanks for that. Secondly, in regards to another review, Olivia pregnancy has lasted 36 weeks, not a year, so learn to count or stop pretending that you've read my story. Thanks.
