Author's Note: This would have been up earlier, but I've been sick and in the hospital and other crap. It's all good now, so here's the next chapter. Thanks to everyone who reviews. I appreciate it.

Chapter Eight

"Am I late?" Elliot asked as he walked into the waiting room for Olivia's OB/GYN. He had managed to make it out of the station without a fuss. Munch eyed him curiously, but due to Elliot's haste to leave the elder detective did not say anything. Now he was on the other side of New York City sitting down next to Olivia.

Olivia smiled up at the company. "No," she admitted with a slightly cross tone underneath her voice. "I've been sitting here for twenty minutes, but nothing's happened."

"Oh, just wait until you're in labor," Elliot teased playfully. His comment sent a slightly worried expression to Olivia's face, and he almost wished he had not said anything. Knowing that he could not undo the past, Elliot reached down and took Olivia's right hand gently. "Don't think about that yet," he told her. "You're fine now. And when you're not, I'll be there," he assured her. "I did the labor thing three times before. I know what to expect."

"No, you don't," Olivia argued back. "You're a man. You don't know what to expect. Kathy has done this three times. She knows what it feels like. You were just…there."

The fear was still obvious in her voice and on her face. Elliot really wished he had not made that comment. "And I'll be there for you," he promised. He brushed his fingers down her cheek gently. "But Liv, that's a long time from now. Don't think about it. Ok?"

"Fine," Olivia said. "I'll change the subject. How did things go at the office this morning?"

"Pretty well," Elliot noted. "I told Cragen like you asked. It's fine that you're here."

Olivia nodded slightly. "Good. That's…good." She was at a loss for what else to talk about. Things were never this weird between her and Elliot. Of course, this was not a normal situation, but there had to be something the two of them could discuss. "Um, does anyone else know?" she asked cautiously. On the other hand, she had to make sure everything about the baby was secure.

"I did tell Casey," Elliot admitted. "Only because she was worried about you," he assured her.

Olivia shrugged. "I had a feeling you did," she pointed out. "She called a little after you left the office, and she didn't exactly seemed shocked when I told her. She pretended to be, but I could tell she already knew."

"You're not mad, are you?" Elliot asked her.

Olivia shook her head. "No, she would have found out later today anyway. It's the rest of the detectives that I don't want knowing yet."

"It's not something you can keep secret forever. We are talking about a baby," Elliot reminded her.

"I know," Olivia said. "But for now?"

"Of course," Elliot promised her. He sighed as he heard his cell phone ringing. One of the more obviously pregnant women turned around and glared at him slightly. Elliot felt his face getting warmer as he stepped outside the office. "Stabler."

"Elliot," Casey hissed from the other end of the line. "What did you tell Munch?"

"About what?" Elliot asked in confusion.

"Olivia, the baby, anything along those lines," Casey said in a soft but angered tone of voice.

"Nothing," Elliot said. "Only Cragen and us know."

Casey groaned. "You didn't mention where you'll be right now?"

"No," Elliot declared firmly. "I respect Olivia's privacy. When she's ready to tell everyone else, she can do so herself." He frowned slightly. "What's this about?" he asked as he peered through the glass doors leading back to the waiting room. Olivia was still sitting in there. She had a confused look as she watched Elliot, but she did not bother to come outside.

"Nothing at all?" Casey asked. "Are you positive? You didn't say anything? Write anything? Maybe scribble the address down and left it where he could have seen it?"

"No," Elliot repeated. "What's gotten into you? What's going on down there?"

"You must have left some sort of clue to where you are right now," Casey responded as she looked around her. She was standing in the hallway outside the interrogation rooms. She was alone, and as far as she could tell Munch was out of sight. "I came back to give Munch the search warrant, and he started acting funny around me."

"Funny ha-ha or funny strange?" Elliot asked.

"Funny as in he just gave me a check for three hundred dollars and apologized for his behavior this morning. He then went on to assure me that he would take care of me if you don't take responsibility for your actions."

"My actions?" Elliot asked dubiously. "What did I do?"

"Well according to Munch you got me pregnant," Casey hissed again. "Now what did you do?"

Elliot gasped and brought a hand up to his mouth. "Shit, this was my fault."

"That's why I called you," Casey pointed out.

"Well the way you came in and demanded to talk to me in private sure as hell didn't help the matter," Elliot argued. "I barely did anything."

"But you did do something?" Casey questioned immediately.

Elliot rolled his eyes. "Yes, counselor," he responded. "I didn't intend for him to see it, and if you hadn't come in there with your statements about talking to me than he probably wouldn't have bothered to check it out."

"What's it?" Casey asked. "And you're speculating. He could have seen it anyway."

"The list of the local OB/GYNs," Elliot finished. "I was looking for the address for this one so I could be with Olivia." He glanced back into the waiting room for a second. "Olivia whom I left in the waiting room where she is giving me many confused looks."

"Well, what should we do about this?" Casey asked him. "I can't go around pretending to be pregnant. If this gets back to Branch…"

"It won't," Elliot assured her. "Just fake it for a little bit. Avoid Munch as much as you can until Olivia tells everyone about the baby."

"Fine," Casey grumbled. "For Olivia's sake," she added. "You just get her to admit it sooner rather than later. It's going to be extremely awkward if I don't start gaining weight and she does."

"Bye, Casey," Elliot interrupted the ADA. He quickly hung up his phone and walked back into the waiting room over to Olivia. "Sorry about that," he apologized quickly.

"Who was it?" Olivia asked curiously.

"Just an old friend," Elliot lied. He could not trouble Olivia more with the possibility that Munch would realize what's going on pretty quickly. "I haven't seen him in a while, so there were some catching up moments that had to be taken care of."

"I just figured it was someone from the office about some case," Olivia noted. "Hence the outside."

Elliot's face reddened slightly. "That would have made more sense," he said softly.

"What was that?"

"Nothing," he assured her. "Just talking to myself."

Olivia eyed him curiously but she did not say anything further. "Did it always take this long when Kathy had appointments?" she asked a moment later.

Elliot shrugged. "I don't really remember," he admitted. "Probably." He sighed and placed his hand on top of Olivia's. "Just hang in there. Think about, oh, I don't know…how to tell Munch and Fin about all this?" he suggested meekly.

"Or…" Olivia said in attempt to change the subject.

"Or Warner?" Elliot asked. "We see her for nearly all our cases."

"Something that doesn't involve telling people about this child," Olivia finished.

"They'll support you," Elliot assured her. "I know they will, but they can't do that if they don't know."

Olivia eyed him again. "I know, but it's different with them. Our relationship is different than the relationship I have with Munch and Fin. You know that."

Elliot smiled at her. "I do," he stated. "And I'm grateful for that." He sighed and looked into Olivia's eyes. "I love you, Liv."

"I love you, too," Olivia responded calmly.

Elliot shook his head. "No, I really love you," he declared. "I mean powerfully and painfully, Olivia. I'm in love with you. I probably should have told you this a long time ago, but it's the truth. I love you."

Olivia was taken aback slightly. A smile quickly formed on her mouth. "Took you long enough," she told him as she leaned closer towards Elliot. Her lips brushed up against his for a brief moment. "I love you too," she repeated.

Elliot smiled again. "Well, if I'd have known, I would have told you a lot sooner."

One of the nurses walked into the waiting room. "Olivia Benson?" she called.

Elliot stood up and extended his hand down towards Olivia. "She's right here," he said as he pulled Olivia to her feet.