((Author's Note: I'm really sorry. I meant to have this up by the weekend, but we lost power in a snowstorm and just got it back about half an hour ago. Anyway, you guys are great. I love you. All goes well with homework and whatnot, I should have the next chapter up by Thursday.))
Chapter Fourteen
Casey's mouth dropped open in shock. She smiled and looked over at Elliot. He looked different somehow. His face was shining with a radiance she had never seen before. She did not know how to react. She was happy for the both of them. "Oh, Elliot," she exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around him. "Congratulations."
"Hey, it's too early for that," Elliot said as he hugged her back. The two of them broke apart and faced each other. "She hasn't exactly said yes yet, and I don't want to jinx it."
"Pfft," Casey argued. "Elliot, it's Olivia and you. She's going to say yes. You know that." She turned around and looked back at the rest of the squad room. Olivia was still in Cragen's office. She could still talk to Elliot. "I'm envious, you know."
"What, of Liv?" Elliot asked curiously. "Casey, it never would have worked out between us," he joked. He gaze back into the squad room at his Olivia. She was radiant. She was also out of Cragen's office now. With both him and Casey staring at her, she might get suspicious. "Go," he whispered to Casey. He gently pushed her towards Olivia.
Casey smiled back at Elliot before joining Olivia at the detective's desk. "Hey, listen, I don't know about you, but I hate all this office work. It'll still be here tomorrow, so what do you say to going shopping or something? You know, all that normal girl-y stuff we never get to do?"
Olivia grinned up at Casey. She placed a few old cold case files down on her desk. That was all Cragen could come up with. "Sure, I'd love to," she said as she pushed herself up from her desk. With her recent doctor appointments and time off work, she had not seen Casey much at all. She had definitely not had time to socialize. She missed that. "Just let me return these files to Cragen and grab a coat," she responded.
"I'll get us a cab," Casey told her. As Olivia headed back to Cragen's, Casey smiled at Elliot. Things would work. She grabbed her own coat and started heading outside to flag down a cab.
"What about this one?" Casey asked as she held up a medium-sized solid dark pink shirt. Its sleeves would come just past Olivia's elbows. It would also go with the pair of jeans Olivia claimed she "had to have". The thought of Olivia saying that made Casey laugh.
Originally, Olivia had not intended to buy so much clothes. She thought that she would not get the chance to wear them again after this pregnancy. Warner's clothes were good, and she could buy a few more shirts of her own. But once she got to the stores, things changed. She could see herself wearing the outfits. She wanted to see her wearing them. She could picture her and Elliot with them.
Obviously, she would be wearing them. But she had the image in her mind. She and Elliot would remain together. They would probably be married. This child was about three or four. She could not picture a clear sex in her mind for it. She had a strange feeling that it was a boy, but she had no way to be certain. The three of them were walking along a beach somewhere, perhaps in the Outer Banks. She had always wanted to go there. She and Elliot were holding hands as the sun was setting behind them. The child was running ahead of them. And Olivia was pregnant again. The image remained in her mind. Small things. For instance, that night, she saw a small child's hands on her stomach. They were feeling the baby kick. This shirt fit in perfectly with that fantasy.
"Casey, it's gorgeous," she gushed. "And we need to find a white skirt," she said as she walked to the other side of the clothing rack. She started searching through it to find what she desired.
Casey sighed heavily. Olivia had mentioned several family-related fantasies by this point. "Which one would this be for?" she asked.
"Beach," Olivia answered simply. She frowned and sighed with frustration at her inability to find the skirt. "Why don't they have it?" she asked.
"Liv, it's the middle of winter," Casey responded. "They're calling for several inches of snow. Do you really want a summer skirt right now?"
Olivia glanced over at the pile of clothes she had selected already. The bill was not going to be cheap. Her due date was before she would get a chance to actually wear her skirt. She sighed. "I guess not," she admitted. She turned back to her huge pile of clothing. "After I try these on, I think we can check out. Besides, I'm starving. I need chocolate and the food court."
Casey chuckled. "Well, while you try on almost every maternity item the store carries, I think I'll try to find a nice top," she said. "There's the strong possibility of a date coming up in my near future."
"Well, congratulations," Olivia said. "And take as long as you need. This could take awhile." With that, she turned around and headed towards the dressing rooms.
Casey watched her until she was out of sight. She then made a beeline for the jewelry. She needed something cheap but nice that would fit Olivia. As she approached the jewelry, she couldn't help but get excited all over again. In a matter of a few days, her friends would be engaged. She could keep it a secret, but it was still exciting. She smiled, selected a ring, paid for it, and rejoined Olivia.
After nearly forty-five minutes of Olivia trying on her clothes and checking out, the two women could finally get some food. Olivia was eating some more of the Hershey's bar that Fin and Munch gave her. It would hold her off until they got lunch, but Olivia wanted tacos. Badly.
"Damn it, the line's long," Olivia complained as the two of them reached the food court.
Casey raised an eyebrow at her friend. "Liv, there's like two people."
"Two more than I would have liked," Olivia grumbled.
Casey dismissed Olivia's comment with a "Pfft". She then reached into her pocket where she had the ring. "Oh, Liv, um what size ring do you wear?" she asked.
"Why?" Olivia asked. She was confused. Why did Casey need to know that?"
"Oh, just because my idiot brother wanted to get me a ring, but it was the wrong size. It's nice, but cheap, so he can't return it. I was just wondering if you'd like it," Casey lied. She was getting good at that.
Olivia frowned. "Is that some remark about how swollen my fingers have gotten?" she asked, offended.
"No!" Casey quickly exclaimed. "It's too small for me. I'm an eight, but this is a seven."
"That is my size," Olivia whispered. "Well, technically six and a half, but that's harder to find." She looked down at the ring in Casey's hand. It was small. Silver. There was some sort of pattern on it. Olivia shrugged. It was nice enough. She could think of a shirt she had that would go with it. "Well, if you don't want it," she said.
Casey shrugged back. "Keep it," she said. "Think of it as a gift from me to you." The cashier was calling for the next person in line. "That'd be you," Casey said. "And unlike you, I'm not in the mood for tacos. I think I'll buy some Chinese food and save us a table."
Olivia smiled. "Thanks, Case."
"No problem," Casey responded. Once she was a couple restaurants down in the food court, she pulled out her cell phone and dialed Elliot's number.
Elliot answered on the first ring. "Hey, Case, what's up?" he asked. "Did you get it?"
Casey nodded. "Yep," she said. "Six and a half." Her face actually felt warm from the excitement. "So, when are you planning on asking her?" she asked.
"Next Tuesday," Elliot answered proudly.
Casey nodded as she heard his answer. Then she began thinking. Tuesday. Why did that day sound familiar? Today was the sixth, a Monday. She gasped. "Elliot, that's Valentine's Day!" she exclaimed.
Elliot smiled. "I know," he said. "I already have reservations at her two favorite restaurants depending on what she's craving on Tuesday. Aren't I a genius?"
"You're making me lose hope in all other guys," Casey declared. "And now Liv's looking at me, probably wondering why I'm not in line to buy Chinese food. On that note, I'm going."
"Thank you," Elliot said. Six and half. He committed that number to memory. Valentine's Day could not get there any slower in his mind.