A/n: I hope every one who is reading this story and who has followed and favorited it is enjoying it so far. From here on out I'll be writing the chapters as I go, as every thing that I wrote in the original story has been revised and posted in this version. We're getting to the good part, the part that I'm sure most of you have been waiting for. BeeBee33: thank you for your kind review. Flowerchildtrm, thank you for your review, for being my unofficial bayta reader and for helping me sort my ideas.
"You look happy daddy," Izzabella said while jumping hi on the trampoline as she had saw him slightly chuckling while walking over.
Elliot smiled and got on with her "well I wouldn't say happy is the right word for it" he said as they intertwined their hands and jumped together.
"But you were smiling daddy," she said confused.
He nodded "I guess I sorta was, someone played a joke on me and it made me laugh."
She nodded "what's a joke?"
He smiled, liking the curiosity that came with her age "a joke is when someone tries to make you laugh by saying or doing something silly. Kinda like when you tell me that your barbie doll has 2 heads."
She smiled and nodded her head happy with his answer as she sat down "will you bounce me high daddy?"
He nodded "of course kiddo," he said as he jumped letting the trampoline bounce her as he became lost in his thoughts.
I might have told Izzabella that that was a joke but it's gotta be more than a joke, the neighbors son tp rolling our yard last weekend was a joke but this isn't something to joke about and that kid knows it. He'd never do this. Whoever did this was trying to start trouble and why did the letter just say anonymous? Did they think I wouldn't believe them if they told me their name? Either way Liv would never cheat she applied for furlough today for god sakes. I'll only believe that bs if I see it with my own eyes and I never will.
"Truce daddy! truce!" Izzabella squealed as the bouncing had nocked her onto her back as she was laughing hysterically and trying to sit up but couldn't as his jumping would make her lose her traction as she rolled around.
"Sorry honey, sorry did I jump to high?" He asked breaking out of his thoughts as he stopped jumping and helped her sit up.
"No daddy it was fun, jump more please?"
He smiled "maybe tomorrow after your doctors appointment honey I need to check on dinner and it looks like you have a small trampoline burn on your arm."
She pouted some but nodded her head as they got off together "my elbow is a little sore daddy, right here," she said as she touched the small friction burn.
He nodded and looked at it closer "it's not to bad honey, a little antibiotic cream will do the trick," he said as he quickly flipped the steaks then took her inside.
"Will it hurt?", she asked nervously as they walked to the bathroom sink.
"It shouldn't I promise," he said as he ran it under some cool water, gently patted it dry with a washcloth, put some antibiotic cream on it then put a small bandaid on it "all better?" He asked softly.
She nodded her head with a smile "Can we make the cookies now?"
He nodded "in a few minutes we need to start the potatoes first."
"Why can't we make the cookies first daddy?" She asked curiously.
He smiled "we can't make the cookies first because we're gonna be ready to eat the potatoes first so they have to be done before the cookies does that make sense?"
Izzabella nodded her head with a bright smile as they then went about making the baked potatoes, corn on the cob and cookies as Elliot let izzabella help him with small tasks.
16th precinct, 6:30 PM.
"Until the security footage comes through or the lab finishes processing the DNA found on the rock there's nothing else we can do tonight, go home all of you," Cragen said.
"You don't have to tell me twice captain but for what it's worth I think Lorry's hiding something from us."
Cragen nodded "it's possible Olivia but the only way you can press her is if you reinterview her."
She nodded "maybe send Rollins in the morning? She might have some luck getting it out of her."
Cragen nodded "good idea, your file has been updated and I'll most likely see you on June 28th. Have a good vacation."
"Captain wait, there's..." But before she could say any more his office door was already closed as she sighed "hey Nick where'd you put my phone? I'm punching out."
"Oh shit Liv I'm so sorry... I forgot to plug it in..."
She sighed "seriously? When I handed it to you that's what you were on your way to do. What if Elliot had needed something, or my daughter got sick."
"I doubt that's the case, here Liv," he said handing her her still dead phone "why don't I drive you home tonight since I most likely wont see you again for over a month? Besides it'll save you from having to get a cab tonight."
She nodded and sighed "alright fine but I'm using your car charger."
He nodded "deal," he said as they headed out to his car and she gave him the address.
"So tell me Amaro, how did you manage to forget to plug in my phone just 2 minutes after telling me you would?"
He smiled "when I got into the squad room Munch had me look at some security footage with him and I got distracted, then you know how busy it got until now."
She sighed a bit "yeah it was interviewing witnesses from central park is always hard because there's always so many people."
He nodded "isn't that the truth, this neighborhood is really nice," he said as he got closer to her house.
She nodded and smiled "yeah it is, it took us a while to find our dream home but we couldn't love it more."
He nodded "I bet, I hope you guys both realize how lucky you are, relationships like yours are few and far between."
She nodded "I know they are, and I meant it when I said I'm sorry about your wife. She shouldn't have just left the state like that."
He nodded "thanks Liv that means a lot" he said as he rolled down his window to get some fresh air in the car "something smells amazing..."
She nodded "yes it does, it's the steak" she said as he pulled into the driveway and she got out "thanks for the ride!" she called over her shoulder.
"No problem Liv!" Nick called as his mouth was watering noticeably as Elliot walked over to Liv and gave her his normal welcome home greeting, wrapping her in his arms and kissing her multiple times as he then let go of her seeing Amaro "your welcome to stay for dinner if Liv's okay with it" he said to him.
Olivia smiled "sure," she said as Nick turned his car off and El gently pulled her aside "hey honey do you know a Lewis Wilkins?"
She shook her head "no why?"
He frowned "because we saw a man by that name at the grocery store today and he told Izzabella that he knows you."
She frowned and nodded "what does he look like?"
"He's about 6 feet tall, brown hair, brown eyes, he looked like he'd been roughed up in the last few days and he has a round scar on His left cheek.
Olivia's legs shook a bit as her face paled "oh god..."
Elliot was quick to wrap an arm around her to steady her "what is it honey?"
"H-his name isn't Lewis Wilkins... t-that was William Lewis... our daughter had a conversation with William Lewis," she said as she sighed heavily.
"Oh shit... I take it he got out today."
She nodded "yeah he did I was gonna tell you once Izzabella was in bed."
He nodded understanding "Cragen knows what he said to you right?"
Olivia slightly shook her head as Izzabella ran over "mommy! daddy! I'm hungry!"
Elliot nodded "we're coming baby, he said to his daughter as he looked at Olivia and frowned slightly "we'll finish this conversation later" he said as he stepped away as she nodded and gave Elliot an apologetic look before heading to the outdoor table.
"Every thing okay Liv?" Amaro asked seeing that she looked a bit upset.
She sighed and nodded "yeah it's fine, we'll be fine."
"You sure,?" he pushed.
She nodded "yeah I'm sure, lets just eat" she said as Elliot handed out plates and every one dug in.
"This steak is amazing mr. Stabler what's your secret?"
He smiled a bit "you probably wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"Try me," Amaro said with a smile really wanting to know how to make it for himself as Elliot nodded "the secret is a little beer and a little dales sauce. The beer tenderizes the meat and the dales sauce gives it that steak flavor."
Amaro frowned "is beer safe in food though? I mean your little girl is eating this."
Elliot nodded "yeah it's perfectly safe the alcohol cooks out" he said as Nick nodded his head.
"Can I have more corn daddy?"
He smiled "of course" he said as he put more on her plate, thrilled that she liked the healthy vegetable.
Before to much longer every one had eaten until they were full as Olivia cleaned Izzabella up sense she had managed to get a bit of baked potato and chocolate milk on her shirt "can we have cookies now mommy?" She asked hopefully.
"Absolutely kiddo," she said as she brought the tray of them outside "these look amazing El, whose idea was this?"
He smiled slightly "thanks honey, it was my idea but Izzabella put in the chocolate chips."
She nodded and laughed some "I sorta figured sense there are like 20 chocolate chips in every cookie" she said as she took hers then passed the tray around "these are the best cookies I've ever had,!" she said complementing her daughter as Izzabella smiled brightly "thank you mommy!" she said cheerfully.
"I think mine might put me into a sugar coma," amaro said in a chuckle "would you mind if I take 1 home for my daughter?"
Elliot chuckled at his comment as he then nodded "no of course not, we've got plenty left we wont miss 1 or 2," he said with a smile.
"Thank you Mr. Stabler," Amaro said with a smile as Elliot nodded "your very welcome but please, just call me Elliot."
Amaro nodded "alright," he said as he put a couple cookies into a plastic bag and Olivia smiled knowingly knowing that there was a great friendship in the making as after saying his goodbyes he left, the family of 3 walking him out as no one saw someone sneak into Olivia and Elliot's unlocked house.
"Well lets get inside kiddo it's time for you to start getting ready for bed" Elliot said to Izzabella.
"I'm not really tired yet daddy..." She said as she pouted slightly.
"You say that every night but by the time your out of your bath and hearing your story your falling asleep every time," he said as he lead her inside by the hand as the intruder was hiding in the hallway closet out of sight.
Izzabella just nodded, slightly smiled and giggled knowing that her daddy was right as Olivia set up her bath "come on kiddo, I'm doing your bedtime routine tonight," she said cheerfully once she was through.
"Really??!" Izzabella asked with a bright smile.
"Yes really," Olivia said happy to see their daughter so excited as she quickly let go of Elliot's hand and followed her mom into the bathroom.
45 minutes later the bath was done , the story was read and Izzabella was fast asleep in her room as Olivia quietly tiptoed out then headed to the living room to find Elliot waiting for her deep in thought "are you okay Elliot?" She asked sitting down beside him on the couch.
He sighed "yeah honey I'm okay I'm just a bit disappointed."
She frowned "why?" She asked puzzled.
He sighed "Olivia you promised me that if Lewis got that mistrial today you'd tell Cragen what he said but earlier unless I saw you wrong out there you shook your head no when I asked you if you'd told him yet."
She nodded slightly , her head down "you didn't see wrong, I wish you had of though..."
He nodded "me too," he said as he put an arm around her shoulder "why didn't you tell him?"
She sighed slightly "I meant to all day after I heard... It's just we had that case come up, the rape in central park. There were so many witnesses to interview, the day turned into a nonstop mess... my phone ended up dying at 1 o'clock today... and when I did get the chance to talk to Cragen I didn't have long so I used the time to get my furlough approved."
He nodded and sighed "baby I'm glad that you got that furlough but your safety , our safety is more important than that.."
She nodded "I know it is and I did try to get his attention and tell him when he told us to go home but he shut the door to his office before I could."
He sighed and nodded "alright honey that's not your fault, when does your furlough start?"
She smiled "tentatively today was my last day but they can still call me in if they get an all hands on deck situation until Monday."
He nodded "alright, we'll just be extra vigilant for a bit, make sure nothing else strange happens because I know we're safe tonight and if anything else happens at all we'll get a protective detail."
She nodded "that sounds like a plan El, are we okay?"
He pulled her into his arms quickly and gently "we were never not okay honey I just didn't understand why you hadn't told him yet because promises have always been really important to us."
She nodded understanding "If I see him in the next few days I'll let him know, I mean he wont be able to do anything about it but having it on his file would be good."
He nodded "it definitely would be" he said as he yawned "I don't know about you but I'm exhausted our little girl wore me out today."
She chuckled and smiled "I bet she did she did seem more hyper than normal."
He nodded "yeah she was she felt better today than she has in several weeks, it was nice having her back to her bright bubbly self again."
She smiled and nodded "it definitely was why don't we take a bath together then have an early night?"
"Sounds good my love" he said as they kissed tenderly then headed to their master bath together.
Ohhh if those 2 only knew I was hiding in their hall closet right now... Hey I like it this way I can tell no one ever comes in here so this is the perfect place for me to ease drop on their conversations, and when the time is right I'll strike he thought to himself as he smirked then fell asleep on the closet floor.