Chapter 19

One week later…

"You won't believe this," Peter said as he got off the phone and entered the closet where Olivia was putting on her jacket. He stopped cold. "I don't think I've ever seen you in a skirt at work. Special occasion?" He said of the mauve, a-line dress she wore with black stiletto boots and a matching leather jacket.

"Yes, I'm pregnant and no longer going out on calls."

"Serious?" He smiled.

"I'm not doing anything that could hurt his baby, and crime scenes are questionable. By the way, what won't I believe?"

"That was Mr. Owens on the phone,"

"At 8 in the morning?" She grinned, putting on her left earring.

"He called to tell me that he's accepted our offer…the property's ours if we want it."

Olivia's hands dropped as she turned around to face him. "What?"

"We have a house for our son and daughter," he said as he cradled his hands around her stomach.

"...if we want it…" she turned herself around to face him. "And you don't know that it's a girl." She said as she held his lapel. "We're buying a house, aren't we?"

"I think we are, the question now is, when do we tell Noah?"

"He's gonna be so happy, but let's wait until we know for sure that it's ours."

...

Later that day in Casey's office, Olivia had just come in the door.

"Isn't this a surprise?" Casey said just finishing a call.

"Well, I was in the building and thought I'd stop by," she said and sat down. "You've been kind of MIA the last week or so,"

"I know, and I'm sorry. I've been swamped with work while trying to do some mental cleaning,"

"...mental cleaning?"

"Kevin…and it's a long story that I'll tell you another time. I know I'm late, but how was DC?"

"It was eye opening."

"What?" Casey laughed.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you,"

"Try me,"

"Bet you can't guess who I ran into…"

…

At the Park Lane hotel, David had just checked in and made his way up to his room and started to unpack.

He couldn't believe that just a week after everything had fallen apart with Olivia, he had to go to her city for work, and he wondered if he would run into her at some point.

"Three days is a lot of time." He thought out loud, "not so much when you're here working."

"He is the most incredible, loving man. And I'm so lucky that I get to call him my husband."

He's thought about those words every day. If only he hadn't been so afraid back then, he could have been that incredible man that Olivia got to call hers. But instead he folded and got out; got out of the only relationship that meant anything to him, got out of the job that he'd fought so hard to protect in exchange for another in DC, and he got out of New York City.

He listened to people around him when they said a couple of years later that he'd need to be married when he'd decided that he'd climb the ladder to the top in DC. It would look so much better than him being a divorced father who barely had time for his kids, and wanting to rise among the big shots, he listened to them. Six and a half years ago, he married Monica Charles. Monica was superficial and very self absorbed, but she was part of DC society and already wrapped up in her own lifestyle. This was good because it meant that she and David never saw each other, except for the occasional dinner which was usually a photo-op.

Did he love her? Absolutely not, and he was pretty certain that she felt no less for him. It was a marriage of convenience for both of them. A marriage that suited him just fine until the day he was meeting with colleagues for dinner and after nine long years, he saw her. The woman he never forgot, and suddenly nothing about this life he'd built here made sense.

By the time he'd kissed Olivia, he already decided that it was fate and if she'd have him, he'd give up everything if it meant being with her again. He'd definitely let go of his sham of a marriage, but instead, here he was, all of those dreams suddenly crushed and he was cast right back into everything he'd hated.

It made him angry. Why should this Peter person be allowed to be in love, reciprically with the only woman who could bring him happiness? Yes, they had a son, but he'd make a great step-dad to Noah.

First he needed to obliterate that relationship. Of course he'd take it slow, make sure that things fell into place. He'd already gotten leeway on ending his phony marriage to Monica; he called a divorce attorney early last week. Even though then he thought he didn't have a future with the woman he loved, he knew that he wasn't going to spend another day married to a woman he didn't even like.

Maybe he'd call Olivia at the station to meet for lunch if time allowed it, but if it didn't, he'd rest knowing that in the long run, Olivia would be the next woman he'd say 'I do' to.

…

[Got enough energy for dinner tonight?] Olivia's phone vibrated while she was on the elevator. It was from Peter and she smiled as she typed out a response.

[Maybe, but Noah…]

[I already asked Lucy…] and he added a winking smiley.

[Italian?]

[Pick you up at seven?]

Still smiling, she typed something to him before the elevator came to her floor and she got off and made her way to her office. She noticed on the way that the squad room was practically empty, but she continued inside and hung her bag on the coatrack when she turned to go to her desk and got a shock when she saw Fin in the corner sitting on her couch.

"Fuck, Fin!" She yelled, as her hand went to her small bump.

"I'm so sorry Liv, I didn't mean to scare you. Are you alright?"

"It's okay…" she said, calmer now. "What are you doing sitting in the corner?"

"I wanted to talk to you but we were so busy all morning. So this not going out on calls…"

"Is that what this is about, me not going out on calls anymore? It's just a decision,"

"I get it, it's just, it's so sudden,"

"Fin, are you trying to ask me something?"

"Are you sick?"

"What? No, Fin. I'm fine,"

"Liv, how long have we known each other? If something's wrong you can tell me-"

"Fin, nothings wrong, I promise." Except that she was currently starting to feel nauseous.

"I've been watching you Liv. You've been pale a lot lately, nauseous and I've noticed you holding your stomach, like now…"

Olivia, noticing where her hand was, quickly took it away. "That doesn't mean anything. And I've been pale because…"

"I'm listenin…"

Olivia had to weigh her options. On the one hand, she could just just continue to deny that anything prompted her decision, but on the other hand, Fin was like a dog with a bone when he knew that something was up, and he knew something was up.

"You're gonna find out soon anyway, but please keep this quiet until I have a chance to tell everyone."

"Of course, tell everyone what?"

"Fin, I'm pregnant,"

"You're…"

"Surprise!"

…

Later that night…

"I can't believe they had that discussion for everyone to hear," Olivia laughed. "I felt so bad for the guy,"

"It was pretty brutal. Would you still love me if I had severe erectile dysfunction?"

Olivia laughed at the thought. "But, you don't."

"But if I did. Would you love me?"

"I'd love you no matter what!" And she kissed him,

"Okay, but what if my mouth and hands were suddenly somehow permanently paralyzed."

"Well then I'd have to call an attorney," she joked, and he grabbed her playfully.

"Come here you,"

They laughed as they stopped in the middle of the sidewalk to kiss sweetly. Peter wanted so badly to push his wife against a building and take her right there, but they disengaged after a few seconds. Olivia, feeling herself growing aroused, looked at Peter's body that was very visibly accentuated by the black, button-down shirt he wore with black jeans.

"How about we skip the movie and go home? Noah should be asleep, I could model my new lingerie while it still fits, and you can slowly peel it off me..."

"I like that idea, very much," he said, and began hailing a cab while he and Olivia kissed. He stood with his hand out while cabs filled with passengers passed them by.

Down the street, David was outside of another restaurant. He was talking to a couple of people he'd just had dinner with when someone caught his eye…it was her; She was so gorgeous, standing there in light grey palazzo pants and a matching chemise with a black jacket. Then he looked at the guy beside her… Peter!

Why did he feel so petty all of a sudden? He didn't care about delicate timing anymore, instead, he bid his company goodbye and headed straight towards the couple.

"Olivia?"

Olivia broke the kiss with Peter and turned to face the man. What the ENTIRE fuck? she said in her head while her face gave nothing away but a fake smile.

"I thought it might be you." He said and kissed her cheek, lingering a bit too long before he pulled away. "God you look absolutely fantastic."

Uncomfortable moment number 1. "David…" Is the universe kidding me right now? "You're in New York…what are you doing here?"

"I'm here on a work trip ironically." He couldn't help simply staring at her. The light breeze that blew allowed him to smell her perfume; the scent he always loved so much.

Olivia wished she were anywhere but here. "This is my husband, Peter. Peter Stone, David Haden." She introduced them in an attempt to break the tension that was quickly building, and Peter reluctantly shook his hand. But David was busy being mesmerized by Olivia and she could see it all over his face- so could Peter, who now was wondering who the fuck this guy was.

"Wow, so this is him?" David said, it appeared that Peter was lost in this situation; she hadn't told him, and honestly, David loved it. In his mind he figured that that meant a chance for them if Peter was ignorant to even who he was.

Peter was lost. "I'm sorry…?"

"In DC, a little over what?" He looked at Olivia for confirmation, but she just stood there mortified. "...a week ago? Olivia told me about you."

"Really. And, how do you two know each other?"

Uncomfortable moment number 2. "We um, we used to date…" Olivia said awkwardly as Peter looked from her to David.

"She's being modest," David interjected.

"What did you say?!" Peter was beyond fed up at this point and he took a step toward David, prepared to knock him on his ass, but Olivia stepped between them.

She gave David a look that asked what the hell are you doing? And they all stood in silence, Peter feeling like he had to be dreaming, because there could be no way that this was happening. He quickly wondered if he punched this smug bastard in the face, would he feel better? Olivia saw this in the way his jaw clenched, and she stood her with a hand on his stomach willing him to calm down, and she thanked God when a taxi pulled up in front of her and Peter.

"We should get going, David, nice seeing you again." She said it sarcastically, while speedily putting Peter into the cab, all while he gave David the nastiest of looks.

David stood and watched the cab drive away as a feeling of satisfaction washed over him.

Peter and Olivia sat in the cab, awkwardly for a moment, in total silence while it drove.

"You should have just told him when it happened!"

"I didn't know how to bring up,"

"Well, David certainly solved that problem, didn't he?"

After what seemed like the longest silence, Peter spoke.

"So…I take it he's the friend you told me about in DC?" He was restrained, calm, and Olivia couldn't get a read on him.

"He is." Quiet. Then, "...I know what you're thinking."

"I'm glad one of us does." He said with no malice, and he just leaned into the window, but he took her hand and held it even though he couldn't look at her.

Oh, I fucked up, big!

…

"Goodnight guys." Lucy bid them as she left. Peter locked the door, and entered the security code before he turned to look at Olivia.

"Peter, maybe we should just let this sit until mor-" but he had already crossed the room and had her in his arms, kissing her like his life depended on it and she went with it, loving that he had chosen this over an argument.

By the time left the entryway, he already had her shirt undone while her bra was pushed up as the they struggled to get to the living room.

"Peter…" Olivia was in heaven with the way his mouth traveled from her neck to her nipples. He surprised her when he bit the left one just hard enough before he soothed it with a gentle suck, while he carried her up the stairs.

"Get the door open!" He growled, lifting her ass to wrap her legs around his waist. Without another word and without even blinking, she was in a lust-induced trance as she quickly reached behind her, fumbling to turn the knob to their room door. The door opened and he eagerly carried her inside, slamming the door behind them. He wasted no time stripping her naked, tearing off her pants when he couldn't get the buttons undone fast enough, and she stripped him just as eagerly.

The way he took her against the wall, there was only one word to describe it - animal! Their lovemaking went on through the night. And he fucked her all over the room. Sometime later that night, they lay there in the bed, she was downright exhausted, curled beside him, smiling and out of breath.

He had ravaged her. This was one time that she was glad that Noah slept soundly and this apartment had very thick walls because her moans and cries, their moans and cries were at an all-time high. She didn't know what had gotten into him that night. Their sex life had always been spectacular so she wasn't complaining, but Jesus, tonight he even outdid himself! He'd collapsed on top of Olivia, both of them in the middle of massive orgasms. He was like a machine! A very well-oiled, no-off switch, couldn't get enough of her machine. Was this because of…? She didn't want to say his name, even in her thoughts.

"Holy shit!" She said, breathlessly, a sheen of sweat covering both their skins. The sheet was around her naked hips and she began laughing euphorically before kissing his lips. "Have I told you I love you?" She said, snuggling into his massive chest while still out of breath.

"Several times!" He said, running his finger along the skin of her back, tracing it up and down her spine. His touch made her shiver and she drew into him with her leg around his hips.

"That was…" and she let out a long, satiated sigh. She couldn't even find words and just giggled as she ran a hand through her hair.

"I suppose I lost myself...I didn't hurt you, did I?"

She kissed him sensually until she needed breath. "Not to where I'd tell you to stop!" She said and then kissed his chest. She let off a sated sigh, "I hate to have to move, but I really need to pee,"

He laughed, kissing the top of her head, then lightly kissed her lips before she got up and went into the bathroom, shutting the door.

I don't know what got into you tonight…" she said from inside. When he didn't answer, she figured that he hadn't heard her so she continued peeing.

In the bedroom, Peter just lay there quietly for a moment, then sat up and threw his feet over the side of the bed. He thought back to their lovemaking, he was so aggressive! Then David came back to his mind, the way he looked at Olivia with such regret in his eyes. When she looked at David, Peter wasn't sure what he saw, but it was so strong. Tired of wondering, he got up and searched for his boxers before he went into the bathroom. When he entered, Olivia was at the sink drying her hands.

"Hey," she smiled, then walked over to the shower and turned it on.

"Was it serious?" He asked, and there it was. It had been picking away at him the whole cab ride home, he even tried to fuck away his feelings, but he couldn't get it out of his head, and now, he had to know.

"Was what serious?"

"David and you. Was it serious?"

"Honey, It was nine years ago…"

"By the way you two looked at each other, nine years didn't seem like such a long time,"

Olivia couldn't think of what to say. She hadn't been aware that Peter caught the long looks David gave her. Though why wouldn't he? He was right there.

"No…not the two of you, just him. You think it wasn't awkward as hell for me to run into him like that?" She turned the shower off and grabbed a robe to cover herself before going back into the bedroom.

"So why didn't you just tell me when you ran into him in DC? Why is it nine days later that I'm hearing about this guy, from his own mouth? Is there something more that you wanna tell me?"

"What?"

"I can handle it if you're gonna tell me right now, but what I can't handle if you're gonna lie to me again,"

"Lie to you? I have never lied to you about anything!"

"Yeah? So seeing him in DC was what?"

"That is not the same thing,"

"Isn't it? I asked you when I noticed how upset you were, I asked you, and said nothing. Just that a reunion didn't go well; that was much more than a reunion!"

"Peter, don't do that,"

"Don't do what? Don't ask you why you didn't tell me about a guy that you had a relationship with? A relationship that I had to find out about when he's smiling in my face?!"

"You wouldn't understand this "

"THEN MAKE ME UNDERSTAND!" He yelled with tears in his eyes. "Make me understand. Olivia I can't comprehend why you would keep this from me…

"I wasn't trying to keep it from-"

"Who was he to you?"

She paused at that question. Who was he to you? How could she answer that? She loved him. More than she could ever understand. David healed that piece of her heart that had been so badly broken at the time. She thought of marrying David. They'd talked about it so often that she was sure it would become a reality but then suddenly it all fell apart.

"...my past."

"Your past? Does everyone from your past get that look?"

"What are you…"

"Longing. The way he looked at you like I wasn't even there. Are you gonna tell me that I imagined it?"

"I'm gonna tell you that you're putting way too much emphasis on this."

"Too much emphasis? So this is what we're doing? Just chalk it up to too much emphasis? You are my wife! We have a son and a baby on the way and you don't think that I deserve an explanation more than too much emphasis?"

"I can't talk about this,"

"Neither can I. I'm sleeping in the guest room!" He said and stormed out, flinging the door open hard and walked off down the hall to the room at the end.

…

The next day in her office, Olivia sat at her desk, stirring the same mug of tea over and over while she sat in a daze thinking about last night.

She didn't sleep a wink after Peter went to the other room, and although she didn't know it, neither did he. They'd argued before, but never like this. Never with him walking out on her, even if it was only to the bedroom down the hall. Why couldn't she just lay her cards out and tell him what really happened?

"Damn you David!" She cursed as she suddenly got up and went to grab her things.

Out in the squad room…

"Sorry, that took a little longer than I thought," Amanda said as she entered from the back after pumping.

"Don't apologize," Fin told her. "We got a hit on those fingerprints from the syringe we found…" he said and handed her a report just as Liv came from her office and didn't stop walking.

"Fin, I'm gonna be out for a couple of hours. If you need me…" she said as she went for the elevators.

"I got it." He said as she headed out.

She had just gotten off the elevator when she saw David entering the building and she ran to catch him before he could go further.

"Are you completely insane? What are you doing here?"

"I didn't have a number, so-" she grabbed his arm and led him out of the building.

"You don't have a number because you don't need one. And what the hell was that bullshit you pulled in front of my husband last night?"

"Okay, if I'm being honest, it wasn't exactly… a coincidence that I ran into you…well it was, but not exactly. "

"What does that mean, what, are you stalking me now?"

"No… its just the last few days I haven't been able to even think about anything but us, about what we used to have,"

"Do not,"

"...how we used to be before I ruined it. Those couple of days we spent together made me realize that I can't just let you walk back out of my life. I've been thinking and, Olivia, you me and your son, we could-"

"You have lost your mind! Do you hear yourself? My family; we've built a life together. Noah loves his father and so do I, desperately, and here you are, you just show up, making plans after nine years and I'm supposed to do what, go with them?"

"Olivia…"

"No, David. Let me make things clear for you: What we had in the past is just that, the past! Get out of my city, and leave me alone!"

…

Peter's office…

"What's going on with you? Kev tells me you're down." Katelyn said as she talked to Peter through facetime.

"Nope, I'm fine. Kevin really needs to mind his business."

"You are his business. You're all of our business, just like all of us are yours. Now let's try this again: what's going on?"

"It's…nothing," he lied, thinking better of it. "Hey, Katie I gotta get ready for a meeting," he lied, "can I call you later?"

He put his head in his hands before he got up and went to the windows to absently look out. For the first time since they'd been together, he woke up and he and Olivia didn't talk. They went around each other quietly until he left to take Noah to school. He hated this.

Why couldn't she just tell him about this asshole? She had a whole week in DC and she never once thought to bring him up? God, he should have knocked the smug bastard on his ass. It might not have made it better, but it would have made him feel good.

Suddenly his thoughts were interrupted when his cell phone rang. He turned to pick it up from his desk- it was Olivia and his heart caught in his chest as he answered. She started to speak even before he could say anything.

"I'm in my car, I was gonna come to you, but I understand if you're not ready to-"

"No, please come…" he said sorrowfully. "...or I can come to you, we can go somewhere and talk, but I can't stand this silence another minute,"

There was silence on the phone and he heard Olivia weeping. It broke his heart. "Liv?"

She took a moment to collect herself. "Can you meet me at home?"

"I'll be there." He said and hung up, immediately beginning to gather his things.

…

TBC