Okay, so with this chapter, it is now officially 2020 in my story and I just wanted to say, for those of you who may wonder where is covid? Simple, I'm not including it. Thanks.

Chapter 24

Indigo started school after the new year. Three days a week, he got to go to school with Noah and attend the pre-kindergarten, a few blocks away. He was more than excited to go to, after all, he was a big boy now and happily grabbed his backpack to go to school every other day. He was getting so much exposure to people and new experiences; exposure that Jana never let him have.

It was January thirteenth, and so far, indigo had survived his first week of school. Now it was time for Olivia to go back to work after Christmas break. She was still harboring her fears about having a little girl, in spite of telling herself constantly that her worries were just that; worries. Just because the very worst had happened to her and her mom didn't mean that her daughter would suffer the same. They could protect her, teach her self-defense and warn her-

…but what good would warnings do? You knew that Lowell Harris and William Lewis were on the prowl and yet you walked right into both situations. She let off a long sigh as she sat going through her bag, searching desperately for her glasses, which were ironically sitting perfectly on her face. She huffed and went to the dresser to look through the drawers and getting angrier as she continued to search for her damned glasses.

"Where the hell are you?"She wondered as there was a knock at the open door.

"I wanted to come check on you," She heard Noah say from the doorway. She turned her head to see him standing there, dressed for school and she held her arms out for him, hugging him tight when he came into them.

"I miss these hugs. You don't give them as much as you used to."

"I know, but I'll make an extra effort to give them more if you want…"

"I'd like that very much!" She said as she pulled away before she managed to crush him with love and she continued to look through the dresser.

"Mom, what are you looking for?" He asked, seeing her go through the drawers.

"My glasses,"

He got a confused look on his face. Her glasses? "Um, mom…"

"I thought I put them on my nightstand, but when I came from brushing my teeth they weren't there and I can't seem to fi- ...oh God, they're on my face, aren't they?" She said as he tried so hard not to laugh while she touched the bridge of her nose. Yep. Glasses. "Pregnancy brain is real!" She uttered with a tired sigh as she ran a hand through her hair. "Where's dad?"

"He's helping Indie. Mom, she's kicking!" He smiled as he felt the baby's swift movements against him. He was still so mesmerized by the fact that his sister was inside his mom's tummy and able to communicate with them through kicks and movements and even their voices.

"Strong, I know." She said, rubbing her belly.

"Mom, are you okay?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I don't know, you've just seemed kind of sad lately. Did me or Indie do something wrong?"

"No, my sweet," she hugged him to reassure him and kissed his head. "No, you and Indie are the absolute best I could ever hope for!" She said as Noah pulled away.

"Then why are you sad?"

"Not sad so much as sorrowful, I guess. Secret between us?" She asked to which Noah quickly agreed. "I'm a little apprehensive since I found out that you're gonna have a sister."

"Why?"

"As you get older, you'll see that sometimes boys will give girls attention that they don't want, and sometimes, it can turn violent and I don't want that for your sister."

"Just because they're girls?"

"Especially because they're girls."

"That's dumb! I'd never do anything to somebody that they didn't want!" Olivia hugged him again as she kissed his head, with tears in her eyes as she looked in his.

"I need you to remember that, always. Promise me?"

"I promise. Daddy's already told me some things about respecting girls. He said it's very important. And don't worry mom, Daddy and I will look out for her, and Indie too when he's older." He said as he patted her belly. "We won't let anything happen to you, ever!" He said to the baby as he cuddled her. Olivia cried at seeing the love he already had for his little sister as she played with his curls.

"Mom, does she have a name yet?"

"Not yet; we were gonna name her Benjamin after Peter's dad, when I thought she was a boy. But we'll come up with something."

"I love you, mommy, and I love you too little sis!" He said and kissed Olivia's belly.

She felt so much better having that talk with Noah. It's amazing how a child can put things in perspective even without seeing the whole picture. She'd never told Noah that she'd been conceived through rape, just like he had no idea that she herself had been assaulted. All he knew was what he wholeheartedly believed with everything in him, and that was that between him and his brother, with their dad, they'd protect this little one from anything this world tried to throw at her and that was hope enough for Olivia.

Later, after dropping Indigo off at his school, Peter was now in front of Noah's school, waiting in line for dropoff.

"Daddy, can you teach me how to box?"

Peter tried to keep calm as he asked him a question. "Noah, are you being picked on at school?" Because if anybody was picking on Noah… he didn't exactly have a plan, but was pretty sure it would involve him kicking their fathers ass in front of the little turd for raising a fucking bully!

"Dad, it's not that," he said laughing.

Peter unclenched his jaw.. "It's not?" He didn't think he'd ever been more relieved in his life.

"No. I'm gonna have a little sister soon and I'm gonna have to protect her, so I wanna learn."

"That's a noble thought, but you know, it's a serious thing learning any self defense. Number one is you can't ever use it to bully or intimidate people. You understand that?"

"Yes, and I promise I wouldn't do that. I don't like bullies, so I'd never become one."

"How'd you get so wise?"

"I don't know, you and mommy are pretty wise too, so maybe from you guys."

Peter laughed and kissed Noah's head. "Alright, we'll talk more later."

At the precinct that morning, Olivia had just gotten off the elevator on her first day back since Christmas. Coffee in hand, she came into the squad room to be surprised by applause.

"What's all this?"

"Did you see the newspaper this morning?" Asked Carisi. When Olivia looked lost, he grabbed it from his desk. "-Olivia Benson to play a special role to the mayor…" he was reading when she snatched the paper and continued reading herself.

"In just-learned news, NYPD Captain Olivia Benson will be one of the mayor's knights at his round table of advisors… I turned this down a month ago!" She said moreso to herself than anyone else as she went into her office with Fin following.

"What do you mean you turned it down?"

"I mean, I turned it down." Olivia said as she removed her coat.

"But why, you'd be great for it."

"Easier said than done. I have too much on my plate right now. Plus, the publishing contract I signed that's making it even more full." She was dialing a number on her office phone. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a certain newspaper writer to call." She said as she finished dialing then put the receiver to her ear. "Arvid Nichols please, tell him it's Olivia Benson…"

"Liv, I think you might wanna wait on that call, you got company!" He said, looking out of her office windows, into the bullpen. She looked up and saw the brass outside and coming towards the office.

"Arvid, I'll let me call you back." She said quickly when he came on the line before she hung up. "What now?"

At the Chinese restaurant with Melinda and Casey later that day…

"How are you so calm?" Casey asked, referring to Olivia's latest run-in with the bosses this morning "If it were me…"

"I just think of how I want to play golf with their heads as balls…usually does the trick." Olivia filled her mouth with paocai. "I love my job, but they are making me rethink a lot of things…" she said and filled her mouth again with the deliciously sour vegetables.

"Rethink?" Melinda asked, quite surprised by Olivia's confession. She and Casey both were.

"I know they want me out, they have ever since I told them I was pregnant, and now since Indigo's come they're using him as an excuse to say even more so that my head's not in the work. I mean, how do they expect a four year old child to come into your life and you just drop him there, as if he wasn't confused enough?"

"Most of them have no idea…"

"Well, I don't regret the time I took off. Hell, with all of the vacation and PTO I've accumulated over the years, the time was mine anyway."

"What are you gonna do?" Melinda asked.

"I don't know. Maybe that article in the paper this morning was a sign,"

"I can't believe someone at the mayor's office gave those non-details to the Daily News. What were they hoping to accomplish?" Melinda wondered.

"That I don't know. But after he apologized for the confusion, Arvid assured me that he got it on good authority. Seems like they've got some cleaning to do in the mayor's mansion."

Casey stopped her chopsticks. "Bigger question, are you thinking of getting out…"

"Am I? I do know that it's on my mind more and more these days, but I have no clue what I'm going to do about it."

Later that day…

"Olibia!" Indigo cried excitedly as she came into the apartment. She'd barely gotten her bag and coat off when he came running into the entryway, straight into her arms and hugged her lovingly. "Hi baby sistaw!" He said to her belly as he kissed and rubbed it. He giggled when she kicked against his face.

"I'd forgotten how fast they are at this age," Lucy laughed as she caught up with Indigo.

"It's okay, I've got the little phantom," Olivia smiled as she tickled Indigo. "How was he?"

"He was good, we went for a walk and had coloring time and a snack,"

"An I dwewed you a pictaw," Indigo said. "Come see,"

"How about we say goodbye to Lucy first and thank her?"

"Thank you Lucy…bye. See you tomowwow." He bid, waving goodbye from Olivia's arms, then lay his head down on her shoulder.

"Aw, you're welcome sweetie," she smiled, then turned to Olivia. "Tell Noah when he gets home, I'll see him tomorrow…"

After promising Lucy that she would, and saying goodnight… "okay, let's see that picture!"

"Yay!" Indigo cheered. He was so happy as he ran ahead to go grab it, Olivia following slowly behind him. He met her halfway into the living room with the picture in hand. "See…you an daddy an Noe an me. An, an, an a wainbow an pwetty flowaws an I dwew my sistaw on yaw tummy."

"Indigo, this is the best drawing ever, thank you!" She said, teary eyed as she hugged him. "I'm going to call daddy right now and tell him to bring me a frame so we can put it on the piano."

After calling Peter and telling him to bring her a cheeseburger with extra pickles, extra sauerkraut and Sriracha (in addition to the picture frame), Olivia and Indigo sat in the living room. Indigo was on her lap while they read what had become Indigo's favorite book, The Little Prince, while they waited for Peter and Noah to get home.

"...It doesn't make me much of a prince… And he lay down in the grass and wept."

"Olibia, what does the piano faw?" Indigo asked. He was so intrigued by it now that his drawing was going on top of it, but now that he really gave it a look he figured that it must do something else. It's so big, it can't just be for sitting pictures on…or could it?

"You mean, what does it 'do'?" She was comfortingly correcting him, surprised that a four year old would show interest.

"Yes. What it do?"

"Well, it's an instrument," she said with laughter in her voice as he looked lost at her answer, so she broke it down a bit for him. "...an instrument is something used to make music." And at that, his curiosity was piqued as his eyes lit up. "My mom used to make the most beautiful music with it."

"It was yaw Mommy's?"

"It was,"

"I like music too!" He said excitedly as he stared at the piano, still somewhat confused. "How she make music?" Because the fallboard was down covering the keys, as well as the lid being down, he didn't see how anyone could make music with this thing. It was just a big box with legs on it.

She marked their spot in the book and sat it down. "Come," Olivia said, taking his hand as she got up and led him over to the piano where it sat in the corner of the room. Once they were there, she carefully took the framed photos off the top and put them aside before she carefully lifted the lid (it was pretty heavy) and looked around for the prop. Once she located it, she put it up to hold the lid and stood Indigo up on the bench so he could see inside. God, the memories that came back in that moment gave her goosebumps.

"You see those inside?"

"Uh huh,"

"Well, they make sounds when the keys are pressed," she carefully lifted the fallboard to reveal a row of beautiful ivory keys. Indigo was in awe when he saw them and floored when Olivia pressed random keys from the row and high pitched sounds filled the room. He stood with his mouth agape, looking from Olivia to the piano as if she were some kind of magical being. He was truly amazed.

"It's music!" He screamed and laughed, simply shocked and in total awe.

"You wanna try?" She asked. She couldn't stop smiling, loving that he was loving this new experience. Indigo immediately jumped right in, approaching the keys with reverence but total enthusiasm as he reached out his arm, with a finger pointed and hit three keys in the middle of the board with quick succession. He practically jumped out of his skin with astonishment at the sounds it made.

"OLIBIA, I MAKE MUSIC!"

"You did, baby!" She laughed as he jumped up and down there on the piano bench, the absolute joy on his face and in him caused her to tear up again. He stayed on that piano literally every free moment he had from there on out. That was the beginning of Indigo's fascination with the piano.

February came, along with Olivia's 50th birthday. That Friday morning, she was awakened by her three men bringing her breakfast in bed, Indigo and Noah gave her gifts and then Peter took them off to school and all of them were thankful to be in the warmth of his car. Lately, Olivia kept the air near freezing in the apartment, she was so hot all the time.

They both stayed home that day with plans to make love all day until the kids got home. He came into the apartment, so excited that they would he having sex without worrying about kids hearing them, or their four year old, that they were having a time with teaching to knock on closed doors walking in on them. Then there was a matter of finding the time for more than just a quicky. Today, they'd have all day. He could take his time to make love to his wife. He undressed as he walked into the living room and towards the stairs and did a double take when he saw Liv sitting in the armchair and wearing a silk robe.

"You're down here," He said as he changed direction.

"I thought since the kids are gone," she started but he had already made his way across the room and had her in his arms.

Later, they were on the floor, her sitting astride his lap. The throw from the couch was loosely covering their waists as they reveled in tender kisses and touches.

"I love you!" He whispered as he kissed her lips as she rode him.

"I love you." She whispered back, moving her hips against his slowly. She gave his lips another kiss before he kissed way down her neck and to her breasts where he gently sucked her nipple into his mouth.

"That feels so incredible!"She whispered, but the moment was ruined as an unexpected spray of liquid filled his mouth and she immediately pulled away, slightly pushing him back.

"What's wrong?" He asked, swallowing. It scared him as she pulled the throw over her breasts.

"I just sprayed…" She couldn't even say it. She was so embarrassed she could barely look at him.

"Baby, it's fine…I promise; actually… I kinda liked it if I'm being honest." He smiled

"Please don't patronize me; I'm already feeling less than chipper about my body these days."

"Your body," he said as he caressed her face so that she looked at him. "Is something I am more in awe of every day, it's growing and sustaining our child and preparing to sustain our child even after it's born. Your breasts," he said as he ran his finger along the side of her left one. "are so beautifully swollen…" he laid a kiss to her cleavage, trailing down and kissing her nipples through the sheet. "Just like your gorgeous belly," he said as he caressed it, his hand slowly traveling down between her thighs to where they were joined.

"I love this body!" He said as he kissed her lips hungrily while his fingers played lightly with her nipples and she writhed in pleasure. "...a little breast milk won't change that." He kissed her again, sucking on her bottom lip as he ravaged her mouth.

Later that day after she had a much needed nap, Olivia woke with just enough time to take a relaxing bath before the family went out for her birthday dinner; at least that's what she thought. In reality, they were headed to a huge surprise birthday party at the rainbow room that Peter had planned since last spring and she still had no idea.

She looked truly amazing in the royal blue dress she wore. It was a fitted wrap-style that hung slightly off the shoulders and had a belt at the waist that she just tied simply in a knot to the front and let hang. Her hair was in body waves parted down the middle and as she inspected herself in the full-length mirror, she noticed just how long it had grown. She knew that Peter loved it long, but wondered how practical it would be once she had the little one.

When Peter entered the bedroom, chewing the remnants of the huge sandwich he'd just eaten. He was stunned when he saw Olivia; he thought she looked absolutely gorgeous!

"You look…WOW!" He was simply mesmerized by this beautiful wife.

"You don't look so bad yourself." She said as she pecked him on the lips.

"The boys are dressed, and Indie is insisting that he take Eddie to dinner with us." He said as he went into the bathroom to quickly brush his teeth.

"I hope you told him it was okay,"

"Are you kidding? I am not prepared to go toe to toe with a determined four year old." He laughed with a mouth full of toothpaste.

"Good choice." She grinned as she put on her second stud earring. "Almost ready, I just need help putting my shoes on." She said as he came from the bathroom.

"I got you," he said as he took the shoebox from the foot of the bed and got down in front of her to put the beautiful, blue, three inch heels on her feet before he stood up and looked her over, which was odd to her.

"Peter, what are you…"

"Something's missing," he said, quickly disappearing to the closet.

"Missing?" She reiterated as he gently pulled her hair to one side to put something on her neck. "What's this?" She asked as she went to touch what he'd put there.

"A little birthday present," He said as he finished clasping it. Her eyes lit up as she felt the cold against the skin of her neck and fingertips.

"A little present…?" She said, astonished as she looked in the mirror. He'd just put a necklace on her with stones, serious stones. This necklace was dripping in them. Wait, were these…? No, they couldn't be, this would literally cost a fortune! "What did you do?"l

"50 diamonds, one for every year, and almost as gorgeous as you are… Happy Birthday, my love!"

After a mini breakdown, Olivia finally got her crying under control and redid her makeup. She couldn't believe what Peter had given her and needed a moment to recover.

Peter wasn't totally clueless. He knew that Olivia hated surprises in spite of him going all out to throw her a surprise party, so to lessen her fright, he arranged for no lights out and for the guests to hold up ultra fancy, exaggerated signs that read SURPRISE! When they walked in, Olivia couldn't help but burst into laughter when she saw everybody standing there, holding up signs with goofy grins on their faces.

"Peter, you dick!" She laughed as she turned to kiss him amid applause.

"Are you surprised?" He smiled as they kissed again as the crowd yelled Happy Birthday!

That night was simply magical. Seeing all of her friends and Peter's friends that had become her friends and getting caught up on their lives. There was so much laughter and joy that night, they ate the most incredible foods and must have danced all night until Olivia gave out. They headed home around one in the morning, but left the party going for their friends who were enjoying themselves immensely.

By the time March had rolled around, with six weeks left to go, Olivia was feeling very much over her pregnancy.

"Six weeks to go…excited?" Dr. Carlisle asked Olivia as she measured her belly.

"Excited for it to be over… Oh god, can I sit up? I feel like I'm gonna puke!"

"It's okay," Dr. Carlisle said as she helped Olivia to sit up on the exam table, and handed her a sick bag. "Deep breaths… That's it,"

"Between the morning sickness coming back, and my body aching…having to pee every 20 minutes…then my nipples won't stop leaking. It's really just a joy!" She quipped sarcastically as she started crying. "...and I can't get the random fucking crying outbursts to stop…this is the worst! I'm sorry…"

"Unfortunately, everything you're experiencing comes with the territory," Dr. Carlisle was saying when Olivia suddenly threw up in her sick bag. "...including the late-term morning sickness." She continued empathetically.

After her doctor's appointment that Friday morning, Olivia muddled through another work day, and was so happy to be going home when it was over. The first thing she did was have a long shower and change into comfortable clothes. She was looking forward to a nice long weekend away at the house.

"I'm gonna see if mom needs help. Can I trust you guys to stay down here for a few minutes, by yourselves?"

"We're good, dad." Noah said, with Indigo chiming in with the same sentiment.

"Yeah we good, dad."

Peter laughed. "Alright I'll just be right upstairs. Please, stay here, we'll be leaving in a few." Peter said to the boys. They sat on the couch playing Mario Kart, a game that Noah was pretty good at and usually won (unless he was playing his mom). However, since Indigo came to live with them, he'd always let him win. Besides, he'd always make it up by beating Kellan or his dad, he still couldn't beat his mom; at least not at this game.

"I winned, winned!" Indigo shouted, quite pleased with himself.

"Wow, I'll never be as good as you," Noah said to which Indigo laughed.

"Noe, I lub you!"

"Aw, I love you too, bro."

"What a bwo?"

"It's short for brother."

"Then I call you my bwo too," He said. "Wanna heaw what my teasher taught me?"

Peter and Olivia both said they'd encourage whatever hobbies the children were interested in, even if it was only a short interest. God knows she'd been through enough with Noah, and now it was no different for Indigo when they got him piano lessons after Indigo asked if they could teach him. Neither of the two could and so, a teacher was brought to the apartment for thirty minutes, once a week. Being that Indigo was only four, they didn't want to overwhelm him and stretch his attention too far, just water his curiosity. But surprisingly, Indigo really took to it, making real melodies soon and asked for more teaching. Since he had nothing to do on Tuesdays and Thursdays, those became his lesson days. Olivia was so happy to see that her mom's piano wouldn't go to waste. She'd never learned to play and had hoped that Noah would want to, but no such luck. After it had been delivered, he never gave it a second look, but she didn't hold it against him, it just wasn't his thing and that was okay, but Indigo had taken such a love to it.

"Hear?" Noah was a bit lost, thinking that Indigo would recite something but not sure.

"...on that," he said, pointing to the piano. Noah sighed inside. He'd heard Indigo playing for three weeks now and really didn't want more but he figured that a few minutes couldn't hurt.

"Sure, come on." He said and took Indigo's hand.

"You stay heaw, be wight back!" Indigo said to Eddie as he left the elephant sitting comfortably on the sofa.

Soon they were both seated at the piano, Indigo playing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, almost expertly.

"They're still alive if we can hear the Piano," Peter laughed.

"He's gotten pretty good, huh?"

"He has…honestly, I thought he'd have dropped his obsession by now."

"I don't know, we may have a protégé on our hands." Olivia smiled.

Noah clapped when he was done, with Indigo hid his face in his hands as he smiled proudly.

"You really like grandma's piano, huh?"

"Gwandma?" Indigo thought the piano belonged to Olivia's mommy.

"Yeah, Grandma Serena. She was Mommy's mom. This was her piano."

"Oh…" He felt proud to know her name. "Noe, is Sewena my gwandma too?"

Noah had to think about that one. "I don't know, I guess cuz you and I are brothers and Mommy's your mommy too now…"

Hold the phone. Noah, unknowingly had just blown Indigo's little mind. This was what Indigo had wanted since last year.

"SHE IS?!"

"Well yeah, I mean, she's married to daddy and we all love each other. We're a family."

Indigo hugged Noah before he jumped down off the bench and ran upstairs.

"Indie, be careful!" Noah said as Indigo paid him no mind and kept running.

He'd gotten his wish, a new mommy, and he ran up the stairs as fast as his little legs could go.

In the bedroom, Olivia was seated on the bench at the end of the bed and Peter was at her feet tying her shoes just as Indigo burst through their bedroom door.

"Indigo…" Peter called. They were both wondering why he was running so fast, but he didn't stop until he reached Olivia just as Noah entered the bedroom right behind him.

"He's fast!" Noah panted, out of breath.

"Mommy, my wish camed twue!" He said happily he ran into Olivia's arms and she scooped him up. He hugged her so tightly as he buried his head in her neck. "Santa made it twue!"

Olivia came undone right that minute as did Peter. "He called me mommy," she said, a total mess and in tears as she hugged Indigo. She wasn't sure what brought it on, but she didn't question it. He called her mommy. He loved and trusted her so much that he bestowed that honor on her.

They had gone straight to the house in Long Island after this. After almost six months of work, the house was now officially done and Olivia was eager to get started with planting a garden in just a couple more weeks. She and Peter had fun shopping for all the things she would need to begin planting when spring came in just a couple of short weeks.

Noah was just excited that spring was fast approaching and baseball would be coming up soon. Although his team didn't make it to the playoffs last season, he and Peter spent the whole off-season practicing, getting ready for next year and next year had finally arrived. They were both elated.

Very early Sunday morning at two, Peter woke up to an empty bed and went looking for his wife. He looked in the bathroom and when that didn't turn up anything, he went to the baby's nursery and then downstairs where he saw the light from her laptop shining in the dark of the living room.

"There you are." Peter said as he came into the living room. Olivia was sitting on the couch with her feet propped up on the coffee table while she typed on her laptop. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Did I scare you?"

"No…yes. I just…well I thought that maybe you were in labor,"

"I think you'd know if I were in labor," she laughed as she rubbed her belly. "...still got six long-ass weeks to go…then of course she needs to turn around and stay that way," Olivia said as she continued typing.

"She will, no worries." Peter said as he sat beside her and kissed the side of her forehead. Rubbing her belly, he could feel the baby kicking, but Liv just feigned a smile as she resumed typing on her computer. "What does it feel like?"

"Weird." She laughed. "I mean, there's this whole other person inside me and she's growing and moving and kicking and it's the strangest thing." She said and continued typing, but stopped, shifting uncomfortably when the baby kicked her particularly hard and she grabbed Peter's hand.

"Liv?"

"Her kicks are so damn hard…" she cried.

"I wish you didn't have to go through this, I'm so sorry baby,"

"I'm okay," she swatted away her tears. "Can you help me up? I'm gonna take a shower before I go back to bed."

"You sure?" He asked as he took her hand and helped her to her feet, worrying as she winced through the baby's movements. He hated seeing her in pain, especially when there was nothing he could do to ease it.

"I'm sure; the water hitting my skin calms her."

"Can I do anything?" He said as he helped her upstairs.

"You can make these next six weeks fly by…"

The first day of Spring came a couple weeks later, and that Saturday afternoon, Noah got to play his first practice game of the season with Peter as the new coach. They won, thanks to Peter's coaching as well as Noah's fantastic playing and afterwards, Peter took the whole team out for pizza to celebrate.

On Sunday, Olivia was thrown a baby shower by Melinda. It was a beautiful co-ed party, that she really outdid herself with. She'd had the entire sun room area of her palatial Forest Hills home redone to look like a dream! It was absolutely gorgeous, it had pink and ivory roses climbing the walls and the entire space was decorated to the hilt in the beautiful colors. It took some convincing for Olivia to even get up and get dressed and go. At that point in her pregnancy, she was 37 weeks along, big as ever and feeling awkward as hell plus getting tired so easily. She was just not up for another party, in spite of knowing about it weeks ago, but the kids finally convinced her to go. They were practically drooling just thinking of all the sweets that would be there and were so happy when she got dressed. She was in a long, flowing, white v-neck dress that had beautiful flowers at the hem. She hadn't even bothered with her hair, just letting it hang in waves.

In spite of Olivia and Peter's request that their guests forgo gifts and make donations to any of the children's charities, they were surprised to see that they'd been ignored as far as no gifts part. They had received some of the most beautiful gifts along with gift receipts from the charities they'd made generous donations to.

Olivia had officially reached 38 weeks that Friday and she gladly called it her last day and began her maternity leave. She was all-too-happy to go by then with the way 1PP had been behaving. By the time the end of March came around, she was more than happy to not see the office again for the next four months. IF she saw it again.

Saturday morning after her doctor's appointment, Olivia had gone to get a wax and a pedicure with Mel and Casey and then back to the apartment.

"Mommy…" Indigo cried, running to Olivia as she took off her coat and shoes, Eddie trailing behind him and he hugged her legs.

"Hi, baby." She just loved this kid.

In the kitchen, Peter and Noah were unloading the dishwasher.

"Last bunch," Peter said, handing Noah a small stack of plates. "got em?"

"I got em," he assured Peter as he walked to the cabinet. "Hey mommy," he said, as Olivia came into the kitchen with Indigo.

"Hey. I thought you guys would be at the field already."

"We were on our way, but the game got canceled…" Peter said, putting the knives away.

"Seven players on the other team got food poisoning," Noah added.

"What? Will they be okay?"

"I'm sure they'll be fine." Peter said as he came around the counter and kissed her. "How was the appointment?"

"I've dilated a centimeter." She said begrudgingly. On one hand she was glad to know that there was a change, but it was still so little a change. She wanted action!

"What does dilated mean?" Noah asked.

Olivia smiled. "You know what, I believe there's a box of cupcakes I forgot about in the entryway…" she didn't get to finish before Noah and Indigo ran to get them as Peter laughed.

"You know, according to the book-"

"I swear, if you tell me how it could be another couple weeks…"

He was about to say exactly that, but quickly changed his mind. "...and I'll shut up now!"

That fast, Olivia started to cry. "I didn't mean that…Dr. Carlisle said the same thing and I can't possibly do this for another two weeks!"

…

Tbc…