Chapter Five
The next morning Olivia brought Emma down to the precinct where ADA Carisi explained to Emma what would happen next if she IDs the right people. She was nervous but had confidence in herself. After she had ID both men Olivia took her into the interview room that connects to her office.
"You did a good job Emma," Liv said. Emma smiled, now knowing why she'd seen that before makes sense now, it was Kathy's smile. "Look, there's another person who wants to speak with you."
"Will you stay with me?" she asked.
"He's requested to speak to you himself. But I'll be outside that door if you need me." Liv said while getting up and walking out the door. "Are you sure you're up for this?" She asked Elliot, closing the door behind her.
"Yeah," He said walking through the door. As Emma heard the door open and close she saw the muscular man sit across from her. Liv, on the other side of the wall seeing this all playout was nervous about what could possibly happen next.
Emma raised her head, that had been currently looking at her hands that were in her lap. She had seen this man's face before, just once in a picture her mother had left her years ago. They sat across from each other for a few minutes in silence. A few moments later Liv noticed the girl throw herself into Elliot's arm, feeling the comfort of the closest thing to being with her mom. She let out a sob of a cry. She saw Elliot wrap his arms around the girl's waist, letting go of a few tears himself.
A moment or two later Fin came through the doors. "So this is what the chaos was all about." Fin said. "Did he really not know?" he added.
"I guess not," Liv replied.
After the longest hug she ever witnessed in her life, Emma and Elliot finally let go of each other. Both of them, still having tears fall down their faces. Elliot got up from the chair and walked back towards the office.
"Well that was unexpected," he said, wiping his tears from his face. "I want a night with her," Elliot blurted out unexpectedly.
"What?" Liv said, confused.
"I want one night with her, Liv. She's my family, she's the last new thing I got from Kathy. C'mon Liv just one night, please. I just want to know her, and if it works out it works out, if not I'll leave her alone."
Olivia had a look of anger on her face, but she knew this was coming, he was right she is his family and he had the right to know her. "How about you come over to my house, and we all can have pizza, games and ice cream. And you can finally meet Noah."
Elliot was a little hesitant on the compromise, but finally gave in since, she would be in a safe space she felt comfortable in.
Elliot drove home not really thinking about what he was going to tell his kids. How was he going to tell them their mom got pregnant and hid it from them for years? "Hey dad, what's for dinner?" Eli asked, walking into the doorway of his bedroom. "Shit," Elliot thought of himself.
"I'm going to Olivia's, here's some money for some take out." he said, handing Eli a few 20s.
Elliot had finally arrived at Liv's new apartment she had been living at since his disappearance from SVU. Elliot made it up to her apartment, not really knowing what to expect. He knocked on the door. A little boy opened the door.
"Hi," Elliot said.
"Mommy! A strange man is at the door!" Noah yelled. Clearly Olivia had not yet told him who he was yet. But he was thankful to know that he knew not to talk to strangers. Liv came walking towards the door, she looked nice.
"Noah, remember my friend Elliot I was telling you about? And how you were going to meet him today? Well this is him."
Noah smiled "Hi, I'm Noah." he said excitedly.
"Please come in," Liv suggested.
Elliot walked in, seeing photos of her and her son Noah, a few of the squad, a picture of her and a man that looked like an old partner, and a questionable one of her and former IAB Lieutenant, Ed Tucker. He picked that one up and pointed it out to Liv.
"Not now," She mouthed across the room. She clearly had put all the photos of them away, I mean he did leave her, so why should she keep those photos.
They all sat around the coffee table eating pizza.
"So, Elliot, how do you know my mom? She says you guys go way back." Noah asked.
"Well your mom and I used to work together." Elliot said, leaning close to the boy.
"But then you left her, which made her said." Noah said annoyed with Elliot.
"Well, that's true, but I promise I won't ever leave her again." He said, saying that last part to Olivia.
"You promised, which means you can never ever, ever, break it." Noah explained.
"So Emma, what kind of things are you into?" Elliot asked, trying to change the subject.
"Well, I like reading, mostly, but I paint and draw, and I'm on the debate team." she replied,
"Debate, how's that?"
"It's good, I'm captain."
"What grade are you again? You're 15, 16 years old?"
"I'm just finishing up my junior year, I'll be 17 in July."
"Plans for college?"
"Yeah, I'm thinking about going into criminal law, with a pre-law track."
"So a lawyer huh?"
"Yeah."
"Can we play charades?" Noah asked, feeling left out of the conversation.
The rest of the night they had played charades, it was boys vs. girls. At one point Noah had to act out Game Of Thrones not knowing what that actually meant he tried his best, making Elliot and Olivia laugh so hard. Elliot put his hand on Olivia's thigh out of laughter, but not realizing it had stayed there after they were done laughing.
After the night was over and they had finished their ice cream, Liv had gotten Noah ready for bed. Emma had decided to scope out the letter that had been left for Elliot. She never knew why she was the one to give it to him, but she thought to give it to him now rather than later. But as she walked into the hallway she had seen Olivia and Elliot talking. Instead of barging into their conversation she decided to wait it out a little to see if there was a good time for her entrance.
"Liv, you're a good mom." Elliot said sitting on the coffee table so he could be facing Liv.
"Thanks, I try." Liv said.
"He looks a lot like you, ya know, but the curly hair, man, that must've been the father." As Elliot kept rambling Liv, kept trying to cut him off he asked, "Is Tucker?- Is he the father?" Elliot asked with a bit of sadness in his eyes.
"El," this was the first time she had used his nickname since his return. "Noah's adopted. I adopted him a few years after you left. His mother was a victim, being pimped out. His father died while he was on trial. The judge had decided that I was the only one interested in his well-being, I could foster him for a year, then adopt him if all went well. And I guess it went well." Elliot smiled, knowing that being a mother was important to her, he was happy, no matter how she had Noah.
"Liv, I have to ask, is that why you wanted to take Emma in? So she could be yours too?"
"Elliot, I had no idea Emma was Kathy's daughter, until the day we both found out. All I wanted to do was provide a safe space for her, and she had already been comfortable with me so I had offered for her to stay with me."
Elliot looked at her, knowing that she was a good parent, and this is what made her a good cop, she was always looking out for the victims, always putting their needs first.
"Look, El, I know what you're thinking, but you have to tell your kids first, before she can stay with you and Eli."
"I haven't even thought about telling them." Elliot said.
"You know you have to, they deserve the right to know, and you clearly want Emma to stay in your life now. I know you, you never turn your back on your family, even if they are a pain in the ass."
"You know me too well. I just don't know how to tell them. Do I just say, 'Oh, by the way, your mother slept with some guy, and she had his child. But for some odd reason gave her up.'."
"I can be there if you want when you tell them."
"Thanks,"
Elliot got up and walked towards the door, Liv followed, walking him out. They hugged, then he left. Emma, still standing in the hallway, watching. Olivia turned around and saw Emma standing there, worried as to how much of their conversation she had heard
