A/N: Just another filler chapter. However, there is a bit at the end that is in italics. This section is rated M for some sexual content so if you aren't interested in that you can just skip it. I hope my readers enjoy this instalment anyway. Just a heads up that I'm a little behind with the next chapter so it might be a couple of days until another update. Don't worry as I still have plenty of drama planned and I am on a mission to complete this story. Sorry for the long author's note...xxx

A couple of weeks later, the Stablers found themselves at Central Park Zoo. They were accompanied by Zoe and her social worker. Liv was walking along slowly with Zoe's hand clutched tightly in her own larger one. She was well aware that Irene Miller was keeping a close eye on all of them but she didn't care. She was enjoying every moment with the little girl and she hoped that Zoe herself felt the same way.

"Are you having fun, Sweetie?" Liv asked as she looked down at Zoe.

Zoe nodded and smiled. "I love animals!"

"Oh yeah? What's been your favourite so far?"

The little girl thought for a moment before her eyes widened. "I loved the monkeys! They were so cute and funny!"

At that moment, Maria came running towards them chanting, "Mommy! Zoe! Mommy! Zoe!"

"Woah! Slow down, Baby." Olivia said and held out her free hand to stop her daughter from colliding into her and Zoe. Maria took her hand and tugged. Liv looked around for her husband and frowned when she couldn't see him. "Sweetheart, where's Daddy?"

Maria continued to tug on her mother's hand and pointed. "He's just around that corner. He said we can go to the petting zoo now!"

"Zoe, you want to go to the petting zoo?" Olivia asked as she remained in the same spot. She wanted to make sure that the activity was something both girls wanted to take part in. Zoe nodded a little shyly in response.

"Liv!" Olivia looked up to see Elliot in the distance. Maria dropped Liv's hand and grabbed onto her soon-to-be sister's. Before Olivia knew what was happening, the two girls ran towards the blue eyed detective. El picked Zoe up into his arms and took a hold of Maria's hand but waited until his wife was by his side before moving in the direction of the petting zoo.

The family unit walked along the path, hand in hand – Maria was practically vibrating with excitement as she rambled on about how they were going to be able to feed the baby lambs and the other animals.

Soon the three adults found themselves stood behind the fence of the large lamb pen as they happily observed the two little girls feed and pet the fluffy creatures. "They seem to be getting on rather well." Irene pointed out.

Olivia and Elliot nodded in agreement. They found it difficult to get Maria to talk about anything other than Zoe. She had even told all her classmates about the little girl. "Maria's always gotten on well with other kids. She made friends on her first day of kindergarten." Liv commented.

Over in the animal pen, Maria was watching as Zoe fed the little lamb that was nestled in her lap. The younger girl was rather shy but the six year old was able to draw her out of her shell a tiny bit and soon they were talking about anything and every thing as they petted and fussed over the lamb.

"Hey! Give me that!" An obnoxious voice yelled and Maria looked up to see a boy who was slightly older than herself. He went to grab the feeding bottle Zoe had in her hands but before he could, Maria jumped up from the ground and pushed him away.

"Leave us alone! Get your own!" Maria yelled as she stood protectively in front of the slightly frightened blonde girl who clutched the bottle and baby animal to her a little tighter. The three year old didn't make a sound as she looked between the two older kids who were in the middle of a staring contest. Maria had her hands clenched into fists, her eyebrows raised in way that would remind anyone of Olivia when she was challenging a suspect.

The boy scrambled to his feet and glared at the feisty six year old. "What are you going to do about it? You'rejust a girl." He spat as his face screwed up. The kid then went to pull hard on one of Maria's braids and just as she was about to retaliate, a firm feminine voice called out to the small group of children.

"Woah! What's going on over here?"

Maria turned on the spot and smiled in triumph when she saw Olivia. She pointed over her shoulder at the boy who had now shrunk back slightly in the presence of an adult. "He tried to take the bottle from Zoe! Arrest him, Mama! He's so mean!" Liv tried to hold in laugh at the fury on her daughter's little face. Although a burst of pride filled her when she realised that Maria was only trying to protect Zoe.

Olivia studied the two older children for a few seconds before crouching down beside Zoe, resting a comforting hand on her back. "Is that true, Baby?" She asked softly. Zoe nodded a little sadly. Olivia looked up and aimed her next question at the unknown boy. "Where are your parents?" Her tone wasn't too firm but not too soft either. She was on verge of being in 'Mama Bear' mode. Liv couldn't help it, her maternal instincts had been intensified since she had adopted Maria.

The boy's eyes widened in fear at the prospect of this woman ratting him out to his parents and without a word he ran away from the area. Olivia sighed and shook hear head before glancing between her two girls. "How about we go see some rabbits?" The bottle Zoe was holding was empty and the lamb in her lap was moving as if it wanted to be freed. It was time to move on from this particular part of the petting zoo.

Once the animal was released, Olivia stood up and took a hold of each of the girls hands. The three of them made their way over to Elliot and Irene who had been watching the little scene unfold. El shot his wife a questioning look. "Everything ok?" He asked. The father shot a look at Maria who still had a tense expression upon her face.

Olivia went to respond but their six year old was the one to answer. "A boy tried to pick on Zoe but me and Mommy scared him away!" She told her father rather proudly.

The three adults laughed as they made their way towards the rabbit enclosure. They spent about twenty minutes over there as they petted and held the rabbits. Olivia and Elliot found themselves light heartedly rolling their eyes when Maria begged them to buy her one of her own. Any animal she came across, it always ended up on her 'wish list'.

The girls eventually got bored of the animals and were soon back over by their adult chaperones. "Can we have a ride on the carousel we saw when we got here?" Maria asked as she gave her parents her famous puppy dog expression.

Olivia and Elliot gave each other a brief look as they deliberated their response before looking down at the girls and shrugging. "Sure. You've both been really good today." El said and the two girls squealed and jumped up and down in excitement.

The line for the carousel wasn't long and before they knew it, they were about to climb onto the make believe horses. Zoe's expression was a little scared as she examined the large ride and she tugged lightly on Elliot's hand. El crouched down so he could make eye contact with the three year old.

"What's the matter, little one?" He asked in concern.

Zoe glanced at the pretend animal and looked back at Elliot. "The horsey is too big. I'm scared." She whispered sadly.

Elliot smiled and stroked her cheek gently. "That's ok. How about you and I ride in one of the carriages? They don't move up and down like the horses, they just go around in a circle."

The little girl's smile lit up her face as she nodded enthusiatically. "Ok." She chirped before allowing Elliot to lead her over to one of the carriages on the ride. They got themselves situated in the seat. Zoe sat so close to him, she might as well have been nestled into his lap. Elliot smiled and wrapped a comforting arm around her small frame, hoping he would able to settle her nerves some more.

Olivia caught his eye and smiled when she saw the bonding moment between her husband and the young child before she climbed onto a horse beside the one Maria was sat on top of. "Hold on tight, Maria. The ride is going to start soon." She told her daughter. Looking around, she could see that all the spaces were filled. "Don't forget to look out for Ms Irene. She's going to take pictures when she spots us so big smiles!"

The carousel ride lasted about five minutes and not once did the wide smiles leave either of the girls faces. Each time they passed Miller in the crowd, they never failed to look in her direction and wave.

"That was so much fun! Can we go again?" Maria asked as Olivia helped her down from the platform.

Olivia laughed as Elliot and Zoe came over to the pair hand in hand. Zoe seemed just as eager for another turn on the old fashioned fairground ride. Unfortunately, after looking down at her watch, Miller had to interject on the matter.

"I'm afraid I have to get Zoe back to her foster parents." The social worker said apologetically as she looked at the foursome.

This was the part of their outings Olivia and Elliot, as well as Maria and Zoe, hated the most. They always despised saying goodbye but they were hopeful that they wouldn't have to do it for much longer. Liv and El allowed the girls to say goodbye first. It was always a picture perfect moment when the little girls embraced. Maria was already so protective of Zoe, something the two parents were grateful and relieved about. They were hoping they would adjust well when Zoe eventually moved in with them on a permanent basis.

Maria reluctantly stepped back and made room for her mother and father to crouch down in front of the little blonde. Liv moved a piece of hair from in front of Zoe's eyes whilst El took one of her tiny hands in one of his protective ones.

"We'll see you next week, ok? We need you to be a very good girl. Maybe we can go swimming next time?" Olivia suggested. She hated the look of despair in Zoe's piercing blue eyes. All Liv wanted to do was scoop her up into her arms there and then and make a run for it.

"Ok," Zoe squeaked out before lunging into Olivia and Elliot's arms, "I'll be a good girl." She assured them as they wrapped their arms around her.

They pulled apart slowly and Elliot placed a fatherly kiss on the child's forehead. "We'll give you a call during the week to see how you are. We love you very much." El assured her knowing that she was still slightly unsure about how much they cared about her. He, much like his wife, wished they didn't have to go through this process much longer.

They spent a couple of more minutes together before Miller took one of Zoe's hands and began to lead her away from the little family. Olivia and Elliot heard sniffles from behind them and turned to see Maria who had tears in her eyes.

Elliot picked her up in his arms and she wrapped her legs around his torso, burying her face in the crook of his neck. His heart broke a little when he felt tears dampen the spot where her head lay. Olivia smiled sadly at her husband and rubbed their daughter's back.

"Why does Zo-Zo have to go away all the time? She has a room at our house." Maria whined, using the special nickname she had come up with herself. She lifted her head a little and looked between her parents as if she would find the answers to her questions. El wiped her tears away with his free hand whilst Olivia offered him a tissue to blow Maria's nose with.

"It's just the way it has to be for now, Princess." Elliot tried to not only offer his little girl some comfort but to also explain why Zoe couldn't be with them all the time.

"I want her to live with us." Maria pouted as she played with the collar of Elliot's shirt.

Olivia couldn't help but grin. Her and Elliot were both so glad that Maria had immediately taken to Zoe. They were hoping this would mean that there would be no trouble when the newest addition to their lives became a permanent fixture.

"She will. Very soon, Honey. I promise." Olivia vowed. She took the hand Elliot offered out to her and they started the short journey back to their car. "Your sister will come and be with us very soon."

Later that evening, once their daughter was fast asleep, Elliot found himself stood in the doorway of his and Olivia's en suite bathroom. Liv hadn't noticed him over the sounds of the shower running or her light humming. Her back was towards the door as she lathered herself with soap.

A devilish smirk appeared on the blue eyed detective's face before he took the few steps towards the bathtub. With every step he took, an item of his clothing found its way onto the bathroom floor. By the time he had stepped into the tub himself, his muscular body was just as bare as his wife's.

Olivia gasped a little but didn't turn around when she felt Elliot's body press up against hers. She knew it not to be an intruder as, by now, she was well accustomed to the feel of her husband's physique.

Whoever said men couldn't multitask obviously hadn't met Elliot Stabler. He had no trouble in doing exactly that. El's right hand snaked its way down her front and began to caress her lower lips whilst his left hand made its up her toned torso and caressed her left breast, paying particular attention to Olivia's highly sensitive nipple. He didn't falter in these sensual actions as he began peppering kisses along her neck and shoulder.

Olivia moaned as she quickly became aroused, she could feel the wetness between her legs and it had nothing to do with the shower hose that continued to rain over them. Another burst of excitement sent a jolt through her spine when she felt something rather hard - and large - poke into her lower back.

She chose that moment to turn and face Elliot whose expression showed nothing but lust and desire. His eyes were suddenly dark as opposed to his usual bright blue. Olivia reached in between their bodies all the while refusing to break eye contact with her husband. Elliot lent down and kissed her lips ferociously as soon as her hands wrapped around his huge member and before Olivia knew what was happening, he had turned them ninety degrees and had her pinned against the shower wall.

They both grunted upon the hard impact and if the collision had caused Liv any pain, her face or demeanour didn't show it. Instead, they continued with their steamy make out session as their tongues battled for dominance. At one point, Olivia bit down on Elliot's lip, it was enough to draw blood but she quickly soothed it as she licked at the wound. This caused her to win the fight and they continued to tease each other's nether region's. It wasn't long before Olivia broke the verbal silence.

"El, please-" she was cut off by her own throaty moan as Elliot sucked hard on one of her nipples, his fingers entering her soaking hole as he soothed the spot he had just marked with a swirl of his tongue.

"Please...what...Baby..." Elliot murmured out teasingly as he continued to kiss her chest, some pecks were soft while others were more firm.

"I need you..." Liv was finally able to gasp out as he continued his ministrations.

"Where, Baby? Where do you need me?" Torturing her some more, El abruptly stopped what he was doing and took his hands off her.

Olivia banged her head against the wall as she was clearly frustrated with the loss of contact. "Inside me! Fuck, El-" again she was cut off by her own deep moan as well as Elliot's husky one. He had once again pushed her into the wall as he swiftly slammed his cock deep inside her inner walls.

"Fuck, Baby...you feel so good..." Elliot grunted, hooking his hands in the crook of her knees and lifting her up to give him more purchase. This also meant he slid deeper inside her with his next thrusts.

In order to support herself, Olivia wrapped her legs around his waist – her ankles entwined – and her arms loosely around his neck. This helped free up one of Elliot's hands and he was able to pay special attention to her clit which was just crying out for his touch.

Pain mixed with pleasure for Elliot when Olivia bit down hard on his shoulder to muffle a scream, her nails clawed at his back as she scraped at his skin which broke and caused beads of blood to appear.

"Oh my god...Elliot..."

"What, Baby? You gonna cum?" Elliot grunted before he smashed his lips against hers. He quickened his thrusts but took his hand away from her clit. He wanted to draw this orgasm out. He wanted them to cum together.

They panted in unison as their passionate fight for dominance continued. Olivia's eyes snapped open when she was hit with a particular hard thrust and on instinct, she slapped down on his back and again dragged her nails across it to give her something to focus on.

"El, Baby, please..." Liv gasped when their lips parted for some much needed oxygen.

Elliot chuckled lowly and his fingers slowly found their way back to her vagina. He too could feel the need to release himself.

Soon, the couple found themselves letting out simultaneous shouts of ecstasy as the pressure was released from deep inside them. They both trembled with the aftershocks of their shared orgasm and after a while, Elliot found himself pulling out but refused to put her down.

Instead, he climbed out of the tub – being careful not to slip – and walked out into their bedroom. He laid his wife down on their marital bed lovingly – not caring about the bed sheets getting wet – and rather than going to kiss her lips as Liv had expected, Elliot began to trail sloppy kisses along her flat stomach and before long, he was back on her breasts.

Olivia's mouth hung open in a silent gasp as one of her hands went to the back of Elliot's head and gripped onto his hair tightly. The other hand returned back down to El's member, the tips of her fingers played with his cock head teasingly. It didn't take long for him to become fully erect but his arousal did not stop him from turning his attention to Liv's neck. At first his lips were gentle but then he began to suck hard which pleased his wife but didn't stop her from protesting.

"Not there, El." She reminded him. It wasn't a very good look for an NYPD detective – who worked sex crimes – to be walking around with a hickey on her neck.

Elliot, always the rule breaker, adjusted his position slightly so the tip of his cock met her entrance.

"You're mine and I want everyone to know it." He growled just before thrusting hard into her and returning back to the mark he had left on her neck. Olivia gasped in surprise and pleasure as her body rocked with the motions of their love making.

A few rounds later and it wasn't until around two am when Olivia and Elliot found themselves under the covers. Their naked bodies were entwined together to become one. They were well and truly spent by their night of passion but were content to just bask in each other's arms.

Olivia looked up from her husband's chest when he hooked a finger under her chin and smiled at him. She felt his hand stroke lower to brush against the mark he had left on her neck.

A wry smile was on his face as he spoke his next words. "Sorry about that." Although, Olivia suspected, he wasn't completely sorry.

Liv laughed and shrugged her shoulder nonchalantly. "I guess I will just have to wear a scarf or a polo neck shirt for the next few days." She said lightly before the bite mark she had left on his shoulder caught her eye. "Does this hurt?" She asked a little concerned that the skin around her teeth indentations was a rather angry red.

"I'm a big boy. I can handle a little bite." El chuckled before placing a tender kiss to his wife's forehead. He then looked at the clock on the bedside table and groaned. "I guess we better try and get some sleep. Our alarm goes off in four hours."

Olivia sighed blissfully as her head went back to rest on his chest, right next to his beating heart. "I wish we could just stay like this forever." She whispered wistfully. Liv waited for some sort of response but when got none, she lifted her head very briefly before rolling her eyes when she realised Elliot had already fallen fast asleep.

"I always knew women had more stamina than men." Liv murmured to herself jokingly before once again resuming her position on her husband's torso and closing her eyes.

A/N: laylayshark – the end of this chapter is dedicated to you to show my appreciation for your support and praise. x