A/N: Thank you so much for the great reviews on the last chapter, I wasn't sure what the response would be like, given that Olivia is with an OC and not someone that we know.
As always, the show and the characters are not mine, if they were, I wouldn't be broke rn haha
Enough rambling, here's Chapter 2!
~X~
Olivia rushed to the door with Noah on her hip, the young boy was mid-tantrum about not wanting to brush his teeth.
She was more than a little self conscious about the fact that Noah's squirming was causing her fitted shirt to pull tightly around her baby bump, something Lucy knew nothing about.
As she opened the door to the younger woman, Olivia apologised for taking so long to answer.
"No worries, Olivia. He sounds like he's been a handful this morning." Lucy brushed off the apology as Olivia shut the door behind her.
Noah continued to kick and shout as Olivia turned to face Lucy. Finally, Olivia put her son down after he threw himself backwards in an attempt to get his mother to release him.
"Mommy…" Noah began sobbing. "I want up!"
Olivia let out an exasperated sigh at her son's antics. "Noah, I just put you down. You won't brush your teeth, you won't get dressed. Mommy has a sore back and needs to be careful. I can't carry you everywhere, No, especially when you're kicking me."
"Mommy?" Noah frowned, drawing another sigh from Olivia.
"I'm going to ask you one more time before I get Lucy to hold you while I brush your teeth for you. Noah, please go and brush your teeth, top and bottom."
Despite not looking happy about his mother's request, Noah finally gave in and sulked off to the bathroom to brush his teeth.
Once her son was gone, Olivia took a deep breath before she looked up at Lucy. "I'm sorry. I don't know what's gotten into him this morning. He's usually good."
Lucy shook her head. "Don't worry about it. Everyone has their days. You should head for work, I'll get him ready for daycare."
"About that, Lucy, there's something I need to talk to you about." Olivia said, guiding Lucy to the couch.
"Oh. Is everything okay?" Lucy asked, clearly nervous.
Olivia smiled softly. "Everything's fine. I'm not about to fire you so please don't worry about that. But there's been a couple of developments recently, both of which affect you in different ways. So I thought I should tell you sooner rather than later."
"Okay…"
"The biggest thing, is that I found out on Monday morning that I'm seventeen weeks pregnant. I had no idea." Olivia allowed the news to sink in. "I thought I should let you know so that you have time to think about whether or not you're willing to stay on and work with the new baby too."
"Of course I'll stay on, Liv. I love you guys, you're like my family now!" Lucy exclaimed. "Congratulations! How did Ed take the news?"
Olivia took a deep breath. "That's the second thing. Ed and I ended things for good last night."
"What? He's not happy about the baby or…?"
"That's the thing. The baby's not his. He had a vasectomy after his youngest son was born twenty years ago. That time we split for a few months before, I slept with an ex-fiance of mine. It wasn't the best decision I've ever made…"
"But you're happy about the baby?"
"It's so unexpected. But it's something I never thought I'd get to experience."
"I'm happy for you. Does the father know yet?" Lucy asked with a small smile.
"Not yet. He's stopping by the precinct on his way to work. Then I have the lovely job of informing my boss."
"Have fun with that one." Lucy chuckled as Noah reentered the room. "Does he know yet?"
"Not yet. I'm gonna tell him tonight. I've been putting it off but I can't hold off much longer."
Lucy nodded in understanding as Olivia checked Noah's teeth before she checked her watch and stood.
Lucy helped Noah button up his polo shirt while Olivia threw a blazer on over her long sleeved top and then slipped into her trench coat and draped a scarf around her neck, effectively disguising her bump for the time being.
After picking up her purse and keys, Olivia kissed Noah's head and bid goodbye to Lucy before she headed out of the apartment, knowing that most of her day would be spent explaining herself.
~X~
When Olivia got to work, she found her detectives all sitting at their desks with a coffee, waiting for their computers to boot up. She knew they would take their time getting set up, all of them, including herself, did so on the slower days when they had no pressing cases.
"Hey guys." Olivia greeted them as she breezed through on the way to her office.
"Heads up, Liv." Carisi stood from his desk, stopping her. "There's some guy here to see you. Name's Jack something. Said you were expecting him."
Olivia slipped a hand under her jacket and discretely rested it on her belly. "Yeah. No interruptions, okay? Unless something comes up. Fin, cover me if Dodds appears. Just until I talk to this guy, okay?"
Olivia waited for her detectives to nod before she made her way into her office, attempting to steel her nerves.
Olivia made a beeline for her desk when she entered her office, not acknowledging the man sitting on the couch straight away. As he stood up, Olivia took her scarf off and draped it over the back of her chair.
She took a deep breath before she plastered an easy smirk on her face and looked up at Jack.
"You're early."
"Yeah, sorry. I got called in early, I have an hour though, I hope you don't mind." Jack replied.
"Not at all." Olivia shook her head, leaning her hands on the back of her chair in front of her. "But listen, uh, the reason I asked you to come down here today, is that we have a kind of a situation."
"What are you talking about?"
"Jack, I'm pregnant."
"What? Liv, we haven't slept together in almost five months? Why are you just telling me now? Are you even that far along?"
"I only found out on Monday. I'm seventeen weeks. I know it's Friday… but I needed a little time to wrap my head around it. And I broke things off with Ed last night. My squad still have no idea. I only told my nanny this morning so I know whether or not to start looking for a new one."
"Wow. So it's definitely mine?" Jack asked, his eyes now flicking between Olivia's and her stomach.
"You're the only person besides Ed I've slept with in a long time. And he had a vasectomy twenty years ago." Olivia answered.
Jack nodded slowly as he let the information sink in. He looked over Olivia, allowing himself time to really examine her.
"So how do you want to deal with this?"
Olivia took a breath. "I'm not gonna stop you from seeing your baby, Jack, if that's what you want. I didn't bring you down here to ask you for money, or anything like that. I just thought you deserved to know."
"Wow. This is a lot to take in." Jack admitted. After a long pause he spoke up again. "You know when we were together, I always imagined what it would be like to have a baby with you. Now it's happening, and we're not even together never mind engaged…
"We missed out on so much because I moved to LA. And these last few of years, I can't help but ask myself what would have happened if I stayed?"
"Neither of us can tell what would have happened if we had stayed together. There's no point on dwelling on the past now. Let's just focus on the fact that - together or not - I'm carrying your baby. If you want to be a part of this, then I'm all for it. If not, I can deal with that."
"I'm in this for good, Liv. That's my baby you're having, I want to be there every step of the way. I know you'll never admit it, but you're scared of doing this alone. I know you. You're already worrying about apartments, nannies, day care, baby clothes, furniture, appointments, names, work… let me take some of the load. Just tell me what you need and I'll be there."
Olivia couldn't help but smile. "You haven't changed a bit."
"Neither have you. Now, what do you say I take you and your boy out for dinner sometime this week?"
"I say that's workload dependent but I'd like that." Olivia replied.
"So seventeen weeks that's what?"
"Just under five months."
"You showing yet?" Jack asked cautiously, not wanting to offend Olivia.
"Yeah." Olivia nodded and removed her trench coat, pulling her blazer back to show off her bump. "Doctor's happy with my weight, said the baby's heart sounds healthy. I'm going back the week after next for another ultrasound."
"Wow." Jack said quietly, his eyes fixed on Olivia's belly. "Can I- I mean is it okay if…"
"You're very welcome to come with me if you want to." Olivia nodded with a smile.
"Can you feel it moving yet?"
"I can." Olivia replied. "Just not quite from the outside yet. Give it a few weeks and you'll be able to feel your kid kicking lumps outta me."
Jack opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by a knock at Olivia's door. He watched as she quickly sat down at her desk to hide her belly before calling to whoever was at the door.
Fin popped his head in with a grimace on his face. "Liv, Dodds is here. Says he's not waiting any longer. I'm sorry."
Olivia groaned and pushed her hair behind her right ear. "Send him in. Jack I'm really sorry. I'll text you or something later."
"Sure." Jack smiled, walking around Olivia's desk and pulling her to her feet. He positioned himself in front of her, shielding her bump from her squad's eyes. "Let me know if you need anything."
Olivia nodded once more as Jack pulled her into a hug. "I do still love you, Liv."
"I love you too." Olivia whispered, unwilling to let her voice crack just before a meeting with her boss. "Now go, before you're late for work and my boss kills me."
Dodds walked in as Jack walked out. Olivia watched her boss freeze at the sight of her as the door closed behind him.
It seemed like hours before Dodds spoke. Olivia had to resist the urge to pull her blazer closer around her stomach, knowing that her boss was staring at it.
"Well, I have to say, Benson, when you said you had important matters to discuss with me. Pregnancy was the last thing I was expecting." Dodds said, sitting down in a chair across from Olivia at her desk.
"Not gonna lie, it was a shock to me too. That's not all I need to speak about but since we're on the subject." Olivia began. "I only found out on Monday. I'm already seventeen weeks. My doctor is happy with my health and that of the baby so she has no objections to me carrying on as I already am at work so long as I'm sensible about it and take it easy when things start getting tough."
Dodds nodded. "You're willing to work for as long as possible? Unless your doctor says otherwise?"
"Yes. That gives us time to get a suitable cover for the weeks I'll be gone." Olivia replied.
"Alright. And the other thing?" Dodds prompted.
"I just wanted to give you a heads up that Tucker and I are no longer together. I ended things last night."
"Because of the pregnancy?"
"Mostly yes." Olivia faltered, not wanting to reveal the rest of the story to her boss. "A few months back, Tucker and I took a break. For roughly three months. I slept with my ex-fiance, he went back home to LA, and then two months after that, Ed and I decided to try again. The guy that was just in here is the baby's father. Not Ed."
"Does Tucker know?"
"I'd be worried if he didn't. He had a vasectomy twenty years ago." Olivia answered with a small smirk.
"Anything else?"
"That's all, Chief."
"On another note, someone's looking over us. I think the higher ups are tired of paying for SVU's cars to get fixed up. You're getting four new unmarked Ford Explorers instead of your old crown vics. So get your squad to empty the old cars, they're being towed at noon. The new cars are already down in the parking lot."
Olivia stared at her boss in shock. When she had put in the request for more vehicle maintenance she hadn't expected to be given four new cars.
"Okay, watch your step, Benson. I don't need you or your kid getting hurt on my watch."
Olivia assured Dodds that she would and watched him walk out of her office, presumably going to lecture someone else.
She sat back in her chair and crossed her arms across the top of her belly as she debated when and how to tell her squad. She knew none of them would be devastated that she and Tucker were no longer together, but she didn't want them to think that she had gone and slept with Jack behind Ed's back. Now she wished she had told them about the split before instead of throwing phrases like 'it's complicated' at them whenever they asked if everything was okay.
She settled on trying to make a dent in the mountains of paperwork she had before breaking the news to her detectives. They were actually working for once rather than spending their time bickering like siblings over TV shows and sports teams. While she sometimes found their debates comical and occasionally joined in, she also wished that sometimes they would just get their heads down and work instead of leaving their paperwork to the last minute.
Right now, they were using their time wisely, she wasn't about to interrupt them so they could complain that they had no time to fill out their fives.
The silence didn't last long however as Carisi turned to Amanda and asked her how her team had done in their game the night before, knowing they had lost. Olivia didn't pay much attention and she had no idea what sport they were even talking about, but as she watched them focus more on their friendly debate and less on their work, she decided to bite the bullet and get the revelation over and done with.
Before she could change her mind, she moved to the door and called them all in, quickly returning to her seat and folding her arms on her desk, hiding her belly for the time being.
Once Amanda had closed the door behind her, the three detectives scattered around their boss' office, waiting to hear what she had to say.
"There's a couple of things you guys need to know." Olivia started slowly. "The first is that I ended things with Tucker last night. Now, Fin, before you hunt Ed down and kill him, this was my decision. If he had anything to do with it we wouldn't be having this conversation."
"Shit, you okay?" Fin asked. He hadn't known what to make of Liv and Tucker's relationship at first, but over time he got used to it and was just glad to see his good friend happy.
"I've been better. But I'm okay." Olivia shrugged.
"What's the other thing?" Carisi asked cautiously. "You're not leaving, are you?"
"Not yet." Olivia sat back in her seat and rested her hands on top of her rounded belly, revealing her bump to her squad. "The second thing I wanted to tell you, is that I found out on Monday morning that I'm seventeen weeks pregnant."
The squad was silent. Olivia let out a light chuckle at the stunned expressions on the three faces in front of her. She ran one hand down the front of her bump, smoothing out her top before she moved her hand to fidget with a pen on her desk.
Amanda was the first to break the silence, "Any relation between the two?"
"Yeah, yeah there is." Olivia sighed. "But not in the way you think. Ed didn't go running for the hills when I told him. In fact I only told him last night."
"What are you not telling us, Liv?" Fin pushed, sensing that Olivia was holding back.
"The reason I left Tucker is because he isn't the baby's father." Olivia smirked when everyone's jaws dropped. "Five months ago, we went through a patch where we broke up for around three months. We didn't really tell anyone when it happened. During that time, I slept with an ex-fiance of mine who was back in town. It only happened twice and then two months later, Ed and I decided to give things another go."
"But I thought you were on the pill?" Amanda frowned.
"I was. Up until Ed and I got together. There was no need for it. The chances of me actually getting pregnant were tiny, and even if they were higher, Ed had a vasectomy twenty years ago. So there was no need." Olivia shrugged. "When I slept with Jack I figured the risk of pregnancy was tiny, especially given my age. And the fact that it took Jack and I over three years to conceive when we were together and actually trying for a baby…
"So I left Ed last night, told him the truth about who it was I slept with. He tried to get me to stay, but it doesn't feel right. Especially when Jack is back in New York for good and can actually be a part of his kid's life."
"Wait." Carisi exclaimed. "Jack? As in the guy that was in here this morning?"
"That would be him." Olivia nodded.
"I didn't know you were engaged before." Amanda commented. "What's your history with this guy?"
"We met in high school. Stayed together until just after I got my detective shield. He proposed three years before that and then he got an opportunity in LA that was too good to pass up. I told him to go and then broke up with him three months before we were supposed to get married. It broke both our hearts. But it was for the best, if he had stayed in New York, he would have ended up resenting me for being the reason he didn't go to LA." Olivia explained.
"We stayed in touch though. Eight weeks after he left I had a miscarriage before I even found out I was pregnant so he flew back here to see me. He came back when my mom died and helped me plan her funeral. He always checked in when he knew something was going on with me, sometimes just because he felt like it or he missed me. After Lewis he offered to come back but I convinced him I was fine. He checked in regularly after that… Then two weeks after Ed and I split, he called and said he was back in town and took me to dinner."
"Wow. What does he think about the baby?"
"He's ecstatic. We got interrupted when Dodds arrived, but he texted me on his was to work and told me that he knows I'm worried about what people will think but all I need to know is that he always wanted a family with me and that's what matters." Olivia said, allowing a small smile to cross her face. "Work permitting for both of us he's taking Noah and I to dinner at some point. And he's gonna try to make it to my next appointment to see the baby for himself."
"Easier said than done, I know. But don't worry about what people think. If Tucker is still on good terms with you then he won't let people spread shit about you. We won't either. We've got your back, Liv." Carisi smiled softly. "But now I need details. What's his last name? How old is he? What does he do for a living? Is he clean? Is he treating you right? What does he drive? What brought him back to New York? Where is he staying?"
Olivia laughed at her youngest detective. She was surprised at just how much personal information she had already revealed to her squad, but they were her family, so she supposed a little more wouldn't do any damage.
"His name is Jackson Laurence Kellan. He's the same age as me. He's a doctor at Mercy. He's clean - I checked. He's treating me as right as you can treat your pregnant ex. He drives a suburban. He came back to New York because he missed home. He's staying in an apartment near my place."
"I'm gonna run him anyway." Fin teased Olivia, though she had no doubt that he'd do it.
Before anyone could say another word, Olivia's desk phone rang. When she put it down she looked around her squad. "Quiet day's over. All hands on deck, two teenage girls - Miranda Jennings and Kayleigh Miller - were just kicked out of a car at Mercy. Both are beat up pretty good and both have signs of sexual assault."
Everyone made to leave Olivia's office before she stopped them, taking the keys from her drawer. "Oh, one last thing. Our prayers have been answered. We got four new cars this morning. They're in the parking lot already. Treat them like your children. I don't want to have to tell Dodds we fucked the cars already."
"We got four new cars?" Fin exclaimed.
"Four black, unmarked explorers kitted out with all our usual gadgets. Rollins, here's the keys. Let's roll."
~X~
During the drive to the ER, all four had been lost in their own thoughts. Amanda and Carisi deep in conversation about their boss' pregnancy announcement while Fin simply observed Olivia as she drove.
It was an odd sight, seeing Olivia with a baby bump and it would take some getting used to, but he was happy for her. They all were.
Upon arriving at the hospital, Fin and Olivia followed Rollins and Carisi inside. When they rounded the corner towards the reception desk, the two younger detectives faltered.
Olivia and Fin broke off their conversation and looked up to see none other than Ed Tucker leaning on the desk, staring straight at them.
"As if it wasn't self conscious enough about having my belly out in the open for the first time…" Olivia muttered to her friend. "Now Ed's here too and it's like I'm rubbing it in his face."
Fin put a comforting hand on Olivia's shoulder. "You had no idea he'd be here."
Before Olivia could say anything else, their small group came to a stop in front of Tucker and she felt Fin's hand drop away from her back.
"Tucker." Rollins started with a sigh. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"
Tucker's eyes were immediately drawn to Olivia, falling to the plum coloured top clinging to her rounded belly. He took a deep breath before he brought his eyes back up to address the squad.
"You're here for the girls that were thrown out a car?" The squad nodded and Tucker continued. "We just got a call from the nurse, one of the girls let slip that the guy was dressed like a cop."
Olivia let out a sigh. "Okay, will you at least let us investigate the sexual assault?"
"Of course. We don't know that the perp actually was a cop. I just came down to give you a heads up and ask you to keep me posted on what you find." Tucker nodded.
"Okay. Now, if you'll excuse us, we're gonna go talk to the girls." Olivia replied, not wanting to hang around for too long.
Tucker nodded once more and without another word he walked away, heading for the exit while the SVU squad watched.
Once he was gone, Olivia turned to her detectives. "Well that was awkward. And on that note, Rollins, Carisi you take Miranda Jennings. Fin you're with me we'll talk to Kayleigh."
The detectives nodded and turned to the nurse behind the desk for the girls' room numbers.
It was almost five hours later when Fin and Olivia joined Amanda and Carisi in the waiting room. The two seasoned officers let themselves fall into the plastic seats as Amanda and Carisi pulled their notepads from their pockets.
"All Miranda was able to tell us is that there were two guys, one black, one white. Both dressed at cops. She was unconscious when they threw her from the car and doesn't remember anything else." Carisi began.
"But, according to her nurse, her memories may come back in bits and pieces, only time will tell." Amanda added.
"Okay, lucky for us, Kayleigh was able to give us much more information than that." Fin said, looking to Olivia.
"She said that she and Miranda were taken from outside their school around five to six months ago. Both are in the same foster home with abusive parents who wouldn't even blink twice when they didn't come home. Since then they've been held in the basement of a building, but she has no idea where that building was.
"The same guys Miranda mentioned were the ones who held them along with one other female who took care of them. She fed them, kept them clean, any injuries were taken care of. She occasionally tried to defend them when the guys came to them." Olivia explained. "Kayleigh was pretty traumatised, it took a few start, stops, but still was able to give us a lot to go on. Including the badge numbers of the cops."
"Kayleigh was also able to give us a pretty good description of all three. Though she did admit that it was normally dark so the details could be sketchy." Fin commented. "We've sent the notes to the sketch artist."
Carisi looked at his watch and sighed when he heard his stomach grumble. "Alright, I need grub, what do you guys say we go grab something to eat? It's two in the afternoon, way past lunchtime."
His words made Olivia realise how hungry she was and she put a hand to her belly before she stood up and nodded. "I'm in. Fin? Rollins?"
"You know me, I'll never turn down food." Fin grinned.
"I'm not goin' back to the precinct by myself." Amanda shrugged.
"Anyone in the mood for anything specific?" Carisi asked.
All eyes turned to Olivia and she stared back at them. "What? I'm pregnant so now nobody else can choose where we eat?"
"Just checking." Carisi grinned. "What about that burger joint near the precinct?"
Everyone nodded before they headed back towards the exit. As they neared the two large black cars, Amanda broke the peaceful silence.
"Ride with me, Lieutenant?"
Olivia was surprised at the request but didn't fight it. She passed her keys to Fin and told Carisi to go with the other detective as she followed Amanda to her car.
Once the two women were in the car, Amanda put the keys in the ignition but didn't start the engine. She waited a moment before she turned to look at Olivia.
"Listen, Liv, I know we haven't always seen eye to eye, but I like to think that over the last couple of years that's gotten a little better. I'm not saying we're best friends or anything close to that, but we're not at each other's throats as much as we were at first…"
Olivia had no idea where Amanda was going with their talk, but she nodded for the blonde to continue.
"We've both been through some stuff since I got here, you a lot more than me. But we've both managed to get through it in one piece, more or less." Amanda said. "When I told you I was pregnant with Jessie, you were nothing but supportive and you gave me advice. Since I had Jessie, that's only increased. I know I haven't always been the most supportive, but what I'm really trying to say is that if you need anything, I'm here. I know you have other people to go to for support, but I just wanted you to know."
Olivia took a deep breath. She used one hand to wipe away the stray tears and reached over to Amanda with the other. She gave the blonde's hand a gentle squeeze.
"Thank you. That means a lot to me." Olivia told her gently. "And yeah, I have other people I can go to. But none of em have ever been pregnant on the job."
Amanda nodded silently and started the engine. "By the time we get there Fin and Carisi will be on their way back to the precinct."
Olivia only chuckled and adjusted her seatbelt as Amanda pulled out of the parking lot and drove towards the diner.
~X~
"Finally!" Fin exclaimed when he saw Olivia and Amanda approaching. "What took you guys so long? We were beginning to wonder if you'd been abducted by aliens."
"Now you sound like Munch." Olivia joked, making her friend laugh.
"Sorry we're so late. It's my fault." Amanda apologised as the young waitress approached them.
After ordering their food, the squad sat quietly for a few moments. Just as Carisi opened his mouth to speak, Olivia's phone cut him off.
"This had better be good." Olivia grumbled as she pulled her phone from her pocket. She raised her eyebrow when she call the caller ID. "Benson."
The squad watched as their Lieutenant tried to fight the smile on her face.
"That's very professional for the father of your kid."
"Jack… I thought you were working." Olivia questioned.
"I am. I just had a thought. Why don't I swing by your place tonight and I'll make you and Noah some dinner." Jack offered.
"Uh sure. I'll call you when I'm leaving."
"One other thing, you're on the case with Miranda Jennings and Kayleigh Miller, right?"
"Yes."
"I got the results of Miranda's brain scan back. The brain damage is permanent. She's never gonna remember what happened to her."
Olivia sighed. "Okay, thanks for letting me know."
"See ya later, Liv. Send me a list of things you and the kid eat and I'll be over later."
"I will. See ya, Jack." Olivia sighed again.
Three curious and concerned faces stared back at Olivia as she slid her phone back into her pocket.
"Everything okay?" Carisi asked.
"Trouble in paradise already?" Fin prompted simultaneously.
"Everything's fine. He just called to let me know that Miranda's brain scan came back. She's never gonna remember what happened to her. The brain damage is permanent."
"Shit." Rollins sighed. "It's a tough gig, but I suppose at least this way she'll be able to live without the nightmares."
Olivia only nodded as their food arrived.
I'm never sure how to end a chapter but here seemed as good a place as any. Let me know what you think since reviews help fuel my mind :D