So … this story is almost coming to an end. There's a (small) time jump in this chapter and there will be another one in the next chapter, and then we'll be wrapping up. But first … what will Olivia's answer be? ( As if you don't know :D )

...

60. Moving forward

Elliot opens his fist and Olivia starts blinking furiously when she sees the ring in his hand.

"I want to do everything right this time, Liv," Elliot says, his voice trembling a little. "And that's why I'm asking both of you … Olivia will you marry me and Chris, will you let me be your daddy?"

Olivia tries to take a deep breath but fails, letting out a shaky huff instead. Chris coos and the two Detectives smile simultaneously. The baby has already given his answer. It's Olivia's turn and she starts nodding because she can't seem to find her voice. It's been a whirlwind of an afternoon and she has barely recovered from the confrontation with Kathy, who couldn't seem to decide whether she was apologizing or attacking them, and now this. Now here's Elliot turning her world upside down once again.

How he's been able to turn around so quickly after getting rid of his combative ex-wife is beyond her but she'll take it. She wants what he's offering, more than anything in the world but she can hardly believe it. Finally, she stammers,

"A ... Are you sure?"

Elliot drops his head in her lap dramatically and sighs against her thigh,

"Am I sure? Chris, tell her I'm sure, buddy. Tell her to say yes."

Chris just waves his arms, knocking his little hand against the crown of Elliot's head, and Olivia chuckles through the thickness of her throat. She looks at the ring in Elliot's hand, which is now next to her on the couch, and places a hand on the back of Elliot's head.

"Yes," she says softly.

Elliot's head shoots up and he stares up at her with sparkling, hopeful eyes.

"Yes?"

"Of course I want to marry you," Olivia says, still almost whispering.

It seems surreal to have everything she's ever wanted thrown at her in the span of just a few months like this, but she's not going to second-guess it. Not this time. Elliot planned this. He went out to buy her a ring, probably right after they sort of made up. He's sure like he's always been sure of his choices. It's time for her to start trusting his judgement and let go of her own insecurities. This is right.

When Elliot wraps his arms around her and her son, still on his knees in front of her, she leans forward to kiss him. Elliot meets her halfway and she cups his cheek with her free hand while they kiss each other sweetly. She feels one of her own tears glide down her hand. It is a tear of happiness and she smiles against Elliot's lips. They break apart and she is met with the widest grin she's even seen on his face. Elliot takes her hand and his fingers are shaking when he slides the ring around the ringfinger of her left hand. They're still grinning like fools when Chris begins to squirm between them. He's been patient long enough and wants to be fed. Elliot sits next to them on the couch and they sit together quietly while Olivia nurses her son. Their son? They haven't discussed that part yet but he says he wants to be Chris's daddy … Olivia looks at the handsome man sitting next to her and sees the tenderness in his eyes when he looks at Chris.

"You're his daddy already," she says softly.

Elliot wraps his arm around her shoulders and kisses her temple.

"Thank you Liv."

"I should thank you," she counters. He's giving her so much.

"And I'm thanking you. You've been so strong and brave through all of this and I knew it would be hard for you not to feel guilty about us. I'm really proud of you and I'm grateful that you still want me after all this shit that my family has dumped on you."

Olivia chuckles but she knows what he means. He's being serious.

"It's alright," she assures him. "They're all coming around now, aren't they? And even for Kathy there's no way around me now. You've made sure of that. Thank you for that, El."

Elliot leans closer to kiss her sweetly on the lips, trying not to disturb the baby, who isn't drinking as furiously anymore as in the beginning.

"You're really sure now, aren't you," he remarks, and Olivia can tell he's a little surprised.

"Yeah," she nods. "I guess I am."

"How come you're not scared anymore Liv? I mean … even after Kathy …" he gestures in the direction of the chair where his ex-wife had sat just twenty minutes ago. "I still thought you might freak out once I proposed."

Olivia smiles and looks at her son. She knows what Elliot means and she also knows why she isn't running away anymore.

"I think I've finally found my place in the world," she says quietly, still looking down at her child. The child that would not exist if she hadn't been born.

Elliot shifts next to her and turns towards her, as far as their position will allow, sitting side by side on the couch with a baby in Olivia's lap. She looks at him and can see all kinds of emotions in his eyes. He understands. He knows exactly what she means and it makes her swallow hard. He knows her better than anyone else in the world and he knows she's finally ready to embrace her own life and to start living it. Not living to prove something. Not living just for everyone else. But for herself. And for her little family.

…

Two weeks later

Olivia groans and bites her lip. The frustration has been building for days now. She is all for Elliot doing things in the right order this time but they are engaged to be married for heaven's sake, and they still haven't had sex yet. Her Doctor had told her to wait until she's no longer bleeding and while the bleeding has gotten considerably less over the past weeks, it's not completely over yet.

Chris has now moved to his own bedroom and they're in her bed together as usual. Elliot is kissing her neck and caressing her abdomen and she really, really would like to be touched further down her body. Elliot understands her frustration and has some of his own, and the best he can come up with is to push his muscular thigh against her core. It helps, but it's not what she craves.

"You're sure we can't …" Elliot grunts near her ear.

"I'm sure," she sighs.

First Elliot had wanted to wait, but now that they're both more than ready, they still have to wait.

"This is one reason why I was trying to wait a while but … we did need to clear the air and now …"

"I know," Olivia sighs.

Ever since they've expressed all of their feelings for each other, they've been growing more anxious to move forward in their relationship in every way. Olivia has started working out a little again. She is making sure not to overdo anything but it's good to see her belly shrinking and to feel that she's getting back into shape. Gradually, she's starting to feel more like her old self again physically. Mentally though, nothing will ever be the same. She's a mother now and according to Elliot, she's an absolute natural. Taking the step to move Chris out of her bedroom had gone naturally as well, once he started sleeping for at least four hours during the night. And although she didn't sleep well the first two nights, she knows now that she will always hear her son when he needs her.

Taking the step to find daycare for him so she can go back to work, is a different matter. Cragen had called after four weeks as agreed, but she's not ready yet. She knows she should have started looking for a place, or at least someone to look after Chris for her sooner, perhaps even before his birth, but she'd had other things on her mind.

Tomorrow, they're going to visit a few day care centers and afterwards, they're going to talk to Cragen about their relationship. Olivia is restless about both.

Elliot is trying to take her mind off of things for a while and she's finally given in to his advances. She misses the real thing though. She misses sex. A lot. She feels that her body is ready but for now, Elliot can't even use his hands without making a mess. He's offered to try and she thinks it's very sweet, but she knows she'd just be completely distracted by the idea of it so she's refused. Riding his thigh will have to do for now and her desperate body caves easily, and so does Elliot's. They hold each other close once their bodies calm down, and Olivia loves how her belly is no longer in the way.

"Just another week, maybe ten days, and then you're mine," she mumbles against his neck, and Elliot chuckles.

"Can't wait," he says, kissing her temple softly. "Just try to sleep now."

Thoughts about tomorrow try to creep back into her mind but she pushes them away. She's here now in Elliot's arms and her son is sleeping soundly in his crib. Tomorrow is another day.

…

"Married?!"

Cragen is stunned.

They can't really blame him. Until now, they've pretty much denied any kind of involvement beyond being partners and then roommates. But they know their boss had begun to catch on when he was visiting them after Chris had been born and he's taking the news relatively well.

"Have you two given any thought to the consequences with regards to your jobs?" he asks after getting over his initial shock.

"Yes sir, we have," Elliot says firmly. "And I'm willing to transfer out so Liv can stay here. She lives and breathes for this unit so if it's okay with you, she should stay."

Cragen raises an eyebrow and looks at Olivia, clearly wondering if Elliot can really speak for her like this.

"We've talked it over and since it's probably out of the question for both of us to stay, this is what we came up with," Olivia confirms.

She had been very relieved when Elliot suggested that he be the one to transfer. Her life may have changed considerably, but she's not ready to leave the Special Victims Unit, which is basically her life calling. Maybe she will never be ready to leave. She glances at the pram that is parked next to her chair in Cragen's office. Chris is still sleeping but she knows he will start to get hungry within the next hour.

"Alright, I'll give it some thought. Meanwhile, how do you plan on combining the job with that little guy over there?" Cragen asks Olivia, gesturing at the pram. The older man smiles faintly and she knows he adores Chris, just like everyone else who has met him.

"You mean, how are we planning on combining things," Elliot says pointedly, earning him a bright smile from his fiancée.

"Right," she chimes in. "Why do people always assume that the woman has to juggle to combine parenthood with a job, and never the man?"

"Point taken, I guess," Cragen says hesitantly, glancing from one Detective to the other and back. "So you're uh …"

"Yes," Elliot replies instantly. "We're doing this together. If Ortega agrees, I hope to be adopting little Chris soon. And I'd like to find a department that allows for flexible hours, so I can drop Chris off or pick him up whenever Liv's working late or needs to catch up on some sleep after an allnighter."

"Wow," Cragen sighs. He clearly needs some time to digest all these sudden changes.

They fill him in on their quest to find daycare for Chris as well as a nanny to pick him up when neither of them is available and Olivia suggests to meet again in a week to discuss how and when she'll be returning to the job; if he'll still have her.

Cragen laughs then and shakes his head before huffing,

"Is that even a question, Benson?"

…

A/N: Yes, I'm wrapping things up. But there are a few things that cannot remain unaddressed so stay tuned :D (Also, feel free to send me suggestions as to what should be included in the remaining chapters!)