What about Us?

Chapter Eight

"I want to go to the park Mommy." Noah whined for what seemed like the hundredth time that day.

"Noah, it's just too hot out Baby." Olivia told him yet again, it was the third week of July the city was in the middle of an oppressive heat wave, Olivia had taken a week off of work since Lucy was on vacation with her family. She had really hoped to make a special week of it for her and Noah but the heat combined with being six months pregnant were getting in the way. "We could go to the movie."

"I don't want to go to the movie. I want to go play soccer in the park. Pappi said if he was home we would go play soccer. I want Pappi to come home." Noah protested his words stinging more than a five year old could understand, before he ran to his room in tears.

Olivia let out a sigh it had been two months since Rafael had been home and she was beginning to wonder if any of the three of them were going to make it through this last month. Rafael was trying to finish as many cases as he could before coming home which meant more frequent traveling and less frequent contact with her and Noah. They had talked last night and had spent half the conversation bickering over when to get married.

"I completely acknowledge it's my Catholic upbringing but I really think we should get married before the baby is born." He said not for the first time.

"Seriously, Barba now you are concerned about your Catholic upbringing? Not the night you got me pregnant or the night that you…" She stopped herself but it was too late they both knew what she was going to say.

"Thanks for the reminder Liv, because I don't already wonder all of the time if I made the wrong decision with that baby." He said a mixture of hurt and anger in her voice.

"Raf, I'm sorry." She said quietly.

"I should go Liv, I need to get ready for a hearing." He told her.

She placed her hands over her ever expanding stomach, "Little One, we need to get our act together."

She walked back to Noah's room and sat down next to him on the bed, "I wish Pappi was home too." She whispered as she pulled her son into her arms. "What if we go to the museum and see the dinosaurs and get ice cream for dinner?"

Noah did not hesitate to agree to that offer and they had a great time at the museum and eating ice cream for dinner. As she was getting into bed that night she heard the iPad beep and she quickly answered it.

"Rafa, I'm so sorry about what I said yesterday." She answered.

"No, Liv I'm sorry for how I reacted. You weren't wrong, there is still a part of me that is trying to make amends for that and when we get married shouldn't be based on that." He admitted. "But that doesn't change the fact that I want to get married as soon as possible. We've already missed so much time Liv."

'I understand that Raf but by the time you get home I will be almost seven months pregnant I would prefer not to waddle down the aisle in sweltering August heat." She explained.

"You could never waddle My Love." He half joked.

Olivia let out a laugh, "I appreciate that sweetheart but the fact is you haven't really seen me in two months and I'm not going to be any smaller in month."

"We could just got to the courthouse Liv…" He started and Liv stopped him.

"No, absolutely not." She stopped him abruptly.

"I never thought you would be one for the whole wedding thing Liv." He questioned surprised by her reaction.

"Maybe at one time I wouldn't have been Rafa, but now I want it. I want a special day to celebrate us, that despite everything that life has thrown at us we managed to find each other, to fall in love and have a family, and that we are committed to each other for the rest of our lives. I think that is something that deserves to be celebrated in a big way with our friends and family. We deserve more than a quickie wedding at the courthouse"

"God, I love you Olivia Benson and you are right we do deserve all of that. We'll wait until we can have celebrate the way we should." He agreed. "Just promise it won't be too long."

Olivia laughed, "I promise Rafa," She paused before adding, "Let's set a date."

Rafael smiled, "The day after the baby is born?" He teased.

"Rafael…: she said rolling her eyes at him, "What about the spring?" She suggested.

"That's a long time from now." He protested.

Olivia rubbed her stomach, "Yes, but we have a lot going on between now and then, you have to come home, start teaching Noah has to start kindergarten, and we have to have a baby."

"And find a larger place to live." Rafael added, "There's no way we are going to fit four of us in your apartment."

Liv nodded in agreement, "We could get married during your spring break from Columbia, the baby would be old enough to leave for a few days then and we could have an actual honeymoon. You know, just you and me alone a romantic beach somewhere, with wine, no iPad between us, nothing else between us either. "She offered suggestively.

Rafael raised an eyebrow at her, "Is this how you plan to get what you want for the rest of our lives?"

"Does it work?" She asked,

"Definitely…"then he paused, "So is Noah asleep?" He asked.

Olivia smiled knowing exactly where this was going, "Yes."

"How about you go start the bath." He suggested.

Olivia happily complied carrying the iPad with her into the bathroom setting it up on the counter as she started the tub.

"Don't' forget to add the bubbles." He reminded her, "and make sure it's not too hot."

She smiled, "If you're going to be bossy, I'm going to hang up before I get in." She teased.

"No you won't." He said confidently knowing she enjoyed this every bit as much as he did. "Now how about you let me have my way for a little while."

Another smile crossed her face as she removed the night shirt she had been wearing pausing in front of the screen long enough for him to take the sight of her in.

"You are so beautiful Olivia. I know you're hot and tired, and think that you waddle, but let me tell you that you have never been more beautiful than you are carrying our child." He told her his voice revealing his desire for her even from thousands of miles away.

She smiled as she moved towards the tub sinking in allowing herself to relax in the water.

"You know what I would do first?" He asked her.

"Wash my hair." She answered as she slowly poured water over her hair and began to lather it with her eyes closed imagining the feel of his hands in her hair.

"Then I would take that body wash over there and start with your shoulders." He whispered. "Your breast are amazing right now." He added after a few seconds and she moved her hands down working the suds over them.

"You can thank your child for that." She laughed.

"Are they sore?" He asked as if he was really there touching her.

"No." She shook her head closing her eyes again as she slowly rolled her nipples smiling both at her own pleasure and the slight moan she heard from across the bathroom. Her body remembered the feel his hands and mouth against her breast and began to respond accordingly.

"Raf" She let out is a frustrated moan.

"It's all right My Love, I'll be home to you soon, do what you need for now." He softly encouraged her watching as she moved one hand down below the surface of the water leaving the other on her breast. "I would touch you slowly to start." He paused watching her until he saw her head fall back slightly knowing she was getting close. "Then I would find that rhythm that I know you like." He said trying to make her pleasure last a little longer.

"Raf" she moaned again, and he smiled.

"Then I would find that spot, just the right spot exactly how you like it." He encouraged her watching as the hand that had been on her breast moved to the side of the tub grasping it as her body tightened as she began to climax and then slowly relax against the tub.

She slowly turned her face back towards the iPad, "Do we have time for me to return the favor?" She asked with a satisfied smile on her face.

Rafael smiled back at her, "I wish but I need to get to work, but trust me when I say you've given me plenty to think about tonight when I get done."

Olivia let out a slight laugh, "Don't be too distracted while working. I love you Rafael."

"I love you too Liv, I'll do my best to call in the morning." He said before hanging up.

BarsonBarsonBarson

A few days later shortly after breakfast the doorbell rang and Noah and Liv were surprised to see Rollins, Carisi, and Jessie at their door.

"Hey Guys, what's going on?" Liv asked.

"Well, Jessie and I were heading to the park and thought Noah might want to go play a little soccer." Carisi answered.

"Yes! Please Mommy!" Noah begged.

Liv smiled, "Why do I have a feeling my fiancé called you. Yes, of course you can go Noah, listen to Uncle Sonny. Thank you Carisi."

"Yay!" The boy responded and quickly gathered his things to leave for the park.

"So I guess we have a Girl's Day, what should we do?" Liv asked Amanda.

"Well, according to Barba a car should be here for us any minute." Amanda explained.

"A car? Where are we going?" Liv asked wondering what Rafael had planned.

Amanda pulled two envelopes from her purse, "He said to pick one."

"That man…" Liv answered shaking her head picking the envelope in her left hand in opening it.

"Apartments, apparently we are going to look at apartments." Liv said dryly.

"Quick see what the other one was." Amanda suggested.

"Wedding reception locations." Liv answered opening the other envelope.

"He couldn't have put a spa day in one of them?" Amanda laughed.

"Rafael is rather practical in his romantic gestures at times." Olivia laughed. "Well I guess we need a place to live before we need a place for our wedding reception. Let's get to it."

Olivia had to admit she enjoyed her day with a friend and looking for a new place to live was much easier without a five year old along. Rafael had of course done thorough research into the suggestions places he found. Finding a three bedroom apartment in Manhattan in their budget that was convenient to Noah's school and the precinct wasn't easy but he had compiled a good list. At the end of the day she and Amanda had narrowed it down to two that she like best.

Later that night when Rafael called she filled him in on the details of the ones that she liked.

"The one I think I like the most has a nice sized courtyard area and even a small playground." She told him, "There is only one problem."

"What's that?" He asked.

"We would have to move in before you got home." She explained.

"And you would have to pack and unpack everything by yourself." He finished.

"Well not just that but don't you want to see the place you are going to be living before I commit to it?" She asked.

Rafael shrugged, "As long as you, Noah, and the baby are there I am fine. I trust you."

Olivia smiled, "All right then, I guess we have a new home. I'll call the relator tomorrow."

Rafael nodded, "And I will find packers and movers, it's the least I can do."

Two weeks later Liv was standing in the middle of their new apartment looking at the boxes around her while Noah ran from room to room.

"I can see the playground from my bedroom Mommy!" He exclaimed. "Can we go play on it?"

"In the morning Noah, right now we need to have dinner." OF course then she realized that they had no food in their new apartment and she had no idea which box had the dishes. "What do you say we find out what kind of restaurants are in this new neighborhood? "

Noah quickly agreed and they walked through their new neighborhood until they found a pizza place. They talked to the owner Noah telling him all about how his Mommy was a police officer and he Pappi was in Turkey but would be home soon, and then he was going to be a big brother. Oliva smiled watching him pleased to see how well he was handling all the changes in his life.

"Mommy, can I sleep in your bed tonight? My new room is a little scary." He told her though when they got back to the new apartment.

"Yes, we will unpack your nightlight and all your things tomorrow to make your room feel better but tonight you can sleep with me." She told him.

He was fast asleep when Rafael called that night, "I see you've got another man in our bed." He said with a laugh.

"Yes, his room is a little scary still, we'll get it set up tomorrow. " She explained.

"No rush Liv, he's got a lot of changes going on, I expect it won't be the last time he's in our bed." He said.

"No, probably not, then soon enough there will be four of us in it." She said then remembered something, "Speaking of that look what I managed to set up tonight." She told him moving the iPad to see a bassinet next to the bed.

"Wow, that's for our baby." He said in amazement.

Olivia smiled, "I know we have plenty of time but I wanted him or her to have a place here like the rest of us."

"You know we could find out if it is him or her right?" He reminded her.

Olivia rolled her eyes, "Yes, Rafael I am well aware of that but I also still say I have experienced most of this pregnancy without you and I want to experience that with you."

"Great, then we can find out when I get home next week." He countered.

"Nope, we've waited this long we can wait until he or she arrives." Liv said again. "But good try Counselor."

"Fine," He said with a slight pout, "Liv can you believe I'm coming home next week? Six months ago could you have imagined any of this?"

Olivia looked at Noah sleeping on her bed in their new apartment, her stomach and back at Rafael talking to her for halfway across the world.

"No, six months ago when you left I didn't think you would really come back to me. When you left for Turkey I thought the story of us was finished, what I didn't know was it was just the prologue."

"We're going to write the greatest story ever Liv, I promise you." He told her as he watched her begin to yawn. "Kiss Noah for me and get some sleep My Love, this time next week I will be holding you next to him."

TBC

A/N I apologize for the long wait between chapters, my summer schedule is crazy and I really wanted to give this story the attention that it deserves. Thank you so much to everyone who messaged and asked for an update. I promise the one will come much quicker.