Ok kids. First off I want to thank Kelly of the Midnight Dawn, OneTreeFan, Sweet4Stabler & SoLetsPlayDoctorBabe and all the others who have reviewed. You guys ROCK! Here is chapter 4, wow 4 chapters in two day who'dve thunk it.

Chapter 4

Disclaimer: That damn Dick Wolf owns the characthers not me!

The week before the church lunch box social passed quickly and that Sunday morning dawned bright, beautiful and warm. "Say Pa." Ethan said as he came down the stairs tying his string tie, "Do you think that we could go swimming this afternoon? After the social and all."

"We'll see Ethan." was Elliot's only response. He hated getting dressed up and he hadn't been much for attending church since his wife had passed on but he went because Ethan needed to go and all the things he did were ultimately for Ethan. "I thought that you would want to go and play with Emily and Oliver this afternoon."

"Well since I plan to buy Emily's box I figured then maybe Oliver and I could go down to the swimmin' hole and swim."

"I see. Well, like I said, I'l think about it." Elliot said. "Now hurry and eat your mash so we can make it to town for services. I'm going to go milk the cow."

Elliot walked to the barn, his foot steps feeling heavy. He had already decided that if Ms. Benson was at the church social he would try to buy her box, if she wasn't then he would cut his losses and go and eat at the cafe while Ethan ate with Emily, granted he got her box boughten. He pushed the cow into her stanction, grabbed the milk pail and stool. He quickly milked the cow and then hitched up their buggy. He didn't feel it appropriate to take the wagon into town for church services and if he saw Ms. Benson and bought her lunch box well then he felt that he needed to have the buggy to take her out in rather than his rough old ranch wagon.

When he finished milking the cow he carried the milk pail to the house and strained the milk and then called for Ethan. "Ethan it's time to go."

Ethan desecended the stairs and came to stand before his father for inspection. "Did you wash your face and hands and behind your ears?"

"Yes sir." Ethan replied.

"Son, where are your shoes?"

"Pa, they don't fit, they're to tight." Ethan said, looking down at his own bare feet.

"I see. I suppose you didn't say anything because it was summer and you always run bare foot?"

"Yes sir."

"Well I suppose we can stop and see if Mr. Benson could sell us a pair of boots for you, so you don't have to go to a church social in your bare feet. Now go get in the buggy so we can get going."

"The buggy. Oh, wow, Pa, we haven't used the buggy in a long time." Ethan said, dashing out the door.

The pair drove to town in relative silence, Ethan only asking his father a few questions about things that he saw along the road. When they arrived in town they drove directly to the general store and Elliot hoped it was open. He could not and would not take his son to church in his bare feet. When they arrived at the store they found the door open but no one around. They stepped in and Elliot called out. "Hello? Percy?"

Olivia was in the back working on frying a chicken, making a potato salad and lemonade. She heard someone come in and call out. "Just a moment!" she said from the back. She finished what she was doing, wiped her hands and went out to the front.

When she saw Elliot and Ethan she said, "Oh, Mr. Stabler. What can I do for you this fine morning?"

"My boy here needs some boots."

"Oh, yes, right over here." Olivia said. She held her hand out to the boy and he took her hand instantly and she lead him to the shelves that held the boys boots. They looked at the shelves and then Olivia took down a pair of high topped black boots. "Here try these on, they look like they should fit."

Ethan sat down on the floor and pulled on the boots. Then he looked at his father. "They fit Pa. Can I have them?"

Elliot looked embarassed at how forward his son was being. "Yes son. Please thank Ms. Benson and then I'll go pay for them."

"Thank you, Ms. Benson for your help." Ethan said after he stood.

"Go out to the buggy son, I'll be there shortly."

"Yes sir."

Olivia had moved towards the front counter and wrote up a ticket for the boots. "That will be five dollars."

"Five dollars. It seems the last time I bought Ethan shoes they only cost me two." Elliot commented.

"Yes well the cost of things keeps going up. I'm sorry Mr. Stabler."

"There is nothing for you to be sorry about Ms. Benson. I was just commenting."

"Oh. Are you going to the church social?" Olivia asked.

"Yes, are you?" was Elliots reply.

"Yes, granddad and I plan on going as soon as the chicken is done. Oh the chicken! I hope I haven't burned it. I'm sorry Mr. Stabler I must go and check on it." Olivia said and run out of the room.

Elliot could only stare at her retreating back, then he went out to the buggy. Ethan sat waiting for him. "Gee Pa, what took so long?"

"I was just speaking with Ms. Benson. Are you ready to go to the church?"

"Yes sir. I saw Mr. John and Ms. Casey headed that way already."

"Good, then I'm sure they saved us a spot with them to set." Elliot said as he picked up up the reins and clucked to the horse.

A few minutes later they were seated with John Munch and his family waiting for the service to begin. Elliot was not sure how it happened but he was aware of Olivia Benson the moment she walked into the church. He could feel her presence as well as if she had touched him. He kept his eyes straight ahead as she passed and then he allowed his eyes to follow her as she and her grandfather made their way to the second pew from the front. Elliot thought that she looked beautiful in her brown skirt and cream colored blouse. Elliot thought that the brown of the skirt matched her eyes. She also looked very fashionable and Elliot could tell that her dress was not one that had been sewn at home but rather bought in a fancy store in the city. Her hat he found amusing as it was made of straw with a flat brim and a long brown ribbon around the crown. He turned his own hat in his hands and looked down.

Olivia could feel his eyes on her as she passed to the front of the church with her grandfather. Her lunch box she had left in their surry to wait until after services. She hoped that he was enjoying what he was seeing because he was making her almost uncomfortable.

The pastor started the service and shortly thereafter released the children to Sunday school. Elliot watched as Ethan went with Emily and Oliver to go outside and listen to the children's story. He stood and sang the hymns with the rest of the congregation and he was certain that it was only her sweet, clear voice that he could hear.

Once services ended they all moved outside and the men congregated around a wagon to wait for the lunch box auction to begin. When it started each lady brought her box up and stood there and held it while it was auctioned off. The lucky man to purchase each box then went and picniced with the lady. Most men were respectful of the married ones and allowed the husbands to buy their wives boxes but when a single lady came up the men all clammored to be the highest bidder. Elliot and Ethan were no different. Ethan ended up going to almost four dollars to win Emily Munch's lunch box but the boy came away victorious and smiled as he and Emily went off to set with John, Casey and Oliver under a tree.

When Olivia's box came up she nervously made her way to the front of the group and stood there while the auctioneered auctioned off the box. She could see Elliot bidding on the box against another man, a man with scraggly hair and beard and whom didn't look like he ever set foot in a church. Finally the auctioneer called, "Going once, going twice, sold to Elliot Stabler for eight dollars." (A/N 8 bucks was a lot back then like 100 now) Elliot grinned as he stepped forward to offer Olivia his arm and take his lunch box.

"Thank you for buying my box." Olivia said as she took Elliot's arm.

"Your welcome. I want to stop by my buggy and pick up the picnic blanket that I brought along for the occasion." Elliot said.

"Oh, where you feeling lucky today Mr. Stabler?"

"No. I didn't plan on buying anything really but when your box came up I took the chance." Elliot said and smiled at her for the first time.

Olivia thought to herself that he looked nice when he smiled, it softened his face and made him look so much younger. She thought of commenting on it to him but then kept her thoughts to herself. She followed him to a shaded spot in the grass along the bank of the creek that ran by the church.

"Does this spot suit you Ms. Benson?" Elliot asked, spreading the blanket on the ground.

"Yes, Mr. Stabler, this suits me just fine."

They sat down and Olivia began to unpack their lunch. "I hope you liked fried chicken and potato salad."

"Oh yes, very much. This looks really good, the best meal I've seen in a long time." Elliot replied. He looked to where his son sat with Emily Munch and smiled to himself. What a pair those two made.

"I'm glad to hear that Mr. Stabler. That makes me feel a lot better. I'm afraid a few pieces got a little burned this morning when I went out front."

"No problem Ms. Benson. It was my fault anyway."

They spent the rest of the afternoon talking and laughing. Elliot hadn't laughed much in the past four years and on the way home that evening he felt he had a lighter heart. "Did you have a good time today son?" he asked Ethan who was dozing on the seat next to him.

"Yes, Pa. Emily cooked a wonderful meal for her lunch box. It was the best I've had in a long time." Ethan said. "How was that chicken you had with Ms. Benson?"

"Really good. I enjoyed it very much."

"Are you gonna court her pa?"

"That's a little forward for a boy your age isn't it?" Elliot asked, giving his son a pointed look from under the brim of his hat.

"I was just wonderin Pa. You seemed happier today than you have in a long time." Ethan said.

Elliot thought about the deep words coming from his eight year old son, words of a man coming from a boy. "I'm glad you noticed son. I did have a good time today but one day of enjoyment doesn't mean that I'm going to court Ms. Benson."

"Well I plan to court Emily when I get old enough." Ethan said.

The comment took his father by surprise and caused him to laugh out loud. "Ethan I don't think you need to worry about courting for a few more years." then he laughed again.

"Well, I'm just thinkin' ahead Pa." Ethan said, sliding down on the seat. "Something you should be doin Pa. Think ahead, just a little, think about askin Ms. Benson to go on another picnic someday soon."

Elliot didn't answer his son, as he was not going to repsond to his pleading but that night after the chores had been done and Ethan tucked into bed, Elliot lay alone and thought about his day with Olivia and the enjoyment he had taken at being in her company. Maybe his son was right, maybe he did need to go back to courting and find another wife. It wasn't that it hadn't been long enough, four years was a long time to go without adult companionship. He knew other widowers who had waited less time to remarry and get back to their lives. Elliot turned toward the window and looked out at the moon. He often wondered if Kathy was up there watching him and Ethan and what she thought of him picnicing today with Olivia. That was how he had come to think of her in his mind was as Olivia. He thought that it was a beautiful name, full of grace and strength.

Olivia was thinking of Elliot that night as well. She lay in her bed and wondered if he was thinking about their day. It had been a wonderful time and Olivia wondered if he would call again or if he would leave it at their one picnic together. She knew it was silly and girlish of her but she hoped that he would call again and soon. She had heard some of the young women talking about a dance on the fourth of July here in town. She hoped that she would see Elliot before then but she knew if she didn't that it would be nice to see him again that night. She bet that he was a wonderful dancer and she already knew that he was handsome, what a glorious thougt to be seen on the arm of a handsome man at a town dance and social. Olivia could just imagine it and she fell asleep with those thoughts rolling through her mind.