Chapter 19: Christmas with the Stablers

Ok this is just a fuzz ball of a chapter, all warm and cutesy. It has been a little over a month since the kidnapping and what not. Olivia and Elliot make a shocking discovery and Ethan gets to be all cute and stuff for Christmas. Ahhhhhh.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, so please don't sue me. (Because I honestly have nothing you want.)

It was Christmas time in the Stabler home and just as Elliot had predicted in early November it had been snowy. He and Ethan had been feeding the cattle hay up close to the house, Ethan had been growing like young boys do and Olivia was quickly becoming rounder. Right before Christmas she had went and seen Doc Wilson and he had told her that he was almost sure that he heard two heart beats. This thrilled Ethan as he was sure that he would be getting two brothers come spring.

Christmas had been turned into a lavish affair for the Stablers as it was their first as a family. Elliot and Ethan had went into the woods near their house and cut a Christmas tree and then Ethan and Olivia had spent close to a while day decorating the tree. They had cut differnt shapes out of heavy paper, strung popcorn and crandberries and wrapped them around the tree. It was a great deal of fun for Ethan and the whole time he had talked to Olivia about the babies. "Ma if you have twins will they come out looking the same?"

"Well," Olivia said carefully, "They could or they could look totally opposite of each other."

"Oh. Could one be a boy and one be a girl?"

"Yes, thats possible. Stop eating so much of the popcorn, we need it to decorate the tree." Olivia scolded.

"It's so good though Ma. I've never had popcorn before." Ethan said.

Olivia softened at that comment. Elliot had told her that Ethan had missed out on a lot of things that other children experienced because after his mother had passed away, Elliot hadn't had the heart to continue her traditions with Ethan. This had made Olivia that much more determined to make sure that Ethan had good experiences and made memories that he would one day share with his own children. "I'll make more popcorn for you and your Pa to eat tonight while we ready the Christmas story from the bible."

"Ok Ma. Ma?"

"Yes dear."

"Would you like me to go and haul in some wood now?"

"Yes, if you would like to go now that's fine."

Ethan bundled up and went to the barn before he hauled in the wood. His Pa was working on a special gift for his Ma for Christmas and sometimes he let Ethan help him work on it for a few minutes. He trudged out to the barn through the snow and opened the door. "It's just me Pa." he called out.

"Come on in, you came at the perfect time. I could really use some help." Elliot said. He was working on a double cradle for the new babies. He hoped that Oliva liked it. He could have just built another individual craddle and let Olivia use the one that Kathy had used for Ethan but this way she could rock both babies at the same time. He just hoped that the doc was right when he said that he heard two heart beats in there. Both he and Olivia and Ethan too, were looking forward to having two babies at once. Elliot was gluing the rockers on the craddle and he could use Ethan to hold the one side while he pounded down the other.

"What do you need me to do Pa? I told Ma that I would get her some wood but I wanted to see what you were doin' first."

"I need you to press down on this ok?" Elliot said.

Ethan did as he was asked and they soon had the rockers on the craddle. It would soon be done and Elliot knew that it couldn't be to soon. He was also excited about the gift that he and Olivia had gotten for Ethan. He knew that Ethan would really enjoy the saddle that they had bought for him. Ethan knew from experience that riding all day bareback was no fun and hard on the backside. He smiled at the thought of the joy his son would experience when he got his new saddle.

"Pa?" Ethan said. "Pa?"

"Oh, what's wrong son?"

"What ya got that funny look on your face for Pa?" Ethan asked.

"I was just thinkin about how much your Ma is going to like this cradle." Elliot said.

"Oh. Well I best go get that wood hauled in for Ma." Ethan said and went back out the door, allowing some snow to blow in.

Elliot ran his hand over the cradle and hoped that it would be exactly what they needed. If the doctor was wrong then their single baby was just going to have a lot of room to move around. He put the cradle back where Olivia would be sure not to find it and then he finished up the chores. When he went in he heard Ethan and Olivia in the sitting room laughing. "Elliot Stabler don't you dare come in this room right now." Olivia called to him.

"Yes darlin'." Elliot responded.

A few minutes later Ethan came into the door way. "Ma says that you can come in now Pa."

Elliot just smiled at him and went into the sitting room. Olivia was setting in front of the window knitting and Elliot went over and kissed her on the lips. "So what were you two doing that was so secretive?"

"Nothing." Olivia said. She and Ethan had been wrapping up one the gifts she had ordered for Elliot through her grandfather and she wanted to be sure that he didn't see it.

Deciding that he wouldn't get anywhere with his wife Elliot looked at his son. "Ethan what were you and Ma doing in here?"

"Nothing Pa." Ethan said. "I have to go and do some studies for after Christmas. Call me for supper Ma." Then he left the room.

Elliot decided that he had been defeated and he gave up trying to figure out what his wife had gotten him for Christmas. Since Ethan wasn't in the room and Elliot was sure that he was upstairs he said to Olivia. "How are we going to get that saddle under the tree with out Ethan seeing? There's no way we can wrap it."

"It will just have to set out in the barn until Christmas morning." Olivia said. "I would put it in the back of the wagon and cover it with a tarp. We can't really use the wagon now with all the snow. You did say that you were using the sled to feed didn't you?"

"Yes I did." Elliot said. "That's a good idea." Little did Olivia know that was where he had the cradle he was building for her and the babies hidden as well. He had also ordered her two bolts of material so that she could make herself some new dresses.

Olivia smiled to herself, Elliot was really baffled by what she had gotten him for Christmas. She knew he would like the new rifle that she had seen him looking at in her grandfather's store. So she had decided that he deserved it. He had already given her a precious gift that she now carried beneath her breast.

That night after Ethan was in bed and Elliot and Olivia were getting ready to go, Elliot came up behind her and lovingly put his hands on her swollen tummy. "Hello little babies." He said.

"Have you thought of names yet for them?" Olivia asked. She had several names that she liked but so far Elliot had said nothing to her about that.

"No. Ethan is named after my father and myself and I'm named after my grandfather." Elliot said. "What were you thinking of for names?"

"Well I was thinking if they were little boys that Joseph and Luke would be nice names." Olivia said, undoing her hair and brushing it out. "And if they are little girls I like the names Grace and Hannah."

"I like those names too. I'm not really concerned with names anyway." Elliot said.

"Really? What concerns you?" Olivia asked.

"I just want them to be healthy and you to be healthy." Elliot said.

"Oh, Elliot that is so sweet of you to say."

"It's the truth."

The next week was spent with the Stabler family sneaking around each other trying to prepare for Christmas without any of the others discovering their gift. Elliot was able to finish the cradle two days before Christmas which allowed him to oil the leather in the saddle that they had purchased for Ethan. Olivia was able to get the gun wrapped up nicely and the shirts that she had made for Elliot finished. She had also made shirts and pants for Ethan and then gotten him a new ball in her grandfather's store.

Ethan had made cards in school for both of his parents and he felt lucky that he had brought them home with him before the weather had made it hard for him to get to school everyday. Everyone was out on break now so it didn't really matter. They would all go back in the new year.

Christmas day proved to be a cold one. So cold that Olivia was sure that her grandfather would stay in town and not risk driving out to the ranch in the cold and wind. She rose early to start cooking the turkey that Elliot had shot for their supper and also to ensure that everything was ready in the sitting room.

Elliot had snuck out after Olivia and Ethan had went to bed the night before and brought in the cradle and the saddle. He didn't want to have to run out the barn the next morning and bring everything in.

When Olivia went into the sitting room she gasped to keep in a cry as she saw the cradle. She went over to it immediately and run her hand over the smooth wood at it's curved in. She set it into motion and found that it rocked smoothly. It was beautiful and she knew that Elliot who was skilled craftsman must have made it.

When Elliot went into the sitting room he saw Olivia, standing with her hand on the cradle. He went up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.

"Elliot, it's beautiful and the most special gift I've ever been given, other than you and Ethan and these babies anyway."

Elliot kissed her cheek and smiled. "I'm glad that you like it."

"You must have worked on it for a lot time."

"Oh I started it right after we found out that we were having two babies instead of one."

Olivia turned in Elliot's arms and they were sharing a loving kiss when their son came in. They didn't notice him and he didn't say anything.

Ethan was getting used to seeing his Ma and Pa doin that all the time. Henry at school told him that it was called smoochin and when you got old enough that you could do it with all kinds of gals. Ethan didn't think that his Pa was smoochin with a whole bunch of gals but he did know that he smooched on his Ma a lot. Ethan thought about asking his Pa about this smoochin stuff but it was more fun to listen to Henry and James and the other older boys at school.

Finally his Pa noticed him standing there and said, "Ethan. Merry Christmas son."

"Merry Christmas Pa. Merry Christmas Ma." Ethan said. He went over and hugged and kissed his Ma. Right now he was glad that she was the only gal that he had to kiss though he thought that someday it probably wouldn't be to bad to kiss Emily if she would let him.

"Here Ethan I want you to go and sit down over there and I'll hand you your gifts." Olivia said. Then to Elliot she said, "Elliot, dear will you get that one for me?" she said, directing Elliot's attention to the saddle that they had purchased.

Elliot picked up the saddle and set it down in from of Ethan. "Here you go son." He said.

"Oh wow! Thank you Pa! Thank you Ma!" Ethan was bouncing around on the floor, looking the new saddle over. "Oh it smells so good Pa!"

"I'm glad you like it son." Elliot said. He handed Ethan his few other gifts and then handed Olivia hers and took his own.

Ethan was impressed with the shirts that Olivia had made him and Olivia of course loved the cradle that Elliot and Ethan had made for her. She was also thankful for the bolts of material for new dresses. Elliot of course was appreciative of the new shirts and he loved his new gun. He even told Ethan that it was time to let him start hunting rabbits and other small game such as pheasants and quail.

It was a wonderful first Christmas for the Stabler family and an even more joyous new year for them when that came.