Again, this is one of my very first fics (I'm thinking 4th or 5th), so bear with it please. The song is In My Arms, by Mark Wills.

This songfic is for Shelly, Rach, onetreefan, Miss Mitochondria and storrms. Thanks, everybody!

Disclaimer: I do not own Elliot Stabler or Olivia Benson... sniff. I do own Hope Stabler. Come on, Dick. Can I have 'em? Please? For an hour?

Elliot Stabler awoke to the cries of his newborn daughter, and quickly climed out of bed, padded down the hallway, and slipped into the nursery. Standing over the crib, he tenderly lifted his newborn daughter, Hope, into his arms. Carefully he sat in the rocking chair beside the window, and gently began to rock back and forth.

Three a.m. on the clock

Lullaby music box

Oh baby please don't cry

Let's let mama sleep tonight

"Shush, little one. It's all right, Daddy's here," he whispered to the whimpering bundle in his arms.

You've only been home one day

You don't even know your name

Tiny hand on my cheek

You're a miracle to me

"Hush, little baby, don't say a word," Elliot sang softly as he gazed down at the tiny miracle in his arms. She stared back at him with soulful brown eyes, just like her mother's. They had only brought her home yesterday, and sine then he had crept into the nursery often to make sure she was still there. He laughed inwardly at how paranoid he was becoming.

In the stillness of the night

Cradled in this rocking chair

I hold all my hopes and dreams

Every single answered prayer

As he stared down in awe at the tiny creature in his arms, he thought to himself how lucky they were. When Olivia told him she was pregnant, he was thrilled and terrified at the same time. He had not planned on having any more children. The four he had already were nearly grown, and he had thought he was done with burping cloths and two a.m. feedings. Maureen was out of college and engaged. Kathleen was a freshman in college, and the twins, Lizzie and Dickie were sophomores in high school. But once the news had sank in, he was ecstatic. And as he watched Olivia change over the next nine months, he was certain no other woman looked more beautiful.

In my arms, wish I could hold you forever

In my arms, I will give you shelter

Still I know I can't always be there

To protect you from this great big old world

But I swear this much is true

There'll always be a place for you

In my arms

As I watch you take each breath

Oh it scares me to death

To know you're counting on me

To be the daddy that you need

Watching her big eyes scan the room, Elliot let his mind wander, and he began to think about the future. Her fist steps, her first words, her first day of school. With Maureen, when she had started walking, he had gone around baby proofing the house. Not just normal baby proofing, though. He had put rubber edges on every sharp corner and round corner. From tiny fences to devices that were meant to baby proof everything from cabinets to fridge doors, but actually wound up adult proofing them! And when she was a baby, every little cough or sneeze required a trip to the emergeny room. Her first day of school, he drove behind the school bus to the school and watched until she was safely inside. Of course when Kathleen had been born, things had gone a lot smoother. He and his ex wife Kathy ahd realized that children were not made of glass. And by the time the twins, Lizzie and Dickie, were born, they were pros at managing chaos. But he knew that with Hope, things would be different. He could already see it.

Wounded knees and broken hearts

Learning how to drive a car

When it's time for your first date

Will I know just what to say?

Closing his eyes, he tried to imagine teaching her how to ride a bike. He almos laughed at the idea of Olivia covering her from head to toe with safety pads. He had learned long ago that kids would fall. The only thing that they could do was be there with band aids and hugs. He tried to imagine teaching her how to drive a car. After Maureen had learned, she had had her heart set on a red Porsche. But that never happened. Then he tried to imagine what she would even look like at sixteen. All he could see was a young Olivia, confident and beautiful. She would be a born heart breaker, but he and Olivia would teach her to be gentle and careful. But being Olivia's daughter, she would already know these things. But she's also your daughter, he reminded himself. And if she's anything like me, he thought with a groan, there would be lots of questionable boyfriends. He smiled at the thought of the poor guy who would take Hope on her first date.

When you find that one true love

I'll put on my best smile

And I'll try to hide my tears

As I walk you down the aisle

He smiled at the thought that the man who would one day marry his baby was still a baby himself. She'll make a beautiful bride, he thought. He felt a tear form in his eye as he tried to imagine walking her down the aisle and giving her away. Scolding himself, he thought, she just came into this world yesterday, and here I am trying to plan out her life.

In my arms, wish I could hold you forever

In my arms, I will give you shelter

Still I know I can't always be there

To protect you from this great big old world

But I sware this much is true

There'll always be a place for you

In my arms, wish I could hold you forever

In my arms, oh now I will give you shelter

Still I know I can't always be there

To protect you from this great big old world

But I swear this much is true

There'll always be a place for you

In my arms

Looking down at Hope, he realized she had fallen asleep, and he kissed her forehead.

Oh this promise I will keep

As you finally fall asleep

In my arms

Standing up, he slowly made his way to the crib, and he gently placed her in it. For a moment, he watched her tiny chest rise and fall, and he smiled. He may not be able to protect her forever, but for now he would. "I promise," he whispered as he tiptoed out of the nursery. In his own room, he crawled into bed and pulled Olivia's sleeping form into his arms. "I love you," he whispered as he fell asleep holding her. Tomorrow would come, and with it new challenges. But with them by his side, he would make it.

The End...

A/N: Okay, people, go review now! And don't worry, you'll see more of Hope Stabler in later fics. Promise!