Chapter Eleven:
When Olivia reached the apartment, she knocked on the door and waited anxiously for it to open. As it was opened by Elliot, she flung herself into his arms, kissing him desperately.
"Oh, I love you," she muttered, as she kissed his face, "Thank you, El, thank you."
Elliot laughed briefly, before responding, "Love you too," and sweeping her into a deep kiss that took her breath away. Before it could do much further, two little people had attached themselves to the legs of the adults.
"Come on, let's see where everything is going to go," Elliot said as he reluctantly pulled away from Olivia, though he still held her hand.
As they walked through the apartment, Olivia was overcome with happiness. She and Elliot were going to live together. For the first time, she felt like she belonged somewhere, like she had someone that loved her and that she might truly have a shot at happiness.
As she looked down at the children running around wildly, claiming each room as something, she squeezed Elliot's hand tighter.
"What changed your mind?"
"You did. I know that it won't be simply, or easy, but I do know that whatever happens, that I want to be with you."
"Thank you," she whispered as she buried her head in his neck. The following weeks were filled with moving furniture and appliances into the apartment, deciding whose appliances to keep and who's to dispose of, and whether to buy some new furniture. While they were both on leave, which made things easier, they seemed to miss work and the after-hours drinks.
When the apartment had just been fully furnished, they invited everyone to celebrate. As the evening wore on, Elliot sat on the couch and looked around at everyone. Don and Olivia were in an intense discussion over by the dining table, Fin and Casey appeared to arguing lightly over the condition of something to do with a case. Munch and Warner were by the two children. Munch was telling them something, and both children looked highly interested, Melinda laughed delicately and smacked his arm lightly, before looking over at Elliot.
Interested, he made his way over.
"What happened?" he asked.
"Nothing," John said with an innocent expression, that didn't belong. "Just telling Bella and Josh some nice values."
"What values?" Elliot asked suspiciously, as the two children ran over to Olivia.
"Marriage."
"What?" he asked astonished. "You have to be joking. We're barely living together, and you want us to get married?"
"Well, you want to, don't you?" Elliot didn't respond, "Don't you?"
"Yes," he said reluctantly.
"And Olivia wants to," Melinda added, "She told me earlier, but she didn't want to seem like she was pushing. She said that she's loved you for years, and always wanted to be wed to you, but she was terrified that you thought she was a mistake. So now that she has you, she never wants to let go, and marriage is her way of securing you."
"Securing me?"
"Well, those weren't her words, but you get the point."
"You do realize, that now you've told Bella and Josh, I'm going to have to be the bad guy and say why it won't happen?"
"Why? Propose, then there's no bad guy."
"I'll think about it."
For weeks later, Elliot was still thinking about what had been said. The marriage issue had fortunately not been raised, and it was as though Olivia was able to read his emotions at the tiniest motion. She knew when he needed to be left alone, when he needed comfort, when he needed the children, and when he needed her. With all the attention she was flourishing him with, he began to feel selfish. However, when he discussed the matter with Olivia, she had simply stated that she knew he was thinking about something and she trusted him to tell her what it was when he was ready.
Almost a six months later, he was ready. He was going to propose to Olivia, yet he had no way of knowing how he planned to do this. Reluctantly, he went to Munch for advice.
"Well, you need to go to a place that represents everything that you see in her, and everything that your relationship is. A restaurant, a park, a lake, a hotel, a -"
"Okay. I've already bought the ring."
"Then you do whatever you usually do, and spring the question. Are you sure you're ready?"
"Yes, can you look after the kids on Friday? I was planning on doing it then."
"Sure, Melinda's free, we can take them to her place."
"Melinda? Since when are you on first name basis with the M.E.?"
"None of your business. Where are you going to take Liv?" John asked, changing the subject.
"That's for me to know and you to ponder."
John shrugged, "As long as it's not a horrid place. You don't have the best taste."
"Central Park, near the lake."
"Sounds nice, the fireworks are on Friday evening, around nine."
Elliot nodded before thanking John and leaving. When he got home, he was surprised to find no-one present. Unworried, he looked for a note, which he found in the bedroom.
'El,
Josh and Bella decided that they wanted to enter Kindergarten. I don't know if it's such a good idea, but I figured we can talk about it when you get back from seeing John. The kids and I have gone to get some information about it, and we'll be back in about an hour. (1:30pm)
Love always,
Liv'
Elliot sighed. Entrance the kindergarten was just another financial black hole unless they found the right institution, and they had limited time to do that. They would have to do some thorough back ground checks on the different centre's before enrolling their children in them. Briefly, he looked at his watch and noticed the time. It was 1:25pm. Just when he had decided he was going to make some lunch, the door burst open, and in pilled the two kids and Olivia.
'Hey honey," he said, as he kissed her gently, and took some of the many packages out of her arms. "How did it go?"
"It was hopeless," she replied, obviously disappointed. "You would think out of the hundred's of kindergarten centre's there are in New York, you'd be able to find one close where we live. They're all about half an hour away."
"We'll find one. Don't worry," an idea struck Elliot, "Are there any close to the station?"
"Not really. There is one, but it doesn't sound or look that great."
"We'll find one, don't worry! Who gave them the idea to enter?"
"Munch. Who else?"
Elliot shook his head, before sitting down on the sofa with the many different packages.
"What else did you do?"
Olivia giggled quietly, "Shopping. I wanted a new dress, and Bella and Josh needed new shoes, and I thought that I would surprise you with a small something." She handed him a neatly wrapped package.
Gently, he opened it and gasped. It was a suit, probably designer made, with gentle embroidery for seams and a satin tie/bowtie accessory. For once in his life, Elliot was speechless.
"I…uh…it's…Thank you!" he said, and leant over the sofa to sweep Olivia into a passionate kiss.
"I thought it was about time I spoilt you. You've been so good to me, and I know this doesn't cover much of what you've done for me, but I..I just wanted to…" she was cut off by another kiss from Elliot.
"You spoil me, honey. You have a psychic ability to know what I feel. When I want comfort or solitude or relaxation or whatever else, you just know what I need and it happens. I swear you are magic."
Olivia blushed, and lay her head gently on his shoulder.
"What are we doing this week end?" she asked, as she gently kissed his neck.
"We have dinner together on Friday, with Munch and Melinda watching the kids. Then on Saturday and Sunday we have nothing planned as of yet."
"What's the dinner for? Where are we going?" she asked, in between kisses.
"That's for me to know and you to find out."
"Please?" she asked, still kissing his neck, which now was covered in goose pimples.
"Nope," he said, his voice shaking slightly.
"Give me a clue?" she said, nibbling gently on his ear.
"Stop that!" he said, though his tone was far from annoyed, "I can't concentrate when you're doing that."
"El, that's the point. I wanna know!"
"Leave it at a surprise, and that's all your getting out of me."
Olivia pouted, and Elliot laughed lightly. "Come on," he said, pulling her up from the sofa and pecking her lips gently, "We have kids to look after."
The following two days seemed to go very quickly for Elliot, and extremely slowly for Olivia. While they both looked forward to the dinner, Elliot was extremely nervous about what her reaction to his proposal would be.
When Friday night came, Elliot was perspiring and almost green with nervousness. Though he tried exceptionally hard not to let Olivia notice anything, his behavior was not missed.
"Are you alright?" she asked for the fifth time. "You really do look awfully pale."
"I...I'm fine," he stuttered.
"You don't look fine," she said. "Maybe we should go home. I don't want you to be ill."
"No, really. I…I'm f-fine!" Olivia nodded, though her expression made clear that she didn't believe him.
Throughout the meal there was flowing conversation. They spoke about everything, nothing and anything else in between. When nine o'clock came, they both nearly jumped out of their skin for the shock of hearing the fireworks. While Olivia was busy admiring the designs that exploded above their heads, Elliot crawled over, and knelt in front of her.
"El, I… what?" she asked, slightly confused, but also hopeful.
"Shhh," he said as he placed a finger gently on her lips. "Olivia, I've known you for eight years, and I've loved you for almost as long. When you asked me to move in with you, so we could be a family, it was one of the happiest days of my life. Will you make this the happiest, and agree to marry me?"
Olivia looked shocked. Though, when he knelt in front of her, she had suspected this, she hadn't actually thought that he would propose to her.
"You really want to marry me?" she asked, her voice trembling as a lone tear made it's way down her cheek.
"I would be the happiest and luckiest man on earth if you would consent to marry a fool like me."
Olivia laughed, "You're not a fool."
"Will you marry me?" Elliot asked again, waiting for an answer.
"Yes," she said, as she kissed him gently, "Yes, I'll marry you."
(I'm really sorry that this chapter was really bad. I wanted to finish this story, and I'd written myself into such a stage, that I couldn't figure a way out without rewriting four or five chapters. Sorry about the crappy ending, but I did my best given the circumstances. By the way, as I live in Australia, I don't know much about the geography of America, New York or any such thing. I hope that without my knowledge, this story is still interesting and partially realistic.)