Disclaimer: See chapter 1.

After being home a week, Elliot was to return to work while Olivia stayed home with the twins. They had settled into a routine, but now Olivia had to figure out how to work their routine with just one parent. She was finishing up feeding Maya and was about to burp her when Elliot came in with Sophia, who was asleep, and a sour look on his face as their baby girl had spit up on her father again.

"That's the third shirt, Liv. I think we should talk to the doctor about how much she spits up."

"It's normal, El."

"Normal? Maya doesn't spit up that much and my other kids never spit up like that!"

"Maybe she's voicing her displeasure at you going back to work. She doesn't want her daddy too far away just like her mommy doesn't."

"I have to go to work. Her mommy knows that and she needs to get used to the idea because pretty soon mommy will be going to work too."

"I've been thinking about that."

"What?"

"Going back to work. I've been thinking about it."

"What about it?"

"Well, I was thinking about staying home with the girls. You know, that way we don't have to leave them with a stranger."

"Honey, we're going to make sure that their sitter is vetted and checked through and through. As well as them having to go through Munch and Fin's questioning and Casey and Alex's warnings and then their siblings have to make sure the person is okay and once they pass all the tests of their family, they have to pass the girls' tests."

"The girls' have a test?"

"Yeah, they cry anytime someone they don't like is holding them. Well, Maya cries, Sophia spews."

Olivia laughs.

"El, I just don't want to leave them."

"Well, you still have a while before your leave is up, who knows? You may change your mind, but once you've decided, I'll back your play, like always."

"Thanks, El. I love you."

"I love you too."

They find each other's lips in a quick kiss before he gets up and goes to change his spit up covered shirt and head to work. Olivia finished with Maya and burped her.

"Baby girl, I don't know how anyone can ever leave their babies and go to work. Momma loves you too much to leave you and your sister with some stranger."

Maya cooed at her and let a burp out.

"My sentiments exactly, baby."

She chuckles to herself and rocks Maya who drifts off without another sound. She gets up and puts Maya next to Sophia and covered them both with their blankets that their Aunt Alex bought them. She fixed her shirt and headed out of the nursery with the baby monitor in her hand. She finds Elliot fixing a to-go thermos of coffee in the kitchen.

"Have a good day at work, honey."

Elliot looked at her with a smirk.

"Maybe you'd make a good housewife. If only we can work on your cooking."

She smacked him on the shoulder and kissed him.

"Go on. Get out of here. You're going to be late."

"I don't think Dad will care."

"Maybe, maybe not, but you know the guys will tease you that you couldn't tear yourself away from us."

"Yeah, but I can take it."

"Of course you can. Be sure you come home tonight."

"I will always come home, one way or another."

She kissed him again and he left for the precinct. She knew better than to hold him to that promise in their line of work, but nonetheless she was hopeful that he would always come home to her and to their baby girls.

Elliot drove to work in record time. He got off the elevator to be greeted by a flurry of activity in the squad room. He walked to his desk and set his stuff down, took his jacket off, and booted up his computer to get started. He nodded a hello to Munch and Fin who were on the phone with transit and port authorities on their current case. Elliot began filling out the DD-5's he was behind on and inputting things into the computer. He was immersed in paperwork when he was startled by a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Cragen standing above him.

"How are Liv and the girls?"

"They're good. Their personalities are starting to show. Maya is going to be the quiet and reserved one and Sophia is going to be the one to make herself known."

"How's that?"

"Well, she's taken to spitting up on me when she's apparently upset."

Cragen laughed and they could hear snickers from Munch and Fin. Elliot looked at them.

"You think it's funny? Wait till she does it to you. We'll see who's laughing then."

They raised their hands in surrender and went back to their work. Cragen turned back to Elliot.

"Well, it's getting late, go home. We've got it."

"Are you sure? I've still got some paperwork to catch up on."

"Yeah, the Murphy trial starts in a couple of days, the paperwork can wait, so go home. Take care of the babies and hug your wife for me. Tell her we miss her and that I'm gonna come by later to check on her and my grandbabies."

"Yes, sir. Thanks."

"Go, before I change my mind."

Elliot cleaned his desk to make it a little presentable, grabbed his stuff and headed out the door.

Once home, he saw Olivia was on the couch, sound asleep with the twins monitor nearby. From the cry over the monitor, Maya was letting them know that she needed to be changed and if she kept going, Sophia would join her to let them know she was awake. Elliot set his things down and grabbed the monitor before it woke Olivia up. He kissed her forehead and headed into the nursery. He got to the crib and peered over the railing at his girls. He picked up Maya who settled immediately.

"Hey, Maya, hey, daddy's right here. I've got you. What do you say we change your diaper and get you a little food, huh?"

Maya watched him with bright eyes. He spoke to her as he changed her diaper. He walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of expressed milk and heated it. He checked the temperature before heading back into the nursery. He sat in the rocking chair and rocked Maya as she ate. He memorized her features again and again.

"I love you so much, Baby girl. You are so lucky. You and Sophia, both, have a wonderful mother. She's amazing and strong and the most wonderful I have ever met. I can't believe how lucky you are."

Maya watched him bright-eyed, as if she understood everything he said. She finished the bottle and he burped her. She nuzzled down into his arms and let a contented sigh out as she fell asleep. He kissed her delicate forehead and put her back into the crib. He looked over at Sophia, still sleeping, as she wiggled. He knew that she was fixing to wake up. He picked her up and did everything that he did with Maya. Once he warmed the bottle, he was back in the rocking chair, talking to Sophia as he did with Maya. Only their conversation was a little more different.

"Hey, Soph, do you plan on spitting up on Daddy again? It's not a nice thing to do, but I know that you really can't help it. It just stinks that it's me you do it to. Why's that, huh? It's okay though. I still love you. I love you so much, Baby."

Sophia looked at him with a gleam in her eyes. She finished eating and he burped her, nervous of her spitting up on him again, but happy that she didn't. She seemed to smile at him and kind of saying "I can behave myself sometimes." She yawned as her eyes began to droop and he rocked her until she fell back to sleep. Kissing her forehead, he got up and laid her in the crib to where she was touching her sister. He knew that if they weren't touching and they knew that the other was in the crib, they would wake up quickly and start screaming. He watched them a moment before heading out into the living room to see Olivia jump up and notice the monitor was missing. She got up quickly off the couch and went to head down the hall when she noticed her husband standing there.

"Hey, it's okay, they're fine."

"They're late for their feedings."

"No, they're not. I just fed them and they've been changed. They're asleep."

Olivia looked at him and took a deep breath and let out a sigh.

"Thank you. What time did you get home?"

"About an hour and a half ago. You were sleeping so well, and Maya was starting to fuss and I just decided that I could take care of it and let you sleep a little."

Olivia almost burst into tears. She felt like a bad mother for sleeping when her babies needed her.

"Liv, you're a great mother, the best mother. Honey, you're body just needed sleep and the girls are fine. I handled it. It's okay."

She looked at him. It was amazing how he could read her so well. He hugged her to him. She sniffled as she knew that he was telling the truth, but she still couldn't help but feel guilty for not being there when they needed her.

"Stop. Stop berating yourself, Liv, it's okay."

She nodded into his shoulder.

"I love you, El."

"I love you too. Now, come on, let's order some Chinese and eat. I'm starving."

She laughed as they called their favorite place to eat and after dinner they showered together and headed to bed, content that their first days alone went well.

AN: Sorry for the wait. Stupid writer's block. Next chapter I'm gonna skip ahead a few months to Olivia's decision about work. Thanks for reading!