*Sorry this is such a short chapter I had two job interviews today and one tomorrow and didn't want to leave my best fans hanging for a few days

Nick bounded down his front steps to the cruiser parked in front. His hand was on the handle and he opened the door he turned and walked over to the car parked across the street. Nick rapped hard on the driver's side window.

"Get out of the car now!" The gentleman refused starting the car and pulling off making Nick take a leap back onto the curb. He pulled his phone from his jacket pocket.

"Hello." She sounded sleepy which surprised him she would be home at 7:30 in the morning and not at work.

"Why aren't you at work, where's Zara?"

"I don't feel well I called in sick, she's sleeping and it's none of your god damn business!"

"She needs to go to school it's a school day!"

"She will my mom is coming over to take her. I'm not one of your suspects so stop interrogating me Nick!" Maria lapsed into a coughing spell.

"Call off your watch dog! You're not going to find anything to use against me but you better start talking fast on who this Mark guy is?"

"Nick what in the hell are you talking about?"

"I know for a fact you've been out with a guy named Mark on more than one occasion and you know what Maria I don't give a damn. See anybody you want to if it makes you happy. Do you see me wasting my money on tailing you? No you don't!"

"You know what Nick it's too early in the morning to have this conversation with you you're delusional. I didn't hire anyone to tail you and for your information Mark is one of my supervisors who I have daily briefings with and yes sometimes it entails having dinner."

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo xo

For a summer Sunday morning in mid-July one couldn't ask for a more gorgeous start to the day. There was no humidity whatsoever just a delightful cool morning. The wind chimes twinkled in the breeze and the birds chirped. Oldies but goodies were playing on the stereo. Olivia picked up the moldy bag of bagels looking at Nick. "Guess English muffins are in order." she said.

She returned to cutting up the cantaloupe and turned her cheek to meet his lips when he came up behind sliding his arms around her. Nick patted her bottom lightly giving her a wink as she moved over to the fry pan turning the bacon.

"So well off mommy and daddy who by the way objected to you marrying their daughter in the first place paid for the private investigator?"

"Yup sure did." He picked a handful of grapes from the bowl tossing one into the air catching it in his mouth. Olivia shook her head in disbelief.

"Well I'm glad the sneaking around is over. It really made me nervous."

"We're free and clear baby." Olivia placed the bacon on a plate with paper towels and blotted the strips dry.

"Smells great." He said taking the bowl of fruit following her out to the patio. Halfway through breakfast he noticed she hadn't touched much of hers. He lowered the paper peering over at her without her noticing. She was totally engrossed in solving her puzzle.

"You ok?" She penciled in an answer not looking at him.

"Yeah why?"

"You hardly touched your breakfast."

"I'm into this," she said tapping her pencil on the paper. "It's a hard one." Nick wasn't sure whether to believe her or not.

"When do you plan on telling Cragen and the others?"

"Soon."

"How soon is soon?"

"Nick please don't press me ok." He gave her a flippant non manual signal. She put down the pencil and looked him in the eye.

"Does it bother you or are you just worried who your new temp is going to be?"

"No why would you say that?"

"Because you keep asking when I'm going to do it."

"Fine I'll say no more." Olivia went back to her crossword and Nick to his sports page.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Nick just returned from interviewing their witness. Olivia left over two hours ago, leaving him alone to do the interview. "Where's Liv?"

"Ah I think I heard her say she had some personal business to take care of." Amanda told him.

"Hmph." he said sitting down going over the witness's testimony. Amanda summoned Nick and Fin to her desk. She found something overly contradictive with their main witness's story.

"Well its back to square one now." Fin said.

That evening Nick arrived at Olivia's after he finished the gym. He didn't like that the house was all dark so he moved his coat over placing a hand on his gun. He noticed she hadn't picked up the today's mail. He put his key in the door and opened it slowly calling out her name.

"Liv you home?" There was no answer. He flipped the foyer light on setting the mail and his keys down on the small table. He walked into the living room noticing a figure on the couch. He turned on the lamp and found Olivia sitting in the dark.

"Liv what's going on why are you sitting in the dark?" He leaned down and kissed her lips.

"I was just so tired when I got home I just sat here and then the next thing I knew I fell asleep."

"You ok?" She bit down on her lip

"Yeah."

"You eat yet?"

"I had cereal I'm not really hungry." Nick mumbled under his breath.

"Cereal, ok. Not hungry again."

Two nights later Olivia was sitting in the dark again when he got home.

"Ok liv this is the second night I find you siting alone in the dark and I want to know why?" Olivia clutched a pillow to her chest. She motioned for him to sit.

"You're pregnant aren't you?" Olivia was surprised with his abruptness. In the year and half she's worked side by side with him, she's known his keen sense and that he's possessed incredible talent for detection. Elliot was good but Nick was better. She sucked in a mouthful of air failing to conceal her fit of nerves.

"Yes." His silence at first made her heart sink. "This is really going to mess things up with your divorce. Look Nick I can raise this baby myself. This was my plan before we got involved. He swallowed hard. Standing up he took a few steps forward then turned completely around to face her.

"No it's not going to mess anything up." He started to expel some laughter. "I'm gonna be a father." Olivia sort of breathed a sigh of relief and was smiling with him now. He knelt in front of her taking her hands in his kissing them. Now his eyes were watery as he spoke and his voice heavy with emotion.

"Olivia I love you and when my divorce is final I want us to get married so…will you…Olivia…marry me?" She didn't know what to say. Her mouth was slightly ajar and water formed in her eyes. She let go of his hands wiping at the tear that threatened to spill. She looked at him directly.

"Nick let's take this one day at a time ok." He didn't say anything he just continued to gaze at her. She cupped his face pressing her lips to his. Overcome with emotion they both fell into a hug.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

He picked up Zara from the train station. When she noticed him she took off running eliciting a scoldingng from her grandmother.

"Zara don't run you'll fall and hurt yourself." Zara slowed.

"Daddy!" she said jumping into his arms.

"Hey piquita how are you? I missed you." Nick kissed her cheek nose and forehead.

"I missed you too daddy." Nick was unable to have her last weekend due to a big case svu was working. Her grandmother handed over Zara's bag.

"We leave at 3:30 on Sunday so please bring her early." When it came to Nick his mother in law held no snide comments in check.

"Yeah sure no problem Nick said cynically. "You ready sweetheart?"

"Yes." Zara's grandparents gave her a hug and kiss good bye.

"Bye bye mi bella mia."

"Bye bye Nonna and nonno." They blew kises to Zara who blew them back.

"Oh and I'm very happy it was your money you wasted and not mine. Have a good weekend." Nick lowered his shades and walked away with his daughter in his arms.

"Tsk." His mother in law scowled as her husband led her away by the elbow. Nick sat on the commode rolling back through his messages as Zara took a bath.

"You almost done honey?"

"I need help rinsing my hair." He pulled back the curtain and took the shower head nozzle from her. He tilted her head back telling her to cover her eyes with the wash cloth as the water ran down the back of her head. After her bath he tucked her in reading her a story.

"The little pony is sick just like mommy."

"Well mommy needs to go to the doctor to get medicine so she can feel better."

"Mommy did go to the doctor but her medicine didn't make her all better. Daddy what's a cancer doctor?" Nick nearly dropped the book he was holding listening to her words. He looked down at his daughter.

"It's a doctor that looks at all of your body, your heart, your lungs, your tummy, everything." He smoothed her forehead and her hair. He stared at the floor.

"Daddy you have to finish the book."