The Black Market Baby Scandal

(Chapter Ten: One Step Closer)

The last few weeks had shown much promise between Sarah and Olivia. The visitation agreement was going well but it was only after about a week that Sarah told Olivia that she wanted to come and live with her for good.

The next morning Olivia was waiting at the office door when her attorney arrived to work to start the adoption proceedings. She filed all of the paperwork and was now just waiting for a response from the judge who reviewed her case and application.

Meanwhile she and Sarah had been attending church every week with Elliot and his kids. The kids had bonded well and although the girls went to different schools and only saw each other a couple of times a month Sarah and Elizabeth had become quick friends.

Tonight was Friday and the first night of Olivia's weekend with Sarah. And Saturday night she had agreed to let Sarah have a little Halloween get together with a few friends at her apartment. She and Elliot were playing chaperone to eight teenagers Sarah had met at church and through Elliot's kids. The evening would start with a walk through a haunted house across town, then there would be costumes and music and punch on the roof under the New York moonlight.

Tonight Olivia was taking Sarah shopping for the rest of the decorations, food and a few odd and end pieces to put the finishing touches on their costumes. After that they were headed to Queens to pick Elizabeth up from Kathy's to spend the night and then to the video store and to pick up the pizza. She had been very impressed with the costumes Sarah had picked out for the both of them. And now Olivia actually found herself getting a little excited about the party.

Saturday evening came fast and Olivia was standing in her bathroom in front of the mirror when Elliot arrived. Sarah opened the door and let him in, pointing him in the direction of Olivia's bedroom.

"Liv?"

"Yeah, I'm in here."

Elliot walked into the room and stared at her. She looked so amazing.

"Not a word," she said pointing her finger at him.

"What? You look…wow."

"Sarah picked it out. But they didn't have it in small so I had to order it. This is what they sent me. I had to add two inches to the skirt, it looked like a stripper costume."

Elliot smiled as he held up his phone to snap a picture.

"Do you want me to shoot you?" She asked and he smiled.

"Oh, no. You look good. You look hot. Those little teenaged boys are going to like this."

"Oh, my god I am going to humiliate her."

"No, Liv. It is not that bad. I was just teasing you. Infact, I think you wear that costume better than Lynda Carter."

She didn't look bad, he thought. She looked amazing. She wore a Wonder Woman costume. And everything from her gold tiara with the red star to the tip to her red and white boots looked so good on her. The costume was a little more modern than the one he remembered from the television show when he was younger. She wore a shiny red tank top with the Wonder Woman logo on the front of it and a shiny blue skirt with gold stars and a gold waist band. On her wrists were Wonder Woman's trade mark silver gauntlets and clipped around her neck to drape down her back was the shiny red cape.

"You just reminded me why I loved Wonder Woman so much, this is….you look incredible."

"It isn't too much? Is my skirt too short? I feel so inappropriate."

"You look nice. Your skirt is fine and I don't think you are showing anything inappropriate. You are not even showing that much skin, Liv. And this is just a tank top."

"I just don't want these kids to think her mother is a slut. She is just starting to actually make some friends. And two of these kids live in my building. I don't want to get hateful notes from the mothers."

"You are fine. Sarah, come here," Elliot called down the hallway.

"El, what are you doing?"

"Getting a second opinion. Look I am sorry if I made you feel self conscious. You look really nice."

"The costume I purchased was not this revealing."

"I'm telling you, you are not revealing anything."

"What's up?" Sarah asked stepping into the room. "Liv, I like that. It looks good on you."

"You think so? It isn't too revealing? I could change. I don't really even have to wear a costume. This is your party, I just don't want to do anything to embarrass you."

"It's a costume party. And besides you look great, how would that embarrass me?"

Olivia smiled.

"Can you help me with my hair?" Sarah asked pointing to the hot rollers on top her head.

"Yeah," Olivia said smiling at her and Elliot could see her starting to relax.

"Great costume, Elliot. Dracula, I like the blood."

"I have fangs in my pocket. But I can barely talk with them in. I like yours, too."

Sarah was dressed as Dorothy from the Wizard Of Oz and carried a little basket with a stuffed Toto in it. She even wore a pair of ruby slippers.

Elliot watched as Olivia took the rollers out of her hair and fixed her dark curls and tied in a blue plaid bow that matched her dress.

"There," Olivia said twisting a ringlet around her fingers and laying it into place.

"So what are Dickie and Elizabeth going to be?" Olivia asked her daughter.

"I'm not really sure. Elizabeth was going to be Alice, from Alice in Wonderland. Dickie, I'm not sure."

"Maureen should be dropping them off anytime."

Five hours later Olivia thanked the last of their party guests as her mother walked her out the apartment door. She closed the door and leaned against it for a moment in exhaustion. She looked across the room as her partner stacked plastic cups and tossed them into a garbage bag.

"Thank you for your help with this. It really meant a lot to Sarah for you to be here." She looked up at him as she tossed some plates and napkins into the bag. "It meant a lot to me, too."

Elliot smiled. "It was fun. And I wouldn't' have missed it for anything. Besides, I have enough kids that I figure one of these days I'm sure you will get the chance to return the favor."

"I want to show you something," she said opening a junk drawer and pulling out an envelope.

"You got the letter?"

"My lawyer got it from the agency this morning. She called me and went ahead and gave it to me instead of making me wait until Monday. But I didn't want to open it in front of Sarah. I was so nervous, am nervous. I have had this huge knot in my stomach all day."

"She is in her room now."

Olivia took a deep breath and laid the envelope on the counter. She walked down the hall a few feet and tapped on Sarah's bedroom door. She pushed the door gently open to find her already in bed asleep. She stood there and watched her for a moment as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"Everything okay?" Elliot asked from behind her.

"Yeah," Olivia whispered as she turned off the bedside lamp and kissed her daughter's forehead.

She walked toward the doorway where Elliot stood holding the letter. Olivia closed the door and leaned against the wall beside the door. She raised her hand and took the envelope from him as she looked at him with worried eyes.

Elliot stared into her eyes for a moment, knowing how afraid she was that the news in that letter was bad news and they would take her child away from her again. He rested his hand beside her on the wall and stared into her brown eyes trying to think of something to say to raise her spirits.

"You don't know until you open it," he whispered.

Olivia nodded her head slowly and took a deep breath.

Elliot reached up to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear and stared at her. He turned his head for a moment the turned to look at her again and smiled at her with his fangs in trying to make her smile. Olivia held steady for a moment then smiled and let out a small laugh.

"There it is," he mumbled through his teeth.

She chuckled softly. "I am just so afraid, Elliot."

"I know."

Without thinking Elliot reached to touch her cheek with his thumb. Olivia shifted her eyes to meet his and the next thing she knew they were kissing. Elliot placed his finger under her chin and raised it to meet his lips. After a few seconds he pulled back to look at her doe eyed expression.

"Say something," he said softly.

"I have wondered about that for a long time," she confessed staring into his eyes. "But never once did I think that the first time you kissed me would be with fangs."

Elliot shifted his eyebrow for a moment. He pulled the teeth from his mouth and tossed them behind him, then leaned in to kiss her again. This time he slid his hands around her body and held her against him. He kissed her passionately as he moved his fingertips over her jaw line.

Several kisses later, Olivia broke their embrace and gazed longingly into his eyes.

"Elliot," she said hesitantly as she looked down at the envelope in her hand. "I'm just not so sure this is the best time."

"Olivia, this is real. For me it is, anyway."

She lowered her hand onto his arm and followed it until her hand laid over his. She locked her fingers in his and brought his palm to rest flat against her chest. Elliot stared deep into her eyes as he felt her heart pounding wildly.

"It is for me, too." She took a staggered breath and he could see she was holding back tears. "I just have so much going on right now. Some things I need to sort out first. And get my life back in order. Then, Elliot, I would love to try this…whatever this is between us."

Elliot shifted his attention back down to her hand and raised the letter between them. "I guess we got a little distracted."

Olivia smiled. "I guess so," she said softly walking back to the kitchen and taking a seat at the bar to open the letter.

Elliot stood beside her barstool and watched as she tore open the end of the envelope and began to read the paper inside. He watched her closely and after a few moments she began to cry. She dropped the letter on the counter and moved down the hall to her bedroom. Elliot picked up the letter to see what it said.

Several minutes had passed and Elliot struggled with himself every single one to hold off and give her a few moments alone before he went after her. He took a glass from the cabinet and poured half a bottle of water into it then made his way down the hallway. He leaned against the bedroom door for a moment, then tapped gently on it.

"Liv honey, can I come in?"

"Yeah," she said softly.

Elliot opened the door to see her sitting on the edge of the bed with her face in her hands still crying.

"I brought you some water," Elliot said sitting the glass and the letter down on the nightstand. He sat down beside her on the bed. "Olivia, I am so sorry."

"I can't believe this. I am her mother," she said looking up at him with tears streaming down her face. "I am right here and I want her. More than anything in the world, I want my child. And they wont even let me adopt her. Because I am not married. I can't provide her with a father figure."

"Olivia, they knew that before you even filled out the paperwork."

"I know, Elliot. I cannot provide a father for her, but the Jensen's can. With me ineligible to adopt her, they are likely to get custody. If they get custody, after these last few weeks there is no way they are going to share her with me. I am going to lose her all over again."

"That is not going to happen," Elliot said as he traced his thumb over her face.

"I think I'm going to be sick," she said crossing her hands over her stomach.

"You have to calm down."

"Calm down! The state has my child and will not give her back to me!"

"I know, Olivia. But shouting and getting yourself all worked up it only going to make you sick and wake Sarah up. You don't want her to see you like this, do you?"

Olivia shook her head. Elliot picked up the glass of water and handed it to her as she took a few drinks and tried to calm herself. She sat there for a moment, then sat the empty glass back on the nightstand and laid down across her bed.

Elliot leaned back against the pillow on the other side and stared at her.

"Hey," he said reaching to touch her fingertips with his. Olivia sighed but didn't look at him. He rolled to face her. "Hey."

Olivia shifted her eyes to look at him.

"No more tears," Elliot said brushing her cheeks dry with the heel of his hand. He cupped his hand against the side of her face and stared into her pretty brown eyes. He slid his hand around to trace the fullness of her lips with his finger. "We are going to figure this out."

He leaned forward and kissed her again. He had expected her to fight him and push him away. Instead she tilted her head and allowed him full access to her mouth as he brushed his tongue against hers. Elliot rolled on his back and pulled her into his arms as he kissed her tenderly. For several minutes their mouths blended passionately together.

"El," she sighed.

That was it. That was her signal to him that it was time to stop. He kissed her gently once more then rolled over beside her in the bed and stared up at the ceiling.

"God, I'm sorry." She said rubbing her hands over her face. "I'm not trying to lead you on."

Elliot laughed and smiled. "It's okay. You're not. I fully understand," he said tucking her hair behind her ear.

"You do?"

"First thing's first. Lets bring Sarah home for good," he said raising her fist to kiss it. "Then after things are settled if we are still interested…."

"Oh, I will still be interested." She smiled. "I can't believe you are being so understanding about this. I just ruined your Halloween."

"Nah," he said with a laugh as he stared up at the ceiling. "I just made out with Wonder Woman. I have been waiting to do that since I was fifteen years old."

Olivia laughed. Then things got quiet for a few minutes. Then Elliot rolled over and hugged her. He laid quietly beside her as she closed her eyes and was almost asleep.

"Liv?"

"Hmm?"

"Why don't you let me do it?"

She raised her head to look at him. "Elliot, it just isn't the best time for me to start dating someone, anyone. I thought you understood that?"

"No, baby. Not that. Let me be her adopt Sarah."

"Elliot, did you forget to come up for air while we were kissing? What in the world are you talking about?"

"They turned you down because you are not married and you could not provide a father for Sarah."

"Yes."

"So if she had a father, they would have no reason to turn you down."

Olivia thought about it for a moment.

"Olivia, it is worth a try. You let me adopt her. She is still yours. And if someday down the road you meet Mr. Right and want him to be her father, that is your decision. But for now, she has a father. And her mother," he said locking his fingers between hers again.

Olivia rolled on to her back and stared at the ceiling for a moment. "Are you sure about this?"

"I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't. I love her too Olivia. And I would do anything for either of you. So it just makes sense that I should do the one thing I can do that could possibly help you get custody of your daughter. She would be yours, forever. Back with her mother where she needs to be. Let me do this."

"Okay. But I think we should talk to Sarah first. This is her life, it should be her decision, too. I want her to be able to understand everything that is going on. And I want her to be open with me about what she wants. If she wants to stay with the Jensen's, then I will let her go. If that is truly what she wants."

"Olivia, she wants to be with you. We were both sitting there the other night at dinner when she said it."

"We'll talk to her tomorrow. But Elliot, I don't think you should be here when she wakes up in the morning. I don't want her to see me with men. I know nothing is going on, but it is still inappropriate. And what kind of example am I setting for my child?"

"You are right." Elliot leaned in and kissed her again. "Why don't I come by tomorrow evening and cook dinner for you guys. Then we can sit down together and talk to her."

"Sounds good."

"Get some sleep. And Liv…"

"Yeah?"

"I had a wonderful night."

"So did I," she said with a smile. "And someday, we can do this again."

"Definitely."

Elliot smiled and Olivia laughed. "I will see you tomorrow."

"Okay."

He kissed her softly on the forehead and headed home for the night.