The Black Market Baby Scandal
(Chapter Eleven: Dinner & A Plan)
Sarah sat on the couch watching a movie on television and reading a book. Olivia hustled around the apartment straightening things up and awaiting Elliot's arrival.
"What time is Elliot coming over?" Sarah asked as the doorbell rang. Olivia watched as a large smile grew across her face and she ran to let Elliot in.
"Hello there!" Elliot said as he walked past Sarah, his eyes immediately jumping to Olivia standing across the room.
"Hey, El. I'm glad you came over. Can I help you cook dinner?"
"Sure. Can you take the things from this bag and put them into them away? We can get started in just a minute."
"Okay," she said with a smile. "You got ice cream?"
"You don't like ice cream?"
"I love it. Rocky road, is my favorite!"
"I thought you might like it," he replied looking into Olivia's eyes. Rocky road was her favorite as well.
Olivia smiled at him as he approached her. She fidgeted nervously as he stared into her eyes. "These are for you," she said handing her a bouquet of mixed flowers. "I thought you could use a little cheering up."
"El," she said staring into his eyes and fighting back the strong urge to have his mouth pressed against hers again. "Thank you."
"Aww, he got you flowers," Sarah said as she walked over to check out the bouquet.
"And these, are for you." Elliot turned and handed Sarah a smaller bouquet as she smiled. "Thank you Elliot," she said moving in to hug him. "I'm going to put them in some water. Sarah took her and Olivia's flowers to the kitchen.
Olivia stared at Elliot across the room for a moment as he made his way over to her. Olivia backed down the hallway a few feet so they could talk without Sarah overhearing them.
"I just thought they were kind of for luck and kind of to celebrate."
"Celebrate?"
"Well, yeah. If tonight goes well, then hopefully soon we will all be a family."
"Are you sure about this?"
"Of course I am sure."
Olivia smiled and sighed in relief. "I figured we could tell her over dinner. Just sort of bring it up and ask her. If this is what she wants, then I have already talked to my lawyer about going in tomorrow and starting the paperwork. We will both have to file this time."
"Sounds great."
Olivia placed her hands against his chest and exhaled softly. I can't help but feel nervous."
"Liv, I am here now. We're a team. And if we can take bad ass criminals, then surely together, the three of us can handle a judge and a court hearing."
"I hope so."
Elliot leaned in and kissed her forehead. She stared up and into his eyes as he leaned slowly forward to kiss her again. Just before their lips touched….
"So what are we making for dinner anyway?" Sarah called from the kitchen as she walked around the corner.
Elliot walked around by the stove. "Lemon pepper chicken breasts, homemade mashed potatoes and a salad. What do you think?"
"Sounds really good! Olivia said you are a really good cook."
"Well, I try. I like to cook and I don't think I have ever had anyone complain about my cooking."
"Good, because I am starving."
"Well, then….we had better get started."
An hour later Sarah set the table and poured them each a glass of iced tea. They all sat down and started their meal. After about twenty minutes of miscellaneous conversation, Olivia took a drink of her tea and a deep breath.
"Sarah, Elliot and I have something important that we wanted to talk to you about."
"Okay." She batted her dark eyelashes and stared blankly ahead at them.
Olivia looked at Elliot for a moment, then returned her attention to her daughter.
"I was thinking about when you said you wanted to come live with me. Are you sure that is really how you feel?"
"Yes. I mean, if that is okay with you, Olivia. I would love to come and live here and stay with you. I don't want to live with the Jensen's anymore. I want to be with you. If you want me."
"Baby, I love you more than anything in the world. And I want you to me here with me forever. But the judge says that I have to adopt you, to legally make me your mother."
"But did you tell him about the man that stole me when I was a baby? You are my mother, right?"
"Yes. Honey, I will always be your mother. But to make it legal for you to live with me permanently, so that no one can ever take you away from me again, I have to adopt you."
"That's stupid. How can you adopt me if I am already your daughter?"
"I agree with you. It is stupid. But it is also the law. In New York, that is the way things are done. So to make it legal, that is what I have to do."
"So adopt me."
Olivia took another deep breath. "I tried to. I went to my lawyer's office and filled out all of the paperwork. And I waited for it all to come back. But when it did, they said they wouldn't let me adopt you."
"Why not?"
"Because, honey….they like for kids who are adopted to have a mother and a father. But if you were here with me, you would only have a mother."
Olivia watched as her child's heart broke in front of her eyes.
"But I love you, Olivia. I love you and you love me and that is enough. I don't need a father."
"I was thinking maybe they were right. Maybe you do."
"Please don't let them take me away again," Sarah said softly as her tears fell onto the table.
"Baby listen to me," Olivia said softly as she moved to kneel beside Sarah's chair and held her hand. "Sarah, I love you so much. And I am going to do everything I can to be able to keep you here with me." Olivia looked over at Elliot. "Infact, Elliot and I were talking last night after your party and he came up with an idea."
Sarah tipped her head to look at Elliot. He watched the girl as her bottom lip quivered and he felt his heart melt. He knew there was nothing in the world he would not do for this child. He already loved her like she was his own. This would only make it legal. He knew it was the right thing to do.
"Sarah," he began, "what would you think about me adopting you?"
"I can't live with Olivia?"
"No honey, you don't understand. If I adopted you, I would be your father. Then Olivia could adopt you and you would stay with her. I would be your father and she would still be your mother and no one would ever be able to take you away from her again."
Sarah smiled. "You can do that?"
"We don't know for sure yet if it would work. But we would like to give it a try. We wanted to talk to you first. This needs to be your decision."
"So, you would be my father?"
"Yes."
"And that would make your kids my brothers and sisters?"
"I hadn't thought about it, but yes. You and Elizabeth would be sisters."
"Where would we live?"
"Here," Olivia answered.
"You are going to move in here?" Sarah asked looking at Elliot.
"No, I would still live at my house. It would be like the way it is with me and my kids. I would be your dad and you would see me all of the time and I would always be here for you. But you would live here with Olivia, your mother."
"Oh. Can I change my name?"
"Yes. Actually your name would change to Stabler."
She looked at Olivia. "I can't change my name to Benson?"
"Your name would be the same as Elliot's because he would be your father. You would be Sarah Stabler."
"Will your name change to Stabler, too?"
"No, honey. My name would stay Olivia Benson."
"Why can't our names be the same?"
"It is really complicated and to tell you the truth I don't even fully understand it."
"Oh."
"What do you think?" Elliot asked her.
Sarah looked at Olivia and then back at Elliot. "I think….I would like you to be my dad."
"You do, huh?"
"Yes. We would still be a family, right? The three of us. Even if we don't live together or all have the same last name?"
"You bet!" Elliot looked up at Sarah as she ran around to his side of the table to hug him.
"Thank you Elliot!"
"You are very welcome, sweetheart."
"I love you," she said placing a Soft kiss against his cheek.
"I love you too, Sarah."
"It will be kind of cool to have a real dad."
"Well, I would be honored to have you as my daughter."
Sarah smiled. She took Elliot's hand in one of hers and held Olivia's with the other. "I like this. Being with my real family. Now I have a father and a mother and five brothers and sisters."
Olivia laughed. "Well. We still have to wait to see if the judge will approve it."
"Sarah, no matter what happens Olivia and I will both love you always. And we will be here for you, no matter what."
"What happens if he doesn't approve you?" She asked looking at Olivia. "Will I have to keep living with the Jensen's?"
"For now. But they will probably try to adopt you. And if they do, I am not sure how much they will let me see you. But I am going to do everything I can, I promise you that. Elliot and I both are."
"Infact, we are going to go talk to the lawyer tomorrow to fill out the papers. Then we will just have to wait until the judge tells us if he will approve the adoption."
"How long will that take?"
"It can take a few weeks or sometimes as long as a month or two," Olivia answered her. "But until we find out I will still get you on our weekends. And we will still get our phone calls. Everything will be how it is right now, until then."
"What do I tell the Jensen's?"
"You can talk to them about it if you want," Olivia answered, "I don't expect you to keep secrets from them."
"Do I have to tell them? What if they get mad?"
"You don't have to. It might be a little easier on you if you didn't. If this works out, then my lawyer will contact them and tell them. And you won't have to."
Sarah hugged Olivia again. "I love you, Olivia. I want to live with you. I want to do this and I want Elliot to be my dad."
"I love you too baby," Olivia said combing her fingers through Sarah's soft hair. "You should run get your things together, then we will have some ice cream. The Jensen's will be here in half an hour to pick you up." Olivia kissed her forehead and Sarah went down the hall into her bedroom to gather her things.
"That went better than I thought it would," Elliot replied.
"You think so?"
Elliot reached over and squeezed her hand. "It went really well."
Olivia smiled. "I know, I am just so afraid it isn't going to be a simple as it sounds."
"All we can do is try, Olivia. I will never give up on trying to bring her home. This is where she belongs. With you."
"I don't know what I would do without you," she whispered.
"You will never have to find out," Elliot said kissing her hand.