The Black Market Baby Scandal
(Chapter Thirteen: Probation)
Olivia took a hot bath and was relaxing on her couch with a glass of wine when the doorbell rang. She exhaled softly and sat her wine glass on the coffee table. She opened the door and smiled. In her mind she already knew who it was, but when the door opened and her eyes fell upon him a smile automatically spread across her face.
"Hi, El." She turned and walked back toward the couch.
"I thought I would stop by with some dinner. We could talk, if you want to."
"Sure. What's in the bag?"
"Burgers and onion rings," he said.
Olivia winced.
Elliot laughed. "I got you that grilled chicken Cesar salad you like so much."
She smiled and laughed.
"I didn't see you eating onion rings without protest."
"Thank you." Olivia went into the kitchen and got out two plates, carrying them to meet him in the living room.
"At least this way I know you ate something."
They sat and ate dinner and talked for a few hours over wine. When Elliot was sure that she'd be okay he kissed her forehead softly and walked out the apartment door.
"Elliot?"
"Yes?"
Olivia leaned across the door frame and stared at him.
"I don't even get a real kiss?"
"I…I just ate onion rings, Liv. I figured I would spare you the onion breath."
Olivia laughed. "Come here," she said softly.
Elliot walked slowly toward her. Olivia reached out to him and pressed her lips to his. It was a short closed mouth kiss, but it was sweet and romantic. When the kiss had ended Elliot gazed into her eyes. "Good night," he said with a smile as he leaned up to kiss her forehead once more. "I will pick you up for court in the morning."
"Good night, El."
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Olivia stared straight ahead at the dashboard of her car as Elliot drove them to work. She had barely said two words to him all morning. The got off the elevator and returned to their desks as she started up her computer for the day. It wasn't even lunch time yet and they had already had such a busy day.
"Hey," Elliot said tossing a pencil across the desk toward her to get her attention.
Olivia shifted her eyes up to look at him. "Hmm?"
"Say something."
She laughed. "What do you want me to say? I am a little shocked. I really didn't think it would go this way."
"Olivia, how did it go?" Cragen asked, as he laid a stack of files on her desk.
"I am going to need to leave a couple of hours early again today. I have to meet up with my lawyer around three thirty."
"No problem. Still meeting with the lawyer? Has the judge still not made up his mind?"
"No. I am meeting with my lawyer, who is going with me to pick up my daughter. This is my weekend with Sarah, so the judge said he didn't see any reason she could not go ahead and move in with me this weekend."
"Congratulations!"
"Well, it is not permanent yet. We have a three month trial period. I have to go tomorrow morning and get her registered in the private school down the block and pick up her uniforms. We will get her settled this weekend and she will start at her new school on Monday. I think she will like it. The school has a great program for gifted students, they already faxed her transcripts and they want to test her for that. And they have an amazing music program and a grand piano. Sarah loves to play and I would love to get her one, but there is no room in my apartment for a piano. So at least this way she will have access."
"Sounds like you have it all worked out"
"Almost, I still have to figure out someone to sit with her from three thirty until about five thirty when I get home from work. I can pick her up, but she is too young to leave home alone for the two hours. Not to mention she is not that familiar with the city and the apartment and I am still a little weary about leaving her alone at all. At least until after this adoption goes through and a permanent custody arrangement is made."
"I don't blame you for being a little weary after her being stolen from you once already. You have days build up, personal days. Take them if you need them. Until you get all of this settled. Sarah needs you right now, she needs her mother."
"Thank you," she said with a soft smile.
Cragen patted her on the back and walked back to his office.
"So, Mr. Stabler. Would you like to join me and our daughter for dinner tonight to celebrate the good news?"
A smile slowly spread across Elliot's face. Their daughter. He liked the sound of that. He had focused mainly on doing whatever he could to help Olivia with the adoption that ha had briefly forgotten that this meant they now shared a child together.
"I would love to."
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The next morning Olivia awoke to the sound of her alarm clock. She reached to turn it off and stared up at the ceiling with a smile. She sat up and slipped her robe over her shoulders. She walked a few feet down the hallway and opened Sarah's bedroom door as she peered inside. Sarah laid curled up in her bed with one arm stretched out and hanging over the edge. Her long dark hair was fanned out around her on the pillow.
"I love you," Olivia whispered softly. "Welcome home baby."
She pulled the door shut again and went into the kitchen to start the coffee. She walked back to her room and laid out her clothes on the bed then climbed into the shower. She dressed quickly then moved to the kitchen to cook breakfast for her daughter. Scrambled eggs, sausage, juice and toast.
Olivia talked down the hall and tapped gently on Sarah's bedroom door. She pushed the door open and walked over to kneel beside the bed.
"Sarah," she said with a whisper. "Honey, it's time to wake up."
Sarah stirred a little and groaned softly. Olivia combed her fingers through the girls long dark hair.
"Sarah." Olivia reached her fingertip to trace the curve of Sarah's nose. Sarah smiled and laughed a tired laugh as she fluttered her brown eyes open to stare at Olivia. "Good morning, sunshine. It's time to get up. I made breakfast. And we have to go get you enrolled in your new school today. Then….I was going to go in to work, but I was thinking we could go shopping. Get you some things for school. And maybe some stuff to make this room feel more at home. Maybe catch a movie and get some lunch."
Sarah smiled at her. "You don't have to work?"
"Nope. My boss said I could take the day off if I wanted to. To spend time with you. I was also thinking maybe I could take you by my work and let you meet everyone. Maybe take Elliot some lunch."
"It would be really neat to see where you work."
"I also wanted to talk to you about something. What would you think about spending a couple of hours a day with Maureen after school?"
"That's cool, I like Maureen."
"Yeah?" Olivia stood up and sat beside her on the bed. "See you get out of school at three thirty, but I don't usually get home until around five thirty. I was needing to find someone to stay with you and she dose not have any classes at that time, so she offered. I thought it might be more fun than a regular babysitter."
"I think it is a good idea."
Olivia tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and kissed her gently. "I will be able to pick you up from school a couple of days a week and bring you back here to meet her. But on days I am busy with work she will pick you up from school and bring you home."
"It will be fun."
"I'm glad you think so. Because I don't know anyone else and I don't want to leave you with someone I don't know and trust. Now come on. Up, up, up. Before you breakfast gets cold."
Sarah appeared in the kitchen a few minutes later and climbed up to the bar as Olivia handed her a plate of food and a glass of juice.
"After breakfast, you need to get a shower and get dressed. We have to be at your school in two hours."
Sarah smiled and Olivia kissed her forehead.
"I love you, baby."
"I love you too, Liv."
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Sarah and Olivia toured the campus of Sarah's new school. They were able to meet with a few of her teachers and even see the music room and piano. After meeting with the dean, Olivia sat down to fill out the enrollment forms as Sarah went to do her placement testing. An hour later the dean returned Sarah to her mother and showed them both to the admissions office to measure Sarah for her uniforms.
"I'll give you a couple today to wear until yours come in. I will send off the order this afternoon and it usually takes about two weeks for them to come in," the woman said looking at Sarah.
Sarah smiled and nodded politely as she reached for Olivia's hand. After Olivia wrote them a check for fees and uniforms, they set out shopping for the list of items she would need for school.
After lunch they stopped by the precinct to take Elliot some food and allow Sarah the chance to meet the crew. Everyone was excited to finally get to meet Olivia's daughter, Elliot and Olivia's daughter. Munch even gave her a tour of their floor.
Olivia sat across from Elliot at her desk checking her messages. She scribbled down a few notes and put together a stack of files to take home to work on over the weekend.
"So, what's on the agenda for today?" Elliot asked.
"Well, I got her registered. And she did her placement testing and got measured for uniforms. Then we went shopping for the things on the list the school gave me. Some of the supplies she needs are crazy. Like, she had to have an ipod."
"You bought her an ipod?"
"Well, she had an mp3 player already. But I wanted to make sure it would work for what they needed it for."
"What on earth do they need it for? She is eleven."
"They use it in her foreign language class."
"She is taking a foreign language?"
"Spanish I this semester and French I next semester. They alternate the two until they get into high school, then they also offer Japanese, German and Italian as electives."
"She is eleven years old, what is she in fifth grade?"
"Sixth grade."
"Sixth grade. Still this is a lot for these kids."
"Elliot, she tested in the top of her class for this school. They are enrolling her in the gifted program. She is so smart."
"It sounds like the two of you had fun. Her school sounds like a wonderful place."
"She likes it. I was worried about that. Oh, and I put you on the list to be able to pick her up. You, me, Kathy and Maureen. And you have to show identification to be able to leave with her. I was just worried about the Jensen's. I am trying not to feel this way, but I cannot help it. I figured if for any reason they should need to have her that early then you or I can pick her up for them."
"Good. They make me nervous."
"What are you guys doing this evening?"
"Nothing, really."
"What if after work we swing by the video store, the three of us and get some movies? Then we can order a pizza and have a little family time."
Olivia smiled. She had never thought about it that way. This adoption sealed the deal. She and Elliot were now officially family. They shared a child together and planned to raise her together. As a family.
"That sounds great."
"I was also thinking, I am taking the kids to a Ranger's hockey game on November twenty first. Why don't you and Sarah go with us? Well, make it a family thing."
"Elliot, I don't really follow hockey."
"But have you ever been to a live game?"
"No."
"Then you have yet to experience hockey. Come on, it will be fun. I promise. And then if you still are not convinced, I will never make you attend another hockey game again."
"I like baseball."
"Liv, baseball season ends in mid-October."
"Oh."
Elliot smiled.
"I will talk to Sarah and see what she thinks. I think it would be a great opportunity for her to spend some time with the kids."
"You will have to let me know as soon as possible. I'll have to order in advance to get eight tickets all together."
"But I am warning you now, I cannot follow hockey. SO I am liable to ask a million questions."
"Sometime between now and then you and Sarah can come over to my place. I will cook you dinner and we will watch a game on the flat screen. I will teach you both hoe to follow hockey. And if we all survive this game, then next year I will get us tickets to a Yankees game."
"Sounds good." Olivia smiled. She loved that he was trying so hard to get them all together to do things as a family.