The Black Market Baby Scandal
(Chapter Nineteen: When It Rains….)
The last few months had past rather quickly and it was starting to get warm in the city again. They had managed to gather enough evidence to take the black market baby case to court and the doctor who stole and sold the babies was now facing a twenty five year sentence for each child he illegally sold. His sister served as a star witness against him in court earning herself a deal from the D.A., she would only serve six years for each of the cases she was involved with.
They had managed to find a total of seven children now, including Sarah and start the proceedings to reunite them with their families. The case had been really big with the media and made both the Manhattan SVU and A.D.A. Casey Novak look good, in turn making their bosses very happy.
Elliot and Olivia had been living together now for a few months, sharing a five bedroom loft with the children. The kids loved living with Olivia and with Sarah. Most of the kids still held on to the hope that someday soon there would be a new addition to the Stabler brood. And were not exactly hiding the fact that they all hoped to see Elliot and Olivia married soon.
Elliot sat at his desk playing around on the internet and wasting time until Olivia returned from court and they could go to lunch. He had gotten the idea in his head to take his new large family on a little mini vacation to kick off summer vacation the first week the kids were out of school. The trip would serve as bonding time for the entire clan and give Elliot and Olivia time to spend with all of their children together.
But things had come up at work and Elliot had pushed the idea to the back of his mind and now he only had three days to plan something before the kids were out of school. At one point the had considered something like Disney land, but their kids were too old for things like that.
Elliot sat staring at the search bar on the screen as he tried to think up ideas. Amusement parks and water parks would probably go well, but they weren't exactly what he had in mind. He typed 'family vacation ideas' into the space and hit enter.
Among the dozens of over the top ideas like Hawaii and cruises was a link to a site where you could rent an RV and travel. Elliot slicked the link. He read through the options and then took a virtual walkthrough one of the RV's. There was no way to possibly pile six children, Elliot and Olivia into that confined space and there be a good ending. Obviously this was not an option.
But it gave him another idea. A camping trip. There were a few campgrounds upstate where Elliot and Dickie used to go with the boy scout troop. Elliot looked up listings for local camp grounds, but there were not a lot of options. He decided to go take Olivia and the kids to one of the places they used to go with the boy scouts. Elliot punched in the name and printed out driving directions.
That evening when Elliot and Olivia met the kids. He announced to his girlfriend and all six children that they were going on a camping trip. Obviously he was more excited that they were, because the most he got as far as a reaction was a few groans.
"Come on guys. I am talking two days. Well two nights, three days. You guys get out of school early on Friday. Olivia and I will pick you up and we will go right out and set up camp. We can roast marshmallows and hunt for fire wood. Do a little fishing."
"Girls don't fish dad," Maureen said folding her arms in front of her.
"Some girls do," Elliot said with a smile looking at Olivia.
"I have never been fishing," she admitted. She looked around at the looks on the faces of the children. "But it sounds like fun!"
They all turned and looked at her.
"Oh, come on guys. Your dad worked hard to set up a fun family camping trip for all of us, they least we could do is try. This could be a lot of fun. We'll get snacks and sleeping bags and sleep in tents. Those who would like to try can go fishing. It will be fun!"
"Guys, Liv is right. Lets at least try camping before we all say we don't like camping," Kathleen suggested.
"I have never been camping before," Sarah said smiling at Elliot. "I think it sounds like fun. We have to sleep outside?"
"Well, we will be in tents," Elliot said. "I figured we could get a couple of tents for you kids. Maybe one for the older girls, one for the boys and one for Sarah and Elizabeth. Then get one for Liv and I. We can cook dinner over an open fire. It will be great."
"Okay daddy, we'll go camping," Elizabeth agreed.
"Alright. Stabler family camping trip, starting Friday at five o'clock."
That night as they crawled into bed Elliot watched Olivia smooth lotion on her arms and legs. She got up and made her way back down the hall to check on Sarah, who was sound asleep then returned to the bedroom with Elliot.
"Thank you for backing me up at dinner tonight," he said as she crawled back into bed beside him.
"You're welcome," she said with a smile.
"You didn't look too enthused about spending a couple of nights sleeping out doors either. I guess I should have checked with the family before I made the plans."
"No El, you are just trying to do something fun for you family. I think camping is a wonderful idea."
"You do?"
"Yeah. It is just that you are taking a bunch of city kids, girls for the most part and expecting them to get all excited about sleeping outside on the ground with dirt and bugs when they have comfy beds, air conditioning and cable here. Dickie at least knows what to expect, he looked excited. And everyone else agreed to go into this with an open mind, so that is a good sign."
"But you don't really want to go camping either, do you?"
"Normally I wouldn't, no. But I love you, Elliot. And I am willing to try anything for you. I think if we all go into this camping trip with an open mind and a good attitude we can all have a lot of fun," she said with a smile.
Elliot smiled back at her. "Anything, huh?"
Olivia laughed. "Pretty much anything," she said as she winked at him.
The next afternoon Elliot and Olivia patrolled the city looking to purchase the gear they would need for their family camping trip. They had two days to get things in order to make this trip an amazing adventure for the entire family.
Elliot got the tents while Olivia focused on sleeping bags. She pulled an empty bank envelope and a pen from her purse and began to make a list of foods for the trip. Hot dogs and hamburger, plenty of snack foods, marshmallows of course, soda and bottled water.
"What'cha' doin'?" Elliot asked as he stepped around the corner and dropped four tents into the shopping cart.
"Making a list."
"A list?"
"A camping list. Stuff we need to get. Just the food so far."
"Good thinking. We need a couple of those big coolers and plenty of ice to keep the food cold."
Elliot and Olivia picked the kids up from Kathy's, all of the kids. Sarah already being out of school had spent the night there the night before and the older girls were there as well. The gear was loaded and they were finally on their way.
"Everybody ready for the Stabler family camping trip?" Elliot asked trying to get them geared up.
"We're ready dad," Elizabeth answered back with a smile.
"Dickie remember that place we used to camp with the scouts?"
"Yeah."
"That is our destination. I think you guys are going to love it. It is beautiful. Peaceful, kind of secluded, has a big nice lake for fishing and canoeing, maybe even swimming." Elliot looked at Olivia and smirked. "A little late night skinny dipping," he mumbled just low enough the children could not hear him.
Olivia smiled and turned to look out the window as she began to blush a bit. Elliot loved that she was still so shy about their sexual relationship. He turned onto the road and continued toward the camp site.
"Dad does this place have running water? Like for a shower?" Maureen asked from the back seat.
"They had really nice shower houses the last time we were here."
They drove for a few more miles.
"It doesn't look like anyone else is here," Olivia said as the trees thinned out and you could begin to see the campsites through them.
"Well, it is still early in the camping season. That's alright, it gives us first pick of the campsites."
"Oh no," Olivia said softly as they approached a place where the road had been closed off.
Elliot put the SUV into park and shut off the ignition as they all piled out to look around. The grass was all over grown and the place looked like it hadn't been cleaned up in years. Broken beer bottles littered the ground and graffiti was sprayed in bright green and orange paint all over the buildings.
"This place looks condemned," Kathleen noted.
"I thought you said they had a great shower house dad?"
"Yeah, the last time we were here. That was like in two thousand one," Dickie said attempting to defend his father from his sisters.
"What is that smell?" Maureen asked.
"I think something is dead over here," Kathleen laughed poking the weeds with a stick.
"Hey, maybe you'll find a body," Dickie said in excitement as he ran to her side and helped her seek out the cause of the odor."
"Kathleen, Dickie, get away from there!" Elliot said. "That smell is something dead alright, but it isn't human."
"Oh, gross!" Kathleen screamed nearly stepping on the half decomposed carcass of what appeared to be the remains of a deer.
"Awesome," Dickie said poking it with a stick causing the flies to buzz away and stir up the smell.
"Eww," Elizabeth shrieked making a face like she was going to gag.
Dickie picked up a piece of hide on the stick and began to chase Maureen with it as she screamed and ran.
"Dad!" Maureen screamed pushing her way through the other kids as the rotting lump of flesh fell off the stick.
"Everybody back in the car!" Elliot yelled over the complaints and screams of his children. "Dickie! Drop the stick and stop chasing your sister!"
Kathleen laughed almost hysterically at the look on Maureen's face.
"Shut up," Maureen snapped hitting her.
"Don't hit me," Kathleen spat hitting her back.
Sarah and Elizabeth watched from the car as the two girls had to be pried apart by their father.
"Come on guys, we are trying to have a fun family trip here," Elliot encouraged.
Olivia buckled Eli back into his booster seat as the girls climbed back into the car.
"Yeah dad, because we are all having so much fun," Kathleen said sarcastically. "You didn't think to call ahead to see if this campground even existed before you drove us all the way out here in the middle of nowhere?"
"Chill out. Alright, Kathleen? I have another idea," Elliot said picking up his cell phone and looking at Olivia. "Cragen gave me a key to his cabin a while back to take Dickie fishing. If that still exists," he said sarcastically, "there is plenty of land for tents and campfires. And he has a lake for fishing."
"That sounds good," Olivia smiled. "But El, it looks like it might rain," she said looking up at the sky through the front windshield.
"It's not gonna rain. I checked the forecast," he said leaning forward to kiss her lips.
"Yeah Cap, Liv and I were gonna take the kids camping this weekend and our campsite fell through. I was wondering if you would mind if we set up a few tents out at your cabin, maybe built a small campfire to roast marshmallows?"
The car was quiet for a few minutes as they all awaited an answer.
"Alright," Elliot said. "See you on Monday." he closed his phone and started the car.
"What did he say?"
"He said it's cool. Here we go guys!"
They arrived at the cabin about an hour later and began to unload the car. Olivia focused on putting away all of the food, as Elliot handed out tents to the kids. He set up he and Olivia's tent, then moved to help Maureen and Kathleen with theirs. Dickie set up the one for he and Eli, then went to work on the campfire. And Olivia helped Sarah and Elizabeth finish getting their tent set up.
Dickie had trouble getting the fire to light. The air was cool and a little windy as night began to fall and they all sat around with flashlights eating chips and beef jerky. After an hour or so the campfire idea had been pretty much abandon and the kids all began to get tired.
"It smells like rain," Olivia said pulling on a hooded sweatshirt and tossing one to Sarah.
"It is not going to rain. I checked. I looked online, read it in the paper and watched the news this morning. It is supposed to be nice all weekend."
An hour later the kids had all piled into Dickie's tent with their sleeping bags and popcorn as they told scary stories with a to the eerie glow of a flash light. Elliot and Olivia sat outside on coolers talking and listening to the kids.
"They sound like they are having fun," Olivia said leaning in against him as he closed his arm around her.
"Yeah, they hate camping. This trip is a disaster."
"Elliot, you brought them all camping to bond. The camping may not have gone as smoothly as you would have liked, but they are all in there and they are bonding. I would say that makes this trip a success."
Olivia leaned up and kissed Elliot tenderly right as Dickie reached the scary part of his story. There was a loud clap of thunder and lightening as hard rain began to pour on them.
The kids all screamed and came scrambling from the tent as it collapsed into a pile of poles and fabric on the ground.
"Get the sleeping bags!" Olivia yelled back to the kids as she grabbed Eli and ran for the cabin.
The kids all turned and ran back for sleeping bags and a few minutes later they all stood wet and trembling in the kitchen of the small cabin.
"I'm gonna try to get a fire going," Dickie said.
"We couldn't even get one going outside," Elliot said looking at him.
"The wood was wet dad. This one is gas."
Elliot nodded. "Good thinking."
"Maureen and Kathleen began to spread out the apparently waterproof sleeping bags on the floor around the fireplace as the kids all sat down to warm themselves by the firs.
"I'm hungry," Kathleen said as she stared up at the flames.
"Me too," Elizabeth said as her stomach growled and she and Sarah giggled.
"All the food is outside in the rain," Maureen said.
"Don't look at me," Dickie replied.
"I think I can help you guys," Olivia said moving to the refrigerator and pulling out two packages of hot dogs. "We could still roast hot dogs."
Elliot gave her a look.
"What? It wouldn't all fin in the cooler."
"How do you plan to roast them? All of the sticks are outside in the rain."
"I have a plan, Stabler." She said with a smirk. "Sarah, can you run get me…." Olivia took a quick headcount. "Eight wire hangers from the closet in the bedroom?"
"Okay," Sarah said moving into the bedroom closet and returning with the hangers.
Olivia showed the kids how to unbend the wire of the hanger to use as a roasting stick. Half an hour later they had six happy children as they all began to drift off in the floor.
Elliot held Olivia on the couch as they watched the flames flicker in the fireplace and listened to the thunderstorm outside. Elliot kissed the back of her head as she turned and smiled at him.
"You are amazing," he said. "You saved this camping trip, with your roasting hot dogs and marshmallows over the fireplace. Until that point I think they were all pretty miserable."
Olivia smiled. "They were having fun. I mean the trip it's self may have been cursed, I will give you that. But I think together we have mad this a family trip that none of us will ever forget. We are all here together. And we are happy and healthy and loved. This is the best trip I have ever been on."
Elliot smirked. "Well, I hope you are comfortable dear. Because there is no room left in that floor for us. And I left our sleeping bags in the tent."
"You know," Olivia smiled looking over her shoulder, "there is a nice warm bed in the other room." She smiled and kissed him.
"And the kids are all asleep," Elliot added hoping she would go for it and he could get a little action tonight.
"I know it isn't quite the same as skinny dipping," she whispered against his ear, "but there is a shower stall in there just big enough for two."
Elliot kissed her softly. "I think we should save the shower sex for in the morning."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah, after we have both had a little bit of rest. I am kind of wore out right now. I don't know if I could do the balancing against the wall thing. I am more in a lay you down across the bed and take advantage of you kind of mood. What about you?"
Olivia laughed. "Baby, I am just horny. I will take what I can get."
Elliot laughed. "I have never heard you talk like that."
"No? It isn't very lady like, I know."
"No, it isn't. But it is really hot!"
"Let's go to bed, Stabler."
"Yes, ma'am."
The next morning when Olivia woke up, Elliot and the kids had cooked breakfast. The tiny dining area of the one bedroom cabin was nowhere near large enough for their clan so, Olivia sat at the barstool at the kitchen counter eating her eggs.
"You guys did a really great job with breakfast," she said as Elliot sat a mug of hot coffee down beside her. She smiled as he kissed her tenderly.
"I love you," he whispered.
"And I love you," she replied with her eyes sparkling.
They talked for a while with the kids and Dickie was telling some funny story. Olivia picked up her coffee mug to take a drink and as she did she heard something fall and hit the counter.
Confused she looked down to pick up the small shiny object. She raised her hand to get a closer look at it. It, was a small platinum band with a one karat diamond setting and it was beautiful.
"Oh my God," she gasped as she raised her eye to look at Elliot only then noticing all six children watching her as well.
"Olivia, have been my partner and my best friend for almost twelve years now. Together we make an amazing team. Not just at work, but as parents to our kids as well. But I have realized recently that I am selfish." Olivia tipped her head and looked confused. "Twelve years is no where near enough. I want you forever. So I am standing here today in front of our family asking you to make me the promise that we will always be here fore each other. Partners and best friends, husband and wife, for life. Olivia Benson, will you marry me?"
Elliot watched as tears overflowed her eyes and she tried to catch her breath.
"Yes," she said softly as she leaned forward and threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. She hugged him tight and closed her eyes to kiss him as the voices of excitement from the children filled the room. Olivia could not stop crying, she had never been so happy in her life.
Elliot wrapped his arms tight around her and kissed her until she had calmed again. "I love you so much," he said slipping the ring onto her left hand ring finger. "And I just want you to know that you are making me the happiest man in the world."
"I love you too," she said with a smile. She wiped the tears from her eyes and cleared her throat as she looked around the room at the kids.
"And you guys all knew about this?" She watched as they all began to smile and nod their heads.
"Now you will be a Stabler, too." Sarah pointed out as she hugged her mother.
"Yeah. I guess I will," Olivia said with a smile.