Author's Note: Grab a box of tissues, this chapter will probably make you cry.

Further Down The Road

(Chapter Eight: A Chance Encounter With Destiny)

It was just after eleven o'clock on New Year's Eve and Olivia was ready to leave the party already. It wasn't much of a party really, just the group from work gathered in their usual hang out for drinks and resolutions and the countdown to the new year.

But Olivia was tired and achy and didn't want to let them all down by leaving to head home and go to bed by eleven thirty. She groaned a little as she shifted in her chair. She reached into her purse and pulled out her cell phone.

"Everything okay?" Elliot asked leaning in to kiss the back of her neck.

"Fine, I'm just tired."

"Let's just stay until midnight, then we can go. I promise." Elliot kissed her lips tenderly. "I love you."

"I love you, too. I'm gonna go to the bathroom and call Kathy to check on the girls."

"Baby, I am sure they are fine. Elizabeth is helping her out with them."

"I know, but this is the first time I have ever left Abby over night. I just want to check."

Elliot smiled. "Go ahead. Do you want me to order you another club soda?"

"Umm, no. Maybe some water."

"Okay." Elliot leaned in and kissed her as she stood up and made her way to the back of the sports bar to the ladies room. She dialed Kathy's house number and counted the rings before Elizabeth picked up.

"Hello."

"Hey, honey. It's Liv, I was just calling to check on the girls."

"Oh, they are good."

"Did Abby cry too much?"

"No, Hannah and Eli and I played with her. Eli showed her how to work the controller for his RC car, so she liked playing with that. He and Hannah were chasing the dog around the house with it. Abby fell asleep around eight thirty and has her in her room. Hannah wanted to stay up until midnight. I told her she could. We put a pallet of blankets in the floor and she and Eli were pretending to camp out. They were both asleep by nine thirty. Dickie and I are watching a music video count down. I'll take Hannah to bed with me in a little while."

"Sounds like you guys are having a lot of fun."

"Sure."

"Okay, honey. I need to go. Thank you for helping your mom out with them."

"No problem, Liv. We like it when they come over."

She returned to the table and took her seat.

"How are they doing?"

"Sleeping. Elizabeth told Hannah she could stay up until midnight and she was out by nine thirty."

Elliot laughed and smiled. "Casey is here with a date. She was asking about you. I think they went to the bar."

"Here she comes," Olivia said pointing across the crowd.

"Hey," Casey said reaching to hug Olivia. She rubbed her hands on Olivia's belly. "Aww, she's kicking."

"Hey, this kid could still be a boy," Elliot remarked.

"I thought you were supposed to find out this week?"

"We were," Olivia informed her. "But every time they have tried to look the baby is turned and they can't tell. We're still not sure."

"So when are you due?" Casey asked.

"Well, I am actually further along than I thought I was at first. I was thinking early July, but my actual due date is June sixth."

"Oh, I didn't introduce you. Michael Burk, this is Elliot and Olivia Stabler. They are detectives at the sixteenth precinct, SVU. Michael, is a divorce attorney."

"It's very nice to meet you," Olivia said with a smile as he raised her hand to shake his.

"The pleasure is all mine, Mrs. Stabler. Congratulations on the baby."

"Olivia. And thank you."

"Is this your first?" He asked.

"Umm, no. I have two little girls at home. Hannah is five and Abby is fourteen months."

"They sound sweet."

Olivia smiled.

"Michael," Elliot said shaking his hand. "What do you say we grab a game of pool and let the ladies talk?"

"Sure."

Elliot kissed Olivia. "I'll be back before midnight. I wouldn't miss our traditional stroke of midnight kiss, for anything."

Olivia smiled as she watched them walk away. "So," she said turning to Casey once she was sure they were gone, "tell me more about Michael."

"He's great, isn't he?"

"He's cute," Olivia said with a smile.

"I know. And an amazing kisser. And a complete gentleman. He opens car doors for me and holds my hand in public. Always calls when he says he will. I'm not sure he is really human."

Olivia laughed. "He sounds like a dream. Elliot seems to like him."

"I was really hoping you guys would."

"How long have you been seeing him?"

"A few weeks, now. But, I think tonight I am going to take him home with me tonight."

"Oooh. Just be careful or you will end up with one of these," Olivia warned placing her hand against her belly. "Here," she said placing Casey's hand on her belly to feel the baby kick.

"Aww. That is so sweet."

"Elliot and I have talked about it and we decided this one is our last one."

"You did, huh?"

"Yup. We will have eight kids, Case. That is enough."

"Eight wonderful kids. And you are both amazing parents."

"Thanks. We try. And there is nothing either of us wouldn't do for them."

That night after the count down to midnight, Elliot took his wife home. Olivia could not wait to take off all of her dressy clothes and high heeled shoes and slip into a tee shirt and crawl into bed. She was wore out. They held each other for a while as they talked and then made love. Olivia fell asleep naked in his arms with her head against Elliot's chest as he held her tight.

EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

The next morning Olivia awoke and stumbled to the bathroom, like she did every morning. She was only around four months pregnant, but was showing a lot faster with this baby than she did with the other two. She was still having the morning sickness, morning, noon and night and feeling the baby move a lot more than she usually did this early on.

I wouldn't be surprised if she moved up my due date again, Olivia thought to herself as she stared at her figure in the mirror and rubbed shea butter lotionon her belly. She took a deep breath and put the cap back on the bottle as she brushed her teeth and headed back to the bedroom.

She stood at the edge of the bed and watched as Elliot snored. She smiled and laughed a little then headed down the hall to cook breakfast for her husband. Elliot emerged from the bedroom rubbing his eyes and following his nose to the smell of coffee and bacon. He sat down at the bar as she handed him a cup of coffee and a plate of food.

"So, you think of any names yet?" She asked with a smile.

"I thought we were going to wait until they could tell us the sex of the baby?"

"At this rate, we are not going to find out until the kid is born. I just think we should have a few in mind for a boy or a girl."

"I like Landon. And Hunter. And Logan."

"What about for a girl?"

"Madison and Reese are both cute. What do you think?"

"I like both of those. I like Isaiah, for a boy."

"I like Isaiah, but I also like Landon."

Olivia smiled. "So we have narrowed it down. For now at least. Landon or Isaiah for a boy and Madison or Reese for a girl."

Elliot nodded his head in agreement. "You not gonna eat?"

"Mine is in the microwave."

He raised an eyebrow as he took a bite.

"Fruit and oatmeal. I have already been sick this morning and if I eat eggs, I will be sick all afternoon. This is really better for the baby anyway," she said cutting up a few strawberries and blueberries. She pulled the bowl from the microwave and stirred in the fruit mixture then sat down on the stool beside him, while they enjoyed breakfast.

"I don't get it."

"Get what?" She asked taking another bite of her breakfast.

"You hate oatmeal. And you don't drink milk," he said pointing to her glass. "But when you are pregnant you cant eat any of the things you do like and you eat a lot of the things you hate."

"Small sacrifices," she said patting her belly. "These things are good for the baby. The calcium from the milk and folic acid from the oatmeal and cereals. Things the baby needs to develop. And if I doctor it up just right, sometimes I manage to keep it down."

"Don't you crave the other things?"

"Not eggs. Usually I love them. But with all three pregnancies just the smell of them is usually enough to make me sick. I miss the coffee. You know what I really miss?" She asked staring at him. "Starbucks!"

They both laughed.

"I hate even driving past the place because I want to go inside so bad and get my coffee fix."

"You know they offer decaffeinated options for just about everything they serve."

"But is also has a ton of sugar and fat and other things that the baby could do without."

"Baby, it's been four months. I think you could allow yourself one decaf drink from Starbucks. And it might help with the cravings."

She stared at him with big eyes like a kid in a candy store.

"Tell you what. After breakfast we will walk down together and I will buy my wife any decaffeinated thing she wants. It will be like a special treat. Then when we get back we can head to Kathy's and pick up the girls."

"Aww, thank you baby."

"Hey, I just want to make you happy." He leaned in and kissed her lips. "That is my main goal in life. To make sure my wife and kids are all happy."

"You are doing a great job."

Elliot smiled at her and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she smiled back. Olivia sat her spoon in her empty bowl and stood up.

"No," Elliot said taking the bowl from her. "You relax. You cooked breakfast. I've got the dishes." He leaned in and kissed her softly as she smiled at him. "I love you, more than anything in the world, I love you." He brushed his thumb across her bottom lip and patted her belly.

"I love you too," she cooed with a smile. She walked into the living room and sat on the couch propping her feet up and picked up her book off the end table.

"Did I tell you I called one of the real estate companies yesterday?"

"No," she said looking up at him washing dishes in the kitchen.

"I told he we were looking for a four bedroom with two baths. She said she thought she had a few in the area. She is supposed to call me on Tuesday after she gets a list together to set up a time to show them to us. She said that she can also list this place for us. But I don't want to list it until after we are already fully moved in to the new place. That way we don't have to rush so much to move."

"Good idea."

"Alright," he said stacking the last of the dishes in the strainer, "let me run get dressed and we are ready to go."

Olivia smiled up at him as he walked down the hall toward the bedroom. She climbed off the couch and made her way to the bathroom one more time before they left the apartment.

They bundled up and walked the two blocks to the nearest Starbucks. The line inside was a little long, so Elliot found them a table and they sat and enjoyed small talk for about fifteen minutes until the place had pretty much cleared out.

"You know what you want?" Elliot asked her.

"No, I need a few minutes to decide."

Elliot helped her up from the table and they stood in front of the counter to make their order. Olivia had been in the middle of sending a text message to Casey asking how things had gone with Michael and still held her phone in her left hand. As they made their order a tall man walked in and stood in line behind them. A few other customers were scattered around the counter waiting for their coffee. Elliot paid the woman with a credit card and signed the slip. As he did he and Olivia stepped aside allowing the man behind them in line to step up and place his order. Olivia studied the glass bakery case as she suddenly got a sickening feeling in her stomach. But it wasn't her usual morning sickness, this was different. This had nothing to do with the pregnancy. Something was wrong. She only got this feeling just before something awful happened.

She shifted her eyes to stare into Elliot's with a worried look.

"Everything okay?" He asked reaching for her arm.

"Something's wrong, Elliot."

"The baby?"

"No. Can we just go? I just want to go home. And call Kathy to check on the girls."

"Baby, our order is up next. Another couple of minutes…."

"No, Elliot, now. Please," she pleaded with him as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"Olivia, what's wrong?"

"I don't know," she gasped. "I just want to go, now."

Elliot nodded his head and turned to tell the girl behind the counter to cancel their order. As he did, the girl opened the cash drawer to give the man in line his change. While she had the cash drawer opened, the man pulled a hand gun from his hooded sweats shirt and pointed it in the girls face demanding the money from the register.

Elliot instinctively reached to his side for his gun, but he had left it at home. He hadn't anticipated anything like this on his morning out with his wife. He looked back at Olivia with tears in her eyes. His eyes fell to the cell phone in her hand, then moved up to meet hers. He nodded to her as she moved her thumb to dial the second number in her speed dial, Fin's cell phone, and prayed he could hear what was going on in the room.

The man shouted and the girl behind the counter cried. Olivia raised her hand into the long sleeve of her sweater to conceal the cell phone, with the other hand she cradled her belly. Elliot moved back to stand in front of his very obviously pregnant wife in a defensive manor as the man began to wave the gun around.

"Why don't you just calm down?" He suggested to the gunman.

The man turned to look at Elliot and pointed the gun at him. "I don't remember asking for your comments!" The man yelled.

"I'm not trying to cause problems. I am simply suggesting, there is an easier way to do this. She is scared and you are yelling and waving a gun in her face. If you spoke a little more calmly, maybe she wouldn't be so afraid and move a little faster."

The man stared at Elliot for a moment then turned his attention back to the girl behind the counter. "Can you please put the money into the fucking bag?" He said calmly still holding the gun in his hand.

The terrified cashier nodded in agreement as she emptied her cash drawer into the bag. The man tucked the bag under his arm and turned to head out the door. Olivia's call to Fin must have disconnected, because as the man turned to leave her phone began to ring out loud.

The man spun around and raised his gun pointing it at her. He pulled the trigger and fired four shots one after another. But as he did Elliot pushed her to the floor taking three of the bullets himself. The robber ran from the store and out into the streets of the city.

Olivia crawled across the floor with one hand under her belly until she reached his side. She switched automatically from mommy mode to cop mode as she reached for him to check for his pulse and inspect his wounds.

"Somebody, call 911!" She screamed as she turned her cell phone on speaker. "Fin! We need a bus at the Starbucks down from my apartment! Elliot has been shot!"

She couldn't even think clearly enough to remember the street name, but she knew Fin would come through for her.

"Is he breathing, Olivia?" Fin asked over the phone. "The bus is on it's way!"

"I don't know," she gasped as she heard Fin make the call of an officer down over his radio. "He was hit three times, I think. One looks like it just grazed his shoulder. And I am seeing one through the shoulder, it's clean. But I can't find the third!"

"Liv, you need to try to stay calm. Are you hurt?"

"No, Elliot pushed me out of the way," she cried over the phone.

"Is there anyone else hurt?"

She looked around the room at the bystanders. "I don't think so. They are shaken up, a man robbed the place. He shot at me when my phone rang. Elliot pushed me out of the way. There were four shots, one hit the counter. I was sure the other three hit him."

She opened Elliot's jacket more to inspect him for wounds. "Elliot," she called to him cupping her hand against his face. "El, please talk to me. God! Please, be okay!" She pleaded with him. "I need you baby. I love you so much." She gasped to try and catch her breath. She couldn't break down now. He needed her too much right now. FOCUS! She thought to herself as she noticed a small blood spot as it appeared to grow larger in the center of his chest. "Oh my God!"

"Olivia, what?" Fin shouted over the phone.

"I found it! The third shot is to the lower left side of his chest. Fin, the bullet is still inside him! There is so much blood!"

"Get some towels or something and hold pressure on it to slow the bleeding! Help is on the way, Liv!"

Moments later she could hear the sirens as the ambulance crew began to file into the coffee shop. Olivia could feel the warmth of her tears as they poured from her face. She watched as the crew loaded her husband into the back of the ambulance. One of the EMT's helped Olivia inside the back and closed the doors behind them as they headed for the hospital. Another crew and several uniformed officers stayed behind to check out the rest of the witnesses and question them.

Olivia sat quietly wrapped in a blanket and watched as they worked to save Elliot. His heart stopped beating twice in the short drive across town to the hospital and the crew was able to revive him. She was so scared. She felt sick and lost and afraid. She couldn't lose him. Not now. Not like this. She needed him, too much.

How could she tell the kids and Kathy? How could she tell her two little girls that their daddy was now in Heaven? How could she have this baby alone? How could she raise three children with out their father?

"Ma'am?" She heard the EMT repeat as she shifted her eyes to look at him through her tears. "We are almost there. Are you sure you are alright?" He asked pointing to her blood soaked sweater.

"It is not my blood," she whispered.

"No, ma'am. I mean your baby. You should probably get checked out as well."

Olivia gulped and nodded through tears.