Pretty Poison

(Chapter Six: Where Do We Go From Here?)

Six Weeks Later:

Elliot sat with Olivia in the waiting room watching her as she stared across the room at a mother with an infant. The woman held the baby who couldn't have possibly been more than about five months old as he stared back as Olivia and smiled at her. She grinned and waved at the baby as she instinctively placed her hand over her own small baby bump.

"You see that?" Elliot asked leaning in next to her. "You're a natural."

She turned and smiled at him. "It is still kind of hard to believe," she said softly.

"Yeah, in a few more months we will have one of those." He replied.

"You want a boy?"

"Or a girl, with your pretty brown eyes. I just want him or her to be healthy."

Olivia smiled as her the nurse called them back.

She laid back across the table as the doctor entered the room.

"How have you been feeling, Olivia?"

"Okay," she said softly.

"Any nausea or strange cravings yet?"

Olivia laughed, "not yet."

"You're one of the lucky ones. Most women have been sick as a dog for at least six weeks by this point in the pregnancy."

The doctor raised her shirt and measured her belly, then felt around on it for a few minutes.

"Have you felt any kicking yet?"

"No, not yet," she sighed.

"You should start feeling it any time. Now lets take a look here." He squirted a clear gel across the raised area of her abdomen and placed the wand of the ultrasound machine against it. He reached over to turn on the speakers and they could immediately hear the whomp, whomp, whomp sound of the baby's heart beating.

Olivia smiled and reached out for Elliot's hand. She laughed in amazement as she stared at the screen trying to figure out what part of the grey and black mass on the screen was her unborn child.

"Wow, is the heart supposed to be that fast?" She asked looking at the doctor.

"Oh yes, a fetal heart beat is very rapid. Much faster than an adults heartbeat. The average adult has a heart rate of sixty to eighty beats per minute, on average. A small child has a heart rate of around ninety beats per minute. The fetal heart rate usually runs around one seventy five early in the pregnancy and averages around one twenty to one sixty toward the middle of the pregnancy. Your baby is averaging about one hundred fifty three beats per minute. That is really good."

Olivia was fascinated. Elliot watched her as her eyes lit up each time she learned something new about the pregnancy. He had been through this five times already and knew some of these things already. But it was all new to her and Elliot wanted to make sure that she was able to get the full effect of this magical experience.

"So what exactly are we looking at here?" She asked raising up and propping herself on her elbows to look at the screen again.

"This oval shape here is the baby's body and here is the head. Right here are the arms and the hands, then over here are the legs and feet."

Olivia tilted her head as she stared at the screen waiting for the baby to appear.

"I have an idea," the doctor said wheeling his chair across the room and pushing back another large machine plugging it in and turning it on. "If you have a few minutes to allow it to boot up, we just got our 4-D ultrasound machine."

"I have read about these," Elliot said pointing at the machine. "They are supposed to be amazing."

The doctor pushed the button to print the picture from the first ultrasound. A few minutes later he placed the wand from the 4-D machine onto her belly. The difference was as clear as night and day. Almost immediately the image of their baby appeared on the screen.

"That is so neat," Olivia said as the baby raised its hands and rubbed its eyes.

"Wow," Elliot said staring at the baby on the screen.

"The baby is about six or seven inches long right now and weighs about five ounces. The eyelashes have developed and the baby can suck it's thumb. We can also tell the baby's sex, if you are interested."

Olivia looked over at Elliot as he held her hand. "I didn't think I wanted to know. But now I kind of do. What do you think?"

"It's up to you."

She took a deep breath and looked at the screen, then back at the doctor. "How sure can you be?"

"With this machine if the baby will allow us a look, it would be pretty certain. Would you like to know the baby's sex?"

She looked back at Elliot once more and he smiled. Olivia turned and looked at the doctor. "Yes, we would like to know."

"Olivia, you are looking at your son."

"It's a boy?" Elliot asked a little shocked. He was so good at producing girls he had just assumed this baby would be a girl as well. "You're sure?"

The doctor zoomed the camera in on the lower region of the baby's body.

"Yeah, okay it's a boy," Elliot replied.

Olivia laughed.

"That is our son," she said with a smile and tears of happiness in her eyes.

The doctor printed them out more ultrasound pictures to take with them.

"This must be strange for you," Olivia said as they walked across the parking lot toward the her car.

"Why would it be strange for me, Liv? You're the one with a baby in your belly. A son."

She smiled again as he opened the car door for her.

"No, I mean having a baby with someone you don't even remember sleeping with."

Elliot looked her in the eye. "Olivia, this may not have happened the way that either of us would have planned. But it happened. And now we are having a son together. I don't think this is strange, Liv. I think it is wonderful."

"Really?" She asked with a nervous smile.

"Yes. There are a lot of things that I would change about that night if I could. But this baby is not one of them." Elliot placed his hands against her belly and for the first time they both felt their son kick.

Olivia smiled at Elliot and laughed. She placed her hand on her belly where the baby had kicked her moments before. "I wouldn't change it either."

"I was hoping you would feel that way," he said as he leaned in and kissed her forehead.

"We're having a boy," Olivia thought out laud as she buckled her seatbelt.

"You know, this kid needs a name. Have you thought of any yet?"

"A couple. Nothing I am really set on. Do you have any ideas?"

"Me?"

"Yes, you. He is your son, too. I think that you should have some say in the name he will carry with him for the rest of his life."

"I want him to be a Stabler. I know that."

Olivia smiled. "Okay."

"Why don't you make a list of names you like and I'll make a list. Then we can sit down together and go over them and pick something out."

"That is a good idea."

"I have one of those every now and then."

That evening Elliot dropped by Olivia's apartment to cook dinner for her to celebrate. He fixed them each a plate and a glass of her favorite red wine as they sat down to dinner.

"I shouldn't have this."

"You can have one glass of wine every now and then. Infact some doctors suggest it to help with insomnia during pregnancy."

"Really? Good to know. Where do you get this stuff?"

"I have five kids, Liv. You learn a few things."

"I really shouldn't drink this."

"Why not?"

Olivia bit her lip. "Lets just say that sometimes wine has a …. certain effect on me." She smiled a little. "And the way my hormones have been all screwed up lately I just don't think it is a good idea."

Elliot sat confused for a moment. "Oh!" He said as his eyes widened and he looked up at her.

Olivia laughed. "I thought you said you knew all of this."

"I know how Kathy was when she was pregnant."

"Was she like that?"

"Like what?"

Olivia stared at him. "Did she want sex all of the time?"

"You want sex all of the time?"

"I fell right into your trap."

"It is part of pregnancy," Elliot laughed. "It's normal."

"And the dreams?"

"You have dreams, too?"

"El…"

"I'm sure it is just the hormones."

She smiled just a little embarrassed.

Things were quiet between them for several minutes.

"Do you ever think about it?" She asked looking into his eyes.

"About that night?"

"Yes."

Elliot looked down at the table. "All the time," he confessed then looked up to see her reaction.

"Do you remember?" She stared at him.

"Just pieces."

"Yeah, me too."

"It was hot," he said staring at the wall in front of him.

Olivia turned her head to look at him. "How do you know?"

"I just remember thinking it was hot. And obviously it was good enough we both felt the need to do it again."

"I guess so."

"Olivia, I don't mean to be cold about this. I'm glad we are having this baby. I just wish that the night you got pregnant could have been more romantic and memorable, you deserve that. Not some drug induced romp in the sack that you can't even remember the next day. I just wish that the circumstances could have been better."

"That is sweet. But it happened, El. And in just over four months we are going to have a son."

"Well, what if we could still make this experience romantic and memorable?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean…what if….what if we…"

"You want to have sex?"

"I…I…umm…"

"You don't want to have sex?"

"Are you asking me to…"

"I thought you were asking me….you're not asking me….oh, wow. I really read that wrong," she laughed.

"What if I was?"

"If you were, what? Asking me to have sex with you?"

Elliot just stared at her.

"Well, I don't know. At least we would remember it. I don't know, El."

"You're right. It was a bad idea."

Olivia smiled.

"It's getting late, I should go."

Elliot leaned in and kissed her on the forehead. He placed his hand on her belly and kissed it through her shirt.

"Good night little, man." He said with a proud smile.

Two nights later they met up with the crew for dinner and drinks at a restraint near Olivia's apartment. They broke the news that the baby was a boy. Just a few weeks earlier they had told everyone that they had decided to have a baby together. Their intentions were to remain friends and raise their child together. So far, so good.

After dinner Elliot walked Olivia back to her apartment. They sat on her sofa and read through a baby name book for a few hours trying to choose a name for their son.

Elliot leaned in to kiss her on the forehead before he left, but this time something was very different. She raised her head to look up at him just as he leaned in and their eyes met. They stared deep into each other's eyes for several moments and then somehow, someone made the next move.

Completely unaware who had started what, their lips met and proceeded into a very passionate kiss. Elliot placed his hand on her shoulder as Olivia kissed him back. Before long they were laying together on the sofa and their hands were touching places that hadn't been seen since that fateful night nearly five months ago.

Olivia laid back onto the couch and pulled him closer to her by his tie. She moaned softly as Elliot caressed the side of her face with his hand and gently bit the side of her neck. After a good fifteen minute smoking hot make out session Elliot realized what was taking place and pulled back from her. He sat up and looked down at her laying there on the sofa.

Olivia sat up and stared into his eyes. She took a deep breath and shifted her eyes toward the hallway and the bedroom. She looked back at Elliot then stood up and walked to the entrance of the hall stopping only long enough to slip off her shoes and look back at him once more then headed down the hall to the bedroom.

Elliot sat on the sofa for a moment and pondered her offer. She very obviously was inviting him to into her bed. He wanted her. God, he wanted her more than he had ever wanted anyone or anything in his life. But it wasn't only about them anymore. Now it was about what was best for their son. Elliot stood up and walked back to her bedroom. He stepped inside to find her sitting on the edge of the bed looking up at him and she smiled.

"I figured you would come back here eventually," she said with a soft smile.

"Olivia, I want this. God, I want this. I have wanted it for….as long as I can remember."

He walked toward her and held her hand in his.

"So do I," she said looking up at him seductively.

"But…."

"But?"

"I don't think we should do this."

"What?" She looked confused and even a little pissed off.

"I mean I don't just want sex. We have to think about what is best for our son, now. And some little fling between mommy and daddy because they are horny one night is not in his best interest."

Olivia just stared at him.

"I want this. But if we are going to do this, we need to do it right. I want us to be a couple and try to work this out. I want a relationship with you, Liv. Otherwise, I think this is a line that maybe we shouldn't cross again. It is all or nothing. We can have this, but we have to give it a fair shot."

"Do you think we could do it?"

"I think so. I want this, Liv. I want us as a couple and the three of us as a family."

"So do I."

"You do?" He sat down on the bed beside her on the bed.

"I want to give our baby everything, Elliot. Including the best family we can give him. Our son deserves his mother and his father in his life. And if we were able to work this out, then he would always have both of us."

Elliot laced his fingers in hers. "Now that I have ruined the mood."

She smiled. "Elliot, I am almost five months pregnant with raging hormones. I want sex almost all of the time. I'm sure I could get back into the mood if you could."

"Well, I might need a little convincing," he laughed as he leaned over her and kissed her once more.

Olivia laid back onto the bed and looked up at him. Ten minutes later they were making love. She gasped and moaned softly as he pushed inside her.

"Am I hurting you?"

"God, no. No, you feel so good."

He raised up hitting her in a different place inside and she moaned louder as she kissed him. Elliot began to move just a little faster and harder inside of her. But reminded himself to be gently and cautious. He was a little paranoid he would hurt her or their unborn child. And each time she made a different sound or moan he would ask her if she was okay. He was tender and sweet and slow and gently and they were incredible.

When they had finished Olivia laid against him with her head on his chest and the room fell quiet. Elliot kissed her on the top pf her head, then kissed her lips.

"I told you it was hot," he whispered softly and she laughed.

"Yes, it was."

"It is probably a good thing you were already pregnant."

"Why is that?"

"Well, if you weren't before you definitely would be now."

They both laughed and she sighed a little and sat up in the bed.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine, your son just kicked me in the bladder and now I have to pee."

"Oh."

Olivia smiled and wrapped the sheet around her as she climbed from the bed and headed to the bathroom. A few minutes later she returned and settled in against Elliot for the night. She spent that night wrapped tightly inside his arms with her head on his chest and the taste of his soft kisses on her lips.