Truth And Deception

(Chapter Fifteen: Expecting & Unexpected)

Olivia groaned and placed her hand under her stomach as she sat up in the bed.

"Again? It has only been half an hour since you got up to pee the last time," Elliot remarked looking at the clock beside the bed.

"Trust me, I would rather be sleeping as well. But it doesn't seem to matter how I lay I cannot get comfortable and this baby keeps kicking me in the bladder. I am surprised I have not peed my pants, yet."

Elliot watched his wife as she struggled to climb from the bed. At just over four months she already struggled with her baby belly. She had began to show very early on and felt the baby move pretty early as well.

Olivia returned to the bed moments later lowering herself back into her place and putting a pillow between her knees as she closed her eyes. She smiled as she felt Elliot's arm snake its way around her very large baby bump, finding her hand and holding it in his.

When Elliot woke the next morning she was already up and moving around in the kitchen. She hadn't been sleeping that well since they had moved into the new apartment. She seemed to be having a little trouble adjusting to the change. He got up and took a quick shower dressing for the day then made his way into the kitchen. He kissed his wife as she handed him a cup of coffee.

"I was going to make breakfast. But you slept so late I figured we'd just wait until we meet Kathy for lunch in an hour."

Elliot dragged his fingertip over her baby belly. "I swear this gets bigger every day." He looked up at Olivia who gave him a look that clearly stated she was not amused. "I mean noticeably bigger. Like you can see it changing from day to day."

"I know what you mean," she said peering at him over her cup of tea. "I am the size of a house. And I still have five months to go."

"You are beautiful," Elliot said kissing his self conscious wife. "And I love you."

"But you didn't say I wasn't huge," she laughed.

"Baby, you're pregnant. I would be worried if you weren't huge."

"Just drink your coffee, Stabler."

She walked across the room and picked up the newspaper from the coffee table where she had sat reading it hours earlier. She carried it to Elliot and laid it down on the bar in front of him.

"I am still confused as to why you arranged a lunch with Kathy anyway, El."

"She is making an effort. You know? She wants to discuss Christmas with the kids. She mentioned having a big dinner at the house and invited us."

"You really want to spend Christmas at your ex-wife's house?"

"With my kids, yes. Liv, Kathy is trying to make and effort for us all to function as a family. A little unconventional, I know. But especially with this new baby coming I think it would be a good idea for all of us to remain close. She and I have worked out our issues and we are still friends. Baby, she has accepted us as a couple and is supporting us as a family. I know this will be a little uncomfortable at first, but it is important. To me and to the kids."

"I know. And it makes perfect sense. It is just a little awkward, you know? Having lunch with my husband and his ex-wife."

"I will be right there to make sure she remains civil. She doesn't bite," Elliot said kissing her lips.

"Maybe not, but I am liable to start if we don't get going. I'm starving and we have half an hour before we are supposed to meet her."

"Well, then. Kathy's intentions aside, I need to feed my wife and baby." Elliot rubbed a circle over her belly as the baby kicked inside and he smiled. "I'll get your coat."

"I have to pee before we go," Olivia said with a smirk as she headed down the hall toward the bathroom.

Later they sat around a table in a restaurant. Olivia held one hand under her belly as she nibbled on a breadstick in an attempt to ward off her nausea and tame her hunger until the food arrived.

"Do you know the sex of the baby yet?" Kathy asked from across the table.

"Umm, no. I had an appointment, but they couldn't tell. The baby was turned away and wouldn't show anything," Olivia answered with a smile. "I think it's a boy, though."

"Really?" Kathy asked with a smile.

"What makes you think that?" Elliot asked her.

"Because this kid kicks nonstop. Boys are a lot rougher than girls," she said smiling at him.

"I don't know about that," Kathy said, "with ours the boys weren't as active. The girls though, they could have been kick boxers. When are you due?"

"June sixth," Olivia replied feeling the baby move impatiently as he or she waited for food.

"Kathleen was a June baby, the twenty second."

"Father's Day," Elliot added.

"Well, she was due the week before and refused to come out. My doctor had gone on vacation. They planned to schedule a cesarean when he came back. But, she didn't wait that long. Do you have any names picked out?"

"A few. Nothing we are set on just yet." Olivia answered.

"So," Kathy began, "I was talking to Elliot and we were thinking…well, I was thinking. This year I would like to have a big Christmas dinner at the house. All of the kids and I would like you and Elliot to come as well. I think it would be nice if the kids could just have us all together for the holidays. And I think it would be a nice tradition to start, even for this baby, to be able to spend the holidays with his or her entire family."

"I think it is a great idea," Olivia said picking up her glass of ice water from the table.

Elliot shifted his head to look at her. He hadn't expected it to go that easily.

"Really?" Kathy asked.

"Yes, really." Olivia answered.

"I had honestly expected some protest," Kathy said looking at Olivia. "I just figured this might be a little uncomfortable for you."

"Maybe a little," Olivia admitted. "But you're right. It is important for the kids, all of the kids," she said rubbing her belly, "for us to keep them together and let them be close. I don't have any family of my own. So except for your kids, Elliot and I are the only biological family this baby has. I want this child to have a good relationship with his," she looked over at Elliot, "or her brothers and sisters. It is important to me."

Kathy smiled as the waiter brought their food to the table. "Good. I am glad that we can all agree on this. Because in a way we are all kind of family now."

Olivia smiled. It was a little strange, but her life had never mad complete sense. If Kathy was willing to accept her, she was willing to accept Kathy into her life as well.

"To Family," Olivia said with a smile raising her glass of water for a toast.

Elliot smiled at her as they all clicked their glasses together.

"Now lets eat," Elliot said kissing her gently, "before my baby starves." He placed his palm over the place where the baby kicked inside her belly.

Two days later Olivia had an appointment for another sonogram. Just as they left work, Elliot got a phone call from Cragen. Olivia pressed her lips together and watched as he tried unsuccessfully to get out of going back to work.

"I can't believe this," she said with a look of disappointment in her eyes.

"I know. But Munch is vacation and Fin is in court all afternoon."

"And you only need an hour to find out the sex of your child. I'm sorry. I know this isn't your fault and I guess it isn't really even that big a deal. I just kind of hoped we would be there together when we found out."

"You're right baby, it is a big deal. It is a very big deal. But I can't get out of this. Can he reschedule your appointment?"

"This was the only opening until after New Year's. It took me almost a month to get this and that was only because someone else had their baby and opened up a slot. I can wait, I guess. But by then I will be almost six months before we can even pick out a name."

"No honey, go."

"What? Are you sure?"

"Yes. We may not get another chance and even if we did, whose to say the baby will show us anyway. You go ahead. But bring back plenty of pictures." Elliot leaned forward and kissed her as he slipped the keys to their personal car into her hand. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

"And daddy loves you," he said rubbing circles on her belly.

Olivia laid back against the table as the doctor squirted the gel onto her belly. The gunk must have been colder than she thought because when she jerked in reaction she felt the baby kick inside her.

"Do you think we will actually get to see today?" She asked the doctor.

"I hope so. You are further along this time, that will help. The baby is bigger and doesn't have as much room to hide."

Olivia laughed a little and watched the monitor waiting for the infant's image to appear.

"There," he said finding the heartbeat before the picture appeared.

Olivia watched him as he made a strange face. "What doctor? Is something wrong?"

"I'm sure it's nothing," he said listening to the fetal heartbeat. "Sounds like we may have a slight murmur. A tiny hole in the heart. It isn't uncommon. It usually heals itself in utero. Or sometimes it takes until about the baby's second birthday. If it hasn't corrected it's self by then we'll need to go in and do surgery."

"Oh my God," Olivia said as tears filled her eyes.

"Calm down, honey. I am still not even fully sure that is even the case here. I would like to bring in a colleague to have a listen," he said tapping the side of the monitor as the picture began to get fuzzy. "They need to break down and get a new one of these before the thing goes completely out."

Olivia smiled nervously.

"I'll tell you what. Dr. Raines down the hall does really well at diagnosing this kind of thing. Why don't I make a call and see if she can get you in. She can take a listen and tell you more about what is going on in there."

"Okay," Olivia nodded.

Twenty minutes she was sitting in a small examine room on the other side of the clinic waiting for Dr. Raines to enter the room. The doctor arrived and introduced herself. She seemed young, a few years younger than Olivia, but very nice. She discussed options for treatment with Olivia, should they find anything. Then she explained that she specialized in high risk pregnancies and that if it were alright with Olivia, she would like to oversee the pregnancy from here until delivery.

"Okay, but do you really think this is necessary?" Olivia asked.

"Well, I just want to be sure. Even if I don't detect anything, I want to keep a close eye on things just to be safe. Sometimes these things are hard to detect," she said turning on the machine. "Are you ready?"

"Ready as I will ever be. I just want to know if my baby is alright."

"Try and relax. It is a lot easier on you and the baby that way."

Olivia took a deep breath and exhaled as she felt the warmth of the heated gel on her belly and the sound of the baby's heartbeat appeared once more.

"Do you want to take a look?" Dr. Raines asked her.

Olivia turned her eyes to face the screen and watched as a little foot appeared from the fuzzy darkness. She laughed a little as she felt the baby kick.

"How does everything sound?" She asked nervously.

"Well, I can hear the echo he was talking about." She moved the wand around Olivia's belly as the sounds grew louder and they could see the baby's face up close. "The baby is sucking it's thumb," she pointed out to Olivia as she pressed the button to print the picture.

"Can you tell the sex?" Olivia asked.

"You haven't found out yet?" She asked zooming out to look at the entire picture.

"The last time the baby turned around and the doctor couldn't tell."

Olivia watched as the details of the infant faded into little fuzzy blobs once more. She watched the screen as the doctor moved the wand around and printed off a few more pictures.

Then Dr. Raines smiled. "Do you see this?" She asked Olivia as she pointed to a gray area in the picture.

"Yes," Olivia said unsure of what she was looking at.

"This means that we are looking at your daughter."

Olivia smiled. "It's a little girl?"

"It's a girl," Dr. Raines exhaled. "But there is more, Olivia."

"More?" She asked nervously. "What? Is she okay?"

"She looks perfectly healthy. But she isn't alone in there. Your daughter is right here," she pointed again. "We'll call her 'Baby A.' Do you see this little flutter right here?" She asked.

"Yes," Olivia replied still not quite sure where the woman was going with this.

"That is 'Baby B.'"

" 'Baby B?' There are two of them?"

"Yes. And from what I can tell both look healthy. 'Baby B' however seems to be the shy one. I have tried from every angle and he or she is still not letting me see the sex organs."

"We're having twins," Olivia said with a smile.

"I still cannot fully tell on the heart murmur. But if there is one it is minor. I won't be able to even tell which baby has it until they are a little bigger and not huddled so closely together. But it could just be an echo from the two heartbeats. Sometimes that happens as well. I will keep a close eye on it as they develop."

"Can you tell if they are identical or fraternal?" Olivia asked.

"Fraternal twins and one is a girl, I can tell you for sure."

"My husband is going to freak out," she laughed.

"Well, I printed several pictures for you to take home to show daddy. The receptionist out front will give you a card. I want you to call me if you have any questions or pain or anything really. She'll set up your next appointment out front."

"Thank you doctor."

"It was very nice to meet you, Olivia. You and your babies."

Elliot was a little shocked when she called in and took the rest of the afternoon off. That evening when he returned home she had a wonderful dinner cooked and laid out with candles and soft music.

"I take it things went well?" He asked.

"Pretty well. I changed doctors. I am now seeing Dr. Raines instead. She is in the same building though."

"Why would you change doctors?"

"Because mine thought the baby might have a heart murmur. She specializes in high risk pregnancies. But I like her much better."

"A heart murmur?"

"She listened and she thinks everything is alright. She thinks that if there is one it will heal its self before the baby is ever born. But she is keeping a close eye on it just in case."

"That is good. Did you find out the sex?"

"Sort of," she said standing from the table to hand him the stack of pictures.

"Sort of?"

"It is a boy or a girl?"

"Well, see the little 'A' right there?"

"Yes."

"That is our daughter."

"A girl?"

"That one we know for sure."

"That one…Liv?" He asked looking into her eyes as she smiled.

" 'Baby B' we're not sure about the sex. He or she won't show us."

" 'Baby A' and 'Baby B?' We're having twins?"

"Yes, we're having twins. One girl and the other I'm not sure. But they are fraternal."

Elliot laughed and stood to kiss her. "We're having twins! I think this one is a boy," he said pointing to 'Baby B' in the picture.

"You do?"

"Yeah, I just have a feeling this one is a boy."

Olivia laughed.

"I have to buy another crib," Elliot said. "Another….everything. And now that we have the bigger apartment we can give them their own rooms. Something pink and pretty for her and for him, I'm thinking sports."

"But El, there is still a chance he could be a her."

"No, baby. This is our son. I can tell. Besides, that was what I got the last time with my twins, a boy and a girl. This is our son and our daughter."

Olivia smiled and kissed his lips gently, "if you say so."