The Proposal
(Chapter Nine: Preparation)
Olivia walked up the stairs and down the hall toward Alex's office. Alex was working late again and she thought she would take some food and they could have dinner together. But as she approached the door something wasn't quite right. She listened for a moment at the voices shouting and arguing on the other side of the closed door.
Olivia sat the carryout containers on the end table in the waiting area and walked a little closer to try and figure out what in the world was going on. She stood for a moment and listened to the angry words being exchanged, then drew a deep breath and leaned against the wall beside the door. This was all her fault.
Two days earlier….
"That is a little extreme, don't you think?" Olivia asked placing her hand under her nearly eight month pregnant belly as her son kicked her hard, sensing something was wrong.
"I just want it all lined out, legally, before the baby gets here," Alex said taking off her glasses and smoothing her hands over her face.
"Legally? You make it sound like he is going to take the baby and run away with him."
"Look, I know Elliot isn't going to do anything like that. But the fact is he could and there isn't a damn thing that I could do about it if he did!"
"Alex, this is ridiculous. I won't do this. So you can take your papers back to your lawyer and tell him that," Olivia said crumpling the papers and tossing them onto the counter as she walked out of the room.
Several minutes later Alex walked into the bedroom with a cup of warm milk.
"I know you think I am some horrible person for having those papers drawn up. I'm not trying to hurt anyone."
"You are asking him to sign away his rights to his son, Alex. How could you possibly think that wouldn't hurt him?"
Olivia pulled her knees as close as she could to her chest as tears streamed down both sides of her face.
"I am asking him to give me legal rights to my son," Alex corrected her.
"You talk about him like he is a possession, not a person. This is a baby," Olivia said smoothing her hand over her belly and trying to comfort the baby boy inside. "Elliot just wants the same thing you do. He wants to love and care for this baby."
"So do I. And I want to have legal rights over my son, Olivia. I don't think it is too much to ask."
"I just don't think that there is any reason that you can't both care for him. I mean he has three parents who love him more than anything. Shouldn't that be a good thing?"
"It is," Alex agreed placing her hand against Olivia's baby bump. "But any way you look at it I am the odd one out here. No matter what, you and Elliot are always going to be this baby's parents and I'm just…. Mommy's special friend. I want him to mine. I want to know that no matter what, he is my son, too. And this is the only way I can get that."
"I don't think this was the right way to go about this. You should have at least talked to me. I am sure that we can work something out if we just talk this through with Elliot. I don't think there is any need to drag lawyers into it."
"We need to do something. I don't want to get emotionally attached to this baby and end up losing him."
"Why would you lose him?" Olivia asked.
"I don't know that I would. It is just the thought that I could. Can't you understand that? What if one day down the road someone just walked in and said you could never see him again? How would that make you feel?"
"Alex, Elliot and I are never going to do that. Even if things between you and I didn't work out, I wouldn't take this baby away from you. I love him, too and I know how bad it would hurt me to lose him. I just need you to trust me, that I am not going to let that happen."
"I just worry," Alex said handing Olivia the mug as the baby kicked her hand. "I am an attorney, I can't help but see things from a legal point of view. The way things are now I couldn't even give them permission to treat him if I had to take him to the hospital, because I have no rights."
"I will talk to Elliot and we will work something out."
But Olivia didn't talk to Elliot. Somewhere in her mind she just thought Alex was over reacting and figured the entire thing would pass. But obviously Alex had decided to take matters into her own hands.
Liv drew a staggered breath and closed her eyes to listen as two of the three people she cared the most about in the entire world shouted insults at each other.
"You have got to be out of your fucking mind woman!" Elliot yelled as the door flew open and he stormed out leaving a trail of torn pieces of legal document in his wake.
He made it as far as the waiting area before he noticed Olivia's car keys laying on the table beside the carryout containers. Elliot felt a knot in his throat as he turned around to see Olivia standing in the shadows crying.
She took a deep breath and wiped her cheek with her hand. Without a word she picked up her keys and headed for the elevator.
Like an ass, Elliot just stood there and watched her leave.
It was near two o'clock in the morning when Olivia rolled over to look at the alarm clock on the dresser. She had been laying in her own bed for hours now, but it was no use, sleep was not coming. She climbed from the bed and made her way into the kitchen for a cup of decaffeinated tee.
"What are you doing here?" she asked spotting Elliot laying on the sofa as soon as she turned on the light.
"I wanted to talk, about tonight. But by the time I got my bullheaded self to come over here you were already asleep. So, I decided to wait until morning."
"I wasn't asleep."
"You came home?"
"I live here, don't I? Alex wont be home tonight. And I just needed to get away. I figured I would spent the night in my own bed. But I can't sleep."
"How could you think that I would just give my son up?"
"I never thought that."
"She asked me to meet her. She said it was important and she hands me these papers wanting me to sign over my rights to my son to her. She said you knew about this!"
"I knew, I told her that I would talk to you about…."
"Over my dead body," Elliot snapped cutting her off.
"Elliot, please listen to me. Alex came to me a few days ago with those papers. I knew nothing about them until she had already had them drawn up. She and I had a big fight because I didn't want her to give you the papers. She was worried about you trying to take the baby from her. I told her you wouldn't do that. I told her that I would talk to you and we would work something out. I didn't mean that I was going to talk to you about the papers. I don't expect you to sign away your rights."
Olivia sat down on the sofa beside him and propped her feet on the coffee table in front of her. She took a deep breath and stared into her coffee mug as she began to cry again.
"I can't do this," she said softly.
"Do what, honey?"
"Just sit here, like this while the two people I care the most about are fighting. I'm just kind of trapped here in the middle," she sobbed. "I can't choose between you. You are the father of my baby and my best friend," she said looking over at Elliot. "But she means a lot to me, too. And now you guys are fighting, screaming at each other and I just don't think that any of this is good for me or the baby right now. Maybe I should just stay here, alone for a while, until the two of you can work this all out."
"Liv, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I yelled at you and I am sorry that you have been stuck between Alex and I while we were fighting like this. I am sure we will work it out and everything will be fine. Alex and I will get past this. I don't want you to worry about it. My main concern right now is you and our son."
"Greyson," Olivia said softly.
"Greyson?"
"Greyson Matthew Stabler. That is what originally started our argument. I wanted to give him the Stabler name."
"Why?"
"Because you're his father. Unless you don't want me to?"
"No," Elliot said with a smile. "I would be honored for this baby to carry my name. I meant why did that start an argument?"
"I don't know, exactly. She has been really moody lately and we have been fighting a lot. Maybe it is just me and the pregnancy hormones. I 'm sure I overreact about everything. I seem to cry at the drop of a hat lately. Maybe I'm just not the easiest person to get along with anymore."
"Olivia, you are eight months pregnant. You have the right to be a little moody."
"You think I'm moody?" she asked tipping her head to look at him with sad eyes as if threatening to cry again.
"Not moody. Perhaps that was the wrong choice of words. What I meant to say is that you have the right to be a bit hormonal and emotional, Alex should respect that. This is your first pregnancy."
"It's her first pregnancy too, El. And I know it has to be hard for her to try and understand what I am going through when she has never been through it herself."
"I think she should try a little harder. For you and for Greyson."
"Things have just been so crazy. And there are only a few weeks left before the baby comes. I should be setting up the nursery and preparing for his arrival, not mediating between two adults while they fight over who gets to love the baby more."
"We're childish. And you are absolutely right. I promise I will start thinking and acting like a grown up from now on."
Elliot couldn't decide if the look she gave him was more worried or tired.
"Are we okay?" he asked looking into her eyes.
"We have to be," she said softly as she slipped her hand into his. "We're about to have a son together. And that means that you are stuck with me for at least the next eighteen years."
"I look forward to it," he said with a smile as he leaned forward to kiss her forehead. "Honey, you look exhausted. Why don't you go on to bed?"
"There is still a bed in the guest room. I wanted to take it down and put up a crib, but Alex and I still can't agree on whether or not I should set up the nursery at my apartment."
"I thought you lived together at her place?"
"I stay there, but she has never really asked me to move in. I thought until she and I made that commitment it would be better to have a room for the baby in both places."
"It makes sense."
"Maybe I didn't think this all the way through. I got pregnant intending on raising a child with a woman that I am not even living with."
"Liv, none of that matters now. You love Greyson and so does Alex, the rest will just fall into place."
"Maybe I just got ahead of myself. I mean maybe I got so wrapped up in wanting a baby that I didn't really consider what she wanted."
"The two of you discussed it, right? Alex wanted the baby too?"
"She said she did. But what if she only went along with the idea because it was what I wanted?"
"She loves Greyson or she wouldn't be arguing with me over those papers. You worry too much."
"I can't help it. This is my child. It is my job to over analyze everything and everyone in his life."
"I know Alex and I don't always see things eye to eye, but I also know that she is one of the good guys."
"Do you think I'm doing the right thing? Bringing a baby into a same sex home?"
"You are bringing him into an environment full of people who love him."
"But as his father….it doesn't worry you?"
"Not at all. Because I know that your number one concern above all else is our son. He is not even here yet and already you are an amazing mother."
"You think so?" she asked with a tired smile.
"I do. I also think you should go get some rest. I will be right here when you wake up and we can talk more in the morning if you'd like. I will even cook you breakfast."
"Thanks, El."
Elliot leaned back on the sofa and watched as she headed down the hall toward her bedroom.
Over the next couple of days Alex was busy working on a big case, so Elliot took it upon himself to occupy Olivia. He took her shopping and helped her pick out everything she needed to set up the perfect nursery for their son. After buying her lunch, they headed back to Olivia's apartment where Elliot set up all of the baby furniture and helped her decorate the room.
"This is so amazing El," Olivia said hanging as Elliot finished hanging the mobile over the baby's crib.
"Are you sure you don't want me to paint? It isn't too late you know. I could just cover this stuff and get that bluish-grey paint you liked so much. I think it will look really great with the white trim on the bottom half. I could have it completely finished in about two days."
Olivia laughed. "The name of the color is storm. You don't think it would be too much?"
"I think it would be great. And I want this to be everything you want."
"Okay, lets paint the room," she said with a smile.
"Why don't you sit down and rest a little, while I go get the paint and supplies?"
"You want to do it now?"
"We can wait, if you want. But I am free now. If I do it now, we can have the room finished by tomorrow evening."
"Alright," she laughed.
"But I mean it, I want you to sit down for a little bit and put your feet up. You have been going nonstop all day."
"I will."
"Oh, I was thinking…. if you weren't busy, maybe we could rent a couple of movies and order a pizza tonight."
Olivia smiled. It was so nice to have someone here who actually wanted to spend time with her.
"I'm not busy," she said softly.
"I'll be right back," Elliot said with a smile as he headed for the door.
Later Olivia supervised from the rocking chair while Elliot painted the walls.
"I wish you would let me help. You shouldn't have to do all of the work."
"You shouldn't even be in the room with the paint smell."
"It isn't that bad and the windows are open. Elliot, I appreciate you being so protective over Greyson and I, but we are fine."
"Yeah? How is everything going with the pregnancy?"
"It's good. Uncomfortable at times, but good."
"Good."
"I have an appointment in a couple of days, if you're not busy…." she mocked with a smile as they both laughed. "Seriously though, I would love for you to come. They are gonna do another sonogram."
"That wont bother Alex?"
"Elliot, you are his father. Alex is just going to have to get used to that. Besides, she is so tied up with this big case I am sure she will have to work."
"She hasn't really been around much lately, has she?"
"She is just busy. She wants to be here, but there is still so much she has to do before the baby comes. And as long as she is there when he is born, I think it will be alright."
"You asked her to be in the delivery room?"
"The doctor said I could have up to three people in there when he is born. I want you both there. I really need you both there."
"There is nowhere else I would rather be. I wouldn't miss this for the world."
Olivia smiled again as Elliot smoothed his hands over her belly.
"I was hoping you would say that."
"I've gotta get this last little bit of trim," he said putting the finishing touches on the last wall. "There, all done! Not bad," he said looking around the room.
"It looks great. This room is going to be so perfect."
"Instant nursery. Just add baby," Elliot joked. "Are you getting hungry?"
"Elliot, I am eight and a half months pregnant, I am always hungry."
"So, why don't you decide what you want on your pizza while I go wash the paint off of me."
"Banana peppers and anchovies," she said as her eyes lit up.
"Banana peppers and anchovies," Elliot laughed as he made an awful face. "You keep thinking about it, I'll call in the order after I get cleaned up. Then we can go rent a few movies and pick it up on the way back."
"That sounds good."
They spent that evening curled up on the sofa together under a throw blanket eating the most disgusting pizza Elliot had ever tasted and watching girly movies until they fell asleep. Elliot wouldn't have had it any other way.