One Night Stand
(Chapter Four: Over Protected)
"Elliot isn't here today?" Munch asked as he poured himself another cup of coffee.
"No," Olivia answered as she turned around in her chair to look at him. "Kathy had her baby last night."
"She did? Everything go alright?"
"Yeah. Eight pound two ounce, healthy little boy. Elliot Stabler, Junior."
"I bet he is one proud papa," Cragen said as he placed a stack of files on Olivia's desk.
"He is," she agreed pulling up the picture Elliot sent her of the baby boy on her cell phone to show them.
"Handsome little man," Cragen said looking down at the picture.
"Just think Liv, it wont be long and you will have one of those," Munch said smiling at her.
"I still have almost two months to go, Munch."
"Did you ever find out the sex of your baby?" Fin asked.
"No, I decided to wait until I have the baby to find out."
"The good old fashioned way," Munch said patting her on the back.
"I bet you can't wait," Fin said sitting down at Elliot's chair across from her to help her with some paperwork.
"Yeah, I'm excited."
"You nervous?"
"A little. Anxious. Can't wait to get past the delivery part and finally get to hold my baby. And it will be nice to get off desk duty."
"Meanwhile," Munch said with a sarcastic smile as he dropped another stack of files onto the edge of her desk.
"Thanks, Munch."
Fin took half the stack of files and returned to his desk across the room.
"Liv," Munch asked looking around him to make sure no one could hear them.
"What's up?"
"Forgive me for intruding, but I was just wondering…..have you talked to the baby's father?"
"About what?"
"About the fact that he is about to have a kid."
"He isn't about to have a kid Munch, I am."
She just stared into his eyes.
"Did you tell him about the baby?"
"Munch, it was a drunken night and he followed me home from the bar. What makes you think he would want to know about the baby?"
"If I was going to be a father….no matter what the circumstances, I would want to know. He deserves to know, don't you think? I mean, it is the right thing to do."
Olivia took a deep breath and looked at him again.
"I told him I was pregnant, shortly after I found out. It was the right thing."
"And he isn't here with you?"
Olivia smiled as she smoothed her hands over her abdomen.
"That would require him to leave his wife and other children," she replied only half ashamed of her situation.
"Still, he should be here. He should help you."
"This baby is my dream John, not his. Really, I am fine."
"You know you have our support, all of us. For you and this baby, any of us…we would do anything. If you ever need anything…. I hope I didn't offend you."
"No, you were concerned. I understand that. But you don't have to worry. We are going to be just fine," she said feeling the baby move inside her.
FIVE WEEKS LATER…..
Olivia stared blankly ahead as she chewed on the cap to her ink pen. She jumped, slightly startled when her cell phone rang. Olivia picked up the phone and smiled when she recognized Elliot's ring tone.
"Benson," she said and he could hear the smile as it crossed her face.
"Hey, Liv."
"How's the baby?"
"He's good. Colicky and doesn't sleep more than an hour at a time, but good. Maybe I'm getting too old for this baby thing."
"Well, then maybe you should slow down on the making the baby part," she joked.
"No doubt. I really out did myself this time, didn't I?"
"You are going to do just fine, Elliot. You have had plenty of practice."
"I know. I could change a diaper blindfolded."
"Hey, how's the vacation going?"
"Well, Eli cried the entire seventeen hour trip to Orlando. Disney World was hot, overcrowded and the lines were ridiculously long. And Kathy's mother is driving me insane."
Olivia laughed.
"Sounds like you are really enjoying your family vacation."
"Oh, yeah. Look I am sorry that I have not checked in with you."
"Why would you? You are with your wife and kids in Florida." Olivia tipped her head to her right side to hold the phone against her shoulder as she typed up a report for Cragen.
"You know why. I hate being away this close to….time. I just worry a little and the cell service here sucks. Her mother actually lives about an hour outside Orlando and only one cell phone company gets service out here. Not my company, of course. I just wanted to check in."
Olivia smiled again. This little secret between them had been tough to keep at times, but made her feel good to know that Elliot worried about her enough to call from his vacation to check on her and the baby.
"You don't have to worry. I am fine. The baby it fine. I had my appointment yesterday and listened to the heartbeat again."
"Sounds good?"
"Sounds amazing."
"Did they do an ultrasound?"
"Umm, no. My doctor says that unless there are complications they normally only do two ultrasounds before delivery. I have had a perfectly healthy pregnancy, so they probably wont do another one. The next time we see this baby will probably in the delivery room."
"I'm happy to hear everything is okay."
"Everything is fine."
"Good. Listen, I have to go. I am at the mall with the girls and Kathleen has disappeared with my credit card, I should find her before she maxes it out."
Olivia laughed again.
"Alright, I will see you in a week."
"Nine days."
"Okay, nine days. Have fun and try to relax and enjoy your vacation"
"Bye, Liv."
"Bye, El."
Olivia couldn't help but smile as she closed her phone. Even while he was away on his family vacation, Elliot thought about her and the baby. She smiled as she placed her hand against her belly and felt the baby kicking inside.
"That was your daddy," she whispered softly.
That afternoon as Olivia had lunch with John Munch, his cell phone rang. She stirred her fork around in her salad as she pretended not to pay attention to his phone call. Minutes later he closed his phone and picked up his soda glass.
"Do you think you could take a cab back to the precinct?" He asked handing her a twenty dollar bill to cover the fare. "Fin is going to be in court the rest of the afternoon and Cragen wants me to go and interview the brother and see if we can get any information on our suspect."
She leaned forward and placed her chin against her hand as she batted her eyes at him.
"No," Munch replied ignoring her puppy dog stare. "No. Absolutely not."
"What?"
"No way in Hell."
"What? Look, it is just a questioning. He isn't even the suspect. You are interviewing him about the suspect. The guy isn't violent or anything."
"We don't know that. We don't know anything about this guy. You are eight months pregnant, Olivia. It isn't safe."
"Munch, please. I have been stuck behind that desk for months now. Months. Could you imagine not being able to do anything but paperwork and filing for months? I feel like I am gonna go insane. All I am asking is for you to do me a huge favor and let me tag along and ask a guy a couple of questions. You will be right there beside me the whole time. You so much as get a bad feeling and we're out. Cross my heart."
"You are going to get me suspended. More than suspended, if Cragen finds out that I took you along with me I will lose my job. And I could never forgive myself if anything should ever happen to you or this baby. So, no."
"John, nothing is going to happen to me if you are standing right there."
"No."
"John, please?"
"Not an option."
"Okay, what if you brought him in for questioning? Would you let me help then? If we were on our own turf, in the middle of a police station with dozens of cops standing around? The guy wouldn't dare try anything."
"Olivia…."
"John, I never ask you for anything. Never. I am going stir crazy, here. I am a cop. But for the past few months I have been more like a secretary. All I am asking is that you let me do a little cop work. If you think it is getting too heated, you give me the signal and I will leave the room, no questions asked."
Munch stared at her as she pleaded with her big brown eyes.
"I'm uncomfortable with the situation and you leave the room, no questions asked? Promise?"
"Cross my heart."
"Alright."
"Yes!"
"But, you take a cab back to the precinct and let me go pick this guy up alone. I want the absolute minimal risk here."
"Okay," Olivia smiled as the waiter laid the check on the table.
"And you owe me big time."
"Yes, I do."
"Cragen and Elliot are both going to kill me if they find out I let you go in there."
"The only way they are going to find out, is if you tell them," she replied
Munch laughed as he smiled at her.
"You know, if this kid is a boy you could always name him after me. That would be a great thanks."
Olivia smiled back at him.
"Maybe not this one."
"I am not trying to ruin your fun here, Liv. I just really want to know that you and this baby are safe."
Olivia smiled again.
"I know. And I really appreciate everything that all of you have done to protect us, it is really sweet for you all to look out for me like this."