One Night Stand
(Chapter Eight: Gone)
Olivia rocked three month old Sophie in her arms as she yawned hoping the baby would give in and fall back to sleep soon. Across the room Isabella slept soundly and rarely ever woke up crying in the night. This colic thing was rough on them all.
Over the last month or so, Elliot and Olivia had gotten settled into the new house. Olivia had switched rooms with the older girls so that she would be closer to the nursery once the babies were moved into their own beds. She had attempted letting Sophie and Isabella spend a night in the nursery in their cribs once or twice, but when Sophie would wake up crying she woke the entire household.
The girls had grown a lot since they were born. Now just over eight pounds each and able to move around more on their own, they had outgrown their bassinettes. When the transition to their nursery didn't quite work out the way they had planned, Dickie helped Elliot move one of the cribs into Olivia's room so that the babies could sleep in together in that and have more space.
From that point, Olivia had moved in the changing table and rocking chair and pretty much transformed a corner of her bedroom into a little mini nursery for the babies. So far this seemed to be working out perfectly.
She kissed her daughter on the forehead as Sophie closed her little fist around her mama's finger. Sometimes Olivia wasn't sure that Sophie just wasn't afraid that she and Isabella were alone. She would wake up in the night and cry, but sometimes as long as mommy held her really tight and spoke softly to her, everything seemed to be okay. It was as if she thought mommy was going to leave them or something. And when she got in these moods, mommy was the only one who could make her feel better. Other nights it was daddy she wanted and no one else would do.
Olivia walked to the edge of the crib and tucked the blanket around little Isabella. It was nearing four o'clock in the morning and she would probably sleep until at least eight or so without a complaint. Liv carried Sophie to the bed as she fluffed the pillows.
"Alright kiddo, what do you say you sleep in the big bed with mommy tonight? But we have to be really quiet so we don't wake everyone else up."
Sophie grunted and stirred around a bit as she stared up at Olivia.
"Mommy loves you so much."
She laid the baby down on a pillow and placed another one beside her to prevent Sophie from rolling off the bed. Sophie kept her eyes on mommy, as Olivia made her way around to the other side of the bed and slid in under the blankets.
Sophie whimpered in protest for a moment, unsure if this was a good idea. But Olivia laid her palm against the little girl's chest and Sophie held tight to mommy's finger once more.
Olivia smiled as her baby girl yawned and closed her heavy eyes. Moments later, Sophie was finally back to sleep.
"Goodnight my little angel. Mommy loves you and sissy more than anything in the world. You girls are my life," Olivia whispered as she gently kissed her baby daughter and closed her eyes as well.
The next morning Olivia nursed the babies and dressed them. She held Isabella against her chest as she scooped Sophie up in her arms, juggling the little girls in a way that only the mother of twins could do. She bounced the babies gently as she made her way down the hall toward the living room.
"They're awake," Elizabeth almost squealed rushing to Olivia and removing Sophie from her arms. "I have waited all morning to play with you," she said smiling down at her baby sister as Sophie cooed.
Olivia smiled as she kissed the top of Isabella's head.
"Where is everyone?" Olivia asked.
"Pretty much everyone else is still in bed. Dad is snoring. Dickie will sleep until noon. And Kathleen got up and fixed Eli a bottle a few hours ago. Last I checked she had him in the bedroom watching television."
"You the only early bird in the family?"
"Not the only one," Elizabeth said smiling down at her baby sister.
"Do you want to help us make breakfast?" Olivia asked.
"Yeah," Elizabeth replied with a smile.
Elliot made his way into the kitchen to see Olivia in Elizabeth laughing over a bowl of pancake batter. On the counter in their little bouncy seats were Sophie and Isabella watching all of the activity in front of them. In the dining room Kathleen was setting the table for breakfast and Maureen was sitting at the table holding Eli.
"Looks like the party started without me," he said smiling at Isabella as he tugged on her little foot and kissed her.
"We wouldn't have eaten without you," Olivia replied. "Coffee?"
"Coffee sounds great."
"Here dad," Elizabeth said handing him a cup of the hot black liquid.
"Thank you sweetheart. Where is your brother?"
"I woke him up about twenty minutes ago. He is in the shower. I was going to wait until everything was ready and wake you up too. Liv and I thought you could use a little extra sleep."
"Thank you sweetheart. Everyone going to be ready for church in time?"
"Yes. We still have plenty of time."
"After church we will get some lunch before I have to take you guys back to mom."
"Are Sophie and Isabella going to church with us?"
"Well, that is up to Liv."
"Olivia," she asked with a smile, "will you and the babies go to church with us? Please?"
Olivia smiled and laughed a little.
"What is this all about?"
"I don't know. Just that we live together as a family and we have meals together like a family. I think we should go to church together, too. Please?"
"Okay. If it means that much to you, the girls and I would love to go to church with you. But you know, being in a church service with three small babies isn't going to be easy."
"I can help. If any of them cry or need changed, I will take them."
Olivia laughed again.
"You are a great big sister and a lot of help."
"Thanks," Elizabeth said with a smile. "I love having baby sisters. I love having a baby brother, too. But having little sisters is really cool. And they are so cute. I love them so much."
"Well, they love you, too. Can you carry this plate of pancakes to the table and get out the juice and milk? I am going to grab the babies and we can all sit down to eat."
"Okay."
That afternoon Elliot helped her carry the babies into the house.
"I'm gonna make some dinner," he said sitting Sophie's car seat onto the dining room table and unbuckling her. "Any idea what you would like?"
"Anything sounds good. I need to change them and feed them, then lay them down for a little while. They have had a very busy day."
"Why don't I help you with the girls, then we can lay them down in the playpen in here? That way they can stretch out a little and get some rest. I'll throw a couple of steaks on the grill and open a bottle of wine."
"That sounds really good."
Elliot changed Sophie's diaper and placed her in her swing as he moved into the kitchen to make a bottle. Olivia changed Isabella and sat down on the sofa to nurse her for a little while, while Sophie was content.
Elliot carried the bottle into the living room and picked Sophie up from the swing handing her to Olivia and taking Isabella to give her the bottle.
"They are growing so fast," he said smiling down at his daughter in his arms.
"They have a doctor's appointment tomorrow. I'm excited to see how much they weigh."
"You guys gonna come by and see daddy at work?"
"I could probably arrange that."
"Everyone at work has been asking about them. And they have been asking about you."
"About me?"
"Everyone is curious as to when you are coming back to work."
"I'm just not ready. They are awfully little to go to daycare. It scares me."
"I agree with you. They are too little for daycare and I don't think you should go back until you are ready. We are doing fine here, there is no hurry for you to go back to work."
"Most women are off six weeks after they have a baby. The girls are three months old and I still haven't gone back."
"You are a wonderful mother. I can't blame you for wanting to spend every moment here with our beautiful little girls. When it is time for you to return to work, I think you will know."
"How?"
"I don't know. But I think if you are nervous about leaving them so soon, maybe there is a good reason. Take a little more time. You will know when you are ready to go back. And you know daycare isn't the only option."
"We have to find someone to watch them, Elliot. I can't very well take them to work with me."
"What about a housekeeper or a nanny? There are agencies, places here in the city that can provide someone to watch the babies here in our home. They have complete background checks ran on them and have references. We can make an appointment and interview a few until you find someone you are comfortable with."
"That does sound better than taking them to daycare with dozens of other children and only one or two staff. Not to mention all of the germs they would be exposed to."
Elliot smiled as he burped Isabella.
"We live in New York City, Olivia. They are going to be exposed to germs."
"I know. But little kids pass all kinds of illnesses to each other. It would be a lot safer for them to be here and be able to be in their own house and take naps in their own bed. I like that idea."
"Then I will make the call tomorrow morning. You can choose someone and take a few days to watch her with the girls and make sure you are comfortable, before you go back to work. Maybe take a spa day and get in a little mommy time without the babies. And if we have someone staying here with them, we can stop in and check up on them any time during the day. We wont have to drag them out when it is cold or rainy to take them to daycare."
"Alright, I'm sold. I am still a little nervous, call me paranoid. But I do like the idea of someone watching them in our home."
"You are a first time mother. Paranoid is part of your job description."
Olivia smiled as she kissed Sophie and the baby closed her eyes.
"They are my entire life. I only want what is best for them. I couldn't imagine my life with out them in it."
"That is part of what makes you such a great mother. Olivia, these babies are going to be very well taken care of. I promise you that. We may not be able to give them everything they want, but they will definitely have everything they ever need. Daddy will make sure of it."
"Thank you for being so understanding about this whole work thing."
"Hey, I have done this before, remember. I know how hard it was for me to go back to work after Kathy and I had Maureen. I was so afraid of letting someone else watch her that when Kathy wanted to be a stay at home mom, I was relieved. Then one by one the other kids came and it was even harder to leave them when it came time to go back to work. I know how this feels, from a father's point of view anyway."
Olivia laid Sophie down in the playpen and Elliot laid a not quite asleep Isabella in beside her sister giving her a pacifier.
"I am just so afraid that when I go back to work I will miss out on something. A first step or a first word. When they start crawling. I want to be here for it all."
"We will just have to tell them to save all the good stuff for when we are home," Elliot laughed. "And hope they listen."
"Yeah," Olivia agreed with a smile.
The next morning was busy as Olivia got the girls ready for their doctors appointment. She had taken the babies out in the city before, but usually had Elliot or at least one of the other kids along to help her with the babies, today it was just her and her daughters.
The sky was overcast and there seemed to be a threat of rain.
"Of course it would rain," Olivia mumbled to herself as she buckled the second car seat into the back of her SUV.
She moved around to the back of the car and loaded up the stroller, if the weather wasn't too awful bad this afternoon she had intended on doing a little shopping while she had the babies out. She looked up at the sky once more in search of the sun as she tossed the diaper bag into the passenger's seat. She reached her hand up under the drivers seat to pull out the umbrella she kept there and tucked it into the diaper bag just in case. A quick check of the babies in the mirror and they were on their way.
The doctor's appointment went really well and the pediatrician seemed very impressed by the two healthy baby girls Olivia brought in to see him. She buckled the girls back into their seats and headed back down to the car.
A few blocks across town they met up with Elliot for a little lunch, before heading back to the office so Olivia could check her messages and pick up some paperwork to take home with her. After daddy showed his babies off once more at work and everyone had gotten a chance to hold a twin, Olivia slipped back to the cribs to feed them before they were off again.
Elliot walked Olivia to the car, carrying Sophie in one arm and her car seat in his other hand. He kissed his babies good bye as he buckled their car seats back into the car for Olivia.
"So everything went well at their appointment?"
"Yes. The doctor was very impressed at how well they are doing. Isabella weighs eight pounds eight ounces and Sophie weighed in at eight pounds four ounces. He said they are doing great. Very healthy."
"Mommy and daddy take very good care of them."
Olivia smiled.
"So what to you ladies have planned for this afternoon?"
"I had hoped to get in a little shopping before heading home, but I'm not sure if the weather is going to cooperate."
"It isn't supposed to rain."
"It sure looks like it is going to."
"You buying anything in particular?"
"Just stuff," she said with a smile. "There is a children's store across town that is having a big sale. I thought I would stop in there. Seeing as we have two girls and a boy all around the same size I thought maybe I would pick them all up a few new outfits."
"Sounds good. I called an agency today and spoke to a woman. She said that we could come in tomorrow and fill out some paperwork and start interviewing people on Wednesday."
"That's is good. I am really glad you had this idea. I am so much more comfortable with the idea of a nanny, than I am of daycare."
"Munch and I have to head across town and talk to a few people. But I should get off work at a decent hour tonight. How does Chinese food sound for dinner?"
"That sounds good. I picked up a few more files to work on. I am hoping the girls will go to sleep a little early tonight and I might be able to get a little work done."
"I'd better get going. I will see you guys at home tonight."
"Okay."
Elliot held the car door as she climbed inside closing it behind her. He watched until her SUV was out of the parking lot and had disappeared down the block. Elliot walked across the parking lot to where John Munch was waiting nearby in the squad car.
A couple hours passed and it began to drizzle in Manhattan. Elliot wasn't really surprised when the screen on his phone showed an incoming call from Olivia.
"I have to take this," he said looking over at Munch who was more worried about the traffic and the rain than what who his partner was talking to on the phone. "Liv, what's up?"
Munch watched as a look of concern crossed Elliot's face, something was wrong. Something was very wrong.
"Olivia, calm down. Honey, You are crying and I can't understand you. Take a deep breath. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," she hiccupped as she gasped for air. "There was a man. He stole the car…."
"Liv, I don't give a damn about the car. Are you and the girls alright?"
He listened helplessly as she began to break down once more.
"Elliot, Sophie was in the car."
"He took Sophie?"
"She's gone. This man just got in the car and took off with it. And the baby was in the backseat."
"Liv, where is Isabella?"
He listened nervously. It was really hard to understand what she was saying between her tears and the fact that her phone kept cutting out.
"I have Izzy. She is here with me," she sobbed. "But Sophie is gone."
"Olivia, I am on my way. Just tell me where you are."
Elliot listened as Olivia gave him the address.
"I will be there as soon as I can."
Elliot rambled off the address as Munch turned on his lights and siren. Elliot stared out the window into the rain and prayed to God that their little girl was alright.
When they arrived the area was already crawling with uniformed officers. Munch flashed his badge as Elliot pushed his way through the crowd to get to Olivia's side.
"Where is the mother?" Munch asked one of the officers.
"She was about to hyperventilate. One of our guys took her inside to try and get her to calm down," he said pointing at a little café behind them.
Elliot headed inside as Munch got as many details as he could about what had just happened.
"Olivia," Elliot called as he stepped in the door and he could hear the baby crying.
He made his way to a table in the back where she sat holding Izzy and rocking her in her arms. Olivia was crying and her face was tear stained as officers asked her a thousand questions.
"Liv?"
"Elliot," she sobbed as she stood up with the baby girl in her arms.
Elliot wrapped his arms tight around her as she cried against him. He kissed her forehead and took little Isabella from her arms.
"Hey baby," he whispered softly as he kissed her and bounced her gently. "Liv, what happened?"
She drew a staggered breath as Munch appeared beside Elliot. Elliot picked up the bottle from the side of the diaper bag and offered it to his daughter, calming her. Olivia stared at the baby in his arms.
"Sophie," she whispered as tears streamed down both cheeks.
"Liv?"
"I had the babies in the stroller. We had just come out of the clothing store across the street. I was parked right out front. It was starting to rain. I started the car so it would warm up and I buckled Sophie into her seat. I climbed out of the car and turned around to take Isabella out of the stroller when I heard the driver's door shut and the car just took off into traffic. I panicked. I didn't know what to do. They stole the car with the baby in the backseat. I ran in here and told the man what happened. He called the police and I called you. I didn't know what to do. She was just gone," she sobbed.
"I have an APB out on the vehicle Detective Stabler. Every cop in the city is looking for it. We will find it. Ma'am, can you tell me what your baby looks like?"
"Like her," Elliot said looking down at Isabella. "Just like her. They are identical twins."
"I want to get an Amber alert out on your daughter. Can you tell me how old she is?"
"She is three months old. Eight pounds four ounces, brown hair and brown eyes."
"Any birthmarks or distinguishing scars?"
"No."
"Ma'am, do you have a picture of your daughter?"
Olivia just stared ahead unable to speak.
"I have one of the two of them together," Elliot replied handing the man a photo from his wallet.
"I will get this back to you as soon as I can," the man replied looking at Elliot.
"Just find my daughter."
"We are doing everything we can. Did you get a look at the man who took your car?"
"No, she said softly. All I saw was a dark hooded sweatshirt and sunglasses. I really couldn't tell what he even looked like."
"Liv," Elliot said slipping his suit jacket around her shoulders, "we should get the two of you home."
"I can't go home with out my baby."
Elliot kissed Isabella then handed her to Munch. He sat down beside Olivia and stared into her sad eyes.
"Honey, we can't stay here. It is cold and rainy out and we need to get Izzy someplace warm. We don't have to go home. But we can't stay here."
"I am so scared, Elliot."
"I know, baby. So am I. But we have done everything we can do here. Why don't you let me take you back to the precinct? I'll get you some dry clothes and get Izzy warmed up. We will be right there as soon as they find something out. If you don't want to go home, let me take you there."
Olivia nodded slowly.
"Alright."
Munch handed the baby back to her mother, tucking the blanket from the diaper bag tightly around her. He folded up the stroller and put it in the trunk of the squad car as Elliot escorted Olivia to the car. He held the door open for her as she slid into the backseat with Izzy in her arms. Elliot climbed in beside her and closed the door as Munch drove them back to the station house.