A mother for Bella

Sequel to A home for Nathan

2 of 4 in series

Chapter Six

The next day Olivia dropped Nathan off at school and took Bella with her to meet Simon. They had breakfast at a coffee shop together before they met the relator to look at the first house she'd called about.

It was out in Queens. She didn't want to have to leave the city however to get affordable housing in a good neighbourhood she had to and it seemed like a small sacrifice if it meant keeping Bella.

"So this is the first house." Olivia smiled to Simon as they stepped inside.

"It's nice." Simon said looking around.

Nice wasn't a great way of describing it. It was beautiful. A detached four bedroom two bathroom house located on Bell Boulevard in Bayside, Queens with its own front and back garden and off road parking. It was just the type of house Olivia had imagined owning someday and the thought of doing so with Bella and Nathan just seemed perfect.

"Nathan can carry on going to Saint Mary's Prep but Bella can go to Kew Forest if there's room." Olivia said as she wandered from one room to the other already imagining where everything would go and how she would paint the place.

"You want this house don't you Olivia?" Simon chuckled, it was blatantly obvious that she wanted the house.

"Yeah but maybe I should look at the other's first, I mean some of them are closer to the city…"

"Olivia." Simon said grasping her shoulders. "From the way you've been wondering around this house I'd say it was your dream home, call the bank, sort out the money for the deposit and sign the damn lease because I know you want this house."

"You're right." Olivia smiled. "I want it."

Two hours later found Simon and Olivia sat with Bella in Kew Forest's principal's office. He was polite enough in saying they had room for her and would happily take her in but had plenty of forms for Olivia to fill in such as her details and Simon as emergency contact one and naturally like with Simon she put Cragen down as a second option, Elliot of course was Nathan's emergency contact after her.

He took them around the school and Bella marvelled at the kids playing and learning and expressed excitement at the prospect of wearing the required uniform expressing a preference for the kilt dress and knee high socks which Olivia said they'd go shopping for before picking up Nathan from school.

"Nathan?" The headmaster asked kindly.

"My son, he attends Saint Mary's Prep in Manhattan." Olivia explained.

"Ah Catholic school. You have no desire to send Miss Isabella there?" He asked a look of genuine intrigue across his face.

"I would but I've just put down a deposit on a house over in Bell Boulevard, if I have any hope of adopting my niece as my daughter then my apartment in Manhattan is just to small but I don't want to disrupt Nathan's education, he's settled at Saint Mary's and his friends are there and to be quite honest I don't want to give him another reason for him to push against me about adopting Bella, I think he's worried I won't have time for him once Bella's with us permanently." Olivia admitted which surprised Simon, he knew Olivia to be quite a defensive person.

"Your son is jealous? I'm sure he knows you're his Mom and he won't lose you." The Principal replied softly.

"My son is adopted too." Olivia explained. "So I guess he's scared I won't want him anymore."

"How long has it been since you adopted him?"

"Just a little over a year now." Olivia smiled happily, it was the best thing she'd ever done. "Until Bella it was just me and him so I am worried about him but there's not much I can do Bella deserves a home too." She said running her hand through Bella's hair.

"Of course. Well if ever you think of moving Nathan out here we'd be happy to take him on." The principal smiled as he led them to the door. "It was lovely to meet you Detective, Mr Marsden and you Miss Isabella, I'll see you on tomorrow morning." He smiled shaking her hand softly, she'd taken to the head master, he was obviously good with young children and it was visible he enjoyed his job.

"Thank you Sir." She replied politely before Olivia hushed her out the door.

"We'll see you tomorrow." Olivia smiled before hurrying after Simon and Bella, they still had so much to do.

Later that afternoon Olivia, Simon and Bella called by the precinct. Simon watched Bella while Olivia and Elliot went upstairs to talk.

"Hey." He smiled wrapping his arms around her as soon as they entered the crib.

She reached up and kissed him, drinking in his scent.

"Wow someone missed me." Elliot teased as soon as she stopped and dropped onto the nearest cot.

"Uh yeah of course, I just got to talk to you about something." Olivia said.

"Ok go ahead." Elliot replied.

"I bought a house." Olivia said and Elliot's head snapped towards her. "In Queens, four bed, two baths over in Bayside." Olivia explained without looking at Elliot she didn't see his reaction.

"I thought we'd by our house together?" Elliot asked with a hint of disappointment.

"We did discus it but I had to find somewhere fast El, they want to take Bella and put her through a closed adoption so I can never find her." Olivia said her voice cracking.

"I want to be there for you." Elliot said.

"You are here for me El." Olivia replied rubbing his knee softly.

"No I mean really be there Olivia, I want to live with you, Nathan and Bella, I want to make this whole relationship more permanent." Elliot explained desperately.

"El…"

"We discussed it Liv, this is where the relationship was going, it's just happened sooner than planned, then you also won't be a single parent, it will increase your chances of getting Bella." Elliot explained as he tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"You really want to do this?" Olivia asked looking into his sapphire eyes.

"Yes." Elliot replied. "Don't you?"

"Yeah." Olivia nodded and Elliot pulled her into his arms before anymore could be said.

"We'll figure it out Liv, but when you go into the court room to fight for Bella you're not going to be doing it alone, you're going to have me there right by your side."