Judge Donnelly closed her eyes briefly and sighed. She walked to her office and picked up the phone. She had an important call to make.
"Captain Cragan, Special Victims Unit." Liz barked into the phone when the receptionist picked up.
A few seconds ticked by and then Cragen picked up his end of the line. Liz was steely and gripping the edge of her desk by this point. Anger and sorrow for Elliot flowing through her.
"Don. We have a problem."
Olivia had completed her afternoon therapy and was settling back into bed when Elliot arrived back at the hospital and walked into her room. Relief flooded through her as he threw his arms around her shoulders and sunk his face into the side of her neck. Olivia returned his embrace fully, wrapping her arms as best she could around his torso and gently rubbing her hands up and down his back.
Elliot lifted his head a little and moved to press his forehead against Olivia's. He sat down on the bed, careful to keep their close proximity without hurting her and brought a hand up to cup the back of her neck. Keeping his eyes closed, he softly pulled her towards him and brushed his lips against hers. Olivia closed her eyes and responded gently, trembling, wanting to savor the feeling of butterflies exploding in her stomach. Elliot peeked his tongue out, exploring the surface of Olivia's soft, smooth lips. She parted her lips and let him fully in.
Moaning in relief and pleasure, Elliot scooted closer to Olivia like a nervous teenager on a first date. He carefully traced a path with his the fingers of his left hand up and down her bicep, spreading goose bumps all over her skin. Her hands moved to his hips and toyed with the edge of his jeans. He felt an excitement and warmth spread through him as she skimmed her fingers lightly over the tender, exposed flesh at his waist. Elliot let his hands begin to wander and as the smoothed down Olivia's sides and brushed the sides of her breasts, she mewed in surprise and pleasure and Elliot savored the sound.
Neither Elliot nor Olivia had ever felt this pull of energy before. Their bodies were like live wires: sensitive, responsive, and aching for contact. Olivia needed to feel more of his skin. Her hands were shaking with want and as she deepened their kiss, she pulled him even closer to her. Raising her hands, she began to slowly feel her way underneath his shirt intending to take her time mapping out ever curve and crevice of his toned, muscular body. Elliot gasped hotly into her mouth and she smirked, pleased to know that she was having an effect on him. Taking a play from Olivia's book, Elliot began to skim his hands across Olivia's sides, ever so careful to avoid any sensitive or painful areas. Things were quickly becoming intense as they melded together and explored each other in a way they never had. The atmosphere in the room was thick with heat and desire as both detectives got lost in each other; groping and touching for the first time.
"Ahem." A sudden voice near the door startled Olivia and Elliot so much so that Elliot almost found himself on the floor next to the bed. Looking towards the noise, Elliot saw one of the nurses holding Olivia's nightly pain pills and sleep aid. He grinned apologetically at her and moved off the bed and into the chair. Smiling at Olivia, he made himself comfortable as the nurse busied herself with checking Olivia's vitals. Olivia, however, couldn't have cared less. She was entirely too busy staring at Elliot, watching him try to finagle the blanket to make himself more comfortable in the easy chair. He hadn't slept well since she'd been admitted and she was worried about him but he didn't care. He wasn't about to leave her just to sleep in an empty apartment. Knowing that Olivia was in the same room, that she was alive and breathing, and feeling the same things he was made Elliot feel incredible and he was not letting her out of his sight again.
The nurse finished her tasks and left the two alone again.
"So, tell me about Kathy." Olivia said, smiling kindly but with a hint of concern in her deep brown eyes.
"Uh…mm…well, Greg left her." Elliot replied.
"Yeah, I could have seen that coming." Olivia said, rolling her eyes slightly while trying to stifle a big yawn.
"I think Stevie Wonder could have seen that coming." Elliot quipped.
"So, what's next for you two?" Olivia tried to sound as casual as possible but she was a little afraid of his answer.
"You mean besides the divorce hearings, the division of property, and the custody battle? How 'bout a paternity test?" Elliot replied sarcastically, his blue eyes turning icy at the last part.
Olivia shot up from her resting position that she was almost certain she had busted a stitch but she didn't care.
"Excuse me?! What the fuck do you mean, paternity test?!"
"Well, apparently, she starting seeing this Greg guy right around the time she got pregnant with Eli. I went to Donnelly's house after I talked to Kathy and had her sign a paternity test order."
Elliot was remarkably calm in Olivia's presence. Being with her made the situation seem manageable. Maybe not tolerable or any less nauseating, but at least he didn't feel like he was dying again.
Olivia was in shock. She put her hands to her face and shook her head. "God, El. I'm so sorry. I don't know what to say." She stared at him, disbelievingly. "Do Maureen or Kathleen know?"
"No. I'm not going to say anything until I know for sure." Elliot's resolve to shield his children from any more pain than they were already going through was steadfast.
"Oh God, El. When is the test? When will you know?" Olivia was desperately trying to keep the tone of her voice as stead as possible but she was becoming increasingly more upset the deeper she stared into Elliot's broken and devastated eyes. He deserved better than this. He had given Kathy so many wonderful years and the most amazing children a parent could ask for. Yeah, maybe he worked a lot and maybe he didn't like to bring his work home with him but who could blame him for wanting to protect his family from the horrors that he and Olivia saw daily? Olivia was beside herself. Sitting before her, was the man she had fallen in love with so many years ago, broken and betrayed by someone who took her life for granted. Olivia craved a family and Kathy had so carelessly threw hers away. Life had a not so amusing sense of humor as far as Olivia was concerned.
Olivia listened to Elliot explain his visit with Judge Donnelly and the upcoming legal process. It would be several weeks before their lawyers would be able to work out a testing date for Eli. Elliot was devastated about having to put his son through it but he knew it had to be done.
Olivia was visibly shaking with sadness and anger. She reached a timid hand out and rested it on Elliot's arm. She was nervous that he was going to lose it any second and she didn't want to set him off. He didn't like to be coddled when he was upset. Elliot was more of a "punch a perp, but a hole in the wall, and walk away" kind of a guy. However, instead of flinching, Elliot leaned into her touch and placed his hand over hers. This was a new, responsive, and gentle Elliot who was finally allowing himself to be cared for. Olivia was extremely grateful for this change. She felt so incredibly useless stuck in her hospital bed and wanted nothing more than to help Elliot sort his life out.
Emboldened by his reaction, Olivia drew him closer and closer, eventually making it almost impossible for him not to lie down with her. Elliot happily obliged. Curling up next to her, he began to draw lethargic circles and patterns across her biceps and down her arms.
"I don't know what I'll do, Liv. I don't know what I'll do if he's not mine." Elliot's voice was shaky and as he spoke, he began to tense up.
"I know. But, I'm here if you want me to be. We could try to figure out this mess together if you'll let me."
Elliot buried his face into Olivia's soft auburn hair and as he exhaled on to the sensitive skin of her neck, Olivia felt goose bumps spread down the side of her body. Elliot pulled her closer to him and kissed her temple, nuzzling the side of her face slightly.
His body began to relax next to hers. Reassured that he wouldn't leave again, Olivia sighed and sank into his embrace and began to succumb to the effects of the pain medicine with the feeling of Elliot's hands tracing nonsensical words very much alive on the surface of her skin.
"I love you, Olivia Benson." Elliot whispered, once Olivia's breathing had evened out and he was sure she was asleep.
Elliot closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep with Olivia, reassured by her words of caring and steadfast loyalty. Elliot knew he and his children had a rocky road ahead of them but somehow, just by being there, Olivia was already making things less painful, less toxic, and significantly calmer. How he had lived so long without her, he would never figure out.