Thanks again for the awesome reviews. It is nice to know people are still reading and enjoying the story after all this time. Here is a little more. Hopefully I'll have some longer posts for you this weekend.

Noah was taking a nap, Olivia was taking a nap, and as Elliot looked around the living room at the mess he'd created he wished he'd decided to take a nap with them. After their talk about money and moving, he'd decided that if they were staying at Olivia's apartment until she was ready to go back to work, that they'd better start getting things ready for the new baby. Olivia had purchased a few things online that had been stacked in boxes in the corner of her bedroom for months, but no one had bothered to think through where to put them. They both agreed that Noah could move to a toddler bed soon, and the baby could sleep in the crib, but Olivia wasn't quite on board with putting him in the bed while she was on bed rest and Elliot was in the wheelchair. She was afraid he'd climb out and they might not notice right away and he could get hurt, and Elliot was afraid if they moved him right after the baby came home that he'd feel jealous seeing his sister in his crib and they'd end up with temper tantrums and unnecessary sibling rivalry. So for now, they both agreed to have the baby sleep in a bassinet next to their bed and let Noah keep his room to himself, thinking that moving to their new home would be a more appropriate time to move him to his new bed anyway.

Elliot had decided to surprise Olivia by putting the bassinet together, thinking it would prove to her that he was capable of more than she thought, but as he stared at the pieces scattered over the living room he knew he was never going to prove his case. It should have been a simple task, but no matter how many times he looked over the directions, they didn't make sense and snapping and screwing tiny pieces together was much harder than he could have imagined. Luckily the basket itself came in one piece, but the base was in several chunks covering the sofa and coffee table, and he was pretty sure that even if he managed to get them all together it still wouldn't be sturdy enough to be safe for the baby.

He was just about to start tossing the pieces into the box when there was a knock at the door that took him by surprise. They weren't expecting anyone. Maureen was coming the following day to take them to doctor's appointments, but that was it. He figured it was probably Fin or Amaro, stopping by to check on Olivia because they still didn't fully trust him to keep her safe and he sighed as he wheeled himself to the door and opened it, surprised by the person on the other side. "Captain…" he said, looking at Donald Cragen's worn face staring back at him. He looked older than Elliot remembered, but in some ways he looked happier too. "What are you doing here?"

Cragen's eyes widened as he stared at Elliot, and then at the wheelchair. "What are you doing here?" he asked. "And what happened to you?" he realized the question was probably more blunt than he meant for it to be. "I mean…"

"Don't bother," Elliot dismissed his comment. "Come on in…" he wheeled himself back and motioned into the apartment. "Sorry about the mess."

Cragen looked around the room and then back at Elliot, "I came to see Olivia. I called the precinct and some dumbass answered her phone…said he was her replacement because she'd taken an extended leave of absence. Then he said they were on a huge case and hung up before I could ask anything more. I tried to call Fin, Amaro, and Rollins, but none of them answered, probably because of whatever case they're on, and I just got back in town yesterday. So I decided to just come and check on her myself. What's going on? Did something happen to you that landed you in that chair? Is that why she's on leave?" He shook his head in frustration, "She never could get over you…"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Elliot asked, his voice irritated.

"Nothing really…" he sighed and looked at Elliot, realizing that he didn't know what had happened since he'd been gone. A six month cruise had turned into a year-long sabbatical with the woman of his dreams and he hadn't bothered to call or write back home, determined to distance himself from all of them and make a life for himself for once, and so he had no right to judge anything anyone else had done. "How'd you end up in the chair?"

"Shot in the head," Elliot realized he'd never told the story to someone who didn't already know it and he suddenly felt self-conscious about it. "I was working security…got hit in a bank robbery…"

"I'm sorry," Cragen's voice quivered, thinking about all Elliot had gone through. He looked around the room at the mess and then back at Elliot, "What are you doing here anyway?"

"Captain…" Elliot wasn't sure how to even begin.

"You can call me Don," he smiled, moving a few pieces of metal framing off the sofa and sitting down.

"I'd rather call you Captain," Elliot admitted.

"Okay…" he nodded, then caught a glimpse of the bassinet basket sitting on the floor and looked questioningly at Elliot. "Is that a bassinet…why are you trying to put together a bassinet?"

"For the baby," Elliot answered and from the look on Cragen's face he could tell his former captain had no idea what he was talking about. "Haven't you talked to Liv…at all?"

Cragen shook his head in disbelief, "Are you trying to tell me she's having a baby?" he asked. "Is that why she's on leave?"

Elliot nodded, "She's on bed rest…she's had a lot of complications…"

"Where the hell is Cassidy?" Cragen asked. "Did he just knock her up and walk out? That son of a bitch…"

"No…" Elliot looked seriously at him and knew what he was about to say probably wouldn't go over well. Cragen had always been protective of Olivia and from his original reaction to finding Elliot in her apartment it was obvious he had less than good feelings toward him for walking away from her years earlier. "They broke up…a long time ago. Do you know about Noah?"

Cragen shook his head, "Is he the father?" he asked.

"He's her son," Elliot told him. "He's almost two. She adopted him…found him on her very first case as C.O."

"She has a son?" Cragen asked with a surprised smile. "I bet she's a great mom."

"She is," Elliot smiled. "She hired my daughter Maureen to be Noah's nanny…and we were reacquainted shortly thereafter…and…"

"You're the father of her baby…" Cragen said knowingly. "Of course you are." He exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "Thank God this didn't happen on my watch…"

"We were never together back then," Elliot argued.

"Sure…I listened to that lie for years," Cragen added. "So where is she anyway?"

"She's asleep," Elliot told him. "Captain…she's in really bad shape. This pregnancy has been a nightmare. And since the shooting…I can't really take care of her and Noah like I should. I've been trying to put this damn bassinet together for two hours…and I can't do it…."

"Hey…" Cragen noticed the look of panic and fear on Elliot's face and he suddenly felt bad for being so angry with him. "You'll get it…"

Elliot shook his head, "I don't think I will," he admitted, trying not to let himself tear up. "My brain…it doesn't work like it used to…since the shooting. Liv's so worried about me doing too much and she's scared I'm going to hurt myself or accidentally do something to hurt Noah or…I don't know…she just doesn't believe I can do things anymore. I wanted to do this…to show her she can still depend on me…but I don't understand the directions, and my hands won't work right to screw in the pieces…"

"I can help you," Cragen offered, noticing the pain in Elliot's eyes and wondering if he'd see the same in Olivia's. He knew he would, and he dreaded it. They'd been his best team, and he always knew there was something more than a work partnership between them, but when Elliot left he was sure he could push Olivia to move on with her own life. She never truly had and so the fact that they were finally together, but in such a sad situation made his heart ache for them.

"I couldn't ask you to help," Elliot replied quickly. "You came to see Liv…not to do this…"

"You said she's asleep," he reminded him. "Sounds like she needs her rest. When is the baby due anyway?"

"June…but there's no way she's gonna make it that long," Elliot answered. "She has something called polyhydraminos…it's an increase in amniotic fluid surrounding the baby. She's huge…even the doctor says she won't make it to term."

"Is something wrong with the baby?" Cragen asked.

Elliot sighed, "Liv always answers that question with there's nothing wrong with her." He smiled, slightly. "She has down syndrome…"

"Oh…it's a girl? I bet she'll look like her mommy," Cragen said, trying not to let his sadness show. "How's Olivia doing with all of this?"

Elliot shrugged, "It was hard at first. We didn't plan this baby…and neither of us really wanted a baby either…" he sighed, "She was sick for months…she blamed herself for the baby having Downs, I think she still does…" he looked seriously, "But she loves our little girl, I've never seen a mother with more love for her children than Olivia has for Noah and this baby."

Cragen smiled, "She's waited a long time." He picked up the directions for the base of the bassinet. "Let's get this thing put together so your daughter has a place to sleep…"

Elliot nodded, "Thanks…" he whispered.