Chapter two of my Christmas story is here! Thanks a lot to everyone who reviewed, followed etc my story! You really keep me going guys!

ALSO I want to remind to everyone that English is not my native language and I am doing this without a beta. So please excuse any grammatical or other mistakes! Thanks a lot!

Disclaimer: Nope, not mine. In 17 days maybe? :D

Second Chance

" You don't know what you're talking about!"

"Fuck off Elliot, you know I'm right!"

"No, you're not!"

"That's enough!"

A fuming Olivia and a red-faced Elliot, turned at the same time to look at their Captain, who was eyeing them sternly.

"I don't know what your problem is, but keep it away from my squadroom, and especially on Christmas time. Now, it's almost 5 o' clock, both of you go home, and I want you back here tomorrow first thing in the morning." He said and walked away, leaving them glaring at each other.

Elliot mumbled something under his breath, reached for his coat and stomped out of the precinct without a word. Olivia watched him leave, her arms crossed on her chest. She waited some minutes, to make sure that she won't bump into him on her way out and left too without a word, leaving Fin and Munch exchanging confused looks.

Olivia emerged from the building, anger still boiling hot inside of her. She started walking fast, trying to ignore the happy yells coming from people around her, while they're doing their Christmas shopping. After some minutes, she stopped, panting hard. This was awful. She always disliked Christmas, having spent her entire childhood with a mother who kept ruining them, one way or another. But until a month ago, she had this feeling that those holidays would be different.

She let out a bitter laugh. Oh yeah there would be different, there would be the worst Christmas ever.

Some time later that night, she was staring out from her window to the snow that was falling lightly over Manhattan. She sighed longingly and hugged herself tightly.

"Hey is anyone up there listening? Jesus? Santa maybe?" she laughed at her own foolishness, but went on.

"I was really hoping that Christmas this year, would be different, but good different, you know? Not the crappy different that is about to be. So, um… I never asked for anything, but can you please give me a miracle? Can you give me my Christmas miracle?"

Tears were falling down her eyes, tears that spoke for all her sorrow, pain, but also for the hope that still was inside her.

The next morning, she woke up, feeling uneasy. She hadn't managed to sit straight up on her bed, when a wave of nausea hit her and made her jump out and run to the bathroom, where she spent the next few minutes throwing up.

When she was done, she slid down the wall exhausted.

"I asked for a freaking miracle, not a stomach flu!" she groaned, burying her head on her knees.

She somehow managed to pull herself together and get ready for work, all the time fighting nausea and dizziness. She could have call in sick, but she didn't want people to think that she was faking an illness, so as not to face Elliot after last evening's ordeal.

She dragged herself to the precinct and sat at her chair, carefully, fighting, another wave of dizziness.

"Merry fucking Christmas" she muttered.

At that moment, Elliot walked into the precinct. He glared at her for a moment from the door and then went and sat on his desk, without a word.

They worked silently for a while, not even glancing at each other. But after a while, Olivia's eyes grew wide and with her hand in front of her mouth, she rushed towards the bathroom, Elliot's eyes on her back. Some minutes later, she came back looking pale. She reached for her desk in time to grab it, as dizziness overtook her again. Elliot was eyeing her intently but silently.

"Liv are you okay?" it was Fin who asked her, concern written all over his voice.

"I ah.. yes, it's just a flu or something, I…" Her hands had just left the desk, but she grabbed it again, her eyes closed tight, as she was trying to fight the dizziness away.

Even with her eyes closed, she could feel Elliot's stare, burning holes through her. She took a deep breath, steadied herself and sat back at her desk.

The rest of the morning came by uneventful, mostly because Elliot and Olivia hadn't exchange a single word. It was lunchtime now, and Elliot had disappeared half an hour ago, again without saying a word. Although Olivia's stomach was slightly better, the idea of ingesting anything was still unattractive.

"Hey Liv, I'm going down at the deli, anything you might want me to bring you? A tuna sandwich maybe?" Fin said, while putting his coat on.

Olivia felt her stomach churning, even at the idea of a tuna sandwich.

"Ah, no Fin, I am not really hungry. Thanks" She said with an appreciative smile. He smiled back and headed out of the squadroom.

Now almost alone at the office, Olivia's mind started working fast. She loved tuna sandwich, why the thought of it, made her want to throw up? Also those dizzy spells and vomiting, what on earth was going on? Suddenly, a horrifying thought popped up in her head. When was her last period? She frantically looked on her drawers for a calendar. With trembling hands, she picked one up and after some calculations, her eyes grew wide and suddenly felt like fainting on the spot.

After taking a few deep breaths, she picked up her phone, and after looking around to see if anyone was listening, she dialed a number and brought it to her ear.

"Yes, my name is Olivia Benson, I'd like to schedule an appointment for today if that's possible..."

"Holy crap."

"Yeahp."

"Oh shit."

"Oh yes."

Olivia and Casey were sitting at a corner of a coffee shop which was buzzing with people and it was decorated like Christmas threw up in there. Casey was looking stunned at Olivia, who was holding her cup of tea with both hands and was giving the evil eye on a silver garland at the nearby window, as if it was the cause of all of her problems.

"So let me get this straight." Casey said and Olivia just looked at her. " You and him were together for approximately four months?"

"Give it or go."

"Behind everyone's backs, including your best friend. I don't know if I should feel offended or…"

"Don't be such a drama queen, Casey, you know the reasons." Olivia said and rubbed her forehead tiredly.

"Anyway, you broke up a month ago, been in each other's throats since then, which by the way, went totally unnoticed. Not."

"Will you just get to the point?" Olivia groaned frustrated and Casey raised her hands as if in defeat.

"Okay, okay! And know, you're telling me, that you are pregnant. With Elliot's baby."

"Well done, counselor, your summary of my awesome situation was extraordinary."

"Holy crap."

"You said that again."

"Fuck."

"Well, that's kind of what brought us at this point."

Casey remained silent for some minutes, carefully examining the cup of coffee in her hands. Olivia had gone back at gazing at the garland, when suddenly, she heard Casey's voice.

"And why exactly is this a bad thing?"

Olivia's eyes grew wide open in surprise.

"Because! We broke up for a reason Case!"

"Which is…"

Olivia opened her mouth, but then closed it again, hanging her head.

"I don't really know why."

"My point exactly Liv." Casey said triumphantly.

Some time later, as they were walking towards Olivia's building, snow falling lightly, Olivia looked around at all the Christmas decorations, at the surrounding buildings, the stores, the street, and felt her heart skirting.

"You know" she said to Casey as they kept walking. "It may sound really cheesy and childish but… Last night I made a wish… I wished for a miracle, and… and…" She stopped talking and shook her head laughing a bit. Casey turned and looked at her with a warm smile.

"You got, your wish Liv. This is your miracle."

Olivia stopped and looked at Casey's smiling face and smiled too widely.

"Yes. This is my miracle" she said and brought her hand on her stomach, acknowledging for the first time since she left the doctor's office that noon, the small life that was inside of her, her miracle, her baby.

Olivia opened the lights of her apartment, took off her coat and boots and went to the kitchen. As she was opening the fridge, a photo caught her attention. She closed the fridge again to look at it better. It was of Elliot and her, and it was taken some months ago. She remembered the day so well.

"El, stop it." Olivia said trying not to laugh. Elliot looked up at her innocently.

" All I'm trying to do, is take a picture Liv, come on, what is it so bad about it?"

"I just… don't do pictures! Please El" she said, this time not able to hide her smile.

"Yes, I think you're right…" Elliot said but before she was able to let out a relieved sigh, he went on. " I think we should both be at the picture! Ma'am, is it possible that you will take a picture of us?" and like that, he had gone and given the camera to a lady passing by.

"Elliot, what the….No!" Olivia said almost mortified when he went to sit back with her.

"Liv, shut up and smile." He said back. And she did. And it was the best picture she ever owned.

And now Olivia was looking at the picture smiling again and thinking that maybe, things will be alright.

But the next day, she couldn't believe how wrong she had been.

Elliot had come into the office, with the foulest mood possible. Olivia was leaning back on her chair, trying to control her nausea, since not fifteen minutes ago she was at the bathroom for the fourth time this morning, throwing up. She tried to give him a small smile and she was about to say good morning when…

"You look like hell." It was the first thing that came out of his mouth. And not in a sympathetic way. In a what-the-fuck way. Olivia's eyes opened wide.

"It's, um, it's nothing really." She made an attempt to hide her annoyance and smile again. But Elliot wouldn't drop it.

" Do you think you can be on the field like this Olivia?" He said like he was trying to win the award of jerk of the year.

" I'm fine Elliot." Olivia said sternly and glared at him. But, of course, he had to go on.

"No you're not, and I won't be able to do my job properly if I have to watch your back every second. I certainly don't trust you to watch my back, if you are like this." He spat.

Olivia looked at him stunned for a second.

"Fuck you" she hissed then and disappeared up on the crib.

Up there, she kept pacing up and down to the point she mad herself sick again. As she leaned down on the cold floor beside the toilet, she felt tears filling her eyes. She wiped them away quickly, she didn't need that right now, when anyone could walk in any minute. She sat up and headed back to the squad room. She entered Cragen's office without even glancing to Elliot.

"Hey Cap, can I take the rest of the day off? I think I'm coming down with something…" She said as she closed the door behind her.

"Sure Liv. And Merry Christmas. I'll see you in two days."

"Sure, Merry Christmas…. Wait what day is it today?" She asked confused. Cragen gave her a half amused look.

"It's Christmas Eve, Liv. Maybe if you weren't so busy trying to rip Elliot's head off you would have noticed."

"Oh, ah, well… Merry Christmas" she said again slightly embarrassed and left the office.

She went to her desk, picked her coat up and wore it under Elliot's glare, which she completely ignored.

"Merry Christmas John, Fin" She said shooting a small smile towards them, which they returned, along with half mumbled wishes, and she left the squad room.

As soon as she left, Fin turned to Elliot.

"Man, whatever happened between the two of you and I don't mean just today, you fucked up big time. I've never seen her leave like this."

"None of your fucking business Fin." Elliot muttered and shot him an angry glare. Fin shrugged and went back to his paperwork. Elliot went back to looking on his computer screen too but he couldn't concentrate one bit.

Something was wrong with Olivia, he wasn't sure if it was just the flu, or something else, but he couldn't get his mind to stop thinking about her. Hell, he couldn't stop thinking about her since they broke up, a month ago. It was kind of a mutual decision, the break up, because they had reached a point where, they could argue at work about a case and then bring the argument home and argue there some more. They would end up with him sleeping on her sofa or her closing the door to his face or slamming the door of his apartment behind her. And then they decided, for the shake of their jobs, that they should end it. After all, it was just a fling right? Some pent up sexual tension, and now that their need had been satisfied they should head their respective ways, right? Only it wasn't right. And Elliot could not bring himself to admit how much he cared about her, how much he loved her… And the only way to not grab her and kiss her in the middle of the squad room was to be a jerk to her. And of course, she would snap back. And that went on and on for the whole month. And now she hated him. Obviously. He missed her… he missed her so much, but it was over now. He had fucked up big time.

He sighed hard and tried once more to concentrate on his paperwork, but the only thought in his mind was, Oh God, how do I make this right?

Olivia walked fast, not exactly sure where she was heading to. She didn't want to go back to her apartment, her cold, empty apartment. But it wouldn't be empty for much longer, she thought as she brought her hand to her still flat abdomen. Whatever happened, she would have her baby. And she wanted so much to give her baby everything, all the things she didn't have growing up, and most of all, a father.

"What do you need a man for Livvy?" Her mother's voice echoed in her ears.

"Men just want one thing and when they get it, they dump you and move on to the next bait." Serena slurred her words as she was finishing off another bottle of vodka. Olivia remembered her 10 year-old self, staring at her mother in silence from beside her in the couch. It was Christmas Eve and they were supposed to have some good time, watch a nice Christmas movie, hear some Christmas songs…. But the minute Serena brought the bottle to her lips, Olivia knew that none of this was going to happen. So she just sat there, fumbling her pretty red dress, she had worn because she thought that her mother would be happy and listened to her drunken monologue.

Back then, she wouldn't understand, even now sometimes she doesn't, but she knows that her mother was wrong about one thing. It hurt so much growing up without a father, missing half her identity and she definitely didn't want that for her child.

Some hour later, she knelt before her mother's grave and placed a Christmas rose on it. She sat there looking at it, as if she was waiting for her mother to appear and answer all of her questions, tell her she had been wrong, that she could find happiness with a man, a man she knew she loved so much.

She had started to shiver slightly, when she noticed that snow was falling and it had almost covered everything by then, her mother's graver, the rose, herself. She realized from the pain on her knees and the amount of snow that she must have been there for almost an hour. She also realized that it was getting darker. She took her phone out of her pocket only to find about a dozen missed calls from Casey. She pressed the call back button and brought the phone to her ear.

"Where the hell have you been?" Casey's voice came to her ear.

"Hello to you too, Casey."

"I've been trying to reach you for over an hour!"

"Sorry, I had my phone on silent. I ah, I am at the cemetery at my mother's grave."

"Tell me you're joking, and that you're not in a cemetery, alone in the dark and cold, and not to mention, pregnant?"

"God Casey, you make it sound like a ghost is going to appear suddenly and kill me!"

"I don't know Olivia, please tell me that you're on your way out now."

"Actually… I'll stay for a bit more. I'll call you later Case, bye" she said and hung up before her friend was able to yell at her some more.

She stared back at the grave. Casey was right. It was getting colder by the minute, but somehow she couldn't bring herself to leave. So she knelt back down.

"Hi mom, it's me Olivia. I have some news for you…"

On the other side of the town, Casey excused herself from her company and went out of the restaurant, where she dialed Elliot's number. Olivia would not like this one bit, but she had to do it, she thought, as she was waiting for Elliot to pick up.

"Stabler" came Elliot's growl from the other side and Casey sighed.

"Elliot, it's me, Casey. I need you to listen to me, very carefully and don't interrupt."

"Casey what the…."

"I said do no interrupt. I need you to go to the cemetery where Olivia's mother is buried and get Olivia. She's been there for over an hour and from what she told me, she isn't planning on leaving anytime soon, and it's getting cold and dark…."

"What on earth is she doing there?"

"I don't know, I think she is a little emotional right now, with everything that it's going on…" Casey said, before realizing what exactly she had said. She almost gasped.

"Casey, what do you mean, with everything that's going on? What is wrong with Liv? Elliot's voice echoed filled with worry.

"You should talk to her. Go get her, okay?" She said and hung up before he was able to do any more questions.

Elliot stared at the phone for some seconds, before raising his body from the sofa and quickly putting on his coat. He was out of the door and in his car within minutes. Luckily, the cemetery wasn't far away from his place. The worry was eating him up, something was on with Liv, he knew it and he needed to figure out what.

" So here's the thing mom. I… I'm pregnant. And I am really happy about it. The baby's father is the man I love more than anything in this world. But we have screwed up bad and I don't want this baby to grow up without a father, because I've been there and…." She stopped and took a deep breath.

"And guess what mom? It sucked. It sucked not knowing and it sucked that I was feeling that I was wrong to miss him, just because you were telling me that men are useless and I'm better off without a father, a boyfriend, a husband. But now I know that I wasn't wrong, you were."

She suddenly realized that she was almost yelling to the grave. Anyone who would pass by, would think that she was crazy. But who would at this time, and on this day? She was alone, like always. She always ended up alone.

Hot tears started running down her face, but she made no effort to wipe them away. She brought her hand to her stomach and smiled through the tears.

" I already want that baby very much mom. Did you want me like that? Never mind…. I guess I know the answer to that one…"

She was now shivering uncontrollably as the snow was falling heavier. Tears were running down her face unstoppable and as she stood up she realized that it was pitch dark now.

It suddenly sank in, that she was alone in a cemetery while it was snowing and that it would be very hard to find a cab to get home.

And then, out of nowhere, she saw a foggy figure approaching her. She stayed still, unsure of what to do and kept telling to herself that Casey is stupid and that there are no ghosts…. But then the figure became clear and Olivia gasped as Elliot came towards her with worry written all over his face.

"Elliot" She gasped and almost threw herself on him. He immediately wrapped his arms around him, and just like that, all the angst and anger and tense of the last month disappeared, as Olivia buried her face on his coat and cried.

"Shh, it's okay Liv. I got you." He said with a soft reassuring voice.

"El, I…" she tried to say but she was shivering too much and crying too hard to be able to form a complete sentence.

"Shh Liv. I got you now, let's get you out of here and into the car." Elliot said as he was rubbing her back in an attempt to warm her up a bit.

"Please." She managed to whisper "Take me home El."

"I will." He said and started walking away from the cemetery, with Olivia leaning almost all the way on him.

Olivia's tears subsided as they reach the car. They fell into a heavy silence at the ride back to Olivia's apartment.

The moment they were inside the apartment, they turned to look at each other.

"El..."

"Liv…"

They laughed awkwardly as they both attempted to speak at the same time. Elliot then spoke again.

" Are you more warm now?" Olivia nodded and he sighed.

"Liv, Casey called me and told me where to find you. She was worried about you, and to be honest, I am worried about you too. What's going on Liv?"

"Some hours ago you almost told me that I was completely incompetent to do my job and that's about the lighter thing you told me the last month." Olivia said bitterly.

Elliot hid his face on his hands and sank on the couch. He stood there some minutes as Olivia went and silently sat beside him.

" I'm so sorry that I was such an asshole. But it was the only way, it was the only way for me to…" Elliot's voice trailed out and Olivia looked at him expectantly.

"The only way for you what Elliot? You spent the last two months snapping at me, at every possible second and then Casey calls you and you run to find me. Why now El? What changed now?" She stressed. Every fear and weakness that she had shown to the cemetery was now gone. She needed answers. She knew why Casey was worried and called Elliot, but she needed to know, what he was thinking, where his mind was, because otherwise, how could he tell him?

"I was an asshole Liv and know I can feel that something is wrong with you and I feel so awful for treating you like that…"

Olivia blinked confused. She never had heard Elliot talking like that, admitting that he was wrong and more than once… She opened her mouth to talk, but before she was able to form any words, she felt herself turning pale and a wave of nausea overcame her.

She brought her hand to her mouth and quickly run to the bathroom, with Elliot following her closely with a worried expression. She made it on time to empty once more the contents of her stomach on the toilet.

Elliot leaned beside her and rubbed her back as she was dry heaving into the bawl. As she got up, she tried to avoid Elliot's eyes. She wiped her mouth with a cloth and rinsed it with some water, still avoiding his intent gaze. By the time she was done Elliot's gaze had been driving her crazy. She dropped the cloth with force onto the sink and turned to look at him.

"For fuck's shake Elliot, nothing is wrong with me! I'm just pregnant ok? And quit looking at me like Santa Claus turned you into Mother freaking Teresa!" She shouted.

Only when she saw the petrified expression at his face she realized what she had just said. She gasped and lowered her head, silently cursing herself.

"You are pregnant?" Came Elliot's choked voice. She sighed loudly.

"Yes, Elliot, I am pregnant." She said finally after some seconds in silence.

"And the baby is…"

"Yours."

"Mine."

" El I'm not…." She started saying only to be interrupted by his lips crashing on hers. Startled, she didn't return the kiss immediately, but after some seconds she parted her lips and let his tongue slip into her mouth. They stayed kissing like that for some minutes, until they broke apart, both out of breath.

"God I missed this" Elliot whispered, leaning his forehead on hers, still panting.

"Remind me again why we stopped doing it?" Olivia mumbled.

"Because we were idiots. Well, me more than you."

"No" Olivia shook her head and looked him in the eyes. "We both made a lot of mistakes."

"But we will fix everything now. This little baby will" Elliot said smiling and placed his hand against Olivia's abdomen. Her eyes lit up.

"Does that mean…."

"Olivia, I want it, of course I do. And I want you. This is my second chance, and I'm never letting you go again, ever. Those month was pure hell. I was such a jerk because all I could think was that I wanted to grab you and kiss you."

" Good you'll get to do this a lot now" Olivia said smiling mischievously. Elliot laughed for a moment but then turned serious.

" I love you Olivia." He said looking into her warm brown eyes.

" I love you too Elliot." She said with a soft voice.

"Mother freaking Teresa? Really Liv?" Elliot said teasingly as they walked out of the bathroom and into Olivia's bedroom.

"Shut up and make it up to me for al the kissing and everything else you wanted to do and couldn't, those month." She said as she threw him to the bed and started kissing him hungrily.

Several hours later, as she laid into the dark with Elliot's arms wrapped around her, she looked at the photo of her and her mom, that was sitting on the nightstand.

"It's okay mom." She whispered with a small smile. " I may not understand everything and probably never will, but I'm okay now. Merry Christmas."

"I love you." She added after some seconds of hesitancy. She then turned around buried her head on Elliot's warm chest and went back to sleep, ready to wake up some hours later on what would be the best Christmas of her life.

So that was it! I hoped you liked it! Coming up, the next story will take place after a very well known, but not so pleasant episode... And no, it doesn't take place on 7th season ;) Which one will be? Review and tell me what you think it will be and what you thought of that story!

xoxo Kate