Apologies again for the delay. This chapter contains important news. For maximum effect, don't look at the last line before you've reached the end!

...

73. Results

She lifted her head then to look at him, and suddenly asked him,

"El, did you date after your divorce?"

...

Elliot looked at her, wondering why she'd asked the question. Was it simple curiosity or was there more to it?

"I did," he answered truthfully.

"Oh."

Olivia lay back down, resting her head on his shoulder again. He waited, knowing there would be more.

"Did you sleep with anyone?"

"I did," he said again.

Olivia was silent for a few moments, and then told him,

"I was just thinking."

"About what?"

She lifted her head again and he could see some amusement in her eyes.

"Well, since you forgot everything from before and you hardly slept with Kathy after getting amnesia ... I just wondered, if you hadn't been with anyone else, if you remembered how to have sex at all."

She smirked and he was glad she was in a more playful mood that he'd thought. He chuckled and reached up to caress her cheek with his right hand.

"Well, I did try to have a new relationship and I can tell you I discovered one very important thing."

"And what's that El?"

"I like sex. A lot."

Olivia bit her lip and he decided to push her a little more.

"And I'm pretty good at it too."

"El!"

She swatted his chest and he laughed out loud, despite his painful ribs.

"Well, if you don't believe me, just try me," he challenged her.

Olivia dropped her eyes and he could see the hesitation. She didn't want to jump the gun and do more damage than good to his hip, and he understood.

Elliot decided to tell her a little bit more about his dating adventure, hopefully to ease her mind about it.

"Liv, remember I told you I was constantly looking for something?"

When she didn't say anything, he continued.

"After my divorce, I started looking elsewhere, wondering if I was looking for another relationship."

Olivia caressed his chest and he took a deep breath. He was becoming more sensitive to her touch and couldn't wait to be off his pain medication completely.

"And?" Olivia asked softly.

"So I dated. A few of them took me home or went home with me after a few dates. One even wanted to after the first date, but that was too fast for me."

"You turned her down?"

"Elegantly, I assure you. Saw her at the same bar the next night with a fresh date so no harm done there."

"And did you get anything out of it? Dating, I mean?" Olivia asked.

Elliot pulled her a little closer and kissed her forehead.

"Aside from some very interesting new skills, you mean?" he joked, but after Olivia lifted her head and glared at him, he answered her more seriously. "No. I didn't find what was missing from my life. So I stopped dating after a while. It makes sense now."

"What does?"

"That I didn't find what I was missing."

She smiled at he wished he could just roll them over and kiss her with all the love and passion he felt building inside him. She knew what he meant, but he wanted to say it out loud anyway.

"Because it was you I was missing. No one else would ever do."

When he put a hand on her cheek, Olivia moved with him and kissed him softly on the lips.

"I want you Liv," he mumbled against her lips. "As soon as I'm able in any way."

"I know," Olivia whispered, closing her eyes. "But that's not tonight."

He knew she was right. Physically, he was still unable to perform, so to speak. But he was going to do everything in his power to change that. He was willing to bear more pain if he had to.

...

They had kissed some more and had eventually fallen asleep. Olivia had gotten up the next morning as soon as she heard Noah babbling in his room, so Elliot could get some more rest. He was healing well, but he needed all the rest he could get. She wanted to take Noah with her to go grocery shopping for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinner, and decided to leave a note on the breakfast bar. Noah played along perfectly, enjoying their little spy game, and ate his breakfast quietly. They were out the door by nine thirty and Olivia enjoyed the one-on-one time with her son. It had been an incredibly busy day for her little boy the day before, but he was holding up so well. He had even tried to remember several of their visitors' names. Jessie was his favorite, and that didn't surprise her. And he mentioned Eli a lot.

"You like to play with Eli, Noah?" she asked him while they cruised through the supermarket, Noah in the built-in seat of her cart.

Her son nodded enthusiastically.

"Eewy wove dino's too!"

"That's great Noah."

They'd need an extra bed for Eli, she thought, but at least the theme of the bedroom wouldn't be a problem for the eight-year old.

After getting all their groceries, and lots of extra snacks that Noah begged her to buy for him, they headed back home. Just when they arrived at the front entrance, her regular postman arrived with a letter that required a signature. Olivia opened the door and let the man in, asking him which floor he was headed to.

"Ehm, I'm told a Stabler is staying here," he said, pulling the letter out of his bag to check the exact address again.

"Oh, it's for Elliot Stabler?" Olivia asked, suddenly very curious about the contents of the letter. "He's staying with us."

"Ewwie Ot Noah big friend," Noah stated with a wide grin, making the postman smile.

"Is that so, little man. In that case, this letter is for your big friend."

They all went up together, and Olivia felt her heart rate go up a bit. She'd seen the hospital logo on the envelope and it could only mean one thing. The envelope contained the results of Eli's paternity test. She was sure she was almost as nervous about the results as Elliot was. She opened the door to her apartment quickly and asked the postman to wait while she checked if Elliot was awake and decent.

"He was in an accident and he's resting," she explained.

It was fine with the postman, who waited just inside the apartment patiently.

Elliot was already sitting up, moving his legs out of bed carefully. He'd heard them all come in and Olivia asked if the postman could come into the bedroom, so he didn't have to rush getting up. But Elliot would have none of it. Olivia rolled her eyes and helped him get up despite his objections. He was still as stubborn as she remembered him. Elliot used one crutch and made his way into the living room in just his boxers and t-shirt. He looked good no matter what he wore and she suspected he knew this. Even though he'd been out of commission for over two weeks, he was still in very good shape. The doctors at the hospital as well as Greg had even confirmed that his good condition would definitely help him heal faster.

Elliot signed for the letter and then sat down carefully on the couch while Olivia thanked the postman and saw him out. Noah was in the kitchen, trying to climb up on the counter to get himself something to drink, and Olivia rushed over to help him. She glanced at Elliot, who was still staring at the closed envelope. After giving Noah his sippy cup and promising him a cookie as soon as he'd finished drinking, Olivia walked over to Elliot and sat down beside him.

Elliot sighed. This was it. The moment of truth. Olivia remembered holding little Eli immediately after he'd been born in the ambulance. Kathy had gone into cardiac arrest, and for a moment she had feared that the little baby in her arms would never know his mother. She looked at her own son and pursed her lips. She'd been ready then to be a mother figure for Eli and had held him close, whispering to him that everything would be alright. All kinds of thoughts had flashed through her mind in those moments of despair. She had been immensely relieved that they had managed to get Kathy's heart beating again but deep down, she'd also felt a sense of loss as soon as she'd handed the little boy off to a nurse at the hospital. He wasn't hers but she'd loved him instantly, like she had fallen in love with little Noah the first time she laid eyes on him. She couldn't bear the thought that Eli might not be Elliot's son at all. It would break his heart.

...

Elliot was still staring at the envelope, fearing what was inside. Once he'd open it, there was no going back. No pretending that he had no doubts, no assuming Eli just had to be his son. He'd know for certain once and for all if he was, or if he wasn't. He wasn't ready.

He felt Olivia's hand on his shoulder and looked at her. She understood why he was so hesitant to open the envelope. He didn't need to say it, and the familiarity of their silent understanding moved him, and in the end, gave him the courage to rip the envelope open. No matter what, Olivia would still be here for him. They could do this together.

His hands were shaking when he pulled the single sheet of paper out of the envelope and unfolded it. His eyes scanned the paper, needing to find something familiar as quickly as possible. He didn't know a lot of the medical terms involved, but then his eyes landed on one word that jumped out. That one word that made him break down the instant the meaning of it hit him. His shoulders started shaking and Olivia leaned against him to see the test results too. He heard her gasp just before he let out a strangled sob. There it was, in writing. The result of the paternity test.

Positive.

...

Dun dun!
Hope this was worth the wait. Best Christmas gift for Elliot ever!