Olivia awoke to the baby monitor blaring, chest throbbing, lower abdomen aching, and her arm in a puddle on the bed.
"Damn it," she mumbled, taking note of her lopsided chest. I forgot to switch sides. She rubbed her engorged breast that had leaked in the night, dampening the bedsheets. Elliot sat up, his hand landing in the puddle as he propped himself up.
"Is everything ok?" he asked reaching over and placing a hand on her thigh.
"Yeah," she shot back, annoyed. Olivia wanted to know what part of a wet bed and an asymmetrically engorged chest equaled ok. "I forgot to switch sides in the night and now there's a mess." She rubbed her temples, exhausted from caring for a newborn. She swung her legs over the side of the bed to stand, Elliot leaping from the bed and to his wife's aid, supporting her as she stood up, wincing from the pain in her lower abdomen. The hysterectomy was proving more difficult than either had anticipated. The stitches had come out a few days ago, but she was still achy with most movement, not to mention she still had to heal from pushing out her 9lbs 8oz baby. "I want to pee before I sit down to nurse."
The two proceeded into the adjoining washroom. Olivia slid down the mesh panties from around her waist, slowly lowering herself onto the cool porcelain toilet. Elliot filled the peri-bottle with warm water and passed it to Liv. Even though the water was supposed to dilute the liquid waste to prevent stinging from the wounds, there was still a great deal of pain. She winced as she emptied her bladder: blood, urine, and water mixing. While she relieved herself, El doctored up the next pad for her, laying out the witch hazel swatches followed by an ice pack and numbing spray. He had quickly learned the order that provided her with the most relief, and he was happy to assist in any way he could. He helped his wife slip into the clean dressing before leading her back into their room and over to the cream armchair in the corner of their bedroom. His fingers looped under her maternity night gown, slowly pulling the soaked material over her head. "Don't worry about the bed. I'll take care of it. You start pumping and I'll go get Ellie." He draped her in a fuzzy throw blanket before retrieving the pump from the bathroom counter, planting a kiss on his wife's head then striding down the hallway to the nursery.
"Good morning Eleanor," Elliot cooed as he hoisted his daughter from her crib. The infant's wails continued to fill the room. "Shhhhh. I know. I know. Mom's doing her best. Let's get you changed and then get you some breakfast." He placed the infant on the changing table, exchanging her soiled diaper for a clean one before zipping her onesie back up. He placed the little girl against his chest, supporting her head and bottom as he proceeded back down the hall to her awaiting mother.
"Good morning beautiful," Olivia beamed as the newborn was passed to her, still wailing. "Shhhh. I know you're hungry. Here you go. No need to continue fussing." She pulled back a corner of the blanket to expose her bare chest, Ellie's rooting reflex kicking in once she was presented with a nipple. The baby quickly got to suckling, her soft squeaks barely audible as she filled her belly.
"You do that so well," El commented as he watched his wife nurse their daughter from his seat on the arm of the chair, his right arm wrapped around Olivia. She stroked the infant's plump cheeks with the back of her index finger as she suckled. Breastfeeding unlocked a connection Liv never knew existed. It was magical to be able to nourish and provide everything her baby needed, even when things were difficult. "You're a good mom, Livvy. I want you to know that."
"Sometimes I wonder," she smirked, half-jokingly and half serious. "I don't know how you and Kathy did this four times."
"Trust me. When we had Maureen, we had no idea what we were doing. You'll get the hang of it. She's only 2 weeks old." The couple sat in silence gazing at their little one as she ate, the whirl of the pump and her quick breaths and just as quick gulps the only sounds. "Why don't I go work on breakfast while she finishes up, and then I can take her while you bathe." Elliot planted another kiss on Liv's head before standing up and wandering downstairs. Once she had had her fill, the new mother burped the infant, who soon drifted back to sleep in a state of milk-drunkenness. 8 ounces Olivia noted as she detached the pump from her other breast, setting it and it's contents on the table next to her. She leaned back in her seat, her eyes closing in exhaustion as she cradled Ellie.
A little while later, Elliot returned to their bedroom carrying an ornate tray with breakfast for the two of them: pancakes, scrambled eggs, fresh fruit, and coffee. He placed the delivery tray on his nightstand before approaching a dozing Olivia. "Hey Livvy. I brought you breakfast," he whispered, kissing her forehead as a hand rested softly on her shoulder. Her eyes fluttered open as she inhaled deeply, looking at her husband widely as she came back to reality. "Let me just change the sheets and then we can crawl back into bed." The man made quick work of the bedding exchange, tossing the soiled linens in the corner to be washed later. As he placed their pillows back at the head of the bed, El made sure to fluff each one and situate them how Liv liked it, providing her with maximal support. He then retrieved Ellie, cradling her tiny body as he set the sleeping infant softly on the comforter in the middle of the bed to continue her nap while they dined. El then returned to Liv to assist her back into the bed.
"You don't have to help me with everything. I can take care of myself," she stated as she slowly stood up on her own, her breath hitching as she straightened.
"I know. But you're not a superhero either," he grabbed her arm, supporting her as she slinked to the bed. He helped her get situated, adjusting the pillows to her liking and tucking her under the covers. He passed his wife her breakfast and coffee, of which she quickly took a long sip. "Mmmm. Thank you, El." He smirked in return. She may not need his help, but she was never going to deny a good cup of coffee. The two consumed their food while watching reruns, their daughter contently sleeping between them.
As they neared the end of their meal, Elliot drew up a bath for his wife: the perfect temperature water, rose petals, Epsom salt, dimmed lights, lit candles, relaxing music, and her current book. The perfect environment for serenity. On the counter he placed a nursing bra, maternity underwear, sweatpants, and one of his NYPD t-shirts, which she swam in but insisted on wearing.
"It's all ready," Elliot stated as he returned to his family. Olivia rose from her comfy spot to head to the bathroom, giving her husband a thank you kiss as she passed him. The bath was perfect. The warm water a much-welcomed remedy for her aching body. Elliot Stabler was too good to her.
Back in the other room, Ellie began to squirm, waking up from her post-breakfast rest. "Hey there honey," El greeted, resting his hand on Eleanor's belly for reassurance. The little girl didn't cry; instead, she simply laid there, eyes wide as she took in the world around her. Elliot quickly pulled his pajama shirt over his head, leaving him in only his grey sweats. He climbed into his side of the bed, using Olivia's vacant pillow as extra lumbar support. "I've got you," he assured as he picked up Ellie. He removed her onesie so that she was only in her diaper. Draping a blanket over them so that she would not get cold, Elliot leaned back and held his daughter against his broad, muscular chest, savoring the skin-to-skin contact. It was one of his favorite ways to bond with his kids when they were this little. The sound of his heartbeat was soothing to the little girl as she quickly drifted back to sleep, content with her position on her father's chest.
I hope you are enjoying it! I have two more chapters in mind before I wrap this story up. Stay tuned for a new series of one-shots about Liv and El raising Ellie. In the meantime, if you ever wondered what would have happened if Olivia had said yes to Elliot at the end of S24E12, Blood Out, then check out my other story! Best wishes :)