Prompt #8: What if Elliot is the one who finds Noah?
My Boy
~oOo~
"So this group takes kids and sells them?" Ayanna Bell asked sitting behind her desk as her CO and Sergeant leaned against the railing of their headquarters.
"Looks that way. We're teaming with Manhattan SVU to try and solve this."
"Why isn't the SVU closest to us helping us?" One of the newbies, Sanchez, said.
"Because Manhattan is chasing the same ring. We'll meet up with them in a couple of hours," Elliot said, walking up the steps to his office.
He sit down at his desk and his attention was drawn to the framed photo that he kept on his desk — always facing him. It was a photo of him and Olivia Benson standing in front of the courthouse showing off their sparkling wedding bands. The picture was from just over a year ago, just a few weeks after Elliot had shown up at her door and apologized for disappearing and for not being there during her ordeal with Wiliam Lewis. He explained that he was no longer married. He and Kathy had split up not long after he had left SVU. He also explained to Olivia that his disappearance had been due to an undercover case he had taken to save both of their careers, which had also helped him land his new position as the CO of Organized Crime.
He had really had no way of knowing what she had been through at the time. Olivia had forgiven him and they had immediately started a whirlwind courtship that had resulted in marriage after about a month. They hadn't needed a long period of dating. After all, they had been in love for over a decade. Now, Elliot was the happiest he had ever been and he knew the same could be said for Olivia, except for one thing.
~oOo~
One month ago
Elliot was in the bathroom getting ready for bed since he had just got home from work. He was tossing something in the trash when he noticed a pregnancy test in the trash. He picked it up knowing in his heart that it was negative. They had been trying for a baby since pretty much the moment they got together but it had yet to happen for them and he knew Liv was convinced that it was too late for them. He threw the test away again and walked into the bedroom. Liv was lying on the bed facing away from him. He could tell she was crying so he climbed onto the bed behind her, wrapped his arms around her, laid his chin on her shoulder and his head on top of hers.
"Baby, it's going to be okay. We can make an appointment with a doctor and see what the options are."
Olivia shook her head as tears streamed down her face.
"We have no options. I'm too old, El!"
Elliot pulled her close and kissed her temple.
"Shh, baby. I'm not giving up. We are going to have a baby. You know how I know?"
"No," Olivia whispered.
"Because we can achieve anything together," Elliot said giving her another kiss.
~oOo~
Elliot was broken out of his thoughts by Ayanna Bell knocking on his door.
"Sarge, SVU called. They're ready."
"Okay let's roll out," Elliot said, grabbing his vest on his way.
Fifteen minutes later, they pulled up to the hotel where the perps were staying. He pulled his SUV in behind Olivia's and quickly got out. Soon, the rest of Organized Crime joined them.
"This is Nicky Moore, he was sold to some traffickers who then adopted him out to a couple who are known as creators of child porn," Olivia explained, handing out photos of the young boy. After the briefing, they entered the hotel room and quickly found two young girls in addition to Nicky. Elliot discovered another room to the right. He had his hand on the doorknob, prepared to go in when one of the girls cried out.
"Don't! You'll wake him up!"
The timid but desperate plea caused Elliot and Olivia to lock eyes with each other.
Olivia nodded to Elliot to go ahead while she tried to soothe the girl and alleviate her fears.
A few moments later, she heard Elliot call to her from the next room.
"Liv!"
Olivia rushed into where he had gone and stopped short at the sight before him. Cuddled in Elliot's arms was a baby boy about four months old. At Elliot's feet was a drawer with some blankets inside.
"I found him in there," Elliot explained in a sad, soft voice, pointing at the drawer.
Olivia had to force back tears. The baby appeared undernourished but otherwise okay. What could a group of child porn sellers possibly plan to do with a little baby?
The children told the detectives that the man brought the baby home one day as a present for his girlfriend. He wasn't to be used for the business.
Elliot and Olivia interviewed the children and got enough information to arrest the couple. Then they had the children brought back to Manhattan SVU to wait for a social worker to come for them.
Over the next few days, they discovered that the baby in the drawer was connected to an even bigger case. The baby's mother was found. Not only was she a drug addict, she was involved with one of the biggest sex traffickers in the city.
In order to get more information from her, Olivia allowed her visitation with her son, something Elliot was dead set against. The baby, they found out, was named Noah. The girl, his biological mother, was Ellie Porter.
Ellie had found a lawyer in the time it took for the visitation to be authorized. Trevor Langan was someone Elliot and Olivia knew as a defense attorney to normally defended sleazeballs, though he had defended Olivia when she had been framed several years back. Still, they were surprised to discover he had taken this case pro-bono.
He said that if SVU could arrange for Ellie to see Noah, something might be able to be worked out.
That day Noah was brought to the station.
Watching Ellie with the baby, Elliot could see the love of a mother for her child. She really had been scared and desperate and made a stupid choice while she was high.
Trevor was able to convince Ellie to cooperate after that. Mostly because the young woman believed if she gave the police what they needed and stayed off drugs and turned her life around, she could get her son back.
Unfortunately, she never got that chance. A few days later, Ayanna and Fin found her body badly burned by the train tracks. The head of the trafficking ring had somehow found out that Ellie had talked and ended her life in retaliation.
That just made solving the case all the harder.
Once news spread about Ellie's fate, none of the other victims wanted to talk although, the squads got information out of one of the gang members. He had been recruited to kill Ellie. It took several days, but he gave them a name. The Big boss was Johnny D. However, tracking him down, arresting him, and putting him away would be easier said than done.
Meanwhile, Elliot couldn't get that sweet baby boy off of his mind.
"There's just something about him, Liv. I can't put my finger on it, but he's special."
"Elliot, I know that I'm a hypocrite for saying this, but you can't let yourself get too attached during a case. It'll eat you alive. I learned the hard way…too many times," Olivia said gently.
Elliot sighed.
"I know. You're right, Liv. I just…I can't help it. This one's different."
Olivia couldn't think of anything else to say to that, so she said nothing. She simply kissed her husband and snuggled more deeply into him.
Elliot continued to go to all of Noah's placement hearings. He was really trying not to get attached, but he wanted to make sure the boy would be well cared for. After about four failed placements, Judge Linden decided to act on a hunch she had. She had been feeling for a while now, that Elliot might be the right fit for the boy. She knew he wasn't certified as a foster parent, but she felt very strongly that this was the right choice.
She called him to the bench and said, "Sargent Stabler, I've been watching you for the past few months. You seem to have a special connection to this little boy. You were the one to find him, am I right?"
Elliot nodded.
"That's correct, Your Honor."
"I was wondering, would you and Sergeant Benson be interested in fostering Noah with the option to adopt after one year? Due to the special circumstances, I can fast track the paperwork and everything else that would be required," the judge told a very surprised Elliot.
Once he found his voice, he replied, "I'd be very interested, Your Honor. Of course, I'd need to talk it over with my wife first."
Judge Linden nodded.
"Of course. Do that and let me know your decision by tomorrow morning if possible."
"We will. Thank you, Your Honor," he said, already preparing to leave.
He was calling Olivia over Facetime before he was even out of the courthouse.
She was as excited as he was. There was really no question about it. They would be bringing Noah home.
The other Stabler kids, Bernie, their chosen family made up of the members of both their squads, and Barba, Cragen and Munch all pitched in to help with the preparations. Even Kathy supplied some old toys and baby clothes saved from the older kids. That weekend, it was time to get Noah.
When they brought him home, Eli immediately showered his new brother with kisses which made the baby nervous.
"Be gentle, Bud. He's just little," Elliot admonished softly.
"But I love my brother, Daddy. I want to show him," Eli protested.
"Well right now, he's feeling a bit nervous. Everything is new for him. He just needs some space. But you can play with him later," Olivia explained.
Eli was disappointed, but he tried to understand.
It was time for Noah to go down for a nap anyway. Elliot rocked his youngest little boy and sang to him. When the baby had fallen asleep, he carried him to the crib where he, Olivia, and Eli each kissed him one more time before leaving him to sleep.
Over the next several months, Noah acclimated to his new surroundings and integrated into the family beautifully. Everyone who met the baby fell in love with him. He was such a happy baby they couldn't help but love him.
Elliot and Olivia found a wonderful nanny for their son. Her name was Lucy and she was sweet and outgoing and instantly connected with Noah.
In the meantime, the Johnny D case had all but run cold. There were no more leads until one day, nearly a year later. A mother, desperate to find her missing daughter, took it upon herself to go undercover and infiltrate the ring.
After she was caught and arrested, Olivia was able to talk her into working with the police. She told them what she had found out and got the other girls to talk. The information lead the detectives to a warehouse where Johnny D was holding the woman's daughter among others. Olivia was able to get the girls out of the warehouse to safety and the mother and daughter were reunited.
The henchmen were rounded up, but Johnny D was killed in the takedown.
It appeared that the case was really over, but there was one surprise left to come.
A few days before Noah's adoption was to be finalized, Elliot and Olivia received a visit from Melinda Warner, the media examiner at SVU.
"I made a discovery during my autopsy. I ran the tests multiple times to be sure and the results were always the same. Johnny D was Noah's father."
Olivia and Elliot were too shocked to speak at first. Finally, Elliot asked, "What does that mean for us?"
Melinda shook her head.
"I'm no lawyer but as far as I know, it doesn't have to mean anything. You guys started the adoption process long before this information came to light and you found Noah through a separate case. Therefore it's up to you whether or not you want to reveal this information."
The couple thanked their friend and she left.
"What do you think we should do, El?" Olivia asked, quietly.
Elliot shrugged.
"Nothing. Johnny D's dead. You heard Melinda. We aren't obligated to disclose."
Still uncertain about the ethical issue, Olivia suggested they call Barba. After receiving pretty much the same advice from him, they decided to keep the information classified.
A few days later, all the Stabler kids and Bernie somehow managed to squeeze into Judge Linden's tiny chambers along with Olivia and Elliot and Noah and Trevor Langen, who was the attorney in charge of Noah's case.
After the paperwork had been all signed, the judge smiled and said, "Congratulations, Stabler family! I wish you all the happiness in the world."
Eli squealed and ran up to Noah who was sitting on Olivia's lap.
"Now we're really brothers! I love you, No-no!"
The grownups chuckled at the young boy's enthusiasm and Elliot said, "Noah loves you too, Buddy."
Then all the Stablers said goodbye to the judge and Langan, and headed back home to celebrate with the rest of their chosen family.
No doubt about it, Noah would always be surrounded by lots of love. Their youngest boy would have the best life.
The author of this SVU: The Rewrite story will be revealed in July