And then it would be showtime.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When the guards led them to the courtyard a few hours later, Olivia knew exactly what she was going to do. She had gone over her plan in her mind several times, imagined possible scenarios of what could happen, and full of determination she followed the guards into the cool autumn weather.

But she had just one problem.

Elliot.

What had happened last time did nothing to help her get to the guards without him. No, instead he was following at her heels like a puppy, looking around warily, and Olivia didn't get a chance. She knew that if she shooed her partner away, she would immediately reveal herself, and her plan would fail before it had even begun.

Sighing, she walked to the fence at the back of the yard, leaned against it and fixed her gaze on the shimmering forest pond behind it. The body was no longer visible, probably the carnivores had finished it off, and nausea gripped her guts when she just thought about it.

Maybe that woman too had family somewhere who didn't know where she was and was waiting for her to come home. Maybe that woman had a child that had been sold on. Maybe that woman would have liked to see her child again, but never got the chance.

The longer she watched the pond, the stronger the determination within her grew, and just as she was about to march to the guards, with Elliot or not, he grimaced.

"I really need to go to the bathroom."

She nodded and started to walk after him towards the outside bathroom, but the second the door closed behind him, she turned on her heel and strode to the nearest guard.

"Hey, I'd like to see the doctor. This is important."

The guard looked at her from under his brows, a suspicious, rejecting look in his eyes.

"Why?"

"It's about the baby. I'm afraid... I'm afraid that everything is not okay."

The guard said nothing, just watched her appraisingly, and the pressure began to build inside Olivia. She only had a couple of minutes at the most, she knew her partner was in a hurry so that he wouldn't have to lose sight of her for a long time, and the seconds were ticking inexorably.

"Please! I'm really worried. And I know that Father wouldn't want to endanger the kids' health either."

"What symptoms do you have?"

C'mon…

"I have had vague pains and dizziness. Can I please see the doctor?"

Tick tock…

But finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the guard sighed in surrender and beckoned her along, his gun aimed at her. Olivia started striding ahead of him, her pulse pounding in her ears, and when they finally made it around the corner of the house, out of Elliot's sight, she finally worked up the courage to straighten her back and take a deep breath.

Here we go.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The doctor's office was darker than the last time, and when the guard pushed her in, she didn't see the doctor anywhere at first.

But then he stepped out of some backroom, flicked on the lights, and the bright light made Olivia squint for a moment. Seeing her, the doctor seemed amazed for a moment, but then motioned for the guard to leave the room, and as the door closed, they were left alone. The doctor raised his eyebrows as he sat down in his chair.

"Detective Benson, what brings you here?"

"I…" Olivia started, but realizing that the guard had left the room, she changed her words a bit. "I've been feeling very stressed lately."

"Okay…?"

"I mean…" She put her hand on her belly and looked down for a moment. "This baby."

"Is there something wrong with the baby?"

"I… Don't know," Olivia answered quietly. "It depends."

The look on the doctor's face changed from surprised to confused, and he leaned back in his chair.

"What do you mean?"

Here goes nothing.

"Who's the baby's father?"

The doctor looked at her speechless for a moment, just blinking, and the knot in Olivia's stomach tightened so much it almost made her knees buckle. But then the doctor opened his mouth, seemed to be considering his words, and answered slowly:

"I thought you knew."

"So did I, but then when I woke up in our cozy room..." She emphasized her words sarcastically. "... And without knowing anything about what had happened, I was suddenly pregnant, I would think that as a doctor you would understand that it might cause uncertainty, suspicion and fear," she folded her arms, although she was anything but confident. "So, I think you also know that I have the right to know whose child I'm carrying inside me for the next 9 months."

The doctor looked at her appraisingly. "I don't understand what you're implying."

For heaven's sake…

"I need to know if my baby's father is Detective Stabler or Father who has changed his mind!" She snapped, waiting, hoping it would cause some sort of reaction from the doctor, but instead he just raised one of his eyebrows.

"Why do you think it would be Father? It is not part of his principles."

"Exception proves the rule."

However, the doctor just shook his head. "If you mean that you suspect that you have been raped, you are wrong. We don't do that here; everyone gets to choose how the conceiving happens."

"Really? Because as far as I remember, I wasn't even awake!" Olivia hissed between her teeth, fear and anger throbbing inside her. However, the doctor stood up and crossed his arms in imitation of her.

"Well, let me ask you then. Would you have liked to do it in a natural way with your partner?"

The question was so surprising that Olivia just blinked for a moment.

"Huh?"

"If you had gotten to choose, would you have chosen something other than insemination?"

To Olivia's indignation, the doctor's question made the words get stuck in her throat, and for a moment she had to search for the words. Because as much as she hated it, there was a point in what he was saying. Had she been imagining for years what sex with Elliot would be like? Yes. After some difficult cases, had she wished that he would push her against the wall, take her there and now, and make her forget the evil of the world even for a moment? Yes. In the darkest, loneliest hours of the night, had she dreamed of her partner's strong body against hers, his lips on her neck, driving them together towards climax? Yes, she had. But had she imagined that they would be kidnapped and have sex because someone forced them to make a baby?

No. She wouldn't have wanted that, and she knew without asking that Elliot wouldn't have wanted that either. So, if she was honest, this had been the best of the given options.

The doctor seemed to read her words, and he turned back to his desk. "That's what I thought."

"But why did you drug me?" Doubt was still nagging in the back of Olivia's head, and the doctor turned to look at her wearily.

"So you're saying that you would have agreed voluntarily?"

"No."

"That's your answer."

Olivia frowned, looked at the doctor uncertainly, but he had already dropped his gaze to the papers on his desk, seeming unconcerned. She swiped her belly quickly with her thumb.

"So, you're saying that Elliot really is the baby's father?"

"Who else would it be?"

"You tell me."

This finally made the doctor let out an irritated sigh. "Yes, it's Detective Stabler's baby. Could you leave now?"

Part 2 of the plan.

"Prove it."

The doctor, who had already turned his back on her, stopped and turned his head in surprise.

"Sorry?"

"Prove it."

Olivia had finally managed to muster the confidence in her voice, partly because Elliot's paternity was likely confirmed, and she straightened her back.

"But…"

"I need proof in black and white. I'm sure you have some documents about the kids born and unborn, so I want to see that you are not lying to me."

However, the doctor did not seem convinced; he was standing with pursed lips, frowning, and Olivia knew her time was running out. However, she needed, needed that phone, and so she used one more of her trump cards.

"The truth is also good for the baby's well-being."

It was low, she knew it, and even though it was just a means to get the will through, she felt a burning sting in her heart. She would never, ever hurt her unborn child, she wasn't her own mother, but it finally made something flash across the doctor's face.

Oh, how the money talks.

"You're not serious."

"I'm completely serious. You can imagine for yourself what it's like to live in such a place under such conditions, not knowing whose child you're carrying."

Olivia could almost hear the doctor's brain racing, calculating, weighing options, but finally he let out a slight sigh and huffed:

"Fine. But you wait here, and I'll get you the document."

"Thank you, Doc."

Slowly the doctor began to back away towards the back room, and finally he turned on his heel and disappeared into the room. And Olivia didn't waste a second; she took quick steps towards his desk, scanning the desk with her eyes, but didn't see the phone. Heart pounding in her ears, she quickly glanced behind her and then began to lift the papers on the table, to no avail.

And as if by fate, the phone started ringing in the back room, and soon the doctor's voice made her heart sink.

"Yeah?"

She quickly opened the desk drawers, but as she could guess, the only phone in the entire room was in the doctor's possession. Tears of disappointment welled up in her eyes, and anger almost made her kick the drawer shut, but then she began to hear footsteps approaching, and she quickly retreated back to her original position.

The doctor was still on the phone when he stepped out of the backroom, and without further ado, he handed the paper to Olivia before turning and walking towards his computer. Olivia followed him with her gaze for a moment, but then dropped her eyes to the paper in her hand and swallowed.

"Baby 18

Conceived: October 12, 2010

Impregnation method: Insemination

Sex: Unknown

Mother: Benson, Olivia

Father: Stabler, Elliot

Due date: July 5, 2011"

The disappointment of the plan's failure dissipated like ashes in the wind as Olivia stared at the letters typed on the computer, tears burning in the corners of her eyes.

Due date: July 5, 2011

"C-can I keep this?" She asked in a stifled voice, but the doctor glanced at her as if he had already forgotten her presence, shook his head and tugged the paper from her hand before gesturing towards the door. Then he turned, absorbed in his conversation again, and Olivia's legs began to move her toward the door as if directed by some other force.

And there was only one single thought in her mind, a word that sounded like a dream in her ears:

Baby Benson-Stabler, due date July 5.