AN: Caution - secondary character death
Picture Prompt #24: A woman holding a newborn baby
Newfound Hope
~oOo~
"Captian, the social worker said they could come get the baby girl now," Detective Tonie Churlish said, walking back into the hospital room at Mercy General where her boss was holding a newborn baby that they had ended up with due to a case. She paused when she noticed the tears streaming down her captain's face, and the look on her face was pure heartbreak.
"The mother didn't make it. The doctor just came and told me and allowed me to see her. Uh—she—uh, neither the young woman nor the baby are Jane Does anymore. And no social worker will be getting this baby," Olivia said, still fighting her tears.
"You know them?" Churlish asked, pulling two chairs over and guiding Olivia into one as she sat in the other.
"I do. Fin and Bruno are coming; Bruno will be taking over. Fin and I can not be involved In this case. At least not on paper.
"Um, can I get the details you know?"
"She's my stepdaughter. Not that I've ever used the word step and Fin is her uncle so that's why we can't be involved," Olivia said, trailing off as a nurse came back in with a bottle.
"Here you go, Captain Benson, the social worker is standing back to take the baby," the nurse said.
"There's no need for the social worker; this baby will be going to family. Can you do me a favor though? Nurse O'Shauey on the peds floor can you send her down here? I don't want her to find this out on the rumor mill," Olivia said as the nurse nodded her head.
"Captain, I get this is hard but can I get names?"
"The mother's name is—uh—was Elizabeth Stabler. The baby…I'm not sure what the baby's name was going to be. Just put Baby Girl Stabler for now," she told Churlish as a blonde wearing scrubs burst into the room.
"Livvie?" The blonds asked, looking at Olivia and the baby in her arms as Olivia stood.
"Oh Mo, come here baby," Olivia said, wrapping her arm around her.
"What happened?" Maureen asked but before Olivia could reply, Churlish saw her Sergeant and the Sergeant from Organized Crime whom she knew to be the captain's husband.
"Liv, what's going on?" Elliot asked.
"El, sit down."
"What's going on?" he asked, not sitting down till Fin pushed him into a seat.
"We were called to a rape of a pregnant young female. She was in bad shape so they rushed her here. Churlish and I took the case and we just IDed the woman after she delivered the baby. That's when I got Mo down here and called you."
"Liv, I need you to tell me who it is."
"Elliot—"
"Olivia! Who is it?"
"It was Lizzie. She's gone, El. Liz died, leaving behind this baby. The bastard we've been chasing killed our girl," she said as Elliot looked at the baby. He then turned and left the room.
"Shit, Fin," Olivia said.
"I'm going," Fin said as he chased his best friend.
Olivia wrapped her arm tighter around Maureen who had started crying.
"What's going to happen to Ellie?" Maureen asked.
"Was that what Lizzie was going to call her?" Olivia asked.
"Yes, she was going to name her Ellie Olivia after you and Daddy," Maureen said.
"I'm not sure one of you siblings can keep her or if your dad and I will. We only have Noah left at home now."
"Let me call Trev, he was helping Liz..." Maureen said, grabbing her phone.
"How is Trevor?" It was a poorly kept secret that the eldest Stabler was dating Trevor Langan. She had been dating him since the split from the twin's father.
"I would take her but with the divorce and having to pull doubles, I just can't. But I don't want her to go into foster care."
"That will not be happening!" Liv said, rocking the baby in her arms.
~oOo~
Fin had chased down Elliot; he had found him pounding his fist again a welcome sign.
"Feel better?" Fin asked as Elliot slid down the wall to sit on the ground. Fin did the same.
"My baby is gone, Fin. And just like that, there is an infant depending on our family ."
"It's a tragedy. But look at it this way, your biggest regret was not getting to raise a kid together from the start."
"I know. I just hate I lost Liz to get this," Elliot said, quickly wiping away tears as Fin laid his hand on his arm.
A little while later, after Fin had left to go and see where they stood with Liz's case, Elliot handed his current cases over to his squad via a phone call to Bell.
He and Liv were going on a leave of absence while they dealt with the fallout of losing their daughter and gaining a granddaughter to raise.
He stood in the doorway of the hospital and watched as Olivia rocked the baby, feeding her. He walked up behind her, wrapped his arms around her, and started rocking both of them. He kissed her damp cheek, trying to remove the stain of tears.
Trevor had finally made it up to the hospital after he had gathered the paperwork needed.
"So, Trevor, what's the news?" Olivia asked, quietly rocking the baby, as Elliot stood close to her.
"Liz, along with all the other siblings made a decision. This precious baby girl will be raised by you as her mom and dad," Trevor said.
Elliot pulled Olivia close to him, sealing the deal with one kiss for her and one for their new baby.
The author of this SVU - Quills & Shutters story will be revealed in October
