Prompt #69: The tag on the gift reads "FOR YOUR EYES ONLY"
I've Got A Secret
~oOo~
It was going to be their first Christmas together as a couple, but unfortunately, crime never slept.
When the newest case came up — a notorious drug trafficking ring — Elliot unfortunately had to go undercover again, since he would be the best person to take down the head of the organization.
He unfortunately was going to have to leave three days before Christmas, leaving Olivia on her own since Noah was at the McCann's for the next week.
She hadn't even known what to get Elliot for a gift.
She wanted to get him something, but she had no idea what to buy.
He hadn't explicitly mentioned any one particular thing that he wanted, so she was left with a sense of uncertainty when it came to shopping for holiday presents.
It was a bit of a bittersweet goodbye when they had to part ways, but Elliot promised that as soon as the current mission was over, he would come back to her.
"You know that I'm not leaving you again, Liv," he said before pulling her into a hug and then kissing her. "If I have to go away for a case, like now, just know that I'm coming back to you when it's finished. I promise you…what I did before, leaving without a word, I will never do again. You have my word."
Her trust in Elliot had been repaired and it was finally there once again. She knew that he was never going to leave her, and she believed what he said.
After he pulled away, she wrapped her arms around his neck and returned the kiss, knowing that she would see him again.
And she would be waiting for him.
"I love you," she said to Elliot, knowing her words were genuine.
"I love you too," he replied, smiling at her and then holding her close to him once more.
Elliot then headed through security and got on the plane when it was time to board, prepared to go to his undercover mission.
He only hoped that he wouldn't be gone for too long.
~oOo~
"Well, it's just you and me now, baby," Olivia said, looking down at her stomach and placing her hand on her slightly protruding stomach. "Your daddy will be back soon…"
The pregnancy had come as a complete shock, because Olivia thought she'd been in menopause. She hadn't had a period in quite some time, so she hadn't thought much of it.
Because of her age, her pregnancy was treated as a high-risk one, and she had to see the doctor more frequently than someone who wasn't high-risk.
So far, everything was looking well with the baby. She had just gotten into her second trimester, and her clothes were getting a bit tight around the waist.
However, she was still able to conceal the bump with looser-fitting clothes.
She hadn't even told Elliot that they were expecting a baby yet. She had wanted to, but she hadn't found the perfect time to announce the news to him.
As she walked out of the airport to head back to her car, she suddenly got an idea.
She now knew what she was going to get Elliot for Christmas.
~oOo~
Two days later, Olivia had a visit with her OB to see how the baby was doing.
She was approximately three-and-a-half months along, and her unborn child was growing as it should be.
She had found out from a blood test at ten weeks that she was having a girl.
Olivia had a few ideas for names, but she wanted to discuss them with Elliot, and then they would come to a conclusion later on what their baby's name would end up being.
The OB saw no defects or health problems, and Olivia's health was also very good. However, she was told by her doctor that she would soon need to take things easy out in the field, and by the time she would be in her fourth month, she would be confined to desk duty for the remainder of her pregnancy, mostly due to her age and high-risk status.
After the appointment, Olivia received a new set of ultrasound photos, which she planned to put in different places around the apartment.
However, she saved three of the pictures to go to other places. One of them would be framed and put on her desk at work, while the other two were going to be placed into a small box and be given to Elliot as a belated Christmas present.
She hoped that he would be back soon, before she really started to show, since she wanted him to learn about the pregnancy through the gift.
Olivia thought it would be a cute way to tell her boyfriend that she was expecting.
She still couldn't believe that she was going to have a baby.
She had thought that ship had sailed a long time ago, through her failed relationships and stress at work. She felt lucky enough to have gotten Noah when she did, but to actually experience a pregnancy…she couldn't be more thrilled to experience it.
Olivia also had a few other small items she'd bought at the mall a few days ago, which she planned to put in Elliot's gift box, all related to him becoming a father again.
She wrapped up the items plus two of the ultrasound photos in a box, sealing with a bow, Christmas-themed wrapping paper, and a small tag that read, "Elliot - for your eyes only. Love, Olivia".
Now, she just had to wait for him to return from his assignment.
~oOo~
Before Noah went to bed that night, Olivia decided to tell him that he was going to be a big brother come next year.
She hadn't even told her squad members that she was pregnant, because she had wanted to wait until she was out of the first trimester before saying anything.
Noah answered her FaceTime call pretty quickly and he smiled, excited to see his mother. They chatted back and forth for a bit, with Noah telling her what he'd been doing with the McCanns.
He was soon going to have to go since he was going to watch a movie with Connor, so Olivia decided to tell him the big news.
"Hey, Noah," she said. "I've got a big secret to tell you, but you have to promise that you won't say anything for the time being, okay?"
"Okay, Mom," he replied. "I won't say anything."
She took a deep breath before she continued speaking.
"Next year, you're going to be a big brother," she answered. "You're going to have a little sister."
He was definitely shocked, but he was happy about it.
He promised Olivia that he was going to be the best big brother and would do anything to protect his little sister.
She was touched by her son's loving gesture and knew that he was going to fit well into the role of an older sibling.
After saying goodnight to Noah, she went to bed, the hormones making her feel even more tired.
~oOo~
Thankfully, Elliot was only gone for a month for his case, and then he was able to come back home.
Olivia was now sixteen weeks pregnant, and she now had a more visible baby bump. She was doing her best to hide the bump with thicker clothes, as well as wearing layers. Since it was January, it was still quite cold, so she was able to wear a heavy jacket, which did a nice job of hiding her pregnancy.
Noah had gone back to the McCanns for another sleepover with Connor that evening, but he would be back tomorrow.
Olivia met Elliot at the airport, kissing him as soon as he got to baggage claim.
He took her in his arms immediately and kissed her back, happy to see her.
Once they left the airport, Olivia drove them home, prepared to give Elliot his belated Christmas gift.
"Wine?" she asked once they were inside, figuring that Elliot would probably want a glass to help him relax. "Also, red or white?"
"Please," he said. "And let's go with white."
Olivia brought over two wine glasses, which she placed on the coffee table. She also brought over a bottle of white wine, which she poured into his glass.
She set the bottle down and grabbed the present, prepared to give it to him.
"Want some?" he questioned, prepared to pour some wine into her glass.
She nodded her head no and placed her hand on top of the glass, to which he set the bottle back down on the table.
"Merry Christmas," Olivia told him, handing him the box. "I know it's a bit late, but I didn't have a chance to give you a gift before you left."
Elliot couldn't help but blush, saying that she didn't have to get him a gift.
"I think you'll really like this one," she continued.
He saw the tag that said it was for his eyes only, his mind curious about what she could have gotten him that was limited to only him seeing it.
Elliot carefully undid the wrapping paper and then opened the box, his eyes first landing on the small onesie.
He held it up, seeing that there was some text written there.
See you soon, Daddy.
The realization came to him very quickly, and he turned to look at Olivia, who had a huge smile on her face.
"You…you're…?" Elliot said, not even able to finish his thought.
He didn't think that Olivia could get pregnant anymore, but clearly, he'd been proven wrong.
"Yeah," she answered. "I am."
She had removed her jacket and pulled her shirt up, showing off her baby bump.
Elliot felt the tears welling up in his eyes as he set the box aside and then kissed her, happy that he was going to be able to experience parenthood with her, something that he'd wanted for quite some time.
He placed his hand on her belly, then kissed it.
"Hi in there, it's your daddy," Elliot said. "I'm so excited to meet you."
He then rested his ear against her bump, hearing some gurgles, which told him that the baby was active.
Elliot listened for a bit until the gurgles stopped, and then he went back to looking at what was inside his gift box.
There were two positive pregnancy tests, a pair of newborn-size shoes, a rattle, and two of the ultrasound photos.
"Best Christmas gift I could have gotten," Elliot said, setting the box down again and giving her another kiss. "Do you know what we're having?"
"You want to know?" she asked him.
"I do."
Olivia smiled before responding. "It's a girl."
He just kissed her again, feeling incredibly blessed to be given the chance to be a father again.
They were going to start a new chapter in their lives together, and they were thrilled about it.
The author of this SVU - Heart for the Holidays story will be revealed in January