The sound of a fussing infant was one Elliot had grown quite accustomed to over the years. He rolled over to check the time, as Olivia scooted towards the edge of the bed. He grasped her arm lightly, pulling her back down next to him. He kissed her quickly before saying, "I'll get him. Go back to sleep."

"It's fine," she tried to sit up again, but Elliot tugged on her arm. "You have a meeting in the morning, and I can sleep in a little bit tomorrow."

She blinked her eyes sleepily and tried stifling a yawn. "Okay, but if you can't get him settled, wake me up. I don't want to wake up Amanda. She's going to the same meeting."

"Okay," he promised, sweeping a kiss across her forehead. "Go back to sleep."

Olivia nodded and settled back against her pillow, and Eliot sat up and stretched quickly before padding over to Noah's crib in the corner. The infant let out another unhappy complaint before Elliot leaned over the crib and scooped him up.

Elliot held Noah against his chest while he bounced and swayed. Noah continued to fuss, but it was less of a cry and more of a whine. Noah loved Elliot during the day, but in the middle of the night, he blatantly preferred Olivia.

Not wanting to keep Olivia awake, he snuck out the bedroom door, bumping it lightly with his shoulder to help it shut.

He continued to bounce Noah as he wandered to the kitchen. In years past he'd become quite adept at making a bottle one handed, it turned out he maintained the skill years later.

Once he made the bottle, he sniffed Noah against him tightly with Noah's favorite blanket draped over him. Noah didn't seem one but tired as he stared at Elliot, blue eyes wide awake. He hoped a bottle would soothe the infant back to sleep, but Noah had started refusing his nighttime bottle. He didn't normally wake up to eat, he woke up because he wanted his mom. He wanted Olivia.

"Hey buddy," he soothed. "Let's try this. We need to let your Mama sleep. She's got a big meeting tomorrow."

Elliot really only referred to Olivia as Noah's mom in private. They had to foster Noah for a year before they could become eligible to adopt him. He knew this little boy had his whole heart, Olivia's too, but he knew Olivia felt hesitant about accepting his placement as permanent. He didn't blame her. Life had a habit of giving her happiness only to cruelly rip it away. He knew she worried if she loved Noah too much, something would happen, and he could never be hers. She didn't trust happiness, and he didn't blame her.

Elliot breathed out a relieved sigh when Noah accepted the bottle. One of his chubby hands laid over Elliot's as he held the bottle, and the other hand found a curl on the side of his head that he liked to twirl when he self soothed.

He watched the boy eat and he was struck over how much he looked like he was theirs. Dark curls, and blue eyes. Everything he thought their baby would be. Their little boy. His little boy.

When Olivia brought Noah home, acting as an emergency placement, they talked about a potential future with Noah if the opportunity to adopt him came up. To be honest, Elliot worried. He knew he'd love a baby he and Olivia created together, a baby who was a little bit of both of them. He never considered the possibility of raising a child that wasn't biologically his, and he worried if it was possible to love such a child as much as he loved his own kids. It turned out that biology didn't matter. He loved Noah like one of his own. He was theirs. His and Olivia's. Their son. Their baby.

Noah's eyelids drooped and his dark lashes slowly touched together through his slow blinks. He was dozing off. Elliot kept his snug hold on him. Noah felt most secure when held tightly. They had quite a few sleepless nights before figuring out he needed to be held tightly with his blanket snugged around him to fall asleep.

Noah's mouth released the bottle, and Elliot set it on the coffee table. Elliot chuckled at the small dribble of milk that dropped out of the corner of Noah's mouth. He brushed it away and his hand drifted over the boy's down curls. He could have never dreamed of a baby as perfect as Noah, and he knew he could never live his life without him.

-000-

Amanda handed Olivia a coffee once she entered the squadroom. "Noah sleep okay last night?" Amanda wondered.

"Mostly. He's getting close to sleeping through the night. Elliot took him at three-ish." He was so close, and she knew both she and Elliot could use the sleep, but she felt a little sad. It was hard to wake up all hours, but it was time she got to spend with her baby. Time she didn't get during the day.

"I didn't hear him, Elliot must have kept him pretty quiet."

"Yeah. He went back down easy. You know how he usually wants me, but he settled with El just fine last night." She sipped back the coffee. "What time did you get here?" Olivia asked.

"Five. I wanted to knock out some paperwork early so I didn't have to stay late tonight." She gave a suggestive grin.

"Date huh?" Olivia grinned back.

"Yeah. Second date." She grinned

"Oh so you like him then…"

"Yeah. First date went well, but you know how it goes. Once we tell someone what we do…things get weird. He knows I'm a cop, but I haven't exactly shared our department yet." She drank some coffee and smiled, "you're lucky. Elliot already has lived this job so no surprises for him."

"Yeah. That is…it makes things easier." It did. She couldn't count how many relationships fizzled once the words sex crimes came up.

Both women's heads whipped around when Lieutenant Murphy voice boomed from the door of his office. "Rollins! Benson! Get in here! We've got a case!"

-000-

Olivia——Elliot

O: I'm going to be late. When can you make it home?

E: I'll be on time tonight. Paperwork or fieldwork?

O: Fieldwork. Prostitute/pimp robbery team.

E: Interesting.

O: I don't think I will be there all night. I'll take Noah if he gets up.

E: Don't worry about it. I can get him.

O: He'll want me anyway.

E: True

O: I'll keep you posted.

-000-

Their little undercover op went smoothly and they were able to take the couple into custody. Questioning stalled out, and the prostitute, Ellie, somehow ended up with Trevor Langan as her defense attorney so questioning got put off until the next day.

The apartment was dark when she arrived home, a single light in the kitchen left on. Elliot knew she couldn't handle coming home to a completely dark home. Amanda chose to take one for the team and spend the night in the cribs so they had someone on call throughout the night.

Olivia dropped her bag and keys on the kitchen counter, and wandered over to the refrigerator to pull out a water bottle. The day had started early and ended late. She was exhausted.

After dropping the empty water bottle into the recycle bin she quietly tiptoed to her room. Noah didn't usually wake up til the early morning so he was probably sleeping soundly, but she definitely didn't want to wake him up now.

When she pushed the door open she chuckled quietly and shook her head. Olivia followed all pediatric recommendations. Noah room shared, but no co sleeping in her bed. She religiously rocked him to sleep and carefully laid him in his crib every night. Elliot was the complete opposite, and it didn't help that Noah had him wrapped pretty tightly around his chubby little finger.

Elliot laid flat on his back with little Noah secured in both his footie pajamas and muslin swaddle blanket against his bare chest. Noah's head was tucked snugly under Elliot's chin, his belly laid flush with Elliot's chest, and Noah's small fingers threaded into his own hair.

A peaceful smile drifted across her face, as she left the pair sleeping while she got ready for bed. She slipped into the bathroom, leaving the light off until the door was shut so not to wake her sleeping boys. She methodically completed her bedtime routine before shutting the light off and sneaking back into the bedroom.

Niether Elliot nor Noah moved an inch, and were still sleeping soundly. Olivia snuck her hand beneath the baby's belly, and carefully scooped up her little boy. She brushed a light kiss on his forehead and lowered him into the crib as gently as possible. He stirred for a moment until he settled into the same position he slept in every night.

She brushed her fingers once more over his downy curls before whispering a near silent, "I love you."

Olivia slid between the sheets and moved closer to the center of the bed. Elliot had shifted his weight so now he laid on his side so she backed herself into him and pulled on of his arms over her hip.

"Everything go okay," he mumbled with a sleepy voice.

She answered without turning. "Mostly. We have the couple basically red handed."

"That's good," she heard him yawn.

"Yeah." She agreed.

"You don't sound like it's a done deal." He mentioned. For being so tired he was being pretty damn perceptive.

"I don't know. Everything looks like it will fall into place fine. Ellie, somehow got Trevor Langan to pick up her case. He apparently does probono work…"

Elliot's interest piqued a little, "Langan huh?"

"Yeah. Well see what defense he comes up with, but we will need to make sure the investigation is airtight." She threaded her fingers with his and rested them on her hip.

The air felt thick between them, prompting Elliot to ask, "Is there something else?"

She didn't know. There was no evidence that something was off. Different. Changing. But she felt…uneasy, like some sort of dark premonition. The whole idea was silly, but something felt off. The sense of impending crisis sat on her chest, and she could explain why.

"I think I'm just tired," she sighed. How could she discuss a feeling she couldn't name. She'd feel better in the morning. She was certain of it.

But even in all of her certainty, a pebble of fear weighed heavily in her belly. Something was coming, and she didn't know what. All she knew was that it felt heavy, and she wasn't sure it was good.