Not much to say. Dick Wolf owns his, I own mine. Enjoy.

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Christmas Eve came and for the first time in a long time, she felt blessed. She had good friends in her life who had gotten her through this past year and who she honestly didn't know where she'd be without, and she was especially blessed to have Elliot back in her life.

She was surprised when his kids came over on Christmas eve; none more surprised than Elliot. Maureen brought her husband and Kathleen brought her girlfriend but it was Dickie that had him near tears when he showed up. It took him a while but he was coming around to forgiving Elliot for leaving and decided the first step would be the holiday.

Though the kids had their own plans on Christmas, they came and spent the whole day, all except Eli. Kathy still wouldn't allow Elliot that kind of leeway with him. They still hadn't told the boy that Elliot was his father yet; point blank, she didn't feel that it was something they needed to do right now and Eli didn't exactly know Elliot well at all, so it made the choice easy for Kathy.

After a day spent with the kids, the girls going on to Olivia about how they respect her so much for what she's doing with the baby; they had their hands on her belly half the time, talking to Serena and the other half catching up with Elliot, exchanging gifts and having dinner; it was nearing 10PM by the time they all left. Wishing Olivia good luck, they promised Elliot that he'd see them again soon for another family dinner.

When they left, Olivia sat staring at the tree. It was a huge one; seven and a half feet and so beautiful with all the ornaments and lights, the beautiful angel at the top. She'd never seen anything so beautiful and to think that she took part in decorating made it all the more special. After Elliot had locked up, he came to join her, bringing her a mug of cider.

"Today was a great day" He said, taking a seat beside her where she sat on the floor, looking up at the tree.

"It was." She took a sip from her cider. "I haven't had this much fun in a long time; it hasn't really felt like Christmas in a long time...not since my mom died." A few tears escaped her eyes and she quickly wiped them. "I'm sorry...I'm so emotional!"

"I noticed. You cried about 30 times today." She laughed as she leaned into him and her smile quickly turned to tears.

"You had such an incredible day with your kids and here I am…"

"You miss her; especially now. You're about to have your own baby; her namesake soon, it's natural." He said softly, wrapping her in his arms. "Hey, you think you have it in you to climb the stairs?"

"That depends; what am I climbing for?"

"It's a surprise."

"I hate surprises"

"Just trust me!" He said as he got to his feet and put out his hands for her. She looked at him for a moment then decided to go with him, surprised and touched when she arrived upstairs. "Merry Christmas!" He said upon opening a door that was wrapped in a giant pink bow. He flicked the light switch and she was bathed by a soft light that illuminated a beautifully decorated nursery in hues of rose pink and cream.

"What did you do?" she asked in shock as she carefully walked into the gorgeous nursery.

"...little magic"

"Elliot…" She uttered, completely blown away. She stepped inside and looked at the crib with the canopy, beautiful pink ribbons hanging from it with cream and pink tulle that matched the cradle and rocker perfectly that Fin had given her. Even her name, 'Serena' carved in beautiful pink letters and hanging from the wall. Everything in the room was done in a matching motif complete with the framed pictures of Serena Sr. sitting atop the mantle of the fireplace. "How did you…?" There were tears in her eyes as she looked around the room, speechless. She didn't know how he managed to do it with her in the house most of the time and just the fact that he did.

"Very carefully." He said, and he did. Having Nick, Fin and Amanda come over to help at night when Olivia was sleeping, or on days when he'd escort her to appointments, one of them would sneak away from work and help with the furniture. They worked off and on for 10 days and finally got it done the day before Christmas eve. "I hope you like it."

"It's beautiful...and you got my mother's pictures" she cried as she lightly traced with her finger, the things that touched her most though the whole nursery was unreal.

"I hope you don't mind, I went through your photo albums and took a few."

"I can't believe you'd do this for her!" She said with a hand to her belly, smoothing it to the underside then rubbing the top with her other hand; she was in full blown cry mode at this point. "I'm sorry!"

He kissed her forehead as he pulled her into a hug before sitting her down on the loveseat that was littered with stuffed animals and he pulled up the footrest and sat himself there so he would be face to face with her and took her hands in his. "I was hoping you'd decide to stay. I want this to be your home, yours and hers."

"You really mean that don't you?"

"I do Liv"

"Elliot… I can't… you and me, I don't…"

"I think I know what you want to say and it's okay. Liv I don't want you to feel that I'm rushing us; we made love and it was beautiful, but this can only work if we go at the pace you set and believe me, I'm okay with that."

"You are?"

"I am" he said and kissed her hands. "but I want you to know that you're home; that no matter what…"

"I'm home?" She had tears in her eyes again and he reached up to her face to wipe them away.

"You're home!" For a long moment, she sat thinking about what he said before she looked at him.

"Tell me again that you love me." She said.

"You know I do."

"But tell me anyway?" He laughed sweetly and kissed her hand and her belly, making her laugh.

"I do love you! I love you and I want you to believe that." He kissed her again, this time, both cheeks before he kissed her nose then looked into her eyes before he brought his lips to hers and kissed them sweetly. His kiss made her body react quickly and she gently pushed him away to break it. "So is that a yes?"

"Still no change?" The doctor asked. Another week had passed and somehow, the nurse thought through the grace of God, the patient held on and was even functioning without a ventilator for the last three days.

"No change. I don't even know how he's held on this long; it's as if he's holding on for something or someone…"

"I just; I can't believe the police have found nothing. But then again, look where he was found; in trash. Maybe he belongs to no one." If only the doctor had known that that's why the Staten Island cops didn't bother to investigate or circulate. As far as they were concerned this was just another homeless guy who got drunk and fell down and hurt himself. He'd die soon and they would be rid of him.

"It's such a shame, we don't even know your name." She spoke softly to the patient. The swelling had all but completely gone down and for the first time since he'd been there, she was able to see his looks. She could tell that he was once a handsome man, boyish looks that were now marred by the scars of his attack.

She had taken it upon herself to put a Christmas tree, though small, in his room. It sat on the bedside table that was pushed far back to the end of the bed. Small, it only stood a foot and a half but it lit up and she thought that he could use some cheer to block the gloominess that seemed to cover this room.

The doctor got up from his chair to check the man out and while the doctor was looking into his eye with the light, suddenly, it opened.

"Sir? Get somebody from neuro down here now!" He yelled to the nurse, who ran quickly from the room. "Sir, can you hear me? Do you know where you are?"

The patient looked directly at the doctor before reaching for the his hand and passing out again.

They would be working tomorrow but tonight Darrell and Amanda were taking full advantage of the time they had together. It was just after midnight and they were on the floor having just finished making love in front of the fire, Darrell pulling the blanket up around them as he held Amanda in his arms, on top of him.

"It's still snowing outside!" She said, looking at the giant floor to ceiling windows that covered the loft space.

"It's beautiful. Merry Christmas!"

"Is it?"

"It's after midnight"

"So it is" she said, kissing him. "I know that you don't celebrate it, but thank you!"

"Hold that thanks!" He smiled as he got up and with his body perfectly naked, walked across the room to a cabinet and took out a small box that was concealed by his large hand. Not that Amanda wouldn't have noticed anyway as she was watching his beautiful nakedness and imagining what she'd like to do to it all over again.

"I don't celebrate, but I know you do; and well, Merry Christmas baby!" He said presenting her with the box as they sat on the floor. Open it" he smiled. She did and and was beyond shocked to see what he got her. Inside the box was a round 2 carat diamond solitaire pendant attached to a simple platinum chain.

"Darrell...it's beautiful!" She was practically in tears as she threw her arms around him.

"You like it?"

"I love it! Put it on me?" She asked and turned to allow him to pin it, him taking the time to kiss her neck, making her want him even more. With it dangling from her neck, she again turned to face him, sitting on his lap.

"It's gorgeous; but you know what's even more gorgeous?"

"Don't; I feel like an idiot because I didn't get you anything."

"Hey; you are my present! I love you, Amanda!" He told her as they sat looking into each other's eyes, hers filling with tears.

"I love you too Darrell!" She smiled before they kissed, hard and full of passion, him going down to her neck where he skimmed her jugular with his teeth before soothing it with his kiss and worked his way down to her breast, pulling a nipple into his mouth. Later on, when they were lying together and listening to the sounds of the snow falling quietly. He wrapped her in his arms and kissed her.

"I don't want to keep us hidden anymore." She said. "I wanna love you and I want the whole world to know it."

"We're in for it with 1PP, but I'll take a thousand punishments if it means that I can be with you; we'll tell them after the New Year." She looked up and they kissed a final time before they drifted off to sleep with her in his arms.

Still unbelievable to him, she'd said yes to his invitation to stay with him at the house, deciding that there was no reason for her to move on. Elliot, she knew, was it. He was her one and it really made no sense to leave. The fact was, she loved him; she loved him then and she loved him still; he loved her still. They'd been through so much together and still had a lot more that they would go through but when she thought about what it was that she wanted, she knew that she didn't feel safer anywhere in the world than she did with him.

This morning, a little after 8 and she and Elliot were still lounging around in bed. Her, propped up with her body pillow, pretending to be asleep while he watched her belly, playing a little game with the baby where she'd poke out a hand or foot and when he'd touch it, Serena would quickly draw it back and start again. He'd gone maybe 5 minutes like this before Olivia, unable to withstand it and laughing, interrupted him.

"What are you doing?" She said softly, her eyes still closed.

"Serena and I got a little game goin." He said, still watching her belly. This time there was no poke. "Well that's great little miss, quit on me!" He said to the baby.

"I'm up, she has no need." She laughed, rubbing her belly as he kissed it then made his way to the head of the bed, throwing his arms around her.

"You're more fun! Good morning!" He said as he kissed her on the cheek, snuggling up to her backside. "This okay?" She turned her head to kiss his lips.

"It's more than okay." She said as she snuggled closer. "Thank you for staying with me last night."

"You don't have to thank me. You were having a tough time." She took his hand and kissed it, pulling it tighter around her. "You okay?"

"I am now." she said then suddenly turned pale, shooting up from the bed and ran for the bathroom. Elliot got up to see about her, noticing that she was throwing up as he got closer to the bathroom.

"I'm alright...just a little nauseous." She said just as she heaved again into the toilet. Scared, Elliot came in and went to her, getting down and holding her hair back. Immediately, feeling his hand she remembered Harlan grabbing her hair from this same position and beating her senseless before he…

"NO!" She screamed and quickly backed away into the corner, terrified and in tears.

"Liv...honey it's just me." He said, slowly coming towards her but she was already trapped in the flashback and began fighting him from her corner as she saw Harlan, beating her viciously.

Bronwyn watched in horror as Harlan snatched Olivia up from the floor, bent her over the sink, pulling up her gown as she begged him not to in front of her then began begging Bronwyn to look away when he wouldn't stop and began violently fucking her while threatening his wife with an even worse fate if she dared look away.

"Not in front of her; please!" She cried.

"Olivia" Elliot spoke softly to her "Olivia, listen to my voice baby, you're safe. He can't hurt you. You're safe." He watched with bated breath as she, seemingly snapping out of it, looked around the room with wild eyes.

"He wouldn't… He wouldn't…" She said in tears upon realizing where she was.

"I know" Elliot said as he very carefully pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly when she was there.

"He wouldn't stop!" She cried in his arms. "I begged him and he wouldn't stop...he never stopped! He never stopped!" Her tears were hard and it seemed that her cries couldn't be soothed as she sat there and let them out while he held her and he went through a million emotions himself. The main two, how he loved this woman literally to death and he would do anything, go to any lengths to see her happy. And two, he thought how he wished to god that Harlan wasn't dead, he'd make him pay for every ounce of pain that he'd caused Olivia, tenfold.

That morning, the Special Victims unit was visited by Captain Vickers from the Missing Persons unit in Manhattan along with Lieutenant Tucker who immediately drew eyes when he walked in the doors.

Fin saw them approaching and immediately dismayed, let out a warning to his fellow detectives and Murphy who were nearby and caused them all to look up. "Incoming!"

"Hold your noses" Murphy said to Which Fin, Nick and Collins laughed. "Captain…" he couldn't remember the guy's name. "Lieutenant Tucker; what can I do for you?"

"A word in your office; Tutuola, Amaro, that includes you!" He snapped and walked into the office with Captain Vickers, Fin and Nick sitting for a second and looking at one another before they got up to follow.

"Hey, uh Fin." Collins called as he was walking towards the office.

"Yeah? Make it quick Collins!" He said, looking back at the office.

"Later, do you think I could talk to you and Amaro? It's important."

"Sure thing." Fin said, eyeballing him with uncertainty. He knew that Darrell had been sneaking around with Amanda and had a feeling that that's what the talk was about.

"Okay. We'll hit the bar later!" He said and Fin turned around and went, with Amaro into the office and shut the door.

After he'd finally gotten her to calm down, he got her to sleep for a couple hours then later they went out and took at walk through the park to take her mind off things. He was still a bit worried about her but she insisted that she was alright.

"Elliot, please stop. I said I'm fine and I meant it!" She said as he helped her off with her coat once they were back home.

"Do you know what it's like to see you go through that? Not just this morning but any of it? Liv it scares the hell out of me cuz I don't know if maybe that'll be the time you can't come back…" She took him in her arms and held him, him getting teary.

"I'll always come back, I've got you and my baby girl to make sure of it!" She promised and kissed him gently on the lips, them embracing again before the doorbell rang and they quickly dried their eyes before answering.

"Glad we didn't sit!" He said to her laughing and opened the door to see Nick and Fin. "Hey guys; what are you doing here?"

"Hey El...uh we came to see Liv, we got some news!" Nick said.

"What kind of news?" She said with her hand on her belly and one on her back and took a deep breath.

"It's about Brian; we found him!"

"Found him? I don't…"

"Liv…" Elliot said. Easily reading their faces. Nick and Fin looked at each other before Fin continued.

"Missing persons in Staten Island got a call three weeks ago but they sat on it and the doctors called Manhattan this morning only when they looked at the details of the case it turned out to be a special victim's case… Liv, he's in a coma!"

At the hospital it was overrun with police. Now since Manhattan missing persons had been called, on to IAB and now SVU, Staten Island had a lot of explaining to do about why they did nothing with the missing persons report for three weeks. This was a cop. A cop that could have been found earlier, that they could have been investigating who did this to him and why but now they may never know. But all of that was unimportant as Fin, Nick, Elliot and Olivia rushed through the doors of the hospital, Olivia trying desperately to keep it together but failed miserably the moment she walked into his room.

She cried as she went to his bedside and held his hand. Fin and Nick had filled her in on everything they knew and now she was just beside herself as she looked him over and touched his face with delicate hands, she cried even more. His eye was wrapped where it was missing along with a piece of his skull.

"Liv...you're here!"

"Oh god, who did this to you?" She whispered tearfully.

"Liv listen to me; he's alive...Harlan's alive! He did this to me!"

Just then his mother emerged from the bathroom and Olivia jumped and let out a small scream while holding her hands to her chest and baby.

"Mrs. Cassidy…you scared me." It was a bit hard for her to stand from the chair in which she sat, but she managed. "I-I didn't know you were here, I'm sorry." She said as Brian's mother stood seemingly frozen and looking towards her, settling her eyes on Olivia's belly. It made Olivia a bit self conscious and she began soothing the baby who was now kicking up a storm.

"I um…" Olivia looked back at Brian then at his mother again.

"Liv, listen to me!"

"Is it true?" Joanie asked a confused Olivia.

"True?"

"May I?" She asked her, gesturing towards Olivia's stomach.

"I don't um…" But she was surprised and a bit dismayed when Joanie navigated to her belly, not waiting for an answer and placed her hands upon it; Serena kicking even stronger while Olivia stood there receiving the unwanted attention and bit the inside of her cheek in an attempt to not say something.

"Brian's child?"

"Mom."

"Excuse me?" She said, having had enough and moving the older woman's hands away from her. She never did take well to his mom but they were always cordial for Brian's sake but now...

As she took a few steps away, giving Joanie room to go to Brian, after a moment in which she gave Olivia a look that could have killed and that sent a chill through her, she went to him and sat at his bedside.

"He told me he thought he might be the father." She said, holding his hand. Olivia was stunned almost into silence but she found a small voice.

"He had no right to tell you that!" She said in tears.

"I didn't, and I'm so sorry. But Liv listen, you have to…"

"Didn't he? Brian told me everything; he always did since he was a little boy! He was stressed and called me from the hospital, said that you wouldn't give him a paternity test."

"It's not that simple"

"Isn't it?" She turned away from him to face Olivia. "You know, I tolerated you because he loved you and when finally he got some sense and left you I thought, 'finally'! But then you had to have him a final time, didn't you? …all he wanted was to know if he fathered this child so that he could be responsible, and you...you denied him!"

"I didn't-"

"Don't you stand in front of me and call my son a liar. You know, I hope he's not the father so you can get the hell out of his life, once and for all but if he is, you'd better be prepared to fight because I will not leave you to raise my grandchild!"

"Does everything come down to this? I feel terrible for what happened to him but let me make it clear when I say that NO ONE is taking my daughter away from me!" She cried.

"Mom no! Please, listen to me!"

"This is your fault! If he hadn't been upset by you, he wouldn't have been out drinking and some maniac wouldn't have had the chance to find him vulnerable and do this to him! Maybe you are having that rapist's baby so you can get out of our lives! I don't want you here Olivia; now get out and don't you dare come back!"

...

A half hour later, she still sat in the hall outside his room in tears.

"Liv, why don't you let me take you home?" Elliot said to her. She looked up, tears streaming her face and she shook her head 'no'. "Liv, there's nothing you can d-"

"Don't! Just don't!" She said without turning around and walked away crying silently; though not silent enough as she walked out of the hall and that one, not-so-silent sob broke his heart as Elliot went after her.

"I can't believe it. What the hell did Cassidy do to make somebody wanna take him out like that?" Fin said as he and Nick waited at the bar for Darrell.

"I can't stand the guy and even I admit, it's extreme. What do you think it was?"

"Could be payback for somethin that went down while he was in narcotics."

"What makes you think so?"

"Think about it, he's IAB now, investigatin other cops, I could be wrong but I don't think a cop would come back that hard - I mean, they found a broken bottle in his ass. That's some deep-seeded shit right there!"

"Hey guys." Darrell said as he entered the bar and sat down at the back table where Nick and Fin had been waiting.

"Alright Collins, what's so important that you had to see us?" Nick said.

"Thanks for meeting me."

"You said it was important?" Fin asked.

"It is. Hi, just club soda please." He told the waitress as he pulled off his coat. "We're telling the brass at 1PP after the new year but we wanted to tell you guys first."

"Tell us what? You and Amanda got something goin?" Fin joked but realized the seriousness of the situation when Darrell laughed nervously.

"You know, it's funny you should mention that!"

Later that night at the house, her back in pain and her baby moving about avidly, she sat on her bed. "How about you take it easy on mommy?" She said to the baby as she got up to stretch her back and walk a few steps as Elliot knocked and came in.

"Hey"

"Hey. What are you doing up?" she asked.

"The question is, what are you doing up?"

"I can't sleep!"

"Can't or won't?"

"A little of both"

Liv you can't keep walking around, it's late, you need to rest."

"Tell that to the little one…" she said as she rubbed her stomach. Although being still upset over Brian and at the things that his mother had said was the real reason she was up.

"I know you care about him but…"

"But what? His mother thinks I caused this and I don't know, maybe she's right; maybe if I hadn't been…"

"Stop! You weren't wrong for what you did. You needed time, it's not your fault that Brian couldn't understand that and it's certainly not your fault that he ended up getting attacked." He said as he put his arms around her.

"Then why does it feel like it?"

"If you didn't feel some responsibility, you wouldn't be you but I don't want you to let her get in your head, she's angry and she just needs someone to blame. Now come on, let's get you to bed."

She didn't want to admit it but he was right, her whole body was screaming in pain and she was exhausted! If she wasn't carrying a baby it would be easier but she was, and she had to think about Serena and right now, the baby was telling her to listen to Elliot, to get some sleep.

She got in, asking Elliot to stay with her and with her head on his chest, she was out as fast as it took her to get comfortable and she slept like a baby all night not having realized she was so tired.

...

The next morning when they got up, she was feeling nauseous again, certain now that it was her morning sickness returning. This time though, Elliot had learned from his mistakes and didn't dare go near her while she was over the toilet throwing up but insisted when she came out that they go to the doctor's, just to be safe.

...

"Don't worry, everything's fine...sort of. It's just morning sickness." the Doctor said.

"Now? I'm 8 months pregnant, isn't that a little past due?"

"Not really. Some women don't get it at all, some get it just at the beginning, some women get it throughout and for some, lucky you, it can come back in the last trimester."

"Great!" Olivia said, dripping with sarcasm. "So you said "sort of" fine what's wrong?"

"Your blood pressure. I thought that we'd be able to keep it down without medication, but it's not good."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that for now, I'm gonna admit you while we start you on medication."

"Is it that bad?" She said as she held her belly.

"It's not good, and if we wait or send you home, it could get worse. Have you had any headaches?"

"I have but, I mean everything's been so stressful lately and I just assumed…"

"Olivia, you can't make assumptions about your health. Especially at your age and especially when you're pregnant at your age with all the issues you've had so far. I'm glad that Elliot brought you in today."

"So what now?"

"Now, I'm gonna get you admitted, and get you settled and we'll take it from there. I don't want you to worry, I'm gonna do everything I can to keep this little one safe and her mom too!"

Meanwhile, in the Hamptons, Harlan sat with the TV on and muted from where he was in bed sick with pneumonia. He was barely conscious but when he saw what looked like the news, it caught his attention and he opened his eyes fully and found the remote to turn up the volume just in time and what he saw definitely caught his attention.

"...what can only be described as a bizarre turn of events, a man was found here in a garbage dump in Staten Island three weeks ago, with no ID or way to identify him and at the time, doctors reported it to local police…

"Garbage dump… Sounds like my last kill!" He thought.

"Funny...if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were somebody else!" Brian Said.

"...and who might that be?" Harlan asked as he picked up a broken two by four with two nails attached to the jagged end.

"A loser who better be glad he's dead!"

"Well we cayn't all be glad now can we, Brian?"

"Wait, what?"

Laughter came from him as he remembered, and he coughed up a hunk of phlegm. Especially the way he went down once he was hit. "Good times indeed!" He said and turned back to the television.

"...NYPD Detective Brian Cassidy who has miraculously survived. Police are investigating and the public is asked that if you have any information that will lead the arrest of…"

He went whiter than he already was, turned off the TV and nearly hurt himself coughing terribly and causing great pain in his lungs and ribs and he coughed up more phlegm as he called to his wife. "Bronwyn!" He yelled "I need water heifer!"

More to come.