Prompt #38: Pumpkin Carving with the Grandkids — as always it becomes a competition
Carving a New Path
~oOo~
Elliot looks at the chaos that surrounds him and tries to remain calm. Members of his family scramble back and forth across his apartment like bees in a hive, and he feels as though he might get whiplash just watching them all. When he had suggested to Maureen that he wanted to get together to carve pumpkins with Kieran and Seamus, he thought it was just going to be him and the boys. But then she mentioned it to Kathleen, who passed on the invite to Dickie and Liz, and so on and so forth, and before he knew it, it had turned into a whole family fun extravaganza. Even Mama and Randall have made their way onto the guest list, and he is not exactly sure how that happened, but once it did, he decided to add a few guests of his own to the total.
They decided on pizza because that's easy when you have so many people, and Maureen came early to help prepare some small finger foods and desserts. The house smells like pumpkin spice and apples. Thanks to the exuberance of his middle daughter, decorations adorn practically every square inch of the place, and Elliot is fairly certain that the Spirit Halloween store could at this point conduct their business directly out of his home.
Even with the craziness, Elliot feels a swell of contentment at having everyone he loves under the same roof. A hint of a smile crosses his face as he pans across the crowded space looking from person to person… the twins argue with one another as they prep the line of folding tables dedicated as the carving station with plastic and newspapers, while Kieran and Seamus weave in and out beneath the table legs laughing and chasing a light-up ball… Mama supervises as Maureen pulls a freshly baked pie from the oven and smacks Randall's hand away when he reaches over to try and touch it… Kathleen sits on the couch with Eli and Becky who is laughing as she rubs a hand over her swollen belly… Carl diligently counts and unwraps from their packaging the carving kits to make sure there are enough for everyone… Joy and excitement abound, but Elliot can't help the uneasy feeling of anxiety forming in the pit of his stomach as the picture before him reminds him of one several years ago when his family gathered for a different holiday celebration, one that hadn't turned out quite as he had planned. Lost in his thoughts, he doesn't notice that Kathleen is next to him until he feels the brush of her shoulder as she nudges into him.
"Don't worry, Dad, they're definitely coming."
"Huh?" he says, shaking his head, eyebrows creasing together. "Oh, I'm not worried."
"Oh really?" Kathleen purses her lips and rolls her eyes at him. "Then why do you look like you're going to be sick?"
Elliot makes an effort to fix his face while shrugging in forced nonchalance. "No, really, I'm fine. I talked to her yesterday, and she said they're coming."
"Who's coming?" Randall asks, his big hand slapping Elliot firmly on the back.
"Don't worry about it," Elliot reacts immediately, "it's not anyone you know. Just one of my friends. Someone from work."
A raucous scoff escapes from Kathleen's mouth. "Seriously, Dad? A friend from work?"
"Olivia is my friend."
"Sure, Dad, she's just a friend that you also happen to be in lo…"
"I think Grandma needs help," Elliot interrupts, "Why don't you go check on her for me, will you Kathleen?"
With a raise of her eyebrows and a cat who ate the canary grin, Kathleen walks away, leaving Randall looking at them both inquisitively.
"Oh-liv-i-a," Randall says, enunciating each syllable. "The friend from work's a lady? She a police officer?"
"Uh, she's a Captain."
"A captain? She your boss or somethin'?"
"She's not my boss, but she is the CO of the unit I used to work for back in the day."
"Is she hot?" Randall asks with a smirk, his one eyebrow-raising conspiratorially.
Elliot's jaw tightens and he lets out a small cough before answering, "Yeah, she's h… attractive. She's a very attractive woman."
"She single?"
"Well, technically yes, but she's off limits, okay?" Elliot runs his hand behind his neck and lets out a deep breath. He can feel a flush creeping up his chest and knows that he needs to get a handle on himself before he lets his older brother get him all riled up.
"Off limits, eh? What, you got the hots for her?"
"Do I have the hots for her? What are we, in middle school? Will you stop with the questions already?" Elliot moves towards the center of the room trying desperately to appear as if he has some kind of actual purpose for moving there other than avoiding this conversation.
Randall crosses his arms over his belly, shaking his head with a chuckle. "Whatever you say, little brother."
~oOo~
"Noah," Olivia calls out as she fastens her gold hoop earrings and does a final check in the mirror, "are you ready? I don't want to be late." Looking at her reflection, she nods and says quietly to herself, "Okay. I think this looks okay."
She knows she is overthinking, but she can't escape the butterflies that have her feeling more nervous than she usually does. It's not like she hasn't seen Elliot recently. Ever since she called him to let him know she had lent the compass out to Eileen Flynn, they've been trying to make it a point to actually see each other every now and then. Whether it's early morning coffee, an impromptu lunch he brings to her office to surprise her, or a quick drink after work while Noah is in dance class, things have been good. More than good, actually. They've been talking more openly, sending text messages throughout the day, and talking on the phone when their schedules get a little hectic during cases. And although Elliot hasn't attempted to kiss her since that night in her kitchen that feels like ages ago now, she can tell that things have been subtly changing over the past several weeks. They've been a little more touchy than usual, a little more flirty, and his eyes have a certain spark behind them when he gives her that quirky little smile she knows that he reserves just for her. But he's patient, and he's waiting for her to let him know she's ready for more than friendship. And lately, she's starting to feel like maybe she is ready. So when he asked her if she and Noah wanted to come over to his house for a family Halloween get-together, she didn't hesitate in saying yes. But now the thought of walking into a stampede of Stablers is a bit nerve-wracking.
"I'm ready," Noah says, bounding around the corner, but coming to an immediate stop when he sees his mother. "Wow, Mom," he says, "you look so pretty!"
Olivia runs her hands down her sides, reassessing her outfit for the thousandth time. She knows pumpkin carving can get messy, so she has opted for a fitted, short-sleeved top and jeans with a fun, fall cardigan that she can take off when she needs to get her hands dirty. Her outfit is casual, but she did make sure to choose something that hugs her curves in all the right places.
"Well thank you, Sweet Boy, but I'm not really wearing anything special," she replies, completely downplaying the actual amount of effort she had put into her appearance.
"No, it's not your outfit really, it's just, I don't know… your face."
"My face?"
"Yeah. You just seem happy, that's all," he replies, and then adds with a mischievous grin, "and I think I know why."
Olivia glances towards the mirror again. "This is the way my face always looks"
"Yup, the way your face always looks when you see Elliot."
The way he sings the syllables of Elliot's name, it is not lost on her that her son is teasing her. "Well, Elliot and I have been friends for a long time. Of course, he makes me happy."
"Yeah, but it's also because you like him. You know what I mean? You like him?" He stage whispers the last part and brings his point home with an exaggerated wink-wink.
"Oh? And uh," she clears her throat, "If that were true, and uh, I'm not confirming that it is, but if it were, how would you, uh, how would you feel about that?" Put her in front of a room of powerful and influential police officers or a courtroom, and she can wax poetic, but when confronted by her son, Olivia is once again amazed that she has been reduced to a bumbling pile of mush incapable of stringing together enough words to form a full sentence.
"Come on, Mom, I'm almost a teenager, so I know how these things work. It's definitely true. And it's cool with me. Elliot's a really nice guy."
"I think so too." Olivia reaches out her hand to brush a wayward curl from Noah's face, her eyes locking with his as she lets her hand slide down to gently cup his cheek. "But you know you'll always be my favorite, right?"
"I love you too, Mom. Now come on, didn't you say you didn't want to be late?"
"Yes, you're right, we need to get going." Olivia begrudgingly moves her hand from her son's face and points in the direction of the front door. "Hey, why don't you grab the bag of craft stuff we got to decorate the pumpkins, and I'll grab the dessert."
Noah is off in a flurry of movement, excitement taking over as they move to leave the house. "I can't wait to meet Elliot's kids. Did you know he has five of them? Can you imagine having that many kids? Can you tell me everyone's names, so I can try to remember them all on the car ride? And what about the grandkids? Elliot must be way older than you if he has grandkids already. And do you think everyone will like me?"
A chuckle escapes from Olivia as she grabs the tray of brownies that she and Noah had iced and decorated to bring with them. "So many questions!" she smiles and shuffles him toward the door. "And I'll answer them all in the car."
~oOo~
Elliot is still pacing aimlessly around the room from one cluster of family members to another under the guise of supervising, but really he is starting to panic that he is headed for a Christmas gathering repeat. When he thinks he's going to wear grooves into the floor, a sudden sound of three purposeful knocks can be heard coming from the front door.
"Guys, they're here," Elliot says, trying to keep his voice below an excited shout, and rubbing his hands together while heading to open it. His family clusters around him like birds to seed, cocking their heads in anticipation. He takes a deep breath in the hopes of settling his nerves, knowing that if there is in fact anyone other than his former partner on the other side of this door, he's just going to walk right through it, get in his car, and drag her here himself. With a turn of the knob, he opens the door with only slight hesitation. His relief is audible when he sees Olivia standing with a platter in one hand and holding onto her son's shoulder with the other.
"Hey guys! I'm so glad you could make it. Come in, come in." Elliot grabs the dessert platter from Olivia and passes it behind him, praying someone will get the hint and grab it from him so he can get them all the way in and close the door. He leans his head as if to kiss her on the cheek, their standard greeting as of late, but then remembers that every member of his family along with her son are present, and he doesn't want to spook her in front of an audience. Unfortunately, this brilliant maneuver results in him awkwardly patting her arm with his head bowed. Looking to salvage the moment, he turns his attention to Noah instead, reaching out his hand for a firm handshake. "Hey, Noah, good to see you."
"Hi, Elliot, thank you for inviting me."
"Of course, Buddy, I'm glad to have ya." Elliot shifts so that he is standing behind and in the middle of Olivia and Noah so that he can introduce them. "I know everyone here knows Olivia, but this is her son, Noah."
A chorus of greetings for Noah trickles from Elliot's family before he sees Randall moving to the front of the cluster, his arm raised above his head like a student waiting for the teacher to call on them.
"Now hold up just a minute there, not everyone here knows Olivia." Randall has made his way through the gaggle of Stablers, and, to Elliot's dismay, is standing entirely too close to Olivia. With a flourish, he reaches for her hand, making direct eye contact as he leans down to kiss her on the knuckles. "Beautiful Olivia, it is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Randall, the good-looking Stabler brother."
Olivia smiles in greeting, "The pleasure is mine."
Feeling this introduction has gone on long enough, Elliot is about to jump in when the room erupts in a hubbub of chaos once again as everyone hoards in to properly hug and greet the Bensons. As more and more Stabler children make their way towards Olivia and Noah, Elliot keeps getting pushed farther and farther outside of the mob of his offspring until he is practically on the other side of the room. Feeling robbed of a proper greeting, he decides to try and push his way back toward Olivia, when he is interrupted by Keiran and Seamus, who are pulling at his legs.
"Grandpa, Grandpa," their excited voices shout almost in unison, "Can we play with Noah before pumpkins?"
Elliot leans down to talk to them, "I don't see why not. Why don't you go over and ask him?"
Within seconds, the boys have honed in on their target, and they are dragging Noah into the room behind them. Noah seems happy to have received such a warm welcome from them and follows quickly behind as they lead him into the room. He stops briefly as he passes, holding up a bulging reusable shopping bag. "Oh, I almost forgot," he says, reaching the bag towards Elliot, "This is a bag of craft stuff my mom got for the pumpkins. Where should I put it?"
Elliot grabs the bag, "I'll take it. You go and have fun." Making his way to the carving table, Elliot looks through the bag. It is stocked full of acrylic paints, stickers, press-on gemstones, feathers, pipe cleaners, glue, glitter, and literally anything you can think of to decorate a pumpkin with, she has it in the bag. He smiles to himself. She's a good mom. He always knew that she would be, but it makes him so happy that he gets to see it in action.
Dropping the bag, he turns, intent on finding Olivia, and his jaw tenses when he sees Randall with his arm around her shoulder leading her toward the couch. He must have said something amusing because she is smiling and laughing at him. For the love of God! He explicitly told his brother that she was off limits, and he's all over her. He is just about to head over there to insert himself into their little pow-wow when he feels a tug at his arm.
"Elliot, dear, I need your help," Bernie says, pulling him in the opposite direction from Olivia and his no-good brother.
"Can it wait, Mama? I was just heading over to see Liv for a second."
"I need you to try my dip before I put it out for everyone, it's very important."
He tries to release his fingers from her grasp, but she is determined to pull him towards the kitchen. "I'm sure it's fine, Mama."
"Come on now, it will only take a second," she says as a reluctant Elliot has no choice but to follow.
~oOo~
Olivia is seated on the couch when Randall returns with a glass of wine that he insisted she needed. Surveying the room, and gauging her general nervousness, she's beginning to think the wine can't hurt. He clinks his beer bottle to her glass with a cheers, and sits down next to her. Randall does resemble Elliot, although his features are less severe. He's like the teddy bear version of Elliot, where Elliot is chiseled, Randall's features are more subtle. Even his eyes, while they are blue, they lack the intensity and vividness of color she has grown accustomed to seeing in Elliot's.
"So," he says, breaking the ice, "Elliot says you're a captain for the precinct he used to work for."
"Yes," Olivia smiles, "that's where we met, actually."
"So you guys worked together for a while then?"
Olivia furrows her brow in confusion, "He didn't tell you? We were partners for 13 years."
Randall's face contorts as though he is figuring out a complex calculus equation in his head before finally coming to a look of utter shock and surprise. "Oh!" he says, his jaw dropping. He begins to look her up and down as if just now seeing her for the first time. "Wait a minute, you're the partner?"
"In the flesh," she responds with a tip of her wine glass.
"Huh… now things are starting to make a little more sense."
"Excuse me?"
"I've heard some stories about you."
"All good, I hope," Olivia says with a laugh. When Randall doesn't answer right away, she becomes concerned. "Uh, what kind of stories?"
"Well, Mama was telling me just the other day about the time when Kathy…"
Randall is cut off when Eli suddenly comes up next to Olivia. She's not sure whether she's thankful or upset about this turn of events because she is very concerned about what Bernie might have shared.
"Hey, Liv," Eli says, leaning down to give her a hug.
"Eli, it's so good to see you," she says as she rises to greet him properly.
"Excuse me," Randall says, "I'll let you two catch up. I'm just gonna head over there and check on Ma." Without even waiting for a response, he is moving as if he's going for the gold in a speed walking race, arms swinging and feet hustling.
"I'm sorry to interrupt," Eli apologizes, "I just wanted to thank you for the letter of recommendation you wrote me for the academy."
Olivia tilts her head, "Aww, you are very welcome. I was happy to do it. This is just what the NYPD needs, another Elliot Stabler," she says with a wink.
"Yeah, I was worried about that. I was considering changing my name. That's why I thought it would be better if the letter came from you." They both laugh. "Seriously though, I know my dad is a good cop."
"That he is. I trust him with my life. Congratulations on the baby too. You have so many exciting things to look forward to."
Eli's shy shrug of a smile reminds her so much of Elliot. "Yeah, I'll have to introduce you to Becky later. We just found out it's a girl, so my sisters are losing their minds about it."
"I'm sure they are. You poor Stabler men always seem to be outnumbered by the girls," Olivia says with a smile while looking out across the crowded room. Her heart melts when she sees Elliot on the floor with Keiran, Seamus, and Noah all piled on top of him. She can hear them all laughing from across the room. "I think I might need to rescue your father. Will you excuse me for a moment?"
"Of course. Thanks again, Liv."
Olivia hugs Eli again, and turns to head for the pile of boys when she is stopped by Bernie.
"Oh, hello dear, I haven't had a chance to talk to you yet. How is everything?" she asks as she leans in to hug her.
"Everything is great. I was just going over to Ellliot to rescue him from Noah and the boys."
"Oh, your Noah. He's such a sweet boy, isn't he?"
Olivia can't help but smile when someone compliments her son. "Yeah, I certainly think so."
"And he's beautiful too. Those blue eyes of his. You know, if I didn't know any better…"
Olivia cringes internally because somehow, she knows exactly where this is going.
"If I didn't know any better, I would think he was Elliot's son," Bernie says nodding.
Olivia reaches out and rubs her on the arm, "That's so funny! Their eyes are rather similar aren't they?" she asks, downplaying it as if that very thought hasn't crossed her mind countless times before.
"It's really too bad that the two of you never had children."
Oh God… "That's not actually possible considering we never…" Olivia redirects immediately, not wanting to open up that can of worms. "It probably wouldn't have gone over well because he was m…"
"Your children would be beautiful!"
With a forced bright smile and a complete loss for words, Olivia glances around to see if there is someone, anyone around who can save her from continuing this conversation. It is Kathleen that becomes her unknowing savior when she announces to everyone to make their way to the table so they can start the pumpkins.
As she approaches the table half-full of Stablers, Olivia spies Noah seated next to Seamus on one side, with two empty seats on his other side. She sits directly next to her son and assumes that Elliot will take the seat to her right. She is turned towards Noah helping him gather the crafting supplies he wants for his pumpkin when her chair is bumped from behind.
"Is this seat taken?" Randall asks as she turns to face him, and before Olivia can even utter a syllable, he has plopped himself in the chair beside her. The rest of the family shuffles around the table scurrying for open seats like a game of musical chairs. When everyone has settled, Elliot ends up on the opposite side of the table as her, but at least she can see him this way. As if reading her thoughts, he shrugs and gives her a half smile.
Things get serious once the decorating begins. Heated discussions take place regarding the benefits of painting a pumpkin versus carving one, with every individual having their own opinions on which way is the best way to do it. Eventually, each person settles in, focusing closely on the masterpiece in the making before them. With everyone intently working on their pumpkin, the noise of conversation and flowing ideas settles to a quiet hum, save for the sawing sounds from carving and the occasional requests to pass specific items.
"So, Olivia," Randall bellows out of nowhere, his voice booming through the quiet, "we didn't really get to talk that much earlier. Tell me some more about yourself. Are you single?"
Olivia hears an immediate cough from the other end of the table, and she doesn't need to look up to know who it came from. She doesn't need to physically see Elliot's face to know that he is currently shooting his brother a death glare, complete with scrunched eyebrows and a tensed jaw. She risks a glance upward and sees that it's even worse than she thought. His hands are clenched into fists so tight that she's pretty sure he's going to snap the little orange plastic carving saw he's holding.
"Hey Randall," he says, his tone measured, "maybe Olivia doesn't feel like talking right now because everyone is working on their pumpkins."
Olivia thinks she could diffuse the situation if she answers. "Thank you Randall for asking. I'm, uh, not in a relationship currently. But Elliot's right. Why don't we just focus on the pumpkins right now?"
Olivia returns to her pumpkin, and within a minute or so, everyone else follows her lead. Things progress quietly for a while until Randall's burly voice breaks the silence again.
"So do you think I could have your number?"
Elliot is immediately out of his seat. 'Oh come on man," his voice is loud, but Olivia can tell he is making a concerted effort not to yell in front of the kids, "we talked about this before. She's off limits, okay?"
Olivia's head shoots up at this. They talked about it before?
Not one to back down from a challenge, Randall rises from his chair as well. "Yes, and you also said that she was just your friend."
"She's not just my friend, and I think you know that! You're just saying these things and hitting on her now so that you can get a reaction out of me."
"Why is it such a big deal?"
"Because I love her!" Elliot shouts.
If the table was silent before, now you could hear a pin drop.
~oOo~
Elliot is angry. He specifically told Randall to leave it alone. He asked him for one thing. One thing! He was trying to give Olivia space because he knew she needed it, and it was working. At least he thought it was working. But now his dumbass fucking brother had to be his typical obnoxious self and open his big fat mouth. He looks at Olivia, who seems to be struck mute, her eyes wide and mouth slightly open in surprise. If he's being honest with himself, she had a very similar look on her face the last time he accidentally blurted out that he loves her… seriously what are the chances of that happening to someone twice?
The silence lingers and not one person dares to move, and it's almost as though someone has pressed pause on a video of his life. He knows he needs to say something. Everyone is waiting for him to say something, but all he can do is look at her with his eyes wide open.
"Liv," he begins after what feels like an hour-long silence, "Olivia, I'm sorry."
Olivia swallows, and he can see that her breaths are shallow and quick. She rises slowly to her feet, looks around the table, and picks up her pumpkin. And just when he thinks she's going to grab her son by the hand to leave, she speaks.
"Elliot, can I talk to you for a moment?" She looks around the table at the seemingly countless pairs of blue eyes staring back at her, and adds, "In private?"
He nods his head towards the patio, and she walks around the table to meet him. Feeling like he's heading towards his execution, Elliot walks slowly. He glances behind to confirm that Olivia is following him, and she is, her face unreadable, pumpkin in her hand.
As they reach the door, she turns back and addresses the still silent table, "I expect to see you all finishing up those pumpkins by the time we get back."
Elliot can hear a collective sigh from his children, and relatively quickly, bursts of conversation begin. He has a distinct feeling that he will be the main topic of conversation, which is pretty much confirmed when he hears Dickie say, "She said 'when we get back,' so it doesn't sound like she's planning on killing him."
The outside air is brisk, but not too cold, and the patio light casts a golden hue on Olivia's face. She is standing only a few feet away from him, and he wants to reach out to touch her, but the look on her face gives him pause. She is nervous, and it is his fault because he probably embarrassed her with his outburst earlier. He wonders if he should say something first, but she asked him to come outside with her, so he knows he should let her say what's on her mind without interrupting. And he knows she's probably going to tell him that she can't do this with him and she just wants to be friends, and he's going to be okay with that, really he is. Because he just wants to be in her life, to breathe her air, to be anything at all to her that she'll let him be.
She is looking down at the pumpkin in her hands, fidgeting with the stem, chocolate-colored manicured nails circling around the tip of it when she gradually looks up. Her eyes meet his, and he's always been amazed at how quickly he can get lost in them, those eyes that are so dark and warm, like a window into her beautiful soul. His heart is pounding with anticipation of what she might say, and he feels like it might burst right out of his chest if he takes too deep a breath. He steels himself as she opens her mouth to speak.
"I made this for you," she says, holding out her pumpkin.
If he had a million guesses as to what she was going to tell him, that would not have been on the list. "The pumpkin?" he asks, sure now that he must have missed something important somewhere. He walks forward until he is close enough to grab it from her hands. Their fingers brush as he takes it from her, and he hears her breath stutter just the tiniest bit.
Olivia has opted to paint a face on the gourd, one which has a wobbly grin, bushy eyebrows, and bright blue eyes. It's a goofy little pumpkin face, but there's something about it that seems oddly familiar. He studies it a little longer before asking, "Liv? Is this supposed to be me?"
She exhales with a laugh, "How'd you figure it out?"
"Definitely the eyebrows." He smiles at her, thinking she's never looked more adorable than she does right now with her smile lighting up her face.
"But you didn't see my favorite part. Look on the bottom."
Elliot turns the pumpkin over in his hand to see there is something written there. Holding it out so he can read it, he sees "I'M READY" painted in all caps. "Olivia," he says, his voice barely above a whisper, "does this mean-?"
Olivia reaches up with both hands and places one on each side of his face. Her thumb brushes over his cheekbone and he leans into her touch, reveling in the softness of her hands and the smell of her perfume on her wrist. "El," she breathes out and she is so close that he can feel his name on her lips. She closes the distance and nuzzles her nose next to his as she seals her lips to his. The first touch is tentative, light, and searching, and the next is anything but. She spreads her mouth open against his and bites at his bottom lip when he is slow to react. As if an animal has awoken within him, Elliot takes control of the kiss, pulling his free hand up to the side of her face, his fingers wrapping behind her neck and pulling her even closer so that he can devour her. A soft moan escapes her as he glides his tongue against hers, mouths open and searching, the urge to taste her consuming every facet of thought. Elliot leans into the kiss as if this moment could be his last, and he honestly believes he could die now a happy man.
When he feels as though he might pass out from the need for oxygen, he pulls back. Resting his forehead to hers, he nuzzles into the top of her head. Withdrawing just a little further, he looks at her, and more than ever, he is thankful that they have always been able to speak to each other without words because there is nothing he could say in this moment that can adequately describe his feelings for her.
Her eyes shine, and there is a husk to her voice as she tells him, "You know I do too, right? Love you?"
"I love you. So much."
"That's the first time you've said those words and it's just us," she says with a smirk.
"I'm just glad you walked to the side when we came out here, otherwise we would have given everyone in there quite a show."
"Oh God," she says, "your children are never going to invite me anywhere."
"We should probably get back in before they come looking for us," he responds, "And I want you to meet my brother, Randall."
"That's funny," Olivia counters, "but I distinctly remember meeting him already today."
"Yes, but this time when I introduce you, I get to announce to the world that you are officially in a relationship."
The author of this SVU - Autumn in New York story will be revealed in November
