Better Together

Dad's Mad

Olivia stared up at the bedroom ceiling, rolling the question around in her head before she squeezed Fin's hand gently where it rested with hers on her stomach.

"What if I can't get pregnant?" she asked quietly into the dark of the room, the first time she had spoken the words aloud though she'd thought them for far longer, like saying so would make them true.

Fin squeezed her hand in return. "It's gonna happen. It's just taking some time."

"Well, I mean, you were hesitant at first, and maybe this is for the best."

He sat up, flicking on the bedside lamp. "Liv, look at me." He waited. "Liv, please?"

She sat up, too, looking more than a little teary-eyed. "Maybe it just wasn't meant to be."

"You know I'm on board now. I would love to give you kids, and I'll love them so much. If you're worried, maybe we can see a doctor, and make sure everything's okay."

"I'm scared that I waited too long. What if I'm too old?"

"This is our time. It's gonna happen. You were meant to be a mom. No matter what way it happens. You want to adopt, whatever, I want it, too."

They laid back down, Olivia dropping her head onto Fin's chest, twisting the fabric of his t-shirt in her hand.

"We should disclose."

"Yeah?" he said, surprised. "You're ready for that?"

"We're in this for the long haul, and if we want to have a baby, I want everything at work settled, so we can focus on us and our family."

"What about moving into together?"

"I think I'm ready for that, too. If you, you do want that, don't you?"

"Hell yeah." Fin wrapped his arms tighter around her. "I love you."

...

Fin once told Olivia, after she and Elliot had gotten tangled up in Alex Cabot's over-the-line methods for a search, "Dad's mad."

That seemed a suitable description for the present time as well.

Fin squeezed Olivia's hand reassuringly while they waited in the uncomfortable silence for Cragen's verdict.

"How long?" he asked finally, eyebrows pinched together, lines on his face looking deeper than ever as he stared the pair down.

"Not long," Olivia answered.

"I know, this entire squad has known for a long time, but we had plausible deniability, so officially, when did this relationship begin?"

They shared a glance. "Six months ago," Fin said confidently.

"I'm going to try to keep you both in this squad. You're not partners, but if it comes down to it-"

"I'll transfer," Fin answered.

"Okay."

"We tried to avoid catching cases together," Olivia offered.

Cragen nodded. "I know it complicates things here, and Tucker's going to have a field day with this, but I am happy for you two. Take good care of each other."

"Thank you, Captain," she said, slipping back through the door to the squad room.

Fin gave him a nod. "Thanks, Cap."

"Fin?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't screw this up."

"Wouldn't dream of it."