A parallel universe

Chapter Thirteen

Olivia left the interrogation room, closing the door behind her. She closed her eyes and let out a heavy sigh.
"Liv?" She felt Elliot's hand graze hers, she opened her eyes and rolled her head towards him.
"I loved him"
"I know, but you finally admitted what it was and that takes courage"
"You're not going to yell at me for sleeping with him after everything?"
"No, Liv. Like you said, if he hadn't made you feel what you thought was love then you wouldn't be standing here today and I know that there's a lot of people who are thankful that you are, and my name is pretty high on that list" She nodded, wiping away her tears from her face.
"He got me pregnant. He never knew, I never told him"
"What happened?" Anaya asked.
"What always happens. The blood comes and when it stops you know everything is different. Each time it happens it gets easier"
"How many?" El asked.
"It doesn't matter" She shrugged but he could see the sadness in her eyes.
"It does. Kathy lost two. How many did you lose?"
"Ten altogether. You remember that time I was trying?" He nodded "That was six of them. I could've had more kids than you" Those words hit him in the chest, making his heart ache.
"Did you name them? My ex-wife lost three before we had Jayden. She always named them so that she wouldn't forget" Anaya told her.
"I never knew what they were, I never got that far, not once"
"But you named them anyway" Liv nodded, avoiding Anaya's eyes for a moment.
"Sarah, Michael, Sam, Ava, Henry, Thomas, Mia, Ellie, Jack and Sophie. My ten losses"
"One was Burton's. Six were donors. What about the rest?"
"One was a drunken college mistake, I don't even remember who I slept with" She shrugged.
"And the other two?" She paused for a moment, knowing that he wouldn't like the answer.
"Brian. We tried...it didn't work...we didn't work" She shrugged "He was good to me. I wouldn't have considered it otherwise but, he got me through the rough times. He screwed up sometimes but he took care of me when you were gone and I'll always be thankful for that" She admitted.
"He may be an ass but he deserves my respect" Elliot nodded.
"Fin, can you call Carisi, let him know he's got a case. I'll testify if he needs me to" He nodded, heading off with his phone in hand.
"I'm proud of you Liv" His fingers found hers, squeezing lightly.
"Even though it took me this long to realise that I was a survivor?"
"Yeah" He smiled down at her, squeezing her hand again.

Elliot crossed the squad room towards Liv.
"Hey" El smiled.
"Hey" Liv smiled back.
"You know, I meant what I said earlier, I am proud of you Liv"
"I think I'm proud of myself too. For letting go of the past, for moving past my mistakes and the things that have hurt me. All those years of healing and I finally feel like I've gotten somewhere" She absentmindedly reached for the compass around her neck which made him smile.
"That's good. My brother's here if you want to meet him-"
"Olivia, it's nice to meet you again" Randall smiled as he approached them.
"Randall, Stabler" She nodded in acknowledgement.
"When I met you at that bar last night I didn't know that you're that Olivia" He smirked.
"You met my brother in a bar?" Elliot asked.
"I went for a drink and Randall asked if I wanted to go with him, I declined and went home to my son" She assured him but she could see the jealousy burning in his eyes "You didn't tell me that I was that Olivia" She smirked up at him.
"Not only are you that Olivia but you're the Olivia he never shuts up about-" Elliot hit his brother across his chest.
"Hey Randall, settle this bet for us" Fin called him over to his desk, leaving Elliot and Olivia alone in a corner of the squad room.
"I can see you getting jealous" She smirked "I didn't sleep with him"
"I know, but how did you end up at the bar?"
"After Eli, I needed a drink. But I went home alone"
"Good" Something in his eyes changed "You know what I'm thinking?"
"No El" She warned.
"I want to show my friends that I am in love with you. Our kids know, isn't it time we told our other family?" She thought about it for a moment.
"Maybe you're right"
"I definitely am"
"You better make it good then. We wouldn't want your brother getting any ideas"
"Definitely not" He agreed with a wide smirk. Elliot closed the space between them, wrapping an arm around her waist as hers went around his neck, he dropped his lips to hers.
Fin was the first to notice the pair, his mouth falling open.
"Yo look" Everyone's heads turned to look where he was pointing, shock registering on everyone's faces "Damn Liv" She smirked against Elliot's lips, kissing him harder before she dropped his lips completely.
"When did that happen?" Anaya smirked as the pair rejoined the rest of them. Liv and El shared a look, a blush spreading across her cheeks.
"Liv got a hotel room" He smirked as she blushed redder.
"So Liv took the leap, that's my girl" Fin smirked.
"She answered the door in a robe-"
"El!" She hit him across the chest as her blush increased.
"Anything you want to tell us about Stabler?" Anaya smirked.
"He's not as good a Catholic as everyone thinks" Liv smirked.
"Olivia has a potty mouth"
"El, not at work" She reminded him.
"You started it"
"You always start it"
"You started it at the hotel"
"That was different"
"How was it different?" She scowled at him.
"Do you ever want to get laid again?" He nodded "Then zip it" Elliot laughed at her, but pulled her back against him and placed a kiss to her cheek.
"Isn't that adorable" Bruno smiled.
"I've got a lot of money to collect" Fin announced, grabbing his phone.
"Who was in on the bet?" Liv asked, her fingers absentmindedly intertwining with Elliot's ones on her stomach.
"Both of your ex boyfriends"
"You're kidding?"
"Nope. Brian got in on it first even after you slept with him"
"Who told you that?"
"Your current boyfriend"
"El!"
"I couldn't believe that you actually slept with the guy"
"Brian redeemed himself, you may hate him but he helped me a lot"
"Yeah, but I can still secretly hate him though" She laughed.
"And please, no one tell Chief McGrath about us yet" Olivia frowned.
"Why not?" Anaya asked.
"He's not Elliot's biggest fan, he's not mine most of the time, this might push him over the edge" They nodded "Speaking of my biggest fan, I'd better get home to Noah"
"Noah's back?" El asked over her shoulder. Liv turned slightly to meet his eyes.
"Tonight, yes"
"Can you sneak out?"
"Elliot Stabler, I'm not going to sneak out so that you can get laid"
"Noah did say that we could have sleepovers" He smirked down at her, going to pull her into his arms when she pulled away quickly.
"No, El"
"Just for an hour?" He smirked checking her out.
"No" She replied in a singsong voice.
"Damn Liv, you've got him whipped" Fin teased.
"Pretty sure it goes both ways" Anaya added as she watched Liv beginning to waver.
"I have to get home to my son" Liv repeated.
"You don't seem so sure about that Olivia" El smirked making her audibly groan.
"I'm going home to my son" She repeated, heading off to her office to grab her things, she appeared in the squad room again.
"I love you but I'm not going to kiss you because we both know that I won't go home if I do" he nodded.
"Fair enough. I love you too" She smiled.
"Goodnight everyone" She headed off to the elevator.
"Damn Stabler. You are so in love" Anaya commented.
"You have no idea" He admitted with a sigh.