Their Secret Family [A Bensler/EO Fan Fic]

Seventeen

Olivia was coming back from the bathroom well after midnight when her phone lit up on the bedside table. She frowned when she saw Elliot's picture, but answered it anyway. 

"Hey, El," Olivia breathed. She hated sleeping alone in her bed and had been restless since she climbed into bed at around nine.

"Hey, Liv. Uh, everyone is asleep, so I wanted to call and check in on you," Elliot replied softly.

"I'm okay," Olivia lied, since she was far from okay. She missed Elliot and was regretting sending him home with his wife. She wanted to keep him for herself but knew it didn't work like that.

"You need to be honest with me, Olivia. Tell me the truth," Elliot replied. He was sitting on the swing set in the backyard, his bare feet brushing against the dew-covered grass.

Olivia slipped back under the sheets as she tried to come up with a more believable lie, yet nothing would come to her.

"Elliot, I hate not having you here. I've been spoiled since you and Kathy started fighting because my bed turned into our bed. I really wish you never went home with her, because I'm assuming you are going to try to fix things," Olivia breathed, as tears burned her eyes.

"She's desperate and wants to go to therapy."

"Have fun with that," Olivia whispered.

"Babe-"

"I think it's time I go back to being your partner and nothing else."

"But you are so much more to me!" Elliot exclaimed, before going quiet when his bedroom light flicked on.

"Good night, Elliot," Olivia whimpered before ending the call. Elliot tossed his phone onto the ground as he raked his fingers through his short-cut hair.

After a few long moments, the back door slid open and Kathy walked out in her robe.

"Is everything okay?" Kathy asked. She rarely asked her husband what was wrong, and now she planned on trying her hardest to be more supportive of her husband.

"I just called to check on Olivia since she hasn't been alone in a while, and she's not doing great," Elliot spoke.

"Not doing great? What does that mean?" Kathy asked, growing annoyed.

"Nothing. C'mon, let's go back to bed," Elliot sighed, as he walked back to the house and left his phone on the ground.

"Elliot, was there something happening between you and Olivia?" Kathy asked, as her husband slid open the back door again. Elliot shook his head as he turned to face his wife.

"No."

///

Olivia was beyond exhausted as she walked into the precinct the next morning. She had barely slept for more than fifteen minutes at a time, especially since she ended up getting hit with random bouts of morning sickness for the first time in weeks.

"You look like shit," Fin spoke, once he spotted Olivia.

"Thanks, Fin," Olivia replied softly.

"You don't sound great either. Getting a cold?"

"Nope, just threw up most of the night. I'll be fine," Olivia frowned, as she slowly sank onto her chair.

"Ew," Fin blurted as he took a few steps away from Olivia's desk.

"Unless you can catch morning sickness, you are fine," Olivia grumbled.

Olivia focused on looking through her case files before rushing from the squad room and to the bathroom just moments before Elliot entered the room. He looked right at Olivia's desk and found her chair nearly three feet from her desk.

"Where's Olivia?" Elliot asked, worry filling his voice.

"She's getting sick, I think. Claims it's only morning sickness, but she looks gray," Fin replied. Elliot frowned deeply and hated himself for not being able to support Olivia right now.

"That sucks," Elliot sighed.

"Is that all you gotta say?" Fin questioned.

"I guess it is," Elliot replied, even though he felt like an ass.

Olivia remained in the bathroom for nearly an hour before walking out with a wet paper towel placed on the back of her neck. She hadn't gotten sick for a while, but was too exhausted to stand and leave the stall. Her face was pale and her eyes were bloodshot from a few burst vessels.

"Good morning," Elliot mumbled without looking at Olivia. She stopped beside his desk before frowning deeply because she knew he was angry at her.

"I'm sorry about hanging up on you last night, but talking to you made things worse," Olivia spoke, her voice hoarse.

"I shouldn't have been wasting my time talking to you, anyway. I'm trying to fix my relationship with my wife, and you are a major sore spot," Elliot snapped, as he finally looked at Olivia. She gnawed on her bottom lip as tears burned her eyes.

"You are a major asshole, Elliot Stabler," Olivia whimpered, before quickly gathering her items and leaving the squadroom. Elliot closed his eyes as he beat himself up for being a dick to Olivia. 

"She already feels like shit, then you gotta be a dick. Real nice," Fin grumbled, as he stood to tell Cragen that Olivia left. The moment the office door shut, Elliot stood and raced from the room to find Olivia.

///

Elliot ran out of the front doors in hopes of catching Olivia before she went home. He didn't have to search long because Olivia was sitting on the front steps as she held her belly. Everything hurt, and she didn't know if it was safe for her to drive home.

"Liv-"

"You made me cry, Elliot," Olivia sniffled.

"I didn't mean to, Liv. I swear... I'm sorry about being a dick and causing you to feel like crap," Elliot replied as he sank beside her. 

"I just want things to be normal for once, but nothing will ever be normal... You need to stop talking to me because you decided to give your marriage another shot and I don't want to cause more trouble. I'm already carrying something that might end your marriage and get me fired," Olivia mumbled, before standing slowly. She swayed for a long moment as Elliot kept his hands out in case she fell.

"Let me drive you home. You shouldn't be on the road," Elliot spoke, but Olivia wanted nothing to do with him.

"Stay the fuck away from me."