Mistakes [A SVU Fanfiction]

[8]

"Hey, Cade." Elliot breathed, as he squatted down to his son's level. Cade looked at the stranger with confused eyes before quickly shoving his hand out to him. Elliot smiled softly as he shook the little boy's hand.

"Hi, Elliot!" Cade exclaimed, before quickly taking his hand back and turning to his mother.

"Are you sure that I can't stay here and watch him?" Elliot asked, and Olivia rolled her eyes as she lifted her son up.

"Elliot, please excuse us. Cade and I have stuff to do." Olivia replied, before stepping back into the house and shutting the door in Elliot's face. Olivia sat her son back on the sofa before kneeling in front of him and starting to slip his shoes on.

"Mama, who's that guy?" Cade asked, as Olivia rolled up the bottom of his jeans since they were too long on him.

"That guy is a bad man. He hurt me, but don't worry. He isn't a problem now." Olivia replied softly.

"How did he hurt you?" He questioned, as his blue eyes grew sad. Olivia thought about every time Elliot hurt her, but none of those times compared to when he tried to take Cade from her.

"He was just a mean man. But you fixed me and made me feel better."

"Mama, I love you." Cade spoke, before leaning forward and hugging his mother's neck tightly. Olivia let out a small sigh as she looped her arms around her son's small body.

"I love you too, baby. More than you even know."

///

By four that afternoon, Cade was up from his nap and his family had gathered to celebrate his third birthday. They were in the backyard so Cade could run around and chase after Amanda's little girl, Jesse. Bernie watched from the sidelines and had a smile plastered on her lips since she was only close to Cade and none of her other grandchildren.

"Welcome, Rafa." Olivia smiled, as she opened the front door and greeted the ADA.

"Thanks for inviting me, Liv. I bought Cade a few gifts and I hope he likes them." Rafael smiled.

"He'll love them. I know he will." Olivia smiled. She leaned in and hugged Rafael tightly, before they parted and Olivia noticed that Rafael's face was red.

"Are you-"

"Uh, I'm going to go put these in back and see the birthday boy..." Rafael spoke before quickly moving away from Olivia.

"What was that?" Alex asked, as she came to the front door with some many in hand so she could pay for the pizza.

"Rafael and I hugged and then his face got really red. I don't know what that means, so I'm just going to assume it was nothing." Olivia replied. 

"He's single and probably ready to-"

"Become friends with me. Exactly what I thought." Olivia grinned, before smacking her friend's arm as she moved past her best friend and towards the backyard.

Olivia opened the door and found that Rafael had joined the rest of the guys as they drank beer and talked. Olivia looked at him for a moment before moving to where Bernie sat.

"Hey, Ma. Are you enjoying yourself?" Olivia asked, and Bernie smiled largely as she nodded.

"Thank you for inviting me. I'm really enjoying watching Cade run around. He's gotten so big." Bernie smiled.

"Alex and I keep buying him bigger clothes because his pants seem to never be long enough." Olivia chuckled, as she grabbed Bernie's hand and squeezed it.

"Cade said that a bad guy came over today." Bernie frowned, as she turned and looked at Olivia.

"Elliot came over today. He wanted to meet Cade, and I didn't want him too... but when Cade barged into the conversation I didn't have a choice." Olivia sighed.

"I hope he stays away. He doesn't deserve you two." Bernie huffed.

"He doesn't... I heard that Abbie had another baby. I think she's almost two or something."

"I wouldn't know. Elliot didn't want anything to do with me after court. And I'm glad he doesn't. Are you ready for him to go to preschool?" Bernie asked, and Olivia frowned before shaking her head.

"I don't think that I'll ever be ready for him to go to school... but thankfully he won't be going till next fall."

"Do you ever think about having another baby?" Bernie asked, and Olivia shrugged as she waved at Cade.

"I'd need someone to have babies with... but unless something magically happens... Cade will be an only child."

///

Cade ate more cake than Olivia wanted him too, so by the time he was done opening gifts he was already super hyper and racing around the backyard again. Olivia was cleaning up some things when Rafael approached her.

"So, can we talk real quick?" He asked, and Olivia nodded as she grabbed one of the garbage bags before pointing at the other one.

"Mind walking these to the garbage cans with me?" Olivia asked, and Rafael was quick to smile and nod.

They walked through the garage and down the driveway to where the can sat. It wasn't until they were turned back to the house that Rafael started to speak.

"That hug we had earlier... my face was red because I was a little shocked."

"Shocked that I hugged you? I'm a hugger most of the time." Olivia smiled.

"Oh, so you hugged everyone like that?" He asked quickly, and Olivia shook her head.

"I don't know. How did I hug you?"

"Really tight and for several moments... I don't-"

"Rafael, you blushed. Was it because you didn't like the hug or because you did? Because we can read into this or we can just let it slide."

"Olivia, you've made me feel welcomed. You have really helped me open up to helping people more than I ever had been before. I like you, and I blushed because I kinda thought you might have liked me too."

"I kinda do." Olivia breathed, before stepping forward and pressing her lips softly against his. Rafael looped his arms around Olivia's body and pulled her closer as he deepened the kiss.

"So you are willing to let another man into your life but not me?" A voice huffed. Olivia quickly parted from Rafael before sighing when she saw Elliot.