This is my first fanfic for Law&Order SVU. The show has been a favorite of mine for years, and this story has been floating around in my head for a while. After the finale, I knew I had to write it. I tend to write pretty long stories, but I never abandon them. This one is all sketched out, so there is an end in sight, even if it will take me a while to get there. I promise to update as often as I can. I always try to stay as true to the actual show as possible, but I admit I'm not perfect so I hope people will be kind in their reviews. Thanks!

Disclaimer: Obviously I own nothing. I am just a loyal fan of the show with a very active imagination.

"Oh my gosh…" Amanda Rollins grinned and grabbed the baby's chubby little fingers, holding them in her own. "He's so cute."

"Thanks," Olivia Benson forced a smile as she pulled her new son's hand away from the detective, Within minutes the whole squad had surrounded her. She carefully picked the eight month old up out of the stroller and held him close to her. He leaned his head on her shoulder, and the love she felt for him was like nothing she'd ever felt before. She rubbed his back and kissed him gently on the cheek, "It's okay sweetie," she whispered.

"Can I hold him?" Nick Amaro looked at his partner and raised his hands to take the little boy.

Olivia shook her head no, a little too anxiously. "He's scared, Nick," she tried to explain. "He's not used to being around so many people." She put one hand on the stroller and began pushing it away from the others in the squad room, "I'm gonna lay him down in my office. He needs to take his nap, but maybe later," she looked apologetically at her fellow officers and headed straight for her office.

Olivia put her son back in his stroller and covered him with a soft blue blanket. She didn't want to take her eyes off of him. Ever since the judge had asked her if she was interested in taking the baby, her life had changed in ways she never could have imagined. For the last month she'd been content to stay at home with him, learning more and more everyday about how to care for someone so small and completely dependent on her. It wasn't until she received a call a week earlier informing her that she had to choose to take an actual maternity leave and risk losing her position as commanding officer of the unit or come back right away and do her job that she realized the dilemma she faced. She didn't want to come back so soon because she didn't feel like she'd had enough time with the baby, but she didn't want to let her friends down either, and quite honestly she liked being C.O. She'd worked hard for it. She deserved it.

She was brought back from her thoughts by a soft tap on the door. Looking up, she smiled and motioned for Fin to open the door. "Welcome back," he said with a smile and walked over, hugging her close. "I wasn't sure you were coming back," he said honestly, glancing at the baby boy who had fallen back to sleep. "This place isn't the same without you."

"Hey, you know I can't stay away from here," she laughed a little, thinking just how close she'd come to deciding not to come back. "Fill me in," she said with a sigh. "What have I missed?"

"Not much," Fin shrugged. "Typical cases, same disgusting perps. Nothing new around here. Amaro is keeping his nose clean, staying out of trouble…for once. Amanda seems to be doing fine."

"What about you?" Olivia asked.

"I've got nothing to complain about," Fin laughed. The baby began to fuss and Fin reached over and picked him up, cradling him in his arms. "Hey Noah," he cooed at the little boy. "Your mom is busy today. You have to be a good boy."

Olivia smiled, reaching into the diaper bag for her son's bottle and handing it to her friend who placed it gently in the boy's mouth, quieting his cries. "You're pretty good with babies, huh?" she asked. "Who would've thought?"

"I've done my time," Fin smiled. Then he looked more serious, "You know you can't keep him here, right?" He scanned her face, trying to read her reaction. "He's too much of a distraction, and not just for you. For all of us. We can't spend the whole day fawning over the baby…we have work to do."

"I know that," her words were sharp, but she knew he was right. She closed her eyes, "I'm not keeping him here. I just…" tears filled her eyes and she tried to hold them back. "I just love him so much. I don't want to be away from him."

"I know," Fin replied sincerely, as he looked down at the hungry baby sucking his bottle. "He knows you love him."

"Does he?" Olivia asked seriously. "Because I've only had him a month and I feel like I've already screwed up more things than not."

"That's because you're a new mom," Fin assured her. "All new parents make mistakes. But trust me, this little guy knows you're his mama and he knows you love him."

Olivia wiped her tears and forced a smile. "Thanks," she sighed. "I called an agency yesterday. They are supposed to have some nannies call me today, so I promise, he won't be coming with me every day."

"A nanny…well la de da," Fin teased as he placed the now sleeping baby back in his stroller.

"I can't put him in daycare," Olivia explained. "Not with my crazy hours. I don't have any family to watch him. A nanny is my only choice."

"I know," Fin stood up and hugged her once more. "I was just messing with you. I'm sure you'll find a terrific nanny to take care of the little guy." He glanced over at the sleeping baby once more, "And until then, we'll love having him here."