The Confessional and the Case.
"Forgive me father for I have sinned. It has been one week since my last confession."

"What is you confession, my son?"

"I have found myself hurting because I have fallen in love with a woman who would never love me."

"And who would that be, my son?"

"My partner."

"Elliot," Father Arthur said calmly. "You come to me with this confession every week. God hears you, my son. Do you want to let her go?"

"No, but I can feel myself pushing her away."

"Son, I must ask. Did you love her while you were bound to Kathy?"

"No... Yes... I don't know anymore."

"My son, how do you know that she doesn't love you?"

"How could she? She tries to comfort me and I yell and push until she leaves. Sometimes, I find out later that she doesn't."

"What do you mean?"

"One night, after a case, she had come over to my apartment. It was very soon after the divorce and she knew that I was alone. She came in with a pack of beer and dinner. Instead of being gracious, I grunted and let her in. She tried so hard to open up. I kept staring at her and her beauty and wondered why she would even bother with me. I was angry and I threw a beer bottle at the fireplace. She didn't even flinch. I yelled at her to get out, but she wrapped her arms around me. It was too much, because I was so in love with her, but I pushed her away again. This time she walked out the door and I was left alone."

"But you said she didn't leave, Elliot."

"Yeah, I opened my apartment door the next morning for the paper and she was sleeping up against a wall. She looked like an angel. A broken angel. And I broke her."

 "Elliot, why don't you tell your partner how you feel?"

"Why would she go for a man like me? I am a divorced father of four and she could have any man in the world. Why would she go for a broken angry cop when she could have any man?"

"Why would she look for any other man when you could be her solution?"

Elliot sat and thought of what the priest was trying to say to him. He tried to process that maybe he was the one perfect for Olivia. He wanted to be the man she needed, but didn't know how to tell her. He was about to respond when he felt the vibration of his beeper against his hip. "Im sorry father, I need to leave."

"You are forgiven my son. For your penance, you must say three Our Fathers and three Hail Marys. Please, Elliot. Don't be afraid. Don't be afraid to be vulnerable."

Elliot nodded and left the confessional taking in Father Arthur's words of wisdom while praying silently.

Elliot sat in his car once he finished reciting his catholic prayers and dialed a familiar number. He didn't know why Olivia had made him fall for her so quickly. Maybe father was smart about asking if he had fallen in love with her while he was still with Kathy. He really didn't know when he fell in love with Olivia Benson. He only knew that every time he saw her, his heart melted and he would die for her in a heart beat. Her voice came over the line and his body instantly calmed.

"El, there is a crime scene we need to check out on 72nd and Harding. Where are you?"

"A couple blocks off. I had some business to take care of. Where are you?"

"Just leaving the precinct. I should be there in twenty."

"Okay, be careful." He said protectively. He didn't know when that became natural for him to say that to her, but he wasn't about to stop.

She chuckled, "I always am, Stabler. Now move your ass." She hung up and he sighed in his seat as he got out of his car and moved to the crime scene. There was no point of moving his car when the scene was a few blocks away.

When he arrived he saw Warner cleaning up blood. He saw a body covered by a tarp and lifted it to see a deceased naked woman with an A carved into her chest. The A was underline with a deep cut that went across her midsection. Her eyes were still opened and looked of what was once fear turned glossy into death. Elliot shook his head and closed her eyes. He then noticed that the ring finger of her right hand was removed. He then heard an interrupting cough and saw Warner standing above him. He shook his head and stood up. "So, what do you got?"

"Her name is Heather Price. 34 year old woman who apparently is going through divorce proceedings."

"How do you figure?" Elliot said looking at her.

"We found these blood stained on the coffee table." She showed him the bagged evidence that appeared to be divorce papers.

"Has the husband been notified?"

"Not yet, but a rookie is on it."

Elliot then heard a sound that made his heart stop. A baby's cry. "Wait," he whispered. He moved to a closed door and opened it slowly. It revealed a crib and a crying baby. He noticed that there were custody papers next the changing table. He moved over to the child and picked her up. The baby immediately calmed as he sang to her softly. "It's okay baby girl. It's okay..."

He looked down at the baby's wrist and saw a small bracelet that had the name Pearl written across the bottom. Once the baby stopped crying, she opened her eyes to reveal a deep blue that could have matched Elliot's. The baby's chocolate brown hair reminded Elliot of Olivia's when she first joined SVU.

The baby caught that Elliot stopped humming and began to cry. He then started to sing the song A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes. He remembering singing different lullabies with each of his children. This little baby wouldn't be any different. So he began to sing the familiar Disney tune as little Pearl began to drift to sleep.

Olivia walked into the building and Warner was smirking. "What's funny?" Olivia said watching as the body was escorted out of the building and pictures were taken of the scene.

"Who knew that it only took a baby to make a strong man to weaken so quickly?"

"What do you mean?" Olivia asked curiously.

Warner smiled and pointed to the door. Olivia walked and stopped at the sight of Elliot holding the little baby. She didn't know he could sing like that. She leaned her body up against the doorway and watched for a few minutes as Elliot obliviously was being watched by the woman of his own dreams.

As little Pearl drifted to sleep, Elliot smiled and kissed the small child's head. He turned around and saw Olivia and smiled sheepishly. "You are wonderful with her," she said smiling softy.

"Her name is Pearl. I found her crying. She can't be older than a couple weeks. She is so small."

"We can take care of her now," Olivia said putting a comforting hand on his shoulder and the small infant's head.

"I don't want to put her in the system, Liv. She is an innocent."

"Where is the father?"

"Being notified, but I don't know if he's going to want her."

"How do you figure that, El?"

"Divorce and custody papers were found." He motioned to the table where the custody papers and she bagged them. "I really don't want her in the system."

"What are you going to do about it?" Olivia asked looking at the sleeping child in the strongest arms she had ever seen.

"I really don't know. But we need to solve this case." Pearl began to fuss in his arms and he began shushing her quietly. "It's okay baby girl, shh..."

"Elliot, I can take her. Why don't you drive us to the precinct?"

"Liv, how did you get here?"

"It's New York City, Stabler, I took a taxi."

"I don't have a car seat," he said sadly.

"I'll hold her, and if anyone thinks of pulling us over, I'll say Im breast feeding."

He gave her a funny look and she laughed. "Don't be shocked, Elliot. These babies can feed any baby," she said with a smile while motioning to her breasts.

"Im sure," he said turning red with his tone.

She smiled and took the baby from his arms who had waken up. "Hi, beauty," she whispered kissing the baby's head softly. Elliot loved the image of Olivia holding a child. In a deep secret part of his heart, he wished Pearl was their child. He quickly removed the thought from his mind and motioned him, Olivia and Pearl from the apartment.

A few hours later, Elliot found himself at the end of his shift. He had kept Pearl by his desk since he returned. He stood up and looked at the crime scene wall, with pictures of Heather Prynne and the scene. They never found the finger or the object used to kill her. He shook his head and turned when Pearl began to cry. He moved to her and removed her from the car seat, thanks to Cragen, and sang to her until she calmed. He had fallen in love with this baby in a matter of hours and made a decision.

He moved to Cragen's office and knocked quickly. "Come in," was what he heard.

Elliot stood in front of his boss and Cragen removed his head from his paperwork. "Yes, Elliot?"

"I want her. I want Pearl to be mine."

"Elliot, absolutely not. You are the head detective of this case."

"Then I want off. I want to be her father. I want to talk to Casey about adopting her."

"Elliot, just because Mr. Price was out on business today doesn't mean he won't want his daughter."

Elliot shook his head and said, "No, something is wrong here. Something is very wrong. I can sense it."

Cragen smiled sympathetically for his detective and stood up. "How about I cut you a deal. Take her tonight since Mr. Price could not be contacted. Then we can let Mr. Price have custody once he returns."

"But---"

"That is the best offer you are going to get Stabler. Take it or leave it."

Elliot nodded in agreement and left the office. He moved to Pearl and smiled down at her. "Hi, baby," he whispered. Baby Pearl smiled up at him and his heart warmed.

What Elliot didn't know is that Olivia was watching this scene from the top of the stairs. Her heart warmed at the image of Elliot holding Pearl and she slowly made her way down the steps. She found herself standing behind him and Pearl and she met Pearl's mystical blue eyes as her head laid on Elliot's strong shoulder. Olivia was shaken out of her trace when Elliot turned around and met her eyes. "You leaving," she said finally finding her voice.

"Yeah, Pearl and I have a date with my apartment."

"Wow, sounds intriguing," she said with a famous Olivia Benson smile.

"Yeah, sure is." He smiled down at the baby, took the carrier and headed toward the precinct doors.

Olivia had to stop him before he left. "Elliot!"

He turned to her and gave her a questioning looking. "Yes?"

She wanted to say that she loved him and that she wanted to be there for him and little Pearl tonight. She wanted to go home with them and after Pearl fell asleep, make love to Elliot as if they were a real family. That she and Elliot were Pearl's real parents and that it was okay to feel the way she felt for her partner. But instead, she said, "Call me, if you need anything."

He flashed her a classic Stabler smile and nodded. "I will, I promise. We'll see you in the morning."

"Okay," she said as Elliot and Pearl left the station. She sat back and realized she has missed another chance to go after the man of her dreams.

She got up and moved to Cragen's office and said, "I'll see you in the morning."

Cragen nodded and once she left his office, he shook his head in disappointment that Elliot and Olivia couldn't yet see that they belonged together. Before Olivia made her way to her apartment, she made one detour on the way.

Olivia wasn't what she would call herself a religious person, but lately, she had found comfort in St. Catherine's Church. Maybe it was because it was a small piece of Elliot that she could hold on to, but she found comfort, none the less.

She saw that the light of the confessional was still on. She had never been in a confessional before, but needed to speak her mind to someone who would not be judgmental.

She entered the small room and saw the window slide open. She was silent for a while and then spoke. "Forgive me, father for I have sinned. This is my first confession."

"What have you sinned, my child," Father Arthur said soothingly.

"I am afraid."

"Afraid of what?"

 "Of the fact that I am in love with my partner."

He nodded and continued. "What makes you think that you are in love with your partner, my child?"

"Whenever I am near him, my heart melts. His voice alone soothes me. I would do anything for him, even die for him. Today I saw him with a baby that, if it were at all possible, looked like it could have been our child. I am so afraid of being vulnerable, father. I have only experienced hurt. I couldn't handle it if El-- this man hurt me."

"What makes you think that this man will hurt you? Is he violent?"

"No, not like that, Father. I mean, this man could quite easily break my heart."

"My child, you cannot live your life in fear. If you do, you will be very alone. Though you will always have the Lord by your side, you can find yourself lonely. Don't let your past and your present fears make you lose faith in yourself to take a risk with this man in which you speak of."

"Thank you father," Olivia said wiping away her silent tears.

"For your penance, you must say three Our Fathers and three Hail Marys."

"Okay, Thank you father."

"My child?"

"Yes?"

"Be not afraid. If he is as good of a man that you would die for, he will love you."

She smiled softly and wiped away her tears. "Thank you father." She then left the confessional and recited the two of the very few prayers she knew as she made her way to her apartment. Along the way, the priest's wise words and thoughts of Elliot and baby Pearl filled her mind.

R&R! I want to thank Essy for listening to me rant about this idea for weeks! wink! Please R&R!