This is my new SVU fic. Hope you like it. Thanks for reading.

Disclaimer: Anything you've seen on Law and Order: SVU belongs to Dick Wolf and not to me.

Summary: On her way home after finishing up an ongoing case Olivia finds a baby who has been left in a dumpster. She decides to take the little one in and take care off her, being the only witness to her abandonment. She quickly realizes how much she is falling for the little one and makes it her goal to find out who could have possibly left her alone in a dumpster to ultimately die.

This is going to be an E/O friendship story and takes place in the ninth series sometime after Eli was born, so things are good with Elliot and Kathy. Sorry shippers.

Chapter 1

It had been a long and very tiresome few weeks at the SVU. The most current case, a serial rapist, had worn all the detectives out. It had been none stop late nights, stakeouts and many, many interviews and interrogations. Finally they had got their guy and right now he was spending his first night in Sing Sing. All the others had left early tonight, glad to finally be able to. Olivia however, had stayed behind to catch up on paperwork. The squad room offered more company than her own lonely apartment, even if it had been deserted for the last few hours.

It was now well past midnight and she was almost home. It was dark on the streets of New York but it was still as active as if it were daytime, it was just that now a different type of people littered the streets, the type of people who had no home to go to or kids out to cause trouble. Walking home alone, even as late as tonight never bothered Olivia, she could hold her own against most types of people not to mention she had her gun attached to her belt.

She was walking up the path towards her building when she was sure she heard crying. She stopped still and sure enough there was crying. Clear as anything. She listened closely only to learn it was coming from the alley next to her house. She knew the only things kept down there were the dumpsters. She took her gun out and began slowly walking down the alley. She found the closer she got to the dumpster the clearer the crying became and she quickly realized it was a baby crying.

Without really thinking she put her gun away and ran over to the dumpster, the crying was coming from the first one. She climbed up on it and leant over and began moving crumpled newspapers aside. By now the crying was almost deafening. Finally she came upon a cardboard box, she flipped the top open and there, inside it, was an obvious newborn. Olivia could see the shoddy job someone had made at cutting the cord and they hadn't even wrapped the baby up let alone cleaned it up any. She jumped down and took her jacket off before climbing back onto the dumpster and wrapping it around the baby before lifting it out.

When she got to her apartment she opened it up and ran in and shut the door behind her with her foot. The baby was still crying and a baby crying wasn't something that she was really used to. "I know sweetheart," she sympathized as she went straight into the bathroom. She quickly swapped her jacket for a nice warm fluffy towel. She held the tiny baby in one arm and began filling a bowl with nice warm water. She then grabbed a fluffy face cloth and began wiping some of the dirt and grime off the baby. She knew it would probably wash away evidence, but getting the dirt and germs from the dumpster off her was her main priority.

After a few minutes she had done a full top-to-toe wash of the tiny baby girl but still she had not stopped crying. She really wasn't good at comforting babies or if she was she wasn't doing a very good job right now. Remembering the way she had seen Elliot hold his children she held the baby close to her, so her tiny head was now resting on her breast and her little body was pressed against Olivia's. Slowly she began to sway whilst holding the baby and gently patting her back.

She in no way expected it to work but gradually the baby stopped crying and just made little whimpering sounds until finally they stopped and exhausted she fell asleep. Seeing this as maybe her only opportunity she walked over to the phone and rang Elliot.

- - - - - -

After almost half an hour, luckily in which the baby had stayed asleep, there was a knock on her door. Olivia tried to place the baby down on her bed but the moment the youngster felt the warmth of another body getting further away from hers she woke up. She was about to open her lungs up and begin crying again when Olivia quickly tightened her grip and continued swaying again until the baby settled. She then walked over to the door, carrying the baby with her. She managed to balance her in one arm whilst she opened the door to reveal a very tired and confused looking Elliot.

"First off, why do you need this?" he asked holding up a bag which was full of baby supplies, Eli's baby supplies, or some of them at least. "Secondly….what the hell are you doing holding a newborn baby?" he asked her just now noticing. She had been a little vague on the details over the phone.

Olivia just took the bag from him and walked into the kitchen, leaving him stunned and to close the door before following her. "Liv that's a newborn baby." he pointed out. "I've seen my share and I would say that that is a very newborn baby…that baggy sweater you've been wearing a lot recently that wasn't to…"

"Jesus Elliot she isn't mine. I found her in the dumpster outside." she told him.

She reached into the bag and pulled out some baby formula. She quickly read the carton and upon seeing it was suitable for newborns she grabbed one of the bottles and began making some up.

"Are you gonna give her that?" he asked.

"Why, do you think I should breastfeed her instead?" she spat at him sarcastically.

"No what I mean is do you know how to feed a baby?" he asked.

She just looked at him. A look that said 'do you think I'm completely stupid?'

"Okay." Elliot said as he stepped back, holding his arms up in surrender.

He stood and watched as she made up the bottle and made all the checks before she gently woke the baby before feeding her. He couldn't help but love the sight in front of him. He knew how much she'd love to have a baby and he couldn't help but think she looked absolutely great with one in her arms.

Olivia looked up at him with a huge smile on her face. "Isn't she beautiful?" she said.

"How do you know it's a she?" he asked.

"Christ Elliot I may not have a certificate in medical science but believe it or not I do know the difference between a penis and a vagina."

"Sorry." he said, blushing slightly.

There was suddenly another knock at the door. "Speaking of medical science," Olivia said to herself as she walked over to the door. She quickly took the bottle out of the baby's mouth so she could open it.

"Bad idea," Elliot said as the baby began screaming.

The moment the door was open Olivia quickly popped the bottle back into the baby's mouth, leaving Melinda to walk in.

"Like you can open a door and hold and feed a baby all at the same time?" she asked him.

"You have to know the tricks." he said.

"Can I see her?" Melinda asked. Olivia had called her straight after Elliot.

Olivia put the baby down on the worktop as Melinda began checking her over. Elliot just stood watching. "Well she's definitely a newborn, five maybe six hours old. Her cords still really fresh and very poorly cut." Melinda said.

"How could someone just dump her, look at her," Olivia said as she stared at her.

She began tickling the baby's tummy as Melinda carried on checking her over. "Have you rang child services?" Melinda asked her. Olivia just shook her head.

"You know what will happen if you ring them at this time. They'll just put her in the nearest dump they can find. God knows where she'll end up." he said.

"You're a father Elliot maybe you could take her home tonight?" Melinda suggested.

Olivia smiled at the idea. It was one of her favorite things in the world to see her partner playing Daddy.

"If I take her home Kathy will want to keep her and we can't afford anymore kids." he informed them. "What about you?" Elliot said to Melinda.

"I'm on call tonight." she told him.

"Look she can stay here tonight." Olivia said.

They both looked at her.

"I may not have children but I know a thing or two about looking after babies." she said, not quite as convincingly as she would have liked. "I'll just make her up a bed in the bathtub, she'll be fine." she said, trying to be serious.

When Elliot and Melinda continued looking at her, worried, she had to laugh.

"I'm kidding. Look I have everything I need in that bag. I've already bathed her so I'll just change her and put her in my bed." she told them.

Elliot had every bit of faith in her…kind of. He walked over to the bag he had brought and pulled out a nappy and a white baby sleep suit. "Put these on her." he said. "You sure you want to do this?" Elliot asked her. Something about allowing her to take care of a baby she would get attached to but not be able to keep seemed so cruel to him.

"Thanks." she said as she took them from him.

"Let me just fix up her cord. I'll take a sample for DNA. I'll check the local hospitals to see if any new mothers without a baby have been brought in. If the mother didn't deliver the placenta she's at risk of an infection. We may get lucky and find her by morning." Melinda said.

By the time Melinda had finished and left, Olivia already had the baby in a nappy and a sleep suit. It was a little big on her but it looked warm and cozy so she figured it would do for one night.

Elliot was ready to leave but he was hesitant to leave. He trusted Olivia with the baby, he really did but he was seriously worried how attached she was already becoming to the little one. "Liv maybe I should take her?" he suggested.

"Why?" she asked him.

"Because I don't want you getting too attached to her." he confessed.

"El I'm not going to get attached to her but she needs someone to take care of her and I am going to do that. I'll bring her into the station with me first thing in the morning and we'll ring child services. She's the only witness to her crime El, that has to mean something." she said.

He guessed she was right. "Okay. I'll see you early tomorrow. Good luck trying to get any sleep tonight though." he said as he walked out.

"We'll be fine." she said enthusiastically before he walked off down the stairs. She closed the door behind her and walked over to her bed. The truth was she was completely exhausted now. She placed the baby down next to her and pulled some blanket over her then she lay down beside her and pulled some blanket over herself. She fell asleep watching the tiny baby next to her sleeping soundly.

- - - - - -

The next day everyone was waiting at the station for Olivia. Elliot had arrived and filled everyone in about the baby she had found. He had also rang child services and now they were all just waiting for both parties to arrive.

Finally they heard the lift doors open and the sound of Olivia's heels as she walked into the squad room. "Sorry I'm late, these things are a pain in the ass to fit in." Olivia said as she held up a car seat with a sleeping baby in it.

Elliot noticed the baby was now wearing pink and had a white knitted blanket over her as well. Olivia placed the car seat down on her desk and put the baby bag down on the floor.

Everyone quickly swarmed around her desk to have a look at the baby so she happily stepped back and walked over to the coffee machine. Elliot quickly walked over to her. "You've been shopping for her?" Elliot asked.

"For the baby?" Olivia questioned.

Elliot looked at her and nodded. Olivia quickly shook her head. "My neighbors daughter grew out of all that stuff so she gave it to me."

Elliot just looked at her.

"Elliot," she began firmly, "My neighbor gave that stuff to me and before you say it I am not getting too attached to her."

"I've rang child services." he told her.

"Already?" she asked, quite surprised.

Elliot felt like smiling he knew she had gotten attached but at the same time he felt so sorry for her. "Liv," he said. He could already see the sadness in her eyes. "You can't keep her."

"I know that." she said defensively. "I just don't want her to have to be put into some cheap cockroach infested children's home or worse some shitty foster home where she'll be abused. She's so much better than that Elliot. She's already had such a crap start in life she deserves a good home where she'll be loved." she said.

Elliot supportively rubbed her back. "We won't let her. We'll make sure she gets the best home there is." he told her.

They both looked up as the room was filled by a cry. Olivia quickly ditched making coffee and walked over to the baby. Everyone had stepped aside by now so she walked right up to her and began unclipping the belts in the seat.

"I think she might be hungry." Munch said.

"No she just wants to be held." Olivia said knowingly as she picked up the crying baby and held her close to her. She gently stroked the back of her head as she tired to soothe her. As she slowly began to sway the baby stopped crying and she began to fall asleep with her head resting on Olivia's shoulder.

"Wow, you're an expert." Munch said before walking over to his desk.

Olivia just smiled and continued to sway slightly. Fin walked over to her and gently rubbed the baby's back. "I don't get how someone could just leave a baby in a dumpster. Who can possibly think that that is a good place to abandon a baby?" he thought out loud.

"Someone who doesn't care if it's found or not." Cragen answered.

"Yeah well, when we find her parents I'm gonna be having some strong words with them." he said matter-of-factly.

"Do you wanna hear my theory?" Munch asked.

"Do we have a choice?" Elliot asked.

"No." Munch told them. "I think she's a prom night dumpster baby." he said very matter-of-factly.

"Now I know you're making this stuff up." Fin said as he sat down behind his desk.

"It's a known fact that more babies are abandoned 8 to 9 months after prom nights." he said.

"How do you work that one out?" Fin asked.

"Get to prom, have a dance, get some beers, have way too many beers and making out in a parking lot leads to making out on the back seat which turns into giving birth in a hospital 9 months later. In the case of mini-Olivia over there…" he said pointing to Olivia and the baby, truth was she did look a lot like Olivia with her chocolate coloured hair and dark mocha eyes and olive coloured skin, "…it's give birth in an alley then dump the baby in the nearest trash disposal."

"So we're looking for a kid, is basically what you're saying?" Elliot said.

"Think about it, if an adult gave birth to a baby they didn't want they'd leave it at the hospital or put it up for adoption. A kid has a baby and they freak out. They worry about what their parents will say or do so they just get rid of it wherever they can." Munch explained.

As they all sat thinking about what Munch had said, the phone on Elliot's desk rang. He picked it up and answered, "Stabler, Special Victims,"

They all watched as he listened to the other person speaking.

"Okay thanks Doc." he said before hanging up. "That was Melinda. She just got a call from St James hospital. A young girl was brought in suffering from an infection because she hadn't delivered the placenta after she had given birth. She claims she hasn't had a baby but the Doctors are adamant." he told them all.

"Go check it out." Cragen told them.

"What times child services coming?" Olivia asked Elliot.

"They said they would be here in the hour." Elliot said looking at his watch.

"How long ago was that?" she asked him.

"A little over an hour and a half ago." he said.

"I'll go with Elliot." Fin said as he got up.

Olivia just nodded. She'd rather stay and spend as much time with the baby as she could before child services took her and she would never get to see her again. She'd miss her like crazy so she kept telling herself not to get attached but the more time she spent with her and holding her and feeding and changing and just taking care of her the harder it was becoming not to get attached.

TBC

Thanks for reading.

Let me know what you think of it so far. If I get reviews then I'll continue.