Disclaimer: Totally and completely the property of Dick Wolf and company…:)
A/N: This is my third SVU one-shot. I really hope that you all love it!! Oh and by the way I honestly have no clue how divorce really works so my assumptions made in this fan fiction are just how it fits into my own work…Also I apologize in advance for any spelling errors or things like that but...spelling and grammer hate me...anyway enjoy!!
The Heart Won't Lie
Olivia sat on the couch in Elliot's house. A house she had grown quite accustom to in the past nine years as his partner and best friend. The house in which his four older children had grown from little kids into young adults, the house she felt certain that Eli would grow up in too. On that note a small laugh broke her out of her current thoughts. It was Lizzie, probably on the phone with her new boyfriend, Tony. El hated him. But she assumed most fathers hated their daughters' boyfriends because it meant they weren't little girls anymore and that soon, if not already, they wouldn't need them.
"Kathleen, Maureen come down here and spend time with your family." Elliot yelled inside the house jokingly rolling his eyes in feigned frustration, a trademark Stabler smirk highlighting his handsome features.
Olivia had once again had the privilege of being invited to the Stabler Family Memorial Day Barbeque. But to her surprise this year she didn't attend it alone. Porter, whom she had known since working with him in Oregon, was kind enough to come with her. But she noticed that he wasn't particularly fond of Elliot and vice versa. It was never spoken, but rather an unconscious dislike on both sides, which was odd because they had gotten along fine just a few months earlier.
"So how long have you two been dating?" Kathy questioned in an attempt to break the awkward silence that had taken over.
"Three months now." Porter lied smiling and taking Liv by the hand. He noted a slight glare from Elliot at that.
So did Kathy. But Kathy would be lying to herself if she said that didn't happen often. Whenever Olivia had a guy in her life, which wasn't often, though Kathy didn't know why, Elliot was protective and annoyed. And even though those particular emotions were never admitted it was one of those things that she just knew. But even when Olivia didn't have a man in her life Elliot and she had a relationship Kathy would never understand. One where no words were required, a simple look could say it all. And even though she was the one he had decided to marry and have five kids with she couldn't help but be jealous of Olivia. She had often wished to walk in her shoes for a day. For just one day to know what it felt like to be Elliot's best friend and not his wife. To be the one he shared aspects of his life with that he had never shared with her. To maybe finally be able to understand the man she had fallen in love with so many years ago.
But every position had its advantages and disadvantages and most days she was glad being the one he came home to at night, when he did come home that was.
…………………………………………………
Elliot was grilling, but still managed to keep a watchful eye on Olivia and Porter. For the moment being Porter had excused himself to go to the restroom and Kathy had volunteered to lead the way. All the kids, except Eli, who was in his baby bouncer next to Olivia, were inside. Suddenly the small boy began to cry.
"Liv, could you get him?" Elliot questioned with his most charming smile, throwing his hands up to show his current inability.
"Sure." She laughed making her way over to the small boy who already looked so much like his dad. She scooped Eli up in her arms and made her way over to Elliot. "Hey little man, what's wrong?" She cooed at the infant swaddled in her arms. He began to quiet down.
"Come on buddy…smile?!" Elliot whispered reaching over and rubbing his sons belly. Soon a small smile graced his lips…leading to an eruption of laughter. Olivia couldn't help but smile.
Looking down at the smiling infant in her arms Olivia couldn't help but think that a child's laughter is the greatest sound in the world. So innocent and pure and in that moment she found herself longing so much for a child of her own. A child she could sing lullabies to at night, and tuck into bed. A child whose face she could look into and see her own reflecting back.
"Liv, are you okay?" El's voice questioned bringing her back to reality.
"Uh…yeah…I'm fine." She said smiling and looking him in the face. In his expression she read worry, relief, and something else she couldn't quite place. Or rather didn't want to get her hopes up long enough to try.
"You want one of your own huh?" Elliot said suddenly.
"What?" she questioned pretending not to understand.
"A baby." He whispered lifting her head up to face him. He saw tears fill her eyes as she nodded.
"I'm scared Elliot, I've spent so much of my life trying to figure out why I'm here, and trying to understand why he did it, that I never took the time to slow down and get married and have kids. Now I'm scared that I'll never get the chance."
"Liv, you are going to get your chance and when you do you are going to be the greatest mom alive." He said smiling at her.
"El…"
"No listen to me; you are the most incredible, compassionate, beautiful person I have ever met so I know that you are going to be the most incredible mom. No question in my mind."
"El, that's easy for you to say. I mean look at you. You have five kids and your married and you have the life you always wanted."
"I guess one out of three is not bad." He said smiling and taking a squirming Eli from her arms.
"What do you mean one out of three?" she said questioningly.
"Well I do have the five kids, but the wife and life I always wanted, not so much."
"What do you mean?"
"Well when Kathy and I got back together, when we found out about Eli we were kind of busy and forgot all about stopping the divorce proceedings and about a month and a half ago a slip of paper came in the mail and said it was final."
"Elliot, I'm so sorry." She said real concern showing in her face.
"Don't be. You know it's weird. I always thought that if I ever got those papers that I would be really, really sad, and I was a little but mostly I was relieved."
"Relieved?" Olivia questioned skeptically.
"Yeah, you know like I could finally breathe. You see when Kathy and I got back together we only did it for Eli here and when those papers came it was like a weight had been lifted from both of us. Like we didn't have to say what we had both been dreading…"
Olivia interjected, "That you weren't in love anymore," Unconsciously letting a small smile play at the corners of her mouth. He nodded in affirmation.
Suddenly Liv broke their gaze to look at the small boy in Elliot's arms. Once again she noted how much he looked like his father, piercing blue eyes sparkling in the sun, a contagious laugh, and the uncanny ability to make her heart warm with love by just looking in her eyes. She heard Elliot shift and looked.
"Liv, I was thinking that maybe if you wanted to once you have processed everything that I have said here today, we could get some dinner sometime." He said uncertainly and she smiled when she saw the fear in his eyes because she knew they mirrored her own.
"You mean like a date?" she probed afraid and excited about his response.
"Only if you want too." He said finally letting his eyes rest on hers.
"Well…I thought you'd never ask." She smiled closing the distance between them and giving him a quick peck on the lips. The first of many they both knew.
"What about Porter?" El questioned moments later when he saw Kathy and him exit the house followed by his other four children.
Olivia smiled and took Eli from his arms. "Truth is we are only friends, I brought him so I wouldn't have to be alone." She smiled as she walked toward the picnic table they would soon be eating at.
When everybody was seated around the table and the food was being served they all felt and unexplainable shift, like for some unknown reason their lives were about to change forever. Little did they know at the time how right they were?
……Six years later……
Another memorial day, another Stabler family barbeque, only this year things were different. There was a different Mrs. Stabler this year, Olivia Stabler. It had surprised her at first how right that name had sounded, like it was always meant to be. And after almost five years of marriage she still glanced at her ring finger from time to time, just to make sure it wasn't the best dream she had ever had. And if after seeing it she still wasn't convinced all she had to do was walk a few feet down the hall and glance in the room whose door read 'Playroom' and she would see Eli, who was now six and still the spitting image of dear old dad, and the triplets. Their triplets, two boys and a girl, named Scotty, Caleb, and Maria. They were three now. Scotty Joseph Stabler was the oldest and the one that looked the most like his mother. He had the darkest hair and eyes and if you looked at Olivia's baby pictures and then him you couldn't see any difference. Caleb Dylan Stabler was the second oldest and also looked quite a lot like his mother. The only difference in his appearance and Scotty's was that unlike his mother and his brother he possessed his fathers cerulean blue eyes. And the youngest Maria Claire Stabler looked nothing like her brothers because unlike them she took her appearance from a different parent. Her father, she looked just like him, from his light brown hair to his piercing blue eyes and even that signature Stabler smile.
………In the kitchen………
"El, did you get the grill set up yet?" she questioned pouring herself a much needed cup of coffee.
"Yep and I got the burgers going already. Eli's watching cartoons and Scotty, Caleb, and Maria are still asleep."
"Okay well I better get them up and dressed before the clan arrives." She said grinning and giving him a kiss
"Okay…love you." He responded.
"Love you too, oh and El try to make sure Eli doesn't wear his cape today, because we are taking family pictures." She smiled leaving the room.
"Sure thing." He said making his way over to the living room where his son sat watching Spongebob.
"Hey Eli, are you done with your cereal?" he asked taking a seat next to him.
"Uh-huh, Daddy."
"Okay good then why don't you get dressed?"
"Okay daddy!" he said jumping up quickly. Elliot grabbed him to stop him before he got too far.
"But no cape today alright?"
"Can I at least wear my X-Files t-shirt?" the boy questioned blue eyes growing wide with pleading.
"Sure, but wear the blue one!" Elliot yelled at his sons retreating form. And for a moment he sat their thinking about how fast kids grow up and how quickly time flies. It seemed like just yesterday when Eli was born and he had hung onto Liv for dear life, but still unready to admit his true feeling, and then two short years later they had walked down the aisle and promised eternal love. A promise he knew they would have no problem keeping. Then a year later he had given her what she had always dreamed of, a family. He could still remember both of their reactions when the doctor said "Congratulations! It's triplets!" Liv had cried with joy, while he stood there silent with shock. Then when she had given birth to their three children, they had both cried. The sound of the doorbell awoke him from his daydream.
"Be right there." He yelled making his way to the door.
"Honey! Incoming!" Liv yelled from upstairs and he turned around just in time for Scotty and Maria to crash into his knees.
"Mornin' Daddy!" they smiled
"Mornin' babies." He smiled back scooping them up as the doorbell rang again. "We better get that."
When he opened the door he saw Kathleen and her husband and Maureen and her fiancé.
"Hey dad." They smiled in unison. "Hey Scotty, Maria."
"Welcome…" Elliot began before he was bumped into by Eli on his tricycle, "…to the circus." He finished smiling.
"Thanks dad." They said smiling and making their way through the house to the backyard.
"So where are Lizzie and Dickie?" Elliot questioned as Scotty and Maria smothered him with kisses.
Kathleen and Maureen smiled. "There on their way and no they aren't bringing anyone with them. Mom and Mike said they are going to be a little late though so start without them."
"Okay." Elliot smiled.
"So where is my cool step mom and my other lil' brother?" Maureen questioned smiling.
"I don't know why don't you go find her?"
"Fine I will." She smiled up at her dad. She knew how much their acceptance of Liv meant to their dad. And they really did love her. She was a really great person. And they knew how much their dad loved her so they did too. Plus her mom had found someone new too. Her and Mike had gotten married last year and were very happy. So they had no reason to complain.
……A few minutes later……
"Found them!" she yelled triumphantly, "Oh and a few stragglers along the way." She smiled gesturing toward Lizzie and Dickie.
"Hey finally decided to grace us with your presence I see." El said smiling and walking toward them.
"Yeah, we thought we'd be fashionably late." Lizzie smiled.
"I'm sure." El smiled hugging each of them.
Dickie smiled looking out into the yard where all the kids were playing with Olivia. "I can't believe they have gotten so big." He smiled.
"I know they grow up so fast." El smiled. Dickie and Lizzie soon went over to join Maureen, Kathleen, Michael, and Jake (Maureen and Kathleen's men) so El and Liv could have a little alone time. When they came over Olivia retreated back to where her husband stood and he wrapped his arms around her.
"Can you believe how amazing our lives are?" she questioned smiling and kissing him quickly on the cheek.
"Honestly no." he smiled. After a moment he began to speak. "Hey Liv, do you remember six years ago when you said I had the kids and the wife and life I had always dreamed of?"
"Yeah why?" she looked questioningly.
"Well, I was thinking that it wasn't really true then, but it is now. I mean I have eight great kids, an amazing wife, and the most incredible life. And it's all thanks to you.
"You aren't so bad yourself." She smiled.
"Oh and Liv?"
"Yeah El?"
"I was right you are the most incredible mom ever. Some days I just sit and watch you and smile."
"Well you are a pretty incredible dad yourself. I love you Elliot." She said kissing him.
"I love you too Olivia." He responded kissing her back. And even after six years of kissing her he was still surprised how amazing it felt each time. Like fire or something. But mostly just like it was meant to be, and it was. They felt it each time they looked at each other. This love, the love they shared was magical.
………Around the table………
"Lets eat!" El yelled a while later. Kathy and Mike had arrived and were socializing. It amazed him how he wasn't jealous of Mike at all. He had always thought he would be, but he wasn't. He assumed because Kathy wasn't his anymore. Maybe she never was. And as they sat around the table, this huge, oddly perfect, dysfunctional family shared laughs, great news (Dickie would continue the family tradition and become a cop), and stories full of memories they all shared. And thought about all the things they would share in the future. And in the end they made a toast to the future and the unknown, because perhaps its life's mysteries that make the journey worthwhile.
The End!!