Daughters of SVU
One night, Olivia receives a gift that can be described only as a blessing and a curse.
E/O in later chapters…
A/N- Any cases mentioned in my series will be from my imagination. Any characters, excluding members of SVU and other well-known precincts in the series are also from my mind.
Disclaimer-I don't own them. I have never owned them. I will never own them. Dick Wolf owns them.
Prelude-
Detective Olivia Benson, of Manhattan Special Victims Unit, sat stiffly in the back of a taxi, thoughts swirling in her head. A man's arm was protectively wrapped around her shoulder, and she was in possibly the most expensive dress she had ever owned. Green silk, strapless, reached her ankles, and heeled shoes were on her feet. She felt like some fairytale princess that was being fooled. One thing Olivia hated was dressing up, and here she was in a gown and heels. That really wasn't bothering her, though. Neither was the fact that the man sitting next to her had his arm around her. The man was her coworker, Detective John Munch. Munch, the conspiracy freak and loveable senior member of SVU, had generously offered to be her escort to the NYPD Formal Winter Ball, where they were now headed. She knew that she had had a bad day, and she was happy that the other members of SVU had cared enough to watch out for her. So, she was sitting in a cab with Munch, who was rambling about Big Brother. All she could do was stare out the window and think about today's case, among other things. A father, who had sole custody of his three daughters, who had been accused of beating on his wife and children, had been murdered. His wife, who was the murderer, had tried to flee with her daughters. She had been caught on a bus to the capital, and was now sitting on suicide watch. Her daughters, ages 6, 3, and 5 months, were destined to be put in foster care for their childhood. Olivia had been sent to collect the mother and children once the bus company IDed the group. She had to hold the little baby, and it awoke that feeling in her. That feeling that she was missing out on something important.
Something…something like motherhood and family. She had drawn the short straw with family until she joined Special Victims. There she met her "family." There was the father figure, Captain Don Cragen. Her crazy uncle was Munch, because who else would come up with conspiracies so outrageous? She had two sisters, the only other female members of the squad she had ever really known, and they were the two ADAs assigned to the unit. Alexandra Cabot and Casey Novak were their names. Alex might be gone, but she was still family, as much as anyone else could be. Her off-beat brother, who could be distant and still care, was Fin Tutuola, partner to Munch. They were all her family, and Olivia knew they all loved her. What she wasn't sure about was her partner, Elliot Stabler. He was a married, Catholic, family man with a wife and children. He had a wife, that is. He was divorced, and he was mad at a lot of people. He had always had a bit of anger issues, but she knew that he would always look out for her. She also knew that they were all overprotective morons who could never stop caring. When White had stalked her that first year, Munch and Elliot had both offered to drive her to and from work. It had been the first loving gesture of many. Now, she was focusing on her lack of biological family. Her mother was dead, and she had no children. Relationships weren't her thing. Love wasn't, either, except when it came to the members of the 1-6. That was her home as much as her little apartment, possibly more. She spent all her time there, spending nights in the crib whenever a case was too important, or when she didn't want to go to that empty apartment.
"Liv, we're here," Munch said, removing his arm from her shoulder and getting out. He briskly walked to her door and opened it for her, always the true gentleman.
"Thanks, Munch, for taking me," Olivia said gratefully, sliding out and standing up next to him. Snow fell softly on the New York City pavement, and she smiled softly.
"Aww… you're welcome. You were quiet on the ride here, though. What are you thinking about?" he asked her, pausing a few yards away from the door.
"Family," she muttered simply.
"Liv, are you still upset about your mother? Have you talked to Huang?" Munch asked, holding her forearm. He looked at her, concern written all over his face.
"Yes, I did. She's not who I'm thinking about, though. I'm thinking about my true family," she began, but Cragen and Elliot had arrived. Fin, who would never be caught in a suit, had offered to be the detective that stayed behind in the precinct.
"Hey, Liv," Elliot said, in a dark suit. He looked at her, in a dress and heels. The last time she had even gotten close to wearing something like this was when she went undercover to "work the streets." Needless to say, she looked a lot better now.
"Good evening, Olivia. You look wonderful," Cragen complemented. He offered her his arm and she took it with a slight laugh.
"Thank you, Captain. I thought it would be fun to wear a dress tonight. I don't need to play the tough kick-butt detective all the time," Olivia joked.
"What if you still are the tough kick-butt detective?" Munch asked. Liv smiled softly and an evil look flashed across her face.
"Want to find out what will happen if you attack a lady cop in a dress and stiletto heels?" she asked him. He shook his head quickly and linked her other arm with his. Elliot opened the door to the ballroom and bowed mockingly as the trio walked through. Olivia smiled at him, then at Munch and Cragen. Elliot knew, possibly more than anyone else at the squad, how she felt. He could see the look in her eyes as she held that little baby, how she whispered softly to calm the wailing child. He couldn't know how much she had dreamed about having a child of her own, and how deathly scared she was of those very thoughts.
The group walked towards their table, simply labeled "Manhattan SVU." Casey and Melinda Warner were sitting at the table, talking and sipping wine. Melinda was a friend, not really family yet. She was the relative who wasn't related, but very close. Cragen sat down at the head of the rectangular table to watch his "children," interested to see what would happen. He was the father figure to almost every person here, and he enjoyed that aspect of the job.
"You all have some fun tonight. Work will be waiting for us tomorrow morning," he told the group. Olivia sat down next to Melinda, engaging in a conversation about the holidays. Munch smirked and held out a hand to Casey, than he swept her away for a theory-filled waltz. Elliot got drinks for everyone and silently watched Olivia. She wasn't ready for anything yet, he could tell. She needed this night to relax more than anything, and he wanted her to be happy.
Three hours, two glasses of wine, and several hundred conspiracies later, Elliot bowed slightly to Olivia and held out his hand.
"May I have this dance?" he asked formally, his smile creeping across his face. Olivia blushed and nodded. He wrapped his arm protectively around her waist, letting it hang there until they were on the dance floor. Munch, who had sneaked off towards the band, had managed to persuade them into playing a slow song just as the two came onto the floor. Olivia bit her lip and placed her left hand on Elliot's shoulder and her right hand into his raised palm. He put his hand gently on the small of her back and swayed, maintaining a respectful distance between their two bodies.
"That was mean, Munch," Casey and Cragen chided.
"We all know eventually they'll get together anyway. Why can't I have some fun?" Munch pouted and threw a cashew at Casey, who glared at him.
"Come along, Olivia. We need to get you back to your apartment," Munch and Elliot said, gently taking an arm and walking her to a waiting cab. Liv was tired, and she knew she should be heading home. She napped on Elliot's shoulder throughout most of the ride back to her apartment, but woke up as the taxi pulled to a halt.
"I'm fine now, guys. Thank you for a great evening," she muttered. She slowly climbed out of the cab and Elliot stood there, waiting.
"Elliot, I'm fine. I'm just a little tired. Go home, I'll see you in the morning," she told him, and he slowly got back into the cab. She walked up to her apartment, holding the keys and quietly letting herself into the silent home. Her apartment…she hated it at times. There was a kitchenette, with a mini-fridge and some cabinets with counters. She had a little two-person table set up in a corner of the main room, but she couldn't honestly remember the last time someone else had sat down to eat with her there. In the center of the main room were a small couch, coffee table, and TV. Next to the TV was a boom-box, with a stack of CDs piled on top of it. Olivia locked her door, walked the few short steps through her living/dining/entertaining room and went through a small door. She fell down on her bed and almost fell asleep right away. She remembered to change into a tank top and flannel sweatpants, neatly hanging her dress in a corner of her closet. If felt as through she had barely closed her eyes when the buzzer in her apartment went off and Olivia woke up in a cold sweat. She grabbed her gun and lay there for a moment, waiting…
A/N-Thanks for reading, and look for the next chapter! I should have it within a week. As almost any other writer, I do love reviews.