Duty
"Maureen? Maureen Stabler?" She asked as she approached the dark-blonde haired woman on the bench.
"I haven't been a Stabler in over 5 years but…" The woman paused as she finally looked up from her phone.
"Olivia, Olivia Benson, oh my god, how are you?" Maureen asked as she stood.
"I'm great, I can't believe it, little Maureen you're all grown up." Replied Liv as the women shared a hug.
"Yeah, I turned 32 last month so I'm not exactly little anymore." She smiled as they sat.
"Wow, 32, time flies doesn't it? So you not a Stabler anymore?"
"No, I got married, I'm Maureen Jacobs now, have been for over 5 years."
"That's wonderful, congratulations."
"Thanks, what about you, are you seeing anyone?"
"Yeah, I'm in a relationship, he's great." Liv smiled.
"That's terrrific, I can see at least one other thing has changed for you, who's this little guy." She asked smiling at Noah.
"This is my son Noah."
"You finally have a kid, I'm so happy for you, I know it was something you always wanted."
"Yeah, thanks, its pretty great."
"Nothing like being a mom right?" Maureen smiled.
"You have kids?" Liv asked.
"Yeah, two boys and another baby on the way."
"You're pregnant?" Liv grinned.
"Yeah, three months now." She said subconsciously placing her hand on her stomach.
"Congrats, I can't believe Elliot's a grandfather, he must love that."
"Uh yeah."
"So how is Elliot anyway?" Liv asked while she pulled Noah on to her knee.
"Great, last I heard."
"Last you heard?"
"We…sort of...lost touch."
"With you father?" Liv asked surprised.
"Well, we kind of drifted apart after I moved out during college and after he and Mum got divorced the second time we just sort of stopped talking."
"Elliot and Kathy got divorced?"
"Oh yeah, see we all thought that it was the job that got in the way of their marriage and our family but after Dad retired he and Mom finally realised that they just weren't right for each other."
"Oh, I'm sorry." Offered Liv.
"Thanks, but it's ok, all of us kids wished their divorce had stuck the first time."
"Really?"
"Oh yeah, come on, a marriage that only happened because Dad knocked Mom up when they were teenagers was never going last."
"Elliot loved Kathy." Said Liv reassuringly.
"Sure Dad cared about Mom a lot but he only married her because her got her pregnant with me and it was the quote unquote right thing to do and of course there's always that Catholic guilt."
"Maureen your dad loves you and brothers and sisters." Replied Liv surprised my Maureen's openness.
"I know Liv, but we weren't part of the plan, Dad had dreams and then I came along and threw a wrench in the works, so he did the right thing, married Mom, got a job and being a good Catholic had a bunch more kids, but that wasn't the life he wanted, so he threw himself into his job at SVU to avoid coming home to the life, wife and kids he found himself stuck with."
"Maureen.." Liv began.
"Hey, it's ok, we're all good now."
"You are?"
"Sure, I'm happily married with two kids and another on the way and I have pretty much my dream job at a publishing house. Kat's engaged to a lovely guy called Shawn whom she met at her job as a graphic designer at an advertising agency, they're getting married in June. Rich joined the army like he planned and found he had certain skills and interests that have led him to become a tactician which he loves and he and his girlfriend Jane, an army medic just moved in together into an apartment off base. Lizzie completed her Bachelors in Science and then did her masters, she recently started a great new job at a biotech company and she's living with her boyfriend Michael who she met in college and Eli just started his last year of elementary school. We all doing really well."
"That all sounds wonderful, what about your Mom, how's Kathy doing?" Asked Liv.
"She's really happy, she met this wonderful guy called Mitchell, they are so in love it's adorable, they're like teenagers and he's great with Eli, the two of them have really hit it off. Oh and she went back to school. She always wanted to go to college but of course I came along, but with Mitch's support she went back and got her Bachelors then went on to get her teaching diploma. She teaches at the school Eli goes to and she loves it, she's finally doing what she's always wanted to and Mitch has 9 to 5 so he's never home later than 7 so they spend most nights cuddled up on the couch together talking and laughing, I've never seen her so happy, it's so cool seeing my Mom in love." Maureen finished grinning.
"And your Dad?" Liv couldn't help but ask.
"Dad? Well, I guess he's free." She replied after some thought.
"Free?" Asked Liv.
"Yeah free, free to find his bliss, to find whatever it is that really makes him happy, to do whatever it is he should have been doing for the last 33 years instead of being a husband and father out some warped sense of duty."
Two little boys followed by a handsome man of about forty bounded up to Maureen before Liv could figure out what to say to Maureen's last remark.
"Mom, Mom." The two boys said in unison.
"What's going on?" Asked Maureen.
"They're hungry." Smiled the man.
"Oh, well we better get you two some lunch then right? Oh sorry, Liv this is my husband Mason, Mason this is Olivia Benson." She explained as Olivia and Mason shook hands.
"It's nice to meet you. Is this the famous Olivia I've heard so much about?" He asked.
"This is the one." Maureen confirmed.
"You talk about me?" Olivia asked blushing slightly.
"Yeah, I kind of idolised you when I was a kid." She grinned.
"Oh, that's sweet and who are these two?" Olivia asked smiling.
"This is Ethan, he's five and this is Riley he's three, can you guys say hi to Mommy's friend Olivia?" she asked and the boys waved shyly.
"Well I have to feed these three so we have to get going, oh did you want to want to join us for lunch?" Asked Maureen.
"Thanks but I have an afternoon shift so I have to get Noah home and ready for the nanny."
"Of course, it was great seeing you Liv, we should have a proper catch up over some drinks, you know like a girls night."
"I'd be happy to take the three boys, we can do DVD's and popcorn." offered Mason.
"That would great, we should definitely do that." Agreed Liv.
"Well here's my card, call me when you get the night off and we'll do it." Maureen said handing Liv her card.
"Will do, it was so good seeing you Maureen, we'll catch up properly soon." Liv said as the woman shared a hug.
"Bye Liv." Said Maureen as she put Riley on her hip.
"Bye Maureen, nice to meet you Mason." Said Liv as she did the same with Noah.
Mason turned to Maureen as they watched Liv and Noah walk away.
"So that's Olivia?"
"Uh huh."
"She's uh…."
"Beautiful, I know."
"I can see why you thought there might have been something between her and your Dad."
"Everyone did, even Mom."
"But there wasn't?" He asked
"Nope, Dad's never been able to go after what he really wants, always held back by his damn sense of duty."