Author's Note: Just a piece of fluff I came up with over the summer.
Disclaimer: They're not mine, though the cute little three year old is. She's getting restless, any babysitters out here?
Daddy's Little Girl
Olivia stepped into the room, smiling. The dress fit her perfectly. It was a white strapless dress, falling passed her feet. The silk cloth hugged her every curve. She walked forward, veil in hand. Setting the veil on the couch, Olivia took a glance at her own hand, a diamond ring graces her finger. She turned towards the mirror. "Honey, you look absolutely beautiful."
Maureen dabbed her eye, feeling the moisture gather at the edge, threatening to fall. "Thanks Liv." She straightened the wedding dress, running her hand over the sparkling beads. She walked over to the older woman, pulling her into an embrace. "I, uh, wanted to thank you. You've been a, great to me and my siblings. Especially since Mom. We're all proud to call you our step mom."
"Sweetie, I'm so proud of you. I know your mom is looking down at you, watching her daughter take the next step in her life."
A soft knock interrupted. Kathleen walked in, holding her three year old sister, Emily. "Mama!" Kathleen set the squirming Emily down before she took off toward Olivia. Olivia picked her daughter up, placing a kiss on her forehead.
"Reenie," Emily said, turning toward her eldest sisters. "You're preeetty," she giggled.
Maureen stepped forward, "Are you ready, Miss Emily?"
Emily nodded enthusiastically, turning her head and burying it into her mother's neck.
A minute later, Liz walked into the room, joining her sisters and step mother "Maureen, Daddy's ready. He'll be in in a minute."
As if on cue, Elliot stepped in the room, a bright smile came to his face. "Hi, Daddy." He moved quickly, engulfing his daughter into his arms.
"Hi, baby."
Olivia watched her husband with his daughter and smiled. "Girls," she whispered, "we should get ready," nodding towards the door. Kathleen and Liz both understood her double meaning and promptly left the room, Olivia and Emily in tow.
Elliot placed a gentle kiss on Maureen's head. "You look absolutely beautiful, Maureen."
"Thank you, Daddy. You don't look half bad yourself."
Elliot smiled as he reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out a velvet jewelry box. "This, uh. This was, um. This was your Mom's. She, uh, she wore it at our wedding. It's your something old," he stumbled over his words as he nervously opened the box. A simple necklace was revealed. It was silver, with a diamond pendent hanging from the necklace. Elliot pulled it out of its home and gently clasped it onto his daughter's neck. "It looks great, honey."
"Thank you, Daddy. It goes beautifully with my dress. And it's part of Mom."
No words needed to be said as Elliot wrapped his arms around his first born. Kathy Stabler had passed away six years prior, by a tragic car accident. It had crushed the children, especially the then twenty-two year old Maureen, who was just beginning to experience a new side of her mother. Their mother-daughter relationship evolved into a great friendship, one where Maureen could freely admit that her best friend was her mother. Two years after Kathy's death, Elliot wed Olivia, and almost immediately after, Emily was born.
"We'd better get going, sweetheart," he said, turning back to Maureen.
It hit him. His little girl, his angel, was not so little anymore. She was now a grown woman, getting married; moving on with her life. Soon she would have her own family.
"I love you, Maureen. And I'm so proud of you. You have become such a wonderful, amazing woman. I'm blessed to be your father; you my daughter. Don't ever forget that."
A single tear slipped down both Elliot and Maureen's cheek as she slid her hand into the crook of her father's arm. "I love you, too, Daddy."
He opened the door and stepped out in the hallway. Slowly walking to the church doors, Elliot paused. "You can still back out. There's still time."
Maureen chuckled, patting her father's arm. "Daddy, we're getting married. Ready?"
The church doors opened and the some 200 guest stood, turning to face the blushing bride. Elliot slowly walked down the aisle to the light music. Maureen squeezed her father's hand as she reached the altar, her fiancé patiently awaiting the ceremony. Elliot pulled his daughter into a hug. "I love you, baby. You'll always be my little girl," he whispered in her ear, passing his eldest child to her future husband.
Taking his place next to Olivia, he reached for her hand, interlocking their fingers. "I love you, Elliot," she whispered.
Elliot smiled. He turned his attention to the ceremony as he watched his little girl become a woman.