Disclaimer: I don't own anything created/owned by NBC. Just my original characters.

A/N: A series on Noah's teenage years and some of the "fun" things he puts Olivia and Alex through.

Set in a Universe where Olivia and Alex are married with three children and have been together since around Season 2ish. This is set somewhere around Season 16. Noah was adopted (just like canon), but somewhere around Season 4. Noah is about to turn 13, Addison is 11, nearly 12, and Maggie is 9.

THE NOAH SERIES: THIRTEEN

"I can't believe we're going to have a teenager next week," Alex said. Olivia and her were sitting up in bed, both scrolling through their phones trying to wind down from the long day. "I mean, are we really that old, that we have a teenager?"

"We're not old," Olivia said. "We're barely over 40, and you know what they say - 40 is the new 20."

"Says the woman who works out and runs nearly every day," Alex said.

"Hey, the perps aren't going to catch themselves," Olivia said. "We're just lucky Noah has a good head on his shoulders. Now when the girls get to be teenagers..."

"I don't even want to think about that, especially Addison," Alex said. "Do you know she told my sister she has a boyfriend? She's 11! She's not allowed to have a boyfriend."

Olivia turned her head. She certainly didn't like the sound of that. "What's his name? Does he go to her school? How old is he?"

"Oh no, don't start that," Alex said. "We are not going to be those parents. Digging into our kid's friends' background."

"It's important to know who their friends are, especially their boyfriends," Olivia said.

"You're starting to sound like Elliot," Alex said.

"And he has five great kids," Olivia said.

"Great? Do you remember what a pain in the ass Kathleen was? And Dicky? Don't even get me started on him," Alex said.

"Yes, but they all turned out okay," Olivia said.

"And so will our kids," Alex said. "Now, if you'll turn the light off, maybe we can find something to distract ourselves from the fact that we're about to be parents of a teenager."

#

"Noah, here's your permission slip for next week," Olivia said as Noah slung his backpack over his shoulder. "Make sure you come straight home after school. Remember, you need to watch Maggie today."

"Why do I have to watch her? Why can't Addy do it?" Noah whined.

"Because Addy is only 11, has dance practice, and it's only an hour," Olivia said. "You mother is picking her up and I have to work late. So it's your job. Erica's mom is dropping Maggie off after school so make sure you're here by the time she gets home."

"Okay, Mom, I will," Noah said. He leaned over and gave Olivia kiss on the cheek before going back out to the living room to where Alex was going through Maggie's backpack. "Addy, let's go. Bye, Ma." He kissed Alex goodbye, yelled for his oldest sister again and disappeared for school.

"Liv, when you drop Maggie off, please get another list of what she needs for the class party," Alex said. "Someone has misplaced it." Alex glanced over to Maggie who just smiled sheepishly. Alex rolled her eyes. She had the same sheepish guilty grin Olivia did when she forgot something.

"I'll take care of it," Olivia said, kissing Alex and grabbing Maggie's backpack. "Let's go, Maggs. I'll be home a little late tonight, Al. I reminded Noah he had to watch Maggie after school."

#

"Sgt. Benson."

Olivia was in the squad room finishing some paperwork and waiting on Nick and Amanda to come back from picking up a suspect. She knew she had a few hours ahead of her with the interrogation.

"Olivia, this is Erica's mom, Jane," the woman said. "I just dropped Maggie off, and we walked up with her to make sure got in okay, but no one is here."

"Noah isn't there?" Olivia said.

"I'm afraid not," Jane said. "Do you want me to take her with me? I don't mind at all."

Olivia looked up at the clock on the wall. Noah should have already been home. And he didn't even call?

"Would you mind, Jane?" Olivia said. "Alex is with Addy at dance practice, and I'm working. But if you need me, one of us can come right now to get her."

"It's fine," Jane said. "I promised Erica ice cream today, so why don't I take them both to get some dinner and ice cream and I'll drop her off in a few hours."

"You're a God send," Olivia said. "Thank you. We'll make it up to you."

"No problem," Jane said.

Olivia hung up and immediately texted Noah.

Where are you? You're supposed to be home with your sister. - Mom

She waited a few minutes with no response. Noah always texted right back. That phone had barely left his hand since they gave it to him when he turned 12. And they only gave it to him then so they could keep tabs on him since he was becoming a little more independent.

They rarely asked him to watch his sisters alone, and even then, it was for no more than an hour. He was hardly old enough, as mature has he was, but they had begun giving him just a little responsibility the closer he got to 13.

He had never done anything like this before, though. Not showing up someplace without calling at least was not typical Noah. Olivia was concerned. She called Alex.

"Alex, have you talked to Noah?" Olivia said when Alex asked. Alex was in the dance studio, sitting in a line of chairs with the other moms, listening to them chat about competitions and new moves, something she hated. The phone call from her wife was a welcome excuse to leave the room.

"No, isn't he supposed to be watching Maggie?" Alex said.

"Yeah, but Jane called and said when she dropped Maggie off, no one was home," Olivia said. "He's not answering my texts either. Jane took Maggie. Said she'd bring her home in a few hours."

"Can't you track his phone?" Alex said.

"Oh, you mean with the tracker that someone insisted we not put on his phone because we have to trust him?" Olivia said.

"Can't the NYPD track him?" Alex said scoffing at Olivia. "I mean, it's our phone, just give them permission."

"I'd rather not use NYPD resources unless he's really missing," Olivia said. "I'll make some calls to his friends."

"Okay, I'll get one of the other moms to drop Addy off and will head home right now," Alex said and then paused for a second. "Liv, this isn't like Noah."

"I know."

#

A few hours later

"What were you thinking?" Alex yelled at Noah once he was back home.

"I'm sorry, Ma, I forgot about Maggie," Noah said. "It's not that big of a deal. She's fine."

Alex took a deep breath and look over at Olivia, who was so angry right now, she wasn't saying anything. At first, they were relieved Noah was fine. But once they realized he hadn't been missing but was busy playing video games at a friend's house and didn't consider calling, the anger set in.

"Not that big a deal? Noah Benson-Cabot, you know better than this," Alex said. Addy walked by the dining room where Noah, Alex, and Olivia were having their discussion and into the kitchen. "Addy, where are you going?"

"Popcorn," Addy smirked. "I'm not missing this show."

"Shut up, Addy!" Noah yelled.

"Noah. Addison. Enough," Olivia said firmly. "Addison, go to your room. Take Maggie, too."

"But -"

"Now."

Addison stomped off back to her bedroom. Olivia then faced Noah to give Alex a break. She could see her wife was having a hard time keeping her temper in check.

"Noah, look, we don't mind if you want to spend time with your friends," Olivia said. "But you have to call us, text us, something. Why didn't you answer my texts?"

"My phone died."

"Your 9-year-old sister could have been stuck here by herself," Olivia said. "What if something would have happened to her?"

"Seriously, Mom?" Noah said. "Not everyone is a pedophile. She was fine."

This time, it was Olivia who needed to keep her temper in check.

"Noah, that's not the point," Alex said. "You're turning 13. You want more responsibility and more freedom. You have to earn that. If you say you're going to do something, you do it. We were scared something was wrong because you didn't show up and you didn't call or responded to your mother's calls or texts."

"I'm sorry," Noah said, putting his head down. "It won't happen again."

"Good, now, give me your phone," Alex said.

"But?"

"You can have it back next week on your birthday, but you're grounded for a week," Alex said. "You're lucky we're still letting you have your party."

"Mom..." Noah looked at Olivia pleading.

"Don't look at me," Olivia said. "If it were up to me, I'd lock you in the tombs for the next week."

Noah rolled his eyes. That joke was old by the time he was five years old.

"Fine," he said, handing over his phone to Alex. "Can I go to my room now?"

"Yes, but no video games," Olivia said. "Homework then reading."

Noah left, leaving Olivia and Alex sitting at the dining room table.

"So much for that good head on his shoulders," Alex laughed.

"Yeah, I thought we were going to get lucky and avoid the 13 Effect," Olivia said.

"The what?" Alex said.

"The 13 Effect," Olivia said. "At some point around a child's thirteenth birthday, Elliot swears kids are given a 'stupid pill' that causes them to lose their minds."

Alex laughed. "Seriously?"

"He swears by it and from what I've seen, he's not far off," Olivia said. "I mean, obviously there isn't a pill, but it's like once those 13-year-old hormones kick in, they start acting goofy, doing things they'd have never done before. All of Elliot's kids did it. When Maureen turned 13, like Noah, she just didn't come home from school one day, and didn't see any reason why she needed to let El and Kathy know. Kathleen lied about going to a party. Dicky, well, what didn't Dicky do?"

"And how long do we have to look forward to this?" Alex said, still amused.

"With three kids? A long time," Olivia laughed.

"Well, we better buckle down," Alex said. "The teenager years officially starts in one week."