LEGAL: I do not own any of the characters from SVU – they belong to Dick Wood and NBC – I just borrowed them for a play date… I promise to return as they were taken.
AUTHORS NOTE: This can either be a companion piece for what is to come in my other story, Riding the Dark Horse, or it can be a one-shot. I will leave it up to your imagination. I know the title is less than imaginary but I really couldn't think of anything better. Hope you all like. Thank you as always to my betas ~ K, S, and D…. and I owe this story to the strange recesses of my mind where my dreams lie.
Wedding Day
She rolled over and looked out the window of her hotel room. Her room overlooked Central Park, and the sun was just beginning to rise, giving the city a serene look it only possessed at this time of day. As a long time resident of the city, it was moments like these that only residents knew to appreciate in their entirety because they were so far and few between. She rose out of the bed and walked to the window and looked down to street level. She saw that the carriages were just beginning to line up along the edge of the park. She saw two perfect ones and knew she needed to get a move on to complete her first mission of the day. It was one of many missions that she was taking on today, the most important one would be the finale at the end of the day. It was a day that she and many she knew never thought would come. And while it was still unbelievable, even in her mind, she knew she was ready for it.
"Thank God, John is such a patient man," she thought to herself, a grin slowly spreading across her face. As she quietly moved about the room to get dressed, she wondered what he was up to this morning and if he had also woken with the sun or if he was still calmly sleeping while she wrestled with the butterflies in her stomach. "Well time will tell," she thought to herself as she slipped out of the room careful not to wake any of the ladies still sleeping in the room.
This first mission of the day was a little surprise planned for the ladies she had left upstairs. For weeks she had let them believe that they would be walking several blocks in heels and dresses, when in reality she had had the transportation planned long ago. She had even come down on several occasions to check out the carriages and to speak with the drivers to see if her request was even possible. They had all agreed that it would be possible, and of course, had all tried to sweeten the deal somehow, but she knew that she didn't want to pick the carriages until the morning of to make sure they were perfect for that day. As she walked out into the early morning sun, she took a moment to just take a deep breath because she knew that once she made this move she knew there would be no turning back. She walked across the street and surveyed the carriages parked out front. She found two black sprawling carriages that would fit the ladies and their dresses nicely. They both looked like they came straight from New Orleans, and that made them even more appealing. She spoke with each of the owners and arranged to have them be in front of the Plaza Hotel at 11 a.m. sharp. She arranged that one would take one set of ladies to one end and the other would take herself and the remaining ladies to the front end. The whole thing would only take about an hour of the driver's time, but she paid him well, knowing that he would have the possibility of having three or four rides during that time. They loved the idea and were happy to help her out. Satisfied with the details, she walked back to the Plaza to her room, the one she had always dreamed of staying in, to get ready for her big day.
As she walked into the room, she saw that most of the ladies were still sleeping. Alex was flat on her back with her arm above her head, looking graceful as always. Casey was thrown every which was on the couch, practically falling off, which also did not surprise her in the least. Melinda came slowly from the bathroom a smile greeting her face as she watched her friend survey the room. Always a detective, checking out all the sights before entering completely, she laughed to herself.
"Hello, Bride-to-be. Are you ready for this or do I have to get the handcuffs out to keep you from running?" She laughed as Olivia playfully slapped her.
"Shh.. we don't want to wake them yet." Olivia said trying not to laugh aloud herself.
"Too late." Alex murmured as she stirred from her post.
"Sorry, sweetie." Melinda and Olivia said at the same time, attempting to control their laughter.
Suddenly they all jumped as there was a knock at the door. Olivia went to get it since she was dressed. She looked through the peephole and saw her favorite judge, Liz Donnelly, on the other side.
"Morning, Liz." She whispered as she opened the door.
"Morning, ladies." She spoke loudly as she walked in followed by a bellhop with room service. "Breakfast is here and its time to get this one primped before she runs." She turned and smiled at Olivia.
"Is everyone going to use that joke today?" Olivia asked trying to pull off annoyance, but failing miserably.
"Why yes?!" Casey grumbled as she rolled off the couch and hit the floor with a thud. The room burst into laughter.
"Guess, you are all up. Come eat." Liz said after uncapping all of the dishes. "Even you, Liv. We aren't going to have you passing out from heat exhaustion in this July weather or nerves. At least if you have food in you, we have a fighting chance." She laughed.
"Fine, but I am going to get all of you after today. Just remember that payback is bitch." She said sitting down with some fruit and water. That was about all her stomach could handle at this hour.
"Ok, what time is everything getting started again?" Alex asked pulling out a pad. She was forever planning everything and had practically designed the schedule for the hair, nails, makeup and dressing weeks prior.
"I don't know, you tell us, Miss Plan-It. You were the one telling me when I was getting stuff done, shouldn't you know?" Olivia asked sarcastically.
"Oh, hush! Without me, you would be getting married in the precinct in jeans and your gun." Alex said throwing a pillow at her.
"Ladies, we have work to do." Liz spoke firmly, but playfully.
"Nails, hair, and then makeup. All starting at 7:30. Which is why I should still be sleeping!" Casey muttered from her place still on the floor. She was definitely not a morning person and very crabby prior to her Starbucks.
"Oh, yea. I forgot about Grumpy here." Liz said pulling something out from under the cart. "Here, drink this and become normal." She said handing her a Starbucks cup with a wink.
"Ahh… you love me!" Casey shot up off the floor and reached for it like it was gold.
"Only in your dreams, baby." Liz shot back as she sat back down laughing. It was common for them to flirt, and while there was often speculation, no one ever really thought much about whether or not they actually had made good on their flirting.
"I am going to hit the shower first," Melinda said rising with her cup of coffee.
The rest of the ladies just looked around confused, all thinking that it would have been Olivia first, but she was a no frills girl so she never worried about how much time it took her to get ready. Melinda turned around and looked at their faces and said reassuringly, "My hair takes longer to dry, but I will be quick so we can get the bride going."
Olivia looked up with a wonder because she really didn't think it would take her long to put on her dress and finish all the other preparations. "What are you all worried for? It takes me like five minutes to get ready?" She asked.
"Yea, we know. We see you every day." Casey joked.
"Well, at least, I don't need Starbucks to be nice in the morning." Olivia shot back. They had all been friends for years and had some of the best ammunition ever against each other, but rarely ever used it for true malice.
Not even five minutes had passed by when Melinda emerged from the bathroom. She threw a robe and towel at Olivia and said, "Let's go! No time to waste."
"Right on it, Doc," she said grabbing the items and moving to the bathroom. She knew if she didn't go, the lot of them would be on her like white on rice.
She took a nice relaxing shower while the ladies went out about getting their items together for the day. They all had nice burgundy dresses that were strapless with long flowing, hoop skirts. It was a lot of dress for a bridesmaid, but the ladies had just been happy that Olivia had actually decided on them wearing dresses. It was almost a shock, except that they all knew she had a little feminine side underneath her tough exterior, it just didn't have much place in their line of work. Their level of surprise hit an all time high, when they found out that she had already picked out her dress weeks prior to finding their dresses. The worry on their faces must have shown through because she had quickly had the seamstress at the bridal shop confirm that she had in fact chosen to wear an appropriate dress. They had not seen it because she had wanted it to be a surprise for all, and the anticipation had nearly killed all of them. Unknowingly to each other, Olivia had endured constant questioning from each of them about the dress, but she had kept mum to all.
Olivia emerged from the bathroom to a bustle of activity. Alex flew past her into the bathroom to get her shower in. Casey was nowhere to be found, but Olivia assumed that she had used the shower in Liz's room because she was also missing. Melinda was hurried grabbing things and putting them here, there and everywhere.
"Man, you all can run a case and a courtroom, but are freaking out over a little wedding." She said plopping down in the nearest chair, hoping to not get in the way.
"This is no little wedding." Alex said poking her head out of the bathroom. "This is YOUR wedding." With that she walked back in and shut the door.
Olivia looked to Melinda, "So, what's your excuse?"
"The maid of honor, that's me, is responsible for making sure everything is perfect for you. I need to be on my game today. I am not letting you find a single excuse to not marry that man." She said flatly. "He loves you too much for you to run. So, if you will excuse me, I am going to make your day easier." She said patting Olivia's arm.
"Well, what am I supposed to do?" She said exasperated by everyone's nervousness. She knew she wasn't running anywhere, no matter what. She just wished that they would trust that as well. But she also understood their reasoning for it because she had often run from things in the past, but never a marriage, many a relationship, but never a marriage. She laughed to herself and walked to the bedroom to start getting her things out.
She walked in and saw the bag with her dress in it. She knew she was going to need someone's help to get it zipped, but she wanted to make sure that she chose the right person. She had hoped to be able to surprise them all, but knew it would be impossible to dress on her own. "Casey has a big mouth and won't be able to keep quiet and will ruin the surprise. Alex will fawn all over it and nitpick it if she sees any flaws, which she wouldn't. Melinda was already running crazy. Liz was the only one left." So she went with the woman who had been a mentor of sorts for years. It felt right to have Liz be the one to help her dress since her mother was not here to celebrate this occasion, not that Olivia was absolutely sure she would have celebrated her happiness anyway. Olivia went to the bedside and called to Liz's room. She picked up on the first ring.
"Donnelly."
"Liz, you are not at work." Olivia and she shared a laugh.
"Guess its habit, Benson."
"I need a favor. Can you help me get dressed?" Olivia asked quietly.
"I would be happy to, but why aren't you asking one of the other ladies?"
"I want the dress to be a surprise for them too." She said, trying not to give away everything about herself today. She just wasn't sure how she could put it to Liz that it was just more comfortable for her to help.
"Ok, I will do whatever you say. This is your day, I am just happy to be a part of it. I will come back down in a little bit." She said and hung up the phone. Liz looked around her room and let a tear slip from her eyes, as she felt so honored to be by Olivia's side on this important day. They had never discussed it, but Liz had always thought of her as a daughter of sorts. It meant more than Olivia would ever know.
Olivia had a similar reaction as she hung up the phone with Liz. "Today was going to be special for more than just one reason today," she thought to herself.
A knock at the door stirred her from her thoughts.
"Yes?" She asked in a slightly quavering voice.
"You ready to get started?" Melinda asked opening the door carefully.
"Yea, I am as ready as I will ever be for this masquerade of femininity." Olivia laughed as she rose from her seat on the bed. She had already put on the easy on – off button down so as to not mess up her hair, and her favorite jeans that would not wreck her nails as she took them off to put on the attire for the day.
"Ok, button down and jeans that will work for well for when we get back." Melinda checked off as she grabbed Olivia's purse and room key. "Ok we are going to be late if we don't get a move on now."
"Mel, the salon is two doors down. What's the rush?"
Melinda grumbled, "The earlier we get in, the earlier we get out. Just come on, will ya?" She grabbed Olivia's hand and pulled her out the door. "Alex, we are heading down. See you down there soon, and bring Casey."
"You got it." Alex yelled from the shower as they flew out the door. Olivia had long legs so it was easy to keep up with Melinda, but she had never really seen her this stressed out before. It wasn't even her wedding day.
"Seriously, Melinda, everything will be fine. What are you freaking out about?" Olivia asked calmly.
Melinda laughed. "I am actually not freaking out. I just wanted to give you something without the rest of the ladies being around." Suddenly, Melinda produced an envelope and a small box from her purse and handed it to Olivia. "I would probably suggest reading it now, because otherwise we are going to have some very upset makeup artists on our hands." She laughed nervously. They were not the type of friends for mushy things, but today Melinda felt it was important to give her a little something.
Olivia took a quick seat in the lobby to open the gift before they went about their journey. Inside the envelope, Olivia found a note that said,
"Today is your day, dear friend. It is a day I often feared would never come. But I am happy to be able to be here with you to celebrate your love and marriage to John. With him, you have found a peace and comfort I often wondered if my friend would ever possess. I often sat up nights, wondering how I could help bring that peace to you, but was very saddened to realize that it was something that I was incapable of giving to you. However, now that you have found it, I know it was not my place. To celebrate what you have found, I have given you this necklace of a wing and a heart. The wing represents me watching over you always, as my best friend; the heart will signify the love that you have found with John and all that it will mean for your continued happiness. Take today and the rest of your life to celebrate who you are, who you will become, and all the happiness you will find. It has been a long time coming for you, and I am truly blessed to be by your side. ~Mel"
Olivia opened the box and found the necklace, just as she had described. It was a simple silver chain with a heart and wing charm on it. She looked up from it with tears in her eyes to her friend, and saw that she not only also had tears in her eyes, but was wearing a matching necklace. Olivia rose quickly and gave her a hug.
"This means the world to me. Thank you! It will look great with my dress today."
"Olivia, you don't have to wear it today. I just wanted you to have it today." Melinda laughed as she wiped away her own tears.
"No, I will wear it. It's important to us both. Thank you for being here today. I couldn't ask for a better friend."
With that they walked out into the warm sun, and headed for the salon. The primping process lasted a lot longer than Olivia ever thought would be possible, but it was also a lot more fun than she thought possible. She was pleased to be laughing and joking with all of her favorite ladies this morning, each of them was endeared to her in a different way, but all equally as important. Finally around 9:45, they walked out of the salon, all primped and ready to go.
"We have got to be a sight to see." Olivia said looking around at them. She was wearing jeans and a button down. Casey was wearing a t-shirt and shorts. Melinda was wearing a track suit. Alex was in yoga pants and a matching tank top. Liz, the only respectable one, had on khakis and a button down. "Our hair, nails and makeup are done up like prom, yet we are wearing the most heinous unfashionable outfits ever." She burst out laughing. They all rolled their eyes at her and laughed.
"Seriously, you would find that amusing." Alex said. "Need I remind you AGAIN, what you look like after working 48 hours straight and sleeping in the crib, with your hair standing on end?"
"Fine. Point taken. But I still think its funny." Olivia said feigning a pout, but failing miserably.
"Time for dresses, ladies." Liz said as they walked through the lobby to the elevators. She leaned in close to Olivia and said, "I will be over in about 20 minutes. Get started without me." Olivia nodded slightly and walked into the elevator.
Upon reaching their floor, Liz went off to her room and the remaining ladies went to the suite with Olivia. They walked in and started grabbing their respective spaces to get dressed.
"Liv, call if you need us." Melinda said through the closed bathroom door. She had beat everyone by having her stuff all set by the front door so she could get dressed first.
"I will be all set. Thanks. See you in a few." She walked into her portion of the room and shut the door that blocked it off from the rest of the room. She walked over to the garment bag and unzipped it to reveal her dress. She would never admit it to anyone, but she had found the perfect dress while flipping channels on tv one night. She had come across the video for a Taylor Swift song called "Love Story", another thing she would never admit to. She wore the dress in the video and Olivia had always thought that it would make the most perfect wedding dress, little did she know that less than a year later she would be getting married in a beautiful copy of that dress. She laughed a little to herself as she pulled everything out that she needed and went down the mental checklist.
"Corset, garter belt, thong and thigh highs, as insisted upon by Alex. Beautiful shoes, insisted upon by Melinda. Necklace from Melinda. Dress. And the naughty garter from Casey." She laughed some more as she pulled everything out. Just as she was about to get started, she heard a quiet knock on the door. She pulled it open slightly and saw that it was Liz, and quickly pulled her into the room.
"Ok, I thought that you would be further along, than this." Liz said laughing. "You need to get dressed."
"I know. I was getting everything ready. But you look beautiful." Olivia said looking over Liz. She was wearing a toned down version of the dress that the ladies were wearing. It was still strapless, but the skirt was leaner and she had a sheer shawl over top. It was very tasteful and seemed to be the perfect choice for her.
"Why thank you, but nothing will outshine you today." Liz said putting her purse down and pulling open the garment bag to take a peak at the dress. "Liv, this is beautiful."
"Thank you, now you want to help me get into it." Olivia said grabbing the corset after putting on the thong, thigh highs and garter. "This thing is like a torture devise, but I totally love it." Liz just laughed at her and helped her cinch it up. Then she pulled on the dress and Liz zipped it up. When Olivia turned around, Liz just held a hand to her lips and held back the tears the best she could.
"Well?" Olivia asked not knowing how to judge the look on her friend's face.
Liz cleared her throat and said, "There has never been a more beautiful bride. Oh my god, Liv!" She hugged Olivia carefully. "We had better show those ladies before they have a stroke from the anticipation." Olivia smiled and checked out the mirror. She still loved the dress as much as the day she first put it on. She nodded as Liz walked to door and opened. Alex, Casey and Mel came rushing in and all you heard was a chorus of awes.
"You look gorgeous!" They said in unison.
"Thank you!" They all hugged quickly.
"I love the way those dresses look on each of you!" Olivia said surveying her bridesmaids and maid of honor. The dress looked perfect on each of them, but in their own special way.
"Ok, we need a picture of you four." Liz said snapping a group photo of them. They all giggled like schoolgirls before prom. It was the happiest she had seen all of them in a long time. "Time to get to walking, ladies."
They all groaned as they thought of walking the ten blocks to the wedding sight, but they would do anything for Olivia today.
"Oh, come on guys, its not going to be that bad. And my heels are worse than all of yours!" Olivia said laughing and showing off her 5" stiletto heeled sandals.
"Give me a break. I walk in these things all week. The least you could do is give me a ride to your wedding, Liv!" Casey whined.
"Well at least you are used to walking in them!" Melinda said laughing. "I don't ever wear these things!"
"Oh, come on, y'all are babies!" Alex said laughing at them. Liz could barely catch her breath as she laughed at the lot of them.
"Let's go." She said through bursts of laughter and pushed them all out of the door of the hotel room. They made quite the scene walking through the hotel and into the lobby. There were stares and awes from all directions as they walked by. Liz felt proud of the group that she was in and looked sideways at Olivia to see her reaction, happy to see that she had a smile on her face.
Olivia would have normally been embarrassed by the attention that they were receiving as they walked through the lobby, but she was nervously looking through the front door to ensure that the surprise would be waiting. She let out a deep breath as she got close enough and saw both carriages sitting there. She stopped short of the door in front of the group.
"I would like to say thank you to my best friends for enduring me on this special day that none of us thought would come. As a thank you, I have gotten you a little surprise, which I am sure that you will enjoy." Olivia laughed as she watched all of them try to look around her to get a look at the surprise. With a smile, she turned and opened the door and said, "Ladies, your chariots await!"
The ladies walked quickly outside and saw the carriages. They turned to look at Olivia, with questioning looks.
"You think, I was really going to make all of you walk ten blocks in heels, and that I, myself, would do that… that I would go parading around in my wedding dress. You have got to be kidding!" Olivia said falling over with laughter.
"Thank GOD!" yelled Melinda first, which made Olivia laugh even harder.
"Who goes in which?" asked Liz, trying desperately to keep the group on track, but with them acting like a bunch of teenagers, she was having a rough time of it. "Olivia!"
"What?! Oh yea, ok…." She said trying to catch her breath. "Liz, Casey and Alex in the first one, Melinda and I in the second one."
"Oh, we don't get to all go together?" pouted Casey. "I have barely seen you this morning."
"Oh, Case, you will see plenty of me today. We have some partying to do, but first there's this whole other thing, I need to take care of. Oh yea, the wedding part…." Olivia said laughing.
"Ladies, lets get going." Liz said. "We will see you there, beautiful." She said giving Olivia a hug. "Take care of our girl, Mel." She said winking at her over Olivia's shoulder.
"Will do, Liz. She'll be there." Melinda said smiling back at her.
"Alright, Liv, let's do this!" Alex yelled as she quickly hugged Olivia and then hauled herself into the carriage. "Well that was interesting. Who's next?" She helped Liz and Casey up into their carriage after Casey had hugged Olivia goodbye.
"Olivia, are you ready?" Melinda asked her quietly.
"Yes, I am." She turned to her and smiled. "But I hadn't really thought about how I was going to get into the carriage." She said laughing. That caused the ladies in the other carriage to start laughing and chanting "Go Liv! Go Liv!" She couldn't stop laughing long enough to be able to get into the carriage.
"Stop! I need to breathe to do this." With that she hopped in with the help of the driver and Melinda and safely got her dress into the carriage, before helping Melinda in as well. "We're off!" She yelled and the carriages started moving.
Olivia and John had decided to get married on the Mall in Central Park underneath the Elms. It had been a place that they would often come and walk when they had had a rough week at work, or even just to end a date. It had always been a favorite of each of theirs, and became even more important after they had started dating. It had also been the place that they had discussed the important topic of what would happen if they were to start dating and got married, because the rules at the precinct were that two officers who were involved could not be in the same unit. It was a hard decision to make because they both loved their jobs, but John had decided that he would retire and then work with the Captain as a consultant. The Captain was thrilled with the arrangement. Olivia had not been comfortable with it at first because she did not want him to give up his job because of her, but John had convinced her that it was for the best. John knew that the job was far more important to her than it had been to him. He had already served nearly 35 years as an officer, he was ready for a break, anyway. Plus he knew that she would miserable without the work, and her happiness was more important to him than anything, and nothing made her eyes sparkle like helping a victim. That was one of things that had always drawn him to her. It had just started out as a friendship. John had always seen her as a beautiful woman, and had always just wanted her to find a man that would treat her like the princess she was meant to be. Then they had been paired on a few cases, while Elliot was in court, and they had spent a lot of time together. During that time, they had gotten to know each other better, and he had found out that they had a number of things in common. His appreciation for her had grown into an attraction and eventually he had asked her out on a date. She had been adverse to the idea at first, but then had decided that it would be nice to do something outside of work. And things had just progressed from there. Everyone around them couldn't be happier to see the two of them enjoying each other and life more so than they ever had before. John had even slowed up on his conspiracy theories and Olivia was more relaxed than she had been in months.
Melinda looked over at Olivia and saw a glow that she had never seen in her friend before and she couldn't be happier. "So, what are you thinking about?" she asked the bride.
"Just how I got to this place. It's nice, isn't it?" She said quietly.
"It's beautiful, as are you. Truly I have never seen you content until now and it suits you." Melinda said giving her hand a squeeze.
They pulled up to the end of the Mall and Olivia saw her Captain, Donald Cragen, waiting for her. He had always been like a father to her, much as Liz had been like a mother, and so it was fitting that he would be the one to "walk her down the aisle". He walked quickly up to the carriage to help the ladies down.
"Morning, Melinda. Don't you look fabulous." He said giving her a kiss on the cheek.
"Thank you, Don. You are looking pretty dapper in your tux as well." She stepped off to the side as the Captain and the driver helped Olivia down from the carriage.
"Olivia, you look like an angel." Don said, helping her down. He gave her a kiss on the cheek as well. "Are you ready to do this?"
She smiled sweetly at him and said, "Yes, I think I am. Are you?"
He smiled sheepishly and said, "No. I kinda feel like I am really giving my daughter away and I have to say, I am not really fond of it. But I think I can handle it." They all laughed and starting walking the remainder of the way to the Mall.
As they turned the corner, Olivia saw her friends lining the walkway, and knew the scene was going to be perfect, just as she had wanted it to be. Melinda looked at her friend and said, "Here goes nothing. I will see you in the middle." With that she gave her a hug and stepped into position. The crowd rose from the benches and stood to create an aisle under the Elm trees that lined the walkway. Melinda looked to the end and saw that Casey had already walked down, and got ready to walk in as Alex did from the other end to meet in the middle. She gave a quick look back at her friend and with tears of happiness already forming in her eyes, she began walking towards Alex. Once they reached Casey in the middle, they stepped back and formed a half circle with Fin, Elliot and the other ushers. As they stood back they looked towards both ends, at one end stood Olivia with Don, and at the other end stood John with Liz.
As Olivia and Don had done, Liz and John had a quiet moment alone before walking down. Liz looked at John and smiled, he was just standing there peacefully, as if this was just another day for all of them. She felt the need to be a mother for a moment and remind him of the precious gift they were giving him today.
"You are sure about this right?" She started slowly.
"Yes, I am." He said confidently while smiling at her.
"Were you sure the other four times?" She inquired.
"Liz, I understand. This is different. She is different." He said trying to reassure her. He knew that he did not have the best track record, but he also knew he felt differently than he ever had before.
"I just need you to understand what we are giving up here, and to know the repercussions if she gets hurt. It took her too long to get to this point. If anything should happen, she will not recover from you." She said sternly, but with love in her eyes.
"Liz, you have no idea how much this gift means to me. I understand what it took for her to get to this point. I also understand what it took for me to get to this point. I never thought that I would do this again, and if it was anyone else, I wouldn't be doing this again. But for her, I will do anything. I promise that she will be happy and well cared for." He held her hand tightly as he looked into her eyes as if to ensure she felt the promise he was making to her.
"Ok, John, I just had to make sure. Let's do this." She said lighting the mood as they prepared to walk down.
John looked to the other end of the mall, and saw his bride to be, standing with their Captain and great friend. Tears started to form in his eyes as he took in her beauty, even from afar. No one would ever understand how undeserving he felt of her and how special she made every day of his life. She was like having an angel by your side every minute of the day. It was a miracle like none other, and for a person who did not believe in miracles, that was truly something special. Their love had grown from a long standing friendship, and had been quite unexpected, thus it was far more treasured by both of them than anyone could imagine. He brought her stability and a place to belong – that was not work, and she brought him comfort and contentedness. He did not search out the conspiracy of their love, he just enjoyed it.
Liz pulled him from his thoughts and whispered, "It's time."
John took a moment to watch Olivia walk towards him, and let it register that he was actually going to get to marry her today. Of all of his marriages, this was the most important and the one he thought least likely to happen. But he had been surprised to see that she had not run, except to the bridal store to buy a dress. "And what a dress that is!" he thought to himself. With that final thought, he and Liz began their walk.
In unison, the couples walked together to meet in the middle, to be joined in unity, brought there by the two people that meant the most to the both of them. As they made their way up to the middle, the guests followed behind making a circle around them as they came to the center. Once they were in the center, they joined hands and the ceremony went on. Within 30 minutes, they were announced a couple and there wasn't a dry eye in the place, especially after hearing the vows that had each written. There were hugs all around and it was truly one of the happiest moments in all of their lives.
From the Mall, they made their way to the Bethesda Terrace and took a number of photographs. The wedding album for this one was surely to be unlike any other, because they were a couple like no other. On several occasions, the photographer had to ask them to take a minute so he could stop laughing long enough to take a picture. And the reception, which was held on the great lawn of Central Park, was no exception either. Since no structures, like tents, tables, and chairs, were allowed in Central Park, it was a picnic lunch for all attendees on blankets. The ladies had long thrown their heels in a pile, and the guys had loosened their ties, as the party got started. There was dancing to music provided by the street performers that used the Park as their stage. Someone brought along a Frisbee and a video was captured of the wedding party playing Frisbee in the park. That was a sight to behold for sure. But it all seemed fitting for the couple they were all celebrating. The ladies and gentlemen had all raised their flasks in toast, as the best man and maid of honor made their speeches.
In the middle of the whole celebration, Olivia brought out a bullhorn and yelled for quiet. "I would like to take this moment, and have something I never thought possible on my wedding day. I would like to have a father daughter dance. Don?" She asked as she held her hand out to him. He turned shyly from the crowd toward Liz, who handed him a tissue to wipe a tear, as she wiped her own. He walked proudly towards Olivia. She put the bullhorn down and quietly said, "Thank you for all that you have done for me, and all that you will continue to be for me. I couldn't ask for a better friend, mentor, or dad." He just nodded as he didn't have the ability to speak from emotion. With that, the song Baby Girl by Sugarland started to play from a boombox nearby. "This song always reminded me of everything you ever told me." She just smiled and danced with him. He held her like a father would and attempted to gather his emotions long enough, to express his gratitude.
"You are the best daughter a man could ever ask for. It is an honor to have this dance with you, to work with you every day, and to be a friend to you always. I am so proud of you every day and I treasure the friendship we have and will honor it always." She smiled up at him with tears glistening in her eyes, this time she was silent with emotion. As the song came to a close, Don gave her a hug and whispered in her ear. "You, more than anyone, have earned the happiness that you have found. Hold it close and treasure it always. It's your time."
She smiled at him and nodded. "Thank you for being here, Don."
After she walked him off of her makeshift dance floor, she walked over to the boombox and changed the CD in it, and then grabbed her bullhorn again.
"Liz Donnelly, you will not escape," she yelled. Liz turned around with a surprised look on her face. "Come on down, madam!" Olivia said waving Liz towards her. Liz reluctantly walked towards her, never knowing quite what to expect from her. "What you may not all know about our dear Judge Donnelly, is that she can truly get down. Let's see those moves, Liz." All of sudden the song Dirty by Christina Aguilera blared from the radio. "You remember this one right?" She said as she fell over laughing as Liz glared at her as she walked up.
Liz grabbed the bullhorn and yelled, "You are damn lucky this is your wedding day, Liv! Ladies, get up here, if I am doing it so are you!" Alex, Casey, and Melinda walked reluctantly to the front and joined Olivia and Liz dancing. They all were laughing hysterically and suddenly Olivia yelled, "Let's go people! This ain't no funeral, get up and dance dammit!"
"Give me that damn thing, Liv." Liz said as grabbed the bullhorn and threw it across the lawn. Olivia was laughing so hard, she could barely breathe, but she wanted to take this moment, to talk to Liz without everyone watching. She grabbed her arm and quickly dragged her away from the party.
"Liv, what the hell?" Liz asked.
Olivia tried to regain her composure and finally caught her breath. "I am sorry, Liz. I just wanted to talk to you for a moment. Let's sit." She said pulling Liz to a nearby bench.
"What's up, hon?" Liz asked concerned.
"I know that we aren't the mushy type, but I just feel the need to get some things across today. Maybe it's all the femininity around me or something, but I am a bit emotional, so you will need to forgive me. I just wanted to thank you for always being there for me and always being a constant source of inspiration and motivation for me. You always challenge me to be more than I am, to go beyond what is the norm and that makes me a better person. My mother, while the best she could be, was not the best for me. You have taken up some of that slack without anyone asking, and I just really appreciate it. Some days its just nice to know that you are around. I just wanted you to know that." Olivia said looking into her friend's eyes with tears barely remaining in her own. Liz simply reached out and hugged her.
"It's my pleasure. You make me proud more than you know and I hope that I will continue to be there for you, as you are for me. You are a light in my life, and I look forward to watching you continue to grow. I know it seems a strange thing to say to someone your age, but this is a new path for you to travel, so I look forward to seeing you as you explore each new step. Love it, enjoy it, and live it all up like you never have before. It's time for you to let go."
"Thanks, Liz. I would want nothing more than for you to be here for the mess that's sure to come along." Olivia said laughing.
"Alright, well let's get back to the party. We gotta get those girls to live up to their reputations from your bachelorette party! Have any more music for them to get down to?" Liz laughed dragging Olivia back to her reception.
"Oh hell yeah I do, but you better be there too!" With that they went back to the reception and danced like crazy fools until dusk. There had never been a happier day for the Special Victims Unit.
Once the photographs were all taken and the reception was coming to a close, in true Olivia fashion of thumbing her nose at all things feminine, she decided that tossing her bouquet for someone to catch was not for her. So instead, it suddenly became a projectile, much like a football and was tossed around the terrace, with all spectators taking a turn at throwing it until it fell apart to pieces.
"Well that was interesting." John said, pulling his wife in for a kiss while laughing.
"Life is going to get even more interesting from here. I hope you can handle it." She said back laughing just as hard.
"I am ready for anything that involves you."
"Are you ready to find the garter?" She asked playfully before winking at him and running off.