Disclaimer: Law & Order: SVU and all associated characters belong to Dick Wolf and NBC.
For the first time in two-and-a-half years, Olivia Benson is about to walk through the doors of the 16th Precinct in Manhattan, New York. For some reason, she is nervous. It doesn't make any sense. The people in there are her family - well, they used to be, anyway.
She hasn't talked to most of them since she left. In the beginning, it was because, whenever she called, they were busy working on a case, but now, she has just stopped trying. She keeps in touch with the one who meant the most to her, Elliot. He is the only one who knows her secrets - well, two of them anyway. By the end of the day, however, Olivia hopes that the rest of her "family" will know, too.
She's been standing outside the precinct for atleast twenty minutes, maybe longer, when she hears a familiar voice say, "Olivia, is that you?"
She turns around to see the man she has always considered her surrogate father, Donald Cragen, walking down the steps of the 1-6. "Hey, Don." Olivia smiles. "Yeah, it's me."
Don pulls Olivia into a hug, releases her, and says, "You get your ass inside. You know the guys will want to see you."
"Yeah, but...weren't you just headed out somewhere?" She's not ready to go in yet.
Don tells her that he was just going to run down to the corner to get a cup of coffee, but "I'll just drink that sludge Munch calls coffee."
"No, Don. Don't do that to yourself. Really. Actually, I think I'll come with you to the coffee shop, if you don't mind."
Of course, Don doesn't mind, and they turn to walk down the street. Don can tell that there is something on Olivia's mind, even after all this time. "Olivia, what's wrong? I can see that you are worried about something."
She isn't quite ready to tell him, but decides that it will make things easier at the precinct if one person, other than Elliot, already knows part of what she has to say. "Nothing's wrong. It's just...I have something I want to tell you...that I need to tell you...but...I don't know why, but I'm nervous." She takes a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. She absentmindedly runs a hand through her hair, and the sparkle of her ring catches Don's eye.
"Olivia, is that," he gestures to her left hand, "an engagement ring?"
She looks up at him and smiles. "Yeah...and a wedding band."
At first, Don is shocked. The best female detective he ever had just told him that she is married, and he hadn't even known she was engaged. But, then again, it had almost been three years since he last saw her and almost as long since they spoke. The shock quickly fades, and he is truly happy for her. "Who's the lucky guy? Anyone I know?"
Olivia can't contain her happiness as she smiles at him and says, "Yeah, actually, you do know him...it's Elliot."
Once again, Cragen is shocked, but he is not surprised. He always knew that Elliot and Olivia would end up together, but, when she left the station, he didn't know that they had kept in touch. Elliot hadn't mentioned her all that often...only when someone else brought her name up. "Really? Congratulations! How long have you two been married?"
Olivia is thrilled with the way Don is reacting. "A little over three years now."
"Wow! Three years. I didn't think it was possible for him to keep a secret. It does explain how he was able to keep working after you left, though." Don sees Olivia smiling at him, and then it hits him. "Wait...three years? You mean you were already married when you left?"
"Yeah...I only left because...I knew I wouldn't be able to go out in the field anymore for a while, and I couldn't stand the thought of desk duty."
Cragen looks at Olivia, confused, and says, "You wouldn't have gone on desk duty just because you got married. You..."
"I know. It wasn't because we were married." Olivia looks Cragen in the eye and says, through a beaming smile and happy tears, "It was because I was pregnant."
For the second time that afternoon, Don pulls the woman he considers a daughter into his arms. "Oh, Olivia. Congratulations! Was it a boy or a girl?"
"It was a little girl, Chloe Abigail Stabler."
"When do I get to meet her? Why didn't you bring her with you?"
By this time, Don and Olivia have been back outside the station for a few minutes. "I was going to bring her, but a friend offered to watch her while I came down here. Actually, I think I'll run home and get her. Could you...not tell the guys I was here? I want to surprise them."
"No problem, Olivia. See you in a little while."
Olivia gives Don a hug goodbye and turns to walk back to her car.
When Olivia returns to the precinct, she is still nervous, but not nearly as bad as before. She opens the door to the precinct with Chloe in her arms, and makes eye contact with Don. "Look who's here, guys!"
Olivia walks the rest of the way into the station with Chloe toddling along beside her. At the same time, Munch and Fin both ask, "Olivia?" They seem to not notice Chloe, who has found her way over to Elliot.
Olivia looks at the guys. She can't believe that it's been three years since she last saw them. "It's great to see you, too, guys."
The guys move over, and each gives Olivia a hug that tells her just how much they have missed having her around. Then Fin says the one thing that he and Munch have both been wondering. "Ain't you going to say anything to Stabler over there? You ain't seen each other for a couple years now."
"Actually, Fin, we have seen each other. We just haven't worked together...professionally, anyway." Olivia smiles at Elliot as he gets up, carrying Chloe with him, and moves over to stand beside Olivia.
Fin seems to notice the beautiful, brown-haired, blue-eyed girl for the first time. "Hey there, little one, and who are you?"
Elliot speaks up, for the first time, and says, "Guys, this is Chloe. Chloe Abigail Stabler."
Munch, being his usual, tactful self, smiles at Chloe and says, "It's about damn time Stabler." He turns to look at Fin. "And I believe you owe me two hundred dollars."
They all laugh and Olivia jokes, "Well, thanks a lot guys. It's great to know that you placed bets on my love life."
"No problem, Olivia. Anything for the two of you," Munch jokes.
Olivia looks at Elliot. She has one secret that even he doesn't know. "El, there's something I have to tell you."
Elliot looks at her, concerned, and asks, "Is everything okay?"
Olivia's eyes are welling with tears again as she smiles at him and says, "Everything is wonderful...Chloe is going to be a big sister." Elliot pulls Olivia into his arms, and, as the other detectives look on, he kisses her.
At that moment, Cragen's phone rings...there's a vic at Mercy. "Munch. Fin. You guys take this one. Elliot, you go home and spend some time with your family. And Olivia, I expect to see you, Chloe, and this new little one more than once every three years."
"Don't worry, Captain. I'll make sure to bring them around more often," Elliot says as Olivia is hugging Cragen goodbye. He moves closer to Don and tells Chloe, "Give Grandpa Don bye kisses." The little girl leans over and kisses Cragen on the cheek. As the Stabler family moves toward the door of the precinct, Elliot lowers his hand to the small of his wife's back, guiding her out the door.