Over These Years

Author's Note: Also thanks to everyone that read this and all! I was in a good mood today...sadly now I still have shitload of homework to do...ah crap! Also chapters will be getting shorter...like days in winter really, god my feet are cold...

O'Malley's Bar, Manhattan

24th June, 1985

"And congratulations to the new L.T.!" announced Max Greevey, raising his glass in toast. Don grinned widely, as a bunch of other cops from his precinct joined in the toast. There was a large sound of clinking glasses, and then a long sigh after each man finished taking a long draught.

Don leaned back in his seat, as the babble started up amongst the cops. He had just been promoted to lieutenant, and in true brotherhood style Max had immediately rallied the other cops at the precinct and organised a small party at a local bar. In other words, drink until you're so shit faced that you completely forget what happened in the last twenty four hours.

Don felt slightly guilty, feeling the need to go home and tell Marge the good news, but at the moment he had content just to sit there and enjoy the company of his fellow officers.

Don took another drink of beer when Serena Benson walked in. He placed his glass down and blinked a few times, unsure if it was really her. He hadn't seen her – what in four years? After that 'little' (biggest understatement ever) incident on Christmas Eve, Don had left the Bensons alone. Marge however was still sending cards over but Don no longer got into it. She wasn't his kid after all, was never going to be, and besides from what he heard from Ms. Cabot (Marge again) Olivia was doing fine, so fine in fact that the Child Services had stopped checking up on them. The last thing he had really heard was that Olivia had made it into an advanced placement program for Math. No point him interfering when it came down to it.

Watching her carefully, his curiosity soon got the better of him as to why Serena had come over to this part of town near his precinct, and had gone into a cops bar. At her creased forehead he knew something was wrong. He immediately excused himself from the table and made a beeline for her.

"Serena?" he said softly from behind as she sat at the barstool. She spun around, flipping her long hair and smiled, "Don? Fancy seeing you here,"

"It is a cop bar...near my precinct," he said slowly.

She didn't respond.

"How are you doing?" he asked, sitting beside her.

"Great," she deadpanned, the barman gave her a Long Island Ice Tea. She swirled around her drink and added, "Just great, I'm teaching at Hudson now,"

"Really?" he said, not really interested in the fact she had gotten the job at Hudson she had always desired, because no way she would make this trip just to by 'chance' to run into him to tell him that she had gotten her dream job.

"What about you?" asked Serena, glancing over at his friends, "You got a promotion?"

"Yeah, Lieutenant," shrugged Don. He looked carefully at Serena. He could tell something big was on her mind. She had a sort of hopelessness in her usual determined eyes.

"Marge must be pleased," she said breaking through his thoughts

"Wouldn't know," admitted Don, "I just heard and my partner Max decided to celebrate,"

A curious expression appeared on her face, "Uncle Max?"

Don blinked at surprise at that. Uncle Max...he hadn't heard that name for a very long time. His heart warmed as he remembered uncle Max teaching Olivia little magic tricks, "You heard?" he asked.

"Livvie wouldn't stop talking about it for months," she said simply, it being the time when Olivia had come to stay with him. It touched Don that she remembered it. Serena caught his wistful look, "Don't get your hopes up Don, she barely remembers – she was six after all,"

"Of course," shrugged Don, "So how is she?"

"She's good; going well at school...she's engaged,"

"What?" his eyes widened and immediately realised that this was the thing that was worrying Serena - and no shit too.

"I know," sighed Serena.

Don drew in a deep breath, "But she can only be what...sixteen?"

"Uh huh," grunted Serena, before draining the last of her drink. Olivia was engaged? How? Who? A small beast roared in his chest, urging him to go and find the guy and lock him up. He closed his eyes, trying to think through the situation logically. It was probably a guy at school...and probably a fling...he hoped that was the case...

Clearing his throat he asked, "Who too?"

Serena let out a low whistle, "This is where I want to break the guy's balls – he's one of my students, they meet at a university function I had to attend, and I foolishly brought Livvie along,"

"How old?" growled Don.

"Twenty-one,"

"That's –"

"She's assured me that they haven't had sex yet," cut in Serena as if reading his mind.

Don glanced at Serena in pure disbelief, "You seem rather calm about it,"

"Trust me I'm not...currently I'm on the verge on trying to get so drunk and pretend like this whole business hasn't happened," sighed Serena, she ordered another drink, "She never listens to me, and she's threatened to move out..."

Don could understand why that threat was really getting to Serena. Olivia was all she really had and she wanted to keep it that way. Sighing, he said, "Then make her listen. Sit down with her – make sure your sober – and list the reasons why you don't want her getting married,"

"Besides the obvious of her being way too young?" she joked lamely.

Don shrugged, "Yeah, even that. And if that doesn't work I'll find some way to arrest the guy," he paused, "What's his name anyway?"

"Good idea Don," said Serena, side stepping the last question. She put some cash down for her drink, "But sadly Lieutenant," she smirked, "I have to leave and go convince my sixteen year old daughter that she is about to make the biggest mistake of her life, and then I have to go hound her fiancé,"

"If you need –"

"Call you?" she raised an eyebrow, "I'll be fine Don, but I'll keep it in mind,"

She left the bar, leaving Don sitting alone, still stunned.

"Who was that?" came Max's voice behind him.

"An old friend,"

Outside the Benson's Apartment, Manhattan

30th June, 1985

Don sat inside his car early in the morning, sipping on a warm coffee, waiting for Serena to appear. He had been doing this for the last couple of days waiting outside, desperate for news on the engagement. On the first morning he had seen Olivia storm out of the building with Serena behind her, yelling at her. He noticed there was a slight bruise developing on her left cheekbone. He immediately wondered if Serena had hit her. In his gut he knew she had, so Don had promptly gone and talked to Serena which had ended in her telling him to 'bugger off'.

Don had been tempted to arrest her on an abuse charge but he didn't knowing that it would go nowhere.

He hadn't seen Olivia leave the building in the morning since and he suspected it was because she had been staying with her fiancé, so it was a surprise to him when he saw her leaving the building, hair tied up in a messy bun. She looked happy to say the least

Serena appeared at the entrance of the building not shortly afterward and walked over to Don. Don rolled up the window in time to hear Serena mutter, "Do I need to take out a restraining order?"

"I don't think so," chuckled Don and then more seriously, "How is she?"

Serena sighed in relief, "She broke it off. After our little chat the other day she got so angry that she just left –"

"And you hit her..." interrupted Don the disappointment in his voice. Serena shifted uncomfortably.

"I know, and I apologised...I just don't know what came over me...I've never hit her before, ever, not even when..."

Even when what? Please don't say that you've been drinking this entire time Serena, thought Don.

"So she just left to live with him," continued Serena.

"What made her break it up?"

"He wanted to have sex with her."

"No," said Don hollowly, shaking his head, deciding there and there that he was going to hunt this guy down...and well it wouldn't be pretty, "Didn't he realise the she was a minor?"

"Yes, and then the prick kept on asking so she told him that the wedding was off,"

"Thank god," sighed Cragen. He couldn't believe it, he just couldn't. Who would...

"Anyway I have to go to work," said Serena. She bid him farewell and went back to her apartment, whilst Don began to drive over to the precinct. He made a mental note to check up with Serena to make sure that Olivia hadn't been getting bothered by her ex-fiancé. If there was any trouble, he could expect a long night in a holding cell for that jerk.

TBC

Authors Note: So what did you all think? Good, bad, crap? Also sorry for any mistakes - hot of the press.