Title: Stones in the Road

Series: Give a Little Bit

Author: Megan Faye

Rated: PG

Disclaimer: I don't own anything here.

A/N: Sequal Give a Little Bit This song just reminds me of a picture of Mariska Hargitay, and inspired this story.

Hannah turned over and listened at the sound of her papa's voice. It was unusual for him to be up late on the phone, and she listened. When a woman's voice echoed through the apartment, she crawled out of bed and listened.

"Oh, my God," John said. "Please tell me you're back for good this time."

"I'm back," the woman said. "Velez is in Federal prison, and I'm free, John."

"Shh," he said.

"What?"

"You'll wake my daughter, Hannah-"

"You're Daughter?"

"Too late," he said, smiling at the cracked door in the hall. "Hannah-bear, you may come out if you like." The ten-year-old pulled her robe on tightly and stalked out into the living room. "Hannah, this is Alexandra Cabot. Alex, this is my daughter."

"Hannah Grace Munch. I'm going to put on a pot. Okay, Papa?"

"All right."

"Coffee?" Alex looked at her curiously. "Would you like a cup of coffee?"

"Um, sure. Thank you, Hannah." Hannah smiled and scurried off to the kitchen. "She's making coffee?"

"She drinks more coffee than Olivia ever did." Alex chuckled. "She's more like a 35-year-old dwarf. My sense of sarcasm, and a great sense of humor. Mouth on her gets her into plenty of trouble."

"When did you have a kid?"

"I adopted her almost a year ago. Stabler and I were working a case just after Liv had Elijah, and Hannah didn't have anywhere to go. She was a tiny little thing for 9. Size of an average 6 year old. I couldn't put her into a group home; too smart for that. I brought her a new Star of David when her old one was lost. She had a theory about the hospital food being bad as a way to keep people sick to the government could make money, and, well, She's been my Hannah-bear ever since." Alex laughed, and then looked up at him.

"Rewind a little. Liv had a baby?"

"She and Elliot have two," Munch said, pulling Hannah's Family Photo project from the book shelf. "Allie is 3, Eli just made 1."

"Elliot and Olivia are together! I can't believe it." John chuckled.

"Pictures prove it-"

"Is that Maureen?"

"Yeah. Kathleen and girlfriend Rose. That's their little boy, Alexander." Alex smiled at her name-sake. Hannah wandered in and stared at the picture smiling lightly.

"I had fun making that. Photoshop on Fin's computer at work." Alex laughed. "Coffee's almost ready. Hey, Papa, did you tell her about Captain?"

"What about Don?"

"Married to Casey." Alex's eyebrows shot up. "Hannah, why don't you gossip while I change into something a little closer to decent," John said, pointing to his robe and pajamas. In truth, he'd only excused himself to call the family.

"Come on," Hannah said politely. "Coffee tastes like hell on Earth cold."

"You are a 35-year-old midget."

"I get that a lot. Anyway," Hannah said, redirecting the conversation as Alex poured and stirred the coffee. "What do you want to know about whom?"

"Tell me about John."

"He's in-love with you." Alex nearly choked on her coffee. "John has trouble sleeping sometimes, and I hear him when he dreams. He calls your name, and when he has a night mare, I talk to him...tell him you are safe...all that. He smiles in his sleep." Alex felt her cheeks flush. She'd always liked John as her friend, but the age difference had always made him seem out of her dating pool. True, he was attractive. Alex found herself seriously thinking for a moment about the man she really hardly knew. "Look, if you don't love him, I really don't care. Just know that if you hurt him, I don't think he'll get over it, and neither will I. So Love him, or don't love him. Do not lie to him."

"You're a kid, Hannah-"

"True," she said. "But don't think that because I'm a kid that I don't understand how adults think. I'm a whole helluva lot smarter than you give me credit for, Cabot."

"And you spend way too much time with Elliot and Olivia."

"Also true. Coffee's getting cold." Alex sipped at the coffee again.

"This is terrific."

"Thank you. So, where the hell have you been the last 7 years?" Alex laughed.

"Here and there."

"How many people were you?" Alex snorted a synical laugh. "That many?"

"I almost forgot who Alexandra was a few times. I was Emily, Jayne, Kathryn, Becky, Ellenore...I don't even remember my sister's address."

"You remembered John's."

"I couldn't forget John Munch. He's too...John."

"That's the only way to describe him," the child said, sipping her coffee.

Elliot picked up Eli and Allie from Don and Casey's house while Liv waited in the car. She wasn't surprised that Don and Casey followed them to John's apartment. The elevator ride seemed to take an hour (1 minute, 37 seconds to be precise) and they were knocking on John's door at 10:45 at night, with two sleeping Mini-Stablers tucked into Elliot and Olivia's arms. John opened the door silently, hushing them and waving them toward the kitchen.

"-and so the midget said-"

"Hannah, you know that joke is COMPLETELY inappropriate!" John squeaked from out of sight.

"Whatever," she piped back. "I was telling the PG Rated one."

"Even the PG one is rated R!"

"Papa, why are you yelling from the living room?"

"Bring Alex in and find out," John said back. Hannah and Alex stepped into the living room, and Alex felt tears pool in her eyes as arms from every direction hugged at her.

"Oh my God," Liv said, hugging her friend over her sleeping son, who fidgeted in her arms. "Are you back for good?"

"Its over," she said. Don hugged her and Elliot as well.

"Daddy," Allison whined.

"Allie, wake up, Peanut. There's someone here you need to meet. This is Alex, Daddy and Mommy's friend." Allie smiled weak;y and rested her head back on Elliot's shoulder, brown eyes sparkling.

"Liv, she's beautiful," Alex said smiling. "Hi, kiddo."

"Can I put them down in your room?" Olivia asked Hannah. The girl nodded and went back to her second coffee. Elliot and Olivia disappeared down the hall.

"When did they get together?"

"When Allie was a few months old." Alex looked at John. "Allison isn't his. Liv and her ex-boyfriend James."

"Elliot adopted her legally when she was about a year old."

"Oh," Alex said, watching Don and Casey, who seemed very much in-love. "And when is yours due?"

"What?" John asked looking at Casey's stomach.

"I take it you are pregnant by the way he keeps touching your stomach-"

"I'm 11 weeks, and we hadn't told anyone yet." Don chuckled. "What?"

"Allie found the nursery and told Olivia, who I assume told Elliot."

"Told Elliot what?" Elliot said entering the room with Liv. "About Casey being pregnant, yes. She told me. Congratulations!"

"Thanks," Don said, grinning. "Alex, what do you plan on doing?"

"I was offered a position as Casey's co-prosecutor. Give you guys twice the attourney power." Alex sat down next to where Olivia had fallen into the sofa. Things were suddenly relaxed, and Hannah squirmed up onto John's lap and dozed as the adults talked aimlessly into the night. Alex was caught up in the latest gossip, who worked where and why. Fin showed up about 40 minutes after Elliot and Olivia. Everyone was there, and Hannah loved listening to the family talk. Olivia was quiet, just watching the group.

She was like Hannah, she figured. The outsider, who was welcomed in. Even after finding blood relatives, she found herself more apart of this family than her own sisters and brothers. Olivia watched her husband the most. Elliot had changed so much since they met 12 years earlier. He was settled and happy. He loved him life at home, and his life at work wasn't the conflict it had been with Kathy. Elliot could talk to Olivia about work because she'd seen almost everything he'd seen. For the first time in 12 years, Elliot seemed balanced. John, too, seemed happy in life. He and Hannah were a family and two peas in a pod. She was so much like him that no one would ever question if he was her father. Casey and Don, while very private, were very excited about the baby and were so in-love with each other that Olivia wondered if they would burst into song at any moment. Don occasionally whistled 'Heart and Soul' at random when Casey was near, but it was cute. Fin hadn't changed much over the years. He kept his life so private from the rest of them. Liv wondered how happy he was outside of worked, but she would never ask.

These people were so isolated from their own happiness, but when thrown together, they were family. And with Alex home safe now, Olivia knew that their family was complete.

Epilogue

Elliot closed the last box and looked around the squad room. He spent 15 years as the SVU captain, and decided that now he should retire and spend time with Olivia. Elijah was 16, and happy in Millerville, Allison had just graduated high school and was starting at Sienna in the fall; she wanted to be a police officer like her parents. Kathleen and Rose were happy in the Seattle area, with Alexander, who was 17, and brilliant. Liz had graduated from Juliard and played on Broadway, while Dickie had opted to become a doctor. He was a pediatrician, and a good one at that. Maureen and Luke were happily married for the last 10 years, and had one daughter, Jo Anna.

"Hey, Elliot," Casey said. Her and Don's 14-year-old son, Ron was hanging out a few feet behind.

"Hey Case. Ronny, come on in."

"Hi Uncle Elliot."

"Eli with you guys?"

"Nah, he has a date this weekend. Staying at school." Elliot nodded. His youngest had a date. "So, my office is cleaned out as well."

"You taking off too?"

"Nah, promotion. Alex decided to take early retirement after..." Elliot nodded. Alex and John were married a year after she came back. They had 14 great years together before he had a stroke six months earlier.

"How's she doing?"

"Better. She and Hannah are moving on. Oh, the new ADA is moved in."

"Who should I warn?"

"The World. Hannah holds a grudge against pedifiles as much as you do." Elliot chuckled lightly. "She grew up so fast. All of them did," Casey said, looking at her son.

"Aw, don't go all sentimental on me, Ma." Casey and Elliot laughed at the kid.

"So, any news on who is taking your place?" Elliot shrugged.

"Aw, Dad, you know this place wouldn't survive without a Stabler," Maureen said, bringing her first box in. "They can't afford to repaint the whole name on the door, so they're putting me here and just changing the E. to an M."

"You're the new Captain, Maur?"

"Brass likes that I was raised with two SVU Detectives. Hannah put in a few good words, so did Mom and Fin."

"So, my daughter made Captain. You're not even 45 yet."

"Like I told you, Dad. Brass liked me for this position. I have two very decorated officers in my immediat family, both of whom were SVU detectives, and my husband is a fire-fighter." Elliot felt his chest rise with pride for his oldest daughter.

"What do Olivia and Kathy think of this?"

"The moms are proud," she said.

ADA Hannah Munch stepped into her new office and smiled. At one time, it had been Alex's, then Casey's, and for a short time, they shared it. Casey retired 3 weeks ago after her son, Ronny, started summer break from Millerville. Somehow, Ronny ended up with big green eyes and red hair. Hannah always laughed as no one knew Don with hair. Apparently he'd once had red hair.

"Hey, Hannah-bear," Alex said, helping move a box.

"Give me that!" Hannah said, taking the box from the older woman. "You'll hurt you back, Ma."

"Your Papa would be so proud, Hannah." Hannah smiled sadly.

"Yeah," Hannah said, placing John's picture on her desk. "I hope he is proud of me."

"He always was proud of you. he was proud of you for graduating high school at 15 when you didn't even learn to read until 10. He bragged to the world about you getting in to Harvard Law at 18 and here you are at 26, as an ADA! That's monumental! You're a full 10 years younger than most first year ADA's." Hannah smiled.

"I think they werenervous that I asked for the sex crimes position."

"They're nervous about this whole unit. I promise that they went through your past and found out exactly why-"

"My biological family has little to do with my descision, Ma."

"Really?"

"Papa worked until the day he died for this unit. You worked until they tried to kill you. Elliot and Olivia met through this unit. Out whole family exsists because of the unit. I'm here to keep that going for the next generation of Detectives and Captains, and ADA's. This unit has to remain close. Its the only way to survive it."

"You have a point, Hannah."

"Maureen is the new Captain," Hannah offered.

"That's wonderful!"

"And as soon as Ron goes on summer break, he's going to work with me as an assistant. He wants to go to law school. Don almost had a corinary when they talked about it."

"Hannah," Alex said softly. "Are you dating anyone?"

"Not lately, but I'll meet a nice guy. Don't worry, I'll have children and let you be Grandma to them," she groaned.

"Its not that," Alex said quickly. "Its that I had so many chances to be with John, and always let them slip away, and we could have had 25 years together instead of 14. Don't lose that time because you're too busy, Sweetie."

"Ma, I may not be dating anyone, but I've always put love first. I can find another job, but I only have a few chances at love," she said. "Anyway, I have awsome examples to follow; you and papa, Elliot and Olivia, Casey and Don, Kathleen and Rose, Maureen and Luke, Lizzie and Connor, Dickie and Laura...everyone finds love when they're ready. I will too."

"Good."

"Ma?"

"Hmm?"

"I hope he's proud of you, too."

"Me, too, Hannah." Alex sighed and looked at her late-husband's picture. "I hope I make him proud, too."

Well, folks, that's the end. Thank you for sticking with me through Give A Little Bit and Stones in the Road. I hope you liked them both. :-)

Megan Faye