So, its nearly done!!! One more chapter, and it'll be done. All good things...

When Don emerged the second time from his room, just over an hour later, the sound from the kitchen was different. He felt more like he was in the squadroom. Fin, Munch, Elliot, and Olivia were sitting around the table over a tall stack of pancakes. Though they all looked hungry, no one was eating.

"Hey, Cap, pull up a chair. Breakfast is getting cold." Don smiled and found a spot at the table between Fin and Olivia.

"Elliot made eggs, too," Olivia informed, uncovering many plates of food. There were eggs, bacon, toast, pancakes, and sausage.

"Why not just pour cement directly into our arteries?" Munch asked, grabbing a fork.

"Eat, or complain. You pick."

"Eat," Fin ordered his partner.

"So, its 8:30. When do you guys have to head in?"

"Oh, 9:00. Its 3 minutes away, with traffic. You following?"

"Yeah. I need to meet with Captain Torres. See how you two are molding his green team." There was a laugh from Elliot.

"They're good, Cap. We got a good solid team. We should be able to leave on March first."

"No sooner?" Don prodded. "If they're ready, you can come back with us. Maureen's kept your apartment for you."

"Don, we're not coming back early."

"Why not?"

"Don't want to," Olivia said. "I like it here. I can walk down the street at night here without my gun. I can relax here a lot easier."

"My son is here, and I'm going to have a granddaughter soon. We're going to stay until after Elli is born. So, at least another month. Okay?" Don sighed. "Cap, our replacements can't be that bad."

"Oh, but they are. No one can replace you and Liv," John said, taking in a forkful of eggs.

"We'll see. No promises."

Elliot drove through the streets, sirens blaring. He hadn't used the lights once since he moved to Seattle, but when Dickie called at 2:30 am, saying Jen was in labor, 4 weeks early, he drove like a mad man. Olivia found God that night, praying she'd survive the drive to the hospital, as they slid on the icey roads. Cragen would be there with the guys later, after the baby was delivered.

As they pulled into a parking space in the garage og the hospital, Olivia thanked God for not letting them be killed on I405 with the way her husband was driving. Elliot stepped out of the car, and Olivia grabbed him by the collar and threw him against a wall.

"You nearly got us both killed back there, Stabler." He swallowed. She only called him Stabler when she was being cute, or he was in over his head. She was most definitely not being cute. "I don't care who is in the hospital, if you ever drive like that again, I will arrest and divorce you. GOT IT!?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Good. Let's go meet your grand-daughter." Olivia released him, and lead the way into the hospital. They followed the signs to maternity, and looked for someone to direct them to Jen and Dickie.

"Excuse me, we're here with Dickie Stabler and Jen-"

"You are...?"

"Elliot and Olivia Stabler, Dickie's parents." Olivia smiled. It was rare that he reffered to Olivia as Dickie's parent. But when he did, it was when it counted most.

"She's in delivery now. Very quick labor."

"The baby's early."

"Dad?" Dickie called, stepping out in medical clothes. "She's here. Ellie is doing great, 5 pounds, 7 ounces, great set of lungs. Jen went into labor at around 10:00, but didn't think anything of it. We came here around midnight, and they tried to stop it, but the baby's here." He was shaking.

"You okay, kid?"

"Jenny's not doing so hot, Dad. They sent me out. Her mom said she'd stop by in the morning, but...I'm scared, Dad." Elliot hugged his son. "Their bringing Ellie to the window when she's cleaned up." Dickie took a deep breath and lead them to see the baby.

"S'that her?"

"Yeah, she's beautiful." Elliot stood behind Olivia, hugging her tightly. "Liv, meet your granddaughter."

"Jesus, I feel old."

"Richard Stabler?" a doctor called. Dickie walked over, leaving Elliot and Olivia to stare at the baby. The room felt silent for a breif moment, and then it was shattered when Dickie called out.

"Dad," he sobbed. Eliot was at his son's side in an instant. Dickie's eyes, usually sparkling and blue, were gray. He held no expression on his face, and was ghostly white. "She's gone."

He'd bargained on ups and downs for this trip, But Fin didn't think a funeral would be one of them. It had been 4 days since Ellie was born, and Pamela made no attempt to visit her. A lawyer had stopped by the condo to deliver Ellie's birth certificate to Dickie, and a check for $100,000 if he would continue on with the lie. The certificate listed him as the father. Jen wanted that, and he aggreed. He was Ellie's dad. But for Pamela to pay him off felt wrong to Dickie.

He tried to send the money back, but the lawyer returned within an hour with double the money if he would just take the baby and never contact Pamela again.

Being his father's child, he took the money with the condition that Pam would visit when she was ready. Pam spoke to him at the funeral long enough to hold Ellie for a moment and hand her back. The whole family ignored Dickie and Ellie the rest of the time.

Fin watched the boy feeding his infant daughter at Elliot's place after the funeral. It was the only time he seemed to be okay.

"Hey, kid. How you holding up."

"I have my good moments, my bad, and a few in-between."

"Lemme give you a little advice. Cherish the good, deal with the bad, and remember that in-between can go either way. You get to choose where it goes." Dickie nodded blankly. "Blood or not, that's your baby. You love her, you take care of her, and you teach her to be the good person your father taught you to be." Dickie nodded again.

"Thanks Finny."

"What are your plans?"

"Everyone keeps asking me that, and I have no idea what they are."

"Does Jen's family want the baby at all?"

"No, they won't return my phone calls, and I can only get in touch with their lawyer. Every time I do, the next day, there's more money. I don't give a shit about the money, I want them to see Ellie."

"Ain't gonna happen kid. They don't want her. You do. You love her, you want her. Why don't you bring her back to New York and live near your parents?" Dickie mulled it over in his head. "Take a road trip with her, and head home. Your mother probably misses you like mad. You'd miss Ellie, right?"

"That's the best advice anyone's given me. So far, I've heard everything from 'You'll figure it out,' to 'Well, good luck with that.' What I needed was a good idea to run with."

"Any time you need a babysitter, call me," Fin said, clapping his hand down on Dickie's shoulder.

"Thanks, Fin."

"Any time."

"Liv?" Elliot whispered. An arm snaked across his hips.

"Mmm?"

Maybe...maybe I do want kids."

"MmmKay...after Cragen leaves, we'll talk. Kay?" Elliot smiled and turned in her arms.

"You don't feel old, being a grandma?"

"No, I feel young, being married to you."

"Cause I'm so charming?"

"Nope. Because you're immature."

"Ouch."

"Because you're so playful, and handsome." Dickie could be heard from the next room, crying.

"Dickie's never going to be the same, is he...?" Olivia hugged him close. "I wanted to sheild him from this kind of pain, Olivia."

"Go," she said, gently. Elliot rolled out of bed and pulled on a robe. He padded through his son's condo to the back room.

"Dickie?"

"Come in." Elliot went into the bedroom. Dickie was in the rocking chair in the corner. "You okay, son?"

"I can't sleep, Dad. I've only gottan about 2 hours since Ellie was born."

"Babies cry-"

"Its not her, she's perfect. I miss having Jenny's arms around me, feeling Ellie kick all night," Dickie had no tone to his voice. "I want to go home, Dad." Elliot felt himself choke up, and tears pooled in his eyes. "I'm selling the condo and moving back to New York. I need you and Mom, and Liv on this one, Dad. I need my family."

"You got us, Dickie. Do you need me to fly your mom out here?"

"Nah, I'll pack up and head out in a few days, after I get a little sleep. Will you take Ellie tomorrow?"

"Sure."

"What's the baby doing here, Stabler?"

"Captain Torres," Don called, shaking the man's hand. "Her mother passed away when she was born a week ago. Dickie's packing up to move her back to New York."

"All right. Stabler, Benson, got one for you. Pawn shop up on 24th. We think there's a cult behind it, with young girls involved. Check it out." Elliot and Olivia nodded and headed out. "Now that they're out of the way, we can talk."

"Real case?"

"Actually, no. Not this time. My friend owns the shop. I figured we could talk a little." The two headed into the office, with the baby in her stroller, sleeping. "So, you've been here a week and a half. What do you think?"

"They got it running pretty smoothly. I can't help but think that they placed everything where it is."

"Looks like their old unit?"

"Very much so. Coffee pot, desks, computers, all in the same place." Torres laughed.

"That's The Stabler Squad."

"You mean Benson/Stabler."

"Just Stabler. Where you see one, you see the other."

"How close are they?" Don asked, eying the man.

"Best team I've ever seen."

"But how close are they?"

"Not as close as you think. Those two can go at it like two pissed of Pit-bulls on steroids. I've heard them yelling from out side once." Don laughed. "But when one is threatened, the other does this 180 that can really change things around quickly. They can be screaming at each-other for an hour, but I stepped in once and told Elliot to sit down and shut the hell up, and Olivia damn near tore my head off. I would have hated to be a perp that picked on either one of them at that moment." Don nodded. Nothing had changed from where he was looking at the situation.

"So its exactly the same as when they got here?"

"Nope. They're a little more objective now, and so far, much much less up-tight."

"Terrific."

"When are you headed back?"

"Day after tomorrow. They ready to leave?"

"I think so. We got it from here."

"Good. You want to fire them, or will you allow me to do the honors?" Don asked, grinning. Ellie started to fuss from her car seat, so Don picked her up and bounced her gently in his arms.

"How's Dickie handling everything?"

"As well as you could expect. Better than I expected. He's lonely and broken, but with this little one, I think they'll be okay. He's his father's child. It will take him a long time to move on, but he'll move on. Ellie's keeping him level-headed."

"Good. What is Pamela doing?"

"Shutting the baby out of her life. Her lawyer is acting as a go-between. She's given them enough money to do okay, but she won't see the baby. She's had his name listed on the birth certificate. As far as anyone is concerned legally, he's the father."

"That's how she was through the pregnancy. Anything they needed or wanted, she'd give them, except her attention, approval, and love. She shut them out completely, except financially. Jen was a beautiful, sweet girl. Her mother, father, step-mother and step-father don't want anything to do with the baby now that she's gone, I take it."

"Nothing at all."

"Ellie is better off. Dickie is a good guy."

"One of the best."

"So, Captain, you want to tell them, or should I?" Torres asked, motioning to the door. Elliot and Olivia were walking through.

"Oh, please, allow me."

Chappie 13 is done! More to come soon :-)