"You're very cute but oh so serious. Why so serious Samson?"

"Well, I mean, my name is Sam so….." he wasn't in the mood, she was perky and chatty and he had a headache, "… so there's that."

"Wanna try some? I mixed pumpkin with pecan and it is de-licious….." from her perch up on the counter the freckled red head peered down at him from behind tortoise shell glasses and flashed a slightly crooked toothed smile as she offered to share her ice cream, "… here? Clean spoon? Very sanitary. I feel like you're someone who'd value that."

"Look Bo we both know you're here because your Dad's making you so how about you just go tidy those menus, or restock the napkins or something? Nothing too strenuous, you won't break a nail or a sweat or anything terrifying like that."

"You don't like me do you Samson?"

"Sam, just Sam, just the three letters not really that hard to remember."

"So I don't need this job. So Daddy thinks I need educating on the ways of the people. So what, so we can't have some fun while I'm here?"

"The ways of the who?" narrowing his eyes, feeling Elliot's pride coursing through his veins Sam slammed his hands onto the wheels of his chair and powered himself into the back office. "You're such a privileged little cliché…."

"And you're an angry jackass! I know you're gonna rupture that big ol' vein in your forehead if you don't chill the heck out."

"You don't even know me!"

"I know you're wound up tighter than a drum and it's not good for you."

"Well, yeah, sorry I have a lot of shit going on, sorry I have some really pretty serious things to deal with in my life besides figuring out which purse to match with my overpriced hooker shoes."

"Oh! Oh these are Manolos!"

"Go home, you know? Just go home. Go home and I promise to tell your Dad you worked a full shift and learned just exactly how we mere mortals scoop ice cream for 'the people' to earn a living."

"You know your girlfriend treats you like a piece of crap."

"Did you want me to fetch your jacket?" he offered, wishing she were anywhere else in the world right now except for sat on his counter bugging the heck out of him.

"You don't like me do you?"

"I don't even know you…." echoing his earlier words this time they were softer, the edges rounded off by how suddenly disarmingly vulnerable she looked.

"Where are the napkins, please?" she asked, taught lipped and shoulders hunched defensively. A neatly pinned curl pinged out from behind her ear and she pushed it back, swallowing reluctantly and adding, "So I can refill the dispensers?"

"I thought you were leaving?" unable to help but chuckle wearily Sam arched his mother's sceptical brow.

"Did you?" she replied coolly, setting her tub of ice cream down on the counter and smoothing her white uniform apron with immaculately manicured hands.

"Why here? Lauren told me that you were her because your father told you that you had to get a job but she kind of implied he could've gotten you any one in the city. Why'd you choose to work at a tiny ice cream place no doubt a long way from wherever you call home?"

"Are you really asking me or are you just looking for another reason to be mean?"

"Mean? What are you like twelve?" again, she was hurt. He wondered when he'd become that person. The cynic, the caustic tongue, the quick to judge and the slow to trust. He wanted to blame the tragedies that had befallen his family. The truth was he knew it was dating Leah.

"Okay then….."

"Hey? Hey, no, Bo?" he called across the empty parlour, waiting for her to turn around before smiling warmly, "I'm really asking."

"Because I like ice cream."

"No, no really why…."

"Because my Mom and my Aunt Cece brought me here one time and it was just the best pumpkin and pecan ice cream I had ever tasted and I figured hey, you know what? Maybe it'd be fun to scoop ice cream, maybe I can even get to eat some when it's quiet."

"You're not even kidding are you?" he marvelled, it was staggering to him and that in itself was an unwelcome realisation. When had he become so turned around.

"Do you want know something for nothing?"

"I…."

"Some people just aren't that complicated."

"Is that right?"

"I mean you have a smoking hot dark and broody thing going on and your girlfriend is insane from what I can tell. You're in a wheelchair at twenty years old so clearly you've been through some shit. I can see why you've gotten a strange perspective on things."

"You know you really shouldn't judge Leah on that one time she came by here it was just a bad day and…."

"Sam, some of us?" nodding toward the tub she had left on the counter Bo's green eyes betrayed a depth he hadn't suspected previously, "We just like ice cream."

"You looked me in the eye and you told me he didn't rape you. You told me that. Over and over again you said it. You gave me your word Evie….." shaking his head with grey eyes so loaded with sadness and betrayal it broke her heart Calvin choked gruffly, "… you lied?"

"Does it change things? Does it? That it was sex not just…."

"It wasn't sex, that isn't….." closing his eyes, holding himself, tight, Calvin swallowed hard, "… it was rape. Rape is rape. You didn't have sex with him don't say that. It doesn't make a damn bit of difference to me whether it was what you told me then or what you're telling me now but….."

"Oh thank God, thank God Cal I…."

"It's that you're only telling me now. I thought we swore to always be straight with one another Evie…." he sighed emphatically, shrugging his shoulders and holding out his hands in desperation. "Did you think I would love you any less? Did you think I wouldn't be able to handle it?"

"I couldn't handle it!" she cried bitterly, shaking her head back and forth so quickly her side bangs fell into her face and watering eyes. "I couldn't bear it. I can barely bare it now. I was so terrified, so scared out of my mind and…."

"Evie?"

"Yes?" she asked, nodding rapidly and falling silent. Feeling as though her whole world hung on whatever he said next.

"I'm gonna tell you three things now and you're gonna write them on your fucking heart okay?"

"Oh, I, okay…."

"One? You don't keep shit from me. I don't keep shit from you. That's how this works. I don't care how big and ugly and scary it is we face it together. We can take it, we're strong, we're not gonna break for anything or anyone. Got it?"

"Yes."

"Two is that it changes nothing Evie. I know he's knocked the fucking stuffing right out of you. I know how you feel about yourself is all shot to shit but you're still my girl, you're always my girl. You're gorgeous and awesome and I just, well, I'm just not gonna quit until you believe that again."

"That's only two things…." she whispered, falling into his arms and nuzzling her nose into his neck, lacing it with kisses and adding, "… you said three."

"Oh, yeah, well three is that I am all for Livia helping you nail that bastard with justice and iron bars but just know that…."

"What?" she asked quietly, with a black smile. She knew what he was going to say. She wanted him to say it. It brought her unspeakable comfort, security, almost absolution to know that there was a dark shadow somewhere in him that meant it.

"I wanna castrate him. I wanna tear him limb from fucking limb. I wanna fucking end him for so much as laying a finger on you Evie I swear to God."

"Honestly?" under her breath she confessed, "A part of me wants to let you."

"I love you, baby…." kissing at her hair he brought them back, slowly, tenderly, from the edge and onto solid ground.

"Are we okay? I mean you have every right to be upset that I didn't tell you. I know that. I just need you to understand that I wasn't just lying to you and my family. Mostly I was just trying to lie to myself."

"I get it. I get it, baby. We're okay, we're more than okay….." he reassured, kissing at her forehead and nose, "…and I'm here. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere."

"I spent a lot of time out of my life disappointing people Mr Stabler."

"I got a feeling you really weren't at fault most of the time. The way I see it you were on the receiving end of a lot of that disappointment yourself. Life let you down, Calvin. More times than it had a right to."

"I let myself down, sir."

"That isn't…."

"I wasn't a great kid. I wasn't even a good one most days. I try figuring out all the ways I could've done things different. Kept Johnny straight and my Ma clean but…."

"You were an eighteen year old kid when Johnny raped that girl at the frat party. What the hell did you think you were gonna do to stop that? You had no idea he had that sickness in him. And your Mom? You were how old when Vivian first started using?"

"I don't remember."

"You were born high, son….." said Elliot grimly, taking a sip of his beer and meeting the younger man's eyes, "… don't mind that I know that. I know you don't want people in your business."

"Yeah, well, you're not really 'people' anymore, so….."

"You're a good man Calvin. More than that? You've got the makings of a great one."

"I'm not naïve, sir. I'm not unaware that I'm not really what most guys would consider a good idea, a safe bet; a catch for their kid. I come from nothing. Texas is really the only family I have, the only stability."

"Well now that's just not true."

"Oh, yeah, no, I mean sure I have the army. Nash and my guys down at Bragg. What I mean is all I can do is try. I'm trying. That's really what I want to say to you. What I'm telling you Mr Stabler is that I will never be done trying to be the best man, the best person I can be."

"That's a pretty awesome thing to hear from anyone but….."

"I wanna be the guy Evie is proud to stand beside."

"Cal I don't think you need to work too much harder on winning over my daughter."

"What about you, sir? I was kinda hoping I was close to winning you over."

"I…."

"There aren't a lot of certainties I can offer her Mr S. There really aren't. I will have to move around the country, maybe the world. I will deploy and it will suck every single time. I'm not perfect. I'll screw up, I just will, that much is pretty much guaranteed and….."

"You working up to something here? You got a question to ask me, Hercules?"

"Yup."

"Have at it."

"Mr S I'm wanting, well, I'm asking, if you would please give me your blessing to marry your daughter?"

"My blessing?" narrowing piercing ice blue eyes Elliot didn't miss a beat, "Not my permission, Tarzan?"

"Evie and me? We're in this. We're all in. I mean yeah, sure, we're making the choice to be together but honestly we didn't really get a choice. Not from the very first day we met. It just kind of feels like it was inevitable, kind of like she's what's been missing, like nothing makes sense without her. Does that sound crazy? Do I sound like a total douche right now?"

"You know you're not the first guy who ever fell in love."

"I'm not, huh?" sliding a crooked smile Calvin lifted his brows amused.

"I ended two decades of marriage and broke five kids' hearts. I made a choice to do that, sure, I did….." smiling that one smile Elliot reserved only for his wife he added, "… but you've met Olivia, right?"

"I figured it wasn't you Bambi got her charm from."

"Ha, you're funny, you're a funny boy Hercules."

"I'm in love with your girl Mr Stabler. She is smart and sassy and stubborn and she drives me crazy in every possible way and I wouldn't change a damn thing about her. I will protect her. I will respect and support her. She's the best thing that ever happened to me and I don't deserve her. I won't forget that. Not ever."

"Yeah, yeah, yes she is Calvin. She is the best thing that will ever happen to you. You punched above your weight."

"Yes sir."

"But you're wrong about the other part….." nodding slowly, unclenching his fists and allowing the reigns to slacken Elliot acknowledged, "… you do deserve her. You proved that. You've proved it to me, to Liv, to Evie time and time again."

"I won't stop."

"Damn right you won't."

"So…."

"Do one thing for me?"

"Sure, sure, anything?"

"I think we both know she was on board with this thing long before I was. She had your back when you were just a half pint. I'm pretty sure she'd marry the two of you herself if she could but…."

"Livia?"

"You don't need to ask her to know what she'll say….." there was a moment between the two men when Calvin hoped dearly that he still had that same look in his eye when he spoke about his Evie at Elliot's age, "….but ask her anyway? For me?"

"Sir just, you know, for the record, for what it's worth….." turning away, unable to look the older man in the eye as he made the confession Calvin mumbled, "… every other dude I've met wasn't worth shit."

"Tarzan in case you didn't realise it I already said yes. You already have my blessing."

"I realised, I realise that I just….." nodding slowly the young man turned his head, met his would be father in law's gaze and smiled, "… well you're alright, you know, as a person. You're the kind of man it wouldn't suck to turn out like. That's all I'm saying."

"Hercules?" though he had his faults, he was far from perfect, there were worst men in the world than those in Eve's life that Calvin could find himself mentors in and they both acknowledged as much.

"Mr S?"

"You wanna call me Elliot?"

"Sure, yeah, cool, thanks….." then, with an impish smirk he tried his luck, "… you wanna call me Calvin?"

"Nope, no Hercules I do not."

"You don't have to send all the stuff you do."

"I know I don't….." smiled Olivia warmly, taking a slow sip from her coffee cup as she sat with Calvin on her back porch in the crisp November air.

"I know you don't too. I wasn't, I mean, I don't want you to stop….." he smiled, so warm and gentle in her presence, "… I just wanna thank you is all."

"Sweetheart you don't need to thank me. I love doing it! It's my little indulgence…." winking fondly she reached to his knee and patted it lightly, "… sending random crap and candy to our solider."

"Yeah, well, when I said you don't have to do it I meant, like, literally. It's not some fucked up maternal guilt, you're not trying to buy me, you know? You're not biologically obliged."

"No, no that's true."

"You're kind to me Livia."

"I…." gosh how he could do that, just take her heart and squeeze it.

"You always have been. You look out for me, take care of me, you were the first person who was ever completely on my side….." sloping his eyes sidewise Calvin took a swig of beer and swallowed a choke, "….well, yeah, it just means a lot that's all."

"Put that beer down."

"Huh? I mean sure, sorry, course, my bad, I just kinda thought it's Thanksgiving so…."

"Will you put that beer down and give me a hug right now? I won't tell you twice….." she smiled wryly, drawing him into a warm, squeezing embrace and then slapped his back playfully and laughed, "… right, okay, now you can drink your beer. Far be it for me to deny one of my boy's a beer on a holiday!"

"Actually it's kind of more Dutch courage than anything….." he confessed, leaving the brown bottle sat beside him as he wrung out his hands and narrowed his eyes hesitantly.

"Oh yeah?" she asked curiously, "What's going on? What's on your mind?"

"I mean it's kind of weird I guess, now, what with things kinda changing with Evie. I mean not changing, exactly."

"We just all know the whole truth now."

"Right."

"How are you doing with that, sweetheart?" of course, of course she would ask that. Of course she would have the capacity to show concern for his well-being as well as taking care of everyone else around her.

"She's gonna be okay Livia. She is, she really is. She's gonna get through this and she's gonna be even stronger than the little ninja she is already and…."

"She is our little ninja, huh?"

"Your kids are kind of incredible at surviving shitty, shitty situations if you hadn't noticed. I can't imagine where they get it from."

"You're sweet, but damn I hope you're right about Evie."

"I am. I know I am and so do you. I wish I could come to California with you both. I mean I'd have a pretty hard time not killing the bastard if I ever actually met him but…."

"You and my husband are frighteningly similar in that regard."

"Detective Stabler was pretty good at beating the shit out of the bad guys in his time, right?"

"The bad guys, the walls, the refrigerator, the vending machine, his locker, my old shower glass…."

"I tried to get the time off but with things getting kinda sketch out East again they're cutting leave. They're upping our hours, regrouping us, specialist training the whole nine yards."

"Cal that sounds serious?" it was, and they both knew it. Political stirrings and a serious of horrifically unfortunate events in the Middle East had the whole nation on high alert. This, however, was not the time to have that particular discussion.

"I wanna be there for her. I wanna hold her hand, have her back, protect her, stand with her against whatever comes."

"I know you do sweetheart, I know you do. You know what though? Even though you're not gonna be there for the trial the thought of seeing you again is what's gonna get her through it. It'll be what keeps her going I can promise you that right now and…."

"I don't just mean for the trial."

"Wh…." she began, but suddenly she became acutely aware that they were having a very different conversation to the one she had initially thought.

"I know this isn't the greatest timing ever but somehow, I dunno, that kinda doesn't seem to matter. I mean I don't just love her when things are going good, you know? I'm gonna take care of her and protect her and that's gonna be for always. That's gonna be for the rest of her life. I mean, that is….." biting on his lip Calvin hesitated a beat, lifted his eyes, and shot Olivia a coy and hopeful smile, "… well, that's if you would be alright with that. If that's an idea you might kinda be able to, you know, sign off on."

"Calvin are you asking me what I think you are?"

"I don't know what you're thinking but….."

"Cal!"

"I love her, I am so in love with her Livia and I wanna marry her. She's my family, she's just, she's just everything to me and….."

"You get El on board?" narrowing her eyes she already knew his answer and he already knew hers, so as they smiled and nodded at one another she added, "Then you got me too, sweetheart."

"Yeah?" she had to say it again, he had to hear it again, it was too important for any tiniest flicker of doubt.

"Darling, love, she is so young. You both are. I could say that. I could talk to you about waiting and being sure and million other things Moms say in this situation but you know what? They're not in this situation. They don't know you and they sure as hell don't know my daughter the way I do."

"I wish I could fix this for her. I wish I could turn back time and be there that night so this never happened. I just feel so helpless Livia. My girl is just fucking breaking inside and I can't do a damn thing to help her."

"I see the way you look at her now…."

"Same way I did before….." shrugged Calvin, missing her point.

"Exactly."

"Huh?" he asked, twisting his face and squinting at her, "Is this SVU or just a girl thing? Cos I'm kinda gonna need you to translate."

"Calvin you make her laugh, you play, you have fun, you're gentle and you look after her but you don't patronise. You don't pity. In my experience it is one thing dealing with being a victim but having everyone treat you that way? Like you're fragile, weak, broken?"

"Bambi isn't weak. She's the strongest person I know."

"Knowing when to lead and when to follow? Knowing when it's time for tough love and when it's time for cuddles? Recognizing the difference between allowing someone to be changed by an experience but still seeing all the things you loved in them before? Knowing when to speak and when to just stand, silently and hold a hand like you're never gonna let go? It is a rare and beautiful gift Calvin and you have it."

"You reckon?"

"I reckon you learned it from you Mama, sweetheart. You shouldn't have but I guess life's funny that way. How her pain and her inability to cope taught you the kind of strength and patience and kindness….." tears sliding rapidly down her cheeks and falling into her blouse Olivia reached to his face, stroked her fingertips along his jaw and nodded with a deep and affirming love, "… that I am so happy my daughter is going to have in a partner."

"You know we haven't talked about it yet."

"The engagement?" asked Elliot with a tired smile as he turned to his wife, "Tell me you said yes? Tell me you didn't go all bad-cop on my ass?"

"Of course I said yes. I don't think the devil himself could've denied that boy tonight, do you?"

"She's happy, Liv."

"She's getting there…." replied Olivia with a steady nod as she washed the last of the dishes, "… she's doing better."

"I don't want to talk about how my little girl was raped Olivia. I really don't. I could, I can, if she needs me to. If you need me too. If that's what Mouse needs to help her get through this, if that's the support she needs from me then I will man the hell up but…."

"Babe…."

"I don't think she does. I don't think it's gonna help either one of us, me or her. That's honest. That's me being straight up with you it really is. I want justice. I want to come with you to California and see that guy rot in jail or hell or whichever we can figure out to come first but…."

"You're really still set on coming with us?" she asked, having thought they had already laid this particular discussion to rest a few nights earlier.

"I hear you saying that this is something you feel like you want to do just you and Evie but I don't know. I dunno. I mean me not wanting to talk about it, not wanting to have that in my head it's….." sighing heavily he crossed the room, reached to the small of her back and stroked gently as he brooded, "… well it's not the same thing as not wanting to be there. Right there for my girl, for you. I just don't see I can do that from the other side of the country is all."

"Okay, okay I hear that….." falling into his arms she hugged him tight, resting her head on his shoulder and exhaling slowly, "… and maybe you're right. Maybe we need you there."

"It's Thanksgiving tomorrow."

"I really thought Sammy would be home by now. I know he has to close now he's supervisor but really? This late the night before a holiday how busy can it be?"

"Liv?" he asked softly, and then because he wasn't sure she'd heard he pulled away and asked her eyes, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"I…." she wasn't sure, she really wasn't. Perhaps there was nothing they could really say. Of course it went without saying that her dialogue with Evie would be endless, there would always be words she could force herself to find, and for as long as her daughter needed it she would talk until she was hoarse.

"You don't have to answer right now."

"No, no it's fine, it's okay I just don't know. I thought I did. Maybe I just thought we should. I talk to Evie…."

"And that's what's important, that's what matters. Really that's all that matters."

"We matter Elliot, we do. Our sanity? That matters. We can't help her find herself again if we lose ourselves. We can't help her figure out how to put herself back together if we're falling apart."

"By God you're incredible…." he murmured, reaching to her face and stroking it adoringly, "… you really are."

"I'm going to meet with George Huang after the holidays. I know just about everything there is to know about being an advocate for a rape victim but not a damn thing about being the mother of one. I need his help."

"It scares the hell out of me that you can call her that, Liv."

"You know what scares the hell out of me?" she tested, trusting him that she could. "That you can't."

"Yeah….." he conceded, nodding slowly, grimly, acutely and unusually self-aware, "… yeah."

"She's your little girl, sweetheart…." she stroked, reaching for his hand with comfort and reassurance, "… I get it. I do, I really do. I completely understand."

"Huang be alright if I tag along? I reckon maybe…." rolling his shoulders, locking his jaw around the confession Elliot mumbled, "… maybe I could use a little help too."

"Thank you…." she mouthed, leaning forward and kissing him softly with love and profound relief.

"Sorry, sorry I know I'm interrupting a moment but…."

"Hey sweetheart…." sighed Olivia warmly, touching Sam's shoulder as he wheeled his way past them toward the freezer, "… how was work? Are you hungry? I saved you a plate."

"Thanks, thanks that's great. I'm gonna give it a half hour I just ate a bunch of ice cream so I'm kinda stuffed."

"Your boss know you're eating the merchandise?" chuckled Elliot teasingly.

"Shut up Dad!" rolling his eyes Sam looked to his mother, "I brought some home for tomorrow. Thought you might wanna serve it with your famous pie which I am assuming will be happening?"

"Would I deny my boy his Thanksgiving pie?" she laughed, brown eyes warm and alight with how relaxed and happy he seemed. It had been a long time since she had seen him so. "What flavours have we got then?"

"Pumpkin and pecan….." replied Sam, tossing the tubs into the freezer and shutting the door with a satisfied thunk an shrugging casually to add, "…. they're really good together."