A/N – This epilogue is dedicated to two wonderful ladies:

To Sitarra, my brilliant beta – this story would not have been nearly as good without your support and guidance. Thank you so much! I am in your debt!

To Rachel – for everything. There are no words.

A huge Thank You! to everyone who has read and/or reviewed. Your kind words have warmed my heart! I appreciate your support and encouragement.

Happy Holidays everyone!

Epilogue – Ready

1.5 years later

Christmas Day dawned overcast but beautiful.

Fresh snow had fallen during the night in Portside, coating the earth in a shimmering white blanket. Slowly, house-by-house, the quaint neighborhood awoke to the winter wonderland, lights flicking on as children woke and rushed to sit down by the tree. In the big picture windows that faced the sidewalk, unique Christmas trees were visible, their tiny, colorful bulbs twinkling. On the front door of the small Victorian on the corner of the block, a red-bowed wreath bounced as Bernie rapped cheerfully on the weathered wood.

"Grandma, Uncle Tom, and your cousins are here Chase," Olivia called, lowering her water glass onto the side table and slowly heaving herself off the polyester couch. Feet away, the Benson-Stabler Christmas Tree was aglow, its small LED lights glinting off ornaments and reflecting down onto the piles of carefully wrapped presents below. As Olivia maneuvered toward the front door, feet thundered on the stairs and Chase came flying down, his shaggy brown hair blowing in the self-generated breeze.

"I've got it Mom," Chase said cheerfully, launching himself off the bottom step and skidding on the shiny hardwood floor. Finding his balance, he trotted to the front door and flung it open with a flourish.

"Merry Christmas!"

His jolly greeting was returned in kind as Autumn, Cyndi, and Joe all poured in, arms overflowing with presents, faces rosy with cold. Kicking off their boots and shedding their colorful winter garb, they dashed into the living room to see the tree and the loads of presents beneath it, chattering excitedly.

Bernie was right on their heels, brushing snow off her mittens as she smiled widely. "There's my handsome grandson!" She managed to snag Chase and pull him into a tight hug before he escaped into the living room to exclaim over the piles of gifts with his cousins.

Tom arrived inside a moment later, carting container after container of food into the kitchen as Olivia and Bernie embraced gingerly.

"Merry Christmas," Bernie murmured, eyes closed as she squeezed Olivia as tightly as she dared. When they finally pulled apart, Bernie eyed the younger woman with concern. "You look tired love."

"I am a little tired," Olivia admitted with a chuckle, helping Bernie off with her coat. "But there's no sleeping in today. Chase was up with the birds, staring at that tree like it would make you guys get here faster."

Bernie glanced around the living room with a frown. "Where's Elliot? He didn't go into work today, did he? If he did, I'm gonna-"

Olivia interrupted her with a laugh. "He's been having problems with his back for the last few days, so it hasn't taken much convincing to keep him away from the office. He's upstairs changing Chloe right now. It's probably going to take a while, but he's here."

"My ears are burning." Elliot's voice suddenly echoed down the stairwell, followed immediately by his heavy footsteps. When he arrived at the bottom of the landing, both women smiled at the small bundle he held in his arms. Four day old Chloe slept peacefully, curled up in a soft mint green blanket.

"There she is, my beautiful little grandbaby," Bernie cooed, reaching in with a finger to tickle the sleeping infant's belly. Dragging her eyes away for just a moment and standing on her tiptoes, she reached up to kiss her son's cheek. "Merry Christmas El."

"Merry Christmas Mom," Elliot murmured with a smile, carefully transferring the baby over into Bernie's arms. The older woman's eyes filled with tears as she looked down at the newborn, kissing her forehead softly.

"Hello Chloe Rose. I'm so glad you and Mommy are both home, and we can have Christmas as one big happy family, yes I am," Bernie murmured to the sleeping baby softly as she disappeared into the living room, leaving Elliot and Olivia alone in the hallway.

Reaching over, Elliot wrapped his arm around Olivia's shoulder and tugged her to him. "Poopy diapers are gross. What do you feed that kid? And what are you doing on your feet? You're supposed to be relaxing. You heard the doctor. You need to take it easy until the c-section stitches come out."

"You're being overprotective as usual." Olivia reached up to kiss the tip of his nose gently as she leaned into his embrace. "I feel fine. My only complaint is that your daughter is a night owl. I love to nurse her, but I hope she doesn't make a habit of keeping me up all night."

"You never used to complain when I kept you up all night," Elliot grinned, leaning in to nuzzle her ear playfully. "How long is it until we can make love again?" He asked the question but didn't wait long enough for her to answer before he kissed her.

"Mom! Dad!" Chase skidded out into the hallway, a disgusted but secretly pleased look crossing his face when he saw their passionate embrace. "Ugh, would you two stop being so gross and get in here! Everyone's in the living room. It's time for presents!"

The day went fast, as joyous days were prone to do.

Present opening was everything it should have been. Loud, cheerful exclamations rang out amid the sound of paper ripping. Boxes were torn open, hugs were exchanged, and the sound of new toys filled the room. The excitement in the air was palpable, the energy level extraordinary. The turkey dinner was delicious, the Christmas pudding rich, and by the time Bernie, Tom, and the kids left later that evening, everyone was completely and utterly exhausted.

A fading fire crackled in the fireplace, the air rife with snaps, hisses, and the refreshing odor of burning timber. To the right of the couch, the Christmas tree was still lit, the weary lights twinkling over the pile of now open gifts that rested on the floor. The couch was soft under Elliot's back as he lay propped up on a pillow watching the light, lazy snowfall outside, a satisfied smile on his face.

Life was good. Every day, but especially today.

"You coming to bed?" Olivia's soft voice floated in from the hallway and Elliot twisted his head to see her leaning in the doorframe, clad in pajama bottoms and one of his old ratty sweatshirts.

"In a bit." Elliot smiled at her warmly. "Chloe finally down?"

Olivia returned the smile as she padded across the hardwood floor, the grips on her slippers squeaking. "Yeah. She was hungry and wound up. Too much excitement for one day."

Elliot shifted over to make room for her and Olivia lay down beside him, her head resting on his chest, her arm draped over his abdomen. "Chase asleep too?"

She nodded languorously, her cheek brushing against the soft fabric of his T-shirt. "Out cold. A busy day for him too."

"Do you think he liked my gift? I mean, really liked it?"

Olivia smiled, reaching up to nuzzle the underside of her lover's chin. "He was thrilled El. Tickets to a Yankees game and a weekend in New York with his father? Can't beat that."

Elliot smiled happily, reassured. "I just wanted this Christmas to be special. Last Christmas was hard. On all of us."

Olivia squeezed his side lightly. "You were still recovering last year. Still barely walking. We're all thrilled to have you back up to full speed. Especially me. I'm tired of doing all the work around here.

Elliot smiled briefly at her quip before his face grew serious again. "I just want Chase to know that even though his baby sister is here already, I'm not about to forget about him. Even though I will be able to experience a lot more with her than I did him, I still love them equally."

Olivia propped her chin up on his chest and smiled sympathetically. "El, it's Christmas. It's been a good year. You're healthy again. We had a bit of a scare with Chloe, but that wasn't unexpected given my track record. We knew a natural delivery was not going to be an option. She's small, but she's healthy, and both Chloe and I are doing great. Chase knows you love him. Now would you stop worrying, please? Why don't you just shut up and kiss me?"

And he did, long and slow, the crackle of the fire creating the soundtrack. When they separated, breathless, Elliot reached behind his head under one of the couch cushions and drew out a small wrapped box. With a mischievous grin, he placed the gift on his abdomen in front of her.

Reaching to take the box, Olivia shot him a chastising look. "I thought we agreed no gifts this year. We've spent enough money on the new house and the kids."

Elliot smiled, kissing her forehead lightly. "Just open it."

Sitting up, Olivia delicately removed the wrapping, revealing a small black velvet box underneath. Using her thumbs, she snapped open the hinged lid and her breath caught in her throat as a shiny diamond ring glinted back at her. The white gold reflected the lights of the tree, creating a shimmering rainbow of color. The band was of medium thickness, twisted elegantly at the sides, and hosted four small diamonds that winked back at her.

"El." That was the only word Olivia was able to vocalize, emotion clogging her throat as she twisted the beautiful piece of jewelry in the low light.

Elliot sat up beside her, smug at the look of awe on her face as he pried the box from her fingers. "Recognize it? It's your old wedding band. I just had it altered a little."

Shocked, Olivia tore her eyes from the velvet container. "I thought you said my old wedding ring was never found in Jake's possessions? We assumed he had pawned it."

Elliot shrugged. "I wanted it to be a surprise. This ring is special after all. We didn't know it at the time, but you were wearing this ring when we made Chase." He pointed to the glittering diamonds. "Your original band had two stones; one for you, and one for me. When we learned about Chloe, I went out and got two more added, for our children."

The sentiment floored Olivia and she could do nothing but watch, speechless, as Elliot removed the ring from the box's dark velvet lining and held it between two fingers.

"Liv, I know your reservations about getting married again. This isn't a proposal - I just wanted you to have it back. But I am promising you right now, if you ever decide that getting remarried to me is what you want, you just have to say the word. I don't want to rush you into anything. You don't even need to put this ring on right now if you don't want to. But I know without a shadow of a doubt that you are the only woman I want to be with. You're it for me, and I'll be waiting when you're ready."

Reaching out, Olivia slowly plucked the ring from his fingers, twisting it around, letting the light gleam off the raised planes of the diamonds. Craning her neck and smiling up at him, she gently slipped the ring over her left ring finger, looking down for only a moment to admire it before returning her gaze to Elliot.

"I'm ready El. More than ready."

END