Chapter 25

Author's Note: Law & Order SVU and its characters are not mine, they are Dick Wolf's and that imbecile of a network they call NBC.

So this ISN'T going to be the last chapter, folks! That was the plan, but it's not going to happen. I realized there would be too many things going on for just one chapter, so I decided to make this last till Chapter 26. I promise you do though that Chapter 26 will be the last.

Two weeks before the wedding…

Olivia was enjoying her new role in SVU. As much as she loved going out on field before, she had to admit she liked her new supervisory role better. Maybe it was because it allowed her to go home at manageable hours – hours that she now appreciated because she was a mom.

It also allowed her to work more closely with Captain Cragen. In a way she was second in command along with Munch. Captain Cragen had been like a father to her over the years. She never knew her father, considering what he was. And Captain Cragen never had children because his wife had died young. She knew that she and Elliot had been in many ways become the daughter and son he never had. It was with this in mind that she knocked on his door one afternoon, about two weeks before the wedding.

"Come in." Cragen's voice rang out and Olivia entered.

"Olivia."

"Cap, mind if I ask you a quick question?"

"Sure. Sit down. What's up, Liv? Everything alright with you and Elliot and Sean?" Cragen's expression was concerned.

Olivia chuckled. "Everything's great, Cap. Don't worry. Though there are times that I still can't believe that I am now a mom and that I have a son and that I'm marrying Elliot."

"Why not?" Captain Cragen asked.

"I guess when you've pretty much had crap for most of your life like I have, it's hard to believe that things are actually turning out right for once."

"Well, you deserve it Liv and so does Elliot." Cragen told her smiling. "Besides, it was a long time coming. I knew it from almost day 1 of putting you guys together as partners."

Olivia groaned. "Not you too! Are you a believer of that urban legend that we had immense "sexual tension"?

"It wasn't an urban legend, Liv. It was fact. Seriously, I can't believe it took you two 14 years to get married."

"Well, the fact that he was married till last year may have something to do with that Cap." Olivia told him wryly.

Cragen laughed. "Right. You know it's funny, they were together for so long, but I hardly remember her. And it's only been a year since the divorce."

"Well…I don't know what to say to that, Cap."

"Anyway, forgive me for babbling. You said you had a question. What is it? Shoot."

"Yeah, I did. Cap – you of all people, have supported me and have believed in me and Elliot for all of these years. We are so grateful for you and your support. And through all these years, you have been sort of like a father to me so, I was wondering, would you give me away to Elliot on our wedding day? You're the closest thing I have to a father and I would be really honored if you could do that for me?"

Cragen was speechless at first. But his emotions were clearly written on his face. His eyes looked extra bright and he blinked as Olivia's words sank in. Finally he spoke up, his voice catching a little, "I'd be glad to, Liv. Thank you for thinking of me."

"Thank you, Cap."

Cragen only nodded for he was too emotional to speak.

Olivia saw this and tactfully took her leave. "Well I better get back to work, Cap. Thanks again."

The next day, the phone was ringing in Olivia and Elliot's apartment. Olivia was still at work and Elliot had just gotten home with Sean after picking him up from daycare.

He set Sean's car seat down and hurried to answer the phone because he didn't want the noise to wake him up.

"Hello." Elliot's voice was low.

"Oh, hello." There was an elder female voice on the other line and she sounded surprised. "I'm sorry, I'm not sure if I have the right number, but I'm looking for Detective Olivia Benson."

"Uh, I'm sorry but she's not home right now. This is her fiancé, Elliot speaking. May I know who's calling please?"

"Oh! I'm sorry I didn't know she was getting married."

Elliot chuckled and then asked again, "May I know who this is ma'am?"

"Well, Elliot, could you please ask Olivia to give me a call back when she gets in? I'm Linda Arliss, Calvin Arliss' grandparents…I'm not sure if you know him...or about him…"

"Oh Mrs. Arliss, yes I do know Calvin and about him. Actually aside from being her fiancé, I'm Olivia's former partner."

"Oh I see, well Elliot can you tell Olivia to call me please once she gets in? It's rather important."

"Mrs. Arliss, Olivia may be a while. She recently got a promotion and I know she told me she's going to be home late tonight. Maybe I can help you?"

Mrs. Arliss sighed. There was a moment's silence.

"Mrs. Arliss?"

"Well Elliot, I hope you can. You see it's like this young man…"

Elliot listened to the elder woman on the phone and when he got off the phone, he was happy and sad at the same time. He was sad because it had to take two more tragedies to set things to right. But he was happy because he knew that he was about to make Olivia happy all over again.

A week before the wedding….

"Are you sure this is okay with you Mr. Stabler?"

Elliot smiled at the teenage boy beside him and replied, "It's more than okay Calvin. I promised you. "

"I mean you said that Olivia and you had a kid already. I mean I haven't seen here in a year a half and…"

"Calvin, listen to me. First of, it's not Mr. Stabler, it's Elliot. Second, Olivia is going to be thrilled to see you. And third, Sean will be lucky to have a big brother figure around. So no more about this, okay? The only reason I didn't want you guys telling her before today is because you have to know she went through such heartbreak when she lost you. I didn't want her going to through that again in case anything went wrong."

"I understand. Thank you Mr….I mean Elliot. I really appreciate this."

"Calvin, you made and will make Olivia happy. Anything that makes her happy is easy to say yes to." Elliot told the boy beside him.

"Thanks." He smile shyly at Elliot.

"Now, we have to pass by the day care to pick up Sean and then we go home. Okay?"

"Okay." Calvin replied eagerly. "And Elliot?"

"Yeah, Calvin?"

"I promise to be a very good big brother to Sean."

Elliot laughed. "Thanks, Calvin."

An hour later, the three boys were home at the apartment. Elliot had asked Calvin to wait for the pizza delivery while he changed Sean's diaper and put him in his crib.

Calvin waited in the living room, watching TV. Just then he heard the locks on the door turn and his heart started to pound. He knew it was Olivia. She was home.

A few seconds later, she stepped in, closed the door behind her and locked it. "El, baby, Sean! Mommy's home!"

Calvin had stood up when she came in and as she turned and walked towards the living room, she did a double take. She couldn't who she saw in front of her, in her living room. "Calvin?" Her voice was disbelieving – it was as if she couldn't trust her eyes.

All at once, Calvin ran up to her and threw his arms around her. "Olivia!" He exclaimed.

"Calvin! Oh Calvin, it's really you!"

"I missed you Olivia." His voice was muffled against her shoulders. He hugged her tightly as if he'd never let her go.

"I've miss you too, Calvin, but what? I thought you were in Vermont?"

"I was but…."

"It's a long story, Liv." Elliot came into the living room.

"What, El?" Olivia looked confused.

"I picked him up from the airport today, Liv."

"Calvin?' She looked at him questioningly. "It's not that I'm not happy you're here, but Vermont's a long way from New York."

"I know. I'll tell you, I promise. But it's gonna take a while Olivia, so why don't you say hello to Sean first." Calvin told her.

She looked at him and then nodded. "Okay, I'm going to look in on Sean then get dressed then we'll talk okay?"

"Okay."

Fifteen minutes later, the pizza had arrived and Olivia had looked in on Sean and gotten dressed. Carrying the baby monitor, she then walked into the dining room where Calvin and Elliot sat waiting for her, pizza in front of them.

Elliot handed her a slice and after the first bite she spoke to Calvin, "Okay, so Calvin, tell me. And I'm assuming El, you know about this too, so please do enlighten me."

Calvin sighed. "Are you mad?" His voice was filled sadness as he thought how Olivia could be mad at him right now.

"Oh my God, Calvin, no. I'm not mad. I'm just surprised to see you here. Please I could never be mad at you for visiting me."

"Uh, Liv, he's not just visiting." Elliot told her.

"What do you mean?" Olivia asked, puzzled and not daring to think what it could mean.

"Olivia, my mom died."

She gasped. "Oh, Calvin, I'm so sorry. When?"

Calvin shrugged. "Three months ago. And thank you for saying you're sorry, but you know her. She just couldn't stop it with the drugs. In a way, it's better this way. She's at peace now."

"I'm sorry Calvin. Be that as it may, she was still your mom and it must be hard."

Calvin nodded. "Well she's an angel now and she can watch over me from heaven."

Olivia smiled, happy that the boy still could believe in something like that what with the life he's had to live till now.

"So how are your grandparents?" Olivia asked him.

"Not good." Calvin told her, his eyes filled with more sadness.

"What do you mean?"

"Well about a month ago, grandpa got diagnosed with Alzheimer's."

"Oh no, Calvin, I'm so sorry."

"I'm sorry too. They took care of me you know? They loved me. Even though I missed you all this time, my grandparents took care of me and loved me in Vermont."

"I'm glad to hear that Calvin."

"Anyway, Liv, hey Calvin, can I tell this part?" Elliot interjected.

Calvin nodded. "Sure."

"Anyway, two weeks ago, Calvin's grandma called and you weren't home. She had called because she wanted to ask you if you would be interested to be Calvin's legal guardian again because she and her husband were moving to a nursing home where he would be getting the care he needed."

"Why didn't you tell me, El?" Olivia's voice held a note of hurt.

"I didn't tell you because I knew how it broke your heart when Calvin was taken away from you. I did not want you to go through that again just in case it didn't push through. But it did. Calvin's dad reassigned guardianship to you. The papers came this afternoon. Liv, honey, Calvin is yours."

Calvin nodded, smiling. "I'm yours now Liv…that is if you still want me?" His expression became anxious.

Olivia looked at Elliot who smiled. "It's okay with me Liv. That's why I picked him up from the airport."

At Elliot's words, Olivia turned to Calvin with a big grin on her face and replied, "Of course I want you still, Calvin. And this time you get two of us plus a baby brother."

"I know! This is going to be cool." Calvin exclaimed, overjoyed. He jumped out of his seat and hugged Olivia then Elliot. "Thank you so much both of you."

"Not a problem, buddy." Elliot told him, slapping him on his back.

"You know I'm glad you're finally marrying her, Elliot." Calvin admitted. "When I first saw the of you a couple of years ago I knew you liked each other. It was obvious."

Olivia groaned. "Oh no, not you too."

"What do you mean?" Calvin asked, confused.

"What she means is that everyone has been telling us that not just you." Elliot explained t him.

Calvin laughed. "Well, you guys, it was obvious."

"We heard." Elliot answered wryly.

The three of them laughed. Olivia hugged him again then and said, "Welcome back, Calvin."

"Thanks, Olivia."

"Welcome home, Calvin." Elliot told him, smiling at Olivia.

"Thank you." She mouthed to him. "I love you."

Elliot just nodded and mouthed back, "I love you too."

That same night, Kathy had on a whim, passed by Kathleen's dorm because she was in the city and she was feeling lonely. Unfortunately, she did not call before she went there and she found Kathleen out of her dorm room.

Bummed, she went back downstairs and went to the "reception" area of the dorm where there was a student manning the "front desk" on a work study program.

There was another parent there when she approached. Apparently, he had the same problem as Kathy. His daughter was also out. Kathy could not help but look at the guy. After all, he didn't look old enough to have a daughter in college. And he wasn't bad looking at all. He had sandy blonde hair, hazel eyes and he was about five foot ten. He had a nice build and as she glanced on his ring hand, she observed that he wasn't wearing a wedding ring.

Kathy had dropped by because she had been feeling lonely and like a total loser ever since she found that Elliot and Olivia were getting married. She had been doing this with Maureen and Kathleen of late because the nearer the wedding got, the worse she felt.

Tonight however, as Kathleen was nowhere in sight, the thought of Elliot getting married gave her courage instead. Normally she was never the type to start a conversation with a stranger outside of her job, but she figured she had nothing to lose. And so taking a deep breath, she spoke up in what she hoped was a casual voice, "Your kid's not here either? Mine too. I guess I should have called before I dropped by."

The man chuckled and replied, "Yup. But at least you didn't call your kid. Mine knew I was coming by and she's not here. What can you do, though? College, you know?"

"Yeah. I'm Kathy Malone by the way."

"Hi Kathy, I'm Stephen O'Connell. It's nice to meet you."

"Well, I guess I'm just going to have to visit my daughter another time." Kathy sighed.

"Wait, are you in a hurry? I know we just met but, I was at a conference all day and before I take the Metro North back to Connecticut I'd like to see my daughter, so I thought I'd hang out in the nearby Starbucks. Would you like to join me for coffee? Maybe after a cup and a pastry, our daughters will be back?"

Kathy seemed to think about it for a minute. Then she smiled and nodded. "Okay, Stephen. You're on."

"Great. It would have been deadly dull for me to have to wait for Joanie all by myself. You know, you don't look old enough to have a kid in college Kathy?"

"Really? You're just saying that? My eldest is actually out of college already."

"I find that hard to believe."

Kathy blushed. "Thank you."

"Anyway, shall we go to Starbucks and come back in about an hour or so?" Stephen asked.

"Let's go." Kathy answered.

As they walked to the nearest Starbucks, for the first time in a long time, Kathy didn't feel like such a loser.

Up next, the last chapter! No more extensions. It will really be the last chapter - it's the wedding and after the wedding….In the meantime, please review, here or on Twitter: Jo_Bautista