A/N: The lives of these beautiful people are about to change, again...

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything except the written words. Dick Wolf, please do not sueth me, I ameth merely a fan with a vivid imagination.

"He's absolutely beautiful," Elliot said with a smile. Then he tilted his head and shot a cocky grin at his brother. "Not as beautiful as my boys, but I'm biased." He winked and let one of his large, thick fingers trail down the baby's face, softening his eyes. "I can't wait, Liv," he whispered to his wife, who would be having a baby herself in a little over two months.

"You're done, after that one, right?" Kathy asked, taking the sleeping bundle from her husband, who had walked over to the bed. She turned her curious eyes toward Olivia. "I mean, you have to be done, now."

Elliot caught the perplexed expression on Olivia's face and laughed. "I think that's a 'no,' Kath," he chuckled. He wrapped his arms around Olivia, his palms cupping and caressing her bump. "We, uh, we got a few years left in us, and as many as we have…" he shrugged. "Who am I to tell God we're done? If He wants us to have more, we will."

Kathy stared with eyes and mouth agape. "You can't honestly be serious," she hissed. "You won't be able to afford...and I mean, her body can't exactly…" she smirked then, residual jealousy and a deep-seeded resentment coming through her lips. "It's harder to lose the baby-weight, after every kid, won't it bother you if she…"

"She has an incredible body," Elliot spoke fast, his hands sliding up and down his wife's curves, proving his admiration. "No matter what. And with what we do for a living, she drops the pounds pretty fast. Trust me, she is all muscle under this baby." He laughed and kissed her cheek, and then whispered in her ear, "I fucking love your body, and I always will, even if you ever…"

She turned and stopped him with a kiss. "I know," she told him, smiling against his lips.

Kathy rolled her eyes and tried to sit up a bit straighter, cradling her newborn son. "Well, whatever," she griped. "We're done. He got his boy, so we're...we're good with three." She smiled at Joey who looked almost angry at her. "What?"

Joey shook his head. "You decided that," he said with a low growl. "Didn't even ask me, just assumed, and now it's...it's too late. Even if I wanted…"

Kathy's eyes widened at him. "I thought it's what we both…"

"No, Kathy!"he whispered harshly. He would've yelled, but his son was asleep. He shook his head at his weary-looking wife. "You just fucking said it, getting into the damn car! You made the choice, on your own, without even considering…"

"What...what are you talking about, Joey?" Elliot asked, stopping the yelling, needing clarification.

Joey folded his arms and leaned back in his chair. "This one," he scoffed, jutting a thumb at Kathy. "Before they pulled me into the delivery room, she told the doctor...after she had him, to…"

"I had my tubes tied," Kathy declared with a sheepish shrug. "I thought...I thought that's what he wanted." She looked over at Joey and realized, she'd made a major decision that her husband had no say in, that he was not happy about, at all.

"What are you doing here?" Cragen asked softly, looking at Ed Tucker with a worried confusion in his eyes. "I mean, I know you're...you're marrying his sister, but that doesn't merit you…"

"It's not personal," Tucker cut him off, holding up a hand. "This business with Lake, took a pretty sour turn, and I was hoping to pull Stabler away from this for a while, but I…" he shook his head. "I stood there, watching him with Benson, his son, he's...he's different with his family, isn't he?"

Cragen bit his lip, trying not to smile, and nodded. "He is," he said quickly. "He doesn't take any of the hot-headed asshole shit home with him, and his kids are...incredible." He looked over at the sleeping children, curled up in waiting room chairs, and Eli's head in his sister's lap with a thumb in his mouth. "They're wonderful parents. They're doing a fine job raising…"

"That includes you, now, doesn't it?" Tucker asked. "I mean, for real, he's...they're letting you into their lives, you get to be Grandpa and Dad?"

"They're trying for me," Cragen sighed. "But I...I know it's not easy, and it isn't affecting the job, if that's what you're…"

"How did you do it? How did you convince them that you can be part of their lives outside of work, and what happens at work isn't personal?" Tucker asked. He saw the odd look on Cragen's face. "I'm only asking because...I need them to do the same thing for me." He shot Cragen a concerned look, and sighed as he turned his head toward the swinging wooden doors, hoping Elliot and Olivia would come out of them soon.

"Look," Fin sighed, running a hand down his face, "I'm not askin' you to give us another shot, I'm not askin' for you to hop into bed with me, I'm just asking for you to please...not tell my kid anything nasty about me." He shook his head. "I don't need him thinkin' that his daddy is a deadbeat, or an asshole, or the I treat his mom like shit."

"I never…" Melinda began, looking over her shoulder as she dressed for work. "Look, maybe he heard me say a few things...out of anger, but he's a little boy, I never thought he'd actually hear me."

Fin pressed his lips together for a moment. "We don't need to be friends, but we need to try to be civil. He's my son, and I don't plan on just walking out of his life because you can't stand me."

Melinda let her arms fall as she sighed and looked apologetically at Fin. "We have a long and difficult past, and I don't know what kind of future…"

"Mel," Fin interrupted. "We don't have a future, you and me, but we have a future with our son. And we gotta make this work, so...I'm sorry for all the shit, the drama, the pain. I'm just...I need to do better, be better. I will be."

Melinda smiled at him, and she nodded, believing him. "We should...we both need to...go." She watched as he let out a heavy breath and got off of her bed, walked out of her bedroom, and she closed her eyes when her front door opened. She let herself smile, wondering if there was hope for them, after all.

"What'd they name him?" Cassidy asked, leaning back in his new rolling chair and tossing a tennis ball up in the air. He caught it, threw it again, and as it came back down, he asked, "And have you picked out a name for that one?"

Olivia smiled. "They named him Ethan. And we, uh, we haven't really talked about names, yet. Elliot always just...looked at the kids and knew...like they named themselves."

Cassidy grinned. "Well, maybe this one will look like a Brian, huh?"

"I'd rather saw off my own hand," Elliot quipped. "No offense, man, but...come on, Brian Stabler? Sounds like a crooked politician."

The three detectives laughed, and then Cassidy sighed. "I should have a couple, by now," he said almost sadly. "I just can't seem to hold onto a woman. They always find some reason to leave."

"Because you can't keep it in your pants, man," Elliot laughed. "You'll hold onto love when you find the woman that makes you completely ignorant of any other woman's existence."

Brian nodded, unable to tell Elliot that he already had. "The time will come," he sighed, "And then it'll be your turn to be the Godparents." He laughed at his best friend and saw the way Elliot turned and looked at Olivia. He smiled, a sadness in his gaze, and he did something he'd never thought he'd do. He let go.

A/N: sorry for the short chapter, I'm only able to write in short bursts during short breaks, but will be back to longer, daily updates, next week!