Title: Happiest Place on Earth

Author: ZombieJazz

Fandom: SVU

Disclaimer: I don't own them. Law&Order: Special Victims Unit and its characters belong to Dick Wolf. The character of Jack, Benji and Emmy have been created and developed for the sake of this AU series.

Summary: Experiencing marriage troubles, and contemplating the future of her relationship, Olivia takes her children on a getaway, and to have a heart-to-heart with her friend and mentor, Don Cragen. This is set in the Hello Goodbye, Welcome Home, Facing Forward, Best Laid Plans, A Step At A Time, The Night Before AU.

PLEASE NOTE: This is generally written with the assumption that Covid didn't happen and/or is over. The kids are likely around 6/7 and 11/12.

"Well, let's see what we can do to help you make this the happiest vacation," the clerk suggested.

Olivia allowed him a somewhat patronizing smile at that point, and just placed her credit card, ID on the counter and showed him the reservation number — without comment.

He gave her another smile, and began keying some information into his computer while she again checked over her shoulder to locate the kids. She'd taken her eyes off them a little too long and they weren't in the same place. Her heart skipped a beat — just like it always did, STILL, when she let them out of her sight and the persisting underlying fear that something was going to happen that would take them from her. But as her eyes scanned the lobby area she spotted them again. They appeared to be looking at some kind of advertising placard. Whatever it was, Emmy was near bouncing on the balls of her feet and reaching to take something from the rack — her brother reaching to swat her hands away. She readied herself to have to call across the lobby — and the masses of people — if her over-excited (and likely over-tired) children spilled over into an argument.

But, then the clerk called back her attention, "Olivia, so it shows you've reserved a package with us that includes your tickets to the park and dining. And that it's your first visit with us!"

"Umm …" she nodded, reluctantly pulling her eyes away from the kids again. But this time giving them frequent checks behind her. "Yes, that's right."

"Lovely!" The clerk said, perhaps a little too kindly and fakely for her New York cynicism. "So I'm seeing you haven't made any of your attraction or dining reservations yet."

"Oh, yea," she muttered, still watching the kids. "This ended up being a little last minute. We don't really have a plan."

"Sure, just play it be ear," he said with a little wink. "But let's just get you set up on your My Disney Experience app so you can enjoy everything our resort has to offer. If you just tap there on your reservation and it should download for you."

"Oh …" she mumbled again. But did pull her eyes away from the kids to fiddle with her phone.

"Our records show your party has two adults and two children," he said.

"Yes," she said as she went through all the prompts on this add — and tried to remember what password she'd even used when she'd had to set up a profile to even book this trip on the company's site.

He placed two buttons that declared 'MY FIRST VISIT' with the Disney characters on the counter. She gave them a glance and a small smile.

"Would you and …" he glanced at his computer screen "… and Brian like one too?"

She frowned a little. "That's not necessary," she said.

He gave a little nod. "And our records also show you're celebrating a birthday?"

Olivia gave her eyebrow a little rub. "My husband's," she allowed flatly. "He's not checking in with us right now."

"Oh, alright," the clerk said. "Would you like me to give you his birthday button now? Or he can come pick it up later. Or at any of the park entrances."

"He'll get it later," she said — and startled slightly as she felt a body brush against her hip — briefly grazing the top side of her butt cheek first. But then she softened as the presence settled against her side — a finger still looping into her belt loop just like Benji had done since he was a little boy. A habit that hadn't entirely been broken — though it was less frequent now.

"Mom," he whispered at her in the presence of the stranger, "they have animation classes. With a real animator. Three times a day."

"Wow," she mouthed at him — giving him a genuine smile and caressing his cheek. His eyes were looking up at her so hopefully and excited. The little boy still there.

"And they have a Community Hall room with crafts and stuff. Like Tie-Dye, Mom. And making slime and waiting."

"Really?" She put to him with a smile.

He nodded. "It's just around the corner. And there's a big arcade there too. And the doors out. The sign says the pool is out there. And that they have campfires with s'mores and scavenger hunts and outdoor movies and pool movies. It's Cars 3 tonight."

"That's a good one," she said.

"Yea," Benji agreed — the look getting more hopeful. That unsurely that still continued to exist in him — even now after all these years. That almost anything and everything was too good to be true — and that he wouldn't be allowed to participate in any of it. That it would be snatched away from him.

"Then I think we're definitely going to have make sure we try to do a whole bunch of that," she said and glanced back at the counter as the clerk clearly pushed across a sheet listing the resort's activity schedule. It was expansive. "But, right now … I think I need you to go on a scavenger hunt for … your sister," she teased and gave his shoulder a little shake.

"She's right there," Benji said and pointed across the lobby to an entrance to what appeared to be a gift shop. And there was Emmy standing restless outside it — again bouncing on the balls of her feet gazing restlessly inside. "She wants to go look at the toys. There's lots. But, MOM, there's all kinds of art stuff in there. Animator supplies, I think. Can we go look? Please!"

"Ahh," Olivia considered it but then shook her head. "A little later, Benj. When I can go in with you. We're almost checked in. OK? So, what I really need you to do is to go and get Emmy to come over so we can go and get settled in our room. OK?"

He gave her that practiced Little Fox look of his. It wasn't that it didn't work — but it certainly didn't work as well as it once did when she was probably just as fearful that she'd lose him as he was that he'd somehow get taken away or be abandoned again. So this time — in all her experience as a mom — she shook her head a little at him and give him a nudge to go get their Little Duck.

"We could pick a souvenir for Dad for his birthday? Maybe?" He suggested. "For when he gets here?"

And there it began. The first mention of Brian and 'when he got there'. She was sure it wouldn't be the last. But she was hoping to stave it off at least that day — maybe until into the next day. To have some time to frame her response and to figure out how to interact with the kids' reactions as the processed the reality of their parents' latest fight and dynamics, and Brian's latest 'I've got an important case' excuse that always came in the periods he checked out on them — whether it was through work, his drinking, his late-night zombie-ing in from of his sports channels or just his increased grouchiness and shortness with all of them that pushed them away from him.

"Not right now," she said. "Later." If there was one.

Benji held her eyes for a long beat. There was a knowing there. Benji wasn't obvious to all Daddy's 'growling'. And he'd repeatedly commented on Brian's absence. He'd even gone so far to point out that Brian was grouchier when he drank — and pointedly told her, "I don't like when either of you drink your beer or wine. You aren't very fun then."

But that day he just gave her a little sigh but did very slowly trudge across the lobby — purposely stopping to gaze at the placard longingly again, and then just as longingly standing in front of the gift shop with his sister for several long beats that seemed to suggest they weren't in any hurry to join her back at the counter.

"Your package does include Magic Bands — which hold your tickets, all your reservations, open your room door, even can be used to pay for merchandise. And your refillable mugs are part of your dining plan. You do have to pick them up in the gift shop," the clerk told her.

"Of course," Olivia sighed. "We can do that a little later, though? Or we need them to get into the room?"

"Oh, you can use your phone to get into your room if you have you app open. Or I can give you a key card."

Olivia stared at her phone. She wasn't sure how much she liked the security, safety and privacy implications of some bracelet and app like that.

"Did you have any priorities or preferences for your room?" the clerk asked.

"Ahh …," she sputtered again. The realities of the management of vacation — and the utter lack of planning that had occurred because of the chaos of the lead-in was starting to set in.

But the clerk saw her hesitate and put a resort map up on the counter for her, putting an X in the main building they were presently in. But as her eyes settled on it — the vastness of all of it just settled in more.

"Umm …," Olivia said, rubbing her eyebrow. "Honestly, my kids are probably just going to spend a lot of time at the pool. And the crafts, the animation class."

The clerk nodded. "We do have several pools throughout the resort, as well as splash pads, water playgrounds, wading pools and hot tubs."

Olivia stared. Maybe she was the one starting to feel a little over-tired and over-whelmed.

"A lot of families base their preference around the movie or characters they like best," he offered. "Your son mentioned Cars? We do have a Cars area, and I have to say, for a whole lot of people, it's their most favourite themed spot in all of our Disney World resort."

"Ahh …," Olivia hesitated again. She wasn't sure Emmy would like the Cars area as much as Benji might — and she also wasn't sure how it would compare to, or impact, her memories of the Cars Land she'd experienced on her last — and only — solo vacation with her little boy years ago.

"There's Lion King," the clerk suggested. "Jungle Book, Toy Story, Fantasia, Little Mermaid, Finding Nemo."

Olivia pulled the map a little closer to her, trying to orient herself on the map and to figure out just how to scale the thing was.

"Are you going to Toy Story Land?" He asked. "That can be a really nice compliment to your day. Or if you're planning on spending time at the resort — perhaps you'd like to be closest to this building or be in on of the areas that also has a playground?"

He moved his pen around again — its tip pointing out different points of interest. The pool-side restaurants and bars, the splash pads, the laundry rooms, the playgrounds, the campfire pit.

"Umm …," Olivia shook her head a bit and rubbed her eyebrow again. "It's a lot bigger than I expected. I got a little disoriented finding our way to the hotel. Where exactly are the parks in relation to all of this?"

"Oh, absolutely," the clerk nodded and pulled out another map that he unfolded a placed on the counter for her. This time it looked like a near city map that she'd expect they handed out at tourist info booths in her home city. "So we are here," he said and she again gaped at the massiveness of the area that she'd really only gotten a glimpse of on the sprawling maze of roadways into the hotel. "Now, given the number of days you're staying with us, I'm going to guess you're hoping to visit all our parks, but can you give me an idea of what your priorities are?"

Olivia rubbed her eyebrow as she now tried to orient herself against the giant land mass in relation to the resort map and what that could possibly mean for their room choice.

"Ahh … well, it's a surprise trip so I haven't really talked to them about what their priorities are," she mumbled. "We'll likely want to go to the waterpark one day."

"We have two," the clerk said.

"That I did see," she acknowledged.

"You son mentioned art and animation," he offered, overly helpfully. "It is the Festival of Arts at Epcot right now. So there is a lot of special programming and displays there your family might enjoy. There is also quite a lot of Disney movie magic happening at Hollywood Studios — and, of course, that's where Toy Story Land is, if Pixar is a family favourite."

"I'm not sure how interested either of them will be in that," she said. "Umm … Animal Kingdom? I was looking at that. My daughter really likes animals. And they're both into science. Space."

"Oh, absolutely," the clerk said cheerily again. "Animal Kingdom is over here," and his pen landed on about the farthest possible location from where they were. "So you are likely going to want to drive to it or catch our Magical Express buses. But, I really have a feeling between art and animation and movie magic and science and space and animals, if you're including under the sea, your family is likely really going to enjoy Epcot and Hollywood Studios. Sooo, I am going to recommend that you stay in our Lion King or Finding Nemo rooms and that will put you closet to our Skyliner Gondola system, which will just zip you right over to both those parks in about fifteen minutes."

Olivia gave him a look and a nod. "Yea," she agreed. "That sounds like a good plan. We're from New York — and, I have to say, the exit signs on your freeways …" she gave a little wave.

"Moooooom," Emmy's voice came up behind her and then her daughter's body pressed against the counter. "Can we pllllllleeeeeease go in dah toy store? Dere's a whooooole mount-in of stuffies!"

"I already told her we aren't allowed," Benji provided, taking up the rear.

"Emily, I think you're going to get to see lots and lots of things to spend your vacation money on this trip. You don't need to start spending it the second we get into the hotel and on more stuffies. Because I am pretty sure there is a whooooole mountain of stuffies already on your bed at home."

Her daughter sighed at her and rubbed her head against her side — frustration and exasperation and fatigue of the travel all combined with just plain ol' Emily too.

"How about you help me decide if we're going to stay in a Lion King themed room or a Finding Nemo themed room?"

"A themed room?" Benji squinted at her and then glanced behind them at all the artistic renditions and filmstrip frames behind them. "Like this?" He gasped.

"Not quite," the clerk smiled. "But I don't think I should ruin the surprise. Maybe you could tell me … what's more important … campfire. S'mores, playground and field games and movies under the stars?"

"Yes," Benji said.

The clerk smiled and looked over to Emmy. "Oh," he smiled at her, "pools, splash pads, snacks and float to the movies?"

"No, that," Benji said. "Definitely that. Definitely the pool."

"Jea!" Emmy agreed. "Definitely dah pool! Definitely dat!"

The clerk gave Olivia a smile. "Finding Nemo, it is," he said and pulled the resort map over to him. He checked his computer screen, jotted down a room number on the map and then placed another X on another building. "So that is just about where your room is going to be. Right up on the third floor. You're going to have a partial view of the lake dividing the resort. The resort's main pool — along with the splash pad — is right here. So not to far from your doorstep. And if you use the exit at the far end of your building, you'll be just a short walk to the Skyliner — right here. And, of course, you're welcome to explore all the rest of the resort's amenities and pools and activities and restaurants at your leisure — along with all the services and amenities at all our other hotels and parks. You're able to find all our schedules on the app we got set up on your phone — and you'll be able to reserve your Fast Passes to a minimum of three attractions a day and your dining or any special event tours or tickets you want right from the app too. But if you need any help with planning the rest of your time with us or securing reservations — our guest services and concierge desk is just right over there," he said with a two fingered pointed-gesture across to the other end of the lobby.

"We wanna reserve the animation class," Benji said hopefully again — more to Olivia than the clerk. But he still smiled and nodded.

"That is very much a first-come, first-serve activity. We are able to accommodate about thirty participants per session," he told Olivia. "And, as our young fellow noted, it does run three times a day."

"There's one at one," Benji said.

Olivia nodded and shook her head. "Thank you," she said to the clerk and retrieved the map, nudging her kids to come with her. "Let's see if we can find our room — and then we'll see how we feel a bit closer to one."

"It's first-come, first-serve, Mom," Benji stressed.

"I did hear that, Benj." But her son started to veer off the opposite direction at the fork in the lobby. "Sweetheart, this way," she said and pointed down the hallway.

He squinted at her again. "Are we goin' to the Community Hall instead? I thought you said we were goin' to the room?"

She gave him a little smile. "We'll get our luggage after, Little Fox. Let's go see our room —"

He looked confused. This was not the way they usually entered hotels in the handful of times they'd been in hotels in his lifetime. But this also wasn't anything like the usual chain hotel they usually stayed in. Olivia already knew that she'd have to be finding a baggage cart and being prepared to trek their belongings across creation to have their clothing with them for their stay. She was likely just going to pay bell services to do it for her. Or maybe she would let her little boy and girl prove how helpful and well behaved they could be — after she let some of their excitement simmer off a bit and they all got to sit down for a bit of a rest.

Her son staggered after her and she took Emmy's hand. Her little girl was still just bouncing — nearly skipping — with her excitement about the day. Though, she again looked longingly at the gift shop as they went by. And now Olivia saw more clearly why both her children were entranced by it. They definitely did have all the stuffies up front and on-display calling out to her daughter. But the store was called the Ink and Paint Shop to attract her son's attention, and there was clearly artwork and art supplies within view. Not to mention, clothing and merchandise clearly stating "Art of Animation" with various artist renditions and works in progress of the characters from the movies that the clerk had cited as themed areas of the resort. Olivia didn't doubt that Benji — if not Emmy, too — would end up with some souvenir of that sort by the time they left. Benji likely wearing it nearly as proudly as he still strutted around in his NASA t-shirt from the Kennedy Space Center their last trip. But his career aspirations — and talents — had shifted and expanded a little since then. She was sure he'd jump at anything that even remotely suggested he was an animator or comic artist in the making.

"See," Benji said as they kept walking, "that's the Community Hall with all the crafts and activities and stuff. And the arcade. Look at how big it is. It looks like it has basketball in there, Mom."

"Wow," she acknowledged. Though, Olivia doubted she'd be letting her children spend any time in there. It wasn't a high priority for her on their vacation. They had video game systems and a basketball net at home.

Instead they pushed through the back entrance of the lobby building — and she wasn't sure if it was her or the kids who sputtered to a stop first and gaped at the massive pool in front of them. Not just a massive pool but massive Nemo characters the end of blue buildings painted like waves capped up with and poles that looked like piers where seagulls from the movies were sitting and screeching out "Mine, Mine, Mine" intermittently and bits of coral scattered around it all. Seeming in mid-air above it all Crush the turtle surfing along on his back.

"Neva-mind," Benji mumbled. "I think we should do the pool first."

"Dat's a pool?" Emmy said. "I think it a lake beach."

"It's a pool," Olivia acknowledged. Though, unlike any pool she'd had the opportunity to experience — both in the thumbing and in the sand surrounding it with loungers and umbrellas that looked like floating jelly fish and beach games and sand toys that looked like star fish scattered throughout the area.

"Definitely the pool first," Benji said.

"Jea, definitely," Emmy agreed.

Olivia squeezed her little girl's hand and gave her little boy a smile.

They all walked … or swam … nearly effortlessly, in some sort of awed daze, the rest of the way across the centre walkway of the resort to their building.

Their awe didn't dim as they passed the splash pad themed like the School of Fish from the movie, complete with the kiddie characters and the playground that looked like a climbing tower and maze of tunnels and slides through a expansive coral reef.

The bar side bar and restaurant called to Olivia. And as much as she knew she'd be changing into her suit and experiencing the sand-bottom pool and listening for the advertised underwater sounds and music from the movie along with her kids — she also knew that she'd happily claim a lounger and get a drink that'd let her pretend she was as an all-inclusive resort in the Bahamas and maybe a plate of nachos for the kids and just enjoy the afternoon in the sun — working on a tan and watching her children play. That was all she really wanted.

They could catch glimpses of the Lion King section and the Cars section of the resort down other pathways — and though the kids expressed an interest in exploring further, she continued to urge them forward. There'd be lots of time to explore the rest of the resort. She wasn't even sure they were fully yet registering that this was JUST their hotel — that the pools and activities and playgrounds and immersive theming here — wasn't even the parks they'd be seeing in the coming days. Though, she also didn't doubt that her kids and her could easily just have a hotel vacation right here. It almost made her wonder if she should go and ask if there was any way to get her park tickets refunded if she wasn't able to drag the kids away from the hotel!

The exterior of the buildings gave way to sides that showed the evolution of the drawing of the characters. Starting at sketches and working their way through to fully realized animation. Benji was transfixed — and again wishfully expressed his desire — if not demand — they they had to explore the length of every other building on the expansive property. Not to mention he kept asking for her phone to take pictures of each and every step of the characters' animation process for his future reference.

Their realization that there were placards full of educational tidbits and trivia about the making of the Disney and Pixar movies represented all around them — and the animal and mythological characters within them and the environments and settings they lived in. Their progress slowed as they stopped to read each — and the knowledge there would be so many more as they eventually worked around the property.

"I bet these are were you find answers and stuff for the scavenger hunt," Benji said.

"I bet you're right," Olivia agreed.

"We should so do the scavenger hunt," he urged.

"Jea!" Emmy added. She was full-on in agree with Benji mode. But most days Olivia would take that over the two of them bickering with each other. She'd feared that might be what the trip became — that their age difference and same-but-different interests would rear its head and she'd be playing referee and negotiator the whole trip. But so far so good. Though, she'd see how long that lasted.

"We will," Olivia said.

And continued to urge them forward. When they aren't their building its lobby and hallways weren't nearly as impressive as the exterior. But Olivia had been prepared for that. It was a family-style hotel, deemed as 'moderate' for Disney pricing and amenities. She wasn't entirely sure she would agree with that classification. She'd put it more in line with basic family suite hotel at deluxe hotel pricing. And, she wasn't sure it came anywhere close to competing with what Universal had classified as their 'family style' hotel and 'value' level pricing. But this was a different kind of vacation and a different kind of hotel — and it was about the experience for her kids. Her kids didn't know this wasn't a lap of luxury. They had too few points of comparison. And even if the hallways didn't scream worthy of the price tag — they wouldn't be spending much time in the hallways!

And really any qualms she was having about the price versus quality dropped — along with her jaw — as they opened the door to their family suit.

They were under the ocean. The walls, the seaweed-styled carpets, the coral-style furnish, the fishy characters all around them in the art. The kids were entranced — and so was Olivia.

They all went exploring. The living room and kitchenette — ideal for storing their medical and dietary needs for Benji — and bigger and nicer than what they'd had at Universal. Not to mention it had a full dining table with chairs — that PULLED DOWN INTO A DOUBLE BED. A trick that awe-struck the kids even more and caused a brief argument about who would get to sleep there — rather than on the pull-out couch or armchair that folded into a twin cot. The fact that they 'found' Nemo when they converted their dining table to the bed only added to the dispute. Like that was the major objective — and prize — of their stay.

The master bedroom wasn't exactly a lap of luxury — at least if you had been booking the trip expecting any kind of romantic, private time. But this trip definitely would not be having any of that. So the queen-sized bed to herself with a door that closed, her own bathroom and draw space and a little bit of privacy seemed just fine to Olivia. And she liked the hues of blues and purples in the room — colours that Brian always cringed at when she expressed interest in repainting at home.

The bathrooms were probably most enchanting for the kids — causing more glee to erupt from them. Olivia was most gleeful that there were TWO bathrooms. But submarine like look in the one room captured them and Emmy was thrilled to have a grinning Bruce the Shark staring at her in the other — while both the kids were spotting and naming the types of fish, and the characters, in the mosaic tiles.

Olivia had been listening — smiling and just enjoy. Trying not to let herself think about Brian. To think about the fact he was missing this. To question if she was being too harsh — if she was unjustly punishing him in some way — by still going ahead with this stop before moving on to Cragen's for their beach holiday.

But to pull her out of it there was a knock at their room's door. She left the kids — expecting that maybe they're forgotten to tell her something at the front desk. Though, considering how app-oriented this whole experience seemed to be, she was surprised they hadn't just texted her or had some kind of alert pop up on her phone.

Her eyes grew large and she gaped again as she opened the door — and there stood her other boy. Her grown one.

Jack looked at her a little sheepishly — and a little sad. His face was creased with concern and his eyes sad.

"Hey," he greeted.

"Jack?" She managed. "What are you doing here?"

He gave her a little shrug. "I was kind of worried about you after you texted about … the flight. About what's going on. I thought … I don't know … maybe you could at least use some help getting settled."

And Benji stuck his head out of the bathroom. "Peedg?" He declared — but it was excited, happy.

And then Emmy's voice came too. "Dack?!"

More was being said. But Olivia didn't hear it. Instead she just reached a pulled her adult child into a hug — and for the first time … that day … that week … that month … she let her eyes well in the tears of frustration and anger and overwhelming she didn't want to admit was there and the sadness of all of it.

And she held her oldest tight. And his arms held her too — in a way Jack hadn't in … a long time.

And she felt her other two children's arms wrap around her too — their bodies all pressed together — in a group hug, as a family. Together.

And she just closed her eyes and held onto that moment. For now. Right now.

AUTHOR NOTE: I'm not sure how many chapters this will be. I generally needed something kind of lighter and happier to write and wanted to give Liv some time with the kids and away from the job for those kinds of kid/family interactions. If you have any thoughts or ideas on vacation-esque chapters or scenes (either at Disney or in the hotel or at the hotel or on the beach or Gulf Coast of Florida area) you can drop a comment or DM. There's likely going to be some chapters with Jack (and maybe Renee) and Cragen (and maybe Eileen) too. I haven't decided if there will be much with Brian (in terms of him actually appearing)

Reviews, comments and feedback are appreciated.