Not long after sending Carisi's parents to him, a new voice caught Olivia's attention. It gave her a jolt of joy when she saw who it was.

"There you are, Liv!"

She beamed when she spotted Elliot heading towards her. The man was dressed for a wedding, but it was the expression on his face that had caught Olivia's attention. Elliot was up to something.

"What's up?" the lieutenant asked her friend.

"I'm just feeling happy for you." Elliot said honestly. "That's what it is for the moment. You didn't carry Amanda or Dominick, but everybody knows that you love them like you did. How are you feeling?"

I'm just trying not to cry. Feels like I might. But…" Olivia looked Elliot up and down. "You didn't seek me out to ask me how I feel. Did you?"

"Your wife is looking for you. I am here to be the middleman." Elliot extended an arm to her. "Come on. I'll take you to her."

Olivia looped her arm in his. "Alright. Thank you."

Elliot began leading her towards a different part of the hotel.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking since my return to SVU." he said as they walked along. "Our lives have turned out so well now. I got burned, but my family... They saved me."

"I love all of them." Olivia told Elliot. "Your family is beautiful."

Elliot beamed at the compliment. "I even have grandkids. There was a time when I felt so burned out that I wasn't sure if something like that would even come true."

"Tell me about it. Melissa loves when I play with her, and Henry, Agnes, and Esme adore snuggling with me. How is it with Jaxon?"

"My grandson loves football." Elliot said fondly. "I've been teaching Jax the basics—at least for what a kid his age can grasp. He soaks in every little bit."

"Wow." marveled Olivia. "And what does Maureen think?"

Elliot grew amused. "Mo likes to wish that her son would be interested in a sport that she could understand, but she happily encourages it. Same for Savannah."

Olivia shook her head in wonder. "Yet another wild thing occurrence is that a Stabler is marrying a Novak. Does Jaxon like Savannah?"

"It's more like he worships her. Calls her 'Mama Savvy.' I think she'll sign Jax up for a league when he's old enough." Elliot chuckled. "That is... If Maureen doesn't beat her to it."

Elliot paused, gathering his thoughts.

"DJ really likes when I take her to the park. She says I push her on the swings better than Maureen or Zacharias do. And she calls me Pop. So does Jax."

Olivia arched an eyebrow as she processed what had been said. "You treat DJ like your granddaughter?"

"Mhm. Diane Joy is my kids' baby sister. It wasn't even a question for Kathleen and Zacharias to make her theirs. Disowning DJ for bad choices my ex-wife made is not my style." Elliot said seriously. "I'm glad I gave her a chance because she is a sweetie."

"You're a good man, Elliot." praised Olivia. "Can you tell me how Olivia Ruby is doing? I haven't heard about my little namesake in awhile."

Elliot bumped his shoulder against Olivia's. "You were at her first birthday party. She's walking, running, playing, figuring out speech. However... Olivia has a very new habit."

Curiosity overcame the lieutenant. "And what would it be?"

"Olivia will grab any book and stand in front of any person who can read. She stares them down until they break."

Olivia turned wry. "And what, you break because Miss Olivia inherited Kathleen's poker face genes?"

"Yep." Elliot confirmed. "It's like my kid cloned herself. But… I never turn the baby away when she has a book. Olivia has also been learning baby sign language, too. She always signs 'I love you' when I tell her yes to reading."

"Wow. That's really precious."

"Mhm. I wouldn't trade any of this time with her, or Jax, or DJ for anything." Elliot said firmly. "Ever."

"Alex and I feel that way about our family. We're in a happily ever after neither one of us ever thought we'd get. Sometimes we pinch ourselves."

"I've also been doing that a lot. Never thought I'd be this kind of happy at this point in life. Sometimes I feel like my heart is fit to burst from all the joy." Elliot remarked. "You and I got old. But we're not headed for our golden years. Not just yet."

"That is for sure." agreed Olivia. "What do we do in the meantime? Live in the moment?"

"Sounds good to me." Elliot then pointed to someone a few feet away. "Look who I found."

They had already made it back to Alex. She was waiting for them near a side room she and Olivia had been using to keep their things. In a word, she was looking relieved just then.

"Here you go." Elliot put Olivia's hand in to Alex's when they drew level with her. "I will see you both in awhile."

Alex thanked him. When Elliot had gone, she proceeded to pull Olivia in to their room and close the door.

"Got everything you need?" Alex blurted to her wife.

"Yes. I'm totally ready. Thanks for checking." Olivia studied Alex and kissed her fingers in reassurance. "Everyone keeps asking me how I'm doing because the bride and groom are two of my detectives. But I know that you love Amanda and Dominick as much as I do. How are you? What are your feelings today?"

Alex let out a gusty sigh. "The only thing I want is to have a good cry about it all. I've been caught up in the emotion of this wedding all day. Still... I'm not sure if I can even have a cry around anyone who isn't you. Do you need to be anywhere?

Olivia did. But on the whole, Alex never asked for anything. Who was Olivia to deny her of this request?

She pulled Alex into a warm hug. "You can cry. It's okay."

Alex wrapped her arms around Olivia's waist. And just cried. Olivia let her. She understood Alex's feelings today. Quite well.

Olivia spoke again when Alex's tears had subsided. "Let me have a look at you."

Understandably, Alex's face was messy. But not as bad is it could have been.

"What's the damage?" Alex wanted to know.

"Nothing bad." Olivia sat Alex down in a nearby chair. "It's also nothing I can't fix."

"Okay. I trust you."

Olivia began to fix her wife's makeup. They both loved taking care of each other. Especially in intimate ways like this.

"Look how our lives have turned out." Alex began. "Olivia, I always knew that I'd get to where I am today in my career and be happy about it, but… did you ever think that you'd get to the role of captain?"

"Uh-uh. Before you, Casey, and Sophia showed up, I was beginning to think I would be retired before that chance happened my way. My career wasn't in a rut..."

Alex guessed what Olivia was thinking. "But you felt that it had stalled?"

"Just a tad." Olivia admitted. "But then life happened."

"It sure did." Alex chuckled.

"The only way I have to describe all this wonderful fortune is to call it a happy ending. Does that sound corny?"

Alex shook her head. "No. Not at all. I totally understand it. Gunshot wounds, witness protection, looking in to the eyes of multiple devils... I beat all of them and still found my way back to you. It certainly qualifies as a happy ending. Plus… We have three generations to our kin. Already."

Olivia took this in stride. "If or when any of the little kids ever have to do a school project about their families, none of them will have an easy time of it."

"We'll help them through it when we get there." Alex decided. "You know... Even when Diana was yet in the planning stages, I was already imagining things for her future. Did you imagine life events for Sophia...?"

Alex couldn't bring herself to complete her thoughts.

Olivia would talk openly about her memories of being pregnant, but not much of what happened on the day she had given birth. Alex never knew how to broach the subject. So she didn't.

But Olivia understood even this.

Finished making up Alex's face now, she set the makeup aside and pulled her other half up.

"Yes to your question." Olivia answered. "I did make plans for Sophia even though I already knew I wouldn't be keeping her. Sometimes I like to think that doing so kept me from losing my mind. And I did miss too many of her milestones, but we have been witness to some very magnificent ones."

Alex responded, "Just the thought of that makes my heart flutter."

Olivia squeezed Alex's hands gently. "Tomorrow, we have the privilege of giving Sophia away to her soulmate. That darling woman just just happens to be one of the greatest people you and I have ever loved. Could it get any better? I don't think so."

Alex looked lovingly into her wife's eyes. "Then would you do it again?"

Olivia kissed her. "Absolutely."

"Why?"

"Because all of it has led to today, to this conversation." Olivia said calmly. "I would do all of it again. For as many times needed. Would you?"

Alex didn't miss a beat. "Without a question."

Olivia hugged Alex again. "I love you so much, and I can't believe we're spending forever together."

"Neither can I." Alex returned the hug. "You were worth the wait."

"And so were you."

Both women stayed together in the room for a few more minutes. Holding each other. Whispering to each other. Just enjoying the companionship.

Neither could imagine being without the other for the rest of their days now.

And they were beyond thankful they had come back in to each other's lives again. Because neither could have borne the thought of how it all would have been, otherwise.