A/N - Thanks for all the love on this one! I'm so glad you are enjoying it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Here is Chapter 5, what will gift number four be? Remember the first chapter there was no gift yet, just the lead up. Hope you enjoy! Don't forget to drop a review!

Tomorrow back to 6pm ish upload. Just heading out for the day and won't be near my computer later to upload. Have a wonderful Sunday!

Sunday, December 19th, 2021

The following morning, Olivia woke up to a sound coming from the kitchen. She jumped slightly, brushed her hair out of her face and glanced over at the clock. Her heart jumped when she saw that it was 10:30 in the morning. She couldn't remember the last time she'd slept this late. She'd been up late listening to the album over and over thinking about Elliot and all that had transpired in the last few days. Some days it was still amazing to her that he was even back. But now in the last few days she had felt a shift, in him and in her. She knew what his intentions were…she just had to decide what she was ready for.

Sitting up, she ran a hand over her face and rubbed the back of her neck. Elliot had said eleven but she heard two voices coming from the kitchen. Throwing the blanket off of her, she glanced in the mirror, ran her fingers through her hair and reached for a cardigan to throw over her shirt. Walking into the living room she let out a relieved breath when she saw Elliot and Noah in the kitchen.

Noah looked up, the biggest smile she'd ever seen plastered on his face, "Morning Mom!"

"Hey Sleeping Beauty." Elliot said, nudging a drawer closed with his hip, a smirk plastered on his face that made her knees weak.

"You said 11." She said with a frown as she walked towards them, "It's 10:30."

"I did." He said reaching for the coffee pot, "But I meant more we'd eat at 11, sorry that wasn't clear."

She took the coffee mug he offered her and she sighed sitting down at the counter, "Thank you." Yawning, she said, "Noah, you let him in?"

Noah nodded, "I did. But I asked him a bunch of questions, dragged the chair over and looked in the peep hole to check to make sure it was him."

Olivia smiled and took a sip, "That's my boy." Setting the mug down she wrapped her cardigan around her body, "I can't believe I slept that late…I don't remember ever sleeping this late."

"It's a good thing. Your body needed the rest." Elliot said with a smile, "After two plus decades as a Detective I'd say you earned it."

She smiled and rested her hands on the counter, "Hm…maybe." Looking over at her son she laughed, "What do you have all over your face?"

Noah blushed and touched his cheek, "What?"

She reached out and pressed her fingers into his cheek, "Chocolate?"

Elliot laughed, "We added chocolate chips to the pancake batter. I guess he snuck a few…"

"Whoops." Noah said jumping down from his stool, "I'll go wash my face." He started to step back, "Give you two a little time to talk. Just adults."

Olivia rolled her eyes, "Yeah okay…" She watched Noah walk away and then turned back to Elliot to see him moving around her kitchen with ease as if he'd always been there. "So…"

He looked over at her and smiled, "We've got pancakes going. Eggs. Bacon in the oven, I picked up some bagels and a bunch of fruit too. That work?"

She held the mug in both of her hands, feeling the warmth fill her body, "Sounds wonderful…let me know what I owe you and-"

"Nope." He said with a shake of his head, "You're not paying me a cent. This is all on me."

She frowned and looked down at the table, "It seems like everything is on you lately…"

"Well I got a lot of time to make up for." He whispered looking directly at her.

She swallowed the lump in her throat, "El…you don't need to buy my forgiveness."

He lowered the temperature on the stove and shrugged, "I'm not trying to buy it…"

He walked over to the counter and leaned against it, "Your note…"

His hands smoothed across the surface of the counter, "My note…" His cheeks flushed and he whispered, "That one I wrote on my own…"

She bit down hard on her lip and nodded, "I know…" She fidgeted with the mug, "I want you to know that…I mean I…I-"

Reaching out to her, he closed his hand over wrist, "You don't have to say it back…"

She felt tears burning in her eyes, "I just don't know if I'm ready to say it yet…"

"And that's okay." He said with a smile, "Like I said, you let me know when you're ready and I'll be right here."

He squeezed her wrist and she sighed, "You're different…"

He frowned and cocked his head to the side, "What do you mean?"

She smiled and shrugged, "I don't mean it in a bad way…you're just different. More…open. It's new…and sometimes a little terrifying to be honest."

He blushed and looked down, "I guess I got tired of lying to myself and just felt like it's time to go after what I really want…"

She smiled nervously, her heart thudding in her chest as she lifted the mug again, rolling it in her hands, "And what is it that you want Elliot?"

Elliot looked behind her as Noah walked back towards them, "This. Right here. This is what I want Liv…you, me, Noah…my kids. That's all I ever wanted."

Her eyes went wide and she inhaled sharply but she didn't get a chance to respond, "Elliot, can I help flip the pancakes?"

Elliot winked at Olivia as Noah rounded the corner, "Absolutely. You're my sous chef kid."

Olivia watched her son climbing up onto the stool again and Elliot settled in beside him by the stove. She was listening as they talked softly, laughing and beginning the task of cooking their brunch. Her eyes burned with tears as she held the coffee close to her. Noah turned to look at her and smiled, "You okay Mom?"

She saw Elliot turn his head to look at her too, she took a deep breath and nodded, "Yeah baby. I'm good. I'm really good."

And for the first time in a long time, she actually meant it…

Both Olivia and Elliot couldn't remember the last time they'd both laughed that hard. Noah was telling jokes left and right and the feeling of ease between the three of them made them both relax and enjoy the moments. After brunch was over, the three of them did the dishes together, as usual making the perfect team. Drying her hands, she saw Elliot and Noah whispering to each other in the corner.

Frowning, she tossed the towel down onto the table, "What are you two whispering about over there?"

Noah looked up at Elliot, "You ask her."

Elliot laughed and leaned back against the counter, "I was wondering if I could steal your kid for a few hours."

She laughed and crossed her arms over her chest, "Don't you have enough of your own?"

Noah laughed and Elliot snorted, "Ha, ha. Very funny. Noah and I have some things we need to take care of."

"Things you need to take care of?" She asked curiously, "That sounds suspicious."

Noah rolled his eyes, "Stop being such a cop Mom…we're not doing anything illegal."

"I sure hope not." Olivia said with a laugh. "What exactly are you two up too?"

Noah lifted his fingers and pretended to zip his lips, "I cannot say." He looked up at Elliot, "I'm gonna go change. Then we can go?"

Elliot nodded, "As long as your Mom says yes…"

Noah looked back at her and pouted, "I'll brush my teeth without you hounding me, does that work?"

She laughed and nudged him, "Uh huh…"

Elliot watched him walk away and then turned back to Olivia, "So…is it okay?"

She smiled at him, "What are you doing?"

He shrugged, "I made him a deal awhile back….he asked for my help with something." She narrowed his eyes at him, "Some Christmas things…if you know what I mean."

She took a deep breath and frowned, "El…you've already done so much. I don't want you to feel like you have to-"

"I don't feel like I have to do anything." He said walking all the way up to her, "I want to spend time with him as long as it's okay with you. And he's determined to get you the best gift possible and asked me to take him. So…is that okay?" She hesitated still and Elliot whispered, "Liv…no matter what does or doesn't happen I will protect that kid with my life. I won't let anything happen to him. I can promise you that."

Clearing her throat she asked. "Okay. It's fine with me. But…what exactly did you have in mind?"

Elliot shrugged and looked at his watch, "Well, the bars are open I think so we'll hit a few first, take some shots. Once we've reached a numbingly good kind of inebriation…we'll hit the strip club and I'll introduce him to Crystal and Coco."

She shoved him hard, "Oh, okay Eddie Wagner…"

He laughed and swayed in his spot, "I'm kidding. We'll hit some shops, grab a snack and then meet you later? I bet you have some shopping you need to get done."

Olivia nodded, "I do. A few last minute things."

"So it's okay?" He asked, she nodded again, "Okay dress warm or bring other layers." She raised an eyebrow at him, "For night four…I can't tell you anything but I'll send you the address and we'll meet you there around five?"

She tugged on her cardigan again, "More surprises huh?"

He smiled, "A few yeah…"

She watched him carefully, taking in this moment and all that she was feeling, "Okay." He smiled, "One question though…"

"Sure. What's up?" He asked, resting his hip against the counter.

Chewing on her lower lip she looked him up and down, "Is Eddie Wagner really gone?"

Elliot let out a shaky breath and nodded, "Yes. Just Elliot Stabler here…that okay?"

Olivia took a quick breath, walked up to him, standing only inches from him. "Yeah. But…"

He could feel her warm breath on his face, she was so close he could reach out and kiss her, "But what?" He asked nervously.

Her eyes wandered over his face again and she lifted her hand to run her fingers along his smooth cheek, "It's a shame…" Her finger ran across his jaw and he tensed, "I found the beard to be really sexy."

His eyes went wide as he watched her step back, "Liv…"

"I need to shower before I leave. You good here?" She asked, walking backwards, a glint in her eye.

Elliot gulped, his Adam's apple jumping in his throat, "Uhh-uh huh."

Just as she turned she whispered, "Have fun with my kid Elliot Stabler. See you later."

He stood there, his body reacting to her words. His skin was flush and warm and his blood rushed to a certain part of his body. From where he stood he could hear her rummaging around in her room, and a moment later when he heard the water running he groaned. Visions of her climbing into the shower, steam surrounding her as the water cascaded down her body. So many years of fantasies were swimming around in his head. She was so close…yet so far away.

He jumped when he felt someone tugging on his arm, "Earth to Elliot!"

Looking down he tried to relax, "Oh. Uh…hey kid. You ready?"

Noah reached for his coat, "Yeah. You're really gonna help me pick out the perfect gift for her?"

Elliot smiled and ruffled his hair, "Absolutely. We won't stop until we find it. I promise."

Noah smiled and grabbed his arm, tugging him towards the door, "Then we better get started!"

Elliot laughed as he reached for his coat on the hanger as they passed the door. He glanced back towards her bedroom once more, wondering, wishing…

"Elliot! Let's go! We don't have much time before we have to meet Mom again." Noah called.

Elliot smiled and shook his head, two decades later and she still knew exactly how to drive him crazy, "I'm coming. I'm coming…"

A few hours later, Elliot could tell that Noah was getting discouraged. They'd gone to more stores than he had anticipated but everything he showed to Noah, the young boy had turned down. He seemed upset and frustrated. He knew his relationship with him was still a work in progress and he didn't want to overstep any boundaries. Glancing at his watch though, he knew they had to get something soon and grab a bite to eat before they met Olivia for the second part of the day.

Elliot lifted something off the shelf and asked tentatively, "What about this?" Even though he already knew what the answer was going to be.

Noah sighed and leaned against the wall behind him, "No…she has that."

Elliot frowned and placed it back down, "Okay." Noah looked down, his cheeks turning red and Elliot glanced around the store, "Noah…" He didn't look at him so he walked slowly over to him and knelt down in front of him, "What's going on?"

Noah lifted his head slowly and looked at this new person in his life, this man that had clearly meant so much to his Mom. This person who he was starting to really care about and who he hoped would stick around, "It has to be something really good."

Elliot smiled and reached out to squeeze his arm, "Noah, whatever you get your Mom will love. You know that."

"Yeah but…" He shrugged nervously, "She is always doing so many things for me and my gifts are always…something I made at school or at home and I want something really nice. Something that tells her how glad I am that she is my Mom."

Hearing his words, Elliot understood what he was saying. But he also knew that Noah could never give her a gift and she'd still be happy because to her, Noah was the best gift. The one thing she'd always wanted and dreamed of. However, he did feel that Olivia deserved something special and he wanted to help Noah find the perfect thing. "Well…what did you have in mind." Noah looked up at him, a glint in his eyes and Elliot smiled, "Oh…you have something specific you want?"

Noah shrugged, "Something I saw when I came to the mall with Mom last week…"

Elliot stood up and put his hands out, "Well why didn't you say that? Where do we need to go?"

Noah fidgeted slightly, "The jewelry store…"

Elliot looked at him surprised, "What were you and Mom doing at the jewelry store?"

"She was picking up Carsi's gift for Aunt Amanda. We're keeping it at our house so she doesn't find it. She likes to snoop." He said and Elliot laughed as the boy continued, "And I saw it…I don't think she did. But it was perfect."

Elliot reached out and squeezed his shoulder, "Well lead the way…"

Noah's eyes lit up and he asked, "Really?"

Elliot nodded, "Of course. If you say it's perfect it must be. So let's go take a look at it."

Noah pushed himself off the wall, grabbed Elliot's hand and started tugging him out of the store and towards the other jewelry store. Elliot could only smile as he dragged him along. All the displays were brightly lit up, flashing and distracting others. But he only had eyes for the excited kid that Olivia had waited so damn long for. When they walked in, Noah didn't even wait for the saleswoman to ask if she could help. He made a beeline for the case in the corner and pressed up on his tiptoes, "It was in here!"

Elliot leaned against the glass and looked down, "Okay. Do you see it?"

Noah's eyes scanned the case and then he gasped as he pointed to the back, "That's it! That one, right there!"

Elliot followed his finger and smiled when he saw a delicate gold bracelet with two intertwined rings, "Wow…you have good taste kid."

Noah smiled, "When Mom was talking to the other person about the gift for Aunt Amanda, the person here told me it represents two people intertwined. That it was about a team that can't be broken." He smiled at Elliot, "That's me and Mom."

Elliot felt a lump forming in his throat, he knew his voice was laced with emotion as he spoke, "You're right. It can't. You and your Mom…no one will ever break that."

Noah beamed up at him, "That's the bracelet I want." He reached into his pocket as Elliot turned to the woman behind the glass.

"Hi, yeah, can we see that bracelet in the back?" The woman pointed to it, "Yes. That one. Thank you." Elliot took the bracelet in his hands and smiled, "It's beautiful."

Noah nervously held out his hand, a wad of crumpled up bills, "Do I have enough?"

Without needing to count it, Elliot knew for a fact that he didn't. When he glanced at the saleswoman, she had a sympathetic look on her face. Elliot didn't look at Noah, he winked at the woman and she seemed to understand, "You absolutely do."

Noah jumped up excitedly, "Really? I've been saving for months!"

Elliot smiled and placed the money down on the counter, "Yeah. You've definitely got enough. Why don't you go over to that display over there and pick out the wrapping paper and bow you want them to wrap it up in and I'll pay."

Noah beamed at him and launched himself at Elliot, "This is going to be the best Christmas ever. Thank you Elliot."

Elliot bowed his head, held him tight and whispered, "Nothing to thank me for kid." And then he was off.

Elliot reached into his back pocket, his cheeks flushing as he slid the credit card towards the woman, "Your wife is very lucky…that was adorable."

Elliot blushed even more, "Run the card but I'll tell him I paid with his cash? That okay?"

She smiled at him, "It's way more than what he has…"

Elliot nodded, "I know. But…it doesn't matter. This is the one he wants and this is the one he's gonna get." He smiled down at the bracelet, "Besides…she's gonna love it too."

The woman put the bracelet into a box and whispered, "Yeah…she's very lucky."

He smiled sheepishly and didn't even care to correct her. He would have paid all the money he had in his damn savings just to see her kid smile like that. And he'd pay even more to make her smile too…

As he watched Noah, he thought of the bracelet and then he thought of another gift. The only gift out of the ten he'd ever sent. The one now in his possession again even though she didn't know that just yet. And then he had an idea…

He turned as the woman approached him again, "Is there anything else I can help you with today?" She asked handing him back his card.

Elliot signed the receipt and looked up at her, "Actually there is. Do you guys do custom pieces here?"

She smiled, "We do…what did you have in mind?"

He looked back at Noah again to check on him and then smiled before quickly whispering his idea…

Olivia had to admit that getting a few hours to herself to do some last minute shopping was exactly what she had needed. Being a single Mother and SVU Captain made it hard sometimes to get into the Christmas spirit. Of course she could order online, but sometimes she loved browsing the shops to see what she could get her friends and family. Before starting at SVU, Christmas was one of her least favorite days of the year. Her Mom never went all out and she was quite young when she realized that Santa was never coming to her house. But being partnered with Elliot, his Christmas Spirit was infectious…

Standing outside a particular store and looking at the display she realized she'd gotten everybody on her list a gift except for…

Elliot.

It had been over ten years since she'd gotten him a gift. That first year she almost bought something and dropped it off at his house, hoping it would make him talk to her. But the day she was going to the store, she'd overheard two people at work talking about how they'd seen a sold sign out front of Elliot's yard. And then it hit her…he was really gone. After that, she'd given up hope and decided not to get lost in the Magic of Christmas. But once Noah came into her life, she'd begun to see Christmas through a child's eyes and she once again had begun to understand that magic.

But standing here right now looking up at the train driving on the track, the lights flickering, she was reminded of a day years and years ago. When a young Olivia and Elliot had been window shopping because they had to be a part of a Holiday Gift Exchange at work…

December 2000…

Olivia huffed as she walked down the street, her feet were aching in their boots, "Elliot, this is stupid. Can we stop?"

"Oh come on! It's not stupid!" Elliot said turning back to her, he had a ridiculous impish grin on his face and the top of the Santa hat he was wearing kept hitting him in the eye, "We just haven't found the perfect gift yet!"

She crossed her arms and shivered in the cold, "How are we ever going to find the perfect gift for Fin? He hates us. I can see it on his face…you got lucky. You got Munch. You bought him the new biography about JFK. He'll go ballistic over that!"

"He hates me and John. He likes you." Elliot said with a laugh as he walked over to her, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, "Which isn't surprising. Everyone likes you. In fact…everyone loves you."

She rolled her eyes as he dragged her along, "That's bullshit and you know it."

"Oh please." He said with a chuckle, "Everyone you meet takes one look at you and is instantly gaga over you. Half the perps we meet are drooling over you the second you walk into interrogation…"

She shrugged him off and frowned, "That's not exactly a compliment Elliot."

He sighed and turned to look at her, "Okay, maybe not. I'm sorry. I just meant…you are a good person. Everyone likes spending time with you. That includes Fin. You're the only one he tolerates."

She sighed and started walking down the street, "Well don't say everyone loves me. Because I don't like that and it's not true. No one has ever loved me." She laughed bitterly, "No one ever will. How could they? I'm a mess. The only reason I'm even here is because some Monster raped my Mother and she hates me. Half the time she can't even look at me which I don't blame her for but-" She stopped when she realized she was walking alone, "And…I'm talking to myself." She sighed and turned back to him, "El?"

It had begun snowing and he was a few feet behind her, watching her with such a sad expression on his face. It took her by surprise and she pulled at her scarf, wrapping it around her tighter, "El I-"

"Don't say stuff like that." He said softly, almost so softly she wasn't sure she had heard him but she knew she did, "None of it is true."

Licking her lips, she looked down, hoping she didn't cry. She hated crying. Especially in front of him. "Well I was born from-"

"I know." He said as he walked to her, "I know that. But Liv that wasn't your fault…you didn't ask for that to happen. You're here for a reason."

She looked up at him and asked, "And what' s that reason? I've been wondering my whole life and I still don't know."

He walked all the way up to her and answered with a clear and confident voice, "The world needs more people like you Olivia Benson…the type of woman who will stop at nothing to seek justice. A woman who works harder than anyone I know, would give up anything for the victims and for her friends and family. A woman with clear convictions, good character, who is smarter than anyone I know. Someone whose heart is as pure as yours…"

She swallowed the lump in her throat, her tears burning in her eyes, her nose frozen from the cold, "Elliot…"

He shrugged and reached out to wipe a snowflake off of her nose, "And for the record…there are a lot more people who love you than you realize Benson."

She felt her heart thudding away in her chest as she whispered, "Yeah?"

The way he was looking at her sent shivers down her spine and he wished more than anything he could make her see just how loved she truly was. But he couldn't. And she knew he couldn't and she wouldn't want that either. So he swallowed hard, wrapped an arm around her shoulder again and squeezed, "Yeah…so let's keep looking. You just need to start feeling the Christmas Spirit…"

She groaned when she heard him humming, "Oh God. No…Elliot, no. Don't sing. Please don't sing…"

"Sleigh bells ring. Are you listening? In the lane…snow is glistening." He sang ignoring her.

She groaned and tried to cover her ears, "Make it stop…"

"A beautiful sight. We're happy tonight…" He turned and walked backwards, "Walking in a winter wonderland."

As the snow fell around him her heart skipped a beat and the Christmas spirit started to fill her slowly but surely. "Elliot…"

He laughed and spun around trying to make her laugh, "Gone away is the blue bird…here to stay is the new bird…" He pointed at her, "Come on Liv…take it!"

She laughed and begrudgingly whispered, "To sing a love song…while we stroll along walking in a winter wonderland…"

"There she is." He said with a smile as he pulled her arm along, "My partner is getting in the spirit finally!"

And she did feel it, she finally understood at least a little what that Magic was all about…

Standing outside the shop window, she thought about what he had said, about her being more loved than she realized. She wondered if back then he had felt it too. She'd fallen hard and fast for her partner whether she meant to or not and for years it was terrifying and brutal trying to keep it all bottled up. But that was then…and this was now.

A slow smile spread on her lips and she sighed, "Someone looks happy."

Olivia jumped and turned, she was surprised to see Elliot's three daughters. "Kathleen. Lizzie…Mo. H-hi."

Kathleen laughed, "You okay?"

Olivia pressed a hand against her chest and sighed, "Uh yeah…you just startled me. I didn't see you there."

"You looked like you were thinking pretty hard about something…" Maureen said with a smile.

Olivia blushed and looked at the window, "Oh I was-"

"Or someone…" Kathlene interjected and her sisters snickered.

Olivia laughed and looked at them, "What are you three up to?"

Lizzie sighed and pulled her coat around her tighter, "We still have nothing for Dad…we're getting kind of desperate actually."

"Well maybe Olivia has some ideas for us." Kathleen said with a knowing smile, "I mean she knows him well…maybe better than all of us."

"Oh. No…I wouldn't say that. I mean your Dad and I…we…" She fidgeted nervously, "Yeah we knew each other…but it's been a long time and-"

"And you still know him." Kathleen answered, "You definitely still know him."

Maureen smiled at her sister and then at her Father's former partner. A woman she'd known for much of her life. A woman that when she was younger both intrigued her and frightened her. She saw the way her Father looked at her, but she trusted him enough to not hurt her Mother. Sometimes she wanted to run to Olivia, spend all her time with her because she was cool and exciting. She cared about her and her siblings. She gave great advice, made her laugh, seemed to be so independent and fierce. The kind of woman she always wanted to be. A woman who sacrificed a lot for so many others…including her, her siblings and her Mother.

She missed her Mother. There wasn't a day that had gone by in the last year that she didn't miss her. That she didn't wish that things had turned out differently. But her Mother was gone and there was no way to get her back. All she could focus on right now was the family she did have. And making sure her Father was happy…and for him to be happy…she needed this woman in front of her to let him all the way in.

"You do know him." She saw Olivia inhale sharply, "We could really use your help…we're striking out everywhere."

Olivia swallowed hard, she smiled and shrugged, "Well…the one thing I've always known about your Dad is that he doesn't need stuff. He prefers…experiences." She shrugged, "And I know that being away for so long…he missed you all so much. So…" She shrugged, "Why not buy tickets to something? Or go somewhere all together? Just the kids and him. I think it would mean the world to him…"

"That's actually brilliant." Lizzie said quickly, "We haven't really spent much time all together since he's been back in the city…we've all been so busy."

"We could get tickets to a game or something? Make a night of it?" Maureen asked.

"Or even get tickets to something outside of the city where we'd have to travel a bit. Make a weekend of it. Hit a different city." Kathleen said with a shrug.

Olivia smiled, "He'd love that."

"Let's call Dickie and Eli and see what they think." Lizzie said, "Should be a group decision."

Kathleen turned back to Olivia, "See? You always know how to save the day Olivia…what would we do without you?"

Olivia smiled and her cheeks flushed, "You survived for a long time…you'd be fine without me."

Kathleen frowned and shook her head, "No. We weren't fine…something was missing."

Olivia's phone pinged and she jumped, looking down, "Oh! It's uh…it's your Dad. He's shopping with Noah…"

"Answer it." Maureen said loving how happy Olivia looked, "He'll be surprised to see us with you."

Olivia smiled and accepted the facetime, "Hey…everything going okay there?"

Elliot beamed at her through the phone, "Yeah. Noah just took a body shot off of some chick with blue hair. And I won about $25,000 betting on the Rangers game."

Olivia rolled her eyes and the girls laughed behind her, "You're hilarious, you know that?"

Elliot laughed, "I know." He bent down and smiled, "Show your Mom you're still in one piece kid. Otherwise she's gonna kick my butt."

"Hey Mom!" Noah said with a mouthful of hotdog from a vendor, "We've had the best day ever!"

Olivia laughed, her heart squeezing in her chest, "You're gonna choke Noah…"

Noah swallowed hard and smiled, "Did you get all your errands done?"

"Just about…" Olivia said with a smile, "Ran into some people and got a bit distracted…"

She turned and the girls all waved, "Hey Dad!"

The smile on Elliot's face grew and he laughed, "Looks like we swapped kids for the day."

Olivia smiled, "Guess so." She looked at the girls, "You girls in a hurry?"

They nodded, "Actually yeah. We have somewhere to be around five." Kathleen said with a smile.

Olivia stood up a little straighter, looked at them and then at the phone, "What-"

"Our lips are sealed." Lizzie said, pretending to zip up her lips, "Great to run into you Olivia! Hope to see you before Christmas!"

The girls laughed as they yelled, "Bye Dad!" and took off down the sidewalk.

Elliot smiled at her, "You almost ready Benson? It's 4:30…"

She sighed realizing she wasn't going to get Elliot's gift today after all, she was out of time. "Yeah…yeah I'm ready. Where am I going?"

"I'll text you the address as soon as you hang up. Just making sure you were still in." He said with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Yeah Mom. You still in?" Noah asked excitedly beside him.

Olivia knew she couldn't say no if she tried, "Yeah…I'm definitely still in."

Elliot nodded happily, "Alright then. We'll see you in a bit."

"Bye." She waved at them and waited for the text to come through with the address.

Taking a deep breath, she looked back at the store window and remembered those two young people singing on the streets of New York. A lot had changed since then…they'd both been through so much together and apart. They'd grown together and as individuals and maybe it was finally time to see what they could be together…

Feeling the excitement brewing, she turned to catch a taxi to meet her two favorite people in the world…

A few minutes before five, Olivia stood exactly at the address that Elliot had given her but she was confused. She was in the middle of a mostly quiet side street and he wasn't there. She was cold and pulled at her coat lighter around her, "Damn it Elliot…what are you doing?"

"Still gotta work on that trust thing don't we?" He asked as he rounded the corner to reach her.

She jumped and sighed, "Jesus. The Stabler's are trying to give me a heart attack tonight aren't they?"

He laughed and walked all the way up to her, "Sorry. I thought you heard me coming."

She frowned and looked behind him, "Uh…hey…where the hell is my kid?"

"He's perfectly safe I promise." He said with a smile, "We'll meet him in a second."

Looking around she asked, "Where are we?"

"A few blocks away from our destination." He said with a smile, "But I knew if I brought you directly there you'd know right away. So…I had to keep the surprise alive a bit."

She nodded slowly, "Okay…so?"

"So…" He held his hand out, "One second…"

She watched him jog a little down the sidewalk and she noticed his car. She stood still, waiting with baited breath trying to think about what he could possibly have planned. But she knew for a fact she wouldn't be able to guess. In the last few days, he'd proved time and time again that he was full of surprises. A moment later, he walked back toward her with a box neatly wrapped and a nervous expression on his face.

She looked down at the box, "Gift number four?"

Elliot nodded and pushed it towards her, "Gift number four…" He turned towards a set of stairs near them, "Come sit."

She felt her heart beginning to race and she knew whatever it was would blow her away just like all the rest of the gifts. She turned to walk with him, his hand rested on her back as they walked and it took all her strength not to lean further into his touch. Sitting down, she placed the box in her lap and he sat beside her, fidgeting slightly.

She tugged on the ribbon, "Should I…"

He nodded slowly, "Yeah. Go ahead…"

She could tell he was nervous and she found it so endearing. Taking a shaky breath, she tugged on the ribbon and began to unwrap the red and green paper. Inside was a box and she frowned before pulling the top off. As soon as she did, she gasped at what lay inside and she knew exactly where they were going. "Skates…"

He rubbed his hands together nervously, "Our first year together…I asked you what was the one gift you always wanted from Santa but never got. The one thing you dreamed about for years…and you told me…"

"My own pair of ice skates." She said wiping at the tears in her eyes, "Back then I thought I'd be the next Dorothy Hamill…"

Elliot laughed, "Was that the inspiration for the haircut back then…"

She scoffed and shoved him hard, "Shut up! At least I still have hair!"

He smirked and rubbed the top of his bald head, "Fair enough. But…with all your different hairstyles…you always looked good." He smiled softly at her, "Damn good…"

Sighing, she looked down at the skates in the box, "I can't believe you remembered that…"

"I told you…" He whispered softly, "I remember everything Liv. The good, the bad and the ugly…" He leaned into her, "I know that Christmas wasn't always your favorite day…I know why it was hard. But you deserve to have a good Christmas…and it may be a few decades late but Santa wanted to make up for lost time."

"Santa huh?" She asked, leaning into him with her shoulder, "I didn't realize that Santa looked like Elliot Stabler…"

"He's magical. Wears many different hats." He said with a smirk.

Lifting her hand, she wiped at her tears, "So…"

"So…" He said with a smile as he stood up and reached for her hand, "Wanna go skating Benson?"

She laughed up at him, "This is another one of those activities that I'm not sure my physical therapist will appreciate…"

He shrugged, "I'll protect you."

She smiled and said, "Didn't work out so well with the sledding…" She teased, sticking her tongue out at him.

Elliot rolled his neck back and forth, "Help me out here Liv…would ya."

She fidgeted in her seat and whispered, "So…Noah's at the skating rink?" He nodded, "And I'm gonna assume he isn't alone which means that whatever your girls had planned…"

"All my kids are there too." He whispered, "And we have the place all to ourselves. But only for the next thirty minutes so…"

She gasped, "What? What do you mean we have it all to ourselves?"

He shrugged and held his hand out, "Had to pull out all the stops. Plus…less people around means less chances of you falling and breaking your neck."

She laughed, reached for his hand and let him pull her all the way up, "You really are full of surprises Stabler…"

He smiled and started to walk backwards, tugging her along, "And it's only day four…"

Once she was sitting on the bench outside Rockefeller center lacing up her skates, Noah slid in beside her, "Hey Mom."

She looked over at her son and smiled, "Hey kid."

Noah looked around the empty rink, "Isn't this so cool?"

"The coolest." Olivia replied tugging on his hat, "Did you have a good day?"

Noah looked over and saw Elliot laughing with his kids, "An awesome day."

She followed his gaze, and the way he was looking at her told her that she cared more deeply for Elliot than she even could have anticipated, "Noah…"

He looked back at her and said, "I really like Elliot…do you think he's sticking around?"

Her breath caught in her throat just as Elliot turned to look at them both. "I sure hope so…" She whispered.

"Come on Noah." Kathleen said, reaching out for him, "Ready to take a spin?"

Noah looked back at his Mom, leaned in and kissed her cheek, "Try not to break anything, okay Mom? Christmas in a cast would be no fun…"

Olivia laughed as Noah waddled towards the rink with Kathleen and the rest of the Stabler kids. She watched in awe as the six of them began to do laps around the large rink, laughing and talking like this was something they did everyday. Like Noah was one of them and always had been. Her heart ached for all the time they'd missed but she prayed to God that this could be their future…

A shadow passed over her and she looked up, blinking as Elliot gazed down at her, "You coming Dorothy?"

She giggled and pushed herself up off the bench and reached for his hand, "Been awhile since I've done this…"

"Me too." He said nervously, "Let's do it together…" He shrugged, "We're better when we do things together…don't you think?"

Her fingers curled around the edge of the rink wall and she smiled at their kids, "Yeah…I do."

"Good." He whispered as he stepped onto the ice and turned to look at her. "Come on."

She took her first step onto the ice and they both slipped a little, reaching out to grab hold of the wall, "Are we too old for this?" She laughed.

Elliot chuckled and stood before her, tugging on his coat, "Probably. But…we made it this far so…"

She looked down at his hand which he held between them nervously. She slipped her hand back into his and felt him tugging her along. Slowly, they both started to skate along the edge of the rink. They were both quiet and all they could hear was the sound of their children laughing and the blades against the ice. She was emotional and she knew deep down he was too. It had been a hell of a year for him, a hell of a decade really for both of them. But he'd had a lot to navigate in the last year losing his wife, trying to support his children, trying to get back into life in New York and it wasn't easy. None of this was easy. It would probably never be easy…but maybe things that were worth it…things that were real weren't supposed to be easy. Maybe you had to work hard for this kind of love.

She felt him looking at her and she blushed, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye, "What?"

He shrugged, "Nothing…just feels nice being here with you." He looked ahead of them, "With our kids…"

Our kids.

She squeezed his hand in hers, "Yes. It does…"

They moved a little faster and he cleared his throat, "So you ran into my girls?"

Olivia nodded, "Yes. They were out shopping for a Christmas gift for you…"

Elliot fornwed, "I wish they wouldn't waste their money on me…I don't need anything. Just want to spend time with them…"

She smiled, "You're their Dad…they want to see you happy and it's been a hard year."

He looked up watching as Dickie and Eli were chasing each other on the ice. Lizzie was laughing and taking pictures of them and Maureen and Kathleen were helping Noah as he skated between them. "I am happy…"

She stopped and tugged on his hand, "Are you?"

He stopped moving and stood in front of her, he saw the apprehension on her face. He knew her. He knew that she always worried, never wanted to overstep her boundaries, never wanted to come between him and his family. But he was tired, tired of pretending he didn't feel what he felt. He didn't want to wait. What good would it do? Time was flying already, he'd been home for nearly a year and he knew he'd blink and another ten would pass him by.

"Liv…being back in your life…seeing you everyday." He shrugged and whispered, "That…that makes me happier than you could ever realize."

She inhaled sharply and looked at him, "I tried to pretend I hated you…that I never wanted to see you again." She tilted her head to the side and whispered, "But…I missed you more than I thought it was possible to miss someone Elliot."

Reaching out, he brushed her hair out of her face, "I missed you every single day Liv. Not a day went by when I didn't think about you…"

She looked down at their joined hands and listened as the kids continued to skate around them. "I've been meaning to ask you something…"

He watched her carefully, trying to read her expression, "Okay?"

She cleared her throat nervously, "Um…I have to go to that NYPD Gala on Thursday. As Captain it's kind of mandatory to make an appearance and I wasn't sure if you were going…I know they weren't your favorite."

Elliot smiled and tugged on her hand, "No. They weren't. But Bell said I have to at least show my face for a bit…"

She looked up at him, her eyes wide with hope, "Oh. Okay. Well that's good. Yeah…I was just wondering if you were going…if I'd see you there. I know you said ten days of things…but that night-"

"Do you want to go together?" He asked, cutting off her nervous rant.

She cleared her throat and shifted slightly, slipping on the ice a bit, "Oh. Uh…yeah sure we can drive together."

He shook his head, "I didn't just mean drive together…"

She chewed on her bottom lip as he tugged her closer, "You-you didn't?"

"No." He whispered pulling her even closer, "I meant do you want to go as my date…"

She couldn't quite believe her ears. After over two decades, Elliot Stabler was officially asking her on a date. A date where everyone they knew and had known for years would see them together. He didn't want to hide this. Didn't want to shy away from this. He wanted the world to know that he loved her and maybe just maybe…she wanted them to know she loved him too.

She raised an eyebrow at him, "A date huh?"

He smirked, "Yes. And don't say dateish…I mean a real date. The kind where I pick you up, hold the door open for you, buy you drinks…the whole nine yards." She smiled harder, "You'll wear something that will undoubtedly leave me breathless and I'll spend the entire night wondering how the hell I got so lucky to even breathe the same damn air as you."

She laughed nervously, "Elliot…"

"And then…" He said with a shrug, "We can share a dance or two…make total fools of ourselves in front of the entire NYPD, maybe drink too much and have to call Cragen to drive us home like the old days."

She laughed, "That was one time!"

"And we paid for it that entire year." He said with a laugh, "Extra overnights."

She shrugged, "They weren't so bad…it was usually just us in the squad room…"

He smiled down at her and whispered, "Yeah…you're right." She still looked up at him and he whispered, "So…what's your answer?"

She reached out and brushed a snowflake off of his nose, "Pick me up at seven."

He let out a shaky breath and then laughed, "So that's a yes?"

She began to skate backwards, pulling him with her, "It's an I thought you'd never ask Stabler…"

His heart skipped a beat as he staked to keep up with her, "Look at you go Dorothy…you're better than I thought."

She squealed as Dickie and Eli sped past her and she fumbled but he caught her around the hips, her chest crashing against his, "You were saying?"

Elliot yelled after his boys, "Watch it you two!"

"Sorry Dad!" They both yelled, their laughter ringing through the rink.

He looked down at her and smiled, "You okay?"

"Yeah." She whispered, "My partner caught me…just like he said he would."

He squeezed her hand and started to skate again, "And he always will…I'll never let you down again Liv. I swear."

She tugged hard on his hand and whispered, "I trust you…"

And little did she know…that was the only gift Elliot needed this year. To know he had her trust back. To know he had a second chance to right his wrongs. It was only day four…and she didn't know what else he still had up his sleeve…