Before long, it was Monday, and everyone was off to work—Olivia to the SVU, Alex to her office building, and Sophia to the Watering Can, so she could start her new job with the Novaks. The family still lived in a place that was not the ideal size for five people, but at least they were finding their normal.
Olivia had long since accepted that life at the SVU would never be quiet, and also that her friends were her family, but for a Monday morning, she found the bullpen to be a happening place.
For starters, Casey was there, but she was occupied by watching Amanda and Carisi, who were squabbling with each other, like a married couple. Confined to getting around via her wheelchair or her forearm crutches while her sprained ankle healed, Amanda was already irritable, but adding to that her flip-flopping pregnancy hormones and no coffee because of her pregnancy, she was a cyclone waiting to be unleashed. Olivia was already making notes to hide in her office.
She went for the far approach first.
"Casey, what are you doing here? I'm having flashbacks to when we first met, and you just showed up out of nowhere."
"Alex politely told me to stay out of her hair for the morning, and since I'm attached to the SVU for good now, I decided to come hang out here today because I really don't have anything to do at my office or a judge to bother yet." she explained. "I just didn't expect these two to be fighting."
Olivia laughed. "This is nothing; Amanda just has ammo now."
She and Casey looked to Amanda and Carisi, neither of whom were paying much attention to their surroundings.
"Dominick," Amanda hissed. "I can't go in the field, but except for driving or stairs, I can still go places in a building by myself!"
"You really should try the wheelchair, too," (Amanda immediately made a double thumbs down at this suggestion) "And you have limited mobility."
Amanda raised one of her forearm crutches at him in a threatening way. "Do not make me whack you again with one of my mobility aides!"
Olivia backed away at this point, trusting them to sort this out by themselves. Casey followed her.
"Where's Fin?" Olivia asked her.
"Over in the kitchen, making coffee, and he's kind of jumpy." she said this last part thoughtfully. "I'm going to see why."
The pregnant woman turned and left, leaving Olivia to finally trek across the bullpen to her office.
"Hey, Liv."
Surprised, Olivia swore and then turned to see Elliot on her sofa, grinning and happy to see her, but most of all dressed for work. She had just seen him when they'd gone for drinks at The Yellow Viper, but her heart rose into her throat because Elliot's being at the SVU on a Monday, before her, even, could only mean one thing.
"El!"
She put her things down and then crossed the room to him, hugging him when he stood.
"You're here!" she looked up at him adoringly. "Does this mean you went to IAB and Kemper assigned you to us?"
"Effective immediately. I put the folder with my papers on your desk, but I think you just buried it under your purse and your jacket."
"Whoops." Olivia spotted the folder and then a box of his things, beside him on the sofa. "How did you sneak up here with all that?"
Elliot winked. "Magic."
"Well, here's the 411: Fin does his own thing, and I still go out in field, but only because it seems like more than ever, I hate being stuck behind a desk. Amanda usually sticks with me.
"And what about Carisi?"
"He bounces between Amanda and I, but now that you're back, I'll probably pair you with him. He's eager to please, kind of like a cocker spaniel, but he's as loyal as they come."
"So he's a standup guy."
Olivia nodded. "Uh-huh. He has a silly streak that Amanda brings out in him, but still, he's always reminded me of you and Amanda totally reminds me of me."
Elliot arched an eyebrow. "Are we really so old that we have younger models now?"
"I didn't think about it like that. Ugh."
"And we are both grandparents, too."
"Quit while you're ahead, buddy." Olivia glanced at the date on her watch. "Hey, did you remember what today is?"
"Of course: it's Melinda's birthday. Did you send her flowers?"
"Did you?"
"Yes, and so did Alex—we used The Watering Can by The Plaza, because it's owned and run by Casey's family, and Sophia starts there this morning."
"I ordered from there, too."
"No question that Casey did, just out of loyalty, but I'm sure Amanda and Carisi will have, too, to support the Novaks."
"Then that's all of our bases covered."
Flowers for Melinda on her birthday was an important matter to Olivia in the squad. Six years ago, Melinda's decades-long marriage had ended the day before her birthday, when she caught her husband being unfaithful. The squad found out the day after when Olivia bumped into her the next day at a coffee shop, crying. By the end of the day, every one of Melinda's friends from the SVU had sent her flowers and cards to cheer her up. Now it was a tradition because they loved her so much.
"Sophia will probably be out on delivery, with all of that." Olivia laughed. "I hope she sees Melinda."
Elliot nodded, and looked through the window, out into the bullpen. Everyone was there.
He knew that Barba had left quietly over the weekend, but he hadn't known him long or well enough to be too affected by his departure, so he didn't dwell too much on that.
That being said, he was back at the SVU until he permanently retired. Olivia was in charge now, something he'd suspected would one day happen, all the way back when they'd first met in 1999. He was incredibly proud of her. Amanda and Carisi were part of what Elliot supposed was the 'next generation' of the SVU, and he was curious to learn more about them. Fin, who for every fight they'd had, would come through for him twice as much, was as good as his brother, and he had really missed him.
And Casey was back, too, along with Alex. Both women were as dear to him as the sisters he'd always wanted.
True enough, he missed the other members of the old squad who had since retired, and yes, he did bump into Melinda at crime scenes every now and again, but he was happy to be back in the job he loved and with people he cherished.
Olivia patted him on the shoulder. "Look alive."
Elliot straightened up. "Okay, but why?"
"Because I'm about to invite the others to come see you."
Elliot mentally prepared himself to be more sociable. "Got it. I'm ready."
Olivia crossed the room and stood in the doorway. "Amanda, Carisi, Fin—I need you here! Casey, you, too!"
With Amanda leading the way on her crutches, the squad traipsed over.
"What's up, lieutenant?" Fin asked as they congregated in front of her.
Olivia back up and beckoned to them. "Come in—I want to show you who's back with us for good."
They all filed in and all stood in one spot, surprised at the sight of Elliot.
Casey ran to Elliot.
She'd known him for as long as she'd known Olivia, and for all the times they'd been at each other's throats during fights about God and religion and issues like wether or not schizophrenic people should be forced to take medication, she still adored him very much. He was as close as a brother.
Casey now felt like her heart was full: she was with Sophia and they both had babies on the way, she was looking forward to getting to know Melissa more, she was closer than ever with Olivia and Alex, she and Alex were presiding over the SVU together, and now, Elliot was back.
After the years away, finding herself and then presiding over a different until altogether, she finally knew that this was where she had been meant to be all along.
This is the last filler chapter for awhile, I promise; the real stuff is up next!
