Alex had accepted from the first day that she'd met former Captain Donald Cragen that her life would never be the same again. Or quiet. She had even become accustomed to the idea over time. The noisiness of the SVU culture eventually became part of who she was now. Everybody knew this about her.
In the long run, this meant that pulling one over on Alexandra Caroline Cabot was next to impossible.
Usually.
"Oh, come on, kid." Alex murmured as she drove through the rainy New York traffic. "Don't be like this. Not now."
But... Diana was blatantly behaving in a way that indicated she was in the very beginnings of her world debut. It was impossible to deny.
She scanned her outside surroundings. As it happened, she was a ways from her original destination, but not from a safer alternative. The people there were also very understanding. Alex was very quick to redirect her vehicle in the proper lane and head towards her new destination.
The Watering Can.
Something about being around the Novak family always made Alex feel very, very safe.
Beatrix was the first person to greet her when she entered the shop. "Hey, Alex. How are y—oh, dear. I know that look."
Alex let out a nervous laugh as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "Am I that transparent?"
"Mhm." Beatrix came around from behind the front counter to where her friend stood in the middle of the floor. "What's Diana up to?"
"Letting me know in a very un-subtle way that her birthday will be tomorrow, at the latest. She might actually be on time."
Beatrix helped Alex into the chair that she had been previously occupying. "Don't put all your eggs in one basket, my friend. Babies keep their own schedule. You look like you were on your way somewhere."
"I was driving over to the precinct to deliver Olivia of a surprise."
"What were you going to tell her?" Beatrix propped Alex's feet up on a crate for her. "Must've been something big."
"Things were actually so mind-numbingly dull and slow that they actually let me start leave early." Alex looked around. "Is anyone else here?"
Beatrix nodded. "Y—"
A new voice cut her off. "Trixie, who are you talking to?"
Violet had arrived. When she saw Alex, she knelt next to her. "Is Diana...?"
Alex nodded. "Yes, but I think it's going to be a long while."
Beatrix was quick to chime in with a recap for her mother of the situation as it was. By the end, Violet suddenly felt responsible for Alex. It was very clear that she'd chosen The Watering Can as a sanctuary.
Violet spoke gently to Alex. "You came here because The Watering Can was closer than the precinct?"
"Mhm." Alex admitted. "I hope that's okay."
"It is, and you made a really good choice. We're family. It also isn't that far to the hospital." Violet told her. "How about you call Olivia?"
"That's a good idea, but I'm going to set the phone to speaker mode." Alex fished her phone from her purse pocket. "You and Beatrix will be able to hear if she tells me something important."
"Solid choice." the other two said together.
Olivia was quick to greet Alex when she saw her name on her phone screen. "Hey, baby! Are you bored?"
Pause. "Uh... the game plan has changed."
"I beg your pardon? Did they let you leave earlier?"
"Yes, and then I was on your way to your building to surprise you, but... uh... I had a contraction while I was in the car."
"What?!" yelped Olivia. "Where are you?!"
Violet spoke up. "You're on speaker, and you're with Beatrix and myself. Alex just arrived here at the shop about five minutes ago."
"Because The Watering Can is close to the hospital." Olivia sounded like she was reassuring herself before sighing. "Alex, how can I help you right now?"
It took her everything she had to not burst into tears on the spot. "Just stay at work, okay? Don't storm over here to be a hero on our account. Please."
Olivia knew that Alex had a point. She still had a squad to command. A case to work on. Amanda to look out for. In other words, her pate was quite full. At least for now.
"Okay." she said at length. "I'm still going to let the babysitter into the loop, and come over to you the first second that I can. Diana will be joining us before tomorrow night. I just know it."
Alex gave a small smile at her wife's optimism. "She will."
"Keep your chin up, my love. That's all I can say right now."
"Thank you. I love you."
Olivia returned the affection before speaking to get the attention of Alex's company. "Violet? Are you still there?"
"Yes, my dear. What is it?"
"Have you seen Sophia recently?"
Violet realized at once that Olivia was asking about her because she was also very close to her due date. This was her version of keeping all her ducks in the same pond.
"Sophia is in the back room, sorting through flowers with Augustín and Abigail. Melissa is also here. The others have been indulging her in all kind of questions."
Olivia breathed a sigh of relief. "And Casey should be there before not too long. Amanda, too."
"That's right." Violet soothed her. Please don't worry, Olivia."
"I won't. The Watering Can is a safe haven." Olivia sounded like she was back to reassuring herself. "I really will be by when I have the time. Please call me if anything changes with anyone."
Violet laughed. "I promise you that I will. Please go run your precinct. We'll be just fine."
Olivia knew Violet enough by well to see that she was being gentle but firm, and that she wouldn't have any hemming or hawing. "Will do. Talk you later, Violet. Thanks again."
She also got in her good-byes to Alex and Beatrix before hanging up.
Alex ended the call on her own phone and set the device away again. Talking with Olivia had alleviated her fears now. Worrying exclusively about Diana would not pay off because it would still be some time before it was time for that show.
But she sat up straight when she noticed that both Violet and Beatrix had become suspiciously silent. "What? Tell me now."
Beatrix busied herself with helping her pregnant friend up while Violet answered, "Sophia is here. Now that she's arrived... well... it's unavoidable."
Alex arched an eyebrow. "Don't tell me that my daughter is in early labor and unaware of it."
"We know she's aware, what for how squirmy she's been for awhile now, but she's ignoring it. That's what it looks like."
Alex made a sound of dejection. "This is because Casey isn't here."
"Bingo, but she will be here before we know it. Soph just seems to be holding her breath until then. She's very stubborn."
Alex laughed in spite of her own situation. "My daughter gets that from her mother. Please show me where is now."
Violet and Beatrix brought Alex to the back work room. She had never been back here before. It consisted of an innumerable bounty of blooms, greenery, and all kinds of bouquet arrangement supplies. There were also work tables in different areas around the space. The temperature was also kept at a comfortable humidity so the plants could thrive.
Senior, Abigail, and Sophia were gathered at the table, almost elbow-deep in various kinds of plants. Melissa stood on a crate beside Abigail was happily holding daffodils as they chatted together. The whole mood of the room was very calming.
Alex tapped Sophia on the shoulder. "Hey, you."
Sophia let up at the sight of Alex and gave her a gentle hug. "I'm so happy to see you, but how are you here?"
"The short version is that I was on the way to see Olivia when your sister gave me a small turn and decided to start the very beginnings of her birthday entrance."
"Dearest Diana is doing what?" Sophia said blankly.
"You heard me."
Senior looked up from his own project. "Alex, I imagine you've spoken to Olivia by now?"
"Yes." And Alex once more gave an explanation about the call.
"You're welcome to stay with us for as long as you need. Violet and I will take care of you—think nothing of it." Senior told her. "Going back out into the rain is inadvisable."
Violet added, "Just let us know if you need something or want to lay down. One of us will even call whomever you wish for.
The elder Novaks' words made Alex feel incredibly loved. She missed her own parents fiercely, especially now that she had a family. But... yet another thing that Alex could attribute to Sophia being in her life was becomings friends with Casey's parents. And being loved by them.
Alex gave the Novaks a kind smile. "Thank you."
Melissa chose this moment to speak up. "Nana?"
Alex turned to her. "Yes, my princess?"
"Look!" Melissa showed Alex the flowers in her arms. "I have… uh, umm… daff-dills!"
The word had slipped her mind until Abigail discreetly pointed to a picture of a daffodil. For someone who couldn't quite read, Melissa had a truly excellent photographic memory.
"Will you show me what you know about them?" Alex asked her granddaughter.
"Yes!" Melissa made a wiggling motion with her entire body. "Please come!"
So Alex joined those at the table, immensely pleased to have any distraction at all from the greater situation. She even put her jacket and purse to the side so she could help. Time for focusing on Diana would come. But not just yet. Not without Olivia. Hopefully her wife's workday would go by fast.
Senior and Violet stood off to the side, watching everyone. Being with any part of the family always brought them joy, but... Sophia, Alex, Melissa, and the little babies on the way were more people they would have never known if Casey's path had never crossed with that of the Special Victims Unit's in the first place. It actually almost hadn't.
But that was another story for another time.
16th PRECINCT
966 WEST 88th STREET
MANHATTAN
Back at the precinct, Olivia also felt like time had come to a grinding halt.
All she wanted was to be with Alex. Holding her, soothing her. But she couldn't. Not yet.
But out of nowhere, it suddenly occurred to her that she hadn't seen Amanda for awhile. That was not good. It was only right that she go seek her out. For her own peace of mind.
Olivia located Amanda one floor up from theirs, on a bench outside the robbery division. What startled her was that her friend seemed to be frozen in place. Amanda's hands were interlocked under her protruding middle, and her expression seemed to be a neighborhood short of alarm.
Nothing about this boded well already.
On balance, Olivia elected to go for the soft approach as she sat beside her. "I see you made it all the way up here. How are you?"
Amanda gave a noisy exhale and sat back. "Did you know that I was almost born on my mom's birthday?"
Olivia could see that Amanda was talking for the sake of distraction, so she humored her. "Nope. I didn't know that about you."
"Mom and I are twenty years apart. She has never let me forget that she spent that birthday in labor with me. Or that I was a week early."
"Amanda, you being ahead of the game is one of your defining traits to this day." Olivia remarked.
"According to my mom, I was in such a hurry that I just couldn't wait. I was born at home. And she was by herself."
Olivia felt a wave of sadness. "I can't pretend to know the dynamics of your parents back then, but your mom being alone certainly wasn't your fault. You weren't even born yet. Do you understand me?"
"Uh-huh, but the cycle of being alone while having a kid repeated itself when I had Jesse."
Olivia remembered that day all too well. She couldn't not. It was burned into her brain. Seeing Amanda in such distress had broken her heart. But she also understood the sadness. There had been zero familiar faces present when she'd had Sophia.
"None of that is going to happen this time because you have Dominick now. He's loved you for years. Worshipped you. Don't think I haven't noticed."
Amanda grinned. "I really lucked out. Dominick is the love of my life. Plus, Jesse has never existed on this earth without knowing him."
"Trip and Billie are also incredibly lucky that the universe chose him to be their dad." Olivia said kindly. "I'm very proud of how far you and Dominick have come. Both of you have really grown up. That beings me so much joy."
"Do you mean that?"
"One hundred percent." Olivia gingerly set a hand in the small of Amanda's back. "You had a contraction before I found you, huh?"
Amanda wrinkled the bridge of her nose as she felt an annoyed kick from Billie. "Actually, it was my second one in the last few hours."
"Okay." Olivia stood and helped Amanda to her feet. "Come on. We need to get you walking just a little more."
Amanda leaned heavily on her friend as they walked to the elevator. Olivia didn't say a word about it. She was just happy to be able to help.
"It's okay." Olivia said gently to Amanda. "We'll get you back downstairs, and I'll call Dominick, myself."
"Thank you." Amanda told her. "Let it be known that I am not going to the hospital without Dominick. No way. No how."
The lift door opened when they reached it, and a small handful of passengers departed. Olivia boarded with Amanda. The doors closed behind them.
Olivia pressed the button in her elevator panel that would take them to their floor again. The lift rose.
"Amanda, I will bring you i—what are you doing?"
Olivia watched as her top detective sat on the floor with her back against the wall. Discomfort was all over the younger woman's face. Another un-fun sign.
"I just need to pause for a second, Olivia. The kids are still taking their time. We're fine." Amanda gave another wobbly exhale. "Right now, it feels like they're heavy. That sucks."
Olivia vividly remembered back to finding out Sophia's birthweight. She had also been heavy. All she could do in the present was just sympathize with Amanda and appease her. But that wasn't too hard.
"It definitely sucks." she agreed. "Right now, you have my undivided attention. That's a promise."
"Oh, Olivia. Thank you." Amanda exhaled shakily.
THUNK!
ZZZT!
"Are you kidding me?!" Olivia kicked a wall.
The elevator had stopped.
Why did their building have to be so old?
