A/N: Been a while! Will be wrapping this up in the next few chapters. :)

Full disclosure, I literally couldn't remember Dickie's wife's name it's been so long, so I'm rolling with what I thought it was.


December 23

"This place is amaaaazing!!!" Charlie sighed, looking around at the high ceilings and wooden walls in the house.

"Charlie which room??" Benny said, coming in with both of their backpacks.

"Who's worse? Ben or Dickie?" Liz asked, walking downstairs with a laugh.

"Definitely Ben," Dickie said, coming down behind her.

The little twins gasped and sprinted to him, jumping into his arms.

"Surprise!!!!" He cried, squeezing them.

Elliot dropped his bags when he walked in, a dumb grin forming on his face as he rushed to hug his boy tightly.

"The heck you doing here buddy???" He exclaimed, smiling when Lily came sprinting out to crash into her shocked grandma's arms.

"We switched up the plans," his wife winked as El gave Dickie a knowing look and Charlie giggled quietly.

Ben slid down his brother and ran off to hug Lily and her mom, Kayla, before moving on to Liz.

"Lizzie where's Max?" He asked, hugging her when she lifted him.

"Sleeping babe!"

He grumbled playfully and sat back in her arms. "Will you play in the snow with me?"

"Of course!" She beamed.

"Me too!" Lily and Charlie gasped.

"What are we doing," Noah asked, coming in ahead of Eli with the rest of the bags.

"Playing in the snow," Dickie nodded.

"Hold up, did you know?" Liv asked her boys and the both gave each other a look and then laughed. "Duh."

"Glad to be here mama," Dickie smiled, pulling her into a huge hug.

"Dickie let's goooooo," Ben called, running out with his hat and gloves in one hand and nothing else on but his joggers and sweatshirt.

"Woah, woah, woah," Eli said, grabbing him as he ran by. "Need boots and snow pants and a jacket and your good snow socks," he said, spinning him around and sending him groaning back upstairs.

"Get Charlie's while you're at it," Noah called after him as Eli followed him upstairs with his and Noah's bags.

"Are we sleeping in the bunk room together?!" Ben asked Eli excitedly.

Eli looked down towards Noah who shrugged. "Why not."

"Sure dude," he nodded, ushering him upstairs.

"Wait!" Ben said, spinning around. "Charlie can I have the top bunk?"

"Oh no," Noah said, looking to his older brother who had the same concerned face.

The little girl crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "Benny you know I love the top bunk…"

"Char-" Liv began, only to trail off when El gave her a look.

They were working on teaching Ben to stand up for himself and make sure his sister didn't walk over him too badly.

"I know but I always give it to you can I please have it," he said, voice steady and serious, but still kind- never wanting to upset his best friend.

She sighed and glanced up to her parents and then Noah who gave her a little nod. "Sure Benny you can have it," she conceded, making him break into a huge smile.

"Thanks Charlie!" He grinned, running back up the stairs as she and Noah went to get their snow gear on.

"Should we tell them there's two bunk beds and they can both have the top bunk?" Dickie laughed.

"Doesn't matter. They're OCD and have to sleep on the same side," Liv said with a smile, picking up Lily who was now fully dressed in her snow suit.

"You two were the exact same," El nodded, pointing between the adult twins.

"They still are!" Kayla laughed, shaking her head.

"Correct," Liz's husband Danny said as he came out of their bedroom with a still sleepy Max, who gasped.

"Gigi!"

"Hi baby boy!" She grinned, passing off Lily to El and taking him when he reached for her. "Getting so tall baby," she smiled, rocking the little one gently.

"Gigi pay in snow??" The two year old asked hopefully, pulling back and grinning.

"Course baby!" She said, kissing his cheek repeatedly and making him squeal.

Eli and Ben reappeared, ready to go play, and Ben handed his twin her hat after pulling her in for a hug and squishing their faces together, making her giggle.

"Mo and Kate should be here soon with the Carisi's. They're carpooling in the two SUVs," El said, helping the twins get their snow boots on. "Fin'll be here later tonight."

"Sounds good," Dickie nodded, feigning casualness while exchanging giddy glances with each of his siblings.

Charlie and Benny looked like they were about to combust, and El gave them a look.

"What?"

"Nothing!" They shouted together, giving one another a look, cracking up, and then jumping off the couch and running for their coats.

"Little twins, freeze!" He called, making them stop dead in their tracks, frozen in mid-run and trying to not laugh.

Turning slowly, he looked at Liv who was holding in her own laugh before back to the twins.

"Turn," he instructed, and the pair turned, doing their 5-year-old-best at keeping a straight face.

"Which one of you cracked?" He whispered, crouching down in front of them.

Charlotte and Benjamin Benson-Stabler were two very different cuts of the same cloth.

Benjamin, the fourth brother in a row and baby boy of the family was kind, gentle, and honest. He hated disappointing or upsetting anyone, and everyone knew it and used it to their advantage.

He took after Eli and Noah in so many ways, and his little heart broke any time he did something he perceived to be wrong.

Charlotte, on the other hand, was her mother's daughter in every way.

With three brothers at home, she grew to be strong-willed, stubborn, and a sweet and adorable master-manipulator.

It also didn't help any that those three brothers, and her daddy, worshiped the ground she walked on and let her get away with murder, though the older two denied constantly that they were at fault for her bold personality at such a young age.

Despite her sassy exterior, she held the softest spot for her Benny, and stood up for him at every turn. Stepping between him and their dad, she crossed her arms and gave her daddy the sweetest look as Ben exhaled in relief behind her.

"Daddy, we don't know what you're talking about. Can we go play in the snow please??" She asked, batting her eyelashes and leaning in to kiss his cheek.

Behind him, her older brothers cackled at the way he melted and forgot what he was even interrogating them about as poor Ben shot everyone a concerned look of relief.

"Okay time to play!" Eli said, swooping past them, scooping Ben up and escaping outside, both boys shooting their mom a thumbs up on their way out.

"Byyyyye," Noah said, doing the same with Charlie as their little niece and nephew sprinted out after them.

Bewildered, Elliot stood and looked back to everyone. "The hell just happened?!"

"You've been a cop for how long?!" Danny exclaimed with a loud laugh that everyone joined in.

"Not long enough," he said, throwing his hands up and moving back besides Liv. "You all know??"

"Know what?" Dickie asked, scooting around him and bee-lining for the front door.

"I know nothing," Dan added, running out behind him while Kayla escaped to get her and Dickie's now awake one year old.

Looking at Lizzie, El gave a silent plea that made her smile.

"Daddy? Mama? Trust us," she winked, heading out behind her husband.

Turning to look at his still laughing wife, El shook his head and smiled. "So much for a surprise."

"Well at least they all get along so great," she smiled, pushing up on her toes to kiss him through her continued and unstoppable chuckled.

"Come on papa!!!!!!" Max yelled from the door, bouncing up and down in the snow.

"Come on papa," Liv laughed, dragging him with her outside.