Summary: Team Benson crashes Stabler Thanksgiving. Olivia and the Stabler women have a couple much needed conversations. Elliot tries to push Olivia for a little more. How does she react?

AN: I pushed this chapter out quicker than I normally would have because I'm traveling for the holiday (leaving tomorrow morning) and I wanted to post share the Thanksgiving chapter before actual Thanksgiving. I apologize in advance for my usual typos and any extras caused by rushing.

This traveling also means that I will not be able to write much for the next several days. It could be a bit longer than I want before I post the next chapter.

To those that celebrate: Happy Thanksgiving. To those that don't/are not: I hope you have a great week and eat some fun food anyway!

Next chapter: Noah reaches out to Elliot after something happens to him at school, giving Elliot and Noah a chance to bond one-on-one. And Olivia talks to Noah about Elliot.

Olivia considers canceling. Twice she picks up her phone with the intention of calling Elliot and telling him that she's sick. But he'd made her promise to bring rolls and pumpkin pie. She knows that he added those to her list only partially because they didn't require any cooking. The real reason, she thinks, is that he knew that she'd consider backing out at the last minute. But she wouldn't be able to cancel without feeling too guilty because it would be rude to leave the family without a key side and dessert.

Damn him, she thinks as she looks through her closet, pulling out a nice pair of jeans and a new-ish sweater. Her stomach is churning with both anxiety and butterflies as she pulls the shirt over her head and fluffs her hair in the mirror. She doesn't know how to feel about spending such an important, family-focused, holiday with his children, grandchildren, and mother.

Elliot had promised thrice over that his kids are perfectly okay with her and Noah coming to their Thanksgiving dinner. Olivia called him a few days after their ice cream–game night to discuss his invitation. She had to make sure that he'd actually talked to his family about the invite, and not just texted it to her on a whim (like his Christmas invite the year before). He told her that he had been thinking about inviting her and Noah for a while and discussed it with Maureen the week before.

Being the oldest, Maureen had the best sense of where each of his kids stood on the matter. For so much of their lives, she had been their second mother. She filled in the parenting gap that Elliot often left because of his long working hours. She made sure chores and homework were done; she'd counseled each of her siblings when issues arose in their life (like bullies and bad prom invites); she'd cared for Eli a lot upon Elliot's return; and in the last 18 months, she'd really stepped up to make sure each of the children had someone to talk to about the death of Kathy and Elliot's reckless behavior. She was the real head of the family.

Maureen told her father that everyone was perfectly happy to have Olivia and Noah over for Thanksgiving dinner. Elliot said her exact words were "If you don't invite them, I will," which made Olivia smile. She was happy to be on good terms with Elliot's family. But now that she and Elliot were in a bit of a limbo—friends that are hopeful, at least she is hopeful for more—she wonders if kids will still be okay with her and Noah's presence in their lives.

"Alright Noah, remember what I told you, Elliot has a large family so there will be a lot of people here. If you need some time, we can find a quiet spot for you or we can leave." Olivia repeats her early reassurance to Noah as they pull up in front of Elliot's apartment.

"Moooooom," Noah whines at her, frustrated with being treated as a small child when he was practically a pre-teen.

"I know, I know, but this is our first Thanksgiving not just the two of us. It can be a lot to be in a new place with so many new people," Olivia urges. She knows that she's projecting her fears onto Noah. He's never had a problem fitting into any room of people. He's never been full of self-doubt or lack of confidence. He's a child that feels comfortable in his own skin and around anyone.

Noah's already unclipped his seatbelt and is reaching for his backpack containing a book and his iPad, "Mom, come on, I'm hungry. I promise I'll tell you if I get overwhelmed."

Knowing that's as good as she's going to get out of her son and she can't keep stalling, she agrees "Okay, let's go."

A few minutes later they were greeted at the door by Elliot wearing a big smile. "Hey guys! Welcome to Stabler Thanksgiving, it's a real treat." He's wearing dark jeans and a light blue button up. It looks great with his eyes, making them sparkle even brighter.

"Hi Elliot! Are Seamus and Kieran here?" Noah asks jovially.

"Yup, in the living room." The words are barely out of his mouth before Noah ducks under Elliot's arm and dashes through the apartment to join the twins.

"Well, I guess we can do his introductions later," Elliot chuckles to Olivia as she follows her son through the door.

"He'll figure it out soon enough," Olivia agrees.

"I'm glad you two showed. I wasn't sure if you would."

"I told you we would be here."

"Eh, you only came because you had to bring the pie," Elliot taunts.

Olivia slaps his arm in mock offense, "That's not true…I had the rolls too," she adds with a grin and walks to the kitchen.

He follows her chuckling quietly. This is going to be good, he thinks.

Dinner goes well, that is after a quick game of musical chairs was played. Elliot took the head of the table with Maureen and Carl on one side and Bernie on the other. Olivia quickly refused to take the spot next to him, asking Bernie to take that seat, in fear that she'd be sitting in what would be Kathy's chair. Instead, she sat between Bernie and Kathleen while Noah joined the twins and disgruntled Eli at the "kids' table."

In no time, plates of turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, stuffing, sweet potato casserole, mac & cheese, and the rolls Olivia brought were devoured then pumpkin and pecan pies were passed around the table. Olivia's nerves were relaxed by the flowing wine and the warm welcome she and Noah received from Elliot's older children. The women greeted her with hugs and spent most of dinner asking her about her job and Noah. The young boys played and joked just as easily as they had before.

After dinner, everyone split up to allow their food to settle in peace. The young boys return to their games in the living room and Eli hides in his room to do who knows what teenagers do (Elliot suspects he's texting a girl). Elliot, Carl, and Dickie plopped on the couch to "keep an eye" on the kids, but there's a football game on the tv. And Liz, Sarah (her girlfriend), and Bernie stepped out onto the patio to get fresh air with a bottle of wine.

Olivia stays back in the kitchen with Maureen and Kathleen to help with the clean-up.

"So, you and dad, huh?" Kathleen asks with an eyebrow wiggle and bumping Olivia's shoulder with her own when Olivia adds a large serving bowl to the stack of dirty dishes on the counter while Maureen is filling one side of the sink with hot, soapy water.

Surprised by the sudden change of topic and being put on the spot, Olivia sputters, "Oh...uh, no…I mean…"

Maureen, sensing Olivia's hesitation, speaks up to reassure her. "Olivia, it's fine. We are all good with it."

"That's good to know, but we aren't…" Olivia tries to explain. It's a truthful statement. Her and Elliot have just started getting to know each other again recently, they are not dating. They've not even spent time alone together since that Thursday afternoon coffee several weeks ago.

"Ah, I see, I see," interjects Kathleen and signals a zipping of her lips with her finger.

"No, Kathleen, really," she tries again. "We aren't dating."

"Yet," teases Maureen. Olivia doesn't have a response to that because yet is probably a true statement. At least, she hopes it's a true statement. She's not exactly sure where Elliot's head is, but she thinks she probably needs a little more time before they move to that stage. There are several conversations she knows they need to have, though they have broken the ice a bit. And she wants to make sure Noah is fully on board with Elliot being in their lives more permanently.

Maureen turns from the sink to face Olivia and lowers her voice, even though she doesn't expect it to carry over the sounds of the football game or the kids' laughter. "I mean it, we are all good with whatever happens between you and dad. We know that you two have always had a connection and, well, you can actually explore it now."

"Maureen, Kathleen," Olivia looks at each of them to convey the seriousness of her next statement, "you have to know that your dad and I…"

"Oh, we know Olivia. We know that you would have never, and dad would have never," Kathleen cuts Olivia off to assure her that they know the truth. "But as adults we know and understand that relationships and love are so complicated."

"Mom and dad loved each other the best that they could. But I thank god every day that I didn't have to marry the first person I had sex with," Maureen laughs.

"Or the guy that I thought I loved at 17 or 18, or even 21," Kathleen adds.

Olivia agrees with a chuckle, "No, me either."

"Exactly. And we know that mom and dad were this close," Maureen pinches her finger in the air with barely a millimeter of space between them, "to being divorced before Eli came along. And honestly, we can coulda, woulda, shoulda, that situation all day and night. I guess, what I'm trying to say is that we loved our mother and our parents together, but we also understand that dad will need to move on eventually and we think he wants it to be with you. I don't think he knows other women even exist."

"I don't know if that's quite true," Olivia mutters, images of Angela and Flutura flash through her mind quickly, but Kathleen talks over her.

"And we are all okay with it, if…when it happens."

Olivia doesn't have a response, words have left her, and she can feel tears forming. It means everything that Elliot's children are on board with whatever happens between them, no matter how long it takes to get there. She presses her lips together tightly to stop them from spilling over, and she turns back to the sink, grabbing a dirty bowl to wash, after one quick look at Elliot sitting on the couch.

"Anyway," Maureen says, "let's get these dishes done so we can go drink with Liz, Sarah, and Grandma."

"Elliot?"

Elliot looks away from the television to the boy who is standing next the couch. "What's up, Noah?"

"Can I have another slice of pie?" Noah had initially looked for his mom but noticed that she was standing outside with Elliot's daughters and figured Elliot would be an easier "yes" than his mom for this request.

Elliot turns his head and sees Olivia standing out in the garden. He doesn't want to get her for something so trivial. He knows that she generally limits his sweets, but it's a holiday.

"Sure bud, come on," he answers and stands from the couch and leads Noah to the table. Elliot cuts them both a slice of pumpkin pie and covers them in enough whipped cream that the orange-brown filling is barely visible and puts the plates on the table.

Noah's eyes light up at the dessert and he digs in.

Elliot sits next to him and takes a bite of his own piece. Still chewing, Elliot starts, "Did you have a good Thanksgiving?"

"Mmm hmm," he hums before swallowing his bite. "Yea, this has been a good Thanksgiving. The food was good, especially this pie," he answers pointing his fork to the pie.

Elliot laughs softly, "And being here? Has that been okay?"

"Oh yea! Your kids are really nice."

"Yea, I kinda like them," Elliot smiles.

Noah laughs and takes another bite. "I think it's cool that Liz has a girlfriend."

Elliot nods and agrees, "Sarah is pretty cool."

"How long have Sarah and Liz been together?"

"Um," Elliot thinks as he takes another bite of his own pie, "I'm not sure, a couple years I think."

"And you like her…and Liz?"

This question piques Elliot's interest. Noah could just be being an inquisitive child, or he might be leading him onto something else. After years of special training, he's learned it's best to just let kids talk and ask their questions, their true intentions will generally come clear pretty quickly. "Yes. I like Sarah and Liz together."

"Do you know any other gay people?" Noah asks, his voice is calm, but his eyes are still on his plate.

Elliot's eyes furrow. He's still not sure where Noah's questions are going, but he knows that Olivia prides herself on being an honest parent, answering Noah's questions calmly and without holding back when it's not necessary. He can't see a reason not to answer this question. "Yes, I do, several. My Sergeant, my boss, is a lesbian."

"And what about men?"

"Yea, I know a few," he answers with a nod, still waiting for the other shoe to drop in this conversation.

"Hmmm," Noah hums. "Did my mom tell you that I'm bi?"

And there it is. Elliot sets his fork down, looking directly at Noah until the boy looks at him. "No Noah, she didn't. But thank you for sharing that with me."

"Oh," his voice is sad, disappointed, as he drops his head again. "Why wouldn't she tell you? Do you think she's embarrassed by it…by me?" Noah remembers his mom's calm reaction to his reveal this time last year, and her ongoing talks about loving yourself and others. But realizing that she hadn't told Elliot, when she seemed to share a lot with him, was concerning.

"Oh no, Noah," Elliot answers as he rubs Noah's back and tips his chin back up, so he can look him in the eyes. "That's not it at all."

"How can you be so sure?" he asks with worried eyes.

"Because I know your mom and how much she loves you, no matter what. I think she probably didn't say anything because your sexuality is something for you, and only you, to share. It's up to you to decide who you tell and when you tell them. And she probably wanted you to decide to share that with me only if you wanted to."

Noah nods, taking in Elliot's words, trying to determine if he's being honest. "I wanted you to know because it's who I am."

"I feel really honored that you felt comfortable enough to share that with me today. I'm thankful that I get to know you because you are a really awesome kid, just as you are. And just like my kids, I just want you to be happy, and the same goes for your mom, alright?"

"Yea, okay," Noah answers.

Elliot taps at Noah's plate, "Come now, finish your pie and we can go play a game. I think even Eli will play that burrito one, if we ask. Or if I have to take his phone away." That last bit is grumbled under his breath.

After cleaning up, Olivia stepped outside to join the other ladies. Rubbing her hands over her arms, she's grateful that Elliot put up heaters outside. It would be too cold to hang out outside, under the bright, clear skies, without them. She takes a seat next to Bernie on a small couch, the other girls are tucked in tight on the larger couch and chair and engrossed in some conversation about Kathleen's new job.

Her spot gives her a good view of the apartment and she smiles when she sees Elliot and Noah sitting at the table eating pie.

"He's so happy to get to know Noah," Bernie's voice filters through Olivia's thoughts.

Olivia answers without looking away from the window, "Noah really likes him too."

"Of course he does. My boy is a wonderful father."

Olivia's head whips around to Bernie, her eyes wide. "I didn't mean to," she starts, wanting to correct Bernie. She's not trying to have Elliot be Noah's father, she just wanted Noah to have more good men in his life to look up to. Is that what the other children think? That I'm trying to have Elliot step in and father my child?

"I know you didn't, dear, but let's not hold back from each other here. You and Elliot, well you are fated to be together, one way or another. You know that, and I know that. But being the wonderful mother that you are, you have to make sure that Elliot and Noah are a good match too."

For the second time that evening Olivia doesn't have the words. She shouldn't be surprised that the Stabler women can read her, her intentions, and have no qualms about calling her out on them.

"It's been really good for him, though, you know? His spirits have been lifted these last few weeks. He seems happier than he has been in a while. When Eli moved, he seemed down."

"That's good then," Olivia says, "He deserves to be happy."

"And so do you."

"Well, I think Team Benson joining Stabler Thanksgiving was a success." Elliot says happily, as he's relaxing in his bed. Everyone's finally left his apartment. He sent them all off loaded with leftovers, and he's already checked in on Eli.

Olivia can hear Elliot's smile through the phone. He'd asked her to call him when she'd gotten home and settled. It took her a while to get Noah to calm down and into bed. He talked the entire way home, recounting his version of the entire evening, including his second helping of pumpkin pie with Elliot.

But she's finally been able to change into her pajamas and lay down. She was looking forward to their call, having Elliot's undivided attention and to debrief from the day. Given the crowd at Elliot's apartment, they didn't really get a chance to talk all evening. Elliot was spending time with his kids and grandkids, and Carl, while Olivia was torn between keeping an anxious eye on Noah—though he was perfectly content all evening—and catching up with Elliot's daughters. Periodically they'd catch the other's eye and grin goofily, but they'd quickly have to return their attention to the person talking to them or the task at hand, like passing the mashed potatoes or cheering on a football game.

"I think you are right. Noah had a great time and so did I."

"Liv, I think I should tell you," Elliot pauses and bites his lips, unsure whether he'd be betraying Noah's trust by sharing their conversation, but he knows he has to balance that trust with his growing relationship with Olivia, and she would want to know about Noah's insecurities. "Noah came out to me tonight."

Olivia smiled at Elliot's nervousness, happy that he was willing to tell her about this right away. "Yea, he told me about your conversation. I'm glad he felt comfortable enough to tell you. He's fairly open about it with his friends and other kids his age, but he is a little more closed off with adults."

He relaxes at her response, knowing that he's not going to have upset Noah by telling his mom about their talk. "That makes sense, the younger generation is much more open and tolerant of this stuff. It comes so much more natural to them, having been taught tolerance from a young age."

"And us old folks, well we, as a whole, seem to take a while longer to get on board."

"Well, that's what I wanted to bring up to you. Noah seemed upset when he learned that you hadn't told me, he thought you were embarrassed by him."

She lets out a small gasp, anxious that she'd made a mistake when all she wanted to do was respect Noah's privacy.

"I assured him that you weren't and that you had just left it to him to decide who to share it with," Elliot rushes, making sure Olivia doesn't worry for a second longer than necessary.

"Yea, okay. Good, good," she mutters, trying to make sense of Noah's fears. "I probably ought to talk to him soon about it though."

"It might not hurt to give him some extra assurance."

"Yea," she answers through a yawn. "Sorry, it's getting late."

He looks at his clock, which reads 1:12 a.m. "How did it get so late?"

"Time flies, you know?"

"That it does," he's rubbing the back of his head, his nerves rising as he braves himself for his next question. He'd been thinking about it all day. He'd almost asked her when he'd walked her and Noah out to her car, but he'd chickened out. He made himself swear that he'd do it when she called. "Before we go, Liv, I wanted to ask you. Uh…would you like to have dinner with me next Friday?"

Olivia sucks in a breath. It's loud, deafening to Elliot's ears.

"Or…uh…maybe not?" He starts to backtrack.

Needing to make sure she is clear about what he's actually asking, she asks "Are you asking as friends or as a, uh, a date?"

He swallows, knowing that he's about to give the wrong answer but he wants to be upfront about his intentions, "A date."

She wished that he hadn't asked her over the phone, she had so much to say, to explain. She wants to date, but she feels like they are moving too quickly. They have so much ground to cover still, and she wanted to talk to Noah about it. "Elliot, I…um…"

Already defeated and somewhat upset, he's ready to get off the phone. He cuts her off, "You don't need to answer. I get it, Liv. I do. Let's just call it a night."

"Elliot," she pleads with him, hoping he won't hang up. "I'm not saying 'no,' I promise. I'm just…just not quite ready yet. I'm just saying, 'not yet,' okay?"

"Liv, it's okay. You don't have to–"

She cuts him off this time, adamant that he doesn't just blow past what she's saying, but that he really understands her, "I mean it, El. Please just be patient with me."

He's quiet on the line and she's not sure if he's angry or disappointed or both, but she's going to take his silence as asking for her to go on. So, she starts to explain, "I want to…to say yes, that is."

"Then why can't you?" He interrupts, frustrated by her resistance when she just said that she wants to go on a date with him.

"It feels too fast–"

"A year and half is too fast for you? Twenty some years is too fast for you?" Elliot counters.

"You know that's not fair," she's growing frustrated too, but she's not going to let him drag her into a fight. She has a lot that she could say about these past 18 months or the last two decades, when he was married. But she just wants the opportunity to explain herself, to explain what she is thinking.

And he does. He knows it's not a fair assessment, but he's hurt. They'd been making strides over these last couple of weeks. He can envision more lunches with her and Noah, more game nights, and late-night calls, but he imagines all of that with the ability to hold her hand, hug her, and kiss her. He knows he's wasted time since he's been back, squandered several opportunities, and all around been an ass at times. But she invited him back into her life for a reason, he thinks anyway. And he doesn't want to waste any more time. He's so damn tired of waiting.

"Elliot, please listen to me, okay? I think we both have an idea of what we want; where this is going. Right?"

"Yea," he grumbles, not wanting to give her an inch right now.

"We will get there. I want to get there, El," she says earnestly, surprised by her own vulnerability tonight. "But we have so much to work through first. There is so much that we need to talk about, a whole decade's worth." A few topics cross her mind, though the most glaring is the life event that left reminders across her skin. She knows that she has to talk to him about that before they cross any physical barriers, but she doesn't have a single clue how to bring it up.

"And we can't do that, talk and date, at the same time? It's just dinner, Liv." He's desperate for them to keep moving forward, half afraid that she will run away before they ever take that next step and just half selfish. He wants her. He's always wanted her. And now it's so close, they are so close.

"It's more than just dinner, you know that. I don't think I can do both."

"Why not?" he demands. "Isn't that what dating is, getting to know someone?"

She breathes in deep, through her nose. She wants to make sure she's clear. "Part of me thinks we could, or wishes that we could do both. But I know better. I think we would get distracted by the new and exciting parts of dating," her cheeks flush at the thought, "and then we won't get it all out on the table until it's too late. And once we go there, the stakes will be too high."

"The stakes are already high, Liv. This is real, what we have. You know it's real. I don't think the stakes can get much higher than they are right now," he pauses and takes a deep breath. He knows he needs to stop before he puts his foot in his mouth. He knows that she's made up her mind and that he's lucky that she is at least thinking about it, about them and their future.

Olivia thinks back to their conversation the other night about how real their feelings were in the past, she knows that he means that his feelings, those feelings from before, are still present and just as real for him. They were for her, too. That's why it was so important that she does this the right way, whatever that actually means. "I know this is real, El. That's why I want to do it right. I promise I want the same things you do," her tone is tired, but honest and almost pleading.

Somewhat comforted by the fact that Olivia has been so open when with tonight, telling him point blank that she wants more, Elliot gives in. "I think I get what you are saying. I'm not sure I agree, but…I guess I don't really have a choice here."

"You believe me when I say that I want this, right?"

"Yea," he answers, dragging his hand over his face before he says, "I believe you, Liv."

"Thank you," says Olivia quietly, satisfied with that assurance for now even though she knows that he's disappointed with her stalling their progress for now.

They are quiet, not quite sure where to go from here. Elliot doesn't want to end their call, their really good day, on this bad note.

"Liv?"

"Yea?"

"Will you…will you just let me know when you are ready?"

Relieved, she answers, "Yes, I will let you know."

"Okay. I'll wait until then. Good night Olivia."

"Good night Elliot."