A/N: Someone motivate me to cross post this to AO3
Liv got right back into the swing of things, and work was non stop until Lucy brought Teddy in after his nap and before she got the kids from school.
"Hiii buddy!" She cooed, taking him from Lucy and hugging him close. "Oh mama missed you so much," she cooed, kissing his head. "So, so much."
"Thank you sweetie," she smiled at Lucy who nodded and let them be.
Closing her blinds, she settled on her couch with her phone, her overdue lunch, and her baby, and both started to eat.
She snapped a photo and sent it to Elliot.
L: Busy day, didn't realize how much I would miss him!
E: Awww. Glad you guys are reunited.
E: 6 whole hours!
L: Shut up hahaha.
E: Love you. Kicking ass today?
L: Love you more, and always.
E: Noah checked in. He's doing just fine and the kids went over to eat lunch with him :)
L: They are the best!!!
E: For real. Having a good day?
L: Yeah, just missing this guy so glad I didn't get called away today.
E: I understand that. Still staying late?
L: Just till Eli gets done with soccer. Is that okay?
E: Duh
L: Lol. I love you.
E: Love you more. Kiss our baby for me!
She chuckled and set her phone down, looking down at their little one whose tired eyes met his mom's.
"You're daddy is something else," she cooed, kissing his head.
"Hey baby," Liv smiled, leaning to kiss Eli's head after practice.
"Hi momma," he grinned and nodded. "Good first day back?"
"Absolutely… you?"
He nodded and smiled as they drove home.
"Weird not having Sam there…" he commented and she nodded. "I bet… Jack's sister say anything to you?"
"Nope," he said quickly, his mind wandering.
"Congrats dad," Jack's sister chided as Eli walked by her in the hallway.
He rolled his eyes. "Not mine, maybe if your brother wasn't such a man whore..." he trailed off when she scoffed.
"DNA doesn't lie, Stabler," she laughed as his friend quickly ushered him away before he started yelling.
Shaking his head, he changed the subject.
"I miss Harley, wish she went to my school," he laughed, and Liv smiled half heartedly not wanting to bring it up again.
"I bet… well I'm glad you had such a good first day baby," she smiled, starting to drive.
"You too, momma," he grinned.
Their week went on as per usual. School and activities and work had Elliot and Olivia running around like lunatics with barely any time for each other.
Walking and texting with her glasses on the tip of her nose, Liv had just shut her door to go home on that Friday when Chief rushed in.
"Hope you're not going home. We just caught a massive case. OC is coming in to assist. You guys have someone to watch the kids?"
"Shit," Liv mumbled. "Let me make some calls… Fuck, I have to feed Teddy," she groaned, taking off her glasses and scrubbing her face. That Friday had been particularly insane and she hadn't seen her baby since early that morning.
"Go make your calls and we'll debrief when the squad gets in," he nodded and she went back into her office, setting her stuff down with a huff and dialing Lucy.
"Hey Luce… change of plans, yeah. They've got us on a case, anyway you can call Mo or Kate and see if they can bring Ted here for a bit and… oh... oh shoot really? He already got it figure out?" She laughed. "Excellent. Okay… thank you, honey!"
Hanging up, she let out a sigh of relief and looked at Amanda, who was stood at her door.
"Lucy is a saint," Amanda said with a laugh and Liv nodded smiling. "Mo and Carl are gonna watch the kids, do you need them to get the girls?"
"Nah Sonny is home, but thank you," she smiled as Bell, Jet, and Elliot made their way into the squad.
"Hi," her tired looking husband grumbled, waving at her.
"Hi," she sighed, pecking his lips as they gathered for McGraths debrief.
"We've got a missing toddler. Suspected kidnapping by a former nanny that was fired after the parents discovered her ties to a new faction of the KO," he trailed off when Bell cut in.
"Stabler isn't going out on this one. He can stay at command with Captain," she said, crossing her arms.
"We need all the man power we can get," the chief challenged, but she shook her head. "He's not going."
"I'll go. He can stay here," Liv said, holding a hand up to silence her husbands protests.
"Fine," McGrath waved them off. "Anyways, we need to get a move on people. This is bad, especially since it's a state reps daughter."
The all nodded and began analyzing which locations to start at as Mo walked in with Teddy, who squealed and reached for his momma.
"Hi baby," she cooed, taking him and kissing his cheek and then Mo's. "Thank you so much…"
"Of course, anything for you guys. Sorry you're stuck at work," she frowned and Liv shrugged.
"Is what it is… just harder with this little one at home," she cooed, holding her baby up to see his face and smiling at his big belly laugh.
"Alright baby boy… you hang with daddy and he'll feed you okay? Mamas gotta get going," she frowned, her eyes filling. "I love you," she whispered.
He snuggled into her chest and sighed softly, as El did too. "Babe just go out after…" he asked and she shook her head. "I gotta go," she blew out a breath and passed him over.
"Few bottles in the fridge," she nodded, kissing both of their cheeks. "I love you guys."
"We love you," El frowned, kissing her. "Be safe okay?"
"Okay," she nodded and hugged Mo, thanking her and leaving.
El sighed looking at his oldest and then his youngest, his mind short circuiting.
Mo laughed out loud and patted her dads back. "Started young, ended old. Oh but he's so cute," she cooed to Teddy who grinned and stared lovingly at his oldest sister.
He laughed and they went to get Teddy a bottle before settling into the command post.
Holding the baby in one arm and expertly holding his bottle with the same one, he read through files strewn in front of him while Mo ran to grab dinner for him and everyone for when they came back in.
She stopped short when she walked back into the squad room, carrying several pizzas and some bottles of soda, and laughed softly at the sight before her.
Elliot was flush with the table, leaning over and studying a file. Teddy was sitting on the table, leaned against his chest and nodding off a little as El absentmindedly rubbed his cheek.
Snapping a photo, she brought the pizza in and set it down, making them both a plate and sitting beside him, sending the photo to their family chat.
M: Sarge & Little Detective; working hard at the command post while Mom pounds pavement. LOL.
L: Omg. I'm framing that for him no one do it dibs.
D: Lil detective isn't working much
K: Omg! So cute.
Em: Awwww my baby and my dadddyyyy
N: Bring him home I miss him!
Eli: Ohhhhh now that's cute!
M: Everyone behaving tonight?
Em: I always behave. Come home soon, too many boys.
N: Hey!
M: Haha! I love you!
Liv laughed as her phone buzzed. Knowing it was the chat, she pulled out her phone from her pocket and smiled, leaning to show Fin who laughed.
"Look at that," he grinned. "He's a good one, Liv."
"When he's not being a pain in my ass," she teased and he chuckled.
"How y'all doing huh? With Eli and such?"
"It's… been a lot. Sam is a month further than what we expected. We're 99% sure they're Eli's but… he's in denial."
"You think Kathleen knows?"
Liv rolled her head dramatically towards her partner who laughed. "I know she knows. I saw it all over her face when Sam told us. Beau too. They aren't sneaky," she sighed.
"I'm sure they've been yelled at by Mo and Dickie?"
"Maybe… El said he caught them text fighting. I don't ask questions too much. They always end up tattling. I'm sure I'll find out by end of the week!"
Fin nodded and sighed. "What do you think he's gonna do? If they're his?"
"No idea… he's just not himself. I know he knows, too, but is just pretending it isn't happening."
"Kids been through hell."
"Since he was born," she sighed and Fin nodded, his attention turning to movement at the door they were watching.
"Call for back up and let's go," Liv commanded as they got out of the car and started running.
"How's Mo?" Emma asked Carl, who laughed.
"She's good… are you even supposed to be worrying about this stuff?"
"Duh," she said, obviously.
Noah laughed and Eli came out of his room. "Hey guys gonna go out with Dickie okay?"
"Sure man just keep us updated okay?" Carl asked and Eli nodded, kissing the kids goodbye and heading out.
"Deeeeniaaaaal," Emma sang.
"Mmmmmmmhm," Noah groaned.
"You guys are too young to be this smart I swear," Carl laughed and Emma grinned. "Um mama is a captain and the smartest woman ever soooo," she smiled.
Carl laughed and shook his head. "Very true," he nodded as all three settled in for a board game while they waited for Mo.
Mo came back in with Teddy a bit later, who gasped and reached for Noah when he saw him.
"There's my guuuuy," he sighed happily, taking him and abandoning the game to snuggle on the couch with him. Mo laughed and sat next to Emma who leaned into her.
Carl's eyes twinkled as he watched the pair, and Mo winked at him over Mo's head.
"Momma and daddy okay?" She asked and Mo nodded.
"Working hard, daddy's acting as command."
"Bet he wasn't thrilled with that," she giggled and Mo shook her head. "You know he wasn't."
"Stubborn," she giggled and Mo smiled. "Wonder where we get it from," she mused, causing her younger sister to laugh.
"Cmon, let's watch a movie," she nodded towards the couch and they all cuddled up.
"Carls a really good guy," Eli said as he wailed on the bag Dickie was holding steady.
"He is- has to be to put up with Maureen," he teased and Eli laughed, dropping his arms and panting.
"So what do I owe this bro date?" Eli asked, sipping his water and wiping sweat from his brow.
"Can't a bro just hang with another bro?" He teased and Eli rolled his eyes.
"I'm staying away from Sam," he said, feigning innocence by holding up his hands.
"I know, and we're proud of you. But uh… what do you think about her uh… being further along?"
"That she clearly was cheating on me before we took a break," he scoffed, shaking his head as Dickie sighed.
"Bud…"
"Stop. They're Jack's. It's done."
"Eli…"
He cut him off by standing and starting to spar the bag again.
"Elliot." Dickie said sternly, standing to hold the bag as Eli hit harder.
"Fuck off," he grunted.
"No!" Dickie yelled, firmly pushing the bag towards him, knocking him back.
Rage burned in his eyes and he lunged at Dickie who squared up.
"C'mon. Let's go." He said, motioning towards himself.
Eli lunged and Dickie caught his hand, quickly overpowering him.
"Stop fighting this, Eli."
Breaking free, he stormed away towards the empty boxing ring and motioned for him to come up.
"Fight me like a man," he said and Dickie shook his head. "No. You're being insane."
"No. You are! All of you! They're not mine!"
"Then why the hell are you so mad?!" Dickie challenged and Eli clenched his fists.
"Because I'm sick of talking about it!"
"What are you gonna do when your son is born and looks just like you? Or when you see your daughter for the first time?? You're not thinking straight."
"I don't have a son or a daughter, Dickie!"
"Okay… okay fine. But what if you do?"
"Then I'll figure it out. But they're not mine."
"That baby boy looks just like Teddy."
He scoffed and looked at his brother who climbed in the ring and stood in front of him. "That baby boy is a Stabler. And so is that girl. And if you wanna be in denial and not wanna have anything to do with them? Fine. But you need to know the truth, which is you're the father. You know it. DNA confirmed."
Eli's lip quivered and he shook his head, climbing down and back to the bag.
Dickie resumed his spot behind it, allowing his brother to lose it and lash out like he desperately needed.
When he was done, he sat down on the floor, exhausted and Dickie fell beside him.
"We'll figure it out. Okay?"
He nodded robotically and Dickie pulled him in, kissing his head. "Let's get you home."
Fin and Liv had given chase before back up arrived. The area was pitch black, and, from the corner of her eye, Liv spotted their perp pull a small figure from a window and sprint towards the side of the townhouse.
"Fin, around back!" Liv directed when they saw their perp take off with the child in his arms.
She sprinted after him, down a pitch black alley while Fin went the other way to cut him off as unis arrived on scene.
"Liv!!!" Fin yelled, when he saw their perp drop the child and reach into his pocket.
He watched in horror as his Captain dropped to the ground at the same time a shot rang through the air.