A/N: 700 comments and 90 chapters- incredible.

Next Tuesday is the one year anniversary of Ten! I'll be posting two chapters- one El & Liv centered and the other family centered!

Thank you for an incredible year and for reading- this still had so much to go.

"What if I told you it was your fault?"

The silence was deafening as he processed what she was saying, eyes fixed on the hand that was on her belly.

A part of him knew, and had known for a month, that she was pregnant, but having it confirmed to him was still shocking.

Her stare was unwavering as she watched him work through the news he was just given.

It felt like an eternity before he finally looked up to meet her eyes, causing a smile to break out across both of their faces.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah…" she whispered, blinking quickly. "Had a feeling since after Christmas but pushed it off and off, obviously, but onset of morning sickness hit me and… I took a test when I got home but still didn't buy it. So I had Jen come over today with a Doppler and…"

She pulled up her phone and opened the video she'd taken earlier with her friend's help.

Their baby's rapid heart beat filled the room and he gasped, his eyes dropping huge tears as he listened.

"How?" He asked softly once the the recording stopped.

"Perfect combination of weaning Teddy and my hormones regulating I guess," she laughed, shaking her head in lingering disbelief.

"Wow…." He breathed, his hand still pressed firm against the rounded swell of her belly.

"Are you happy?"

It was barely a whisper but made his eyes dart to her's and a disbelieving laugh to fall from his lips.

"I get to have another baby with my best friend? At 53 & 55? You kidding me?"

"I'm gonna be 54 in a few weeks is this…" she trailed off, nervous.

"A miracle? Yeah… yeah it is… I mean as long as you…" he trailed off.

"Of course I want it," she chuckled and he exhaled a breath he didn't know he was holding. "I'm just…"

"Shocked…"

"We're gonna have six grandkids by this time next year, El…"

"And nine kids," he whispered.

Their eyes met again and they both burst into laughter born of shock and awe and dumb luck.

"Nine kids… El, do you think the eight we have will be okay with it?"

"I think we could commit mass murders and our kids would find a way to justify and have our backs."

She exhaled a laugh and looked down. "It's unconventional… this time should be about them…"

"Yeah, well… when has this family ever been conventional," he asked, using his free hand to lift her chin.

"I wanna wait…"

"Whatever you need."

"And you're getting snipped cause this is the last time you accidentally knock me up."

His laugh was loud and filled the room, and startled Teddy awake who gave his parents a huge pout as his face screwed up and a cry was on the tip of his tongue.

"Oh noooo," El cried cutely, quickly scooping him up. "I'm sorry buddy…"

Teddy snuggled into his dad with soft and stuttered sobs, working to calm himself down.

Liv didn't even realize that Elliot's hand had flown back to her belly once he was cradling their baby boy.

"El he's gonna be a big brother…" she whispered, covering his hand with her own.

"I know," he chuckled in awe. "This is…"

"I love you," she blurted and he grinned, leaning down to kiss her slowly. "I love you."

"When do we tell them?"

"Up to you… it's winter, y'can hide it for a while."

"Maybe in June when we go to the beach? Teddy will be one and Lilly and little Livie will be born by then… Maybe even Baby Girl Williamson… we need to get Katie's due date…."

El couldn't help but chuckle. "If you think you can hide it until June then by all means," he said, leaning in to kiss her.

"Gotta tell Fin," she mused and he nodded. "Fin and Amanda I think is fine…"

"I don't wanna find out the sex… till it's born."

"Okay," he smiled small.

"Really?"

"We have one of each and this is the best accident ever so… yeah as long as it's healthy I don't care."

"Healthy… Jen said we could do genetic tests early, early."

"Whatever you feel is gonna be the best babe… I'm with you."

She nodded, content for the moment, and took a minute to steady herself before looking back to him, a fresh smile crossing her lips. "We're having a baby!"

"We are having a baby!" He agreed with a laugh, leaning down to kiss her passionately and slowly.

"But you are getting snipped…"

He laughed again and ran his tongue across her lips. "That's fair."

"If anything is wrong we may have to cancel Venice next month…" she sighed.

"Nothing'll be wrong. She's gonna be just fine."

Liv laughed. "She?"

"Mhm," he said against her lips. "Confident it's a girl."

"Oh okay daddy," she chuckled.

"Call me daddy again," he teased and she laughed, kissing him slowly.

"Daddy, we're gonna need a bigger house," she laughed and he nodded.

"You know… I was gonna talk about this anyways, but Beau let me know the brownstone next to their's is going up for sale."

"Oh?" She asked, leaning back with a smile.

"Mhm," he nodded, "he's been dropping hints."

"Can we afford it?" Liv laughed and he nodded. "We can, especially if we sell this place, but I've got that money still sitting from my first retirement," he nodded.

Liv nodded thoughtfully. "How many bedrooms?"

"Five, plus the downstairs which is already converted into its own apartment for guests."

"Eli wouldn't have a bedroom? He and Sam are agreeing that the when twins turn one he's gonna be staying home more… then when he comes from college?"

"Teddy and Noah can share. Us, Emma, baby is 4."

"I think Noah is gonna want his own room, yeah? I just hate to put Eli in his own place especially since he's gonna be moody about not being with Sam," she laughed.

"What about the attic? Could convert? I think it's an office right now… no bathroom up there so not considered a room I guess."

"That's a good possibility," she nodded slowly. "Kids are gonna be suspicious if we just buy a house."

"Nah, not If it's next to Beau and Kate. Plus schools would stay the same."

"We'd have to make a move soon…"

"Yeah," he agreed, rubbing her belly gently.

A sudden smell filled the room, and they both looked at Teddy who was grunting lightly.

"You nasty boy," El laughed and Liv shook her head smiling when he scrunched his face and looked up at his dad.

He gave her a minute to chew on the news and possibilities while he got up to change a stinky Teddy and get him out of his onesie in exchange for some sweats.

When he came back to their room, she was up and pulling on leggings and a big sweater.

"Where we going?" He laughed.

"To see if we should buy a brownstone," she laughed. "Tell Emma and Jakey to go to Katie's after school."

"Alright," El said with a shit eating grin.

"Hey baby, dinner upstairs tonight," Eli called when he came in from practice.

"Shhhh," came her hushed whisper from the next room, and he laughed softly, toeing off his sneakers and making his way to their room, positioning himself against the door frame.

Sam was in the center of their bed, pillows around her and a sleeping baby on each breast.

"Just got them out," she winked and he smiled, taking a moment to study her and memorize how she looked in that exact, incredible moment.

"Go shower and then help me get them down?" She asked softly and he nodded, pushing himself off the frame and strutting over to her slightly before leaning to capture her lips.

"Or… could put them down now and you can join me in the shower?" He suggested with a quirk of his brow.

She laughed softly and shook her head. "No sir… you smell."

He pouted dramatically and kissed her again as she smiled. "Fine but then you're mine," he growled against her lips, before retreating to the bathroom.

Beau was pouring over paperwork to help prepare both Sam and the family for her father's trial when Liv walked in ahead of El and Teddy.

"Hey," she said brightly, wrapped her arms around Katie's shoulders and placing a hand to cradle her belly.

"Hi," Katie smiled, leaning back into her mom and signing contentedly. "You look less green," she quipped knowingly, and Beau let a smirk slip as he finished the paragraph he was reading.

"Lots of stress," she mused, "took a nap with my littlest man and then dad came home to hang with us. But how do you feel??"

"Swollen," Beau answered for her, finally sitting back and laughing when she stuck out her tongue.

"He's right," she conceded, however, sighing and sitting back with her hands on her belly.

"So did we convince you to buy the house?" Beau asked with a grin, taking Teddy from his father in law.

"Well we have to look at it but," Liv smiled small and looked at Elliot. "Probably… don't see why not," she nodded.

"Hell yes," Katie smiled.

"It'll be nice to have a bigger place for all you guys and the grandkids," El said as casually as he could.

"Room for Eli too," Liv nodded, mentally cursing the slip of her tongue. "Like upstairs so he's not being harassed."

"That boy is never gonna move out of Sam's," Beau snorted, none the wiser about her comment.

"She just might force him to."

"They're both fools if they do," El said with a shrug and Katie and Beau nodded.

"I texted him, he didn't reply," Liv frowned a bit.

"He just got home from soccer," Katie chuckled, shooting a knowing look to her parents.

"Uh huh those two are always boning. Oh to be young again," Beau said as Katie burst into laughter and Teddy scrunched up his face in response.

"TMI, TMI," El called, taking Teddy back quickly while everyone laughed. "Let's go see this place baby, yeah?" He asked.

"Before you are scarred even further?" Katie teased and he nodded quickly, taking Liv's hand. "Be back in 20!" El called, loud enough for the basement to hear.

Across town, Maureen was waiting anxiously in the booth of a small diner she swore she'd visited 100 times with her parents growing up.

Her hand rubbed her 8-month pregnant belly slowly as she waited for the blonde that resembled her so much to make her appearance.

"Hi," came a soft voice from behind her.

"Hi…" Maureen whispered, awkwardly motioning to the seat across from her.

"I uh…" Kathy trailed off. "Thank you… for meeting me I…"

"I read your letter," Mo blurred out suddenly.

Kathy looked up, eyes wide but tired, and nodded slowly.

"I read everyone's letters, actually," the young woman corrected, hand still protectively on her belly where her little Livie was kicking fiercely in protest to her mama's stress.

"And…" Kathy managed to squeak out.

"And I think you're a coward," Mo said after a brief pause.

Kathy's jaw hinged for a moment as she processed the insult and tried desperately to understand where in her journey for redemption she'd gone wrong.

"You don't have the balls to apologize to our faces…. To give us an explanation that's worth a damn. You can't just write letters and pass over family heirlooms and hope for the best," Mo scoffed.

"I was…" Kathy began, only to be cut off by her oldest.

"No. You had your opportunity. Now, you listen."

Nodding quickly, Kathy looked down, fiddling with her napkin.

"My dad and step mom, who for all intents and purposes is my mom, have been a wreck over this. My baby brother is having issues at school and my baby sister is a teenager who doesn't need to be worrying about such huge problems. Eli has twin babies and is still trying to manage his teenage shit while he pretends he's grown, Liz finally is happy, Katie is beginning a tough pregnancy with her hormones and mental state, Dickie is also finally happy, and I mean genuinely happy, not to mention expecting a baby girl from a high risk pregnancy any damn day, and me? I'm about to give birth to my own first daughter. So I'm gonna ask you one fucking time, because it's damn time I start sticking up for and protecting my siblings," she paused to take a deep breath as tears of frustration rolled down her face. "What. Is. Your. Angle."

Kathy was completely bewildered, and sat back in her seat, head dropped and completely silent.

"Tell me," Mo snapped, making quick eye contact with Carl who sat a booth a few rows behind her birth mother.

"I… I miss…" the words died on Kathy's lips and she sighed softly. "I don't… I don't have a good reason… for any of it..."

"I know you don't," Mo said, voice and demeanor both icy cold.

"Wh-where does this leave us?" She asked softly.

With a sigh, almost of pity, Maureen reached beside her and set a bag on the table.

"Keep the heirlooms. Get some real help and find out a way to actually tell us why you did what you did. Then come see us again. Till then? Fuck right away from my family."

Kathy was speechless, eyes filled with tears, and she nodded very slowly.

"Maureen I…"

"Stop," Mo said simply. "I've done a shit job at protecting my younger siblings, apparently their whole lives from you, and that ends tonight. Get help… legitimate help… and then, maybe, we can try this all again and you can get to know us and meet your grandkids."

"I… Maureen I will I…"

She was cut off by the young blondes hand. "Any communication will go through Carl. He will text you- stay away from my mom and dad, they've got enough going on."

Kathy simply nodded slowly. "I-I… I will…"

"Good," she sighed, nodding. Her head was spinning from the sudden rush of the long overdue standing up to her mother. The pair sat in a deafening silence for a moment before they were interrupted by Carl.

"Time to go, Kathy," he said gently with a nod.

The blonde blinked quickly, taking one final look to her eldest's hard exterior.

"I'm proud of you, Mo," she whispered.

Maureen simply nodded and motioned for her to leave, too.

Taking the small bag from the table, Kathy left the restaurant in a small whoosh, leaving Mo in tears against her husband.

"You did really great," he whispered, sliding in beside her and hugging onto her. "So, so great."

"Thank you," she whispered, stuttering hiccups filling the space with her sobs.

"Baby," Carl whispered, heart breaking for his wife. "What can I do for you?"

"N-need my m-mom…"

"Okay," he nodded, handing over her and phone that was in his pocket.

She shot a quick text to "Olivia Benson" before staring at the contact photo of them squished together with cheesy smiles.

Carl watched with a smile of his own as she edited contact's information, deleting "Olivia Benson" and replacing it with "Momma".

"Hey mommy how ya feeling?" Emma asked with a grin when she walked inside Katie and Beau's.

"Much better," she smiled, pulling both her and Jake in for a tight hug.

"Mhm," Emma huffed knowingly.

Liv chuckled. "I've been a little stressed, yeah? Finally got to me today?" She said, pulling back and kissing her head.

"Whatever you say moommmmyyyy," she sang, pulling away and skipping off to pick Teddy up while Jake joined Beau.

The front door opened just minutes later, and Noah trudged upstairs with Liz and Peter, chatting happily and making his dad laugh.

"Didn't we send you home with Dickie?"

"He had a last minute conference call so we staged a kidnapping," Liz said, appearing from behind Peter with a grinning Anna Kate.

"Cap!!!!" She squealed, reaching over for her grandma the minute she found her in the room filled with their family.

"Hi baby," she chuckled, taking her and kissing her nose.

"So what's everyone doing here?" Noah asked, hugging Liv's waist and resting his head against the side of her belly under the oversized sweater. He furrowed his brow to himself at the noticeable difference resting just under his cheek.

Liv looked up to Elliot who gave a small smile and nod. "Daddy and I were looking at the brownstone next door that's for sale."

She was barely able to finish the sentence before Noah bounced back and then up. "Yes!"

"Tooooold you," El said with a grin, the secret meaning not lost on his wife.

"Wait we're moving next door?!" Emma gasped.

"Who's moving?" Eli asked, coming upstairs with a twin in each arm and Sam following behind them.

"Mom and dad are moving next door!!!!" Noah said, bouncing up and down and making Teddy hysterically laugh.

"Woah Woah Woah… we just toured it and inquired about an offer," El said with a laugh. "But we're looking at it, okay?"

"Why though," Katie asked with a small smirk that Emma mirrored.

"Becaaaause," Liv drawled out. "We are about to have 6 grandbabies and we need more space. Plus it's a better location for work and baby sitting," Liv winked and Eli snorted.

"I mean, I think it's acceptable," he said, passing EJ to Liv when Anna Kate reached over for him.

Sam smiled up at him, watching him happily snuggle both girls.

"You're gonna be a big sister soon huh," he cooed to his niece.

"Sarah said she's 100% ready to burst," Sam smiled.

"So crazy that she and Mo are just a month apart," Liz grinned.

"Peter, did you know that meeting the family meant going broke on your new nieces and nephews?" El asked with a laugh.

"No but I think it's worth it," he grinned, hugging Liz into him.

"Well as long as Ms. Lilly comes in time, we'll also all be celebrating Baptisms at once at Easter," Sam grinned, taking Anna Kate next.

"Mhm... Plus Liz is Godmother for a second time so good luck," Eli laughed.

"How did you manage to convince Dickie to let you be both his children's Godmother?" Beau chuckled, handing her a glass of wine.

"She probably annoyed him till he said yes… am I right?" Katie laughed, rubbing her own belly.

"You would be right," she said with a big grin.

"Who did Mo pick?" El asked trying desperately to keep everyone straight.

Liv laughed and crossed the room to pop down beside him, snuggling in with their one and only grandson for the foreseeable future.

"Teddy and EJ are both Mo & Dick, Joey is Katie and Beau, Lilly is Eli and Liz, Little Liv is Eli and Sam. Keep up!" She teased, and everyone laughed.

"Yeah dad, keep up!" Noah echoed with a giggle.

"And who did you and Emma pick as your sponsors? You haven't told us!" Liv exclaimed playfully.

"It's a surprise," Emma sang, giving a little shimmy.

"It obviously being Liz and Eli isn't a surprise," Beau cracked, making Liz and Eli laugh in agreement.

"Shhhhh," Noah hushed, settling beside Katie and laying his head on her belly.

Liv chuckled as they all continued to hang out, looking at her phone only when it buzzed.

M: Hey mama… are you still at Kate's?

L: Yeah… everything okay??

M: I just need some mom time… can Carl drop me off and the two of us go somewhere?

L: Of course baby. I love you so much!

M: Love you

Liv put her reading glasses on El's face, and both frowned as he read the messages.

The siblings went silent, all reading a message in their chat as El and Liv caught on and slowly looked up.

"Guys?" Liv asked, quirking a brow.

"Hm?" Liz said, setting her phone down.

"Guys." El repeated, more sternly.

"What's everyone want for dinner? I could be game for some pizza. Anna Kate? You want pizza?!" Eli asked excitedly in effort to change the subject, sending Noah and AK into an excited tizzy about pizza.

"Pizza sounds great, Eli, let's go look at menus!" Emma agreed, running off to the kitchen with her brother while their sisters followed.

"I'm staying out of this," Sam laughed, holding her hands up. "Talk to Mo when she gets here."

Liv and Carl did a quick car switch when they arrived, and Liv looked at her visibly upset daughter sitting in the passenger seat.

"Baby," she said softly. "Do you wanna go to mine?"

She nodded quickly, and Liv reached to hold her hand tightly as they drove off and back to Liv and El's condo.

The car ride was comfortable silent, and Mo relaxed as she held her mom's hand and they listened to her favorite singer.

When they got upstairs and inside, the pair collapsed on the couch, and Liv looked to her oldest with concern all over her face.

"What's going on?"

"We've all been talking a lot… about Kathy," she began slowly, "and I've been thinking a lot about… about how I didn't know anything that was happening with my siblings… to my siblings. What kind of sister am I?" She scoffed softly.

"Maureen," Liv scolded gently. "You can't do that to yourself…"

"But I am," she countered. "I have been… and we… the five of us have talked a lot about her and what to do… and… daddy gave me the letters and I read them all and…"

"What? When did dad give you the letters?" Liv asked, a small frown on her face as she sat forward.

"After church last week… I all but begged for them. Anyways, I read them and… fuck she's just a liar and a coward…"

"Mo I…"

"Mom… please," the blonde said, looking up at her from where she was slouched back.

Liv exhaled the small breath she was holding and nodded. "Yeah… she is a coward isn't she…" she conceded.

"I told her… I told her right to her face in that tiny fucking diner next to our old house… the one we always went to after church. You remember that? You picked dad up from it so many times," she laughed softly, getting lost in the memory of a spikey-haired Olivia Benson picking her dad up in a mid nineties cruiser.

"I remember the one," she whispered back, turning to face her daughter after blinking her way from the memory, too. "Why didn't you tell me and dad you were meeting her?"

"Cause I knew you'd do the damn noble thing you always do and stop me… and for once I needed to do the right thing for my siblings, no matter how bad it hurt me, and protect them. And they wanted me to tell her to fuck off until she got actual help so… I did."

Liv was rightfully aghast at her perfect Catholic daughter's vulgar language, and could help the laugh that escaped her mouth.

"Sorry," she gasped, covering her mouth but still laughing as Mo joined her.

"I really said that," she insisted.

"No way," Liv smiled, lowering her hand and laughing harder.

"I swear. I told her to 'fuck right away from my family.' I thought Carl was gonna ruin the moment and laugh," she giggled.

"Oh my," Liv said, shaking her head. "Baby… I don't know what to say," she said honestly.

"I do… I'm so sorry that she's made your life such a living hell… you're too good of a person and mom and Captain and Cap to deal with this shit and," she paused, putting her hands on her belly and sucking in a big breath. "And best friend," she finally finished, looking over at her. "You're my best friend and I don't know why it hit me today… maybe the hormones or just… how cold and impersonal sitting across from her felt but," she trailed off and sighed.

"Maureen," Liv managed to choke out, wrapping her girl in a tight hug.

"It's true… my sisters are my best friends of course but you… you're different and I'm so, so thankful," she whispered.

"You're my best friend, too, baby… and I'm so proud to have that title and the title of your mom," she nodded, pulling back and putting a hand on her own belly subconsciously.

Mo noticed, of course, and glanced down with a small smile and laugh as fresh tears fell. "Not just my mom," she whispered knowingly.

A rush of emotion hit the older woman, and before she could even process her actions, she was raising her shirt up to reveal the very slight bump. "Can you keep it a secret?"

Maureen squealed and launched herself into her mom's arms. "Yes!!!!"

"Yes to a secret or yes you're happy?" Liv asked nervously, laughing a little.

Pulling back, Mo nodded quickly. "Of course I'm happy! This is incredible," she said in awe, putting her hand on the tiny bump.

"Just found out for sure today… Jen thinks I'm like 6 weeks," she whispered, her sudden excitement rushing out. "Should be here in August I… gonna try and hide it until the beach house when all the grandkids are here and…" she laughed, covering her face. "I'm 54!"

"Almost," Mo corrected laughing. "Oh my gosh… it's a girl, I know it is!"

"Dad thinks so too… he's getting snipped," she teased and Mo laughed, hard.

"I think that's fair… mom… this is incredible," she sighed softly.

"I know…" she nodded quickly.

"You know… Carl and I have been taking and we really want you and dad to go to Venice alone, but I'm insisting after this news. We'll keep Teddy, too… he'll be okay."

"Mo you'll be about to pop… I'm even nervous about going… cause of that and now this," she nodded down to her belly.

"And you and dad are about to become parents again… you need this alone time. We can handle him, he's the best little guy ever."

Mulling over the offer, she bit her lip and nodded slowly. "I…."

"Carl is already telling dad about it on their way back to switch cars," she said with a small smile.

"That's so much… right before you give birth…"

"He's fine… plus Emma and Noah will be helping with nursery stuff. You and dad deserve this time alone, and mom? It's been insane lately and I think you need it. No responsibility or stress… just you two."

"Three," Liv corrected with a small smile

"Three!" Mo exclaimed, leaning into her.

"I'll think about it," Liv said, sinking back on the couch and wrapping her arms around her oldest while her youngest grew safely inside of her.

Emma, Noah, and Teddy had escaped down to hang out at Eli & Sam's, and were all snuggled by the fire in their living room when El texted to let them know he and Liv would be back to get them before 6:30 for Teddy's 7pm bedtime.

"Now!" Noah cried softly and Emma nodded, texting the sibling chat.

Em: Sibling meeting asap everyone come down!

D: Why???

K: What? Everything ok??

M: Emma Bee???

Em: Everything is fine ish just meeting asap at Eli and Sam's. We're down here now.

L: Uh can you give us a little heads up??

Em: I'm 99% mom is pregnant.