On Friday, Liv got up with the boys to get them off to school.
She sat against the counter, rubbing her belly softly and watching the pair eat breakfast.
Eli sat back and looked at her, trying to hide his smile.
She gave him a funny look, a smile of her own peeking through. "Yes...?"
He laughed. "Nothing. Just happy to be here."
She walked over dropping a kiss to his head. "Happy to have you here, son."
"I'm gonna get dressed, you guys be ready when I'm done."
El and Liv enjoyed a lazy day of popcorn and movies. They picked the kids up early from school so they had time to eat an early dinner and get ready.
Everyone got changed into their game gear and the big kids and their spouses arrived around 5. Just as they were supposed to leave, Liv's phone rang.
They all looked at her and she let out a deep sigh, putting a hand on her belly and answering.
"Benson. Uh huh… Fin…" she let out a groan. Noah's eyes began to well up and she closed hers. "
"Okay… okay okay… just… ok. Yes. Ok I'll be there. Yeah I can pick you up."
She hung up and looked at everyone who was visibly upset. "G-guys… I…" Noah leaned into Elliot, letting his tears fall.
Eli looked down and shook his head. "Just go." He muttered.
Liv teared up and gave them all kisses. She hugged Elliot tighter and kissed him. She gave a sad smile and apologized profusely again before leaving.
The minute the door shut Noah looked up and wiped his eyes. Dickie stared at him in shock. "We need to get you into acting. You'll be able to support us all forever. Jesus."
Everyone laughed and Mo looked out the window. "Alright she's gone. Let's do this."
Liv was a wreck in the car.
When she pulled up to where Fin was he frowned. "Liv I'm sorry… jeez I'm sorry. Let me drive."
She nodded, sniffling. "I-it's fine. Just. Let's just go talk to this asshole." She muttered, holding her belly as they walked around the car to switch seats.
Fin sighed driving slowly to the precinct and she was getting more and more frustrated. "Jesus Fin, Ben could drive faster than you and he's not even here yet," she muttered angrily and he stifled a laugh.
"Sorry Cap. Just trying to be careful," he said.
They were half way there when he got a call. "What?!" He asked incredulously. "Okay. We're on it."
He hung up and looked at Liv. "Dude escaped and they found him on damn roof of the old precinct."
Liv looked at him shocked. "What??? Like the original 1-6?"
He nodded and was obviously trying to hide a smile.
She looked at him and then looked ahead, thinking for a minute before turning back to him.
"Fin what the hell is happening here?" She asked him.
"Captain I told you. We caught a perp and he demanded a lawyer and the lawyer demanded you. But I guess he escaped in transport from the scene and landed at the old precinct."
She raised a brow, not believing him. "Fin. What lawyer shows up to a scene? What did this idiot do?"
Fin knew he was losing but tried to remain stoic. "Captain I don't know. Apparently his lawyer is his daughter and she was with him when he got popped for the felony."
"His daughter? What? Christ, what was the sex crime, Fin?" She asked, getting more annoyed.
He stalled at long as he could, pretending to be checking the directions.
"Fin!" She said and he looked at her. "What was the sex crime?!"
Saved by their arrival, Fin parked in front of the old precinct and looked at her.
"The damn sex crime was against their coworkers who had to watch them making googly eyes at each other for 12 years." He gave her a look and realization hit her. Her eyes welled up and she looked at him.
"Don't ruin this for yourself anymore, Benson. Come on." He got out of the car and walked around to open the door for her, giving a soft smile.
They walked into the precinct and she looked around. The building had stood abandoned, but it'd magically been cleaned up some time recently.
Her eyes welled up when she saw a note on the front desk. "Our first fight." It read in his scribbled hand writing and she laughed, a tear rolling down her cheek.
They walked towards the elevator that opened up to reveal John Munch standing there and smiling. She couldn't stop her tears and he handed her a second note. "Not the same elevator, but I'd still give you a kidney."
John hugged her as the elevator let them off on the old squad room floor, finding Don Cragen waiting for them.
She laughed tearfully and went over hugging him tightly. He handed her a third note that read "where I saw you for the first time."
They escorted her into the old bullpen, empty except for two desks that faced each other with a fourth note on it. "Where I swooned over you for 12 damn years."
Amanda and Carisi came out of the old captain's office. They were both crying and she laughed. "A relationship has made you guys soft," she teased and they both wrapped their arms around her.
"Ready?" Amanda asked and she nodded. Liv and her family, cause that's who they were, walked slowly upstairs to the roof.
She broke down again when she saw Barba at the door to the roof, holding his phone up with Nick on FaceTime.
"I can't believe you're here…" she sobbed out through a big smile.
She was about out of tears as she hugged him tightly, waving to Nick on the phone. "Wouldn't miss it for anything, Liv," Barba said smiling.
Nick held up a note on the screen that read, "Where I ask you to marry me."
She looked up from the screen and Barba opened the door to the roof. It was lit with string lights and there was soft music playing. Elliot and the kids were stood in the center of the roof. Smiling, she walked over to them slowly, wiping the tears from her eyes.
"Hi baby." He said smiling big and leaning down to kiss her. Her arms wrapped tightly around him and she couldn't help but let a laugh/sob out. "You bastard." She said and everyone cracked up.
"How long have you had this planned??" She asked looking around, smiling between their kids and all of their friends.
"Couple months," he said laughing.
"Which is why I wanted to murder him when he got shot three days before," Dickie called out with a roll of his eyes and everyone laughed.
She grinned and shook her head kissing him again. "Is there a game tho?" She asked looking between him and Dickie.
He couldn't help but kiss her again and nod. "Yeah… kids are going and we're taking an early baby moon. But leave it to you to be thinking about them during your moment," he laughed and kissed her. "God damn it's one of things I love most about you Liv. Your selflessness and giving heart."
His voice cracked and she saw Dickie angrily hand his twin 20. Everyone laughed again and he rolled his eyes, just imagining the stupidity happening behind him.
"Before we do that tho… I have a question." He said and she laughed smiling and the tears started again.
"But before my question I have a speech," he cleared his throat and held her hands, meeting her eyes. He took a steadying breath to try and stop his tears but it was no use.
The pair laughed at each other, their hands went to each others faces, cupping them to wipe the tears before laughing again and leaning in for a kiss.
"I don't need a speech. I just need you." She whispered.
He leaned his forehead against hers, still cupping her cheeks. "Well… that's the summary of my speech anyways. You've always had me, even when you didn't. And you always will. For the rest of our lives." He kissed her again and slowly dropped to one knee, pulling out a box from his jacket pocket.
"Olivia Benson. Will you do me the greatest honor of my life and finally, finally be my wife? Will you marry me?"
She was nodding and smiling by the time he finished saying her name. He slipped her ring on and stood up kissing her passionately as everyone cheered.
"Can I get a verbal, Captain?" He asked, laughing and she grinned against his lips. "Fuck yes, Stabler." Everyone cheered again laughing and came in for a group hug.
The kids headed off to the game and Liv hugged their family goodbye, Barba promised he'd be here for the week and they would all celebrate Sunday at Mo's for dinner.
Everyone left and the pair remained on the roof for a while longer, dancing slowly together. Her head was on his chest and he had a hand on her belly.
She sniffled and he kissed her head. She looked up at him smiling and ran a hand up his arm, gently rubbing the bandage under his shirt. "You okay?" She whispered and he nodded.
"I just asked the pregnant love of my life to marry me and she said yes. I couldn't get shot 5 more times and would be fine." They both laughed and she kissed him. "Well please don't get shot 5 more times."
They swayed a while longer and he kissed her.
"You've made my dreams come true Elliot. I can't thank you enough. I'm so lucky," she whispered.
He stopped moving and ran a hand up to her face. "Thank you for letting me back in. I love you." He kissed her, "I love you so much."
They stood for several more minutes, letting their lips passionately battle one another and letting their hands explore with more need and lust as the minutes passed by.
"There's one more dream I think we can make come true," he finally said against her lips, with a smile.
She pulled back to look at him and raised a brow. "Oh?"