A/N: Some family fluff to get back into this. :)
"We should rent a house in the mountains for Christmas… get married in the snow to surprise the kids," Liv said, coming up behind her husband, who was brushing his teeth, and kissing his bare shoulder.
He spit out the remnants of his tooth paste, giving her a cheesy grin and meeting her eyes in the mirror.
"Yes."
His simple response made her heart flutter, and she sighed happily, hugging him from behind.
"Maybe we can invite the whole crew? Fin, Phoebe… Amanda, Sonny and the kids?" She suggested and he nodded.
"Great minds… I was thinking we only tell Sonny… have him officiate?"
"Perfect… we can play it off as family photos so that everyone's dressed up."
"I love it," he smiled wider, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears.
"Mom mom mom mom mom," came Ben's voice from behind them, pulling them from their moment.
She laughed softly and turned, dropping to his level when he came sprinting in.
"Hi bug," she whispered, kissing his cheek when he crashed into her.
"Mommy can you come read to me now?"
Laughing softly, she nodded. "Absolutely. Come on."
She lifted him with a mock struggle that made him laugh, and kissed his cheek repeatedly as they made their way to his room.
"Where's your sister?" She asked, brushing his hair back gently.
"Reading with No," he said with a small frown.
"What's wrong??"
"I just never get to have guy time with Noah," he groaned and Liv laughed softly.
"Why don't you ask him?"
He shook his head. "Well I don't wanna make Charlie sad."
"Sweet boy… Charlie will be just fine," she smiled small. "You want me to talk to your brothers? See if the three of you can do something tomorrow."
Nodding, he curled into her and got comfy so she could read to him. "Daddy too?"
"Daddy, too," she nodded. "Me and Charlie will have a girls day. That sound good?"
"Yeah… thanks mommy," he smiled small.
"Of course my love… you know you can tell me anything."
"I know momma," he nodded. "I love you… you're the best mommy ever," he sighed happily and she grinned, kissing his head again.
"I love being your mommy," she whispered, starting to read to him.
He fell asleep pretty quickly, and as she was sneaking out his room, Elliot was coming down the hall carrying a sound asleep Charlie.
She pressed a soft kiss to her cheek, whispering an "I love you," before heading to her big boy's room.
"What's up with Benny boy?" Noah asked, sitting up to lean against her when she sat on his bed against the wall.
"He wants some guy time," she said, trying to hide her laugh.
Eli snorted from his bed and sat up, too. "Why didn't he tell us?"
"Cause he doesn't wanna hurt his sisters feelings," Liv laughed and Noah shook his head laughing, too.
"Stockholm. She's just as bad as Liz!"
"She's brutal, but he loves her so. I told him you guys could have a boys day tomorrow and I'd do a girls day with Charlie. Maybe you guys can do something fun and then get outfits for family pictures at Christmas?"
"Mooooom," Noah groaned.
"Why do we alllllways have to do pictures," Eli whined.
"Cause! I want to remember you all just like this always and forever!" She laughed.
"What are we doing?" El asked, coming in and sitting beside Eli.
"We're having a boys day tomorrow and then mom is making us get Christmas picture outfits."
"Moooom," El whined playfully, dodging a pillow she tossed at him with a boisterous laugh.
"Okay okay okay we'll do it!!" El laughed and the boys shrugged. "Alright mom fiiiine," they grumbled playfully.
"That's more like it!" She teased and they both laughed hysterically.
"You two going to bed?" Liv asked and they shrugged. "Might hang with dad for a little bit and watch the Rangers," Eli nodded towards his father.
"Have a couple brewskis," Noah added hopefully and Liv shot him a look.
"Okay okay okay," he grumbled and Eli laughed. "What did you think the answer would be?"
"Maybe she was feeling nice I don't know!" He laughed.
"Alright well I'm gonna go read and relax, you boys have fun," Liv said, kissing their heads and waltzing off to her room.
Liv pulled up her computer, doing a quick search of a few places up north that they would be able to rent, and texted them kids.
O: Hi my loves, what do we think about spending New Years in a cabin up north? Mine and daddy's treat. He and I will go up early for Christmas with those who can come, and then we'll have it through the New Year. Sound okay?
D: Perfect mama!! We'll come up Christmas Day after we do Santa with the littles and K's family.
M: Down! How much??? That's gonna be expensive.
K: Seriously mama, let us know!
L: !!!!
O: Nope! On us! Is everyone doing Christmas with us except Dickie?
D: Yes :((
O: It's just Christmas night baby don't worry!!
L: Mama's booyyyyy
K: They all are! Wait till he has a son…
M: He'll be so sad!
D: Why does this always turn into a roast Dickie session???
L: So many reasons. Mama, we are down for a Christmas away!
M: Us too! Seamus and Kieran can't wait!
She sent a picture of her 9 month old twins all snuggled up.
K: Baby Bee too! :)
Katie's text was accompanied by a photo of her 3 month old baby girl in pajamas that matched the twin's.
O: Omg lol! Charlie and Benny are in the same!
L: Don't relate, Max is on a footie pajama strike.
O: Ben and Charlie might never give it up
D: They're still pipsqueaks. Max is gonna tower over them
L: Definitely didn't get that height from the Stablers!
El: Hey!!!
M: There he is!
Eli: I'm taller than all of you
D: An anomaly
N: I'm gonna be taller than all of you, too.
K: Oh no
L: Should we tell him
M: Buddy….
D: I just spit out my beer I'm laughing so hard
N: Can't even be mad that was too good!
N: Wish I had a beer @mom
Before Olivia could even reply, a flurry of responses came in.
D: You're FIFTEEN!!!!
M: An infant. You're never allowed to drink
L: Aren't you still 6????
K: Hahahaha nice try
D: A beer! You kidding me man????
N: I've heard the stories
Eli: HA!
D: Whose side are you on?!
O: What your siblings said!!! Okay, cabin is booked. I love you all and I'm going to relax while the boys drink beer in front of Noah.
L: BOOM. Roasted!
M: Lololol love you mama
K: Savage, love you
D: Love you
El: What about me?
D: Irrelevant
K: Old news
M: Who added you to this chat
L: New phone who dis
Liv set down her phone in a fit of laughter, joining the howling that was coming from their living room.
She texted the three of them separately.
O: Wake up the twins and you're all out on the street!!!
N: Come hang with us
N: Dad and Eli are doing shots.
She laughed again, slipping on one of Elliot's oversized jerseys, and made her way slowly back to the living room. Pulling out four beers from the fridge, she plopped beside Elliot.
"You three better be good to hang with Ben tomorrow," she warned, handing all of them a beer, including Noah.
He gasped in delight.
"One," she clarified and he nodded with a laugh as Liv settled into El's arms.
Watching her boys interact with one another and the game, she twirled her ring absentmindedly and laughed along with their conversations, her eyes welling as they chatted.
"Moooom why you crying," surprisingly sober Eli said after a while, and a tipsy off of one beer and tipsy off of multiple shots Noah and El turned to look at her quickly.
"What's wrong," El cried, cupping her face and making her smile and blink the tears down her face.
"I'm just thinking of how we started… that first Christmas together a life time ago and… god I just love you guys and can't get over how much you've grown. I'm such a lucky gal," she smiled and El wrapped her in a gear hug.
"Livie, my love, we love you so much," he said, all smiled as he kissed her several times over.
"I love you," she nodded, kissing him back.
"Alright we love you so much but don't make it weird," Eli teased and they laughed, lounging back and focusing on the game.
Noah was just halfway done with his beer and dozing against Eli when the game ended.
"Come on bro, let's go to bed," he whispered, ushering them back to their bed after putting a blanket over their sleeping parents and kissing their heads.
Liv smiled small to herself, and when she heard the door shut, looked back up to El who was also pretending to be asleep.
"I can't wait to marry you," she whispered and he hummed in approval.
"Me either," he whispered, voice deep and gruff with sleep. "And I request I you wear this jersey and nothing else on the night of our honeymoon."
She giggled softly and pecked his lips.
"Take me to bed, Stabler," she whispered.
"Don't have to ask me twice, almost Benson-Stabler."