A/N: This was inspired by another fic over on AO3 where El goes to the nail salon just to spend time with Liv. I don't own anything, just a ridiculous sense of humor.
"C'mon, Dad," Kathleen said, pulling one hand while Lizzie pulled the other through the front door of the nail salon. Maureen trailed behind them, looking almost as embarrassed as Elliot did by her sisters' antics.
When Maureen was born, Elliot promised himself he'd be the Dad his own father hadn't been. He was going to take an interest in things his kids liked, and share those things with them. He started having Daddy/Daughter days with Maureen when she was just three. Sometimes they'd have a tea party in the dining room or sometimes he'd take her for ice cream. It was easy with one daughter. But then came numbers two and three.
All three of his girls had wildly different interests. By age 13, Maureen was in love with everything girly, like fashion and makeup. At 9, Kathleen bounced from artsy to sporty and back again in the blink of an eye. And at 5, Lizzie just wanted to be like her big sisters. Daddy/Daughter days had gotten a little more complicated with work pushing them to every two months instead of every month. Then the girls fought over what they would do. So it was to Elliot's surprise when the three approached him one Saturday morning, smiles on their faces, all agreeing where they wanted to go for their day.
Elliot just hadn't expected it to be the nail salon. A very particular one in Manhattan, conveniently just down the road from Maureen's favorite smoothie shop, Lizzie's favorite toy store, and an art supply shop Kathleen had been hinting that she'd been wanting to visit for three months.
When the girls told him where they wanted to go, he was hesitant. But he rationalized he'd taken Kathy to the nail salon before, back when they only had one car. He waited around, read some ridiculous gossip magazines, and took a quiz that said he put career before men. He could do the same for his girls. And then indulge their other whims since they'd already be in Manhattan anyway.
Kathleen and Lizzie pulled him up to the counter. Maureen informed him on the way over she'd already called and made an appointment. He figured it made her feel grown-up, being the one to set the plans.
"You got an appointment?" the girl behind the counter asked, snapping her gum.
"Yeah, Stabler?" Elliot said. "Three manicures and pedicures."
The girl flipped through the appointment book.
"Yeah we got an appointment for Stabler," the girl said. "But it's for four, not three."
"Oh that must be a mistake," Elliot said. "My wife isn't with the girls. It's just for them."
"No, Daddy," Kathleen said, shaking her head. "You're gonna do it with us."
"I'm gonna what?" Elliot asked, his eyes bugging out.
"C'mon Dad," Maureen said. "It's the 90s. Guys can get pampered, too."
"But honey, I don't need any of that stuff," he said. "It's for you girls."
"Please, Daddy?" Lizzie asked, tugging on his right hand and looking up at him with those signature Stabler baby blues. And he knew he was losing this battle.
"Fine," Elliot said, turning back to the girl at the counter. "I guess it is Stabler party of four."
The girls cheered.
The manicure hadn't been so bad. The girls all picked polish (hot pink for Maureen, sky blue for Kathleen, and lilac purple for Lizzie) and the technicians got to work pushing down cuticles and trimming and buffing. The girls talked animatedly about things going on at school and made fun of Elliot for wincing as the technician got a little too close with the cuticle trimmer.
He was starting to understand why women liked to do this kind of thing. It was kind of relaxing. By the time they'd moved back to the front of the shop for the pedicures, Elliot was, dare he say it, having fun.
All four Stablers got seated in their chairs. The tech girl told them they'd have a 10-minute foot massage and soak and then their designated assistants would be back for exfoliating, trimming, and painting. As the foot spa turned on, he leaned his head back into the headrest and closed his eyes for a second. Yeah, he could get used to this. He heard some rustling in the empty chair beside him but decided to keep his eyes closed. Although something peaked his sense of smell. It was something familiar. Something he couldn't quite place.
"You know, I never pegged you for a pedicure guy, Stabler," a voice to his left said.
It couldn't be.
Elliot turned his head and cracked an eye, and none other than his partner, Olivia Benson, was sitting in the chair beside him.
She was grinning like a Cheshire cat.
"So, you come here often?" she asked, her tone still teasing as she settled down into her own spa chair.
Elliot could feel his neck and his ears flushing. He was content in his masculinity, but he really didn't need his partner of all people seeing him here getting a pedicure. Especially if she was going to go back to work Monday and tell Munch what she saw. That old geezer would never let him hear the end of it.
"I… we… the girls wanted to come," Elliot said leaning back and pointing to where the girls were spread out in their own chairs.
Maureen was reading some teen magazine in the chair furthest away. Kathleen had her walkman headphones on, and Lizzie was staring down at her feet in the bubbles. She turned when she saw Elliot lean back.
"Hi, Livia!" Lizzie squealed when she saw her. Elliot's kids had met her a handful of times since they started working together last year. Each one of them had taken to her for a different reason, but Lizzie had been particularly enamored. Elliot sometimes wondered if it was because her sisters favored their mother, with their long blonde hair and willowy figures, where Lizzie favored his side of the family, at least for now: dusty auburn hair and a more athletic build. Elliot wondered if she enjoyed seeing someone around who looked a little more like her.
"Hi, Lizzie, sweetheart," Olivia said. "How are you?"
"I'm great," Lizzie said. "These bubbles are fun. And since it's Daddy/Daughter day after this we're gonna get smoothies, and go to the toy store, and the art store."
"Wow that's a lot of fun stuff for one day," Olivia said, before turning her attention back to Elliot. "Daddy/Daughter Day?"
"Yeah," he said. "I try to take them out once every couple of months. Do whatever activity they want. Check in about school, friends, that kind of stuff. Today they wanted to do this. I thought I was going to just sit up front and read magazines. But Maureen made the appointment. They had other plans."
Elliot saw Olivia's eyes soften.
"That's really amazing of you, El," she said.
He saw the little bit of sadness behind her eyes too. She'd told him a few months ago about her conception, why she joined SVU in the first place. He knew her father was never around because he was a no-good dirtbag. She hadn't gotten a chance to do anything like this with him.
"So what brings you here on a rare weekend off, Benson?" Elliot asked, switching the subject. "Never took you as much of a nail girl yourself."
"Can't a girl just get glammed up every now and again?" she asked.
"A girl can," Elliot said. "But you're not normally that type of girl."
Olivia let out an exasperated sigh, puffing air out of the side of her mouth that made her hair billow out to the side.
"My mother has some charity thing for her department at the college tomorrow," Olivia said. "And I have to go to fill a chair. She didn't mince words that I had to be dressed to the nines. I got my nails done last week but got my shoes yesterday and they're open-toed so…"
"Hence the pedicure," he finished.
"Exactly," she said.
"But of all the nail shops in all of New York," Elliot said.
"Yeah, you had to walk into mine," Olivia said, rolling her eyes.
They had been bantering so long that neither of them realized the foot spas had shut off until Kathleen was slopping over to them in her paper shoes.
"C'mon Dad, we have to go pick colors," Kathleen said, before realizing Olivia was there. "Oh, hey Olivia! What are you doing here?"
"Came to get a pedicure," she said. "Same as you guys."
"Want to come to pick colors with us?" Kathleen asked.
"You sure I won't be intruding on Dad and Daughter day?" Olivia asked.
"No way," Kathleen said. "Dad tried to get me to pick lime green polish. He doesn't know ANYTHING about colors."
"Can't argue with that," Olivia said, sliding her feet out of the spa and into the paper shoes. She followed Kathleen back to the polish wall. Elliot slopped out of his spa with all the grace of an elephant and trailed behind them.
Maureen was adamant that her fingers and toes had to match because that was "in" at the moment. She was the first one to decide and went quickly back to her chair to get started. Lizzie wasn't tall enough to see the shelf, so Elliot hoisted her up to get closer.
As Lizzie ran her finger along rows of pink glittery polishes, Elliot glanced over to where Olivia and Kathleen were standing by the blues.
"I don't want to match exactly, like Maureen," he heard Kathleen said. "But I also don't want to clash. My friend Stephanie is having a sleepover for her birthday next weekend so everybody will see my nails at the party."
"Well what about this one?" Olivia asked, plucking a dark blue color from the rack. "It's called midnight sky. You have catching clouds on your fingers, right? Your fingers can be the daytime sky and your toes can be the nighttime sky."
"I LOVE that!" Kathleen squealed, taking the bottle from Olivia. "Thanks!"
Kathleen rushed back to her chair just as Lizzie plucked some atrocious glittery hot pink thing from the rack.
"I want this one," she announced, tucking the small bottle in her hand.
Instead of putting her down, Elliot slid down the row to where Olivia was standing in front of the reds.
"Your dress red?" Elliot asked.
"Yes," she said. "Since my fingers are just clear coat I figured I could color coordinate this part."
"Red shoes too?" Elliot asked.
"Silver," she said. "Since when do you care about my wardrobe?"
"Just trying to get a mental picture," he said.
"Daddy, what color are you going to get?" Lizzie asked from his arms, causing Olivia to lift a hand to her face to hide a smile.
"I'm not honey," Elliot said. "The exfoliation and stuff is plenty."
"But Daddy," Lizzie huffed. "You're 'sposed to get polish. You didn't get any on your hands."
"I can't wear it to work," Elliot said. "It's not allowed. See how Olivia's are just clear."
Olivia held up her hands for Lizzie to see.
"But she's getting some on her toes," Lizzie said.
"It's true, El," Olivia said. "I am getting it on my toes where nobody at work will see."
"I think you should get this," Lizzie said, plucking a yellow bottle from the shelf and holding it out to Elliot."
"Good morning, sunshine," Elliot read of the bottom of the bottle.
"Daddy you have to," Lizzie said, giving him the same pout from earlier.
It was just his toes. What the hell. Nobody would see it.
"Fine Lizzie Bear," Elliot said. "I'll let them put this on."
"Yay!" Lizzie cheered. "Put me down so I can go with Mo and Katie."
Elliot let her down and watched her scramble back to her seat. He glanced over at Olivia who was trying her hardest not to laugh.
"Not a freaking word of this," he said. "You hear me. Not to Monique, or Munch, Cassidy, anybody."
"My lips are sealed," she said, pulling her fingers across her lips for effect.
"So what color did you pick after all that?" he asked.
Olivia snatched a bottle off the shelf and held it out to him. He tipped the bottle up to read the name.
"Better than sex," he said.
"Doubt it," she said. "But it's worth a try."
He watched her walk back to her own chair, swinging her hips. He wondered if she walked like that on purpose or it was just instinct. After a few seconds he realized he was staring, dropped his head and went back to his own chair.
They all finished up around the same time, Olivia being last and still in her seat when Elliot went up to pay. The girls had all crowded around Olivia to talk and show off their manicures.
"Can I get the lady on the end's too," Elliot said to the girl behind the counter.
She rang up the four manicures and five pedicures and after Elliot's wallet was significantly lighter, Olivia's pedicure was done and she and the girls made their way back over to him. Olivia reached for her wallet to pay but Elliot put a hand on her wrist to stop her.
"I got it already," he said.
"You didn't have to do that," she said.
"Eh, gotta take care of all my girls, right?" Elliot said with a smile.
"I'm not your daughter, El," she said.
"Doesn't mean somebody shouldn't do something nice for you too every once in a while," he said.
"If you think this is a pay off not to tell Munch about the state of your toenails," she said.
"Stop thinking like a cop," he chuckled.
"Dad, can Olivia come with us for smoothies, too?" Maureen asked.
"Oh, I don't want to intrude," Olivia said. "I've taken up enough of your day."
"You got somewhere to be?" Elliot asked. "We don't want to hold you up, but if you're not busy, you're more than welcome to join."
"Yeah," Maureen said. "I have to tell you about this really pretty dress I saw for the spring dance. And how I want to do my hair."
"And maybe you could come to the art store too," Kathleen said. "I want to look at new paint sets and remember Daddy is BAD with colors."
"And if you come to the toy store we can play on the giant piano," Lizzie said, reaching for Olivia's hand.
She looked up at Elliot with a nervous expression on her face. He couldn't tell if it's because she didn't want to come, or because she really did and was overwhelmed that the girls wanted her to join.
"The jury has spoken, Liv," he said. "It's officially Dad/Daughter/Olivia day."
She bit the inside of her lip and squeezed Lizzie's hand.
"I guess I could come for a little bit," she said.
And then just the way the girls had pulled him into the nail salon, they were pulling Olivia out and down the street to the smoothie shop.
The rest of the afternoon had been fun. They all got smoothies, except Elliot. He preferred to just steal sips of Olivia's orange dreamsicle one instead. She'd helped Kathleen pick out a new paint set with the right jewel-tone colors, and taught Lizzie how to play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star on the giant piano.
The girls couldn't stop talking about what a great day they had on the way home in the car. Kathy was a little less than enthused when they came home and told her they'd met up with Olivia at the salon and she spent the day with them. But then Dickie spilled the beans about how Kathy locked her keys in the trunk at the grocery store and they had to wait for a mechanic to come help and get them out. And Dickie also let it slip that the guy kept touching Kathy on the arm and shoulder, so that stopped any inquiries about Liv.
Elliot had nearly forgotten about the fun by Monday morning when Cragen pulled him into a case right when he walked in the door. He, Munch, Monique and Cassidy were crowded around the evidence board when Olivia walked in and snuck up behind him.
"Good Morning, Sunshine," she said, and he turned around to see her smirking, two coffees in hand.
"One of those better be for me," he said, reaching out for one of the cups, but she pulled it back.
"That depends," she said. "Anything fun from your weekend that you'd like to share with the class?"
"Not particularly," Elliot said, snatching one of the cups from her hand and taking a long swig.
"Mmmm," he practically moaned into his cup. "This is better than sex. Would you agree, Liv?"
He saw her snort a bit and almost choke on a mouthful of the liquid.
"Benson, Stabler," Cragen said. "We got a lead on Torres. Need you to go track him down. Central Park."
"On it," Elliot said, grabbing his suit jacket off the back of his chair, and following Liv to the elevators.
"You ever get the feeling we're missing something with those two?" Elliot heard Munch say as the elevator doors closed.
Elliot looked at Olivia out of the corner of his eye. She was smiling bright behind her to-go cup.
Yeah, there was something they were all missing. But it was just between Benson and Stabler. Elliot and Olivia. El and Liv. What the old conspiracy nut didn't know wouldn't kill him.