AN- Thankyou to everyone who is still reading and reviewing!

This story was supposed to be a one-shot and now is going to be 9 chapters of pure fluff and emotion. I am not naturally an emotional person, I keep things bottled inside and I only hug my children so… the irony of me writing 10 chapters of this sort of thing, is not lost.

Anyway if you read this story and enjoy it please let me know. This is me on here or I am – hereforeo on Twitter.

Family rule 101 for choosing activities. Every Benson-Stabler family member is to pick an activity. Every Benson-Stabler family member is to write down the activity on a ripped up piece of paper, add it to the bowl and mix it up. Every Benson-Stabler family member has to accept and participate in any activity that gets randomly picked out of the bowl.

So here we have it, Sunday morning and the chosen activity of choice is the new Zoo. This one was built just under two years ago and is conservation only, protecting wounded animals who couldn't survive in the wild. There's not as much glass available for peering eyes like the old style Zoo's used to have. Even animals need privacy is what Evie had said when she dropped her piece of paper into the bowl. Something she must have learnt in school Elliot had whispered.

"This is the longest queue I have EVER waited in" Noah nagged, flailing his arms by his side. "How long is mom gonna take?"

After attempting to stop Evie from spinning around and around in circles repeatedly over the last 20 minutes Elliot accidentally snaps "It will take as long as it takes...Evie stand still please. Stop spinning your dress up. There are a lot of people here" Elliot hadn't wanted her to wear the leopard print skater dress with matching headband and no leggings but Evie had hysterically screamed and insisted this morning that if she wasn't to wear it for the zoo then when would she. Olivia had cautiously agreed with the little one and fondly informed Elliot that his overprotective SVU instincts kicking in, were actually quite sweet.

"I'm sorry guys, I didn't mean to shout" He apologizes to his kids. The kids were right, this queue was horrendous and Olivia was taking ages to get to the front of customer services to pick up the tickets.

His words falling on deaf ears Evie ignores his apology and moves quickly back to the repeated questions she was asking before she started to do all of the spinning.

"Knock, Knock" Evie asks

"No Evie" Noah bites back, his turn now to lose his patience

"Knock Knock" she asks again, blatantly ignoring his refusal, she begins to excitedly jump up and down on the spot in front of Noah

"Knock, Knock...Knock Knock...Knock Knock"

"Who's there?" he shouts deciding that at this point it's just easier to go with the flow

"Dr"

"Oh man, come on Evie. This is the worst one." he rolls his eyes towards her

"Noah! NOW we have to do it all over again" she insists, hands on hips

"No, No, No, No we don't. Evie just stop. I'm literally begging you" Noah pleads holding his hands out towards her in a prayer motion

"Yes we do. Daddy tell Noah we have to do it all again because he ruined it"

Interrupting the irritated chaos Olivia cheerily moves towards her family

"And we're in '' she announces "Come on guys, got the tickets. We can go straight through"

"Finally" Noah and Elliot agree together and start making their way over to the entrance.

"Ok, so what do we want to see first?" Olivia asks, handing the maps out to each of them

"Penguins. Penguins, Penguins" Evie sings, not even taking the map "Please, Please, Please can we go and see the penguins?" she begs.

"Noah? Penguins?" Olivia asks her eldest.

"Yeah, anything to keep her quiet" he rolls his eyes, puts his hands in his pockets and shakes his head.

"Oh don't be grumpy Noah Noo" Evie tugs at his arm and tries to pull him towards her.

"Evie, stop it!" he shouts making his little sister develop a guilt inviting pet lip.

"Mommy...Noah shouted at me. Everybody's grumpy because I picked the zoo" she cries wrapping her arms around her mother's legs she then wipes the tears against the material.

"Oh sweet girl, nobody is grumpy about the zoo. We are all so happy to be here together. Aren't we everyone?" She encourages the others to join in.

"Of course we are Kiwi Kid" Elliot crouches over his daughter, picks her up and lifts her over his head and onto his shoulders.

"Yeyy. I'm getting a giraffe carry." Quickly forgetting about any disappointment she previously had Evie starts looking over the crowds and directing the quickest route to the penguin enclosure.

"Come here" Olivia softly asks of Noah, looping her arm through his; she is surprised when he doesn't attempt to back off and continues to follow behind Elliot and Evie.

"I'm sorry Mom, I didn't mean to snap at her. It's just a lot sometimes. She never stops talking"

He confesses.

"I get it" she empathizes with him "Look, she's long forgotten it anyway and you have always loved a zoo. Ever since you were little."

"I know, I'm glad we are here. Especially as I start working at the coffee shop next Saturday"

"Oh sweet boy. I'm so proud of you getting your first job. I suppose it's just a coincidence…that your new girlfriend? Works there too?" Olivia speculates, stopping in her tracks, she pulls Noah around to face her.

"Mom…. She's not my girlfriend. We've had like 3 dates" he claims before realizing something significant "hang on, I didn't tell you Chelsea worked there?"

Taking off to catch up with her husband and daughter she glances back over her shoulder to her son and shouts "didn't you?...funny that, you'd think I was with the police force or something" she laughs before rubbing Elliot's back and smiles up at Evie.

"Yeah. Figures" he shouts, shaking his head and laughing to himself before running off to catch up with his family.

They must have walked miles around this zoo and they had seen countless animals, of which Evie wanted a stuffed replica version of every single one. After negotiating down to one soft toy Noah volunteered to take her into the gift shop whilst Oliva and Elliot sat in front of the hippo enclosure.

"Hey Liv, this sign says that hippo there" he points to the one at the back "is due to give birth any day now"

"Ah that is cute" Olivia leans into him and wraps her arms around his waist. Placing her head in between his chest she watches the hippo struggling to get up.

"You remember when you were like that with Evie?" he asks her, placing a kiss against the top of her hair…

*August 10th 2023

"Why is this taking so long?" an already drained Olivia shouts out towards a stressed out Elliot who is anxiously attempting to mix her raspberry tea leaf with water

"This is what labor is like Liv," he sympathizes with her "why don't you bounce on the ball, the doctor said that will speed the contraction's up. We're getting so close" he attempts to encourage his very pregnant wife who's looking very discontented with this everlasting situation.

"We?" she unreasonably questions him "Yeah cos you've been experiencing these pains for the last 13 hours-"the last part of her sentence is overpowered by the rippling pain currently surging throughout her back and stomach

"Ok, here get on the ball" Elliot guides her by the hand and carefully leads her onto the giant birthing ball. He never thought he would see the day when Olivia Benson would be bouncing on a labor ball, in a hospital delivery room clad in just a white lounge bra, matching white shorts and running her hands across the hardened swollen stomach that harbored his stubborn child.

"This baby does not want to come out" she exclaims, closing her eyes and literally baring down on her teeth to ride out this latest wave of intense pain.

"Try to bounce side to side" Elliot advised "It helped you before, just try it again"

About to protest that before the pain was nowhere near as immeasurable as this pain she is in now, she abruptly changes her mind after she catches Elliot's voice speaking with the OBGYN.

Doctor Ellison is a redheaded British woman in her early 50's, speaks very matter of fact and very rarely engages in any of Olivia nor Elliot's quick witted remarks. A true delight.

"Olivia" Doctor Ellison began, checking over the statistics. "Your labor is progressing quite slowly and the fetal heart beat has dropped slightly. It's nothing to be concerned about.. yet" she soothed, quickly becoming aware of the concerned faces looking back to her "However it has been 13 hours so we would like to intervene and break your water. This will progress you quicker into active labor."

Olivia and Elliot exchange an unspoken glance of acceptance to the Doctors advice and Elliot speaks on their behalf "If that's what you think is best? Is that a problem? Is there any danger with doing this?" beginning to pace on the spot, Elliot apprehensively interrogates Dr Ellison.

After an explanation on all of the medical jargon and reassurance that this process was actually quite common, the medical staff carried out the procedure. A slight pop and Olivia felt and heard the gush of water releasing.

The Doctor had been right about how quickly this would progress her into active labor and the unbearable pain Olivia thought she was in earlier was yet again, incomparable to the pain she was in now.

"This baby is stubborn, it doesn't want to come out" Olivia seethed in the euphoric moments between contractions.

"You're experiencing things a little worse Olivia because your baby is coming down in a back to back position but you're doing a fantastic job" Ellison praised her

Not understanding the significance of the back to back statement Elliot took it upon himself to attempt to lighten the mood

"The baby's stubborn, that must be your genes" he nodded towards Olivia, gripping onto her hand "because all my others came out in under a few hours"

Olivia not in the mood to hear about how wonderfully Kathy gave birth five times over, yanks her hand away from his and stares him down with the look she had come to overhear was known as 'the badassbenson look'

"For your own sake Elliot Stabler, do not tell me how quickly Kathy gave birth right now, I cannot handle it"

Watching Olivia baring down into another contraction Dr Ellison intervenes in her stereotypical British accent

"Maybe now is not the time for bad jokes Mr Stabler?"

"I know, I'm sorry Liv, it was just a bad joke. I was trying to compliment you and say how the baby is going to be a lot like you… and I'm pleased about that but it's just came out wrong. I'm sorry I'm really nervous. You're doing amazing. "He frantically compliments her, not wanting to ruin this upcoming moment.

"Digging yourself a hole Elliot" Dr Ellison raises her eyebrow and winks towards Olivia; who completely disregards the whole attempt at banter.

"This baby is going to be big. I'm telling you" Olivia panics between deep inhales and exhales of pain. "How am I going to get this baby out?"

"Liv it's coming out now. I promise you- you're doing great. You are the strongest woman I know"

Elliot goes to wipe her head with a wet cloth but she inhospitably bats his hand away submitting into the latest round of excruciating contractions.

He then attempts to hand her the gas and air and to no surprise she quickly grabs onto that.

"Can she have the epidural yet? You said when she got to be over 6cm's she could have it." Elliot shouts to Doctor Ellison over the sounds of Olivia's heavy breathing.

"The option is there however Olivia did state in the beginning under no circumstances, did she want it" the doctor responds

"I changed my…. mind" Olivia pants with a pained expression on her face "I don't care anymore… Can I have it?" her voice becoming more stable as this particular contraction concludes

"I'll check now" Dr Ellison confirms disappearing for several seconds to look into a place Olivia had lost all care of embarrassment over.

Standing up the doctor announces "Ok Oliva, would you like the good news or the bad news?" she reassuringly smiles to let the couple know that the bad news isn't anything to be overly worried about... Well pain threshold dependent of course.

"You are 9cm dilated" observing the anticipated look on the expectant parents faces the doctor elaborates "We are expecting you to need to push very soon Olivia, which is good news. It's too late for an epidural now so you're going to have to do it without. Which is the bad news"

Throwing her forearm over her eyes and releasing an exasperated cry Olivia could hear parts of the Doctor's conversation with Elliot informing him on the specifics. She made out something about progressing quicker than they anticipated and after several more close together contractions the euphoric feeling in between pushes was getting less and less and the intense pressure was fully taking over her body.

She knew Elliot was there beside her, cheering her on. He had been this whole entire time but the pain was so concentrated now, that she didn't want him near her, she didn't want anyone near her. She wanted to push through this agonizing pain, meet her baby and go home to heal.

After another 20 minutes the continuous floods of encouragement were forcing Olivia to push determinedly through the pain. In those pushing moments if there was an update on the babies position she didn't hear it, she was too invested in pushing this ginormous baby out of this place. A place she was vowing that Elliot was never going to go near again. Ever again.

All the puffing, panting, baring down and pain lead to one giant final push.

Throwing her head back against the pillow behind her, Olivia closes her eyes and breathes out a large sigh.

The room is briefly, intensely silent until the first piercing cry of the newborn announcing its own arrival rings out, followed swiftly by several gasps of anxious release.

"Olivia you did it, well done." The obgyn is wiping clean the infant and quickly making sure there are no obvious issues "are you ready to hold your baby?" she asks

"-Yes" Olivia chokes out a smile through her exhaustion, sitting herself upright.

As she feels the warm skin from her newborn against her chest she looks over the little ones appearance. So much long, dark hair, skin so soft, bigger and not as dainty as she expected but yet still so light to hold.

It was as if all the pain, agony and worry over the last 18 hours had been building up a pool behind her eyes. When she felt the tiny little hand grip onto her little finger it was as if the dam burst and all the collection of tears came flooding out.

Leaning over and gently stroking the face of his 6th child (7th if we disregard biology) Elliot carefully moves towards the baby and places the softest of kisses against its head "Liv, she's beautiful" he looks into Olivia's exhausted tear filled eyes and kisses her "She's just like her mom"

"She" Olivia scans over the baby's body, only now just realizing she didn't even think to ask what sex the baby was. She had just been entirely in awe of this beautiful, wonderful baby she had created with the one true love of her life. Olivia had never envisioned this moment before because it always felt as if the thought was one of those farfetched wildest dreams. The odds had been stacked so highly against them, that there never seemed to be a realistic avenue for this thought process to go down.

The childhood clique of little girls playing with dolls had almost every young girl, at some point, envisioning they would grow up and create their own baby; a baby that is a pure and perfect example of true love.

A real Disney princess and Prince Charming moment that sometimes loosely stretches into adulthood had sharply come to an end when every relationship she had ever had continued to fail because the man wasn't her Prince Charmingthat she so desperately loved.

And yet, here she is in this purely perfect, daydream worthy, childhood fantasy moment.

"Olivia?" The doctor requests her attention "I'm just going to weigh the baby and then I'll give her back to you. Is that ok?"

Handing the dark haired bundle over to the doctor Olivia looks up at her husband "I think dad might want a cuddle? El?"

Wiping away his tears he coughs to compose himself, preparing for this first special moment with his newest daughter

"10lbs 7oz" a nurse announces before passing the baby over to Elliot

"10lbs 7oz?" Elliot's startled response makes Olivia look up

"Wow, she is big, I knew it. I told you." Olivia proudly laughs at being right "She's bigger than the other Stabler children I take it?"

"Ha bigger?" he loudly expresses "only by about 4 or 5 lbs" he chuckles whilst raising his eyebrows

"The way I've been eating the last 9 months, she was always going to be chunky" Olivia confesses to the room.

A sympathetic nurse quickly attempts to provide some comfort with the scientific fact that, that isn't specifically why she's big but then laughs at her own interruption when she realizes it's a joke rather than a self-conscious hidden reveal of embarrassment.

Taking hold of his new daughter he is immediately drawn into her big brown unfocused eyes, he watches them search over him, the room, the ceiling; everywhere. He can't help but wonder what her brand new, unpolluted, wholly innocent mind is thinking of right now. Holding her like this for the first time is superior to any feeling in the world, it's so unique and it's as if this instant instinctual protective bond has been instilled between him and his little girl. Elliot knows he's forever going to be there for her, forever going to be her protector. Just like he is for his other kids, just like he is for Noah, just like he is for his Olivia.

Bringing him back from his trance like state the baby makes a gurgling sound in response to him stroking the side of her face and watches her nuzzle her head into the side of his hand

"She likes that" Olivia comments as she's sat watching the two of them interact.

"I can't get over how much she looks just like you Liv, there's not a bit of Stabler in her"

"Maybe she'll get your stubborn personality?" Olivia tiredly jokes

"Says the queen of I'm fine?" he funs back taking a seat on the bit of available space at the side of her bed

"What do you think?" he asks her, letting Olivia nestle in against his shoulder so she can look down and stroke the hand of her baby girl "You still want to call her Evie?"

"I think it's perfect" Olivia yawns "Do you?" she asks the question but doesn't wait for an answer, her exhausted eyes have involuntarily closed and within a matter of seconds both of Elliot's girls are sound asleep resting against his body. The room so soundless that he can hear the rhythmic beat of all three of their heartbeats.

He smiles to himself and ruminates his silent prayer. This hospital room and his sleeping wife both reminding him of how ferociously incredible she is and how insanely lucky he is to have all of this. He's gratified, appreciative and the catholic inside of him won't let him forget to wordlessly give his thanks.

"Evie Margaret Stabler" he whispers before falling into his own peaceful nap.

*Present day

"I woke up and you'd been sat there like that for hours, do you remember?" she laughs replicating the position on his chest she held in the hospital.

"Do I remember? My neck was sore for a week." He laughs quickly turning around to the voice of a very excited squeal from Evie

"Daddy, Mommy Look… I got two? I have the mommy giraffe and the baby giraffe"

"Two?" Olivia shot a quizzical over to Noah

"Yeah mom, I felt bad for earlier so I used my pocket money to get her the set she really wanted" He quickly looks away from Olivia and the assumed incoming tongue lashing; his mother generally did not like 'spoiling' with gifts.

"You're such a good big brother Noah" she pulls her teenager in for a very public hug and he lovingly shakes her off

Surprised but pleased he shrugs off her comment "Mom, it wasn't a big deal ok?" he nudges her arm and walks off to stand next to his dad

"Kiwi…come show mommy those giraffes" she shouts, holding her arms out for the little one to run into

"I love them so much mommy. Look.. It's like me and you when I was a baby" Evie admired, pushing the noses of the giraffes together and making a "mwah" sound

"Funny enough sweet girl, I was just talking to daddy about when you were born" Olivia beamed, looking into those big dark eyes and admiring the long curly dark hair. "You've barely changed Evie-Kiwi."