A/N: I love my EO togetherness. Finally, a feel good chapter.

Chapter 22

Elliot awoke to the sun blinding his eyes. He vaguely remembered Liv telling him to go to bed. He obviously listened as he looked down to find himself wearing just his boxers. He was also alone. After throwing on a t-shirt and a pair of jeans that he found inside out at the bottom of the bed and paying a visit to the bathroom, Elliot made his way through the house. All the shutters were open, the candles were piled neatly on the countertop and the lanterns were stacked by the front door. Did Olivia ever get to sleep? He could hear his mother humming around her room and noticed it was barely 7am. The back door was wide open...of course.

The sight he was greeted with made him smile. Olivia was sleeping on one of the lounge chairs. One of her legs hung over the side, one arm was spread across her stomach while the other was above her head. Her mouth was slightly open and despite her protests to the contrary, she was lightly snoring. Standing at Liv's feet, at the end of the patio was Serena, although standing wasn't accurate. She was swaying on her feet, fighting the exhaustion that was threatening to take over and she was losing. She was battling her closing eyelids and her head was lollying around; it would have been comical if the reasoning behind it weren't so damn sad. He walked up to her, trying not to startle her.

"Baby, come on, sit before you fall" he said as he gently grabbed her arms to lead her away from the railing. She complied stiffly. He managed to sit her in a chair before she spoke, although he knew if she were lucid, she wouldn't say a word.

"Momma fell asleep."

"Yeah, I can see that" he answered as he dragged over another lounger.

"She can't be dirty too" she mumbled.

This brought Elliot up short. "What? Angel, I'm not sure what you're trying to tell me." He squatted down in front of her, but he knew she didn't see him. He had no idea how she was remaining upright.

"I just, mehnp fjktvn." That was the last coherent (almost) thing he heard her say. She continued talking, but the words were not making any sense, they were more like just sounds drawn together.

Elliot gently took hold of her upper arms and lifted her up. She was dead weight, but she was so light he was easily able to get her over to the lounge chair he set up next to Olivia. Her head fell back before she even sat so he gently lowered her down and arranged her comfortably. He took off her glasses and put them on the table next to them. Serena was wearing Liv's sweatshirt but there was a slight breeze this morning and Liv was just in her pajamas, so Elliot ran back inside, grabbed the throw blanket from the sofa, and knelt down next to her. He touched her cheek, careful not to wake her but he needn't have bothered. She was out cold. He always loved watching her sleep. After the firecracker incident, she didn't work overtime therefore she never used the cribs to rest or doze in the car on a stakeout. After Serena's kidnapping, she rarely went home, barely slept and when she did, it was from pure exhaustion and nightmare filled, much like her daughter. Now, she looked so peaceful. He leaned closer so he could feel her breath on his chin. Her eyes were moving under her lids slowly and he knew she was dreaming; hopefully it was pleasant. He couldn't resist leaning over and kissing her lips. When he pulled away, he saw a small smile grace her face. She sighed and turned her head, nestling down further. Elliot couldn't help but chuckle as he brushed her hair out of her face and covered her with the blanket.

As he stood up. Bernie came outside. Seeing the sleeping ladies, she lowered her voice. "What a beautiful morning!"

"Yeah it is" he replied. "Mornin' Ma. You look nice."

"It's Sunday dear. I am on my way to church. Gladys' grandson usually comes down and drives us, but with the storm he couldn't come. Do you think you can drop us off? I can figure out how to get us home later."

"Of course, Mom. Now?" They didn't go to church this early when he was younger, especially in the summer.

"Well son, Gladys and I are in charge of the pancake breakfast, so we have to be there early to get everything ready. We also have to stay after mass to supervise so we won't be done until about 11:00." Bernie looked at him expectedly.

"Okay, let me get some shoes and grab my keys. Just call me when you ladies need to be picked up. I'm not having you wait around on some 'chance' for a ride." The look Bernie gave him told him she knew that is exactly what he would say. He scribbled Liv a note and left it under Serena's glasses in the off chance that she woke up while he was gone.

-SVU-

It took an hour round trip for Elliot to take the older ladies to church. He even stopped in and said a quick prayer of thanks for Serena's return. When he stepped out back, nothing had changed. Olivia was lying on her side which stopped her snoring and Serena hadn't moved a muscle. He knew that no matter how much she fought sleep, nature would win this battle and she would be out for hours. His mother was out for the next few hours, the kid was comatose, and he had the woman he loved not six feet in front of him. He was not about to waste this opportunity. He went inside and made a couple cups of coffee. Bringing the steaming liquid outside, he placed a cup right under Olivia's nose. Elliot hated to wake her, but he was pretty damn sure she would forgive him for it. It took a few moments, but the aroma made Olivia stir. Not before long she was moaning and taking deep whiffs.

"Good morning!" Elliot greeted.

"Mmmmm" was the only reply he got. She was never a morning person. She sat up and took the cup from his hands as he sat down next to her with his own. After taking a few sips, Liv looked up. "Serena?"

"Dreamland" Elliot replied as he leaned back so she could see their daughter stretched out on the other side. "She finally gave into the exhaustion around 7 this morning. Hell, she was asleep on her feet when I came out because she was out cold as I laid her down." He watched Liv smile and drink her coffee so he continued.

"So I was thinking. Mom's at church and she won't be back for a few hours, which I know for a fact since I am the one who has to pick her up. The angel is, well, you can see so I was hoping to continue what we started down by the jetty yesterday." At that she caught his eye.

Olivia was having the most wonderful dream of that exact scenario. She cocked an eyebrow and lifted the side of her mouth in a smirk. "Oh really? You thought that you would what? Bring me some morning coffee and I would give you morning sex?" She tried so hard not to giggle at the look on Elliot's face. He started to stammer some sort of apology, so she spared him. "Well...you thought right" she whispered as she leaned forward and claimed his lips.

Elliot was taken aback for just a moment, but quickly recovered to take the mug out of Liv's hands, place it on the table and scoop her up into his arms, never once breaking the kiss. He carried Olivia right into the bedroom and even though the past couple nights everyone slept with the doors open for Serena's sake, he made sure to close the door behind them, just in case she woke up, it might give them a half a second to get themselves together before she walked in. However, he was pretty confident that wouldn't happen anytime soon. They made quick work of divesting themselves of their clothing and when he came up for air, he finally got to look at Olivia. After staring at her from across their desks over 15 years and catching quick glimpses in the gym and locker room, he finally got to see his partner. She was a goddess in his eyes. All that he imagined, no. He had a terrible imagination because she was so much more.

"Quit staring Stabler and keep your promise" Liv said in a voice he didn't recognize. It was sultry, seductive. Deep, a bit raspy and sexy as fuck.

"Yes ma'am" she replied.

-SVU-

Elliot was on his way to pick Bernie up from church and since Serena was thankfully still asleep, Olivia decided to make them breakfast. Or was it lunch? Brunch maybe? It didn't matter. She had worked up one hell of an appetite and she suspected Elliot did also. Plus, a nice egg bake would be easy enough to heat up when Serena was ready. As she was waiting for the timer, she took a shower and thought back on the last couple of hours. She had never experienced sex like that before. She supposed it was because it wasn't sex, it was making love. Elliot was so gentle, taking his time exploring every inch of her at first. Much like he did on the beach, he made the experience all about satisfying her. He kissed her softly everywhere. She tingled all over and exploded before he was even inside her. She still can't believe she came from just his touch. The second time, very shortly after, he seemed insatiable, the way she'd always imagined. Of course, she dreamt of sleeping with Elliot for years, but he was married and then when he wasn't, she was...well, with Serena missing she was devoid of any emotion other than sadness and anger. That time around, he was demanding. Hard and rough. He was thrusting and grunting and swearing enough to make a sailor blush, but he wasn't a sailor. He was a marine. Strong all over. Liv could barely keep up and when they came together, she almost passed out. Yes, orgasms really were the "little death".

They rested for a bit after that. Elliot knew that she had only fallen asleep once the sun came up, but she wasn't tired anymore. She was enjoying just being wrapped up in his arms. Not out of fear or sadness. Not out of despair, but out of love. They didn't speak much, just laid there. They were both marked. Elliot had scratch marks up and down his back, his arms, and even across his ass. Olivia had nips everywhere imaginable and an ache between her legs that rivaled anything a perp had ever done with a punch. But it was all so good that just before Bernie called, she rolled over on top of Elliot and took charge. That time, she was the unrelenting one. She didn't give him any leeway when she impaled herself onto him. She pumped and rolled while he just held on. He either dug his fingers into her hips, leaving bruises of course, or he grabbed her ass. He loved watching her ample breasts bounce as she pumped. After a few rounds and grinds, Liv let out a scream that would rival any damsel in distress, except this scream was of pleasure. She came so hard that it triggered Elliot to immediately join her, shaking and writhing in his own bliss. Liv collapsed on top of his chest as they both tried to catch their breath. Elliot had the wherewithal to throw the sheet over them. There was no way Serena didn't hear that.

-SVU-

Liv was a screamer. Dear God in heaven, she was a screamer! Kathy wasn't very vocal when it came to lovemaking. She was always afraid of waking the kids, but damn! Liv just let it out. Elliot couldn't stop thinking about this morning as he was driving home with his mom and her friend chatting in the car. He must have had a goofy grin on his face because he could vaguely hear Gladys making a comment about it. As soon as they were sated and realized Serena wasn't going to charge in, they began to laugh. A good, hard belly laugh that neither had enjoyed in years. Elliot's heart was full just watching Liv. Her smile was wide, her eyes were half closed, her nose was wrinkled. and she had a contagious laugh. She was beautiful. Just beautiful. The only thing that would make his life perfect would be Serena's happiness. They were working on that. As soon as Bernie called, he jumped into a quick shower and Liv went to check on Serena. He caught sight of her on his way out. She was wearing his discarded t-shirt and holding her reheated coffee mug, just staring at her daughter. Serena was now sprawled out much like Liv was when he woke up. They were so much alike, which is why it was so much harder on Liv when Serena was angry. He came up behind her, his favorite position, and kissed her neck.

"You'd better stop right there, Lieutenant. Your mom is waiting for you" she jested. She was right though, he couldn't start anything again or Bernie would start walking home from church.

-SVU-

Elliot made sure to take Gladys right to her door before pulling into the driveway. Bernie went straight to her room to change as did he. Today's weather called for shorts and a threadbare t-shirt. He knew going shirtless would drive Olivia crazy, in a good way, but he didn't know what Serena's reaction would be. When he was ready, he came out to find Liv in the kitchen wearing a bathing suit under a racerback tank top and a pair of shorts that showcased her legs. He had to remind himself that they were no longer alone before his arousal was obvious to everyone. As Liv was taking the dish out of the oven, he heard his mother speak and knew Serena was awake. Well, a little over 4 hours of sleep was a start. He would make it his mission to make sure she went back to sleep tonight. There was a difference between fall-down exhausted sleep and a nice, restful, rejuvenating sleep. The latter was essential for her recovery. Liv put the casserole dish on a trivet on the counter and they both walked outside.

"Good morning!" they said in unison. Liv noticed Serena holding her head in her hands. "Are you okay?" When she didn't get an answer, she reached out and touched her shoulder. Serena shrugged out of her grasp, grabbed her glasses and walked to the edge of the patio.

"Well sweetie" Bernie began as she saw the look of hurt on Olivia's face. She stood next to Serena looking out at the ocean. "Everyone at church said a healing prayer and wishes you well. Maybe next week, you'd to come with me?" At that, Serena looked up.

"To church? Why? What has God done for me?" Her voice was especially raspy. She still sounded exhausted, but also...defeated.

"Sweetie, you, we, are all here by His grace. You came back to Olivia. I found out you are my granddaughter. Honey, God is good. He is always watching over us." Bernie knew Olivia wasn't a churchgoer, but she did have a belief in God in her own way. She had no idea that Serena would act so indifferent towards God, especially since she knew how devoted Elliot was to his faith.

"Bullshit!" she replied as she looked at Bernie with the oddest expression as she heard Elliot yell, "Hey!" "I'm sorry Gramma but it's true." Serena spoke slowly, her stutter at bay once again. "God doesn't give a damn about me, us. If He is as good as you claim, He wouldn't allow bad things to happen, and don't preach about "free will" and that "He only gives us what we can handle" because that's crap too. He put monsters on this earth. He put me in the path of those monsters sending me to the deepest depths of hell, right here in this world and honestly, I think I might still be there." No one quite understood what she meant by that, but she paused to rub her temples as if she were battling a migraine. "And Momma, who does more good for others than any other person could ever hope to do, she was tortured by God too. Having her daughter ripped away, knowing what was happening but not knowing at the same time. That is hell so please don't ask me to thank or praise your God."

Bernie was rendered speechless. She looked hurt and Elliot was also shocked at her words, so Olivia spoke up. "Serena, we do not ridicule people's faith. We don't...poo poo their beliefs, especially when we are guests in their home. You need to apologize right now." She understood her daughter's reasoning and, in many ways, agreed with it, but it was the callous way she said it that bothered Liv the most.

"I'm not going to apologize for how I feel. You always said….." She paused, let out a deep sigh, and rubbed the back of her neck in a way that was so Elliot that Liv almost laughed out loud. "But I do apologize if my words upset you Gramma. That was not my intention. I didn't mean to make you feel bad. I do appreciate all you've done." She put her head down and began rubbing her temples. Elliot opened his mouth to speak, but Bernie beat him to the punch.

"You are of course free to feel however you feel dear, so you're right, you don't have to apologize for that. As for putting down my belief in God, well honey, you indeed have been through hell, so I forgive you, and so does He. And don't worry, I will continue to pray for you. Lastly, you are not a guest in this house. You are family." Bernie reached out to put her hand on Serena's shoulder, causing the girl to flinch a bit and grab the sides of her head. She sat down once again.

Liv crouched down in front of her, putting her hands on her daughter's knees. She didn't care whether or not the child was still angry, she didn't look well. "Are you okay?" When Serena tried to shrug her off once again, Liv dug her fingers in. "No. Be pissed off all you want, but this silent treatment will not continue. You will answer me when I speak to you. You look like you're in pain. Are you?" She didn't raise her voice, only changed the tenor.

Serena tossed her head up so fast it caused a wave of dizziness and she had to squeeze her eyes shut. This of course did not go unnoticed by her parents. Even her hands started to shake. "What does it matter? If I say I'm fine and don't need anything, you'll try to shove some pills down my throat "for my own good." If I say, yes, I am in pain, another doctor will force their hands on me while you do nothing. Just let me be, I can take care of myself."

Olivia was rendered speechless and for once, Bernie didn't try to make the conversation lighter, but Elliot couldn't stand the look on Liv's face. He also had an inkling as to what was wrong with Serena. He crouched next to Liv and grabbed Serena's chin, forcing her head up to look at him. Neither Benson made a move to stop him or said a word. They both knew that no matter what, he would never hurt them. Elliot pulled off her glasses and noticed Serena's eyes were bloodshot, dilated, and moving frantically.

"How often did he drug you?" he asked.

Trying to decide between fighting him or keeping quiet was too much for her pounding head to deal with in that moment. Usually when she felt like this, she was alone, and it was silent and dark. This 'family bonding' in the bright sunshine was overwhelming right then. She decided to answer without details.

"The last pills were the morning we went to Central Park. Oh, and then you let the other doctor give me a needle yesterday." She managed to free her chin and put her glasses back on her eyes. She's never loved the quick transitions more than she did sitting there.

Elliot stood up and grabbed Liv up by her elbow. She was frowning at him. "Ma, can you please get some water and a cold, wet rag?" When Bernie went inside, he addressed Olivia. "She's detoxing. How long she's been on drugs or what kind of drugs I don't know but it's been over three days now and with all the adrenaline and shit, her body is finally taking notice. It's probably why she was able to fight the sedative so easily yesterday. Extreme tolerance." Serena took their conversation as an opportunity to walk away. The kid really did move fast.

"But Dr. Paxton didn't say she found drugs in her system" countered Olivia.

"Yeah well, most drugs are out after about a day and since Serena peed all over the place before the gynecological exam began, she never took a urine test. That girl was definitely drugged for a long time and I guarantee she's feeling like shit right now, more so than before." Elliot looked like he was trying not to get physical with his mother's furniture, which was good because it was that moment Bernie came back outside.

Olivia took the water and rag. "Well whether she wants me to or not, I am going to help her. I swore she would not suffer anymore, and I intend to keep that promise." She left the Stablers on the patio and walked towards where Serena was sitting in her spot by the water's edge. Holding out the large red cup of water, Liv sat down next to her daughter. "You're going to need this. You don't drink anywhere near enough and it'll help your head." As Serena silently took the cup and lifted it to her lips, Olivia placed the cold, wet rag on the back of the child's neck, causing her to recoil but Liv persisted. "You are no longer alone. Do you hear me? I will not let you go again. Please. Please just talk to me baby."

Serena started to take deep breaths; whether it was to keep from crying or to hold her temper, she wasn't sure. She didn't have to look at Liv to know that she had tears in her eyes. It's a shame because she sounded like she was having such fun with Elliot just a little while ago. When Liv first screamed, Serena shot up, but then she realized what was going on and although she was still angry at them, she was so happy for them. This feeling wasn't worth it.

"Hhhhheeee, uh!" Serena cleared her throat and began again, slowly, taking care to think before speaking. There is no reason to be nervous, it's just Momma. It's not like she doesn't already know. "He was angry one minute, and very caring the next. He would say one thing and do another. Just when I thought I knew...I can't do that again." She finally turned her head towards her mother, causing the rag to fall away from her neck. It really did feel good and she instantly missed it, but she had to continue now, or it would fester. "You were always completely honest and open with me and I know I was gone for a long time, but that shouldn't be a reason to stop being that way. I've already been punished." She got quiet and fumbled for the rag once again. She readjusted and went back to looking at the ocean. The sun was so bright, she had no breakfast, nowhere near enough sleep, and she needed to use the bathroom, really for the first time in days but she couldn't bring herself to move.

Liv was dumbfounded for a moment. "I am not punishing you. Please don't think that. All I want is what's best for you. I didn't lie, I just...I can't take it back. I won't take it back, I made the right decision for my daughter's well-being and I am not sorry about that. But I am sorry if I made it seem like I was punishing you. I never meant to have you feel violated or hurt. I...I…" She couldn't speak anymore so she just expelled a breath and took over holding the rag to her daughter's neck unintentionally adding a little extra pressure.

"Please don't do it again" Serena said after a few moments. "I have the ultimate say in what happens to my body, nobody else. I need you to do what you say, say what you mean and stick to it. No more talking around things. We've both suffered and it's time for that to stop. It's not us, or at least it didn't used to be. I have changed but just...talk to me instead of issuing orders. I think I deserve that." She bent her neck back so her head rested on Olivia's hand.

Liv still didn't say anything. Serena knew she felt terrible about the incident at the clinic and they've spent too much time apart for anger to separate them again, so she decided to move them passed this bump. "You know how you're always trying to get me to "get some rest?" Next time maybe you can remember to close the windows and turn on the air conditioning in your room. The hum of the motor might drown you out a bit and I can stay asleep." She smirked that same shit eating grin that's always plastered on Elliot's face as she heard Liv hold the last breath she took in.

Squaring her shoulders and clearing her throat, Liv managed to get some words out. "I still have three questions." She heard Serena mumble "shit" under her breath but decided not to challenge. The language was acceptable in light of everything. "What EXACTLY did you hear this morning?"

Oh, that's an easy one! She turned towards her mother, still smirking. "You and Elliot finally had sex. At least this time you'll both remember it." Seeing Olivia's face turn five shades redder and her eyes go downcast, Serena continued. "Don't be embarrassed, Momma. I'm happy for you. You sounded like you were really enjoying yourself and that's wonderful! Sex can be quite pleasurable if it's with someone you love. I think…"

Olivia didn't want to read too much into those last words, but she smiled. "Yes, it is. Okay, number 2 is a combination question, a part A and part B." When Serena nodded, Liv continued. "How often did he give you pills?"

The repeat of Elliot's question wasn't exactly unexpected, but Serena knew she couldn't dance around her answer this time. It was against the rules of three questions. It was something that Olivia needed to know and the "open and honest" went both ways. "It started when he first came down the first day. He gave me pills for the pain. He said it would help the headache that he knew I had as well as help with the pain to come. I didn't know what he meant by that, but I found out soon enough. After, he gave me different pills, but he didn't say what they were for. Sometimes they were different colors and shapes. Sometimes they really did take away the pain, sometimes not. Almost always they made me feel fuzzy, like I couldn't control moving. I couldn't think straight and there would be like...rainbow fog in my eyes sometimes. I know that's weird but it's what it was.

"When he took me to the room, he would give me large white pills to take before going up the ladder. They would often get stuck in the back of my throat, but he said it was because I was fighting them and should know better. And still I'd get different pills once we got back and I was awake again. I never remembered coming back down the ladder." She paused and shook her head. That was more than she intended to share but she wasn't finished, and Olivia Benson's daughter never did anything half-assed. "When he started taking me outside, I'd take two little white ones. They didn't do much though so I'm not sure why, he never said. What's part B?"

Liv would process all of this later, cry, perhaps scream but right now she wasn't going to miss a beat. "How do you feel right now? Withdrawal can be a real bitch."

Serena took another sip of water before answering. "I am so fricken tired, Momma. It hurts to move, it hurts to think, it hurts to breathe and when I went to pee last night, that hurt too. But it'll pass. There were plenty of times I've had this feeling and I'm used to it." Her matter of fact answer caught Liv off guard, but she recovered quickly. She would deal later.

Liv was just about to ask question number three when she saw Bernie getting closer. She let out an exasperated "Motherfucking timing!" under her breath, which Serena heard loud and clear. She even giggled. Thank you, Gramma!

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