A/N: I can't believe this is chapter 30! Time for some Stabler family bonding. Thanks so much to everyone still reading this story.

Chapter 30

"God! I can't believe Grandma Bernie is letting you stay here all summer. She's always kicking us out after just a long weekend!" Dickie exclaimed. They had been sitting at the water's edge for almost a half hour. Maureen hadn't arrived yet with Eli and her little family. Dickie didn't even look up when the girls came out together and he barely acknowledged anything that didn't involve the game he was playing on his phone. Here he was, an adult with a full-time job in security and he was acting like a bored teenager.

"That's because you're obnoxious Dickwad" interjected Lizzie.

"Gramma says that what you do for fam…" Serena started to answer as she normally would, but she remembered that they didn't know. She stood quiet as three pairs of beautiful blues stared at her.

"I knew it!" Dickie screamed. "I knew Dad was sleeping with Olivia. He was never home, and Mom kept…"

"No!" Serena screamed back. She figured her mother would come running any minute, but she had to set the record straight. "Richard, Elliot never slept with my mother. Amend that, Elliot never deliberately slept with her." She took a deep breath and looked for Olivia. She was up on the patio with Elliot and they seemed to be arguing over something with the grill. While she had the courage and the opportunity, she told the story of her conception to her half-siblings, minus the more colorful details.

When she was finished, the Stablers sat and stared quietly. "So you see Richard, they were the first victims of The Doctor, the first players in his game to get me. Momma didn't even know who my father was until I told her last week. She thought my father was some drunken one-night stand because that happened a lot back then and she didn't want to pursue it. She had no idea Elliot was also drugged because Kathy took him to a Queens hospital, so the Queens police didn't make the report public to Manhattan SVU. I think Captain Cragen knew, but he wasn't going to advertise it. You can hate me, resent me all you want. After all, it is me he was after but please don't blame Elliot and don't you dare blame my mother for separating your parents." She said that last part with emphasis. She was as protective of Olivia as she was of her.

Dickie burst out laughing. "Damn! You sure as shit got the Stabler fire! You hide it well. No wonder the daughter of Badass Benson and the often-unstable Elliot Stabler survived seven levels of hell. Pure stubbornness running through your veins little sister." He doubled over in laughter as the three girls looked on.

"Are you high?" asked Lizzie and that just made him crack up louder. It became contagious and within a few seconds, the three of them were laughing. Serena was confused but it didn't feel like they were against the fact that she shared their dad, so she relaxed a bit. When the laughter died down, Dickie spoke again.

"It's Dickie ya know. My friends call me Dick, but family calls me Dickie."

Serena was so grateful for that that she let out the breath she had been holding. "Sorry, but I can't call you that. That name, that word isn't something that should be assigned to someone...I mean it's your nickname but... That word should never... Plus, I'm a bit afraid of..." she said quietly fading. All three Stablers knew there was more to that statement.

"Me?" asked Dickie as Serena reluctantly nodded. "I'm sorry. What did I do?" All laughter was gone. His tone was serious as his voice dropped.

"It's not...it's not you or something you did. Elliot and Uncle Fin are the only…" she blew out a breath. She might as well put it all out there. "Fuck it. You are so much like Elliot and I've seen him when he comes out of the water and his shorts are clinging to him like, everywhere. It's still hard for me to comfortably hug him and I can only do it from the side. You're a man Richard. A big man and like Elliot, I imagine that doesn't stop with just your height or muscles either. You have a temper and men use their size...mmmm…" she couldn't seem to get her point across. She felt herself getting wound up and wanted to run.

Dickie slipped off the chair and knelt down in front of her. She tried not to shift but ended up pushing back a little. Dickie put his hands up at his sides as if in surrender and sat on his heels. "Sorry. Serena, please know that yes, I am a guy, a big guy and yes, my size can be to my advantage in many situations. I use it in my job every day, but I would never, ever use it against a woman, especially not the size of my dick." Normally this would be the point where either he or his sisters would make some sort of gross sound or penis joke, but nothing about this situation was funny. "I promise not to crowd you and be quieter around you and keep my Stabler temper in check but please, please don't fear me. I will never hurt you, but I will hurt anyone who tries to." He stayed there and held her gaze as she studied him.

"I know, really, that you won't hurt me. Like I said, you are so much like Elliot, it'll just take a little while to be comfortable, I think. Please don't change for me, except maybe your nickname" Serena said as she smiled.

"Yeah "Richard". Maybe it's time you graduated to an adult name not associated with porn stars" Kathleen stated about 3 seconds before a used tissue was thrown at her head.

-SVU-

Olivia had stayed close to the house since the kids arrived. She had dressed and greeted each of them upon arrival and as Elliot pulled his eldest son to the side to catch up, she and the girls unpacked everything and chatted a bit. She saw Kathleen and Lizzie holding Serena's hand as they walked out the back door a little while ago. Every maternal instinct in her wanted to go and protect her from...whatever. Liv knew her daughter was on edge more today with the Stabler "invasion" as Bernie called it. She also knew that once again, she spent the night awake. This morning, Liv made sure not to move when she awoke for the second time because she knew Serena was just about to be pulled under, finally, when the invasion began, three hours early. Fuckin' A. Couldn't get stuck in traffic for another ten minutes? Now, she held back and watched from afar. She knew they wouldn't do or say anything to intentionally hurt Serena and she wanted to give them time to reconnect. They were just talking after all.

Elliot distracted her of course. What the hell did she know about grilling? If she wanted a steak, she ordered from the take-out menu so why was he trying to explain why he had to cook certain things in a certain order? Laughter caught her attention and when she turned, she saw the three Stablers bent over in hysterics and Serena's head going back and forth as if watching a tennis match. She couldn't see her daughter's face from this angle, but she didn't seem to be upset. Just then, she heard the security guard ring up, Maureen was here. Elliot closed the grill on the burgers and hot dogs that he just put on and grabbed her hand.

Eli was the first out of the car and Elliot ran to pull him in for a hug. The kid got so tall! He was lean and still had his blonde curls. Elliot didn't let go of him as he greeted Maureen and Marcus. But once little Declan was out of his carseat, all bets were off, and Grandpa took over. Olivia greeted everyone as well and helped them all gather their things and come inside. By the time they decided to make their way back outside, Olivia was holding the squirming 8-month-old and Bernie was standing at the grill, flipping the burgers. When everyone greeted her and Olivia handed over her great-grandson, she looked to her left and was glad she had nothing to hold onto that might have slipped from her grasp. She let out an "Oh!" and covered her mouth with her palm, causing everyone to turn in the direction she was facing.

Elliot came up behind her and wrapped his arms around. "See?" he stated smugly as he smiled. Olivia was watching a volleyball game that just started. Kathleen and Lizzie were on one side, with Serena on the other side with Dickie of all people. He seemed to be encouraging her to hit the ball a certain way. It was this sight alone that allowed Olivia to relax her breath and think that she might just be able to enjoy this day.

"I know what I see" said Maureen as she worked her way down the stairs calling for her husband and her little brother to follow. "I see a game that is going to end in tears and bloodshed!"

"Oh yeah!" answered Eli enthusiastically as the three of them began to walk over to their siblings on the sand.

"They're not killing each other without me" said Elliot as he dragged Olivia along behind him, eager to play with his family. He stopped and turned addressing Bernie. "Ma, can you…" He didn't need to finish as she readjusted the baby and shooed him off, keeping an eye on the grill.

The three siblings greeted the newcomers happily. Maureen walked over to Serena smiling warmly but didn't attempt a hug. Serena smiled back with a nod as Eli came up behind his big sister. Marcus held back and she didn't acknowledge him. She didn't mean to be rude, but what she told Richard was true and there was only so much male she could take at once.

"Hey Serena" Eli said. "Aren't you sweating wearing a sweater and pants? It's so hot out here!"

"Eli!" admonished Maureen and the boy looked confused. Olivia and Elliot finally caught up.

"It's okay Maureen. Hey Eli! We were going to play volleyball, wanna play?" she asked without answering his question.

"Duh! What are the teams cuz I want the team that's gonna win?!"

"Okay" Dickie took over then. "Serena is on my team with Dad and Maur. Marcus, you go with Liv, Kat, and Lizzie." He lowered his voice so only Serena heard, and since Kathleen was standing next to him, she heard also. "Where should Eli be Sissy?" When Serena gave him a surprised, questioning look, he said, "Hey, I'm not saying this will be easy, that it won't be an adjustment for all of us and there's still a lot to discuss, but not today. Today is a day for family fun. Besides, if you can change my nickname, I can change yours." Kathleen smiled and wrapped her arms around her brother's neck. No one else knew what was going on so they all looked dumbfounded, except Liz, who had a vague idea. "Kat come on man!" he said as he shrugged her off. She kissed his cheek and skipped away, all eyes on her.

Serena whispered back. "Eli's not threatening. I'm still taller and he still has a little kid body so you might want him on our team since I'm fast but not strong in any way yet. You need the extra player."

He nodded and raised his voice. "Okay. Eli, you're with us dude!" Eli punched the air as he made his way over. Olivia caught Dickie's eye and he just winked, making her smile.

The game was fast and fierce. There was no mercy and Serena liked it like that. No one coddled her. The language of all the Stablers and even Marcus would have made hardened criminals blush. Eli kept pretending to cover his ears, but everyone knew he was having a great time. Bernie came to sit close by with little Declan in the sand under an umbrella. When it was a point game, Serena was up front with her back to the net while Eli served. The moment she turned around, she found herself up very close with Maureen's husband. He was certainly a sweetheart when she met him a few years ago at Thanksgiving, but so many of her perceptions have changed. Marcus was tall and heavier than Elliot or Fin. Bernie called his husky. His skin was chocolate and he was sweating profusely since he was wearing a muscle shirt. Serena froze instantly, causing the ball to hit her in the head, knocking off her glasses, again. Liv was at her side instantly and everyone began to gather.

"I'm sorry!" shouted Eli. "Why didn't she move?"

"It's okay baby. It's just Marcus. I'm right here" Olivia kept repeating trying to break Serena's horrified gaze from Elliot's son-in-law. Marcus quickly backed away, squatting in the sand next to his son and Bernie as if trying to make himself less threatening.

"Okay, guys, back up" Elliot said taking control. "Why don't we get some lunch? I am starving." Everyone took their cue and headed back towards the patio. Serena was frozen in her spot, gripping the net like a lifeline. The ropes were wrapped around her fingers making them red and swollen but he didn't dare touch her. Her eyes told a horror story that they had to wait for her to get through. He picked up her glasses and came into Serena's vision as Liv continued to try to get her attention. It didn't take too long.

"I'm sorry" she finally whispered. "I didn't expect him to be so close and he just filled my whole line of vision and he's so big and" she was ranting and if she didn't calm down, she was going to slide back down the rabbit hole.

"It's okay" cooed Olivia. "But I need you to take a deep breath. A deep breath and let it out." She began to model her breaths until Serena copied her.

"I'm hungry" Serena said suddenly. Olivia knew she was beyond embarrassed and ashamed of her reaction. She kissed her head and led her back towards the house where everyone was already digging in.

"Hey!" said Elliot. "Were you raised by wolves? Jesus Dickie, one at a time!" he admonished as he saw his son's plate piled with two burgers, two hot dogs, and enough potato and macaroni salad to feed a small village. When he turned around, he saw Serena's plate nearly as full as his son's, he shook his head. "I'm gonna have to make another market run at this pace!" He took his plate that Olivia offered and sat down to join his family in lunch.

When everyone was almost finished and small conversations took over, Elliot heard Dickie speak to Serena with his mouth still full. "Damn Sissy, you can really pile it in! That's what I like, a girl who is not afraid to eat."

"I have a couple years to make up for Richard. I need to build up muscle so that I can kick your ass at volleyball next time, boys against girls. Plus, I take after my mom. She's always hungry and never shies away from a meal." Olivia made a face and stuck out her tongue as Elliot burst out laughing, Dickie right with him.

"Did you just call her Sissy?" questioned Eli. "And since when is your name Richard?"

"I heard that too" interrupted Maureen as the other Stabler siblings all looked guilty. "Spill it."

Olivia looked to Elliot who seemed as confused as she was. What the hell were they talking about earlier? They both looked at Serena, who had her eyes downcast. Lizzie spoke up.

"Well Maur, here's the condensed version. Dad and Olivia were targets of this psycho doctor who heavily drugged them and force them to have…" she stopped when she remembered Eli was listening intently. "To sleep together. Neither had any memory of it and bing bang boom, Serena came along. Dad found out a few years later but kept it to himself for whatever reason that will be discussed at a later time. Olivia had no clue until last week. So, we have another Stabler sister but fortunately, we already like her." She winked at Serena who was silent.

"Serena is our sister?" asked Eli. "I don't understand."

"Dad had a baby with Liv a long time ago squirt. Turns out, she was already part of our family" explained Kathleen as she got up and sat down on the same chair as Serena, pushing her over in the process. They were squished together but Kathleen didn't seem phased by the lack of personal space. "She may not be blonde and her eyes may not be blue, but she has the Stabler stubbornness and dedication to her family. She is our sister kid." She ran her hand down Serena's head and rubbed a few circles on her back, causing the young teen to smile shyly before swerving away from Kathleen's hand. She was rebandaged and still very raw and sensitive, but she didn't mind her sister's touch because it was not in anger.

"Careful with my back please Kathleen. I'm sorry Elliot. I know you wanted to be the one to talk to them. It just kinda happened. I'm not even sure how." She furrowed her eyebrows like she was trying to solve a problem.

"Oh that's easy. Dic-Richard was being an ass, running his mouth as usual. She has a fierce protection of you Olivia. Despite everything, she went toe to toe with an angry Stabler man to make sure your name was clear, so to speak" explained Lizzie.

Elliot put his arm around Olivia's shoulders and kissed her temple. "Just like her Momma."

The rest of the day went smoothly with everyone having a great time. Serena even got a chance to hold little Declan. She seemed wistful but was so gentle with the little boy while Maureen looked on. Elliot and Olivia were down playing frisbee with the others. Bernie was dozing in the lounge chair. "Did you ever want a little brother or sister?" asked Maureen.

Serena didn't even have to think about that. "No" she stated emphatically. "This is going to sound super egotistical, but I really liked having my mother's full attention. She came home every night, even if it was just for a couple hours to shower, change and see me and we would play, color, cook, talk. We did everything together and she never kept anything from me or made me feel like a little kid, even though I was one. Uncle Fin and Uncle Munch treated me like no other, like I was the center of the universe. And Elliot, he treated me like a father, even before he or I knew he was. I was never lonely, but I wasn't indulged in terms of toys or things like that. Momma always made sure to instill charity, great compassion because let's face it, she exemplifies compassion like none other, and a work ethic. I never wanted to have to share that." She paused while she handed the baby to his mother.

"Then, while I was gone, I knew every moment of my mother's life was spent trying to find me. That wouldn't have happened if I had a sibling because she would have had to divide her time. But, after a while I thought she gave up and I got so angry at myself because she should have had another kid. She needed someone to dote on, to snuggle with and give all her time to. That child may have helped take away some of her worry and I was so selfish all those years for consuming her life. I mean, she just quit her job, the job she was born to do, that she was good at and that she loved. She quit so she could help me. Now, I'm back to thinking that I'm glad because I need her now more than ever and I know the worst is yet to come."

Maureen thought carefully over what she just said. "Well, as the oldest of five kids, I can certainly understand. It's not selfish, it's all you knew and you were happy. You both were, that was blatantly obvious. You were wrong though, Liv never gave up. She never would. And I've learned a few things from my dad over the years. You said "the worst is yet to come" but I don't believe that. I mean, it's not going to be a cakewalk. I don't know if you have nightmares or whatever, but I do know that you already survived "the worst." The rest can't hurt you. Besides Dad and Liv won't let it and now you have five other Stablers to help you through. You may not have ever wanted a little brother, but you got one along with three older sisters and an older brother who seems to be channeling someone else whenever you're around. Even a nephew to boot! You're stuck with us."

Serena didn't know what to say to that. She got this funny feeling in her stomach and her eyes started to sting. She was glad her glasses weren't see through. Crying was never an option. Maureen got up. "Come on, I'm going to put this little guy down and then we'll go show them the proper way to play frisbee."

-SVU-

They all sat around the fire pit roasting marshmallows while waiting for the fireworks show to start. Elliot sat back watching, taking it all in. Serena had never done this before, but she didn't seem to be enjoying herself. The day had gone beautifully. Everyone was laughing, having a great time and his youngest daughter started to loosen up. She was social as long as she wasn't crowded around, joining in conversations and asking questions. She completely avoided Marcus, but he seemed to understand. As the night grew darker, she got quieter.

"She hates fireworks El" whispered Liv. "Ever since that day. Plus, I can't imagine that she enjoys loud noises in the dark of night."

Elliot cursed himself for not realizing that ahead of time. He could tell that she was beginning to obsess and worry and would continue until daylight. God bless his mother because at that moment, she came over and shimmied her way into the small space next to her new granddaughter, forcing Serena to twist and curl into her.

Olivia watched the scene play out and she didn't resent Bernie, but she wanted to be the one Serena cuddled with when she was upset. Fortunately, which was laughable, but Serena was more than exhausted. The emotional stress of yesterday alone should have knocked her out but she didn't even close her eyes last night. Hopefully, if there is a merciful God, she would be too tired to fight sleep tonight. They heard the first screech and saw the bright burst of color and Olivia decided to sit and enjoy while she could. They heard a boom in the distance and Serena quickly separated from Bernie and stood staring at her mother who eagerly opened her arms. Serena contorted her body so almost every inch of her was touching her mother in the narrow chaise before she buried her face in Olivia's neck. She laid her arm across Olivia's chest to rest her hand on her shoulder and Liv wrapped her up, kissing the top of her head. She could feel Serena shudder for the first few loud booms, but then she just felt dead weight. Olivia couldn't see her face, but she silently prayed that her baby had finally given in to sleep. That hope was dashed about 20 minutes later when the finale streaked across the sky, Eli started cheering, and everyone clapped causing Serena to jump almost all the way off her lap and yelp.

When all heads turned to look at her, she shook her head. "Sorry. I'm okay."

"Hey" said Liv. "Why don't we go get comfortable and lie down sweetie?" She watched as Serena kept shaking her head as if she was trying to make music with a rattle.

"No Momma. I'm good" she stated as she kept opening her eyes wide to prevent them drooping.

"Dad! I mean Grandma B, would it be okay if we crashed here tonight? I really don't wanna sit in the car for two hours tonight" asked Kathleen. Dickie and Lizzie shot their heads up, with expressions of happy anticipation on their faces.

"Oh of course dear. You know I love my house full!" replied Bernie. Elliot deferred to his mom. After all, she did own the house, but he was so glad that his kids wanted to stay and spend more time.

"I wanna stay too!" complained Eli. "Maureen can we? Look, Declan looks like he's about to fall over anyway." He waited patiently as the eldest Stabler whispered to her husband before raising an eyebrow to her grandmother, who smiled.

"We'll have to get creative with the sleeping arrangements though since we took down the bunk beds."

Everyone looked confused at that remark. "What did you do with the bunks?" asked Maureen.

"I asked if I can remove them. I'm sorry, Gramma said you guys only come once in a while and I couldn't keep sleeping with Momma and Elliot. He snores so loud, I don't know how he doesn't keep her awake!"

All eyes turned to their father. "I saw her room and assumed she was sleeping with just Liv. So, how long has this been going on?" asked Kathleen, wiggling her eyebrows.

Liv had her eyes down and Elliot finally spoke. "Serena can sleep with us so Maureen and Marcus can have her bed. The girls can sleep on the pullout. I can either drag the bunk mattresses into the living room or the boys can use sleeping bags."

"Wait" interrupted Serena. "Guys, when it's not raining, I sit out here under the stars at night. It's great! If there's sleeping bags and mattresses, why don't we bring them out here? We won't need to turn on the air conditioners…" her voice faded when the Stablers stared slack jawed. She really needed to learn to stop rambling.

"A campout?" asked Eli. "On the beach? You're so lucky Serena! I'm in!"

"Me too" said Dickie followed by his sisters.

Olivia seemed surprised but Elliot looked smug. Serena actually asked the Stablers to stay and hang out with her which was a 180 from how she felt this morning. Her daughter may not sleep again tonight, but she wouldn't be out here alone, and that was a big step forward.

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