Olivia stood by the window in her Manhattan home. At any normal year she'd either be working or watching the fireworks from the Times square. Not this year though. With frustration she looked at some young people in the streets without masks going on with their lives like it was just any other year.
She pushed the curtains aside and glanced outside, she couldn't wait for this pandemic to be over so they could return to their normal lives.
Music was coming from the TV in the living room, but she couldn't recognize the song.
"Mommy," Noah voice rang from behind her.
"Noah," she replied.
Noah came over to Olivia, who instantly wrapped an arm around the boy.
"What are you doing, Mommy?" he asked.
Olivia smiled. "Just looking outside, sweet boy," she replied, choosing not to share her thoughts of sadness and longing.
"Is it interesting?" he asked.
Olivia chuckled and shook her head.
"I wish we could go outside and play in the snow," Noah declared. It had snowed this year in New York, which doesn't happen often.
"Me too," Olivia replied.
Noah stood in front of Olivia and put his hands against the cold window. At any other time Olivia would've reminded him of leaving fingerprint stains on the glass, but at the moment she didn't care.
Olivia almost flinched, when a pair of arms sneaked around her waist and lips touched her cheek. She relaxed into him, rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.
"What are you doing?" Elliot asked.
"Just looking outside," Olivia replied.
"Anything interesting?" he asked.
"No," Noah said and walked away. Olivia's hands fell from his son, she moved them to her abdomen and covered Elliot's fingers.
Elliot glanced behind him and saw Noah sit on the couch, he picked up his phone.
He pushed her hair out of his way and properly trailed kisses on her neck, he wouldn't do that while Noah was standing right beside her, but the boy over on the couch didn't bother him as much.
"Do you see something you like?" Elliot asked in a deep low voice.
Olivia sighed.
"I wish we could go to Times Square and take Noah to play in the snow and build a snowman. I wish we could go see your kids and grandson. I want to go on our morning walks through the Central Park and go get coffee from our place," Olivia mused. "But since we can't, looking outside the window is the closest I can get to it now," she sighed.
Elliot pulled her tight against him and kissed her cheek again.
"Next year, babe, I promise," he whispered. Yet there was no certainty if he could keep his promise. He was anxious as well to go visit Maureen and her 2-month-old son James, but for the safety of everybody they had decided to postpone going to DC.
"El, it's just frustrating," Olivia said with a sigh.
"I know," he whispered.
Olivia turned herself in his arms to face him, her hands moved to his shoulders. He gave her a smile, the same one that made her weak in her knees all those years ago. He was rocking his short beard and wicked moustache, which once was brown, but had turned grey with time.
She found him even more attractive with it.
Olivia leaned up and pressed her lips against his, she pulled away shortly for the sake of her son sitting on the other end of the room on his phone.
"I'm glad you're here with me," she admitted.
He chuckled. "You're stuck with me, Captain," he joked.
She smiled.
"Are you ready to come back?" she asked seriously.
Elliot shrugged his shoulders.
"Organized crime is a whole different world," he said.
"Scared you've gone rusty?" she teased.
He shook his head.
"Being married to a SVU Captain has it's benefits, one being that it feels like didn't really leave the force," he said.
Olivia smiled.
"It'll be fun working together again. This time we're married and we no longer have to sneak around," he added.
Olivia laughed at the memories from their early relationship, when they had to sneak around and keep it as a secret. Now she's wearing his wedding band around her finger and they already had a phone call with human resources about their personal relationship.
"I might still drag you into your office or into the break room when I come to visit," he said with a wink.
"I expect nothing less," she replied knowingly.
Elliot smiled.
"It's almost time," Noah said from the couch.
Elliot and Olivia looked over the screen, where the timer showed 2 minutes to midnight. Noah had dropped his phone and was looking at the dancers on the TV, Olivia and Elliot joined him.
The countdown clock came to focus, when it was 30 seconds left of 2020. They counted loudly along and watched the ball drop at midnight.
They wished each other happy new year, then Elliot and Olivia shared their traditional kiss. Noah ran to the window to look at the fireworks.
"Mommy, Elliot come see, it's pretty," Noah interrupted them.
Hand in hand they walked behind Noah, both had one of their hand on Noah's shoulder and the other around each other. Olivia placed her head on Elliot's shoulder, he kissed the top of her head, while they watched the fireworks from safe distance.
"So are you gonna change your name into Stabler this year?" Elliot asked jokingly.
Olivia smiled. "No," she replied.
Elliot chuckled.
"I think one Stabler is more than enough for NYPD," she added.
Elliot agreed. He didn't care that the woman in his arms changed her name into Benson-Stabler after marrying him, but professionally refused to take his name. He didn't care that Noah called him Elliot and he only carried Olivia's surname. He didn't care because they were together and healthy – that's the most important thing this year. And he loved them both.