A/N: Well, this is delayed but … Happy Christmas peeps. I'm sure some of you have been unable to travel to see friends and relatives this holiday season as a result of Covid so I hope you're all enjoying your celebrations in whatever form they may take. Here's the final chapter of my first ever Rolivia fanfic - I hope you liked it!

After chatting merrily to her girlfriend for the entire duration of the flight from New York to Atlanta, Olivia fell silent as soon as they climbed into the back of a cab and began the final leg of the journey, towards Amanda's family home. The blonde, of course, noticed after the third question she posed went unanswered and it became clear Olivia wasn't listening.

"Hey," Amanda said softly, reaching out and placing her palm on Olivia's thigh, "it's going to be fine."

"You don't know that," Olivia replied, although she covered Amanda's hand with her own and squeezed lightly.

"I do know that. My mama might be a Southern traditionalist in many ways but she's always been good as gold about my sexuality. Never batted an eye, even the first time I told her. My pa was a different matter but Mama's been supportive from day one."

"I'm glad to hear that but that wasn't actually what I was thinking," Olivia said.

It took a gentle push from Amanda to get Olivia to expand further, the brunette clearly lost in her own thoughts.

"I've never been good at the parent meeting stuff," she admitted at last. "I don't know why because I think I'm good with people generally. I mean, it's part of our job, right?"

"Right, and I've seen you in action, Liv. You're a natural with survivors but you also have a way of connecting with suspects in a way which makes them either co-operate or let their guard down. So yes, you're good with people."

"All people expect parents of people I'm dating, apparently," Liv sighed.

"What happens when you meet parents?"

Amanda was curious now. She hadn't been lying when she had praised the way in which Olivia interacted with people at work. It had been one of the attributes she was most impressed by when she first met the brunette. In fact, it surprised Amanda that Olivia was feeling anything beyond the expected nerves which come when meeting the parents of your partner.

"I just … I don't know, I guess I try too hard. I want to make a good impression but somehow I misjudge it and end up coming across obnoxious or smug, I think. Smug is definitely a word which has been used to describe me."

"What?" Amanda exclaimed, noting as she did so that they were now less than five minutes from her childhood home. "You're not smug, Liv. You're one of the most modest people I know."

"Yeah, well, get ready to see a whole different side of me. I'll try to stop but I can't help it. I think I'm overcompensating for the niggling feeling in the back of my mind that the parents of my girlfriends think I've somehow tempted their daughter to lesbianism and taught her my lurid ways. I worked that out when I realised I was worse with parents of girlfriends and better with parents of boyfriends."

By this point, their conversation had piqued the interest of their taxi driver who was listening intently. It appeared, the man mused, that one of the women in the back of his vehicle was a bisexual. He'd heard of people like this but had never met one. In fact, he didn't think they really existed, if he was honest. Neither woman noticed the man's eavesdropping.

"Well, my mama isn't going to think that about you. I'm pretty sure some of my girlfriends' parents thought I was the one who led their daughters into the deep dark woods but that never bothered me. Honestly, Liv, you have nothing to worry about. Just be yourself. Mama will love you. Kim too."

"You sure?"

"Positive," Amanda nodded, leaning across the backseat of the cab and placing a chaste kiss to Olivia's cheek. "Know why?"

"Why?"

"Hmmm … I'll tell you soon. We're here," she added, pointing out the window of the cab which had slowed to a halt and gestured to the modest single storey building they were now parked outside.

Amanda paid the cab driver, giving him a generous tip and adding a "Merry Christmas" which meant the man drove away thinking that maybe those bisexuals and lesbians were nice people after all. With suitcases in hand, Amanda led the way through the rusted gate which creaked as she opened it and up the garden path to the front porch.

Before she could reach it, however, the door was thrown open and the familiar shrill call of her mother greeted her. By the time she got to the top step of the porch, her mother was standing there, arms open, waiting for her eldest daughter to give her a long overdue hug.

"Mandy, darling, I'm so glad you're here. We've got so much to cook. You're hungry, right? You look thin. Aren't you eating right up in New York? I thought there were supposed to be all sorts of fancy restaurants up there. But clearly you've been starving. Don't worry, we'll soon put that right. I've got two different birds for Christmas Day. Special treat. Kim's just out getting some more potatoes as I didn't buy enough. Well, what are you waiting for? Come in, come in."

All of this was said with barely a breath and Olivia watched, dumbfounded from the bottom of the steps.

"Mama, chill," Amanda laughed, dropping her suitcase just inside the door and turning to Olivia. "There's someone I want you to meet, remember?"

Amanda's mother clapped a hand to her mouth. "Of course, of course. Where are my manners. It's Olivia, right?"

"Yes," Olivia nodded, reaching out her hand and stepping onto the porch. "Olivia Benson. It's wonderful to meet you, Mrs Rollins. Your daughter has told me so much about you."

"Nonsense," the older Rollins said, batting Olivia's hand out of the way and pulling the taller woman in for a firm hug. "It's lovely to meet you too. Although, I must admit, Amanda's not told me much. It's hard to get this one on the phone these days, even if you are her mother," the woman added, shooting a mock scowl at her daughter. "I suppose your work keeps you rather busy up in the big smoke."

"It's a full on job, yes, Mrs Rollins," Olivia nodded, following the two blondes into the house.

"Call me Beth Anne, no need for formalities here. Mandy, doll, can you stir the sauce on the stove? I'll show Olivia to your room."

"How about you stir the sauce and I'll show Liv to my room," Amanda retorted.

Beth Anne raised an eyebrow. "Barely here two minutes and already reverting to your teenage self. I think that's a record, is it not, Mandy?"

Amanda gave her mother an elaborate eyeroll and stomped off down the corridor. Olivia stayed where she was for a moment before Beth Anne chuckled and nodded at her to follow the blonde who was now turning into a room off the main hallway. Grateful for the excuse to not be alone with the mother of her girlfriend, Olivia hurried after Amanda and found her already unpacking her suitcase which was mostly full of presents for her family.

"So, that's my mama," Amanda said over her shoulder as she saw Olivia entering the room.

"She seems very nice. Very welcome."

"She's great," Amanda admitted. "But, well, mothers have the ability to get under your skin, don't they?"

"They sure do," Olivia nodded, sinking down on the bed, leaving her bag on the floor.

Amanda bit her lip, realising what she had said. While she liked to complain about how much her mother wound her up, she had forgotten that Olivia's mother had died when the brunette was barely in her thirties. Irritating as her mother was, Amanda couldn't imagine how she could feel knowing she'd never talk to her mother again, never be annoyed by her, never have another argument.

"Liv, I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it."

But Olivia shook her head and forced a smile. "It's fine, don't worry. I totally get it. My mom drove me crazy too, so I can relate."

"Yeah but -"

Olivia pulled Amanda to her and placed a sound kiss to her lips. "No buts, ok? It's Christmas. Let's not bring my family into the picture. This is about your family, Mandy."

The blonde wrinkled her nose. "Don't call me that."

"Why not, Mandy?"

Amanda scowled. "Dammit! I knew this was a mistake."

Olivia laughed. "Ok, ok, I won't call you it again. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to overstep. Family name?"

"Something like that," Amanda nodded.

"Care to expand?"

"My pa called me it. It reminds me of him. I let Mama call me it because I don't think she realises that I associate it with him. Kim calls me Amanda now; she knew it bugged me."

"I'm sorry," Olivia said soberly. "That was insensitive of me. I won't do it again."

Amanda accepted a kiss in addition to the apology which was short lived thanks to her sister coming back and slamming the door behind her, bellowing out that she'd bought all of the potatoes in Georgia. Which, it seemed to Olivia when she entered the kitchen to see the mound of the vegetable on the table, might not be far from the truth.

The rest of the day was given over to food prep, the four of them working on a range of different dishes for the festivities they would be enjoying over the coming days. Olivia found herself more relaxed that she usually was around the family of the person she was involved in and engaged in an animated discussion with Beth Anne about literature. She only dropped a couple of Russian authors' names. Perhaps she shouldn't have mentioned that she read Proust in his native French. But Beth Anne didn't seem to mind. The conversation shifted however, and she found herself being grilled, gently, by Kim about her personal life.

Olivia couldn't help but keep remembering what Amanda had suffered as a result of her sister's drug problem. But there was no sign that the woman was still using, and her warm, bubbly personality won Olivia over quickly. She understood why Amanda had wanted to protect her younger sister. Kim was delightful but a little naive and perhaps lacked some of the worldly know-how Amanda possessed. It was understandable that Amanda had taken on the role of protecting Kim in their father's absence. Olivia just wished that hadn't led to such a heinous act being committed against Amanda. But what her boss did wasn't Kim's fault. And Olivia couldn't hold it against her.

With all the food prep completed, the four of them retired to the lounge in the late afternoon where Amanda suggested they play a board game. There's nothing like Monopoly to bring out people's true colours. Within an hour, both Olivia and Beth Anne were sitting back watching the two sisters take it in turns to all but bankrupt one another as hotels were acquired and more and more money came into play. When a succession of unlucky rolls led Amanda to land on a string of Kim's cheaper properties, followed by Boardwalk with a hotel, the game was over.

Amanda grumbled as she had to pack away the board, Kim declaring that her punishment for failing to pay her final debts. Olivia helped her out with tidying up while Kim and Beth Anne started on dinner.

"So, that's my family," Amanda said as she pushed the lid closed. "Sorry it's a bit nuts."

"All families are a bit nuts but yours seem pretty sane to me," Olivia replied.

"Sane? Come on, did you just see what happened?"

"Yeah, but Monopoly makes everyone mad. That's to be expected. It would be weirder if you didn't turn into sadists while playing that game. You and Kim are ruthless. I admire that in a Monopoly player."

"But not in a girlfriend generally, right?"

"Well, you are ruthless in areas where it's a useful trait. I admire the fact that you don't give up at work until we crack a case. I admire your tenacity when it comes to getting justice for victims. I admire the fact that you fight for what's right, and what you believe in. I admire your commitment to everything you put your mind to, in fact."

Amanda smiled and slid across the couch so she was right next to Olivia. "Yeah? Go on."

"Fishing for more compliments?"

"Everyone likes hearing nice things about themselves, don't they?"

"I suppose. Ok, seeing as it's Christmas. I admire your decision to move to New York. Not just because that worked out pretty damn well for me but because I can imagine that it was difficult to leave your family. They clearly love you and I suspect they weren't too pleased when you first told them."

"Um, no, they weren't, truth be told. Plus, I couldn't tell them about what happened so I think the announcement came out of the blue as far as they were concerned. But since I've moved, they've been super supportive. Especially after I told them about you. They could tell you make me happy."

"Oh yeah? Go on, it's my turn for compliments."

Amanda rolled her eyes but then climbed onto Olivia's lap and settled herself there, knees on either side of the older woman's thighs.

"Amanda, your family are just down the corridor," Olivia hissed, cheeks colouring at even the idea of being caught.

But the blonde just shrugged. "We'll hear them coming. Haven't you worked out that us Rollins are loud? And, believe me, they've caught me in more compromising positions on this couch."

"Well, that's not something I want to think about. Compliments please," Olivia requested, hands splayed across the small of Amanda's back, applying a gentle pressure to encourage the blonde closer.

"Ok, well, you're a hit with my family. And before you say I've not had a chance to ask them what they think, they've both texted me saying you're amazing. Which you are, by the way, so there's that compliment too. Oh and you're fucking awesome at your job. You make me want to be a better cop. Actually, you make me a better cop. Working with you has been incredible and I know we won't be out in the field as much together any more and that makes me sad but the trade off has been worth it."

"What trade off is that?"

"I may not get Detective Olivia Benson but I get this Olivia Benson," Amanda replied, spreading her arms to either side to gesture the woman whom she sat astride. "I get to see you without that armour. I get to see the woman behind the badge, the woman with the biggest heart of anyone I've ever met. I get to go home with you, curl up on the couch with you and just be. That's all I want to do, Liv. I just want to exist with you. Whatever that means, wherever life takes us, I don't care. As long as we're together. And I know this is some big stuff and we're still at the start of this relationship but … ah, fuck it, I was going to wait until Christmas Day to say this but, I love you, Olivia. I think I was falling in love with you even before I knew you were into women. I'm drawn to you in every single way and you make my life better. You make me so happy and when I'm with you, I feel like anything is possible. I feel like everything is possible."

Amanda fell silent, chewing her bottom lip as she realised the enormity of what she had said. She held Olivia's gaze for a moment before flicking her eyes to the side, the silence too intense for her to deal with. Olivia's brain was galloping to try and process everything she'd just heard.

"Well, that was one hell of a compliment."

A dry laugh broke the silence and Amanda turned back to Olivia, smirking. "Yeah, I guess it was."

"You were going to wait until Christmas Day to say that?"

"Stupid, right?"

"No, not stupid. It's sweet, romantic."

"Yeah, well, I've never been a patient person so …"

"Me neither but if I'm honest, I was waiting for you to say it first."

Amanda blinked. "Say what?"

"I love you too, Amanda."

A grin spread slowly over Amanda's face, mirrored by the smile which was plastered over Olivia's. Their eyes were boring into one another, trying to drink in all of the intensity and passion radiating from the other. And then their lips connected, Olivia surging forward to wrap her arms around Amanda as their mouths duelled, whether for control or for the opportunity to tell the other how they feel, was anyone's guess.

"I love you so much, Liv," Amanda whispered, resting her forehead against Olivia's.

"I've never felt like this before," Olivia admitted. "And that's scary but it's also amazing. Just, bear with me, ok? Cos I'm going to make mistakes. I've never been that great at relationships."

"Be patient with me too. I'm not exactly an expert. But I've got a good feeling about this, about us."

"I've got a very good feeling about us," Olivia grinned.

"Yeah, well, I've got a feeling that you two are so loved up you're actually gonna make me throw up at some point during this trip."

Amanda let out a little squeak and wriggled herself backwards and onto the floor as she looked towards her sister who was standing in the doorway, arms folded.

"Kim, shit, you snuck up on us."

"Actually, I called from the kitchen but you two are wrapped up in some love bubble which doesn't allow the outside world to penetrate so, yeah, this is your fault. Anyway, dinner's ready."

"Right, great, ok," Olivia said, standing up and hoping her cheeks would be less red by the time they got to the kitchen. The knowing glint in Kim's eye when she passed her didn't help.

Amanda got to her feet and made to follow her girlfriend but Kim stopped her in the doorway.

"What?" Amanda huffed.

"Nothing. I mean, not nothing. Just … you look happy, sis. Like, really happy. I don't think I've ever seen you like this before."

Amanda softened at once. "Yeah, well, I don't think I've been in love before. I mean, I thought I had but turns out I was wrong. What I've got with Liv is different to everything I've ever experienced and, god, it's magical Kim. All that fairytale stuff, it's real, if you find the right person."

Kim pulled her sister in for a hug, wrapping her arms around her and squeezing her hard. "I'm really happy for you," she whispered. "Congratulations."

"Thanks," Amanda replied, hugging her sister back. "Come on, we'd better go. I don't want to leave Liv alone with Mama for too long. She'll get my baby photos out."

"Oh, that's a given. After dinner, I'm sure you won't be able to stop her," Kim laughed, making her way back to the kitchen.

That was probably true, Amanda mused but she realised, as she walked in to see Olivia sitting beside her mother, the two of them already enjoying a conversation, that she didn't mind. She was happy for Olivia to see photos of her childhood. She wanted Olivia to know about her childhood, to hear the stories of her family. And she wanted to see Olivia's baby photos, to hear stories about her mother, about her life in New York as a child, a teenager, a student. She wanted to know everything. She wanted to share everything. And that, she realised, was what they would do over the course of their relationship and, hopefully, their lifetimes together.

She sat down beside Olivia, fingers brushing down the exposed skin on the woman's neck which made the woman's breath hitch as she turned towards her girlfriend with a raised eyebrow. "What's up?"

"Nothing," Amanda replied. "I just missed you."

"Missed me? From thirty seconds ago?"

"Yeah," Amanda said simply.

"Oh," Olivia smiled.

Amanda leaned forwards and kissed Olivia lightly, ignoring the presence of her mother and sister. "I always miss you, Olivia. Whenever you're not with me, I miss you. So thank you, for telling me not to give up hope because this, you, us, it was all worth it."

A/N: thank you for reading my first ever Rolivia. I have no fic ideas in the pipeline but I do welcome suggestions for this pairing if you'd like to see more. Happy to do one shots based on episodes if there is appetite!