A/N: Just a quick one to say I made and error earlier on in this story regarding Olivia and Elliot's ages. Olivia is 37 and Elliot is 38. I know it's a small detail but those kinds of things bug me haha. So this episode is loosely based on the Season 10 episode 'Swing'. It has a similar theme regarding Elliot's mother but I'm using it in a different context to fit the story. Xxx

Olivia and Elliot were currently sat at the dining room table in the apartment going over their list of wedding guests. They had booked a date for June tenth which was now only three months away. They were aware that it didn't give them much time to plan but they didn't want to wait any longer than they had to but when they found the perfect church and reception venue were both free on that date, they jumped at the opportunity. It helped that they had an idea for a colour scheme and that Olivia knew the exact kind of dress that she wanted. She planned to go wedding dress shopping with Casey and Alex the following week and had already picked out Maria's flower girl dress.

"So we have the usual suspects from the squad. Melinda, George, Casey and Alex along with your brothers and sisters and extended family. Oh and don't forget your Marine buddies. Are we missing anyone?" Liv asked as she checked off the people on the list whilst Elliot looked over samples for invitations.

"Sounds about right. Are you sure there's no one else you can think of? No one from the academy or your college days?" Elliot asked as he placed a sample back on the table.

Olivia looked over at him and shook her head. "I already told you. I would just be happy if it was just you, me and Maria with a couple of witnesses. It's you who wants the big fancy wedding." She pointed at him although she wasn't being completely honest. If she had a big family like El's she would probably want them all there to enjoy their special day. A thought suddenly occurred to her and Elliot was made aware of this when her eyes turned into the size of saucers. "What about your mother? I can't believe I forgot about her. I'm so sorry, El-"

"Oh no. No way. I'm not inviting my mother." Elliot's face screwed up, that was definitely a subject he wanted to drop ASAP.

Liv frowned and placed the pen she was holding on the table top. "And why, may I ask, is she not being invited? She's your mother. She should be at your wedding. Anyway, isn't it about time I met her? I'm sure she would like to meet the woman you're about to marry. She should also know that she has a new grandchild."

"Liv, it's not going to happen. Anyway, I never got to meet your mother-"

"That was different." Olivia dead panned not wanting to discuss her deceased mother.

Elliot laughed a little darkly and threw his arms up in exasperation. "How?! How's it any different?" He asked.

"She wasn't about to become your mother in law for one thing." Liv said it as if it was obvious. "At least I gave you some information on my mom. I know nothing about yours. Is she even alive?"

"Of course she is." El said.

"Look, you know how stubborn I am. If you don't take me and Maria to visit her, I will just have to call one of your brothers or sisters and find out where she lives and we will go without you." Olivia threatened.

Elliot huffed and folded his arms across his chest petulantly. "Fine."

Olivia smiled as if she was a cat that had just got the cream. "So we're going?"

"Yes." Elliot bit out.

"When?" Olivia fired back.

"This weekend ok for you?" El thought the sooner he got this visit out of the way, the better.

"This weekend is perfect. See, I knew you would see sense." Liv quipped. "You want another coffee? I'm going to make a fresh pot." She asked as she stood from the table only to receive a grumbled response. Olivia rolled her eyes in jest and planted a kiss to his cheek before making her way over to the kitchen area.

That Saturday Olivia and Elliot found themselves on the porch of Bernadette Stabler's beach house in Long Island. Elliot heaved a deep sigh before knocking on the door and within seconds, he came face to face with his mother for the first time in about six years.

"Elliot?! Is it really you?" Bernadette, or Bernie as she liked to be called, asked bewildered.

"Hey, Ma. How have you been?" Elliot asked as his mother ushered himself and his little family into her home.

"I've been ok considering I haven't heard from my son in six years. Honestly, Elliot-"

Before she could go off on her rant, Elliot stopped her. "Mom, there's someone I would like you to meet." He turned to beckon Olivia and Maria over to him. "This is Olivia and Maria."

"Olivia? As in thee Olivia Benson? You're partner? Well, no wonder Kathy was so afraid of her. She's a heartbreaker." Bernadette exclaimed and Elliot winced at the mention of his ex wife.

"Mom, don't-" Elliot began only to be ignored.

"And is this your daughter, Olivia?" Bernie asked as she bent over slightly so she could get a proper look at Maria who clutched tightly onto her mother's hand.

Olivia went to speak but instead gave Elliot a sharp look when he opened his mouth to reply instead. "Actually, Momma, she's our daughter. Me and Liv, we're together now and we're getting married."

"Married? Oh that's wonderful news. Your sister told me that you and Kathy had gotten a divorce and I was so afraid that you would wind up all alone...like me." Bernie suddenly had a lost look on her face but it soon brightened up again with another enthusiastic smile. "But you've found someone and you have a child together, my granddaughter. I can't believe it." Then as soon as the smile appeared it was gone only to be replaced with a frown. "You know I never liked that Kathy-"

"Mom, please. I haven't come here to talk about Kathy. I just thought you would to know that Olivia and I," El wrapped a protective arm around Olivia's shoulder as she looked between her fiance and his mother with a strange look on her face. "We want to invite you to our wedding."

Bernie chuckled and shook her head, she turned her back on the trio but then suddenly faced them once again. "I haven't had even a phone call from you in years and now you want to turn up on my doorstep and ask me to your wedding? What's the point? This one won't last long. You're just like your father, he sucked the fun out of everything. I'm sure Olivia will be better off-"

Olivia at this point found herself having to interject. She wouldn't stand for anyone disrespecting her fiance, whether that person was his mother or not. And what was up with those hot and cold routine? One second she was gushing over her son and the next she was berating him. "Actually, Mrs Stabler, Elliot and I have been living together for quite some time and are quite happy. I'll have you know that I would be rather lost without your son."

The older woman's eyes glinted and another smile appeared on her face. "Oh...you've got some fire in you're belly. I like it." Then she did something that shocked everyone. She went over to Olivia and patted her cheek gently before walking past them and calling over her shoulder. "Come on into the kitchen, I've got some fresh lemonade in the fridge."

Olivia looked up at Elliot who still had his arm around her. "What just happened?" She asked a little dumbstruck.

Elliot sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "I told you this would be a bad idea." He told her before leading her and Maria into the kitchen.

The four of them found themselves in the living room about ten minutes later. Around the room were various paintings that Olivia had guessed Bernie had painted herself. Whilst the adults sat and talked amongst themselves, Maria soon got bored and went to explore the new surroundings. The little girl got up and looked at one of the paintings that depicted a beach scene. She went to run her finger over the canvas but Olivia saw out of the corner of her eye.

"Maria, Sweetie, don't touch. You don't want to ruin it." Olivia called over to her daughter who quickly retracted her hand from the painting.

Bernie smiled and got up from the couch. "Oh, Olivia dear. Don't you worry. The child is just being free spirited. Let her explore." She told her soon to be daughter in law before placing a hand on Maria's shoulder. "You like this picture?" She asked the girl who nodded shyly. "I tell you what, how about I let you keep it? You can take it home with you when you leave and you can ask your daddy to hang it up on your wall."

"Really? I can have it?" Maria exclaimed in awe as she looked between the painting and her father's mother. Bernie nodded in the affirmative and chuckled when Maria wrapped her arms around her legs. "Thank you, Mrs Stabler."

Bernadette gasped and pulled away. "Oh, no, no. No grandchild of mine will call me Mrs Stabler. You, my little cherub, can call me Nana B. Now, do you like going to the beach?"

Maria shrugged and looked at the painting longingly. "I've never been to a beach before." She told her 'grandmother'.

Bernie's eyes widened in mock shock horror as she looked between the little girl and the couple who sat on the couch across the room. "Well, I guess we better fix that right here and now. I'm sure your mommy and daddy won't mind if we go and have a peak at the beach out back. It's like having sand for a backyard instead of grass. You're going to love it."

Elliot began to protest but Olivia quickly jumped in. "That's fine with me. Just make sure you put your coat on. It's probably a little chilly out there." She said, a soft smile on her face.

Bernie helped Maria into her jacket and took her by the hand. "You two can just wait right here. We won't be long." She told the couple who got up to follow them out the back door.

Elliot watched them leave until they were out of sight before sighing and shaking his head. "I've got a bad feeling about that." He announced more to himself than to the woman beside him.

Olivia scoffed as she ran a hand through her hair. "Oh my god, Elliot. They're just having a look at the beach. Maria looked so excited. It was like she was going on a little adventure." She tried to reassure him that everything was going well.

Now it was Elliot's turn to huff out a laugh. "You don't know my mother, Liv. My mother's idea of an adventure is going on a wild goose chase to find Georgia O'Keeffe or trying to buy a plane ticket with a Macy's card."

Liv suddenly felt a little concerned and decided to ask a particularly sensitive question. "El, has your mother ever been diagnosed with a mental disorder?" Her probing earner her a quick glance from Elliot. "I mean, the way she was acting when we first arrived. One second she was ecstatic to see you and then the next-"

"The doctors prescribed her medication for her mood swings years ago but she refused to take them. She said it took away her creativity." El admitted.

Before Olivia could respond, there was a slight breeze as the back door opened. Bernie walked into the living area and chuckled. "That little girl of yours is so energetic. I had to come back in to rest for a few minutes."

Olivia and Elliot looked around for their child, their hearts stopping when Maria was nowhere to be seen. "Ma, where's Maria?" Elliot asked as he stood up, Olivia following him.

"Oh, she wanted to go for a paddle-"

"Mom, it's freezing out there! She could catch her death!-"

"Elliot, I don't know if Maria can swim." Olivia said quickly and the two of them swiftly took off towards the back of the house with Bernie not far behind them.

"She'll be fine. Kid's don't feel the cold like us adults!" Bernadette called out to them.

Elliot's heart was pounding in his chest as he looked around the area surrounding the back of the house. A flash of pink caught his eye and he saw Maria with her feet in the sea, the water just above her ankles. "Maria!" He yelled out as he hurried over to her.

"Hi, Daddy!" Maria waved at her father but the smile that was on her face soon disappeared when El scooped her up into his arms and out of the ice cold water. He made sure to pick up her shoes and socks before looking up to see his mother and Olivia watching them.

Elliot made his way over to the two women and glared at Bernie. "You're no longer welcome at my wedding." He seethed before walking straight past her. El stopped briefly beside Olivia to say, "Get the rest of out stuff. We're leaving." just before he stormed off in the direction of where they had parked the car.

Olivia was stunned by how fast everything seemed to have escalated. She couldn't help but watch as Bernie crumpled to the sand and began to try and make what looked like a moat. The older woman looked up at Liv and smiled. "Elliot used to love building sand castles. He could always build something out of nothing. He got his artistic side from me."

Liv was about to respond to offer her some comfort but a sharp bark came from Elliot who had stopped when he realised his fiance hadn't made a move to leave. "Olivia!"

"It was nice to meet you, Bernie. I'll speak to Elliot. He'll come around." Olivia said softly before following the path her partner had just taken.

Elliot continued marching towards the car and once there he opened up the back seat and placed Maria into her car seat. "My feet are cold, Daddy." His daughter told him as she shivered a little.

El looked over on the other side of the car and saw a blanket that Olivia liked to keep in there in case of emergencies. He grabbed a hold of it and began to dry Maria's feet with it. When he was sure that they were no longer wet he began to put her shoes and socks on.

"Are we going home now?" Maria asked confused. She liked her Nana B. She thought she was a little strange but she still liked her.

"Yeah, Honey. We're going home." Elliot told her as he worked on tying her shoelace before going to buckle her into her seat.

"But Nana B said we could make a sandcastle." The five year old told him sadly.

"We can make sandcastles another time when the weather is nicer." Elliot replied.

"What about my painting? Nana B-" Maria began to whine but jumped slightly when Elliot shot her a warning look.

"Maria!-"

"Elliot!" The blue eyed detective looked over his shoulder to see Olivia standing just behind him. He sighed in defeat when Liv shook her head a little before turning back to Maria.

"Tell you want, when we get home we can do some painting. You can make your own beach picture. Doesn't that sound like fun?" Elliot decided to not let his bad mood affect his little girl and instead tried to raise her dampened spirits.

Maria smiled and nodded excitedly. "Yeah!" Elliot smiled at this response and bent over slightly to kiss her forehead before he closed the back door gently.

He then turned to Olivia and shrugged. "You can't say I didn't warn you." He said before climbing into the drivers seat.

A couple of weeks later, Olivia was at home with Maria whilst Elliot was at work. It wasn't a major case so Cragen said she could have the day off.

"Mommy, when can we see Nana B again? She was fun." Maria asked as she walked over to her mother who was stood in the kitchen area.

Olivia sighed and picked up her daughter only to set her down on one of the stools at the breakfast bar. "Soon, Honey. We can't just turn up uninvited. That would be rude."

Maria shrugged and picked up the wireless landline phone and handed it to her mom. "Call her now. I wanna see her and show her all the paintings I made at school." Liv took the phone from Maria and began to contemplate Maria's request. Truth be told, Olivia was looking for an excuse to go and speak to the woman. She had been trying to find the right time to do so but she was always either at work or her and Elliot were both off on the same day. Liv just knew that he would never agree to another visit with his mother so she never suggested it to him.

"Ok, I'll call Nana B and see if she's not busy but...it has to stay a secret? Daddy can't know." Olivia told Maria, her tone serious.

Maria screwed up her face. "But isn't that lying? You said it's not good to lie." She reminded her mother

Olivia shook her head and smiled reassuringly. "No, Sweetheart. This is different. This secret is going to help Daddy and Nana B. Sometimes little lies are ok. Does that make sense?"

The five year old shrugged. "I guess so. So does that mean you're going to see if we can go see her?"

Liv smiled and nodded. "I'll call her right now." She said and then sent Maria to go off to her room and play.

I turned out that Bernie was available and more than happy to accept a visit from her future daughter in law and grandchild. Olivia decided to set up the meeting in a diner not far from Bernie's beach house when she realised that by the time they reached Long Island, it would be Maria's lunchtime. So now the mother and daughter found themselves sat eating lunch. Well Maria was happily content as she munched on her nuggets and fries whilst Liv kept looking over at the doorway for any sign Bernie.

"When is she going to be here, Mama?" Maria asked around a mouthful of food.

Olivia looked down at her child and rubbed her back. "I'm sure she won't be long now. We were a little early remember?" The bell above the door chimed and caught the detective's attention. She waved Bernie over to her table when she spotted the older woman looking around.

"I was surprised to get your call. Does Elliot know you're here?" Bernie asked as she sat down in the booth.

Liv shook her head. "No and I would prefer it if you didn't tell him we came to you. I haven't had a chance to speak to him yet." She sighed before broaching the topic she wanted to discuss. "Mrs Stabler-"

"Please, Olivia. The mother of my grandchild and future daughter in law is not allowed to call me anything other than 'Bernie'." The grandmother said.

Olivia smiled softly and nodded. "Bernie, Elliot feels bad about the way he reacted the other week. He really didn't mean it about you not being welcome to our wedding. I – we would both love for you to be there."

"Olivia, please don't lie to me. I know my son and I know that he hates me. You know he wasn't always so hot headed. I brought some pictures to show you of when he was little. He was such a carefree child." Bernie began to rummage in her bag and took out what looked to be a photo album. She opened it up to reveal family pictures that were a few decades old. Olivia's eyes landed on a picture of a little boy who was the spitting image of her fiance. She would have recognised those piercing blue eyes anywhere. Bernie pointed at the picture that Olivia was gazing at. "That was the time he dressed up for the thanksgiving pageant. I made that for him out of felt."

Olivia chuckled and raised an eyebrow. "He was a carrot." She pointed out.

Maria got up onto her knees and looked at the picture. "That's my Daddy?" She asked and giggled at the picture of her father dressed up as the bright orange vegetable.

"It sure is. He was a few years older than you in this picture." Bernie told her. The older woman began to tear up and lowered her head so Maria wouldn't see how upset she was starting to get. She sniffed and blinked back the tears. Then she looked up at Olivia once she had composed herself. "I tried to be a good mother. I just made some bad choices along the way."

Olivia smiled sadly and took a hold of Bernie's hand. "Elliot is a good man and I know that he definitely didn't learn how to be one from his father. You are a good mother just in a...different sort of way." Liv hoped she was successful in comforting her fiance's mother.

"I've always been told that I'm flamboyant or flighty." At this, Bernie laughed without humour. "Of course those were the more nicest terms people used to describe me when I was younger."

Liv felt sympathy towards the older woman. She couldn't imagine how hard it must have been to deal with mental health problems in a time when they weren't fully understood. "Have you ever been to see a doctor?" Her main goal of this visit was try and convince the woman that times had changed and that medication wasn't the sole treatment for psychiatric issues any more.

Bernie scoffed and shook her head. She shot a look at Maria who was now more interested in her strawberry milkshake than she was in the adult conversation taking place at the table. "My...my husband, he had me committed once. They strapped me down and force fed me pills. When they kicked in I felt...nothing. I didn't want to live like that. I just accepted myself for who I am."

Olivia felt her heartbreak at Bernie's story. She couldn't imagine feeling numb the way she had just described. Not being able to feel love for her child or any other emotions? Liv didn't think she could live like that either. "It was different back then. There has been so many new discoveries made since. I know of some really good psychologists. They can help you." Bernie didn't respond but instead looked down at their clasped hands. "We didn't mention that Maria is adopted, did we?" Liv asked and received a negative reply. "Earlier this year I adopted her. When she came to live with me she was having constant nightmares caused by some horrific things in her past. Therapy helped her to deal with it in a healthy way and now she is just like any other care free child."

Bernie didn't have to ask about what Maria had gone through. She could just tell by the look on Olivia's face. "Oh, the poor child." She whispered out as she shot a look over at the little girl who was now leafing through the photo album that was still on the table.

"My point is, Bernie, doctors were able to help her and I think...if you were to give it a try, they could help you too. I think Elliot would appreciate it if you at least tried. Your son loves you and he just wants you to be happy and healthy" Olivia really didn't want to pressure the woman but she thought that if she could just get her to see a doctor then Elliot would start to see sense.

"You know," Liv took a deep breath before continuing, "I don't come from a very big family like yours. Growing up it was just my mother and I and we didn't really have that good of a relationship. I would have given anything to have other people I could rely on. I don't want that for my child or any other children Elliot and I might have in the future. I want them to know their grandmother."

Bernie sighed and smiled. "Ok. I'll speak to someone. For my family."

Olivia and Maria visited with Bernie for a couple of hours more until Liv realised that her child was starting to get a little bit sleepy. Maria had been up early that day and had been constantly on the go and Olivia thought that she should get home and have dinner ready before Elliot returned. The two of them said their goodbyes to Bernie and told her they would visit again soon with Olivia adding that she would speak to Elliot and get him to come around to the idea of building a relationship with her.

Around six that evening, Olivia was in the kitchen back at home preparing dinner whilst Maria sat at the dining table drawing a picture. They both turned when they heard the apartment door open to reveal Elliot who looked somewhat pissed off. His bad mood was confirmed when he slammed the door behind him.

Without even a 'hello', he stomped his way over to the kitchen area and jabbed a finger in Olivia's direction. "You went to see my mother behind my back?" Imagine his surprise when he received an unexpected phone call from his brother who told him that Bernie mentioned in passing that Olivia had paid her a visit earlier that day. Had he not made it clear that he wanted nothing more to do with the woman?

"Elliot!" Olivia scolded as she looked between him and their child who had a worried look on her face.

"Answer me, Olivia-"

Liv turned her attention on Maria. "Baby, go play in your room. Daddy and I need to talk alone." The little girl looked between her parents and eventually decided that listening to her mother would be for the best.

Once Maria was out of earshot, Liv focused once again on her partner. "Who do you think you are? I can do whatever I want in my free time. You don't own me."

"She put our daughter's life at risk!" Elliot fumed.

Olivia clasped her hands over her mouth and made herself determined not the rise to his level. "Elliot, your mom is a sick woman. She needed help-"

"Don't you think I've tried to help her?! She's refused each and every time!" Now El began to pace up and down in his agitated state.

Liv put her hands on her hips and twisted her mouth as she tried to stop herself from fighting with him. "You know what? I'm not even going to talk about this with you until you calm down."

Elliot stopped his pacing and sat down on one of the stools. "I'm sorry, ok? It's just whenever my mother is around someone ends up getting hurt. I mean, what if a big wave had come along and swept Maria away with it? It was freezing that day she could have gotten sick-"

Olivia leant over the breakfast bar and made Elliot look her in the eyes. "And none of that happened. Maria is fine and she loves her Nana B. Are you really going to deny her the opportunity to get to know her grandmother?"

"I guess not." El shrugged. "Why did you go over there in the first place?"

"Well for one thing, I re-invited her to the wedding and I thought I could kill two birds with one stone. I was able to convince her to get some help and she said she would. Maria also wanted to see her and show her the paintings she had made." A thought suddenly occurred to Liv that made her chuckle. Elliot shot her a confused look and she shook her head. "I'm sorry but your mom also showed me some pictures of you when you were a kid."

Elliot's mouth fell open and his face turned beetroot red. "She didn't."

Olivia nodded and bit her bottom lip to stop herself from laughing. "Oh yes, she did. You made a very cute carrot." She teased only for El to groan and bury his head in his arms.

A/N: I'm not particularly happy with some parts of this chapter but it's the best I was able to get it. I hope no one take offence in how I portrayed Elliot's mother.