Chapter 23

A/N: Keep an eye on the dates as usual I skip a few days quite often so you don't think everything happens days after each other lol!

Manhattan SVU, Manhattan, New York

Friday, January 10th 2016

11.27 am

Olivia was sat at her desk doing paper work, beside her was George sleeping in his car seat. She couldn't stay away from work, she found herself missing it too much and as a compromise so she was actually spending time with George she'd bring him in with her and stick to being behind a desk, she couldn't wait to get back out in the field though, that's one thing she missed more than anything but as Captain the events in which she had to go out into the field were rare.

A knock on the door woke George up and she groaned in annoyance.

"Come in!" She called as she leant over the car seat to pick her little boy up. "Hey baby, hey Georgie." She bounced him on her chest gently as she saw the commissioner walk in.

"Hello Captain." He nodded.

"Sorry about this." She said signalling the baby crying on her chest, she wasn't sorry but he shouldn't have even be there.

"Nonsense you're on maternity leave so being here and having him with you is not a problem, it's your office." He smiled.

Olivia rested George in the crook of her arm and eyed the Commissioner up.

"So what can I do for you?" Olivia asked as she stroked her finger along George's cheek without even looking, it was obvious the baby enjoyed the contact as he blinked bright blue eyes towards his mother.

"Well first of all Olivia I would like to apologise for what happened uh last time I was here." He said sheepishly.

"Sure." Olivia nodded.

"No it's … I shouldn't have not only are you married but you were grieving and I don't know what came over me and I think you're a very beautiful woman and a very loyal Captain and you're good at what you do and I don't want you to think that me kissing you would have any repercussions on the job and I hope we can forget it." He explained the embarrassment of what he'd done visible on his brow.

"Sure, all forgotten." Olivia smiled, she'd never forget but she could forgive.

"Good now onto the real reason I'm here, file from our review since Monday's statements." He explained signalling a file.

He went to hand it to Olivia but with George in her arms it was difficult. He placed the file on the desk and took George carefully from Olivia's arms and she nodded and gave him a reassuring smile, he didn't look like a natural when it came to holding a baby but she thought the effort was cute.

"Right…" Olivia sat down behind her desk and the Commissioner sat opposite with George in his arms.

Olivia glanced at him with the newborn and smiled as she turned back to the file to see the result.

"You know we were talking afterwards and we all agreed that you really are your father's daughter." The Commissioner smiled as he gently stroked a finger down George's cheek in the way he'd seen Olivia do seconds before.

"Really? What made you say that?" She smirked, being told that she really was like her father always made her smile, she was proud to be like him.

"Well the trick with the pictures, I mean showing us smiling teens kidnap victims and then showing us those gruesome crime scene photos I believe your father did something similar after a psych eval."

"Yeah he did sixteen years ago." Olivia replied smiling as she flicked through the file in front of her, there were reports from every person on the Morris Commission on each defence and then a group evaluation on each which concluded with what they would have to endure to keep their jobs.

"You're also very loyal to your squad Olivia, just like he was, I think you'd sacrifice yourself for your squad."

"I would Commissioner…"

"Mathew please drop the formalities." He smiled as he ran his fingers through George's thick brown hair.

"Mathew." She replied nodding, being on good terms with the commissioner could come in useful. "My father sacrificed himself for his squad numerous times, he did for me eight years ago." She remembered how horrible it had been after the mess with her brother to find out Don had nearly lost his job in defending her.

"Before your adoption?" Mathew asked looking from George a moment to meet her gaze.

"Yeah, my brother had been accused of rape, I didn't think he'd done it and when he skipped bail I sent him money and got caught by the FBI." Olivia remembered how Dean Porter had threatened to cuff her. "I worked tirelessly to prove my brothers innocence and it turned out I was right, my brother didn't rape anyone. It was a cop with a grudge who had planted evidence however there was a cop in the Chief of D's office with a grudge against Cragen and when Fin Tutuola's nephew was on trial so were we and this guy with a grudge against my dad was feeding the defence information about us, Dean Porter skipped town to avoid a subpoena but after the trial I realised I didn't want this hanging over my head for the rest of career so I gave a statement to IAB and was suspended for thirty one days and my Dad became the sacrificial lamb, if Munch hadn't made such a mess of a case there was a chance he wouldn't have been back and I would do the same for my squad, we're a close group here, we have to be, we trust each other with our lives and that matters Nick Amaro has fit into the group perfectly, it's like he's always been here." Olivia looked through the blinds at the busy bullpen with a smile on her face.

"That's an honourable thing Olivia, we don't have enough people like you in the NYPD which is a shame, maybe we wouldn't have as much bad press as we have if more of our Captains were like you." Mathew smiled.

"Hey I've caused my fair share of bad press over the years Mathew let's be honest." Olivia laughed softly.

"That may be the case but I have also seen some very great headlines in regards to you and this squad over the years too." He smiled.

"What Like …" Olivia reached over her desk and found the paper that had been there since before Christmas. "SVU Captain's miracle?" She asked showing the paper to Mathew.

"I saw that and hold on what was the other headlines uh… NYPD's Christmas Blessing and NYPD's Newborn on Columbus?"

Both of them laughed loudly making George jump but he settled instantly.

"He's a good baby." Mathew noted.

"He is, much easier than his sisters anyway." Olivia laughed softly.

"Poor fella having six big sisters!" Mathew replied. "I thought I was unlucky having three!"

"Hey he has nine big sisters if you consider Elliot's other kids." Olivia smiled, it was quite the situation.

"Yeah good point." Mathew smiled glancing at the large family portrait behind Olivia's head, the only one they had with the Stabler kids in too. "You have a truly beautiful family Olivia." He said his eyes still fixed on the portrait.

"Family's everything Mathew, I didn't know that till seven years ago but now I know what Elliot meant when he told me too many years ago. I would kill for my kids." She said looking at George snoozing in Mathew's arms.

"I'm sure you would." He smiled at her, she had a look in her eye when talking about her family that he could only describe as unconditional love and devotion.

"So the report…" Olivia smiled, they'd gotten a little lost in the conversation.

"Yeah just read it over and sign it within the next week agreeing to the terms and get it back to me." Mathew smiled getting to his feet.

"Sure thing." Olivia smiled standing up and going to take George.

"Well I'll see you soon Olivia." He smiled before heading for the door.

"Sure." She smiled and he nodded his head before leaving.

Manhattan SVU, Manhattan, New York

Friday, January 10th 2016

1.49 pm

Olivia had read through the report from one police plaza and found that for the most part it was good, but now she had to call in Munch and Fin and explained what they had to do as punishment if you will for what they had done.

Slowly she got out of her seat and went into the bullpen to call Munch and Fin into the office. When they saw the defeated look on Olivia's face they knew what it was about, they'd also seen the Commissioner in there with her earlier so they had known then.

They made their way over to the office without saying a word. She gave them a reassuring smile but some would have mistaken it for a grimace if they didn't know Olivia. They took the seats in front of the desk while she sat beside it looking down at a sleeping George, now she wished she'd signed off properly on her own maternity leave, that would mean Elliot would be cleaning up this mess and not her.

"Ok guys so I got the report and I'm pleased to say so far you still have your jobs." Olivia smiled gently, that was the only thing she needed to say for the relief to flood through the men in front of her.

"So what's the deal Liv?" Fin asked, he knew they wouldn't get away with it scot free.

"Well Fin you're in the clear, they think you should have a different taste in women but they agreed with me that they have no right to judge you on who you date, it doesn't affect you as a cop but if you happen to date someone who's attacker we haven't caught you're not allowed to work that case and so I hope if that ever occurs you'll come to me." She explained.

"Course Liv." He replied gently.

"Good now Munch, you have to see Huang twice a week for the foreseeable future and you're on desk duty until he clears you but I don't see that being too long if I'm honest." Olivia explained to the older man.

"Yeah ok." He nodded.

"Now if you agree just sign here and Munch I'll set up your first session with George." Olivia smiled handing forms over to them to sign beside her own signature.

"Liv what about you?" Munch asked.

"Huh well I have to go see a grief therapist for the foreseeable future and anger management too." Olivia explained with a chuckle.

"Anger Management?" Fin asked in surprise.

"Yeah something to do with how worked up I got when presenting my defence." Olivia grinned. "But believe me guys it was worth it the look in the eyes of some on the Morris Commission I genuinely thought they were scared of me when I approached the table so I don't mind one bit." Olivia grinned cheekily.

"So what about the grief therapist thing? You agree with that? Fin asked.

"No but I think they couldn't break through my defence about me wanting to kill Mel's kidnapper and so they had to do something and as I didn't even try to defend my grief just said "I have grieved for my parents" they decided that it wasn't a defence." Olivia smirked, she could see right through what the Morris Commission were doing, they wanted to show that they did take action even if action wasn't necessary.

"Ok well thanks Liv for making sure we still had a job." Munch smiled.

"Hey anytime." She smiled just as George began to fuss. "Get back to work." She told them and they both smiled and hurried off leaving Olivia to sort out the baby and send in the papers for the Commissioner.

Yeah I don't know what to do with this story anymore so any ideas would be appreciated!