"I'm so glad that this week is finally over." Olivia said, taking Elliot's hand as they walked towards the NYU bookstore. It was exam week, and although Elliot's exams had been done by the beginning of the week Olivia had exams everyday.
"Well, once you sell these back, it will be entirely over." he said, holding up the bag of textbooks in his other hand. "So we're going to your parents' house tonight, huh?"
"If that's what you want to do."
"Sounds great to me. I mean, it just doesn't seem right that you've met my parents but I haven't met yours."
"My family really isn't that exciting Stabler."
"Good, I need a boring family sometimes." Olivia laughed as they approached the bookstore. The line for selling books was out the door.
"Dammit." she said, stopping at the back of the line. Elliot set the bag on the ground, expecting a long wait. Nearly an hour later, Olivia was walking away with one hundred dollars in hand. "You ready?" she asked, stuffing the cash in her pocket.
"I guess," he said, tucking in his shirt. "Do I look okay?" Olivia sighed as she kissed him softly on the cheek.
"You look fine." she said, taking his hand and pulling him to her car.
"I don't know why I'm so nervous about meeting your parents, I mean, you weren't freaking out this much when you met mine. I think it's just that your family sounds so great… I don't know how to act around a normal family."
"It's not as awful as it seems." she said with a smile. The drive to Queens was quick and sooner than Elliot was ready they were at Olivia's parent's house. As usual Olivia's mom met her on the porch, eagerly awaiting her daughter's visit.
"Well, well now who do we have here?"
"Mom this is Elliot Stabler." Olivia said, motioning to him.
"Elliot, so great to meet you." she said, taking his hand and ushering him to the front door. "I'm Serena Benson; you may of course call me Serena." Elliot looked uncertainly at Olivia as she smiled back reassuringly. "Now I hope that you like meatloaf and potatoes. John should be home anytime and then we can eat." Serena began flitting around the kitchen preparing the rest of the meal. Elliot stood awkwardly in the kitchen doorway and watched her with a smile on his face. He knew that he was going to like it here. "Sit, dear, sit." she said, motioning to the dining room table with three place settings.
"Where can I get another place setting, Serena?" he asked, sitting at the chair next to the lone setting.
"Now you will do no such thing." she said, grabbing a plate from the cabinet. "You are a guest here, and considering how much Olivia comes by, she is too. I'll get it for you." Olivia began laughing at Elliot's side.
"Any excuse to rub in the fact that I don't come out here much." she muttered to Elliot as the front door opened.
"Hello?" John called from the hallway. "Where's my---well now, who is this fine young man?" Elliot stood and held out his hand.
"Elliot Stabler, sir."
"Elliot, nice to meet you." he said, taking a seat at the place setting across from Elliot. "Well, I'm starved, what's for dinner?" he asked as Serena responded by placing a platter of meatloaf and potatoes on the table, while Olivia brought over four salads. "Looks great, dear." he said, kissing her on the cheek. Elliot smiled; his parents had never been affectionate with one another.
"Well everyone, dig in." Serena said, sitting down to her own plate. "So Elliot," she began after taking a few bites. "Are you in college?"
"Yes ma'am. I attend Rutgers."
"Jersey, huh? What are you studying?"
"Criminology with a psychology minor. After college I'll probably go to the police academy and become on of New York's Finest, or at least that's the plan."
"Good for you. Cops have it rough."
"So what brings you into our Olivia's life so suddenly? A week or so ago, she had no love interests and now we're meeting her boyfriend." John asked with a smirk that made Elliot laugh.
"I don't know. It just kind of happened." he said with a shrug. "You know how that sort of thing goes." Both of Olivia's parents began to laugh.
"You're right we do know how that goes." Serena said, setting her fork on her plate and taking John's hand under the table. Elliot caught Olivia's gaze as they both smiled warmly at one another. "So how much longer do you have left?"
"One year, same as Liv." he said, setting down his fork after finishing off his meal. "That was delicious Serena."
"Thank you, dear." Elliot sat drowning in his own thoughts for a moment. He couldn't believe how great her family was and how comfortable it felt to be here. It was this moment that he first realized he could see himself spending the rest of his life with Olivia Benson.
"Elliot?" Olivia asked, touching his thigh lightly.
"Sorry." he said, looking at her and smiling. "What were you saying?"
"My mother asked if we wanted to watch a movie or something." she said, slightly annoyed. "Mom, I think it's getting late and we should be heading back to campus." she said, picking up her plate and walking it over to the sink. "I have to move out tomorrow and then I'm helping Elliot move."
"Oh that sounds like fun." her mom said menacingly.
"Mom." Olivia said, exasperated. "You know I don't talk about sex with you."
"But if you did…" Serena trailed off, chuckling at her daughter's awkwardness. "Honey, I know you have sex; I'm not completely naïve, you know I do teach on the same campus you attend."
"Can we end this conversation now?" Olivia asked, drying her hands and grabbing her purse. Elliot watched as she joked with her mom. Serena is amazing, he thought, and John is a man of few words; that's nice every once in a while. "You ready, dear?" Olivia asked, placing her hand on the small of his back.
"If you are." he said. Olivia turned around and kissed her mother on each cheek and gave her a hug. Elliot held out his hand to shake Serena's as she pulled him into a hug.
"You're as good as family to me now." she whispered before pulling away. John shook Elliot's hand and Olivia pulled her father into a bear hug as they opened the front door and walked out to their car. Elliot had a goofy smile on his face as Olivia turned up the radio, which was playing some old Beatles' song. Serena accepted him as family. He was becoming more and more determined to marry Olivia Benson. She was the most gorgeous, intelligent, sweet, woman he had ever met and she had the perfect family.
"Elliot you all right?" she asked, snapping him out of his thoughts for the second time that evening.
"Yea, I'm doing great." he said, leaning back in the seat and closing his eyes.
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"Elliot will you help me get this?" Olivia asked as she lifted her desk.
"Are you nuts?" he asked, running over to her. "Put that down, I'll get it." Olivia smiled as she dropped and went to grab a lighter box. It was nice to know that someone cared for her that much.
"Well, we almost have all my shit moved." she said as she stared at her empty room. "I guess it's on to Rutgers." Elliot groaned.
"I hate moving back home." Olivia looked up at him slowly as she dropped the last box into the back seat of her car. "What?" he asked, popping her trunk and placing her desk gingerly inside.
"Why don't you move in with my parents for the summer?"
"Olivia, I couldn't." he said, opening the car door. "I would feel like such an intruder, and that would feel so wrong. I can't imagine anyone's parents actually going for that, even yours."
"Elliot, come on. I mean, there's an extra bedroom, and my mom already loves you." Elliot sighed as he realized how happy that would make him and that Olivia had a point.
"Okay." he said, mock grudgingly.
"Hey Mom!" Olivia shouted as she walked into the seemingly empty house. "I've got some news for you!"
"I'm upstairs!" she shouted from the up the steps. Olivia dropped her bag on the floor and ran up the stairs.
"Hey," Olivia said, hugging her mother. "I offered Elliot our guest room for the summer; I hope that's okay, I know I should have asked first, but…"
"No that's great. I'm glad he feels comfortable enough to stay here. Is there any reason he's not going home?"
"He and his dad just don't see eye to eye." Olivia said in a tone that conveyed that was the end of the conversation.
"Where is Elliot?" Serena asked, folding the last of the clothes she had been working on and tossing the basket aside.
"He's getting some of our stuff from the car."
"Great, let me go make the extra bedroom for him." she said as she grabbed linens from a closet and ran down the steps to the extra room.
"Hey, can I get some help over here?" Elliot managed as Olivia ran over to him giggling.
"I'm sorry," she said, grabbing some boxes from his arms. "She said its fine. I told you she wouldn't mind."
"Your mom is nuts."
"Why? Because we'll probably have sex on the bed a few times?"
"Liv!" he said, disbelief filling his voice.
"Well, I know that's what you're thinking, and my mom doesn't care: she knows it's entirely natural."
"Must be nice to not be Catholic." he muttered, grabbing her hand and pulling her back out to the car. "Come on we need to finish unloading this stuff." They made two more trips before getting the rest of the furniture and clothing into the house.
"Elliot!" Serena said, scuffling over and throwing her arms around him. "So glad to see you, dear! I'm so excited to have you here this summer. What would you like for dinner?" This is going to be the best summer ever, Elliot thought as he and Olivia followed Serena to the kitchen.