Author's Note: Tameness alert! We take a break from the sort of scene we had in the previous chapter. I promise more Alex and Olivia togetherness soon. As always, feedback is love. Enjoy!
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They walked back up the path hand in hand with Alex pointing out a few different sights on the way. They stopped by the carriage house to drop off their picnic items and powder their noses. Alex led Liv through the main house to the grand veranda.
"There they are. How are you ladies doing? Settle in ok?" Uncle Mort greeted the two women and ushered them to their seats.
"Yes, Uncle Morty. We even visited the pond." Alex took her seat then Liv took hers.
"Fantastic. How did you find the grounds and pond, Olivia?" Doug asked with a knowing nod.
A friendly yet stern looking woman came over and filled their water glasses.
"Thank you, Marta." Alex smiled at her.
"You are velcome, Miss Alex." She grinned as she spoke with a hint of accent.
There was one couple already seated at the long banquet table when they arrived. The sun shone brightly, but there was a sunshade over them.
"So, Lex Luther! Good to see you. How are you? This is my girlfriend Danica." He wrapped his arm possessively around the seemingly young girl at his side across the table from them.
Alex rolled her eyes. "Pleased to meet you, Danica. I'll try not to hold your taste in men against you." She shot a look across the table at the man. "Doing just fine, Junior. This is my girlfriend...Detective Olivia Benson. Olivia this is my obnoxious cousin Junior."
Olivia suppressed a laugh. 'God, that poor boy got chewed up and spit out in four sentences. She's good.' "Nice to meet you both." Olivia smiled and nodded politely.
"A detective, mmm? Mixing a bit of pleasure with our business these days are we, Lex? I figured you had it in you." He wiggled his eyebrows. "The cat has claws."
Doug issued a warning. "Children."
"Olivia does make my business a pleasure, but that's none of yours, Juni." Alex put her napkin on her lap and patted Liv's thigh under the table.
"So, Junior what is it that you do?" Liv thought she'd take a stab at changing the subject.
"Stock jockey, Olivia." He winked at her with mischievous hazel eyes.
Olivia nodded as a ruckus was heard approaching.
"No running in the corridors, Meg, Molly...STOP!" An exasperated yet well put together woman followed two running and giggling toddlers.
"Grampy! Grampy! Mama yelling us." One of the little blonde girls screamed as she ran in to Doug full force.
"Hi angels! I'm happy to see you, too, but you must listen to your Mommy." Doug squeezed each of the girls.
"Come sit down like big girls, please." She looked around and attempted to fix her hair and clothing which were a bit mussed.
"Hi Wanda." Alex smiled warmly. "The girls are getting big."
"I'll say. Two and a half and they out number me. You look great as always." She walked over, hugged Alex and kissed her cheek.
"Thanks. Where's Big Ben?" Alex asked returning her hug.
Just then a tall handsome man walked out on the veranda yelling in to his Blackberry. "Nelson, so help me, if we are not first in line for that IPO Monday they will nail both our sacs to the wall. I don't care how but make it happen. Keep me posted. Yes, all weekend." He pocketed his phone.
"I told you how I feel about those things here at the cottage, Ben." Doug didn't look pleased.
"Dad, really. I'm not up for this right now." Ben scowled.
"We're supposed to be relaxing here. Now put that thing away and enjoy your family."
"Sure. Just like you did, right, Dad? You were ten times worse when we were the girl's age." Ben rolled his eyes.
"Yes, and look how well that worked out for your mother and I. Learn from some of my mistakes, Ben, instead of trying to recreate them. Please sit." Doug sighed.
Ben plopped in a seat and looked around. "Hey Alex. Glad you could make it."
"Hi Ben. Ben, Wanda...this is Olivia." Again polite nods were exchanged.
"Hi Olivia." Wanda walked over and gave her a small hug. "Those are our daughters Molly and Meg."
"Scottie and Lisa are on their way down." Ben added pulling the chair out for Wanda from his seated position.
Marta appeared and filled water glasses. She stopped next to Olivia. "Miss Olivia, is dere any dietary requirements dat you have?"
Olivia shook her head. "No ma'am. Thank you."
"Very vell." She hurried off and came back moments later with trays of food.
Polite conversation was made as they all ate a lunch of crab and lobster sandwiches, salads, iced tea and lemonade. Olivia had particularly enjoyed the homemade potato chips.
As they were finishing up, Ben's cell rang. "This is Ben, go ahead." He pushed his chair back and got up. After a very one-sided conversation he walked inside the house.
"Junior, Scottie, Alex...I need to see you all in my office for a few moments. I trust you ladies will be ok on your own?" Mort smiled winningly at his brood.
Alex stood up and whispered in Liv's ear. "Family meeting. Be right back." She kissed her cheek.
Liv sat back. "So, what do you ladies do for work?"
"I'm a real estate broker." Lisa said sipping her iced tea. "Commercial properties mostly."
"Great and you Danica?" Liv tried to engage the silent young woman.
"Nail tech. I do Junior's manicure. That's how we met." She shrugged.
"Ah, how long have you been seeing each other?" Liv was good at asking questions.
"Couple weeks. So, you're a detective, huh? Like NYPD Blue?"
"Yup. Something like that." Marta appeared and was clearing dishes and trays.
"Wanda? What about you?"
"Stay at home mom, detective." She was trying to get the girls to drink their milk. One of them slid out of their booster and ran away.
"Molly! Come back here." At the same time the other girl started squirming.
"I'll get her." Liv walked after the giggling blonde girl. "Molly? I was wondering what your favorite song is."
Molly stopped and turned toward her. "Wheels on the Bus. You know it?"
"Know it? It's only my most favorite. Come sit with me and sing it." Olivia held out her hand and the little girl skipped over to her. Liv led her back to the table and in to her seat.
Wanda sat slack jawed in amazement. "You're good."
"It's a detective skill. Why chase 'em down when you can smooth talk 'em in to wanting to come and talk to you." She smiled broadly.
As the girls regaled Olivia with Wheels On The Bus, their mother handed them a sippy cup and each girl finished their milk.
"I work with kids a lot, unfortunately, Wanda. But this is a special treat to see happy, healthy little girls." She sighed. Family was a good thing.
"I bet. Well, feel free to borrow the girls ANYTIME." She giggled.
Danica and Lisa were talking about the high points of nail care, something that obviously didn't concern either of them.
"We be 'scused Mama?" Meg asked.
"Where would you like to go?" Wanda asked.
"Feed grampy's fishies!" Molly yelled.
"Oh sweeties. Not right now. That's near the water and maybe we can do that later with daddy." Wanda looked as disappointed as the girls.
Both girls pouted. "No fair."
Olivia whispered to Wanda. "Are you afraid of water?"
She shook her head. "No, but I can't keep my eye on both of them that close to the water. That's begging for trouble."
"If you want to take them, I can go with you." Olivia offered.
"Really? No, I couldn't impose. Thank you though." Wanda looked puzzled.
"It's no imposition. I'd enjoy it I think. Like I mentioned, I don't get to see happy kids that often. But it's your choice." She smiled.
"Wow. I guess yes then. The girls get denied stuff a lot because I can't handle both of them. It's so hard alone...with two feisty toddlers." She returned the kind detective's smile. "I'll go get a few things and be back in five minutes." Wanda turned to the girls. "If you behave for Aunt Olivia for five minutes, we can go feed the fishies. If not, we won't go anywhere. Ok?" She got agreement from both girls.
'Aunt Olivia? Has a nice ring to it.' When Wanda returned with a large canvas bag, Olivia and the girls had just finished playing Ring Around The Rosy.
"Ok, we're ready. Rules, first. Are we listening?" Wanda made sure she had their attention. "While we walk, we hold hands. No going in the water. No fussing when it's time to go."
"Yay!" Both girls jumped around. Molly grabbed Liv's hand and they walked off.
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Alex heard laughing and giggling as she walked down the path to the pond. She was greeted by the site of Olivia and the twins playing Monkey In The Middle with a beach ball. Wanda sat on the grass and watched them.
As she approached, the girls saw her and screamed. "Aunt Alex!!! Aunt Obwia is a good catcher and fishy feeder. Wanna play too?"
"I'll play next round. Is it ok if I sit with your Mom and watch?"
The girls nodded and Olivia smiled and waved. "Hey sweetheart. Everything ok?"
Alex smiled and nodded and sat down next to Wanda.
Wanda offered her a goldfish cracker. Alex laughed. "No thanks. Trying to cut back."
Wanda smiled at Alex. "So you and Olivia, huh?" She shoved her with her elbow.
Alex looked down and blushed slightly. "Yeah. It's still very new, but yeah."
"Well, she seems like good people to me. The girls adore her." Wanda looked at Alex. "And apparently it runs in the family."
"Nah, she's just got a soft spot for blue-eyed blondes." Alex looked at the happy scene playing out in front of her. Both girls had just tackled Liv and were tickling her.
"I'd say she's got a soft spot for a particular blue-eyed blonde, my friend." Wanda teased her cousin-in-law.
"Ok, ok. Time out, girls. Aunt Olivia needs a break." Liv plopped down beside the two women.
"Ok, I'll tag in. We should head back soon any way." Wanda got up and fished a Frisbee out of the bag.
"You looked really good playing with the girls, baby." Alex bit her lip at how sexy Olivia looked with a small sheen of sweat glistening on her brow and upper lip.
"You're biased and should recuse yourself from judgment in the matter." Olivia kissed her lightly. "How did your family meeting go?"
Alex licked her lips after the kiss and tasted the salty residue. "It went. Uncle Mort and Doug are worried about Ben. We got a family financial update and that was that."
"Well, I'm sure he loves his family very much. They'll work it out. Look at Elliot and Kathy, right?" She searched for the silver lining.
"Yup. So, the Fiesta begins at 5pm. Cocktail hour, dinner, then music and dancing." Alex stood up.
"Music and dancing?" Liv looked up in to shining blue eyes.
"Yes, under the stars on the veranda." She winked. "Let's go play Frisbee." She offered her hand to Liv.
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