AN: All right this is the last chapter for this story. I hope you love it. I went to see HARRY POTTER tonight- YESSSSS! AWESOME!! But when I came home I had to finish this beast of a chapter. SO it's really really really late and my typing may be slippery. Excuse any of my typos! This chapter is kind of based on a song from one of my favorite musicals "The Last Five Years." called "The Next Ten Minutes". If you've never heard of it---Go download the music now. It is one of the most gut wrenching emotionally driven musicals EVER! Even if you're not a musical person---you'll love it. It's about a couple who get married and then divorced. (The divorced part is not the part I wrote about BTW) At the beginning of the show the guy starts at the begining of the relationship and teh girl starts at the end. They sing together in the middle of the show for the first time during "The Next Ten Minutes", and that happens to be when they get married. Anyway, I've seen it performed at least five or six times by several different casts and the story is so strong that I cry like a baby through the whole thing. And that's really hard for me to admit, because I'm not really that much of a girly girl. I have my moments, but crying is not usually one of them. Anyway-ENJOY!
The Next Ten Minutes
Casey and Olivia burst through Elliot and Olivia's apartment door in a whirlwind.
"Liv, don't worry about it. Let's get all of your things and we'll go to Macy's and then we'll go straight to the salon. You'll be fabulo---"
Casey stopped when she realized that the living room was a disaster and Olivia had no longer been listening to her.
"Elliot! Maureen," Olivia called out, to what seemed like a destroyed empty house.
There was crayon on the walls, spilled cranberry juice on the floor, toddler toys thrown about, a dirty diaper open on the coffee table, and every couch cushion pulled from its' place.
"Holy mother of god, what the hell happened in here," Casey said, as she stood frozen in the middle of it.
Olivia handed Casey Ella and stormed to the bedrooms. "Kathleen! Elliot!"
Casey kicked her way to the kitchen with Ella held at an arms length from her body. She placed Ella in her high chair and looked for paper towels.
Ella who was about five months old found the whole thing to be quiet enjoyable. She spit and burbled in the chair while Casey opened and closed every cabinet in the kitchen searching for cleaning supplies. "I don't suppose you know where the soap would be do you, El?"
"muuuummmmm, mmmm, mum, mum, " she hummed with glee.
"Yeah, I didn't think so."
Olivia opened Maureen's bedroom door to find Elizabeth and three toddlers passed out on the bed and the floor.
Ben was hugging his blue blanket and sucking his thumb.
Simon's four-year-old son, Billy, lay sprawled out on the bed. His fingers had stickiness on them and his face was smudged with chocolate.
On the other side of Elizabeth, lightly snoring, lay the neighbor's little girl, Pearl. She looked like a little angel, with her blonde hair and her pink dress on, but Olivia knew better.
Pearl was the worst example of a well behaved two year old. If she wasn't repeating some awful swear word taught to her by her father, she was destroying things and hitting people.
Now knowing the perpetrators responsible for her newly decorated living room, she wondered why all of the kids were given to Elizabeth.
Quietly Olivia knelt down next to Elizabeth and nudged her awake. "Bethie," she whispered.
Elizabeth stretched and yawned peacefully, until she realized that she'd fallen asleep on the job. "Oh my god!"
"Shhhh. It's just me. You're ok. Where are your siblings?"
"Running errands. Well, except for Dickie. He had to go pick his girlfriend up and he hasn't gotten back yet."
"And why are you watching all of these children?"
Elizabeth sat up straight and rubbed her eyes. "Their parents are helping dad with the list."
"Really. And do you have any idea where your father is at this point in time?"
"I talked to him like three hours ago. He was still shopping."
Olivia looked around and sighed. "Great. Ok, this is going to work. Yep. I'm not worried. I'm going to do this. Naked with a baby. I guess, that's one way to do it. Yeah."
Olivia stood up and walked from the room as she talked to herself.
Casey was on all fours in a business suit and heels scrubbing crayon off the wall when Olivia opened the front door and welcomed Alex Cabot and her long-term secret lover, John Munch into the room.
"Alex Cabot," Olivia squealed. She hugged Alex around the neck and they laughed and cried with excitement.
"Oh my god, Olivia Benson, you look amazing. Look at your long hair. When did you grow it out?"
"Ah like a year ago, but I was thinking about chopping it off. The baby keeps getting tangled in it."
Alex let go of Olivia to look at Casey in rubber gloves on the floor. "Casey Novak, what are you doing?"
"I'm cleaning crayon, what the hell does it look like I'm doing?" Casey pulled herself off of the ground and headed for Alex with soapy gloves.
Munch stood in the corner watching the three women go at it like they hadn't skipped a day away from each other. Three minutes of seamless conversation and Alex was up to speed and bitching like the best of them.
"I can't believe they didn't have your dress! You should sue them!"
Olivia laughed. "Yes, because that's going to solve my problem."
"I'm not kidding. That's the most outrageous thing I've ever heard of. What are you going to do?"
Casey flipped off the rubber gloves and handed them to Alex. "We're gonna go shopping. You and John get the proud duty of cleaning….well dooty," Casey snarled as she looked at the pooh on the coffee table.
"Yeah how did that-"
"Mommyyyyyy," Pearl cried as she walked from the bedroom rubbing her eyes. Elizabeth ran behind her with Billy hanging from her back.
Casey grabbed Olivia's bag of make up and accessories and opened the door. "And you'll want to take care of that too. I mean, if you could."
Olivia turned to get Ella and Casey stopped her. "Liv, we don't have time."
"What about Ella?"
"She's fine. Munch, you got it under control right?"
Munch's eye grew wide and he fumbled out a ", what? I…I know nothing about bab-"
Casey pulled the door closed before he could answer.
Olivia peeked her head back in. "Her milk is in the refrigerator. Pink bottles. The blue ones are Ben's."
Alex stepped forward with panic on her face. "But Liv, I can't do-"
Casey pulled Olivia away from the door. "Liv, now. John, be at Cragen's by 4pm. No later."
She pulled her head out and disappeared.
SCENE
"Olivia Benson, I will be there on time and presentable," Elliot snapped as he drove recklessly around New York City.
He had given out orders and errands to anyone that called him.
He'd just finished his last stop when he remembered that he left Olivia's gift at work in his desk.
The sound of her frightened angry voice made the light bulb go off in his head. While holding the phone under his shoulder he got his siren ready to turn on as soon as Olivia was finished handing him his ass.
"Hey, hey, Ms. Olivia Benson—ok fine---Detective Olivia Benson—you used my full name first. I'm just going with the flow. Baby, everything will work out. Don't you worry about me. Get yourself together. Oh and let me know if you don't get a dress so I can at least have my shirt off. I wouldn't want you to feel like the only one under dressed," Elliot laughed.
SCENE
"Elliot, that's not funny. I love you too," Olivia replied before flipping the phone closed and pretending that she wasn't upset or stressed out.
Casey pulled Olivia around the department store throwing every dress she could find at her. "We have four hours to get you a dress and fix your hair. We can do this."
Olivia nodded in a trance and then she stopped. There in the window display was a manican dressed like a detective in a cocktail dress.
A yellow knee length trench coat fell to the side of a light purple vintage tailored knee length dress.
Olivia felt that immediate gut feeling just looking at it. The color would match Elliot's dark indigo zoot suit, nothing about it was fluffy, and the fabric was almost identical to the dress she had originally picked out. "Casey, what about that one?"
Casey tilted her head. "Well, it's definitely not white, or traditional in any way shape or form."
"Do you like it?"
"I love it. Let's try it on."
Olivia lifted a brow at her. "Let's?"
Casey got into the window and started pulling off the coat and the dress. "Ok, you can try it on. But if you aren't getting it, I so am."
SCENE
Don watched the caterers set up the food and flowers in his living room, while he paced next to the front door checking his watch every five seconds.
When he'd proposed the idea for Elliot and Olivia to have an unofficial wedding he didn't realize that he'd have to host the darn thing.
But Liv and El were like his kids, so knowing that he lived in a giant house all by himself, and that they needed a private space to vow their love, he decided to offer them the hospitality.
After hiring a few maids and mowing his grass the old Victorian Bachelor pad was looking mighty spectacular.
Simon and his wife were already at Don's helping with the decorations and the last minute preparations.
Simon walked by shoving an Hor'Deurve into his mouth. "Hey, Sarg, when's Elliot getting here?"
"He should have been here ten minutes ago. And Si, it's Captain, but please, call me Don."
"Don over Captain. No way! Captain is the coolest title ever. I would definitely abuse that privilege."
"And that's why you don't have it."
SCENE
Olivia walked out of the dressing room feeling like she just stepped out of a Dick Tracy comic book. "This is it!"
Ten minutes later she was in the salon being pampered by the gayest man she'd ever met and convincing herself that she wanted a dramatic change.
The over-zealous stylist giggled with delight and started hacking off every inch of Olivia's mangled brown locks.
"You are going to be gorgeous sweetheart! Your face is perfect for this cut. This is so exciting," he chirped.
SCENE
Maureen pulled into Cragen's cement driveway with Travis, Kathleen, Dickie, Dickie's girlfriend Amber, and a thousand bags and boxes of wedding essentials.
"Kathleen, get the cake, " she shouted.
"Why am I in charge of the f-ing cake?"
Dickie pushed her into the car. "Stop your whining Kathleen, at least you didn't have to go to the hotel to set up the candles and wrap the lingerie."
"Oww, did he make you do that," Kathleen moaned.
"Yeah, I'm never gonna be able to look at Olivia the same way again."
Kathleen shivered and pulled the cake from the trunk. "Double oowww!!!! Why is our father such an ass sometimes?"
"At least we know he's an ass who's getting some ass," Dickie joked as he smacked his girlfriend, Amber, on the tush.
Maureen grabbed a handful of boxes and yelled ", Shut your yaps. We gotta get this shit set up so I can do my hair."
The four of them piled into the veranda and were greeted by Don. "Hey, kids. Take that stuff to the caterers. They'll set it up. Have you seen your father?"
"No, he was suppose to be here already, " Maureen snipped. "Is John here? I need to dress Benson so that I can get myself ready."
"John? No. Was he suppose to be here already," Don asked.
"Yes." Maureen looked at her watch. "Damn-it where are they? They left ten minutes before us."
SCENE
"Say hello to my little friends," Billy shouted from the back seat of Munch's car, as he hit Pearl over the head with a plastic toy from McDonalds.
In the sweetest little two-year-old voice Pearl threw her French fries on Billy's head and said ", you're going down, ese."
"Ouch," Billy yelled.
"Bitch," Pearl answered.
Alex looked at Elizabeth and Munch, who were sitting next to her in the front seat and asked ", did I just hear her say-"
"Yeah, her dad's writes for Conan O'Brain," Elizabeth sighed.
Alex looked at Elizabeth crossly not understanding why that had anything to do with Pearl's extensive vocabulary, but decided that she really didn't want to know and looked hopelessly towards the street in front of her.
SCENE
"Elliot, what are you doing here," Fin said as he came from the crib followed by a tall fake blonde with extra large tits.
"I forgot something," he said as he dug threw his desk.
His hand touched the blue velvet box and he grabbed it quickly, then jammed it into his suit pocket.
"You're looking good," Fin added. "You've met Coco right?
Elliot glanced at the woman honing all over Fin and nodded. "Yeah, Hi."
He then grabbed the pile of clothing from his desk and nodded quickly to the blonde. "Fin, I will see you there."
"Did you get changed in the locker room?"
"Yeah," Elliot responded as he headed for the door.
"You're tie is crooked," Fin yelled.
Elliot pressed the elevator button and looked down at his tie to straighten it out.
The elevator doors opened and Allen Roberts graced the floor with his presence. "Elliot Stabler, just the guy I was looking for."
Elliot pushed past him. "Allen, I don't have time today."
"What do you mean you don't have time?"
Elliot checked his watch. "I have a previous engagement and if I don't leave now I'm gonna be ten minutes late. Well actually an hour and ten minutes late, because I should be there already."
Allen held the elevator door open and licked his lips like he had all the time in the world. "Just answer me a few questions and I'll let you go."
"I… Huuuahh," he growled as he impatiently checked his watch. "I guess I don't have choice."
"You and Benson did a case, oh two years ago, on a Muslim family. The father was an Ambassador of Afghanistan. "
"Yeah, what about it."
"What kind of connections have you had with that Ambassador since then?"
Elliot twitched in annoyance. "Wha- NONE! The last I heard he was back in Afghanistan. Can't this wait until Monday. I have a thing."
Allen held Elliot's gaze and just kept talking. "Did you know that Olivia Benson still makes visits to that Ambassador's daughter?"
"No, but that wouldn't surprise me. She stays in touch with a lot of victims."
"Elliot, you need me to take this punk down for you," Fin said behind Allen.
Allen turned to see Fin cracking his knuckles. "Detective, that's unnecessary."
"And so are your questions. You heard the man, he has to leave."
Allen held his foot in the door and sniffed with authority through his nose. "I was allowing him to proceed, but I, unlike him have a job to do, and he knows the answers to my investigation."
Fin got up in Allen's face. "Yeah, what investigation is that?'
"Terrorism. You'd know all about that wouldn't you Ofidian."
"What's that suppose to mean?"
Allen lifted his chest. " I know all about your brother being taken to Guantanamo Bay, so don't think you're not next."
Fin pushed him into the wall. "Why you going through my life rat? For your information I haven't talked to my brother in twenty years, so don't know what you're talking about. Back off."
Elliot stepped out of the elevator. "Fin, back up."
"What are you really hunting for Roberts? You jealous? Or do you have nothing better to do with your life but to pry into others."
Allen pushed him out of the way. "I'm here to ask you questions not visa versa. We can do this the hard way or my way."
Elliot looked at Fin and then to the closet next to them. Fin grinned and grabbed Allen by the neck of his button down shirt. "How bout we do this my way?"
Elliot jumped around them and opened the door as Fin shoved him inside.
"Talk to me when you figure out how to open that door, " Fin smiled and then closed the door and locked it.
Allen started yelling and beating on the door. "Hey, what are you doing? You can't do this. Let me out of here."
SCENE
Olivia stood in front of the mirror in Don's daughter's old bedroom. Her hair was wild and different. She barely recognized herself. It was like looking at a rock star or a model. After the morning she'd had, that was exactly what she was feeling like. Her face was perfect from the professionally applied make-up, bringing out all of the wonderful things about her already flawless complexion. Alex stood behind Olivia holding Ella and smiling.
"Well, it's not a white wedding, but you are a bombshell."
Olivia blushed and took Ella from her arms. Ella was in an equally cute purple dress with yellow flowers in her hair. "So this is it."
"How do you feel?"
"I feel…oh, I can't even describe it. Happy. Excited." Olivia started to tear up.
"Oh don't cry. You can't cry yet."
They laughed through the watery eyes. Alex handed Olivia a white handkerchief with lily's on it. "Here, I brought you this."
Olivia held back a laugh and wiped her eyes lightly. "I'm so glad you're here."
Alex hugged her. "I'm glad I'm here too."
"I wish my mother could be here. She always wanted me to get married."
Casey walked into the room. "You mean, unofficially married."
"Whatever," Olivia shrugged.
Casey kissed her on the cheek. "I'm sure she's here in spirit, darling. Are you ready Sadie Sadie married lady?"
Olivia nodded and they all headed towards the room that had been cleared out for the small ceremony.
On one side George Huang sat with his partner William. Melinda and her family sat next Trevor Langdon and they chatted warmly back and forth. In the back corner sat twenty of Olivia's defense students. They were all loud and giggly.
On the other side, Simon and his wife along with Elliot's kids and immediate family members took up two rows of folding chairs.
And Elliot's Irish family, who were quiet a large pack of reproducing Catholics sat behind them. His mother, brothers and sister, came with their spouses and children.
They alone took up thirty seats. Olivia peered out at the group of them and got butterflies thinking about the size of her new family.
She couldn't believe she'd gone from nothing to this. It was all so intense. She kept on peeking and saw that in the corner on the left side sat a few of the neighbor's from their building had decided to come.
Pearl was making a ruckus as usual. It was a small crowd, but they were full of love and support.
The one thing Olivia didn't see was Elliot. "Where's Elliot," she asked.
Casey checked her watch. "He's coming. He was trying to find a parking space."
Ten minutes later the front door opened and Olivia heard Fin and Elliot stumble in. Coco giggled like a cheap hooker in the background.
"Who is that," Alex whispered.
"That's Coco," Olivia said as she rolled her eyes.
"Where'd he find her, the stripe club," Alex chortled.
"Probably," Casey added.
Munch took his place at the front of the group with Elliot next to him. Elliot ran his hand through his hair and slowly gained his composer.
Since the wedding was so intimate Elliot and Olivia decided to cut the groom's man and the bride's maids from the ceremony. Alex and Casey kissed Olivia on the cheek and took a seat, while Don took Ella from Olivia's arms and held his arm out for her to latch onto. "You ready?"
"I've been ready for eight years now," Olivia smiled.
The violinist stood and started the heart grabbing drowns of happy bittersweet music.
Elliot looked up from his shinny black shoes and Olivia walked through the open hallway door taking his breath away.
Olivia could feel the uncontrollable wiggle of her lips as she held back the happy tears.
Slowly she made her way to Elliot and he grabbed her hands and held her face with his warm eyes. He couldn't help himself. He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek while excitedly rubbing her hands with his thumbs. "You're beautiful," he whispered.
"All right, you two," Munch interrupted.
The small group chuckled.
Munch folded his hands in front of him and cleared his throat. "We gather here to celebrate the unity of our best friends and our beloved family members (blood and chosen), Elliot Stabler and Olivia Benson.
If there were ever a time to agree with marriage it would be today. Watching these two work, laugh, fight, and love each other everyday for eight years was a journey to say the least.
For a long time I wasn't sure that they were going to beat the battle, but through the fates that be and a few spilled coffees, here we are, and I tell yeah, I'm a believer.
Seeing these two together brings hope and proof that there is true love in the world.
Hope that you can find a match to your good habits and your bad habits, and proof that they have done it and will continue to live it for the rest of their lives…as long as Elliot does everything that she says."
Everybody laughed.
"Kidding, kidding. Liv, I love yeah. All joking aside. Before I go ahead and give them the vows, Dickie wanted to share something from the whole family. Dickie."
Dickie stepped up and went straight to Olivia and Elliot and hugged them. He then turned to the group and spoke. " Liv, you've been the best step mother a person could ask for. All of us, original Stablers agree that we couldn't love you more. Thanks for bringing our dad back. We thought we lost him for a long time, but ever since you two got together this family has done nothing but laugh and mend it's faults. So thanks and welcome. And dad, keep your head on this time and do right to this wonderful woman."
"Dickie, you have nothing to worry about," Elliot smiled.
He then pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket. "Good. Ok, one last thing. We wanted to welcome Liv into the family with the Irish Blessing. Cause, well, it's not a wedding without the Irish blessing."
All four of Elliot's kid's stood up and read the blessing together with tears in the eyes and smiles on their faces.
" May God be with you and bless you.
May you see your children's children.
May you be poor in misfortunes
and rich in blessings.
May you know nothing but happiness
from this day forward."
Olivia dabbed at her flooded tear ducks as she hugged each one of them and kissed them on the cheek. She was so happy to be a part of their lives.
Munch took the rings from his pocket and recited their vows one at a time.
Elliot slid the gold onto Olivia's finger. Even though the vows would not be acknowledged by the state of New York or any other state for that matter. He took the words and the symbols to the highest respect.
Each word from his mouth was an absolute promise. Olivia sniffled and placed the ring on Elliot's finger with a shaky hand. The smile on her face was enough to bring sunlight into the darkest room.
Elliot smiled at her and wiped the tear from her cheek.
When the finished Munch winked at them and said with dignified authority ", I now illegally pronounce you, Man and Wife. Elliot kiss-"
For the second time today Munch was rudely interrupted as Olivia leapt towards Elliot and smothered his lips in a passionate excited kiss.
Everybody stood up and cheered. Don popped a champagne bottle open and the room erupted in good times, tasty food, and plenty of alcohol.
Throughout the course of the evening the eclectic group of family and friends watched the happy couple fawn all over each other and dance insufferably around the Dining room dance floor.
Olivia walked over to Maureen and took her sleepy baby into her arms. Ella nestled into Olivia's shoulder as the I-Pod shuffled its' way to Bobby Darin's "Beyond the Sea".
Elliot pulled his wife and daughter close to his chest. The music played melodically and Elliot's tipsy dancing feet swayed the two loves of his life back and forth like the gentle lull of water.
He nuzzled Olivia's cheek and neck while singing lightly into her ear.
"Somewhere beyond the sea. Somewhere waiting for me. My lover stands on golden sands and watches the ships that go sailing."
Olivia smiled and moved her hips with the touch of Elliot's hands. "Look out Bobby Darin, Elliot Stabler's taking over," she whispered.
He lightly kissed her lips and breathed in the smell of her perfume. "Mmmm, I forgot how much I like your short hair."
"I didn't know you had an affinity for it."
"You've got that tomboy, super model thing going on. It's irresistible. That and I can kiss you better."
Elliot leaned into her neck and kissed the soft spot beneath her ear lobe. Lightly he made his way past her collarbone and stopped at Ella's head. Ella was fast asleep. Elliot smiled at Olivia and they rocked side-to-side starring at Ella's sleepy baby face. Olivia quietly sang to Elliot and Ella with sultry eyes and warmth in her voice. "It's far beyond the stars. It's near beyond the moon. And I know, beyond a doubt. My heart will rip you out."
Elliot giggled. "Those aren't the lyrics."
"Those are my lyrics," she smiled, half drunk from the alcohol and half drunk from her complete love for the man holding onto her.
Elliot twirled them around and teased her with a small dip. He then lifted her surprised upper body back to their feet and pulled her even closer.
Their noses touched and their eyes met centimeters from each other. Elliot sang once again as he smiled and played with Olivia's new haircut. "We'll meet beyond the shore, we'll kiss just as before. Happy we'll be beyond the sea, and never again I'll go sailing!"
"No more sailing," Olivia answered as she slowly shook her head rubbing her nose to his.
"So long sailing." Elliot took her hand and spun her slowly around then held her and the baby tightly as he dipped them to the floor.
They stayed in their own little world taking in every minute like it was a precious gift. The time was endless. The clock felt like it had stopped.
Elliot and Olivia weren't going to miss one more moment of their life. Olivia sat in Elliot's lap still holding onto Ella.
She touched Elliot's hand and locked her fingers into his. Elliot looked down at his baby and touched her fingers.
Her tiny hand moved and grabbed onto his hand.
The guests around them chatted and laughed as the three of them sat knotted together.
Olivia closed her eyes and memorized the moment like a picture. Theses moments, these seconds, these happy warm thoughts were the endless beginnings of the ties that binded them together.
Detective Benson had found her knot!
AN: Happy Ending!!! One thing to take into account--Olivia's wedding dress is from the picture of Mar and Chris doing silly tango movies and goofy poses. I was so into the whole EO wedding that I made a video for it. You can watch it on You Tube .com. Search for Weisselle and my video's will come up. The video titled "The Next Ten Minutes" goes with this one. The baby pics in the video are just random baby pictures I found online. Well, unless Mariska is holding it- That's obviously August. Secondly, if you want more let me know. If I get enough inquaries I will continue this story.