Olivia sat quietly in the passenger seat as Mark drove through the neighborhood where his parents lived. Trees lined the road, their leaves colored of the autumn season. Olivia looked out of the window as she felt her stomach flip up and down.
"Don't be nervous sweetie, you'll be fine," he said rubbing her thigh lightly. She smiled as she covered his hand with hers. He pulled over to the curb, in front of a small, red brick home. White shudders framed the windows, as small shrubs lined the walkway up to the house. He turned off the ignition to the car, before turning to Olivia, who was still visibly nervous. "Baby, it's going to be fine, okay. I promise." Olivia nodded before leaning in and kissing him lightly. "You ready?" he asked quietly.
"Yep," Olivia nodded before opening the car door and stepping out onto the sidewalk. She smoothed out her dark wash jeans, which hugged her thighs and fell to the ground. They were widely flared at the bottom, mostly covering her brown rounded toe heels. She adjusted her ivory turtleneck, which fit tightly around her bust and waist falling just above the thick brown belt on her jeans. Mark walked around the front of the car and over to Olivia. He smiled, kissing her on the cheek before taking her hand in his and pulling her lightly up toward the house. Olivia stood next to Mark on the porch as he knocked loudly on the front door. After just a few minutes the door clicked open and an older man, who Olivia assumed to be Mark's father, stood in the doorway.
"Dad!" Mark exclaimed as his father stepped out onto the porch and hugged his son. Olivia stepped back and smiled as she watched her boyfriend hug his father. Mark's father had strong facial features and a full head of thick, wavy, silver hair. He was only a few inches taller than his son and well built for his age. After letting Mark go, he turned to Olivia, who was still smiling lightly.
"And who is this beautiful lady?" his father said, grinning.
"Dad, this is my girlfriend, Olivia Benson," Mark said lightly rubbing Olivia's lower back. "Olivia, my dad, Eric James."
"Nice to meet you Mr. James," Olivia said smiling, extending her hand.
"Okay," Eric began as he interlocked his hand with Olivia's. "Firstly, no more of that Mr. James nonsense. Mr. James was my father, god rest his soul, and you are required to call my wife and I by our first names. Got it?"
"I think I can do that," she said laughing lightly.
"Why don't we all go inside before we freeze our asses off out here?" Mark suggested. Eric and Olivia laughed lightly as they all walked into the house.
"Eric! Is that Mark?" Olivia heard a woman call from a room at the end of the hallway.
"Yes mother," Mark called back laughing. He took Olivia's hand in his before guiding her down the hallway and into the kitchen where an older woman, was bent over a wine glass, pouring red wine into it. She was much smaller than her husband, but also very well dressed, her dark red almost brown
hair was straightened and flipped out at the ends. Olivia assumed her to be more high maintenance than her husband, but still appeared to be kind-hearted and welcoming. "Something that you must know about my mother," Mark said releasing Olivia's hand and walking over to his mother, who was smiling. "Is that for forty years, she has not parted with her red wine," he added smiling before hugging his mother.
"I'm a wino, what can I say," she said laughing as she kissed Mark on the cheek. "This must be Olivia that I keep hearing so much about." Olivia smiled as she walked toward Mark's mother.
"It's nice to meet you Mrs. James," she said. She heard James jokingly clear her throat behind her. She laughed lightly as she looked over her shoulder slightly.
"I'm guessing that my husband told you about the name thing," she said. Olivia nodded, smiling. "Well, it's so great to finally meet you after everything that Mark has told us. And please call me Rose."
"Thank you for having me for the weekend," Olivia said graciously.
"Oh Olivia, please. We're happy to have you," Rose said. After talking for a few minutes in the kitchen, Rose poured Olivia a glass of wine and she and Mark followed Rose and Eric into the living room. Mark and Olivia sat on the couch, Mark hand caressed Olivia's thigh lightly as he and Olivia talked to his parents.
"So Mark tells me that you are a detective with New York," Rose said. "I can't believe that. How long have you been doing that?"
"Uh, it will be going on about nine years now," she answered.
"Wow. I just can't believe that you are a detective with how gorgeous you are. I guess I have that idea In my head that female cops are all butch tough and rough looking," she said laughing lightly.
"Well she's rough, and tough believe me," Mark said sarcastically. Olivia slapped him lightly in the chest with the back of her hand. Everyone laughed as Eric stood up and walked into the kitchen.
"So what are the plans for tonight mom?" Mark asked.
"I made reservations at a new restaurant on main street called Bistro 19 or 21 or some kind of number at 7:00. I hope that's okay?" she said.
"Sounds good," Mark said before looking at his watch. "You know what mom, its 5:30 now. I think I am going to head upstairs and jump in the shower before we leave and get settled and everything in the guest room," Mark said standing up. "You want to come with me babe," he asked holding out his hand.
"Sure," she said taking his hand and standing up.
"Sweetheart, get your father to help you with your bags," Rose said.
"Oh, it's fine mom, we just have two smaller ones," we can handle it. After getting their bags from the car Mark and Olivia walked up the stairs and down the narrow hallway into the guest bedroom.
"Ok, so your parents are absolutely amazing," Olivia said setting down her bag and walking further into the room.
"See I told you not to be nervous about anything. I knew that they were going to love you." He put the bags against the wall before closing the door and walking over to Olivia. "I'm happy that you decided to come." Olivia smiled before leaning in and kissing him. She felt his hands on her hips as she brought her arms around his neck as the kiss deepened.
Olivia stood in the bathroom, and looked In the mirror as she slid her bronze hoop earrings into her ear. She slid her arms through the sleeves of her dark denim jacket, which was being paired with a plain ivory wrap dress and her brown heeled boots. She turned off of the light of the guest bathroom before walking out into the bedroom.
Mark turned around still buttoning up his blue dress shirt. "Can you look bad just once in your life?" he asked with a smile.
"I have, you just never get to see it because I don't want to scare you," she said with a smile as she sat on the edge of the bed. Mark laughed before turning back to the full length mirror. After a few moments of silence, Olivia cleared her throat softly. "Hey babe?"
"Yeah," he said, tucking his shirt into his black pants.
"Do you remember after dinner the other night when you said that you think that you were falling in love with me?"
"Of course," he answered suspiciously, turning around. "Why?"
"Are you upset that I didn't say anything back?" she asked nervously. Mark raised his brow slightly before slowly walking across the room toward her. "I mean, I've been thinking about it for days, and I know that it's been six months and most people say it that far into it and," she said quickly before stopping as Mark kneeled down in front of her, and placed his finger over her mouth.
"Shut up," he said softly. Olivia lowered her eyebrows, ready to fight back when he took his hand away from her mouth and framed her face with his hands. "I love you," he began softly. "You do more for my physically, emotionally and mentally than I think that you c "ould ever know. I want you to always tell me how you feel, but only when you're ready." Olivia felt her eyes begin to water as she glanced down at her lap. "Sweetie don't cry, you'll ruin your make up. You look so beautiful tonight," he said with a small smile. Olivia looked back up at him as a small tear rolled down her cheek. Mark reached up and wiped the tear from her cheek with his thumb. "Talk to me baby, what's wrong?" After a slight pause, Olivia took his hand in hers.
"I. I love you," she said softly, her lips curling up into a faint smile. Mark smiled before leaning in and kissing her lightly.
"I love you too," he said softly with a smile. Olivia smiled back before leaning in and kissing him again.
"Alright, finish getting ready. I'm going to head downstairs and wait with your parents," she said standing up. She kissed him on the cheek lightly before walking out of the room.
"Olivia, you look gorgeous once again," Rose said as Olivia walked into the living room to find Ruth sitting in the armchair, reading a magazine.
"Thank you. Mark is just finishing up so he should be down shortly." Olivia sat across from Rose in the middle of the couch. "Where's Eric?"
"Upstairs. I'm thoroughly amazed at the fact that we are downstairs, ready to go, and the men are still getting ready," Rose said laughing.
"Yeah, I'm usually ready before Mark most of the time anyways," Olivia said with a smile. Rose laughed as James and Mark walked down the stairs and into the living room.
"Yeah but then look at me and then look at you," Mark said sarcastically walking over to the side of the couch.
"Hey now!" Olivia exclaimed laughing.
Two days later Olivia walked into the squad room just as Elliot was coming out of Cragen's office. "Morning," Olivia said as she walked toward her desk and hung her jacket on the back of her chair.
"Hey, how were the parents?" Elliot asked, dropping the file on his desk before walking over to the side of hers.
"It went really well. I actually had a good time," she said sitting down.
"Imagine that. I told you that it would be fine," he said before walking over to the coffee station.
"Is that the file on the Burrows case?" Olivia asked loudly.
"Yep, just waiting for your signature," he said looking over his shoulder.
Two and a half months later, Olivia and Mark walked up the walkway to his parent's house. "You are going to love my brothers and sisters," he said kissing her lightly on the cheek. "And just so you know, Christmas Eve at my parents house is usually pretty crazy so just beware."
"I think I can manage," she said with a light laugh. Mark turned the doorknob of the front door, pushing it open. Four little kids, all appearing to be under the age of six or seven were running down the stairs and down the hallway into the kitchen. Mark slowly closed the door behind him before taking Olivia's hand in his.
"Hello!" he called walking into the living room where his two brothers and three sisters were all talking, some standing by the fire place, other sitting on the furniture. Yelling filled the room as Mark and Olivia turned the corner and stood in the archway. Olivia smiled as Mark's family welcomed them loudly, just as Mark had warned. Olivia was soon introduced to Mark's two older brothers and sister, and two younger sisters, and later found herself in the kitchen with Mark, and his oldest brother David and his wife Lisa.
"So you two have been dating for how long now?" Lisa asked before taking a sip of her wine.
"Uh, just under nine months," Mark said, wrapping his arm around her waist.
"Olivia you should know that you are the first girl that Mark has ever brought home, and from what I understand, you were here two months ago. You must be pretty special," David said.
"I'd like to think so," Olivia said with a smile before kissing Mark lightly on the cheek. "so how long have you two been married?" she asked.
"It will be twelve years next month," Lisa answered. Olivia's eyes widened.
"Wow. That's amazing. Congratulations," Olivia praised.
After dinner, Olivia stood in the living room, talking with Eric and Megan, Mark's sister. Mark stood beside her, rubbing her lower back lightly as he sipped his bottle of beer. "Are you guys staying here tonight?" Megan asked as she bent down and picked up her two year old daughter.
"Yeah," Mark answered. "I think that mom would die if one of us decided that we would rather stay in a hotel." Eric and Megan laughed lightly. "Speaking of mom, where is she?"
"I think that she just went upstairs to grab a sweater or something," Eric answered.
"I'm going to go and see if I can find her. Excuse me," he said kissing Olivia's cheek lightly and walking toward the stairs. He walked up the stairs and down the hall to his mother's bedroom, the door half closed. He knocked lightly on the door before opening it slowly. "Mom," he said softly, "You in here?"