One week later, they were all headed for CT to enjoy a good old Southerlyn wedding.
Maureen and Serena Benson were watching the twins for the weekend. Alex didn't want the teen to burn out, so she would get a two-hour break every four hours and Serena would take them at night.
"I have Maureen's money here, and if you need anything just call."
"Have fun," Serena told them before shooing them out the house. She was happy to be trusted with their little tykes. "They'll be just fine."
Alex and Olivia had to field calls from Abbie and Serena the whole way.
"Do you have the rings?"
"Yes, Abbie, we have the rings."
"Do you have my something borrowed?"
"Yes, Serena, we have you covered."
The two brides were both a mess and Alex was ready to slap both of them before she even got there. "They need to chill!"
Olivia snorted. "You remember how nervous we were last year."
"Yeah, I do."
"Let's be nice to them now and tease them once they get back from their honeymoon."
"Now you're talking."
That evening, Alex and Olivia saw the Carmichaels and the Southerlyns together for the first time. The rehearsal dinner had Abbie's parents, her playboy younger brother Gavin, Serena's parents, her grandmother, and of course, Alex and Olivia all at one table, while the extended relatives were all around the hall.
It didn't take long for the two families to start bickering.
Gavin made the mistake of asking Serena where her sister was and her mother yelled at him. Abbie's mother yelled at Serena's mother for yelling at her son, and before they knew it, everyone was insulting each other.
Abbie was a gold digger. Serena was a society brat who was shrugging through life while Abbie busted her ass off.
It was embarrassing, well not to Gavin. He thought it was hilarious.
"What is wrong with our families?" Serena whispered.
"Too much money and not enough sense."
Alex tried to break it up, but someone shoved her to the ground. Trying to not fall, she grabbed the tablecloth and dropped food all over one half of the table. Before she knew it, she started a massive food fight.
Alex crawled for cover under the table.
Olivia thought she and the baby should skedaddle and used the opportunity to go call her mother.
Serena was reading Les Mis.
"Hey Mom."
"Olivia how's the rehearsal dinner?"
"It devolved into a food fight."
"I'm sad I missed it. The twins are fine. We fed them dinner, and they're going to go to bed soon."
"I don't know if I'll survive this weekend, Mom."
"Of course you will. You take on rogue criminals every day, you can deal with some spoiled brats."
"I think they might be more dangerous."
"Well I still think you'll be fine. Plus, you have to stay strong for my grandbaby."
"You saw the vitamins."
"I did, and you've been so pukey. I assumed you were pregnant if you weren't going to stay in bed this weekend. How far along are you?"
"Almost eight weeks."
"You have a long way to go Hon."
"I hate the puking."
"It will pass. Alex better be taking good care of you."
"She is, but she might be mad. I kind of fled the scene without her."
"Olivia Benson Cabot, you turn your butt around and rescue your wife. I will not have the Bensons thought of as wimps."
"Yes Mom."
Alex had made her own escape, using a server tray as a shield.
"Nice of you to come back," she snapped.
"Sorry, you know how my hormones are. I couldn't deal with it."
Alex knew how pregnancy hormones could just take over the brain. "Let's get you upstairs Baby."
The hall they had rented fined the family for making a mess, and of course both families wanted the other one to pay the bill.
"The groom's family is supposed to pay for the rehearsal dinner."
"The bride's family started this stupid fight and wouldn't let us have the dinner at a BBQ joint like we wanted."
"Who eats barbeque before a wedding?"
"Fun loving people, unlike you!"
Abbie and Serena had fled an hour ago and decided fuck the rule; they were sharing a bed tonight. They needed each other to survive their parents.
"Why are our parents fucking crazy?" Abbie questioned.
"This is why we don't live in CT or Texas."
"And you bet your sweet ass we aren't ever gonna."
The next morning had everyone praying for a miracle that the wedding could go off without too much of a hitch.
Alex was there to get Serena dressed and to try and keep her sane.
She had her grandmother's handkerchief for something old. Her dress was new. She was borrowing Alex's necklace for something borrowed and her underwear was blue.
"You look gorgeous," and Serena did in her white Vera Wang dress. Her hair was in an updo and her makeup was flawless.
"I can't believe this is it."
Only five years in the making, 2 for pining and three for dating.
"You two are made for each other. Who else can keep our crazy Texan in line?"
Abbie was panicking. "What if I trip? What if I forget my vows? What if I?"
"Abigail Lauren Carmichael, I have never known you to trip or forget your own words. You could talk even when you were vomiting drunk. You will be fine. Just say how you feel."
"I feel ... like this dress is too tight."
Olivia rolled her eyes.
Thirty minutes later, Olivia went down the aisle with Abbie and Abbie's father.
Soon after, Alex went down the aisle and then Mr. Southerlyn walked down with Serena.
The minister, who was from the Unitarian Universalists' Church, started the ceremony. "Ladies and Gentleman, boys and girls, we are delighted today to …"
He gave his customary speech and then it was time for them to exchange the rings. Abbie took a gold band from Olivia and put it on Serena's finger.
"I remember when we first met because we were arguing about the merits of the mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines. I expected you to side with me because you were a fellow prosecutor, but I quickly learned that you would never let any job define who you are or what you believe in.
There are 1000 reasons I could give for why I love you, but the most important reason is your heart. It's big enough to carry you, me, and our jobs. I'd be lost without you, and I hope I never have to be lost."
Serena went next. "Before I met you, I heard that you were a player and that you were inherently unattainable. I never liked being told I couldn't get what I want, and so I was determined to make you chase me, and I'm so glad you did.
It's your energy that keeps me going when I want to crash and your love that protects me when everything's going to hell. I fucking love you Abbie Carmichael and I always will."
They didn't even wait for the I dos. The couple started kissing and everyone started cheering.
While the wedding party was getting photographed, everyone else was left to mingle.
The group was a diverse bunch. There were many society people on Serena's side, and a lot of cops, lawyers and Texans on Abbie's side.
John was already on the prowl, looking for a single lady somewhere.
Fin and Casey had a bet on how many women would turn him down tonight. He bet three and she bet five. Fin thought he'd lose his nerve after three. Casey thought he would too, but then he'd get drunk and start again.
Elliot and Kathy came without the kids. There wasn't much for them to do at this wedding, and Maureen would be babysitting anyway.
Alex couldn't believe how many pictures they had to take. "We didn't even get married. Why was I in so many photos?"
"You know they needed like 500 in case 485 of them were bad."
Alex laughed. "Let's get you some ginger ale and snuggle somewhere before this reception starts."
They found the lounge and Olivia drank ginger ale while Alex gave her a foot massage.
"My feet aren't swollen."
"But they will be. Enjoy this now while you can."
Olivia couldn't complain. "Ooh that feels nice."
Two hours later, the wedding reception started. They had the reception inside the house, which had its own banquet hall.
They announced Abigail and Serena Carmichael.
The couple shared their first dance to "Come Away With Me," by Norah Jones.
"They look good together," Olivia said to Alex as they watched from their table.
Serena's head was resting on Abbie's shoulder. They looked like they were oblivious to the rest of the world.
"I knew they'd get there, eventually."
Despite the hostilities the night before, both the Southerlyns and the Carmichaels managed to act cordially this evening.
Gavin decided not to speak at all, and no food was thrown.
They had a seven-course dinner, with speeches in between. This was going to be a long night, and to help the night go faster, they served a lot of booze.
This was to some table's benefit but it ended up being to the Langans' detriment.
Trevor was seated with his parents. Elsa was his date.
"Why did you bring your nurse to the wedding?" Audra questioned.
"She's no longer my nurse. She's my girlfriend."
"What?"
Trevor didn't repeat himself. Instead, he just squeezed Elsa's hand.
The matriarch had plenty of questions: who were her parents, where did she go to school, did she plan on being a stay at home mother.
"Mom, what is it with all of these questions?" They had only been really dating for four and a half months.
"You can never be too careful these days."
Trevor Sr. managed to change the subject, but that only lasted for so long. By the end of the dinner, Audra Langan was wasted and she started making accusations.
"This is all your fault," she yelled at Alex.
"You should go sit down. You look ready to fall over," Alex decided not to respond to the substance of what she was saying, mainly because whatever she was saying was probably garbage.
"If only you had married Trevor instead of that delinquent cop. Now he's cavorting with a nurse, out of all of the things I ever heard. Doesn't he know that society men fuck nurses behind their wives' backs? They don't marry them."
So you wanted me to marry Trevor so he could cheat on me with Elsa.
"I really think you should drink some water."
"You can't tell me what to do!"
Alex gave up and walked away.
Audra looked around and saw Trevor's ex-girlfriend Kim Greylek in attendance. "How are you doing dear?"
"Mrs. Langan, I'm doing just fine." Kim hadn't spoken to the Langans in years.
"I always thought that you and Trevor should have ended up together." She started handing Kim drinks and talking up her son to her.
90 minutes later, a very drunk Kim approached Trevor as Elsa watched from the hallway.
"Hey Trevor, how's it going?"
"Fine Kim."
She boxed him in before he could leave. "I've been thinking about us."
"There is no us."
"But there could be and there should be. I'm sure this Ellie girl is nice, but she's not from our world. We're stripes and no matter how smart or cute she is, she'll always be a spot."
Kim grabbed Trevor and kissed him. He shoved her away, but it was too late, Elsa was gone.
"What is wrong with you?" He went to look for Elsa, but he couldn't find her.
"Have you seen Elsa?" he asked Alex.
"No, but your mother drunkenly accosted me earlier. Maybe she had something to do with Elsa's disappearance."
"I hope not."
He tried calling her phone, but he got no answer. Finally, he approached his mother. "Where's Elsa?"
"Why would I know?"
"Well you already tore into Alex today and …"
"I had to sit back and watch as you lied in a coma, dead to the world, that blonde hussy over there married another woman and absconded with my grandchildren, and I have had enough. It is about time you take your life seriously and find a proper society girl to marry, not this street worker you found in some alley way!"
"You sent a drunk Kim my way," he realized. "Forget about seeing any of your grandchildren. I'm done with you!"
Of course Elsa had driven to the party, so he had to hire a car to drive him to New York.
I need to find her before it's too late.
When Trevor disappeared too, Alex assumed that he and Elsa decided to leave the wedding together. She didn't realize there was a problem until much later, when Trevor Sr. asked her if she had heard from his son.
"The last I saw him, he was looking for Elsa."
"I know that. Apparently Kim drunkenly kissed Trevor and started a whole fiasco."
Alex's eyes widened. "I'm sorry. I don't know where he is."
He wasn't answering his phone. Trevor Sr. hoped the altercation didn't get any worse.
Alex went to find her wife who was chatting with Kathy. She had deduced that Olivia was pregnant. "I've gone through it three times. I know the tells."
Olivia couldn't hide it. "We're going to announce it next month, when I'm out of the first trimester."
"Congrats. You and Alex must be really excited."
Alex slipped her arms around her wife. "Hey Kathy."
"Hey yourself. Already going for #3." Damn they must be stupid in love.
Of course she knows. "I couldn't wait to get a little Benson, and we didn't know how long IUI would take."
"Your secret is safe with me. I'll catch you two later." Kathy went to go find her husband.
"Apparently, I'm obviously pregnant. People keep noticing."
Alex kissed her forehead. "Let's dance."
Olivia led her to the dance floor. Alex had been too tired at their wedding to dance a lot. She was nearly nine months pregnant at the time.
Alex was taller, but her head rested on Olivia's neck. "I love feeling your body against me."
Olivia held Alex firmly to her. "Let's stay close while we can, before my belly gets too big."
Alex pulled her wife to her for a kiss.
Elsa was balling by the time she got back to her apartment. She should have known. It was too good to be true. She changed into pjs and put on The Notebook. About an hour into the movie, the doorbell rang.
Unsure of who it could be at this hour, she cautiously went to the door. It was Trevor holding a bouquet of lilies that he had bought from a street vendor on his way here.
She opened the door, but didn't let him in. "What are you doing here?"
"Elsa, I only want you. Kim means nothing to me."
"Then why did you kiss her?"
"I didn't," he insisted. "She drunkenly threw herself on me, and I pushed her away. I tried to find you right away, but you were already gone."
She looked into his eyes. Despite what she thought before, she didn't think he was lying.
"But what about your mother? She hates me."
"She hates everyone. I don't care what your last name is or how your parents earned a living. I just want you."
"But why? You could have any girl you want."
"Then can I have you because you are the only one I want?"
She wanted to but she was scared. "There will always be other Kims trying to get to you."
He made his way into the apartment and kissed her. "There's only one way to change that."