Elliot watched the game with his family, but his mind was elsewhere

His life was comfortable right now. He had his wife of almost 19 years on his arm. His children were all happy and safe, and his new partner was actually pretty interesting. Sometimes, these easy days came too few and far between. The worst of it was, Elliot didn't know what to do when his life was easy.

It had always been a struggle. Becoming a father earlier than he meant to, working his way through college by enrolling in the Marines, joining the NYPD after that, he knew how to fight. That's who he was. What was there for him in peacetime?

While he contemplated his life and what was missing from it, life moved on without him.

Kathleen and Maureen went on about whatever was in the rumor mill at high school. Lizzie was chatting with some other kids in the stands. Kathy watched her son, cheering like the soccer mom she was.

Olivia and the others enjoyed their picnic; some of them enjoyed beer, and the twins played in the dirt.

Dickie scored the winning goal, leading his team to a 3-2 victory.

All of his supporters were cheering for him and when his mother offered victory pizza, he asked if everyone could come.

Alex and Olivia nodded. Casey and Dani came too.

It wasn't every day that a party of 12 came to get pizza. Seating them was the easy part. Trying to figure out what pies they were getting was the hardest.

"I want olives," Olivia declared.

"You don't like olives," Alex reminded her.

"I know, but I think I want them right now."

"Pregnancy does that," Kathy laughed.

"Does anyone else like olives in case Olivia won't eat this?" Alex didn't trust her.

"I'll eat it," Dani volunteered.

They got one pizza with bacon and olives, one pepperoni, and one plain.

When the one with olives came, Olivia took a big bite. "This is awesome. Want a bite?"

"Ew no!"

"You liked bananas on your pizza when you were pregnant."

"That was delicious, olives, EW!"

"I just wanted pickles," Kathy said, "lots of pickles."

"You made me find a 24 hour market at 3AM," Elliot reminded her, "many times."

"Can we buy olives on the way home?" Olivia questioned.

Alex kissed her. "I'll get you all the olives."

Several conversations sprouted at once, covering everything from football to children. Casey was a quiet one in the bunch and so was Lizzie.

The ADA, despite herself, decided to try and see what Lizzie was about. "What do you like to do for fun?"

"I like to ride my bike and play softball."

Casey was an avid mountain biker, when she had the time, and she did love softball. "Me too. I used to play in softball in college, and I play for the DA's team."

"Really?"

They started chatting about their positions. Lizzie played second base and Casey was a short stop.

Kathy watched them fondly. Lizzie usually didn't talk very much unless it was with other players from her team.

"I can't believe our season's almost over," Dickie lamented. "I won't be able to play again until the summer."

"Do you have a winter sport?" Alex asked him.

He shook his head. "I'm not much good at basketball or hockey."

"Does your school have indoor track?"

Elliot gave her a look. What public middle school has an indoor track?

He looked at her puzzled. "That's a thing?"

"It's what I did in school."

He shook. "Our school doesn't have an indoor track."

"But they might have a team. My school hosted a lot of meets because not all of other schools had a nearby track. Even if there is no team, if you spend your winter running, you'll be faster come spring."

"Are you a runner?" Dickie questioned.

"5 miles a day, every day."

"How?" Dani questioned.

"It used to be mornings, 5:30 religiously, but now I run whenever I can, before work, while dinner's in the oven, before bed."

"I don't know how you can run before bed," Olivia told her.

"I think the endorphins give me interesting dreams."

At the end of the dinner, Casey and Lizzie exchanged information.

"Maybe I could take you to the batting cages sometime."

"That would be great."

Kathy got the family in the car. "It was nice that they were all able to come out with us this afternoon."

"Casey's cool," Lizzie declared. "She plays softball and she rides the trails on her mountain bike."

"Alex is cool too," Dickie added. "She can run 5 miles in 30 minutes."

"No wonder she's so thin," Kathy grumbled. "She hardly looks like she had twins last year."

"You still got it Mom," Maureen said encouragingly.

"But your clothes could use updating," Kathleen told her.

Kathy gave her a look.

"Just saying, a trip to the mall could do you some good."

"And you wouldn't want anything at the mall, would you?"

"Well there is this jacket that …"

[Collective groan]

All of the Stablers knew where this was going.

"This was a fun outing," Alex said on their way home. She hardly had to talk to Elliot and his family was a lot of fun.

"And you said soccer sounds boring."

"I still don't get the sport, but you have to run a lot and running I get."

"Do you watch basketball for the running too?" Olivia teased.

"No, I watch it and think about you running up and down the court, all sweaty and sexy."

Olivia flushed. "Wait until we get home missy!"

Over the next few weeks, new friendships emerged. Lizzie ended up calling Casey and the two girls started hitting the cages together.

"Angle your feet a little more,' Casey instructed. "You want the power to come from your hips." The girl had potential. If she perfected her form, she could really knock out the competition. She was at the critical age where the pitchers tended to be better than the batters. If she could keep up, she'd be a star.

Alex and Dickie talked running together. He had never thought about stride or the right running sneakers before. He just ran when he had to and was fast enough to get there.

Kathy was appreciative of both Alex and Casey for their efforts with her youngest children. It was hard keeping up with four kids and with Maureen focusing on college apps, and Kathleen looking for independence, Kathy was getting stretched thin.

It was nice knowing that other adults were engaging with her children and could alert her to any signs of trouble.

"You don't mind taking Lizzie with you." Casey was meeting up with some former friends from college; they had played softball together, and Lizzie wanted to meet them.

"Of course not," Casey assured Kathy. "She's always well behaved and it will be fun."

While Lizzie was with Casey, Dickie was at the Cabots'. He and Alex had a running date through Prospect Park.

They did a two-mile run, which felt just right for the frigid day.

"What are you doing for Thanksgiving?" Dickie asked once they were done.

"We're hosting dinner at the house. My uncle and aunt are coming; so is Olivia's mother."

"Olivia used to come to our house for Thanksgiving," Dickie lamented.

Alex took him to get some hot chocolate. "I know things have changed over the past two years, but Olivia loves you and your sisters. She just has a lot more on her plate right now."

"I know. I'm glad she has a family now, it's just different." Dickie liked Alex. There was something different about her. He thought that it was her refined upbringing, but it was something else, something unique to her.

They headed to the house where they were both able to shower and change into something more comfortable.

"Liv, I brought you back some cocoa."

She had been home alone during their hour at the park, which was pretty nice. Liv didn't get as much alone time with the twins given her hours. It was usually her and Alex or just Alex. Liv liked feeling like the mama bear for once.

"Our baby keeps kicking my bladder."

Alex kissed her tummy. "Little Alexandra, give Mommy a break."

"What?" Olivia questioned.

"I'm just teasing Liv."

"Don't tease the pregnant woman!"

"What about when I was pregnant. You loved teasing me."

Olivia softened. "I can't believe how hormonal this all is."

"It's amazing isn't it?"

"Amazing and terrifying at the same time. … Kiss me!"

They shared a kiss, and then a second one. Almost forgetting Dickie was at their house until he came downstairs.

"Should I go back upstairs?"

The women broke their kiss and blushed.

"Oh no. I should go take a shower, and no you can't join me," Alex teased Olivia before she went upstairs.

"You're so mean," Olivia retorted. "How was your run?"

"It was fun. I never really ran outside of practice, but it's fun to compete against yourself. I want to get a watch like Alex has, so I can measure my progress over time."

The two put on a college football game and watched with the twins in tow.

Dickie got Ollie while Olivia got Lorelei.

"I bet they're going to be good at sports," Dickie told her. "You can teach them how to play basketball and Alex can run with them."

"When the weather's warmer, she runs with them using a stroller. Apparently, it's a fun ride for babies." It sounded nuts to Olivia.

"Already training them. She might end up teaching them rules of evidence before they're in Pre-K."

Olivia giggled. "Don't give her any ideas. I have a feeling Ollie's going to be her mini me."

"I think Lorelei is yours."

When softball players get together, they often get beers and talk about sex. Even though Casey had Lizzie in tow, Casey's friends didn't always keep the conversation PG.

"Case, got a boyfriend right now?"

"No."

"Girlfriend?"

"No."

"Fuckfriend?"

"Not in front of the kid, and no."

Lizzie chuckled. "You're pretty. Why not?"

"See, the kid is smart. Why are you all alone?"

"Who am I going to date with the hours I work?"

"Someone from work," a friend said to her.

"It's how Alex and Olivia got together," Lizzie added.

"See, she's smart. I bet there are a bunch of amenable cops and lawyers for you to choose."

The others went on about the women and men they were either dating nor "not dating," causing Casey to just grumble as she drank her soda.

Lizzie just found the whole thing funny. At 11, she was just about to reach the phase where everyone ran around looking for a "boyfriend" or "girlfriend." Right now, it was just fun to watch Casey squirm.

Dani and Elliot had to catch cases this weekend. Fin and Munch had off.

"You must be excited to have Thanksgiving off," Dani said. "Spend time with that beautiful family of yours."

"It will be nice," Elliot said, a bit nonchalantly. "I was spoiled before when it came to holidays."

"What do you mean?"

"Olivia didn't have a family and neither did Munch, so they would usually take the holidays if we caught a case, but now she is has her own family to get home to."

"Her kids are really pretty," Dani commented. "They took after Alex." She knew he didn't like Alex. This would be fun.

"I guess they're lucky. They could have taken after their father."

"Did they use a donor?"

"Worse; she got knocked up by Langan, and then Olivia made an honest woman out of her."

"I've heard his name before."

"He's the lawyer who was in that coma."

"Oh! She was with him? Mismatch!"

Stabler rolled his eyes. "She got pregnant and once he was in a coma, she moved on to Olivia."

"I take it you don't like her for Olivia."

"I just don't like her. You're lucky you weren't here when she was our ADA. She was a real bitch."

"She does seem a bit entitled."

"She just throws money at what she wants and she gets it."

"Like Olivia."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Come on El. Look at her perfect clothes, sharp hair cut, the jewelry. Alex clearly spares no expense when it comes to her wife. Even those babies had on designer clothes."

"Olivia's not like that," Elliot insisted.

"Everyone is like that. It's flattering when people give you gifts. I'm not saying she's a gold digger. I'm saying that I doubt very many men or women ever said no to Alex Cabot."

Elliot growled. "Wouldn't say yes in a million years."

"Really? She's tall, leggy, got a pretty face, and given how she and Olivia paw at each other, I imagine they have a lot of fun in the sack."

"Her attitude negates her looks."

"What kind of attitude do you like?"

"She has to have a positive attitude but a bit of darkness. She can't be too cheery or inexperienced." Dani intrigued Elliot. She had some kind of darkness to her. He could just tell.