July 2008

The Stablers had a barbeque to celebrate the Fourth of July.

Alex had a new sundress and was excited to have an opportunity to wear it.

Olivia smiled when she saw her. "You look like a sunflower."

"Are you saying I have a big head?" Alex teased.

They shared a tender kiss.

"You're gorgeous baby."

"I think you're the prettier one."

"You must be dreaming."

They made blueberry pies to bring to the party.

Alex was concerned that they didn't have enough. "Should we have made a fourth one?"

Olivia was sure it was fine. "Three pies are plenty!" They'll have other desserts there.

"Maybe we should pick up some ice cream just in case."

Olivia shook her head. "You're worrying for nothing. Plus, if there's no dessert, everyone will blame Kathy instead."

Alex snorted. "You're terrible Liv!"

"But you love me anyway!"

The driveway was already full when they had arrived.

Elliot's brothers and Kathy's sisters had all showed up with their children, making it quite an affair.

"I knew we should have brought more pie!"

"Hide one in the car," Olivia told her.

Lizzie answered the door. "I suggest you run for your lives," she told them. Apparently, Kathy and her sisters were all in the kitchen, arguing over how to prepare/serve the food.

Cassie laughed. "You're funny."

"Don't say I didn't warn you."

Olivia heard the arguing and headed out back. "Come on Cassie!"

Elliot was out back manning the grill. His brothers were trying to help him.

"Shouldn't you put on the chicken first? It has to be well done."

"The ribs will take longer than the chicken."

"What about the …"

Elliot was used to this by now. He just went about his business.

Before he knew it, someone was waving a beer in his face.

"Oh thank God!"

"Olivia's just fine."

He rolled his eyes. "You just get here?"

"Yeah, Alex and Cassie made pie."

"We should hide one," Elliot told her; he was serious.

"I told her that but …"

Elliot looked at the house. "When the coast is clear …"

When Alex came into the kitchen, Kathy saw an escape hatch. "Alex, how great to see you."

Alex presented their offering. "Where should I put them?"

Kathy set them on the back counter with the cake. "They smell delicious."

"I used a little sage to cut against the sweetness."

Right away, the sisters all started putting in their two cents as to how to make a blueberry pie.

Kathy and Alex carefully tiptoed out of the kitchen.

"I thought I'd never get a break."

"It's nice that your sisters came to visit," Alex offered.

"Nice like a hernia."

Alex had always wanted a sister. "My parents tried, but I was the last child they had."

Between Kathy's genes and Elliot's, it was no surprise that they had a gaggle of children. "Are you and Olivia looking to have more kids?"

Alex nodded. "We're currently researching adoption agencies."

"What made you pick adoption?"

There were a lot of kids at the party, ages ranging from 2-16.

Someone had gotten about two dozen little water guns and the younger kids were playing water tag.

"You're it!" a boy sprayed Cassie.

"You butt!" she grabbed a gun and started to chase him.

Olivia and Elliot laughed as the children ran around.

"She got him in the face," Elliot pointed at Cassie. She had killer aim.

"She has Alex's scowl when she's concentrating."

Elliot agreed. "I'm putting $10 on her becoming a lawyer."

Once the food was ready, everyone converged on the table. There were burgers and hot dogs as well as bratwurst and corn on the cob.

Only the patient would get ribs and chicken.

Olivia was not amongst the patient. She had two hot dogs.

"Really like hotdogs Liv?" Elliot teased. They had better options.

"Alex banned them from the apartment." She was doubling down while she could.

"I did not," Alex denied. … "I just refuse to buy them or cook them. It's not like you don't have a hot dog app on your phone."

"I have three," none of them are 100% accurate.

Alex shook her head.

Notably, Cassie had no hotdogs on her plate. Like her Mama, she had a bratwurst with mustard (no ketchup) and a side salad.

Baby Eli kept trying to get food from his mother's plate. He was too young for any of it. Soon, he would get mushy peas and smashed carrots, but for now, he only nursed.

Kathy was having trouble eating with him in her lap. She looked up and saw that Richard had already finished his plate.

"Can you hold him?"

The teen smiled before he grabbed his little brother. "Why don't we go play in the grass?"

Eli couldn't walk yet, but he was quite the crawler. He kept trying to crawl to the kids who were running around in the yard.

He got away from his older brother, but Cassie found the baby and brought him back.

"Thanks Cassie."

The other kids ran off without her. They heard an ice cream truck in the distance.

Eli had managed to crawl into a mud puddle during his short escape. When Richard saw how dirty he was, he realized, "I'm going to need to give him a bath."

Eli was filthy, and Kathy would freak if she saw him looking like he grew up in a cabbage patch.

They got Eli into the bathtub. He loved taking the suds and throwing them at his older brother.

"He's a messy baby."

"I think all babies are messy," Richard had never heard of a clean one.

"What's it like being an older brother?"

"It's the best. I mean, there are some times when it's annoying, like when you want to go to the movies, but you have to babysit instead, but they grow so fast, and they just want to do what you do."

Just then, Eli made a big splash and got them both wet.

Liv did manage to get some pie. The guests had all converged on the cake.

"If only they knew how good this pie is," Olivia brought a big bite to her mouth.

Elliot had to make a joke. "I'm tasting your wife's pie right now."

Olivia made a face. "I'm telling Kathy!"

The trio headed home before the fireworks. They wouldn't start until 9:00 and Cassie would be asleep by then.

"Did you have fun?" Olivia asked Cassie as they got her in the car.

"Yeah, we gave Eli a bath and he made a big mess!"

"Babies do that," Olivia told her.

"Can you and Mama have a baby?"

Not exactly, they had yet to teach her the birds and the bees. "What?"

"I want to be a big sister too."

Alex was shocked. Little kids do change their minds quickly. Kathy suggested this might be the case with Cassie. "We'll see what we can do."

That night, millions of New Yorkers watched a beautiful fireworks display.

Alex and Olivia were not amongst them.

"Take me now!" They had their own reason to celebrate, privately.

Olivia dove onto the bed, Alex in her arms as they crashed against the sheets.

Clothes got yanked off; the two lovers battled for position. Hot lips seared against sweaty skin. Nails dug into backs as they writhed against each other.

"I love you Allie!"

"Show me!"

Olivia pinned her wife to the mattress, giving her a bruisinL kiss before sliding her hand between the blonde's legs. "You're so wet for me."

"Always baby!"

Loud grunts and groans were masked with explosions from outside their window.

Alex clung to the sheets, throwing her head back as she moaned. "AH! Liv! OH FUCK!"

She was so close. "Cum for me!" Olivia drove into her, harder, faster. She needed to feel Alex clamp onto her fingers.

Seconds later, she got her wish. She swore Alex was like a vice grip, milking the detective's fingers for all she could.

They collapsed together. "We're going to have a baby, Al."

"We are," she was so happy she could cry.