"Your mother would-"

"Enough with my mother, Amanda!" Sonny finally exploded. "This isn't her call!" He ran a hand through his hair, slowly becoming aware that the entire bullpen was staring at the two of them.

There was a cough from behind them. Amanda turned to see Olivia leaning in the door of her office. "It's nice to see the two of you," she said, "but maybe you wanna bring this conversation into my office?" She eyed them warily. "Or, I don't know, Interrogation?"

"Just when it was gettin' good," Velasco whispered to Muncy.

Grace held her fingers about two inches apart. "I was this close to makin' popcorn," she replied.

Fin eyed the two of them. "You realize that we can all hear you, right?" He stared at the two of them until they made themselves scarce into the break room, and watched Amanda and Carisi as they followed Olivia into her office, wondering just what in the hell had brought them to the 1-6 that afternoon…

Olivia sat down behind her desk, and motioned for the two of them to sit down across from her. Amanda sank into a chair, but Sonny, more accustomed to standing during an argument, paced the floor.

"Counselor?"

Sonny paused.

"Sit. Down."

Sonny eyed his former captain as he sat down. Even sitting, Olivia Benson commanded a presence. "Okay. The two of you wanna tell me why you're having a marital dispute in my bullpen?"

Both of them stared at the floor like two teenagers in the principal's office. Olivia refrained from rolling her eyes. Figuring she'd have an easier time getting the story from one person at a time, she did a mental coin flip. "Carisi?"

Carisi loosened his tie and leaned forward. "Rollins wants to ask Fin to walk her down the aisle."

That was not what Olivia had been expecting. Her eyes flickered through the blinds. "Oh!" she said. "Oh, Amanda, I think that's a wonderful idea. So why-"

"She's afraid my mother won't approve," Carisi explained. He looked at his wife. "Even though I've told her that ain't a decision my mother gets to make for her!"

"It's not just your mother, Sonny, it's the whole damn Catholic Church."

Olivia and Carisi both stared at Amanda. "I…that's what you're afraid of?" Carisi stuttered. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Amanda-"

"Carisi." Olivia held up a hand. "Give her a second. A little empathy, please?" she said pointedly.

Appropriately chastised, Carisi shut up. Olivia looked at Amanda. "Go."

Amanda brushed tears out of the corner of her eyes with her fingers, took a breath. "I…okay, I know it's stupid but I already feel like your family is pissed at me-at us-because we did the civil ceremony and didn't invite them. Your mother is so gung-ho about the big Staten Island wedding that I'm afraid she's gonna fly off the handle if she finds out that my two girls are from two different fathers and we went ahead and got married without them!"

She looked at Carisi desperately.

Without breaking eye contact, Carisi said, "Am I good to talk now, Cap?"

Olivia refrained from rolling her eyes. "Your witness."

"Good." Carisi reached over and took Amanda's hand. "First of all, my mother already knows. I called her and told her. I didn't know how she'd react and I didn't want her takin' it out on you since it was my idea. You know what her response was?"

When Amanda didn't say anything, he continued, "Ma said 'it's about time!' So you don't gotta worry about what my mother thinks of this whole thing because she already knows and she's fine with it as long as we make it official in front of God and everybody."

He brushed his thumb over her knuckles. "Amanda, my mother could care less if you had two kids outta wedlock or twenty, a'ight? My mother had an abortion." He looked at Olivia, and at her. "And you guys are the most people that know about this. My own father doesn't know. Not for a minute is my mother of all people gonna judge you for the way those two beautiful girls came into this world. They're here, and you're a great mom, and if I do say so myself, I'm gonna make a pretty kickass father. And my mom gets more grandbabies she can spoil. That's all she cares about. And as far as the Church goes, if I thought for one second they didn't approve of you, of us, I'd walk out those doors."

She looked up sharply. "Dead serious," Carisi promised her. "And I got all the evidence to back it up and prove it to ya later, if you want."

Carisi pointed out the blinds. "And the whole Fin thing?" He shook his head. "I'm just sorry I didn't think of suggestin' that myself. Because it's a great idea."

Finally, Amanda smiled. Carisi let out the breath he'd been holding.

Olivia pointed at the two of them. "You both good?" she questioned.

Amanda got up, threw her arms around her husband, who kissed her forehead. Then, she made her way around Olivia's desk so she could hug her. "Yeah," she said tearily. "Yeah, we're good."

"Okay." Liv gave her one last squeeze. "Now go, ask Fin before he ends up on a call." She smiled. "I wanna see his reaction."

Amanda looked at Carisi, who shot her an encouraging smile. Then, she left Olivia's office and found Fin at his desk.

"First marriage spat?" Fin asked her.

"First of many, I'm sure," Amanda replied. "You know how he loves to argue."

"You'd think he gets enough of that at work. I ever need to come straighten him out, you just let me know."

"I know." Amanda twisted the ring Carisi had gotten her nervously. "I know. You've got my back. You have ever since I walked in the door, you've been covering my ass since day one."

"Maybe that's 'cause there was some untapped potential there that needed a leg up," Fin offered.

Amanda coughed out a laugh. "Yeah, maybe." She glanced up, caught Carisi and Olivia watching through the blinds. "Fin, I need someone to walk me down the aisle, and my dad…I can't. I just can't. He's never been dependable. He's never been there for me. Not like you have. So would you? I mean, i-it's okay if you don't want to, I just-"

"Hey." Fin stood up, and gave her a hug. "That'd be my honor, Amanda. You just say when."

Carisi crossed his arms over his chest. He looked at his former boss. "You're pretty good at this marriage counseling thing," he told her.

She snorted. "You've been a part of working in this office. You know what partners are like." Then, she smiled. "You take care of the one you've got."

Carisi returned his gaze out the window. "Copy that."