Since Labor Day, Serena was always at Manny's side during their group meetings, eight participants, seven boxes of faces. It was two days before Thanksgiving and the last time they'd meet for a week. Sean was singing the praises of the powers that be that closed schools on Black Friday because he got to have "alone time while his dad worked, and his mom spent all his money." Alexa was arguing about commercialization and Indigenous People's recognition when suddenly, Serena burst out in uncontrollable laughter. She was doubled over with tears running down her face while the others watched in curiosity. She couldn't help it; it was the first time she was truly free to be a dumb teenager hanging out with her friends. No heavy conversations or anyone pressuring her into doing/saying something, just adolescence in its truest form. She said as much, and the group unanimously agreed. Most of the others tried to lead "normal" lives with school, jobs, and extra-curriculars but this time together gave them a special kind of connection. None of them had to watch what they said or keep their walls up.

She and Elliot never discussed what happened during George Huang's visit and there was still a wedge between them. Serena heard him head to the garage to punch his bag while Olivia read her journal. She wasn't asleep, just comfortable for the first time since before the trial and she wasn't about to move. She could feel her mother crying as she read the story of why the toilet had to be checked. They didn't discuss it immediately, but she was free to leave her room and go about her own business without interference. Elliot was grumpy about that, and it took some time, but he let Liv lead once again.

Manny was going to Florida in the morning to see his family. He would even get to spend some time with his mom, and he was unsure about that, which was the topic of this meeting. The great thing about meeting this way is that the kids knew they weren't there just for Serena; everyone was able to share any concerns and everyone else chimed in if needed. Last week, Sean was facing his anniversary and as he tried to continuously portray a carefree and tough exterior, anniversaries were shit. Holidays were also hard for them all but in Manny's case, when you couldn't rely on someone you loved for support, being around them and trying to be joyful was extremely stressful. Serena, of course, was the most supportive. She couldn't offer any advice as she had no basis for comparison. She may have distanced herself from Elliot a bit, but she knew he would be first in line behind her mother to protect, defend, and support; he would never hurt her or allow anyone else to. She did offer her friend her full attention and the ability to call and vent, cry, scream, discuss, or be a distraction at any time regardless of the holiday. It was the least she could do after all he had given her, and she found that there was nothing she wanted more than to be there for him as well.

Bernie's birthday fell on the Saturday after this year and the Stablers wanted to surprise her. Maureen was hosting Thanksgiving dinner in her parents' old house, now her house, and everyone was coming in.

"We don't have to go sweetie" Olivia told her when they found out. "You just say the word and it'll be like every other Thanksgiving we've ever had, just you and me." Scenes from the last Stabler invasion came quickly to Liv's mind, making her more tense.

"It's okay, Momma. I'm sure it won't be like the last time, especially since we are honoring Gramma in addition to stuffing our faces and all the food will be already made. Everyone is sure to be on their best behavior because no one wants to burn down the house they all grew up in." Olivia gave the smile Serena was going for. "I'll know everyone there and even though we won't be able to hang outside, well maybe depending, I'm in a better position than I was back in July."

Thank goodness they left early! It took them three and a half hours to get to Queens on Thanksgiving, making the car ride very unpleasant. It was too cold to open the windows with Bernie in the car and they were just crawling for most of the trip. The pups, who were practically full sized, and Nina were cordoned behind the gate in the back. They would be spending the night, maybe two, at Elliot's apartment so the dogs came too.

Serena started off the day excited to see her siblings all in one place again. The last time, before the incident, they had such fun telling stories and playing games. She watched movies that showed families doing those things during the holidays and she remembered the last Thanksgiving she had at Elliot's, and they did just that. Like a TV family. Now, the smell of the pies Serena baked permeated the small space on the middle seat and she hoped Bernie's birthday cake stayed in one piece (she made it in the shape of a sandcastle) at her feet as they were all hungry, or hangry as Olivia called it. They dropped the dogs and their bags, which were on the roof rack, at Elliot's and when they finally pulled onto Castleside Drive, everyone let out a collective breath.

"Jesus, there are so many cars here. Someone must be having one hell of a family reunion" said Elliot as he had to park across the street. Maureen's and Marcus' cars were in the driveway, Richard's car was already parked right in front and there were two others surrounding them that Elliot assumed were the neighbors. The inside was quiet.

Once they got out of the car, Elliot grabbed all the desserts to bring inside; it was quite the balancing act. "Give me the keys El, I'll put them in my bag" offered Olivia as he wasn't wearing his jacket while driving and decided to leave it in the truck. They made sure to allow Bernie to walk in front of them because this holiday was all about honoring her. Liv was nervous for herself and especially for Serena, but her daughter seemed calm enough, so she took it all in stride. That was short lived.

Once Bernie opened the door and walked in, there was a huge chorus of "Surprise! Happy Birthday!" Serena was expecting something of the sort, she just didn't think it would be so loud and jarring. Olivia checked on her and although she was a bit hesitant, they kept moving. Bernie was quite surprised when others greeted her by the door.

"Paddy! Oh Siobhan, I never expected to see you here!" she exclaimed.

"Holy shit! Where the fuck did you all come from?" asked Elliot to his siblings as he put the food down and began his own round of greetings. He was caught up and didn't realize Serena had a death grip on Olivia still standing frozen, quite literally as it was damn cold, in the open doorway.

This was not what she expected. She knew it would be loud with laughter and talking, but there were several strangers grabbing anyone in range and squeezing them tight. Elliot didn't talk about his siblings too much and Bernie only talked about them from time long past, yet here they were, with their families, in one small house. The biggest and the loudest, who she would later find out was Liam, then came up behind the ladies and spoke loudly.

"Keep it moving, I want in on the action!" Serena bolted.

Olivia was stuck in the crowd coming in, so it took her a minute to get outside. She found Serena standing by the truck, bent over with her hands on her ears. I knew this was a bad idea! What she actually said was, "I'm here baby. It's just me." She pulled Serena's hands down and held them to her mouth, warming them. Her daughter was wide-eyed and shaking her head.

"I..I'm sorry Momma. Too loud, too many. I'm not pre-prepared. I thought thought I could, but I can't, I'm sorry!"

"No. No, I'm so proud of you for trying! You knew the Stabler invasion would be here, and you came. This wasn't expected by any of us. I can't believe Maureen or Kathleen didn't say anything, but we'll figure that out later. Okay, let's get in the car, baby; we can't keep standing out on the street." Serena was shaking her head.

Inside, once the hugging and hellos were complete, Siobhan spoke to Elliot. "Weren't there more of you?"

Elliot looked confused when he heard Kathleen yell "Shit!" Maureen put her hand to her forehead while Richard and Lizzie both said, "Oh no."

"I'm sorry dad, I wasn't thinking! When I called Uncle Paddy and told him we wanted to celebrate Grandma B's birthday, he didn't respond but he got everyone else to come too. They came a couple hours ago, and thankfully they brought extra food. Uncle Liam just got here right behind you. We thought it would be a great surprise for…"

"It is, Katie!" Bernie interrupted, oblivious to her tone. "Oh, this is just wonderful!"

"In the surprise and figuring out the logistics, we didn't consider Serena. Dad, the crowd, the volume, we're sorry. We…"

"Shit!" Kathleen didn't get to finish, or at least he didn't hear it as he immediately pushed his way out the door. He found Liv urging their daughter into the front seat. "Is she okay? I'm sorry, I didn't know. Did she have a flashback?"

"I'mmmm trying not to. I'm trying not, not to." Serena said with her eyes closed and Liv's fingers were turning purple from the squeezing. "I'm here, just b-b-breathing." Her friends had shared some techniques and coping mechanisms that worked for them when they had a trigger, so she had been practicing a combination to see what worked. This was really putting it to the test.

"You are and you're okay. It's just me and we're outside and we can open the windows now." It seemed like Liv was chanting a mantra before turning to Elliot. "We know this was a surprise for you as well. If you knew, you would have mentioned it" she said as she gave him the Benson eyebrow. He nodded emphatically. "Okay, well we cannot go back in obviously, but go ahead."

That brought him up short. "What? Liv, no. I didn't know I swear, and we'll just leave, and I can come back to get Ma later."

"That's stupid." They both turned towards Serena, who was trying her best to stay in the present. "It's stupid for you, for you to leave. Those people are your sssssiblings, your family and you rarely even mention them. When was the last time you were all together? When will the next time be, Gramma's funeral?" Breath. "I'm okay in the car, or I will be in just a second so go back inside, introduce them to Momma and enjoy the cele…" She caught herself before she finished that hateful word and started to breathe faster.

"Fuck no!"

"Like hell" the partners said in unison. "She is right about one thing El. That is your family in there and I saw the way your face just brightened as you began to greet them. Go back inside, I'll take Serena back to your apartment and we'll grab some food on the way. We're back in the city so there's always something open to go. Get one of the kids to drive you back after." She leaned over to buckle her daughter's seatbelt. They had to get moving before a full-blown panic attack broke Serena's efforts to stay present.

"Liv, come on. You are my family. I haven't seen or spoken to any of them in ages. I don't even know them anymore and I can see my kids anytime. Gimme my keys and we'll all go." He actually thought that would work.

Olivia walked around to the driver's side, opened the door, and put one leg in before turning into Elliot, who was standing right there ready to rip her out of the seat. She kissed him deeply. "I love you. Our daughter loves you and we know you love us, but she can't be here, and so neither can I, but you can. Tell you what; I know you do that whole "what are we thankful for" bit. When you get to that, call me. We'll video chat so we can be part of that and join in the festivities that way. You know if you come back with us that you'll be alone in the other room stewing anyway."

"I want to sing Hap-Happy Birthday too; maybe do that after the thankful stuff while we're on video" came a small voice from the car.

"It's the best compromise, El. Really."

He knew Liv was right. When Serena had a flashback, Liv was the only one allowed near her and he'd been on the outs with the kid for a while so; he really was no help here. They could still be part of Thanksgiving if he stayed and that way, he could control the narrative of answering the questions he knew everyone was already voicing. Reluctantly, he agreed.

"Okay luv. Be safe and again, I'm sorry for all this." He stuck his head in. "Angel, regardless, no one in there would ever hurt you, just remember that and breathe." Liv just smiled and kissed him again before sitting and shutting the door. She drove away with the windows open.

-SVU—

The LIE was moving making the car ride practically a breeze. Elliot had texted Olivia that he ordered them falafels that should be there by the time they pulled up, so she wouldn't have to stop or figure anything out. Serena sat looking out the window, trying to keep her breathing consistent. She was doing that thing again where she runs her nails up her leggings, grabs the bottom of her dress tightly, and repeats. As they entered the highway, Olivia grabbed Serena's left hand and they both held on tight. Serena was pulled from her thoughts by her phone. "Six 'N the Mornin'" Manny's ringtone.

"Since when do you listen to Gangsta Rap?" inquired Liv.

"You work out to it all the time. Besides apparently, it's the O.G." Serena replied right before saying "Hello?"

"Hey Serena". He hadn't first named her in a while. "Are you, like in the middle of feasting?" He sounded miserable that even if she was, she'd get right up and walk away. Any inklings of a flashback or panic attack were immediately sidelined as she now had something greater to concentrate on.

"No, I'm in the car. Thanksgiving didn't happen for us. What's up?"

"I'm sorry, are you still in Jersey?"

"No, there were just too many people at my sister's house, as a surprise, a lot I didn't know. Long-lost relatives and it was very loud and grabby and…. Are you okay?"

"Um, can you talk?"

"Yes. Elliot and Gramma stayed so it's just me and Momma in the car."

"I guess Thanksgiving sucks for both of us" he lamented. "We had some surprise guests too. People can be so fucking clueless."

"Yep." She hated the way he sounded but didn't know what else to say unless he gave her something to work with, so she remained silently waiting for him to continue.

The silence stretched as Serena could hear music and chatter in the background. Maybe he just needs a distraction. "We're getting the most un-Thanksgiving like food on our way back to Brooklyn: falafels."

That did it. "What the hell is a falafel?"

"Well, it originated in Egypt but is…" Olivia listened as her daughter went from dead silent with furrowed brows, to animatedly explaining everything no one ever wanted to know about fried bean balls. She too, understood that Manny must have been having a hard time and just needed his friend.

They pulled up to Elliot's at the same time as the delivery man and once they opened the door, the dogs went nuts.

"I hear Nina is having a good time at least. Thanks again for taking her. The last time we had to kennel her, and she came home sick and mad at me."

"Of course, we love her" Serena commented as she pulled Nina into the phone. "Say hi to daddy!" He did and that made him sound happier.

"Anyway, I gotta go. I'm hopin that since no one cared that I ducked out to call you, then maybe I can hide until they all leave or get too drunk to care. I see my moms tomorrow, so another suckish day ahead." He sighed heavily.

"I'm sorry, but I'm here anytime day or night. My momma is too in case you need some advice or something. I'm not good at that yet. Do you hear me Manly? Any. Time. Day. Or. Night." He huffed at the name but agreed. They both knew details would be shared once they were back home.

After she hung up and explained to her mother what she thought was going on, they ate while quietly chatting. She knew nothing would ever leave this room and Olivia would do everything she could to assist if needed. Serena then hooked the laptop to the television and told Olivia to tell Elliot to use her email instead of her phone number for the video call.

Once he did, they were able to see the entire Stabler clan that was present easily. It was almost as if they were sitting right there. After Liv texted him, he asked his nephew if he could help do the same thing and so in Queens, the Bensons were on the big screen. Serena sat so close to Liv on the couch she was practically in her lap. Neither liked the idea of being the center of attention.

"My brothers: Patrick, aka Paddy and Liam" Elliot began as he pointed to his siblings. "Paddy's wife Sophia, Liam's husband Greg, my sister Siobhan, her son Wesley, and her daughter Kennedy. This is my partner, Sgt. Olivia Benson and our daughter, Serena." Elliot was beaming as he introduced them.

Before she could respond, Serena's five Stabler siblings all chorused, "Hi Liv! Hi Serena!" making both ladies chuckle and wave.

"Hi everyone. It's so nice to meet you," said Liv. "I'm sorry we couldn't stay but I hope dinner was good."

"Are you kidding? questioned Liam. "I think I ate a whole pumpkin pie by myself! You have quite a talent there young lady."

Serena just grinned in response, hating every minute of this.

"Okay, we usually do this around the dinner table after Grace, but we had to change it up when the Bensons left so, let's get to what we are all thankful for. I…" He was interrupted by a chorus of groans.

"You do that Uncle Elliot? My mom makes us do that too" complained Kennedy.

"We do it too" admitted Liam. "Clarissa and Ben couldn't come with us on this trip, but they can vouch for that."

Paddy spoke up after. "Guilty, and I believe Aidan and Maeve do it with their kids as well. It's a good tradition Ma." Bernie had tears of joy in her eyes.

"Okay" continued Elliot. "We've put a twist on it a couple years ago. Since everyone is older now and obviously thankful for our health, homes, loved ones, etc., we find one good thing that's happened this past year and we talk about why we are thankful for it. It could be a special day, an event, a trip, whatever."

"Dad, come on!" whined Richard. "It's obvious what all of us who live here are going to say." He looked at the screen, gesturing with an open palm. "Sissy, help me out. What do you think about skipping this part?" They kept up their snaps and insta streaks, but being added to the Stabler sibling text group was the best feeling Serena had in a long time. She belonged. They called it "Stiblings", and she loved the little side conversations and ribbing they all did. And she adored the way her big brother called her Sissy.

All eyes were on her now, but he was right, and she didn't want to get into it. "Thanks Richard, I can agree with that. Elliot, did the you-know-what keep its shape? Can we do it now instead?"

As Maureen brought the big cake box into view, Serena could hear many murmur, "I'm so confused."

A/N: That song really is the "O.G." from the man himself. Ice-T and his "fresh adidas squeak" lives rent-free in my head.