I love this fic too much to leave it alone for too long!

Noah slung his backpack over his shoulder and took a quick breath before pulling the passenger's side door open. He wasn't sure why it felt so weird. He'd spent time with all the Stabler kids at different times, but things with Maureen just felt…weird.

"Hey Noah, how was school?" Her voice was light, and her smile was bright.

He returned her smile with a nervous one of his own. "Good," he answered simply as he slid into the seat and shut the door.

It wasn't her fault. She was always so nice, and always went out of her way to make him feel comfortable whenever he spent time with her boys, but it just felt weird.

He'd spent the night at Maureen and Carl's house a few times, but usually Maureen ducked into the kitchen or found some random chore to keep herself busy. He felt super comfortable with Carl and the boys. Carl was a big goofball, and it was fun to watch him try to tame the twin whirlwinds that flew through the house. He laughed a lot, and he always just seemed happy, and Noah found himself drawn to that.

Seamus and Kieran were the best. They were a lot younger than him, but it was sort of fun having a couple younger kids look up to him. Being the only child of a mother who was also an only child left them lacking in the "family" department.

When he went to Carl and Maureen's, it was like visiting younger cousins or something. They were always happy to see him, and he felt less alone with the pair of tag-alongs.

Maureen put the car into drive, and Noah flipped around, noticing the glaring absence of chaos in the back seat. "Where are the boys?"

"Hockey," she said with a grimace. "Carl's picking them up, and he'll meet us at the house."

The idea of the boys bashing each other with hockey sticks made him laugh a little. That can't be going well. "Yeah, so, how's hockey working out?" He asked the question cheekily.

Maureen tried to hide the smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Well," she said, shaking her head and laughing. Her laugh made Noah smile. Maureen always seemed so serious and more like a mother than a sort of older sister. The rest of the Stabler kids felt more like cool older brothers and sisters, but Maureen always felt like a mom. "I think it's going better than football. The coach has only called me twice, which, you know, is better than the fifteen times last football season."

Noah laughed. Elliot and his mom got pretty serious pretty fast, and Elliot would take him to the boys' early football games Saturday morning so his mom could sleep in every once in a while. The twins were wrecking balls, which would make one think they would be great at contact sports. Problem was, contact football was banned for their age group, so they had to play flag football, which didn't quite fit the needs of the "smash brothers," who were penalized often for tackling the other kids. Elliot always seemed to find it hilarious, and he told him he wanted the boys to follow the rules, but the tackling form was perfect. Noah wasn't exactly sure what went into perfect tackling form, but it was fun to watch all the adults laugh and roll their eyes at the boys' antics. Maureen always seemed a little mortified when the boys would make a perfect tackle after she explicitly told them not to on the car ride to the field. She tried to go with the flow, but she always seemed so nervous and hesitant about everything. It made it difficult for Noah to relax around her. But today, her easy smile put him at ease.

They stopped at a stoplight, and she handed Noah the phone. "You can DJ." She smiled in his direction. "I'm hoping you have better taste in music than my husband... or the boys."

"Yeah, cool." Noah loved music. All types, really. If it had a good beat or well-written lyrics, he was happy. "Wanna hear the songs I picked for my showcase?"

"Uh yes! That's coming up soon, right?" She seemed genuinely interested, and that made him smile.

"End of May," he confirmed.

"Carl and I both want to come, and we want to bring the boys, but..." She dragged the word out, and Noah laughed.

"Yeah, I'm not sure they could sit through the whole thing," Noah admitted. "I'd like them to come, though. I've wanted to show them why I practice all the time." He thought for a moment. "Maybe they could just come for my performances? I have two solos and one group performance. They are all pretty close together in the program, and they wouldn't have to sit through the whole thing."

"That's a good idea, actually. I might be able to keep them quiet that long." She chuckled. "Especially if they are distracted by their favorite uncle."

Noah laughed. It was so weird when any of the Stabler kids called him that. He felt he was too young to be an uncle to anyone.

She tapped the phone screen that still sat in his hands. "Show me the songs. I'm curious."

"Okay okay. Just a sec." He searched for the first song, and once he had it pulled up, he said, "This one is for my group performance. It's a sort of hip-hop, creative-styled thing."

The familiar beat pulsed through the speakers. He'd practiced the routine so many times that the choreography was burned into his brain. He shyly looked up to see what Maureen was thinking, and to his surprise, she was mouthing the words to the beat. She didn't strike him as the type to listen to Drake on a regular basis, but what did he know?

"I love this," she grinned in his direction. I can't wait to see this one. You said it was group one?"

"Yeah." He knew he was smiling wildly. "I didn't get the solo in this one, but my friend Bex did, and she seriously nails it every time." He knew he was gushing, but he couldn't help it. "She's just one of those people, you know, who's made to love like that. It's pretty cool."

A smile quirked the corner of Maureen's mouth. "Your mom says the same about you." She laughed. "A lot, actually."

He felt his cheeks pink with mild embarrassment. He's told her to stop her brag sessions, but she can't seem to help herself. "Well, Bex is a natural at hip-hop stuff. I do better with the lyrical kind of thing."

The Drake song finished up, and she asked, "What song are you using for your solo? Was that something you got to pick out?"

"Kinda. They had an approved list I could choose from." He scrolled through his playlists until he found the song he had chosen.

The first few notes played, and Noah jumped when Maureen let out a tiny squeal. She clapped a hand over her mouth. "Sorry! I just love this song!"

Noah laughed. "Me too. I was really glad it was on the list."

They listened to the Taylor Swift song for a few moments before she said, "This is going to be really great, Noah."

And you're cursing my name, wishing I stayed.

Look at how my tears ricochet.

When the final lyric echoed into the silent car, Noah looked up to see Maureen blinking back some tears. "God, sorry," she apologized with a groan.

"It's okay." Noah gave out the reassurance reflexively, but he was a little concerned over what had Maureen in tears.

She bit her lip and kept her eyes on the road. When she finally got herself gathered back up, she explained, "That album was released, God, sorry." She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Not long before my mom died. It's such an emotional song, and it takes me back to that time a little, I think."

"I'm sorry. I didn't…"

Maureen waved him off. "Don't apologize. The song makes me cry, but it's not all sad tears, you know? I mean, it's been a few years, and sometimes I miss her so bad it hurts, but I want to remember her." She shook her head. "I'm probably rambling. Sorry. What I mean is that I like when things come up that remind me of her, even if it makes me miss her."

Noah felt his chest tighten. It had been nine months since the camp out and losing Clem, and he was beginning to understand what Elliot once told him. It begins to hurt less, and you start to smile because things remind you of the person you loved. "No, I get it. I wish I hadn't, but it's getting that way when I think about, you know, my friend."

"I'm really sorry you had to go through that, Noah. I know that was hard for you." Then she added, "and my dad."

Noah nodded and watched the people walking by on the sidewalk next to them. So many people. So many lives. Sometimes he wondered about them, strangers. He wondered if everyone had some sort of tragic story to tell. He hoped not, but as he grew older, he realized that life is full of ups and downs. Nothing will ever be perfect, but he could still be happy.

"I'm really happy your dad was there for the whole thing. I know it really sucked, but," he lifted his eyes to Maureen, who pleaded to be listening intently, "I think my mom has needed him for a long time, but she was scared, and all of this was hard, but because of it, she let him back in, you know? I know she originally did it for me, but I'm glad she did. For both of us."

"Dang, Noah, you're going to make me cry again."

"Sorry," he said sheepishly.

"Good tears," she promised. She reached over and affectionately patted his shoulder. "I'm really glad I get to know you, Noah Benson."

He grinned. "I'm glad I get to know you too, Mo."

Her eyes teared again, and he knew it was because he used the childhood nickname that all her siblings used. He meant it as a sign of acceptance. Maybe he could click with Maureen after all.

I have some surprises coming, and you will be thrilled if you love these scenes, this fic, and this AU. Stay tuned!