She woke up groggy and couldn't quite remember where she was from the deep sleep she had been in. The room was still dark, only a few rays of sunshine coming through the drapes. She took a deep breath and stretched out on the bed, taking a moment to remember the dream she was having.

In the dream she was in the strong arms of a man, but not just any man, her partner. She felt ashamed that she had these dreams involving the man, but she couldn't control her subconscious, not like she did her thoughts. Or at least how she tried to.

All her life she has been alone, starting to take care of herself long before anyone should. Pick up the pieces of her mother's life and carrying around the weight of the means of her conception.

She had Burton for a while, she thought that was it, her happy ending was at reach distance. But it wasn't, not really. Burton had no trouble leaving her behind. And he was the first on a long tread. So she made up her mind to never get too involved in her relationships. She buried the little girl that dreamed of getting married and having children.

And then came Elliot, with his dazzling smile, his sculpted body, his endless sense of justice, his strong family centered world and of course, his shiny wedding ring. And what the hell are you supposed to do when you find your soulmate and he is already married to someone else? So she pretended. Pretended that her feelings didn't really exist and that she didn't dream of a life that was out of her reach.

"A penny for your thoughts?" she was startled out of her reflection.

She was confused for a moment at her company, but soon she grinned at him. "I woke up alone and was beginning to think I dreamt you," she says from her spot on the bed.

He walks slowly up to her side of the bed, sitting down and leaning over her. "And what was the dream like?" he said, slowly kissing the base of her neck and going up the side of it, biting her earlobe and finally kissing her mouth.

"Nothing that could compare to reality,"she said, deepening the kiss.

"EWWWW, daddy," they heard from the door he left open.

They separated and looked up to see two blonde heads making disgusted faces at them.

"Well, it's my room, I do as I want," he said to the kids.

"It's Livvie's room too, and you are squishing her," Lizzie pointed out and Olivia had to bite her lip not to laugh out loud. She pushed him off her and sat up.

"She is right, daddy, you're squishing me,"she smiles teasingly at him. He huffs, unable to respond the way he wanted because of the kids. He pinched her side and she squealed.

"Come on, let's get some breakfast into those little monsters," he grabbed her hand and pulled her with his as the kids betted who would get there first.

Yes, she was living with Elliot now, but sometimes she failed to remember that. The year of 1999 had started with the surprising news of his divorce. His not totally amicable divorce. Things were definitely better now, but Kathy still held resentment about him leaving without fighting - after she asked for the divorce. Elliot got a nice and small apartment for himself and started a custody battle.

The kids spent half a month with each parent, Maureen being 15, Kathleen 11 and the twins just turned 6, they all had time to spend with their dad. He asked her out 4 months after the divorce was finalized. Right in the middle of the street, after calling her monkette, he stared at her and when she asked what? His response was asking her to dinner, as a date. After that things moved pretty quickly. When the final custody agreement was finalized, the court asked that Elliot find a bigger place, and 3 months into their relationship, he asked her to move in with them.

It was quick, and terrifying to her. But one thing she knew, she had complete faith in Elliot Stabler, and she didn't want to put her happiness on hold anymore, so she took a risk. But she said she would only move in with him if they talked to the kids and they said it was okay with them.

That had been a nerve wrecking conversation for her. Maureen had been a little sad, because it made it more real to her that her parents weren't getting back together, but if it was anyone she was glad it was Olivia. Kathleen had no problems with it, only asking them not to fight like her parents did in the last years. The twins had only been happy to see more of Livvie. With that, the moving in together was settled.

Their major problem had been work. They disclosed after they decided to move in together, but Cragen said that if it got more serious, they would have to transfer someone out. For now, they only switched partners with Munch and Cassidy. Elliot pouted a whole day about it before realizing it was the best outcome they could hope for. They were still in the same squad, a desk away from each other. He only made sure she was partnered with Munch.

She loved having the kids over, she had given up on that a long time ago. On weekends like today, the older ones liked to sleep in. The twins, however, found it really funny to wake their daddy up early, that meant she was up early too. She figured what happened today was Elliot ran interference so she could sleep a little more, and she found that incredibly endearing.

She came out of her head to hear both the twins squealing as Elliot threw them over his shoulders and was carrying them upside down.

"Elliot, stop that, you'll make them sick," she warned him. "Put them down, please."

He smiled at her in mom mode and put the twins carefully on the ground. The wobbled a little before attacking Olivia in a hug. She laughed at them, picking them up with a little difficulty, they were getting so big. She gave each one a kiss and put them back down.

"How about pancakes for breakfast?" Elliot asked from the isle.

"With choc chips!"

"With bananas!"

The twins said at the same time and she laughed. "How about both?" she says avoiding an early morning argument. They both cheered.

"Why don't you little monkeys go wake up your sisters? when you get back it will be ready," Elliot said to them and they took up running down the hallway.

He started mixing the pancakes and she came up behind him, hugging him from behind, arms across his abdomen and rested her chin on his shoulders.

"Are you happy?" she asks in a low voice.

"The happiest." he says without hesitation. "What about you?"

She pondered. "When you entered the room this morning and asked me what I was thinking about? I was thinking about my dream last night. I had this dream I was laying in your arms and everything felt perfect. Then I woke up in an empty bed and I thought 'It was just a dream'. Then you came in with those two precious angels and I realized that this is better than any dream I ever had."

He turns around, blues looking deep into her brown ones. "I love you."

"I love you too, El. So much," she says and he leans down to kiss her.

"EWWWW again?" Lizzie says.

"And in front of my pancakes?" Dickie added, affronted.

Maureen and Kathleen laugh at their antics and say hello to the adults. They all sit and get ready to eat. She didn't need a fairytale, she only needed this.