A/N: This is the next part to the previous chapter titled 'Not Interested'. I don't own any of the characters except my own.
Hank's Retirement
During the next several weeks, Hank had finished packing and got the house ready to be put on the market. Olivia, Noah and her squad, including Carisi and the kids, Phoebe, Ed, Patty, Trevor, Erin, Olive, her husband Nick and their kids were all coming to Chicago for Hank's retirement party. All the kids were off on Spring Break for the next week. Elliot's trial was coming up a few days before Hank retired. Olivia had come in for the trial and then Noah would come in with everyone else. Ed had come in with Olivia because he wanted to see Elliot go down.
Dr. Charles talked with Elliot and said he felt Elliot needed treatment for his PTSD, anger and rage issues but he refused. Elliot had told him that Hank Voight caused his rage and if he was not in the picture, he would be fine. Dr. Charles had also contacted people who knew Elliot, like his kids, his co-workers, former co-workers and even Ed and they all told him that he had anger and rage issues long before Hank Voight was in the picture but he seems to have gotten worse. Ed said he was very thorough with his documentation and if he wanted to see what was in Stabler's Internal Affairs file, he or Olivia would direct him to the right person. Dr. Charles said he would be interested in getting that information, so Ed sent him Captain Curry's contact information. Ed talked to her ahead of time and said Dr. Charles would be contacting her.
Hank, Olivia and Dr. Charles testified at the trial and Ed said he would if they needed him to. Elliot was again glaring at both Hank and Olivia. When he was allowed to tell his side of the story, he turned things around and said Hank had started the entire thing. He said that he and Olivia were always supposed to be together but couldn't be because of Kathy. He tried to make the jury and Judge see that he had done what he did for Olivia. ASA Chapman objected to everything that came out of Elliot's mouth and the Judge told Elliot that if his outbursts didn't stop, he could be held in contempt of the court. He still continued and was escorted out of the courtroom. It didn't take long for the Jury to find Elliot guilty of all charges. The Judge ruled that he would be held for treatment for his anger and rage issues until sentencing.
After the trial, Hank, Olivia and Ed had gone to the District and were sitting in Hank's office. The rest of the team was at a scene.
"I'm glad he was found guilty and has to serve time in prison but he probably figures he didn't get a fair trial. His story about doing what he did for me was because we were always supposed to be together is such bullshit. I will admit that I cared for him because we were partners but I never wanted him to leave his family for me. I cared for Kathy too. Did he expect me to sit around hoping he'd come back? I can honestly say that I haven't really forgiven him for the 10 years he was gone and I may never be able to. I also won't forgive him for all of this."
"That's your choice. I still can't believe he said what he said about Noah. Ayanna made the right call when she took his gun and badge at the time the incident happened. If and when he is able to get back to New York, he will still have to deal with IAB for his actions but I'm guessin' he's done."
"Now that I know how he really feels about Noah, any chance of us even being friends is out of the question. I'm not sorry I punched him in the face nor is Hank sorry for punching him in the stomach not once but twice. Ayanna told him he was suspended until further notice and if he was reinstated, then he would be going undercover indefinitely."
"And as his Superior, she has that right."
"Apparently Captain Curry has gotten other complaints about him recently."
"I don't doubt that. I should know what's in his file better than anyone."
"Yeah, no kidding. Ayanna said he thinks he going to be promoted at some point and I told her what you said."
"The NYPD would not have promoted him before all this and there is no way in hell he would be promoted now. How much of this does Noah know?"
"Now that he's older, I can't hide things from him. It's not like he has never been bullied before but he stands up for himself and doesn't let things bother him. He said that the only opinions that really matter to him are mine and Hank's but he appreciates all the support he does get from everyone else. He didn't particularly like Elliot when he met him but at first, he wasn't sure why. Now he does. I don't blame him. He's a smart kid."
"Does he know about his biological parents?"
"Sheila had told him a little bit about Ellie, so I told him the rest. He knows Johnny D was a horrible person and Uncle Nick killed him. He asked if Sheila was in jail and I said she was. He didn't seem upset with any of it and knew it was to protect him because he was still so young. Hank has even told him about the stuff that he's done and it didn't change his opinion of him at all. This was before we got married. He said he wouldn't want anyone but us as his parents. I also had a talk with him about what happened with Lewis. He understood more than I thought he would."
"That's good. I'm surprised Stabler's kids weren't here."
"I talked to Dickie and Kathleen when I got back to New York and they said they've tried telling him to leave me alone. They feel so bad that he's treating us the way he us and cannot believe he said what he said about Noah. His behavior has been erratic since Kathy died."
"He's worse than he ever was."
"I often wondered how I would react if I ever saw him again before he even returned. Like I told him, I wish he had never come back. He has done nothing but try to mess up the one relationship I have worked the hardest at because he wants what he can't have. I have never indicated that I had romantic feelings for him ever. He said I make bad decisions concerning my relationships, since I was with you and am currently with Hank. He thinks I need a real man and obviously he thinks that's him. If I expected anyone to give me a hard time about being with Hank, it would have been you."
"I knew you loved him. I'd have to be an idiot not to and we've become friends."
"I must admit that I never expected you and Hank to get along as well as you have. I'd much rather have you and Langan in my life than Elliot and there was a point where I never would have said that. You're both not the men you once were but of course neither is Elliot. Before he just up and left, I would have trusted him with my life. Now, not so much."
Someone knocked on Hank's office door. It was Lieutenant Brooks from Internal Affairs.
"Hey, Matt. Come on in."
"Thanks, Hank."
Lieutenant Brooks came in.
"Matt, this is my wife Captain Olivia Benson from the Manhattan Special Victims Unit and retired NYPD Captain Ed Tucker. This is Lieutenant Matt Brooks from Internal Affairs.
"It's nice to meet you both."
"You too."
"We have the Internal Affairs thing in common. I was with Internal Affairs for a long time."
"Is that where you retired from?"
"Actually, no. I retired from the DA's office with Conviction Integrity 4 years ago."
"Ok. I've been in conversations with Captain Curry regarding the situation. I take it you know Detective Stabler."
"Unfortunately. I tried takin' him down for years. He's always been a hot head and I'm glad someone finally punished him for his bad behavior."
"I didn't see any wrong doing on Hank's part."
"I spoke with Captain Curry when I returned to New York and she didn't see any on my part either. To me, this was more personal than job related even though it pretty much started when he was in the Interrogation Room for the case. Because this was a combined case and because Detective Stabler likes to take the credit for the cases he is involved with, I suggested that Sergeant Tutuola and Officer Atwater be in there as well. Detective Stabler for the most part still sees me as his partner and not as a Superior. He was warned by Sergeant Bell before they left New York not to start anything with Hank. He didn't attack Hank until I told him Hank and I were married."
"I did get all that from Captain Curry as well. He also made some comment about your son?"
"Yes. Our son is a dancer and Detective Stabler's actions whenever I have mentioned it, told me that he does not support that. Instead of just letting it go, he said leave it to me to raise a pansy and I'm too soft with him. He said that if he was Noah's father, he would be in Military School to be toughened up."
Lieutenant Brooks shook his head.
"You can raise your kid however you want to raise him. Just because he's a dancer, it doesn't make him a pansy. My son has indicated that he wants to be nurse and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. My wife and I support our kids with whatever they want to do and whoever they choose to be with."
"I appreciate that. Thank you. We're the same way with Noah."
"How old is your son?"
"He's 12. How about yours?"
"Our son is 16 and our daughter is 13. You have grandkids too, right?"
"Yeah. Daniel will be 9 in a couple months. His mom remarried almost two and a half years ago and she and her husband have two daughters. Emma isn't quite 2 and Abby was born on Valentine's Day. We're grandparents to them too. Olivia and I got married Memorial Day weekend last year and she got married a year and a half before us."
"How have you managed long distance though?"
"It hasn't been easy but it made me work at the relationship a lot harder than the other relationships I have been in. Our relationship has survived any obstacle that has been thrown our way and that includes Detective Stabler. He thinks that because he has been in love with me for 25 years, we should be together. I cared for him but not romantically."
They all told Lieutenant Brooks about things that have happened to Olivia since Elliot had been back in her life and what happened at the trial. Olivia used Hank's computer to contact Ayanna via video chat and Captain Curry happened to be at OCCB. Olivia told them both what had happened in court and what Elliot had said. After she was done talking to them, she ended the video chat. Lieutenant Brooks left after he wished Hank luck on the next chapter in his life. Hank, Olivia and Ed went out to lunch. Hank dropped Ed off at the hotel and then he and Olivia went home to make love. The kids in New York had had a half day at school, so everyone from New York, including Erin, worked until they got out of school and then headed to the airport for their flight to Chicago. The group from Arizona left early as well, since Daniel had also had a half day.
The flight from New York arrived first. They got off the plane and then they went to get their luggage. They went to get their rentals and then they headed to the hotel or Hank's house. Everyone who was going to the hotel, got checked in. Erin and Noah arrived at Hank's. Erin used her key to let herself and Noah in. Hank and Olivia were in the livingroom.
"Hey."
"Hey."
"Mom! Dad!"
"Hey, kiddo."
Noah put his suitcase down and went to give Hank a hug. He gave one to Olivia and took his stuff upstairs.
"Everyone got here ok?"
"Yep. Everyone else went to get checked in at the hotel."
"Did Rollins bring Nicky?"
"She did. They left Frannie with his parents and they are planning to play tourist for a few days. The girls couldn't wait to be able to go swimming."
"How was your last trip?"
"Well, interesting. I was in Bolivia and ran into Jay. I told him what an idiot he was for doing what he did to Hailey but he reminded me that I basically did the same thing to him. I don't regret leaving. I needed to move on from him and I told him that. He showed up at my room and kissed me. He told me he wanted us to try again and I told him I wasn't interested. I basically lied and said I was involved with someone. However, later on I saw him and he was with some woman and a little boy. The boy looks just like Jay and is maybe a year old. I don't get him. One minute he's telling me he wants to try again but he's actually with someone else. The next time I saw him, I confronted him about what I saw. His story was that they had met when he first got there and had a one night stand before she came back to the States. According to him she has family down there. She had come back after we talked but he never expected see her again. That's when she introduced him to his son. I asked him if he makes a habit of sleeping with other women while he's still married. I told him I'm glad we never stayed together.
"Wait, a minute. If this kid is over a year old, that means Halstead was with her before the divorce from Upton was even in the works."
"That's what it appears. I feel like I should be the one to talk to her because I have a feeling Jay won't tell her."
"I think you're right about that. From what Upton has said, he hasn't even contacted Will. Also from what she said, Will and Natalie got married and are expecting a baby. Owen is excited about becomin' a big brother."
"That is great. I am so happy for them."
Erin texted Hailey and asked if they could talk. She replied and said she was still at the District but she could meet her there.
"Hailey is at the District, so I'm gonna go talk to her."
"Ok. Good luck. She's already been havin' a rough time since Halstead left."
"Ok."
Erin left and headed to the District. When she arrived, the Desk Sergeant, who she had never seen before, asked her who she was there to see and she said Detective Upton. She was expecting her. The Desk Sergeant called Hailey and she came downstairs. Then they went back up. Hailey had been moving her stuff into the office. Hailey sat at the desk, while Erin sat in one of the chairs.
"You ready for this?"
"Yes and no. I think I know why you're here. Jay finally called me about a week ago and admitted everything. About having a kid with another woman while still technically married to me and what happened with you. I didn't want to tell Voight because he had enough on his plate with the Stabler trial coming up and with getting ready to move to New York. The main reason Voight stuck around as long as he did was because was waiting for me to get my head on straight after Jay left. To hell with Jay Halstead."
"That's about how I feel too. I think it was shitty of him to sleep with her while he was still married to you and tell me he wants to try again. I lied and said I was with someone else. He pulled that shit with me when we were together and he was still technically married, which is the reason we broke up in the first place. I don't need to be with someone who lies like that."
"A part of me wondered if there had been someone else. A part of me kind of wanted to get pregnant but I doubt he would have stuck around. Another part of me never really saw myself as a mother."
"I feel that way too. I've been trying to focus more on my job ever since I went to the FBI, so I really haven't gotten involved with anyone. I've had guys I work with ask me out but I'm not doing that anymore. I'd rather date someone outside of work. I'm getting closer to 40, so I would really need to have something happen soon if I wanted to be a mom. I can be a big sister to Noah and I get to spoil Daniel and the girls whenever I see them. I'm good with that."
"At least you have that."
Kim had come back because she left something in her desk. She saw Hailey and Erin in the office.
"Hey, Erin."
"Hey, Kim."
Kim went over and hugged Erin and then she sat down next to her. They told her what was going on.
"Wow! I never would have expected that from Jay especially after what happened between the 2 of you before you left. Hailey, I am so sorry you have to go through all this."
"Thanks but I'm ok with it. My focus right now has to be running this unit, so I need to keep my head on straight. It's just the 5 of us now and let's face it, we're out numbered.
"Yeah, it is and we definitely are."
"It's always been like that though."
"What's scary is the fact that I'm the only Detective. Everyone else in the unit are officers. I did take the Sergeant's exam a few weeks ago."
"Who's taking the Detective's exam?"
"At this point, I'd be fine with everyone but Torres taking it."
"Adam has said that he'd like to. It doesn't matter to me either way. If you want me to take it, I'll take it."
"Between Adam and Kevin, who's been up here the longest?"
"Adam. Olinsky chose him out of the Academy."
"Oh, wow! I don't think I knew that."
"Yep. Hank asked Kevin to come up here and Kim had to earn her spot. I was happy when Kim finally came up here, since I was no longer the only female."
"If Olinsky was still around, do you think he'd be taking over?"
"Are you kidding me? He'd probably be retiring too. He never wanted to run the unit. Hank was always figuring it was going to be Antonio that took over when he retired."
"It's really going to be weird without Voight. I mean, we knew it was eventually going to happen but I'm happy he's finally going to be with Olivia. He has been so great with me and Adam being together."
"He was fine with you and Adam the first time you were together."
"I know he was. I think Adam was too immature the first time around. After what happened with Olinsky, I think that made Adam grow up. He takes his job as Mak's dad seriously but he also wants to make it official with her when we get married."
"It was me and Jay he didn't want together. He and Jay never really saw eye to eye. He didn't always trust Jay but Jay didn't always trust him either and Jay blamed Hank for me leaving and Al's death. I'm who I am now because of Hank."
"I think their relationship got better after Jay's dad died but they have still had their moments."
"I guess that makes sense. It took not having me around. I heard Jay punched him."
"Yeah, that was uncalled for and if I was Voight, I would have suspended him. I told Jay that too. We didn't tell anyone when we got married and then we just showed up to work. Voight saw our rings and that was it."
"For me, the only other unit I would have wanted to work in would be Liv's. She's been more of a mother to me than Bunny ever was."
"She's nice. I like her for Voight."
"No one is happier about that than I am. I haven't seen him this crazy in love with someone since Camille. I know he's afraid of losing her not just because of her job but because of that son of a bitch Stabler."
"That Stabler guy has issues. He blamed Voight for his problems when he clearly had the problem before he even knew about her and Voight."
"What he said about Noah really pissed me off too."
"I can understand that. I've never seen Captain Benson get that mad before."
"Was that when he called Noah a pansy?"
"Yep."
"I just know what Adam told me. I was sick when all this happened."
"How many people are you expecting at the party? I know who's here from New York and coming in from Arizona"
"The group at 51 started their shift this morning, so they won't be there. Goodwin, Dr. Charles and Maggie all said they would probably be there. The 5 of us, Platt and Makayla will be there. We're talking 25-30 people. Platt contacted Meredith Olinsky but she's still pissed at Voight."
"Al did what he did because of me and I have told her that. There is nothing Al wouldn't have done for Hank because that's just who he was. They were almost like brothers. Ever since I've been a part of Hank's family, Al was always around."
"Voight was the one that was able to get Olinsky exonerated, so Meredith could get his benefits and that's how she treats him?"
"Yeah, exactly."
"Adam said he even tried talking to her."
"If you need any money for tonight, let me know."
"We're fine. The 5 of us and Platt are taking care of everything. Captain Benson even offered to cover some of it but we said no."
The 3 of them headed out and headed wherever they were going. Erin headed back to Hank's and told them about the conversation with Hailey. The flight from Arizona arrived and after they got their luggage and rental, they headed to the hotel. By the time they got checked in and went up to their room, it was about time to go to Hank's party, which was being held at Giordano's. Everyone headed over there. Olive and her family arrived at the same time Hank, Olivia, Noah and Erin did.
As soon as Daniel was out of the vehicle and saw Hank and Olivia, he ran over to them.
"Papa! Grandma! Auntie! Noah!"
"Hey, you!"
They both hugged Daniel and then he hugged Noah and Erin. Olive and Nick caught up to them with the girls.
"Hey, Hank! Congratulations on your retirement."
"Thanks, Olive. I'm glad you could be here."
"We are too."
"Nick."
"Hi Hank. It's good to see you again."
"You too."
Hank and Nick shook hands and Olive hugged him.
"Olivia."
"Hey, Nick."
"Hey, Noah."
"Hey."
"Olive, Abby is absolutely adorable!"
"Thank you."
Olive handed Abby's carrier to Olivia and Nick handed Emma to Hank.
"How was she on the plane?"
"Thankfully she slept almost the entire time. They both did. So, we have news. Nick got a job offer in New York and he is planning to take it, so we will be moving cross country. Nick starts his job at the beginning of May but Daniel, the girls and I won't be moving until school gets out, which is a month later."
"We're heading to New York from here, so we can look at places and one of them is actually near you."
Nick pulled up the place near Hank and Olivia.
"That is near us. It's like the same building."
"That would be great. No matter where you find a place, if you need a place to stay in the meantime, we have plenty of room."
"Hank is right. There is plenty of space if you need to stay somewhere temporarily."
"Thanks, I appreciate the offer but the company is providing housing until we are able to get something permanent. We're hoping to close on the new place quickly."
"If Olivia doesn't have a problem with it, I can probably come help you pack. You don't need to be doin' all that by yourself."
"I'm fine with it."
"I can probably take time off too."
"We really appreciate that. Thanks."
They all went inside and then they met the others. The food had been pre-ordered, so the appetizers came out pretty much right away and then the pizzas came out. The squad and Platt not only paid the bill for dinner but they had also gotten Hank a gift card to get whatever he wanted. Hank thanked them and then once everyone ate, Hank talked to the group from Chicago and told them to visit them in New York any time. Trudy said she and Mouch would definitely take them up on it and she would take care of leaving flowers at Camille and Justin's graves, which Hank thanked her for. Olivia was talking to her squad about the trial and none of them were surprised about what Elliot had pulled. After Hank said goodbye to everyone at the restaurant, they left and headed to the firehouse, so he could say goodbye to everyone at 51, while Olive and her family went back to the hotel. Hank drove home and Noah said goodnight to everyone before going to his room. Erin went up to what had always been her room and Hank and Olivia went to Hank's bedroom.
The next day, the Realtor had come over to take pictures and fill out the paperwork to put Hank's house on the market. Mostly everyone headed to New York was leaving on Sunday morning except for Amanda, Sonny and the kids, who were staying another week. Olive, Nick and the kids were leaving for New York in the late afternoon. Erin had given Olive the keys to her SUV, so they could take it with them, since she was not going to fly back. Hank was driving and they had decided to leave before noon. Olivia, Noah and Erin were leaving with him, so they would meet everyone else there. Olivia had taken the week off, so she could spend time with both of her boys and Erin took the week off as well.
Early Sunday, Hank, Erin, Olive, Nick and the kids all went to the cemetery, while everyone else, including the group from 51 went over to Hank's to help Olivia pack the SUV and the trailer. Once they got back from the cemetery and everything was packed up, Olive, Nick and the kids went back to the hotel to get ready to leave, while Hank, Olivia, Noah and Erin hit the road after Erin returned her rental to a place closer than going back to the airport.
On the trip to New York, they had stopped in Ohio for the night but also stopped to get gas, eat or use the bathroom along the way. They would also switch drivers, so no one had to do all the driving. Olivia was driving after their final stop, so she would be driving into NYC. She had contacted Fin to let him know they were closer and he had everyone meet them there, so they could unload the trailer and SUV. Once that was done, Hank could return the trailer in New York.
The rest of the week was spent getting Hank settled in. Olive said they made an offer on the unit in their building. They left Sunday morning to head back to Arizona and Amanda, Sonny and the kids returned from Chicago. By Monday, Olivia and Erin went back to work and the kids all went back to school. She had come into the Precinct and everyone else was there.
"Hey, Captain. Welcome back."
"Thanks, Velasco. Welcome back to you too, Rollins."
"Thanks. We had a great week in Chicago. As many times as I have been there, I never really saw much of the city, since I've only been there for work."
"I'm going to miss spending time there. If you get a chance to go back in the summer, I highly recommend Navy Pier and the Seadog."
"We did go to Navy Pier. The girls had fun at the Children's Museum and we rode on the Ferris Wheel. We even went to some of the museums. The girls had fun at the Shedd Aquarium."
"Noah always has fun when we go to Chicago. When we go in the summer, we'll go to one of the beaches too and Hank always takes Noah to a baseball game."
"We saw everything Voight and Erin recommended. Are you ok with how the trial turned out?"
"Honestly, yes. I hope he gets the treatment he needs but even if he does, it still won't change what he said or did. He threatened my husband and judged my son for doing what makes him happy."
"I still can't believe he said that about Noah though."
"I know. He doesn't care who he hurts. Like Noah said, the only opinions that matter to him are mine and Hank's."
"As it should be. Sonny and I both said if Nicky ever decided that's what he wanted to do, we would support him. Sonny supports whatever choices the girls make too even if he isn't their dad."
"Have you thought about talking to Langan for advice regarding Al not supporting Billie?"
"No."
"You have the right to take him to court for not paying child support."
"Yeah, I know."
"So, Liv, is Voight all unpacked yet?"
"For the most part he is. I'm just glad we're both finally in the same city and the same house."
Then Kathleen and Eli came in.
"Hey, Liv."
"Hey."
"Can we talk?"
"Sure."
They went into Olivia's office, so Olivia could put her stuff down, while Kathleen and Eli sat on the sofa. Olivia pulled up a chair.
"We wanted to apologize for Dad's behavior these last few years."
"I don't blame any of you for what happened. I think he just assumed that we would be together after your mom died. I think it was Fin that commented to me that it seemed like he was just waiting for your mom to die."
"Sometimes it seems to us that he was somehow responsible for what happened to her."
Olivia told them what had happened at the trial.
"You know he won't get help."
"The Judge told him he has to."
"Kathleen and Dickie said he said something about Noah."
"He said to leave it to me to raise a pansy and I'm too soft with him. He also said if he was his father, Noah would be in Military School to toughen him up. He really shouldn't be telling me how to raise my kid, since he was mostly an absent father. I would never bring someone that would bully him into his life. I just wish he had never come back."
"We can't blame you for feeling that way."
"I can't believe he said that about Noah. He threatened your husband too?"
"Yep. He told Hank he should just put a bullet in his head and Hank asked him why he didn't. Then he goes to prison for a long time. He will get some time for what he did. ASA Chapman, who handled the case said she will keep us informed. They do recommend getting a Restraining Order against him. We can have one that will protect us in Chicago and then I already talked to ADA Carisi about getting one here. The Desk Sergeant here knows that he is not to be let up here and if he comes in, he is to be taken into custody regardless of whether or not we have a Restraining Order. At our condo, we either have to let them know we are having visitors or if someone just shows up, they call us and ask if whoever it is can be let up. He does not know where we moved to and I do not want him finding out."
"And he won't hear it from us."
"I need to speak with HR and tell them not to give out any of my information."
Then Ayanna and Jet came in.
"Welcome back, Captain."
"Thanks. Another one I need to keep an eye on is Detective Slootmaekers."
"What did I do?"
"I was just telling Kathleen and Eli that I do not want their father to ever find out where I live and I need to contact HR and tell them not to give out any of my information. That would also include anyone who knows how to hack into computer systems."
"Sergeant Bell already told me that I cannot help Stabler with anything even if he offers to pay me for it."
"I knew what you were getting at because it did occur to me that he could try to have her get your address."
"Wouldn't he be able to get your location from your phone?"
"I decided that I am only going to keep my location on when I'm at work. I will shut it off when I'm home. I thought about changing my number but then I would have to get my business card changed and let too many people know."
"He will not have a job when I gets out of jail. IAB already decided not to reinstate him and honestly, I don't blame them."
"Funny you should mention that. Ed went to Chicago with me, so he could go to the trial. He was planning on going to Hank's retirement party anyway and then he wife came in on Friday afternoon with everyone else. He said he thought Stabler was done too. He's been trying to take him down for years."
"Now we understand why. Just because he's our dad doesn't mean we always support him. Like I said before, we've tried telling him to leave you alone."
"I told him that the night of the incident and he told me he couldn't leave her alone."
"I know better than anyone what happens when men become too obsessed with women that want nothing to do with them and he should too. He's gotten worse."
"We agree."
"How does the rest of your family feel about all this?"
"They feel the same way we do. I've often wondered if Dad has the same problem I do."
"When Dr. Charles evaluated him, he didn't seem to think so. I mentioned that both you and your grandma were bipolar but both were on medication. I must say you have dealt with your situation."
"It hasn't been easy some days especially with what happened to Mom but my meds have really helped. Grandma has her good days and her bad days."
"Mom's death was hard on all of us. I wish it had been Dad and not her. Am I a bad person for feeling that way?"
"No, not at all. I feel that way and so does everyone else. I blame him for what happened anyway."
"Hank blames him for anything bad that has happened to me since he's been back. The accident I was in was because of the Wheatleys and I have a feeling that my being shot last year was because of him too. The only thing that wasn't because of him was when I was attacked by the BX9 but he wanted to know why I didn't contact him. Really? Maybe it's because I have other people I can actually count on for support. I still haven't told him about what happened with William Lewis."
"He'd probably get the wrong idea anyway as to why you contacted him. None of us told him about that either. It's not our place to tell him and if you wanted him to know, you'd tell him. Like I told you before, Maureen, the twins and I all knew it had happened and we all feel bad that we never reached out to you. We all tried telling Dad that he needed to reach out to you and his excuse was that he couldn't."
"No doubt he would get the wrong impression. I appreciate you not saying anything. At the time, I wondered what he would have done if he had been around what it happened but he wasn't. Hank said if he had known me then, he would have ended Lewis the first time. Like I've said before, I loved your dad but not in the romantic sense and I never would have wanted him to leave his family for me. We worked closely and we did undercover stuff together. I know your mom was always jealous of our closeness because there were times when he'd spend more time with me than he did at home with all of you. That period of time when your parents were separated, I tried to support him the best I could. If the feelings I had for him were romantic, I could have complicated things more by telling him that at that point. I respected all of you enough not to ever go that route and even if I wasn't with Hank, I wouldn't have wanted to be with Elliot. He has way too much ego for me. He comes back into my life and your mom is barely in her grave but he's already confessing his love for me. He asked Fin about how many relationships I have been in since he was gone. He doesn't take into consideration that I'm in a strong and happy relationship and I would never walk out on Hank for anything or anyone. Hank knows everything I've been through and he has been nothing but supportive. Even when he was in Chicago, he would come out here to be with me every time something happened. Have you told your grandma about any of this?"
"We would have understood if you two had hooked up at some point but you're right, Dad does have a huge ego. She said Dad's temper has obviously gotten the best of him and he's just like his father. When he told me he was going to Chicago to work on a case with SVU, I had a feeling he was going to start something, so I wasn't completely surprised when I heard from you as to what had happened."
"Ayanna had said that she had hoped he would have been undercover at that time."
"I tried."
"Was Dad being undercover when Liv got married done on purpose?"
"It was."
"And I appreciate you not telling him about the wedding either. That was the last thing we needed. If he had tried to stop the wedding, he would have either been arrested or someone, like Hank, probably may have killed him.
"We were all glad you included us though."
"I want all of you in my life. Just not your dad. On a happier note, Olive, Nick and the kids are moving here, so we will get to see them all the time. They made an offer on a unit in our building, so that'll make it even better if they get it. We already told them that the kids can stay with us anytime."
"What does her husband do?"
"He is a computer programmer, so being here, he'll be making pretty good money. Hank has already had an offer on his house and he accepted it."
"That was fast."
"It was. The Realtor was there taking pictures and filling out the paperwork with Hank just before we left Chicago and she called him by the end of the week saying there was an offer. Hank told Detective Upton that if she needed his assistance with anything, he would be more than happy to come out and help. We'll be going to Chicago quite a bit I'm sure. He still wants to take Noah and now probably Daniel to a game at Wrigley. We're pretty much the only grandparents their kids have. Olive doesn't have a good relationship with her parents and Nick doesn't have one with his either. Olive and Erin have both said that I am more of a mother to them than their own mother ever were. Nick adopted Daniel when they got married and he told Hank that his relationship with Daniel would never change. Nick and Justin were friends, so he's actually known Hank for years. Like Hank has said, Nick is one of the few friends Justin had that wasn't a bad influence on him. Olive said she didn't want Daniel to be an only child and Hank just wants her to be happy. He also knows that Justin would have wanted her to move on and that it was with someone he knew and trusted. Nick told Olive at the funeral that he would be there for her. He ended up taking a job around Phoenix not knowing Olive was out there and they ran into each other maybe 5 years ago. They spent a few months getting reacquainted, so he and Daniel could get to know each other. They gradually started to fall in love with each other. They got engaged within a year. They got married in the early part of October the following year and she got pregnant on their honeymoon. Emma was born in mid July, so she was about a year old when we got married. They came in for our wedding in May and she ended up pregnant with Abby, who was born on Valentine's Day. Our birthdays are 6 days apart. Emma's middle name is Nicole after her dad and Abigail's is Olivia."
"That's sweet."
"How long were you and Hank engaged?"
"He proposed on my birthday in 2021, so we were engaged for a little over 2 years by time we finally got married. I am just so glad our love for each other was strong enough to overcome any obstacles that have been thrown at us."
"More specifically our dad?"
"Exactly."
"Do you have any pictures of the kids?"
"Of course. Why kind of grandma would I be?"
Olivia pulled a picture of all the kids that she took this past week and showed all of them
"Daniel looks like Hank."
"Yes, he does. As much as he loves his sisters, he really wants a brother. Noah loves hanging out with him. He's closer in age to Noah than he is Emma. She mentioned they want to eventually try for a boy but right now, she's pretty worn out with two little ones under two, so they'll probably wait a little longer. She worked until Emma was born but never went back. She loves being a stay at home mom. Nick didn't care either way and said he supported her no matter what she decided to do. For me, I think I finally decided when I plan to retire and that'll be when Noah finishes high school, so I still have several years yet."
"That's a good goal to have for yourself. Do you know when sentencing is?"
"Another month maybe. He is still planning to appeal because he still doesn't think he did anything wrong."
"He still won't have a job."
"I don't particularly want him living with me. None of us do. He still has the apartment in Rome but he probably can't leave the country."
"The only thing is, we've heard that the time he spent in jail before the trial and between the trial and sentencing could cut down on the amount of time he serves, which I know is normal but I know he'll continue to harass us even with a Restraining Order. There are unis that he knows pretty well, so what's to say they wouldn't overlook stuff because it's him."
"Most of them at our Precinct don't like him very much."
"Montero works with us a lot and he doesn't like him. The others here don't like him either."
"I had lunch with Kate one day last week and she said most of the unis in her Precinct don't care much for him either. This one is the closest to your condo, right?"
"Yeah."
Olivia got a phone call about a case and when she got what information she could, she hung up.
"Everything ok?"
"We have a case. It's a sex trafficking and drug trafficking case. This is in conjunction with the FBI."
"I'll contact the rest of my squad."
Olivia gave Ayanna the info she had and she contacted the rest of her squad. Jet was already looking stuff up, Olivia and her squad did what they needed to do and Kathleen and Eli left. They set stuff up at SVU, since they were already there. Ayanna told her group to meet at SVU, since it was another combined case. Olivia texted Hank and said that she would not be able to meet him for lunch because they had gotten a case but she would let him know when she was leaving for the day. Erin and her co-workers arrived to set up at SVU as well. Erin had taken the lead on the case from the FBI, since it was related to something she had been investigating when she was in Bolivia. They all knew this was going to be one of those bad cases. The FBI ended up sending someone in undercover to get as much information as they could about the group they were dealing with. The case took a few days to get done but someone was always working on it until it was done. Hank had spent some time at the Precinct offering assistance but Noah hardly saw Olivia. She felt guilty about that but at least he had Hank. Carisi was helping out too, so one of his sisters came to stay with the kids until the case was over. Once things calmed down, everyone was able to spend time with their families. Olive and Nick heard that their offer had been accepted and the closing was at the end of May, so they had started packing.
During the next several weeks, Elliot had appealed his case but it had been denied. He got the treatment he needed for his anger and rage issues even though he still claimed Hank was what triggered his anger the most. He was sentenced to serve time in one of the correctional facilities in Illinois but had some of it taken off for time already served. He still didn't think he belonged there but he had hoped things would change for the better. He still had hope that he and Olivia would be together and no one would stop him. ASA Chapman had contacted Hank to let him know what was going on. He thanked her for her help.
About a week later, Elliot had been found shanked in the shower. The guard that found him contacted ASA Chapman and said the person who admitted to doing it said he did it because he and everyone else was sick of listening to him whine about everything. Nina called Hank and then Hank needed to tell Olivia. He decided to go tell her in person. She ended up taking it pretty well and was actually relieved about it. Olivia went to OCCB to talk to Ayanna and IAB to talk to Captain Curry. She called Kathleen and asked if they could meet for lunch. She said to bring as many of her siblings as she could. Kathleen said they would be there. Olivia picked the time and place and then all 5 of the kids were there. She told them about their dad and while they were upset, they all knew that Elliot needed to serve his time for what he had done to her and Hank. She told them she hoped she could still be a part of their lives and all 5 of them said they would like that. Olivia bought lunch and headed back to the Precinct.
During the next several weeks, Nick started his new job in New York and later in the month, Hank and Erin went out to help Olive. Olive wanted to wait until everything was packed before the place was put on the market. The closing on the new place was just before Memorial Day and the condo in Arizona was already packed and mostly being stored in the garage. Olive contacted the Realtor and had it put on the market before she left for New York. Before she left for New York, she said goodbye to her sister. She took Abby with her and Hank kept Emma and Daniel with him at the hotel until Daniel was out of school, since Olive was planning to stay in New York and it would be easier than having her trying to juggle two little ones on the plane by herself. Olivia and Noah went out Memorial Day weekend to spend time with Hank and so Hank and Olivia could celebrate their anniversary together. They ended up taking Emma back with them, so Hank only had to deal with Daniel at that point. Daniel's last day of school was the same day everything was being picked up. Once the stuff was picked up, Hank had met with the Realtor to hand over the rest of the keys and the garage door openers. Daniel had a half day of school and said goodbye to his friends. Once Hank picked him up, they stopped at Olive's sister's so Daniel could say goodbye to his aunt before they headed to the airport for the flight to New York. Hank knew Daniel was sad about leaving his friends but he knew he would make new friends. Daniel told him the best part about moving to New York was that he would be closer to him. Hank told him they would now be able to see each other every day.
When they arrived in New York, Olivia had picked them up and headed home. Hank was happy to be home with his wife and son but he was also happy that the whole family was finally in the same city. He still saw Olive as family and he had known Nick a long time as well. He loved the girls as much as he loved Daniel and he melted whenever Emma would call him 'Papa'. He would always love Erin like a daughter and as far as they were both concerned, she was his daughter. They didn't need DNA for that. He felt the same way about Noah. Olivia was his second chance at love and it had been a rough road for them trying to deal with being in a long distance relationship but they both knew if they truly loved each other, they could make it work. Leaving Chicago was not an easy decision for him but he knew he would be the one to make the move. He wouldn't have done it for just anyone. If their love for each other helped them get through Elliot trying to break them up, they both knew they could get through anything together.
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