It was the day before the dinner and things were coming together, the final pieces being put into play leaving Randall to be on the go for the full day. It was midday when the youngest Stabler was arriving home, alongside his girlfriend Becky.

They were on their way home from college for the family dinner the following day, a journey that should have been filled with excitement and anticipation, but Eli's thoughts were tangled in knots. Although he felt happy for the family dinner, hoping it didn't turn out like the last one, it gave him an opportunity to come back home as it was something that he planned to do anyway.

No matter how scared it made him.

Home meant facing his father, the great Elliot Stabler. A man whose presence loomed large in Eli's life, not just physically but emotionally too.

The secret weighed heavy on Eli's chest. He had been keeping it from his father for nearly a month, unsure of how to break the news. Would Elliot understand? Could he accept the path Eli had chosen, one that diverged sharply from the expectations he had once set? He had tried having the conversation with his dad a couple of weeks ago, but that call had ended short, something he was familiar with from his childhood.

Elliot had been a police officer for as long as Eli could remember, and their relationship had always been strained. Eli often sided with his late mother when any battles she had with his all-consuming job. No matter how many times his siblings told him he had it easy, Eli didn't listen. He felt anger towards his dad, and that action alone brought fear to him when it came to the secret he's been holding.

Eli gazed at Becky, her face serene and calm as she watched the city pass by around them. She was the reason for his unease and his joy—a constant in his life recently that brought him clarity and purpose. He wanted to share his happiness with his father, to bridge the gap that had grown between them over the years. Yet, the fear of rejection gnawed at him. What if his father couldn't accept this part of him? What if history repeated itself and he would be gifted the shame bestowed onto his parents?

Edging closer to the place he called home, he tried to soothe his nerves feeling a mix of anticipation and dread. He took Becky's hand, finding solace in her warmth. Like always she could sense his unease and squeezed his hand to anchor him quickly.

"Hey, you okay?" Becky whispered, concern and worry etching her voice. Eli hesitated, then nodded slowly. Becky gave his hand another squeeze of reassurance. "He loves you, Eli. He might surprise you."

The words hung in the air as the car pulled to a stop, and Eli's heart raced with the impending conversation. He knew he couldn't avoid it any longer. He knew his dad would probably be at his house, the past month of work slowing down for his undercover jobs, but we prayed this would be the one time his job decided to interfere. The walk to the door felt like it went on for miles as Eli carried their bags in front of Becky, the familiar landscape around was a stark contrast to the turmoil within him.

He didn't realize he was holding his breath as he opened the front door, until he released it at the silence that welcomed them. That didn't last for long as the man of the house and cause of his current anxiety exited his bedroom into the living area.

"Hey, Eli you guys home for the dinner," Elliot asks, walking further into the room. "Or longer?," he finishes the sentence as he notices the extra bags sitting around his son.

It was quick but it was enough time for Elliot to notice the side glance shared between his son and his girlfriend. Elliot frowned slightly, his parental instincts tingling. His son looked tired, shoulders slumped, and there was something in his eyes that Elliot couldn't quite place—a mix of uncertainty and anxiety.

Eli hesitated for a moment, then sighed heavily. "Dad, can we talk?"

"Yeah Of course," Elliot said, guiding Eli further into the living room and gesturing for them to sit down. He took a seat opposite his son and his girlfriend, waiting patiently.

After a long pause, Eli finally spoke. "I... I've made a decision." Elliot nodded, urging him to continue.

Eli took a deep breath. "I... I've been thinking a lot, and I've made a decision. I'm going to join the police academy."

"Does that mean you're leaving college?"

"Yes, I am. I can't enroll in the academy and maintain my classes."

Elliot felt as if the ground had shifted beneath him. "Leaving college and joining the academy? Eli what's going on? Are you moving back?"

He was only rewarded a nod. "And I'm taking it, Becky is too?" He says his eyes shifting to his son's girlfriend clung to the side of him on the couch. He watched as the pair gave a hesitant nod in return.

Elliot was stunned. Becoming a police officer had been something he decided out of need to support his family, following his dad being the last thing on his mind, and he never pressured his kids into following the same path. He had wanted his kids to forge their own way, to choose a career that would make them happy and fulfilled.

"Eli," His son's name slipped from his lips with a sigh. "Are you sure about this?

Before Eli could answer him, Elliot's phone started ringing an all too well story Eli is used to from his childhood. "One second" Elliot says before stepping into his bedroom to take the call.

"This is going better than you thought" Came Becky in a soothing tone in efforts to calm the youngest Stabler down.

"Look, I gotta go"

"Dad its fine"

"We'll talk when I get back" He says making his way to the door, leaving the two young adults standing in the living room.

—-

As he walked up to his uncle's door, his heart was pounding with nervous anticipation. He hadn't seen his uncle in person for several months, sadly he couldn't remember ever formally meeting his aunts, and showing up with this weighty secret as an introduction was a lot even for his family. Before he could even ring the bell, it swung open, revealing his grandmother Bernie standing there with a knowing smile.

"Eli, my boy," she greeted warmly, pulling him into a tight hug. "You couldn't have picked a better time to visit."

Eli chuckled nervously, feeling Bernie's sharp eyes on him. "How did you know I was coming?"

"Oh, I have my ways," Bernie winked, patting his cheek affectionately. "Plus your dad called and mentioned you just got in but he had to leave for something, Come on in your aunts are inside dying to see you"

Eli offered his grandmother a weary smile, his nerves heightened at the thought of meeting his aunts now while his secret was still under wraps. Inside, the house seemed calmed but he could hear bustling coming from the kitchen.

Eli greeted his aunts warmly, mustering up as much of a calm facade as he could. He guess Becky could sense his nerves because she steps forward offering her bubbly personality as a buffer for him. Stepping in to help him deal with his awkwardness around his family as she has in the past. He's never asked her to do it, but he is sure as hell glad for it and it's just another reason why he feels his decisions with coming back are worth it. She gets him and for sure the person he wanted to step into this new chapter of his life with.

Hearing laughter, he came out of his thoughts and watched as his girlfriend captivated his family before him. He moved forward at that time and offered his greetings with a smile. He could see his grandmother in the women, a certain charm that calmed him the way one smile from Bernie could. His eyes connected with a set of bright ones that reminded him of his sisters. Although not blue, closer to green if he looked longer, the eyes offered the same type of warmth in them that he saw in his grandmother. The woman he found out was his dad's oldest sister Sharon, the only thing on her to show her age being the deep smile lines and the gray hair that faded down into brown. Next to her was a pair of light hazel eyes, something not too common in his family. The hair on her head is blonde just like the rest of the women in his family. His aunt Dee he learned, his dad's second oldest sister, with a similar energy to his sister Kathleen.

What he thought would be an awkward introduction was one filled with warm welcoming hugs that offered comfort and a sense of home.

But as soon as the greetings were given, his grandmother shocked them all. "Eli," Bernie called out from her place in front of the table, her voice cutting through the chatter. "Are you and Becky expecting?"

Eli froze, his heart skipping a beat. The room fell silent, Eli's heart racing as he absorbed the weight of his grandmother's glanced nervously at his aunts, who exchanged knowing glances before turning expectantly towards him. "Uh, yeah, Grandma," he admitted, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly. "We are, how did"

Bernie chuckled softly, her eyes twinkling with affection. "Oh, sweetheart, there are some things a grandmother just knows."

There was a moment of stunned silence before Aunt Sharon broke into a wide grin. "Oh, Eli, that's wonderful news!" she exclaimed, rushing over to envelop him in a hug. "Your dad will be thrilled!"

Eli's stomach twisted at the mention of his father. "Yeah well I don't know about that"

"What's wrong?" Bernie says, offering a hand guiding them to the sofa in the living room.

"Well we had a conversation earlier before he left but I could only tell him part of the news and that didn't seem to go over to well"

"Well what did you tell him?" came Sharon from the corner. "If you don't mind me asking" Sharon knew there was no typical bond an aunt would have with their nephew, hell it wasn't a bond at all, but she couldn't help but feel for the young boy in front of her.

Looking at Becky, Eli took a breath before turning back to the other women in the room, "I'm quitting school and applying to the police academy" he almost cringed at the small gasp let out into the room.

"I could see why that might not have gone over too well" mumbled Dee, earning her a sharp look from Sharon that she brushed off. Eli just laughed lightly, loving the edge in the women that reminded him of his uncle Randall.

Sharon spoke next offering the same softness as his grandmother, "Was that the only thing you told him? Not the real reason why, which I'm presuming is because of the baby?"

"Yeah, he got called away before Eli could fully explain it" came Becky quietly.

Bernie's eyes softened with understanding. "Your father may surprise you," she said gently, her voice carrying the wisdom of years. "You know, Elliot wasn't much older than you when Maureen came along. He took on a lot for this family, becoming a cop to support you all, hell even me."

Sharon says "your father can't be too hard on you, you're just following in his footsteps both in career and fatherhood"

"Well I guess the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree" Dee murmurs and a laugh is shared amongst the adults, a worried look coming over Eli's face.

Dee reaches out and says " Like your aunt Sharon said 'He can't be too hard on you' he'll understand, granted you will probably have to hear a few minutes of him ranting before that happens but that's just the Stabler way. Anger first, understanding later."

"How it used to be" comes from Bernie. "Elliots changed from the hothead brother you know."

"I'll believe it when I see it" comes Dee, earning a chuckle from the two young adults on the couch.

"We should be going," Eli says standing up from the couch. Offering a quick hug to his aunts, he goes for his grandmother when she moves to follow Becky to the door.

Bernie walked them to the door, "I'm proud of you and your dad will be too" Eli goes to speak but Bernie quickly silences him. "Just give him time if needed, he's trying so you have to also." and with a pat to the cheek, she stepped back sending Eli a wave as he closed the door behind him and headed to the waiting car.

On the way home Eli was quiet, the conversation with his aunts replaying in his head. 'I guess the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree' was on a loop, the words from his aunt making him come to a realization he was warding off. He is more of his father than he makes out to be.

It felt like a rush, the years of tension and misunderstandings beginning to unravel at once.

Sitting in the back of the cab, Eli realized he was just a copy to the man he had so often clashed with. Maybe even worse in his eyes. Unlike his dad, Eli didn't have a true reason to hate his father. Hell he even got the better end of the stick than his older siblings. Yet he held resentment towards the man just to become a version of him, but with less courage.

Eli realized that perhaps he had misjudged his father all along. Elliot's job had shaped their family in ways Eli hadn't fully appreciated, but beneath the badge was a father who loved his kids fiercely, even if he didn't always show it in ways Eli understood.

"You ready?" The noise he made was all she needed to know that his nerves were causing doubts to swirl in his mind.

"Hey just remember I'm right here." she said with a warm smile, easing his nerves the only way she knows how.

Eli nodded, a wave of gratitude washing over him at the sound of those words. His father's sacrifice and determination had shaped his own sense of responsibility. Maybe, just maybe, his dad would understand.

—-

When arriving back to the place, they make their way in and notice Elliot sitting at the kitchen counter. Turning around to Becky he could see a hint of worry behind her eyes and he does his best to reassure her before telling her he'll meet her when he's done.

"You good there?"

"Uh yeah" was all Eli could muster as he made his way into the kitchen to busy himself with making Becky some tea.

The tenseness was etched in his shoulders and Elliot could sense it. "You wanna relax your shoulders then" he offers as a joke something to lighten the air in the room.

Eli just laughs it off but it comes out hesitantly.

Elliot notices and decides to just come out and say something to at least ease his son's nerves on telling him. "So how far along is she?" he asked, leaning back against the counter relaxed.

If he couldn't tell before he could now, the shock in his son's face was evident as he looked up at him. Coming to the otherside of the counter, he watched as his son took the seat beside him before letting out a breath.

"Did grandma call?"

"No"

"How did"

"I've had six kids, it wasn't hard to tell" He didn't want to give away that he saw his hand drifting towards her stomach a number of times during their brief conversation earlier. "Is that why you're moving back?"

"Yeah, I just " Eli stopped trying to get his words together.

"Want to do the right thing" Elliot finishes for him, all too familiar in the way his son was feeling right now.

"When did you find out?" Elliot managed to ask, seeming calm on the outside while his mind was racing.

"A couple of weeks maybe more like a month ago," Eli replied, his gaze fixed on the floor. "We didn't know what to do at first, but... we've talked about it a lot, and we think this is the best thing for us right now."

He stared at Eli , trying to process what he already expected but never wanted to be true. His son, leaving college? And a baby on the way? Elliot ran a hand over his head, feeling a mixture of emotions—concern, disappointment, but also a fatherly instinct to support his son no matter what.

"Eli, I understand that this is a big decision," Elliot said carefully. "But have you thought about your future? Your education?"

Eli nodded slowly. "I have, Dad. And I know it's a lot to ask, but... Becky and I, we want to raise this baby together. I want to be there for them."

Elliot sighed, leaning back in his seat. He looked at his son, seeing the determination in his eyes despite the uncertainty of the situation.

"Okay," Elliot said finally, his tone serious yet supportive. "Okay,. We'll figure this out together."

Eli looked up, relief washing over his face. "Thanks, I... I was really worried about how you'd react." He saw the look of question flash across his dad's face. Eli rushed to finish . "I just thought you might… you might not support me."

Those words hit Elliot right in the heart cutting him deep. He knew that feeling all too well and it wasn't something that he ever wished for one of his kids to feel, especially not towards him.

Rubbing a hand down his face, Elliot smiled softly. "You're my son, Eli. I may not always understand your choices," he admitted quietly, "but I'll always be here for you, always support you. Just like your mother would have."

They sat in companionable silence for a moment, the weight of their shared experience hanging between them. Elliot had faced the uncertainties of young fatherhood himself, and now he found himself passing on wisdom and support to his own son.

"Thanks, Dad," Eli said quietly, his voice filled with gratitude.

As Elliot watched his son walk away, a mixture of emotions washed over him—pride, worry, hope. He knew that Eli's journey would be filled with challenges and triumphs, setbacks and successes. But he also knew that no matter what lay ahead, he would be right there beside him offering the guidance he knew he would need.