A/N: This is the second part of the previous chapter, 'Holiday Tradition'. I don't own any of the characters except my own.
Christmas in Hawaii
The next week seemed to drag on forever. It was finally Friday and for the most part, SVU didn't have any outstanding cases most of the week, since Carisi had already had everyone arraigned that needed to be and the trials weren't starting until after the New Year. Fin told Olivia that they would be fine. Everyone was done with either work or school until the 9th of January. Pete had contacted Erin and said he had a few things to finish up but he would be at Hank and Olivia's as soon as he could. Erin had stopped at home to drop her gun and badge off and then they walked the rest of the way. By the time Erin and Olivia arrived, they took their coats and boots off and headed into the kitchen. The kids were helping Hank with dinner.
"Hello, my loves."
"Hey, Mom."
"Mommy!"
Serena ran over and hugged Olivia and then Noah hugged her as well. Daniel, Ethan, Natalie and Ava hugged her and Zach and Ellie hugged Olivia after they hugged Erin. Olivia then went to kiss Hank.
"How was your day?"
"Surprisingly quiet. How was yours?"
"Pretty quiet. I took the animals over to Al and Meredith's and then all of us met Ed for lunch. The girls wanted McDonald's. We all took a nap when we got back and then once these 6 got home, we started dinner. Ed and Patty will be at the airport around the same time as us, so he said maybe they will run into us. If not, he said to wish everyone a Merry Christmas."
"Ok, good."
"What's for dinner?"
"Chili and cornbread."
"I love your chili."
"Me too. It was always one of my favorites whenever you did cook."
"Which wasn't very often."
Olivia headed upstairs. Hank had Erin watch the chili, so he went up with her.
"Have you heard from Stabler?"
"No. I would have no reason to and he's undercover again anyway."
"So, basically you haven't heard from him in a few weeks."
"That sounds about right. I had lunch with Ayanna and Kate today and Ayanna said he's getting on her nerves with his constant complaining about everything. If it's not about going undercover, it's about his family. I guess he's still pissed off about Eli not wanting to come home."
"The kid is over 18."
"If Noah was away at school and decided not to come home for a holiday, how would we feel about it?"
"I'm sure we'd be upset but we'd have to accept it. What if he or even Serena decided to become a professional dancer and ended up being gone all the time? We would support them no matter what they decided to do. Honestly, I never expected Justin to come here after he was done in the Army. This thing with Stabler and Eli is a lot like what happened with Justin and me. Eli needs to mourn his loss in his own way as long as he doesn't make the same stupid mistakes Justin did. I don't particularly like Stabler but if you want him in your life, I accept that. I didn't have a problem with his kids and his mother seemed nice."
"I appreciate that. You sound like Ed. I never expected you and Ed to get along as well as you do. Elliot can't understand why I'm friends with Ed after everything he put us though. Ed and I started respecting each other more after what happened with William Lewis. He's not the same person he used to be. I'm glad I have you in my life."
"I'm glad I have you too."
Hank kissed Olivia and then they headed back downstairs. Olive and Justin were in the kitchen.
"Hey, Mom. Hey, Dad. Chili, my favorite."
"I know it's one or your favorites."
Justin and Olive both hugged Hank and Olivia.
"Where's Pete?"
"He had something he had to finish up but he said he would be here as soon as he could."
"I don't miss that at all."
"I know you don't."
"Fin has been taking his job as my #2 so seriously lately. I know he has my back though."
"The entire unit does."
By the time dinner was ready, Pete was there. He kissed Erin and the kids and then they all had dinner together. They all opened their gifts to each other and then watched a movie before everyone went home. Olivia told the kids to do their bath or shower before bed, since they had to be up and out early to get to the airport. She also told them to make sure they were packed. Serena took her bath, Noah took his shower and then Olivia and Hank did theirs after the kids were done. Once Hank and Olivia were done in the shower, they finished packing. They went to tuck Serena in and then they checked on Noah before they went into their bedroom. They made love before they fell asleep in each other's arms.
The next morning, everyone got up and got ready to head to the airport. Hank and Noah were ready first, so they took the suitcases out to the SUV. Olivia had her hair in a ponytail and Serena wanted hers braided, so Olivia told her she would do it before they got on the plane. Noah came back in.
"MOM, DAD IS READY TO GO."
"OK."
Olivia and Serena came downstairs and got their coats on. They went out to the SUV and got in. Hank then drove to the airport. Everyone else was meeting them there and then they would have breakfast. They arrived and parked in the parking garage. Justin, Olive, Erin, Pete and the kids arrived at the same time and so did Ed and Patty.
"Morning, everyone."
"Morning."
They all walked into the terminal and went to check in. They went through security and then found something for breakfast.
"I can't wait to get on that plane and spend the next couple weeks in paradise."
"I think that's what got me through this week."
"Yeah, no kidding."
"Do you think Gina will be able to handle things while you're gone?"
"I think so. I wouldn't trust it with anyone else. I'm planning to take the Lieutenant's exam when we get back and I asked her if she would take the Sergeant's exam as well. She seemed pretty receptive to it."
"She was the only other person I would have left in charge too."
"I remember when I asked Fin to take the Sergeant's exam and he gave me a hard time about it. He then realized that he could use the pay increase."
"That sounds like him."
The finished breakfast and they headed to their gates. Ed and Patty were pretty much in the same area, so they waited with the rest of them. Olivia then did Serena's hair.
"There you go, Sweetie."
"Thank you, Mommy."
Serena kissed Olivia and went to where the other kids were.
"Is she named after anyone?"
"My mother's name was Serena. We didn't have the best relationship while I was growing up because she was an alcoholic and could be abusive at times but she did tell me she was proud of me for doing what I was doing. She died over 20 years ago. She's the reason I'm doing what I'm doing because she was raped 56 years ago and I'm the result of that. She blamed me for a lot and there were times when I wanted to leave home just to get away from her. I started dating a student of hers when I was 16 and he was in his 20's. I thought it was love and he was my first. He came back into my life a couple years ago and he told me that my mother told him to stay away from me. He was hoping for something to happen between us then but I said I was happily married and very much in love with my husband. It wasn't until then that I realized what he did to me even though I consented to it and my mother did what she did to protect me. I never realized how naïve I really was. When it finally hit me, my biggest fear was Hank never looking at me the same way again."
"Believe me, I know how you feel. I was a freshman in high school when I met my now ex-husband Wayne, who was a senior. My parents knew we were involved and they liked him but they didn't know we were having sex. I did wonder what he saw in me though. A part of me wondered if his friends talked him into it and he made a bet with them or something like that but he wasn't like that at all. He wasn't pushy and it actually didn't happen until my 15th birthday that summer. I consented to it. He stayed locally for college then and we got married after I graduated from college and nursing school. I got pregnant almost right away and I had carried to full term but she was a stillborn. We tried again and I had a couple miscarriages early on. I was 32 when I finally had Dylan and about two years later, Jason came along. Dylan turns 18 in July and Jason will be 16 in May. We both wanted a daughter but that never happened. We were inseparable until about a year after Jason was born and then things started falling apart. We separated when Jason was 5. We just couldn't make it work anymore, so we eventually divorced and he agreed to me having them most of the time as long as he could get time with them. I never had a problem with that. Wayne's family moved to Boston, so he wanted to be closer to them. That's where he ended up meeting his second wife. We're still friends and I'm still pretty close to his family. His wife is very nice and he gets along with Ed. His dad passed away 6 months ago, so we went up with the boys. His mother told me she wished things had lasted between us but they all still see me as part of the family. She and Ed get along pretty well too. I understood why Wayne wanted the boys with him for Christmas this year, since it was the first one without his dad. My parents moved to Florida and Dad passed just before Ed and I got married. Wayne and Sandy came down for that."
"Do they have kids?"
"She has two daughters around the same ages as Dylan and Jason but she's widowed. Katelyn is about a year younger than Dylan and Hayley is about a year younger than Jason. The kids all get along pretty well. The girls call Wayne 'Dad' and that was their choice."
"That's the same thing with Justin. He chose to call me 'Mom'. Ever since Hank found out Erin was his, she calls me 'Mom' too. Her mother was a piece of work anyway."
"Is she still around?"
"No. She died of an overdose a couple years ago. She never met the kids though. She met Pete once but I did not want her in my kids' lives if she wasn't going to get clean. She always tried dragging me down the wrong path. She kept telling me that Hank was going to get me killed but she wanted someone to get drunk and high with. After my best friend was raped and murdered, I started spending more time with her but when Hank was moving here, I made the choice to come with him. I needed the change. I didn't need Bunny dragging me down and I wasn't exactly sure where my relationship with Jay was going. We split mainly because he didn't want to be long distance and part of it was also because of Hank. He didn't necessarily approve of us together. Sometimes it did get hard for us to work together and be in a relationship. He's married to Hailey now and she became his partner after I was gone. Adam and Kim are in a relationship and raising Makayla together."
"I didn't think Halstead would have been too thrilled to come here and work in my unit again anyway."
"He probably would have been happy with ESU or something like that."
"True."
"It works for some people. Even if I wasn't with Hank, I don't think I could be with Elliot. I would rather have him as a friend than anything else but that's even pushing it. He still doesn't know about William Lewis. You would think that he would want to know what I went through in the time he was gone but apparently if it's not about him, he's not interested. Although he was interested in how many relationships I was in in the time he was gone. It has always been about him and he has way too much ego for me. I don't like the way he acts every time I mention Noah's dancing."
"If I was still with Internal Affairs when he came back, there is no way in hell I would have allowed him to return. What Noah wants to do is none of his concern anyway."
"I agree that it's none of his concern. I want my kids to be happy."
"And Noah is a great dancer."
"Thank you."
"If Daniel and Ethan wanted to dance, I'd support them. I want my kids to be happy."
"Me too. I'd support Zach. There is nothing wrong with a boy wanting to dance."
"This is coming from a guy who used to say that men couldn't be rape victims, so what do you expect?"
"He's an ass. I thought that the moment I met him."
"Me too."
"Same with me."
"I've always thought he was an ass. He loves to hold grudges."
"Oh yeah. He has a lot of anger and nothing is ever his fault. He used to blame me for a lot when we worked together. The one relationship I do like is Rollins and Carisi. There is no one happier than I am that they finally got together. He became so protective of her when she was pregnant with Jesse. He was there for her right after Billie was born too. She was pissed when he left SVU and went to the DA's office and he was worried out of his mind when Frank Bucci was holding her hostage. I think that was when she realized she started having feelings for him that went beyond being friends and colleagues. The girls are so excited that he's a big part of their lives. They both love him like crazy and the feeling is mutual. He loves being a dad."
"It seems like it."
They continued talking and then after a while the flight to Honolulu was about ready to start boarding. They hugged Ed and Patty and then they boarded. Not too long after that the flight to Ft. Lauderdale was boarding. The flight to Honolulu took off. Everyone pretty much fell asleep after takeoff. It was going to be a long flight.
The plane landed in Honolulu mid-afternoon. They got off the plane and went to get their stuff. They went out to get the shuttle to the resort.
"This is perfect."
"It sure is. We'll probably all be sick by the time we get home."
"Yeah, no kidding. It was in the upper 20's/lower 30's when we left and it's in the 70's or 80's here."
They got on the shuttle and were taken to the resort. When they arrived, they got checked in and went to their suites. They got settled in and changed their clothes. They all met and decided to check things out. They walked along the beach for a while and then they had dinner at the hotel restaurant. After dinner, they went back to their suites. Noah and Serena wanted to go swimming, so the 4 of them put their swimsuits on and went to the pool. The others had the same idea.
"This is paradise."
"It sure is. I could get used to this."
"I originally wanted this trip to be just us but I thought I would include the entire family instead."
"We appreciate that. I'm just glad I was able to get the time off."
"I wouldn't have had a problem with anyone being off. I know Fin and Phoebe are spending Christmas Eve with Ken, Alejandro and Jaden and Christmas Day with Phoebe's sister. Beth Anne and Mason were coming up to spend Christmas with Amanda, Sonny and the kids, so I think they were planning to spend Christmas Eve at Dominick and Serafina's and then at home on Christmas Day. I'm not sure about Kat or Velasco's plans. Actually, they both offered to work. I said it was fine but if they needed help to contact Fin or Carisi if they needed warrants."
"That's probably all Fin would do too."
"Exactly."
The all stayed at the pool for a while longer and then they went back to their suites. Everyone got cleaned up before getting ready for bed. All the kids were still pretty wound up. Once the kids were all asleep, the adults got into their beds and fell asleep.
The next morning, Olivia had woken up before Hank or the kids, so she got up and went into the bathroom. She then went out to the terrace and stood there looking over the ocean. She took a picture of her view and then she sent it to everyone in New York and Chicago. Then Hank woke up, went into the bathroom and then joined Olivia on the terrace. He wrapped his arms around her waist, put his chin on her shoulder and kissed her cheek.
"Mornin'."
"Morning, my love."
Olivia turned around and kissed Hank. He sat down and then she sat down on his lap.
"I took a picture of our view and sent it to everyone just to rub it in."
"Even my former squad?"
"Yep. This is so beautiful that I may not want to go home."
"I know. I'm hopin' to be able to get some time alone with you during the trip."
"I was thinking that we needed some alone time. A part of me wishes this trip was just us but I also couldn't imagine not spending Christmas with our family."
"I know. I don't think we've had too many vacations that were just us since our honeymoon."
"True."
"I'm figurin' we're gonna have to do another Disney trip with everyone, since the girls are a little older. The last time we went was before they were even born."
"She got pregnant with them on that trip Ethan, Zach and Ellie were still pretty little."
"Yep. I'm thinkin' maybe for our 10-year anniversary, I'll take you to Paris again. Maybe that's somethin' we'll have to do every 10 years."
"Aren't you sweet?"
"I try to be for you."
"Was there somewhere special you took Camille or wanted to take her?"
"There were a lot of places she wanted to go but unfortunately, we never got there. We got married in Vegas, so we spent some time there and then we went to Arizona to see the Grand Canyon, which was somethin' she wanted to see. We went to Disneyland when Justin was maybe 7 I think. We also did Knott's Berry Farm, Universal Studios and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. We'd do up to the Wisconsin Dells before they were mostly indoor water parks or we'd take him and later Erin to Great America."
"The kids loved that when we took them."
"Maybe the next time we go to Chicago, we'll do that again."
"I never traveled much as a kid even though my mom was off summers. I wouldn't mind doing the trip to California and visiting Nick."
"Maybe we could do that sometime."
"I could not imagine my life without you. You know that, right?"
"I know. I don't think I could have relocated for just anyone."
"And I do appreciate more than you will ever know. I am so glad our paths crossed 9 years ago and I love the life we created together, especially our little miracle, who's still asleep in the other room. That was the biggest surprise ever. I love Justin and Erin like they were my own."
"I know you do. I'm glad Justin loves you as much as he does because honestly, I never expected it considering how close he was to Camille and Erin has always looked up to you. You were the type cop she always wanted to be but unfortunately, she's a lot like me. You're definitely a much better influence on her than Bunny ever was.
"I think we both rubbed off on her. She's an amazing mom though."
"She is. Pete has been so good for her. Olive has been good for Justin and you've been good for me."
"You've been good for me too. I love you."
"I love you too."
Olivia started kissing Hank and then he realized they weren't alone. Noah and Serena had gotten up and were standing in the doorway.
"We're not alone."
"Uh huh. Good morning, my loves."
"Morning, Mommy. Morning, Daddy."
"Mornin', Pumpkin."
"Morning, Mom. Morning, Dad."
"Mornin'."
Olivia had gotten replies to the picture she had sent.
"Fin thanked me for rubbing it in and so did Trudy."
"You should take a pic of the 4 of us and send it."
"Good idea."
The kids moved closer and then Olivia took a selfie of the 4 of them. She then sent it to the same people she sent the other one to. They went to get ready and then they went to have breakfast. Everyone else met them in the hotel restaurant. Hank had also made arrangements for them to have dinner that night and on Christmas Day in the hotel restaurant when he made the reservations. After breakfast, they all decided to go to the beach. The kids kept busy playing in the sand.
"Last night the twins asked if Santa would find them here."
"Noah plays along for Serena and the other kids."
"The twins wanted new bikes, which they asked Santa for."
"They'll get their bikes when they get home."
"Serena asked Santa for another Barbie and Noah wants another video game."
"Ethan wants a bike, Daniel wants more Legos and the girls want a playhouse."
"I can't believe how good Noah is with the twins."
"He's becoming more responsible. He's even doing that he's supposed to do without being asked or complaining about it. He clears the table, loads and empties the dishwasher, takes the garbage out, helps with the laundry, helps his sister with her homework and keeps his room pretty clean."
"I wish he'd rub off on Daniel."
"It'll happen."
"We know it will."
"We're trying to decide if we want to give Noah even more responsibility and let him watch Serena for a couple hours while we have a date night, so we don't have to be so dependent on the rest of you or even Meredith. He's already stayed by himself."
"When did that happen?"
"Your dad had to take Serena, Zach and Ellie to the dentist and Noah was getting a ride home from dance. All of you were sick, Erin and I had a big case we were working on and Pete did too. I think Jesse and Billie had been sick too, so they were staying with Dominick and Serafina, along with Tony. It was for maybe an hour and he had dinner ready by the time they got back. I think he can handle taking care of her for a few hours. She's pretty independent."
"That's true and it's not like we're that far away."
"He never opens the door without looking to see who it is first and she knows that too. They both know how to call 9-1-1 if they need to. On top of that, we get notified on our phones if the doorbell rings. It also comes up on the TV, so if they're downstairs watching something and the camera comes up, they don't have to answer it. I don't know that I would want to leave them alone for more than a few hours. Your dad mentioned earlier that he'd like to go to Paris again for our 10th anniversary and have that be something we do every 10 years."
"That's awesome!"
"I think I'm going to go in the water."
"I'll join you."
Hank got up and then helped Olivia up. He took her hand and then they headed to the water. Ava and Natalie wanted to go in the water with them, so they each picked one of the girls up and went into the water. Erin was taking pictures of them as well as the kids. Noah was laying on the sand with his eyes closed, so Serena decided she wanted to bury him. Daniel, Ethan, Zach and Ellie helped. Ava and Natalie decided to join in on the fun as well. Olivia couldn't help but laugh and Hank shook his head.
"HEY, ERIN, YOU MIGHT WANT TO GET A PICTURE OF THIS."
Erin got up and brought her camera over and took pictures of the kids. Everyone came over.
"That is too funny."
Pretty soon Noah was completely covered and had sand up to his neck, so all you could see was his face and a mess of curly hair. Noah knew what they were doing and he was trying not to laugh.
"Noah, you are being such a good sport about this."
"I love having fun with my little sister and my nieces and nephews."
"I prouder of you more and more every day. You know that?"
"Yes, I know that."
Noah got out of the mound of sand and then got up. He went into the water to get the sand off of him. The family enjoyed their time at the beach. They went to have lunch and then some of the kids had a nap. Hank and Olivia had taken Noah and Serena back to the beach, while the younger kids were taking their nap. They were all sitting on the beach looking over the water.
"Can we do a trip with just the 4 of us sometime?"
"I agree with Noah."
"We could do that. Dad wants to arrange another trip to Paris for our 10th anniversary and have it be something we do every 10 years. Maybe we could include the two of you in our plans and put Disneyland Paris on the schedule. What do you think, Honey?"
"That sounds like a plan to me. We could go to Disneyland in California too and see all the stuff there. You'd be able to see Nick. We don't always have to include everyone. They can take their own vacations."
"As fun as Disneyland Paris sounds, you and Dad need time with just each other too especially for your special anniversaries."
"Our son is growing up too fast."
"Yeah, he is."
"We're thinking about giving you a little more responsibility at home with your sister."
"You mean leaving us by ourselves?"
"That's what we mean. If we decide we want to have a date night, then we won't have to worry about having someone stay with the two of you and if something were to come up, then you could call Erin or Justin."
"I'd be ok with that."
"How about you, Serena?"
"I'm good with that."
"I'm sure if he doesn't do a good job, we'll hear about it."
Serena gave her parents a toothless smile. They laughed and Noah rolled his eyes. They stayed at the beach a while longer and then they went for a walk. In the meantime, everyone else had come back to the beach. Hank, Olivia and the kids went to get ready for dinner and after a while, everyone else had too. They all met for dinner. After dinner, they all went back to their suites and went to bed.
The next morning, the younger kids woke up before everyone else. They wanted to see if Santa had been there. Each of the kids had small gifts and everyone had a stocking. Serena couldn't believe it. She went in to the bathroom and then she went over to the bed wake Noah up.
"Noah! Noah, wake up."
"What?"
"Santa was here."
"No, he wasn't."
"He was too."
"That's impossible."
"No, it's not. Don't argue with me."
"You sound like Mom."
"I know. Who do you think I get it from?"
Hank and Olivia had woken up and heard what Serena had said. They tried not to laugh but they couldn't help it. There was a knock at the door, so Serena went to answer it. She peeked out to see who it was first. It was the rest of the kids minus their parents. She then opened the door.
"Santa has been here!"
"I know. Noah doesn't believe me."
They all came in and Natalie and Ava climbed up onto Hank and Olivia's bed.
"Papa, Gama, you up?"
"We are now. Do your parents know where you guys are?"
"Not exactly."
Hank shook his head.
"Serena Margaret, have you gone to the bathroom?"
"Yes."
"Noah, have you?"
"No. I'm sleeping."
Noah threw the covers over his head.
"Then I'll go."
Olivia went into the bathroom and then Hank went. By the time he came out of the bathroom, there was another knock at the door. It was the rest of the family.
"Our children escaped. Are they here?"
"Yep. We asked if you knew where they were and Daniel said 'not exactly'.
All Justin could do was shake his head and Olive rolled her eyes.
"Merry Christmas."
"You too."
Everyone hugged Hank and then they came in. They then hugged Olivia and Serena. Natalie and Ava were standing near Noah.
"Shhhhhhhh! Noey seepin'."
"We brought the stockings."
"We have them too it looks like."
"Noah got something too but he's being grumpy."
"He'll be a teenager soon, so he'll only be getting grumpier."
Olivia knew Noah wasn't really asleep because she saw that he was laughing. Justin went over and pulled all the cover off Noah.
"Time to get up! Get him, Natalie and Ava! You too, guys."
Natalie and Ava crawled up on the bed and started tickling Noah. Then the 3 boys jumped on him as well.
"Stop! Ok, I'm up!"
Noah got up and went into the bathroom. Once he was done in the bathroom, joined everyone else. Serena handed Noah his present from Santa. Hank found out what everyone wanted for breakfast and ordered room service. While they were waiting, they checked out their stockings and then the kids opened their gifts from Santa. Ethan, Zach and Ellie looked disappointed with their gifts.
"But we didn't get our bikes."
"Santa couldn't bring your bikes here because how would you get them home? Maybe they'll be waiting for you when we get home."
"Oh, maybe."
Natalie and Ava looked just as disappointed.
"Santa probably left it at home just like Ethan's bike. It's too big to be on the plane."
Breakfast arrived and they all ate. Olivia texted everyone to wish them a Merry Christmas. After breakfast, mostly everyone headed down to the pool, while Justin and Pete went for a run along the beach. They had had reservations for dinner in the late afternoon, so everyone went to get ready. They met for dinner. After dinner, Hank, Olivia, Noah and Serena took a walk along the beach and the others did their own thing as well. Olivia ended up taking another selfie of the four of them. She then took a picture of Hank with the kids and one of just the kids. Hank took one with her and the kids and then Noah took one of just Hank and Olivia. They took more pictures and enjoyed the beautiful weather.
"We should see if we can find a miniature golf place while we're here."
"That would be fun. I like that idea. Maybe that would be something just the 4 of us could do."
"If we went with everyone else, we'd be there all day with Natalie and Ava."
"No doubt. I do love them though."
"I do too."
"We should check out some sights too. I'd like to see Pearl Harbor."
"That works."
"This has been the best Christmas ever!"
"I probably should have though this through a little better though."
"Meaning what?"
"Maybe I should have just included these two and not everyone else."
"No one seemed to be arguing when we've wanted to do our own thing. They can see what they want to see and so can we. We don't have to spend every minute of this vacation with them."
"Oh yeah, I know."
"This definitely beats being in cold New York."
"I agree completely. I needed a break from my job and this is exactly what I needed."
"I don't miss workin'. I love bein' able to spend more time with these two and our 8 grandchildren. I love that everyone lives so close and I'm glad Al and Meredith moved nearby as well."
They continued walking and then they went back to their suite. A little while later, everyone went to bed. The next day, the whole family went to Pearl Harbor and then Hank, Olivia, Noah and Serena went to play miniature golf. They did some shopping as well.
The rest of the time they were there seemed to go too quickly even though they kept busy. Noah and Serena stayed in the room by themselves, so Hank and Olivia could bring in the New Year alone. When the 8th arrived, no one wanted to go back to New York to go back to work and school. They had an early flight, so they checked out and headed to the airport. They checked in and had breakfast before they went to the gate. Once they boarded the plane, they waited for it to take off.
When they arrived back in New York, they got off the plane and went to get their luggage before they went to the parking garage to get their SUVs. Hank, Justin and Pete drove home. They could tell they had gotten more snow but Olivia, Erin and Olive's SUVs had been cleaned off, so they knew Al must have done it. They got their stuff and went inside. They left their suitcases by the washing machine and went upstairs. Before they got home, Olivia had ordered a pizza to be delivered, so they waited for that. The kids checked out the rest of their presents from Santa. Once the pizza arrived, they ate and then Noah and Serena made their lunches for the next day. Serena went to take her bath and then she got ready for bed. Hank and Olivia tucked her in and then she went to sleep. Noah took his shower, said goodnight to Hank and Olivia and went into his room. Hank and Olivia took their shower and then they made love before falling asleep in each other's arms.
Olivia had taken the gifts she had bought for her squad and she and Erin were telling everyone about their trip. Justin took the kids to school after he dropped the girls off at Hank and Olivia's before he went to work. Hank was planning to do the laundry. Al and Meredith brought the animals over and then after a while, Ed came over, so he was telling them about Hawaii. Ayanna called Olivia to see if she could meet her for lunch. Olivia agreed and when they met, she told her that while she was gone, Stabler had been put on leave to get his head on straight. She said he nearly cost them a case. She said he needed to go to therapy and anger management before she would allow him to come back. If he chose not to do either, then he would no longer have a job. He decided he didn't want to, so he turned his badge in and went back to Rome. Ayanna handed her a letter. When Olivia got back to the Precinct, she went into her office to read the letter. This time he had written it on his own instead of him admitting that Kathy had written it. She was expecting him to have said that he left again because of her but instead all it said was that he was going back to Rome and he was glad she was happy. He also promised that he would in touch this time. Olivia would believe it when she actually heard from him. Things would eventually get back to normal. They always did.
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