A/N: This is something I came up with. Ed and Al are still around, Amanda, Kat, Muncy and Garland are still with SVU and Antonio and Jay are still with Intelligence. I don't own any of the characters except my own. There will probably be a second part to this

Overworked - Part 1

Olivia and Hank had celebrated their 6th wedding anniversary on Valentine's Day and he had transferred to the NYPD OCCB towards the end of 2017 but he had retired around Christmas. Noah was now 12 and they had adopted 3 siblings, 8-year old Sarah, 6-year old Harper and 4-year old Liam, 2 years ago, so they were a family of 6 plus Erin, Olive and Daniel. Olive had been in a relationship for a couple years but they saw Daniel as often as they could. She was grateful to have her family when Elliot came back after ignoring her for a decade. Olivia told Elliot about what had happened in the time he was gone, including Lewis, everything she had been through with Noah and her relationship with Ed, while he had told her about what they had been doing in the time he left until he came back. He was happy that she had everything she had always wanted and surprisingly, he and Hank had become friends. Both families spent quite a bit of time together and Hank had helped Elliot get through his grief. Elliot told him it really helped talking to someone who had actually been through it. Elliot and Ed had also worked out their differences and were more civil towards each other. Al retired at the same time Hank did, so he and Meredith were now living in New York and he, Hank and Ed were spending quite a bit of time together. Meredith helped out with the kids if Hank had stuff he needed to get done.

SVU and Organized Crime had been working on a case and it had taken a toll on Olivia. She had been spending quite a bit of time at the Precinct and hadn't seen her family much in several days.

Olivia had fallen asleep on the sofa in her office. Early the next morning, mostly everyone, including members of Organized Crime, had come to the Precinct to work on the case. Fin and Elliot both saw that Olivia's door was open. Fin knew she always shut the door when she left. They went into the office and saw her sleeping.

"She's gonna make herself crazy with this case. She needs to be at home with her family."

"She doesn't need to turn into me. I did that way too much with my kids when they were growin' up. It also put a strain on my marriage."

Fin went over and gently shook Olivia to wake her up. He didn't want to startle her but she jumped.

"What the hell, Fin! Why are you here so late?"

"It's the next mornin' already."

"What?"

Olivia looked to see what time it was.

"I had only planned to take a short nap."

"Liv, you can't be pullin' these all nighters."

"Don't turn into me. You're a better parent to your kids than I ever was to mine and yeah, Hank understands your job better than Kathy ever did but you don't need to be away from them."

"We got this, Liv."

"Call me only if you need me."

"We will."

"Aren't you leavin' tomorrow?"

"We are and I'm glad for it. I need this time with my family."

"Where are you off to?"

"The Bahamas. Erin, Olive, her boyfriend and the three kids will be there too."

"Who's watchin' the dog?"

"Al and Meredith."

"Have a good time."

"I intend to."

Both Fin and Elliot helped Olivia up and then she got her jacket. She got the rest of her things and then she said goodbye to everyone. She said she would see them in a little more than a week as she headed out. She got into her SUV and drove home. When she got home, she parked and went in. Their dog Sadie met her at the door.

"Hey, Sadie."

Olivia put her stuff down and headed upstairs. The kids had one more day of school until Spring Break, so they would be up soon. She was glad they were going away for a week. She checked on the kids. Both Noah and Sarah were sound asleep in their beds but Harper and Liam weren't in theirs, which meant they were in her and Hank's bed. All 3 of them were sound asleep. Olivia put her running clothes on and went back downstairs. She got Sadie's leash and walked to Central Park for their run. They walked home and then Olivia fed Sadie. She had some water and then headed upstairs again. This time, Hank was awake.

"You just gettin' home?"

"No. I've been home maybe an hour or so. I changed and took Sadie for a run in the park. I fell asleep in my office even though my intention was to take a nap. Fin and Elliot convinced me to come home. Elliot told me not to be like him and to spend time with my kids. Our trip to The Bahamas can't come soon enough."

"We can have some time alone once everyone is gone. Liam has Preschool and then maybe we can go out to lunch after we pick him up. I'll take care of the troops and you relax."

"Ok. Sadie has been fed."

"Ok."

"I'm going to take a shower."

"Let me get in there first."

"Ok."

Hank kissed Olivia and then he went into the bathroom before he woke the kids up. Olivia went to take a shower, while Hank went downstairs to get breakfast ready for the kids. Sarah, Harper and Liam all did the bathroom and came downstairs.

"Hi Daddy."

"Hey. Is Noah up yet?"

"I haven't seen him yet."

Then Noah joined them in the kitchen.

"Morning."

"Hey."

"Is Mom home?"

"She came home over an hour ago. She took Sadie for a run right after that. She said she fell asleep in her office but she had only planned on taking a nap. She's in the shower right now."

The kids ate their breakfast and then Olivia came downstairs.

"Morning, my loves."

"Morning, Mommy."

"Morning, Mom. You are going to The Bahamas with us, right?"

"Yes, of course I am. I told Uncle Fin to call me only if they need me today."

"That's a good thing."

"How's the case comin'?"

"Don't ask."

"Nothing seems to be going right. Pretty much everyone was there when I left. The only person I hadn't seen yet was Amanda."

The doorbell rang, so Olivia went to answer it. It was Amanda and Sonny with the kids and Frannie.

"Hey, Liv. We need a favor."

"What?"

"Can someone watch Nicky for us and get the girls to and from school? Lucy wasn't feelin' well and his family had somethin' goin' on today. Serafina said they might be able to get them later but couldn't promise anything.

"We will be happy to."

"Both of you?"

"Yeah. I got kicked off the case by Fin and Elliot. I fell asleep in my office last night and they told me to go home to be with my family. I didn't realize I had slept as long as I did. I was only planning to take a short nap and I guess I forgot to set the alarm on my phone. Mostly everyone was there when I left."

"Obviously I'm not."

"I'm glad I'm off next week."

"I'm glad I'm off too."

"You're heading to Atlanta, right?"

"Yep. Mama hasn't seen Nicky since he was born and Daddy hasn't met him yet."

"Are you driving or flying?"

"Drivin', so Frannie is goin' with us."

"Ok. Have they eaten yet?"

"They have. I pumped some bottles this mornin'. If you need more, there is formula in there as well or you can always bring him to me."

"I'm sure we'll be fine."

"Anything with the case I need to know about?"

"Not yet. Nothing seems to be going right. Fin and Ayanna are in charge."

"Ok."

"We probably need their seats. HANK."

"COMIN'."

Hank came to the door.

"We're babysitting today."

"Ok, so I guess we need the seats."

Hank put his jacket on and grabbed his keys, so Sonny could get the seats and Nicky's stuff. Hank put them into one of their the SUVs. They came back in with Nicky's stuff. Amanda and Sonny said goodbye to the kids and left for the Precinct. Olivia took Nicky into the kitchen and had Noah get the high chair from the closet, so she could set Nicky in it. She then put the bottles in the refrigerator. Hank set up the pack 'n play in Liam's room and then he came down to eat with Olivia. Once Noah was done with breakfast, he went to take a shower. Once Noah was out of the shower, Hank went take one, while the Sarah and Harper went to get dressed, while Jesse and Billie watched TV. Once Olivia was done, she went to help Liam get dressed after she put Nicky in the pack 'n play. Once all the kids were dressed, Hank moved Billie and Nicky's seats to Olivia's SUV and then he took all the older kids to school. Billie and Liam had to be in Preschool a little later. Not too long after Hank left with the older kids, Olivia cleaned up the kitchen. Nicky needed to be changed and wanted to eat. Olivia had him in the family room giving him his bottle, while Billie and Liam were on either side of Olivia and Billie was holding Nicky's bottle. Sadie and Frannie were by Olivia's feet.

"Billie, you are so good with Nicky."

"I love being a big sister."

"Do you and Jesse help feed him at home?"

"Sometimes. It's usually when Sonny feeds him or when Nana and Papa have us. Auntie Liv, can I tell you a secret?"

"Of course, Sweetheart."

"I wish Sonny was my daddy."

"You know what? I think he does too. He loves both you and Jesse so much and he doesn't have to be your daddy to prove that. He will always be there for both of you and so will his family. Uncle Hank, the kids and I will and so will Uncle Fin and Auntie Phoebe. It's not blood that makes a family. Love is. All my kids are adopted but that doesn't mean I love them any less than I would if I had had a baby."

"Even Erin?"

"Erin is Hank's daughter, so she's my stepdaughter but I love her as much as I love Noah, Sarah, Harper and Liam. She has a better relationship with me than she ever did with her mother. I think if I had known Justin, I would have loved him too."

By the time Hank came back, Nicky was done with his bottle and had fallen asleep. Olivia had fallen asleep as well. He came into the family room.

"Shhhhhhhhhh!"

"Daddy, Mama's sleepin'."

"I see that."

Hank took a picture and then he took Nicky upstairs to put him in the pack 'n play. He came back down, covered Olivia with a blanket and kissed her forehead.

"As soon as I get the kitchen cleaned up, we can go."

"Auntie Liv cleaned up the kitchen."

"We'll, ok then. Where would you two like to go for lunch?"

"McDonald's."

"Yeah!"

"Ok, then we'll do that."

Both kids went to the bathroom and got their stuff. Hank put them into Olivia's SUV and then he took them to Preschool. By the time he got there, he walked them both to their classrooms. He said goodbye to both of them and headed home. When he got back, Olivia was still asleep and both dogs were on either side of her. Hank went into the kitchen and poured himself another cup of coffee. Then the doorbell rang. That woke the dogs up. They both started barking and ran to the door with Hank. It was Ed, Al and Meredith.

"Hey."

"Hey."

"We see you have another dog for the day."

"Yep. We have 3 more kids too. Lucy wasn't feelin' well and the Carisis had somethin' goin' on. I just got back from takin' Billie and Liam to Preschool. Nicky is asleep in the pack 'n play in Liam's room and Olivia is asleep in the family room."

"Is she not feeling well?"

"She's just overworked. She fell asleep in her office last night. She said she only meant to take a nap but forgot to set her alarm. Fin and Elliot sent her home and apparently their case is gettin' nowhere. She told them to call her only if they need her."

"At least she's realizing she needs time off other than you bein' gone for vacation."

"Exactly."

They all went into the kitchen and Hank offered them some coffee. Then the doorbell rang again, so Hank went to answer it. It was Fin and Elliot.

"She's asleep."

"Actually, we're here to see you. We need to pick your brain."

"Come on in."

Fin and Elliot came in and then they headed into the kitchen. Elliot helped himself to some coffee and Meredith put water on for tea for Fin.

"This coffee is so much better than that crap they call coffee at the Precinct. SVU's was always a little bit to be desired too and still is."

"I never touch the stuff myself."

"Olivia hates the coffee at the Precinct. What's goin' on?"

"This guy we're lookin' for seems to have associates in Chicago but this came up from a decade ago."

"They're probably still around."

They showed him photos.

"This one looks like someone we investigated."

Then Al looked at the picture.

"Yep. There was a similar case to this just before I left Chicago. I'd contact Antonio and compare notes with him."

"How did the case with that guy turn out?"

"Same thing. Nothin' but a bunch of dead ends. It's like they disappear for a while but then resurface about a decade later."

"Sounds like someone else in this room."

"Ok, I guess I deserved that."

Meredith brought Fin his tea.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome."

Olivia woke up, came into the kitchen and kissed Hank.

"What going on?"

"We needed to pick your hubby's brain. The guy were lookin' for has associates in Chicago but it was maybe a decade ago. He said one of them looked like someone they investigated and Olinsky said before he left Chicago, they had a case similar to this one with this guy and was the same way. Olinsky said to contact Dawson. They disappear for a while but then reappear about a decade later."

"Sounds like Elliot."

"That's what I said."

Olivia laughed at Ed's comment.

"Contacting CPD Intelligence would probably be a good idea."

"Ok, they we'll do that."

After Elliot finished his coffee and Fin finished his tea, they left the mugs in the sink and headed back to the Precinct.

"How long was I out?"

"Since before I came back from takin' the older kids to school."

"I clearly need this vacation."

"Yeah, you do. It's been a while, since we've gotten close and that was the plan after we took Liam to Preschool."

"It's not Rollins and Carisi's fault either."

"I know it's not and I wasn't blamin' them. I miss you when you aren't around. I get how stressed you get because I've been there. At least when I became a Lieutenant here, they didn't want to keep me off the streets like CPD did when I was offered a meritorious promotion around the time Justin died. I didn't deserve the promotion to Sergeant."

"Sometimes I feel like I didn't deserve the Captain's promotion. I was never in it for the politics."

"That's how I feel. Some men may feel threatened by the fact that their wives rank higher than them but that was never an issue with us. I respected you when we were the same rank and I respect you as a higher rank than me now. When we worked on cases together when I was still with CPD, I always let you take the lead on them even when we were the same rank."

"Which I appreciated."

"Did you ever have to deal with IA here like you did in Chicago?"

"A few times but not for anything I did. I don't miss it at all."

"Neither do I."

"I hear ya both. I'm glad I retired."

"So are a lot of other people."

Ed gave Olivia a look and then Olivia started laughing

"You and Hank got along a lot better than I ever expected you to and you and Elliot are getting along a lot better than you used to."

"Which I never actually expected."

"I don't think he did either. He and Hank get along pretty well too and considering they are similar in personality, they worked well together too. When Elliot pulled the crap he did in the Interrogation Room when he first came back, Hank was the one that had it out with him about it. He basically told him he was disrespecting me by doing that but he said understood that was frustrated by what happened to Kathy. He apologized to me and Chief Garland for his behavior.

"I eventually told him what had happened after Justin died. I don't blame him for feelin' the way he did about the Wheatleys either. No one deserves to lose their spouse that way. The thought of somethin' happenin' to Olivia though scares the shit out of me especially after that case last year."

"You mean the one when someone was after her and Stabler and she got shot?"

"That's exactly what I mean."

"My first time being shot and it was in the ass. I'm just glad you were in Ohio with us and not here."

"I was too."

"You two busy for lunch today?"

"I asked Liam and Billie where they wanted to go for lunch and they said McDonald's."

"That doesn't surprise me."

"That's fine with us."

"Me too."

"You don't use Lucy any more?"

"We do if Hank and I want a date night or we go out for dinner with all of you. Noah thinks he's old enough not to need someone to stay with him any more but I'm not sure he could handle the other 3 by himself. Erin is out of town so often that I'm actually surprised she took the time to go on vacation with us. Olive is bringing her boyfriend and his kids, so we are actually hoping that Erin will spend sometime with the kids for us. Erin is actually in town this week and working out of the office."

"You've met Olive's boyfriend and his kids, right?"

"Yes. Dean is a great guy. The age difference between them is the same as it is with us. Crystal, his daughter is Noah's age and the 2 of them hit it off pretty well. His son Travis is the same age as Daniel. Dean is a Phys. Ed. teacher at the high school near them and he coaches basketball."

"How did they meet?"

"Olive works with his ex wife and they are really good friends. She actually set them up. She and Dean still care for each other but it just didn't work out as some marriages don't. Travis was 4 when they divorced and they have joint custody of the kids. She remarried a couple years ago to one of Dean's really good friends, which is about the time when Olive and Dean started seeing each other. Daniel and Travis have known each other since Preschool, so they're excited to have their parents together and Crystal likes Olive too. Dean called Hank about a week ago and said he's thinking about proposing but he also wants to make things official with Daniel too. He said if Hank wasn't ok with that then he wouldn't adopt him."

"How do you feel about it?"

"I want Olive to be happy and Daniel deserves to have a dad. Dean is a good guy and I told him that I'd be ok with him makin' it official with Daniel as long as I still had a relationship with him. He said he wouldn't have it any other way."

"Olive was hesitant to get involved with him at first but they are so good together."

"Because of the ex?"

"Yeah but Kelly reassured her that it was nothing either of them had done. She wanted Dean to be happy again. She loves that Olive is a second mom to her kids just like Dean is fine with his friend being their step dad."

"Neither of them cheated?"

"No. They fell out of love and decided to end their marriage. They agreed to still be friends for their kids and they support each other, which a lot of exes don't. If one of the kids wants something, both parents need to agree on it. Crystal wanted to get her ears pierced again and asked her mom. Her mom told her that if her dad says it's ok, then she can but if he says no, that's it. In that case, neither parent had a problem with it. Travis wanted a phone but that wasn't going to happen."

"How do they work out the custody thing?"

"They mostly live with their mom but Dean picks them up at school everyday. He has them with him at basketball practice and then he'll take them home after dinner. They're with him every weekend, so they won't see their mom until Monday night. They're with him more during the summer, since he's home. Kelly didn't have a problem with the trip to The Bahamas for Spring Break, since she and Mike are taking them to LA for a week over the summer."

"I think it's funny that Dean is tryin' to set his cousin up with Erin. His cousin lives here. As far as I know though, they haven't been able to coordinate schedules with Erin gone so much."

"Has she been in a relationship at all since she's been here?"

"I don't think so."

"The only ones in Intelligence that aren't in relationships are Atwater and Dawson. Ruzek is with Burgess and Halstead is with Upton."

"They workin' together?"

"No. Burgess is mostly with Atwater, Ruzek is mostly with Halstead and Upton is mostly with Dawson."

"At least Antonio is aware of the situation. My relationship with Hank was the first one I actually disclosed to the higher ups before someone else found out about it. Usually when someone finds out about it, the relationship ends up going bad. It's not like my squad didn't know about my relationship with Hank because they did. I came clean about it to IAB and Chief Dodds knew as well. Hank and I worked together quite a bit and we tried not to let our jobs interfere with our home life or the other way around. I get that I'm not the most pleasant person sometimes and I've been working way too much lately but I'm glad Hank has been so supportive of that. At least before he retired and the case we were working on was what was keeping me away from home, he was right there with me. Fin is the one that has been around through all my ups and downs and I did have mixed feelings about Elliot coming back but he's been more supportive than I expected him too. He told me the feelings were always there but he was married. He knows he was an ass for leaving the way he did but he needed to get his shit together as he put it. That case when I was shot last year made me think of the years we worked together. I'm glad that when something happened to me, he was actually around for it. When the Lewis thing happened, I wished he had been there for that because I know what he would have done. At the same time, I became a better cop."

"I'm glad Elliot was with you when that happened.

"No arguments from me on you becomin' a better cop after he left. Like I've said before, I started seein' you differently after the Lewis thing."

"I feel the same way. I'm just glad we were still able to be a part of each other's lives after we broke up."

"I am too."

The dogs wanted to go out, so Hank put their leashes on and took them for a walk. Al and Ed went with him.

"We are so glad you and Al are so close now."

"I have to admit that I had mixed feelings about leaving Chicago at first. Our daughter is buried there."

"I know Hank understands that, since both Camille and Justin are buried there."

Olivia went to check on Nicky, who was awake from his nap. She changed him again and then took him downstairs. She then set him in the high chair.

"He looks so much like his dad."

"Yes, he does. He eats like his daddy too. Amanda and I have both had some bad luck with relationships. It's not that I didn't care for Brian or Ed because I did and I still do but I wasn't exactly sure what it was I was feeling for Hank when I met him. I do care for Elliot but that never would have been romantic."

"I don't think Hank realized what he was feeling for you either. Alvin said Hank was kicking himself when he found out about you and Ed. He doesn't open his heart to a lot of people especially since Camille passed. His entire reason for living is his family. I understand why he did what he did to that Bingham guy and I get why Alvin did what he did. Both of them are only children and they have known each other longer than most people. I met Alvin in high school and we've known Trudy a long time as well."

"They are clearly more like brothers. I know Hank was hesitant to tell me what had really happened with Bingham but Justin didn't deserve to die the way he did."

"No, he did not."

"I know Hank didn't want Al to take the fall for it. He could have said no to Erin."

"I know he could have but he wouldn't have. He's just like Hank and has a hard time saying no to the women in his life and that includes Erin. He also has a hard time saying no to Hank too. It's always been that way ever since I've known them."

"Hank had gotten a lot of advice from Ed regarding all of this because of his Internal Affairs background. He told him that Denny Woods should not have been blackmailing him or anyone else. Hank knew Woods tried to get Ruzek to spy on him. When Hank confronted Ruzek about it, Adam told him he wanted to help him take Woods down. The only one he would have figured would had sold him out would have been Halstead."

"That's what Alvin said."

Hank, Al and Ed came back. Before they left, Olivia gave Nicky another bottle and changed him again. They left to pick Billie and Liam up and then they went to lunch. After lunch, Al, Meredith and Ed went home and Hank and Olivia got the kids down for their naps. The two of them went into their bedroom and locked the door. They sat down on the bed and started kissing.

"Hank."

"Yeah."

"I need you."

"I need you too."

"Make love to me."

They undressed each other and then they made love. Afterwards Hank had his arms wrapped around her and she had her head on his chest.

"It seems like forever since we've done this."

"Yeah, I know it does. This is what I was hopin' for while Liam was at school."

"If Al, Meredith and Ed hadn't shown up."

"Exactly."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

They started kissing and were about to make love again when they heard the doorbell.

"I got that. You relax."

"Ok."

Hank kissed Olivia again and then got out of bed. He got dressed and then shut the door before he went downstairs to answer the door. It was Dominick and Serafina.

"Hi Hank."

"Hey. Come on in."

"Thanks. We apologize for showing up unannounced."

"Don't worry about it. They're takin' a nap right now."

"Ok. We figured we'd take them off your hands and take them back to Amanda and Sonny's for now. How were they?"

"No problems at all. After we picked Billie and Liam up from Preschool, we went to McDonald's for lunch."

"Her favorite. I made some mostaccioli and brought a pan for you, Olivia and the kids."

"Thank you. We appreciate that."

"I see no one met us at the door."

"Sadie has had a lot of exercise today. Olivia came home this mornin' after bein' at the Precinct all night and took her for a run. Ed, Al and Meredith were here and the 3 of us took Sadie and Frannie for a walk and went to the dog park, so they could run around there. They're both pooped. Can I get you anything?"

Dominick and Serafina told Hank what they wanted as they sat down. Hank put the pan of mostaccioli in the refrigerator. Then Olivia came downstairs as the doorbell rang again.

"I GOT THAT, HONEY."

"OK, THANKS."

Olivia answered the door. It was Carisi, Amanda and Fin.

"Now what?"

"Nice to see you too, Liv."

"Have you worked at all today, Fin?"

"I have. The guy was found dead and so was the guy Chicago was lookin' for. We wanted to tell you in person."

"You could have texted me."

"I know."

"And are the victims aware of this?"

"Yeah. I talked to them and they are fine with not havin' to face them in court."

"Where are the guard dogs?"

"They're sleeping. Hank, Ed and Al took them for a walk and went to the dog park, while Meredith and I stayed here with Nicky. They're both pooped. Nicky is on his second nap and Billie and Liam are asleep too. We did McDonald's for lunch."

"I'm sure Billie had somethin' to do with that."

"Hank said he asked both of them. Someone else showed up just before all of you got here but I'm not sure who that was."

They went into the kitchen.

"Hey, Ma, Pop."

"Hey, Sonny and Amanda. Fin."

"Hey."

Sonny kissed Serafina on the cheek and so did Amanda. Then they both hugged Dominick.

"We figured we'd come take the kids off of Hank and Olivia's hands but they're napping right now."

"That's what Liv said."

"We dropped off a pan of mostaccioli at your place and we gave one to Hank and Olivia as well."

"Ok. Thanks."

"Thank you so much."

"You are very welcome."

"Maybe we should invite Erin, Ed and Patty and the Olinskys over for dinner to help us eat it, so it isn't sitting here the whole time we're gone."

"That's a good idea."

"Fin, do you and Phoebe have plans for dinner?"

"I'll check with her and get back to you."

"Ok."

"See if Elliot wants to come over too."

"I can do that. Maybe we should just invite Kat, Muncy, Bruno and Velasco over too. Is there enough?"

"How well do you know my mom?"

Hank showed Olivia what Serafina brought over.

"Ok, then why don't the two of you and the girls stay for dinner as well.

"That works for me."

"Me too."

Olivia texted Elliot, Kat, Muncy, Bruno and Velasco, Fin texted Phoebe and Hank texted everyone else.

"Do you two have plans for dinner?"

"Actually, we do not."

"Wanna stay and help us eat the mostaccioli?"

"Of course."

"We probably need to get a salad of some kind, garlic bread and dessert."

"We will take care of that."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. We will be back in a little bit."

"Ok."

Dominick and Serafina left and headed to the grocery store to get what they needed for dinner.

"We'll probably put ours in smaller containers in the freezer, so we can have it when we get back."

"That works."

"Al and Meredith are in."

"So are Kat and Velasco. Muncy and Bruno declined. I'm sure Elliot has to check with his kids and Ed needs to check with Patty."

Hank's phone rang. He noticed it was Erin, so he answered it.

"Hey, kiddo."

"Hey. Sorry I've been so hard to get a hold of lately."

"Don't worry about it. Olivia actually took today off, since she fell asleep at the Precinct last night."

"That case still?"

"Yep."

"Who's cookin' dinner? You?"

"No. Serafina made a pan of mostaccioli. They came to get the kids but now they're stayin' for dinner too. Olivia invited her squad and Stabler. Al and Meredith will be here but I haven't heard back from Ed yet."

"I'll definitely be there. Is ok if I bring someone?"

"You have a date?"

"I finally contacted Dean's cousin and we seemed to hit it off."

"I'm happy for you."

"I hope this actually goes somewhere. I think I'm finally ready to settle down. I still don't know if I'll ever have kids though."

"Some people don't."

"I know."

"Have you talked to Olive lately?"

"No, why?"

"Dean called me and said he was thinkin' about proposin' and he also wanted to make things official with Daniel."

"So, you're not sure if he actually proposed yet."

"Exactly. I'm sure we'll find out tomorrow."

"No doubt. You're ok with that, right?"

"As long as I have a relationship with my grandson and he's good to them, which I know he is."

"I don't think Olive would get involved with someone who wasn't treating them ok. I think the fact that he asked you means he respects you in their lives. Like you said, Daniel is your grandson and he always will be."

"I can usually read people when I first meet them and he's a good guy."

"I know you're good at that. What time?"

"Between 5:30 and 6."

"That's fine. I'll see you later."

"Ok."

"Love you."

"Love you too."

Hank hung up the phone. Fin, Amanda and Sonny had already left.

"Is Erin coming?"

"Yeah. She's bringin' Chris too."

"Oh, good. I'm glad they were finally able to coordinate their schedules. Fin and Phoebe will be here too."

"Ok."

Hank had message from Ed that the 4 of them would be there.

"Ed and Patty are comin' and bringin' the boys."

"Ok."

Olivia had a message from Elliot saying that he had to decline. He was getting together with his mom, his kids and his brothers but maybe they could get together another time. Olivia replied that was fine and to give his mother and kids their love. He said he would.

"Elliot will not be here. He was getting together with his mom, his kids and his brothers but maybe we could get together another time."

"That works. Maybe sometime this summer we can have a barbecue with both of my former squads and your squad."

"That sounds like a plan."

Olivia went upstairs to check on the kids. Everyone was awake. Just as they came back downstairs, the doorbell rang. Olivia answered it. It was Dominick and Serafina.

"Nana! Papa!"

"Hello, my precious Billie! How was your nap?"

"Good."

"Hello, Nicky."

Nicky smiled at Serafina. Dominick picked up Billie and gave her kiss and then Serafina kissed her too. Then he set her back down, so he could take Nicky.

"Did you have fun with Auntie Olivia and Uncle Hank today?"

"Yes. I always do."

Frannie and Sadie came downstairs as well.

"It's about time to pick the kids up."

"Yeah, I know."

"I'll go. You take them out again."

"Ok."

Hank went to get the leashes, while Olivia went to get the keys for the SUV.

"We're telling people between 5:30 and 6."

"That's perfect. Can I use your kitchen?"

"Of course."

"Billie and Liam, would you like to help me bake?"

"Yeah!"

Dominick and Serafina went into the kitchen with the kids, while Hank put the leashes on Frannie and Sadie. He and Olivia walked out together. She kissed him and then she left to get the kids from school, while Hank took the dogs for another walk. Olivia picked the kids up from school and headed home. They got out of the SUV and went inside. Hank was already back.

"WE'RE BACK."

"IN HERE."

The kids put their stuff down and went into the kitchen.

"Hi Nana and Papa!"

"Hello, sweet Jesse! How was your day?"

"Good."

Jesse went to give Serafina and Dominick a hug. She then said hi to Billie and kissed Nicky on the cheek. The rest of the kids hugged Dominick and Serafina as well. Olivia got a snack for all the kids before they went to do their homework. Noah, Sarah, Harper and Jesse all had dance class.

"They have that routine down."

"They do."

"Do they have dance class this afternoon?"

"They do. I can actually go for a change."

"Do you mind if I join you?"

"Not at all. I don't even know if Jesse has her stuff."

"JESSE?"

"COMING."

Jesse came back into the kitchen.

"Yes, Auntie Liv."

"Do you have your clothes for dance class?"

"I think they are still in Sonny's SUV."

"That doesn't help. Does it?"

"No."

Olivia called Sonny but got his voice mail. She then contacted Amanda.

"Hey, Liv."

"Hey. I asked Jesse if she had her clothes for dance class and she said she thought they were still in Sonny's SUV. I tried calling him but he didn't answer."

"He's here. He's slacking off again."

"I'll run over there. I'll be there in a few."

"Ok."

Olivia hung up.

"He's at SVU, so I'm going to run over there to get it."

"Ok."

Olivia kissed Hank and then she went out to the SUV to head to the Precinct. When she arrived, didn't see Carisi's SUV, so she went up.

"Hey, Captain. You enjoying your day off?"

"I'm still running around like a crazy person. The joys of having kids except this one isn't mine. Where's Carisi?"

"He headed back to his office but he left Jesse's bag here."

"Ok. Serafina is going with me."

"Sounds like a plan. Is Jesse doin' her homework?"

"Yep and so is everyone else. Billie and Liam were helping Serafina bake."

"Billie's favorite thing."

Olivia checked her office to see if there was anything she needed to take care of and there wasn't.

"Muncy and Bruno, are you two sure you don't want to come for dinner?"

"Maybe I will."

"Sure, why not?"

"Great."

"I would not be surprised if she sends food with us to Atlanta."

"Our kids love her mac and cheese."

"So do the girls and so does Mason."

"This is your mother-in-law?"

"Yep."

"So, is everyone comin', Liv?"

"Everyone except Elliot. Ed and Patty are bringing the boys."

Olivia got a text message from Noah.

"Sorry, I need to go. Noah wants to get to dance class a little early."

"Ok. See ya later, Liv."

"Yep."

Olivia took Jesse's bag and headed home. She went in, gave the bag to Jesse, so she could change. She told Hank that Muncy and Bruno were now coming and then she and Serafina left with Noah and the 3 girls. Hank and Dominick went into the family room and Billie and Liam wanted to watch a movie. They found something to watch and Hank put it in for them. Hank went up to get the pack n' play, so Dominick could put Nicky in it. Both Sadie and Frannie were nearby.

"Do you usually go to the dance class?"

"Yeah and Liam is with me. We still had Lucy when I was workin' but not so much now. Meredith always helps out if we need her too."

"Amanda and Sonny seem to like Lucy."

"She's great and she's been with Noah since the very beginning. Now that Noah is older, we didn't need her as much but when the other 3 came to live with us, we needed her again. She was also lookin' after Jesse and Billie."

"We help when we can especially on Fridays, so the kids can stay with us over the weekend but we had somethin' goin' on this mornin' and couldn't. We usually end up stayin' at Sonny and Amanda's until the girls get out of school and then we'll go home. It's a bit of a drive to get to and from Staten Island unless we do the ferry. Sometimes we will take the ferry when we have the kids because the girls like that trip. Today we drove but we weren't takin' them back with us. Daniel is your only grandchild, right?"

"Yep and sometimes I wish I saw him more. I'm just glad I'm still a part of his life."

"How long has your son been gone?"

"Almost 8 years but sometimes it seems like only yesterday. Daniel was only a year old. When I found out Erin was mine, I was thrilled. We've always been close and she and Olivia have been close since they met. Her mother was never known for tellin' the truth and she was always tryin' to lead Erin down the wrong path but kept sayin' I was the one that was gonna get her killed. What happened with her wasn't somethin' I'm too proud of."

"Did you end up cheatin' on your wife?"

"No. That happened before I even met Camille. I don't think she had any idea that Erin was mine or if she did, she never said anything."

"How long were you married the first time?"

"Over 20 years. She's been gone 14 years and even though I'm in love with Olivia, I still miss Camille everyday. I'm glad Olivia understands that. I was a young and stupid rookie cop when I got Erin's mother pregnant and I wasn't quite 30 when Justin was born. Camille had actually been pregnant with twins but our daughter was a stillborn. That was hard. I wasn't the father I should have been to Justin, so I'm tryin' to be a better one to Noah, Sarah, Harper and Liam."

"We would have had 5 but our other son had health issues and Serafina ended up terminating the pregnancy. It was a tough decision to make though."

"I'm sure it was because it's a touchy subject with a lot of people. Camille and I tried givin' Justin another brother or sister but she miscarried several times. Justin was her entire world."

"I love my girls don't get me wrong but I would have been happy with all boys. As a grandfather, I love all my grandchildren including Jesse and Billie. We're glad they call us Nana and Papa. I was absolutely thrilled when Dominick III was born."

"I can imagine. I would have loved more grandchildren and Olive said they had talked about havin' another one by the time Daniel was 2 or 3 but Justin was killed before that could even happen. I love Noah, Sarah, Harper and Liam so much and I can imagine my life without any of them. It doesn't take the pain of losing Justin away but it makes it hurt a little less. The same with Olivia. I never thought I could love anyone the way I loved Camille but I was wrong about that."

"I don't know that I could remarry if somethin' happened to Serafina."

"If somethin' happens to Olivia, I doubt I would do it again. I did say that after Camille passed but then Olivia came into my life. Olivia has already said she doesn't plan on gettin' married again if somethin' happens to me."

"Serafina says the same thing."

Hank and Dominick kept talking. Olivia had texted Hank to tell him they were heading home, so to start the oven. Hank started the oven and just as they came in, it was ready. Hank put the mostaccioli in the oven. The kids went to change and then once Jesse was done, she sat next to Dominick. He kissed the top of her head.

"How was practice?"

"Good. I'm glad Nana came to watch me."

"I'm sure she's glad too."

Sarah and Harper came into the family room and kissed Hank. Then Noah joined them.

"How'd everything go?"

"Fine."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Noah went back up to his room and slammed the door. Olivia and Serafina were busy in the kitchen when the doorbell rang. Hank went to get it. It was Al, Meredith, Ed, Patty and the boys.

"Hey."

"Hey. Come on in."

"Thanks. I brought beer and Meredith made cookies."

"We brought wine."

"Olivia's favorite, I'm sure."

"You got it. You remember Ryan and Tyler."

"Yeah. It's been a while though."

They all came in and headed into the kitchen.

"Smells good."

"Thank you."

"For you."

"Thank you. Hey, guys."

"Hi. Need any help with anything?"

"No but thank you for asking. That's more than I got from Noah."

"They know better."

"So does he."

"What bug flew up Noah's ass?"

Olivia couldn't help but laugh.

"He didn't get the part he wanted in the upcoming recital, so he's not happy."

"I guess that'll do it."

"Are you guys looking forward to your trip to DC?"

"Yeah. Ed is a pretty great guy."

"Don't tell him that. He'll let it go to his head. I was with him for a year and he wasn't too bad with Noah either."

Ed gave Olivia a funny look and she stuck his tongue out at him.

"At least he cares about us, which is more than we can say about our alleged father, who could never be bothered with us."

"And he gave up all his rights to both of you just so he didn't have to pay child support."

"That sounds like Billie's dad but he wanted Amanda to take care of it. Sonny was more supportive of her than Al ever was."

"Does Jesse's dad come to dance class a lot?"

"If his schedule permits, he does, so I was not surprised to see him there. He will sometimes take her home with him."

"He's a cop too, right?"

"Yeah. He's a Captain and heads the Hate Crimes Unit. I think she loved Sonny longer than she cares to admit. I'm the same way. I loved Hank longer than I cared to admit too."

"It was even obvious to me. I would have had to have been an idiot not to see that."

A little while later, the doorbell rang again, so Olivia went to get it. It was her squad, Phoebe and Carisi.

"Hey, Liv."

"Hey."

Everyone came in.

"Did Declan get to dance class?"

"He did."

"I texted him and said we were leavin' for Atlanta tomorrow for a week, so if he wanted to see her, he had to go to dance class today."

"Serafina asked if that was normal and I said it was if his schedule permits. I said he sometimes takes her home with him."

"We seem to be handlin' this co-parenting thing ok. He's been good about comin' to her recitals and he and Sonny have been gettin' along. I'm hopin' to convince Mama to come up for one of her recitals, so she can see it in person."

"It seems like you're a lot closer to your mom lately."

"I think once Kimberly realized she had a problem, Mama realized that I wasn't the bad one in all this like she was makin' me out to be. I was only tryin' to get her the help she needed. It's not like I don't know what it's like to have an addiction because I do. She needs to do right by her son just like I'm tryin' to do with my kids. I told her she needs to clean up her life for Mason if no one else and she said she knows that. We saw what happened to Ellie. I don't want that to happen to Kim as crazy as she makes me. I know I've gotten more chances than I deserve when it comes to her."

"Look at Simon. He told me he was clean and sober for 5 years but then died of an overdose. Bunny was trying to clean up her act and attempting to repair her relationships with Erin and Hank but she died of an overdose. Don't let that happen with Kim."

"She saw what the drugs did to Daddy and that was her wake up call or at least that's what she said. Sometimes I never know what to believe with her."

Everyone went into the kitchen and got something to drink.

Frannie and Sadie had come to see who was there. Frannie was happy to see Amanda and Sonny.

"Hey, girl."

"Who are we waitin' on?"

"Erin and her date."

"Since when?"

"She didn't say."

"Who is this guy?"

"Chris, Dean's cousin."

"That's good, right?"

"Oh yeah. Olive and Dean have been trying to set them up for a while but with her schedule, it hasn't been easy."

"It would be nice if he could come with us to The Bahamas though."

"We don't want to rush things though."

"I'm just glad she's with someone she doesn't work with."

"What does he do?"

"Like Dean, he's a teacher and he's at Noah's school. He teaches math, which is actually one of Noah's best subjects."

"Does he have Noah in class?"

"He does."

"What kind of grades does Noah get?"

"A's and B's mostly. The girls are good in school too."

Then Erin and Chris came in.

"Hey."

"Hey, kid."

Erin introduced Chris to everyone.

"Where's Noah?"

"Upstairs. He's pissed because he didn't get the part he wanted in the next recital but he's been giving me an attitude ever since I picked him up at school. I asked him about his math test and he said he probably failed."

"He actually had the highest grade on the test. I'm not just saying this but he is actually the best student in the class. I pulled him aside and told him that I was in a relationship with Erin but it would have no affect on him as my student and he seemed ok with that. I don't think a lot of kids at school know that he has any sisters other than Sarah and Harper besides his friends that is."

"I think he has mentioned to people that he has a sister who works for the FBI."

"I did not know that he did that."

Then Noah came downstairs.

"Hey, Mr. Crawford."

"You can call me Chris outside of school and by the way, you did fine on the math test. You had the highest grade in the class."

"That's good to know. Mom, I'm sorry about my attitude before."

"It's ok. We all have bad days. You should still be proud of the part you did get in the recital."

"I am. I thought about it and it's not exactly a small part. The teacher gave it to me for a reason."

"I'm sure she did."

"Chris bought his own plane ticket and is goin' with us to The Bahamas."

"How long has this actually been goin' on?"

"Since after Christmas. I was invited to a New Year's Eve party and I didn't want to go by myself, so I asked him if he wanted to go. He said he did and we've pretty much been together ever since."

"And you never thought to tell us?"

"We wanted to be sure we were compatible and it turns out we are. I haven't even told Olive yet. He's different than any of the other guys I've been involved with and it's not like we're complete strangers."

"That's true."

"I take it you two are stayin' together?"

"We are."

"Ok. We were hoping you would spend time with the kids."

"We will."

"Where are you staying?"

"Atlantis and we have access to all the pools and water parks."

"I may have to wait until I see the water slides in person before I decide if I want to try them."

"I love water slides."

"We went on the cruise that time and they had the water slide. That was fun."

"When we went to Great America last summer, you went on all the roller coasters."

"That was so fun."

"Did the group from Arizona meet you for that?"

"They did. That was the last family vacation we did."

"Yeah, it was."

"Crystal and I went pretty much went on all the rides together. It's fun being there with someone my age. I hope we can do that again this summer."

"I'm sticking with the pools and the beach. I may do the dolphin thing too. I think even the younger kids can do that."

"That's more my speed too."

Dinner was ready, so everyone got something to eat. They found somewhere to sit and they talked. The kids went up to get ready for bed and Amanda and Sonny left with Jesse, Billie and Nicky, so they could get them to bed. Serafina stayed until the kitchen was cleaned up and then she and Dominick headed home. Everyone else left and headed home as well. Hank and Olivia tucked Liam and the girls in and went to say goodnight to Noah before heading to their bedroom. They got ready for bed and then they made love before falling asleep in each other's arms.

To be continued...

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