A/N: This is just something I came up with. This takes place now but Amanda is still with SVU and Hailey and Jay are still with Intelligence. There will be a second part to this. I don't own any of the characters except my own.
Stronger Than Ever – Part 1
Hank and Olivia had been drifting apart in recent years since Elliot had returned to the NYPD. They were still engaged but have had no time to spend together and neither of them were ready to relocate, which was why they weren't married yet. They didn't talk as often as they used to but Noah still talked to him. Elliot was trying to use that to his advantage. He wanted Olivia but those closest to Olivia, including Noah, were doing everything they could to get her back with Hank. The only person Noah wanted his mother with was Hank. He had met Elliot a few times but he wasn't comfortable around him and he was afraid that he was trying to take Hank's place in his and his mother's lives. Erin had invited Fin, Phoebe, Amanda, Sonny, Velasco, Cragen, Alex, Casey, Melinda and Noah to dinner, so they could come up with a plan. Olivia was having dinner with Kathleen but Noah was spending the evening with Amanda, Carisi and the kids. However, Jesse, Billie and Nicky were with Dominick and Serafina for the weekend. They all arrived and went in. Erin was waiting for them.
"Hey."
"Hey."
"Thanks for meetin' me."
"No problem."
Everyone sat down and looked to see what they wanted before they had their order taken.
"How are you, kiddo?"
"I'm getting tired of the Stablers interfering with my life. If Mom isn't talking to Elliot, she's having dinner with someone from that family. She barely has any time for me anymore. Sometimes I just want to move to Chicago to be with Hank. I'd rather have her be with Trevor Langan than that Elliot guy. At least I know Trevor likes me."
"Has Stabler done anything to you?"
"He just makes me uncomfortable. He pretends to be interested in my dancing stuff but then he later makes some comment about me needing to stop being a sissy."
"Have you told your mom this?"
"Yes and she acts like it isn't a big deal. Isn't it her job to protect people from being bullied? Sometimes I think they're starting to get too close and she's more concerned with that than she is about me or even trying to get back together with Hank."
"If that ever happens again, let me know and I will come over there and kick his ass."
"Thanks, Uncle Fin. I just want Hank back. Am I wrong to blame Elliot for everything bad that has happened to Mom lately?"
"Actually, no, you're not. If Stabler hadn't come back to New York, Kathy probably wouldn't have been blown up, Liv wouldn't have been in the accident and probably wouldn't have been shot either."
"She made a comment to me that there was no one she trusted more with Noah than Stabler, which was why he went to pick him up from the McCann's after the BX9 thing. What about the rest of us? What about Voight? What about Voight's unit? We know Noah. Stabler doesn't."
"Thank you, Uncle Sonny. I'm glad someone sees it the same way I do. He's nice to me when Mom is around but if she's not, that's when he gives me a hard time. That time he picked me up from Connor's and stayed with me until she got home, I pretended to be asleep but I know he tried to kiss her. She pulled away though. What if she doesn't love Hank anymore?"
"Maybe Hank is the reason she pulled away."
"This is why we're all here. We're gonna fix this. Have you talked to everyone else?"
"Meaning the group in Chicago?"
"Yeah."
"I was just in Chicago and spent quite a bit of time with Hank. He's hurting and pretty much has been since all this happened even though he may not say it. Everyone else said he has not been the easiest person to work with but they understand what's goin' on. They wanna help too and so does Olive."
"I want Mom to be happy but it's quite obvious to me that she isn't. She finally told me about Ellie and Johnny D. I get she doesn't deal with good people and neither does Hank but Hank always went out of his way to protect us. Mom doesn't think I know this but Elliot once showed up at our apartment and it seemed like he was high or something and he tried coming on to her then too. Why can't he leave her alone?"
"He was high?"
"Or drunk."
"Maybe it was when he was undercover or somethin' but the people he deals with are connected to the mob and they could have had someone followin' him. Not smart to show up at Liv's apartment to put her and Noah in danger. Then again, he likes to act before he thinks."
"I can't disagree with that."
"She told me about some letter that he claims his wife wrote."
"She got all pissy with Barba about defendin' Wheatley and refused to forgive him for doin' his job. I know as well as anyone else that any other Defense Attorney would have torn her to shreds regarding her relationship with Stabler. I once told Stabler that I watch her back and not her backside and that was when he was married. I think we can all agree that we want Liv to be happy but she just doesn't seem like it at this point."
"Sometimes I think she treats me like I'm still a baby and she doesn't want me to know all this stuff. I'm old enough to know when I'm not comfortable around someone she brings into our lives but she insists that he likes me. Yet instead of spending time with me or working on her relationship with the guy who loves both of us unconditionally, she spends her free time with anyone named Stabler."
"I don't get how she can forgive Stabler for bein' out of her life for 10 years but she can't forgive Barba for doin' his job."
"Honestly, I don't think she has completely forgiven him but sometimes it sure seems like it. I don't think she's been thinkin' too clearly since Stabler has been back in her life. She made a comment to me that Stabler has always loved her unconditionally. Yet it seems like he only comes back into her life when it benefits him. Look at what happened when he went into the interrogation room. He told her he would behave but didn't. Liv threatened to arrest Voight for doin' the exact same thing, so why didn't she do that with Stabler? I don't get it and honestly, I wasn't impressed by the guy. She lets him get away with too much."
"I once told Stabler that he was a good cop but he was a horrible human being. I don't get it either. It seems to me that he still sees Liv as his partner and not as a superior. Every time he shows up at the Precinct, he says 'hey partner', which seems disrespectful."
"I've even noticed a change in her since he's been back and not in a good way. He has always had issues with authority. There were times when I should have separated them. She had such an attitude after he left."
"I tried so hard to get her to like me when I first transferred here."
"She was not happy having two new Detectives at one time. She made the comment that she wasn't the babysitter."
"I admit I've gotten more chances than I deserve."
"Everyone has."
"What I've always wondered was how did she not know what Noah was up to online? Amanda and I do what we can to protect the girls from as much as we can online."
"It's not like I meant to keep it from her but I became curious about my real family. I know I said she wasn't my real family but I know she loves me and would never let anything happen to me. Same with Hank. After what she told me about Ellie and Johnny D, I'm glad she's my mom."
"Johnny D was somethin' else. That son of a bitch got what he deserved."
"I agree."
"Stabler asked me how many relationships Liv has had in the time he was gone. That was kind of a dumb question to ask especially from someone who just vanished without any contact for a decade. If he really cared, he could have kept in touch with her."
"I think he was just waitin' for Kathy to die. I really do. Liv has not been happy since he came back into her life."
"I think we can all agree with that. She hasn't been the same since Tucker's death but at least she had Voight to get her through that. Where the hell was Stabler when she went through what she went through with William Lewis?"
"Exactly."
"We had heard about it in Chicago and Hank has said multiple times that if he had known her then, Lewis wouldn't have gotten to her the second time because he would have ended him. Was Stabler living under a rock?"
"Makes me wonder. I know a lot more about her than he does. Hell, Barba knows more about her than Stabler does. I wonder how Stabler would react to her being involved with Tucker at one point. He'd probably have a fit. How could Stabler have been ready for a relationship so soon after losin' Kathy?"
"Like I said before, I think he was just waitin' for Kathy to die, so he could be with Liv and nothin' or no one was gonna stop him. She deserves to be happy. Did I ever think that I would find my happiness with Sonny? Not really. I didn't think I deserved him and never fell for good guys. As weird as I thought it was when Liv was with Tucker, at least he seemed to treat her respectfully. Hell, she even seemed happier when she was with Cassidy but I truly think Voight is her forever."
"I can agree with that. She was heartbroken when Tucker died.
"Until Liv came into his life, Hank never wanted to find love again. Right now, he's back to not wantin' much to do with anyone."
"Since you can get more info on people than even the police can, has anything come up on Stabler?"
"I looked into him but nothin' came up."
"This might seem weird but I had a dream about Ed and he told me be careful around Elliot."
"How long ago was this?"
"I had one the night Elliot picked me up at Connor's and I keep having them. I actually had one last night."
"Maybe he's trying to tell you somethin'. He couldn't stand Stabler. Too bad he couldn't come to Liv in a dream. Maybe that might make her come to her senses, since she did seem to love Tucker even though she was fightin' her real feelings for Voight."
Noah got up to go to the washroom not knowing that someone had been watching him. The person followed him into the washroom and when Noah came out to wash his hands, they grabbed him. He was taken out of the restaurant and put into a van. It took off after they threw his phone out of the van. The food had arrived but Noah hadn't come back yet.
"Where's Noah?"
"I'll go check."
Carisi went into the washroom but no one was in there.
"Damn it!"
Carisi went back to the table.
"He's gone."
"What do you mean he's gone?"
"He's not in the washroom anywhere."
Erin tried pinging his phone.
"It shows his location bein' here."
Fin went outside and found his phone. Then he went back inside.
"I found the phone on the ground. Noah is nowhere to be seen."
Erin asked for the check and then once she paid the bill, they went to talk to the manager to see if they had security cameras inside the restaurant. He showed them what they had. They saw when Noah was taken but they couldn't see the person's face, since they were wearing a mask. They also had cameras outside the restaurant, so they had seen the vehicle he was put into but were unable to get even a partial plate. Erin made some calls and Fin contacted TARU.
"Who gets to call Liv?"
"I guess I will, since he was our responsibility. She's gonna be pissed."
"Yeah, no shit."
Amanda called Olivia.
"What's going on, Amanda?"
"Noah is missin'."
"What do you mean Noah is missing? How the hell did that happen?"
"We met everyone for dinner and he went to the washroom before our food got there. Our food arrived and he hadn't come back yet. Sonny went to check on him but he was nowhere to be seen. We have his phone but not him and we already looked at the security cameras from the restaurant. We saw when he was taken but the person was wearin' a mask. They put him into a van but we weren't able to get a partial plate. Erin is with us, so the FBI is on it and Fin contacted TARU."
Amanda could tell that Olivia was crying. Erin had come over and asked to talk to her, so Amanda handed her the phone.
"Liv, it's me. I contacted Hank, so he said he will get his unit and get the next flight out. He doesn't care if you want him here or not.
"Thank you. Should I assume you're all trying to get us back together?"
"That would be a good assumption."
"I've been such a shitty person lately to everyone, especially Noah and Hank. Are you still at the restaurant?"
"Yeah."
Erin told her where they were and then she said she would meet them there. She hung up and then they went to wait for everyone to show up. Olivia came speeding up in her SUV and got out.
"Anything?"
"No. Noah did tell us that he has been havin' dreams about Tucker and he told him to be careful around Stabler. He said he had one last night too."
"I don't know what to believe any more. I have been miserable since Elliot has been back in my life and I need to focus on my son. Sometimes I feel like I'm being followed like I was before the accident I was in after Fin and Phoebe's would be wedding."
"I wouldn't be surprised if this was someone Organized Crime was investigatin'."
"Honestly, I wouldn't either. Almost everything bad that has happened to me lately has somehow been because of Elliot. I just want to find my son."
"Liv, I am so sorry."
"It's not your fault."
TARU arrived and they looked more into the vehicle. Sonny, Don, Casey, Alex and Melinda went with Olivia to the Precinct, while everyone else waited to see if TARU could give them any more. The others from the FBI arrived as well but told Erin she was too close to the case. She headed over to the Precinct to stay with Olivia. When she arrived, she went up. Everyone was in Olivia's office, so she joined them.
"The FBI kicked me off the case, since I'm too close to it."
"Erin, I am so sorry for the way I've been acting towards everyone these last few years. I know Hank is never going to forgive me."
"He's pretty hurt by everything that has happened and he's pretty much back to not wanting to have much to do with anyone. The last thing he wanted was to have his heart broken."
"I know and I regret everything. I feel like I let Noah down too. He tried telling me that he didn't trust Elliot and was uncomfortable around him but I didn't believe him. I'm starting to see that Elliot isn't the person he used to be and not in a good way."
"He told us that Elliot was always nice to him when you were there but when you weren't, he wasn't. He said Elliot seemed interested in hearing about his dancing but then made some comment about him needing to stop being such a sissy. Noah knows more than you think he does. He knows Elliot tried kissing you after you got home when he picked him up from the McCann's but you pulled away. He also knows that Elliot showed up at your apartment high or drunk. He thinks you're more concerned about Elliot and the rest of the Stablers than you are him and he has thought about wanting to go to Chicago to be with Hank. A part of him thinks you don't love him anymore."
"What the hell kind of mother am I anyway? I'm supposed to protect him from harm."
"He also said he would rather see you with Trevor Langan because at least he know Trevor likes him.
Olivia broke down and cried as Erin wrapped her arms around her. Then Elliot came in.
"What's wrong?"
"My son was taken?"
"Anything I can do to help?"
"I think you've done enough already."
"What's that supposed to mean? He and I get along great."
"Then why are you only nice to him when I'm around and not when I'm not."
"He must have misunderstood somethin'. I wanna be a part of his life as much as I wanna be a part of yours. Did you check with the McCanns?"
"He was with Rollins, Carisi, Erin, Fin, Velasco and everyone else at dinner. He was taken from the washroom."
"Any leads?"
"No but the FBI is working on it."
"I'll call Ayanna and get help."
"Why, so you can be the one to find him and take all the credit for it?"
"Would I do that?"
"Yeah, actually, you would."
"You don't even know me or the extent of my relationship with Liv. Maybe you should look into that idiot who works for the Chicago Police Department."
"He would never hurt Noah."
"Neither would I."
"You'd just call him a sissy, which he isn't. Don't talk about Hank that way either. He's still my fiancé."
"Who doesn't have time for you. If he loved you, he would have married you already. I don't think that is ever gonna happen but if it does, you'll end up divorced. No man in your life will ever compare to me."
"Hank has the same personality as you but at least he respects me. Before we got together, he admitted his feelings for me but when I told him I was in a relationship with someone else, he accepted it and we stayed friends, which is more than I can say for you. I nearly got into trouble with Chief Garland for what you pulled in the interrogation room. I knew it was a mistake to have let you in there in the first place. I don't like the person I've become since you've been back in my life and mostly everything bad that has happened to be since then has been because of you."
"How is any of that my fault?"
"Let's see, the Wheatleys were the ones that tried running me off the road and that time I was shot was probably because whoever it was was after you. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if the person who kidnapped my son was someone you were investigating."
"Which is why I need to help with the case."
"Elliot, just go home."
"I need to be here with you."
"I don't want you here."
Elliot tried drying Olivia's tears but she pulled away. He walked out.
"How did he know you were here?"
"That I don't know."
"Did you say anything when you were with his daughter?"
"When Amanda called, I excused myself and when I was leaving, I said I had a case. He was not around and he didn't even know I was having dinner with Kathleen."
"He either knows more than he's admitting to or he's tracking you. That would be my guess."
"The reason I pulled away from him when he tried kissing me was because of Hank. Despite everything that has happened these last few years, I still love him as much as I ever have. I've been back in therapy and I know Elliot is the problem. I was a lot happier before he came back into my life. I messed up my relationship with Hank because of him and of course my relationship with Barba. Elliot doesn't know me the way he used to and he still doesn't know about William Lewis or about my relationship with Ed. I've been wanting to call Hank but I'm not so sure he wants to talk to me. I need to make things right with him and I want to find our son."
Olivia got up and went to get a few minutes alone to clear her head.
"That conversation she had with Stabler was a step in the right direction."
"Yeah, it was."
"She hasn't referred to Noah as their son in a while."
"The last time I saw Hank, he mentioned that he had been thinking about wanting to put his papers in. He said he needed to be here whether he and Liv were together or not. He wants to be here for Noah."
"Did he ever adopt him?"
"He was waiting until he and Liv made it official but Noah was pretty much already callin' him Dad. I know a lot of why Hank hasn't put his papers in yet was because of Jay. He needed to be able to trust him enough to leave him in charge of the unit."
"Does he still love her?"
"He never stopped."
One of the higher ups from the NYPD came in with a higher up from the FBI looking for Olivia. It was suggested that she do a press conference to get the word out about Noah. She agreed and went home to change. By the time she got back, they did the press conference. They had people at the 1-6 taking calls and any of the others who were there offered to help in any way they could if they were needed.
A little while later, Hank, the group from Intelligence and Trudy arrived in New York and got their stuff. They got their rentals and headed to the Precinct. As they drove through Times Square, they saw the picture of Noah on the monitors with Olivia asking for help in the search for him. They arrived at the 1-6 and went up. There were quite a few people there. Fin, Amanda and Joe were back at the Precinct, so everyone but Hank asked what they needed help with. Erin hugged Hank and then he headed towards Olivia's office. Ever since Erin had called to tell him about Noah, he had thought about what he had planned to say to Olivia. The door was shut, so he knocked before he went in.
"Come in."
Hank opened the door and went in. He shut the door behind him.
"Hey."
"Hey."
Olivia got up and ran into Hank's arms.
"This is all my fault."
"It's not your fault."
"I'm a shitty mother to him and I was shitty to you all because I couldn't deal with Elliot being back in my life. I'm so sorry."
"I'm sorry too. I just need to know one thing. Did you sleep with him?"
"No. He tried kissing me but I pulled away. The reason I pulled away was because of you. I love you. Not him."
They sat down and Olivia told him everything. Erin knocked on the door.
"Come on in."
Erin opened the door.
"Someone called and said a boy matching Noah's description was seen at JFK."
"Let's go."
Everyone left and headed to JFK. Hank rode with Olivia. She got there as fast as she could. When they all arrived, they went in. The person who made the call told them everything she saw and that he appeared to be ok but scared. They were boarding a flight to Italy but she said she told the crew what was going on and to delay the flight. They were told which gate they were at, so they all headed there. They skipped though security as they all had their weapons. They got to the gate and were let on the plane. They searched the plane.
"NOAH, ARE YOU HERE?"
"MOM, I'M BACK HERE."
Noah stood up and saw his mother and Hank walking towards him. Olivia pulled the guy up by his shirt and nearly shoved him into the back part of the plane near the bathrooms. She grabbed him again and slammed his head into the wall as she yelled at the guy for what he did to her son. Hank took Noah and had Erin take him off the plane, so he could calm Olivia down. He couldn't help but smirk at the way Olivia was behaving. Deep down he knew she had it in her but she was always the calm one. This was the first time he had witnessed it.
"Olivia, stop!"
Hank took her off the plane and then someone from the FBI took the guy into custody. It turned out the guy was someone CPD Intelligence, NYPD Organized Crime and the FBI had been investigating at one point or another. The FBI still had to get all known associates for the guy.
"Damn! Don't ever piss off Mama Bear Benson!"
"You got that right. She's usually the one trying to calm Sarge down."
Once Hank got Olivia off the plane, Noah ran to them.
"Sweetie, are you ok?"
"Yeah."
"I'm so sorry this happened to you."
"It's not your fault."
"I'm sorry too. We were investigatin' that guy and he got away from us."
"I don't blame you either."
"I haven't been the best mother to you lately and I didn't listen to you when you told me you didn't trust Elliot. Things are going to be different from now on. I can promise you that."
"Yeah, they will. I put my papers in and am plannin' to move here. I need to be here for him."
"What does that mean for us?"
"I don't know. I guess it's up to you."
"I've known all along that you're the one I want."
They needed to find out from Noah what had happened, so they went back to the 1-6. Noah told them everything and then the guy was booked. Everyone else went home or to their hotel. Olivia invited Hank to come to her apartment. The 3 of them headed over there and Olivia had stopped to get Noah something to eat, since he was hungry. He ate as she drove home. After they got to her apartment, Noah went into his room, while Olivia got herself and Hank a drink. They sat down on the sofa.
"Hank, I want things to go back to way they were between us."
"Then you need to deal with Stabler. If you want him in your life, then I will have to accept it but I am not gonna share you with anyone but your squad and the family."
"I don't expect you too and I'm working on it. He wanted to help look for Noah but I told him no. Erin actually had it out with him because she knew he only wanted to do it to make himself look good and since Organized Crime was investigating the guy, she's probably right. He made a comment that they should check into you for what happened and Erin said you wouldn't hurt Noah. He claims he wouldn't either but Noah said he's called him a sissy. I told him not to talk about you like that and ended up having it out with him too. I feel like such a shit for not believing Noah when he told me he wasn't comfortable being around Elliot. It's my job to protect people from bullying and I couldn't even see what was starting to happen with my own son. I know what happens when kids are abducted and they never come home. When Amanda called me and told me what happened, that was all I could think about. Noah told Erin and everyone else that he wanted to go live with you."
"I have no say in the matter, since I'm not his dad."
"You're the closest to it. He loves and respects you. I love you."
"I love you too."
"Did you get a room at the hotel?"
"I was thinkin' about stayin' with Erin."
"Do you want to stay here?"
"If you want me to."
"I want you to."
Hank and Olivia started kissing and then they went to check on Noah. Noah was doing his homework. They told him not to stay up too late. They headed to Olivia's bedroom and shut the door. They undressed each other, got on the bed and made love. Noah went to get some water and knew what was going on in his mother's bedroom but he was happy they were together. He got ready for bed and went to bed. Hank and Olivia got ready for bed and went to bed too. The next morning, everyone got up and got ready. Hank called Erin and asked if she wanted to go out for breakfast. She said she did, so they left to pick her up. He had also invited everyone else. Olivia had her engagement ring on again.
"You two are back together, right?"
"Yes, sweetie, we are. I'm wearing my engagement ring again."
"Good."
They picked Erin up and told her they were back together. When they arrived at the restaurant, they went in. Hank and Olivia were holding hands. They were the first ones there. They were taken to the table and then they waited for everyone else. By the time everyone else arrived, they were brought to the table.
"So, you two are back together?"
"We are."
"I'm happy for you, Liv."
"Us too."
Everyone hugged them. The looked at the menu and then their order was taken. The server came back with the coffee, tea or whatever they were drinking.
"I'm put my papers in and am retirin' by the end of October. Until then, Jay will be takin' the lead on the majority of the cases, so I can start cuttin' back."
"Got it, Boss. You plannin' to come here?"
"That's the plan. I need to get my house ready, so it can be put on the market. We're also gonna look for a bigger place here."
"So, Liv, what are you plannin' to do about you know who?"
"Hank told me I have to deal with him. If I want him in my life, then he will have to accept that but he doesn't want to share me with anyone except my squad and the family."
"You would think that after you basically put Stabler in his place at the Precinct, he'd take the hint."
"I can almost guarantee he can't take a hint. I do apologize for what happened on the plane. I was just so pissed."
"I always knew you had it in you but this is the first time I've witnessed it."
"That son of a bitch is lucky I didn't pull my gun on him. I was tempted. I slept better than I have in a long time and I think that has something to do with Hank. I feel safe and more relaxed when I'm with him. I need to make a more conscious effort to go to Chicago to spend time with Hank."
"I think I can be convinced to stick around for a few days, so we can look at bigger places."
"Then maybe I'll take some time off, so we can spend some time together while Noah is in school."
"That sounds like a plan to me."
"That works for me. I'm ready to run the unit."
"Thanks, Jay. If what happened with Antonio didn't happen, I would have retired a while ago but I needed to make sure I could trust you enough."
"I get it."
"I guess you can take time off, Liv."
"I'm so glad I have your approval, Fin. When Hank and I finally do get married, I am going to be taking a week off to go on my honeymoon, so you'll be in charge then too."
"Yeah, I know. I just want you to be happy, baby girl and it didn't seem like it for a while there."
"I noticed that I was acting differently when Elliot came back and I didn't like the person I was becoming or some of the decisions I was making."
"Does Voight know about the McCanns?"
"I told him everything."
Their food arrived and everyone ate. They enjoyed their time together. Once everyone left, they went their separate ways. When Hank, Olivia and Noah arrived back at the apartment, Olivia and Hank were holding hands and Elliot was waiting outside.
"I'm glad Noah is home safely."
"Yeah, I'm sure you are. The guy that took him was someone you were investigating, so as usual, that was because of you. Erin was right to blame you."
"You can't completely blame me. The person was first bein' investigated by Chicago's lack of Intelligence Unit, so you can blame lover boy for that. Obviously the guy chose Noah for a reason."
"Maybe it's you he was trying to target and again because you're around me, he picked Noah as an easy target."
"At least I know how to protect my family."
"You did such a great job at protecting Kathy, didn't you? Hank would never intentionally put Noah and me in danger. You showed up at my apartment while you were high and undercover and anyone could have had you followed. That could have put both of us in danger. I protect him by trying to keep my job at work."
"You did a great job at that when you were attacked by the BX9 right in front of him. This loser is the one that is gonna get you killed. Not me."
"Like I told you, the accident was because of you and I'm pretty sure the shooting was too, so don't give me that crap. You have a tendency to act before you think. You've always been that way. You've always been egotistical but it's worse now."
"I just wanna know, why him, Liv?"
"Because I love him and he makes me happy. What part of that do you not comprehend? I told you last night to leave me alone and I mean it."
"Everyone wants us together."
"Like who? Everyone I know that you know like Cragen, Fin, Melinda, Casey and Alex, all want me with Hank."
"My kids. My mom."
"Funny you should mention your kids. I had dinner with Kathleen last night and she even asked if Hank and I have talked lately. Your kids have known about Hank since you came back."
"The two of you are a mistake."
"The only mistake I made was allowing you back into my life. Now, please leave."
Elliot turned to walk away but then he punched Hank in the jaw. In return, Hank punched Elliot in the nose and slammed him into his car.
"You mess with my family, you mess with me. You got that?"
The 3 of them left Elliot and went inside. When they got upstairs, Noah got Hank some ice to put on his jaw. Olivia called Ayanna to have her keep Elliot on a short leash and away from her. She then called her Chief and let him know what was going on. She then called Captain Curry and told her what had happened. She said she wanted to file charges against Elliot. She then called Fin to let him know what was going on.
"Honey, I am so sorry he did that."
"I don't blame you. He had it comin'. The lack of Intelligence Unit really pissed me off."
"I know. Like I told him, he likes to act before he thinks. I'd rather deal with your unit than him any day. Are you ok?"
"Yeah. I'll be fine."
Olivia kissed Hank's jaw. The 3 of them found movies to watch and they enjoyed their day together. Erin picked up a pizza and came over for dinner. They told her what happened and Olivia had also called Fin. Olivia got out her laptop and started looking at places. They found some they liked and Olivia contacted a Realtor. They had set up to meet with the Realtor on Sunday morning, so Noah could look with them. They had looked at condos and the buildings had security, so that was a plus for Olivia, since it would keep any unwanted visitors out. They made an offer on the one they liked the best. Noah would still be in the same school and Olivia would still be close to the Precinct. They met the group from Chicago for lunch before they left and they told Hank they would see him when he got back. After lunch, they went to the store, so Hank could get stuff to make meatball sandwiches for Monday's dinner.
On Monday morning, Noah got up to get ready for school. Olivia and Hank got up with him, so they could all have breakfast together and then once she got him off to school, she and Hank made love.
"I have missed this so much."
"I have too. When are we gonna make us official? Do you wanna wait until I move here?"
"Probably. Once we're official, I want us to be together all the time."
"If you want a big wedding, we can hold off and you can plan somethin' or we can just get it over with."
"I'm leaning towards just getting it over with. Here's what I'm really thinking though. The boys are both off the week of Thanksgiving, so why don't we look into taking the family to Hawaii and doing it there?"
"So, just the 6 of us?"
"That's all we need. If we go the Saturday before, that gives us a week anyway. I was thinking about wanting to go to Hawaii for our honeymoon anyway."
"I like that idea. We could do somethin' with everyone when we get back."
"That works for me as long as the girls can get the time off."
"Erin is comin' for dinner tonight, so we can talk to her then and then we can call Olive and Daniel later."
"That sounds like a plan to me. I just want us to be forever."
"I think we're gonna be ok now. We knew things were gonna be hard when we got into an actual relationship but when you were promoted to Captain, it got a lot harder. Like I told Jay, if Antonio hadn't gone into rehab, I would have retired after what happened to Al."
"You told me I needed to deal with Elliot and I did what I had to do. The last thing I wanted was to have him come between us and I'm the one that allowed that to happen."
"Even though we didn't see each other, we did talk even if was about a case that one of us was workin' on. I appreciate you lettin' me talk to Noah."
"I guess I deserved to hear that he wanted to go to Chicago to live with you. When he found out about Connor, he made the comment to me that I wasn't his real family. That really hurt. They seem like good people but it seems like things are too perfect with them."
"He did an ancestry thing or somethin'?"
"Yeah. Connor is his half brother through Johnny D and he is also adopted. At first his parents wanted to know about the biological father but then they decided they didn't. I did tell them that if they ever wanted to know, to contact me. They know about his mother. I finally told Noah because he actually Googled me and the Johnny D thing came up. He was also snooping through my stuff and found the adoption papers. After that, he told me he was glad I was his mom."
"I can only imagine what comes up about me on Google."
"You've told him about all that and he understood why you did what you did. I didn't tell him where he came from to protect him. Do I worry that he'll ended up being like Johnny D someday? Of course. Do I worry that he'll become a drug addict like Ellie? Absolutely. Do I worry that I could end up being like one of my parents? All the time. Why didn't I choose to believe him when he told me he was uncomfortable around Elliot?"
"Only you can answer that. I don't want you to get mad at me for sayin' this but you got bitchier since you were promoted to Captain and even more so since Stabler came back into your life. Your attitude towards our relationship changed as well. I'd try to schedule time for us to be together and you'd cancel at the last minute or I'd be here and you'd be on the phone with Elliot. Every time we'd try to get close, he'd conveniently have some crisis that he needed you for. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that he was doin' it on purpose. I was startin' to feel that you were more concerned with your relationship with him than you were with us. I think that's what Noah was feelin' too. I needed to pull away from us for a while to let you figure things out."
"I admit that I have been bitchier since my promotion and since Elliot came back. I thought I wanted him in my life and I thought he wanted to be a part of Noah's life too but it turns out I was very wrong about that. I think my problem is that I can be pretty naïve when it comes to Elliot and I really need to take the blinders off when it comes to him. I should have seen the signs when he told me he would behave in the interrogation room and didn't. I threatened to arrest you when you did it and I should have done with same thing with him. At least you're a man of your word. I won't deny that I cared for Elliot. He was my partner for a long time and I was hurt when he just up and left. He lets his ego get the best of him and always has. He comes back into my life after 10 years and as soon as he loses his wife, he thinks I'm the only one who can help him though his loss. He all of a sudden wanted something to happen between us but I'm apparently the reason he had to leave. He could never accept that I had someone in my life and was happy. You were the exact opposite. You accepted when I was with Ed even though deep down I knew you were mad at me but we stayed friends. You and Ed had even become friends later on. Elliot would have a fit if he ever found out I was with Ed. You're right. I should have been more focused on you and our relationship."
"What would have happened if we had already been married?"
"I don't know, Hank. He kept telling me that if you really loved me, you would have married me by now."
"Because he was manipulatin' you to make himself look good."
"Just like my ex, Burton. I realized after all these years that he was grooming me and my mom told him to get out of my life."
"Was he the one that was a student of your mom's that you were engaged to?"
"Yeah. All this time I thought she didn't love me but she was protecting me from him. He was around and tried getting me into bed but I told him that I had someone in my life and I wanted to remain faithful to you. He was later accused of sexual assault and that's when I realized what he had done to me. He wanted me to forgive him. I said I did but I'm not so sure I believe that. Just like with Elliot. A part of me wishes neither of them had come back into my life. Hank, I am just so sorry things got the way they did between us. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt you. I will never let this happen again."
"I know you won't. I'm sorry it took what happened to Noah to get me here. I just couldn't let you go through that alone. Even though he's not officially my son, I still love him like he is."
"I know you do and I know you mean it. I don't want to lose you again."
"I'm not goin' anywhere."
"I love you."
"I love you too."
They started kissing and then they made love again before they went to take a shower. They fixed something for lunch and looked for resorts in Hawaii that did weddings. Olivia had gotten a call from Captain Curry, so she had to run over to IAB. Olivia told her what had happened between Hank and Elliot and also what had happened with the guy that had kidnapped Noah but she wasn't the one that made the arrest or involved in the interrogation in any way. Captain Curry said she understood why she did what she did and she said there would be no punishment for that. When she got back home, they ended up falling asleep for a little while. By the time they woke up, it was time to get Noah from school. Olivia went to get him and they headed home. He worked on his homework and then she took him to his dance class. When they were leaving, Olivia let Hank know, so he could start dinner. Erin got there at the same time Olivia and Noah did. They all went up together.
"Hello."
"Hey."
Olivia went over and kissed Hank, while Erin and Noah hugged him.
"How was dance class?"
"Good. At least you're not pretending to be interested. Did you see my last recital?"
"Yeah, I did. It was great."
"Thanks."
"Smells great."
"One of your favorites."
"Yep."
"Mine too. I love Hank's meatball sandwiches."
Hank brought the salad over, so they could start with that.
"We need to run something by the two of you."
"Is this good or bad?"
"Good. We were talking this morning about not waiting too long after Hank moves here to get married. I was thinking that the 6 of us could go to Hawaii over Thanksgiving and have the wedding there."
"I love that idea."
"Me too."
"We wanted to run it by you and Olive first, since you'd both need to take the time off. I do too. I told Hank that I was thinking of wanting to go to Hawaii for our honeymoon anyway. I think we're leaning towards Honolulu, since there's probably more for the boys."
"That works for me. The last time I talked to Olive, she said she was more than likely going to take that week off, since Daniel wanted to see Hank anyway."
"We were going to call them tonight anyway. The only person we'd have to worry about then would be you. I just think the less people that know, the better."
"In other words, Erin, don't tell anyone."
"Would I do that?"
"Yeah, you would."
Hank went to get the rest of the food and then they ate their sandwiches. After dinner, Erin cleaned up, while Noah went to finish his homework. Olivia got her laptop and they did a video call with Olive.
"Hey, Olivia."
"Hey."
"I'm here too."
"I see that, so I take it you two are back on?"
"We are."
"I heard what happened with Noah. How's he doing?"
"Surprisingly, ok."
"Good."
"We wanted to run something by you. Is Daniel there?"
"Let me get him. Hold on."
Olive called Daniel and he joined her in front of the computer screen.
"Hi Olivia. Hi Papa."
"Hey, you."
"I miss you."
"I miss you too. You too, Papa."
"I miss you too."
"Erin mentioned that you were planning to take off the week of Thanksgiving, so you could visit Hank."
"That was the plan but I haven't made the arrangements yet."
"Good. Hank and I want to take the 4 of you to Hawaii over Thanksgiving and we are looking into getting married while we're there."
"Does that mean one of you is relocating?"
"Yeah. I put my papers in and am officially done at the end of October."
"I decided I didn't want to wait long after he moves here to get married. I just want the 6 of us. Like I told Hank, I was thinking about going to Hawaii for our honeymoon anyway."
"I love the idea."
"Me too."
"We're leaning towards Honolulu, since there's probably more for the boys."
"That sounds great. I've always wanted to go there."
"We will get serious about booking something. We did make an offer on a place yesterday."
"That's great."
"How's school, Daniel?"
"Good."
"4th grade. Can you believe it?"
"That does not seem possible. Noah's in 7th, so that's kind of scary."
"Wow! That doesn't seem possible either. How long are you staying in New York?"
"I'm leavin' Wednesday."
"I'm glad you two were able to spend some time together."
"Me too. I just wish it didn't take what happened to Noah to make it happen."
"Me too."
Erin said hi to them before she left and Noah came out of his room and said hi too. Hank and Olivia talked to Olive and Daniel a little while longer before they ended the call. Hank and Olivia went into Olivia's bedroom to make love before they fell asleep and Noah had gone to bed as well.
The next day, they got Noah off to school and spent some more time in bed. Hank made the arrangements for Hawaii for the 6 of them. The day went quickly. Noah came home and did his homework. They had dinner and spent time together.
Hank ended up taking Noah to school, so he could spend a little more time with him before he left. Once Hank got back, he and Olivia made love and then they got ready, so Olivia could take Hank to the airport. They both got out of the SUV and Hank got his stuff. They kissed each other goodbye and then Hank went inside to get checked in before he went to the gate. Olivia went home and later on, she got Noah at school and took him to his dance class. Hank let Olivia know when he was home.
Both Hank and Olivia went back to work the next day. SVU was working on a case with OCCB but Elliot was told to stay away, so Olivia was happy about that. Olivia contacted Erin to see if she could stay with Noah. She said she wasn't sure when she would be home. She checked with her boss to see if she could leave a little early and he said it was fine. She let Olivia know it was fine. By the time she left to get Noah at school, she arrived just as he was getting out. She got out of her SUV, so he would see her.
"Hey, Erin."
"Hey, kiddo."
"Is Mom working?"
"Yeah. She wasn't sure how long she would be, so she asked if I could stay with you."
"Good. I'm still kind of scared after what happened the other day and this is the first she's been back to work. I can't wait until Hank is here all the time."
"I can't either, actually. Any ideas as to what you want for dinner?"
"Pizza?"
"Sure. You can work on your homework for a while and then we'll go out."
"Ok."
They went back to Olivia's apartment, so Noah could work on his homework. A couple hours later, they left to go out for pizza. When they got outside, Elliot was walking towards them.
"Stay away from him. Do you hear me?"
"You're not his mother, so you can't tell me what to do. He needs to be toughened up. He's a sissy."
"Why? Because he decided he liked to dance instead of playing sports? There is absolutely nothing wrong with it."
"My sons would never do that."
"Fortunately Noah isn't your son and never will be. Why are you even here?"
"Liv called and invited me over."
"Really. She isn't even here."
"Then obviously she doesn't want you to know that she's spendin' time with me. What that psycho in Chicago doesn't know won't hurt him."
Erin was pissed. She balled her hand into a fist and punched Elliot in his already bruised nose.
"That hurt, you bitch!"
"Guess who taught me to punch like that?"
Then Noah glared at him
"Who's the sissy now?"
Erin got in his face.
"Stay away from my family or I will hunt you down myself. You understand me?"
Erin and Noah walked off and headed to dinner.
"Erin, you were awesome!"
"Thanks."
"Hank punched him the other day and told him that if Elliot messes Hank's family, he messes with him."
They arrived at the pizzeria and ordered. Erin texted Olivia to warn her about what happened outside her building. Olivia replied thanking her and asked where they were. Things ended faster than she expected. Erin told her.
"Your mom is on her way with Sergeant Bell."
"Awesome! I want to go to Chicago for deep dish."
"I'm sure we will. If they have something for Hank, I'm sure you'll be able to go."
"Except his last day is on a Thursday."
"That's true. I'm pretty sure they ship."
Olivia and Ayanna arrived just before the pizza came to the table.
"Hey."
"Hey."
"Hi Mom."
Olivia kissed Noah's head and sat down and they all ate.
"What exactly happened with Elliot?"
Erin told them what had happened with Elliot and they tried not to laugh but they couldn't help it.
"Olivia, if I was you, I'd consider an order of protection. He doesn't seem to know how to take no for an answer."
"I've been thinking about it. I need to protect Noah. I worry about Hank too."
"I know Hank can take care of himself but I worry about him too."
"I don't want to lose him again. I almost did because I allowed Elliot back into my life."
"I get you cared about him but he doesn't seem to know how to take no for an answer."
"I know he doesn't."
"I'm just glad Jay and I aren't like that. I accepted him with Hailey and I'm happy for them."
They talked for a while and then Olivia drove home. Erin said goodnight and then she headed home. Noah finished his homework, while Olivia called Hank to let him know what had happened. He couldn't help but smirk at how Erin was so much like him.
The next day, Olivia talked to Carisi and had him get an order of protection for both her and Noah. Once Carisi had it done, he took Olivia her copy of it and then delivered Elliot's to him but he wasn't there, so he handed it to Ayanna. She said she would make sure he got it and abided by it. Olivia made sure he got her a copy for IAB and Noah's school, so she took it to Captain Curry. Captain Curry told her that if Stabler bothered her again, to let her know. Olivia left IAB and went to Noah's school. She let them know what was going on as well. Olivia also let the desk know that Detective Stabler was not allowed to come up to SVU. She had an order of protection filed against him and if he came in, he was to be arrested. Ayanna had taken the order of protection to Elliot's apartment but he wasn't there. She contacted his daughter and she said she had no idea where he was. None of them did. Ayanna told her that he never showed up for work. She called Jet and had her find Stabler's location. Jet tracked him down on an airplane heading westbound. As soon as Ayanna hung up with Jet, she went to SVU. She arrived, went in and went up.
"Hey, Sergeant."
"Hey. Is Olivia here?"
"She's in her office."
"Thanks."
Ayanna headed to Olivia's office and knocked before she went in.
"Come on in."
Ayanna opened the door and went in.
"We have a problem."
"What?"
"Stabler never showed up this morning and I told ADA Carisi that I would personally deliver this to Detective Stabler. When I got to his apartment, he wasn't there. I called Kathleen and asked her if she knew where he was. She said none of them did. I had Jet track his phone and she said she was on an airplane headed westbound. My guess would be he's headed to Chicago."
"I was afraid of that."
Olivia called Hank but it went straight to his voicemail, which probably meant he was working on a case. She left him a message to call her as soon as he could. She had someone find out all flights arriving in Chicago from New York and find out which one Elliot was on. She contacted Erin and then she called Trudy to get word to Hank that he could be in danger because they had reason to believe that Elliot was headed there. Olivia made arrangements for a flight to Chicago and asked Amanda if Noah could stay with them. Amanda was fine with it. Olivia went home to pack and Erin had called her and told her she was heading to Chicago. Olivia said she was also going but she needed to stop at the school to get word to Noah that Amanda or Sonny would be picking him up. Erin said she would pick her up. Olivia went home to pack and then Erin picked her up after she packed as well. Olivia called the school to get a message to Noah that she and Erin were headed to Chicago and Amanda or Sonny would be picking him up. Fin called and said they found out what flight Elliot was on and contacted Trudy. She said she was glad about that and would be in touch. They arrived at the airport and got checked in before they headed to the gate. Erin had her FBI credentials and Olivia had her NYPD credentials, so they were able to board with their weapons. They waited for the flight to take off.
To be continued…