A/N: This is the next part of the last chapter. There will be a third part as well. I don't own any of the characters except my own.
Stronger Than Ever – Part 2
Elliot's flight arrived in Chicago. The plane arrived at the gate and then everyone got off. He went to get his bag in Baggage Claim and was met by Adam and Kevin.
"Why are you even here?"
"I'm workin' on a case. How did you even know I was here?"
"An anonymous tip from the NYPD and there is no case. This is our city and we would know if anyone from the NYPD was comin' here for a case. You're here to harass our boss."
"Maybe I am and maybe I'm not."
"Uh huh."
They took Elliot out to their car, handcuffed him and put him in the backseat. They knocked his head into the the door and they noticed he had his gun, so they took it from him and got in. Kevin started driving to the District.
"There's no reason for the handcuffs. I didn't do anything."
When they arrived, they pulled inside the garage and Jay, Hailey, Kim and Trudy were waiting for them when they pulled in. They got Elliot out of the car and put him in the Cage.
"He claims he's here to work on a case."
"Lyin' again, huh?"
"No."
"What case? Who'd you talk to? What unit are you dealin' with?"
"I'm workin' to find the associates of that guy we were investigatin'. You know the one, the same guy that you allowed to leave here and come to New York. The same one who kidnapped Noah. This unit failed to do its job and that's why Liv's son was kidnapped."
"If you were smart, which you're not, you'd know the FBI is handing all that now. We turned over all our files on that to them and so did Sergeant Bell. He left Chicago before we could arrest him and he ended up in New York. If you had done your job, Noah wouldn't have been kidnapped."
"Then I should have been the one to get Noah back."
"Why? To make yourself look good to Captain Benson? We know Noah a hell of a lot better that you do."
"Then why were you the ones that put his life in danger?"
"He doesn't blame us and neither does Captain Benson."
"That's not what she told me."
"She told us that directly, so unlike you we aren't makin' it up. You mess with her, Noah and our boss, you mess with us. You got it?"
Everyone but Trudy went back upstairs. Hank was in his office.
"All this guy knows how to do is lie. He claims he's here for a case and when we asked him which one, he said he is looking for the associates of the guy that kidnapped Noah. We all know the FBI is workin' on it and so does Sergeant Bell. He claims Captain Benson blames us for what happened."
"She doesn't but we all know the truth. He's in denial, so he can believe whatever he wants. He's just tryin' to manipulate the details to his advantage and he's also tryin' to manipulate Olivia in to thinkin' he's the better man for her. She and I are closer than ever and she knows she needs to focus on us."
"We told him if he messes with her, Noah and you, he messes with us. He came with his gun, so we took it from him."
Adam handed Elliot's gun to Hank and he locked it in his drawer.
"I don't get why he thinks she's gonna choose him over you. You're the one she keeps comin' back to."
"Like Olivia told me, I accepted it when she was with Tucker and we stayed friends even though she knew I was kind of upset about it, which I was. Tucker and I got along and he treated both of them ok, which is all I care about. I know she still misses him. She knows Stabler would have a fit if he knew she was with Tucker at one point. I told her she got bitchier when she was promoted to Captain and when Stabler came back into her life and she didn't deny it. While I was there and we started to get close, Stabler always had some kind of crisis that he needed her for, which I'm sure was intentional. I get that she gets busy because I do too but if I'm there to spend time with her, then she can't be leavin' because her former partner needs attention from her. I told her that if she wants him in her life, then I will have to accept it but I don't want to share her with anyone except her squad and the family. I don't like hearin' that I'm gonna get Olivia and Noah killed. Most of everything bad that has happened to her in the last few years has been because of him. He showed up at her apartment while he was undercover and high. He doesn't think that could put Olivia and Noah in danger? Someone could have been followin' him. I would never put them in danger for any reason."
"If I remember right, Bunny said the same thing about Erin."
"She did even though Bunny was the one that was takin' her down the wrong path after Nadia died. Erin even said she's glad the two of you don't have the type of relationship that Olivia and Stabler have. She accepts that you're with Upton and wants you to be happy."
"As much as I wanted to blame you for her leaving, a lot of it was my fault because I wasn't honest with her."
"Was that incident on the plane the first time you saw Captain Benson go off on someone like that?"
"Actually, it was and I couldn't be prouder of her. I know she got physical with that George guy."
"She did. I saw that."
"Don't mess with Mama Bear Benson is all I gotta say."
"When she first told me she would do what I did to the person that killed Justin if someone did that to Noah, I didn't believe her because she's so by the book. After witnessin' what she did to that son of a bitch that took him the other day, I stand corrected. Although she came clean about it to Internal Affairs in case it came up."
"How long are we gonna hold that Stabler idiot?"
"We'll have to see what Olivia says. I know I said the end of October but after what happened to Noah, I think I need to do this sooner. I already talked to Halstead about it and he's on board with it. I told him that I would still help out in any way I could if somethin' came up."
"How soon are you leavin'?"
"I'm done the end of next week but I still have to pack my stuff. If I can get Erin and Olivia to help, maybe I can get it done faster."
"Kim and I can probably bring Mak over to help if you need us."
"Absolutely."
"Same with us."
"Me too, Boss."
"Same here."
"Trudy said she and Mouch would help too."
They got a call and everyone but Hank left. Hank checked to makes sure Olivia and Erin's flight was on time and then he went downstairs.
"Trudy, can you go to the airport?"
"Sure."
"Here's the flight info."
"Ok."
Hank handed Trudy the info for Olivia and Erin's flight and then she left. Hank sat down."
"You can't get away with this, you know."
"But you think you can get away with whatever you want to get away with and from what I've heard, you always have. I want you to leave my family alone."
"If you're referrin' to Liv, that won't happen."
"She has told you multiple times that she's not interested in you."
"It's you she's not interested in. Why do you think she hasn't married you yet?"
"Because you had to show up and ruin everything."
"Why wouldn't she want me? What can you give her that I can't?"
"I don't have to answer that."
"I can give her so much more."
"Don't flatter yourself. I think she has made herself perfectly clear who she wants and it's not you. You just can't accept it."
"I've known Liv for 25 years and you've known her how long?"
"I've known her almost 10."
"You don't know her the way I do."
"I know things about her that you don't, so I'm guessin' I know her better than you do. You're the one that left her for 10 years and then came back into her life when it was convenient for you."
"I need her."
"It's always about you and never what she wants."
"Liv doesn't know what she wants. Ever since I've known her, she's had questionable taste in men but we always had feelings for each other. We just couldn't do anything about it since I was married. I'm not goin' anywhere."
"I'm not either. I told her that if she wants you in her life, then I will have to accept that but I will not share her with anyone except her squad and the family."
"If she wants you in her life, I won't accept it. I want you out of her life and I will do whatever it takes to make that happen. You can take the sissy kid with you."
"Don't talk about my son like that again."
"No wonder he's such a sissy."
Hank unlocked the Cage and opened it. He grabbed Elliot and smacked his head into the side of the Cage. He then locked again. He sat down and waited for Trudy to get back with Olivia and Erin. Trudy arrived at the airport and pulled up in front of the door. She put her lights on before she got out and then went inside. Olivia and Erin were waiting for their luggage. Once they got their bags, they saw Trudy.
"Hank sent me to pick you up."
"What happened with Stabler?"
"They put him in the Cage. Hank was alone with him when I left, since everyone else went to a call. Did Hank tell you he's leavin' sooner?"
"He told me last night. He knows I appreciate this and I know he's a man of his word."
"He always has been."
"He sure has."
They went out to Trudy's squad and put their bags in the trunk. They got in and then Trudy drove to the District. When they arrived, they got out of the squad and got their bags. Olivia and Erin went downstairs, while Trudy took their stuff up to Hank's office.
"Hey."
"Hey."
"Liv, I knew you'd be here to rescue me."
"I'm not here for you."
Olivia sat on Hank's lap, wrapped her arms around him and kissed him.
"I'm glad you're here."
"I'm glad I am too. I love you so much."
"I love you too."
Olivia kissed Hank again and Elliot glared at all of them.
"They can't keep me here."
Hank told Olivia about the conversation he and Elliot had had and what he had said to Adam and Kevin. Olivia turned and glared at Elliot.
"It definitely sounds like he deserved to have his head smacked into the side of the Cage. If he leaves Chicago and goes back to New York, he can't come near us."
"Says who?"
"The order of protection signed by the Judge. Your Sergeant assured me and ADA Carisi that she will make sure you abide by the order of protection. I don't like my family being threatened."
"He's not your family."
"Yeah, he is."
"He doesn't know you the way I do."
"He knows more about me than you do."
"I doubt that."
"Your kids even know what happened but they know not to tell you. The only thing you asked about me since you came back was how many relationships had I been in in the time you were gone. That was before Kathy was even dead. Were you just waiting for her to die?"
"It was always supposed to be us together."
"Really? That time I was working with the FBI on that ecoterrorist thing and came back to New York, you seemed pretty chummy with my replacement. You also went back to Kathy the moment you found out she was pregnant with Eli. You disappear for 10 years and when you came back, you were still with Kathy. You never wanted me to be happy. I was happy until you came back into my life and tried ruining the best relationship I have ever been in."
"I know he doesn't love you."
"And how do you know that?"
"I just know."
Olivia went over to the Cage and stood in front of it.
"Every time I was in a relationship when we worked together, you always acted like a jealous asshole. You had no claim to me because you were married and you still don't. Now all you're trying to do is mess up everything for me. At first I didn't want to believe that you were acting the way you were towards my son but I think I needed the people that love me the most to put me in my place and tell me that I was being naïve when it came to you. You know what? They were right. You have never loved anyone but yourself."
"None of those guys were good enough for you."
"That's my decision to make. Not yours."
"You're naïve when it comes to men and you'll never learn."
"I'm only naïve when it comes to you. Not anymore."
"You marry this loser, you'll end up divorced and I'll be waitin' for that to happen."
"I have no complaints about Hank. Unlike you, he's a man of his word and he doesn't have the humongous ego you do. Hank, open the Cage."
Hank opened the unlocked the Cage and Olivia got in Elliot's face.
"You're a pathetic piece of shit and I want you to stay the hell away from my family! I also want you to stay the hell out of my life! Do I make myself clear?"
Elliot smirked at her, so she slapped him across the face as hard as she could. She then ran into Hank's arms and he wrapped them around her. Hank gave Erin the keys and told her to relock the Cage, while he took Olivia upstairs, so he could calm her down. Before Erin left to head upstairs, she kicked the Cage. She went upstairs and Trudy let her up to Intelligence.
"Liv, you ok?"
"Yeah. I think I needed to get that out of my system. If he doesn't like it, too bad. I may contact Ayanna to see if she wants to have someone come get him, so we know he actually leaves Chicago. He actually claimed that he was here to locate the associates of the guy that took Noah?"
"Yep. That's what he told Ruzek and Atwater. Is he that stupid not to know that the FBI is in charge of that case from here on out? They have our file and the one from Sergeant Bell. Obviously he's here to get me out of your life."
"Yeah, no doubt."
Olivia called Ayanna and told her everything. She said she would come out and drag him back to New York herself but it probably wouldn't be until morning. Olivia gave her Hank's info and then everyone came back. She told everyone that Ayanna was coming out to drag Elliot back to New York but it probably wouldn't be until morning. Everyone told Hank they would come over tomorrow to help him pack stuff. Hank, Olivia and Erin went out for dinner before heading back to the house. They called Noah and Erin started going through her stuff that Hank still had, while Hank and Olivia went through stuff in the bedroom. Erin went to bed and Hank and Olivia made love before they went to sleep.
The next day, Ayanna left for Chicago and Hank, Olivia and Erin met Hank's squad, Makayla, Trudy and Mouch for breakfast before they went back to Hank's to work on packing his house. When Ayanna arrived in Chicago, she got her stuff and took a cab to the District. She called Hank and said she was on her away. Hank told her that someone would meet her there. He hung up with her and asked Jay if he could meet her. He was fine with it. After a while, Jay headed over to the District and went to get Elliot's gun out of Hank's desk. Ayanna arrived and went in and Jay was waiting by the front desk. They went downstairs and the Ayanna had it out with Elliot. She told him he was suspended until she decided he was coming back. That did not include any suspensions he may be getting from IAB. She warned him what would happen if he didn't abide by the order of protection. Ayanna then thanked Jay and then she headed back to the airport with Elliot, while Jay headed back to Hank's. When he got back, he rang the bell and Erin opened it.
"I'm glad to be rid of him."
"I can imagine."
Jay went in and saw Hank and Olivia.
"Sergeant Bell is pissed at him."
"I'm sure she is."
"She had it out with him and told him he was suspended until she decided when he was coming back. She also said that didn't include any suspensions he may be getting from Internal Affairs. She also warned him about what would happen if he didn't abide by the order of protection. I thought Voight was bad at times but Stabler is just an ass."
"You should try working with him. I know I compared Hank to him when we first met but Hank doesn't make everything about himself and like I told Elliot when I had it out with him, Hank is a man of his word. Thank you for handling that though."
"No problem."
"How's Will?"
"He's doin' great. He and Natalie got married and are expecting, so Owen is lookin' forward to bein' a big brother."
"Where is he now?"
"Seattle. Hailey and I are actually headed out there to visit them for a few days. I wanted to get out there before Hank left. We're leavin' late this afternoon and will be back Tuesday night."
"Tell them I said hi."
"I will do that."
"I'm actually heading to Portland in a couple weeks, so maybe I'll call them if I have some time."
"I'm sure they'd love to hear from you or even see you. They still have the same numbers."
"When is the baby due?"
"April."
"Wow!"
"We need to head out."
"Ok. Have a safe trip."
"Thanks."
Jay and Hailey said goodbye to everyone and headed out to get ready to head to the airport. Everyone worked for a while longer and then mostly everyone left. Trudy and Mouch were the only ones still there.
"We got quite a bit done. They'll probably be glad to get rid of me."
"I'll miss you."
"Thanks."
"Have you scheduled the movers yet?"
"No."
"If you want, you can keep your stuff at my place."
"Thanks."
"Have you heard about our offer yet?"
"Not yet, which means they probably got quite a few. I'm actually figuring we won't get it."
Olivia's phone rang, so she answered it. It was from the Realtor saying their bid was accepted. When she was done talking, she hung up.
"We got it."
"We did?"
"Yep. The owners were out of town due to a death in the family, so they just accepted our offer. Our closing is the 22nd of November."
"Ok."
"When are you two plannin' to make things official?"
Hank looked at Olivia and she nodded.
"Can you two keep a secret?"
"Hank, it's me you're talkin' to. I'm not so sure about him though."
"Ha, ha! I can keep a secret."
"We're goin' to Hawaii for Thanksgiving and doin' it while we're there. I already made the arrangements."
"Wow! That's great."
"I take it Erin already knows."
"Erin, Olive and the boys are goin' too. We just wanted it to be the family. It was Olivia's idea."
"Where in Hawaii?"
"Honolulu. We're planning to have a party with everyone later once we're settled into our new place. I just don't want the wrong people finding out."
"Meaning Stabler?"
"That's exactly who I mean."
"No one will hear it from me."
"Me neither and congratulations."
"Thanks, Mouch."
"Is someone goin' to take pictures?"
"Erin said she would."
"When are you leavin'?"
"Saturday the 23rd and we'll be back the Sunday after Thanksgiving. I did put in to be off on the 22nd just for the hell of it, so now there's an actual reason for me to be off."
"Does the Realtor recommend a lawyer?"
"I didn't ask. I can check with Trevor Langan and see if he knows of someone. I need to contact him anyway, so he can start the paperwork for you to adopt Noah. If that's what you want."
"That's what I want. Once I leave, can you keep an eye on the place until it's sold and take flowers to the cemetery?"
"Absolutely."
"Thanks, Trudy."
"No problem."
"Has Meredith forgiven you yet?"
"We talked maybe a few months ago when we met at the cemetery. I went to put flowers at Camille and Justin's graves and then I went to see Al. She came while I was there. She was more civil than she's been but somethin' tells me she won't ever forgive me. I didn't want him to do what he did. I was ready to confess to it but Al told me he was good. I think a lot of it was because he knew I had a future with Olivia and because he and Meredith had been driftin' apart."
"I'm the one that asked him to help me, since I'm the one that had the body relocated. He could have said no."
"Remember when I was drugged and nearly killed a few months back?"
"Yeah."
"I didn't tell anyone this but I saw Al. He told me I didn't get to die yet and there was still more. I probably should have put my papers in after that but I chose not to."
"I've been told that too. Part of why I fought so hard when I was being held by Lewis was because of Noah even though he wasn't a part of my life yet. I tend to blame myself for a lot. I did when Dodds was killed and wished it had been me instead but my therapist said I need to be there for my son. I know I'm the one that screwed things up with us and honestly, I wouldn't have blamed you if you had never forgiven me."
"It just hurt when it seemed like you wanted to spend more time with Stabler than me."
"I moved on after Elliot left and after he came back, it brought a lot of chaos into my life that I really didn't want or need. I never meant to shut you out or act like I didn't want to spend time with you. He was contacting me on our weekends together on purpose because he wanted to keep us apart and stupidly, I let him. I didn't realize what having him in my life again was doing to Noah and honestly I wouldn't have blamed Noah if he decided to come live with you. You were right when you told me I need to take the blinders off when it comes to Elliot. I'm done with him."
They kept talking and then Trudy and Mouch left. They went out for dinner and then they relaxed. The following day, they worked some more and then Hank took Olivia and Erin to the airport. He continued packing when he got back.
Hank began his last week with the Intelligence Unit with Jay and Hailey gone for a few days, he was more involved in the cases. When he wasn't working, he was finishing stuff up at the house. He had contacted a Realtor to put the house on the market and he had contacted a mover to arrange for things to get picked up. He was driving to New York, so he planned to take the things he needed and have the larger things shipped.
On his last day, he had planned to only work part of the day, so he could get a head start to New York. It had been an unusually slow day, so the entire unit and Trudy took him out to lunch. He gave Trudy the keys to the house that he hadn't given to the Realtor and he told Jay if he needed him for anything, to just call. After lunch and Hank said goodbye to his former squad, he stopped at 51 and Med to say goodbye to everyone. He also stopped by Boden's office to say goodbye to him. He did one last visit to the cemetery to leave flowers for Camille and Justin before he left for New York. He texted Olivia when he left and he said he would let her know when he was stopping for the night. He said she would wait up until she heard from him. When he stopped in Cleveland for the night, he got checked into the hotel and called Olivia.
The next morning, he got up, took a shower, had breakfast and hit the road. He arrived in New York in the afternoon and contacted Olivia as soon as he was close. She said she was at work but Erin was with Noah. Hank called Erin and she and Noah met Hank outside to help him bring his stuff up.
"Hey."
"Hey."
"How was your trip?"
"Long. I could have had my SUV shipped but I brought the stuff I thought I would need the most and then the rest of it will be delivered to your place."
"Ok. I'll give you a key. Not this comin' week but next week I'm headin' to Portland. I'm gonna call Will and Nat to see if we can get together."
"How long are you gone?"
"Monday to Thursday is the training but I'm plannin' to check out the scenery, since I've never been to the northwest, so I'm flyin' home Sunday. I'll offer to drive to Seattle and then get the flight home from Seattle instead of Portland. I think it's maybe a 3 hour drive."
They took Hank's stuff upstairs. Olivia had already made room for his stuff in the closet and the dresser until they moved.
"Are you sure you're ok with all my crap bein' at your place?"
"Yeah. I've got the room and where you're movin' is actually not too far from me anyway."
"That helps. I figure I'll mostly need my clothes and toiletries."
"Obviously we've started going through stuff here too. Mom doesn't want to want to wait until just before we move to pack."
"That makes sense. We got a lot done with my squad's help when your mom and Erin were in Chicago last weekend. After what happened to you, I decided I needed to be here sooner."
"We both appreciate that."
"How have things been?"
"Elliot has been leaving her alone. Although I think she wants to change her cell number, so he can't find out where she is."
"We did talk about that and I don't blame her for wantin' to do it."
"Can't he still follow her?"
"Yeah, he can but if he knows what's good for him, he won't. If he comes anywhere near her or contacts her, he'll be arrested for ignoring the order of protection. That includes you and Hank. If you even see him on the other side of the street from you, then call the police."
"Got it. Why did he go to Chicago?"
"He claimed it was because he wanted to find the associates of the guy that kidnapped you but both Hank's former unit and Organized Crime gave their files on the case to the FBI. Most likely he really wanted to get Hank out of your mom's life."
"Why can't he just let Mom be happy?"
"That I don't know. I know she feels bad that she didn't believe you until recently."
"The only thing I blame Mom for is allowing him to be in our lives in the first place."
"You have every right to feel that way."
"I can't wait for our trip to Hawaii, so you two can get married."
"I can't wait for that either."
Olivia contacted them and said she was leaving soon. She left the Precinct with everyone else and headed home. When she arrived, she headed inside and went upstairs. She unlocked the door and went in.
"Honey, I'm home!"
"Good."
Olivia went over and kissed Hank.
"Long day?"
"You have no idea."
"Everyone was there?"
"Yep. We had the case from hell but we got everything done that we needed to and our guy is in custody. I'm just glad that I now have both of my boys to come home to after a long day. How was the rest of your trip?"
"It was long. That's a lot of drivin' for one person."
"When does your stuff arrive?"
"It gets picked up on Monday. Trudy is meetin' the movers. I worked part of the day yesterday. My squad and Trudy took me out to lunch and before I left, I went over to 51, Med, Boden's office and the cemetery."
Olivia rubbed Hank's back and then she went to get rid of her gun. Hank went into the bedroom and fell asleep for a while. After he woke up, the 4 of them went out for dinner. They went home and watched a movie. Noah went to bed and Hank and Olivia went into their bedroom to make love before they fell asleep.
Within the next several days, Hank's stuff had been delivered to Erin's and he helped Olivia and Noah pack. Olivia had gone to get her phone number changed, so Elliot would not be able to track her down. She let people know what her new number was but not to share the info with Elliot. They all understood why.
The next several weeks went quickly. The guy that took Noah went to trial. Noah had to testify but they let him do it via video because Olivia did not want him to be in court. The guy was found guilty of that and the rest of his crimes, so he would be in prison for a while. The FBI had most of his associates in custody as well and were working on finding the others. Elliot ended up quitting his job, so once again, he put his papers in and went back to Rome without saying goodbye to anyone. He was told that if he left, he would not be allowed to return to the NYPD. The kids were still in New York and wanted to be in Olivia's life if she would let them. She told them she wanted them in her life but she was done with their dad. They said they understood. Hank had accepted an offer for his house.
Olivia had gone out to get a dress that she could wear when they got married and she had taken Erin with her, so she also got dresses for Erin and Olive. Since they were having a casual wedding, Hank had gotten matching shirts and pants for him and the boys. They also applied for their marriage license to get married in Hawaii. Hank had officially adopted Noah. Hank and Olivia had their closing and once they were done there, they went over to the new place. They had the electricity turned on and had someone coming to install TV and internet service. They cleaned the place and then went back to the apartment. They started taking some stuff over but they knew they would have to do the rest of it after they got back from Hawaii. Once Noah was out of school, they went back over to the condo and let him decide how he wanted his new room set up. Once he had decided, they went out for dinner and then they went home to finish packing for their trip.
The next day, they left early for the airport for their flight to Hawaii. They boarded the plane and waited for it to take off. The 4 of them ended up falling asleep on the plane. Olive and Daniel's plane was due to get in around the same time as the flight from New York.
After flying for what seemed forever, they arrived in Honolulu. They got off the plane and went to get their stuff. Olive and Daniel were waiting in Baggage Claim for them. Hank and Noah waited for the bags, while Olivia and Erin went over by Olive and Daniel and hugged them.
"Hello."
"Hey."
"How long was your flight?"
"Long. We all slept most of it. I can't get over how tall this guy is getting."
"He sure is."
Hank and Noah came over with the bags.
"Speaking of getting taller."
"Yeah, I know, right? He also finally decided to cut his hair. It's a teenage thing, I think. He'll be a teenager soon."
"How is that even possible?"
"He's growing up so fast. At least he has a dad now, so he's happy about that."
"That's great. Congratulations to you both."
"Thanks."
"Yeah, thanks."
Hank and Noah hugged Olive and Daniel and then they went to get the shuttle for the resort. When they arrived, they went to get checked in. Hank had gotten two suites: the Honeymoon Suite for him and Olivia and another suite for Erin, Olive and the boys. They went up to their respective suites and got settled. They all changed their clothes and then Hank and Olivia met with the Manager about the details of their wedding. They had everything set up for the following day in the late afternoon. They were fine with that and then they met the others in the lobby, so they could take a walk around. Hank and Olivia were holding hands.
"Tomorrow in the late afternoon."
"That sounds great."
"We can go get our hair and nails done before."
"That works for me."
"Me too. So, you kept this from everyone?"
"My squad knows we're in Hawaii but they don't know why. The only people other than the 6 of us that know what's going on are Trudy and Mouch. The said they wouldn't say anything."
"Do you know when you'll be having your party for everyone?"
"Not yet. We may decide to do it after we're settled into our new place. We'll probably have it at a restaurant but if people want to see our place, then they can come over. Are you and Daniel coming for Christmas?"
"That's the plan. My time off accumulates and if I don't use it, I lose it, so I have the time."
"I've been using quite a bit of my time lately but I still have it."
The 6 of them walked around and then they went to change for the beach. They stayed at the beach for a while and then they went to find something for dinner. After dinner, they went back to their suites. Hank and Olivia got ready for bed and made love before they fell asleep in each other's arms. Everyone else got ready for bed and went to sleep as well.
The next morning, they all got up and got ready. They met for breakfast.
"Morning."
"Hey."
They went to the hotel restaurant, sat down and looked at the menu before they had their order taken. Then their coffee and milk were brought to the table.
"Today is the big day."
"Yeah, it is and no one is going to ruin this day for us."
"I'm glad that Stabler guy is out of our lives."
"Me too."
"What happened?"
"He supposedly went back to Rome. He put his papers in again but he was told if he left, he would not be allowed to come back to the NYPD. I still want his kids in my life. Elliot told me that everyone wanted us together. I said everyone I know that knows him wanted me with Hank. He said his kids and mother wanted us together but his kids knew I was with Hank. He turns everything around to make it how he wants it. I deeply regret bringing him into my son's life and not believing Noah when he told me he was uncomfortable around him. Hank was right when he told me I needed to take the blinders off when it came to Elliot."
"He lied when he came to Chicago and said he was lookin' for the associates of the guy that kidnapped Noah. The FBI took charge of that."
"And for the most part, they have gotten most of them. I just don't like the fact that he was blamin' Hank and the rest of Intelligence for what happened to Noah. Suspects get away sometimes."
"That's true. I blame Stabler for what happened to Noah."
"I do too."
Their food arrived and they ate. After breakfast, they went to change for the beach. They had lunch and then Olivia, Erin and Olive went to the salon to have their hair and nail done, while Hank and the boys went to get cleaned up before they got ready. Once the girls were done at the salon, they cleaned up and got ready as well. They all met and headed to where the wedding was going to be. They had the ceremony where they exchanged vows and rings. Once everything was official, Hank and Olivia kissed.
"We did it!"
"Yeah, we did."
"Today was so perfect."
"Liv, you look gorgeous."
"Thanks."
"Congratulations, Mom and Dad!"
"Thank you, sweetie."
Noah hugged both of them. Erin, Olive and Daniel hugged them too and then they went to take pictures on the beach. Part of their package was a dinner, so they went back for that and the 6 of them had a quiet celebration. After a while, Hank and Olivia said goodnight to everyone and went up to their suite, while the rest of them went swimming. As soon as Hank and Olivia got to their suite, they headed to the bedroom and started kissing. They undressed each other, got on the bed and made love. Afterwards Hank had his arms wrapped around her and she had her head on his chest.
"I am so happy."
"I am too."
"I can't believe we're finally official. Up until a couple months ago, I wasn't sure we would ever get to this point and I know it was my fault. I never should have allowed Elliot back in my life and I almost lost you because of him. I should have listened to Noah. I'm glad he's gone again. My life became too chaotic after he came back. You mean more to me than Elliot ever did or ever will."
"I wasn't sure we would get here either. Even before what happened to Noah, I wanted to be there for him even if we weren't together and what happened to him made me decide that I needed to be there sooner. I'm glad we got back together."
"Me too. I love you so much."
"I love you too."
Hank and Olivia kissed and made love again before they fell asleep in each other's arms. The rest of the family came back from swimming and got ready for bed.
The next several days they took in the sights and spent time at the beach or pool. They enjoyed Thanksgiving at the resort and the rest of their stay.
By the time Sunday arrived, none of them wanted to go home. They checked out of the hotel and took the shuttle to the airport. They got checked in and went through security. Both gates were close to each other, so they spent more time together before the flights got ready to board. The flight to New York was leaving first.
"Hank, thank you so much for this trip."
"You're welcome. We'll see you in a few weeks."
"You will."
"Thank you, Papa. I love you."
"You're welcome and I love you too."
Olive and Daniel hugged Hank and then they hugged Olivia.
"Bye, Grandma. I love you too."
"I love you too, sweetie."
"Let us know when you get home, since we'll be home before you will."
"We will."
Then they both hugged Erin. The four of them boarded their flight and then Olive and Daniel waited for theirs to board. The flight to New York took off and everyone had fallen asleep.
Several hours later, the flight arrived in New York. It was late in the afternoon and the airport was busy. They got off the plane and went to get their stuff.
"Ugh! Well, I'm ready to go back to Hawaii."
"Same here."
"Me too. Who wants to go back to school anyway? Not me."
They got their luggage and went to the SUV.
"Oh, great, it's cold!"
They got into the SUV and then Hank drove home. Olivia texted Olive and let her know they were back in New York. He dropped Erin off and home and then they headed home themselves. When they arrived at the apartment, they went up. They went in and unpacked what they could.
"I think I'm gonna start takin' more stuff over while you're both gone tomorrow."
"That sounds like a plan. We can take over what we can and get a mover for the rest, including what you have at Erin's."
They grabbed something for dinner and got ready for bed. Olivia had gone through the mail and then they all went to bed early.
The next morning, Olivia got up and made sure Noah was up before she went to take a shower. By the time she got out, Noah had eaten his breakfast, made his lunch and then went to take a shower. Olivia fixed coffee and found something for breakfast. She ate and then she went to finish getting ready. Hank was just waking up.
"Mornin'."
"Morning, my love."
Hank kissed Olivia and then he went into the bathroom. Once Hank was done in the bathroom, Olivia went to dry her hair. Hank went to have breakfast and then Olivia came out of the bedroom wearing her gun.
"This is as good as it's gonna get."
"You look beautiful."
"Thank you."
Noah came out of his bedroom with his backpack.
"Ready. Morning, Dad."
"Mornin', kiddo."
Olivia grabbed another coffee to go and Noah grabbed his lunch.
"Be safe."
"I will. I love you."
"I love you too."
Olivia kissed Hank.
"Have a good day at school."
"Yuck!"
Noah hugged Hank and then he and Olivia put their jackets on before they left. Olivia dropped Noah off at school before she headed to the Precinct. When she arrived, she parked her SUV and went in.
"Morning, Captain."
"Good morning."
Olivia went upstairs to SVU. Fin and Amanda were the only ones there.
"Welcome back."
"Thanks."
"How was it?"
"It was amazing."
"What all did you do?"
"We spent a lot of time at the beach and saw the sights there too. The boys liked Pearl Harbor."
Olivia walked toward her office.
"And we got married."
Fin and Amanda looked at each other and then followed Olivia into her office.
"Did you say you got married?"
"That's what I said."
"Liv."
"What?"
"Are you serious?"
Olivia held up her left hand. She was only wearing her wedding band.
"Spur of the moment?"
"Nope. We planned it. That's why we decided to go to Hawaii. I wanted to get it over with and not have a big fuss made about it because I didn't want Elliot finding out about it and trying to ruin things for me. I was also considering Hawaii for our honeymoon, so why not do everything there?"
"But no one was there."
"Erin, Olive, Noah and Daniel were. That's all we wanted. We're planning to have a party once we get settled into our new place."
"I'm happy for you, Liv, even if Fin isn't."
"Thanks, Amanda."
"I'm happy for you too, baby girl. You gotta do what you gotta do and you and Voight had some rough times since Stabler came back."
"Yes, we have."
Olivia had been notified of an email in her personal account. She logged into her laptop and went into her email. Erin had sent her the pictures, so she looked through them.
"Do you want to see pictures?"
"Sure."
Olivia showed Fin and Amanda the pictures.
"Wow! So amazing, Liv. You look so happy."
"Liv, you deserve to be happy after all the shit Stabler put you through since comin' back."
"I am. I never should have let Elliot back into my life or into Noah's for that matter. I'm glad he's gone again."
"Daniel is growin' up so fast."
"Yeah, he is and he is just like his grandpa."
Olivia printed out some pictures and put them in the frames in her office.
"What's Voight up to today?"
"He's taking stuff over to our new place. We're getting a mover to move the big stuff and the stuff he has at Erin's. I can't wait to be officially moved in."
"Are you changin' your last name?"
"Hank doesn't care either way. I still have paperwork to change whether I change my name or not, since he has to be added to my insurance and all that. I still have to change my Driver's license, since we have a new address and Hank has to get his New York license and plates yet."
"I get that. I thought it would be easier not to change my name but there is a lot of paperwork to do. I'm just glad the girls have a pretty stable father figure in their lives and they do call him Daddy. He loves them as much as he loves Nicky."
"He was pretty supportive of you both times when you were pregnant with the girls."
"Yeah, he was and he was with Nicky too but I expected nothin' less from him. There was a time when I didn't think I deserved a good guy like him but I think it's what I needed. I really do."
"I know how that goes. It's not that I didn't love Brian or Ed because I did but Hank is the first person I have been with that didn't cause issues for my job. I still have problems with what happened to Ed and it's been 4 years."
"The man did take his own life, so it's hard on a lot of people. I was never a fan of his because of all the shit he put most of us through but when he was the one that got you out of that situation in the townhouse, I saw a different side of him. Like he had a heart in there somewhere."
"That was a hard time for me. I was having feelings for him but at the same time, I was fighting how I really felt about Hank. Ed didn't want me to get involved any more than I already was in that case that involved his cousin but I wasn't about to let him go through it alone."
"He at least seemed to treat you ok and Voight does too."
"Hank accepted when I was with Ed even though I knew he was upset about it but he wanted me to be happy. Elliot is the exact opposite. Hank told him that if I wanted him in my life, he would have to accept it but Elliot replied to that by saying he would never accept Hank in my life."
"It seemed like Stabler became pretty possessive of you."
"Whenever I dated anyone when we worked together, he always got so jealous. I could never understand why because he was married and had no claim to me. I never told him about Ed and me. I don't even think he knows Ed committed suicide."
"Does Stabler know what happened at Sealview?"
"He knows something happened but not as much as you do. I told Hank about that and about Lewis. Melinda knows too."
"What happened? You don't have to tell me if it's none of my business."
"It's ok."
Olivia and Fin told Amanda what had happened at Sealview all those years ago.
"Oh, wow! Liv, I'm sorry you had to go through that."
"I don't know what I would have done if Fin hadn't been there."
"You know I got your back, baby girl. Always have and always will."
"I know and I appreciate it."
Fin and Amanda went back to their desks, while Olivia got caught up with her paperwork. When everyone else came in, Olivia told them about the wedding. The day went by quickly. Hank had gone to get Noah from school and took him to his dance class. They got home not too long before Olivia did. Hank and Noah grabbed pizza for dinner on the way home.
"Hello."
"Hey."
"Wow! You got a lot done."
"Yeah, I did. I have movers comin' tomorrow to get the rest of the furniture and to get my stuff at Erin's. Once everything gets picked up, I'll come back here and clean the place up."
"Ok. Then let me know when we're completely out of here, so I can get the keys back to the landlord."
"I will."
Olivia kissed Hank and then she went to take her gun off. She came back downstairs and they had dinner.
"How was work?"
"Unusually quiet. Everyone was happy for us."
"That's good."
"I was doing some thinking today."
"Am I gonna like this? Are you ready for a divorce already?"
"No. It was my idea to get married in the first place and you're not getting rid of me that quickly. I was actually thinking about this party of ours. Maybe we could have a New Year's Eve party and just have everyone over. We can let the kids have their own party in the family room and they can watch movies or something like that."
"That's not a bad idea."
"Then that means we need to start planning something, since we have less than a month to plan. I'll text everyone here."
"I'll text the people in Chicago and Olive.
After dinner, Noah worked on his homework, while Hank and Olivia texted people about New Year's Eve. They all picked out what they were wearing the next day and then got their clothes packed as well as whatever else still needed to be packed yet. Noah had gone to bed and both Olivia and Hank had gotten responses.
"So far everyone has said yes."
"In Chicago too. Jay said Will, Nat and Owen were comin' in for the Holiday, so I said they could bring them if they wanted."
"Good. Amanda said she and Carisi would talk to Serafina about helping with the food. I told them to invite Serafina and Dominick too. Will our place be ready by then?"
"It should be. We can go out sometime this weekend to get the tree."
"I was thinking that I wanted to get a huge artificial one. That would look nice in our living room by the fire place or even the sliding glass door. I'd also like to get a smaller one for the family room. Noah mentioned that he'd like a table top tree for his bedroom."
"Ok. It looked like people had balconies decorated."
"Maybe we could get garland with lights to put around the railing of the balcony. We need new stockings too. Fin and Amanda both said if we need help, to let them know and they can come over."
Olivia's phone rang, so she picked it up. It was Don. When Olivia was done talking to him, she hung up.
"That was Don. He said he and Eileen would come over and help out in anyway they can. I said we can use all the help we can get. I told him you could use help tomorrow, so they will be here."
"Ok."
Hank and Olivia got ready for bed, got into bed kissed each other goodnight and made love before they went to sleep.
To be continued…