Chapter Text
Elliot Stabler watched as his partner of five years sashayed towards him. Somehow she was capable of turning into a completely different person from the time she went into the cribs to when she came back. In this case it was a stark reminder of the person she was outside of the precinct as she stopped in front of him with her black sleeveless slip dress and matching black pumps, “hot date?” He smirked as she tucked a small evening handbag under her arm.
“Dinner with Jake,” Olivia smiled, “I look ok?” She left out the part that tonight was their ten year wedding anniversary. The dress had been a gift, he had given it to her that morning before they had each left for work - it had been wrapped in this pretty tin box she could hardly believe was simply the wrapping, but that was her husband in a nutshell. Jake had told her that morning that tin was the traditional gift for their ten year anniversary but he could hardly think of anything made of tin to give her so the tin had been the gift wrap. He had also presented her with a less traditional gift, the one carat diamond studs she had put in after her shift was over. They were too much. It was all too much. Most of the gifts he gave her, she couldn’t wear to work, but for today, she had tucked them away in a small lock box hidden in the back of her locker, safely locking them with her five carat oval diamond engagement ring and diamond covered wedding band…a family heirloom that he had presented her with shortly after they graduated from Columbia. Just a couple of kids in love with the world at their fingertips. She never imagined that shortly after their engagement she would decide to go to the academy, but her husband had supported her…even if he didn’t love what his wife did for a living.
“You look like you robbed a jewelry store. Should I be waiting on a call?” Elliot smirked. “You look great Liv, have fun. Seeya Monday?”
Olivia nodded, looking at the clock on the wall. Jake would be there any minute to pick her up and take her to dinner. “Knock on wood we don’t get called in before then,” she winked at him.
“Munch and Fin are the first call this weekend,” Elliot watched as she started to walk away from their desks, getting a curious glance from John Munch who mumbled something about consumerism at work. “And hey Liv,” he called, she turned around with a broad smile on her face, “happy anniversary. He’s a lucky guy.”
xxx
Olivia was tipsy as she walked up the steps of their brownstone on 80th Street, his hand was on her lower back and she was laughing which sometimes felt like a rare occurrence, whether it was because of her work, or the fact that sometimes she was convinced that her husband didn’t really get her anymore, or because they were raising 8 year old twins on the Upper East Side and that was stressful enough…but dinner had been nice. Jake had picked her up with a town car, he hated driving in the city and then he had whisked her away to Le Bernardin which was a favourite of hers. “Thank you for the beautiful gifts my love,” Olivia stopped at the front door and kissed him gently. “Tonight was perfect,” for the first time in a long time, they hadn’t fought about her work, they hadn’t talked about a weekend at her in-laws summer home or a trip to Aspen for Christmas or New Years and no one had asked for chicken fingers for dinner.
“Happy anniversary Liv,” Jake smiled, his green eyes sparkling as Olivia stroked his cheek, “but the night isn’t over yet.” He put his key in the front door and waited for Olivia to walk in.
“Where are the kids?” Olivia giggled as she walked inside and noticed very little lighting on the main floor. She expected to see her kids bounding down to see her with their nanny, Amelia, a few steps behind them telling them to get in bed. Jake shrugged and gave her a grin that made her feel twenty two again, making it clear that something was still to come that evening. “Jacob Bradley,” she looked at her husband as she began walking up the stairs to the more formal living areas in the home, “what have you,” her jaw dropped as she came face to face with about forty of their closest friends and family members. His hand was on her back as she buried her head into his black Armani suit and laughed, “Jake what is this?”
“Ten years is a big deal,” he whispered into her ear, “thought we should celebrate.”
“Mommy!” Dark brown curls and green eyes came lunging towards her, “you came back home!”
Olivia wrapped her arms around her daughter and kissed her head, “of course I came home?” She laughed, “where else would I be?”
“Christian said you and Dad were just gon’ leave us here with Nana and Poppa,” the girl explained. Her grandparents had come over after they got home from school to make sure things were ready for the party, and the twins couldn’t wait for them to leave.
"Christian was being a goof,” Olivia laughed, “where’ve you been hiding from them?” She whispered.
“Uncle Elliot and I played in the garden till he said it was too cold.”
Olivia smiled at the mention of her partner, she hadn’t seen him but she saw Munch and Fin, her boss Don Cragen was talking to her mother in law and so Olivia had to assume the entire unit had been invited. It was surprising. Normally Jake tried to keep that part of her life away from this part of her life…the brownstone, the money, his family, his family friends… but apparently tonight had been enough of a special occasion that he had been willing to blend the two worlds. “Sweetheart,” she looked at her husband who was greeting his sister, “thank you,” she kissed him gently. “I’m going to go say hello…” He smiled graciously, encouraging her to greet her guests, which she knew was because he wasn’t particularly interested in socializing with them more than he needed to. Olivia took Emily’s hand in her own and let the younger twin lead her across the room to where her brother was talking with John Munch. “Christian…Emily tells me you were not being nice this afternoon?” She couldn’t outright say what Emily had said for fear of her in-laws hearing just what the kids thought of their presence that afternoon.
“I was just kiddin’,” Christian protested. His hair was lighter, his eyes were dark brown like hers, he looked nothing like his twin sister which he used to his advantage when necessary. “She’s just being a baby.”
“Be nice,” Olivia put her hand on his shoulder, “you look handsome.”
“Nana got me a suit to match Dad,” Christian told her. He hated it. He hated suits and tuxedos. He just wanted to be playing his X-Box in his room, maybe hanging out with a friend, or going to a Rangers game in his grandparents box seats…he wanted to be doing anything but hanging out with his parents and their friends. “Can I go upstairs?”
“Hang out for a bit,” Olivia told him. “I’m gonna go talk to Papa Don,” she told him. Don Cragen. Her boss…the only father figure she had ever really had, a surrogate grandfather to her children. He was warm and fuzzy to them, a stark contrast to her own alcoholic mother who had died several years earlier, and a polar opposite to their Poppa, Jacob Bradley Sr, who she was certain had never so much as hugged his own son, much less his grandchildren. She could vividly recall when Jake had suggested she ask him to walk her down the aisle at their wedding and Olivia could sooner see the bartender from their college bar walking her down the aisle, the bartender certainly knew more about her. Olivia remembered her cheeks turning pink as she carefully told her then soon to be husband that she would walk herself down the aisle. She wasn’t being given away, she was choosing a life with him. “You guys,” she took a few steps across the formal living room with Emily still holding her hand, “are liars,” she looked at her colleagues.
“Gotta keep some secrets Liv,” Fin was the first to speak after a round of hugs and kisses on cheeks. “Plus, your husband may not intimidate me, but your mother in law scares the you know what out of me,” he paid attention to his words because Emily was there. “Plus, open bar, free food…”
“Ah yes, top shelf liquor paid for by consumer greed. Where did all of this come from again? The backs of immigrants…”
“His great great grandfather was a real estate developer…”
“My point exactly,” John looked down the nose of his glasses towards her. “But Fin is right, your in-laws know how to hire a good caterer.”
“I’ll send them over and you can pass along the message yourself,” Olivia winked.
“Papa Don,” Emily interrupted the adults, letting to of Olivia’s hand and tugging on Don’s instead. “Did you catch any bad guys today? Or did my Mom?”
Don smiled at the little girl, she was always infatuated by the work that her mother did. Maybe it was because it was rare in her life. Most of her friends and classmates had stay at home mothers, or mothers who were on charity boards…not ones who were chasing down bad guys and catching rapists all over Manhattan, “today was a slow day,” Don always gave her a child friendly answer. A vague, cops and robbers style response where Olivia was always the heroine and Emily was never worried about what happened while Olivia was at work.
“Mom did great today,” Elliot made his presence known, a glass of bourbon in hand.
“I’ve got a bone to pick with you,” Olivia playfully grabbed Elliot by the arm. “Em, why don’t you show Papa Don your latest art,” she told her daughter as she less than discretely dragged Elliot from the formal living room to the stairs, stopping at the top, she shoved her finger into his chest. “You’re wearing a suit.”
“Your husband said it was…god what were his words exactly, semi formal. Of course I’m wearing a suit. Plus, your mother in law terrifies me.”
Olivia rolled her eyes, she wasn’t sure how the woman had managed to intimidate her entire precinct simply by existing, and maybe her close friendship with the police commissioner hadn’t helped. “I hate surprises,” Olivia pouted. “You could’ve warned me, partner.”
“He was excited,” Elliot smiled, “that husband of yours doesn’t get excited about much. Didn’t wanna ruin it for him.”
“You’re a good man, Elliot Stabler,” Olivia didn’t bother fighting the urge to smile. So many people in her life viewed Elliot Stabler as a hot head. A guy who was always getting in trouble. A loose cannon who got answers with his fists…but Olivia knew better. Olivia knew Elliot Stabler better than anyone. “No date?” She laughed.
“A date?” Elliot grinned, “on this?” He was shaking his head now, “nah, wouldn’t waste a date on this.”
“Waste? Should I be offended?”
Elliot shook his head, before he could say anything though he heard his name being called, ’Uncle Elliot, come see my new X-Box,’. “Duty calls,” Elliot winked at Olivia. “Nice party Liv.”
“Thanks El.”