Well this is it folks. If you're still here after more than a year, I thank you for sticking with it. I finally rewrote this chapter from scratch until I was happy with it and it's now 2AM so please forgive any little mistakes. I wish this fic was longer but evidently writing anything with any attempt at a real plot is not my strong point. I would aplogise for the obscenely long wait, however I feel like you guys deserve better than that so please accept this chapter as my apology.

As always, I own nothing you recognise, no matter how much I beg ;)

~X~

It was good to be back in the familiar building. Despite her love for her baby, Olivia had to admit that she missed being at work. Staying at home most days with only the baby to talk to was getting old. Her visit today was a way of ensuring that she didn't go crazy. That and she was finally giving in to the squad's demands that she bring Cece for a long awaited visit to the squadroom.

Carrying her daughter in her car seat, Olivia grinned when everyone jumped to their feet upon seeing her. She was quickly surrounded by her detectives and she placed the car seat on Amanda's desk and lifted the baby out.

"Long time no see, Benson."

Olivia looked up at the familiar voice and her her jaw dropped in surprise when she saw Declan Murphy approaching.

"Murphy…" Olivia greeted him in surprise, shifting her daughter into her left arm to shake the man's hand. "Good to see you again."

"I see congratulations are in order." Murphy smiled, looking at the baby and noticing the diamond on her ring finger at the same time. "In more ways than one."

"Thank you." Olivia replied with a smile. "I didn't know you were the one stealing my desk."

"It was a last minute agreement. I'm between assignments and their original stand-in fell through." Murphy explained. "I don't enjoy stealing your command, Lieutenant. I'll be gone before your first day back."

"Well thank you for stepping up." Olivia told him and watched the man retreat back to the office. She shot Amanda a questioning glance but saved the questions for later as Carisi began asking about the baby.

"How old is she now, Liv?"

"Six weeks. She's getting into a little more of a routine now which is helpful when it comes to Noah." Olivia answered.

She answered what seemed like a dozen more questions from her youngest detective before Amanda changed the subject.

"When's the wedding? You guys decided yet?"

"Not quite yet, we've narrowed it down, but I wanna make sure I give myself time to lose some of the baby weight."

"You look great, Liv. I can't believe you just had her six weeks ago."

"Are you guys doing the traditional big white wedding thing?" Fin asked.

"I don't think so. We'd rather just have a small ceremony with those closest to us there. Neither of us have any interest in a huge party, especially with Noah and Cece."

Before anyone had the chance to ask any more questions, their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Chief Dodds and Tucker.

Olivia didn't acknowledge the way Ed's steps faltered when his eyes landed on her and her daughter. His eyes seemed glued to her as he and Dodds made their way towards Murphy's office.

"Looks like that's our cue to get back to work." Fin sighed. "It was really good seeing you, Liv. Take care of yourself. It'll be good to have you back."

As the rest of the squad dispersed, Amanda dropped into her seat while Olivia began to secure her daughter in the car seat. She let her gaze fall to Amanda, trying to hide the concern there. She took a moment to look over her detective before the blonde turned and met her eyes. Olivia gave her a soft smile and asked how she was doing with Murphy being back.

Amanda sighed with a shrug. She didn't know what to think. He wanted to see Jessie but the last thing she wanted was for her little girl to get attached only for Murphy to disappear undercover again with no idea when he'd return. Then it'd be left to her to mend her daughter's broken heart when she wanted to know why Daddy missed her birthday.

"I'm not against him seeing her. But I need him to know that if he's gonna be in her life he has to commit to that. I'll talk to him about it later, make him see my side of things. Won't be hard to get him alone for a few minutes, I've been playing the avoidance game ever since he got here."

Olivia nodded in agreement. She had no idea how she'd go about handling the situation if Jack had still been going back and forth to LA. She didn't envy Amanda's position but if she could do anything to help, she would. It was then that the question came to mind. "Does Dodds know?"

Amanda nodded. It had been one of the more awkward conversations she'd had with the Chief, but she'd felt better once it was out of the way. Dodds had been surprisingly okay with the whole situation, it wasn't like she and Murphy were in a relationship, it was a one night stand that gave them a daughter, and Murphy wasn't her permanent CO. "It'll be good to have you back, Lieutenant. How's maternity leave treating you?"

Olivia chuckled dryly as she covered Cece with her pink fluffy blanket. "I love my kids, I really do, but I'm going to go crazy if I don't get some adult interaction soon. I get a little in the morning when I drop Noah at daycare and at night when Jack gets home, but even then, it's a constant cycle of diapers and feeding."

"Wouldn't change it though, right?"

Olivia nodded with a smile. It was true, she wouldn't change it. She just wished she had more friends outside of work that she could spend time with. It would help save her sanity on the tougher days.

Amanda mulled over her lieutenant's words, concocting a plan before she spoke. "You busy this weekend? We could take the kids to the zoo or something. Make a day of it, get out of the house. If it rains we can find something indoors."

The brunette smiled brightly at the suggestion as she pulled on her jacket. She was filled with relief that she wasn't facing yet another weekend of dealing with a hyper Noah and a fussy baby on her own while Jack was at work. She bid goodbye to her squad and picked up the diaper bag and car seat before heading for the elevator. Amanda watched the lieutenant go, hoping it wouldn't be too long before the older woman was her commanding officer once more.

~X~

The weekend rolled around quickly and Olivia was glad when she saw Amanda and Jessie waiting for her at the entrance to the zoo. She greeted them with a smile and complimented Jessie's pink jacket as they made for the entry desk. She really couldn't thank Amanda enough for her thoughtfulness.

"I'd rather get you out of the house than have to pretend to like the moms from Jessie's daycare." Amanda told Olivia with a shrug. "They're not bad people, they just..."

"They just have no idea what the world is like? They're all extremely judgey? They all think they know best? They're exactly like all the popular girls at school who you'd do anything to avoid?"

"Exactly. I like to get away from work and take my mind off the cases, but whenever I'm with them it's like all they do is talk about whatever case is in the headlines and I can't say anything because when I do, it's like I'm the bad guy."

"I get ya." Olivia nodded. She'd had the same experiences on the few occasions that she actually met with the other moms from daycare, though being older than most of them, she tended to leave the socialising to Lucy. That was both a blessing and a curse, when she did have to spend time with the other moms, she couldn't help but feel wildly out of place.

The two women walked side by side, pushing their strollers as Jessie and Noah walked in front of them, pointing to the animals they passed by, trying to imitate their noises. They were silent for a small while, both stuck in their own thoughts while watching the innocence of their children. At their age they had no idea of how complex the world really was.

"Liv, what would you do if you and Jack weren't together?" Amanda was the first one to break the silence. "If you had gotten pregnant but he was still in LA, then he was here temporarily, but wanted to be a part of Cece's life. Or if you had gotten pregnant when Cassidy still worked undercover but he wanted to know his kid, while also working away in a crazy dangerous job? What would you do?"

"I don't know, Amanda." Olivia answered honestly. "I would want my kids to know their father, but I would hate for them to be those kids whose fathers are never around and always making empty promises. I wouldn't want to be the one drying their tears because their father canceled plans at the last minute yet again. It's hard to say because I'm not in your position ... but I guess, if things hadn't worked out with Jack, I'd tell him that he could be a part of Cece's life on the condition that he's in it for good. He only gets two chances before I put a stop to it. He'd get a first chance and then once after that to make it up to her before I put a stop to it. But really, Amanda, this is your decision."

"I know that, Liv, I do." Amanda sighed. "I want to do what's right for Jessie, but I just don't know what that is. I'm not having my daughter being left devastated because her father has to walk out on her birthday or her dance recital for the sake of an assignment. I don't want her to come second to the job. Not with me and not with Declan."

"So tell him that. Sit down with him, without Jessie, and lay down some ground rules. If he doesn't agree, he doesn't see Jessie, end of. You know you have to do what's right for her, if he doesn't like that, then he can suck it." Olivia advised. "Murphy's a reasonable guy. He went to bat for me more than once in the past and I know he's stuck his neck out for you, too. Just make sure that he knows where you stand on this."

Amanda nodded and returned her focus to the two children in front of them. They had been at the zoo for almost two hours and she could see that Jessie was starting to get tired, even Noah was beginning to lag a little. She checked the time again, it was nearing time for dinner and just as she suggested going to find somewhere to eat, Jessie began whining that she was tired and didn't want to walk anymore.

Olivia mulled it over for a moment. The thought of sitting in a diner with two tired toddlers and a baby that was due to wake up any minute wasn't entirely appealing. But she was happy enough to invite Amanda and Jessie back to her place and just order some pizza instead.

An hour later, the two women were sitting in Olivia's living room waiting on their food. Jessie had fallen asleep before they'd even made it out of the zoo. Noah had been exhausted too and it had resulted in Olivia having to transfer him into Cece's stroller and push it with one hand and carry her daughter the entire way home.

The buzzer rang just as Olivia got settled on the couch to nurse Cece. Before she could stand, Amanda had reached the door and paid for their dinner. Olivia had insisted that the blonde take some cash from the diaper bag to cover her half of the order but Amanda had refused and happily plonked the pizza boxes on the coffee table.

They ate in a comfortable silence for a while before Amanda spoke up again. "So, Lieutenant, when do you see yourself coming back to SVU?"

"Next week. I have a meeting on Wednesday with Dodds and Murphy so they can get me caught up on what's been going on. I start back the Monday after."

Olivia couldn't help but chuckle at the large relieved smile that graced Amanda's face. "What? Is it really that bad with Murphy as CO?"

"No, it'll just be nice to not be surrounded by testosterone all the damn time. Honestly, I don't know how you did it for eleven years." Amanda replied with a chuckle of her own.

Olivia looked around the room and then stood. She laid Cece down before she gathered the empty pizza boxes and the napkins and took them to the bin. "You want anything else? I've got tea, coffee, soda, all sorts."

"I'm okay actually, thanks, Liv. If you don't mind, Jessie and I should probably get going. But I had a good day, thank you."

"What are you saying thank you for?" Olivia asked incredulously. "You've just saved my sanity, tired out Noah so he'll sleep, and then paid for the pizza. I could kiss you."

"Your fiance might have something to say about that." Amanda laughed and bundled Jessie into her stroller before she bid goodbye to Olivia and set off for home.

~X~

Olivia took a deep breath as she stood in front of the mirror and took in her appearance. It had been a while since she had last donned her work clothes and she wasn't sure why, but she felt an immense pressure to look the part on her first day back. Her outfit was all black, her pants combined with a plain black v-neck top and black blazer.

A smile fell over her face as she listened to Lucy chatting to Noah and Cece while she gave them breakfast. Still smiling, Olivia clipped her hair into an updo at the back of her head, leaving a little at the front falling around her face.

It felt good slipping her belt back on with her gun, badge and handcuffs but she couldn't help the pang of guilt she felt at leaving her tiny baby home for the first time. She knew Lucy would take fantastic care of her, but she couldn't help it. With another deep breath, she made her way to the front of the apartment.

"Okay so the bottles are in the fridge, the diapers are-"

"In the big box by the couch along with wipes, rash cream, spare clothes are in the nursery, she just ate so she'll need more in roughly two to three hours. She'll need a nap mid morning but can't sleep too long or she'll be furious later. We got this, don't we, Cece? Tell Mama you're gonna be fine." Lucy assured Olivia, holding the baby out to her.

Olivia took her daughter in her arms and kissed her head softly. She made her way to where Noah was munching his toast and hugged him tightly. "Be good for Lucy, Noah, and have a great day at school, I wanna hear all about it when I get back tonight okay?"

"Bye, mommy!" Noah called as Olivia and Lucy moved to the door.

"You got this." Lucy told her firmly as she took Cece and Olivia disappeared down the hallway.

~X~

Olivia had barely been in the squadroom for five minutes before the overwhelming need for coffee consumed her. It would take some getting used to the bustle of the unit again and being CO meant she had a lot to catch up on so she was prepared for the next CompStat meeting. Before she could bring herself to leave her office for coffee, she spotted Fin exiting the elevators and make a beeline for her door with a tray of coffees in hand.

He picked one out and held it out to her as he entered her office without knocking. "Thought you could use this."

"You thought correctly, Sergeant." Olivia grinned, sighing after the first sip. "How have things been?"

Fin shrugged. Not much had happened in her absence, but the whole squad was glad to have her back, it wasn't the same without her. "Same old, same old, really. Except for maybe Cragen, nobody can run this place as well as you do. You run a tight ship but it pays off. Murphy was good but I think he spent a little too much time obsessing over Jessie."

Olivia sighed and shook her head. Murphy would have to back off or he risked Amanda withdrawing completely. It was a big decision for her to make and she needed space to make it. If he pushed her too much she wouldn't hesitate to cut him off. Fin voiced his agreement and retreated to his desk to deliver the rest of the coffees to the squad.

Alone in her office, Olivia took a deep breath and looked around. It felt good to be back, even if she did have an intense case of mom-guilt. She was sure once things picked up a little she would relax into her job once more. She had made Lucy promise to keep her updated through the day and she trusted the younger woman with her life. She had been an angel since the beginning and Olivia was beyond delighted and grateful that she was willing and able to stay on and help the second time around.

It wasn't long before her phone rang with another case requiring their attention. She moved into the squadroom and felt a sense of pride as she looked over her detectives, engrossed in their work. Never in a million years had she ever thought she would be the commanding officer of such an elite unit while also having two amazing children being engaged to the man of her dreams.

"We got another case. Fin, Rollins, go check out the scene, Carisi you're with me. Vic is en route to Mercy." Olivia called out.

The squad immediately gathered their jackets and keys as Olivia passed a sticky note with the address to Amanda. They headed for the elevator, parting ways as they reached the parking lot.

~X~

Olivia tensed at the sound of the voice before she'd even looked up to see who it belonged to. It wasn't that she didn't like the woman. She got on well with Jack's sister, but the younger woman brought more fuss and stress than was necessary wherever she went. The squadroom wasn't the ideal location for their reunion after so many years. The desk sergeant was just about to point the woman in her direction when she stepped out of her office and leaned against the doorway, making her presence known.

The younger brunette squealed in excitement when she saw her sister in law. Olivia pushed off of the door post and caught Leah in a hug before leading her into her office.

"So you're like, the big boss lady now, huh? You get to order everyone around? Nice big office, the works!"

Olivia laughed. "That's one way to put it. But regardless of being the, uh, big boss lady, I still do a lot of work out in the field, I can't just sit in here all day. I wasn't expecting you, what brings you here?"

Leah shrugged excitedly. She hadn't seen Olivia since just before she made detective and now that the older woman was finally about to marry her big brother, she couldn't be happier. "I can't wait to meet my niece, she must be so big now! And Noah, he looks adorable!"

Olivia couldn't help but smile. She knew Leah would love the kids, which was good since keeping them happy throughout the wedding ceremony on Saturday with her job. She'd make an amazing mom but she insisted she didn't want kids of her own. Too much of a commitment and not enough money for spontaneous shopping, she'd once said when her grandmother had asked.

Before either could get another word in, Olivia's phone rang, summoning the squad's presence at Mercy General. Olivia apologised to her soon to be sister in law and promised to catch up properly later before bidding her goodbye and leaving with her detectives.

She hadn't even closed the car door when Carisi had pounced with questions regarding Leah and the upcoming wedding. She teased him about his interest in Jack's sister and he blushed but claimed he's simply not been expecting any visitors to the squadroom. He was looking forward to the wedding on Saturday, even if the squad wasn't invited to the actual ceremony.

Olivia and Jack had agreed that the only people to witness their actual wedding vows on Jack's side would be his mom and sister, on Olivia's, Cragen and Barba, plus the kids. The rest of the squad and some other friends would join them later for dinner and a party, but neither wanted to make a big fuss.

~X~

Olivia stared at her reflection in the mirror, it still seemed surreal that in less than an hour, she'd be married to the love of her life. She ran a hand down the front of her dress, taking it in for what felt like the millionth time. It was simple, nothing flashy. An off white, floor length dress with a little lace detailing, a sweetheart neckline, and a skirt that flared out ever so slightly around her knees. When she and Jack first started planning the wedding, she wasn't sure she wanted a proper wedding dress, but Rafael and Jack's mom had been outraged at even the thought of her wearing anything else. Now she was glad she had taken their advice.

Her hair had been her main issue of the day so far. No matter how she'd styled it, it didn't quite look right. Until Andrea had appeared and worked her magic. Now, it looked perfect, it was wavy with a couple of strands on each sides pinned at the back of her head with a beautiful clip that the woman revealed she'd worn at her own wedding to Jack's father.

It had taken a lot of convincing and a glass of champagne from Andrea and Rafael to get her to stop worrying over the kids. Noah's suit looked adorable, Cece's dress was magical, and both children were happy and content, being kept amused by Leah while they waited for the ceremony to begin.

A knock on the door snapped Olivia from her thoughts and she turned to see Cragen standing in the doorway trying not to cry. When he spoke, his voice was choked up and Olivia found herself blinking back tears already.

"It's time?"

Cragen nodded and cleared his throat before attempting to speak again. "You look amazing..." He trailed of at his voice became choked with emotion once more.

"You're gonna make me cry, and I don't have time to fix my makeup anymore." Olivia joked as she picked up the small bouquet of blush colored flowers and made her way towards the only father she'd ever known. "Who would've thought it, huh? All those years ago when I walked into your squadroom and immediately started driving you up the wall. Who would've thought that after all this time, I'd have stolen your desk and you'd be giving me away at my wedding. Thank you, Don. For everything."

Don didn't know what to say, so he kept his mouth shut for fear of simply bursting into tears. The truth was he found it hard to put into words how proud of her he was. He offered her his arm and together, they began the walk towards the next chapter of Olivia's life.

~X~

Olivia couldn't help but smile. She was officially Mrs Kellan and it still hadn't quite sunk in just yet. Even now after dinner, with their first dance as husband and wife out of the way, she couldn't believe her luck. She was at her table in her husband's lap, watching Noah in his suit running around with Jessie while Leah paraded Cece around the hall, showing her off in her little blush dress to anyone she could find.

"I'm the luckiest girl in the world." It came out as a whisper but Jack heard it anyway and replied by placing a soft kiss on her lips.

Whatever song was playing - requested by Carisi - ended and before the next one could begin, there was a tap on the microphone, commanding everyone's attention towards Cragen as he stood on the stage.

Olivia let herself sink into Jack's chest, intertwining her fingers with his as Don began to speak.

"If I could just have everyone's attention for a minute or so, I'd like to say a few words. I think everyone here can agree, that there is no person more deserving of happiness than Olivia Benson - or should I say Kellan now? Either way, I've had the pleasure of watching her grow from a young, green detective with so much drive and spirit that sometimes it drove me mad - I'm sure any one of the people in here who have worked with or for her can back me up on that - but I've watched her transform into the beautiful, successful, compassionate woman that she is today. It hasn't always been an easy road, and throughout the years we've seen a lot of each others' highest and lowest points, but nothing makes me prouder, or happier, than to see her where she is now, Lieutenant of a unit she was born to work in, a mother to two beautiful young children, and now a wife. Like you said earlier, who would've thought when you walked into my squad room, close to twenty years ago, that we'd be here today? Olivia, you're the closest thing I've ever had to a daughter, and to give you away today meant more to me than you will ever know. Thank you."

Olivia let out a soft sob and carefully wiped the tears from her eyes as Don stepped down off of the stage. She gave Jack's hand a squeeze and moved towards the man she could only consider now as a father. When she reached him, she said nothing but enveloped him in a tight hug. When she pulled back she could see the emotion swimming in his eyes and knew it was reflected in her own. "Thank you, Don."

She let him go to where Munch was waiting for him and moved across the room, collecting Noah and Cece as she went. She took them back to the table where Jack was sitting and took the seat beside him. She smiled as he pulled Noah into his lap and enjoyed the quiet moment with her family, knowing it wouldn't be long before someone wanted their attention.

She let her cheek rest against Cece's head, allowing the baby to admire the rings on her left hand as she zoned out a little. She'd spent her entire life almost, trying to find herself some kind of family. Now she had it. She had the father she'd always longed for, she was married to the love of her life and she had two perfect, beautiful children. There really was nothing else she could ask for.

The END