Title: We Belong
Rate: PG
Author: Megan Faye
The wind whipped through her long curly hair as she weeved through the crowd of people up to the 1-6. The young woman glanced down at the new sports watch Olivia Stabler had given her as a graduation gift.
"Right on time!" She locked her bike and jogged up the stairs.
Her father would be upset if she were late, but it was summer, and her new bike was too tempting to pass up. It was a gift that John gave his daughter when she graduated high school a week earlier. She'd only been in school for the last 6 years, but Hannah Munch was hard-working, and very intellegent. She was so far behind when she started school at 9, but she caught up so quickly with the tutoring sessions John set up for her. When she was 10, she started acting in a children's theater over the summer. It pushed her reading skills through the roof, and the other kids were very helpful. The children's theater was through a school that Hannah switched to after a year at the private school close to the 1-6. The classes were much smaller, the teachers seemed nicer, and Hannah was surrounded by friends her own age for the first time in her life.
Now, at nearly 16, she was a very different person than the child John adopted. Hannah was sophisticated, and very beautiful, but her sense of humor was what attracted the world to her. She was sweet and kind. The plaid skirts and braids were a thing of the past. She gave those up at 11 when Casey, Alex, and Liv took her wall climbing. They got to Ascend, and Hannah couldn't climb in a skirt, so Alex bought her shorts, a T Shirt, and a pair of Nikes. John had a fit. His little daughter in shorts? She wasn't being raised as a tom-boy!
Hannah stood nose to nose with John and told him that a pair of shorts wasn't going to kill either of them, and he could get over it.
Now, her wardrobe consisted of "Normal People" clothes, as Hannah put it. John dealt with the change in his own way. By the end of the summer, Hannah wore nothing but khaki shorts and t shirts. And to everyone's surprise, John eventually bought her sandels from REI so she could go white-water rafting with Alex, Maureen, Lizzie and Olivia.
"Hi Papa," she called, bringing her bike helmat into the squad room. She stood on her tip-toes and kissed his cheek, pony-tail bobbing. "Alex is in court for another half-hour, right?" John nodded and sniffed the air.
"Is that coming from you?"
"Its over 90 degrees, Pops. I rode in on the bike."
"The bike? The bike. You hear this? Last 6 months I hear that its not just a bike, its a mode of transportation better than a cab, 18 speed, auto gear shift, shocks, and extra soft seat. Now its "The" bike." Hannah laughed lightly.
"And its the smoothest ride I've ever felt. It took me half an hour to get from out place up here. Its a truely sweet bicycle. And, yes, Papa, it is locked up."
"Go get cleaned up, oh child of mine."
"I'll be back down in 10," the teenager chirped as she bounced up the stairs.
"When did she become perky?" Elliot asked, stepping out of his office. He sipped the coffee and watched the young woman jogg toward the cribs.
"Somewhere between 12 and 15." John sighed heavily.
"You okay?"
"She grew up too fast, Elliot."
"Yeah," he laughed. "Tell me about it. Maureen's almost 30. Haven't heard from her since the wedding." Elliot sipped at the coffee again and looked at his office door. Even though his name was on the door for the last 6 years, he still expected to see Don through the glass. "Speaking of kids, at least half of mine should be here soon for our little lunch thing."
"Which ones?"
"Liz is bringing the little ones by. Dickie might be joining them."
"They are 6 and 8. Hardly little." Elliot frowned.
"I miss them being babies."
"I miss Hannah being a kid, too. Just sort of flew by," Fin added from his desk. "She's still pretty cool, Munch."
"So," Elliot said calling attention from his squad. "Its quiet here today."
"Always a good thing."
"Liv's picking up Casey and Alex and meeting us out front. Is Hannah enjoying working with Alex and Casey?" John shrugged.
"She's taking a year off to get some work in. I told her that she could go to college, but she'd be the youngest one there. Didn't thrill her too much." Elliot snorted.
"Yeah, that's your kid." Elliot heard his fax machine buzzing and he went back into his office. Moments later, he stepped out. "Who's catching?"
"Me," a voice called on her way in the door."
"Maureen-"
"You didn't read the transfer files, did you, Captain?" Elliot groaned and handed his daughter the papers.
"After everything I did to keep you kids away from this, you come after it?"
"Just give me the damn file, Stabler."
"Yes, Ma'am," he answered his daughter. She scanned the file and looked up. "Go -"
"Dad, its Layla," Maureen said, looking up at her father. Elliot met his daughter's eyes for an instant before grabbing his coat.
Maureen had seen her father drive like a maniac twice in her life. Her mother was in labor both times. Now, Maureen's childhood friend was in the hospital, and she was landed with the case. Elliot warned her that becoming a cop would bring her in contact with friends, and investigating crimes commited by her friends or against her friends. She knew the idea that people she knew would be hurt, but the reality hadn't touched her yet. Layla grew up next door to the Stabler's, and was only a few months younger than Kathleen. Now she was sitting in a hospital bed, violated by some disgusting excuse of a human being, probably just wanting some friendly face to tell her she's going to be all right.
"Your new partner should be in next week. Just cleaned out my old desk for you. I had no I dea it was you coming, Maur."
"Who's my partner?"
"His name is James McHale. Ryan and McHale. Sounds like a good pairing."
"Stabler. I'm not taking Luke's last name." Elliot furrowed his brow and glanced at his daughter. "Stabler is a strong name that means something in the NYPD. There's you and Olivia; two very decorated officers, both Captains, both with high collar rates, and my god, the commendations you two have. Major Cases wanted me, but I wanted SVU. Carry on the family name."
"You sond like me 20-some-odd years ago. I'm sorry your first case is going to be a tough one."
"If I wanted easy, I'd have gone into Computer Crimes."
"Hey, don't knock Olivia's job-"
"I'm not, but I wouldn't call her work as emotionally draining as yours. Its fraud, ID theft, hackers," she said.
"And internet kiddie shows, video of my cases being sold online-"
"I get it, Stabler."
"You know, when we're not in the actual squadroom, you can call me Dad."
"Not on the job I can't. Its important to me to be impartial to all involved." Elliot shrugged, nodded and pulled into the hospital parking lot.
Allie flipped through the paper-work. Hannah had started on her work that she brought over while she babysat, Eli was asleep, and she was supposed to be asleep. But, being a Stabler, she wanted to know things. Specifically, she wanted to see her birth certificate. She'd see Eli's, Maureen's and Lizzie and Dickie's. Allison assumed that Kathleen had hers in Seattle. But, Allie had never seen hers.
After a few minutes of digging, she came across a file labeled Benson, Serena.
"That's Grandma," she whispered, and filed past it. A few files back in her mother's well-organized filing cabinet, she found "Medical Redcords," and everyone had a file. "Mom," she said, flipping. "Dad, Maureen, Katie, Liz, Dickie, here we go," she muttered pulling out her file. "Allison Paige Benson."
Allie sat back in shock. She wasn't a Stabler at birth. Allie Benson; born to Olivia Dawn Benson and James Wilson. The next slip of paper was her adoption paperwork. Tears slipped down her cheeks as she read that her father signed her away to Olivia when she was just an infant, and that Elliot waited until she was over a year old to adopt her. She knew her mom would be angry if she caught her digging through the files, but at this point, she didn't care. Allie read every thing she could understand.
"Allie?" Olivia called, looking in the closet. When she saw the file her daughter held, she stared silently at the crying child.
"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked softly. "Who is James, Mom?"
"He's a doctor in New Jersey that I dadted for a while."
"Why didn't he want me?"
"Sweetie, he's gay. Do you remember that conversation we had about why Kathleen and Rose are basically married? James lives with a man, and didn't want to have children yet. But through out my pregnancy with you, Elliot was there for me. He held you the day you were born, brought you out to Grandpa Don, and he's loved you since before you were born."
"Then why'd he wait so long to adopt me?"
"These things take time, Honey." Allie looked up at her, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Allison, some things in life, we can't control. Elliot Stabler has been the only father you've ever known, and I want you to remember that while you process this. Okay, sweetie?" Allie nodded. "So, come out of my closet and go lay on my bed. You can sleep with us tonight if you need." Allie nodded and crawled into her mother's spot on the bed. Elliot stepped into the bedroom and started to hang his coat in the closet.
"Olivia? We got a Monkey infestation-" Olivia shook her head and Elliot threw her a questioning look. "Rough day?"
"She knows about James." Elliot's heart fell through his chest. He toed his shoes off and laid on the bed next to the young girl. Olivia decided to give them privacy to talk.
"Allie?" he called gently. The child poked her head from between pillows and blankets. "Do we need Starbucks or can we talk here?" She was quiet a moment.
"Here's good." Elliot squirmed into the bed next to his daughter and draped his hand on her back.
"Are you okay, Allison?"
"I guess," she said weakly. "Are you sure about James being my-" she stopped.
"Yes, honey. We're absolutely sure that he is your biological father. He's a very smart, very nice doctor in New Jersey." Allie nodded and took in the information. She looked up at him, eyes pooling with tears. "He loved you very much and wanted the best for you."
"Can...can I...?"
"Meet him?" She shook her head fiercely. "What, sweetie?"
"Can I still call you Daddy?" she choked out. Elliot pulled his daughter to his chest.
"Allison Paige Stabler, I will always be your Dad," he whispered into her hair. "I love you, and have loved you from the minute your mother told be you were going to be born. Okay, sweetie?" Her head bobbed lightly. "Go get dressed, Princess."
"Why?"
"You and me are headed to talk over a hot chocokate, and the best place on Earth for hot chocolate is Starbucks." Allie climbed out of her parents' bed and wandered off toward her room. Moments later, Olivia appeared in the doorway. "We're going to have a hot chocolate on the corner."
"She okay?"
"Its a lot for her to proccess."
"Are you okay?" Elliot nodded and pulled his wife the rest of the way into the room and hugged her tightly, burying his head in her stomach. She stood over him where he sat on the edge of the bed. "We knew she'd find out eventually-"
"I was planning on telling her when she was a little older," came a muffled response from her middle. "Like 30." Olivia pulled back and tilted his chin to face her. "Liv, she asked if I could still be her Daddy."
"Its a good sign, Love." Elliot shrugged and started to pull his shoes on. "Take a few days off with her and spend some time with her." Elliot nodded when he saw Allie through the door pulling her shoes on. "She needs you right now."
Chapter 2 is almost ready to post! Sorry its taken me so long to get back to fanfic...we were in the middle of a move.