DISCLIAMER: I have a huge apology for you all for not updating, but I don't have any rights to these characters.

Author's note- So, it's been about a year since I've updated, wow, sorry guys. If anybody is still paying attention to this, this is the last chapter. It has been so amazing writing this and I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did. I think this might be my favorite chapter so far. Thank you so much for sticking with me, you've all been great. –Pie.

One Year Later:

'Ah, Home at last.' Olivia thought as she walked through the door of her home of almost two months.

After dating for a couple months Olivia had all but moved in with Alex, eventually letting her lease run out. Six months after that, they both decided that it was taking up too much space living with two sets of everything. Less than a week later (thanks to Serena's constant nosiness) they found the perfect little place. It was a nice little starter home which had gone into foreclosure twelve weeks prior, meaning they got a great deal on it; their bid was almost immediately accepted.

The next month and a half was spent remodeling the whole place which resulted in: three big fights, (one between Alex and Olivia about kitchen cabinets, one between Serena and Casey about why they hadn't bought a house yet, and one between Serena and the electrician who according to the ADA was "an incompetent fool who shouldn't be changing a light bulb let alone rewiring a home.") two ER trips, (the first when Munch shot himself in the ass with a nail gun while they were reframing, and the second when Elliot slipped off a ladder when they were putting new shingles on the roof.), and four hysterical breakdowns (one by Olivia who had just worked a fourteen hour shift with no coffee and couldn't get a paint can open, Alex who decided there was no longer hope in the world when the bathroom sink they custom ordered showed up cracked, one by Serena when Munch told her that her hard hat made her head look like a melon, and one by Munch after Casey told him off for making her girlfriend cry.)Finally, Alex and Olivia were able to move in and two months later they were living in what could only be described as domestic bliss, or the closest thing to it.

Now, as Olivia made her way to the master suite she knew she had just enough time to shower and change before her girlfriend made it home. Her day had been exhausting; though she had taken the day off work she had been busier than usual. Alex thought that she had been driving upstate to confer with another department, what she had really been doing was getting things in order for what she hoped would be the best proposal ever.

She had commissioned Serena the month before to help her design a ring which had turned out perfect. She had picked it up this morning. She had spent the rest of the month sneaking in secret lunches with all of the important people in their lives to gather intel.

Just as she finished buttoning her top she heard the front door close. Walking out of their room and down the hallway she found Alex in the entry way hanging up her coat.

"Hey you." Alex said without turning around.

"It's kind of scary how you do that." Olivia chuckled as she moved closer and wrapped her arms around the blonde from behind.

"Mmm, you shuffle your feet just a little bit, it gives you away." Alex said as she snuggled into the embrace.

Olivia gave one last squeeze before she pulled away so that Alex could face her. "Are you up for a little adventure tonight?" She asked. Olivia had been planning 'little adventures' for a while now to keep the ADA off her trail, most of the time they involved a trip to one of their favorite eateries, although there had also been few movies and one rather interesting laser tag incident that got them banned for life after Alex made a four year old cry.

"With you? Always. Let me change real quick 'kay?" She gave Olivia a quick peck as she moved toward their bedroom. "You know I've been thinking and after a little time in the law library I think there might be a way to get us back into that laser tag place."

Olivia let out a loud laugh as she followed Alex, lounging on the bed while Alex explored her closet. "I'm sure we can just find some other place if you really feel the need to make toddlers cry." Olivia joked.

"Hey! That kid was just a wuss, Fletcher would have totally laughed in my face if I said the same thing to him."

"Yes, but honey, our nephew is a Cabot, it's in his genes to be just as competitive and argumentative as you are."

Alex got the warm and fuzzies when Olivia referred to Fletch as their nephew. "I suppose you might be right." She said in an exasperated tone.

"Yes, I am. Now let's get a move on, I promised Mary that we'd make a stop by the hospital to drop her off some dinner."

"Olivia Benson: detective by day, dinner deliverer by night!"

"Let's go blondie!"

"Aye Aye captain!"

Thirty minutes later they walked hand and hand into the nurse's lounge.

"My two favorite girls!" Mary said upon seeing them.

Olivia handed her the bag of food they had picked up on the way. "For our favorite nurse." She said.

"You're a Godsend." Mary said before digging in. "Three more hours and then I am done for the next two weeks!" She said with a grin.

"I still can't believe you got the captain to agree to a Mediterranean cruise." Alex said with disbelief.

"What can I say, I can be very persuasive when I want to be."

"Don't we know it."

After chatting for a while Olivia and Alex left. "You know," Olivia said as she pulled Alex to a stop. "this is the place where our epic romance began."

"It is." Alex agreed as she looked into the waiting room they were standing next to.

"I'm so happy that we found each other." Olivia said genuinely.

"Happy doesn't even begin to describe it." Alex replied as she placed a quick peck on Olivia's lips.

Finally, knowing the seed had been planted; Olivia tugged on their joined hands and dragged them back to her waiting car where the events of the night would really begin.

They drove in comfortable silence for a while before Alex began to get antsy.

"Would you like to inform me of where we're going?" She asked.

"Nope." Olivia replied simply.

Knowing it was pointless to try to argue; Alex sat back and took in their surroundings for clues.

"Wait, I know this drive. This is the way to my family's beach house!" Alex exclaimed.

"One of these days I'm going to surprise you." Olivia chuckled; she figured Alex would figure it out eventually. "We've both been working hard lately, and I thought a weekend up here might be nice. I packed our bags before you got home."

Alex smiled. "You're kind of perfect you know."

"I'm glad you think so." Olivia said as she gave Alex's hand a squeeze.

It wasn't much longer before they pulled into the driveway of the Cabot's lake house, the sun was just beginning its descent. Olivia popped the trunk as she got out. "Why don't you head down to the lake, while I bring these bags in and order us something from Sophia's?"

"Are you sure? I can help with the bags and then we can walk down together."

"Go, I'll be right down I promise." Olivia said hoping Alex didn't argue and ruin her plan.

"Okay, if you insist."

"I do." The brunette gathered their things and made her way toward the house while Alex moved to the walkway that led to the beach. As Alex rounded the corner of the house she gasped. Paper lanterns were strung to hang the rest of the way to the beach. As she moved further she noticed little notes left every few feet, being held in place with beach glass. She reached the first one and bent to pick it up, immediately recognizing the handwriting as her best friend's.

Alex,

You've been my best friend since the day you punched Luke Taylor for pushing me off the swing set in preschool.

Alex chuckled remembering her four year old self doing just that.

I've grown with you; I've laughed with you, and cried with you. I found the love of my life in your office three years ago, and I was there to witness you finding yours. You've been the best sister I could ever ask for and I know you will be the best aunt to my kids, starting with baby Novak, who should arrive sometime this April.

Alex gasped, as she re-read that line a few times.

I love you and Olivia both so much,

Serena

She held the letter close to her heart before moving on to the next. Olivia watched from the deck, as Alex read through all of the letters, from everybody close to them, Elliot, Liz, Fin, Munch, Mary, Cragen, her Mother, her sister and brother, even little Fletcher. Finally, she reached the end of the trail and came to a small television. A sticky note on it informed her that she needed to press play on the adjoining VCR. When Olivia saw the screen flick to life she began to make her way down.

"Alexandra!" A voice she never thought she'd hear again came from the speakers a second before her father's face appeared. The hand that wasn't holding all of the letters flew to her face as she covered her mouth.

"Hello my darling, if you're watching this it means that we are no longer together. I'm sorry that I can't be with you any longer but c'est la vie n'est pas? Listen to me, my darling girl. You are one of the most amazing souls that I have ever had the great pleasure to encounter; being your dad, and your brother and sister's dad has been the greatest experience of my life, as I'm sure your mother would agree. You are going to change this world. "Kid you'll move mountains!"" He bellowed the classic Dr. Seuss line. "I know you will find somebody just as amazing to help you move all of your mountains. I want you to know that it's okay to ask for help my darling. We humans, we have this false impression that it makes us weak, but there is no greater strength in the world than loving somebody so much that we allow ourselves to be vulnerable enough to ask for what we need. If it weren't for your mother, I wouldn't be an eight of the person I am today. I love you my darling girl." He pressed his fingers to his mouth and blew the camera a kiss before the picture faded away and the screen went blue.

Alex just stood there for a minute, while tears rolled down her face. Never had she dreamed that she would see her dad again.

"You can play it again if you want to."

Olivia's voice behind her started her and she turned. "Liv…" She whispered. Reaching out, she placed a hand against her lover's cheek.

Olivia moved her hand to fit on top of Alex's as she gave her a crooked grin.

"How?" Alex asked.

"You're mother gave it to me, she said he recorded one for all of you. I have one too; he made one for future spouses as well. I haven't watched it yet; I wanted to wait until I knew."

"Knew what?" Alex asked.

"That it belonged to me." Olivia said as she moved to kneel.

Alex gasped as she reached out. Olivia took her hands in her own. "Alex, my whole life I've felt like I've been in some kind of waiting place. I waited to be old enough to have some independence from my mother, I waited to be promoted to detective, I waited for a time when my job didn't break my heart, and a year ago I waited while the closest thing I had to a father came back to life. When I'm with you, I don't feel like I'm waiting anymore. When I'm with you I know that I don't have to be alone anymore, I have somebody to move through my life with. I never want to go back to that waiting place. I want to continue to grow with you. Alexandra Cabot, will you marry me?"

Alex tugged on the hand that enclosed her own pulling Olivia to her feet. "My father proposed to my mother here. That's why they built this house here."

"I know, she told me." Olivia said, still waiting for an answer.

"My dad told me that he proposed here because he knew she couldn't say no with the salty air clouding her brain."

Olivia laughed. "What about your brain? Is it cloudy?"

"Nope." Alex said.

Olivia's face fell a little.

"My brain is clear as day."

"What does that mean?" Olivia asked softly.

"It means that I'm going to marry the love of my life." Alex whispered back.

"Is that a yes?" Olivia asked.

"I could never say no to you."

"Say it." Olivia prodded.

"Yes, Olivia Benson, I will marry you."

Olivia lit up as she leaned forward to capture her new fiancés lips. She pulled back and rested her forehead against Alex's. "I'm really glad you said that, otherwise this weekend would have been really awkward."

Alex laughed. "I love you Olivia.

"I love you too Alexandra.