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This story is just so so good! I cannot wait to see how it plays out!

Memento Vivere - Chapter Twelve

an SVU story

TW: n/a

Chapter Summary: Olivia talks to Elliot.

Read on FFN

or Ao3

Time for a new Jelly, new good vibes! Good luck everyone, it’s gunna be good soon

Which Baby Are You?

JANUARY BABY

Pretty/handsome. Loves to dress up. Easily bored. Fussy. Seldom shows emotions. Takes time to recover when hurt. Sensitive. Down-to-Earth. Stubborn. Repost this in 5 mins and you will meet someone new in 8 days that will perfectly balance your personality.

FEBRUARY BABY

Abstract thoughts. Loves reality and abstract. Intelligent and clever. Changing personality. Attractive. Sexiest out of everyone. Temperamental. Quiet, shy and humble. Honest And loyal. Determined to reach goals. Loves freedom. Rebellious when restricted. Loves aggressiveness. Too sensitive and easily hurt. Gets angry really easily but does not show it. Dislikes unnecessary things. Loves making friends but rarely shows it. Horny. Daring and stubborn. Ambitious. Realizing dreams and hopes. Sharp. Loves entertainment and leisure. Romantic on the inside not outside. Superstitious and ludicrous. Spendthrift. Tries to learn to show emotions. Repost this in 5 mins and you will talk to someone new and realize that you are a perfect match.

MARCH BABY

Attractive personality. Sexy. Affectionate Shy and reserved. Secretive. Naturally honest, generous and sympathetic. Loves peace and serenity. Sensitive to others. Great kisser. Easily angered. Trustworthy. Appreciative and returns kindness. Hardly shows emotions. Tends to bottle up feelings. Observant and assesses others. If you repost this in the next 5 mins, you will meet your new love in 8 days.

APRIL BABY

Suave and compromising. Funny and humorous. Stubborn. Very talkative. Calm and cool. Kind and sympathetic. Concerned and detailed. Loyal. Does work well with others. Very confidant. Sensitive. Positive Attitude. Thinking generous. Good memory. Clever and knowledgeable. Loves to look for information. Able to cheer everyone up and/or make them laugh. Able to motivate oneself and others. Understanding. Fun to be around. Outgoing. Hyper. Bubbly personality. Secretive. Boy/girl crazy. Loves sports, music, leisure and traveling. Systematic. Hot but has brains. If you repost this in 5 mins, a cutie that’s caught your eye will introduce themselves and you will realize that you are very much alike in the next 2 days.

MAY BABY

Stubborn and hard-hearted. Strong-willed and highly motivated. Sharp thoughts. Easily angered. Attracts others and loves attention. Deep feelings. Beautiful physically and mentally. Firm Standpoint. Needs no motivation. Shy towards opposite sex. Easily consoled. Systematic (left brain). Loves to dream. Strong clairvoyance. Understanding. Sickness usually in the ear and neck. Good imagination. Good physical. Weak breathing. Loves literature and the arts. Loves traveling. Dislike being at home. Restless. Not having many children. Hardworking. High-spirited. If you repost this in the next 5 minutes, you will become close to someone you do not speak too much in the next 4 days.

JUNE BABY

You’ve got the best personality and are an absolute pleasure to be around. You love to make new friends and be outgoing. You are a great flirt and more than likely have an a very attractive partner. a wicked hottie. It is also more than likely that you have a massive record collection. You have a great choice in films, and may one day become a famous actor/actress yourself - heck, you’ve got the looks for it!!! IN the next 6 days you will meet someone that may possibly become one of your closest friends, if you repost this in 5 minutes.

JULY BABY

Fun to be with. Secretive. Difficult to fathom and to be understood. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Takes pride in oneself. Has reputation. Easily consoled. Honest. Concerned about people’s feelings. Tactful. Friendly. Approachable. Emotional temperamental and unpredictable. Moody and easily hurt. Witty and sparkly. spazzy at times. Not revengeful. Forgiving but never forgets. dislikes nonsensical and unnecessary things. Guides others physically and mentally. Sensitive and forms impressions carefully. Caring and loving. Treats others equally. Strong sense of sympathy. Wary and sharp. Judges people through observations. Hardworking. No difficulties in studying. Loves to be alone. Always broods about the past and the old friends. Waits for friends. Never looks for friends. Not aggressive unless provoked. Loves to be loved. Easily hurt but takes long to recover. Repost this in the next 5 mins and your reputation will boost someway in the next 12 days

AUGUST BABY

Outgoing personality. takes risks. feeds on attention. No self-control. Kind hearted. Self-confident. Loud and boisterous. VERY revengeful. Easy to get along with and talk to. Has an “every thing’s peachy” attitude. Likes talking and singing. Loves music. Daydreamer. Easily distracted. Hates not being trusted. BIG imagination. Loves to be loved. Hates studying. in need of “that someone”. Longs for freedom. Rebellious when withheld or restricted. Lives by “no pain no gain” caring. Always a suspect. Playful. Mysterious. “charming” or “beautiful” to everyone. stubborn. curious. Independent. Strong willed. A fighter. Repost in 5 mins and you will meet the love of your life sometime next month.

SEPTEMBER BABY

Active and dynamic. Decisive and haste but tends to regret. Attractive and affectionate to oneself. Strong mentality. Loves attention. Diplomatic. Consoling, friendly and solves people’s problems. Brave and fearless. Adventurous. Loving and caring. Suave and generous. Usually you have many friends. Enjoys to make love. Emotional. Stubborn. Hasty. Good memory. Moving, motivates oneself and others. Loves to travel and explore. Sometimes sexy in a way that only their lover can understand. If you do not repost this in the next 5 mins, someone very close to you will become mad at you in the next 8 days.

OCTOBER BABY

Loves to chat. Loves those who love them. Loves to takes things at the center. Inner and physical beauty. Lies but doesn’t pretend. Gets angry often. Treats friends importantly. Brave and fearless. Always making friends. Easily hurt but recovers easily. Daydreamer. Opinionated. Does not care to control emotions. Unpredictable. Extremely smart, but definitely the hottest AND sexiest of them all. repost this in 5 mins or you will not meet the love of your life for 10 years.

NOVEMBER BABY

Trustworthy and loyal. Very passionate and dangerous. Wild at times. Knows how to have fun. Sexy and mysterious. Everyone is drawn towards your inner and outer beauty and independent personality. Playful, but secretive. Very emotional and temperamental sometimes. Meets new people easily and very social in a group. Fearless and independent. Can hold their own. Stands out in a crowd. Essentially very smart. Usually, the greatest men are born in this month. If you ever begin a relationship with someone from this month, hold on to them because their one of a kind. Repost in 5 mins & you will excel in a major event coming up sometime this month.

DECEMBER BABY

This straight-up means you are the most good-looking person possible… Better than all of these other months! Loyal and generous. Patriotic. Competitive in everything. Active in games and interactions. Impatient and hasty. Ambitious. Influential in organizations. Fun to be with. Easy to talk to, though hard to understand. Thinks far with vision, yet complicated to know. Easily influenced by kindness. Polite and soft-spoken. Having lots of ideas. Sensitive. Active mind. Hesitating tends to delay. Choosy and always wants the best. Temperamental. Funny and humorous. Loves to joke. Good debating skills. Has that someone always on his/her mind. Talkative. Daydreamer.Friendly. Knows how to make friends. Abiding. Able to show character. One guy/girl kind of person. Loveable. Easily hurt. Prone to getting colds. Loves music. Pretty/handsome. Loves to dress up. Easily bored. Fussy. Seldom shows emotions. Takes time to recover when hurt. Sensitive.

More thoughts on SVU Season 17

I have to give kudos/props to the casting team who have been doing a stellar job from the start! The actors playing Stabler’s kids all looked like a blend of Chris Meloni and Isabelle Gillies, especially when they were younger. They also looked like they were all siblings! The only one who doesn’t really work is teen/older Eli! 

The actresses playing Amanda’s mum and sister are perfectly cast, and the actor playing Mike Dodds looks like a young Peter Gallagher, as they have a really similar nose and jawline, alongside the blue eyes and dark hair. 

Barba’s  mother and grandmother also were well cast and looked like they could be his relatives. Hearing him being called Rafi was v odd, as he is so formal and serious at work. 

Just watched the one with the big Christian family who have a TV show, and thank goodness Stabler wasn’t there as he’d have had an aneurysm over the purity pledges, that’s a step too far even for him.  They made me want to throw up and my suspicions immediately fell on the person who did it, for once!

Carisi looking after all the kids was adorable, he did brilliantly with them. Someone make that man a dad, stat! I think even Stabler would have struggled with that many kids all at once. 

I also love that his faith is super important to him, but the main thing I get from him is that he thinks most people are fundamentally good and deserve to be protected from the few that aren’t. Stabler was definitely pushier/more vocal about being Catholic and the beliefs that went along with that, Carisi is much gentler in his approach. He’s just a very good man and I adore him!

Thoughts on Season 17 of SVU

What an opening episode! My hate for Dr Yates is immense, it has no limit! He must have been investigated when Stabler was still there, somewhere between Season 5 and 8, as it was apparently 10 years ago. However I can find zero episodes that feature him during that time frame! 

Yates is so creepy, so calm and so sleazy! 

Carisi is an excellent cop, he works really hard, has excellent instincts, takes instruction/feedback well and takes initiative when appropriate. He also sometimes spots things that his colleagues have missed or has a novel way of approaching the case/victim/suspect.

He is always actively observing how his colleagues handle situations ( victims, suspects, the big cheeses in charge…) and everything that’s going on in the courtroom. He’s obviously really into his legal studies as he’s accompanying Barba when he’s dealing with that side of things.

In a few years ( I stopped watching when S 12 finished), everyone seems much more accepting/open-minded and mindful of the language they use regarding trans females/males ( currently on episode 2 with the trans teen girl) and sex workers/drag queens… Some of the language used by the team in the first few seasons is really shocking, and some of them are really judgemental ( yes, Stabler, I’m looking at you!) when it comes to mental health and sex/gender issues. 

The tech is also much improved, as the earlier seasons were all about the dangers of this new-fangled internet and Stabler didn’t even have a cell phone until quite late. 

Wish Fin had taken the sergeant’s exam, would have meant no nepotism from William Dodds and his spy of a son taking on the job. I haven’t met him yet but hate him on principle! 

 I remember how annoyed Fin was that Munch took and passed the sergeant’s exam behind everyone’s back, possibly on a dare/because he lost a bet, so nice callback/continuity there. 

Lots of big names in supporting/guest roles: Sean Robert Leonard and Whoopi Goldberg that I can name, but lots of faces that are familiar to me. 

The pronunciation of some names in French is still appalling!

In the overworked social workers episode, the dubbers made Keisha/Keysha sound like Petit Chat ( Little Cat, which is used a lot as a term of endearment from French parents towards their little kids) and Keith sounds like a cross between Kiss and Keys ( the “th” sound is notoriously difficult for French people to master).

Just watching the baby shower episode and snorted at Fin’s comment about not having any idea how Mike Dodds got the sergeant’s job. He always seems to say what everyone else is thinking but doesn’t dare to say.

So far, Dodds seems competent and not too annoying, so that’s good. His dad however really got my heckles up by telling Olivia how to organise her team and do her job. 

Really not fans of Amanda’s mum and sister, they are walking disasters.

Was also disappointed by Carisi’s gift to Amanda for the baby shower. A wipe warmer is just so impersonal even though it is practical and recommended by his sister. I feel a bit cheated as we haven’t seen Carisi being awesome with his niece, or at least mentioning her from time to time. 

Some more thoughts on Season 16 of Law and Order SVU.

I miss Munch, particularly his snarky exchanges with Fin, which brought some levity to the darker episodes. Those two together were comedy gold and such a great partnership.

I’ve enjoyed seeing Carisi working with Rollins, he is v respectful of her and lets her take the lead, and offers to work with her quite a few times, and openly admits to her that he still has a lot to learn about the job. 

It is refreshing to see a team where everyone works well together, as Fin complained whenever he was paired with Stabler, and I think Stabler was a bit annoyed at being paired with Munch a few times too. 

Loved seeing Barba as a son and grandson, actually getting emotional, as, up until that point, I had found him a bit cold/robotic. 

The way he held Noah was hysterical as well, like he was holding a bag of toxic waste! Should have called Stabler or Carisi instead, Liv!

Adored meeting Bella, Carisi’s sister. I liked how non-judgemental he was about her maybe not keeping her baby as he didn’t say anything but was just quietly supportive. Stabler would have been more vocal in his Catholic views, I believe, 

Sonny’s anger is always so righteous but I feel he is always in control of it, so even though he was rough with Tommy, he didn’t go too far and beat him to a pulp/hit him. 

He also has a lot of empathy for the victims and their families, just like Olivia does, and he connects with people very easily, like with the lawyer daughter in the Marcia Cross episode where her character is married to a writer with ailing health. 

I love that he’s told his family about Olivia is awesome and that he loves his job and working for her, that was a sweet moment! 

Also, good job to the casting directors for the actress who plays Bella, she and Peter Scanavino look like they could actually be siblings!

He also did an awesome job being undercover, and looked super hot with the gelled back hair and the glasses.

The episode with Amaro’s dad reminded me a lot of Stabler and his equally awful childhood. They are both really hot-headed and internalise everything until they take it out on their lockers. At least Amaro is going to Anger Management classes!

I liked seeing Amaro with his ex’s boy, who he considers to be his son. He is also a good dad to his daughter, so that has made me warm to him a little more, though I still don’t miss him if he’s not there! 

Just finished watching the serial killer who is a doctor who has committed crimes in Chicago, New York and elsewhere. He was terrifying in the courtroom scene, loved seeing Coroner Warner, she’s so great and one of my favourite minor characters. 

I now want to rewatch the ep he is in from somewhere between Season 5-8, as the passing of time on this show is Very Wonky ™! 

I am approaching the end of the Season, I think I will be getting Seasons 17 to present day too, even if they are in French and I have to deal with names being mispronounced ( Ezzer for Heather was particularly bad!).

I also googled the William Lewis scenario and it seems like I bypassed it and there is zero chance he will ever come back, as K could barely cope with reading about it let alone watch it! 

I have been able to purchase Season 16, on Apple TV, but, unfortunately, it is in French, even though the episode summaries are in English.

I am not really a big fan of the dubbing, but I can just about live with it.

So far, I don’t really know any of the characters except for Fin and Olivia, and we don’t get much info about them/their home lives, though stuff is implied through characters’ looks or reactions when talking to suspects or victims.

Amaro is a major hothead, but doesn’t seem to have any particular trigger. At least he’s working on controlling it, unlike Stabler. He reminds me a bit of Chester Lake, who was just kind of there sometimes and I didn’t miss him if he wasn’t!

Amanda seems like she’s very unassuming/submissive, but is as tough as old boots. In the ep with the young incel guy she was incredibly brave and tough, and I loved her description of good guys who are kind, gentle and hold doors open for ladies- was she thinking of Carisi? I like to think so.

I have gathered that she is from a small, gossipy city and doesn’t have a great relationship with her mother or men in general. It seems like something happened with her and Amaro, which I cannot see as being healthy or happy at all! 

Carisi I adore! He’s good at listening quietly, observing and taking everything in when he needs to, and heeds warnings/instructions well too. However, he can take initiative when he needs to. He’s always watching his colleagues and the victims, absorbing info and silently taking everything in. I love how he brings food to the team and is full of surprises ( goat’s cheese and sundried tomato rather than pepperoni, but that shows how considerate he is, as there may be vegetarians on the team, so he got something that they can eat too). Was not loving the moustache, so glad that disappeared pretty quickly. I also love that he knows celeb gossip/the latest trends/fashion/music which shows he listens to and spends time with his niece. 

Peter Gallagher in what I assume was Ed Tucker’s role makes Ed look like a declawed kitten. He’s very tough and demanding, but it seems to be pushing Olivia towards being Captain, which is a good thing.

Barba I find a bit cold and slightly shark like. He’s very much a straight to the point/direct kind of guy who is all business and nothing else. He also really doesn’t like to lose! Makes for a great lawyer, but not a very interesting character. He’s no Casey Novak, that’s for sure! 

I hope all the William Lewis stuff is done and dusted as I do not see myself coping well with that storyline at all! 

Great to see Liv being a mum to Noah, but it really makes me miss Stabler! If he’d been there, I’m sure he would have given her loads of Eli’s old clothes/toys/paraphernalia as well as advice. I’m sure he’d have volunteered to call Noah if he’s crying, but hopefully Carisi ( does anyone ever call him Sonny apart from his family?) can step up and be the Baby Whisperer ™ if Olivia needs that.

The episodes are quite interesting, nothing with a big twist or a super big name yet, but am looking forward to seeing what episode 6 and beyond have in store. 

Reblogging!

If you see this on your dashboard, reblog this, NO MATTER WHAT and all your dreams and wishes will come true.

Prompt List

Here is the promtlist for our December-Writing-Challenge: Comforcember.

1. Snowy Silence 2. Warm Blankets 3. Lost and Found 4. Candlelight Glow 5. Shared Secrets 6. First Snowfall 7. Holding Hands 8. Crackling Fire 9. Unexpected Kindness 10. The Taste of Cocoa 11. Homecoming 12. Midnight Confessions 13. Lingering Touch 14. Under the Stars 15. Letters Unsent 16. Soft Laughter 17. Frozen Fingers, Warm Hearts 18. Safe Haven 19. Silent Apologies 20. Wrapped in Love 21. Footprints in the Snow 22. Healing Wounds 23. A Quiet Moment 24. Found Family 25. Winter Morning 26. Carols and Comfort 27. Guiding Light 28. Gentle Reassurance 29. A Familiar Scent 30. Hope Rekindled 31. New Beginnings

Happy writing! ❄

🎄 10 Days until Comforcember begins! 🎄

It’s almost time to start our journey of comfort and creativity! Here’s how you can prepare:

1️⃣ Check out the prompt list here and start brainstorming.

2️⃣ Set up your posting plan – daily, weekly, or whenever inspiration strikes!

3️⃣ Spread the word! Share this post and tag your friends.

Starting December 1st, let’s create stories that bring warmth and light to the season. Don’t forget to tag your posts with #Comforcember!

This is one of the prompts from @monthlywritingchallenges list for winter, « Frozen fingers, warm hearts » for Law and Order SVU, in the pre-show years, hopefully showcasing Elliot Stabler’s parenting skills and how he is navigating his eldest child, Maureen, who has just entered her teenage years.

« Maureen, honey, you’re going to freeze! It’s barely 20 degrees out there », Elliot admonished his eldest child, who had recently entered adolescence and was making it known to everyone.

She humphed dramatically, already grumpy at having to accompany her family to her sister’s soccer game. 

« Can’t I just stay home, Daddy? I can make myself a sandwich for lunch and all I’m going to do is read, I promise », Maureen implored, adjusting her denim jacket with embroidered flowers and leaves and badges that proclaimed her to be a bookworm, that reading is her cardio, and that she read banned books. She did so  in order to display her new sweater, which was a lightweight knit in a pretty shade of periwinkle, purchased with her first ever earnings from her babysitting the next door neighbour’s children. 

« Sure, you can stay home, sweetheart » Elliot replied, making her eyes light up at first, before her father added, with a teasing grin on his face, « Just as soon as it stops being illegal ». 

« And wear a scarf, Maureen, please », Kathy added, as she came downstairs with Dickie and Lizzie. 

Maureen complied, muttering under her breath something that sounded suspiciously like « Moooom, I’m thirteen, not three! », selecting a thin, silky scarf that bore a floral print that picked out the same colours as the ones on her jacket, as the twins put on their fleece-lined coats and warm jackets. 

Kathleen arrived from upstairs, wearing her soccer uniform, and began admonishing her family that she really couldn’t afford to be late for her first proper match as she might not be allowed to play otherwise. 

Kathy picked up a bag full of blankets, toys, books and thermoses of hot chocolate and coffee from the hall, in order to keep her youngest two entertained and everyone warm as they watched the match. 

Maureen grabbed her own, much smaller but bulging tote bag that had a picture of Van Gogh’s irises on it. It contained her copy of the novel  that was assigned reading for school, a book for pleasure and some writing materials. 

Everyone was finally ready and piled into Kathy’s car to go to the soccer pitch.

Once they had arrived, Kathleen had run off to join her teammates and the rest of the Stablers headed for the bleachers. On the way up, they bumped into Dickie’s classmates, Ben and Jack, and their parents who also had a child on the team. Dickie dug through his mother’s bag for his police cars and Kathy started chatting to Anne and Susan, Ben and Jack’s mothers. 

« Mom, it’s so noisy down here! Can’t we go further up, please? » Maureen implored. « Yeah, this is not peace and quiet, I really don’t like it! », Lizzie added. 

Elliot and Kathy exchanged a look, he picked up the bag of supplies, handed his wife the flask of hot chocolate, then grabbed Lizeie’s hand as the made their way up the bleachers, with Maureen following behind. 

Satisfied that she’d found a good spot, Lizzie sat down and her father joined her. She then crawled up into his lap and he pressed his lips to her red-gold hair as she snuggled into him.  Maureen positioned herself a little further away, tucking her fingers under her armpits as she visibly shivered. 

Elliot got out a book and began reading to his youngest child, asking her questions and explaining words she didn’t know, punctuated with her kissing his cheek or asking him questions.

Maureen regained enough feeling in her numb digits to get out one of her books and do some reading. She pulled her thin jacket around her, attempting to keep out the chill that was most definitely present in the air. She almost dropped the book as her still frozen fingers shook from the cold. She sneaked a glance at her father and her youngest sibling, who seemed not only so  happy cuddled up together but also warm. But Lizzie was little and cute, and she was a grumpy teen and her father had told her several times in the last week that she wasn’t yo come running to him to complain or expecting sympathy when she decided not to heed his advice or warnings. So she was going to have to tough it out. 

She began reading, having to take breaks to put her hands in her pockets ( that should have contained her gloves, which she had also neglected to bring with her)  or unattractively shoving them under her armpits. At least there weren’t any cute high school boys around to see her, which was a relief. 

The cold also made it hard to concentrate on the words on the page, as well as causing her to drop her novel repeatedly. 

She glanced over at the other two members of her family again. Lizzie was playing with her Calico Critters, and seemed to be telling their dad all about them and the adventures they were having. Her father was holding the coffee flask and was sipping from it. Maureen hated the smell and the taste of coffee, especially black coffee, which was how her dad usually drank it. She’d begged to taste some a few months ago, claiming that now she was 13, she was grown-up enough to drink it. She’d had to doctor it with so much cream and sugar to make it palatable that she may as well just have hot cocoa instead. Still, coffee would warm her up. But that would mean she’d have to go and admit to her dad that he was right and she was wrong, and she just couldn’t let herself do that. Her mom and teachers said she was tenacious and determined, but her dad and paternal grandparents called it the Stabler stubbornness gene. Only Lizzie seemed to not have inherited it.

She looked over at her father and Lizzie, who was still chattering away animatedly, and her dad was listening intently to her. 

« Poor Mo, she looks so cold. And sad, Daddy » Lizzie declared

« She sure does, honey. Let’s give her a minute and see if she comes over on her own, OK? », Elliot replied, knowing full well that the chances of his eldest doing so were close to zero. 

He began rooting in the big tote bag by his feet, until he found what he needed. Brandishing the blanket, he shook it out and made his way over to his visibly frozen teenager. He silently and gently draped the thick blanket over her shoulders. She immediately wrapped it around herself tightly , getting it to cover her head too, for extra protection from the chilly temperatures. 

Elliot made his way back to his other daughter, biding his time until she came to sit with them. 

He did not have to wait long, as Maureen gathered her belongings together, picking up her book from where it had fallen on the ground for the millionth time. 

She came to sit next to him soon after, leaning into his side, immediately comforted by the familiar scent of his aftershave and his warmth. 

Elliot placed his arm around her, pulling her closer. Her head came to rest on his shoulder, and he tugged back the blanket slightly to be able to deposit a kiss to the top of her forehead, close to her hairline. 

Wordlessly, he handed her the flask, the heat emanating from it warming her hands. She braced herself before taking a sip of the strong, black beverage. Her face screwed up as the liquid passed her lips, but the warmth it spread through her body was most welcome. 

« Thank you, Daddy » she said quietly, feeling not only safe, but a lot less chilly than she had been.

Hope this works for me!

Just a little ( well, quite big, really!) piece I wrote as I wanted more to this episode.

Missing Scenes from Sophomore Jinx

Just after Maureen sneaks down to help with dinner prep

« Lizzie, honey, can you go get Maureen for dinner, please? » Elliot asked his youngest child, as Kathy began dishing up the steak and fries they were having.

« I can do it, Dad! », Kathleen volunteered, as Lizzie scampered upstairs.

« Sweetheart, if I wanted to call Maureen down by standing at the bottom of the stairs, I’d do it myself. » Elliot replied, musing that Lizzie was the only member of the family that Maureen was currently speaking to and therefore the one with the highest chance of getting her to come down for dinner.

« Come on, Maureen, it’s steak and fries! If you don’t hurry Daddy will steal your fries! » Lizzie pleaded, knowing full well that Maureen always complained when their dad did that.

« OK, fine, I’m coming » Maureen grumbled.

« How about you sit next to Daddy for meals now? » Maureen suggested as they made their way downstairs to the kitchen, knowing that her place at the table was sought after, nay, coveted, by all her siblings, and when she agreed to swap with them, it was a big deal. 

« Yeah, Mo! Thank you! But does that mean you don’t love Daddy anymore? «  Lizzie questioned, eyes wide with surprise at her good fortune, but her tone was worried, as the tension between her big sister and their father was palpable.

«  He’s just being a total douch… uh, dope! » she corrected herself, not wanting to get in even more trouble for using «  bad language » in front of her younger siblings. And was it really bad language is it was the truth, she mused.

When she and Lizzie reached the table, Maureen grabbed her plate and  her sister’s, swapping them around before either of her parents could scold her. She banged her plate down loudly and proceeded to keep her eyes on it as much as possible throughout the meal. 

« Lizzie, please ask the man sitting next to you for the salt » she asked, stabbing her fork into her steak as if she were trying to kill the cow it came from. 

« Maureen… » Elliot began, before falling back into silence as Kathy reached over and put her hand on his arm, shooting him a look.

« Here, honey » he continued, handing the salt cellar to the daughter sitting next to him.

« Thank you, Daddy », she replied, before handing it to her eldest sibling.

Dickie and Kathleen glanced at each other, both equally  as uncomfortable with the unusual quietness that had descended upon mealtimes a few days ago.

As soon as Maureen had finished her bowl of chocolate mousse, she got up from the table with her glass, bowl and spoon, pulled open the dishwasher violently, slammed everything in so it clattered loudly against all the other utensils and plates that were in there. She then pushed the door shut with a crash, and stomped all the way upstairs.

There were a few seconds of respite, before her bedroom door banged shut loudly. 

Elliot sighed and met his wife’s gaze again. He knew he’d come down too hard on his daughter, but backing down now would just give her free rein to do whatever she wanted and get into who-knows-what kind of trouble. If only he’d taken 5 minutes to talk to her when he’d caught her sneaking out… 

Later that evening

« I’ll take the other three to school tomorrow, El. Maybe if you’re in an enclosed space together you’ll be able to talk to Maureen » Kathy said, rubbing cream into her hands.

« OK, I’ll try anything at this point, baby. Am I really so much of an ogre that she can’t talk to me? » Elliot sighed, slumping down on their bed.

« Elliot, honey, you’re a cop and she’s a teenager who is growing up and pushing you off the pedestal she’s had you on. You’re not an ogre, but she’s extremely stubborn… Can’t think who she gets that from » Kathy responded, trying to reassure her worried husband.

« Hmm, yeah, me neither, only 3 out of 4 of our kids are… » Elliot mused.

The next morning.

« Maureen! Breakfast! Now! » Kathleen yelled from the bottom of the stairs.

About 30 seconds later, Maureen stomped down the stairs, flung her school bag into the hallway next to the coat and shoe closet and entered the kitchen.

She grabbed her glass from the table, made her way to the fridge to pour herself a glass of juice, which she downed, before putting her glass in the sink. She also took out a yoghurt, which she placed on the table before sitting in what used to be Lizzie’s seat. She grabbed a banana and glowered at the other 5 people who were also eating their breakfast.

« OK, Kathleen, Dickie and Lizzie, we’re going in 10 minutes. That means teeth and hair brushed, coats and shoes on and bags and lunches properly packed, ready to go, alright? » Kathy declared.

A chorus of agreement from the children she had addressed echoed around the table.

« Wait a minute, Mom! What about me? » Maureen exclaimed, mouth and eyes opening widely.

« I have an errand to run after dropping your siblings off at school, so your dad’s taking you » Kathy explained.

Maureen’s eyes narrowed, her free hand formed a fist and she banged it on the table.

« Mom! No! You can take me too, or I can get the subway. I’d rather walk! » she said, frowning deeply and a look that could kill in her eyes.

« Maureen, the high school is in completely the opposite direction to school and the bank, but it’s on the way to the precinct. Your dad’s taking you and that’s the end of this discussion » Kathy replied, trying her best to keep her tone calm and even.

« Fine! » Maureen humphed, shooting daggers with her glare at her mother.Several minutes later, Maureen tidied up after herself, then made her way upstairs to clean her teeth and check her hair and makeup.

When she came back down, she called out « I’m ready! », grabbed the car keys off the hook in the hallway that was marked with a D, picked up her bag and went to sit in the passenger seat of her dad’s car. She would normally have tossed the keys to her dad, and they would have made their way outside together. 

Once she’d got her seatbelt on, her father emerged from the house, holding his briefcase, sunglasses on his nose and house keys in his other hand.

He deftly locked the front door and got into the driver’s seat. As he put on his seatbelt, he glanced at his daughter.

She swiftly turned her head, finding the view out of her window suddenly fascinating.

This would normally be a special father-daughter moment, with Maureen choosing the music and them either both singing along (well, more Maureen teaching him the lyrics, occasionally letting out a « Daddy! Those aren’t the right words! » if it was a song currently in the charts. Or they would just chat, usually teasing each other affectionately. 

The radio remained untouched, and the silence between them was deafening. 

The journey to Maureen’s school seemed to take an eternity, though all the lights were green, which put paid to his plan to try to initiate conversation when the car was not in motion.

When they pulled up to school and she got out of the car without even saying goodbye or even looking at him, Elliot decided he had to take action.

« Maureen! Wait a minute! » he called out.

She stopped in her tracks and looked at him, annoyance written across her face and the look in her eyes as cold and hard as ice.

At the precinct

« Yeah, we’re OK now, baby. I think we covered all the bases of a reconciliation as she said sorry, I told her I loved her, we hugged and had a proper goodbye, so I call that a success. Kathleen has swimming tonight, right? And Dickie’s been really keen to go to that indoor play area with the climbing wall and ball pit. I know I said I’d take him at the weekend, but could you take him and Lizzie there? I’ve missed hanging out with Maureen, I think we could do with a bit of uninterrupted bonding time… We can pick up dinner if we head out somewhere, if that helps? » Elliot said, well aware that this was a big but necessary ask.

« Yeah, sure, El. Lizzie’s got a playdate, so that’s perfect. Maybe Dickie will actually burn off some of his energy and we’ll have a quiet dinner, hmm? » his wife replied.

« Well, miracles can happen! See you at 6 at home, then? And thanks, baby! » Elliot answered, looking forward to having some quality time with his eldest child.

 They exchanged I love yous and hung up.

Outside Maureen’s high school 

The final bell of the day rang out, and, seconds later, a tsunami of chattering students spilled out of the building, flooding the steps and the area in front of the entrance. Elliot stood a little taller next to his car, seeking out his daughter’s golden hair and bright, tinkling laugh. She emerged, arm-in-arm with her two best friends, Hannah and Sophie. They were giggling about something. Hannah looked over in his direction, nudged his daughter, pointed to where he was standing and asked her something. Her face clouded with worry, wiping the smile from her face and dulling the joyous sparkle in her eyes. She exchanged a few words and quick hugs with her friends before dashing over to him.

« Daddy! Hi! Is everyone OK? » she gasped, slightly winded from her sprint.

« Yeah, everyone and everything are fine, honey. I didn’t mean to scare you, sorry. » Elliot explained, gently placing his hands on her shoulders. She squeezed him around his middle and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

He smoothed her hair and cupped her face with his hands, just like he had that morning.

« Everyone else is out until dinner time, so how about we do something together? We could even go to the mall if you want! » he told his daughter.

« But Daddy, you hate the mall! You call it a bottomless money pit! And anyway, it’s a school night and I have a ton of homework, so can we just go home, please? » Maureen replied, flashing her father a happy smile.

« As you wish », Elliot declared, opening the passenger side door for his daughter.

She grinned at the quote from one of her favourite movies and got into the vehicle.

Elliot got into the driver’s side and they headed home.

At the Stabler residence.

« Thanks Dad! » Maureen said, as Elliot handed her a plate of apple slices spread with peanut butter and a handful of crackers. She placed the dish next to her glass of chocolate milk and returned her attention to her Latin homework.

Her father finished preparing his coffee and came to sit at the table opposite his daughter and her gigantic pile of books, papers and pens. She certainly hadn’t lied when she’d told him she had a lot of homework, but then again, she was the one who had pushed to be able to take as many AP classes as she could. 

« Ugh! Why did I choose to take Latin as well as French and Spanish? All the languages are getting mixed up in my brain! » she muttered, mostly to herself. 

« Want some help, honey? » Elliot asked, frowning slightly at his daughter who put so much unnecessary pressure on herself to do everything perfectly and for whom a B+ was a disappointing grade. That was all Kathy, she had definitely been the better student between the two of them. If only she could transfer some of it to Kathleen, who was content to do the bare minimum and just scrape a C.

Maureen nodded and handed him her Latin flashcards.

« OK, the verb to love in the present tense. You’ve got this, sweetheart » he said, gently encouraging his daughter. 

Maureen took a deep breath, then looked at him blankly.

She shook her head in despair. 

« Want a clue? » Elliot offered.

« Yeah, thanks » Maureen replied.

« Who are you? » he asked.

« If I am an El, you are a… »

« Amo, right? » Maureen giggled in spite of herself.

She thought for a second, recalling the verb that she had committed to memory perfectly days before.

« Then it’s amas, amat… » she continued, making the shape of a church with her fingers for the first one and pointing at the rug in the hallway for the second.

She finished conjugating the verb perfectly then moved on to her Spanish vocabulary.

She teasingly corrected Elliot’s terrible accent, which was completely justified, in his opinion.

Once she had finished, she read through her English essay. It was only a second  rough draft, and it wasn’t due for another couple of weeks, but she wanted to get it underway.

Once she was satisfied with her work, she neatly put all her things away in her bag, which she placed in the hallway.

Then she turned her attention to the kitchen counter and her father, who had started preparing dinner. Elliot silently handed her a red bell pepper with a smile, and she busied herself finding a chopping board and a knife before joining him in the cutting up of vegetables for the pasta sauce they were going to be eating.

They chatted aimiably, Maureen giving him some of the gossip from school, how the football team were doing, explaining why she never wanted to be a cheerleader, that she wanted to do more actual writing for the newspaper, as how was she ever going to be a journalist if she never got any writing experience? 

Suddenly, the doorbell rang. 

« Keep an eye on the pasta, please, Mo? » Elliot asked, as he made his way to the front door. 

If he were a betting man, he would put money on it being his second eldest daughter, who was seemingly trying to not only beat the Olympic record for her butterfly, but also for the number of times house keys were forgotten.

He checked the peep-hole, his suspicions confirmed and opened the door to Kathleen. Mrs Simmons, her friend Ashley’s mom, honked her horn and waved at him from her car, before driving off.

« Kathleen! You know the point of having house keys is that you take them with you, right? » he remonstrated.

She dumped her backpack and her sports bag in the middle of the hall and sighed dramatically.

« Sorry, Daddy, I’ll remember them tomorrow, I promise! » she replied, turning as if to go upstairs.

« Uh-huh, that’s what you told me twice last week and yesterday, honey? One of these days, you’re gonna come home and no-one will be in. What are you gonna do if you don’t have your keys, huh? » he reproached her. 

«  Go to the neighbours’, stay with Ashley and her mom til someone comes home, go see if Mom’s taken Dickie and Lizzie to the park… Or yeah, I could just remember my keys! » she declared, taking note on the disapproving look on her father’s face.

He ceremoniously handed her the keys hanging on the hook marked with a K, jangling the big metal K, the Jets logo and a chunk of moonstone on a chain that were attached to the keychain.

As she rose after crouching down to put the offending item in her school bag, 

Elliot cupped her face gently.

« Let’s try this again, OK? » , he announced.

« Hi, honey », he continued, before kissing her forehead.

« Hi Daddy », she replied, before launching into a recap of her swimming training where the coach had praised her improved technique in butterfly, which she had practised on Saturday morning when they had gone to the pool for their one-on-one Daddy-daughter quality time. 

Elliot grinned at her, gave her a thumbs up and a high-five, before sending her upstairs to shower ( and hopefully put her swimming stuff away, but that was almost certainly wishful thinking on his part).

He returned to the kitchen and resumed his culinary tasks.

Maureen had set the table, and everything was on the stove, where it could be kept warm until everyone was back and ready to eat.

Kathleen arrived from upstairs, hair damp and wearing her checked blue pyjamas. 

She curled up on the couch, and as she picked up the remote, Elliot asked her if her homework was done. She replied in the negative, whining that  all she had to do was reading for tomorrow.

« Well then, Kathleen, I think you can guess what your options are? »  he replied.

He could practically hear his daughter’s eye-roll from across the room. 

«  Ugh, yeah, do the reading or help with dinner. Fine, I’ll do the reading! » she declared, making a big show of getting up and retrieving the novel from her backpack. She theatrically collapsed into the couch and began her assignment. 

The sound of the front door opening was followed by a rush of fast footsteps and an exuberant shout  of « Daddy! » that could only come from his little boy.

He turned the handle of the pan that was full of bubbling pasta sauce just in time to avoid it going all over his son, who he picked up to hug.

Of course Dickie hadn’t taken his coat or shoes off before greeting him. 

His little boy was chattering about how he had « the best day ever, Daddy! » because he’d climbed right up to the top of the climbing wall, had jumped higher than a kangaroo into the ball pit and had run so so fast in the race he’d taken part in at recess. Elliot carried him back to the hallway so he could take off his outerwear and put it away correctly, like his youngest and his wife were doing. Dickie had been peppering his mostly one-sided conversation with kisses to his father’s cheeks. Elliot returned the gesture, before placing him on the floor with precise instructions on what the next steps were. 

Lizzie hugged his legs and he bent to kiss her hair with a « Hi, pumpkin. Good day at the office? » which made her giggle. She nodded and made her way to the living area to do some reading, colouring or quiet playing until dinner time. Dickie followed behind, pretending to be a dinosaur.

He  finally greeted his wife with a kiss.

« Lizzie and her friend, Charlotte,  ended up coming to the soft play too » she explained.

« I’ll let you guess which one of our children did their homework quietly then sat and drew pictures or played in the pretend kitchen area and which one decided they will be retiring at the end of first grade and wanted to show everyone their pterodactyl impression » she continued, as she and her husband made their way into the family room.

Kathleen and Maureen were bickering, Dickie was running around, squawking loudly and Lizzie was carefully placing her rabbit family of Calico Critters in their tastefully decorated home. 

It was noisy, chaotic but full of love and laughter, and Elliot just loved it. He was looking forward to have Maureen back in her usual seat at the table and to hear her talking to everyone again. 

Maureen and her dad

Don't you understand? You're innocent, but the world, it's what I see day in, day out. You want to sneak out in the middle of the night, have a little fun with your friends. I end up picking up your body parts in the middle of Jersey.

SVU 1x06 Sophomore Jinx

OK, here is my take on this prompt! In my version of events, Penelope and Hotch go as friends ( who both want more than friendship) to Will and JJ’s wedding, they start dating soon after, are engaged by Season 9 ( a bit after Route 66), get married and discover Penelope is expecting triplets soon after their honeymoon. So they move to a bigger place, get a massive car and are starting to settle in before their 3 kids are born. This was so much fun to write, and I’ve included some lore from the show that I thought made a clever « get me out of here » code… Any ideas for a title gratefully appreciated, as I struggle with those a lot!

« Sorry, Penny, I’m stuck in traffic. There’s been a massive pile-up so I’m going to have to find another way back from the university. Tell Jack I’ll be there as soon as I can. I love all 5 of you » Aaron said to his wife.

« OK, Aaron, drive carefully. Jack, the pickles and I need you back in one piece », Penelope replied, the phone tucked between her head and her shoulder, one hand cradling her ever-growing baby bump.

Being pregnant with triplets was no walk in the park, especially as an unexpected and not exactly planned first pregnancy.

At least she had a really cute outfit for the neighbourhood barbecue in their new residence. Her green dress with the white spots flowed and clung to all the right places, and she’d found cat eye glasses and a pair of ballet flats ( alas, high heels were not going to be an option for the foreseeable future, but having three babies made up for it) in a perfect matching shade of green. A white flowery heabdand and cardigan, plus a pair of diamond and pearl earrings ( a « just because » present from her lovely, handsome husband) completed the look.

Calling out to Jack as she reached the kitchen, she somehow managed to grab hold of the mac and cheese dish that was the Garcia-Hotchner contribution to the social event. Holding the dish proved a little complicated, as her nails had just been done and were longer than she usually opted for. They were painted a pearlescent white with green spots and she loved them.

Jack arrived, wearing his shoes and jacket.

« Where’s Dad? He said he’d be here! It’s not like he’s with the FBI anymore, he’s a professor, so what’s his excuse? » Jack grumbled, clearly upset at missing out on Dad time.

Penelope quickly explained the situation, whoch seemed to mollify the pre-teen.

He grabbed a bottle of soda from the fridge, as well as the house keys, and the two left the house. 

Once they arrived at Sarah Jones’ residence, they made their way to the garden, where there was a group of dads milling around the grill, drinking beers and chatting as the women brought out trays of sausages, burgers, kebabs and assorted cuts of chicken for them to cook. 

Penelope dropped off the mac and cheese on the nearby  table, which was heaving with all sorts of salads, rolls, chips, dips and crudites. Jack placed the bottle of Coca-Cola he’d been carrying in the gigantic cooler that was under the table, before running off to play basketball with Sarah’s twin boys, Matt and Luke. 

Penelope looked around, taking in the women around her, who were clustered in little groups of 4 or 5.

Her eyes met Celia’s, who was mother to Charlotte, a girl in Jack’s fifth grade class.

Penelope sighed inwardly as Celia waved at her, gesticulating for her to come and join her coven. 

« Hi Penelope, glad you could make it. I think you’ve met Caro, Jen and Liz, right? », Celia asked, sipping some sort of fancy, fruity  alcoholic beverage whilst simultaneously smoothing her already perfectly coiffed dark bob. 

« Yes, how lovely to see you all again », Penelope lied, as she had no interest in joining their mindless chitchat about shopping, having lunch out, shopping, gossiping about other moms and their perceived failings, or whose husband they were sleeping with and shopping. She was sure she had been or still was their preferred topic of discussion, as none of them seemed to believe that she was actually married to her tall drink of water of a husband.

She participated in the conversation about the PTA, the upcoming school trip, how the lunch menu needs to be improved. She twisted her wedding and engagement rings, the diamonds, opals and pearls glinting as they caught the light. 

Where on earth was Hotch? 

Her thoughts were interrupted by an exuberant « Hi Dad! » from the other side of the yard. She watched Jack run to his father, who hugged him and smiled broadly at his son. 

He ruffled Jack’s hair as she called out to him. 

« Hi honey, over here! »

« Sorry for the delay, sweetheart, the alternate route home took forever! » he replied, before sliding his arms around her, dipping her and giving her a kiss worthy of a Hollywood movie. 

« Hello ladies, thank you for keeping my wife company. Now, Penelope, let’s see if we can get you a non alcoholic version of whatever your friends are drinking » Hotch declared, his hand on Penelope’s back, before guiding her away.

The two of them ended up sitting on a bench, virgin mojito and beer in hand, watching Jack play with his friends. Aaron’s free hand was either holding his wife’s or was gently resting on her prominent belly, which he kissed tenderly.

The abandoned clique of mothers, plus anyone else in the vicinity could not help but admire the blissfully happy couple, who seemed to be in their own little bubble of not so newlywed joy. 

I'm once again thinking about Gotch moving to a new neighborhood and there's a neighbors party and Penelope arrives before Aaron can get out of work so she's out there making instant-friends with everyone she meets and it's loud and funny and her hair is pink this month and she's wearing a new white and green polka dot dress with nails that look like you can't do anything with your hands wearing those but she manages and when Aaron gets there he just sees her surrounded by everyone and the people he's met in passing over the couple of weeks since they've moved there look at him and then her and go "Oh? Oh! Oh wow." because they are so different no one expects they'd be together, but they really are, and Aaron calms Penelope without silencing her and Penelope brightens the light in his eyes without pushing him too far out of his comfort zone and by the time he's got an arm around her waist and hers is looped around his neck playing with the hair at his nape, they look like they belong with each other so completely that the neighbors just, hearteyes at them.

Kathleen is definitely not Daddy’s girl from Seasons 6-10, as she gets into lots of trouble and arguments with her dad, because of her undiagnosed bi-polar.

I think we see enough of Elliot as a pretty good dad in the early Seasons. In Season 1, we see him take Dickie to the park and make him fly across the monkey bars ( the episode with the falsely-accused paedophile) he reads Twas The Night before Christmas to the twins in Nocturne (and they climb all over him, giving him hugs and kisses), in Wanderlust, he does Lizzie’s hair ( so probably did Kathleen’s and Maureen’s too), then he kisses them all goodbye and tells them he loves them when he is called into work, he plays soccer with Kathleen, he apologises to Maureen when he comes down too hard on her in Sophomore Jinx and Chat Room… He and Maureen butt heads a little in later Seasons, but they have quite a sweet, teasing relationship based on what we see in the Season 2 premiere. His relationship with Dickie is very warm and affectionate until Turmoil in Season 11. Dickie plays a game with him in S5 Home, accuses his dad of cheating and he playfully growls at him, chases him and catches him which shows how playful their relationship is, Dickie spends a few days with him in S6 Game, and in S 10, Lunacy, their closeness is very nicely portrayed too. In S 6, Contagious, they all come to the precinct to celebrate their dad’s birthday, he gives them all hugs and kisses. There’s an episode in S6 where Dickie has appendicitis and Elliot stays with him the whole time ( he knows his son ate lots of ice cream and watched Jackass on repeat, so must have been there to witness it) which also shows his dedication and love for his son. I wish we’d seen and heard more of Lizzie, there was certainly potential there. Maybe an episode with her theatre teacher being accused of having a relationship with another student, her dad investigates and thinks the guy is guilty, but Lizzie thinks he is innocent, so they disagree over that. Or she fake dates a gay guy on the cast as his parents are homophobic and he can’t come out to them but has to her, Elliot can tell there is something not quite right about the relationship and fears the guy is pressuring her/abusing her in some way…

I like how Elliot has very different relationships with all his children, but I always felt the show did a good job showing that he loved them and they loved him.

Did Elliot work when he was in Italy with Kathy and Eli? He expresses that he’d love to be a stay at home dad in at least one episode, so I thought Kathy would work in Rome and he would do the childcare/house chores/school pick-up/take Eli to playdates, the park and his activities… We know he did the day shift with Maureen when she was a baby/toddler , and studied/worked at night, while Kathy had a day job and then did the night shift. So Elliot did grocery runs, park trips, playgroups, stories, meals etc with Maureen, so had lots of time with her, which probably made them extremely close. I definitely had her down as a Daddy’s girl when she was younger, as in S1, she’s pushing him away/off his pedestal a bit. There are entire Seasons with no mentions or appearances from the kids ( notably 4 and 7), which I always thought was a shame. Maybe the kids thought it would have be3n better/easier if their dad died, but I can’t imagine any of them actually saying that to his face. I think they are more worried about losing him after Kathy dies, to be honest, especially Eli.

it’s almost a pity that the shows favour kathleen (daddy’s girl) and eli (got the good childhood) when it comes to elliot’s kids cause in any other universe oc s1 would have had a scene where one of the other three tell elliot point blank that they wish he’d died in place of kathy. and they’d be right.

This is heart-breaking. The film « I, Daniel Blake » addresses some of these issues in a really poignant way.

i think about this no kidding once a month at least since i first read it in passing and for the life of me i cant stop my bones going cold by the time i reach the end of the paragraph i stay with that full stop for hours

This is such a great movie! I love how the story is told/framed, I was totally invested in it and have a new heroine!

ANDY SAMBERG as David E. Scherman LEE (2023) dir. Ellen Kuras

This moment on the show encapsulated their whole relationship perfectly. Almost no words necessary to communicate all his gratitude and thanks. And yes, it’s the first time in a decade of partnership that they’ve hugged. Such a powerful moment in the show that gets me teared up every single time.

Reblog if it's okay to start talking to you.

anyone else think Stana Katic and Mariska Hargitay could play sisters? Maybe it’s just their colouring and the fact they both have Eastern European roots, but I think they look alike and would be awesome as a sister duo. Bonus points if they are both in law enforcement!

Stana Katic as Zoe Strachan MURDER IN A SMALL TOWN — 1.03 | A Chill Rain

I love this show, and their relationship is so great.

31 DAYS OF HORROR TV ➛ Day 19: Medium

That first hug between them, at the hospital when Eli is born is just perfect. They exchange this silent look that says everything that needs to be said, and then their hug, the first in a decade of partnership, expresses their whole relationship without either of them saying a word! I still wish Eli had had Oliver somewhere in his name though, as a tribute to Olivia saving his and Kathy’s lives.

bensler + hugs

This is one of my favourite episodes. It never fails to make me cry every time I watch it, but at different moments or for different reasons.

Elliot being all brash and writing off the crazy perp/suspect at first, but then shutting up and listening to Olivia telling him it’s Kathleen.

He immediately goes from judgemental cop mode to concerned dad mode, and he is right, Kathleen’s girlfriends have abandoned her.

Going to see his mother is such a poignant moment.

I love that their different accounts of the same event show their different personalities/the choices they’ve made in life.

She’s talking about making sandcastles on the beach, how it was blissful and idyllic, he remembers being scared out of his mind and thinking his mother wanted him dead.

She remembers wanting to go on an adventure to Paris to become a painter, while he remembers a chaotic trip that probably involved being woken up in the early hours of the morning and his mother being loud and embarrassing.

Elliot has definitely chosen to parent very differently from the way he was raised, which in some ways is great, as he tells his kids he is proud of them, that he loves them, gives them hugs and reassurance when they are afraid or upset as well as giving them rules and structure. He tries very hard to be patient and gentle with them, to not be physically or verbally abusive, but can be too over-protective sometimes and not trust his kids to make their own choices and mistakes, then face the consequences of their actions.

His parents were emotionally and physically absent ( dad working double shifts and mum who would take to her bed for days/weeks at a time), so while Elliot does work long hours, we see him actively trying to make time for his wife and kids, doing tasks that his father would have considered Bernie’s responsibility like preparing dinner. He also tries to go out for dinner/to a picnic with his family , playing at the park, driving the kids  to school, reading them stories, doing their hair…

Something he always does is apologise to his kids if he’s been too controlling/come down too hard on them/made a bad parenting decision, which I can’t imagine his parents ever did. 

Olivia going to see Bernie is just an incredible moment, we can see how much she loved and still loves her son, and her experience with mental health facilities in the late 60’s/early 70’s is just heart-breaking. 

The scene really shows Olivia’s deep ability to empathise and not judge, it really made me love her more than I already did. It also showcases just how much she cares about Elliot and his family.

Bernie’s exchange with Kathleen and when she tells her the story of driving in the ice and snow which causes her to crash the car and break Elliot’s arm ( he would have be3n about 3 at the time) is just a perfect way to explain that her actions are hurting the people she loves. 

Kathleen thinking her dad hates her breaks my heart.

This episode makes me wonder when Joe Sr died, as Kathleen is able to remember stealing his hat and cigars for a snowman she made with Bernie, but no actual dates are given.

The accounts of Elliot’s childhood also very much make him sound like he was an only child, but I know in earlier episodes he references siblings as he says his parents didn’t praise or say I love you to us growing up, it was just the typical Irish way of doing things at the time. 

In later episodes ( the more recent ones, in L and O OC), we find out that he has 3 brothers and two sisters. From what I have heard, he is the second oldest, which just seems weird to me. 

If he were the eldest, I think he would have stayed in touch with his mum to make sure his younger siblings were safe, so I like to think he is the youngest, by 10-15 years. Bernie and Joe Sr had the first 5 kids within the first 5-10 years of marriage, then they had a big gap, and as Joe Sr got progressively more violent/abusive and started cheating more and more, Bernie thought maybe a new baby might help him be faithful/get his act together. Hence no mention of siblings being around during Bernie’s episodes or Joe Sr beating Elliot ( Ripped, Season 7).

All in all, this is such a powerful episode about mental health, families, parenting and how the choices you make can affect those you love. 

Bernie to elliot: But it wasn't your life. It isn't your life. You living your living your father's life all over again. If you can only find a way to be your own man.

I love how the two of them are so different. He's weighted down by responsibility and how much that shaped his life. How stability is something he didn't have as a kid. And how much he craves it and how much he fights for it for his kids.

Bernie is so uncombered by responsibility she is a free spirit and lives her life by her own rules. But it cost her a great deal to chase her own heart. So Elliot went the other way. He chose responsibility and stability over what he wanted in his heart.

Bernie just wants him to go out there and be himself. And now finally he's had time to get to know who he is away from the job. In Rome. He's gotten more comfortable with his emotions. He expresses them much easier now.

So what's going to go down with him and his mom in the new episodes? Did she know about Kathy's murder? I can't think she didn't know by why was she not there?

This was such a vital relationship to elliot. His mother. Who shaped the man who he became. I wanted so much for them to delve me into this relationship and so hopefully they will in oc.

I just think that the two is them are opposite sides of a coin. Both need to learn from the other to be a better person. Elliot needs to live more for himself and Bernie needs to own up to her responsibilities, obligations and her family.

I love this episode!

I think the crime investigation is interesting, and it has lots of potential suspects who are intriguing.

I love Benson’s line « It’s Detective, not Miss » as it reminds me of Spencer Reid in Criminal Minds who is being questioned about something and gets annoyed, gets reprimanded but replies wit( « This is calm and it’s Doctor! ». Such similar energy!

I also adore Benson’s reply to the University priest, when talking about stalking as a crime, he says « it’s in the eye of the beholder » and Olivia says it’s not, it’s in the eye of the District Attorney. Just a brilliant comeback!

My favourite parts of this ep were Stabler and Maureen’s interactions.

She clearly has no idea why he’s asking her to breathe on him to see if she’s been drinking, showing that she’s still innocent.

I think this episode shows just how stubborn they can both be ( Kathleen, Dickie and Eli all seem to share this trait with him, which we see in later episodes: the Season 11 episode with Dickie’s friend Shane, countless episodes for Kathleen and probably for Eli too, where they refuse to talk to their dad because they are angry/upset with him) and how their relationship is shifting. I think the grounding lasts about a week, and at least one day ( after she sneaks down to help with dinner prep and won’t tell her dad where she was/what she was doing/who she was with) where she’s not speaking to him at all. 

In the previous episode, she doesn’t want him to kiss her on the lips when he’s been called in to work, and, in the second episode ( the one with the models and eating disorders), Kathy tells Elliot he should talk to her because she listens to him, and she won’t talk about her eating habits. So lots of little signs/hints that they aren’t as close as they once were. 

Later in the show, we find out that Elliot was at home during the day when Maureen was little  while Kathy studied/worked and he took night classes/work shifts. He mentions taking her grocery shopping, to the park etc, so would have had a lot of interaction with her, playing with her, helping her learn new skills, teaching her social rules etc… That’s got to have made them very close ( definitely a Daddy’s girl!) , and she’s obviously upset and annoyed that her dad always has to leave for work when family time is planned. 

Before their reconciliation chat, when they are in the car, I think both actors nailed the portrayal of how tense things are between them. She doesn’t say goodbye to him when she gets out of the car, let alone look at him, there’s no music playing and it’s just uncomfortably quiet.

It contrasted nicely with the Season 2 premiere, where they are in the car, Maureen fiddles with the radio ( so she gets to choose the music) and they have some teasing banter ( about tattoos and just wait until you have kids).

Their reconciliation scene echoes/parallels their opening scene. He calls out to her, just like he does at the beginning, and she really doesn’t want to have a conversation with her dad. He responds to her annoyed « What? » in a similar tone to her answers to his questions when he’s caught her sneaking back in, which I thought was a nice little callback, and a sweet/funny way to show her how annoying/frustrating it is to not get a straight answer. Plus he tells her that he hates being in a Cold War with her as much as she is visibly hating it, and reassures her that he loves her. 

I like that he can get through to her just how scared he is that she’s going to end up hurt or worse without going into graphic detail, and the second he can see she’s upset, he opens his arms to hug her.

Her apology is very sweet and heartfelt, and I adore that he says he’s sorry too. 

Their hug is short but full of affection, I love the little squeezes they give each other, it’s clear they’ve missed that aspect of their relationship, and Stabler is very physically demonstrative with his kids ( he’ll kiss them on the head, put his arm around them, lets the little ones snuggle up to him when he’s reading to them or  climb all over him when he’s on the phone, picking Dickie up to make him fly across the climbing frame, draping his suit jacket over Maureen’s shoulders at the picnic at the park in the next episode ). 

Milquetoast watches Sophomore Jinx

Sophomore Jinx S1xE6 Special Victims Unit: Episode Review

what this episode is about: Benson and Stabler suspect a pair of college basketball players of murdering a female student, but officials don’t want to draw negative attention to the school.

What I think this episode is about:

Father/Daughter Growing pains

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Oooooh! Maureen you are so busted!!! If only Elliot hadn’t been called in the middle of the night she might never have been caught.

I never realized how much SVU had originally focused on Elliot’s home life in the first season. Maureen specifically has had a significant role the past few episodes. Lots of teenage angst and how that effects Elliot.

Elliot: “Breathe on me.” - Maureen is so creeped out by that. And she seems so confused. Hint: he wants to know if you’ve been drinking. Elliot is so haunted by his work he is suspicious of everyone. What’s interesting here is that Maureen seems to be having a hard time with Elliot leaving all the time to go to work. In the middle of the night, in the middle of their dinner, in the middle of a PTA meeting.

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I love these scenes, I adore how Stabler is physically affectionate towards his children, especially when they are crying/upset. 

Knowing what we know about his upbringing/childhood, I think it’s apparent that he is actively trying to parent differently from the way he was raised.

His mother was erratic, unreliable and unpredictable ( in Season 10, Swing, he mentions her trying to take him to Paris in the middle of the night, as she had decided she wanted to become a painter, as well as how she tried to shoot him and his dad during a manic episode, as well as driving too fast in ice and snow, which crashed the car and broke Elliot’s arm) and his father was physically and verbally abusive ( Season 7, episode 4, Ripped).

Stabler also mentions in another episode that his parents, like most Irish parents at the time, didn’t say I love you to him or give him praise.

So I think it is very telling that Stabler often apologises to his children when he overreacts, handles a situation badly which causes them pain. 

Once Maureen has apologised in Sophomore Jinx in Season 1, he says he is sorry too, he also apologises to her later in Season 1 when he reads her e-mails in Chat Room, then he also says sorry to Dickie in Season 11, when his interactions with Shane’s mum mean that Dickie can’t attend his best friend’s funeral, and I am sure there are more instances. 

Stabler is also very quick to hug his children when they show signs of emotional distress, even when they are older. Kathleen, who is late teens or early 20’s in the Season 12 episode Gray, gets upset thinking her dad would be angry with her for leaving her friend for 10 minutes at a party, who she was supposed to be a sober buddy for, and he notices her voice crack, and pulls her in for a hug, reassuring her that she didn’t screw up. 

Maureen gets upset in Sophomore Jinx when he tells her he doesn't want to pick up her body parts in Jersey, she lets out a shocked « Daddy! » and he opens his arms to provide her with physical affection, and he repeatedly hugs Kathleen after her various mishaps too.

I appreciate how freely he says « I love you » to his children. In Season 1, when Wanderlust, it seems like it is a tradition for him to kiss his kids goodbye and exchange I love yous before he leaves for work, as Kathy talks about knowing the drill, which makes sense, seeing as he could be injured or die on the job. 

 I was listening to a podcast about the show, which had Allison Siko ( who plays Kathleen from Season 3 onwards) on as a guest star, and she said Chris Meloni is an excellent hugger and she always looks forward to their scenes where they do so.

She also told the listeners an anecdote about being at a writers’ strike/protest recently, and she spotted Chris Meloni from some way away, and instead of calling out his name, she said « Hi Dad! », to which he responded and came over to talk to her. I just thought that was very sweet and shows the great rapport between the cast. 

I got five kids. If it were me, I’d let the world burn to protect any one of ‘em.

My drawing of Alex Miller going on her first date in the PSOLC universe, created by the incredible @themetaphorgirl . The blush is too dark, but I think I nailed the hair, the rest of the m1keup and the outfit as a whole. I haven’t done any drawing for ages, but I was inspired

Last song: the Barbie soundtrack, when I saw the film at the cinema

Favourite colour: I love most colours except hot/bright pinks. So I’ll go for rainbow 🌈 

Currently watching: Magpie Murders, based on the Anthony Horowitz novel, lots of nerdy quiz shows, and I have the latest season (12?) of Call the Midwife and Season 16 of Criminal Minds:Evolution to start when I get home. May have a Criminal Minds rewatch before starting that though.

Last movie: Barbie, which I loved, bar the last few minutes, where it ruined the message completely. Loved the visuals for Barbie Land, the narration, the songs… 

Currently reading: The Inheritance Games and re-reading Magpie Murders

Sweet/spicy/savoury: usually sweet, but sometimes get salty cravings. I am a big spice wimp

Relationship status: chronically single

Current obsession: swimming and nerdy quiz shows

Last thing I googled: the new ( to me, at least) Pret à Manger cold chocolate drink

Currently working on: planning out a missing episode from Season 4 of Criminal Minds where Hotch’s eardrum bursts and he has to stay behind with Penelope. Bonding ensues and it is a much better experience than Gideon’s time with her. 

9 people you'd like to get to know better ♡

i can always count on @olivinesea to fulfil my desire to talk too much about myself in tumblr asks like this. thanks pal!!

last song: Lies from the Chasing Lights album by The Saturdays, in a moment of nostalgia for British girl bands that i liked in university (which as it turns out was only The Saturdays lol)

favourite colour: i tell kids my favourite colour is rainbow because i generally like all of them. it’s easier to tell you that i’m not fond of most shades of orange.

currently watching: Six Feet Under by myself, The Wire and VEEP with my husband, Recess over Sunday morning coffee & bagels, The X-Files with a friend. very soon starting a rewatch of Gilmore Girls, for the fall vibes. i watch too much tv, perhaps.

last movie: Barbie in theatres (i love how much Barbie cries). Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. at home (like meeting a pen pal in person for the first time)

currently reading: Cosmoknights vol 2, a large variety of picture books for work, and Judy Blume (so many i haven’t read before!)

sweet/spicy/savoury: savoury, for that salty umami goodness

relationship status: not to be gross on your dash, but i’ve been with my best friend and favourite person for ten years and it is friggin great.

current obsession: overwhelmingly human (English) names for pets. one of my kid friends from work (my job is great) told me their turtle is named Vanessa.

last thing i googled: a Black Russian, to confirm that it is indeed a drink.

currently working on: oh, i always get inspired by songs, so i have loads of drafts that are just song lyrics with the phrase “this is about [these people], figure it out!!!” but one of those drafts is shaping itself into a pretty angsty hotchniss mess, as per usual. maybe no satisfying happy ending, either.

ahhh, to tag or not to tag, the anxiety-inducing question. please feel no pressure to do these, but i tag @sequinsmile-x @danadeservesadrink @louisaland @scorpsik @beebeelank @bevfank @storiesofsvu and anyone who sees this and wants to answer them (tag me so i can read them if you do!)

PSOLC vignette « Grades »

OK, so this is inspired by the amazing @themetaphorgirl ‘s PSOLC ( Criminal Minds AU) as we discussed a situation with Hotch and Emily in the same class and she gets a better grade than him, though he put in way more effort. I haven’t written in aaaaaages, so 1m super rusty, but I had fun and feel like I nailed Strauss’s character

“ Did you hand in your essay OK, Bubba?” Alex asked Hotch as she sat down at the table, deftly readjusting Spencer’s tray once she had put hers down too.

“Yeah, thanks Birdie. Once you looked through it for me I typed it up and printed it, then I handed it in last week.” he replied, stirring raisins into his oatmeal.

Emily’s head jerked up, eyes wide and her spoon halfway to her mouth. She quickly regained her composure.

“Uh, Hotch, what’s today’s date?” she asked.

“It’s the 22nd, Emily. And yes, it is the date our 2000-word  essays are due in for Strauss. The essays she assigned us last month that are worth 40% of the semester’s grade.” he replied, shaking his head and frowning at his classmate’s disorganisation.

“Oh, I knew that, I do actually listen in class sometimes, Hotchner! And it’s no biggie! I’ll write it in French and Chapel.” Emily responded nonchalantly, her eyes reflecting her panic and stress. «  We’re studying the present indicative of first group verbs and adjective agreements, which is obviously very difficult, but I’ll make it work » she announced, trying hard to sound convincing but failing miserably.

“Alexandra Catherine Miller, room-mate extraordinaire,  what can you tell me about the leitmotifs in To Kill A Mockingbird? Just asking for a friend!” she asked Alex, eyes wide, fluttering her eyelashes and smiling, tilting her head to the side.

“Oh, that’s easy! I read it when I was 7, but the main themes are…”, Spencer interjected, gesticulating wildly, his eyes shining with excitement, as Alex placed a finger on his lips to quieten him.

“Sorry, Emily, but I really can’t help you now. I asked you if you wanted help when Hotch asked me to look through his first draft, and you told me you had ‘almost started it’, so you’re just going to have to face the consequences” Alex answered, a sympathetic look on her face. 

« But if I don’t get an A, I’m going to fail! And Strauss offers no make up tests or extra credit! I hope you’ll come to my funeral as Strauss is going to eviscerate me. » she replied, biting her lip as she realised just how much of a challenge she had to face.

Hotch muttered something that sounded suspiciously like “you made your bed, now lie in it”.

Penelope looked aghast.

« Well, I am so glad I only have Strauss for debate. She sounds like the kind of person who has a favourite child! » she shared, shuddering at the thought of having more classes with her most terrifying teachers. 

Just before the bell for second period rang, Emily dashed into class, almost tripping over Chris Callahan’s legs and narrowly avoiding crashing into Kate Carter’s  neighbouring desk before flinging herself into her assigned seat towards the back of the class, clutching several sheets of rather crumpled notebook paper. 

Ashley Seaver smiled sympathetically at her before resuming her chat with Jordan Todd about the new crime series with the hot male lead that they were both obsessed with.

The final bell rang, cutting their conversation short. The class fell silent immediately.

“ Pass your essays up to the front now. Some of you have already handed them in, but I needn’t remind you that is no guarantee of a good or even a passing grade. “ Strauss announced, shooting a pertinent look at Hotch.

“Miss Carter and Mr Callahan, how many times  have I told you that there’s no PDA in my classroom?” she scolded, glaring at the offending students, who were holding hands.

“And no, don’t answer that, it’s rhetorical! Get out your grammar books, page 82 and complete the sentence parsing that we started last class. There is no need to talk.” she announced, having gathered all the students’ work in a pile on her desk.

The class got to work and their teacher turned her attention to the papers in front of her, scowling at some and shaking her head at others, that she liberally annotated with her red pen.

Two weeks later

“ Well, on the whole, I was disappointed with your essays. As Juniors, you really should have mastered these basic concepts by now. You do realise, if you go to college, your professors will make me look like a Disney princess. I have a feeling that college might not be the right fit for everyone here” Strauss declared, casting a disapproving look around the class.

“However, there was one standout essay that I gave an A to. I had to take some points off for presentation, but the student in question provided some excellent analysis. It’s the only A I have given so far this semester. Emily Prentiss, I did not expect work of such caliber from you. » she continued.

She then proceeded to return work by grade.

«  A valiant attempt. Mr Hotchner, but you should definitely ask Miss Prentiss for some pointers for the next assignment » she said, handing Hotch his paper that had a big red B+ on it. 

He shot Emily a dark, murderous  look, but she just grinned and thumbsed up when their eyes met.

As the bell for lunch went, Hotch uncharacteristically shoved his books and papers haphazardly into his backpack, pushed his chair against his desk with more force than necessary and stomped out.

Emily was smiling broadly at their usual lunch table, chatting to Penelope about hairstyles as Hotch arrived, slamming his tray down.

Alex looked over at him with a concerned look, but he just prodded his mystery meat violently, eyebrows knitted tightly together.

«  Hi Hotch! Are you still hung up over your grade from Strauss? I’m sure I can help you do better next time » she said sweetly.

«  Just how did you get an A? » he questioned angrily.

Rossi looked up from his mashed potatoes, intrigue written all over his face.

«  Emily! How did you do it? Strauss hardly ever gives A’s! Please teach me your ways, you… witch! » he exclaimed.

«  I’ m just naturally brilliant, I guess. Perhaps I should request a transfer into the AP class. And don’t ‘Emily’ me! » she replied smugly.

« That’s a great plan, Emily. Except a) there are no places left in the AP class, and b) your last grade was a C minus, I believe? » Hotch declared.

She sighed and returned her attention to her plate of food.

Hotch would hopefully get over it by the time they graduated, she mused.

The engagement ring that Hotch uses to propose to Penelope in my AU Into The Gotchaverse. It’s supposed to be rose gold, with an opal in the centre, surrounded by alternating diamonds and pearls. I figured Hotch wouldn’t go for a stone of any particular colour, as Penelope wears all of them ( Jack comes to help and says he thinks Penelope’s favourite colour is rainbow!) and a coloured gem could clash with whatever outfit she was wearing. Pearls and diamonds are also neutral/go with anything, and Penelope also wears gold and silver jewellery, so rose gold seemed like the best choice. Traditionally opals and pearls are not used in engagement rings, as opals are supposed to come loose very easily and pearls represent tears/sadness, so not very auspicious. I feel like Hotch would know that and mentions it once Penelope has accepted. She, of course, loves it! Now I have to write the proposal, in my head it is very romantic, thoughtful and sweet, so I hope that translates to the page!

Into The Gotchaverse! Rejig

I’ve been thinking about getting Penelope and Hotch together sooner, rather than post Season 15.

I figure, in Season 5, she convinces him to go to therapy/grief counselling sessions ( obviously not the one she runs), and one day, they finish at the same time, and end up going for coffee/a meal/ to one of their places to cook for both of them. They subsequently spend more and more time together and eventually get together around JJ and Will’s wedding ( sorry to any Beth fans, but she’s out of the picture!), as they go as friends, Penelope having just broken up with Kevin. Sometime after Route 66, Aaron proposes ( Haley shows him lots of little moments of him and Penelope/her and Jack/the three of them spending time together, and she is obviously there when he wakes up, but he asks her later-I have a super romantic proposal planned out!) and they have the triplets around the same time JJ has Michael ( S 10, if I recall correctly).

The show would end when Season 11 finishes, except the unsub ( Mr Scratch?) has successfully been captured and stays in prison/is executed.  Rossi could remarry Hadyn in Season 10/11, there’s no appalling prison arc for Reid, no Linda Barnes, Hotch doesn’t leave, and most characters are fulfilled/happy at that point.

Hotch ends up being offered an early retirement package and then everything happens as I explained in my earlier post. 

I have tried to keep it as different as possible from A Joyful Future ( @winterscaptain ‘s amazing fic) and anything else I have seen with a Reader insert/a romantic relationship between two BAU-ers. If there are similarities/elements I have unknowingly stolen, please let me know, and I will fix it! I might expand on some scenes on the show and change a few details here and there from certain episodes, but don’t plan on fully re-writing any.