Work Text:
Chaos.
That’s the word that defined the squad room.
OCCB and SVU were working a case together, and the two teams had been turned into a joint task-force, which would be fine, if not for the fact that there were nine detectives in a space where usually there were four.
Plus, her three year old.
Maggie was sick, so she couldn’t go to preschool. Usually, that wouldn’t be a problem, as Ed and Olivia had a number of people who were willing to baby sit, but of course their daughter had gotten sick in the one week where no one was available.
Ed, who was usually home, was teaching a short course on hostage negotiation. His mom was out of state with one of his sisters, and the other two were usually last resources, as they worked during the week.
Olivia had tried calling Lucy, but as it had been a last minute request, the young girl was already booked for the day.
That’s how Olivia found herself in charge of seven detectives, two sergeants and her three year old.
If it was any other day - any other case - she would’ve stayed home with her kid. She had called and explained she had an emergency, but McGrath had demanded her presence, going on and on about the high stakes of the operation and that she had to be there otherwise there would be consequences.
She despised the man.
She had done what he’d asked, though.
She came in. She was coordinating with Ayanna, sorting out details, supervising the detectives.
She just had to do it with her fever stricken three year old clinging to her for dear life.
Maggie was always extra needy when she was sick - crying every time her parents tried to put her down and refusing to let go of them.
It was only when Maggie was in deep slumber that Olivia and Ed would be able to lay her down and rest for a bit - before she inevitably woke up again and cried for her parents.
At home, sleep would come fairly easily for the little girl, even when she was sick. All it took was some walking around, a hand smoothing her back, and soothing whispers - she’d be out like a light.
In the precinct, though, it was completely different.
Maggie loved the squad room. Her eyes would glisten every time she visited it, and the young girl quickly learned that there, she’d be doted on - and oh, how she adored that. When she was there, she wanted nothing more than to run around the space, demand Amanda or Fin’s attention, or sit on her mom’s desk and try to boss everybody around.
Ed had mentioned on multiple occasions how the little girl would light up any time he talked about ¨visiting mommy’s work¨.
She liked when her kids were there, too. Enjoyed their company in her office, loved how their laughter would fill the place after particularly difficult cases and absolutely adored walking out of the precinct holding their hands and listening to them talk.
The thing was - usually the kids were there for short periods of time. Lunch, after school, joining Ed to pick her up or just spending an hour until they could be dropped off on their respective activities.
Having them around the whole day, that was basically unheard of.
Especially if they were sick.
But there she was, managing the unmanageable because fucking McGrath couldn’t let her run the operation from home for one day.
Asshole.
She had been holding her daughter for almost two hours and still, Maggie hadn’t fallen asleep, too excited about being in her mom’s work and too worked up by everything that was going on around her - debates, noises, the emotions.
Olivia had tried staying in her office, away from the chaos that was the squad room, but with a case this big, it was damn near impossible. Every time she thought Maggie was about to give in to sleep, someone would knock on the door and disturb the girl, and after the fourth time it happened, she decided to just leave it open.
She also found that her presence in the squad room was almost mandatory, since there were lots of leads and information, as well as discussions being held that she needed to be a part of.
All that coupled together meant that her daughter hadn’t been able to sleep, and that made for a very, very, grumpy toddler.
Olivia knew it was only a matter of time until the girl completely broke down, if the small whimpers she was starting to let out meant anything.
So, she did what any overworked and tired mother would do - left Ayanna in charge and made it very clear that if anyone dared to interrupt her kid’s sleep, she would shoot them, casting a pointed glance at McGrath before closing herself in her office.
-----------------------
Her plan had - thankfully - worked.
In less than ten minutes her daughter had finally fallen asleep. Olivia put her down in the pack’n’play - without waking her up - before taking a deep breath and walking out yet again to the squad room, surprised to encounter the two teams working together using low tones and hushed voices.
She smirked at the scene in front of her, satisfied to know that the threat she’d let out to avoid a crash out had worked.
When Maggie woke up a little over an hour later, the little girl was all smiles. Looking at her, it was hard to tell that she was the same child who’d been frowning at anyone who glanced in her direction only hours before.
¨Hey baby,¨ Liv whispered, picking up her daughter and setting her on her hip, ¨you sleep well?¨
Margot, sleep still in her eyes, snuggled into Olivia, nestling her head by her mom’s neck and sighing contently.
¨You look better, huh?¨ As she said this, Liv’s hand stroked her daughter’s hair, tucking some pieces behind the girl’s ears.
Olivia had always cherished these moments with her kids, but now, she tried to appreciate them even more. Her children were growing, and Margot was her last baby (unless Linden tried to spur another child on her - but she doubted that would happen). Though she still had a couple of years until her children grew into embarrassed and avoidant teenagers, Olivia was well aware of just how fast time seemed to be going.
The first time she’d seen Margot, she’d been a chubby little baby, with blonde hair and big hazel eyes that took in everything around her. Now, her daughter’s hair had started to darken and her baby features were slowly morphing into those of a child. Taking her in, thinking about the night she’d gone home with her only two years ago, Olivia wished - just for a moment - that she could stop time for a while, or at least make it go a little bit slower.
¨You wanna see aunty Manda, baby?¨ At that, her daughter’s head instantly perked up, and Olivia rolled her eyes, ¨gosh, you really do have a favorite, huh?¨ she muttered, leaving her office with an amused smile on her face and preparing herself for the new type of chaos that was about to break in the room - the unofficial competition between her squad members to see who would end up holding Maggie that day.
For only a brief moment, it slipped Olivia’s mind that the precinct was full with people her daughter didn’t know.
Her daughter, who could be very sweet when she wanted to, except when it came to strangers.
Maggie was extremely wary about strangers.
Olivia supposed it had something to do with her early life, before she’d been adopted, but she would never know for certain. It could just be that her daughter had been born with that trait, but something (maybe the 25 years on the job?) told her there was more to it.
Maggie liked who she knew, chose who she loved, and to get on her good side, you’d have to earn her trust.
Like mother, like daughter, Fin had said.
So, when she stepped out of her office with her daughter on her hip and they came face first to the overflowing squad room, it wasn’t strange when Maggie’s easy smile quickly turned into a scowl. She gazed around the room, as if she was analysing each of the new faces, and to Olivia’s surprise, fixed her eyes on the last person she expected would win over her daughter - detective Slootmaekers.
Of course Maggie would focus on the one person who wasn’t smiling up at her or trying to win her over.
The little one squirmed out of Olivia’s grasp and walked as quickly as her little feet allowed to where the younger detective was sitting, stopping by the desk and tilting her head to the side.
¨Hell, no. The little goth girl? Really, kid?¨ Fin huffed, scowl forming in his face when he understood where Maggie was going.
Both teams were watching the scene in front of them with curiosity.
Even McGrath seemed interested.
Jet, for one, didn’t seem to notice anything.
Only when Ayanna called her did the young detective notice the toddler standing by her desk.
Olivia had to hold in a chuckle. It amused her infinitely to watch her squad basically beg for her daughter’s attention, especially Velasco, who - they’d come to find out - turned into a big teddy bear whenever children were around and routinely humiliated himself to gain Maggie’s attention.
I grew up with lots of younger cousins, he’d explained.
Still, Olivia was quite sure that nothing would ever beat the immediate look of alarm that settled on the young detective’s face when she noticed her daughter.
The two were locked in a staring contest.
Jet looking at the baby, Maggie looking right back.
And to everyone’s surprise, it was Jet who gave up, letting out a sigh and muttering, ¨go with your mom, kid,¨ before turning back to her screen.
Wrong thing to do.
Maggie might not like strangers, but the one thing she hated more than anything was being dismissed.
Olivia knew what would happen before Jet had completed her sentence.
Her daughter - her grumpy, beautiful, stubborn daughter - blinked once.
And instantly started crying.
Actually, wailing was a more appropriate description - her face turned red, big tears fell and sobs shook her little body.
¨Rookie mistake, Sloot,¨ Stabler called over the cries.
And Jet, completely panicked, did the one thing that came to her mind - stood and picked up the screaming girl.
It was funny, really.
Later that evening, when the kids were in bed and Olivia and Ed were getting ready to sleep, she’d tell him about it, laughing as she recounted the expressions on everyone’s faces.
Jet, eyes wide and face completely pale, holding the child in front of her as if she was some sort of infectious toxic hazard (she did have the flu).
Maggie, confused by the new developments but satisfied to have the attention on her again - enough that she’d stopped crying.
Fin and Velasco watching annoyed, Amanda looking surprised and the rest of them watching and trying to understand how Jet could be even more awkward than normal around the child.
¨You know, she doesn’t bite, detective,¨ Olivia said, smirking at the flush that appeared on Slootmaekers face.
¨Yeah, yeah,¨ Jet answered, very clearly still nervous, but adjusting the girl as she sat down by her desk again.
Maggie wasn’t exactly content.
She had her gaze on the detective’s desk, eyes narrowed in focus, her little hands motioning to grab what was in front of her.
Jet sat completely still, not moving a single muscle. She had made a kid cry - a captain’s kid - and fuck it was Captain Benson’s kid.
When she noticed the kid reaching out for the objects on top of her desk, she absentmindedly pushed them back, hoping to avoid broken objects and to make sure the kid wouldn’t bump into her keyboard and mess up her code. Her plushie octopus - the one Stabler scowled at whenever he noticed it was turned to its mad side - slid to the back of the desk, and Margot whimpered.
She looked at the girl, who gazed back at her with a quivering chin and a pout on her lips and really how could a kid be so damn cute?
She wasn’t able to ponder about the question because Margot started crying yet again and a series of exclamations surprised the young detective, who lifted her head and was met with the stares of the two squads - looks of amusement, of annoyance and of exasperation.
¨C’mon kid how are you so helpless?¨
¨Thought you were the smart one, Jet.¨
¨She wants the octopus!¨
¨Honestly that makes much more sense than the goth kid.¨
¨Just give her the octopus, Sloot.¨
And it dawned on her - the little girl wanted the plushie.
She wanted the octopus plushie.
That’s what she’d been trying to see, and that’s what she had tried to grab.
And Jet had just pushed it away.
Gosh, she really didn’t have a way with kids.
She had barely gotten to this conclusion before Captain Benson was already there, picking up her daughter and talking to her, in that soothing, motherly tone.
Through the hiccups, she could faintly understand ¨ctopus¨
¨Ah, c’mon Jet, give her the octopus!¨ Stabler demanded, rolling his eyes jokingly at her awkwardness.
She was about to, even without the hoots that followed. She liked the plushie, but between keeping it and upsetting a toddler, well, it wasn’t really a question. The only reason that she’d put it away was because she hadn’t noticed the girl’s interest in it, otherwise, the situation would’ve been solved minutes ago, and she would’ve been spared of the obscene amount of attention she was receiving - as well as the fear that spiked through her when she considered this was Captain Benson’s kid that she made cry - twice.
She didn’t really have a chance, though, because the Captain immediately shushed the room, ¨It’s fine guys, really,¨ and rubbing her daughters back, continued, ¨she needs to learn she can’t get everything she wants, right baby? You need to learn that.¨
But Jet didn’t care. She didn’t care that Captain Benson was using this as a teaching moment for her daughter, because all she could see were those big hazel eyes filled with tears and the pout the girl had thrown at her.
Fuck - was that what people meant when they said their ovaries were exploding?
To Stabler’s delight, she turned the octopus to its smiling side and stood, offering it to the girl.
¨Jet, it’s fine, really. She doesn’t - ¨ started Olivia.
But Jet quickly shook her head, ¨She can take it. I hadn’t even noticed that’s what she wanted. Really.¨
It was quite a comic scene for the OCCB squad to witness. They weren’t used to seeing Jet like this. The young detective was all dry humor and judging glances - nothing like the nervous and awkward girl who apparently didn’t know how to interact with a kid.
Though it shouldn’t have surprised them, since Jet had never been the most… social person.
To Jet’s surprise, Captain Benson smiled.
She knew enough about the captain to know she never wanted to be on the woman’s bad side, and she guessed that making her kid cry twice would warrant that. Still, she was relieved to see that the captain wasn’t planning her demise or pulling her gun to act on the threat she’d made earlier. Instead, Olivia turned to her daughter and said, ¨Say thank you to detective Slootmaekers, baby.¨
¨‘Tective?¨
¨Yeah baby, say - thank you, detective.¨
Maggie turned her head in Jet’s direction, and once again the young detective found herself under the piercing gaze of the toddler.
Jesus, Jet thought, who knew babies could be so imposing?
It shouldn’t have shocked her, though. After all, that was Captain Benson’s kid - and Jet had seen first hand how Benson dealt with perps.
The captain narrowed her eyes and her voice pulled Jet out of her thoughts, ¨Maggie.¨
¨Tank you, ‘tetctive,¨ and even though it was grumbled, even though the girl still glared distrustfully at Jet, brows furrowed together, Jet couldn’t deny that it was pretty fucking cute.
-----------------------
Little Margot was quite content after she achieved her goal of obtaining the octopus plushie. She clinged to her mom, hugging the plushie with one hand and holding to Olivia's neck with the other.
Eventually, she’d found her smile again, and to no one’s surprise (but to Velasco’s disappointment), all it took was Amanda calling ¨baby!¨ for the girl to sprint in her direction, giggling happily before settling in her godmother’s lap. Ultimately, she napped again, the octopus still clutched in her hands.
¨I’ll return it to you as soon as possible,¨ Olivia assured Jet as Ed picked their daughter up around lunch, after his course had finished, ¨I just didn’t want to take it from her and risk a meltdown.¨
¨It's okay.¨
And that was that.
-----------------------
Once the case was complete, once the joint task force was separated and the units were back at their respective precincts, the OCCB squad found that they actually missed the octopus - even Stabler, who often cursed upon it, calling it fucking stupid.
The octopus was missed because it helped the team to understand Jet and her moods. She wasn’t exactly the easiest person to read.
It had already been almost three weeks when Jet arrived at her desk one morning only to find a small box waiting for her.
Inside, she found the octopus plushie as well as two notes. She took the first one - from Captain Benson - and read,
Detective Slootmaekers, sorry for the delay in returning this to you. It was hard to get it away from a certain someone, and then I had to throw it in the washing machine because Maggie slept with it everyday while she was sick. Thank you for patience with her on the precinct that day, and don’t be shy to reach out if needed. - Olivia Benson
It was the second note, though, that really caught her attention.
It was a drawing.
There were three figures on it, and after staring at it for a while, Jet’s breath hitched when she understood what they were.
The figures that were more like blobs.
Small blob with yellow by the top. Smaller colorful blob with lines sticking out from it. Bigger blob with black by the top.
It was them.
Maggie had drawn herself, the octopus and Jet, all holding hands.
And Jet found herself smiling stupidly at the picture.
Fucking ovaries.
She took the plushie from the box, and making sure its happy side was out, placed it back on its spot on her desk. Then, very carefully, she glued the drawing to the edges of one of her monitors.
Stabler, at first, seemed a bit disconcerted about it, and had bugged Jet endlessly about it.
¨Emotional, Sloot?¨
¨Oh, shut up Stabler. It’s just a drawing.¨
¨It’s been on that screen for days, and the fucking octopus has never smiled for so long.¨
¨You’re just mad the kid likes me more.¨
That shut him up.
Sitting on her desk while working, the drawing often caught her attention.
It became a staple at her desk, just like the plushie that started all of it.
Other objects came and went, little trinkets she kept to make the space hers - but the drawing continued there.
She might not be the best with kids, but she guessed she wasn’t the worst either.
She had to re-glue the picture quite frequently, as it often dropped from the monitor. Still, she never once took it down - and it never once failed to make her smile.