Chapter Text
The last five years had been a crazy roller coaster of emotions and adventures. The trips between Chicago and New York kept going, but in a much different manner. Olivia Benson continued to be Manhattan SVU’s Captain, raising Noah, and exploring her relationship with Elliot Stabler. Hank Voight’s ass was saved by Samantha Miller looking away from his investigation, so he was able to watch their daughter turn five as he continued to be Intelligence’s Sergeant. Voight and Benson continued to be in each other’s lives in a way that kept them sane and on track.
“Wow,” he said as he stepped into the hotel room and saw her standing in front of the mirror. “You look stunning.”
“You’re just saying that.” Olivia turned around with a smile on her face. “I can’t believe this is happening.”
“It’s all you’ve wanted.”
“I can’t believe I’m marrying Elliot Stabler.”
“In all honesty,” said Hank, “me neither...but for different reasons.” He chuckled as she smacked his arm. “I’m happy for you, honey.”
“Thank you, Henry. Thank you for everything you have given me in the last years.”
“For what we have given each other. You changed my life, Benson.”
“And you mine.” She squeezed his hand. “Noah and I will be eternally grateful for your presence in our lives.”
“That kid is like my own. You know I would have done anything for him.”
“We know.” Olivia smiled sadly. “You didn’t have to come today. I know…”
“Excuse me?” He interrupted. “I wouldn’t have missed your wedding for anything in the world. Plus, Sam and Luna would have been very upset if we missed it. And who else would have given you away?”
“I know, but still.”
“Honey, you are one of the three most important women in my life. I wasn’t going to miss your wedding, no matter what.”
“Thank you. I didn’t want to do this without you. I want this memory.”
Hank Voight nodded slowly. “It will be a night full of memories.” He kissed her forehead. “I will let you finish getting ready. He will be speechless when he sees you...for once.”
Olivia rolled her eyes. “Five years and you two are still a pain in my ass.”
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“Are you doing okay?” Samantha Miller asked as she stood behind Hank, resting her hands on his shoulders. “Are you cold?”
“I’m okay, love.” He was looking out to the dance floor where Olivia was holding a 5-year-old Luna in her arms as she danced with Noah and Elliot. “Luna is definitely having fun.”
“Oh, I know. Being a flowergirl has definitely been the highlight of her life.”
“She did a great job.”
“She’s like her dad, always taking every task so seriously.”
“Sounds like her mom,” Hank smiled as he grabbed her by the arm and sat her on his lap. “Stop worrying, I promise I’m okay.”
“You would tell me otherwise?”
“And we would be on the next flight to Chicago, yes.”
Miller nodded before resting her head on his shoulder. “How was it walking her down the aisle?”
“It was definitely weird,” he laughed. “I never thought I’d be walking her, of all people, down the aisle. But she was so happy and beautiful. He better treat her right.”
“Or I will kill him for you.”
“Who have you become, Deputy Miller?”
“Oh, Hank Voight, you turned my world upside down.” She kissed him slowly. “And I wouldn’t have had it any other way.”
“Me neither.” He rubbed her back. “You and Luna were the best thing that happened to me.”
“We are lucky to have you, Voight.”
“Daddy!!!!” Luna screamed as she ran to him. “Aunty Liv wants you to dance with her!”
Hank shook his head laughing. “Okay, babygirl. Will you stay with mom?”
“Duh!” Luna giggled as Sam picked her up.
“You go on, Sarge,” Sam smiled at him and nodded towards the dance floor.
Benson had a huge smile on her face as she watched him walk towards her. She never would have imagined a more perfect wedding day. She married the love of her life, her best friends had come to join her, and her Chicago family was standing right by her side. Deep down she knew she wouldn’t have made it without their support, especially without Voight.
“You had to use my daughter against me.”
“I knew I could only get you here if she asked you,” she laughed as they started dancing slowly.
“You know me all too well.” Hank placed one of his hands on the small of her back. Olivia was a known body. He knew everything there was to know about her and her skin. The way she trembled when she was touched in a certain place. How she liked to be held. Even what her thoughts were in specific situations. She was his soulmate, and they had always been destined to make each other’s lives better. He was happy knowing she had gotten the ending she had always wanted.
“If he hurts you, Sam will kill him for me.”
“It’s either going to be Sam or Noah, so don’t worry.”
“Good. I’ll know you’ve been left in good hands.”
“I don’t want you to leave me in any hands,” her voice breaking as she spoke.
“Honey…”
“I know. I know it is inevitable, but I don’t want you to leave us.”
“Trust me, it’s not like I want to.”
“Life is so fucking unfair.” He could feel her trembling in his arms as she spoke.
“Don’t go breaking on me, Benson. No tears on your wedding day.”
“I just...I am going to miss you terribly.”
“Know that you have made my life better. Without you, I probably would have continued to be a mess and wouldn’t have Sam and Luna. You made that possible. You gave me the life I have today.” Hank kissed her cheek. “I love you, Benson.”
“I love you too, Hank Voight. It has been an honor and a pleasure to have you in my life.”
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“I was going to beat you up if I found you out here smoking,” Elliot said as he stepped into the balcony where Voight was.
Hank couldn’t help but laugh. “As much as I want to, my body won’t even let me.”
“Well, that’s a change.” Both men stood in silence for a while. “Hank, I know we didn’t start off on the right foot...mostly because of me, but I wanted you to know I am thankful for the way you took care of her.”
“I only did what she had done for me.”
“Whatever it was, you made her happy. So, thank you.”
“Now it’s your turn to keep that up. You better take care of her, Stabler. And Noah. Don’t let that kid down.”
“Don’t worry. They are my family, and I take care of my own. They’ll be looked after when you’re gone.”
“That makes me feel better. I want them to be okay...all of them.”
“Sam and Luna will be taken care of as well. Liv and I, we talked about it. They’re family too, and we will make sure they are okay.”
“Thank you. I truly appreciate that. I don’t want Sam to feel alone.”
“We won’t let that happen.”
Samantha Miller could see both men through the window as she sat on a chair holding a sleeping Luna in her arms. “Seems like they have finally reached an agreement,” she said as Olivia sat next to her.
“It was about damn time.”
“A little too late.”
“Sam…”
“Sorry. Sometimes I just lose it.”
“Understandably so. I don’t know how you have kept it together for so long.”
“The only reason is sleeping in my arms right now.”
“How is she holding up?”
“She doesn’t fully understand what is going on. She has sat in the waiting room for so many hours, she probably knows Med better than anyone. There are days in which she can feel something is wrong, so she spends the entire day crying or throwing tantrums. I can’t even get mad at her because I wish I could cry and throw tantrums. She sees how sick he is getting. She knows he can’t pick her up anymore or take her to the playground.”
“My poor baby. She’s watching it all end without knowing.”
“And I can’t stop it. I can’t put an end to what is coming or prevent her entire world from falling to pieces.”
“It’s your world too, Sam.”
Miller let out a deep sigh as tears filled her eyes. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to do this without him. How do I raise our daughter in a way that honors him? How do I go on with my life when he is it?”
“You go on because that is what he wants you to do. And you raise Luna exactly like you have been so far. Whatever you decide to do in her upbringing is exactly what he would have done. He knows you will take good care of her.”
“But,” she whispered, “who’s gonna take good care of me?”
“I am.” Olivia squeezed her hand. “You’ve got me for better or worse. When you married Hank, you married me,” she chuckled. “We’re in this together, Sam.”
Sam smiled sadly. “Who would have thought a threesome almost six years ago would have changed my life so much?”
Benson laughed. “Tell me about it.”
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“Okay, listen up!” Herrmann yelled for everyone to turn their attention to him.
“Thank you, Herrmann,” Olivia said as she stood on the bartop. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen some of your faces and I wish the circumstances were different, but here we are.” She looked down at Samantha Miller sitting on a barstool with a crying Luna on her lap. “Everyone here knew Hank Voight one way or another, and most of us disliked him the first time we met him.” A few chuckles could be heard around Molly’s. “But the truth is, Sergeant Voight was one of the best men any of us has ever met. He was passionate, dedicated, and caring. Yes,” she eyed Halstead, “not all of us approved of his methods every time, but the man knew how to get the job done.” Benson took a deep breath before she could continue speaking. “I have loved Henry for a long time and I came to understand his essence, just like you all did. He lived for his work. He would have gone to the end of the Earth for his Intelligence team. He loved his wife,” she looked at Miller again, “in a way that I had never seen him love another human being before. And his darling daughter Luna was his whole world.” She knelt on the bartop to squeeze Luna’s hands. “He would have killed for you, babygirl, and he is watching over you now.” Benson stood up again. “But he did not want us to cry him or pity him or be sad. Instead, he wanted us to come here and celebrate his life. So, to Henry Hank Voight,” she raised her Manhattan cocktail. “May he finally find some peace. May he know his legacy will live on.”
“To Voight!” Everyone screamed before downing their drinks.
“Thank you for the speech,” Miller said later that night as she cuddled in bed with Benson and Luna. The five year old was completely asleep between both women. “I couldn’t have done it.”
“It wasn’t easy, but I knew it would be easier for me than you.”
“He would have liked it. The whole thing. The Manhattan cocktails, the team being there, your words.” Samantha started crying again and Olivia wrapped her arms around her, careful not to disrupt the sleeping girl.
“It’s okay, Sam, let it out.”
“I can’t believe he left me. I can’t believe he won’t be here for Luna’s graduation or college or even her wedding. He is missing out on everything.”
“You know he would have had it any other way if he could have. He was terrified of leaving you alone.”
“He told me that right before he died.”
“He really was. The only thing that worried him was you and Luna feeling alone. And,” Olivia moved closer to the edge of the bed and pulled up a wooden box, “he prepared for that.”
“What is this?”
“Hank didn’t want to miss all those special occasions you mentioned, so he made videotapes. Yes, pretty old school,” both women smiled slightly. “But now both you and Luna will hear his words on those days.”
“He did this for us?”
Olivia nodded. “There are two tapes for every special occasion, one for you and one for Luna. When the time comes, you can watch them.”
“Thank you, Liv.”
“Whatever happens,” Olivia said, touching Hank’s badge number tattooed on her and Sam’s wrists, “we have each other and we have his memory. We are family.”