Okay, so I'm trying something out here. This is a sequel to 'Cruisin', if you want more let me know and I'll continue it. I know this chapter is short, but that's because I wanted to see how you guys like it.
You probably should read Cruisin' first to get what's happened, this takes place between when they return home (Ch 9 of Cruisin') and the epilogue (around 3 yrs later) hope everyone enjoys!!
Please, please, please R&R!!
DISCLAIMER: I don't own them.
The week before Olivia had been bitching about not even wanting to go on the cruise and now once it was over she didn't want to go home, although technically she wasn't going home at least not to her home.
When Elliot had asked her to move in with him and the kids she'd have been the first to admit she was scared as hell. Only one other time in her life had she been faced with that much commitment in a relationship and that was ages and ages ago, back when she was too young to know better. Sure she'd pretty much been living with Elliot and the kids for the past year since Kathy had disappeared anyway this not leaving at the end of the day thing though, was an entirely different matter.
"What're you thinking about?" Elliot asked as he drove the family home from the airport.
Olivia glanced behind her to see if the kids were paying any attention to them, thankfully they didn't seem to be.
"Are you sure this is what you want?"
"What do you mean?" Elliot asked, confused.
Olivia sighed before she continued. "Are you sure you want me moving in with you? You don't think this is too soon do you?"
"Honestly? If anything I feel like it should have happened sooner. I am so sure of this." He said.
She smiled at his confession and reached over to take his hand in hers. While she was still not entirely sure about the whole thing, just like with the past year though she knew they'd get through it all together.
Before anyone had hardly noticed they had pulled up to Elliot's house and were driving in the driveway.
"Alright guys, why don't you head inside and start unpacking? I'm going to run Liv over to her place to get some clothes and things." Elliot told the kids.
"Okay, see you both in a bit." Maureen called to the pair as the four kids got out and grabbed their suitcases.
The Stabler kids quickly ran in the house and threw their dirty clothes down the laundry shoot.
"How long do you think we're got until they get back?" Dickie asked.
"Maybe an hour, hour and a half tops." Kathleen said. "They'll save moving the big stuff in for another time."
"Alright, I'll order the food, you guys get started decorating." He told his sisters.
While Dickie got out the menu for the local Chinese restaurant and started ordering everyone's favourites the girls gathered all the art supplies they could find and spread them out across the family room floor.
"Okay, so we need to make this extra special, you know Liv doesn't feel like we all want her here." Maureen said as they turned their attention towards the large piece of poster board.
"How about something like 'Welcome Home Mom! We love you so much!'" Lizzie suggested.
"Sounds kind of like she was out of town for a while without us," Kathleen said.
"Well what do you suggest then?" Lizzie snapped.
"Lizzie, I think your suggestion is perfect." Maureen said. "After all, she is coming home to us, even if she wasn't away from us exactly."
Maureen, being the most artistic, took her pencil and sketched the words out on the poster board. The other two girls, along with Dickie who had joined them by now, began decorating around the words.
"Do we have any balloons and streamers?" Kathleen asked.
"I think there's some crime scene tape from our last birthday." Dickie joked. "Seriously, there might be in the desk drawer."
She went over and looked in the desk drawer where there was in fact a roll of bright pink streamers. Kathleen took that out and started stringing it across the room. Once they were finished with the sign Lizzie and Dickie started blowing up balloons to hang as well.
Meanwhile, in Manhattan Elliot and Olivia had arrived at her place and went up to her apartment to pack up some stuff.
"So I figured I'd just pack up a bunch of clothes and my toiletries and stuff." She said as they walked in the living room.
"Sounds good to me, let me know what you want help with." Elliot told her.
The two spent the next half an hour or so getting all of Olivia's clothes packed up in the few boxes she had around the apartment. They realized she already had the majority of her toiletries packed from their cruise so there wasn't much to do there. Once they had finished they loaded the boxes in Elliot's SUV and each drove their own car back to his house in Queens.
After Maureen had finished coloring in the big letters on their sign the kids all quickly finished up their decorating and waited for the food to arrive. When it had they paid and quickly stashed the bags in the microwave in an attempt to keep things warm longer.
Soon after, Elliot and Olivia were pulling in the driveway. The pair entered the house and was immediately met with not only the children's decorations, but all four smiling faces.
"Welcome home Mom!" They all called out.
Olivia instantly started tearing up as she saw the room the kids had decorated.
"Come here all of you." She said as she pulled them into one big group hug. "Thank you guys! I love you all so much, you know that right?"
They all nodded in agreement before Elliot broke things up.
"Hey, I want a hug from my girl too." He whispered. "Welcome home Livvie!"
Suddenly Olivia perked her head up and began sniffing the air.
"Is that Chinese?" She asked.
"Yeah, I ordered everyone's favourites." Dickie told her.
In an instant Olivia went running to the kitchen to find where the food was hidden. Within moments she found it in the microwave. Elliot followed her in the room and got down plates from the cupboard for the whole family. As the plates were filled everyone carried them out to the dining room to sit and eat together.
"So, school tomorrow, eh? Did everyone do their homework while we were gone?" Elliot asked.
"I did!" Lizzie called out.
"I've got one more chapter to read." Maureen answered.
"Finished in the car," Kathleen replied.
"Dickie, what about your homework?" Elliot asked, noticing his son wasn't answering.
"I…umm…I have French left." He blushed.
"Tell you what RJ, after dinner I'll sit down and check it out with you, okay?" Olivia suggested.
"Thanks!" He said with a huge smile.
The rest of dinner went by rather uneventfully. When everyone had finished eating Elliot sent the girls off to do whatever they wanted while he loaded the dishwasher and Olivia and Dickie sat at the table doing homework.
"Wow! I never knew you spoke French Liv!" Dickie exclaimed once his homework was finished.
"My mom wanted me to learn another language when I was growing up, so she taught me French."
"Cool! Well thanks for helping me out." He said before he got up and left for his bedroom.
"Finally, I have you all to myself." Elliot told her as he helped her out of her chair.
"Oh yeah, and just what do you plan on doing with me?" Olivia asked seductively.
"Follow me to our bedroom and I'll show you." He answered with a wink.
When they reached the bedroom door way Olivia hesitated at the threshold. Elliot, being ever in tune with his partner immediately noticed. He pulled her into his arms and began speaking to her gently, reassuring her.
"Baby, it's just you and me here. I know what you're thinking and there's no need to worry. When Kathy left last year I switched rooms with Maur and Kat. Not that she and I had even shared that room for years before, but they have the master bedroom now."
He could see her relax a little and she almost took a step into the room before glancing at the bed.
"That too is all mine, I junked the bed and all the linens. Everything is just mine, just ours now." He told her.
That was all it took, Olivia walked in the bedroom and pulled Elliot down onto the bed with her.
"I'm sorry for worrying." She said.
"Don't be, I know this is a huge step for you and I also know I'd have the same worries if our roles were reversed. I want you to know that you have been the one who's had my heart for years now."
He pulled her lips to his and drew her into one of the most loving, most passion filled kisses. Finally when breathing became an issue they broke apart.
"I love you El."
"I love you too. Thank you so much for today."
"You're welcome." She replied before yawning.
"Livvie, go to sleep." He chuckled as she fought to keep her eyes open.
"I don't want to go to sleep and wake up and find out this was all a dream." She yawned again.
"I assure you, this may be a dream come true for me but nothing will change overnight."
"Okay." She mumbled.
Within seconds she had given in to her body's urges and was fast asleep. Elliot took great care to remove her clothes without waking her before laying next to her and pulling the covers over them both.