„An old man turned ninety-eight. He won the lottery and died the next day…" Olivia sang silently while drinking a sip of her coffee. She sighed this is exactly how a Saturday should start. Relaxing in the tub and drinking coffee. Last night was nice, too. The whole gang went out for dinner and later grabbed a few drinks. Olivia didn't remember a night where she had that much fun. Munch got a little too drunk and was making the stupidest things the whole night long even after they moved their little party from the bar into Olivia's apartment. They ended up playing truth or dare. A game that unearthed some pretty good kept secrets like the facts that Elliot and Kathy hadn't had sex in more than a year. Or that Fin and Melinda are having an affair since she got divorced from her husband a few weeks ago, or the fact that Munch had a crush on Alex. Yes it had been fun. Of course Cragen didn't drink a sip but simply watching his four best detectives go wild had him feeling good himself. Elliot had stayed the longest, as always, left at 4 this morning only 7 hours ago after cleaning up her apartment and taking the empty bottles with him. Yes that was Elliot always being a gentleman. Olivia had to admit that his involuntarily-made 'sex-confession' had shocked her. Elliot was the best looking man under the sun. That was a simple fact no one could, especially not a woman who spends basically 24/7 with him, deny. And well Kathy wasn't thaaat bad looking herself. Why didn't they have sex? Olivia decided that she should just mind her own business. God dammit Olivia what the hell are you thinking… She drank another sip of her coffee and listened to Meat Loaf's I'd do anything for love. The sudden ring ring of her cell phone made her choke on her coffee.
"Crap" Olivia cursed while she grabbed for the device. Not bothering to look who the caller was, she opened it.
"Be…nson" Liv choked in her phone.
"Hi Liv this is Lizzie"
"Hi sweetie how are you?"
"I'm fine what about you? What are you doin' on a Saturday morning?" Lizzie asked, hoping that Olivia didn't have big plans for her weekend. She looked around the kitchen table and saw that her three older siblings, Dickie, Katie and Maureen, looked just as hopeful as she felt.
"I'm just soaking in the tub. What about…" Olivia was interrupted by a gasp and a "WOW" from Dickie.
Then a slap and a "Shut your friggin' mouth u idiot. Now she ain't gonna help us move."
Lizzie cleared her throat "Ehm sorry Liv that was Dickie. We're all sittin' in the kitchen and I turned the phone on speaker. Sorry 'bout that." Another slap and an ouch from Dickie.
Olivia smiled at the kids. She knew Dickie had a crush on her for years. "You okay Dickie? They didn't slap you too hard, right?"
At the Stabler's Dickie looked at his sisters who glared at him for not controlling his 'emotions' for Olivia.
"Hi Liv. Ehm no they didn't. I'm not exactly fine, though" Kathleen rolled her eyes
"God Dickie you're unbelievable. Liv you should probably get outta the tub. Dickie looks a little… in thought"
"Okay gimme a minute" Olivia laughed but got out of the tub. "Crap" she cursed again.
"What? Liv you okay" Maureen asked. Her voice full of concern.
In this moment Elliot walked into the kitchen wearing boxers and a shirt. "Mornin' guys. What's goin' on here?" He asked his kids. Not knowing that they were on the phone with his partner.
"We called Liv and something happened." Lizzie answered just as concerned as her sister.
"Wait what? Hey Liv you okay? Still drunk from yesterday or what?" Elliot asked with a smirk.
"I wasn't the one singing Total Eclipse of the Heart from the top of my lungs into the night on my way to my apartment. I'm fine my towel just fell into the tub and I was triyin' to get to the closet to get a new one and I sorta slipped but everything's fine now but I still don't have a towel" she muttered the last part and laughed at another gasp from Dickie. And another slap from one of his sisters.
Kathleen slapped her brother's head. Why were boys like this? Yes yes Liv was the most gorgeous woman but Olivia almost fell. She could have hit her head or something and Dickie just thought about how Olivia now stood naked in her bathroom.
"Argh Dickie you're such a guy." "Hey why just me Dad is just the same" Four heads turned and stared at their dad.
"Hey what about me?" Elliot stood there leaning against the kitchen counter a coffee mug in one hand a can in the other looking like a deer caught in headlights.
"You thought about Olivia standing naked in her bathroom" Dickie told him with a serious look on his face.
Elliot blushed "Ehm…No I didn't", followed by scoffs from his kids.
Olivia cleared her throat and smirked "Guys I'm still here. I'm alive and I now am securely wrapped in a towel. What was the actual reason you called me this morning?"
Realization hit the kids "Right right you know Liv. We kids are changing rooms and we want to go to the store today with mom and dad to buy new stuff for our rooms and paint. And yeah... well" Kathleen started to stutter.
So Lizzie took over "We want to ask if you would come with us and help us chose the paint and the furniture. You know dad's taste and moms isn't that much better. We thought you'd be a big help and dad told us that you wanted to paint your bedroom so it'd help you, too. Please Livvie"
Olivia smiled at the girls begging "I'd love to go to the store with you today kids."
"But we didn't ask you THE question yet." Dickie said
"Well then shoot"
"Mom is gonna take Eli to a friend on Rhode Island today so we'd also need your help with the actual painting. Of course we'd help you the painting of your bedroom, too" Dickie told her this and crossed his fingers.
"Sure"
"What?" Four voices shouted
Elliot interfered as he saw the four shocked faces "Not only that Olivia needs an excuse to cancel the date with Langan, who is begging for a date for years. But, Kids that woman would do everything for you" Elliot stated matter-of-factly while reading the Ledger.
"Really Olivia? You would spend today and tomorrow with us. Painting and rearranging our rooms?" Kathleen asked, still in shock.
"Yes of course. Like your father already put it so nicely I don't want to go out with that guy and sure I want to spend my week end with you guys. You sound like you didn't expect me to agree." Olivia said.
Lizzie looked at her siblings. Deciding what to say next. "Thank you Olivia that is so nice of you and we appreciate it a lot we just thought that. Well dad was right. He said that we shouldn't worry and just ask you right away 'cause you love us and you'd do a lot for us" She said the last part quiet and a little shy.
Olivia was touched by the child's words and the emotions coming with it. "Ah hush Lizzie. I'd really love to do the painting and other stuff with you. And well sometimes you should listen to your dad. He's right I love you guys a lot but I wouldn't do a lot for you" a moment of silence and a sharp intake of breath from one of the kids "I'd do anything for you" she finished.
"We love you too" the Stabler kid's said in unison. Lizzie had tears in her eyes and whispered another thank you… for everything.
They agreed on meeting in two hours in front of the store. After saying the final "Good-byes " and "Thank-yous" Olivia hang up and sat on her couch thinking about how important those kids were to her.