Author's Notes: Nothing belongs to me …how sad!

This story has been written in its entirety and should be posted on a regular basis over then next few weeks. Some chapters are twice as long as others but they were the natural breaks in the story.

A big thank you to Sam for all her encouragement!

Thank you for the wonderful response it continues to amaze me…

This chapter's for Blissful Curses...with love and thanks!

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Next Afternoon

Getting the twins discharged and their follow up appointments scheduled were the easy things for Elliot to contend with. Getting Lizzie into his car when she realised he would be taking her home was an entirely different matter.

"No!" she screamed, drawing stares from people passing by. "Don't make me!"

"Lizzie, honey," Elliot soothed, "we need to go home. That's where all your things are."

"No! I don't want to go!" she yelled at her father.

"Lizzie, it's okay," said Dickie from within the vehicle. "Come on in."

"No!" Elliot went to take her hand but she wrenched it free, hitting him in the face in the process.

"Lizzie!" He tried not to growl but he couldn't help it.

Maureen and Kathleen stood back watching not really sure how to deal with their little sister. Olivia did though. She walked over to them. Elliot stood up and moved aside as his youngest daughter threw herself into Olivia's open arms. Olivia picked her up and Lizzie wrapped her long legs around Olivia's waist. She walked away with her before sitting down on a nearby bench. Lizzie rested her head in the crook of Olivia's neck and sucked on her thumb, something she hadn't done in a long, long time.

Elliot watched from his car, knowing his partner was getting through to his daughter. Quietly Kathleen and Maureen climbed into the car, still watching their Auntie Liv with their youngest sibling.

Eventually Elliot walked over to the bench and sat down beside them. He opened his arms and hoped his daughter would come to him but instead she clung tighter to Olivia. Olivia reached over and took one of Elliot's hands in hers.

"El, Libby isn't quite sure about going home," Olivia said quietly while gently rocking the child still fastened to her. "Now, I've explained that she does need to go home and although things won't be the same without her mom there, it's still her home and she understands that."

Elliot nodded and reached out to stroke Lizzie's hair but she just glared at him.

"I've told her it's not going to be easy but she needs to remember she has so many people who love her and she'll be okay. Isn't that right, Libby?" Olivia kissed her head and the child nodded. Elliot reached over and wiped his thumb over the tears sitting on Olivia's cheek, she smiled at him "So, we've come up with a deal, if she goes home with you now, and lets me go home to shower, change and get some sleep, I'll come over with Burger King's for dinner about seven."

"Wendy's," Lizzie mumbled around her thumb.

"Oh right, sorry, Wendy's. Is that alright with you, El?" she asked, looking deeply into her partner's dark blue eyes. She didn't want to intrude more than she already had at this time.

"More than okay, Olivia," he said quietly, grateful he would only have to wait a few hours to see her again.

Olivia carried the child back across to the car. Maureen opened the door and Olivia leaned in and deposited the child into her seat.

"I love you Auntie Livvy," Lizzie whispered into Olivia's ear.

"I love you too, Libby, and I'll see you real soon." She kissed Lizzie's forehead, while Maureen reached over and secured the seatbelt for her. When all three backseat passengers were ready, Olivia stepped back and closed the door. She looked in at Kathleen sitting in the front seat and smiled at her.

She turned around and found herself face to face with Elliot. She hadn't had a chance to talk to him at all since this began, to offer him her condolences but now with four sets of eyes peering out from the car it didn't seem the place either. Instead she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him.

"Thank you so much, Livvy, for everything…," Elliot said quietly, squeezing her tightly.

She drew back and looked into his eyes. "You are more than welcome."

"I don't know how…" he began before she put her finger to his lips.

She tilted her head towards the car. "Now's not the time." She hugged him tightly again before kissing his cheek and opening his car door.

Once he had slid into his seat, put his seatbelt on and turned the key, she shut the door and waved them off. She stood and watched them drive down the road towards the place which they had always known as home but would never feel the same again.

Olivia opened the door to her apartment and the gentle fragrance of her lavender bath still wafted in the silent apartment. Throwing her things on the sofa she headed for the shower and stripped off as she waited for the water to heat. When ready, she cautiously stepped in and allowed the pulsating hot water to flow over her head and down her back, though she often found this soothing it wasn't working today. She washed quickly before stepping out and drying herself off.

Dressing again in the Wonder Woman pj's she had so rapidly discarded the day before, she caught sight of herself in the mirror. Tears clouded her chocolate eyes making her own reflection blurry; it would take more than a superhero to make it alright for the people she loved the most.

Slipping between the sheets, she pulled the quilt up around her, shuddering when she thought about the most precious children in her life and how they would cope without their mother. Then she thought of her own mother and how she wished their life together had been so very different, but how she missed her anyway. Quietly she began to sob into her pillow, she sobbed long and hard and somehow through the pain she fell asleep.

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