Disclaimer: My story, not my characters!
The next morning, the kids took their father back to the hospital to be with Maureen. They had asked to keep the car so they could do some errands, but the main reason was so that Lizzie could go and talk to her mother. Dickie told them he didn't want to see her. As far as he was concerned, Kathy Elaine Stabler was nothing to him anymore. Although they wanted their brother to be apart, both Lizzie and Kathleen had agreed he didn't have to go. Both girls knew that they mother needed a good kick in the butt and they had to do it before their mother sent Olivia off to jail for defending their sister.
As they reached the jail, the two girls signed in and asked to speak to Kathy Stabler. They were escorted down a long, narrow hallway, and then a big gray door opened where there was a sitting area with glass that divided the prisoners from the civilians. Lizzie and Kathleen waited a few minutes before their mother walked in on the other side and picked up the phone. The girl's followed their mother's steps as they looked through the glass.
"My babes. How are you?" Kathy asked excited to see them.
Kathleen continued to look through the glass as Lizzie began to speak. As far as Kathleen was concerned, she had nothing to say to her mother and she wasn't going to try. She wanted her mother locked up and Olivia out of trouble.
"Mom, what were you thinking? Why did you hurt Maureen like that?" Lizzie asked getting emotional.
Kathy hung her head as she responded, "Sweetie, believe me I didn't mean to. I just lost it. I couldn't help myself and I just lost it."
"Yeah mom, we know. You have really lost…what makes you think you can hurt Maureen then hurt Olivia. She didn't do anything to you mom and you are trying to make her suffer for your mistake."
"What," Kathy asked appalled. "I didn't do anything to that bitch, she got everything she deserved. She had no right putting her hands on me."
Lizzie shook her head. Her mother didn't understand what Olivia really meant to them and Lizzie was tired of playing games.
"Mom, make this right. Olivia did nothing but protect us and love us…something you were suppose to be doing, but didn't."
"Lizzie Marie Stabler, I'm still your mother. Don't use that tone of voice with me," Kathy said.
Kathleen who was watching the whole commotion play out snatched the receiver from her sister's hand and put it to her ear.
"Mom, you either fix this or you lose us completely. We don't give a damn what you say or how you feel anymore. You hurt your own child, what kind of mother does that?"
Kathy was about to speak but Kathleen continued, "If you really cared about us the way Olivia does, you wouldn't be here, we wouldn't be in this predicament, and you would still have your kids. You ruined all of that by your nasty ass actions that landed my older sister in ICU and my best friend without a job. Fix it dammit, fix it!"
Kathleen threw the receiver down and walked toward the gray door. She was done talking. She had said what she needed her mother to hear and if that didn't get her attention then nothing would.
Lizzie slowly stood putting the receiver back on the hook and looked at her mother. Lizzie wanted so bad to cry, but she wasn't going to break down in front of her mother. She was going to be strong like Olivia had taught her. Lifting her head high, Lizzie walked away from the glass never looking back as her mother hollered her name as well as Kathleen's. Lizzie felt Kathleen's arm cover her shoulders as they walked out together, proud of themselves for standing up to their mother and doing what was right. They had gotten their first errand done and now they were headed to Olivia's. They need to talk and they needed to find out if she was alright.
Elliot sat, watching his eldest daughter in pain. He hated seeing children hurt or in pain, but this was his daughter…he was about to lose his mind. His baby girl was hurt and the person that hurt her was her own damn mother. Elliot couldn't wrap his head around it. He began thinking of his other kids and how they were affected by their mother's actions. Dickie didn't want to ever mention Kathy's name again, Kathleen made it very clear she wanted nothing to do with her anymore, and Lizzie said she could never forgive her mother for what she had done to her sister and to their family. All those times that he noticed Kathy acting different or being way too harsh and he never picked up on it. He was too engrossed in his job and his partner to notice his ex-wife's changing behavior which could've prevented this entire situation. Elliot could kill himself for letting this happen to Maureen. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard his daughter's voice.
"Yes sweetie?" Elliot asked as he ran to her side.
"Why am I still here?" Maureen asked trembling.
Elliot kissed her hands before responding, "Sweetie, you are still have lacerations and bruising that hasn't healed yet and I don't want to take you home until you are completely well."
Maureen began to sob as she realized that her situation was way worse than she thought. God she hated her mother. If it weren't for her, she wouldn't be in this hospital. Maureen looked at her father and thought of Olivia.
"Where is Liv?" Maureen asked curious.
"Sweetie…Liv is…she needs some time. Something happened at work and she just needs to get herself situated, ok."
"What? What happened at work and why won't she come see me? Is it me, dad, is it because I fought her thinking she was mom?"
Elliot shook his head trying to calm Maureen down, "No sweetie. She loves you; she is just dealing with something. She'll come see you as soon as she can, I know she will."
Elliot sat on the bed and wrapped his arms around his daughter. He hated seeing her like this broken and distraught. He had to get in touch with Olivia. Maureen needed her and the kids needed her, hell who was he kidding…he needed her.
The sun was beginning to set when Lizzie, Kathleen, and Dickie pulled up at Olivia's apartment. There were dogs barking and people standing on the street talking. The air was stuffy from the cigarette smoke and car smoke that filled the air.
They walked up the steps and him her apartment number as they waited for her to answer. They buzzed twice before she asked who it was. Dickie answered, telling her who it was and that they needed to talk to her. They heard the door buzz as they pushed against the screen and hopped on the elevator to meet Olivia.
She was waiting on them at the elevator. She was worried something was wrong and that they would have to leave as soon as they came up. Much to her surprise the kids looking completely calm.
"What's going on guys," Olivia asked worried.
Kathleen sighed, "We're fine Liv. We need to talk to you and you may want to be sitting down for this."
Olivia looked at all the children before she turned on her heels and headed back down the hall to her apartment. She wasn't ready for whatever they were about to lay on her, but it was obviously important. She opened the door, signaling for them to enter first and she followed closing the door once everyone was inside. She told them to have a seat as she sat down herself.
"So…what is it guys? Is your father and Maureen ok?" Olivia asked clearly nervous.
Lizzie spoke first, "Well…we went to see mom today."
Olivia's eyes got even bigger as she looked from Lizzie to Dickie to Kathleen. "What for?"
"We wanted to talk to her. We wanted her to drop the charges against you and to leave you alone," Kathleen added.
Olivia shook her head at what she was hearing. They kids had visited their mother so they could help her out of her mess. Love wasn't even the word to express how much she cared for these kids and the fact that they had tried to help her only made her deepen the love for them.
"Does your father know you guys went," Olivia asked knowing if Elliot knew anything…she would know something about it already.
Dickie licked his lips, "No. We didn't need him telling us we shouldn't do it. It was something we had to do. I didn't go, but I think she got the picture after what Lizzie and Kathleen told her."
Olivia rubbed her face. This was crazy. This entire situation was crazy. Olivia began pacing the floor of her apartment as she took in everything that led up to this moment. It had all happened so fast that she felt like she had missed something, but every little detail came back to her perfectly.
Kathleen looked at Lizzie and Dickie. They didn't know what to think. Olivia was pacing the floor and they weren't sure if she was upset or grateful. Kathleen decided to break the silence.
"Liv, we told her that if she didn't drop the charges then she could forget about us being her children," Kathleen remarked. "If she couldn't let the one person who had been there for us be a part of our lives, then we weren't going to be a part of hers."
Olivia began crying as her thoughts took over and her emotions poured out of her pores. Nothing could top this moment and the appreciation these kids deserved she was more than willing to give. She stretched out her arms telling them to hug her as she kissed each one of them.
Olivia looked down at them and smiled. "Thank you guys. This really means a lot."
Dickie looked back at Olivia, "Liv, you need to talk to dad. He is about to lose it. All he does is talk to himself about you and him getting a new partner."
Olivia sniffed as she tried to stop her nose from running. She knew she was driving Elliot crazy, but she needed space to think, something Elliot never understood. Olivia couldn't put him through anymore pain. Olivia grabbed her purse and ushered the teens out the door as she decided she would take a trip to the hospital and check on Elliot and Maureen.
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