Author's Note: Two chapters in a couple hours! That's gotta be some kind of record for me :) Anyways, I hope you like this chapter too...it gets a little climactic at the end (which I think is good) Anyways here ya go! ENJOY!

Disclaimer: Not mine...bummer right?

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

"Okay Lucy, it's time to go now." Olivia said as she walked into Lizzie's room to see the two girls playing with the doll house again.

"Do we gotta?" Lucy whined. "Can I stay here? I be good I promise." She pleaded as she smiled her sweetest smile.

"Lucy, by the time we get home it will be bed time baby girl. You were over here all day, you even ate dinner with them sweetie. You have to give them a break okay?" Lucy nodded with a frown on her face. "And Lizzie and Dickie have school tomorrow so they have to go to bed soon too, and mommy has to work." Olivia said as she picked her daughter up. "But you will get to see them tomorrow after school, okay? Mommy is going to drop you off here tomorrow morning again so she and Elliot can ride to work together, and Kathleen is coming over here to watch you and Eli until Lizzie and Dickie get home tomorrow."

Lucy rubbed her eyes tiredly, "You pwomise mommy?" She asked her mother.

"Pinky promise baby." Olivia said as she held out her pinky. "Now go put your shoes on for me okay?" Lucy nodded and was put down before racing out of Lizzie's bedroom to put on her shoes.

"Liv?" Lizzie said as she hopped onto her bed.

"Yes Lizzie?" Olivia asked, pretty sure that she knew where this conversation was about to go.

"Are you and…are you…well…" Lizzie couldn't get the words out of her mouth. "Are you dating my dad?" She finally spit out as Dickie was walking past the door. He froze then leaned against the door frame and stared at her waiting for the answer, making Olivia feel like she had just been cornered.

"Guys, I think that's something your dad-" Olivia tried to talk her way out of it but was cut off by an annoyed teenage boy.

"Olivia, we aren't little kids anymore." He said. "Would you just admit that you two are dating? God!" He yelled at her.

"Dickie! Don't yell at her, she didn't do anything!" Lizzie yelled back at her brother.

"Lizzie! She's trying to outright lie to us!" He spat back.

"Well maybe if you'd let her explain! God! It's like you were raised in a barn!" She sent back before Olivia intervened in the bickering.

"If I answer your question, will this argument stop?" She pleaded.

"Yea." Lizzie and Dickie said in unison as they snuck a smile at one another quickly, knowing their plan had worked just like they wanted it to.

"Yes, your father and I are dating. Okay?" Olivia said before hearing Lucy yell for her. "Now I have to go, don't go teasing your father okay?" She said as she left the room.

Dickie stepped aside so Olivia could walk out before walking into his sister's room. "Nice touch with the 'It's like you were born in a barn' it was really good."

"Thanks. You're getting really good at acting angry." She complimented back. "I feel like I should be worried about that, but I think I will worry later and celebrate now." She said as she layed back on her bed smiling.

"Thanks sis, you think it's gonna last though?" He asked his sister as he went to sit in her desk chair.

"Why wouldn't it? They are perfect for each other." She answered. "I mean, you saw dad after she left. He was a total wreck!"

"Yea I know but still, what if they decide that they liked it better when they were lying to themselves." He questioned. "Like before."

"Dickie! You saw them through the peephole tonight! How could they want to go back?" She tried to yell quietly. "Now, I'm going to take a shower, so can you get out please?" She said, wanting to end the conversation.

"Fine, but don't take too long, I want to shower tonight too." He replied as he walked out of his sister's bedroom.

As Olivia walked out of the room she noticed Elliot helping Lucy put her shoes on. She guessed that her daughter had tried to put them on the wrong feet. "Lucy, if you put them on the wrong feet then they don't do what they're supposed to." Elliot said to the little girl.

"Oh." She replied.

"Elliot, she tried and that's all that matters right now." Olivia said as she walked over. "Ready Lucy?"

"Yea!" Lucy said with excitement.

"All right, let's go then." Elliot walked with them to the door.

"Bye Lucy." He said as he leaned down and then stood up again, "Bye Liv." He said before kissing her quickly.

"Lucy wait, mommy has to get the mail." Olivia said as she watched Lucy race to the elevator. "Lucy, will you come get the mail please?" She asked, trying to get her daughter to be closer to her.

"Okay mommy." Lucy said as she ran towards her mother.

Olivia grabbed the mail out of the box then went to the elevator with Lucy. The two got in the elevator and talked about their day while they waited for their floor. When they finally got there Lucy was starting to doze where she stood.

"Lucy, let's get you to bed okay?" Olivia offered.

"Otay." Lucy said quietly as her mother opened the door and threw everything that was in her arms onto the kitchen table before walking with her daughter to the purple bedroom and helping her get ready for bed.

"Night Lucy. I love you." Olivia said as she tucked her daughter in. "Sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite." She added as Lucy smiled.

Olivia quietly walked out of the little girl's bedroom and back to the kitchen table for the mail. It had been a couple weeks now since Brayden had tried to take the girls back and Olivia was starting to feel better about the incident…until she opened a large envelope that had been in her mail.

She dug through her purse quickly for her cell phone as she stared at the papers. As soon as she grabbed it she dialed Elliot's number.

"Elliot! Come on pick up Elliot!" She yelled at the phone, trying to hold the flood of tears back.

"Olivia? Are you okay?" She heard his voice.

"Elliot…" She was in tears now. "El…he's…he's…" She couldn't get the words out over the sobs that were tearing through her now.

"Liv? What's wrong? Are you okay? Is Lucy okay? What's wrong?" Elliot raced through his questions.

Olivia managed to hold her sobs back for just long enough to tell him what was wrong, "El, he filed for full custody….he's trying to take her away Elliot! He's trying to take my baby!" She sobbed.

"Olivia, I won't let that happen, ever. I promise." He said, trying to calm her. "Now take a breath, Lucy is okay, she is in her room, she is asleep, there is no threat to her in your apartment so go to sleep and we will deal with this in the morning okay?" He said, knowing she was exhausted.

"Okay." She replied shortly. "Night El, I love you." She said before hanging up, realizing she had rarely ever said that before and she liked how the words rolled off her tongue.

Olivia walked into her bedroom and collapsed on the bed before taking off her heeled boots one after the other. Then she looked down at her outfit and realized that she couldn't sleep in it so she slowly got up and found a pair of sweats and Elliot's NYPD shirt that he had left her.

She crawled back into bed, taking the time to pull the covers off first this time and curled up under them trying to calm down.

"I love you El." She quietly whispered before falling asleep.

I 3 reviews :)

Warning: This may be the last update until next weekend, I have exams this week that will unfortunately be taking up all my time, but I will get as many chapters out as I can next weekend (cuz it's another three day weekend :)) THANKS!