Part 29
a/n: yarr, bring on the
kiddies!
a/n: sorry about that,
got a new job (eeeee!)
Elliot and Liv were already gone by the time Alex and Bob emerged from their room.
"They left a note," Alex said when she found it. "It says they hope they won't be back for dinner, and good luck with your interview in the morning, Bob."
Bob hugged Alex from behind and they both looked out the window over the city,
"I hope things go well for them tonight," he said.
"Me too."
Elliot killed the engine, and Abby killed the heavy silence with her happy babbling. He had been watching Olivia on the ride over and he'd never seen her so worried or nervous. Liv glanced up at the house and started reciting facts and figures,
"Alright. Lizzie is 14, she loves soccer and X-men, Dickie likes to be called Rick now, he's 14 too. He likes Jessica Alba and wants to be a police officer like his dad. Kathleen is 18, she's almost done high school and is attending NYU in the fall for early-childhood studies. Maureen is-" Elliot rested his hand on hers to stop her fidgeting.
"Liv, relax, everything is going to be fine. They love you, and they'll love Abby."
"Hoping that if you say that enough it'll turn true?" Liv asked anxiously. Elliot bit his tongue to prevent his mouth from responding, and a questioning thought about Maureen's status slid through his mind.
"What is Maureen up to?" Olivia asked, momentarily distracted.
Elliot had to think; "I haven't heard from her in a few weeks, I'm not sure. Everything was fine last I knew." He felt guilty as realized he'd been so distracted with his newest daughter that he had neglected his eldest. "I'm sure Kathy's heard from her," he said.
And then they fell into silence.
"Well…" she trailed off. She sighed and undid her seatbelt. "Better get this over with."
"Wait," Elliot said, needing to get something off his chest. He took her hand. "I just want you to know that whatever happens, I'll always love you."
She tilted her head, "Thanks. It's not exactly the most comforting thing I've ever heard, but thanks. I love you too."
He got a quick kiss out of her, and they then mutually decided to get a move on.
Elliot was halfway to the house with the baby bag and portable crib when Kathy stepped out onto the porch.
"Well, it's about time you two!" she teased happily, "Any longer and I was going to come out and get you."
Elliot laughed and attempted to give his ex-wife a hug, squeezing her between the baby bags. Olivia, having just extracted Abby from the car, watched the exchange and felt a sudden pang of jealousy flit through her, but then she was more distracted by the sudden realization that more importantly she was standing in front of her fiancé's ex-wife, and holding his new child. She'd been so distracted by how the kids would react and how they would treat their sister that she'd forgotten entirely about Kathy!
She and Kathy had never been terribly close before; things between them had always been friendly…ish. But right then all of her memories of their amiable banter at the family picnics and squad baseball games, and their last discussion in the hospital before she went into witness protection, the one that finally convinced her that protection was for the best, those memories all fled her mind while she panicked right there on the walkway. It had only been nine months, but so much had changed… What if-
"Oh, come on Olivia, get up here. I won't bite," Kathy said, holding the door open. "It's really nice to be able to see you again," she continued as they walked into the house. Kathy actually sounded genuine, which Olivia had to admit surprised her. "Now please, can I meet the new addition?" Kathy asked.
Liv couldn't help but smile as she held Abby up for inspection, and Kathy's little 'ooh's' and 'she's beautiful' didn't hurt either. Olivia felt her distress melting. Then she felt Elliot wrap his arm around her, and she could see he was grinning like a fool.
Kathy took the little girl into her arms, "Hello Abby, I'm Kathy," she said, and Abby grabbed for some of her hair, making her laugh. "Ah yes, babies," she said as she extracted her hair. "Come on you two, the kids'll be here any minute. You need to see the new kitchen before they destroy it."
They settled in the newly remodeled kitchen (it was really nice, even had a working garberator), while Kathy made tea. She and Elliot caught up on their children: Kathleen and Dick-Rickie were at the mall. Kathleen had a job at a local daycare for the summer, and Rick was working on some video game or another. Lizzie was at soccer practice; she'd made it onto the AAA team. This impressed Liv, who'd had her own difficulty making it onto that team when she'd been a teen.
Elliot was a little distressed to find out that Kathy hadn't heard from Maureen in over a week either.
"Maybe she's gone on another trip to the Alps," Elliot suggested. Kathy shrugged, and then took Abby into her arms again.
"Hello you. Ah, you do like my hair, don't you? Ow, ow." Kathy tried to pull her hair loose again when the front door opened.
Rick's voice filtered back to them,
"Kathleen, I'm telling you that's dad's car. Hey, and those have to be dad's shoes! Dad!" Dickie called. Elliot was already up and moving to the front door at the sound of his children.
"Daddy!" Kathleen said happily, "I missed you so much!"
"I missed you too," the ladies heard Elliot say. Liv got up, but when she reached for her baby, Abby had tangled herself in Kathy's hair again,
"Go on, I'll be right behind you," Kathy said, not really rushing to loosen the baby.
"Aw, I missed you guys too," Elliot said as Liv passed through the door to see two of his kids giving him a big hug.
"Does this mean Olivia's here too?" Kathleen asked hopefully.
"Hi," Liv said nervously.
"Olivia!" Rick yelled. Liv's eyes widened at the size of the guy, the little boy she'd left behind was gone. But he was still the same person inside, proven as he raised his hand and they exchange their old secret handshake greeting of props and hand slaps that culminated in a thumb war that Rick won for the first time. He went off crowing in victory while Kathleen moved in for her hug,
"I'm so glad you're home and safe," the young woman said. Olivia couldn't believe how wonderful and welcoming these children were, or how much love she felt for them.
"Thanks Kathleen," she said, sniffing.
"So, where were you?" Rick asked excitedly, "A government safe house in Nebraska? Did they send you to Guam? You were in Guam, weren't you, you're all tanned."
Kathleen rolled her eyes at his exuberance. "Lizzie thinks they sent you to the southwest," she said, "she calculated out the flight times." Olivia tried to answer, but Elliot interrupted,
"Where is Lizzie?" he asked.
"Soccer practice, down at the park. She should be back soon," Kathleen said. Olivia realized that Kathleen was watching her and Elliot very closely. But all further questioning was cut off by Kathy's voice as she walked out of the kitchen,
"You really like my hair, don't you, baby girl?" she said, smiling at her family. The older children went slack-jawed, the shock waves radiating off them.
"Whoa, uh…baby," Rick managed to say. The two just stared as Kathy put the baby in Elliot's arm, and he hugged Olivia with the other. The older children's eyes were darting, trying to take everything in. Finally Kathleen's stunned silence started to melt as she drifted towards the baby,
"Dad?" she asked. He smiled nervously at his older children and hugged Olivia closer to his side, Abby staring out with curiosity.
"Kathleen, Rick, I'd like you to meet your sister, Abby."
Kathleen couldn't keep away from the baby any longer. She came up to her dad's other side and looked down at the girl in his arms.
"Hi Abby," she said, and got a big toothless grin in response. A little fist went for Kathleen's long hair. "Whoa, careful there," she said, offering her finger instead. Kathleen smiled and cooed at the little girl, her lineage apparent. "Can I hold her, Dad?"
"Sure."
The transfer took place at the couch, and Elliot noticed that Rick hadn't moved over with the rest of them. He left a cooing Kathleen and a calming Olivia on the couch.
"Dad," Rick said seriously, staring his father in the eye, "I have to register a complaint." Elliot just nodded, dreading what his son had to say. But then Rick broke into a grin and punched his dad in the arm, "You do realize it's your fault that I now have four sisters! FOUR! Man, it is never going to be my turn in the bathroom." Elliot laughed and put his arm around his son. Elliot caught a sly look from the younger man, "I have to say we were kinda expecting it, but man you move fast," Rick said, then stopped smiling for a beat, "Dude, Lizzie's going to freak."
TBC…
