Title-Healing Chapter Two Author- garrettelliot Summary- Kathy's mother has something to say. Disclaimer- If they were mine, yeah I know wishing does no good. Dick Wolf is a very selfish man. Authors Note- FaithHopeLove you are the woman. Thanks for the beta and the encouragement. As I said in the note at the beginning of chapter one I love O/E pairings but this one just wouldn't let me go.

As Elliot and Dickie loaded the car, El could hear Kathy's mother, Mary tearing into her. The arguments were nothing new. Mary was on Kathy about something at least once a week since they had started dating. El just wished Kathy hadn't asked him not to step in. There were a few things he'd wanted to say to Mary Donohue for years.

"Dickie, go get your sisters and wait in the car, okay. I'm gonna go get Mom." Elliot walked into the hallway and started toward the living room door.

"Kathryn Elizabeth, I cannot believe how naïve you're being about this man. He leaves you alone, sometimes for days while he's off with his 'partner', not that I believe they're working all that time, and now you just take him back? You are a fool if you think he's in love with you. You are much better off without him."

"Mom, Elliot does love me and he's never been unfaithful. I don't believe he could cheat on me; he's not the kind of man who breaks his word. As for Olivia Benson, she is one of the best friends either Elliot or I have ever had and she wouldn't do anything to hurt either one of us. I wouldn't trust anyone else to watch Elliot's back."

"Humph, his back's not all she's watching or touching, I'm sure. I wish to God, I'd never let you marry him, pregnant or not. You know he only married you because you got pregnant and the ink wasn't even dry on the marriage license before he left you. He'll do it again, mark my words."

"Mom, Elliot didn't leave me. He joined the Marines to earn money for college, so he could support us. I'm the one who left him and now, thank God, he's taking me back. I love El and I want to be a family again. If you can't be happy for me at least do me the courtesy of shutting up!"

'That's my girl,' Elliot thought. 'Don't let the old bat get to you this time, baby.

"Don't you tell me to shut up. Is that the way I raised you, to disrespect your mother?"
"No, you raised me to be angry at the world and suspicious of my husband, a man whose has never lied to me or mistreated me in any way. You poured poison into me until I hurt the most loving, wonderful man I've ever known. A man whose only fault was in trying too hard to protect me from the horrible things he has to deal with every day."

"That's another thing, that filth he deals with. You wade through muck and some is bound to rub off on you. Margaret Murphy's son started out read those filthy magazines and now he's in jail."

"Tim Murphy was a twisted pervert in grade school and you know it. He was groping little girls on the playground in second grade. When I told you he shoved his hand down my pants in junior high you said 'Boys will always try, if a girl acts easy." As if it were my fault. If one of you parents had listened back then, that poor woman might not have been raped."

"Poor woman indeed, two children and never married. She was no better than she had to be."

"So she deserved it? Mother that is the most ridiculous thing you've ever said. Why do I even bother to listen to you?"

"Because I know what life is really like. Your father, may God have mercy on his soul, was just like Elliot. Putting on a good front, but just waiting to run around with the first slut he finds."

"Okay Mom, that's it. Time for some truth, you made Daddy's life a living hell. You were always accusing him and snooping through his pockets, trying to catch him. Maybe he finally decided he was damned if he did and damned if he didn't, so he went looking for a little warmth. God knows you made this house a freezer.

"Your day will come, girl. You're not getting any younger. Do you really think he loves you? Those children you tied him down with will grow up and move out and you'll be yesterday's news."

"We are finished with this discussion, Mom."

"Oh no, you're going to listen. You wouldn't listen when you were a teenager and look where it got you. You whored around until you finally trapped some boy into marrying you and now that you're about to be free you go running back to him. Just so he can hurt you again."

"Whored around? Damn it, Mother. I was not a whore. I have slept with one man in my entire life. Are you ever going to forgive either one of us for not waiting until we were married? Don't you think I know I trapped Elliot, even if I didn't mean to? He could have gone so much further if he hadn't had four children to support. I just thank God, he never hated me for tying him down so young." Kathy began crying. "The only one who hurt me was me. I allowed your vile accusations to convince me that my husband didn't love me. That he couldn't love me. Well guess what Mom, Elliot is not Daddy and I refuse to be you. Now I'm going home with my husband and try to make it up to him. You can take all your bitterness at the mess you made of your marriage and all your 'advice' and shove them up your ass. If you want a place in my life, you will keep your mouth off Elliot. I never want to hear another word about my husband or his partner from you. If you can't respect him because I love him, then at least respect him because he gave you four grandchildren who love you." Kathy turned and walked out of the living room, straight into Elliot.

"You okay, babe?" El put his arms around her.

"Just take me home. I just want to go home, Elliot." She laid her head on his shoulder. "How can anyone live like that, so full of anger at life. I never realized until tonight how bitter she really is."

The living room door opened and Mary stood looking at them. "Well you've finally turned her against me." She said to Elliot. "You two deserve each other, a fool and the silly tart he got pregnant."

Elliot had had enough. "Mary, I have put up with you insulting me for years but you are not going to keep insulting Kathy. You've hurt her enough." His voice had a lethal calm any perp who had gone up against him would recognize.

"I will speak to my daughter as I see fit."

"Mary…" Elliot began.

Kathy put a hand on El's shoulder. "Let's go home baby I think everyone has said enough tonight." Kathy said. "Mom, I love you. Please be happy for me." She kissed Mary on the cheek. "Night, Mom." Kathy turned, took Elliot's hand and walked out.

Elliot stopped her in the yard. "I wish you'd let me tell her what I think just once. I'm sick of the way she treats you, baby and you refuse to let me stand up for you."

"Elliot, it wouldn't do any good. She's bitter at the entire world and she's disappointed in me because I will not be miserable with her. God I hope I never end up like that. I don't want to be like her."
Elliot held her tightly. "Baby, you are nothing like your mother. Now let's go home."

TBC

A/N- As always, thank you FaithHopeLove, the best beta and email buddy a writer with no confidence ever had. If you hadn't encouraged me to post this one it would still be in my head. (Do you think the world might have been safer?) If anyone reading this hasn't read any of Faith's stuff, do yourself a favor; read all of her posts, she is amazing. Thanks to all of you who have reviewed so far I'll try to update soon but I'm bumming computer time and can only get to it on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I can promise there is more to this, possibly even a series.