"I don't think we can stay at my parents," Mo exclaimed breathlessly, collapsing beside her husband before immediately rolling into him, ready for more.
He laughed softly. "You'll be alright… I promise," he said, kissing her head. "Aren't we in Emma's room?"
"No, Kate and Beau. We got the guest room, and Dickie is in Noah's. He and Em are gonna sleep in Teddy's… obviously they're thrilled."
"Grandma?"
"Oh she's sleeping in Teddy's with them. They have that twin bed in there that matches his furniture. Remember we got it when we did his nursery cause there was a deal?"
"Oh yeah," he said with a laugh. "Glad it's coming in handy. What about Liz??" He asked with a laugh.
"Who knows," she snorted, straddling his hips with a shrug, her belly resting on his.
He cradled it with a smile and she looked over when her phone lit up with Liv's face.
"Uh oh," she said, furrowing her brow and leaning over to answer it.
"Hi Livie, everything okay? What? Okay… I'm on my way. Uh huh. Okay love you."
"What?" Carl asked with a frown.
"Kathleen is having a meltdown," she sighed, sitting up slowly. "I'm gonna go over there early. Will you make sure that grandma gets ready in time?"
"Course baby," he nodded, kissing her quickly as she raced to get dressed.
"Papa you are fired," Dickie grumbled after dropping a packet of tiny screws that went with the kitchen they were trying to build.
El laughed. "That's all your mom, bro," he said.
"You're supposed to keep mom sane," he said, pointing to the kitchen dramatically. "This isn't sane!"
"Son, I have no power in this house," he teased and Dickie laughed softly, sitting to pick up the screws.
"So your sister texted me and mom earlier," El said with a raised brow as Dickie suddenly got a little nervous.
"Oh?" He said, trying to stay casual.
"Uh huh… wants to bring her boyfriend to Christmas Eve," he said with a raised brow.
"Oh yeah? Hadn't heard."
"Richard."
"Dad she still hasn't forgiven me for when I told her secret when we were 10 why would I tell you this now?!"
"Cause you're almost 30???"
Dickie shuddered. "Don't remind me. My lips are sealed."
El's phone buzzed and he groaned as he squinted at the screen.
"Who is it?" He asked.
"Kathy."
"What's she want," he practically groaned.
"She bought everyone gifts I guess. Been bugging me and mom for a week," he sighed.
"Oh is that what tonight's family meeting is about?" he asked, turning his attention back to the tiny kitchen.
"Mhm," El said, closing out his texts. "How you doing with all that?"
He sighed. "Spending a lot of time boxing and even more time praying and in therapy."
"I'm proud of you though," he nodded. "Therapy is a huge thing for us Stabler men," he joked.
"Uh huh- you're fault," he winked and laughed. "But no seriously… we all found women who push us to be better. That's the key I think."
"Got that right," he breathed out. "You talk to your brother?"
"Eli? Yeah like every day… we've gotten so close it's been nice. And, we have a chat with just me, him, and Noah now, which is good too."
"I bet little dude loves that," El smiled proudly.
"He's obsessed. Super cute with it too. Hell be like 'hey guys, I don't mean to bug you but just wanted you to know I aced that test!' Or whatever," he laughed.
"You two walk on water. He's so proud to be your brother," he smiled at his oldest boy. "Pretty proud to be your dad, too."
"We'll keep ya," Dickie winked and El laughed.
"Eli and Sammi? He tell you anything? Mom said I'm not allowed to ask him anymore," El laughed softly.
"They're good! They are just loving those babies and one another… seems more calm and grounded which is good."
"Good," El nodded contentedly.
"And Mo is good? Liz is Liz? Kate?"
"Mo is good, Liz is Liz," he affirmed, picking up his phone when it buzzed. "And looks like Katie is having a meltdown. Shit," he muttered, answering his phone when Beau's face lit up his screen.
"Hey man. I'm down stairs with dad. Uh huh. Yeah come down. Okay. Okay bye."
"The hell happened?" El asked, crossing his arms and making himself look larger and more muscular than usual.
"Bought to find out," Dickie grumbled, cracking his knuckles.
Upstairs, Katie had finally gotten calmed down with the help of medicine, and was curled into Liv's chest just staring ahead.
By the time Mo had arrived, Emma was awake and making tea and coffee in the kitchen with Sam while Liv held her middle daughter.
"What happened," Mo breathed out, sitting beside them and wrapping her arms quickly and tightly around them both.
"Just having a hard day with some hard feelings," Liv said gently, with the kindness in her voice that they all loved so much.
"Talk to us?" Mo asked softly as her sisters joined them.
"I… We want a baby but I'm so scared," she whispered. "I'm so scared to pass them this… this curse," she choked out softly. "And I feel like I'm letting Beau down… over and over again."
"Has he said he feels let down?" Sam whispered.
"No.. not not at all I'm just… how could he not? We want kids… he wants kids. Always has! And now I'm stalling and stalling and we're only getting older."
"Baby… dad and I had Teddy when I was 53. There is always time. And, there's other options. Adoption for example."
"Donors," Mo said, gently brushing her sisters hair back as she sat up, sniffling.
"Or… you can just have a baby and know we'll all love it just like we love you… bipolar disorder or not," Emma shrugged casually, leaning into Sam.
Kathleen's tears started immediately and she reached for her youngest sister, pulling her for a tight hug.
"Hell did you do," Dickie said, arms crossed when Beau walked up.
"What? Nothing!" He cried with a frown, holding his hands up. "She's been super off the last few weeks."
"Off her meds?" El asked, concerned.
Beau sighed and held his face. "No.. well… not those meds," he mumbled.
"Ohhh," Dickie said, catching on quickly.
Elliot looked between the two with a raised brow. "What?"
The girls dispersed to see Eli, Noah, and the babies, leaving Kathleen for some alone time with Liv.
"Talk to me?" She whispered, leaning back. "Really talk to me?"
Katie nodded, wiping her eyes. "I uh… I stopped my birth control at the beginning of the month so uh… my hormones are fucked and it feels like my mind is more crazy than usual," she laughed half heartedly. "I'm sad and angry and lashing out and loving… poor Beau," she choked softly. "Mom, I haven't felt this horrid since I was diagnosed."
"Oh baby," she whispered, taking her hand and smiling small at the ease with which she called her mom. "Maybe you need to get back on them?"
"I want to but… I think that's what I'm struggling with. Every single time I think about it or want to talk about it I just like… my mind goes from one extreme to the next. I hate it."
"Have you talked to Beau? Shared this with him?"
She shook her head. "I try but then I… fear takes over and I can't. And then of course this Kathy shit doesn't help either."
"I'm so sorry baby," Liv whispered, her heart in shambles for her daughter. "What can dad and I do to help?"
"Tell her to fuck right off," she said sarcastically.
Liv offered a sad smile, trying to quell her own anger at her arch enemies sudden reappearance. "Kath aside… what about you? Can we help you look into adoption? Surrogacy? We paid for Mo's treatments, Dickie's baby furniture, and Eli's everything," she teased softly. "Ask and you shall receive."
"W-we have the money it's not that you know? Just like," she paused and sighed. "The decision. And the idea of planning a wedding seems so overwhelming… I think I just want to elope."
"Best decision dad and I ever made," Liv said decisively. "I say do it…"
"Dad wouldn't be upset? That he can't walk me down the aisle?"
"Course he will be," she teased, "but it'll go away quick when he realizes how happy you are. Plus, he's still got Emma."
"What about Liz?" She laughed softly.
"What about Liz," came a sarcastic tone from the front hallway as the door opened and Liz entered with Anna Kate on her hip and Sarah in tow.
"She's alive," Sarah said, and Liv laughed, noting her daughters appearance and sunglasses.
"Barely," Liv mused, motioning over for her. "Hi baby," she smiled when she sat on her other side.
"Hi mama," she yawned, passing Anna Kate to Liv when she reached.
"We we're just talking about how you'll never settle down."
"Mmmmhmmmm," Liz said, laying back on the couch. "I'm bringing a man home for Christmas so ha-ha."
Liv laughed and Sarah rolled her eyes smiling. "Sweet girl, let's go see your aunties and uncles and the babies!" She said cutely to Anna Kate, who after a final squish to her Cap, skipped off ahead of her mom.
"Who texted you and got you here?" Kathleen asked.
"All of them. And I made it, record time. You okay?" She asked, sitting up just enough to lay her head against their mom and look across her at her sister.
"Having a hard time…" she whispered.
"Baby? Marriage?"
"Both…"
"Beau is worried sick. Also scared shitless, Dickie interrogated him."
Liv rolled her eyes. "Like father, like son."
"Ain't that the truth. They're downstairs. Can they come up? You two need to work this out before our family holiday extravaganza that starts with an ominous sibling meeting."
Katie and Liv were both laughing now, relieved by Liz's humor and sarcasm.
"Call them up," she nodded. "Mom are we staying in Emma's?"
"Yeah babe… I'll send him in. Okay?"
"Thank you," she nodded, heading off.
"I think she's already got one in the oven," Liz said, rolling her head towards Liv once Katie was out of earshot.
"You think?"
"Oh yeah. Drunken night few weeks back. That's around the time the lunacy started."
"Could be hormones change?"
"Yeah from a bun in the oven," she said, looking to her mom.
"Okay well… let's not push her okay?"
"I won't," she sighed, yawning and finally removing her glasses.
"I miss you, Lizzie Lou," Liv blurted out awkwardly, looking at her.
Laughing softly after a minute, she wrapped her arms around her waist and nuzzled into her arm. "Miss you too mom. Been busy…"
"With the new man?"
"And work!" She defended with a smile. "But I'll try to come around more... or at least call."
"I'll take a thumbs up once a week or so, just to know you're okay," Liv half teased.
Looking up at her, Liz smiled and blinked quickly. "Sometimes I feel like the forgotten kid... glad to know you don't feel that way."
"You're mine as much as the rest...and for the record? I'm excited to meet him," she winked.
"Miiiigght already know him."
Liv gave her a look and Liz cheesed at her with a wince. "This gonna give your dad a heart attack."
"Mhm," she nodded sighing. "But not my super cool and understanding mom right?"
"To be determined," she said with a look.
Saved by the boys piling in, Liv turned to look at them and smiled small. "Beau, she's in Emma's. The rest of the gang are in Eli's," she nodded.
"Perfect," he said quickly, rushing to see his fiancé as Dickie plopped beside his sister and hugged her.
"Ew," she said, but leaned into him regardless.
"You two are so much," Elliot laughed, sitting beside Liv and putting his arm around her.
"Did you traumatize poor Beau?" Liv asked both of them.
They looked down in sync and Liz rolled her eyes. "You two…"
"It wasn't that bad," El defended.
"We've been worse for sure," Dickie nodded quickly.
"Daaaaadddddyyyy," Anna Kate sang after hearing her dad's voice.
Liv looked up to Elliot and smiled as her quick footsteps filled the space before she appeared in front of them.
"Hi daddy!" The almost 2 year old gasped with a grin, climbing up and hugging him tightly.
"Hi baby girl," he smiled, brushing back her long curls.
"No love for papa?" El teased.
Anna Kate shot him a cute smile and he laughed, shaking his head.
Katie was laying on the bed when Beau came in slowly and quietly.
"Baby?" He whispered.
"Hi," she said softly, looking up to him.
"You okay?"
"Been better," she sighed. "I'm sorry I got so upset… I don't know what's wrong with me," she whispered, face contorting painfully.
"Oh baby… c'mere," he whispered, sitting beside her.
She lunged into his arms and started crying again. "I don't wanna lose you b-because I'm so unsure about a baby…"
"You're never, ever gonna lose me. Understand? Ever. You're my soul mate… we'll figure this out. Okay?"
"Promise?" She gasped softly into his chest.
"Swear it on my life, Stabler."
"Let's elope," she blurted out. "In the mountains in the snow."
"Say the word and I'll be there. Always."
"But?" She whispered.
"But you should take a pregnancy test..."
Holding her breath, Katie's eyes filled with tears.
"What if I told you I already did?" She asked, just below a whisper.
TBC