A/N: Please keep reviewing! Thx for all the love!!
"Dead man walking," Fin teased when Eli walked in.
Amanda laughed and Eli took a breath, opening the door to his mom's office after a short knock.
Liv was in full Captain mode.
Blazer, readers, and a look on her face that they'd only seen at home on rare occasions when they did something extra bad.
"Sit." She said, not looking up from her stack of work.
Slowly sitting, he took a deep breath.
She expertly dialed a number on her office line without looking up.
"Captain," the voice said.
"Hey James, my son is here, you can come grab him."
"Yes ma'am."
"Thank you," she said before hanging up and sitting back with her arms folded on top of her bump, looking at her son over her glasses.
"Office James Thomas and his partner are organizing files in the basement this week. Sending old cases to storage and picking out ones that could be good teaching moments for our office and young detectives. You're helping until you go back to school on Thursday."
He nodded slowly, looking down.
She sighed and took her glasses off. "Look at me please," she said a little more gently, but still stern, and he looked up.
"It's admirable- what you did for your brother. But it's completely inappropriate. And it's making me nervous, cause I'm seeing your dads temper more and more lately."
He looked down and nodded. "I'm sorry mom," he said softly.
Officer Thomas knocked on the door with John Munch in tow. "John is helping select cases," she added causing Eli to take a deep breath, knowing an earful was coming from his uncle.
"Guys, give us just one more minute and I'll send him out."
They nodded and shut the door. Eli looked up at Liv and she sighed. "This conversation isn't over, okay?"
He nodded and stood up getting to the door before Liv spoke again. "I love you, Eli. I do. So much. And that's why you need to spend the next few days thinking about your actions and the changes you can make.
Looking back, he sighed and nodded, feeling ashamed that he'd let her down. "Love you too, mom," he muttered and headed out.
Liv sighed and sat back in her chair, texting El.
L: Just sent him down with John & some officers to work.
E: Okay, good. I'm going into an interrogation. Love you.
L: Love you. Will you come here after so we can talk to him? Dickie is picking up Noah.
E: I'll try I'm not sure when we're going to be done. Can't we just talk to him at home?
L: If I wanted to talk to him at home I wouldn't have asked you to come here after.
E: Liv…
She ignored him and went back to work.
It was around 1:30 that John finally came down with pizza for lunch.
The basement was boiling as the furnace for the heater was down there, and Eli sat next to his uncle chugging some water.
John was looking through an old file. "Oh this was a good one. Your dad lost his shit on the perp in the interrogation room and Liv had to yank him off."
Eli read the contents over his shoulder and took a deep breath.
"This one too... he almost killed this guy in an alley, and Liv again talked him down."
Eli looked down, knowing what he was doing.
"Dad really had a temper huh," he muttered and John nodded. "He did. He's calmed down a lot…"
Eli sat back groaning a little. "I don't know what's going on with me," he muttered.
"You've been through a lot in your young life. You're protective like your dad. You love your baby bro. And all that's fine. Just gotta be smarter, and realize that this situation, while it seems big, is small in the grand scheme of Noah's life and yours."
Eli nodded and sighed.
El walked into the 1-6 around 5:30. Eli was still down stairs and Liv was catching up on work.
"Still ignoring me?" He asked coming in to her office.
She sighed. "Elliot I'm not in the mood right now," she shot him a look.
He held up his hands in mock surrender and Liv dialed down stairs. "Papa Bear here?" Munch asked and Liv laughed a bit. "Yes."
"Hey Eli, your executioner is here," they heard Munch call, causing them both to laugh. "We'll be right up," he said and hung up.
El sat on the corner of her desk. "Do we have a game plan?" He asked and she sighed. "I don't know Elliot, he's your son, too."
She looked physically and emotionally exhausted and rubbed her belly soothingly. El sighed and gently took her free hand.
"Talk to me..." he whispered.
"Your temper is coming out more and more in him. I need you to talk to him. Really talk to him El... I don't want him going down this path," she said looking up at him. He squeezed her hand and nodded. "Okay… I will."
Eli walked in slowly and sat in the chair in front of Liv's desk.
"You're grounded for two weeks and the next few days you'll be here doing work down in the basement," El said, his arms crossed. The boy nodded and looked down.
"And, you and I are walking home and chatting. Okay?" He said, a little more calmly.
He nodded and looked down. "Okay.."
"But right now you need to apologize to mom... she's pregnant with twins and exhausted. I need you to be a little more grown up, bud." He said and he looked up at Liv.
"I'm so sorry... you know that right?" He whispered and she nodded.
Liv stood and walked over slowly, kissing her sons head. "I'll see you guys at home.." she said, walking out.
Eli looked up at El, noticing the tension and sighing.
The pair walked home slowly. "The temper, man… what's happening?"
The younger Elliot shrugged. "I don't know dad… just wanna protect him."
"I know you do, but there's a better way to do it. And I'm more concerned about why you're getting that angry to start with."
"I don't know dad…" Eli sighed. "I just get mad."
"I need you to work on it, Eli… and if you need help or an outlet to work on it we'll get it for you."
"I'm not seeing a shrink," he said and El sighed. "That's fine but talk to Dickie or me… take up another sport. Come running with me in the morning. Do something. Cause this isn't good man."
They walked in silence a while longer. "I'm really sorry dad," he said softly and El nodded. "I forgive you. And you know Liv will too. Just give her a few more hours. Hormones and such."
Eli nodded and laughed a little. "Yeah, true."
He was quiet as they walked before he looked at his dad. "What did you do?"
El chuckled. "I don't know actually."
Eli nodded and stopped walking, looking at his dad who stopped too. "I'm really happy you're retiring. I think seeing you more will help a lot... I just miss you.." he said softly and El pulled him into a hug.
"Me too buddy... me too."
They got home and Liv and Noah were just sitting down to eat when Eli and El walked in.
Noah jumped up, rushing Eli and hugging him tightly. The older boy knelt down to hug his brother and Liv softened.
"Thank you," he whispered and Eli nodded.
"Man what I didn't wasnt cool and it's not a good example for you," he said into his brothers ear.
"I know but," he shrugged, pulling back to look at him. "I'd do the same for you," He said seriously and Eli smiled small, pulling him in again.
Liv's eyes traveled from their boys up to her guy. He walked over to her slowly and leaned down to drop a kiss to her lips. "I love you," he muttered and she nodded. "I love you."
They ate and Eli said goodnight, retreating to his room, exhausted from his day.
El and Liv spent some time with Noah that night before going to bed themselves. Liv changed into a maternity tank and boy shorts.
She sighed as she laid back, the pressure coming off her feet. Elliot sat down at the end of her bed, massaging her feet slowly.
Liv's head lolled back and she let out several short moans and El increased his movements a little more, inching up her legs.
"I'm sorry I was a jerk today," Liv moaned out and El smiled small. "Me too. But don't apologize. Our kid was being a jerk and you're pregnant with twins."
She nodded and sighed. He gently spread her legs a little wide and she looked down at him. "I'm too tired, El…" she frowned.
"Even for me to take care of you?" He asked, wiggling his brow and she smiled small, "Maybe in the morning… They're killing me today… I just want you to hold me," she pouted.
He climbed up beside her and wrapped his arms around her tightly. "Was I too hard on Eli today?" She asked softly and he shook his head. "Definitely not. He respects you so much. He's never taken a punishment that well and I could tell he's embarrassed that he let you down."
She smiled small cuddling into him further and his hand went to her belly. He went to talk again, but stopped and smiled when he noticed she was snoring lightly.
Laughing softly to himself, he adjusted the blankets and fell asleep holding her close to him.
The following morning she woke to a cup of coffee and note on her nightstand. In Eli's terrible scrawl, she smiled reading;
Mom-
I'm so sorry about yesterday. I'm going to work on my anger. Thank you for everything. Donuts and bagels in the kitchen. I love you.
Love your son,
Eli
El came out of the shower at that point to find her crying at the note. He took it and smiled small looking down at her. "That boy…" he said softly and she smiled. "He has the best heart…"
"Thank you for sharing him with me," she whispered, leaning into him.
"Thanks for being his mom, Livie… I love you," he said kissing her head and she smiled against him. "I love you, babe."
Her hand gently trailed to where his towel was knotted, and she looked up hopefully. He chuckled. "We just caught a case so I've got to go, but maybe I can stop by the office today and take care of you..."
Biting her lip, she nodded breathlessly.
She got up and pulled on her legging, walking out to the kitchen. She smiled at her oldest who was toasting bagels for him and his brother.
"You and dad go for a run this morning?" She asked softly and he looked back and nodded, smiling.
"Yeah I feel better after I run I guess… less wound up."
She smiled and pulled him in for a hug. "Thank you for breakfast baby, and my sweet note."
He smiled and hugged her before pulling back. "You cry?" He teased and she laughed. "Everything makes me cry lately," she smiled and rested her hand on her belly.
He placed his on the other side, smiling when he felt them kicking. "You think they're gonna be a mini Dickie and Lizzie," he asked laughing and she nodded.
"I think Dickie and Lizzie will make them into their minis," she said laughing and Eli smiled.
"Alright honey, go wake Noh and get ready. I'll finish this up."
He nodded and she watched him head to his room.