Chapter 25

Cragen-Stabler residence, Manhattan, New York

Friday, January 10th 2016

8.12 pm

Olivia was knackered when she walked in to the house, it had been a long day and emotionally it had been exhausting.

"Liv is that you?" Elliot called from the living room.

"Yeah." She called back slipping off her coat and shoes before going to meet him.

She didn't expect to find him in a foul mood but the look on his face proved he was.

"What's wrong?" She asked as she stood in the mirror pulling the bobby pins she'd used to keep her unruly hair out of her face.

"Where were you?" He asked almost accusingly.

"Grief therapy as ordered by the Morris Commission, I told you that I had to go." Olivia replied no liking his tone one bit as she turned back to face him.

"Did you forget Nanny Sue had a dinner engagement tonight?" Elliot asked and Olivia groaned, she had forgotten.

"El…"

"Don't El me Liv I was called from work to come home to watch the kids when you were supposed to be here, your phone was off what do you think has been going through my mind?" He asked her angrily.

"I'm sorry Elliot I forgot ok? I didn't try to but my mind has been a bit preoccupied today." Olivia replied trying not to have an argument.

"You're sorry?" He asked getting to his feet.

"Yeah El I'm sorry what else can I say?" Olivia asked knowing this was about to turn into a full blow out that she wasn't in the mood for.

"Olivia if you'd take your maternity leave like you were supposed to your mind wouldn't be so preoccupied!" He yelled angrily.

"Excuse me? Elliot I have every right to take as much or as little leave as I want and I am sorry that I prefer doing some work, I miss my job El, I'm not made to be a stay at home Mom!" She yelled back.

At the top of the stairs Melissa sat with Nicole, Alexandra and Liliana, the four of them listening to their Mom and Dad fighting, they'd been fighting a lot more since Olivia had their brother.

"How am I being unreasonable Olivia?" Elliot's loud voice echoed to their ears.

"Why are Mom and Dad fighting Mel?" Nicole asked innocently.

"I don't know Nic." Melissa sighed.

"Do they hate each other?" Liliana asked and Melissa shook her head, she was trying to listen to what was going on between her parents.

"Elliot you've barely been her since George was born! Last time I checked I wasn't a single parent!" She screamed at her husband, she was infuriated now.

"Liv I've been here more than you!" Elliot yelled back.

"Yeah maybe you have but I'm the one who's been with the kids, did you even remember that Lili and Lexi had a dance recital last week? I did text you to remind you of the time and I saved you a seat beside me but I didn't hear anything about it off you and you didn't even mention it the next day!" Olivia screamed.

"Yeah I missed one dance recital because of a case Liv, you've always been the one to do those things anyway, you would do them with your Mom." Elliot explained angrily.

"Yeah El when was the last time you saw any of our kids do any of their activities? They do plenty of them yet you never go and see anything Elliot, I don't think you've stepped foot into that school since Lexi and Lili were born!" Olivia screamed viciously.

"That's unfair!" Elliot yelled back.

"How is it unfair Elliot? I never asked to do this alone!" She yelled tears prickling her eyes.

"What do you want me to do Liv?" Elliot yelled.

Melissa wrapped her arms around her sisters, she hated hearing her parents arguing but she knew it hurt her younger siblings even more because they didn't understand why there was so much yelling.

"You want me to leave SVU don't you?" Olivia asked her voice dipping a little in shock.

"Liv…"

"You do just admit it!" Olivia said defiantly.

"I think maybe you could cut back on your hours to be a Mom." Elliot replied softly.

"To be a Mom? To be a … Elliot when was the last time you tucked one of our kids into bed not including tonight? When was the last time you watched TV with them or read with them? And you say I need to cut back on my hours?" Olivia was fuming.

"Olivia I can't help what cases we get! I don't ask for cases that keep me away for days on end you should know that!" Elliot yelled.

"But you're never home! Never. There are sometimes you have to push past your own exhaustion to spend time with the kids but you don't. I prefer having to push past the sleepiness to spend just an hour with OUR kids, and that's what they are OUR kids."

"Five out of seven." Elliot mumbled under his breath.

"Oh… oh my God you … Elliot get out of my sight!" Olivia screamed, she'd heard him.

"Liv I …"

"I don't want to hear it get out of my sight!" She spat angrily just as Melissa came into the room with tears streaming down her face.

Elliot realised just how loud he'd actually said what he had for Melissa to have heard.

"Mel…"

"Don't." She shook her head and rushed into Olivia's arms.

"Go Elliot." Olivia hissed.

Elliot looked at the two in front of him before rushing off, he knew he wouldn't be able to say anything tonight to correct his mistake.

"He didn't mean that Mel." Olivia whispered as she comforted her daughter.

"Mommy?" Nicole came into the room with her tears running down her cheeks too, she'd heard and Olivia felt her stomach turn.

"Come here baby." Olivia whispered opening one arm for Nicole to rush into. "Does Daddy not love us because he's not really our Daddy?" Nicole asked with such heartache in her voice that Olivia almost crumbled.

"No bay Daddy loves you very much, he was just angry with Mommy, he didn't mean it baby." Olivia told her, she knew what she was saying was true but even she was having a hard time believing it.

"Why did he go Mommy?" Nicole asked.

"Because Mommy was angry with him and told him to Nikki, he'll be back in the morning ok?" Olivia said softly. "Now both of you, it's late go to bed."

"Love you Mom." They both mumbled before rushing off up the stairs.

Olivia did the one thing she could at that moment and called her best friend to come over.

Cragen-Stabler residence, Manhattan, New York

Friday, January 10th 2016

9.49 pm

"Hey." George smiled as Olivia opened the door.

"Coffee's brewed and the fire's lit in the study." Olivia smiled.

George knew the way and he walked off as Olivia went upstairs to grab her robe, she loved wrapping up in it.

Once they were both in the study George watched Olivia's finger circle her mug as she stared into the dancing flames in the fireplace. He knew something had happened as soon as she'd called him, she didn't call him at night to come over unless it was serious, most things they could talk out on the phone.

"Elliot in bed?" George asked deciding to break the silence.

"He's not here." Olivia replied and George saw the flicker of sadness in her eyes.

"What happened?" George asked and she turned to look at him and smiled awkwardly.

"We fought." Olivia shrugged trying to pass it off as if it wasn't a big deal.

"What did you fight about?" George asked becoming the shrink instantly.

"Everything how neither one of us are here for the kids and I kept reminding him that they were our kdis and it's not the fight that bothers me George we fight often you now that but it's the fact he said only five out of seven were his and Mel and Nikki heard him." Olivia explained. "He's never said anything so cruel before."

"Oh Liv I'm sure he didn't mean it." George switched into friend mode instantly.

"My girls heard him say that they weren't his, Nicole is convinced he doesn't love her now and Melissa looked like someone had shot her George. My kids have been through enough, they don't need this."

"Well I'm here for you and the kids Liv you know that." George smiled realising she needed a friend now and not a shrink. "So what are going to do about it?"

"I think I'm going to take them to California for a week or two, I am officially supposed to be on maternity." Olivia explained.

"You're running away." George pointed out and Olivia looked at him.

"No I'm taking a break George, Melissa can spend some time with her aunt out there and I can try and reconnect with my kids." She replied bitterly.

"And what about Elliot?" George asked.

"He can do what the hell he wants." Olivia replied sighing, she wasn't in the mood to argue with George because she knew he would defend her husband if he thought she was in the wrong.

Cragen-Stabler residence, Manhattan, New York

Saturday, January 11th 2016

9.49 am

After George left the previous evening Olivia called the bank and transferred money out of her savings account into her daily one which she kept only a small amount so she wouldn't spend her inheritance. She'd texted Elliot to ask if he was working in the morning and he'd said yes so she had gone ahead and booked flights for herself, the kids and Nanny Sue to fly out of JFK and to California for two weeks, she didn't care anymore that she was running away, the kids were excited especially Melissa as it had been nearly six months since she'd last seen her aunt and cousins.

"Melissa have you packed?" Olivia called from Alexandra and Liliana's bedroom.

"Yeah Mom where's my red bathing suit?" She asked.

"Bottom drawer!" Olivia called back as she debated what items of clothing to pack for the twins.

Nanny Sue was packing for Ali and Eli which was two less people for Olivia to worry about.

"I'm done." Nanny Sue smiled coming into the bedroom and tucking her honey blonde hair behind her ear.

"Thanks Nanny Sue." Olivia smiled. "This break is going to do us all a world of good."

"Elliot coming?" Nanny Sue asked innocently, she didn't know much about the troubles in the marriage.

"No, he has to work and I need to get away." Olivia smiled softly, she wasn't about to let Nanny Sue in even if she could see that the older woman sensed more going on than she was letting on.

"Ok well the kids are done so why don't you go finish your own case and I'll take these down to the cars?" Nanny Sue smiled.

"Sure thanks Sue, you're an angel."

"I try!" She replied heartily.

Manhattan SVU, Manhattan, New York

Saturday, January 11th 2016

11.22 am

Elliot was in a foul mood, with Olivia not in he was left to run the department and with her not answering her phone it was just making things worse.

"Ok Munch seriously finish your paper work on the Rodrigez case before Alex comes in here to chew my ass out again!" Elliot yelled for what felt like the hundredth time, Munch and paperwork didn't mix and Olivia was the only person who seemed to be able to get him to do it.

To top everything off the Commissioner just walked into the bullpen and Elliot hated the man for trying it on with Liv.

"Commissioner what can we do for you?" Elliot asked.

"Well seeing as your wife let us no notice in telling us she was taking a full two weeks maternity leave I'm here to supervise for a few days…"

"Liv's taken two weeks Elliot? You never mentioned." Munch said surprised.

"Because I didn't know." Elliot sighed. "What is this woman playing at?" He mumbled going over to his phone and trying to call her again.

"What is it?" Fin asked after Elliot slammed the phone down.

"Well according to the commissioner Liv has taken two weeks maternity and she hadn't even told me and now she isn't answering her phone." Elliot sighed.

"Do you think something's wrong?" The Commissioner asked his concern rising with Elliot's.

"I don't know, we've been fighting and last night she kicked me out after Mel and Nikki heard me say that only five of our kids are actually mine … I didn't mean that I didn't love them but she just kept saying 'OUR KIDS' and I lost it and I didn't think Mel or Nic would hear." Elliot explained.

"Right Stabler go home and check if everything's ok and call me and let me know." Rockwell sighed. "I want you to fix thihngs with your wife before SVU goes down the drain."

I have some ideas now thanks for those who sent me some they're good and I don't know if I'll use any but this chapter is just for the sake of it really I'm going on with the story in the next chapter.