10. Daughters
Elliot opens the door while Olivia takes a step back. She hears him gasp when he sees who has come to visit him on his birthday.
"Maureen."
…
"Hi daddy."
Elliot steps forward to hug his oldest daughter and then his second child appears behind her sister.
"Kathleen!"
He spreads his arms wider and both girls walk into their father's embrace.
"Happy birthday daddy," Olivia hears the girls mumble.
Elliot is at a loss for words and holds his daughters close. Olivia feels a lump forming in her throat. Elliot's birthday party has just become almost perfect. She retreats into the living room to inform the others of the arrival of the two Stabler girls and they all give Elliot some space to talk to his children. Fin puts on a happy song and Alex pulls Munch from behind the kitchen counter to dance with him. Melinda stands close to Olivia and touches her arm briefly.
"Did you know they were coming?" the ME asks her softly.
Olivia shakes her head.
"No. I had hoped that Maureen would at least call but I hadn't heard from her. I'm so happy for El that she came, and Kathleen too."
Their friends know about the situation with Kathy by now, which is why they have all made an effort to make Elliot's birthday a happy occasion. After a few minutes together in the hallway, Elliot comes in with his daughters. His eyes find Olivia's immediately and she can see gratitude as well as a sheen of tears in them. She smiles at him and then at the girls. Maureen walks up to the Captain to greet him while Kathleen approaches Olivia a little hesitantly. Olivia turns her attention to the 15-year old.
"Hi Olivia," Kathleen says, and she sounds more timid than she usually is.
Her pale blue eyes sweep Olivia's form, probably looking for proof of her pregnancy and Olivia stands up straight to show off the beginnings of her baby bump under her wide blouse.
"Hi Kathleen. I'm so glad you decided to come today."
Kathleen nods and bites her lower lip.
"So you're not in love with our dad?"
Olivia blinks at the blunt question. And a difficult question at that. She decides to work around it and tell Kathleen what she thinks the girl needs to hear.
"I'm not involved or sleeping with your father, Kathleen. My baby isn't his. He had nothing to do with it."
Kathleen's bright eyes flick up from her abdomen to Olivia's face. For a moment, she worries that the girl will call her out because she hasn't really answered the question. She has always kept Elliot at arm's length, not wanting to allow any kinds of feelings towards him to grow because he's married. She always thought she had succeeded in keeping Elliot strictly in the friend zone but Kathleen's direct question makes her heart beat in a way she isn't prepared for. In love seems like such a heavy expression, and she supposes it is. She loves Elliot as a friend, but is she in love with him? She has tried to keep that question from entering her mind and she's a little shocked to hear someone simply ask her out loud. And it's Elliot's daughter no less.
Kathleen seems satisfied with her answer for now though, but the girl's next remark doesn't exactly ease the tension.
"Mom says she's sure about you and dad."
Olivia takes a few seconds, trying to determine how much honesty a 15-year old can take about her own mother, but before she can say anything, Kathleen takes the opportunity to continue.
"She's really insecure you know. She thinks she's ugly."
Apparently Kathleen can take a lot of honesty.
"Your mother isn't ugly, Kathleen," Olivia sputters.
Kathleen laughs humorlessly.
"You should try telling her that. You're pregnant and you still look like an Italian moviestar."
"But that doesn't mean …"
"I know, I know. It's not just about the looks and I guess I know dad wouldn't be that shallow but …"
Kathleen bites her lip and Olivia moves closer to the girl instinctively while the other guests are trying not to listen in. She puts a hand on Kathleen's upper arm.
"What, Kathleen? Just tell me."
Kathleen takes a deep breath and blows it out quickly.
"Well. You gotta admit you and dad are close. I mean like, really close."
Olivia's eyes drift to Elliot automatically. He sitting on the couch between Cragen and Maureen and Maureen is just handing him an envelope.
"We are," she tells Kathleen, because it's the truth.
"Anyone would be insecure if the man they loved had a close friend like you."
Olivia's eyes flick back to the Stabler girl.
"Not if they trusted that man," she blurts out before thinking about it.
Kathleen frowns.
"He's only human, Olivia. People make mistakes."
Olivia clenches her jaw, trying to suppress the urge to defend Elliot against his own daughter. She finally decides to tell Kathleen,
"Of all the mistakes your father may have made in his life, infidelity isn't one of them. And I think that deep down, you know that too. Otherwise, you wouldn't be here."
Kathleen stares at her for a moment and then cracks a little smile. She nods and glances at her father and sister. Olivia reaches out and touches Kathleen's shoulder.
"And I'm so glad you came, honey. Your dad really misses you kids."
Kathleen nods again and her smile widens a bit.
"I miss him too."
"So go talk to him. And don't be a stranger after tonight?"
"Okay."
And with that, she quickly walks back to her father, who pulls her into his lap while looking down at the paper he's just pulled out of the envelope. Olivia can tell how moved Elliot is and she has to turn away to keep her own emotions from bubbling over. Alex catches her eyes and smiles at her.
"Damned hormones," Olivia mutters and Alex laughs out loud.
The blonde knows her better than that.
They all enjoy the party and each other's company and Olivia loves how relaxed everyone is, including Elliot. After a while, Olivia gets tired, and Captain Cragen makes room for her on the couch, announcing that he's calling it a night.
"It's still early Cap," Fin tries, but their boss assures them that he's going to take advantage of their night off to get a good night's sleep for once.
"And aside from Olivia, I'm expecting all of you back at work bright and early," he admonishes his other three detectives and Munch takes that as his cue to push the Captain out of the apartment.
Olivia has been allowed to come in a little later and while she doesn't want to take advantage too much of her condition, she appreciates the Captain's thoughtfulness. After he'd basically accused them of having an affair, she feels like he's trying to make up for it by giving both her and Elliot some leeway on the job. She has to admit that she's tired, having been on her feet all day, but she plans on coming in with her partner in the morning.
"I think I'm going to turn in soon," she remarks, speaking to no one in particular.
"Kathleen and I need to get going as well," Maureen pipes up.
Elliot walks his daughters to the door but Maureen makes eye contact with Olivia, who stands up, sensing the young woman wants to say something to her.
"Thanks for that talk the other day, Olivia," Maureen says quietly. "And thanks for taking such good care of our dad."
Olivia smiles warmly at Maureen and Kathleen.
"It's my job," she states simply and after one last look of understanding, the girls leave so Maureen can get Kathleen back home to Queens.
The others don't stay long after that and in the end, Olivia still hasn't gone to bed when it's just the two of them again. Melinda and Munch have helped them clean up so all that is left to do is turn on the dishwasher.
"We'll take down the decorations tomorrow," Olivia says, gesturing around her.
"Alright," Elliot says, sitting back down on the couch. "Sit with me before you go to sleep?"
Olivia complies and watches her partner's profile. He seems deep in thought but when he turns his head to look at her, she can see several emotions swirling in his eyes.
"What El?" she asks softly.
"Did you see what the girls got me?" he asks.
"No. I didn't see it."
She had kept her distance, not wanting to disturb Elliot's time with his children in any way.
"Look."
Elliot pulled a white frame from the pile of gifts on the coffee table. It held a picture of his three daughters, and a text had been added in a little balloon, saying "Happy Birthday Daddy".
"And this."
He almost sounded reverent when he unfolded a piece of paper, that Olivia recognized from earlier.
"Liz made it for me because she couldn't come."
Elizabeth had made her father a drawing of himself and her, depicting Elliot as a big, strong man with a gun and a badge, and herself as a small child, holding his hand.
"For daddy," Elliot reads out loud. "I miss you. Elizabeth."
"That's very sweet," Olivia says softly, scooting close to Elliot and putting a hand on his arm.
"Maureen says she hid it from Kathy. Can you believe that?"
He sounds bitter now and Olivia squeezes his bicep.
"I'm sorry she has to be that way," she tells him.
Elliot sighs and nods, rubbing his thumb along the drawing lovingly.
"But I didn't lose my girls," he says, a slight waver in his voice, and they both know there is one person still missing from it all.
"No word from Dickie?" Olivia asks after a long silence.
Elliot shakes his head.
"Kathleen says he's still angry. He won't talk to his sisters about me."
"I'm sorry," Olivia whispers, but then Elliot sits up straight.
"Liv, you have absolutely nothing to be sorry about. You arranged this party for me and got me my daughters back. That means the world to me."
Before Olivia can even think of a response, Elliot reaches for her and pulls her into a hug. It's a slightly clumsy hug, since they're sitting side by side on the couch, but she appreciates the gesture.
"Thanks Liv," she hears him whisper in her ear, and she holds him a little tighter.
"I'm your partner," she responds simply.
Elliot rubs her back and when they break apart, their faces still close together, he smiles at her.
"For better or worse?"
She smiles as well.
"For better or worse."
...