Chapter 9

"Ok, the surgery went well, she should be fine. The bullet narrowly missed her right lung. She's awake and asking for you"

Elliot nodded. "Thank you so much, doctor"

He walked in to Olivia's room and sat beside her bed.

Olivia was so pale. "Hi" She whispered.

"Hi, Liv"

"El, could you please look after Ashlyn, while I am in here?"

Elliot nodded. "Of course and I'm so sorry about being such a bastard. I have now accepted that I have a 5th child. A beautiful daughter with you"

Olivia smiled. "Can you please pick her up from school? I wanna see her"

"Sure. What school?'

"Manhattan South Elementary"

Elliot stood up and kissed her on the forehead. "Ok, I'll be back with her soon"

Olivia smiled. "Thanks El"

Elliot drove to Manhattan South Elementary and walked in to the front office.

"Hi, I'm Detective Stabler. Can you please tell me what class Ashlyn Benson is in?" He asked as he flashed his badge to the lady.

The lady looked on the computer and then back at Elliot. "Room 10 upstairs"

Elliot nodded. "Thank you" and he walked upstairs.

He finally found room 10 and knocked on the door. The teacher a tall blonde haired lady answered the door and Elliot showed his badge.

"Hi, I'm Sally Jackson"

"Hi, I'm Detective Stabler. I'm here to collect Ashlyn Benson. Her mother is in the hospital"

Sally nodded and walked over to Ashlyn and whispered in her ear. "Ashlyn, you need to go with Detective Stabler, your mummy is in the hospital"

Ashlyn's eyes welled up and she looked at Elliot.

She got up and ran to him. "Daddy!"

Elliot squatted down and opened his arms, Ashlyn ran straight in to them.

He hugged her and lifted her up. "Ashlyn, it's ok, Mummy is gonna be fine" he told her as he carried her to his car.

Ashlyn looked at Elliot as he sat in the driver's seat. "Do you love me, daddy?"

Elliot answered as he started the engine. "Of course, I do"

"Then why did you ignore me?"

Elliot sighed, not taking his eyes off the road. "I'm sorry, sweetie. It was just a shock at first, when your mummy told me about you. You have 3 sisters and a brother though"

Ashlyn lit up. "Cool" but her emotions changed back when she thought her mother in the hospital.

Olivia was lying in bed with her eyes closed, when she heard two people walk in and her daughter's voice.

"Mummy!"

Olivia opened her eyes and slowly sat up as Elliot placed their daughter on the bed.

"Hey sweetheart. How are you?"

"I'm ok, mummy. Are you?"

Olivia slightly smiled. "I will be. But you will be staying with your daddy for a while"

Ashlyn smiled. "And I gets to meet my sisters and brother"

Olivia smiled, and then looked at Elliot still smiling. "You told her, huh?"

Elliot nodded, "yep"

Just then the doctor came in. "Sorry folks, visiting hours are over, Olivia needs to rest"

Elliot nodded and picked up Ashlyn. They both kissed Olivia goodbye and they left.

In the car, Ashlyn spoke up, breaking the silence. "Daddy, I got no clothes to wear"

"You can borrow some of Maureen's. You two are the same age and about the same size"

Ashlyn smiled. "What are my other sisters' and brother's names?"

"Ok well, there's Maureen, Kathleen, she's 6 and the twins Lizzie and Dickie, they are 4" When they walked in 4 kids came running toward them. They knew Ashlyn was coming because Elliot rang before hand to let Kathy know. Kathy wasn't too happy at first, but it happened 8 years ago, so she just left it alone.

"Hi Ashlyn" they all said in unison.

Ashlyn smiled. But when Kathy came walking up, she hid behind Elliot.

Kathy was smiling; she kneeled down to Ashlyn's level. "Hello Ashlyn. I'm Kathy. Do you want to eat some dinner with us, honey?"

Ashlyn began to relax and nodded.

Kathy took her hand and they all went in to the dining room for dinner.

Elliot took his and Kathy's kids to school the next morning before, taking Ashlyn to the hospital to see Olivia.

Ashlyn ran up to Olivia's bed and climbed up.

"I missed you mummy"

Olivia hugged Ashlyn. "I missed you too, honey. How was it at Daddy and Kathy's house?"

"It was fun"

"That's good, baby" Olivia smiled and looked at Elliot. "Hi"

"Hi. How are you this morning?"

"Still a little sore. How about you?"

"Yeah, I'm good"

"That's good. Thanks for looking after Ashlyn"

"It's my pleasure, Liv. You're taught her well, she's very polite"

Olivia smiled. "Of course, she's my baby girl"

Elliot snickered "She sure is. Look I better get to work and your 'baby girl' needs to get to school" he said and kissed her on the forehead.

Ashlyn then kissed Olivia, before Elliot picked her up off the bed and placed her on his hip.

"See you later, guys. Be a good girl, Ash"

"Yes mummy, bye"

"Bye Liv"

And they were gone.Bottom of Form 2