Disclaimer: Still not mine... though one day Mr Wolf and I may come to some arrangement.

xoxoinnocenceoxox

At a loss for how to help Dickie herself, and knowing she couldn't really wait for Elliot to return as he'd be dealing with whatever went on with Lizzie and Steve, Olivia phoned Kathy. To Olivia, the forty five minutes it took Kathy to get there felt like an eternity. She had given her the basic run down of events which led to the call and Kathy had promised she'd be there as soon as possible.

"Thanks for coming, Kath," Olivia said, opening the door and ushering her in.

"Hey, Liv," she replied, dropping her bag and jacket on the sofa. "Where's Dickie?"

Olivia pointed to the bedroom. "He hasn't come out yet. I'm knocked twice but he won't answer me."

"He's his father's son," Kathy sighed. "You know the strong, silent type." Olivia nodded, she'd been thinking the same thing. "Have you heard from Elliot and Liz?"

"No, not yet," Olivia answered, gesturing towards the sofa, Kathy sat in the armchair.

"I wish they would have talked to me first," she sighed. "I don't know if I could have gone with her but I …god, I don't know."

"You just wanted the chance to talk to her first?" Olivia asked quietly.

"Yeah," Kathy nodded. "She's been doing so well with it all, I guess I just wanted to be make sure."

"Well, Liz seemed certain enough," she reassured. "She's come so far. I wish…" her voice trailed. "Never mind."

"No, say it, Liv," Kathy said gently. "What do you wish?" Olivia shrugged. "Wish you were a bit more like her?" Kathy ventured.

Olivia smiled sadly. "Yeah!"

"You've got to remember, Liv, that this was the worst thing to happen to Lizzie and she only had that to deal with. You have had so much happen in your life and there's so much for you to cope with. Your assault is not the only thing you have to deal with, is it?" she asked quietly.

"I guess not," she sighed, dropping her head.

"But you'll get there too," Kathy soothed. "I've never met anyone as brave and determined as you … well, except maybe for El."

"I don't feel all that brave," Olivia admitted quietly.

"Well, it never shows," she replied. "You always seem so in control."

"Ha," she chuckled. "If I was so in control I wouldn't have called you five minutes after El left because I didn't know how to deal with a fifteen year old."

"Well, fifteen year olds can be tricky," she smiled. "Especially males."

"Well, I've spent my career working with males, many who have the maturity of a fifteen year old. You'd think I'd get it by now," Olivia sighed.

"There's a big difference between working with them and raising them," Kathy replied. "But you'll get the hang of it."

Olivia looked at her oddly for a moment. While it was true they had been getting along far better than she had ever expected, and while she thought of Elliot's kids as hers, especially the twins, she had never really expected Kathy to acknowledge the shared responsibility she would have in raising them.

"What, Liv?" Kathy said, "You and El are living together now … albeit since yesterday … and you have already shown you love the kids, I mean look at everything you've done for Lizzie."

"Yeah, well, anyone would have," Olivia said, with a wave of her hand.

"No, they wouldn't have," Kathy said. "You've always looked out for the kids; I know it was you who remembered their birthdays and their favourite things… Elliot would never have bought Kathleen the Fiddy Cent CD a few years ago, or got Maureen the spa day treatments for her sixteenth."

"Well, men don't really take notice of those things," she said embarrassed.

"No, but you've always loved them, I've always known that," Kathy admitted. "I must say that I was jealous at times about how much they love you but I can understand why."

"I never wanted to get between you and the kids, especially the twins," Olivia apologised.

"You haven't," she reassured. "I've had a few months to get used to the idea of you and Elliot and I am happy for you … I think you need him about as much as he needs you."

"Oh," Olivia sighed, tilting her head.

"So, whatever else happens, we'll always be on the same side," she said, standing up from the chair.

"Whatever else?" Olivia echoed. "What do you mean?"

"Well, when you guys get married …" she began.

"Married? You're jumping the gun there, aren't you?" Olivia choked, her cheeks flushing.

"You don't want to marry him?" Kathy asked surprised.

"I didn't say that, it's just not something I've even considered," she answered, in an untruth. "Not seriously."

"Well, maybe you should," Kathy said. "Now, I'll leave you to sort out Elliot and I'll deal with this one."

Olivia moved to sit cross legged on the sofa, her head back and eyes closed, a million and one thoughts racing through her mind. From time to time she could hear Kathy and Dickie, their conversation fluctuating in mood and volume. She held onto her cell in the hope that Elliot would ring, she was desperate to know how things had gone and how Lizzie was.

Fifteen long minutes later the phone rang, quickly she answered it.

"El?" she asked without looking at the caller ID.

"No, Liv, it's Don," her boss corrected.

"Oh, sorry. Hi Don," she sighed.

"Look, Liv, I thought I'd give you a call and put your mind at ease," he began. "I met El and Lizzie before they went into see Rowland and El and I had a long talk. I went in with them and Liz was great. Left Rowland in no doubt as to what she thought of him and then slapped him for good measure."

"And she's okay?" Olivia checked.

"Yeah, she walked out smiling, so I guess that tells its own story," Don reported.

"And El?" she asked hesitantly.

"Well, let's just say, it's probably El that needs some TLC, he found listening to Lizzie really hard," he recounted. "I think he just barely held it together."

"Did he hit him?" Olivia asked, just to be prepared.

"He did go to hit him but Lizzie grabbed his hand and told him 'the pervert wasn't worth it', " he said softly.

"Don, thanks, I really appreciate you going … I didn't really know what to do … I just … well …" she stumbled.

"It's okay, Liv, I was glad I could help," he said proudly, he would do anything for Elliot, he'd always thought of him as the son he'd never had. "Call me if you need anything else."

eo**eo

When Olivia concluded the phone call, Kathy and Dickie emerged from the bedroom, both faces red and blotchy from crying.

"Hey," she said, standing up and tossing the cell onto the sofa. "That was Don … he was there with El and Liz and everything went well … Lizzie's good."

"Great," Kathy sighed, relieved. "I'm glad."

"How are things here?" she asked, looking at Dickie.

"Um … not so good," Kathy began. "Dickie and I are going to go out for awhile … you know, get lunch, maybe a movie …"

"Okay," Olivia said slowly, trying to get Dickie to look at her, it failed.

"But he'll be back by dinner as I have to go to work," Kathy continued. "That okay?"

"Sure," she replied as Dickie walked past her. "Take it easy, hey?" He grunted and shrugged as she patted his shoulder.

"Back soon, Liv," Kathy said, with a sad smile, as she followed her son out the door.

It took Lizzie and Elliot an hour and thirty six minutes to return, not that Olivia was counting. She'd dusted and vacuumed and done a load of laundry and had still found time to pace around and stress about Dickie … and Elliot … and Lizzie.

"I think it's clean," Elliot said unexpectedly, causing her to jump.

"God!" she shrieked. "I didn't hear you come in," she said, dropping the cloth onto the coffee table. "How are you both?"

Lizzie walked straight into her arms and hugged her tightly.

"I'm good, Liv, really good," she smiled. "You should try it … when you're ready."

"Maybe I will," she replied, kissing her head. "One day."

"How's that brother of mine doing?" she asked, unhooking her arms and heading towards the bedroom.

"He's not here," Olivia said. "He's out with your mom."

"Has he calmed down?" she asked, leaning against the door jamb.

"Not really," she replied. "He's still upset…"

"With me?" she asked, her face dropping.

"No, honey, not you," she soothed. "He's just dealing with his own things…"

With her cell ringing, Lizzie pulled it from her pocket. "It's Mo," she said, looking at the screen. "I'll take it in here." She opened the bedroom door and disappeared.

Olivia made her way over to Elliot who had remained silent and near the door. She wrapped him in her arms and pulled him close.

"How are you doing, baby?" she whispered as she kissed his head.

"Okay," he whispered, pulling her tighter.

"It was rough going for you, wasn't it?" she said, running her arms up behind his neck and linking her fingers.

"Yeah," he sighed, leaning his forehead on hers. "But she did so well … she really gave him what for …"

"Good …" Olivia replied, caressing his face.

"She's pretty amazing, you know?" he whispered.

"Just like her daddy," she smiled, pulling him closer and kissing the side of his head.

For a long while Elliot was content to just hold her tightly and lean against the door, taking the time to breathe in the scent of her perfume and shampoo and think calming thoughts. Finally he pulled back and kissed her head.

"So, you called Don," he said, taking her hand and heading to the sofa.

"Yeah, I did," she said, climbing onto his lap as he sat in the corner. "You mad at me?"

"No," he replied, kissing her head. "I think it was a good thing …"

"I'm glad," she replied, resting her head against his. "I just wanted someone to be there for you."

"You know, driving out there, I was kinda hoping there'd be someone else there …" he said. "Liz was pretty calm and determined and I was fighting against every urge to either beat the shit out of him or burst into tears." Olivia kissed his cheek, surprised he was being so open. "On the way home I got to thinking of how different my life would have been if my dad had have been more like Don."

"And what did you come up with?" she asked playing with the collar on his shirt.

"That it would have been pretty good but then I probably would never have met you, and I don't want to even consider that," he whispered kissing her head.

"We would have found each other, regardless," she sighed, snuggling in a little closer.

There was a long pause before Elliot spoke again.

"You know if Don had have been my father … or dad had have been more like him … then maybe I would have been a better father," he said sadly, his head coming to rest on Olivia's shoulder.

"You're a damn good father as it is!" she replied emphatically, sitting up and taking his chin in her hand.

"Yeah?" he sighed unconvinced.

"You are!" she continued. "You are an amazing man, El and the kids absolutely adore you."

"Yeah, well I couldn't protect my youngest daughter and my son, doesn't think I'm much," Elliot said, his head down and tears filling his eyes.

"Your daughter doesn't blame you and your son loves you, Elliot Stabler," Olivia said, drawing his head up and wiping the trickle of tears from his cheek.

"I can't … I don't … Fuck…" he stumbled.

Olivia repositioned herself to enable her to wrap her arms around him tightly. He buried his head in her chest as the tears fell steadily.

"You know what I think the issue is?" Olivia started, her own tears spilling over. "I think Dickie is just a younger version of you. He feels the way you do, he acts the way you do … he has trouble expressing himself ... his emotions … just like…"
"Me," Elliot offered. Olivia nodded.

"And you know something else?" she continued. "He loves you just as much as I do."

Nothing else was said until Lizzie swung open her door and began a recount of her phone conversation before looking over and taking in the scene in front of her.

"Oh, sorry," she apologised. "Is everything alright?" She looked from one adult to the other.

"Yeah, it is," Olivia answered, still allowing Elliot to hide his face from his daughter.

"Can I do anything… dad?" she asked slowly, studying him intently.

"How about you get us some coffee?" Olivia answered for him.

"Sure," Lizzie answered before slowly walking to the kitchen.

"You okay?" Olivia asked gently, raising his head.

"Yeah," he smiled sadly. "Thanks."

"Anytime, baby," she replied, quickly kissing his lips.

"I might just go wash my face … you know…" he said and Olivia stood up and pulled him up.

"Love you," she said as he squeezed her hand and headed to the bathroom.

xoxoinnocenceoxox

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Thank you.