So, I've been notified by one of my reader's that the whole blood type thing is inaccurate so I apologize for that... However, I hope the little medical misinformation doesn't taint all of your dedication to this story! Enjoy this next chapter (:

"It's going to be okay…"

Olivia held Lizzie in her arms as she let out a few tears. When the twins had been called to the office, they hadn't known what to expect. But they didn't expect it to be Olivia and Maureen, bearing the news they had come with. Lizzie had gotten emotional right away, before even knowing what had happened. She was just very sensitive. But even now that the news had been delivered, Dickie still hadn't reacted much. Olivia figured he was in shock, but in truth, he didn't know whether the news was hurting him or if he felt indifferent about it. And this scared him.

After leaving Maureen's, Olivia had driven to Kathleen's campus where they found out she didn't have class until later that day. From there, they went to her apartment where they found her hanging out with a longtime friend of the family's, Jessica. After telling them the news, Kathleen suggested she take Eli while they went to get the twins and that she would meet them at the hospital. Olivia and Maureen thanked her as they continued their way to find the last two members of the clan. Kathleen would be meeting them at the hospital later on.

"I… I should probably go let Mrs. Shaw know where… that we're leaving… " Dickie said as he went for the door.

"No worries," Mrs. Hardy, the principal said. "I'll take care of that. You two, well you four, take care of yourselves and go be with your family. Olivia, could I speak to you before you go?"

Olivia hesitated, not wanting to get herself too involved in this. She stayed behind as the kids walked out.

"They speak highly of you," the principal said. "They have for a while, all of them… The twins, however, have the most it seems lately. And I've happened to hear that there have been some issues with their mother this last little while… And they're going through one of the toughest periods of their lives right now, and I can feel that they've been very stressed and worried lately. I can see in the way that you act around them and the way they act around you, even just right now, that you love each other very much. They need that stability right now. I know it's not in my place to tell you to keep an eye on them, but I've seen these two grow up in the walls of this school and I have taken a special liking to them. I know that they're hurting and that pains me. So I'm asking, begging you to stay close by to them, no matter what. You're like their second mother, and with the situation their mother is in right now, you might be the only one they've got left."

Olivia was dumbfounded. "I…I don't know what to… Of course I love them and of course I'll stay close… be there for them no matter what… I… I don't want to feel like I'm butting into their family though… and…"

She let out a small laugh. "Olivia, you've been to more events that those Stabler kids have been in than some of the actual parents. I know you love them as if they were your own kids and it doesn't matter what Kathy thinks of you… you're a part of those kids lives almost as much as she is and that's all that matters."

Olivia nodded slowly. "I… Okay. Thank you."

She shook her head. "No, thank you. If there were more people like you in the world, we'd be in a much better place."

Olivia felt her cheeks redden slightly.

"Go be there for them like I know you always are."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Baby. A baby. He couldn't get that thought out of his mind. A baby wasn't all that bad, even though he already had five children. No, it was the thought of having another baby with Kathy… That's what he didn't want to accept. He couldn't accept. Especially considering the last baby he had with Kathy… turned out to not be his.

And that's when the thought occurred to him. Maybe this baby wasn't his either. Maybe, just maybe, if he was lucky, this David guy had knocked her up a second time…

He laughed at the thought of hoping that his wife had been cheating on him when she got pregnant. It had become twisted, he thought. Their lives had become awfully twisted.

He left the room, still in shock about the fact that there was a possibility he would have to raise a child with his ex-wife. He felt bad for the unborn baby, thinking about the hell he or she would have to go through. He found himself hoping more and more that the baby wasn't his, and that this David guy could handle raising a child with Kathy. He probably couldn't do it again.

When he walked through the doors and back into the waiting area, he remembered that David was still waiting to be updated. He took a deep breath and put on a brave face. He forced himself to be strong. He took a few slow steps towards him and cleared his throat as David stood up.

"They believe that she will wake up from the coma soon. She will probably be sore and very confused for a while but nothing that shouldn't heal with time. She will however need twenty-four supervision for a while, and with the shit she's put me through, I don't think I'd be able to deal with that…"

"I'll do it," David said quietly. "I'll watch out for her."

Elliot nodded slowly. "I have a question though…"

David nodded. "Anything… I… I owe you some answers…"

"Hell you do," he said, trying not to get angry. He took a deep breath. "Did Kathy ever mention anything about our anniversary this year?"

David looked at him curiously, but as he thought about it, he suddenly knew what he was talking about. "Yes, she did…" Elliot looked at him, as if telling him to continue. "She came to me that day, after you had gone to work. She hadn't known exactly what had happened, but she knew she had been drunk. She also knew that it hadn't changed anything between the two of you so she told me how it made her… it made her feel less guilty about what we were doing… And then…"

Elliot felt himself feel hopeful for the first time that day. Hopeful that maybe, just maybe, he wasn't going to have to deal with a custody battle over a child who wasn't even born.

"Then… you guys did it to make her forget… am I right?"

He nodded sheepishly. "Shit, that sounds terrible. I felt crappy about being the other man, but I just… I couldn't stop… I know sorry isn't enough, but I truly am…"

Elliot shook his head. He knew that, in a way, this man had done him a favor by making him see that this relationship hadn't been worth saving. And he wasn't sorry for the fact that he could finally feel free to love the person he truly loved… "I just… you need to know something, be ready for something."

David seemed confused. "I… Anything," he said.

"When Kathy wakes up, we'll be needing to do a paternity test."

David's jaw nearly dropped. "A… Oh my… Shit… I mean, how? When?"

Elliot sighed. "Three months. That's why…"

"Anniversary night… Shit. I… I don't know what to say… I…"

"And I'm sorry to say this, but I hope it's yours," Elliot replied.

David nodded. "For your sake, and your sake only, I hope it's not yours either. You don't… you shouldn't have to…"

Elliot nodded. He knew what David meant. He almost respected this man, and pitied him at the same time. Almost. Because in the end, he had gotten himself into this situation on his own.

"I… I'll make sure that Kathy has someone to take care of her," David started. "And I'll deal with anything that needs to be dealt with. You shouldn't… you've had enough to deal with… and… I think there are people who need you more right now anyway…" he said as he pointed to the four people standing near the doorway looking at him. Elliot couldn't help but feel a little bit better at the sight of his family.

"I… yeah, I should…"

"Go," David instructed. "I'll take care of this stuff."

Elliot nodded. "Oh… And… David? Good luck. I mean it… You… you don't seem… I wouldn't pin you for…"

"I know, I know… I get what you mean…"

Elliot sighed. "Don't let her ruin you like she nearly ruined me."

He nodded. "Thanks for that. I'll keep it in mind."

And with that Elliot headed off to be with his loved ones. His children.

And the woman he truly loved.

"Dad!" Lizzie threw herself into her father's arms as a fresh batch of tears started flowing again. "Are you okay? How… I mean, are you handling this –"

Elliot shook his head. "Lizzie, I'm fine… A little shook up, but it's your mother that's hurt, not me."

"I can't… I can't believe that this happened… it's just…" Lizzie rambled on. "How did it happen? Why?"

"Karma's a bitch," Dickie mumbled under his breath.

"Dickie!" Olivia sent him a glare, and suddenly remembering Mrs. Hardy's words. She did sometimes act like more than just a friend of their dad's around them. Sometimes…

"I'm… I'm sorry to say it, but I think that Dickie's right…" Maureen agreed, which really shocked Olivia.

"You guys, she's still your mother, no matter what she has done or how she decided to live out her mistakes. I know you guys aren't very happy about it, but-"

Dickie shook his head. "Save it Liv. Dad already gave us this speech when we told him… when we said we wanted to move in with him."

Olivia was shocked. "You… what?"

"Shit," Elliot suddenly mumbled. "I… you won't be able to stay with your mother while she's recovering and I-"

Maureen rolled her eyes. "Dad, they're staying with me anyway. It's not like it makes that much of a difference."

Olivia looked over towards her. "What about Eli? Maureen, you can't possibly take them all under your wing and don't get me wrong, I know you're quite capable of doing it but you're young and you shouldn't have to worry about-"

"Liv," Maureen started. "I need to take care of them. They're my family, and until dad can find himself a place to-"

"I'll take you, all of you," Olivia said, and she watched everyone's expressions change. "When I'm in town, you can all stay with me, to give you a little break at least. I mean, my apartments small, but I have a few blow up mattresses and I love having you guys around and-"

Elliot cut her off. "Liv, you don't-"

"Yes Elliot," she looked at him with hard eyes. "I want to. I've never had a family. You're kids are the closest I've ever had to one. And I hate… I see children suffering everyday and it's my job to reassure them that everything is going to be okay. I… I can do this… I want to do this… and I mean, Elliot, you're at my place anyway. It's better like this…"

Elliot wanted to fight back, but he knew it was pointless. He knew he would lose.

And he knew Olivia cared too much to watch any of them suffer.

Or at least, watch the kids suffer. He didn't know too much about what was going on with the two of them.

"Umm dad?" Lizzie suddenly spoke up. "Who's the man you were talking to?"

Elliot sighed. Olivia and Maureen caught on right away. "He's… he's a friend of your-"

"Stop Dad!" Dickie nearly shouted. "Stop making mom seem less guilty! We know she cheated on you, we know she lied and then cheated some more. We're not kids anymore! We deserve the truth so don't try candy coating it anymore like you did when we were five! We're not freaking five anymore!" And with that, he ran off.

"I… I should-"

Olivia shook her head. "No, Elliot, stay with your daughters. I'll… I can go talk to him."

"Liv…"

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Stop." She paused and took a breath. "That's him though… isn't it? That's…"

Elliot nodded. "Yeah… that's him."

Olivia nodded before disappearing through the doors Dickie had just gone through.

Maureen and Lizzie just watched their dad as he looked over to David. "Dad… it's… it's going to be okay. He's nothing. Nothing compared to you. He'll never replace you in any of our lives."

Elliot nodded. "I know… I know… But I just… It's just…"

Lizzie wrapped her arms around her father. "It's hard. But it'll get easier. Someday, it'll get easier."

Elliot wrapped his arms around his youngest daughter, all while pulling his oldest in with them too. He just nodded as he finally let a tear slip down his cheek, thinking about the suffering this would cause them. All of them.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Dickie…" Olivia said sadly as she sat down next to the young man. She had managed to find him pretty quickly, having seen him leave through the main doors and flop down on a bench just outside. She kept her distance, not wanting to crowd him. He looked up, and Olivia could tell he was about to crack.

"Olivia… I… I don't…"

Olivia rested a hand on his lap. "Dickie, you're allowed to be upset. You're allowed to let it out. I know you want to feel like you're strong, and I have no doubt that you are, but even strong men cry once and a while. I've seen your father many times…"

Dickie nodded slowly before speaking up. "It's just… I… I…" and that's when Olivia saw the first tear slid down his cheek. "I… she's my mother… and I don't… It's not the fact that she's hurt that makes me upset or sad or mad or… whatever. It's seeing everyone… The fact that everyone else… It hurts and I can't… I…" He took one last deep breath before completely opening the damns. He rested his head almost immediately on Olivia's shoulder and wrapped his arms around her for comfort. Although this caught her by surprise, she returned the gesture by wrapping one arm tightly around him and using her other hand to rub the back of his head.

"I don't want to think about her…" he whispered. "I… she caused more problems in our family… and do you know what… Do you know what I wanted to do every time things were bad with her?"

Olivia shook her head. "I don't… but you can tell me…"

"I wanted to call you. I know… I know it sounds weird, or makes me seem weak…"

"You're far from that," Olivia said as she pulled his head up so he was looking into her eyes.

"… I know… but… I've always liked you Liv. And I'm not talking about my middle school crush on you. You were always like the light at the end of the tunnel for Dad… and hearing him… when he talks about you, a stranger would know just how much of an amazing person you are because of the way he speaks of you… You may not realize you've changed lives, but you have, including mine… and all of the girls… and most of all, you've changed my Dad's life in a way that makes you more important than just a friend of the family Liv. You're so much more than that…"

Olivia had to pull away just a bit from Dickie just to wipe away the small tears that were forming in the corners of her eyes. Hearing this… especially hearing it from Dickie, knowing how he felt about her made her all the more emotional. Especially after what had happened with his father the night before…

That thought had been pushed to the back of her mind. She had nearly forgotten that something had happened with Elliot. And remembering that now made her all the more emotional. How could things just be so… She couldn't even explain it. But she sure as hell wasn't going to dwell on it right now. There were more complicated things happening right now, and she needed to be there fully for the kids right now.

And that's what she would be.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Elliot felt his heart swell and break all at once as he looked out from the second floor window out onto the front terrace of the hospital, watching his son and Olivia so comfortable, seeing her take him under her wing without a second thought. He thought about how much of an incredible mother she would have been to them. How much of an incredible mother figure she had been to them. It made him flash to a future where she could be like their mother, a step mother more so… but the thought still made him smile just the slightest. She was just… He couldn't help but love her even more.

"She's pretty amazing, isn't she?" he heard Maureen whisper to him, catching him slightly off guard.

"She's… she's…" Elliot couldn't find the words to describe her. There were no words.

"We love her dad… we all do," Maureen said very bluntly. "Remember that." And with that, she walked back off to sit with Lizzie who had just finished crying.

His kids loved her. He loved her. They could be so amazing together if just… if she'd just let them be. But after their first time together being disrupted, and not just disrupted but ended by his ex-wife, he feared there was going to be no second chance.

He watched as she and Dickie walked back into the hospital, him leaning into her and her with an arm wrapped protectively around his shoulder. It wasn't long before they were with them again in the small waiting room, doing just that. Waiting.

For what, he wasn't sure anymore. David had said he'd take care of things. He could fill out a few forms and they could be on their way again. But they still seemed to be…

That's when the elevator doors opened again and out came Kathleen, heading straight for Liv, Eli wrapped around her neck. Eli…

"Liv, I'm sorry it took us so long, but we were on our way, and then…"she trailed off as she set Eli down and looking back up came across her father standing a little ways away, leaning against the window. "Dad…!"

She hurried towards him and wrapped herself quickly in his arms. He held her tightly, wanting to never let go. They hadn't talked face to face since before Eli's accident, and although neither one of them had been on bad terms with the other, they just hadn't had the chance to spend some time together.

"I missed you," he said as he pulled her tighter against him. "I… I really did…"

Kathleen nodded into his shoulder. "I know… I did too… but I'll be around more… and you'll be around more and… it's going to be okay…"

Elliot nodded as he pulled away and looked into his daughter's eyes before looking back over towards the others. His heart nearly broke once again when he noticed the little boy in Liv's arms, his head over the back of her shoulder, a thumb in his mouth and a silent tear falling down his cheek.

"Eli…" he whispered slowly, the name getting caught in his throat. He could tell the little boy knew something was going on. And not just with his mother… No, he knew by the look on his face that Eli sensed something was going on with the two of them, and it pained him to have to watch such a tiny little spirit go through this. So he would try to make it easier on him.

He buried his head into Liv's shoulder, and Elliot figured that Eli thought he no longer loved him. Which of course, was far from the truth. It was just… it was hard…

But then he noticed the little boy squirm, and as Olivia put him down, everyone went quiet. They watched as Eli looked up to his father before bursting into tears and running towards him as fast as his little legs could take him.

"Daddy!" he cried out as he made his way across the small distance and jumped into his father's arms. He cried into his father's shoulder, and Elliot held him tighter against him than he ever had before. This put all of his children in an emotional mess. Even Olivia couldn't stop from getting teary eyed. "Daddy, why… Why don you love me no more…?"

This put Elliot over the edge. He crumbled into the chair right beside him as he tried his best to soothe the little boy, still shaken up, in his arms. "Eli… Eli I will always love you. No matter what. No matter what anyone else says… I will never, ever, stop loving you. Can you promise me… can you promise that you'll never forget that?"

Eli nodded quietly as he kept his tiny little arms wrapped tightly around his father's neck.

Everyone was so wrapped up in the emotion that no one noticed David make a dash for the bathroom, where he couldn't help but throw up everything he had eaten that day, knowing he was part of the reason for all that pain.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Eli's asleep," Elliot said as he walked out of Olivia's room where they had set up the little boy for his nap. He took a seat with the five others at the small island Olivia used a kitchen table. He grabbed himself a sandwich and ate silently, just like the rest of them. Olivia saw the pain etched on his face.

"How… how did it go?" she asked, hesitantly, knowing Elliot was torn apart about his son at this point. She knew he probably didn't want to talk about it right now, but she wanted to give him the opportunity to feel like he could get it off his chest.

He let out a sigh and looked around at his four kids. They were all so grown up, not kids at all anymore. And most of all, they were old enough to understand what was going on. Or at least part of it, for now.

"I… It's…" he rested his head in his hands. "He's broken… I… I didn't want this for him… he's just… he's so little and… and he has to go through… he's lived the past month thinking I didn't love him anymore. Do you know how shitty that… I think… Oh God…" he broke down and Maureen, who was sitting beside him, wrapped her arms around him to show him that he was allowed to cry and that they knew that he needed it. There would be no judgment, he was still the strongest man they knew.

"Dad…"Maureen started as she quickly wiped away the tears that had started forming in the corners of her eyes. "Everything is shitty right now. But we always need to look at the bright side. Yes, things with mom are hell right now and yes, she's in a delicate situation and yes, things with Eli are a little complicated… But think about the good things! You and mom aren't always at each others throats which means that we all have some peace of mind. Plus, it has definitely strengthened our appreciation of having a lot of siblings to lean on," she looked at the three others and they all nodded to confirm she was right. "And it's definitely strengthened our relationship with you, when we see you you're not angry and stressed out about mom-"

"Except for right now," he mumbled.

Maureen sighed. "Right now is an exception. Do you know what other good thing this has brought?"

He looked at her curiously.

"We can have Liv around without mom shooting arrows at her," Lizzie said with a small laugh. "And we get to spend more time with her too cause she seems stuck with your homeless ass."

Lizzie's joking definitely helped all of them let loose a little. Elliot smiled at the fact that all of his kids loved Olivia more than he could have asked for. And even more, he loved that Olivia loved them just as much. And he was incredibly over the moon with the fact that she had been so willing to take them under her wing. It made him fall in love with her even more.

"That was pretty much what I was going to say," Maureen said as she smiled at her sister. "Dad, you just wait and see. Before you know it, things will be just the way they should be."

He wanted to look into Olivia's eyes as Maureen said this. How they should be… In his mind, the way things should be included Olivia big time. He was just worried he had lost his chance.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

They had spent most of the afternoon just lazing around in front of the TV. Elliot had wanted more than once to pull Olivia into his arms and snuggle with her on the couch but he knew he couldn't right now. First of all, he didn't know what was going through her head anymore about them. He hoped she wouldn't give up right away, but on the other hand he felt like she had. And second, his kids, although he figured they would be alright with something going on between them, didn't need this right now. So he kept that to himself. However, it didn't stop him from glancing time to time over to where she and Lizzie were seated closely together in the large arm chair. He smiled at the way she subconsciously played with the young girl's hair. Just like a mother would do.

They had stayed like this until it neared supper time. They were halfway through an old comedy that just happened to be playing when they heard the bedroom door open. A sleepy Eli submerged, rubbing his eyes with one hand, and his teddy bear and blanky tucked tightly in his other arm. His teddy bear had been a gift from Olivia a few days after his birth and he had always been overly attached to it. It was the little things like this that made Elliot smile at times like these.

"Hey there little man," Elliot called out. "How was your sleep?"

He didn't answer but as soon as Elliot had spoken to him, he had rushed over and cuddled into his lap. This made his heart swell to a point where he was sure it would burst.

"Don eva leave me again, K?" he asked with the most serious expression.

This put Elliot over the edge. "I promise buddy," he said as the tears started up again.

"Daddy don cry…" he whispered as he reached up to wipe his tears. Elliot rested his hand on top of his son's and when he pulled away his hand, Elliot leaned and dropped a kiss on his head. "I love you daddy. Don eva forget."

Elliot nodded. "I won't forget. And always, always remember that I love you too. Always."

He nodded and smiled a little for the first time since he had seen his father. He may have been young, but he now knew that his father loved him very much. And for someone his age, that's all that mattered.

Awe... I have to say, the scene at the hospital with Eli and Elliot almost makes me tear up and I wrote it! Hope you guys enjoy (: