A/N – Just in case you hadn't noticed, I took some liberties with the Stabler kids ages. Maureen and Kathleen are high school age (senior and sophomore respectively) and the twins are significantly younger at 6 years old. I like younger kids ability to state the obvious to completely oblivious adults.

Also, thank you for the follows, favorites, and reviews. This may sound silly, but all of your stories have gotten me through some tough times so I figured it was time to give back. Forgive my rookie mistakes, please.

I apologize for the delay in posting this chapter. It's been a crazy week.

Much love.

"Should we get these kids some lunch?" He said with his trademark Stabler grin, though not as wide and bright as usual.

"Yeah, I guess we should." Olivia said, smiling in return, the weight and worry on her heart lifting at least for the moment.

"No, Kathleen, just come over to Liv's place, please?" Maureen was pacing in front of the kitchen counter on her cell phone as Olivia and Elliot emerged from the bedroom.

"Okay, I'll see you in a bit….K….Bye." Maureen hung up and turned towards her father.

"Kathleen's coming over. I hope that's okay. She got home from sleeping over at Jen's house after I left this morning and apparently mom was still on her anti-you rampage. She has no idea what's going on and I wasn't going to tell her over the phone."

"Of course, Mo." Elliot pulled his eldest child close and kissed the side of her head.

Ten minutes later Elliot and Olivia were busy getting the twins and Eli in their winter coats to leave for lunch when Kathleen knocked on the door. Maureen ran to open it and a tearful, tired Kathleen appeared on the other side.

Elliot went to her immediately and swept her up in his large arms for a bear-like embrace. She buried her head in his should and breathed heavily. "It's finally happening this time, isn't it?"

"What, Katie-bug?" Elliot tilted his head to look at his daughter, his eyes shining with worry and guilt.

"You. You're finally leaving for good, aren't you? I knew it would happen but I guess a little warning would have been nice." Katie sniffed and pulled away from his arms to grab a Kleenex from the coffee table.

"I am so sorry, Katie." Elliot began.

"No, Dad. This isn't your fault. Don't you dare apologize!" Maureen was almost yelling as she tearfully moved to pull Kathleen into a tight hug. The twins looked up from their place on the couch with Olivia and Eli.

"What isn't daddy's fault?" Lizzy asked. She and Dickie had been too engrossed in playing with Olivia to notice that their sisters were upset until now.

Elliot looked at Olivia with panic in his eyes. He had no idea what to say to them. Teenagers he could handle. He had always believed in telling his kids the truth, no matter how difficult that may be but 9 year olds? How in the world was he supposed to tell them that their parents were getting divorced? All his years on the force couldn't have prepared him for something this difficult. Olivia, reading Elliot perfectly, cleared her throat nervously and spoke.

"You know what?" She asked the twins brightly, brushing a strand of hair behind Lizzy's ear. "Daddy is going to explain everything to you with your mommy in a little while." She glanced up at Elliot and held his gaze as she spoke her next words. "Everything is going to be okay, I promise. And if it's not okay," she glanced back down at the twins "I'll help make it better." Elliot's eyes crinkled at the corners as he lifted his lips in a closed mouth grin.

He nodded slowly and turned to face his eldest girls. Pulling them both into another hug, he kissed them each on the forehead and whispered "The three of us will talk about all of this after lunch, okay? I'll tell you everything you want to know, I promise." Katie and Maureen nodded and returned his hug. Olivia looked on from the couch and smiled. Her heart was so full of emotion for Elliot and his children, whom she loved so deeply. She made a silent vow to stay with them and support them as much as she could for as long as they would let her. They needed stability right now and she was more than happy to provide all the love they needed.

An hour later, Olivia and Elliot were sitting with his kids at the nearby deli when Olivia's phone rang. Recognizing the number as her OBGYN, she blanched and excused herself from the table and quickly walked outside of the restaurant. She didn't notice Elliot's curious gaze follow her. After confirming her appointment for next week with the receptionist, Olivia hung up the phone and took a deep breath. She still hadn't told Elliot about her plans and now she wasn't sure if she should bother him with it when he had so much else on his plate. And, if she was honest with herself, she really didn't want to have that conversation with him period. This was a huge step for her. She had always wanted a family, knew she was meant to be a mother but this was never the way she had imagined it. In her perfect, imaginary world, as soon as she told Elliot what she was planning, he would scoop her up in his arms, tell her he loved her, and that he wanted a family with her. Looking in the deli window at Elliot with all of his kids, she knew that wasn't in the cards for her. He had gotten her version of the perfect life once upon a time and with the way things were crumbling, there was no way she could imagine him ever wanting to do that again.

She returned to the table, anxiety ridden but with her walls firmly in place and she knew that Elliot could tell. He gazed at her with such compassion that she wanted to cry from sheer want and frustration but she smiled instead and turned her attention back to his kids. She had learned a long time ago that she could always just smile instead.

Maureen took the twins and Eli back to the house in Queens after lunch while Kathleen, Elliot and Olivia walked the few blocks back to Olivia's apartment so that Elliot could fill Kathleen on what had transpired with her mom. Deciding that her presence would probably be a little awkward for both of them, Olivia decided that she would walk around the block a couple times and clear her head. Elliot looked at her concerned when she let them know of her plan but she smiled reassuringly and took off towards the park.

She returned two hours later, tired but invigorated from the chilly winter air to find her apartment empty and a note from Elliot on the counter letting her know that he had taken Kathleen back home.