He turned back towards the hospital again and disappeared inside, leaving Olivia standing in the cold. She got in her car and headed back to Queens. No way would she leave those kids alone tonight.
Olivia arrived back at the Stabler house a little bit before 1 a.m. She used her key and opened the front door. Geez, if Kathy knew I had a key... Olivia chuckled to herself slightly.
Maureen and Kathleen were sitting on the couch staring a the television blankly. Kathleen was curled into Maureen's side but jumped up when she saw Olivia in the door way. Olivia embraced each girl tightly and then led them back to the couch.
"Can we talk?" Olivia began, nervously studying her hands.
"We know, Olivia." Maureen started. "Dad warned us not to call you. We're really sorry! We just didn't know who else to go to. We won't do it again, I promise." Kathleen nodded sadly in agreement with her sister.
"No, no. That's not at all what I was going to say." Olivia interrupted, turning slightly on the couch to face them more directly. "Look, I know the past few weeks have been really tough on your family and I want to tell you how sorry I am for going AWOL when you needed me most. I was too busy having a pity party for myself that I didn't consider how you must have been feeling. I was selfish and I am so, so sorry. You two girls, and Lizzie and Dickie and Eli mean the world to me. I love you like you're my own children and I feel terrible for ignoring your calls. I hope that you can one day forgive me and that we can go back to the way things used to be between us." Olivia tried to blink back her tears as she spoke but wasn't entirely successful. Maureen reached out and swiped the rogue tear away with her hand and then wrapped Olivia in a huge bear hug. Kathleen joined as well and soon all three women were crying.
"We love you, Olivia." Maureen said. "And we know that you were going through a lot of stuff. You're allowed to be upset too."
"Liv, we were being annoying hoping that you would answer out of sheer frustration. That's why we called you so much. We just wanted to hear your voice, even if you were answering just to get us to stop calling." Kathleen smirked a trademark Stabler smirk. "No, really though, we were worried about you and wanted to hear your voice but if you needed space to feel better then I am glad that you didn't answer. We only want you to be happy, Liv."
Olivia smiled at Maureen. "I don't know how I got so lucky. You guys are one of the best parts of my life."
"What about Dad?" Kathleen piped up suddenly, earning a slap on the arm from Maureen.
"Um, I...things with your dad and I are complicated right now, Katie."
"Why? Because you think you messed up his life?" Maureen slapped Kathleen again but she continued unfazed. "Because none of this is your fault, Olivia. Don't you tell victims that all the time? The only person to blame is the person that committed the crime. You didn't do anything wrong..."
"And you couldn't have prevented anything from happening either." Maureen chimed in. "He really misses you, Olivia. I've never seen him so lost before."
"You know, Maureen," Kathleen said. "I don't think he and mom were ever meant to be together forever like in the movies."
Maureen snorted. "Really?! And how did ya figure that one out, genius?"
"Because when he's around Liv, he changes. He's not angry or defensive. He's calm and happy. It's like he's finally found a missing piece of a puzzle. He just seems...better, more complete."
"Yeah, it's like he's Brad and she's Angelina!" Maureen said, attempting to make fun of her sister but Kathleen's eyes lit up.
"Yes! Exactly like that!" Kathleen cried. Maureen giggled and threw a pillow at her sister while rolling her eyes. "Like in Mr. and Mrs. Smith!"
"Kathleen, shut up!" Maureen said, laughing now.
Glad for a change in the mood, Olivia stood up and walked around to the back of the couch to the DVD shelf. She grabbed a random movie and popped it in the DVD player.
"Okay, you two. Enough romanticizing. Let's just put in a movie and try to take our minds off of tonight."
Olivia sat in the middle while Kathleen laid her head on Olivia's lap and Maureen curled into her side. They watched until their eyelids got heavy and they fell asleep.
Elliot opened the front door at 7 a.m. the next morning to find Maureen and Kathleen using Olivia as a human pillow in his living room. His heart jumped into his throat. She had come back. Maybe things would be okay between them after all.
He was totally exhausted from trying to deal with Kathy, the insurance agency, and doctors all night so he curled up in the recliner next to the couch and fell asleep to the sound of Kathleen snoring against Olivia's arm.
An hour later Olivia began to stir. Her neck was cramped and she couldn't feel her right arm. Carefully, she started to peel each girl off of her and replaced herself with couch pillows under each of their heads. She walked to the kitchen, stretching as she went, and started to make a pot of coffee.
She was standing with her back leaning against the middle island, cup of strong coffee in hand, looking out the window, when Elliot walked into the kitchen.
"I thought you didn't drink coffee anymore." He said, pouring himself a cup.
Olivia grumbled an incoherent response that made Elliot laugh.
"Thank you, Olivia."
"No problem, El." Olivia said, still staring out the window at snowy morning. The sun hit the ice on the trees just right and reflected back into the kitchen, creating geometric patterns on the counter tops. It was really starting out to be quite a beautiful day.
The two stood in silence, not really knowing what to say until they heard Eli begin to fuss on the baby monitor. Both Elliot and Olivia set their cups down simultaneously and walked upstairs.
Eli was standing up in his crib when they walked in and began excitedly saying "'Livia!" over and over again when he saw her. Elliot let her pick him up while he picked out some clothes for him to wear that day. They moved in fluid synchronized movements, like they had been doing this dance forever, and soon Eli was changed, clothed, and ready for his day.
Olivia carried him downstairs and set him in the high chair while Elliot began to prepare breakfast for everyone.
Kathleen and Maureen woke up to the sounds of pots and pans clanging in the kitchen. Olivia was cutting up banana slices for Eli when the girls walked in while Elliot was busy at the stove making eggs and bacon.
"Smells good, Dad." Maureen said, wrapping her arms around her dad's shoulders. Elliot returned the hug and kissed the side of her head. He greeted Kathleen the same way.
"Will one of you go wake up the twins, please?" Elliot asked, flipping over the bacon in the frying pan.
"No problem!" Maureen answered. She bounded up the stairs like she had been awake for hours. Olivia watched her go, envious of her energy as she took another sip of her coffee.
Kathleen pulled a bar stool up to the counter and sat down. "How's mom?"She asked, grabbing a slice of banana from Eli's plate while the toddler wasn't looking.
"She's going to be okay. She had a terrible shock yesterday. The doctors gave her some sedatives that will help her get some rest. Why don't you and Maureen go and visit her this afternoon? I'll call ahead to make sure it's okay but I know she would love to see you two."
"Um...no thanks." Kathleen mumbled.
"What was that?" Olivia asked, raising an eyebrow at the teenager.
"It's just...I don't know. We had so much drama yesterday. I kind of want a drama-free day today and chaos seems to follow mom around. Is that terrible?"
"A little." Olivia teased, smirking at Kathleen.
"No, you're right, Katie Bug. It's your choice if you want to go. I won't blame you if you need some peace today. You've earned it." Elliot replied.
"Um, who are you and what have you done with my father?" Kathleen chided.
"What are you talking about?"
"You, dad! You're seriously going to let me get out of seeing mom in the hospital today?"
"Sure. You're old enough to make those decisions yourself." Elliot replied.
Kathleen shot Olivia a sideways glance and kept her mouth shut. She didn't want to push her luck.
The twins came running down the stairs dressed for the day a few minutes later, yelling excitedly for Olivia all the way down. She knelt down and opened her arms for Lizzie and Dickie to run into and they knocked her over and against the cabinets with the force of their hug. Olivia and the twins burst out laughing while Elliot knelt down to help them up. When he grasped Olivia's hands to pull her into a standing position, she let out a small, almost inaudible, gasp as electric shocks shot through her body and hit her in the stomach. She'd forgotten how easily her hands slid into his. She stood slowly, unable to keep herself from looking straight into Elliot's eyes. She saw nothing but love and desperation their and it killed her that she felt she had to shut him out.
She released her hand from his, slowly, unintentionally dragging her fingertips along the inside of his palm causing him to tremble slightly. She noticed, and felt even worse.
She quickly looked away and focused her attention immediately back to Eli, who had finished his banana and was waiting for his next meal.
Though Kathleen, Maureen, Lizzie and Dickie were all talking and joking at the kitchen table like normal, the air in the kitchen had become significantly thicker between Elliot and Olivia. She felt like she was moving through a haze of tension and want. He was dying inside with the need to touch her everywhere.