Woot! Bonus scene! Enjoy a little more Stabler chaos!
"Okay okay," Kathleen turned towards Liz. " Are you good?"
Liz drank some water and nodded. "I'm good."
Dickie's face radiated a self satisfied grin.
"I think we are ready to begin the next round. I'm going to let Noah take over for a minute to explain the next challenge."
She stepped aside and Noah stood in front of the group proudly. Olivia's mama heart almost burst. For so long it had been the two of them. Two souls conceived by violence, but who truly tried to lighten the world. They had each other, and that was enough, but now they had more. They were both part of something bigger, something she always wanted, but could never quite grasp. They had a family.
Olivia grinned as Noah began with the necessary bravado. "Okay! We are going to find out which twin is more coordinated." Noah paused and Dickie flashed another self assured smile. "But," Noah paused again for dramatic effect. "We wanted it to be as fair as possible so I found a sport I don't think either one of you guys have played…" Liz and Dickie's eyes were focused intently on Noah. He grinned, "speed cup stacking!"
Liz laughed and Dickie let out a muttered, "What the hell?"
"I have a video." Noah said eagerly. He swiped a couple screens on his phone until he found the saved video. He turned the volume up so everyone could hear, but kept the device pointed towards Liz and Dickie so they could view the video.
As the narrator explained the rules, and showed visuals of the competition, Kathleen pulled out two bags of cups that were apparently sanctioned for the sport of speed stacking. "We picked these up. Gotta be official." Kathleen winked at her audience.
"Three rounds- best two out of three." Olivia covered her mouth in an attempt to quell a laugh. Her little performer was soaking all of the attention in. "Kathleen and I will act as official judges," he grinned.
Kathleen dumped the different colored cups in front of her siblings. The twins split them in the way the video instructed. They sat at the table, facing each other. Liz squirmed nervously, and Dickie sat with his normal level of cockiness. "Ready to lose sis?"
She rolled her eyes. "I'm gonna make you cry."
"This is getting a little tense," Elliot said in a low voice only Olivia could hear.
"What did you expect…" she couldn't keep back her cheeky grin. "They're your kids…"
He scoffed in mock offense. He poked a finger into her side, "What are you saying Benson?" He raised an eyebrow, daring her to call him out.
"Thought it was obvious…" she grinned. "I'm saying that the kids aren't temperamental hot heads because of their mother."
"Damnnnnn them be fighting words!" Eli's voice echoed from the laptop.
"Don't make me shut the laptop!" Elliot threatened.
"Yeah yeah. Sure. You know Liv would just call me back right?" He said it with perfect confidence.
Elliot shook his head and Olivia piped in, "I got your back Eli."
"See!" He said.
Elliot groaned, and Kathleen cleared her throat. "Hello? We are trying to settle a decades long debate here!"
Olivia lifted her hands in a gesture of mock remotes. "Sorry sorry. Go ahead."
"Thank you," Dickie said graciously. "You should know by now that we need to be the center of attention."
Elliot snorted, and Olivia rolled her eyes. Kathleen shook her head. "Ready to do this little dude?" Kathleen stood at one end of the table, and Noah stood at the other.
He grinned widely before saying, "Ready…set… GO."
A flurry of activity followed as the twins began stacking. In a matter of seconds Liz slapped her hands on the table indicating she was finished. Dickie hadn't even finished the pyramid. "NO WAY! Now way. You cheated Liz I know you did!"
"How the hell was I gonna cheat dummy, we have two judges watching." Her voice held an air of superior snark.
"She didn't cheat," Kathleen confirmed and glanced over at Noah.
"Nope. No cheating- she was just way faster than you Dickie."
Eli chortled, and Olivia slapped her hand over her mouth again to contain her torrent of laughter. Leave it to her blunt child to throw Dickie firmly into place.
Dickie grumbled something unintelligible while stacking his cups back into their respective piles. Once they were ready Noah started them off again. "Ready, set, GO!"
The second round began, and the sound of plastic cups clashing against each other filled the air. In a matter of seconds Liz's hands slapped the table again. "Done!" She yelled. She shot up and began an obnoxious celebratory dance.
Dickie grumbled and knocked the cups over in a petty display of anger. "How the hell are you so good at that!?" He finally shot out.
"Dickie, seriously. Kids." This time it was Maureen popping in to correct him.
He rolled his eyes. "Gee thanks Mom."
"Stop being such a sore loser," came the commentary from the computer.
"I'm not being a sore loser! I just want to know how the…heck…Liz is so good at that!" He placed his hands on the table and leaned in, glaring in Lizzie's direction.
She assumed a defensive position with her arms folded. "What if I'm just better than you?"
"No way," he said arrogantly.
"No seriously- you could play hockey and all those dumb sports, but you never paid attention when I practiced piano."
Olivia leaned towards Elliot, "When did Lizzie take piano?"
"Hell if I know…" She shot him a disbelieving look. "What? I was at work…with you. How was I supposed to know what activities all the kids were in?"
She laughed a little at his ignorance, but then their attention was ripped back to the twins' argument. "Look. I know you played piano or whatever. Mom made us go to some of your recitals. It was a snooze fest. But this," he motioned towards the cups, "was not that." He insisted.
"You're such an as…astounding idiot, you know that right?" She caught herself before she swore and got scolded by mama Maureen.
Olivia hadn't seen Liz defend herself against Dickie before. She was sure that it happened every now and again, but Dickie always seemed to be dominant. Lizzie was always so sweet and kind, but Olivia knew who the girl's father was, and while she might be the most silently stubborn Stabler, she was just as volatile as the rest. Girl had some bite when she wanted to.
"Just- fine- just tell me how you did it." Dickie's voice began to level, and he sounded genuinely curious as to why his sister beat him so thoroughly.
Sensing his remorse, Lizzie's stance relaxed a little, and she grinned slyly. "I may or may not be the schools reigning champion at cup stacking. I've held the title of undisputed champion for years now. We always compete at the end of year teacher party." She shrugged like it was nothing. "It's actually pretty easy to do sob…," she suddenly remembered the young audience. "When you practice." She finished.
Dickie placed his hands on his hips and laughed. "Good for you Lizzie. I had no idea." He smiled in her direction, "that is a totally random thing to be good at."
"Well thank you bro." She said graciously.
Kathleen clapped her hands to get everyone's attention. "We are going to take a little halftime break. I think the kids need to get some wiggles out, and we need lunch." She glanced down at her phone and opened an app. "Pizza should be here in a few minutes."
-000-
Kid chat Elliot and Liv
E: Am I the only one who kinda wants to see Liz cup stack drunk…
K: Them teachers sure know how to party
K: We might need to do an "adult" competition sometime….
El: Not sure I should condone this….
O: They're adults El. As long as no one drives…
D: Thank you!
L: I'd still beat your ass.
D: probably! I just want to see it. I'm a little disturbed that I didn't know my sister had such a unique…gift.
M: Wonder if I can get Carl to take Noah and the boys for a night sometime.
E: Ask him please! But we gotta do it when I'm home for break.
El: Still not legal Eli…
E: Having parents that are cops kinda sucks.
E: I will be a judge. Obviously Noh won't be judging.
O: I bet I could beat Liz.
D: Seriously!? Did you not witness my shame?
O: Oh. We all saw it.
E: Oof. Savage.
L: I don't know Liv. How do I put this delicately…
O: If you type the world 'old' Dickie will become my new favorite.
D: SAY IT
K: Damn. I thought I was the favorite.
El: You're all our favorites.
E: Oh my God that was the most Dad thing you could ever say.
D: Yeah Dad. Don't fight it. We all know I've always been the favorite.
L: You're joking right? You aren't anyone's favorite…ever.
E: Damn. This chat is getting icy…
El: You know what? I'm going to let Liv kick all your asses. Im betting 200 dollars that she will demolish ALL of you at any drinking game. And for the record. She's my new favorite.
O: Awe thanks babe.
E: Ew.
M: You're just jealous you can't play….
E: Being the youngest sucks.
D: Seriously? You spent half of your life with all of mom and dads attention to yourself and you got to live in Italy. God you're such a baby.
E: Shut up.
K: Liv. I love you. But I'm putting my money on Lizzie.
D: Same.
M: Oooo um I'm leaning towards Liv winning. She's got that whole badass cop thing- Lizzie no offense, but you teach school everyday. She literally had beat the crap out of people.
L: I'm not scared.
E: I'm broke- no bet for me, but I'd back Liv.
D: I'm totally excited to witness this.
El:You all know I've seen Liv drink right? I'm VERY aware of her drunk coordination.
D: How the hell did you manage to make that sound dirty???
E: Damn it Dickie! I didn't think of that that way! Ugh.
O: First of all, he's talking about some undercover ops when we were partners- get your head out of the gutter Dickie- and second sex is a natural part of the human experience, and when done responsibly….should I keep going.
E: God no.
K: hahahahahaha I don't care if I'm not the favorite- Liv is officially my favorite.
O: Thanks?
El: Alright everyone get off your damn phones. We are all in the same room for God's sake
E: Except me
M: Next time Eli!
K: We just wanted to have an adult convo without little ears! But my app says the pizza guy is here.
D: FOOOODDDD
L: You are literally 12.
-000-
She was washing her hands when Elliot slipped through the bathroom door. She lifted her chin, and smiled at him through the mirror. He grinned in return, and planted himself directly behind her. She leaned her head back on his chest and let out a surprised laugh when he suddenly gripped her ass with his large hands. "Hey!" She faked swatting him away, but she didn't move out of his arms. He slid his hands away from her ass to her hips and settled them just beneath her hip bones.
He lifted his lips and kissed her cheek. "Having fun?" He asked.
She reached for the hand towel to dry her hands, and turned towards him. His hands gripped the counter on either side of her, caging her in. Her ass now pressed slightly uncomfortably against the vanity. "Yeah," a soft smile swept across her face, "it's been fun." Her fingers found their way to his crucifix, and she toyed with it idly. "Noah is loving this." Her large brown eyes lifted, "we've never had this…you know." She swallowed her emotion. "It's always been the two of us, and I worried he would be overwhelmed by it all, but…" she shook her head. "He is loving every minute of this."
Elliot let out a low chuckle. "They are all loving it." He lifted one hand to her face and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. He hesitated for a moment, and she worried what he might say next, but when he spoke her eyes watered. "I know you don't necessarily believe in God or a universal greater power, but Liv, that boy." He swallowed his own emotion. "They immediately took to him like he was theirs. No questions asked. It's like…"
"He was always meant to be here." She spoke softly.
Elliot nodded and ran his fingers lightly up and down her arm, living a trail of goosebumps. "I loved him instantly because he was yours, but it's strange. I feel like…I don't know. I guess I feel like he was always meant to be in our family. He isn't just yours Liv, he's a part me too, part of us all."
Damn it. Why did he have to say sweet shit like that? She cupped his cheeks and brought his mouth to hers. She ignored her damn tears and focused his mouth moving sweetly against his. She pulled back, ever so slightly, to catch her breath.
He rubbed his hands gently up and down her back. "You're okay with him being ours too. Not just a Benson," his voice belied his concern.
She sighed and pecked his lips quickly."Elliot, I learned a long time ago that the last name doesn't matter. Blood doesn't matter." She smiled shyly at him. "Some bone headed cop told me that family is more than blood. So much more."
"Sounds like a smart guy…" she could feel his smirk against her lips.
"Shut up," she laughed, kissed him.
He kissed her quietly and slowly, after all, all of their children sat in a kitchen not far from the bathroom they were currently locked in.
Her body filled with a tingling warmth, and she couldn't help herself when her tongue teased the corner of his mouth, suggestively asking for entrance. She felt his smile as he happily obliged, kissing her deeply.
His hands trailed down her back until the found her ass. He gripped her possessively before lifting her to the counter. She let out a breathless moan when he pressed his body between her legs, adding to the warmth already radiating from her.
Her hands drifted to his chest as his kisses migrated to her jaw. Her heart pounded in her chest, and she gasped when his teeth nipped at her earlobe. "God El," she said in a hushed whisper. "We gotta stop."
"Mmmhmm," he responded, not totally listening. He continued his slow sucking kisses to her neck until a pounding on the door startled them both.
Dickie's voice boomed from the other side of the door. "Hey! Stop canoodling and get your asses in here!"
Olivia raised an eyebrow, "Canoodling?"
He groaned and rolled his eyes, "It's their new inside joke. Can't explain it, but they think they are funny."
"Eh," she acted like she was mulling something over, They are. Mostly."
He laughed, and let out an exaggerated groan. "Ugh. They really are. I love all of those crazy humans."
She lifted her hand to his cheek and held his gaze, "Me too."
She leaned in to kiss him once more, but she halted at the sound of the voice on the other side of the door. "We are going to start without you!!!"
He sighed, "Better go." He seemed genuinely disappointed to let her go.
She flipped the lock on the door and took his hand. She tugged his hand in the direction of the living room. Let's go." She looked over her shoulder, and mischief danced in her eyes, "Maureen said the boys want to have Noah over for a sleepover…" her grin widened.
"Oh really?" He said, and she knew he caught her meaning.
"Really," she confirmed, and with one more sly smile she added, "fun's just beginning Stabler."
