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"The best twin would know the most about his or her siblings…" Kathleen began. "And family."
"Oh shit," Dickie muttered under his breath, dropping his head into his hands.
Liz smacked his arm playfully. "I think we should just crown the winner now."
Dickie shot her a competitive glare before straightening himself up in his chair. He wasn't about to let his sister win. He nodded towards Kathleen and Noah. "Let's do this."
Noah fished a notecard from the stack and read it aloud. "Which twin is older… Seamus or Kieran?"
Dickie hit his buzzer with a cheetah-like speed. "That would be my man Semus," he pointed to the boy wearing the Team Dickie shirt.
"That's correct," Noah said with a grin.
Everyone laughed when Seamus did an exaggerated victory dance. That left Kieran pouting next to him. "It's not like I could control that…" he grumpily inserted.
Kathleen pulled the attention back to her when she began to read the next question. "What's Noah's middle name?"
"Porter!!" Dickie yelled after hitting his buzzer several times obnoxiously.
"Yes," Noah shouted as pumped his fist in the air.
"Hey, I got you bro!" Dickie went int for a fist bump ther Noah returned.
"Woah woah woah wait," the voice from the computer complained. "What's my middle name?"
"Uhhhhh, that wasn't the question," Dickie smirked, but it was clear he had no idea.
Kathleen waved Eli off from across the room. "I'm asking the questions!"
Eli mumbled something unintelligible, but quieted as they waited for the next question.
"What year were Dad and Liv partnered?"
The buzzers sounded, but Lizzie hit hers a hair faster than Dickie. "1998," she said with confidence.
Crap you're old. Dickie teased.
"Hey!" Both said simultaneously.
"Oh, sorry Liv. I was talking about the bald guy next to you." His eyes danced with mischief.
Liv almost snorted from laughter while Elliot crossed his arms in front of him and glared in Dickie's direction.
Noah seemed oblivious to the interaction and jumped right into the next question. "What's Eli's birthday?"
Dickie slammed the buzzer, "I know this one. It's Nov 17." He pointed in the direction of the laptop. "See, I know things."
"Okay, before some somehow triggers another argument, I'm going to let Noah ask the next question."
"When's Mo and Carl's anniversary?"
The twins looked at each other, but nither seemed to know the answer.
Finally, Liz took a chance with the buzzer. She rubbed her temples as she tried to focus. "Ughhhhh isn't it in January?" She clearly had no idea.
"I need a day if possible," Katie prodded.
"Fine, uh I'm going with January 25th."
"Close…" Kathleen smiled. "Dickie?" She asked.
"Um…I remember it being cold…but it was after Christmas.." he focused on doing mental math. "February 3rd," he guessed.
"Ooo so sorry brother. Lizzie was closer."
"Come on guys! January 15th!" Maureen groaned.
"Okay okay," Kathleen tried to get the room to settle so they could hear Noah's next question. She faced him and turned all eyes to him. "Noah," she cued.
He grinned again, soaking up every minute in the spotlight. "What sport did Kathleen try as a kid, but failed miserably at?" Noah read the question carefully off the card.
"All of them," Dickie laughed and Kathleen smacked him with her notecards
Lizzie hit the buzzer, and provided an actual answer. "I think you are talking about tennis, but you kind of sucked at volleyball too."
"Sheesh, don't hold back Lizzie."
"Sorry," Liz apologized, but didn't seem sorry at all.
Kathleen waved her off as if it weren't a big deal. She pulled the next question and laughed out loud. "Okay this one is good. When did dad start going bald?"
"Hey!" Elliot protested.
The fit of laughter coming from the computer made it clear who had submitted that question.
Liz smacked the buzzer. "1992…. Probably the day we were born," Lizzie laughed.
"That true?" Olivia nudged Elliot with her shoulder. He'd been going bald since she knew him.
"Yes actually," he said with a grimace.
"Looks like we are tied up… again. Now if Lizzie gets this right she wins the whole thing. If Dickie does then we will have a tie breaker round." There were some grumbles from the crowd, but Kathleen powered through. The competition had gotten long and everyone was ready for cupcakes.
"Who is the patron saint of… really Dad?" She lifted an eyebrow.
He folded his arms and leaned back into the couch. "Hey, you kids should know this!"
"No way either of them know this answer." She flipped around towards where the twins sat, poised to hit their buzzers. "Do you remember the patron Saint of anything?"
"Uhhhh… no comment," Dickie shot his father a semi-apologetic look.
Lizzie just shook her head.
"See?" Kathleen said as she motioned between them.
Olivia tried not to laugh when Elliot grumbled beside her. "Mass every Sunday for half their lives and they can't name one Saint. So much for raising good Catholics…"
Olivia chuckled lightly, and kissed his cheek. She remained close and spoke in his ear so only he could hear. "You raised good people," she whispered.
He pulled away slightly so he could see her face, and his eyes watered. Before they could get too lost in the moment he cleared his throat and returned his attention to Kathleen. He gave Olivia's knee a quick affectionate squeeze. "Just ask the question Katie. The winning question should be hard."
Kathleen conceded. "Okay fine." She eyed her siblings and read the question. "Who is the patron Saint of…police officers?"
Suddenly, Olivia was taken back to a faint memory of eight year old Dickie with his big eyes. He had always been a handful, but there was a softer side to Richard Stabler, that most of the world didn't get to see. She remembered leaning against Elliot's desk as he proudly announced the Saint that Dickie had chosen for his first communion. Saint Michael. She thought. The patron saint of cops.
She watched Dickie's hand swiftly move to slam the buzzer, but he stopped just shy of hitting it, hesitating slightly. His brief pause allowed Liz to hit her buzzer first.
Lizzie's eyes flicked to Dickie in disbelief before she answered. "Saint Michael."
"We have a winner folks!" Noah jumped in. He had no awareness of what had just taken place, but Olivia did. She leaned into Elliot and asked, "Did your son just let his sister win?"
He couldn't keep the disbelief out of his voice when he answered, "Oh I know he did."
Liv couldn't help the smile creeping across her face. Hard exterior, prideful, competitive to a fault…but soft on the inside, and fiercely protective of the ones he loves. The ones he deemed his. He was exactly like someone else she knew. Someone else she loved.
There was some general fanfare and cheering from the small crowd of Stabler's. Liz was crowned with an obnoxiously large crown that Olivia suspected Noah made. Kathleen pulled a shirt from a bag resting on the counter and held it up for everyone to see.
#1 Twin was plastered over the front.
Noah handed her a certificate that appeared to be signed by both him and Kathleen. The whole thing was over the top, obnoxious, and perfect.
Later, after a round of cupcakes things began to settle. The young boys had wandered back into Eli's room to play some games, and the girls stayed congregated in the kitchen, sipping wine and laughing. The scene wamed Olivia's heart. It was something else…seeing these grown women enjoying each other's company.
In the living room, Elliot sat on one end of the couch with his head back and eyes closed. She chuckled at his ability to sleep through the general chaos surrounding him.
On the other side of the couch sat Dickie. He was scrolling on his phone, also oblivious to the giggles and chatting floating in from the kitchen.
She wandered over to the couch and settled into the space between the two Stabler men. Elliot didn't move a muscle, confirming her suspicions that he was sleeping through the noise.
"I saw what you did there."
"What?" He smiled and raised his eyebrows.
She rolled her eyes at his half-assed denial. "Letting your sister win."
He shrugged it off as if it were no big deal. "Let's face it. Lizzie's the better twin, no contest really." He locked his phone and set it on the coffee table so he could lean back into the couch cushions. He casually let his arm rest on the couch back behind her.
She shook her head. "You know, I'm not so sure about that."
He grinned in the way only Dickie could, before kissing her cheek quickly. He settled into the cushions, and tilted his head back, relaxing into nearly the same position as his father who snores softly on the other side of the couch.
Elliot always said he and Dickie were too alike. The way he said it was almost self-deprecating, like his son only inherited his most frustrating flaws. But what Elliot didn't realize, what he couldn't see, was that while his son was stubborn, competitive, and hotheaded, he was also charming, loyal, and protective of the ones he loved. Eli may have gotten his father's name, but Dickie got his heart.