It took 4 days before they could settle on a date and 2 more before they decided what to eat. Randall was conducting this event and he kept the initial reasoning to himself. He knew if he told the truth, his sisters wouldn't bother stepping on a plane and his brother would rip him a new one. It was best Elliot was the last one to find out about this. That was the main reason he has been only messaging his sisters and Joe, giving an excuse that Elliot was busy with work. He knew Joe was suspicious after their talk at his place. The younger stabler had always held respect and looked up to Elliot. It seemed that respect only grew after Elliot went undercover to take down his dealer. He guessed Joe felt seen and the way Elliot made a case just to make sure he didn't use it again made him want to do better. He was hesitant on anything that wouldn't hurt his brother and that's why Randall hasn't looped him in fully.
It was the day before the two Stabler sisters arrived that Randall decided to finally let his brother in on the dinner. It was Monday and with the Dinner on Friday it only gave his brother a couple days to truly freak out about the situation. He checked in with him under the guise of making plans with Joe this weekend.
Knocking on the door, he felt the pit in his stomach go deeper as he waited. He heard the footsteps making their way closer, the sound becoming the beat to his heart as he tried to calm himself.
"Randall, what are you?" Elliots words trailed as he stared at his brother, his eyebrows creasing in question.
"I stopped by to talk to you about something, a little surprise if I do say so myself."
To say Elliot was taken back was an understatement. Opening the door further, he allowed Randall to walk into the place as he followed behind him, thoughts on his unannounced visit racking his brain. Walking further into the room, he stops just in the living room allowing Randall to take a seat as he sits on the arm.
"So what brings you by?" He says looking at his brother to announce his reasoning for the unexpected visit.
"I have a surprise for you, well for the family really" Randall says hoping that if he plays off the dinner to be a gift his brother will be more willing to accept.
"Well I planned a dinner for Friday. I figured it's something we all could use right now with everything going on. I've already called Sharon and Dee, they're on the way up already and the menu is planned." He rambled off making sure to get out all the positives in order to push his brother in the right direction.
"Well I would have to see about the kids" Elliot begins feeling off about the situation still.
"I may have called around already"
"So you just thought of everything huh"
"I figured it'll be good to have all my bases covered"
"Is that why you message me giving some bullcrap about a brother outing" Elliot asks, the last word being emphasized by air quotes as he just smirked at his brother.
"Yeah, I wanted it to be a surprise" Randall was quick to defend, his words cooking out choppy with his muffled laugh. It's not a lie, in some part of him he wanted his sisters around for their brother. Since being in New York he could see how different Elliot was. He was no longer the hot head that snapped at everything. While he still had the Stabler temper, he seemed more reserved and calm. He thought it was all some kind of act at first until the night of the dinner, he had pushed and pushed at his brother in the hopes of pushing that one button. It shocked him that it took him as long as it did and when he did snap, the anger was full force. It somewhat scared Randall at what he saw. The anger in his brother's eyes. It was a look he had seen too often, one their father shared many times in the peaks of his anger. But where his father succumbed to the anger, his brother was different. The flames in his eyes dwindled down as Elliot backed away from him on the floor.
It was at that moment, Randall had known all his comparisons to dad didn't do justice. While he may have some qualities, even following his career path, Elliot was different but it still didn't stop Randall from worrying that the job would still push him there.
Watching as these last few cases brought nothing but sadness into his brother's life, he could see him slipping. A slip he was familiar with one time before, under different circumstances, but the same slip nonetheless. It was one he would be damned he let his brother fall for. He mentioned his father in the hopes that it would open his eyes at what the job had did but it seemed his brother may have already faced those hurdles and was stronger than their old man. He just worried how long that would hold.
He didn't know that through all this his brother did have someone to hold onto. Whether or not he knew all the details, he could see that the woman he met in his brother's apartment seemed to be the anchor that kept his brother planted in the sea called life.
"Well since you already know I'm free" Elliot says with a shake of his head. A hesitant smile gracing his lips. Elliot didn't like the idea of another family dinner, the first one going into total shit, but his sister had decided to come down this time and he wasn't one to turn down their visit.
"Well good I was prepared to fight" Elliot couldn't help but laugh along with his brother, knowing he must have sensed the hesitancy around another Stabler gathering.
"You should invite that lady friend of yours, whats her name Olivia" He drawled out her name giving a smirk with his brother at the mention of the woman.
"Wouldn't you just love that"
"What, I saw that dumb look on your face and it's crazy to say moms looked matched. I just want to meet my new sister-in-law formally." As he was rambling they heard a knock at the door sounding through the house.
Randall finally takes notice of his brother's appearance and realizes he is more dressed up than usual. "Expecting someone"
Elliot just laughs as he finishes the buttons on his shirt and goes for the door. Randall trails behind his brother and stops in the hall, watching as a recently familiar face appears with a young boy. He knew the kid had to be Olivia's just from his mother's description of the eyes. She wasn't wrong. The baby blue seemed to scream at you, a similar feeling he got with his nieces and nephews. A feeling he once got when his brother was younger.
"Well what do we have here" Randall couldn't help but laugh at this situation, the luck that was in his favor tonight just kept getting better. His brother's partner showing up was heaven sent. He had a feeling Elliot would try to avoid her invitation and now that she was here, what would a personal invite hurt.
"Hello, Randall was it" Olivia says, stepping forward with her outreached hand to greet the man.
"That will be correct" He says leaning forward to take her hand. Shaking her hand, he couldn't help but eye the kid behind her. "And who might this be,"
"This is my son Noah" He brought his hand up offering a wave receiving one in return. The kid was tall but something told him he could be older than a pre-teen. It kind of reminded him of Eli, the way he was nothing but legs. The brown curls that lay on his head didn't stop him from making the connection either. There was no way this kid couldn't be a Stabler in his mind.
"Hey kid, you're about as tall as me" He jokes earning a laugh from everyone as he still sized the kid up.
"Everyone's bout as tall as you" Comes Elliot letting the laughter continue to roll through the hall. The dimples that popped in his peripheral almost made Randall halt in laughter. They were strong and deep as they grazed the young boy's cheeks with his smile. It felt like it had stepped back in time and pressed play on a childhood moment with the man next to him. The suspicions that were once simmering were coming to a boil the longer he stood in their presence.
"Haha very funny, I was nice enough to take the shortage and give you the genes" Elliot just shakes his head and gives out a "yeah whatever" as he finishes getting ready while the laughter continues.
"Well it funny your here actually"
"Randall.." Elliot says his name in warning, eyes shooting daggers at him as he reaches for his coat.
"What" Comes Liv, standing at the door next to what Randall is growing to consider a secret addition to his family.
"We're having a family dinner Friday, sisters are flying in and everything. It would be an honor if the two of you could join" He says eyeing both Bensons as he offers a friendly smile. Elliot could only roll his eyes, he should've known to throw Randall out as soon as he had the chance.
"So the whole Stabler family you say" Olivia says, her eyes switching between both of the brothers trying to get a read on the situation.
"Yep the whole clan"
"There's more of you?" Noah says his words coming out in shock as he stared at the two Stablers across from him and laughter filled the room once again. He had met Elliot's kids and hearing there was more to the family had him eager for a visit. Olivia could sense his excitement started to grow and placed her hands on his shoulders. "Noah" she begins to chide.
"No he's right" interrupts Randall, still laughing at the comment. "We're a big family and we always have open arms for more" He ends his statement ignoring the grunt coming from Elliot at his cheesiness.
"Well it's certainly something I'd think about" comes her response. Randall could tell there was no pushing, this woman putting a certain fear in him that he brushed off when it came to his brother. Making his way to the door, he stops just like weeks before and turns around to look at what would be considered a picture perfect family. It was almost comical.
"Like I said it would be an honor to have you" and with that he left, rushing back to his place, vibrating from this. He knew he had more information in his mind to help his suspicions, enough to maybe convince his sisters too.
—-
The next day Randall was headed to the airport. The Stabler sisters were expected to land within the next hour and as their brother, Randall decided to pick them up. Not like he really had a choice. Sharon had pulled the older sister card and stated that he was to pick them up since he called them. He couldn't deny them that, especially since the urgent matter wasn't so urgent after all.
The whole care ride Randall contemplated on how to tell his sisters his plan. It wasn't full proof, something he has been known to do in his family. His plans often involved cracks and holes in the development often leaving his sisters to piece them together to solidify it. He was hoping this time would be different. Everything was pointing to his suspicions being correct and the encounter last night might have made him even more confident.
Waiting by the car, he watched as the people passed around him. It was crowded for a Tuesday, people moving about in a rush, luggage being dragged along, as they looked for their proper pickup. It wasn't long before he saw two figures moving towards his direction. The hair sparks a feeling of familiarity as they glide through the crowd. He could see the gray trendles mixed with brown taking leading as the blonde top knot follows, the pair appearing closer by the second. The set of piercing blues made contact with him and a smile graced his face.
"Well yous gonna help with the bags or what asshole" Came his younger sister Dee her accent thick as he remembered. Even though they stayed in Florida, the New York never seemed to escape Dee. Sharons became more subtle but if Randall didn't know any better he would think Dee had been raised in the streets of New York the way she talked. She stood confidently in front of him, her height coming just a few inches above him, a trait she often picked with him about throughout childhood. The blonde hair sitting high on her head glowing under the sun rays, the power behind the bearing semblance to the attitude that radiated off of her. Her fierceness sure did pierce through you like the sun's sharp light and not that he would say it, Randall actually missed it.
"Well hello there to you too aren't you just as sweet as I remember" His reply was laced with sarcasm and he held a grin to match.
"You two just love being assholes to each other huh" He turns to see his older sister. Sharon was a little taller than Dee, as she stood with a softer confidence. Randall would guess that was due to the years she had on their sister. Her brown hair slowly fading away as the gray took over, blending in mid way too add to her maturity. Sharon held the same fierceness as Dee but where Dee's was worn like a coat, Sharon's lurk underneath. Randall considered it a part of her charm. The reason she is the sweetheart yet she could tear you apart with just one look. He guessed it was a perk she learned while in the Stabler household. Mothering and protecting them from their fathers rage while also exuding the strength no child should have to maintain. It was a reason he always admired his sister, at times he often so her as his mother more than his actual mother and that was something he was working through.
Helping them get their things in the car he climbed into the seat. He waited as cars drove by the airport traffic running high. "I can't believe I'm back in New York for a dinner nonetheless." Sharon says climbing into the passenger seat.
"Speaking of dinner, why was it so urgent that we had to drop everything to come" Dee voice comes from the back as she gets comfortable.
"So that's what I've been meaning to talk to you guys about" Randall rolls out the words with hesitation. This could go one or two ways and he was hoping for the best.
"Randall, I know that face, what did you do?"
"What I haven't done anything"
"Mhmm the stupid grin on your face says otherwise."
"Ok say I may have lied a little on the urgency of the need to have a dinner."
"What do you mean lied a little?" Dee's voice came from the back.
"Welll" Randall paused a little pulling into traffic, "There isn't exactly an urgent matter at hand"
"Randall you've got to be kidding me. We came all the way down here for this you said it was urgent."
"Well I knew if I said just another family dinner how likely it would be for you two to show seeing how you made an appearance last time oh wait that never happened" he gave a sarcastic grin as he eyed his sisters.
"Don't be a smart ass, you see how long it took to plan for this one you gave us no time"
"Didn't have time or you didn't make time? Either way your here now and it'll be a waste of a flight to leave now" His sisters couldn't help but sigh at the fact that he was right.
"So what's the real reason you dragged us from Florida to New York?"
"Well a couple weeks ago, the day I sent the text actually, mom had me take her to Elliots. To our surprise while we are there, he shows up with a lady friend. A friend he seems very fond of and not just him, mom too. Gave her loving caresses and all that. Find out its his old partner, the one Kathy used to bitch about and she has a kid. A kid that just so happens to be the same age of the amount of time he up and disappeared."
"Randall," Hears Sharon breathe out beside him, her voice laced with a bit of warning. Randall wouldn't let them shoot him down without hearing everything. " See I thought it was just a crazy coincidence but mom started describing the kid and yesterday I just so happened to interrupt our brother before he was headed out. I saw the kid with my own two eyes and if I could press rewind and see Eli or even Elliot when they were younger again, the kid would be it."
He feels a smack come at the back of his head and he swerves a little at the surprise. "Randall there is no way Elliot would do that." comes Dee, irritated by the real reason behind her visit. "Our brother is dealing with the aftermath of something traumatic and she shouldn't be starting shit."
"I know he has been dealing with it, he's actually been here seeing him do it" the reply was snappy as he eyed his sister in the rearview mirror.
Sharon jumps in and stops them at that, the bickering becoming something she's already tired of. "We all aren't better than the other where that comes along. We're not good in any of those departments honestly"
Randall can hear the somberness in his older sister's voice as she ends her statement turning her head to gaze out the window. He takes in the moment and realizes his sister could be feeling guilt in where she hasn't visited. Dee in the back picks up on this too and reaches and hand from the back and places it on her right shoulder. Randall wanted to tell them about speaking to Elliot about their father but knew the timing was bad. He didn't want to push them to leave if they truly wanted too.
Pulling up to the hotel, he parked in the garage and helped them bring their things inside as they checked in. As they made their way to the elevators he broke the silence by saying, "I have one more thing to tell them before I leave you too but I'm going to hold off on telling the rest until I pick you up to get ready for the dinner." The sisters give a weird glance as the elevator takes them up to their floor.
"I told Elliot something big and" He wants to hold off but couldn't " well Elliot knows about dads death, the real reason behind his death, well not me Mom did well" he was cut off by Dee.
"What do you mean Elliot knows?" Dee says as the sound of their steps come to a halt. Stepping to her door she uses the key card to open it, before turning to motion her siblings in.
"Well her dementia is getting worse sometimes she's here sometimes she's not" Randall rambles on.
"No wait why was this brought up in the first place" comes Sharon stepping into her older-sister momma bear role. It was a role she was used to stepping in while they were growing up, something the older set of stabler siblings were fond of as Joseph stabler took rampant.
Randall took a breath as he sat on the bed under his two sisters' gaze, " Since I've been in New York, I've seen what that job has done to our brother. The last dinner didn't go to good", he looks at his sisters watching as they look at each other with a knowing look before moving that look onto him. "Yeah yeah a hot headed mess, I told you so yadda yadda yadda," he runs off every excuse he was given from his sisters on why an impromptu dinner wasn't a good idea, "Some sore subjects were brought up but while it" he took a breathe searching for his words "it was calmness to Elliot with it he had, I pushed on until he finally snapped"
"Nothing new" came Dee's smart remark.
"Ok yeah but he ran off for the job, some shit happened but I saw him slipping. Within the little amount of time I was here the man barely took time to breath, his mind was so focussed on cases or other things. I started having a feeling of deja vu and warned him of not letting the job consume him like dad. I thought he would've known being in the force but no."
"So you didn't tell him?" Came Sharon. Dee's behind her with the same look on her face. Somber, sadness, guilt, anger. It was a pool of emotions that Randall himself felt all too familiar with.
"Another week and another bad case, we were in his kitchen and he asked about it again. I was adamant on not telling but when he asked again, Mom" he hears the intake of breath coming from the other side of the room. He couldn't look up, he knew if he did the story would never finish. This was a sore spot with the three older siblings. "Mom came in and kept pushing me to say it and when I wouldn't she just broke. Told him the truth."
It was silent in the room, the only sound in the room being the light hum coming from the air.
"The whole suspicion thing was just a bit of it." Randall finally spoke after a couple minutes of silence. "This dinner was a little prize too of sorts. For Mom, Elliot, & Joe for finally getting help"
"Wait help for what "
"Oh shit" Randall looks helpless. He guesses through all of the chaos with finding his mom a sitter and dealing with Joe he forgot to reach out to his sisters. If he wasn;t so shocked he probably could laugh, he just did the one thing he chewed Elliot out about. He guess it was possible to be so wrapped up in helping their mom and dealing with family that check ins on life could pass you by. "I guess I forgot to mention that"
"After the dinner, Elliot got suspicious of Joe. He found heroin in his bathroom trash can and later on mentioned it to me. After some snooping we found out he was indeed using it." The look on the sisters' faces made his heart hurt a little. He could see the sadness compiling on top of the other, their eyes getting glossier with each word.
"We did an intervention and yeah that did go too well, he stormed out of the place after Elliot asked where he got it. I haven't even told Elliot but he went out and confronted mom for money, yelling and screaming at her, took the autograph ball we got out of the storage and left." He hears a whisper Jesus spill out into the air. "Elliot wanted to get the dealer, I guess in his cop brain it was best to get the source to stop Joe from harming himself. They were giving vets drugs to cope and help with their addiction. Sick as hell if you ask me" He could feel his anger growing all over again after he found out about the investigation from Elliots squad. People who were thought to help them were actually harming them and he couldn't wrap his head around that.
He could see the same anger apparent on Dee's face. Where the other siblings seemed to contain and control their Stabler rage, Dee was like him. The two could go off with the snap of a finger, something he once saw in his brother. Needing to get on with the story as he felt it getting too much he swallowed before continuing.
"That was his latest assignment, he went undercover to stop Joe's dealer and umm," He catches himself getting emotional as his brain flashbacks to seeing the other detectives discover the man dealing to their brother was their co-worker's murderer. He hadn't said these things out loud really, him and Elliot having a quick moment after he returned, the words cutting at his heart strings as he feels guilt that their request to help with Joe led him to his death.
"One of the detectives he asked to look into some things got murdered." It felt like time was repeating itself, as the air got sucked right back out of the room. His sisters are quiet as they try to file in the information they just gathered. Randall could see the wheels turning, the waves of sadness, guilt maybe even anger rolling in. It wasn't something he necessarily wanted, he needed this time to be all happy and smiles not filled with the guilt they carried.
"Moms at the house if you want to see her" He offers out the visit, sensing the mood in the room shift. He sees the brightness spark back into their faces at the mention of seeing their mother and they make their way back down stairs to his car. In the car, he could see Sharon fidgeting with her hands, her nerves growing every inch they made down the road. The hotel wasn't far from his place, something he planned in advance.
On the way over he decides to warn them about their moms predicament. "Just a little warning, Mom is starting to get confused and mixing things up. She thought Elliot was me for a moment, that's why he buckled down and called me I guess." He sees his sister tense beside him, shifting his eyes to the back Dee wasn't too different as she replicated Sharon's posture. "It has it's good days but just don't take it too heart, okay" He was hoping his words lifted them up as he pulled up outside his building.
He could see they were a little hesitant on walking in and he was quick to give them a reassuring smile. He tells them to " Wait in the entryway. I'll go get Mom. Just remember she may be a little fuzzy," and with a nod he was off.
Walking into the room, he sees Bernie and makes his way to her. "Hey mom"
"Oh Hey Randall, I was wondering where you were"
"Well I was getting a surprise for you" She looked at him with the same questioning eyes he's been receiving from his siblings lately and he just lightly laughed as he shook his head. Grabbing her hand he takes her to the entryway and says "See" with a smile on his face mirroring the one that his sisters shared. Bernie looks confused as she looks at the women before her, her eyes searching for an ounce of recognition. It somewhat hurts the girls but they remember Randall's talk. It still stings that it takes Randall telling their mom their names and having to tell her it's her daughters for her to remember them.
The disappointment is etched on their faces, Dee lingering longer than Sharon's as the latter instantly cheers in hopes. The signs of the glimpse in sadness disappeared as their mother smiled at them, a youthful joy appearing on her face at the mention of her daughters.
"Hey mama" the older sister says as she walks up to her mother who she can still see is searching her eyes for something to latch onto. Sharon can only think how her years of avoidance have helped in this case but she tries not to linger on that fact as she holds her mother in her arms. She missed these hugs, the warm feeling of comfort that raced through her at the touch.
Stepping back she offered her mother a watery smile before letting go & turning to her sister. She watches as the woman seemed to de-age looking as her younger self as she walked hesitantly to their mother. The gloss in her eyes evident mirroring the other occupants in the room. It was an emotional return, years of distance being a wedge on the present and the thing called life itself.
