The Affair

Ten

Liv jolted awake to a crying Ethan over the baby monitor. Elliot stirred next to her, mumbling that he'd get it. She shushed him and told him to go back to sleep. Ethan was crying large tears when Liv walked in. She picked him up and started rocking him. He must have had a nightmare. 

"It's okay, baby. Mommy's here." She started humming while walking around the living room. Eli was lucky not to wake up when Ethan started crying. Liv ran a finger across Ethan's forehead and down his nose to his chin. His cries started faltering into small whimpers. 

Maureen and Kathleen took one of the rooms farthest from Elliot and Liv, a little angry at them still, but nevertheless grateful for the protection. Lizzie was the only one other than Eli that seemed to not mind the whole scenario that Elliot caused with the secret child and Liv. Dickie, as soon as he got here, went to one of the rooms and hadn't come out since. Elliot tried to talk to him, but Dickie sent him away. 

Eli seemed to be super happy to have a little brother. He begged to share the nursery with Ethan, even though there was more rooms available. Elliot and Liv didn't seem to have any problems as long as Eli didn't keep Ethan awake at night. 

"Liv." Liv turned to see Maureen at the hallway entrance. She was twisting her fingers, nervous. 

"Maureen, what's wrong?" Liv asked, glancing at Ethan. He was still fighting sleep, so she continued to bounce him and patting his bottom gently. 

She went to sit on the couch, looking down at her hands. "I feel like all this is my fault. If I'd have stayed away from Tyler, then Dickie wouldn't have been raped and we wouldn't be in trouble."

Liv sighed. "Maureen, it isn't your fault. Tyler used you to get to your dad for fathering Ethan with his girlfriend. Its not your fault."

She started crying, and Liv went to sit beside her, taking one hand off Ethan to comfort her as best she could. Liv knew most of these kids since they were in diapers. She felt like a third parent to them up until Kathy started filling the kids heads with cheating accusations between her and their father. She didn't blame Kathy that much though. Elliot was a great man and many women wanted to be with him. 

"But if I hadn't told Dickie what Tyler told me, then Dickie wouldn't have gotten raped," Maureen cried. 

"Dickie still might have been raped if you didn't. We were on the case and was looking at him anyway," Liv countered. "Look, its not your fault, but you need to talk to a shrink."

It took an hour to convince Maureen to talk to a shrink and be calm enough to head back to bed. As soon as she knew Maureen was okay, she put a sleeping Ethan back in bed and went back to bed herself. 

"Is Maureen okay?" Elliot muttered with closed eyes as Liv snuggled next to him. She didn't expect him to be awake. 

"She's fine, didn't mean to wake you," Liv whispered, trying to sooth him too for some reason. 

He chuckled, "You don't have to soothe me, Liv." 

She let out a small laugh. "Sorry, I just spent the last hour and a half comforting two kids," she looked at him laying on his back, bare chest gleaming in the moonlight. "But yeah, she will be okay, she has your hatred of psychologists. Took me the entire hour to convince her to see one."

He smiled sleepily, "That's my girl," he laughed loudly as Liv hit his chest lightly. "I heard you say that Dickie could have been raped even if she kept her mouth shut."

Liv laid her head on his chest, "Yeah."

Elliot kissed the top of her head. "We'll get those bastard that hurt our family," he whispered more to himself than to her.