Forever and Always [A Bensler FanFic]

Chapter 25

Elliot's POV [Flashback Only]

Liv woke up way before me the next morning, and I was still sleeping, when she ran in yelling my name. I sat up quickly, expecting the worse.

"Are you okay?" I asked, panicked.

"Mo isn't in her room. I can't find her anywhere." She sobbed, and I jumped out of bed and went running from the room.

I swung open the door to my daughter's room, and saw that her bed was neatly made. I went and opened her closet and noticed that she had taken all of her clothes, and tears ran down my cheeks.

"Elliot, where is my baby?" Liv sobbed, and I walked over and held her close, before taking a deep breath.

"She couldn't have gotten far. I'm going to drive around and see if I can find her. Call my Mom and Dad. If they don't have her, call Cragen and see if there has been any Jane Doe reports." I whispered into her hair, and she nodded tearfully.

"Okay." She whimpered. I pulled away slowly and gently wiped at a few tears on her cheeks.

"I will bring her home, baby. I promise." I spoke lovingly, before kissing her lips and leaving her in the room.

=+=

I drove through the early morning, and my mind was running wild. She really hated us enough, that she didn't want to be with us anymore.

As I drove slowly past her school, my phone rang.

"Stabler."

"El?" A voice questioned.

"Kathy?" I spoke, completely confused.

"Um, Maureen showed up at my place late last night. I didn't want to call until closer to when she would wake up."

"Why the hell is she there?" I asked, as I turned so I could head towards Kathy's place.

"She must've wanted to be with me." She spoke, and I swallowed hard, as I felt tears well in my eyes again.

"Just keep her there, alright? I'm on my way."

"El, maybe she should stay with me for awhile." Kathy sighed, and I wanted to punch something.

"Now you want her, since all of the raising is down. Fuck off." I swore, before hanging up.

She wasn't going to get my daughter. Never.

=+=

Kathy's husband stood outside and looked at me.

"Hey, Marty." I sighed and he frowned.

"Take it easy on my wife, okay?" He spoke, and I sighed.

"Then tell her to stop calling Liv a slut, then we will be FINE!" I spoke, and he just shook his head as I walked into his house. Kathy and Maureen were sitting at her counter, and they were drinking something while talking.

I wanted to yell at Kathy, but I didn't want my daughter to hate me even more.

"Mo." I breathed, and my daughter swallowed hard.

"Is Mom here?" She asked, and I watched as Kathy tensed up a bit. 

Yes, bitch. Liv is Maureen's mother.

"She's at home. Wanna go grab your bag?" I asked, and she swallowed hard.

"I don't want to go home." She spoke, and I shook my head.

"Maureen, I have full custody of you. Come on. We can discuss this with your mother." I replied, and she yawned before standing and walking out of the kitchen, and I looked at Kathy.

"Why didn't you call me sooner?" I asked.

"Because I wanted time with OUR daughter." She sighed.

"Kathy, she didn't know about you till a few years ago. She isn't your daughter. Her mother is Liv. I'm her father. She is OUR daughter." I sighed.

"Elliot, just let me have some custody of her. The kids would like her." She breathed, and I shook my head.

"I'm taking my daughter home." I breathed, as I walked out of the door that Maureen had. She was carrying her suitcase, and I grabbed it.

"Come on."

"I'm grounded for even longer, aren't I?" She asked, and I sighed.

"Mhmm."

=+=

As soon as Maureen and I went into the house, Liv had wrapped her arms around her and held her close, as tears continued to make their way down her cheeks.

"Never do that again, alright?" Liv warned, and Maureen nodded, as she looked at the tears on her mother's cheeks.

"I promise, Mom." She whispered.

The kids flooded into the room and hugged their sister, while I grabbed Liv's arm.

I gently tugged her into the kitchen, and she hugged me warmly.

"I love you so much. Thanks for bringing her home to me." She breathed.

"Liv, Kathy was talking about wanting Maureen." I whispered, and she crossed her arms over her stomach as she tried to hide her tears.

"No." She whispered.

"Baby, I'm not letting her take Mo. She is ours. She is yours." I breathed. Liv shook her head.

"If she thinks she can take my baby, I will-" She spoke, but stopped. Tears were heard in her breathing and seen on her face. I grabbed her arms, trying to pull her to my chest, but instead she turned and started to walk out. Maureen walked in and stopped her mother.

"Mom, please don't cry." She whispered.

"Maureen, do you really not like it here anymore?" Liv croaked.

"Mom, I love it here. I just don't feel like a Stabler. You didn't give birth to me. You weren't even really together when you found out that Kathy was pregnant with me." Maureen whimpered.

"Maureen. I've never thought of you as anything other than my daughter. It doesn't matter how you came into my life, you will always be my daughter." Liv spoke, and I watched as Maureen and Liv both started to sob. I walked away and went into the living room.

I pulled Poppy onto my lap as she and her brothers and sister watched cartoons.

=+=

Later that night, I got ready for bed and went to find Liv. I found her sleeping with Maureen in her room, and they both were exhausted from all the crying today.

From the way Liv and Maureen had both cried, I knew that Maureen really wasn't going to leave us. She wasn't going to want me to lose custody of her, because if that happened, she probably would never be able to see us again, and her siblings worship her.

I would fight Kathy until the day I die to make sure my family stays together.

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