A Preschool Promise [A Bensler FanFic]

Twenty-Five

Elliot drove home and just felt like getting drunk. He was feeling even worse than he was when he first got out of court because he had to see Serena. That bitch was going to try and pay them off then the lawsuit was going to be thrown out. Elliot knew that. Elliot also knew that he couldn't go and get shit faced because his wife and daughter need him.

"How was court?" Olivia breathed when she met Elliot outside. Her arms were crossed over her chest and her eyes had dark circles under them. She has rarely slept since this all started.

"It was okay. The judge... Judge Neal... he ruled on the case. Your case." Elliot spoke. Olivia just kinda stared at him.

"What? I haven't gone to court before. Well, minus when I got adopted." Olivia sighed quietly.

"When Serena tried to kill you, this judge ruled over the case. He is taking till the end of the week before giving us his decision."

"Elliot, just drop this. Please. We don't need a handout-"

"This isn't a handout. This is what we deserve because of what happened. We aren't even going to use the money. We are going to put them into college funds. And we will get our jobs back which we earned our positions."

"Maureen is starting homeschooling. She asked to never have to go back." Olivia breathed, before turning and heading back into the house.

He may have come home to be with his wife and daughter, but he knew he was just going to fight with his wife so he got back into his car and drove towards a bar.

///

Olivia knew that Elliot left, so she just put all of the little energy she had into taking care of Maureen. She watched as the light and happiness faded from her daughter's eyes every time she mispronounced a word or didn't spell a word right. Olivia hated seeing her daughter this upset, and she knew just what would make her happy.

"Maureen?" Olivia breathed, as she walked out of the kitchen.

"Yeah, Momma?" Maureen replied, quietly and lacking any of the bubbliness that she usually had in her words.

"Do you want to go to Buffalo and see Grandma and Papa?" Olivia asked, and Maureen's eyes sparkled for a moment before they faded again.

"Daddy said we shouldn't go up there. And I have school." Maureen frowned, as she twirled a blonde curl around her finger.

"Baby, I'm going to teach you from here. And I'll call you in for the rest of the week, it's only two days. We can go up there and you can see them and your Uncles." Olivia breathed. Maureen nodded slowly before looking over at Olivia.

"I don't want to go back to school. They don't like me there." She whispered as tears welled in her blue eyes. Olivia walked over and sank down onto the couch before slowly helping Maureen to her feet. She held her daughter close as Maureen started to sob, her small body shaking as she did.

"You don't have to go back if you don't want to. I love you so much, and I don't want to see you sad."

"I don't like seeing you sad either, Momma." Maureen sobbed. Olivia held her even closer, and Josiah kicked hard from the sudden confinement. Maureen stepped back and wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"Can you help me pack, Momma?"

"Of course, Mo. I'll call Grandma and tell her to expect us to be getting there sometime tonight."

///

Elliot got home the next morning. He had slept in his car because he was too drunk to drive home. He opened the front door and thought that he might see his wife and daughter playing with Maureen's dolls or having a tea party, but the house was quiet and it didn't even smell like coffee.

"Liv? Maureen?" Elliot called, as he looked at his watch. He didn't see any calls or texts that he missed, so he went to search the house. He grew nervous when he noticed a lot of Maureen's and Olivia's stuff was missing. He quickly grabbed his phone from his pocket and dialed Olivia's number.

It took several rings before Olivia answered the phone.

"Yes?" She mumbled, and Elliot could hear the sleep in her voice.

"Where are you, Liv?" He asked, and Olivia sighed.

"I drove to Buffalo last night. Maureen was really upset and I decided to cheer her up by bringing her up here to spend some time with my parents." She replied.

"She has school today and tomorrow. She can't be missing school." Elliot replied.

"She can't be going to that school anymore. It makes her... well she isn't herself anymore. I'm going to homeschool her. I'll figure out how to take care of her and Josiah when the time comes." Olivia replied. She was laying in the same bed she had when she was a teenager and still living at home. She rolled over and pushed herself up awkwardly.

"Are you leaving me?" Elliot asked as he sank down onto Maureen's bed. 

"No, I'm not. I'm just up here to make Maureen happy. She was smiling so much when my parents came out to help me get the stuff into the house. She was giggling as my father started to tease her."

"I'll call the school and explain what is happening... tell them that we are taking her out of school." Elliot breathed. Olivia ran her hand over her stomach before sighing.

"They already know, El. I called them last night to call them in and then I called her teacher and explained everything."

"Are you okay? I'm guessing you slept. Your voice sounds so sleepy."

"I slept. It wasn't exactly comfortable because your son is getting bigger by the day and making it harder." Olivia breathed, but she was smiling a bit.

"I want to come up, but I have to be here to hear what Judge Neal says. And I need to make sure Serena doesn't try anything."

"What?" Olivia asked.

"She tried to pay me off. She asked how you were and I said that this was her fault and stuff and she pulled out her checkbook to pay us."

"I'll have Maureen call you tonight. I love you." Olivia mumbled before hanging up. She was wishing that Elliot hadn't said anything to Serena.

Hey guys! Thanks for reading! Please vote and comment all of your feedback below! :D