Saviors [A SVU and Bensler Fan Fic]

[Chapter One-Hundred-Twenty-Nine]

The kids spent almost every weekend with my sister. I didn't want to tell them no one weekend and to ruin the relationship that they were trying to keep with my sister. So Elliot and I just got used to not having Mary and Chris home with us every weekend, and Meredith became the center of our worlds for two days.

Then I started to notice Mary's grades slipping a bit, and Chris was getting a few notes sent home a week because he wasn't paying attention or because he was forgetting to turn in his homework. I knew that we had to nip this in the bud right away, so Elliot and I decided that the kids wouldn't be able to spend the next weekend with Cynthia. They wouldn't be able to go back until they started to work harder in school.

"Mom, where is my duffel bag?" Mary asked as she walked into the kitchen on Friday night. I looked at her before pointing at where her father sat at the table.

"Get Chris and come sit down. We need to talk."

"But Aunt Cy-"

"I sent her a message and told her that you can't come this weekend. Now, go get your brother." I spoke. She swallowed hard before turning and walking from the room. I looked at Elliot and he frowned.

"They are going to be angry with us, but you told them the rules," Elliot spoke, and I nodded.

"I did, but they clearly hadn't listened. I'm gonna go wake Meredith up, then we can talk to them."

[*]

After getting my baby up, her diaper changed and a few cut up grapes to occupy her, my husband and I decided to start talking to our kids.

"Why couldn't we go to see Auntie Cy?" Chris asked, a frown settling onto his face.

"Because you have been getting in trouble at school, and because Mary has three D's in a few of her classes," I spoke, and Mary's face went red because she didn't think that I had been checking out her grades.

"Mom-" Mary started, and I shook my head.

"Nope. No excuses from either of you. I'm disappointed in both of you. You both promised me that spending so much time with your aunt wouldn't be a problem, but clearly, it has become one. Chris, why aren't you paying attention in class and not turning in your work?" I asked, and my son crossed his arms over his chest and let out an angry huff.

"It is none of your business." He spat, and my husband's eyes went wide as he stared at our son.

"Excuse me?"

"It's none of your business. I just don't want to go to school! It isn't Aunt Cy's fault that I don't like it anymore. So, please let us go." Chris spat, before standing up and running out of the kitchen. I looked at Mary and sighed.

"Wanna explain your reason for being so very close to completely failing three classes? Or is that your excuse too?" I sighed.

"I just don't like Math, Science, and Civics. Sorry." Mary spoke, before standing and walking out. I heard her steps pick up when she went running up the stairs and after Christopher.

"This went really bad." I sighed, as I stood up and lifted Meredith from her chair. My daughter cuddled close to me because she was still tired, but she did seem a little upset after hearing her siblings speak the way they did.

"Maybe we should send them to stay with Cynthia, then she can deal with their shitty attitudes," Elliot spoke, before standing and going to set the table for dinner. I knew that the kids weren't going to eat with us, so I just told him to set it for himself and me.

[*]

Elliot took plates up for both of the kids, and we just let them be for the rest of the night. Elliot and I took care of Meredith and got her down for bed, before trying to go to sleep ourselves. But it was hard after hearing Chris talk to me the way he did and how Mary and Chris didn't really seem to care too much about what was happening.

"I don't know how I let them get this far into a hole and let them get to the point where they think disrespecting me is okay." I breathed, as I laid on my side and looked at my husband.

"This is not your fault. I wonder if something happened with Cynthia or Max."

"What might have happened? Do you think Gil is back?" I asked as I ran my hand over my stomach to stop my hand from shaking. Just thinking about Gil hurting my sister again made me shake and fill with fear.

"I don't think so. I don't know though. I'll look into it tomorrow." Elliot spoke, and I frowned. He reached over and caressed my cheek as he frowned.

"I don't want my sister to get hurt by him again. He was so verbally abusive to her and she got so depressed about it. Max brings her so much happiness, and to think that all of her progress might be washed away because that asshole is back." I frowned. 

Elliot shifted forward and wrapped his arms around my body and held me close. He rubbed my back as my tears soaked into his shirt.

"I'll take care of this baby. Don't worry about it."

"She may be done with me, but I didn't want that. I just wanted you back but she doesn't approve. I don't even know if she cares or is excited about Charlie. I'm so excited about our baby, but then it gets kinda pushed away when I think about how I'm not able to be excited around my sister." I whispered.

"Do you want to look into it tomorrow with me? Just you and me?"

"I can't, El. For many reasons. One is that she doesn't want me to be her sister anymore. Two is that it's the weekend and our kids are home and in trouble. Three is that I can't bear to see her hurt again."

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