=26=

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Olivia didn't move from where she was laying on the carpet in the living room. She just laid there as tears ran down her cheeks. She barely heard as Elliot put Avery down for the night, but she did hear when he came out into the living room and laid down behind her. Elliot wrapped his arms around her body and held her close.

"What if she wants custody of Avery?" Olivia whispered, her voice hoarse from getting sick and from crying.

"If she wants it, she'll have to fight for it," Elliot replied. 

Olivia felt as his rough hands wiped tears from her cheeks before he placed a gentle kiss to her temple.

"I feel like dying," Olivia whispered. Elliot held her even closer before kissing the back of her head.

"Just keep moving forward, Olivia. I will protect you and Avery even if it kills me."

=+=

Avery woke up in the morning by herself, and she found her parents laying together on the living room floor. She quietly padded across the soft beige carpet and knelt in front of her parents. She saw how her mother's makeup had run down her face, and that her father was holding her mother so tightly.

"Momma?" Avery whispered as she rested her small hand against her mother's cheek. Olivia opened her eyes slowly and only saw Avery.

"What time is it?" Olivia yawned, and Avery just shrugged.

"Dunno... why are you sleeping on the floor?" Avery asked, and Olivia looked around her surroundings before slowly slipping from Elliot's grip. She picked Avery up and carried her into the kitchen. She sat her daughter down on one of the chairs before looking at the clock on the stove. Olivia quickly grabbed her phone before calling Avery in as everything that happened from last night flooded back.

She was scared to let her daughter out of her sight. Once Olivia had called her daughter in, she started to get the cereal out for Avery's breakfast.

"Momma, why were you sleeping on the floor?" Avery asked again, and Olivia swallowed hard.

"Uh, because I was so tired after our walk last night, that I couldn't make it to bed..." Olivia trailed off, as she prayed silently that Avery had forgotten all about Serena. But that wasn't the case.

"Can I see Grandma?" Avery asked, and Olivia tensed up. She felt the urge to get sick again, but she fought off the sickening feeling.

"No, Avery. You can't. I'm sorry." Olivia replied.

"Why not?!" Avery huffed.

"Because I don't want you around her, honey!" Olivia exclaimed, and those words woke Elliot from his slumber.

"Why are you such a meanie?!" Avery spat, before scrambling from the chair. She ran right into her father as she tried to run to her room.

"Whoa. Slow down, Avery Mae." Elliot spoke, and as he went to pick up his daughter and return her to her chair in the kitchen, Avery stomped on his foot before slipping past him.

Elliot looked at his fiancee with wide eyes as he held his foot.

"What is wrong with her?!" Elliot exclaimed, and Olivia swallowed hard as she sank down against the cabinets before pulling her legs to her chest.

"She wants Serena. Not me anymore."

=+=

When Olivia and Elliot got served with papers for Serena's request for custody of Avery, Olivia and Elliot didn't know what to do.

They didn't have the money for a lawyer, so they decided to call Violet and Cane to see if they could help at all.

"Olivia?" Violet questioned, as she and Cane walked towards her. They had come in on a plane because they thought that Avery was sick. They didn't know that they were asked to come to Denver because Olivia and Elliot were at risk of losing Avery to Serena.

"Hi. I'm so sorry that we had to call you guys and ask you to come out." Olivia breathed, as she hugged the woman and then the man who allowed her to get her baby back.

"What's wrong? Is Avery sick?" Cane asked as Olivia led them outside and towards the car.

"No. But something bad is happening and we need help." Olivia spoke. They stopped near the car and just stared at Olivia.

"What's happening, Liv?" Violet asked, nervously.

"My mom came to town... and she's suing us for full custody of Avery." Olivia whimpered, as she ran her hand over her cheek to get rid of a tear that suddenly rolled down her cheek.

"What? How can she even do that?" Violet asked, as Cane pulled his phone out and walked to the side as he made a call.

"I don't know. But I don't know if you two should take Avery back so that she's safe, or if maybe you two could help us fight for her... I never wanted to ask for anything, but we can't afford a-"

"We have you covered, Olivia. Cane is calling our lawyer. I just know it. Let's get going because we want to see Avery."

"She's at school, but she'll be out in about two hours."

=+=

Within a week, Violet and Cane had gotten Olivia and Elliot their lawyer. He flew out from Manhattan and was preparing whatever he could to get Serena to either drop the case or lose it.

Avery was so excited to have Violet and Cane back in town, and she spent most of her free time with them because she hated Elliot and Olivia because they refused to let her see Serena.

An as the Monday two weeks after Violet and Cane arrived came, Olivia and Elliot got dressed and headed into the courthouse. Serena was already there and she was sitting with one of the cheaper lawyers in the Denver area representing her.  Once court started, Olivia was already an anxious mess and was having a hard time sitting still.

"Ms. Benson, you are asking for full custody of your granddaughter?" Judge Baker asked as he sat in front of them.

"Yes, your honor," Serena spoke, as she stood.

"And Mr. Stabler and Ms. Benson, you don't want her involved in your daughter's life?" He asked, and Olivia and Elliot stood slowly.

"We don't, your honor." Elliot breathed, as he gently took Olivia's hand in his.

"Alright, let's start with the testimonies."

Hey guys, thanks for reading and please vote and comment all of your feedback below! :D

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