Partners For Life [A Bensler FanFic]

Eighteen

As soon as Olivia and Elliot pulled into the driveway, the girls were running from the house with Eli and their bags. Elliot quickly hugged them while his girlfriend stomped up the driveway and to the wide open front door. She walked in and spotted Kathy sitting on the couch as she sobbed.

"Stop that." Olivia spat.

"What? Liv? What are you doing here?" Kathy sniffled as she stood slowly and looked Olivia over.

"You don't get to cry about this. Not after you abandoned your children! You didn't tell them a damn thing, and Mo thought it was her fault because you left the day after her birthday! You don't get to be upset about something that you fucking caused!" Olivia yelled.

"I was drowning! I did what I had to! My kids are better off without me, but I missed them. I missed my babies!" Kathy sobbed.

"They aren't your children, Kathy! A mother doesn't abandon her children out of nowhere! You should have told someone what was happening, so we could have helped!" Olivia screamed. Kathy shook her head as she walked to Olivia.

"Why are you here? Why are you the one yelling at me and not Elliot?!" Kathy spat.

"Because those are my kids! I'm raising them! I'm telling them I love them and that they mean the absolute world to me! I'm the one that was there for them, when you were nowhere to be found. So that is why I'm here." Olivia huffed.

"Is that El's kid? Was he cheating on me? I can add cheating to yet another reason why I needed to get out of there and away from them!" Kathy growled.

Elliot was just now hearing all the yelling, and he quickly shut the door to his car and hauled ass to the front door. He needed to get in there before any punches were thrown, or Olivia decided to beat the shit out of Kathy for hurting the kids.

"He wasn't cheating on you! Stop blaming him for your decisions!" Olivia yelled, and before she could go and shove Kathy, Elliot stepped in and stopped her.

He stepped between his girlfriend and ex-wife before gently touching Olivia's stomach.

"Take the kids home. I'll be home later... just don't let her get you angry to the point that our kid gets hurt. Okay?" Elliot whispered, and Olivia swallowed hard before nodding slowly as hot tears slipped down her cheeks.

"Fuck you, Kathy." Olivia spat before she finally turned and walked out the front door. She was shaking, but she was so glad that she said what she said. Kathy deserved to hear what was really happening, and why her kids hated her so much.

///

Once Olivia had pulled out of the driveway with the kids and headed back home, Elliot turned to look at Kathy as she raked her fingers through her hair. She was shaking, but Elliot didn't even feel the want to comfort her.

"I can't believe you cheated on me. No wonder you were always at work and I was always stuck at home with the kids and the housework." Kathy hiccupped as she looked at Elliot.

"I don't owe you any answers, especially after you left, but you need to know that Olivia and I didn't have an affair. We only started to see each other after the divorce, because I was a faithful husband. I never even thought about cheating on you." Elliot sighed.

"You brainwashed the kids." Kathy grumbled.

"No, I didn't. Olivia and I refuse to talk badly about you in front of the kids, so they hate you because you left them."

"Like I told your slut-"

"Don't call her that! She isn't a slut!" Elliot boomed.

"I was drowning! I never did anything but housework and taking care of the kids! I quit my job so they would always have someone there for them, especially since you were never around!"

"I was around more than you think I was! And you told me that you wanted to quit your job when you found out about Eli! You told me that you wanted to stay home with Eli and raise him, since you didn't get the chance to do that with the older four. Which is a fucking lie! I worked well over forty hours a week just to make sure you didn't have to go back to work." 

"I want those kids. Olivia isn't their mother, and she shouldn't be acting like she is."

"They call her Momma. They go to her for things that they could never go to you for. She was more of a mother to them when we weren't even together, than you were. Thanks for carrying them and giving birth to them, but that's about all they can thank you for."

"Elliot-"

"I have custody of them. You gave them up for whatever life you are living now. And if you ever pull something like this again, I will be getting a restraining order against you. The kids don't need to suffer more than they already had. So, just like what Olivia said... fuck you."

///

When Elliot got home, he found his girlfriend laying in their bed with Kathleen, Maureen, and Eli. They were all sleeping, so Elliot changed before climbing in beside Eli and pulling his son close. He could barely close his eyes before Maureen was poking his arm.

"Go back to sleep. We can talk in the morning." Elliot whispered.

"All I see when I close my eyes is her face. The way she hugged me and told me that she missed us all. The way that Eli screamed and ran away from her. He wet himself because he was so scared. I don't think I'll be able to sleep, especially because I'm scared that I'll wake up and see her again. I never want to see her again, Dad... not after tonight and everything else she did." Maureen whimpered. 

Elliot reached over Olivia and ruffled Maureen's curls before frowning.

"I will make sure that you never see her again. I will protect you and the rest of your siblings."

"And Olivia?" Maureen whispered.

"What about Olivia?" Elliot replied back softly.

"Protect her because we can't lose another mom... especially a good one."

"Yeah, I have you all covered. Now, close your eyes and get some sleep."