Partners For Life [A Bensler FanFic]

Thirty

Olivia unpacked her items at Fin's apartment and put Tally down for her first of many naps, before finally moving out to talk to her friend. Fin handed her a mug of coffee before turning off the TV.

"So what happened?" Fin asked quietly.

"Our relationship was a mistake. Elliot will never be ready for another relationship, let alone one with me. He was going to leave this morning, so I told him that I'd leave instead."

"I can see that you gave him back your ring." Fin sighed as he looked over at Olivia.

"Yeah, because we broke up. I still plan on being there for the kids because I'm their mother now... but I refuse to be treated like shit by Elliot." Olivia replied. She took a sip from her coffee before sitting it on the table and standing.

"Where are you going?" Fin asked, as Olivia moved and grabbed her jacket.

"I have to find an apartment to stay in. I won't be forcing you to be around me and my baby for too long. So I'm going to grab Tally and go looking."

"You two are always welcomed here." Fin spoke quickly.

"I know that, and I'm incredibly thankful for that. But Tally shouldn't keep both of us up at night, so I need an apartment or house. Something that works in case the kids ever want to come and see me."

"Do you want me to join you? Or-"

"I'm good, Fin. Thanks though for the offer."

///

Elliot sat in the kitchen and finished another pot of coffee by himself. His kids refused to talk to him, and Maureen had been upstairs trying to get ahold of Olivia for the last few hours.

"Where is Mom?" Maureen demanded, as she came downstairs and looked at her father. She had tears streaming down her cheeks, and she was beyond broken from Olivia leaving.

"She's gone, Mo. That is all you need to know." Elliot replied, as he kept his eyes glued to his mug.

"Where is she!? We need her! We need her more than we need you!" Maureen yelled.

"I am your father, and you will respect me! I have done everything for you!"

"Really? So you chased our mother away for us? That is bullshit!" Maureen screamed. 

"Hey-"

"Kids, get down here! We are going to find mom!" Maureen yelled, as she grabbed the keys to her car before heading towards the front door.

"You aren't going to bother her, Maureen Stabler! Go back to your room and continue throwing this fit!" Elliot huffed as he followed his daughter towards the front door.

"We are going to see Mama?" Eli asked as he came downstairs.

"Yeah, buddy. Because we don't have a fit father anymore. Get in the car." Maureen replied.

The kids raced past their sister and to her car. Maureen looked at her father for a moment before shaking her head.

"You ruined our lives two times in the last year. Because of you, we don't have moms. You can fight me all you want on this, but I want to be with Mom instead. I don't want to be anywhere near you." Maureen huffed as tears slipped down her cheeks. She gave her father a shove before walking out the front door.

"Then don't come back!" Elliot yelled.

///

Olivia had just gotten back to Fin's house after looking at a few apartments, when she saw five blonde haired kids sitting on the front steps. She held her daughter's carrier in hand as she sped up her pace to get to them faster.

"Kids? What are you doing here?" Olivia asked.

"Lizzie told us that you were staying with Fin. We want to be here too. Please-"

"Mo, you guys can't stay here. I'm staying in Fin's spare room and there is barely enough room for me and Tally in here." Olivia replied.

"Mom, we don't want to be with Dad. He's a mess, and he told us not to come back. Please, let us stay!"

"He told you not to come back?" Olivia asked with wide eyes.

"He yelled it at us." Kathleen frowned as she stood slowly.

"You five are all minors. Your father is your only parent and you can't just leave him. He could call the cops on all of us, and I could go to jail for this. So please, go back home."

"No! He's a monster! He keeps chasing our moms away! This time he chased Tally away too! We don't want to be away from you, so please just keep us!"

"I'll talk to him, Mo. Just... here, take some money and take your siblings out for an early lunch. I'll get this all figured out."

///

Olivia drove out to the house she had left early this morning, and she hated every second of the drive. Olivia parked in her usual spot before getting out and then moving to grab Tally. She didn't even make it up the path before Elliot was opening the front door.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Elliot huffed.

"You gotta get your head out of your ass, El. The kids say they want to be with me, that they want me to keep them. I know that you could get me arrested for that, so you need to take the kids back."

"They don't want me. You don't want me. Might as well take them and raise them!" Elliot yelled.

"Hey, I wanted you! I wanted you for longer than you could ever imagine! But then you had to be a jackass and attack me all the time! I refuse to raise my daughter in a household where I'm sad all the time. Tally deserves better than what we were getting here... I do too." Olivia breathed.

"I won't call the cops on you. Just fucking take them and leave me alone." Elliot grumbled. Olivia nodded hesitantly before sighing softly.

"I'll be back in a few days to grab their stuff. Just know, that this is the end of anything that could have been between us. Those kids have gone through enough, and I will never force them to see you or Kathy ever again. Do you understand me?" Olivia spoke as bravely as possible.

"I'll go to court on Monday and sign them over to you. I could not care less."