Partners For Life [A Bensler FanFic]

Thirty-Two

Since Elliot had quit SVU after his breakup with Olivia and signing away his rights to the kids, Olivia couldn't just ask him there for his permission to adopt the kids. Instead, she had to locate his drunk ass and ask him then.

"Do you have a designated driver or money for a cab?" Olivia asked, as she sank down beside her ex and looked him over.

"Why do you care? You broke up with me." Elliot grumbled, as he kept a tight grip on his bottle of beer.

"Because you are still the father of my kids... and I think you will always be the love of my life. Even if you are a giant asshole." Olivia sighed.

"Why are you here?" Elliot huffed, as he avoided looking at Olivia.

"I need you to do something for me. Then you will never have to see me again."

"Want another one of my kids? I'm sure we could fuck one last time in the bathroom." Elliot sighed as he turned to Olivia and gave her a smile. The smile made Olivia's skin crawl.

"No, El. I want you to give me permission to adopt the kids."

"Fuck no." Elliot huffed.

"No? El, you aren't even raising them! Why should they be forced to keep your last name, when you are nothing to them!" Olivia spat.

"They are here because I fucked their mom. They should thank me!" Elliot laughed. Olivia shook her head before standing and dragging Elliot from the bar stool. She knew that he was weak since he was drunk, so she had control over him.

"I want to adopt those kids. So I can be out of your life for the rest of you life, as long as you can just sign these and tell the court that you don't want the kids anymore."

"I want something in exchange." Elliot slurred a bit.

"What do you want?" Olivia whispered.

"Kiss me one last time and I will sign those." Elliot spoke with a shaky smile.

"Sign them first and then I will. I won't risk these kids." Olivia breathed.

Elliot nodded before turning and quickly signing the spot on the paper that gave Olivia permission to adopt the kids. Then he turned to look at Olivia.

"There. Now kiss me."

"How about something better?" Olivia said, as she tried to tease her ex a bit.

"I told you we could do something in the bathroom." Elliot grinned.

However, the grin fell quickly when Olivia kneed him in the balls before moving out of the bar quickly.

///

"Where did you go after work?" Maureen asked when she joined her mother in the kitchen.

"I had to deal with some business." Olivia replied.

"What type of business? You usually just want to come straight home and see Tally."

"It was important... so how was school?" Olivia frowned.

"Mom-"

"Baby, what I dealt with tonight and will be dealing with this weekend... it isn't something you should be involved in. Now, can you finish unloading the dishwasher so I can check on Tally?"

"Did you go and see Dad?"

"What?" Olivia breathed.

"Did you go and see Dad? Because if you are back together with him, I don't want him around the house or the kids. You can screw him all you want, but-"

"Hey, watch it!" Olivia exclaimed.

"So you are screwing him!" Maureen cried.

"I'm not seeing your father! I did go and see him tonight because I needed permission to adopt you and your siblings. This weekend I'm going to see your mother and get her permission."

"You want to adopt us? Why didn't you tell me?" Maureen whispered.

"Because I didn't want to get your hopes up... especially because I had to promise your father that I'd kiss him if he signed the paperwork."

"Mom." Maureen frowned.

"I ended up kneeing him in the balls instead. Don't worry."

"Did it feel good?" Maureen whispered, and Olivia nodded.

"It felt amazing."

///

Olivia was assuming that talking to Kathy about adopting the kids would be harder than addressing it with Elliot. So she prepared herself as best as she could and brought Tally along with her for a buffer.

"Hi." Kathy spoke nervously as she slid into the booth.

"Hey, Kathy. How are you doing?" Olivia asked weakly. 

"I'm okay... how are you doing with the new baby?"

"I'm doing good. The kids help out a lot, which is great." Olivia smiled.

"What about El? Is he doing good with another daughter?" Kathy asked, and Olivia was surprised when Kathy asked that. It made Olivia realize that Elliot hadn't even contacted Kathy to tell her that he no longer had rights to his kids.

"Kathy, do you not talk to Elliot at all?"

"We haven't talked since you two got engaged. Speaking of which, where is your ring? Did you have to get it resized after having the baby?"

"No, Kathy. Elliot and I broke up... he signed away his rights to the kids and I'm taking care of them now. I'm renting a house and the kids are all with me now. Elliot refuses to see them."

"W-what?"

"I'm their legal guardian now, Kath. I thought that Elliot told you."

"He doesn't tell me a damn thing! You should have contacted me so I could take them! They aren't your responsibility!"

"They are and always will be. These are my kids too, and that is why I wanted to talk to you."

"Olivia." Kathy swallowed hard.

"I need your permission to adopt the kids. They will have my last name and I will take full responsibility for everything. I'm already paying for their food and clothes, and I'd like to do that forever. We can still keep the same deal as before, and once the kids feel ready, they can approach you."

"I don't want you to adopt them." Kathy whispered.

"Elliot is allowing me to. I just need your permission too. Please, Kath. The kids want this just as much as I do. As they get older, they will wonder about you and Elliot and seek you out. But I'd like them to not worry if one day they will wake up and I will no longer have any rights to them. If I adopt them, then I have control over everything."

"Do you love them?" Kathy whispered as she wiped tears from her cheeks.

"More than anything else in the world." Olivia breathed.

"Then you can adopt them... just keep loving them the way Elliot and I could never love them."