Coming Home [A Bensler Fan Fic]

Sixteen

Now with a beautiful ring on her finger, Olivia was ready to tell everyone that she was engaged. She wasn't ashamed of their engagement or future marriage, compared to how she felt when getting engaged and married to Brad.

"Liv!" Jackie grinned as she answered the door. 

"Hey, kid. It's nice to see you." Olivia smiled as she stepped closer to her sister and hugged her tightly.

"What are you doing here? I thought we weren't going to see each other until next weekend." Jackie spoke, as she let her sister into the house before shutting the front door.

"I wanted to see you all. Elliot is at church with the girls, so I'm free." Olivia replied.

"Do you want to have breakfast with us? Aunt Sara still doesn't understand how much food we need, so she makes way too much."

"Sure, I'm up for what I'm assuming is partially burnt pancakes." Olivia laughed.

The girls got caught up as they ate breakfast, and their aunt had a few moments of privacy for herself. 

"So what do we need to talk about?" Sara asked, as she came into the kitchen and sank down across from her eldest niece. Sara was only eight when Olivia was born, so she felt more like Olivia's sister or friend than she did her aunt.

"Well, Elliot and I have been doing some talking. And yesterday we decided that we'd like to get married. He proposed to me yesterday, and I said yes." Olivia smiled before turning her ring around so everyone could see the stone.

"Really?" Sara asked, and Olivia nodded.

"Yeah. We are so excited, and we want to plan a big celebration. My last wedding sucked and was a big mistake, so Elliot and I want this one to be special." Olivia smiled. She was so in love with Elliot that she was more excited about getting married than she thought she'd be.

"Congrats, Liv... uh, I gotta take this call." Sara spoke, before quickly standing and leaving the room. She even left her phone on the table, and Olivia was worried that she had said something wrong.

"Has she been acting strange?" Olivia questioned as she walked over to the kitchen door and watched as her aunt sat on the stairs.

"Kinda. She seems really nervous and overwhelmed. I really don't think she likes being our guardian. But if Dad hadn't fucked up, Evelyn wasn't a junkie, and you didn't drown while here... she wouldn't even have to take care of us." Colleen sighed.

"I'm going to talk to her... can you three do your chores?"

"Yes, ma'am."

///

Sara had wandered upstairs, so Olivia had to find her before they could talk. Olivia eventually found Sara in her old room, before walking in without even knocking.

"What's wrong?" Olivia asked.

"Kid-"

"Nope. Don't kid me. You know we don't have the same relationship as you have with the others. I'm not just a niece. I'm your friend and more like your sister. So what is happening? Why do you seem almost frazzled?"

"I'm fine." Sara sighed.

"No, you aren't. Tell me what's happening."

"I'm spending the best years of my life raising your siblings, because your mother is dead and your father is in prison. I should be the one getting married, having babies, buying a house. Instead, I'm here, surrounded by girls that are the spitting image of my dead sister, and going to bed by nine."

"If you didn't want to take on this responsibility, you should have told me. I could have figured something out. I probably would have just stayed here with them." Olivia frowned.

"Jackie said that you would have gotten depressed if you stayed here. This place ruined you. Your parents-"

"Dad and Evelyn ruined me. I won't blame my unhappiness and anger on my dead mother. But if you don't want to be here, I will figure something out. I don't want you to hate them." Olivia frowned. 

"I don't even know yet." Sara sighed. She raked her fingers through her hair before swallowing hard as she moved over to the window.

Olivia gave her aunt some time and let her think about what she wanted to do. Olivia wasn't prepared to take care of her siblings, daughters, and fiance. But she was willing to figure things out as she goes.

"Your sisters are old enough to be home alone, right?" Sara breathed.

"Yeah, they can. They just have to keep their phones on and make sure the doors are locked. Why?"

"I'd like to date and go out sometimes. I'd like to be Sara... not Aunt Sara sometimes."

"Then go out! I can always check in on them, and so will Elliot! We didn't want you to give up your life, but only adapt it... I'm sorry that you have been feeling like this and haven't had anyone to talk to."

"It's fine... but I think I'm going to call a few friends and meet up for lunch. I will be home in a few hours, okay?"

"Yeah, don't worry about it. I'll hang out with the girls for a bit longer."

"Oh, and Liv?"

"Yeah?"

"Congrats on getting engaged." Sara smiled.

"Thanks."

///

Trace waited in line by the phones. He and the rest of the prisoners were wanting to call their loved ones, but Trace hated to wait.

"There, it's yours." One guy huffed before shoving past Trace. 

Trace quickly stepped up and snatched the phone up before dialing. He went through a long process before his call was answered.

"Daddy?" Evelyn whispered.

"Hey, baby! How are you doing?" Trace asked.

"I don't wanna be here anymore. I don't understand why getting high is a crime." Evelyn huffed.

"It isn't, sweetie. You were doing what you needed to. We will get out soon, I promise." Trace frowned.

"Olivia came up here a few months ago, and she hurt me."

"How did she hurt you?" Trace growled, as he thought about the daughter he hated the most.

"She pushed me and told me to rot! She wants me to die Daddy!"

"She needs to die, Eve. Not you. I'll deal with her, don't worry. When you get released, go home and get back to what you need to do."

"How are you going to deal with Olivia?" Evelyn sighed.

"Don't worry about that, Evelyn. I have a plan." Trace smiled.