The Unknown: Book 1 ~A Bensler FanFic~

Chapter 81: The Funeral Part 2

Alex and I walked away from Mrs. Baker, and I was pissed beyond words. My face was red, and I kept running my shaking hands through my hair, an attempt at getting myself to calm down.

"Don't listen to her, Liv. She just came to stir the pot." She replied, and I looked at her.

"I just lost my daughter. She needs to stay the hell away from me before I explode." I replied, and Alex pulled me into a hug.

"I know not to mess with you." She chuckled slightly, and I groaned.

I was about to speak again, but then I saw Alison off to the side, her head hung in her hands. 

"Excuse me." I breathed, before walking away.

I walked over to my daughter and squatted down in front of her. I gently touched her shoulder, and she looked at me.

"Hi Mommy." She sniffled, and I reached out and wiped a tear from her cheek.

"Miss Bailey?" I asked her, and she nodded.

"A lot." She whispered, and I kissed her forehead.

"I do too." I breathed. She ran her hands over her cheeks then sniffled again.

"Mommy, she's always gonna be here with us, right?" She asked, and I nodded quickly.

"Do you remember when Wyatt passed away? How I told you that he was always going to be in our hearts?" I asked, and she nodded slowly.

"Yeah." She whispered, and I smiled softly.

"Bailey will always be here. She is always going to be loved by us, and we know she is in a better place. I know that it gets hard and we are gonna miss her forever, and love her forever. It will get better." I spoke, before kissing her forehead again. I stood and she hugged me tightly. I rubbed my daughter's hair and held her close.

This sucks more than I had ever imagined it to.

~*~

"Bailey Olivia Stabler was 11, almost 12 when she was taken too soon. She was survived by her adoptive parents, Elliot and Olivia Stabler, and her adoptive siblings Aubrie, Alison, Noah, Kora, and James.And her biological mother Addison and father Frank. She is in heaven with her adoptive brother Wyatt, her grandmother Carrie, and her younger sibling." The pastor spoke, as we all listened.

I wiped at a tear from my cheek as I slowly rocked back and forth, keeping James calm. He was half asleep and I was thankful for him being so small.

"Now,we have a few people who would like to talk about Bailey." He spoke, and Elliot stood up. He gave Kora to Ron, who held onto the little girl.

"Um, I'm Elliot Stabler. I've been Bailey father pretty much since she's been born. We didn't adopt her when she was born, but when her own father wasn't there. Bailey was meant to be with us. She fits in perfectly with us, and my wife and I never regretted our choice to adopt her. She loved to draw and sing, and her laugh was infectious." Elliot breathed, and he stopped after that because tears ran down his cheeks. He wiped at his tears as he came back and sat down.

I took slow breaths before standing. I laid James into Elliot's arms, before slowly walking up.

Everyone looked at me, and I swallowed hard.

"Hello. I'm Olivia Stabler. I've known Addison, Bailey's mother since high school, and when I found out she was pregnant, I knew that she had to have the baby. Back then, I thought it was because Addison was going to be an amazing mother, but I guess it was because somehow I was gonna be a mother to that amazing little girl. I remember when she was born, and I sat in the NICU with her. She was so small, but she was so strong. That little girl got stronger everyday of her life. I will never stop loving her, and I wish that I could've protected her more." I whimpered.

I swallowed hard again before quickly walking down to our seats. I didn't know who else wanted to speak until they stood up.

~*~

"I'm Aubrie Stabler. I'm 13, and Bailey was my best friend." She spoke, and I looked at Elliot.

His eyes were wide, and then he smiled softly at our daughter.

"Bailey was annoying, I have to admit it. She loved to always be around me, and I didn't want her to because I'm just a big jerk. I always did try to make her feel like I loved her, because I did. I'm going to miss her. She may have been annoying, but when we talked or would draw together, it made up for everything. I feel like a coward for not going to school the day she got beat up and not having stood up for her. I should've beaten those girls up for even thinking about hurting my three little siblings. I should've been there and told them to stop, because if I had, she wouldn't be dead." Aubrie spoke, sobbing the last part. 

She looked at everyone, and no one had a dry eye in the crowd. She grew self conscious and ran from the room. I stood quickly and followed her.

I stood near her, but not close enough to make her notice me there.

She was crying, and I didn't know how to approach this. She thought that Bailey's death was her fault, and it wasn't, it would never be.

"Brie." I breathed, and she looked at me.

"Go away!" She sobbed, and I walked closer. 

One thing my mother taught me is that if a child tells you to go away, most of the time they want you, but just don't want to vocalize it.

"Aubrie, love, we need to talk." I spoke, and she shook her head.

"Why couldn't I have died? She didn't deserve it!" She exclaimed, and I looked at her, pain in my eyes.

"Aubrie Emelia Stabler, you don't deserve to die, and neither did she." I spoke, as tears welled in my eyes.

"Mommy, if you had to pick, which daughter would you want to die?" She asked, and I felt the pang of pain in my heart.

"I would die instead of any of my children. Aubrie, why do you think it's your fault?" I questioned.

"BECAUSE THEY WERE TARGETING ME."

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