Bruised, Battered, and In Tears [ A Benson Fan Fic]

Twenty

Maureen asked several more questions before being sent out into the hall. She settled down quietly and started to wait for her other siblings to be interviewed and sent out. The first to join Maureen was Kathleen.

"So, how did it go?" Maureen asked, as she reached out and gently tucked some hair behind her sister's ear.

"It went good. I told them that I loved them and wanted to be their big sister. How we all grew up together." Kathleen spoke, and Maureen smiled.

"Well, as long as the rest of the kids don't change their minds, we will be a family of 10 in a few weeks." Maureen smiled. She stood and started to pace a bit, before stopping when she saw Olivia and Elliot walk towards them.

"Hey, how did it go?" Olivia yawned, as she sank down beside Kathleen and grabbed her hand.

"It went good. We just need to wait for the rest of the kids." Maureen spoke. She looked at her father's girlfriend and watched as her eyes closed.

"Hey, are you okay?" Kathleen asked, and Olivia nodded slowly.

"She's been having practice contractions all night and all day so far," Elliot spoke for his girlfriend.

"Does that mean that Cleo might be coming sooner than we thought?" Kathleen asked with her eyes wide and full of excitement. It was always fun when a new sibling came home, and this time it wouldn't be any different.

"I wouldn't be surprised," Olivia spoke as she recovered. She leaned close and kissed Kathleen's temple gently before sighing softly. She stood and walked away as Elliot looked at his daughters.

"Are you two ready for more siblings?" Elliot asked, and the girls nodded.

"So ready."

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Once all of the kids, even Michaela and Julia, were done being interviewed Olivia and Elliot were brought into a room with Laurie and Judge Linden.

"Alright, so all of the interviews went smoothly." Judge Linden spoke, as she flipped opened her folder to look at the notes she took.

"Do they all want the adoption to go through?" Olivia asked, as she leaned back in her chair and gently rubbed her swell as she tried to not react to one of the contractions she was sure was just a practice one, yet she was growing unsure.

"The older kids do, and so does Michaela. But Julia seems a little nervous." Laurie spoke.

"What?" Elliot asked with wide eyes.

"She said she doesn't know if her Daddy would want her to be adopted." 

"Can I talk to her about this? Chris was a bad man, and he always told her that she wasn't worth anything good." Olivia questioned quietly.

"Before the adoption can go through, we'd like her to talk to a therapist. There are lasting scars that her father left on her, and those need to be worked through." Laurie breathed. Olivia swallowed hard before nodding slowly as she looked over at her boyfriend.

"So this will be postponed until she is ready?" Elliot choked out.

"Unfortunately. We are so sorry, Olivia and Elliot. But once she is ready to be adopted, I will see you as soon as I can. I'll move things around." Judge Linden spoke. Elliot nodded slowly before pulling Olivia close. He kissed her temple gently, before looking back at the women sitting in front of them.

"Is there any way we can push Cleo's through? All of the paperwork is done, and I want her to be a Stabler as soon as she is born." Olivia sniffled.

"Just put Elliot's name on the birth certificate. I'll make sure it's approved."

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Everyone went home, and the kids got their bags packed for school the next day. Olivia settled into bed upstairs because she was exhausted and wanted to take a nap before dinner. But her plans changed when the door to her room opened.

"Mama?" Julia whispered.

"Jules, what are you doing? I thought you were packing your bag for school." Olivia yawned.

"I'm done... Can we talk?" Julia asked quietly.

"C'mere. Lay with me, baby." Olivia cooed. She reached her hand out to her daughter, and Julia ran over to the bed and grabbed her mother's hand as she climbed onto the bed.

"I'm sorry that everything is getting pushed back," Julia whispered.

"Don't apologize, Jules. If you aren't ready, no one can force you to be ready... I just wish Chris hadn't hurt you to the point where you aren't ready to be adopted by the best Daddy you can have." Olivia breathed. Julia reached out and played with the hem of her mother's shirt as she cried silently.

"Mama, Daddy wouldn't want me to be happy... he wants me to be sad."

"He doesn't have wants now, Julia. He's gone and he can't tell you what to do anymore. And that's why you are going to go talk to a therapist."

"What's that?" Julia whispered.

"It's a person who will talk to you through all of these thoughts. Okay?"

"Will Cleo be a Morris when she's born?" 

"No, baby. She's going to be a Stabler. Now, do you wanna cuddle and maybe nap with me?" Olivia asked.

"Yeah... I miss cuddling with you, Mama."

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Olivia and Elliot were praying that Cleo would hold off until after Julia decided that she was ready to be adopted, but the night of the interviews Olivia went into labor. The contractions all day were certainly real contractions and not practice ones.

Maureen was left in charge of the kids, and Olivia's van was left with her so she could drive the kids to school the next morning.

"I'm not ready for this, El." Olivia sniffled from where she sat in the front seat of Elliot's car. She had a tight grip on his hand to help with the pain and also for support. This was the first time she was having a baby in almost 6 years, and she was scared to death.

"You are going to do amazing, Liv. You are strong." Elliot smiled. He drew Olivia's hand to his lips and kissed it softly, before feeling her fingertips dig into his skin as she moaned deeply.

As they got to the hospital, Elliot got out to help Olivia out, but she refused to get out of the car.

"Babe, you gotta get out. We have to get you inside." Elliot spoke gently.

"I'm scared that something is going to happen... to me or Cleo. I can't do this. I'm not doing this."