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

Thirty-Two: No Longer Bruised

Even if they had their problems, Olivia and Elliot worked things out. They continued to love each other. They were engaged for about three years before finally being in the proper place to get married. The couple had a few bumps in the road, but they just keep staying strong and moving forward.

"Are you ready?" Maureen asked softly, as she opened the door to the room her soon to be stepmother was getting dressed in. Olivia turned around and nodded slowly.

"I've never been more ready for anything... I wasn't even this ready when I was getting married to Chris." Olivia said with a weak laugh.

"Dad isn't Chris. And you are getting a real wedding this time around. Not just some dumb ceremony where he controls everything." Maureen spoke. Olivia nodded slowly as she let out a small sigh.

"Are the kids all ready?" Olivia asked, even if she realized all the kids weren't kids anymore. The only two that were still babies were Cleo and the son that Olivia and Elliot had together. He had really pushed the wedding off because no one had expected him.

"All of us older kids are. I believe that Mom was still trying to get Cleo into her shoes and Finley to accept the fact he has to wear clothes." Maureen chuckled.

"That kid drives me nuts most of the time." Olivia smiled. No matter how crazy Finley drove his parents, they couldn't be more thankful for that little soul. 

"Just like the rest of us. Now, are you ready? Because Dad is probably freaking out. All he wants to do is marry you." Maureen beamed.

Olivia turned around in her plain white wedding dress before sighing softly.

"I think so... do I look okay? I think that I probably should have gotten a nicer dress... but-"

"This dress is stunning, Olivia. No one expected you to come out in something covered in sparkles and feathers. And you could go out there in your stained and baggy pajamas and we would all think you are the most beautiful bride." Maureen smiled. 

Olivia brushed a tear from her cheek before smoothing her skirt.

"Okay... I'm ready."

///

They swayed back and forth together at their reception. They couldn't keep their eyes off of each other, and from those watching, they knew that the newly married couple made a perfect match. They fit perfectly together in every aspect.

"You know, Mrs. Stabler... I never did think that we'd ever make it down the aisle." Elliot spoke.

"I didn't either. Finley over there really did mix things up." Olivia chuckled as she saw her year old getting cuddled by his eldest sister.

"I'm glad we had him, though. I had always been quietly thinking if one day you and I would have baby together. I wasn't going to ask because I was kinda nervous about you possibly slipping back to how you were after Cleo was born."

"I think that I hadn't fully accepted the fact that everything was finally good. That you weren't going to hurt me since I was having another daughter. You love our children. If Finley would have been another girl, you would have been just as excited." Olivia spoke before kissing her husband gently.

They went back to dancing awkwardly, before the music changed and they slipped from the dance floor.

They made their rounds before moving outside to get some fresh air. Olivia stretched as she slipped her heels off.

"I feel like this is a world record." Elliot laughed, as he took the shoes from his wife's hands.

"Huh?" Olivia questioned, as she turned to look at him.

"You haven't worn real heels like these for more than an hour at a time."

"Uh, I wore heels to all of our dates and-"

"And I know that you slipped them off while we were eating dinner. I'm not dumb. I know you, Benson." Elliot laughed, as he looped his free arm around Olivia's waist.

"It's Stabler now, buddy."

///

About a month after Olivia changed her name, yet again, she was stopped in a grocery store by some woman that looked familiar but that she didn't really think she knew. 

"Are you Olivia Morris?" The woman asked, and Olivia swallowed hard as she looked at Cleo and Finley.

"Uh, not anymore. Who are you?" Olivia asked, and the woman swallowed hard before stepping closer to Olivia. Olivia tried to step back, but she was right up against a shelf of cans.

"I wanted to warn you before you married Christopher. I dated him for five years and then he saw you and wanted you so badly that he finally let me go... I tried to approach you before to tell you that you needed to get out."

"Please back away." Olivia struggled to speak.

"I'm sorry, but I didn't want your little ones to hear." She whispered, before stepping back.

"Who even are you? Because-"

"I'm Emmie. Chris' ex girlfriend."

"He said that you were crazy." Olivia whispered.

"I wasn't. I'm not, I swear. I just... I saw the stuff on the news and I felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders."

"He tried to kill you too?" Olivia whispered.

"He used to rape me and try and choke me. Olivia, thank you so much for taking that man from this world."

"I'm not proud of what I did." Olivia spoke, her eyes growing wide in horror.

"You might not be, but the rest of us are. We were too scared to do anything, but then you stood up for yourself and those girls..."

///

Within a week, Olivia had been approached six times from different people that Chris had been with before her and while they had been together. Olivia was heartbroken to think that Chris was cheating on her, but was just as bad to the mistress as he had been to her.

But as she heard these stories, she realized that she was no longer who she had been while with Chris. She was strong. She was brave. And she was no longer bruised, battered, or in tears.