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After Elliot had returned to Maureen's to support his broken youngest son, Olivia headed into the city and went straight to the precinct. She grabbed a change of clothes from her locker and put them on before heading up to the squad room.
"Morning, Liv," Amanda greeted her. Olivia gave her detective a tight smile and went to her office without giving a verbal response. Amanda looked at her co-workers in concern, wondering what could have happened between now and last night.
"I'll go check on her," Fin said, as he got up and walked up to Olivia's office door.
She answered his knock with a curt, "Come in."
"Hey, Liv. Everything ok?"
Olivia let out a deep sigh. "Not really."
Fin just stood in the doorway and waited for his boss out.
With another sigh, the Captain requested, "Close the door."
"It's Eli Stabler," Olivia admitted.
"Is he ok? What happened."
"No, Fin. He's definitely not ok. He ran away yesterday after Elliot left for Virginia."
"Oh, my g*d. Did they find him?"
Olivia nodded before telling her sergeant, "Last night I was home with Noah when Maureen called me. She was near hysterics. I took Noah over to Barba's and headed to Stanton Island. We canvased the neighborhood and eventually found him at a nearby park. He was standing on the bridge over a creek. Fin, he was a mess. Maureen and Liz and I talked to him. He had planned to jump. I'm just thankful the girls and I were able to distract him long enough for Dick to grab him and prevent his little brother from going through with his plan."
After a long pause, Fin breathed out, "Wow. How's the kid doing now?"
"He's resting. Elliot got back this morning and I came in right after. They're going to look into getting help for him," was Olivia's answer.
"Well, at least you and the kids were able to stop him from hurting himself. He'll be ok, Liv. The kid has a lot of folks who love him and will stand by him," Fin pointed out.
"Yeah. But he's still carrying around more guilt and pain than a boy his age should have to. No one should have to bear that kind of pain," Olivia softly replied.
"That's the truth," Fin commented.
At that moment, Olivia's cellphone rang and Fin headed out to let her take the call.
"El? What's up? Is Eli ok?"
"He's doing fine, Liv, all things considered. It's Maureen. She went into Labor about an hour ago. We're at the hospital and she's asking for you. I know you just got to work, but...." Elliot rambled.
"I'm on my way," Olivia assured him, getting up and grabbing her briefcase and wallet.
As she headed out she called to her Sergeant, "Fin, I need you to cover for me. I'll explain later."
When she arrived at the hospital, Elliot was there with two of his five kids.
"Maureen has been admitted. Kathleen and Liz are with her now. I'm supposed to send you in there. Maureen wanted you to go right in as soon as you got here," Elliot explained
"She's in room 4078," Dick told Olivia.
"Ryan's on his way from work, but he's stuck in traffic," Eli spoke up.
"Thanks. I'll keep you guys posted," Olivia responded as she headed toward's Maureen's room.
"Hey," she breathed out as she entered the room.
"Olivia!" Maureen exclaimed in relief.
"We'll go out and join dad and the guys," Kathleen said as she and Lizzie hugged their sister. Then they each squeezed Olivia's hand as they passed her to exit the room.
Olivia walked over to sit down on the edge of the bed.
Taking the younger woman's hand, she asked, "How are you doing?"
"The contractions are ten minutes apart. The doctor says these babies could come anytime now. D'do you know if Ryan is on his way yet?" Maureen responded.
"Eli said he's stuck in traffic, but he's trying to get here as fast as he can. What do you need, Honey? I can call the nurse to get you some ice chips.
Maureen shook her head. "I just... needed a mother... right now."
Tears began streaming down her cheeks as Olivia gathered her close.
"Oh, Honey... Shhhh. It's ok."
"I just m-miss my mom. You are the closest person to a mom I have now, Olivia. I'm scared. I don't know if I can do this," sobbed the eldest Stabler daughter.
Olivia held Maureen more tightly and rocked back and forth.
"I know, Honey. I know. Maureen, Sweetheart, I know I could never replace your mom. Just know I'm here for you in whatever way you want me to be."
Maureen was about to reply when she was suddenly hit with a major contraction.
"OOOWWW! Damn, that hurts!"
"Ok. Ok, Honey. Just breathe through it. It'll be over soon. I'm here. Just squeeze my hand. That's it. You can do this, Olivia soothed.
After the contraction ended, she fed the younger woman some ice chips and wiped her sweaty forehead with a damp towel.
Maureen was just starting to relax when another contraction hit hard six minutes later.
"Owww! owowowowow! I can't do this! It's too hard!"
"Honey, you CAN do this and you will," Olivia firmly assured her, before calling the doctor in to check on the progress of the labor.
"I think these babies are going to make their appearance within a few hours," the doctor informed them. True to his prediction, The first baby decided he wanted out about half an hour later. Maureen was terrified.
"What?! They can't come now! Ryan's not here. Where's my husband? I want Ryan! I can't do this without him!"
"I'm here, Mo. I promise I won't leave you alone. I'll stay right here until Ryan can get here," promised Olivia.
"Thank you," Maureen whispered.
The doctor began to prepare the younger woman for delivery. Olivia used that time to update the family in the waiting room. Right before Dr. Walters gave the order to push, Ryan came rushing into the room.
"Did I miss it?"
"You're just in time, Ryan," Olivia reassured him.
"I'm just about to wheel her into the delivery room," added the doctor.
"I'll go sit out there with your dad and siblings," Olivia stated, as she started to walk away.
"No. Please, Liv. I need you here too. I need you both with me," Maureen pleaded.
"Are you sure?" Olivia questioned.
"Yes. Please stay with me," her young friend requested.
"Ok, Sweetie. I'll just update your Dad and I'll be right in," Olivia declared.
A few moments later, the older woman was scrubbing in along with Maureen's husband.
Elliot and the rest of his kids waited anxiously in the waiting room.
Half an hour later, Elliot's phone pinged and he read the text.
A huge smile came across his face as he told the rest of his family, "Maureen has a baby boy! six pounds eight ounces. The second baby has yet to arrive, but Maureen's doing great and so is her son."
"Thank God!" Kathleen stated.
"One down, one to go," was Eli's comment.
It took a bit longer for the second baby to arrive. forty-five minutes later Olivia came out to the waiting room.
"It's a girl! Maureen's fine. They are getting her and the babies settle back in her room. She will be able to have visitors in about an hour. How about a late lunch while we wait? My treat."
"Great! I'm starved!" Dick agreed.
"You're always starved, Bro!" Lizzie.
"Well, I'm hungry, too, so let's get outta here," Kathleen suggested.
They all decided to head to a bistro near the hospital so they could be back when Maureen was ready for them to visit. Elliot made a quick call to ask the sitter to bring Shay to the hospital.
An hour and a half later, the family and Olivia all returned to the hospital, and Shay and the sitter were waiting for them. Nadine handed Shay's backpack to Elliot and congratulated Shay on becoming a big sister. As soon as she had left, the group headed to Maureen's room.
"Hey guys," Maureen said as she saw the people she loved the walk in.
"Mommy!" Squealed Shay.
"Hey, Baby. Come meet your new brother and sister," Maureen offered, kissing her little girl's head as Dick helped her onto the bed.
"Is that my sister?" Shay asked, pointing to the baby in her mother's arms.
"It is. And that is your new brother," Maureen confirmed, pointing to the other baby in Ryan's arms.
"Can I hold one of them?"
"Of course, Sweetie. Why don't you sit in that chair over there and Daddy will hand your brother to you? And Dad, I want you to hold him next, but Olivia? I want you to be the first to hold my daughter.
"Me? Oh, Honey. No. Kathleen or Lizzie or one of your brothers should be first," Olivia protested, surprised.
"No, Liv. I want it to be you. Please?" Maureen insisted.
Olivia looked at the rest of the family and saw that they were all ok with it, so she gently took the baby girl from the younger woman's arms.
"Olivia, Ryan, and I talked it over we want you to be the grandmother in our kids' lives. Ryan's mom died last two years ago from Covid. You have basically been a second mom to me for a while now."
"Mo, I'd be honored," Olivia breathed out.
"So I guess you are all wondering what our babies' names are," Ryan quipped.
"That would be nice to know, so we don't have to call them both 'Hey, You'" Kathleen teased. Everyone laughed softly.
"Well, Olivia, You are holding Olivia Kathleen Mathers. I wanted to name her after the two best moms I could ever hope for," Maureen introduced her daughter.
"Mo! You really named your little girl after me?" Olivia softly exclaimed as happy tears came to her eyes.
Maureen's eyes filled, too. "Liv, you are the one person outside my biological family and husband who I've always been able to count on. I am so grateful to have you in my life. If I can't have my real mom here on earth, but you have always supported me like one. I'll never forget my actual mom, but I know she wouldn't mind if I think of you as my other mom. Is that ok?"
Olivia handed the baby to Kathleen, who along with Lizzie, was also crying. Then she walked over to the bed and pulled Maureen into a tight hug.
"Of course it's ok, Honey. I love you, too." After she pulled away, she found out that even Elliot, Ryan, and the Stabler sons were struggling to hold back tears.
"I love all of you. I'm always here for any of you. Anytime,"
"We love you too, Liv," Kathleen replied for herself and her siblings before handing the baby girl back to Maureen pulling Olivia into a big hug which the other Stabler kids joined in on. They were interrupted a second later, as Shay called out from beside her father, "Mama, my baby brother is getting heavy. I don't know his name yet but can you take him? I want to hold my sister now!"
The entire room erupted with chuckles as Ryan said, "Give him to Poppy, Princess. You can hold your sister for a few minutes, but not long, because the babies are getting tired and your Aunt Lizzie and your uncles haven't had a chance to hold her. Neither has your Poppy."
"Ok," Shay replied.
Elliot took the baby boy and turned to his eldest daughter and inquired, "So who AM I holding now?"
Maureen smiled at her father. "Well, Dad, that is Ryan Elliot Mathers. He was named after his daddy and his Poppy. Two of the best men I know. We're going to call him RJ, though. We don't want to get confused when both he and his daddy are in the same place."
"Great name, Sweetheart," Elliot commented softly as he gazed lovingly at his new grandson.
"Both names are perfect," Lizzie told her sister.
The babies were passed around to the whole family, and Olivia even got to hold RJ after the rest of the family had their chances. She got some great pictures to show the squad and Noah later. By then, Maureen was starting to look exhausted and it was time for the babies to be taken back to the nursery, So Olivia said her goodbyes and headed back to the precinct. Elliot and the other Stabler kids walked out with her.
"I'll call you tonight," Elliot promised, kissing Olivia goodbye.
On the way back to her office, Olivia smiled to herself. She now had three grandchildren along with five extra kids. Someday, it might even be official if things continued to go well in her relationship with Elliot. For the first time in a long time, Olivia was beginning to believe she could actually have the happy family she had always wanted. She had been fortunate to be able to experience motherhood from the time she brought Noah home, but now she had more people to love and was discovering that a mother's love is never-ending. She knew she would continue to show all her children and grandchildren, no matter how many she was blessed with, the love her own mother never showed her. The love that all children should know.