Chapter Two

I put Eli in his car seat and buckle him up. He's barely awake, since it's nearly his nap time. Just before I close his door, I kiss his head.

After a slow drive to the Stabler residence, I get out and take Eli with me.

I unlock the door and carry Eli up to his room first, to put him in his crib for the time being. When I get up there, the crib is taken apart and the parts are stacked. A bunch of his toys are in a cardboard box.

I take the baby to the next bedroom - Dickie's - and see it still looks the same. My hands, on instinct, lie Eli down and put pillows around him so he doesn't roll off the bed.

After looking at the other untouched rooms, I'm confused as to why she did this to just Eli's room.

Because he's my favorite. And Kathy thinks I'd take him and not the others, which is untrue.

Quickly, I carry the crib pieces to my car and put them in the trunk. Then the box of toys. Now, onto the kitchen. Just as Kathy wrote, my key works with the box sitting there. It's stuffed to the brim with papers. I just close it and put it in the passenger seat.

Next. I don't even know. Something about food for the baby sticks in the back of my mind.

I go through the lower cabinets so I can find the reusable shopping bags. I take all of the baby's food. I take a third bag and get diapers and clothes and other things for the baby. I hear him cry, so I hurry to put the things in the car and go comfort Eli.

While carrying him, I wander into the master bedroom. It's a mess.

Brown boxes are marked with big E's and I know that stands for Elliot. One says E - NYPD Stuff.

Without even thinking, I drag that out and towards the stairs. Eli has calmed down so I put him down again.

I finish packing up the car and I grab my favorite boy and buckle him in his car seat.

What I don't get is why I didn't find Kathy. And why I just went and did what she told me.

While sitting around my apartment questioning it, my phone rings.

"Hello?" I ask without checking who it is.

"O-Oliv-via?" I hear. It's a crying Lizzie.

"Is this about your mom?" I ask automatically.

"Yeah..." she replies, drawing out the word. "How the hell did you know?!?" she yells.

"We have a lot to talk about. But I just got the call. I was one of your dad emergency contacts so I guess it went over to her too. Where are your brother and sisters?"

"Brother?"

"I have Eli. He's alright. Where are the rest of you?"

"My grandma's taking us to Mercy."

I hear commotion in the background and then, "Liv? It's Maureen."

"Hey, Mo. How you holding up?"

"I've been better. I need to talk to you, seriously, though."

"Alright. I'll be to the hospital soon. With your brother."

"Sounds good."

"Do you want me there with you when you ID the body?"

"I don't care. Sure."

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Kath," I say. "Take him."

Kathleen takes her baby brother in her arms, nodding. I then follow her older sister to the window. The ID-ing window.

I hold Maureen by the shoulders when they open the blinds and remove the sheet from a body's face. Clear as day, it's Kathy.

"Oh god," Maureen whispers. She nods and leans into me. "It's her."

I hold her tight, shushing her, comforting her.

"What are we gonna do, Liv? I can't take care of them on my job. I can't have them all move somewhere. I can't put them in the system. I-"

"Mo. You guys are staying with me for the time being. Alright? I'm gonna talk to you and Kathleen about something later. When you're calmed down."

I bring my arm around her and take her back to her siblings. Eli is babbling baby talk and it gets the kids to smile a little. Me too.

"So, Liv, when do you wanna talk?" Maureen asks.

The twins look up at me. I shake my head. "Later. I do need Kath to come help me with something."

Everyone gives me a confused look but I just pull the young blonde with me.

We are walking out to my car when she finally speaks up. "What's going on?"

"I'm gonna explain this more with you and Mo but for now, here's the gist. Someone left Eli at my door with a note your mom left me. She said to go get some things from your house. I need you to help me put it all in my guest room. She told me to watch over you guys."

We get to my car and Kathleen looks like she might get sick.

"Puke outside the car, alright?"

"I don't puke. That's Maureen."

"True. Just come on."

~*~*~*~*~*~

After talking to Maureen and Kathleen about it, thy both agree to let me have custody of their brothers and sister. Now comes the hard part.

The two oldest Stabler kids sit on either side of me while the twins sit across from us. Dickie is holding his sister to comfort her.

"Alright, guys. This is gonna be hard. I know it. I know you know I was close to your father but I lost your mother too. It's gonna be hard. But your mom. She left me a note. And a bunch of other things."

I pull the court ordered custody papers out. I hand Lizzie hers and Dickie his.

They scan the words and look up at me with big eyes simultaneously.

"You're our guardian now?" Lizzie asks. I nod. So do her older sisters.

"Isn't our next of kin like...grandma?" Dickie asks.

"Your mom left me in charge of you three. And I'll fight like hell to make sure you stay with me. If that's what you want." It pains me to say those last few words. I agreed with the older girls that they get the final say.

Dickie has always been protective of his sister. She always leaned on him. He looks at her and I know she's getting to make the decision. Dickie will agree so he can stay with her.

"I wanna stay here," Lizzie states.

That means I get my family of five kids.

I smile.

~*~*~*~*~*~

I give the older two girls my bedroom, against their protests. The twins get the guest room and I set up the crib in the living room with me on the couch.

This is my life now. I have five kids. The best five kids in the world.

Somehow, through all this mess, I fall asleep with a smile on my face.

When morning comes, its because of Eli. I roll off the couch and go to him, picking up the screaming infant.

"Sh, sh, shh..." I whisper while lightly bouncing him as I walk.

Slowly, he goes back to his happy state but I know he's hungry. Just like all the Stabler kids, he got transferred to baby food rather early, but thank god for that. And just like the others, he eats everything.

While cleaning up Eli's messy face, my alarm goes off. Quickly, its silenced, but I realize I have to wake up one of the kids.

Give them as much time as possible to sleep, I guess.

I put Eli in his crib and hop a quick shower, change and start to shovel a bowl of cereal down my throat.

Something creaks and I turn to see Kathleen exiting the bedroom. "You leaving?"

"Did I wake you up?"

"I always get up this early. Class. The twins are getting up soon too."

I curse. "Is Maureen working?"

"Not today, I don't think."

"What if she is?" I ask.

"We'll call Kelsey. She's our regular babysitter. Go to work, Liv. It'll be fine."

I nod and grab my badge as I step out of my apartment.

"Oh and Liv?" I hear behind me.

Kathleen stands in the living room holding her baby brother. "Thanks. For everything," she says.

"Don't worry about it, Kath."

I turn on my heel and head out.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Tucker," I say, surprised.

"Olivia."

"What are you doing here?"

"Have you been notified of Kathy Stabler's death?"

"Woah, Kathy committed-"

"Yes," I interrupt. "Yes," I say to Tucker." I found out this morning.

"Well it says in your records you are now the legal guardian to three Stabler children."

Kathy said to let the squad know that when it's the right time.

I guess I don't get to make that decision.