Forgotten Memories [A Bensler Fanfiction]

Twenty-Four

Nine Weeks Later

Jude was an incredibly sweet baby. It surprised no one at how he had his mother, father, and both sisters wrapped around his tiny little finger. Lanie could only be around him for twenty-four hours before heading back home. However, a few weeks after Jude was born, Olivia filed to get her custody reinstated. Olivia realized that after having Jude, she wanted all of her kids with her, no matter how they all came into her life. 

By the time Jude was nine weeks old, Lanie was in New York with her family and helping to move into a house in Queens. 

"I still don't understand why I can't share a room with Lanie," Ava huffed, as she crossed her arms across her chest and stared her parents down. Olivia squatted down in front of her and gently caressed her messy brown hair.

"Ava Grace, Daddy and I could afford to get a house where all three of you can have your own space. I know you would love to share a room with Lanie, but it's important that you two have your own space. Lanie is a teenager," Olivia explained, but her little girl was still angry.

"Mama," Ava huffed, her eyebrows kneading together.

"No, ma'am. End of discussion," Elliot spoke, deciding to end this right here. He didn't want his daughter to throw a holy fit and wake up Jude and make Lanie feel bad for requesting her own space.

"You are such a meanie!" Ava spat, before running towards the sliding door. She slid it open quickly and ran straight to the jungle gym that the previous owners left.

Olivia stood and turned to Elliot.

"She's worse than our teenager," Olivia admitted, and Elliot nodded.

"She gets it from you," He grinned, before narrowly missing a pillow that Olivia tossed at him.

///

By dinner time, they had put most major things in their places. Ava was still not happy that she had her own room, but was happier once she realized she shared a bathroom with her big sister.

"So, how do you like your room?" Elliot asked, as they sat on the back porch and ate pizza off of napkins. Lanie looked over at Elliot and gave him a shaky smile. Her eyes were filled with tears, which came on suddenly.

"I-it's amazing," she whispered. Olivia had been convinced to eat dinner on the swing set with Ava, and Jude slept in his bouncer beside Elliot and Lanie.

"Kid-"

"I'm sorry, Elliot. It's just that when Olivia got me back, I never expected that living with my birth mother would be as great as it is... Or that our house would be so great," she replied, running a shaky hand under her eyes.

Lanie was so much like her mother. She may try to be strong and reserved, but she was such an emotional person. She was incredibly brave and stubborn, let alone incredibly loving. Lanie would help a complete stranger, which Elliot actually witnessed both Lanie and Olivia do on the same day. In the end, this teenager who thought she wasn't wanted for the longest time was now such an irreplaceable member of their blended family.

"We love having you here with us, honey," Elliot whispered as he glanced at Olivia and Ava. His youngest daughter balled up the napkin and shoved it into Olivia's hand before going straight to swinging. Olivia warned her daughter to take it easy, but Ava was willing to get a bellyache if it meant she could swing on her new play set.

"Olivia really didn't know about me for the last... how many years?" Lanie asked. Elliot sighed and nodded.

"Yup. She didn't know about what your father did until she read a letter from her mother. She shut down for a long time afterwards, and I'm just glad she made it through everything," Elliot spoke.

"Do you think I could contact my grandmother? I'd like to get to know her," Lanie spoke, as Olivia walked towards them.

"I don't know, Lanie. Your mother-"

"Are you two talking about me?" Olivia smiled as she shoved the napkins into a plastic bag before sitting down beside Elliot. Elliot looped an arm around Olivia's waist before kissing her brown locks.

"Olivia, can I contact your mom?" Lanie blurted out. Olivia's smile faded, and she swallowed hard.

"I'm going to take Jude inside and feed him. Keep an eye on Ava. She's gonna probably get an upset belly and we need to make sure she doesn't get sick," Olivia mumbled. She stood and grabbed her baby before moving inside.

Lanie looked at Elliot and sighed.

"I take that is a big ol' no," she grumbled.

"Lan-"

"I'm going to go swing with Ava," she huffed before standing and walking away.

///

Elliot came into his new bedroom after checking on the girls and found Olivia laying in bed with Jude. Their little boy laid right where he'd be in between his parents, and his tiny hand swung in the air as Olivia stroked his belly. She had been quiet the rest of the night, and Elliot felt horrible that he hadn't shut down Lanie so she wouldn't have asked Olivia about contacting Serena.

"Do you want me to put him in his crib?" Elliot asked as he took his shirt off and tossed it onto the dresser.

"No, I want him to stay in bed for a little longer," Olivia whispered before she leaned down and kissed Jude's nose. He grunted and grabbed a chunk of her hair before she could lean back.

"Liv, can we talk about Lanie?"

"She's not contacting Serena or Jenny. I'm not letting her get drawn into their fake love," Olivia grumbled.

"Honey-"

"Jenny bullied me, Elliot. My own sister was bullying me and my mother couldn't do anything about it. I know she was doing the work of two parents, but she didn't notice? How could she not have noticed that I had been raped? I must have been destroyed," Olivia replied, barely moving her head to look at Elliot.

"Don't you want to talk to them again? See if you can salvage something that resembles a relationship?" Elliot asked as he twirled one of Jude's curls around his finger.

"No, because I need to be a mother to Lanie, Ava, and Jude. If I talk to them again, I will get depressed again and they will lose their mother and you'll lose your partner. I don't think anyone wants that."