A Stabler and a Benson [A Bensler/SVU Fan Fic]

Forty-Five

Olivia's POV

I stood in front of the fireplace in the house Elliot and I bought together, when I heard the front door opened. I turned around quickly, and I saw Molly run towards me, squealing 'Grandma' the whole way. I smiled as I leaned down and picked her up.

"My little Molly! How are you sweetheart?" I asked, as Catie walked into the house with a few bags in hand of the items I asked her to pick up.

"I good Grandma!" She squealed. She was still so excited to see me and it made me so happy. I still can't believe that I'm a grandmother to such a sweet girl.

"Love, do you wanna go play?" I asked, as I kissed her cheeks as she giggled.

"Yeah!" She exclaimed, before I sat her on her feet. She went running to the toy box, which is one of the only things we had in our house because Eli and Catie are always here with Molly to help out with the house.

"Hey, Mom." Catie yawned, as she walked over and handed me a bag, before sitting her bag down.

"Tired?" I questioned, as we started to unpack the items I needed to clean out the fireplace.

"Oh yeah. Your granddaughter likes to climb out of her crib and run around the house in the middle of the night." She replied, and I laughed softly as I reached out and patted her shoulder.

"You were the same way. I just lucked out that we lived in an apartment and you would usually just climb into bed with your father and me." I spoke, and she sighed a bit.

"See, Eli is so ready for another baby, but he isn't the one getting out of bed to chase our toddler down." She spoke, and I nodded as I knelt down next to the fireplace and lit the cleaning log before closing the glass barrier so Molly couldn't get in it. Catie started to scrub the stones that were dusty and dirty before speaking again.

"I don't even know if I want more kids." She breathed, and I quickly turned to look at her.

"Really? You've always wanted a lot of kids." I spoke, and she nodded.

"I know, but I didn't really realize how hard it is to be a mother. Molly is crazy, so energetic and talkative. I spend all day with her, and I love her so damn much, but I can't do this again. I don't think I can be a stay at home mom like I turned into." She breathed slowly, and I grabbed her arm and turned her slowly towards the direction of her daughter.

Molly was sitting on the floor, her little head bobbing around as she played with two rag dolls. She is the cutest little thing I've ever seen, and I knew that even if Catie was doubting it, she'd be wanting another baby once Molly got even more independent. And when she got a toddler bed instead of her crib.

"Just wait Catie. If you get her a big girl bed, and let her try new things she'll get exhausted and be ready to sleep at night. And eventually you'll be able to go back to work, but right now I can see how happy Molly is to spend time with her beloved mother." I smiled, and Catie nodded as she looked at me.

"Did you ever think about staying home with me?" She questioned, and I nodded slowly.

"I tried so hard to be a stay at home mom for the first year, but I'm worse than you. I was doing everything to stay occupied, but I couldn't do it. I should've tried." I breathed, and she shook her head.

"I guess it was good you went to work, so I didn't get annoyed of you." She smirked, and I rolled my eyes.

"You still act like me, which isn't a good thing."

///

Catie's POV

I walked into the house with Molly sleeping in my arms. We ate dinner with my mom and Elliot, while Eli played poker with a few of his Marine buddies tonight.

I could still hear the men laughing in the basement, and I sighed knowing that I'd be taking Molly upstairs and putting her to bed alone.

As I headed up the stairs, the basement door opened and Eli smiled as he saw me.

"Hey love. How was your day with your Mom?" He asked, as he came over and took Molly from me. Our daughter cuddled into his arms.

"It was decent. Molly was hyper and didn't get a nap so I don't know where she got her energy." I smirked and he chuckled.

"I think she gets it from me. I was always running around like a chicken with its head cut off when I was younger." He laughed. His laugh always made me smile but right now I felt like just sleeping for a few weeks.

"I can put her to bed if you want to go down and finish your game?" I questioned, and he shook his head.

"They are just finishing their beers. I'll see them out, but I want to help to put her down for the night." Eli whispered. I knew that his father or my mother might've called him and told him about what I was feeling. Probably my mother because she knew how overwhelmed I was earlier.

///

Eli came up about twenty minutes after I came home. He got into his sweats before climbing into bed next to me. He wrapped his arms around my body and pulled me close.

"I'm thinking about taking tomorrow off. So I can help you out around here."

"I'm going back to help our parents tomorrow." I yawned, and he nodded.

"Well what about I take Molly over there and you can stay here and relax?" He asked, and I shrugged quietly.

"Are you not happy anymore?" He asked slowly.

"Oh Eli, I'm happy. I'm just tired. So tired. I didn't expect that being a mother would be this tiring. I run around after Molly all day long, and then I run after her at night because she doesn't like her crib anymore. She is only going on two and she is already going to have to be in a freaking toddler bed." I whispered, before I sat up and started to cry. 

Oh my god, my baby is growing up before my eyes. Before I know it she's going to be going to preschool. 

"Oh Cat." He whispered as he rubbed my back and kissed my hair.

"She's just so little. I don't want her to be in a toddler bed. I don't want her growing up." I whimpered.

"Sweetie, they grow up. That's what babies do. But we will figure this out." He breathed into my hair. As he spoke, a small knock sounded on our door. Eli looked a bit freaked out, but I got up and walked towards the door and opened it. Molly looked up at me with tired eyes, her teddy bear and blanket held in her chubby little hands.

"I sleep in here?" She yawned, and I nodded.

"Yeah, come on princess."

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