73 Avery Steel - Final Decision

Avery sat silently as Olivia finished telling her tale. He tensed up his muscles as Robin dug out some documents from his bag and handed them to Olivia, she gave it a quick look. Her shoulder sagged, she thought if she knew the truth she would have felt better but she felt nothing.

She then gave the documents to Amy "My blood test and mom's autopsy summarized." she said woefully. Amy took a quick scan and couldn't believe her eyes "Hun did you compile this?" she asked Robin. Amy stared at Robin until he silently nodded, she turned her gaze to Avery and tried to hand the documents over. Avery stared at the documents in Amy's hands but refused to make any movement.

Robin sighed and pinched the area between his eyebrows. "Even till now are you going to believe in your wife over your daughter?" Olivia fidgeted with her fingers not knowing what to do, she tried looking at his face to see if she could read him but saw nothing.

Her anxiety was on the rise and she could feel sweat starting to collect on her back when suddenly Eli placed his hand over hers. He interlocked his fingers with hers to stop her fidgeting, brought her hand to his lips and grazed her knuckles with a light kiss.

The small act of love calmed her down, she squeezed his hand and looked at her father "It proves that mom was poisoned with the same thing I was poisoned with. Dad Agni is evil..." she said slowly as she watched for a reaction. Avery pressed his lips tightly together and kept staring at the documents.

Eli gave Avery a piercing stare before he stood up and hauled Olivia up with him, ready to walk away the moment Olivia gave the ok. "Avery, she already told you that everything she was going to say was the truth and now you're acting stubborn for what? To protect a woman that killed the one you truly loved? You're heartless... absolutely shameful." he said coldly.

Olivia felt her eyes starting to sting and was afraid to start crying, she hide her face into Eli's chest and tried to take some calming breathes. Once she knew she was fine she looked up from his chest and sighed "Dad do what you want I'm done. I want to go live peacefully back in Springbanks Valley and...." Avery shot himself up from the couch. "What did you just say!" he shouted in complete surprise.

Olivia stepped back by pure instinct while Eli wrapped her in one protective arm. "You're thinking of leaving me?!" he cried and Olivia bit her lip as she dropped her gaze. "You're not giving us much of a choice." Eli said casually.

Avery clenched his teeth and stared at everyone in the room. He then sighed and sat back down, he ran his hands through his hair "I believe you... there has been to many little things that don't add up properly and... I don't know if I can send Agni to prison..." he said remorsefully.

Robin shot up "How can you say you believe Olivia and still not lock that woman away! She killed Grace and tried to kill Olivia on more then one occasion! Are you some sort of fool!" Robin shouted while he rocked Gracie in his arms.

Avery dropped his hands and watched Benjamin and Walter play on the floor in front of his feet. "I can't persecute her Olivia you need yo understand... I can't tell you I hate her, I still have feelings for despite everything.... it's really funny actually after I thought you ran away I lost a piece of me and tried to fill the void.... I officially adopted the twins but that wasn't enough." he said wearily.

He looked at Olivia heart broken and tried to smile but it was a struggle. "She's 6 weeks pregnant... she's going to give birth to my child and I can't let her do that in a prison cell." Olivia felt conflicted, on one hand she would gain another sibling and on the other Agni would still be around.

"You know she is going to use the baby against you for everything and this is actually worse.... it means no one is safe now, you, me, the twins or the baby she can kill anyone of us without a care." she said slowly as she locked eyes with her father.

Avery felt a chill run down his back and licked his lips. "You're right... then is it alright that I chose where she goes then?" Avery asked with a bit of hope. Olivia grabbed onto the trim of Eli's suit jacket as she looked at her father. "As long as she can't hurt us anymore I don't care." she said with conviction.

Avery sighed and got up again. He looked at Robin then Amy "Can I bother you for a favor?" he asked with puppy dog eyes. Amy's eyes widened with excitement "Of course!" she happily shouted while Robin looked at Avery skeptically. "Can you shelter my girls? Just until things are settled." he pleaded.

Robin placed a hand on his shoulder and nodded his head. "As long as it takes but promise me one thing, read this letter before you see Agni." Robin dropped his hand and pulled out the unopened letter from his back pocket. Instead of handing the letter over he placed it against Avery's chest "You owe this to Olivia's saviors."

Avery grabbed the letter and opened it that moment. His facial expressions changed with every page he read, grief, anger and happiness. Avery refolded the letter and gave it back to Robin "Keep this safe please." he said before he looked at Olivia. "We will need to invite your Papi Bernie and Nana Tina to the debutante. I think they would appreciate it a lot." he said with a sad smile.

Olivia's heart sang to the heavens "Yes!" she said happily before everything went black.

.....

Olivia woke up the next morning feeling horrible, her stomach was not agreeing with her and she walked into the en-suite bathroom to grab a glass of water. She gulped back the water greedily and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. She felt better and quickly went back to her room and got dressed.

She happily made her her way downstairs and into the kitchen. The staff informed her that everyone was already eating in the dinning room and Olivia graciously thanked them and skipped towards the dinning room.

"Laila! Loreley! Congratulations on being adopted!" Olivia shouted as she hugged each sister. Both twins looked at Olivia with identical worried faces. "Are you ok?" Loreley asked as she hugged Olivia back. Olivia thought about her question for a second and smiled brightly "Better then ever!"

Laila looked at Amy and Robin for some help and Amy put down her fork while Robin kept feeding the triplets. "Sweetie... you have been asleep for almost 24 hours. I think..." Amy started and Olivia waved her hand "Auntie Amy, don't worry! I feel great! Honestly it might have been the stress and pressure of everything the last couple of days... so please believe me when I say I feel great." she said softly as she looked at Amy.

Amy sighed in agreement and Olivia brought her hands together in delight "Fantastic! I am starved!" she said as she sat herself down happily.

Olivia never let herself really show what she was feeling to not scare everyone but the smell of the food was disgusting her to no end. She looked at everything and could feel her stomach turn but forced herself to eat. Once everything went down her throat, her stomach settled and she figured it was still her nerves getting to her.

"Did dad tell you when he might be back?" Olivia asked Robin as he stared to eat his own breakfast. "Sorry sweetie no."

....

Time went by in a flash and Olivia couldn't believe it was finally the week of the debutante. Though they still heard no word from her father but they were still passing the time relatively happy. All their friends had stopped by the estate to yell, cry and hug Olivia and Eli made sure to stop by every night to see her so she counted herself lucky at least for that.

Laila and Loreley had received their acceptance letter to their first choice schools and Olivia felt a little bitter that she had to wait till the winter to write her entrance exam. She looked out the window and say a familiar car pull up to the estate. "Dad! Dad is here!" she shouted as she ran towards the foyer with Laila and Loreley in tow.

Like puppies they excitedly waited for the door to open as Robin and Amy walked up beside them laughing at their cuteness. Avery looked awful the moment he walked in and fear stabbed Olivia's heart. Avery smiled at his family "She agreed... she's being held at a psychiatric ward till the baby is born. So no one has to worry." he said with a great sigh.

Relief washed all over them and they ran up to Avery and toppled him over. Tears, hugs, kisses and shouting was thrown around everywhere as Avery laughed on the ground. Once everyone settled down Avery pulled himself up into a sitting position on the floor "Forgive me for not being there to protect all of you when you needed it the most." he said as tears started to pool in his eyes.

The girls looked at each other and simultaneously they yelled "Forgiven!" as they threw themselves on him once more.