Disclaimer: I do not own Law & Order SVU or any of its characters. Dick Wolf does. This story is solely for fun, practice, and hopefully someone's entertainment. I only own this story and any characters I create.

Summary: One small action will have irrevocable consequences. E&O. Eventual M.

Her

Chapter 3

Kathy quickly exited the ICU once outside she let out the breath she had been holding in leaning against the wall eyes closed. She should be crying. She should be angry. She should be hating Olivia Benson. But Kathy Stabler felt none of those things. She had known this truth quite a while. She could lie to herself but she had been doing that for far too long. The love that she and Elliot had shared once was gone. They had been biding time for a while. Kathy was simply scared to let go scared of what it would mean. She was not a young woman to start over now would be hard. Hard but not impossible she had raised five kids and she had survived a divorce once before. She could do this. She would do this for him and for her. Because damn it, she deserved more too. More than someone who was in love with someone else. She would let go. At least she could make that part easy for Elliot. He would have enough difficulties with Olivia. She pulled out her cell and dialed a number one from a long time ago.

Elliot stood at the coffee bar in the hospital rubbing the crook in his neck he had gotten from sleeping in the chair at Olivia's bedside. Fin stood beside him that next morning having finally convinced him to take a break while they moved Olivia to a new room. The doctors seemed pleased with her progress and deemed her ready to transition to her next level of care whatever the hell that meant. Elliot continued to rub anxious being away from her.

"El," Fin said noticing his anxiety. "She's okay man. She's going to be okay."

"I know," Elliot said taking a shaky breath. "Just every time I close my eyes I see her on that pavement, Fin."

Fin swallowed hard. "Yeah, I know," he added quietly. It was imagine that even he was having difficulty shaking.

They ordered two back coffees and stood side by side shaking their mutual sugar packets into the dark liquid. Munch approached them.

"How is she?"

"They're moving her to a room," Elliot said.

"Out of ICU that's good."

"Yeah, it is," Fin added as he nodded encouragingly at Elliot.

They walked across the lobby together heading for Olivia's new room. The ride up in the elevator was quiet as each was aware they were missing their fourth. They had worked a long time together as a unit some had come and gone in that time but for the last several years it had been Liv, El, Munch, and Fin. Elliot checked in at the nurses' station being directed to Olivia's new room. He entered immediately walking to her bedside and taking her fingers in his. Munch and Fin stepped to the other side. Elliot squeezed her fingers lightly as he set his coffee on the night table by her bedside. He felt her fingers curl ever so slightly against his.

"Liv?" He said anxiously.

"El," she whispered her voice a little hoarse from the breathing tube. She struggled to open her eyes.

"Thank god," El whispered stroking his fingers along her jaw line.

Olivia's eyes fluttered open. Elliot's face came in to focus hovering above hers. "El," she repeated reaching her good hand up she caught the tear making its way down his cheek. "I'm okay, El."

"Yeah, I know," he whispered his voice cracking a little.

Munch leaned forward. "You better be okay or we would be really mad at you for leaving us with Stabler."

Olivia laughed and grimaced. "Ow, no jokes Munch."

"Don't you ever do that again," Fin said firmly.

Olivia looked over at Fin seeing the fear etched on his face. "I don't plan on it, Fin," she smiled at him.

Olivia looked over at Elliot feeling his eyes on hers, his fingers curled around hers just below her cast. "I am okay, really."

Elliot nodded and leaned down pressing a soft kiss to her forehead.

Olivia shivered feeling his lips soft and warm on her skin. She closed her eyes as the sensation enveloped her.

Elliot sat down beside her not letting go of her hand. Munch and Fin looked at each other mutually deciding to give them some time alone.

"We're going to go, Liv. But we will come back a little later; let you have some rest okay."

Olivia nodded she reached out squeezing Munch's hand and then Fin's. "Thanks, guys."

"We'll sneak you in some good food later," Munch winked at her.

Olivia looked over at Elliot after they had left them alone. "You okay?"

Elliot looked at her astonished. She had just gotten run over by a car and she was asking if he was okay? "Yeah, I'm okay, Liv. You scared me but you're okay so I'm okay."

"It could be worse," Olivia said trying to lighten the mood and wash that sad and scared expression from her partner's face. "You could have had to give me a kidney of something."

"You think this is funny, Liv?" Elliot said all his emotions coming to a head at once.

"No, El. I…"

"It is not funny. You were almost killed. You jumped in front of a car for me!" He said his voice rising.

Olivia struggled to sit up wincing at the pain. "I am sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I'm okay. We're both okay."

"I am not okay!" Elliot shouted now. "You almost died! The one person that I…" he struggled with the words.

Olivia stared at him. "The one person what?"

"The one person that I can't live without, can't breathe without," Elliot whispered.

Now, Olivia could not breathe. It was as if all the air in the room was sucked out. She could feel her whole body trembling. What was he saying to her? She felt the grip of his fingers tighten.

His eyes fixated on hers swallowing hard. "I…"

"Olivia?" Kathleen Stabler stood at the door a get well balloon in her hand with her younger sister Lizzie at her side.

Lizzie rushed into the room. "Liv, we were so worried when Mom told us. Are you okay?"

Olivia smiled reassuringly as she felt the girl's hand grab hers. "I fine, Lizzie."

Kathleen smiled relief spreading across her features. "You saved our Dad's life, Liv. Thank you," Kathleen bent over kissing Olivia's cheek.

Olivia smiled at both Stabler girls so much like Elliot even if they both looked like carbon copies of their mother. They were good girls. She looked at Elliot who was now smiling proudly at his two daughters. She caught his eye giving him a reassuring smile surprised by the soft look he gave her in return filled with warmth, friendship, and something else.

A/N: Thank you for reading!