Disclaimer: The characters do not belong to me, but I'm sure Mr Wolf won't mind.

AN: I'm back! Thanks Laura! Enjoy!

bitsandpieces

Two days later, more on Olivia's insistence than medical advice, she was discharged and allowed to return home. It was a familiar concept in itself but as she walked out of the hospital doors it struck her that she had no idea as to what vehicle she was looking for or where she was headed.

The day before, Elliot had filled her in on their address, new house phone number, the names of the twins' school, Molly's crèche and the place she worked. She had written it all down and studied it all night.

But right at this point in time she felt incredibly lost and disorientated.

Elliot laced his fingers through hers.

"You're doing alright, Liv…we'll do this one step at a time," he reassured her, pulling her closer and kissing her head as he led her across the car park to a burgundy SUV.

"This is ours?" she said curiously.

"Yep, ours and the bank," he replied, opening the rear door and throwing her bag in.

"Burgundy?" she questioned, looking from the vehicle to him.

Elliot grinned. "Burgundy, Liv… not my choice, yours."

"Mine? Really?" She stepped back and looked at it again. She had no idea why she would have chosen such a colour. "I do like it…" she said cautiously.

"I like it too," Elliot smiled, opening her door. "Now, what's say I take you home?"

Olivia took a deep breath and released it in a long sigh; Elliot took her hand and kissed it. "It'll be okay, Liv."

They drove along quietly for awhile, Elliot taking every opportunity to look at her, to reassure himself that she was well, or at least well enough to be discharged.

"This house…is it…um…burgundy too?" she finally asked, trying to get a mental picture of the place she had lived for six months but had no memory of.

"No, Liv, it's got terracotta sidings and cream trim," he replied, glancing over to her.

"Ok," she nodded, her eyes fixed somewhere beyond the windscreen.

"It's two storey with a double garage and huge basement," he added.

"Alright," she said.

"And it's…" he went to continue.

"No, stop!" she replied shaking her head. "Just let me see it." Her head was a mess; trying to figure out what she should know, what she didn't know, trying to force herself to remember and to pretend to be fine all at once was taking its toll.

Elliot took one look at his wife's distressed face and pulled over.

"Are we here?" she asked, looking for a terracotta house. "Is that it?" She pointed to a cream house with terracotta trim.

"No, baby, we're still five minutes away," he said gently, turning to face her. "I know this isn't easy for you, Liv … but I'm …"

"Don't say it, El … you're not in this with me, you can't really help me … I'm on my own," she sighed, closing her eyes and leaning against the headrest.

"Baby, I love you …" he whispered, moving in to kiss her, she backed away. "What's wrong, Liv?"

"This is going to sound stupid … because I know I've said this to you a couple of times already in the last two days … but I just need to check that, um … well … I know it was true eight months ago and … oh god …" her voice trailed and tears pricked her eyes.

"Yes, Liv, you love me too," he supplied and a look of relief spread across her face.

"Good," she said. "Because I was trying to figure out the whole us moving to DC in September when in August we hadn't even mentioned it and then you moving back to New York and me staying here and I thought maybe we … well, we might have been having problems and …"

Elliot moved across the seat and took her in his arms.

"Olivia, I love you more than I ever have, more than I ever thought possible … I can't say for certain, but I am 99 percent sure you love me too." He rubbed his hand over her still flat stomach. "And this little one is evidence of that." He kissed her twice before she wound her hands around his neck and pulled him tightly to her.

"I'm so scared, El," she whispered breathlessly into his neck, almost too afraid to speak.

Long ago, Elliot had learnt not to tell her not to be scared…if she was admitting it, it was a big thing and he always responded accordingly.

"What are you most scared of, Liv?" he asked, pulling back slightly.

"That I don't know who I am," she whispered.

"You are the same person you were in New York, baby," he said, moving his hand to gently caress her face..

"But I knew New York … I don't know what sort of person I am here. I don't know why I chose burgundy, I don't know why I'd choose DC. Hell, I don't know where the grocery store is. I don't know the neighbours. I don't know where we keep Molly's immunisation record," she said.

"We keep it in the same cupboard as her asthma medication," Elliot replied.

"Her WHAT?" Olivia shrieked, gripping him tightly. "She's asthmatic? How? When? How bad? Oh god!"

Elliot shook his head at his own stupidity in not remembering this was one of the things Olivia didn't know. "Honey, honey, sssh … She is not diagnosed as asthmatic yet…"

"Yet?" she shrieked again.

"Let me start again, okay?" he said, kissing her cheek. "Molly got quite sick with bronchitis a week after you went to New York, that was about four months ago. She still gets a little wheezy now and then and her paediatrician recommended we keep the medication on hand in case we need it. I think you've used it once since and that was last month when she had a cold, okay?"

"Okay … so I have no real reason to freak out like I've just done?" she asked more than relieved.

"You have every reason to freak out, you're her mom and you're worried about her… but our little girl is just fine," he said, squeezing her hands.

"Promise?" she whispered tearfully.

"I promise, baby."

EO..EO

"This is it," said Elliot as he pulled the SUV into the driveway of their home.

"Oh god, it's beautiful," gushed Olivia, as she took in the structure in front of her.

"That's what you said the first time we saw it … you fell in love with it instantly, which was a relief as we'd already looked at seventeen." He climbed out and retrieved her bag before making his way around to her. Taking her hand he helped her out of the vehicle and led her inside, smiling as he watched her face light up with every little feature she saw. The exact same response he witnessed the very first time they'd inspected the house.

After depositing her bag inside the front door he gave her a guided tour of the house and answered most of the hundred questions she had. Some were easier than others … he knew the cupboard which housed the glasses, and the one which held the canned food. He knew whose bedroom was whose and what stuff they kept in the hall cupboard.

What he didn't know was where she'd put the photo albums, where the camera was, why she had shoes she didn't recognise or why there wasn't a photo of the squad amongst the family pictures in the sitting room. Elliot couldn't answer her then but reassured her they would figure it out together.

After trying to familiarise herself with the house she came back to Elliot in the kitchen and smiled when she saw him pouring coffee.

"Mmmmm," she said, picking up the mug on the counter.

"Nope," he said, taking it off her and handing her a cup of tea.

"What do you mean nope?" she said, inhaling deeply.

"Baby," he said, pointing to her stomach. "You didn't have caffeine during Molly's pregnancy; I'm guessing you don't want to do it this time either."

"Oh yeah, I'm pregnant," she said, looking down. "I've got to remember that." Picking up her tea she sat down at the table before looking up at Elliot nervously. "Promise me you'll tell me everything … the good and the bad?"

"I will, Liv…and if you want to know or are unsure, just ask, okay?" he said kissing her head before sitting alongside her. There was so much she wanted to know… so much she was unsure of she didn't know where to start. So she just nodded.

bitsandpieces

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If you read Proposal ... check out Proposal B...