awake, was the smell of chemicals – she was in a hospital. It took her a moment to open her eyes and focus and when she did, the first person she saw was Elliot. An instant flashback from the night before, hit her like a title wave and she embarrassingly, avoided his eyes. Another flash of what had happened in the apartment, hit her quickly after the first one, the pleading with Richard and the attack of something sharp, she didn't remember anything else…

"What happened?" she murmured.

"You were attacked by White in your apartment," he answered cautiously. "Do you remember?"

Olivia nodded. "Oh, God, did he…" she was afraid to ask, terrified of knowing the answer, if he had raped her she wasn't sure how she'd deal with that. She was still in awe of how her mother managed to keep her, Olivia being the result of rape. She knew it hadn't been easy.

"No," Elliot answered quickly setting her mind at ease. Olivia nodded in response to his answer. "I heard you scream and I ran up there, but he'd already attacked you with a child's baseball bat. I scared him off, he was gone before I reached your apartment, I'm sorry… he's still out there."

Olivia nodded.

"They have you on strong pain-killers, you woke a while ago and mumbled something incoherently before you went back to sleep."

"What time is it?" she asked with interest. She felt like she'd been sleeping for years.

"About four am," he replied without looking at his watch, he was watching her with sad eyes. An expression she rarely saw, if ever, when he looked at her.

"What are you doing here so late?" she questioned thinking about his wife. Would she be mad that, again, her husband was with Olivia.

"Keeping you company," he said simply.

"Elliot, you have a family that needs you," she whispered. Slowly, Olivia could feel every inch of her body awaken like she had woken one limb at a time. The pain came in waves, but she said nothing to Elliot.

"You'd do the same for me," he pointed out.

"Yes," she agreed. There was no denying that. "But I don't have a family to worry about me."

"Kathy knows I'm here, she urged me to stay…" he explained.

"I'm urging you to go home," she told him,

"I will," but he made no move to leave her, he only sat in the chair beside the bed and watched her carefully. "Are you okay?"

Olivia tried to smile, but it hurt. "You wouldn't believe me if I said I was."

"Your right," he returned the smile. "I wouldn't. I'm staying here a while."

"Elliot, go home," she ordered. Olivia was thinking about Elliot's wife and kids. "Kathy can't managed the newborn with four other kids on top of that, she puts up with a hell of a lot from you, but she's not superwoman."

"She's used to it," he said without regret.

Olivia hardly thought that was fair. "She shouldn't have to be, you can go home, you don't HAVE to be here…"

"Yes I do," he insisted.

"Elliot, really, thank you for being here, but you can go home now, you've done your good deed. You scared Richard away and I'm safe here."

"I'm gonna be stubborn too and say I want to stay with you," he reached out and took her hand gently in his own, they rarely touched, it was not who they were. Neither of them were overly affectionate people.

"I don't want you to stay," she pulled away from him. "Please, go home…"

"Let me just sit here!" he pleaded.

"No," she knew it was better if he went home to his wife – where he belonged. "No doubt you'll come back tomorrow… I'll see you then."

"You really are a stubborn little bitch, aren't you?" he wasn't smiling. He looked so sad.

"I am," she replied without emotion.

"I have to ask you some questions, Liv, about what happened in your apartment…" he said with caution.

"I need to rest, I'm tired." Gently she rolled over, clenching her teeth together in silent pain and closed her eyes.

"Tomorrow then," he whispered. A few minutes later she heard Elliot leave.