Hey guys!

I'm here with Chapter 10 finally! It's the next day; Elliot comes to the hospital to see Olivia and they start to talk until they're interrupted - as usual.

Enjoy xoxo

Keeping Promises

Part 10

The soft sound of light snoring and the faint sound of television filtered through Olivia's ears that next morning, though she whined to herself as her eyes adjusted to the brightness of the hospital room. She looked to the side of her; Munch was fast asleep in the reclining chair beside her bed with a blanket thrown over him. She smiled a bit at him; he had been great with her and despite how grumpy she has been, she did appreciate the fact that he had woken up every three hours along with her when the nurse would come in to talk. He would talk to her while the nurse was checking her over and told her crazy conspiracy theories to help her fall asleep again. She had half expected Elliot to stay the night with her, but considering their little argument they'd had, she wasn't at all surprised that he didn't stay.

She leaned her head back on the pillow and stared at the ceiling while breathing out. She was a little confused about why he had gotten so upset with her yesterday about what happened. She was just a little banged up – some bruises, a few scratches, a slight concussion – a hell of a lot less than what she had gotten in the past. This wasn't the first time she had gone undercover or put herself out there as bait, and some perps had been a little more dangerous than Jordan Vicars, so she was wondering why this time was such a problem. She knew Elliot cared about her safety and wanted to be the one to watch her back constantly, but sometimes the overprotective nature came across like he didn't trust her to have her own back, or trust anyone else to protect her. She had been so annoyed yesterday when he had come in and started going on about what happened, and she had simply dismissed him without saying another word other than 'fuck off'.

Now that she was thinking about it, however, she realized that maybe she had been a little out of order with him. She tried to think about what he might have felt when someone – Cragen she assumed – had called him to tell him she was in the hospital after being hurt. She figured he was probably scared, yet probably had some crazy sense of déjà vu after being in this same situation with Kathy just over a month earlier. She thought back to how she felt a few months earlier when she sat in the ambulance with him as they rushed him the hospital after Picard – a perp they had been trying to restrain – had headbutted him and caused his head to crash into the window of the sedan, thus knocking him unconscious. She had been so scared then and worried for her partner and had called Kathy as her hands shook from the fear and adrenaline that had coursed through her. She was always scared whenever Elliot got hurt; she worried more so about something happening and not being able to protect him, and as a result, he would be taken away from his family. He had a family to take care of, and that's partly why she always got so scared whenever he was hurt.

At least that's what she kept telling herself.

It didn't matter what else she felt, didn't matter that she also got scared because the thought of him not being okay and never being by her side ever again was one that made her feel sick to her stomach…

"I can see the wheels turning in your pretty little head, Benson."

The voice broke into her thoughts and she rolled her head to the side, smiling at Munch as he gave her a sleepy smile in return.

"The wheels are always turning in my head, John," she rolled her eyes though the smile remained on her face; "Go home; I'm fine here."

"Not a chance; I'm staying until Fin gets here," the older man sat up and stretched before looking at her again, "How ya feeling?"

"A lot better than I did last night, though I was ready to kill the nurse every time she came in to wake me up." Olivia replied with a slight chuckle. She rubbed her hand down her face to help herself wake up some more, before maneuvering around until she could sit up a little better. Munch reached over and raised the bed a bit so that she could sit up comfortably, though she told him that she was fine and to stop fussing over her.

"You don't understand how much we all care about you, do you?" he teased. He folded the blanket that he was using and draped it over the back of the chair, before turning to her again; "I've never seen Elliot so scared in my life, holy shit."

"Oh God don't; I need to apologize to him seriously because I was so mean to him last night," she groaned, shaking her head; "He was just being annoyingly overprotective, and I wasn't in the mood and I told him to fuck off; he's probably pissed at me."

"I'm sure he understands, and he shouldn't have pushed you really," Munch laughed a bit as he leaned back in the chair; "He just likes to be the one to have your back, probably because he's done it so long; I was the same way about Monique – I wanted to have her back and barely trusted anyone else to do it."

"Is it because we're women? That's why you men are crazy protective over us?" Olivia wondered, though she was teasing as she gave him an amused look. Munch laughed, shaking his head in despair at the witty brunette.

"I mean it's just our duty as men to protect you women," he joked before continuing, "Nah; Monique and I were pretty tight, not like you and Elliot, but tight – so I just wanted to have her back because I was used to it; that time she almost got blown up was the scariest time ever." He shuddered slightly before continuing, "Elliot though – man, all someone has to do is look at you the wrong way and he's ready to kill them."

Olivia laughed a bit; "He is like that, and it's so weird because I'm a hundred percent sure he didn't flinch with his other partners. Why's he like that with me? And don't say it's because I'm a woman."

Munch gave her a look over the top of his glasses, and she raised an eyebrow; "What?"

"You don't know why Elliot is so crazily protective over you?"

"I mean…maybe it's because I'm a woman and-"

"A woman that can kick the ass of a man twice her size and has a faster trigger finger than anyone I've ever seen," Munch smirked, "Try again."

Olivia eyed him for a second before scoffing. It had finally dawned on her what Munch was hinting at, and she refused to even let herself think about that; "Oh shut up, John; it's not like that."

"Yeah…mhm," Munch smirked, folding his arms across her chest; "The government may be controlling my mind to an extent, but not when it comes to being right about this."

"The government needs to take over that part of your mind and stop you from thinking that," she rolled her eyes though was forced to smirk at the silly look on his face; "You're so ann-"

"Yo yo, peeps."

The pair looked up; Fin was coming through the door with a duffel bag on his shoulder which contained clothes for Olivia and a styrofoam to go cup in his hand. Olivia had never been happier to see Fin; she wanted this conversation with Munch to end now before it went too far.

"Ah Detective Tutuola, come to look after the invalid?" Munch smirked as he knocked his fist against Fin's while chuckling at the punch Olivia had delivered to his arm.

"I hope she kicks ya ass for that comment, bro," He dropped the duffel bag at the foot of the bed before moving around to the other side to properly greet Olivia; "Hey baby girl; got you that herbal tea shit you like." He leaned over and kissed the top of her head in a protective manner before handing over the cup. She thanked him and immediately opened the flap, before taking a sip. She let out a contented sigh and gave Fin a thumbs up, which made him laugh as he sat down.

"Did I have enough stuff in my locker?" She wondered.

"Yeah, you had enough spare clothes," he fished her keys from her pocket and handed them over to her; "And I took your car home and parked in the parking deck for you, and I collected your mail and all that – it's in your apartment."

"You're a life saver, thanks," She then stopped to let out a yawn, before looking at him again; "Talked to Elliot?"

"Nah; not besides yesterday when he showed up here," Fin leaned back in the chair as he eyed her; "You and him have a fight? He didn't stay, and that's not like him."

"Something like that; I was just telling Munch that I was so mean to him – but his overprotective shit was annoying me, and I was tired, but I still shouldn't have been so mean and I feel bad; he's probably pissed at me." Olivia explained.

"And I explained to her that we all know why Elliot is so overprotective over her – and it's nothing to do with the fact that she's a woman." Munch wagged his eyebrows as he looked over at Fin, who looked back at him before letting out a laugh as he caught on. Olivia looked between them and suddenly, she felt like having them here together and talking was not the best idea at all.

"She denied it didn't she?"

"Course she did; living in delusion."

"She is sitting right here, assholes," Olivia spoke up, scowling at them both; "And whatever you two think is the reason behind Elliot's overprotective shit, you can forget it; it's not like that."

"Yeah, whatever you say, Liv." Fin teased before groaning as Olivia punched him in his arm, while Munch was laughing as he sat on the other side of her. Olivia shook her head in despair but laughed anyway; despite the teasing, they really were amusing her, and she loved it. She loved how her squad – especially these two idiots – could just make any day better with comments and conspiracies, brightening up the darkest moments and filling the empty spaces with much needed laughter.

A short while later, Munch had gone as he needed to get home and shower before heading to work, and Fin was still waiting around with Olivia. She had showered and gotten dressed again, and now she and Fin were watching random episodes of The Twilight Zone while they waited for the doctor to come in to properly discharge Olivia. She had been given a clean bill of health as her concussion wasn't that serious, but still had to wait for her discharge papers and other instructions from the doctor.

She and Fin had been talking and laughing at the absurdity of the program they were watching while sharing some snacks that Fin had gone to get from the vending machine a short while ago. They had just gotten engrossed in the beginning of another episode, when the door suddenly opened, which captured their attention. Stepping into the room, dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt and sneakers along with his coat, and carrying an arrangement of yellow tulips and pink roses; her favorite flowers.

Olivia saw the defeated look in his eyes; he was coming in to apologize, but she had to beat him to it because he really had nothing to be sorry for. He stepped closer and timidly handed her the flowers, speaking softly as he did so; "These are for you; to help you feel better."

She wrapped her hands around them, giving him a soft smile as she held them close to her, the plastic they were wrapped in crunching as she held them in her hands; "Thank you, El."

They watched each other for a few moments, and then…

"I'm sorry."

Fin smirked at the simultaneous apology and pressed his lips together to stop himself from laughing. He excused himself and told them that he was going down to the cafeteria to get a muffin, before disappearing out of the room, leaving the partners in the room together. The two exchanged a glance and both took a breath, before Olivia spoke up;

"Why are you sorry? You shouldn't apologize for just being protective over your partner," Olivia told him, watching as he stepped closer; "I'm sorry for being so mean to you; I was just tired, and you were just looking out for me, I shouldn't have just dismissed you like that."

Elliot shook his head, sitting himself down onto the chair beside her bed; "No, stop it; you had every right to get upset…" He sighed a bit, eyeing her as he sat beside her; "I just get worried sometimes, but I know you can take care of yourself and that you're one of the strongest people ever; I'm sorry if it comes across like I don't trust you or anyone else, because I do; I just like to have your back, but I also know you can take care of yourself."

Olivia nodded; "I know you trust me, but I do appreciate you looking out for me," she shrugged, fiddling with her fingers; "I tried to look at it from your perspective; you just dealt with having to rush into a hospital a month ago and your life shattered, so I can only imagine what was going through your head when you were told I was hurt and was here…but I just, I don't want you to worry about me like that."

Elliot tilted his head; "How can I not worry about you? You're my best friend."

"I just…you have more important things to focus on than me; I'll always be alright," she told him; "You should be focusing on yourself and your family."

"But I am focusing on myself and my family; you are family too."

Her gaze flicked from his face to her hands in her lap, and she shook her head; "I'm not; don't say that."

A wave of concern washed over him, yet he felt like he was getting into something that they hadn't yet talked about. He leaned up and rest his elbows on his knees, leaning closer to talk to her;

"Liv, what is it?"

Silence.

"Talk to me, Liv; tell me what's-"

"Ah, good morning Miss Benson!"

The pair looked up; the doctor was walking in with a friendly smile on his face and Fin was behind him, holding a bag with a muffin. Elliot and Olivia exchanged a quick glance; they both knew that there were so much to say, so much that was lost behind the words that had died on their tongues, but clearly the conversation would have to take place at a later date. Right now, the doctor was here to discuss Olivia, and that was the most important thing.

But Elliot definitely planned to talk to her later. This conversation was far from over.

The doctor explained that Olivia was fine, but that she was to take it easy over the next few days which meant no work today or Monday – in addition to already being off on the weekend; which caused her to groan and roll her eyes while Fin and Elliot smirked and joked about how she was gonna lose her mind with not being able to work. The doctor also explained that she shouldn't be left alone for the few days that she was off, and this alone made her tense up. She thought about dropping a call to Casey; she was a hundred percent sure that Casey wouldn't mind her staying over for a few days. She settled that in her head and was just about to say that she was going to call their ADA and her good friend, when suddenly…

"No problem, Doc; she'll stay with me for the few days and I'll bring her to her appointment on Monday."

Olivia practically choked on her saliva while Fin bit his lip, stopping the laugh from spilling out as he caught sight of the shocked look on her face. She whipped her head around to look at Elliot, and the words tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop them; "Elliot – wait, it's fine; I'll stay with Casey and-"

"Casey's at her law class reunion this weekend, remember?"

She whipped her head back around and glared at Fin, who had an amused look on her face. He was right though and Olivia did remember that now that it had been mentioned; Casey's law class reunion was this weekend and she was leaving to go out of town today – hell, she was probably gone already. She silently pleaded with Fin for some assistance, but he gave her a knowing look, leading her to sigh before she turned back to the doctor;

"Nevermind, I'm staying with Elliot."

"Okay, that's sorted out," the doctor chuckled before handing her some papers; "I've also called in a painkiller prescription for you in case of headaches, and Elliot," he looked up to speak to Elliot while Olivia read over the discharge forms; "Periodically check on her as she sleeps; every four hours should do, and just keep an eye on her and don't let her overexert herself."

"Will do, Doc; thanks for helping her." Elliot replied. He shook the doctor's hand and smiled, leading the doctor to smile back before he looked at Olivia again, whom had just finished signing the papers. He took them into his hand again before shaking her hand, giving her a warm smile while she gave him a small smile in return.

"I'll see you at your appointment on Monday, Olivia; take care." He spoke. He then bid them all farewell before leaving out of the room. Olivia sighed to herself and stood up, before pulling on her jacket. Fin took the flowers for her while Elliot took the bag, and the three of them made their way out of the room. Of course, Olivia declined to take the wheel chair down as she saw the nurse approach them, and the nurse knew from the look on her face not to try and talk her into using one. She simply wished her well before walking off, leaving the three detectives to go about their business.

Once outside to Elliot's Jeep, Olivia slipped into the passenger seat while Fin and Elliot put her flowers and duffel bag into the backseat. Fin gave Olivia one more hug and told her he'd check on her later, then bid them farewell before heading off. Elliot slipped into the driver's seat and started to engine to get the heat on, before turning to look at Olivia, whom was looking out the window as she rest her chin on her palm.

He sighed then spoke up; "Look, I should have asked first before I just said you'd stay with me."

"It's fine, I didn't have anyone to stay with anyway," she shrugged, turning her head to look at him; "We gotta stop by mine then; I need some more clothes."

Elliot nodded, giving her a small smile before pulling out of the parking lot. Olivia sighed and looked out the window again, rolling her eyes to herself as she watched the city go by.

A whole weekend with Elliot and the kids at their house? Great…just great.

Well well...it looks like Olivia is staying with the Stablers this weekend. How do you guys think that will go? Think Elliot and Olivia will finally talk? (Don't worry, they aren't getting together though...not yet anyway.) I hope you're all enjoying this, and leave your feedback please! Until next time xoxo