It had been a long three days. Olivia's surgery had gone well, but she still wasn't awake. They gave her a blood transfusion and the next day she was breathing on her own and they took her off the ventilator. Her vitals were strong and she was showing improvement everyday but still Olivia hadn't woken up. Alex had made good on her promise to never leave that chair, or at least she tried, but every now and then Elliot or Liz would tell her to go get something to eat or shower, anything to get her out of that hospital. The few moments of sleep Alex got, she got in that chair with her head resting on the bed next to Olivia, all the while Alex never let go of her hand. She would read to Olivia, at first she would talk to her about a case she was working on, then she started bringing in books. Alex figured if she picked a big enough book, by the time she finished it Olivia would be awake; with that in mind Alex started reading The Count of Monte Cristo to Olivia every time she was with her.

"Until the day when God will deign to reveal the future to man, all human wisdom is contained in these two words,—'Wait and hope.'" After Alex read the last line of the book she placed the book in her lap and looked at Olivia, hoping that what she had just read was something more than a famous quote from a book. Alex had to believe that if she waited long enough and hoped hard enough that Olivia would open her eyes and come back to her. Soon she had fallen asleep with her head resting on Olivia's bed all the while still clutching the book in her hand. It was this sight that Liz was met with when she walked into the hospital and while it broke her heart to see Alex in so much pain, she smiled at the scene in front of her. Liz walked over to Alex and brushed her hair out of face, trying not to disrupt the sleeping woman, but it didn't work.

"You didn't have to tip toe in here I wasn't asleep."

"The hell you weren't Alexandra and who could blame you, you have been awake for the better part of three days and you have been sitting in that chair for most of it. You do realize sitting here starring at Olivia isn't going to wake her up sooner, you can't will someone into life honey."

With all the seriousness she could muster, but still with the wishful tone of a child Alex turned to her and said, "I can try."

Liz smiled, and picked up the book that Alex had put on the bed, "this isn't exactly light reading Alex."

"It's one of her favorites, I figured its 117 chapters she should wake up by the time I finish reading it to her, but I finished it this morning and she's still asleep." The look on Alex face looked like a child that had just found out there is no such thing as Santa Clause, like someone had taken away her faith in miracles. Liz put the book back down on the bed and before walking out of the room she leaned down and kissed Alex's head.

"I'm going to bring you some coffee," she took a few steps and before she walked out the door she turned around and said, "There is neither happiness nor misery in the world; there is only the comparison of one state with another, nothing more. He who has felt the deepest grief is best able to experience supreme happiness.' Have faith Alexandra, you have already experienced the deepest grief, your happiness will come." And with that she left the room, Alex smiled, she flipped through the book and found the passage Liz had quoted, it came from a letter in the last chapter. Alex read the passage and cried; she never realized how much it symbolized her relationship with Olivia.

She read the passage again out loud hoping that Olivia could hear her words and be moved enough by them to wake up, ""There is neither happiness nor misery in the world; there is only the comparison of one state with another, nothing more. He who has felt the deepest grief is best able to experience supreme happiness. We must have felt what it is like to die, that we may appreciate the enjoyments of life." Alex knew what if felt like to die and come back, she hoped Olivia would get the same chance to experience that. Alex tore the last page out of the book and folded it into small square and put it into Olivia hand; Alex had nothing else to give Olivia but hope, and in that book, in that passage was all the hope Alex had left to believe in.

Liz returned with the coffee, "I take it you found the passage you were looking for?"

"Liz hoping and waiting for her to wake up is all well and fine, but I feel so helpless, this is the one thing in m life that I can't fix."

"Alexandra, there are some things in life that aren't meant to fixed, at least not by humans. You have to give her time sweetheart, miracles happen when you least expect them to. She loves you Alexandra, she wants to come back to you, you just have to give her time to heal."

With tears in her eyes Alex looked up at the older woman, "I need her Liz."

"Don't tell me, tell her. Tell her how much you need her, how much you love her."

Alex got up out of the chair and climbed onto the bed and settled next to Olivia wrapping her arms around her, careful not to touch any of the wires. Alex rested her head on the pillow and without saying a word she leaned over and kissed Olivia. Without saying a word she laid her head back down and held her lover closer to her, no words were said, but Alex knew that Olivia would somehow know what she meant by the kiss.

"I'll leave you two alone, call me if anything changes."

"Liz wait," Alex got up from the bed and walked over to the door, "why do you think she did it?"

"Did what?"

"Why do you think she took those bullets for me? Why did she risk her life like that?"

Liz opened her mouth to answer, but someone beat her to it, "to save yours."

Alex's heart skipped a beat, she ran toward the bed, Liv, Liv are you awake, did you just talk?"

Opening her eyes just a little bit, Olivia smiled, "well either I just woke up or heaven is better than I thought."

Liz left the room to go find a doctor and Alex sat on the edge of the bed complete floored by what just happened.

"I meant it you know."

"You meant what babe."

"I risked my life, to save yours. I've lived a good life Alex and if I had died that day in that courtroom, it would have been worth it, because I would have died knowing that I loved you."

"No, if you had died that day, it would have destroyed me."

"No, you would have been sad, but one day you would have found someone else to make you happy. Alex, when he pointed that gun at you my heart sank into my chest. I knew you could live without me, but in my heart I knew that my life would mean precious little if you were gone. I did what I had to, to keep you safe and I'd do it again if I had to. I will throw myself in front of every danger in this world to keep you safe, no one will ever hurt you, not as long as I live."

"You're wrong you know, I could never live without you. Tone down the superhero act will you, I don't ever want to go through this again. I need you here with me; I love you too much to ever lose you like that again." Alex leaned forward and kissed Olivia and for the first time in days she felt the wonderful sensation of Olivia kissing her back.

"I'm going to go let everyone know you're awake and let the doctor check you out, ok." Alex got up off the bed and as she reached the door she heard Olivia voice.

"Alex?"

"Yeah babe?"

Holding up the folded page of the book that Alex had placed in her hand she smiled, "thank you for remembering."

"Thank you for coming back to me."