Ok, somebody needs to tell my parents that writing this story is NOT a waste of my time. I mean, come on guys, this is my last free summer; this time next year I will be thrown out on my ass with a diploma and told that the rest is up to me. Can anybody really blame me for wanting to take a few weeks to just relax? After never taking a summer or winter break off, taking classes and working straight through for three years, is it so wrong that I have done pretty much nothing but watch TV, surf the net, and write this story for the last month? One month in three years? WTF!

Ok, ranting done, sorry for that but my dad's driving me insane, here's the next chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, Dick Wolf does. (*sob*, oh well, what can I do)

"Daddy?"

Elliot started out of his light doze, and turned towards the voice, shocked as he saw his four oldest children enter the room.

"What are you guys doing here?" Elliot stood up and faced the door, trying to work out the kinks in his neck from sleeping sitting up in the uncomfortable hospital chair.

Maureen walked over to hug her father. "I was at the gym on campus, and I saw it on the news. I called Kathleen, and the two of us went over to mom's house to tell everyone else. We all wanted to come and see if Liv's OK." She paused briefly to let go of her father and look him in the eye. "Is she?" she asked worriedly.

Elliot looked from his oldest daughter to the three children behind her. All were wearing similar scared expressions. Elliot managed to force a smile for them; he knew they all loved Olivia like their own family. God knows she had been around enough to be family.

He took a deep breath. "The doctor says they'll know more when she wakes up, but I think she's going to be OK."

"But she is going to wake up, right daddy?" Lizzie looked even more scared.

Elliot reached over to hug his youngest daughter. "The doctor says she will, honey," he reassured her. "The question is just when."

Kathleen walked over to Olivia's bedside and placed a hand on her arm. Silently Maureen joined her. Elliot watched his two oldest children while placing a hand around the shoulders of Lizzie and Dickie, drawing them close.

"How are you, dad?" Maureen asked, turning around to look at her father.

Elliot smiled. "I'm fine, honey," he replied.

Maureen raised her eyebrow incredulously. "I'm going to pretend you didn't just lie to us, and give you one more chance to answer."

Elliot sighed. It seemed he couldn't even get something past his kids. "I'll be fine," he said.

Maureen still looked skeptical, but she didn't press the issue. And when Elliot tried to change the subject, she complied.

"How's your mom doing?" he asked.

"She's all right," Kathleen answered. She still hadn't looked away from Olivia yet. This woman had done so much for her, and even though she had resented the detective at the time, she understood now that Olivia had done it all because she was worried, and because she loved her. Olivia had always tried to treat her like she would her own daughter, and Kathleen was worried sick.

Maureen expanded, "She's worried about Olivia too. She said she'd come by later, but she wanted us to call when we knew Liv was OK."

"We'll go do that," Dickie spoke up for the first time, looking from his older sister to his twin to his father.

Maureen nodded and smiled at her brother. Silently the twins extracted themselves from Elliot and left the room. Elliot walked back to the chair and sat down again. Maureen put a hand on his shoulder.

"Dad, tell us the truth, how bad is it?" she asked.

Elliot looked at his two oldest children, and was amazed at how grown up they were. They really weren't children any more. Both were grown up and turning into young women. He looked at Olivia now, and had to realize just how integral she had been in making that happen. If it hadn't been for Olivia, Elliot truly believed he would have lost Kathleen.

He sighed and put his face in his hands. "It was really bad, for a while," he answered, voice slightly muffled. "She flat lined twice, once in the ambulance, and once in surgery. The doctors are worried about potential brain damage."

Kathleen gasped and started crying. Maureen squeezed her father's shoulder even more tightly.

"She's going to be OK," Maureen firmly stated. "You know Liv would do anything to stay with you."

She started when she saw the expression in her father's eyes as he looked at her, a glazed look on his face. The way he was looking at Olivia; there was pure fear there, which was natural, but-love? Desire? Her eyes widened. For years, her mom had accused Elliot of having feelings for his partner, and he had always denied it. But now? She had to wonder just what had happened to make her father finally realize what everyone else, including his entire family, had known for years.

"Dad?" Elliot made an effort to focus on Maureen. She was looking mischievous and furtive.

Elliot was suddenly cautious. "Yeah, Mo?"

"What's going on between you and Liv?" she asked slyly.

Elliot looked startled. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, come on dad, you're looking at her like she's, I don't know, the love of your life or something. What happened?"

"Nothing," he whispered, defeated. "There's nothing between us."

Kathleen finally looked up at her father. "Do you want there to be?" she asked curiously.

Elliot looked between the two of them. "Yes," he finally admitted. "Olivia and I have always been best friends, and I promise you that I never cheated on your mother, no matter what she said, but somewhere along the way, I fell in love with Olivia." He looked back down at his partner, defeated. "And I never got the chance to tell her. I don't even know if she feels the same way."

Maureen and Kathleen shared a knowing glance with each other. "Of course she does, dad," Maureen said.

"What do you mean?"

"Come on, dad," Kathleen chimed in. "All of the things she's done for you, and for us? You really question it?"

"She was being a friend, a partner," Elliot tried to explain, but the kids weren't buying it. Elliot was suddenly shocked when he saw the look his children were giving him. It was the same 'you really are an idiot' look that Olivia had.

"Dad, come on." Maureen was exasperated. "A friend will give you a card on your birthday, maybe go to the occasional movie together. You and Liv spend days off together, go out to dinner together. She knows how to handle your moods, she's always put your needs above hers."

"She was there for me when I was throwing my life away, she saved Eli and mom's life," Kathleen chimed in. "She'd do anything for you dad."

"But that doesn't mean-" Elliot started, but Maureen cut him off.

"Dad, are you really that dense?" Maureen couldn't believe her father's idiocy sometimes. "She loves you! Why do you refuse to believe that?"

Elliot just looked at Olivia. He truly wanted to believe that she felt the same way as he did, but he just didn't think life could be that good.

Maureen saw the conflict waging in Elliot, and shook her head. "Well, you just think about that, dad," she said, resigned. "Is it OK if we stick around for a while?"

Elliot smiled at his daughter. He had always been glad that they were so fond of Olivia. "Of course," he replied, just as Dickie and Lizzie walked back in. They joined the group around Olivia's bed, subtly leaning into their father.

"Mom says she's glad Liv's OK," Dickie said. "She said she'd bring Eli by later today."

Elliot nodded and grasped his son's hand. "Thanks, guys," he said warmly. He looked back at Maureen. "Of course you can stay as long as you want."

His kids smiled. Dickie drew up another chair next to his father and sat down; Lizzie simply crashed in her father's lap, arm around his neck. Kathleen sat on one side of Olivia, while Maureen sat on the other. Each had grasped one of her hands, and refused to let go.

When Fin walked into the squad room, he looked around. The room was filled with strange faces, officers who had been temporarily reassigned from other precincts to help with the backlog while the detectives of SVU were preoccupied.

They all looked up as Fin entered. Whispering broke out in his wake as he crossed the room and entered the captain's office.

Cragen was sitting at his desk, looking ten years older than he had a few days ago. His head was in his hands, and it looked like he might be asleep. When Fin opened the door, he looked up, eyes bloodshot.

"What's up, Fin?" he asked tiredly.

Fin closed the door behind him and took a seat across from the captain. "Just thought I'd stop by for a bit before I head back to the hospital."

Cragen nodded. "We've got plenty of help here, thanks to the Chief of D's," he told his detective. "I've already been assured that we can spend as much time at the hospital as we need until Olivia wakes up."

He studied the man sitting in front of him; He doubted Fin had gotten any more sleep than he had.

"You look like hell," he commented. There was no emotion or infliction in his voice. It was just a statement, a fact.

Fin sighed and shook his head. "Thanks, Cap," he said dryly.

"No offense," Cragen added.

"You know, you don't look much better," Fin smiled.

Cragen nodded. "I know." He paused. "Where's your partner?"

"Home." Fin cleared his throat. "We left Elliot at the hospital, and Munch and I went home to change, maybe sleep. I couldn't, so I decided to come here, see if maybe I could do something useful."

"I think John had the same idea," Cragen observed, looking out the door window into the squad room, where Munch had just sat down at his desk, looking distant.

Fin turned around and noticed his partner. With a snort and a shake of the head, he stood up and nodded to his captain, then joined his partner.

"What happened to sleeping?" he asked as he approached.

Munch looked up, with the same defeated look that they were all wearing. "Same as you?" It was meant to be a statement, but came out as a question.

Fin nodded. "Needed to feel productive," he commented.

"Yeah," Munch agreed. He sat up straighter and tried to look busy. "So, do we have anything to do?"

Fin shrugged. "I don't know," he admitted. "It's not like we were going to get anything done anyway, right?"

Munch smiled. "Yeah, I guess not." He looked down at his desk, shuffling the papers there.

Cragen walked up to the pair unnoticed, and inserted himself into the conversation. "Go back to the hospital." They looked at him in confusion. He smiled slightly. "We all know you're not going to do anything constructive today, and you're more likely to screw up whatever you do work on, so get out of here. Go back to the hospital. I'll join you later this afternoon." Cragen turned around and walked back into his office.

Munch and Fin shared a look. Without a word, Munch stood up and the two of them left the squad room. All eyes followed them on their way out.

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