A/N: See, there's a method to my madness in earlier chapters. Do you honestly think I'd kill Olivia's character?


A voice, soft, familiar, calmed her. Another voice, deep, steady, intrigued her. She wondered briefly where she was. It was obvious to her that she was no longer in Alex's bed. The sheets were different. The blanket felt rough, like the ones in hospitals.

Hospitals? When was I admitted? Her whole body felt stiff, as though she had been lying down for a long time. Where's Alex? Why isn't she with me?

"Olivia?" It was that voice again. She tried to open her eyes, but it took too much effort. Moving her fingers instead, she found a strong hand gripping them. "Come on, Liv, wake up."

She tried to open her mouth to speak, to tell the owner of that voice she was trying her best. Everytime she tried to move hurt, and she was fast becoming tired. Finally prying her eyes open, she was not ready for the sudden onslaught of light shining down on her, and quickly shut her eyes closed again. Groaning at the discomfort, she could hear footsteps approach her bed.

"Open your eyes, Olivia. Let the doctor take a look at you." The voice registered. It was Elliot. He was her partner. She trusted him with her life and vice versa. She did what she was told.

Images flickered before her eyes. They were walking along the sidewalks of a neighborhood, looking for a missing girl. What had happened next appeared vividly in her conscious mind. Her body shook as tremors rippled through her. Amidst the chaos, she could feel a pair of hands holding her down. Slipping back into the unknown, she could no longer hear her partner's voice.


"Come on, Elliot, you can't stay here forever," Kathy pleaded with her husband. He has been standing vigil next to Olivia's bed ever since they brought her out of the operating room.

"She might wake up again, Kath. She's gonna be terrified when there isn't a familiar face around."

"I'll stay with her." Both husband and wife turned around to see Munch walking in. "Go home, Stabler. You'll be no good for anyone if you get sick."

Sensing the battle was lost, he stood up, placing a kiss on his partner's forehead before turning to leave the room. He turned around to look at Olivia one last time, as though his gaze alone could wake her up.

Pulling the chair closer to the bed, Munch sat down and took a good look at her. He eyed the various tubes and equipments attached to her body, the reality of the situation evident. Another life hanging on the balance for something that never should have happened.

A part of him was still hurting at the loss of the blonde ADA. He respected her, even admired her for her tenacity. She could hold her own ground with any one of the detectives in the squad, and he loved the challenge. He looked forward to the verbal sparrings with her.

Letting out a sigh, he flipped open a book he brought with him, content to just spend the next few hours being close to the female detective he considered family.


Olivia continued to slip in and out of consciousness the next few hours. The doctor attending to her care assured Munch that it was a good sign, and that it would be soon before she would fully regain her consciousness. News of Olivia's condition reached her fellow detectives, and soon Elliot was racing to get to his partner.


The past few hours were restless for Olivia. When she heard a familiar voice, she would attempt to speak, only to find herself slipping back into the unknown. They could not hear her. Every time someone spoke to her, she tried to ask the same question. Where is Alex?

Panic set in, and she struggled to open her eyes. Her conscious mind told her to lie back down, but her subconscious fueled her wandering mind. However, it was the searing pain on her arm that anchored her, keeping her on the ground before she spun out of control. Lying on the bed, she panted for breath, sweat trickling down her neck.

She could feel someone moving and poking her body, assuming that it was a doctor. She saw the doctor stepped out of the room with Elliot, but she could not hear what they had said to each other. The nurse was taking some of the tubes off her, obstructing her view of the pair. They came in not too long after, standing on both sides of her bed. She was eager to find out when she could leave the hospital.

"Well?" She didn't bother to hide her frustration.

"The worst is over, Detective, but I'm still keeping you here for observation for two days. We'll run some tests tomorrow and go from there." The doctor smiled.

"Thanks, Doc," Elliot said to the retreating doctor. Once the other man was out of the room, Olivia was filled with questions.

"So?"

"What the doc says, you'll be fine. You took a bullet to your left arm, but no major damage there. You've got a concussion, but I guess you already know that from the goose egg behind your head," he joked lightly.

"How long have I been out?"

"Fifteen hours. You woke up a few times, but then you slipped right back into it." He yawned.

"Jeez El, when was the last time you slept?"

"Hey I slept. Some," he said, not convincingly. "I'm not gonna sleep when my partner's in the hospital."

"I'm fine, El," Olivia said quietly. "Where's Alex?"

"What?" He was confused. "Cabot's still in witness protection, Liv."

"No! I saw her. She's back in the city. At her old apartment. She's working for the NYU Law School." Olivia's voice wavered slightly. The moment the words left her mouth she knew it wasn't real. It was all just a dream, a figment of her imagination.

"Liv, calm down. She's not here. I don't know where she is right now." Elliot was becoming worried by his partner's condition.

He didn't want her to get upset, but he didn't know what to do either. Pulling the chair closer to her bed, he held on to her hand, hoping that the contact would calm her down somehow. It seemed to do the trick, as she was soon fast asleep a short while later. Sighing, he left the hospital, fishing out his cell phone and dialed a number he did not want to remember while he headed to his car.

"Hammond."

"It's Stabler from NYPD. I need a favor."


"Whoa, take it easy there, partner. Where's the fire?" Elliot joked as he caught Olivia by the arm to break her fall. Slowly angling her back to the hospital bed, he sat down on the chair next to it.

"Glad to see I amuse you, Stabler. Now are you going to help me get out of here or do I need to kick your ass?"

"Feisty," he commented. "There should be clean clothes in the duffel bag. Don't worry, Kathy packed the bag, not me. I have no intention whatsoever of going through your closet anytime soon."

"Good. Unless you want to deal with a cranky me, I suggest you go fill my prescription while I change." Offering a mock salute, he darted out of the door. It was a relief to see his partner being her old self again.

As soon as Elliot was out of sight, she breathed a sigh of relief. She hadn't told him, or anyone for that matter, about the dreams. In due time, perhaps. Going through the contents of the bag, she quickly went into the bathroom to change. Holding up the button down shirt, she smiled at Kathy's thoughtfulness. When she heard Elliot's voice, she finished changing as quickly as possible.

"Ready?" Elliot asked as he saw her stepping out of the bathroom.

"Yeah. Can't wait to sleep in my own bed again."

"Come on, I'll bring the car around," Elliot said as he pushed the wheelchair close to the bed.

"I got shot in my arm, El, not my legs. So if you don't mind, let's just get out of here," she snapped.

"Hey I was just trying to help, Liv," he replied patiently. "There's something bothering you, isn't it? Do you want me to go get the doctor?"

Holding up a hand to stop him, she said, "I'm ok, El. I just, hospitals and I don't agree, you know. I just want to get out of here as soon as possible."

"All right, let's go then."

The sun was shining brightly down on her when he wheeled her out of the hospital. A sense of deja vu hit her like waves crashing to the shore. It felt alarmingly similar to the dream she had while she was unconscious. It was just a dream, a figment of your imagination, she repeated to herself.

Elliot, looking down to glance at Olivia every so often, had failed to notice the tears cascading down sullen cheeks. By the time they both got into the car, the ghost tears had dried up, leaving only its marks on her cheeks as evidence.


The car came to a stop in front of Olivia's apartment building, and both passenger and driver exited soon after. A flash of gold caught the corner of her eye, and she turned to seek out its origin. Elliot, who was standing next to her, became worried when he realized she was staring blankly down the street.

"Liv?"

His voice snapped her out of her deep thoughts, and she led him to her apartment. Fingers absent-mindedly tracing the bandage on her left arm, she muttered her mantra, it was just a dream, a figment of your imagination.


It had been a week since Olivia woke up from her coma and after having spent a good two weeks recuperating at home since she left the hospital, she returned to duty. The detective went back into her frantic work mode, pouring herself into work.

Watching his partner closely, Elliot tried to pinpoint what was different about her. Olivia looked healed to him, but he knew there was something else. The sparkle in her eyes had gone. She was just functioning, not living.

"What? I got something on my face?" Olivia asked.

"It's good to have you back, Liv," he smiled.

"Well it's good to be back, Elliot. You have no idea how bored I was. If the Captain hadn't ordered me to stay away from the station house I think I would've come back to work by the next day I got out of the hospital."

"Of course you would," he replied. "And what kind of partner would I be if I had let you do just that?"

"The kind that got the wrong type of coffee for his partner even though they've been working together for more than five years now," Olivia said casually as she sipped her coffee.

"Oh come on, Liv. That was an isolated incident. Surely you're not gonna hold that against me till the end of time?" He mocked hurt in his voice.

"What say you get coffee from now on and we'll call it even?"

Mumbling something under his breath, the smile on his face grew wider. Before he could come up with a retort, Fin walked in.

"Olivia, there's someone here to see you," Fin said, moving aside to allow the visitor to come into view.

"Mrs. Cabot?" Olivia was surprised to see the older Cabot. The last time she had seen her was at Alex's funeral.

"Detective Benson," the old woman hugged Olivia. "Is there anywhere else where we can talk privately?"

"Of course, right this way," Olivia said as she led the older woman to one of the interview rooms. "Anything I can do for you, Mrs. Cabot? Would you like something to drink?"

"No thanks, and please, call me Celine. Mrs. Cabot makes me sound old and stuffy."

Chuckling softly, she nodded. "And please, call me Olivia. What can I do for you, Celine?"

"Actually I just came here to see how you were doing. I heard about the shooting."

Shifting slightly in her seat, she answered, "I'm fine, thank you. The bullet grazed my arm, nothing too major. Since I had a concussion as well, the Captain sat me out for two weeks. This is my first week back on duty."

"Ah, so I got you at the right time."

"Yes you did," Olivia smiled at the other woman. It was strange, but she felt a sense of serenity whenever she was near her.

"Will you be on duty for Thanksgiving this year again, Olivia?" Celine asked.

"I'm afraid so, Mrs. I mean Celine," Olivia smiled apologetically. "On the bright side, I get the rest of the weekend off."

"That's what I thought," the older woman said. "Would you like to spend the weekend with an old lady, Detective?"

Mentally going over her options, Friday, sleep. Saturday, go wall climbing. Sunday, jogging. She made her decision. "Are you sure you want me there, Celine? I don't want to impose."

"Nonsense. I will hear none of that, Olivia. Any close friend of Alex's is always welcomed, no matter the time of the year," the older woman said simply. "Besides, I could always use some company."

After taking down directions to the Cabot residence, Celine Cabot bade the detective goodbye.


"So how's the shoulder coming along?" Cragen asked the female detective as he approached her desk.

"It has definitely seen better days, but the wound is healed," Olivia replied.

"I'm glad you're taking some time off, Olivia. It's about time."

"Yeah, well I figured if I don't start taking them, they're just gonna stop giving it to me altogether," she joked.

Chuckling, Cragen headed toward his office. She was like a daughter that he never had and he was a father figure she yearned for. The rest of the squad was like a family she had dreamed of. Unconventional, but a family nonetheless.