When Devon took Olivia into the hospital, he found Winter gathering up a bag of tapes. He turned and looked at them with relief. "Olivia Stabler, practice what you preach. You do recall that lecture you gave me on being more careful?"
Olivia smiled and said, "Sorry. But thanks for getting help."
"No problem. I also got the tapes." Winter told her proudly, showing the bag.
"Good. The FBI will want those." Olivia said, and Winter turned to see several agents walking in the doors.
By two in the morning, Olivia was finished with her checkup. Fortunately she only had some severe bruising but no broken bones. As she walked back into the waiting room she found Devon sitting in a chair, looking very concerned. "I'm fine." She told him quickly, and he smiled.
"Good. Your daughter's on her way. She didn't sound very happy." Devon said with a laugh, and sure enough, Riley showed up five minutes later.
Storming over to her mother she exclaimed, "Mom! What were you thinking?" Then she took a look at her closer and shrieked, "Did someone try to strangle you?"
"Tried, but failed." Olivia answered. Riley shook her head but gave her mother a hug anyway. Then she turned to glare at Winter.
He grinned and said, "I actually didn't do anything except call Devon and get the tapes tonight. Nothing stupid, I promise."
Riley looked at him suspiciously but smiled after a couple seconds.
With the collapse of the drug ring, Olivia and Devon found themselves in the middle of a media frenzy over the following days. The case was very public, and the press couldn't get enough interviews with them. One interview in particular made Olivia quite popular, perhaps because it discussed how she'd been in witness protection and lost her husband. And it was this one that gained Olivia the admiration and respect of the distant Governor of Colorado.
Two Days Later
"No, you need to sign there." Alex said, quickly setting down her slice of pizza and indicating to the line opposite the one Olivia was signing.
Olivia instantly moved to the other blank and scrawled her signature across it. "Thanks."
"No problem." Alex replied, grinning at her. "It takes a lot of work to come back to life, doesn't it?"
Olivia laughed and nodded. "I can't think of a time a have had to fill out more forms- ever."
"I know it. Oh well. We'll have Olivia Stabler resurrected in no time." Alex said as Olivia dropped the paper into the already quite full box. Alex handed her another slice of pizza and asked, "Do you want another pop?"
"Sure." Olivia replied, leaning back on Alex's couch as she watched her old friend head over to the refrigerator. She sighed as she lightly fingered the bruises on her neck and then pulled her knees to her chest as she finished up the pizza.
"You cold?" Alex questioned, looking in concern at her.
"A little." Olivia admitted, "Florida was so hot. I just am having trouble readjusting to the cold."
"Makes sense." Alex replied with a wide grin. It faded slightly after she turned back from turning the thermostat up and saw Olivia's once again unhappy expression. "Olivia, are you going to be okay? I've got to tell you, I am worried about you."
"Don't worry about me Alex. I'll be fine." Olivia answered, taking the Pepsi from Alex's hand. Alex looked at her sadly and gave her shoulder a squeeze.
"I am so sorry about Elliot. I can't imagine how hard it was for you to find that out when you were in the program." Alex said, her gut aching in sympathy.
Olivia didn't answer for a while and then finally said, "It's just… thinking about him and Riley was the only thing that let me pull through. And after he died, a huge part of the reason why I lived was gone. I know it sounds awful, but I wished for a long time that I would just die."
"Olivia, you must stick around for Riley. That poor girl has had an extremely hard time of it. And she's part Elliot, remember?" Alex said, and then irritably stood as the phone started to ring. "Hang on, Olivia. Samsry's. Oh Captain North, she's right here. You're kidding. Okay, I'll put her on." Alex turned back to Olivia with a fairly stunned expression.
"What is it?" Olivia asked curiously.
"It's your Captain. Apparently the Governor of Colorado is on the other line and wants to speak with you." Alex told her, handing over the phone. Olivia took the phone in great surprise. When she finished talking Alex exclaimed, "Well?"
Olivia clicked the phone back into its receiver and looked over at her. "He bought me a first class ticket to Denver. My plane leaves tomorrow morning."
Alex stared at her and said, "I wonder why he wants to meet you so bad."
"No clue. He just said that nothing would make him happier." Olivia answered, and glanced out the window at the night sky. "Do you think I should go?"
Alex nodded firmly, thinking that maybe the trip would help her friend move past the roadblock she had hit so hard with Elliot's death. "Your paperwork's almost done, so by the time you get back you will be alive and well again."
"Well, I guess I am going to have to pack." Said Olivia with a slight smile.
Olivia arrived back at Riley's apartment shortly afterwards. She had only been there an hour or so when she heard a knock at the door. Hurrying over, she saw that it was Devon. "Hey Devon! What brings you here this late?"
Devon grinned at her and said, "Just taking the FBI health test."
"Really? How'd you do?" Olivia questioned, gesturing for him to step inside.
"I don't know yet. I think okay. But I found this earlier today and wanted to give it to you." Devon said, handing her a videotape. Olivia took it curiously and looked back up at him. "Remember that video camera I bought, oh, like three years after I first met you? How I was so obsessed with videotaping everything?"
Olivia smiled and nodded, "I do. What did you catch on candid camera this time?"
"Just watch." Devon replied, "I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?" With that he gave her a tight hug and then walked out. Olivia stood quite confused for a moment and then walked over to the TV, pushing the tape into the VCR. She sat back on the couch and watched as the old tape started to play. In a horribly painful rush as the first clip began, she remembered…
"Devon would you put that stupid camera away?" exclaimed Reagan, making a valiant attempt to snatch the video recorder from her husband. He grinned and danced out of her reach, continuing filming around the room.
Elliot turned from his place on the couch and laughed. "Surely our apartment isn't that interesting?" Just at that moment Olivia chose to walk by the edge of the couch and Elliot smiled even wider, lunging out and seizing her around the waist. Olivia let out a surprised yelp as he pulled her backwards over the armrest.
"Elliot! What was that for?" exclaimed Olivia, wriggling helplessly with her back against his chest while his arms held her tight around her abdomen. Elliot didn't answer, only kissed the side of her head. Olivia turned slightly and smiled at him, earning her a kiss on the jaw. When she looked up, she noticed that Devon still had the camera running. "Devon, I really doubt that you are going to want this on your camera."
"Of course I am, Olivia. You never know when a videotape will come in handy." Devon said, obviously just making an excuse for why he was so camera happy. Olivia rolled her eyes and stood up, as Elliot had finally released her. But once again, she judged to soon. This time he jumped forward and pulled her to the floor. Olivia looked up at him and glared. With a powerful jerk she flipped him over so that he was on his back.
Pinning his wrists above his head she told him, "I win."
Elliot grinned broadly up at her and said, "I guess so."
"He guesses so? Olivia, I don't think you tackled him hard enough." commented Reagan as she stepped over them and made another swipe for the camera. Devon turned and ran off, still videotaping. Reagan raced after him, but paused to say, "Goodnight you two."
And that was where the tape stopped. But Olivia vividly remembered what had happened next…
Olivia watched them run off, and upon hearing their bedroom door shut, leaned down and kissed Elliot while releasing his wrists. He moved his hands to her neck and pressed her lips harder against his. Slipping her hands inside his shirt Olivia ran her hands up and down his chest. Then she took them slowly out and felt him turn her over onto her back. He kissed her very passionately while sliding one hand up under her polo shirt. Olivia leaned her head back and attempted to control her rapid breathing as she felt him shove her shirt up to her collarbone. Of course, what he was doing to her was not helping, and eventually she took his face in her hands. "Elliot, we probably shouldn't do this in the middle of the living room." She mumbled with a slight smile. He smiled back at her and gently pulled her shirt back down over her.
"Sorry. I love you, Olivia." He said, taking her hands.
"It's alright. I love you too." She replied, wrapping her arms around him. He gently pulled them up to their feet, though he insisted upon carrying her. Olivia sighed and leaned her head up against him, shutting her eyes to the steady sound of his breathing.
"Mom?" Olivia turned around and saw Riley standing inside, still in her uniform.
"How was work?" Olivia asked, flipping off the TV.
"It was good. I hear that you are going to leave tomorrow." Riley said, sitting down beside her mother.
"I am. But I won't be gone too long, I promise." Olivia said, doing her best to smile.
"Okay. But you'll come back this time, right?" Riley asked, looking very worried.
"Of course." Olivia replied, hugging her daughter.
When Olivia arrived at Denver International Airport the sun was bright in the sky and a fresh layer of snow covered the ground. She looked curiously around as she stepped off the plane and into the main terminal, finding several men already waiting for her. "Olivia Stabler! On behalf of our Governor, welcome back to Colorado! I'm Skye Williamson." one exclaimed, shaking her hand enthusiastically. The others rushed over to greet her and take her bags. Olivia smiled broadly at them all and the man continued, "We'll take you to the Governor Pierce's home, he should be there waiting for you."
As she made her way up the steps to the Governor's house, Olivia readjusted the scarf around her neck and made sure her business slacks were smooth. And in the back of her mind, the question kept nagging at her- why did he want to meet her so badly? Williamson glanced back at her and smiled encouragingly, leading her right inside the house.
When they arrived on the main floor, Williamson led her into a large living room. Several people were already there and were all swarming around one guy in the center. He was an older gentleman with a very kind looking face, and was saying, "No, the House floor isn't opening this morning, that I was aware of." As he finished, he turned to see Williamson standing next to a beautiful woman that he recognized instantly. He quickly made his way over, taking Olivia's hands in his.
"Olivia Stabler! I'm so glad you could come. You don't know how much your visit means to me!" exclaimed Weston Pierce, smiling at her kindly. "You know, the Feds really wanted to do this, but I told them it would be my pleasure."
Olivia looked at the Governor curiously and asked, "What?"
"You'll see, sweetheart. I mainly wanted to bring you here to tell you that you are an inspiration to us all. Rarely do I meet someone who's been through so much adversity and still succeeds in helping the rest of us."
Olivia flushed slightly and said, "Well it wasn't just me. I had a lot of help- Doctor Swanson, Devon Masters, and Detective O'Connor, to name but a few."
"That may be true, Mrs. Stabler, but none the less, it is still my greatest pleasure to meet you. And now that you are here, I must fire my bodyguard. It pains me greatly to do so." Weston said, smiling sadly.
"Why?" Olivia asked, feeling more than a little out of the loop. Weston held out his arm, which she took gently. He led her down the hall to a room that had the door slightly ajar.
"See for yourself." Weston told her, quietly shoving the door open and backing away.
Olivia took a hesitant step forward into the bedroom. The sun was shining brilliantly through the window and she had to adjust her eyes slightly to see. Her heart hammered loudly in her chest as she gazed down at the man sitting on the edge of the bed. He had a slight five o'clock shadow and dark brown hair that accentuated extraordinarily blue eyes. In his arms he held a little baby who couldn't have been more than a month old. And next to him with her hands on his shoulders was a young blonde woman, also looking down at the baby with a broad smile. Olivia took a step back, feeling like she was intruding on something, and backed right into the leg of a table. The loud scraping noise it initiated made both the man and woman look up. Olivia stared and took another step back, her mind screaming several thousand different plans of action at her. But suddenly she felt a hand on the small of her back, and looked back to see Weston Pierce still standing just inside the doorway.
"Olivia, this is my bodyguard." Weston explained, looking down at her. Then he gazed over at the man, who was now standing. "Surely you've introduced yourself to my guest, Olivia Stabler?"
A/N: Okay, I know once again lots of questions! Next chap will answer them all, I promise! Read and review!
