Chapter 17

Slowly Olivia's eyes fluttered open. She could feel a warm draft, a sense of uneasiness came over her. She started to move her head, realizing where she was. She sat up after a minute, she was resting in a warm bed of leaves. Things now felt calm, serene and mostly peaceful.

She stood, her feet almost airless, and her food deprivation now cured. She walked around the beautiful trees that gave her shade, finally stepping out into an area where the sun beamed down on her. She looked around the area after a minute of soaking in the sun, a large lake appeared.

She walked slowly to its bank, letting her feet barely touch the crystal clear water. She smiled as she looked at her reflection in the water. But soon her smile faded, she realized she wasn't alone. She turned around quickly to see a woman dressed in a nature-camouflaged tunic.

"Hi Olivia," the woman smiled nicely. Olivia frowned, not saying a word. She took a step closer to the woman, but for every inch closer she took, the woman appeared to be that same distance away.

"Olivia, I'm here to take care of you." Olivia stopped now, not wanting to fight the weird sensation of never being able to reach the woman.

"Olivia, you have to listen to me… it's not your time yet, and I can see your slipping. You're slipping away, but it's not your time… You have to fight this… look around you, Olivia, is this what you want?" the woman asked as she seemed to move away from her but not by walking. She seemed to just slide above the leaves and branches. Olivia watched as the woman spoke a few more words, "It's up to you Olivia… there will be time for this, for this peaceful place, but not now, and not alone…" and she disappeared into the forest.

Olivia knew it was of no use to follow the woman. She turned around to see the lake and its beauty, to see the sun still shinning, the birds still calling. She took in a deep breath remembering all that she had forgotten, and like a dream the place around her started to fade.

The lake began to empty in front of her eyes, the sun covered by clouds, the trees slowly dying. She closed her eyes as the world around her began to fall apart, a lot like it had in the real world. A lot like it had when she was a child.

Once again she opened her eyes, she couldn't hear nor speak nor see. But slowly her senses began to work, she could hear first. The beeping of a machine, the voices of various people. Then it was her sight. She could see different figures above her, others walking around the room she figured she was in. She could see a man. A man's face she had missed for so long. Then her voice finally prevailed.

"Elliot…" she whispered, her voice hoarse and weak. He smiled down at her, gripping her hand in his, only hopping this was the beginning of her amazing recovery.

"It's alright Olivia, everything is going to be ok now," he smiled softly, she nodded closing her eyes once again.

Days, weeks, and after a few months Olivia was beginning to return to her normal self, as much as possible anyway. Elliot had suppressed the truth from her long enough, he knew it was high time she found what really happened. He sat her down on the couch, in their new apartment.

"Olivia… it's time you know what I've kept from you for these last months," he began, "do you know how long you were in your coma?"

Olivia nodded, "I figure about a year and a few months, maybe a little more."

Elliot sighed, he didn't think this was going to be as hard as it was, "you were in a coma for two months… the doctors told me the best way for you to heal was to believe what you thought was the truth, then slowly I was to reveal what was the absolute to you…"

Olivia frowned, "the kids?"

"Alive and healthy… Kathy and Jim are married, she's pregnant already… but other then that everything is the same…"

"What happened to me?" Olivia asked putting her head in her hands. He placed one of his hands on her back, the other softly on her knee.

"Victor Roches attempted to abduct you, after you had solved his case. He had been sent to jail, he escaped and targeted you… you were hit with a crowbar multiple times, multiple blows to your head…"

"That's not true! He took me, he-he had the kids, he treated them kindly…"

"Like he had done to those four kids on the case you solved…"

"No!... no… it seemed so, so real… I thought he killed them, I thought he killed me… he locked me in this cabin for a year!"

"Just like he had to those kids' mom…" Elliot bowed his head down, hating she thought everything was her fault.

"They were my responsibility… I let them down…"

"It didn't actually happened, Olivia. It was your worst fear, I'm guessing. It's what you thought you can't do- but you take care of my kids better then even Kathy..."

Olivia turned to him, his hand sliding onto her shoulder. She let her eyes scan over the different parts of his face, his brows, his eyes, his mouth.

"It seemed so real…" she muttered as she looked at his hand on her knee.

"Just be thankful it wasn't, be thankful that you're alive, that all of us are." Olivia looked at him again, she closed her eyes, a tear dropping down her cheek. Elliot moved himself closer to her, letting her wrap her arms around him. He held one of his hands behind her head, making sure to let her know he was there for her all the way.

"I love you," Elliot seemingly blurted out, although not letting it sound so awkwardly random. Olivia closed her eyes, letting more tears fall. It was her time to have a breakdown, now that she knew the kids were alright, that she had survived.

"Don't let go…" she rested her head under his chin as they leaned back against the soft couch, "…don't ever let go."

That's how she fell asleep that night, and that's how she woke and fell back asleep for the rest of her life. She had what she wanted, she didn't need to re-examine what had exactly happened or why the past months. She simply continued to live the life she had formed over the many years of her existence and it wasn't very long before she realized that peaceful place she had found in the woods had always been right there. It had never departed or disappeared, it was inside her. It was within the love she would always share with him, even playing basketball.

THE END.

I very much hope that you have all enjoyed this story. I very much liked writing it, and I'd love to hear what you think of not just this chapter, but the whole thing. Thank you, -VelmaJ