A/N: On a more personal note, I would like to dedicate this chapter to my Grandmother, who is celebrating her 100th birthday today! Because of COVID restrictions, visitors currently aren't allowed at her assisted living facility, so the party will have to be put on hold temporarily. Please stay safe everyone!

Disclaimer: SVU and all of its characters were created by and are the property of Dick Wolf. I make no profit with this story, which is my own original work.

It was an exhausted but determined Elliot who arrived at Olivia's apartment building several hours later. He had offered to stay with her longer, but his partner had insisted that he leave to get some rest. When she'd woken from her second nap, she had been far more coherent, and even a bit resistant to learn that she had to spend the night in the hospital. Some gentle convincing on his part soon had her agreeing to cooperate, and Elliot was relieved that she'd given in so easily.

Now, he was bringing some of his things over to her place so he could stay with her during her recovery. As he let himself into the apartment, Elliot was stunned. Aside from Olivia's usual furniture and belongings, the place was completely bare. She really hadn't been kidding when she'd said that she didn't decorate for the holiday. Well, he was about to fix all of that. Even though he felt as though he could quite possibly fall asleep at any moment, he had a lot to do in preparation for Olivia coming home tomorrow. He wanted everything to be perfect. He was going to give her a Christmas like she'd never had before. Granted, he only had a few days to pull it off, but he was confident he'd be successful.

First things first – he needed a tree. Thankfully, this was Manhattan, and just about anything and everything could be delivered. Figuring Olivia would not appreciate a live pine in her apartment, Elliot began his search for a realistic looking artificial tree, complete with all the accouterments he'd need to decorate it. He even added a few sets of icicle lights to display in the apartment windows, and a wreath for the door. When that purchase was complete, he began his next task, which was filling Olivia's refrigerator.

Thirty minutes and several hundred dollars later, he had placed his order. The groceries would be delivered within the next few hours, and the same went for the tree and decorations. He'd had to pay extra for that, but it was well worth the cost in his opinion. Now he would have everything he needed to turn the apartment into a magical place, not to mention enough food to last them until they were both back at work. As he waited for the orders to arrive, Elliot began scouring the internet, searching for recipes. His cooking skills were somewhat limited, but undoubtedly better than Olivia's, and he was determined to cook her a Christmas dinner. Not knowing exactly what she'd prefer, he'd purchased both a turkey breast and a small spiral sliced ham from the store. The variety would be good, plus they could use always use the leftovers for sandwiches in the days leading up to the New Year.

Checking his watch, Elliot realized there was still at least two hours before the deliveries would be made. That gave him plenty of time to organize his things in Olivia's guest room. It felt strange being in her apartment without her, but he reminded himself she would be back tomorrow. At least he didn't need to worry about dinner – he'd eaten something at the hospital with her before she'd convinced him to leave.

Once all his things were unpacked, Elliot's next step was to tackle the kitchen. Though he'd been a frequent visitor, he had never cooked here, and he wanted to familiarize himself with the layout of where she kept everything. It didn't take him long to locate Olivia's pots and pans, and Elliot had to smile at the layers of dust he found on some of them. Pulling them out of their hiding space, he transferred them all to the dishwasher to give them a good cleaning.

Next, he moved into the living room. The tree he'd bought was the perfect size for this space, but he still needed to figure out a place to set it up. Locating an outlet between the one wall and the window, Elliot knew that would be an ideal spot.

Out of habit, the next thing he did was flip his phone open to check for messages, even though he knew there wouldn't be any from Olivia. Her phone had been ruined when she'd gone into the water, and TARU was doing everything possible to restore what they could and transfer any information to a new one. If all went well, it should be ready for him to pick up in the morning before he headed to the hospital.

In that moment, Elliot knew now what he needed most – to hear his children's voices. It wasn't that late, only a little after seven, so he knew they would all still be awake. Dialing his oldest daughter's number, he brought the phone to his ear and waited. To his relief, she answered.

"Dad?"

"Hey Maureen. I hope you are enjoying the Sunshine State."

His daughter laughed.

"You didn't say that when I came here for Spring Break with my friends this past March. You almost didn't want me to come at all."

"I didn't. But at least I can admit it."

Elliot felt some of the tensions of the day lift off his shoulders as his daughter continued to tell him some of what the family had been doing so far. She kept most of the details vague, not wanting to spoil any of the stories her sisters or brother would want to share. At twenty two, Maureen was a senior in college this semester, and he realized that the time was coming sooner than he'd like when she'd have a family of her own to spend the holidays with.

"I'm sorry, Dad. I didn't mean to monopolize your time. Let me put Katie on."

"You know you could never talk to me for too long, Mo. I love you."

After Elliot said goodbye to his oldest, he waited for his middle daughter. He wondered if she would even be willing to talk to him, or if she would have to be coerced into picking up the phone. Kathleen seemed to have a great deal of animosity toward him these days, and he figured it likely had to do with the divorce. He hoped they could repair their relationship and get it back to what it once was. But at seventeen – on the verge of eighteen – he knew she was at a difficult age.

"Hey Dad"

For once, the teen on the phone sounded as though she were happy to hear from her father. Elliot took that as a good sign. He knew it wouldn't be long before another one of his daughters was in college, and he'd see her even less than he did now. All of his kids were growing up so fast – it was as though he had blinked and missed the majority of their childhoods.

"Hey, Katie. I know I asked your sister the same question, but are you having a good time in Florida?"

"It's okay. I'm disappointed that it means there is no chance at all of seeing snow for Christmas this year."

Elliot smiled to himself. Even as a child, Kathleen had always believed in the magic of a White Christmas. He was glad she hadn't grown out of that as she'd gotten older.

"Well, I'll tell you what. How about I promise to take pictures if it does snow here, so you'll still get to see it?"

"Will you take video, too?"

"I can do that."

"Thanks Dad! I better put the twins on, Mom is giving me a dirty look!"

As soon as the line went silent again for a few seconds, Elliot allowed a sigh to escape his lips. He didn't understand why his ex wife was so uptight about him calling the children, especially when she was the one who had taken them away for the holiday. If it would have been up to him, they could have still found a way to spend Christmas day together, divorce or no divorce. But Kathy had insisted on keeping things separate – she had said it would be easier that way.

"Dad? Dad, are you still there?"

Hearing the voice of his youngest daughter on the phone, Elliot perked back up immediately. Elizabeth – or Lizzie as she was known to her family and close friends - must have managed to win the battle against her twin brother as to which of them would talk to him first. He could only imagine how that debate must have gone.

"I'm here sweetie. Sorry."

"It's okay, Dad. I was just asking you what your plans are for Christmas. I'm worried about you being all by yourself. It doesn't seem fair."

Now, Elliot was torn. The last thing he ever wanted to do was lie to his kids, but he wasn't sure if he could tell them yet about spending Christmas with Olivia. Plus, if he were to reveal the reason why, it would only serve to escalate their concern. He knew they worried enough about him being a cop as it was. He didn't want to potentially ruin their holiday by telling them that he'd been in danger today, and that Olivia had actually been injured. Not without giving it some more thought. While they weren't babies any longer, he still wanted to protect all of his kids as much as he possibly could.

"I'll be fine, Liz. Don't worry about me. What matters to me is that you are happy."

"I know that Dad, but your happiness matters to us, too. You know what I think? I think that you should ask Olivia to spend Christmas with you."

Elliot was surprised by his youngest daughter's suggestion. Not that any of his kids disliked Olivia, but he had assumed that they all were still holding on to the hope that he would get back together with their mother. To hear this meant that they had not only accepted the divorce, but were okay with the prospect of their parents spending time with other people – even if it wasn't necessarily in a romantic context just yet.

"Well, actually..."

"Oh my God! Dad, that's great! Hey, everyone, you'll never believe this, Dad asked Olivia to spend Christmas with him!"

A chorus of shouts could be heard as the Stabler children reacted, then the next thing Elliot knew, he was on speaker as they were all talking at once. The only one who was complaining a bit was his son Richard - or Dickie, as he was known to family. He wasn't upset at all about the revelation about Olivia, but more frustrated that he hadn't yet gotten a chance to talk privately with his father.

"Hold on, hold on, one at a time. I'll answer all of your questions, I promise. And Dickie, don't worry, we'll still get some time to talk with just the two of us before we hang up, okay?"

Again, the responses came flying over the line, but then it went silent as they all awaited an explanation. Despite his earlier reservations, Elliot opted to go with the truth.

"I had debated whether I was going to tell you about this yet or not – not because I was trying to keep secrets from you, but because I didn't want to worry you. Something happened at work today."

Maureen, used to being the ambassador for herself and her siblings, spoke up.

"Were you hurt, Dad?"

"No, sweetie. I wasn't, but Olivia was. And she was hurt trying to protect me."

Again Elliot had to wait a few moments for things to quiet down on the other end of the call before continuing on. Keeping the details as brief as possible, he told his children about that morning's events, making sure to stress the fact that Olivia would make a full recovery.

Kathleen was the next to speak.

"You'll be taking care of her until she gets better, won't you, Dad?"

"Of course I will – if she'll let me. Olivia can be very stubborn."

Now that they had all come to terms with the news, and the shock had faded somewhat, Lizzie spoke again.

"You'll tell her that we want her to get well soon, right? And maybe we can talk to her when we call to wish you Merry Christmas?"

"I'm sure she would love that."

The phone shuffled again as he was taken off speaker, and Elliot was left alone with his son.

"So dad, now that its just the two of us, how are you really doing?"

At thirteen, Dickie was very perceptive for his age, and it seemed that the separation of his parents had only made him more observant. He'd always been close with his father, and Elliot hoped their relationship would never change. Not wanting to lie to his child, but still feeling the strong instinct to protect, he decided to go with a version of the truth.

"I'm very relieved that Olivia is going to be okay."

Satisfied with his father's answer, Dickie changed the subject, and began to talk about how his vacation was going so far. He was however, bummed that they wouldn't be reunited until after the New Year. With a smile on his face, Elliot knew just what his son was hinting at.

"Your presents will be here waiting for you when you return, I promise. I would have sent them with your mother, but I wanted to be there when you opened them."

"That's okay, Dad, I understand."

The phone call came to an abrupt end then, when Kathy came back into the room and announced that she was taking them all out for ice cream. Saying goodbye once more, Elliot promised them he'd call them again on Christmas Eve, and then the line went silent.

At the hospital, Olivia was having a restless evening. Now that she was alert and coherent, the doctor had wanted her to try and avoid sleep as much as possible. If she were being honest with herself, she wasn't in a great deal of pain, because they had given her enough medication to keep her comfortable without making her drowsy. However, that didn't stop the general feelings of unease and anxiety that came with having to spend the night as an inpatient. Had it not been for Elliot's heartfelt plea earlier, she might have seriously considered signing herself out against medical advice and taken her chances at home. She missed the comfort of her own bed, and longed to take a shower to wash away the feeling that the antiseptics had left behind on her skin.

Since she was still struggling with a headache, Olivia opted to leave the television off, keeping the room mostly dark. Her memories of what had happened earlier that day were mostly foggy, and Elliot hadn't been too eager to fill her in on the details, though he had promised to explain everything tomorrow when she was feeling better. Somehow, she vaguely remembered having consented to let her partner stay at her apartment for a few days until the worst of her symptoms had passed. While part of her wanted to curse Elliot for knowingly asking her while she was too vulnerable to argue, another part was grateful to realize that for the first time in as long as she could remember, she wouldn't be alone for Christmas.

Focusing on the clock on the wall across from her bed, Olivia noticed that it was just after nine. Given their line of work, it was definitely considered early. Odds were high that Elliot would still be awake. She admonished herself for being so needy, but truth of the matter was, she was feeling lonely, and it was too quiet in her room. Talking to him would take her mind off the fact that she still had at least sixteen hours – if not longer – before the doctors would clear her for release. With a smirk, she wondered just what number she would have better luck reaching her partner at – his cell, his apartment, or hers. On a whim, she picked up the phone by her bedside and dialed the landline for her apartment. Bringing the receiver to her ear, she waited. Three rings later, she was just about to give up when a soft thud and a mumbled curse met her ear.

"Benson Residence."

"Hey El, It's me."

Olivia could practically hear the moment when Elliot stopped breathing. Realizing too late that she should have prefaced her greeting with an 'I'm fine', she was getting ready to apologize while he was jumping to conclusions.

"Olivia? Don't worry, I can be at the hospital in ten minutes!"

"El! El! Stop! I'm fine! I'm sorry I scared you, but everything is fine. Plus, don't you think that if something were seriously wrong, it would be my doctor calling you, and not me?"

Elliot relaxed, feeling a bit like an idiot. She had a point. It was just that he was still holding on to so much guilt, plus he had never fully shaken the image of seeing her being thrown off the bridge into the water below – or the memory of her calling out to him, telling him not to jump in after her because she wasn't worth it. Sighing, he tried to pull himself together so he could participate in the conversation.

"Okay, Liv. I'm sorry I panicked. How did you know to call me at your apartment anyway? Did I miss you calling my cell?"

"No, this was my first try. I know you, El. You're likely going overboard, worrying about how you're going to take care of me. I know I'm not the greatest when it comes to buying groceries, but does my fridge even close now that you've filled it?"

It did Elliot's heart so much good to hear her tease him. If he wasn't mistaken, there was still a pinched quality to her voice – the only telltale giveaway that she was still in pain – but he wasn't going to mention it. Instead, he teased her right back.

"I'm actually surprised alarm bells didn't go off, or that it didn't register the food as a foreign substance."

Olivia's laughter was music to Elliot's ears.

"So, do I need to be worried about anything else? I heard the 'thud' when you answered the phone. I am still going to have an apartment when I get back tomorrow, aren't I?"

Elliot breathed a sigh of relief once he realized she hadn't yet figured out his motives. His still wasn't entirely sure how she'd react to his surprise, and he was taking a pretty big chance. But Olivia was worth it.

"Oh, that. I ran into your end table by the couch. I'll probably have a bruise on my shin tomorrow as a result."

"Planning to show off your legs, Stabler? You really know how to show a girl a good time, don't you?"

Olivia was stunned as she processed what she'd just said. Where had that come from? Part of her hoped that he hadn't heard her, but she knew she wouldn't be that fortunate. If all else failed, she supposed she could always blame the concussion. Heaven only knows what other gems she had spouted earlier in the day. She had asked, but Elliot had refused to tell her. That had only served to make her more anxious.

"Liv?"

Coming back to the present, Olivia realized she'd missed the fact that Elliot had been talking to her. Not wanting him to worry, she answered him as best as she could, then followed up with a question of her own.

"You did remember to order yourself some dinner, didn't you, El? I don't want you ignoring yourself just because you're worried about me."

While her intentions had been good, her query only intensified Elliot's concern. Didn't she remember that they had eaten dinner together before she'd made him leave the hospital? Yes, he knew that memory lapses were common with concussions, and it could likely even be attributed to whatever medication she'd been given, but it still made him anxious. To see his formidable partner reduced from her usual state – no matter how temporarily – hurt him more deeply than any injury he'd ever personally endured on the job.

Opting for a distraction, knowing that Olivia likely needed one as well, Elliot instead began telling his partner about his earlier phone call with his children. Now, he could practically hear the smile in her voice as she became more animated, asking him questions and interacting with him. When he mentioned what Lizzie had suggested about talking with her as well on Christmas day, he could tell just how deeply touched Olivia was.

"I would love that."

"That's exactly what I said."

Feeling more at peace, and knowing that Elliot needed his rest – he would no doubt be up at the crack of dawn to head to the precinct before coming to see her at the hospital – Olivia began to wind down the conversation.

"I'm sorry to have bothered you, El. Thanks for keeping me company. I'll see you tomorrow. Have a good night."

"You could never be a bother, Liv. Don't ever forget that. If you need to talk later, please call back. I'll get to the hospital as soon as I can tomorrow, I promise. Goodnight."

When Elliot awoke the following morning, it took a minute or two for his unfamiliar surroundings to register. He was in Olivia's apartment, which under any other circumstances might be a dream come true – except for the fact that he was waking up alone, and she was several miles away in a hospital bed. But, he reminded himself that it was only temporary, and that he would be bringing her home today. He couldn't wait to see the look on her face when she took in just how he had decorated her apartment. He'd made every effort not to go overboard, but he'd also wanted it to be special – after all, they may have been partners for nine years now, but this would be their first time officially spending Christmas together. Granted, they may not be 'together' in the exact sense he was hoping for just yet, but if the week went according to plan, the upcoming New Year would also mark a new beginning for them both.

Deciding he'd just grab a cup of coffee on his way to the hospital, Elliot left Olivia's apartment and drove straight to the precinct. In addition to wanting to pick up his partner's new phone, he also wanted to see if there were any new developments on their suspect from the day before. Had the man confessed? Even if he had hired an attorney to represent him, that didn't change the fact that there had been multiple witnesses who had seen him assault Olivia. With a shiver, Elliot realized that attempted murder charges might even be appropriate. Even though every cop knew it was a possibility every time they ventured out into the field, the sheer thought that he could have lost her for good the day before was overwhelming. He tried not to dwell on it, because he needed to stay calm for her sake. Showing up at the hospital with bruised knuckles and another reprimand in his file wouldn't help at all.

"Elliot? What are you doing here? I thought I told you I didn't want to see you or Olivia back at work until after the New Year?"

Hearing his Captain's voice, Elliot turned to face the man. He wondered just how long he'd been standing there observing him without saying anything, but didn't dwell on it. Instead of coming up with an excuse, he told the truth.

"I know, Cap. I'm only here to see if there were any developments on the case, plus I came to pick up Olivia's new phone. TARU said they'd have it done by this morning."

"Yes, they just called up and said it was ready. As for the investigation, you know I can't give you any details."

Elliot was incredulous. They were taking him off the case completely? Yes, he could understand why they thought his objectivity might be called into question, but he needed to know. Giving his superior officer a look of disbelief, he waited for any type of explanation that would make sense.

"You're on leave Elliot. Your priority right now needs to be Olivia. I know you know that. Besides, when this goes to court, you're going to be called in as a witness. If you were to handle this case, the defense would try and argue that you were trying to get revenge for what happened to your partner."

"You're damn right! He could have killed her! He deserves to pay for what he did -"

Elliot felt his blood pressure begin to rise with his anger as his temper flared. Everything was coming back to him at full speed now – and he felt his body begin to shake. Through the haze, he was vaguely aware of Cragen leading him to a chair and forcing him into it.

"Breathe, Elliot. Did you get any rest at all last night? How late did you stay at the hospital? You have to take care of yourself too, you know."

With a forced laugh, the younger of the two men tried to explain.

"Liv kicked me out not long after dinner. I stopped at my place only long enough to get what I'd need, then headed for her apartment. I figured she'd be more comfortable staying in her own home than somewhere she wasn't familiar with."

For a minute, Elliot was worried he'd revealed to much, but his plan seemed to make sense to the Captain. Then the older man proposed something that made the younger Detective blanch slightly – he made mention of the fact that he should check in with the department psychiatrist before his return to work after the New Year. It was clear that it wasn't a suggestion.

"Captain"

"No, Elliot. I'm making it mandatory for everyone who was at the scene yesterday, you and Olivia included. A fellow officer was involved in a potentially life threatening situation – in this instance it was your partner. You need to come to terms with your feelings and process your emotions on this before I can let you back in the field. You know that it's mandatory, and that I'm not singling anyone out."

Upon realizing that his Captain was right, Elliot relaxed somewhat, and went back to describing what the night before had been like. Cragen got a kick out of hearing the way Olivia had practically ordered him from the hospital, not letting her injuries hold her back from seeing that her partner was taken care of – even if she was the one in need of care.

After that anecdote, Elliot continued to describe what his evening the night before had been like, right down to the conversation he'd had with his kids. He even told his Captain a little about what he'd done for his partner in terms of decorating her apartment. On hearing the news, Cragen also began to smile.

"You really do care about her, don't you son?"

"More than anything. I don't know what I would have done if I'd have lost her yesterday."

Resting a hand on his Detective's shoulder, Cragen tried to be impartial, but he was failing miserably. Truth was, he was very attached to the four core members of his squad, and it showed.

"I know. I don't like to think about it either. None of us do. What I can tell you is, if you're feeling what I think you are, don't waste any more time. You let me deal with the ramifications from IAB."

Clearing his throat, Elliot stood. He nodded firmly, then shook his Captain's hand.

"Yes, Sir."

As he was heading for the door, Elliot heard Cragen call his name a final time. Curious as to what else the man could possibly have to say, he turned around.

"Just remember something Elliot – if you break her heart, I'm not the only one you'll have to answer to. John and Fin will likely have something to say about it as well."

"I won't break her heart, I promise."

Elliot arrived at the hospital shortly after the doctors had completed their morning rounds, and while he was disappointed he didn't get a chance to talk with any of the physicians treating Olivia, she had been able to give him a pretty good update as to what had gone on.

The general rundown was that she still had to wear the sling for at least another twenty four hours, but she could take it off for periods during the day starting the following day, Christmas Eve. After that, she would only have to wear it at night while she slept for a few days to avoid accidentally re-injuring the shoulder that had been dislocated. Of course, if she were to experience any pain or discomfort, she was to resume wearing the sling and return to the doctor for additional treatment.

As far as the concussion went, Olivia hadn't had any complications during the night, and once they did another scan later this morning as a precaution, she would most likely be discharged from the hospital. She was experiencing some minor symptoms, such as sensitivity to light and sound, dizziness, and mild nausea, but for the most part she was now fully lucid and coherent.

The only other issue Elliot was concerned with – the stab wound – was something he hadn't actually seen in person yet. When he'd seen Olivia last night and this morning, the stitches had always been concealed by the fabric of her hospital gown. Though he was far from squeamish, he wasn't exactly sure how he'd react to seeing such a visible injury marring his partner's body without remembering the cause.

Once Olivia had finished recapping the doctor's morning visits, she gave him a smile. It was so good to see those brown eyes of hers clear and bright once more. Elliot got so lost in them, that he actually missed the fact that his partner was trying to capture his attention. She'd had to repeat his name several times in succession before it registered.

"El? El? Elliot!"

Shaken out of his temporary trance, Elliot focused his attention on the woman sitting up in the hospital bed. To his relief, there were no visible signs of anger in her expression. If anything, she seemed amused.

"What is it, Liv? Is something wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. I was merely trying to ask you if you remembered to pick up my new phone from TARU."

Impressed that she had even remembered, and considering that a good sign indeed in terms of where her recovery was headed, Elliot retrieved Olivia's cell phone from his pocket.

"Here you go. Reuben charged it for you, and I have the power cord for it in my Jeep."

"Thanks."

They sat together for a few minutes in companionable silence, before curiosity got the better of Olivia. She was still feeling a bit foggy, but it didn't alter the fact that she was still incredibly perceptive when it came to her partner. Something was bothering him, and she was determined to find out what it was.

"Okay, El, how about we forget the fact of where we are for the next fifteen minutes or so, and you tell me what's wrong? Don't tell me it's 'nothing', either – because I can clearly see that it's not."

Elliot opened his mouth to argue, only to close it again without uttering a word. She really did know him too well. It made him wonder exactly who would be taking care of whom this coming week while he would be staying at her apartment. Even though she was the one still in the hospital, Olivia was clearly trying to protect him – again.

"All right, Olivia, you win."

Pulling the chair he was sitting in closer to the bed, Elliot reached out and grasped Olivia's free hand in his own. It was the first time he'd actually held it while she was fully awake – although she had sleepily questioned him about it the day before. If the brunette objected to the physical contact, she gave no indication, and instead leveled her eyes on his. With an encouraging nod, she waited for him to continue.

"First things first, Liv, I want to apologize to you."

Olivia opened her mouth to object, but Elliot quickly held up a palm to silence her, stopping her from speaking. Nodding again, she waited, but with pain in her heart. Was it possible that her partner blamed himself for her current condition? The very thought of that hurt worse than any of the injuries she had incurred.

"I was supposed to have your back yesterday, and I failed you. If I'd have only taken a shot at that bastard, you might never have been hurt as bad as this. But I just couldn't risk firing my gun when you were so close to the line of fire."

Wrapping her fingers tighter around where his hand still held hers, Olivia gave a gentle squeeze.

"El, I don't blame you. I wasn't expecting you to take the shot. I was just trying to protect you. We already knew that man had a knife, how were we to know if he had other weapons?"

Elliot wouldn't allow her to pardon him so easily.

"But, Liv, he could have killed you. He almost did."

Shaking her head, Olivia easily dismissed his concerns, just as she had every other time in the past when she'd been hurt.

"This is nothing."

Elliot was incredulous. Nothing? How could she be so cavalier when it came to her well being? Not wanting to push the issue right now, he tamped down his emotions and reminded himself it was something he'd talk to her about later. It was a good thing that he'd made that decision, because no sooner than he had, a nurse appeared in the doorway with a wheelchair. She was coming to take Olivia for the MRI – the final test she would need to pass in order to be discharged.

Elliot accompanied Olivia as far as the elevators, then told her he'd see her soon. He couldn't resist bending down to place a kiss on the crown of her head before the nurse wheeled her away though. When he'd seen the surprised expression on his partner's face, he'd merely told her that it had been 'for luck' as he smiled at her. Then when he was alone once more, he wandered off to wait in the lounge.

Two hours later, Elliot and Olivia were arriving at her apartment complex, both relieved that she had been sent home. The only issue was that now, Elliot was nervous for an entirely different reason. Just how would Olivia react when she saw what he had done to her apartment?

Rushing around to the passenger side, he was quick to offer her his hand to help her out of the vehicle. He knew it couldn't be easy to try and maintain balance with one arm still in the sling. To his surprise, Olivia not only accepted, but she did so without argument. Allowing him to guide her, she gave him a smile and stated her plans for the afternoon.

"I hope you won't mind if the first thing I do when I get inside is crawl into my bed and take a nap."

Grinning, Elliot told her he didn't mind at all. As they came into a stop in front of the wreath-covered door, Olivia grabbed him by the arm and pulled him away.

"El, wait. We must have gotten off on the wrong floor. This isn't my apartment."

Indicating the 4D marking inside the wreath's inner circle, Elliot showed her that they were, in fact, at the right place. Olivia's jaw dropped, and she looked to her partner with widened eyes.

"Elliot Stabler – what did you do?"

Pressing another kiss to the crown of his partner's head, just as he had earlier in the hospital, Elliot unlocked the door and pushed it open. He held his breath as he ushered her inside, hearing her sharp intake of breath. If this was her reaction with all the lights off, how was he going to react when he turned them on?

Depositing Olivia's bag on the couch, he crossed the room to flip the switch that controlled not only the tree, but the lights around the windows as well. Even though it was still daylight outside, the place was illuminated in a glow of reds, greens, blues, and golds. Accents of gold and silver made the whole place sparkle.

"El."

She'd said his name so softly, he almost thought he'd imagined it, but when Elliot turned to look at Olivia, her eyes were shining – and not just with the reflection of the lights. They were bright with unshed tears, and there was a slight tremble to her lower lip.

"No one has ever done anything like this for me before, Elliot. I don't have the words to thank you."

"You don't need to thank me, Liv. I just wanted to give you a Christmas like you deserve. Now, why don't you go and take that nap? Everything will still be here when you wake up, I promise. I'll even have something ready for you to eat, then, too."

Olivia moved to stand next to her partner, and using her good arm, wrapped it around his waist. They'd only shared a few embraces during the course of their partnership, particularly after times of near death experiences or when trying to comfort one another, but if any occasion warranted a hug, it was this one. Then, she padded down the hall to her bedroom, still feeling like she was living inside a dream.