Here's the second chapter. My buddy obsessedwithstabler helped me out. She was Olivia, and I 'twas Elliot. Behold the olden style language. We do not own SVU. If we did, there would be many EO offspring.

Elliot sat by Olivia's bedside, her hand caressed by his larger one. Her fingers fell limply against his hand. For three weeks that seemed like an eternity, he had sat in that spot, the same position. He rarely left her side. He told himself every day that she would open her eyes and he would look into the deep chocolate brown orbs that he lost himself in.

Every morning, he would look at her and tell himself that it would be the day that she woke up. But every day was the same. Just another day of sitting beside her, holding her hand

He barely ate, he barely slept. He was exhausted, but he couldn't bring himself to leave her. He couldn't help but think that he could have prevented the ordeal.

The night was fading into the very early hours of the morning when he felt her hand move the slightest bit. He sat up straighter in the stiff hospital chair he had grown so accustomed to. Her hand moved again, and her eyelid twitched.

Her lips parted slightly, and her head rolled to the side. The room was warm, and wherever she was, she was reluctant to leave. But something pulled her further away, and vaguely she became aware of a soft beeping sound on her left .

"Liv?" Elliot rose to his feet. He took both of her hands into his.

Her eyelids felt particularly heavy, but after several tries, she finally opened them. Her vision was blurry, and someone was speaking to her in a soothing manner.

Elliot sighed in relief. He stroked her hand with his thumb. He brought her knuckles to his lips and kissed them softly. "Liv," he said softly.

She blinked slowly. Who was this man? Concern creeped in as she searched for clues. He wasn't wearing a wedding ring, but the way he held her hand suggested a deep intimacy.

Elliot sat on the bed. Olivia was staring at him, an unreadable expression on her face. The doctor had warned him that she could have brain damage. "Liv, do you know who I am?"

She hesitated, and the look on his face when she slowly shook her head saddened her deeply. Why was that?

Elliot felt tears sting his eyes as he pressed the call button, and waited for a doctor. She didn't know who he was. It pierced his heart, hurting him terribly.

Olivia studied him intently, searching for something that told her who he was. She couldn't remember his name, but her heart screamed that she trusted him. Without being told, she knew he was someone who would help her, who had been there for her before.

Elliot reached forward and brushed a strand of her brunette hair back, his eyes glistening with unshed tears.

Instinctively she leaned into his hand. Was he her boyfriend? His actions were too intimate and personal to be just a friend or acquaintance.

He gently cupped her cheek with his hand and traced his thumb down her naturally tanned cheek.

Her eyes slid shut again. Why couldn't she remember him?

Elliot felt a single rebellious tear making its way down his cheek.

She opened her eyes again, and her brow furrowed when she saw the tear roll down his cheek. Hesitating for a moment, she finally reached out and gently wiped it away. Don't cry...

He gently caressed her hand, and cradled it against his cheek. He barely noticed when the nurse walked into the room.

Elliot furrowed his brow. He looked at Olivia, and could see the fear in her eyes. He tried to put on a reassuring look, but he was terrified.

She tried again, with no luck. Tears of fear and frustration gathered in her chocolate eyes.

Elliot stroked her hair soothingly and looked at the doctor, raising his eyebrow. "What's going on?" he asked quietly.

"I'll have x-rays done," the doctor said. He leaned in closer to Elliot and spoke softly. "Brain damage can cause the inability to speak."

Olivia looked at both men, then dropped her gaze to her hands.

Elliot bent next to her, and wrapped his arm around her slender shoulders. He could feel her body trembling. He could see the tears welling up in her eyes.

She looked away from him, afraid and uncertain. She couldn't speak, and a man she couldn't remember was holding her.

Elliot rubbed her arm comfortingly, and wondered if it was any reassurance to her. She had no idea who he was, and he was trying to comfort her. He held her in silence for several long minutes before he pulled himself away.

She let him withdraw, and she was deeply confused when she felt a deep void, as though a part of her was missing. Whoever this man was, he was an important part of her.

He rested in the seat and lay his hand over hers. Several minutes passed in silence before the doctor returned.

"I looked at Olivia's x-rays, and..."

Olivia looked up, her features filled with worry.

"Olivia has aphasia."

Olivia looked at her doctor, then at the blue eyed man. Sucking in a deep breath, she returned her head to the pillow and curled up, her back to both of them.

The doctor looked at them sympathetically before leaving. Elliot was stunned, but lay his hand on Olivia's trembling back.

She shuddered under his touch and wiped furiously at her eyes.

He ran his hand down her upper arm gently, his vision blurring from his own tears.

She closed her eyes, shivering. She remembered some things, but nothing about the man sitting beside her and trying to comfort her. Her heart told her to trust him, that he wouldn't let anyone hurt her. But she couldn't remember him, and it angered her. Obviously he was important and close enough to her that he felt comfortable trying to comfort her physically. She closed her eyes tightly and struggled to remember what had happened to land her in the hospital. There were faded scars on his hands and face. It was possible that he had been with her when whatever happened happened. She ran a shaking hand through her hair and focused her energy on sifting through her fractured thoughts and memories.

Elliot wanted to pull her close and hold her in his arms. She was shaking like a leaf, and he could see her tears streaming down her cheeks. Her eyebrow was furrowed, and he knew that she was thinking. He knew by her facial expressions what she was feeling. They could take a glance at each other, and read other's mind like a book. They had their own language. A language of silent communications.

His touch was gentle and oddly familiar, which only upset her more. Why couldn't she remember him? If he was as big a part of her life as he seemed to be, why couldn't she remember which part he was? She trembled again and stared out the window.

Who was he?

Just for the record, aphasia is a brain injury that causes muteness