AN: Sorry about the delay in updating this story, but this chapter didn't want to write itself, so here we are 4 rewrites and numerous attempts at writing it and I've finally just said to heck with it and posted it. Hopefully the next chapter won't give me as many headaches :o)

As always please Read and Review!

Olivia stirred as she heard voices, only talking quietly so that they wouldn't wake her but it had been enough. Besides she'd done enough sleeping to last her a life time, but it didn't take much to tire her out, and she was sick of it. She just wanted things back to normal. Wanted to fill the blanks that filled her memory for the days leading up to the shooting. She knew that there had been a shooting, that was why she was currently laying in this hospital bed, frustrated, in pain and wondering what she'd have to do to get someone to answer her questions about what had happened.

Sure she'd been questioned by IAB about what had happened, and they hadn't been happy when she hadn't been able to help them at all, the doctors had finally thrown them out saying that they were causing more damage and that they wouldn't allow it.

Even without her input into what had happened the case had been closed and everyone involved had been cleared. That news she'd found out by accident from Munch when he and Fin had visited her a couple of days ago.

But still no one would fill in the blanks for her.

She listened quietly for a couple of minutes, trying to figure out who was talking and hoping that they may say something thinking that she was still asleep, but when she realised that it was Don talking to one of the nurses.

She moved trying to ease the pain that lack of movement and her wounds combined to give her. She tried to stop the groan, but failed.

"Liv?"

Olivia opened her eyes, Don had materialised above her bed, his face filled with concern, and she smiled.

"Hey."

Don helped her to sit up a little. It had been over 3 weeks since she'd been shot, and about a week since she had woken up in the ICU with Elliot by her side.

"How long you been here?"

Don handed her a cup of water.

"Not long, just wanted to see how you were doing. I talked to your doctor when I got here, she said that if you keep getting better you should be able to leave in about a week."

She laughed, "Yea, she used it as a threat to make sure that I didn't object too much to the physio earlier."

Don laughed, it was good to see her smile. Good just to be able to see her alive. He'd only been that scared of loosing someone before, his wife. Even before she'd passed away she'd joked that his detectives were like his family, and she had even admitted that they held a special place in her own heart, especially Elliot and Olivia. He reached over and gently held Olivia's hand, just to reassure himself, that she was indeed alive and awake and talking with him.

"I bet she did." He smiled again. "So what have you been up to today?"

"The usual, sleep mainly, mixed with the usual visitors, physio, doctors visits and more sleep."

Olivia handed the glass back to Don, he seemed to be more relaxed today, and for that she was glad. They had all been looking stressed, Elliot, Munch, Fin and Don, and even Elliot's kids when they had visited had looked sadder than they should. It had surprised her how often the kids had visited, both with Elliot and alone.

"Can I ask you something?"

Don took a deep breath before looking Olivia in the eye.

"Maureen came to see me yesterday," Olivia began, and she couldn't help but notice the look of relief that flashed over his face, "and I was kind of worried, she should have been at school. When I asked her why she wasn't she sort of changed the subject and said that she had it covered."

Don nodded.

"I know something has happened, but I can't see Elliot being alright with Maureen skipping school, and I'm sure that Kathy would hate knowing she was missing school to visit me. What's happened? I didn't say anything to El, cause I didn't want him to get mad or get Maureen in trouble…I enjoyed her visit, but I'm worried."

Don sighed and rubbed both hands over his face. The relief that he had felt when she had started talking soon disappeared when he realised where this was heading. And he knew that it was him that was going to have to be the bearer of the bad news.

"Liv, we don't have to do this now, just know that Elliot knows that the kids aren't at school at the moment and leave it at that."

"Elliot knows…..what about Kathy? Them?"

"Damn." He stood up and moved to the window, gathering his thoughts. "I'm not going to get out of this am I?"

"Please tell me what's going on. What's the big secret that I'm not supposed to know?"

Don had been wondering how little he'd be able to get away with telling her, but hearing the pleading in her voice, and seeing the lost look on her face he knew that he had to tell her everything, no matter how much he didn't want to.

"Do you remember Elliot taking some time off to take the kids away for a week?"

Olivia pushed herself to remember, and though she couldn't get all the details to come to her she was able to recall that he had taken some time off.

"His kids had come to him to ask if they could live with him, they couldn't live with Kathy any longer. At that time he didn't know, none of us knew, just how bad things had gotten. Elliot was going to take the kids on a holiday, to talk to them, try and help sooth things over, find out what was going on that they didn't want to live in their home anymore."

Don came back to sit next to the bed, he wanted to be close in case the news was too much for her. He settled himself in and told her the full story, or as much as they had been able to piece together, from the kids, and those who had been involved in the final take down of Kathy in Olivia's apartment.

Olivia had let him tell the story of the shooting, only asking questions here and there, and then when he had finished he had held her as she cried about all she had heard, and for the memories that she still could not remember. Don sat with her and held her until she had cried herself to sleep, and then had stayed a little longer to make sure that her dreams were not disturbed more than usual with the nightmares that plagued her. He found his heart breaking for her and again for Elliot and his kids.