OK sorry about the delay in updating this story again, but I keep getting stuck...I have future plans/sequals that keep invading and delaying the finishing of this part of the story. This story is getting near the end, but as you can probably guess there is a strong chance of a sequel, if there is enough demand for it.

Thanks to all those who have reviewed, and for those who I haven't replied to personally I'm sorry, but your reviews make my day 0)

Oh yeah and one more thing, thanks for all the great fic that has been posted recently, your great stories are another reason why this update has been so slow in coming...keep up the great work everyone!

God she was tired.

She was also annoyed that it still took so little to tire her out, her doctors seemed to be happy with her progress, they were even letting her go home the next day. Well maybe not her home, they were only letting her go if she had someone to stay with her. She had been so disappointed when she had heard that, but Elliot had spoken up without any hesitation saying that she would be staying with him.

She couldn't wait to blow this hospital, even though she was still so weak, but she felt a little funny about staying with Elliot. No matter how many times he told her that she wasn't to blame for Cathy's death she couldn't stop worrying that one day soon he would blame her. That he'd realise that it was because of her that he no longer had a wife, ok they were divorced, but she knew that he still loved her, she had given him four amazing children. That had to count for something.

What had she given him?

But she couldn't loose him.

Not now.

Not ever.

After everything that she had to survive and deal with in her life, Elliot hating her would be the one thing she didn't think that she could get over.

She opened her eyes and eased herself into a more comfortable position when she heard the door to her room open, Elliot had said that he'd be back this evening, and she wasn't expecting anyone else this early.

"Would you mind if we came in Olivia?"

She looked at the woman and couldn't hide the shock she felt, this woman had to have been Cathy's mother. The resemblance between the two woman was amazing. Fear welled up as realisation set in about who she was. She nervously looked around the room.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come. I'll leave you alone." The woman sighed and started to leave.

"Stay…" Olivia had spoken so quietly that she wasn't even sure that the other woman had heard her until she stopped with her hand on the door handle. "Stay."

"Are you sure?"

Olivia nodded. Now that Cathy's mother was here she wanted to get this, whatever it was, over.

Olivia watched as she walked over to the bed and sat nervously in the chair that was there.

"I suppose your wondering who I am? My name's Sandy Carmichael, I'm Cathy's mother." She paused to take a breath to steady her a little, "I've wanted to come and see you everyday since you woke up, but when Elliot told us that you didn't remember what had happened my husband and I, along with Elliot's parent decided that it would be better for now if we just stayed away, at least until you remembered what had happened."

"I'm so s-sorry…." Olivia felt a tear slip down her cheek. She wasn't sure what to say to this person.

Sandy saw the distress that was building in Olivia and reached out to take her hand, this had been the last thing that she had wanted to happen.

"You have nothing to be sorry about dear. If anyone should be saying that they are sorry it should be us, we could see that something wasn't right, but none of us did anything to help her, and you were the one to have to pay for that."

Olivia shook her head. She couldn't believe tha she was hearing this, again, and from Cathy's mother.

"You had us all so worried. You probably don't know this but while you were in the coma you were never alone, between Elliot and our families and your own family there was always at least one person with you, waiting, making sure that you didn't wake up alone."

"My family?" Olivia wondered aloud.

Sandy nodded, "Don, Elliot, John and Fin. I've had the privilege of watching they way that they are around each other and you. Elliot told me a little about you one night when it was just the two of us here with you. He told me a little about your mother and your life when you were younger. My heart broke for you again that night. But then I saw how much the others care about you, and the love that shone in Elliot's eyes as he told me stories of times that the two of you spent together. I've also seen how much my grandchildren love you."

"Why?" Olivia whispered.

"They love you, you've been a big part of their life. I never understood why my daughter didn't see you as the wonderful person that you are. You've only ever done what you thought was best for Elliot and his family, even I can see that and I didn't even get to meet you before this terrible tragedy happened."

Olivia shook her head. "Why did you come and see me before. Why don't you blame me for your daughters death?" Olivia asked, god she was tired, and she was working to try and make sense of this. "Cathy believed that I was the reason that everything had gone so wrong in her life, if she believed it why don't you. Hell even my mother blamed me for everything that happened in her life."

Sandy felt her heart breaking again for the woman who was crumbling before her eyes. She stood and reached out and gathered Olivia into a warm hug and tried to ease the pain that she felt partially responsible for.

"Sandy?"

Sandy looked over to the door, she'd been so caught up in her own thoughts and comforting Olivia that she hadn't heard Elliot enter the room. She looked at her son in law and felt a sheepish grin make it's way over her face. She felt Olivia pull away and wipe her eyes. She found herself wishing that Olivia was her own daughter, she would have been proud to call her her daughter. As much as she had loved Cathy she had always been a little troubled, she had hoped that her daughters marriage to Elliot would be her saving grace, even if she felt at the time that Cathy may have tricked Elliot into marrying her, and for a while Cathy had flourished, led a full and wonderful life. But in the end her own unbalanced nature had won out, and Sandy couldn't help but wonder if there was something else that she could have done, some help that she could have gotten for her daughter. But she had never been able to convince anyone else that there was anything wrong.

Until it had been to late.

Until everyone had been able to see just how damaged her daughter had been.

And now all she could do was to try and help pick up the pieces of the lives that her daughter had shattered

"Hi honey."

"Is everything ok?" Elliot asked as he made his way over to Olivia's bed. He wanted to hold her, but at the same time he didn't want to put any pressure on her. God he loved her, and he wished that he had been able to tell her just how much he loved her before this happened. Now he had to wait, she had enough to sort through without having the extra pressure of dealing with his feelings for her. He settled for reaching out and gently caressing her shoulder, something he had done many times before. "Are you ok Liv?"

Olivia sniffled and nodded. "Yeah, everythings find El, you know me I'm just emotional at the moment."

Elliot felt himself relax a little now that he knew that nothing bad had happened.

"I just wanted to visit Olivia before she goes home tomorrow." Sandy explained when she saw Elliot's curious gaze, then she turned her attention back to Olivia. She reached for Olivia's hand again before she continued. "I know your staying with El and the kids when you get out of here, and I just wanted to tell you that my husband and our other children and I have talked about this and agree that we'll stay away from the house while you're there dear, you've been through so much and we understand that seeing us around may be hard for you and the last thing that we want to do is make things harder for you."

Olivia was shocked at what Sandy was saying.

"I can't ask you to do that!" Olivia exclaimed, when the doctors had told her that they would release her, but only if she had someone to stay with, she had never dreamed that accepting Elliot's offer would cause this, "Elliot and the kids are your family! Families need to stick together, please don't let me be the thing that tears your family apart!"

"Liv, calm down, please," Elliot tried when he saw how upset she was becoming, he gently held her face in his hands, making her look him in the eye, "It's ok Liv, no one is going to tear this family apart. It's ok."

Olivia shook her head and pulled away from him.

"Please don't do that, if you don't want me to be around them I'll find someone else to stay with, or I'll stay here till I can go home alone, but don't stay away from your family because of me."

Sandy was shocked at the strong reaction that Olivia had had to her suggestion, she had talked with her children and husband and they had been more concerned with causing Olivia distress than reorganising themselves to see Elliot and his kids, in all the different reactions that they thought she may have to them, this one had not even occurred to any of them.

"Please El, tell her that I don't have to stay with you, I can go somewhere else, your family don't need to stay away because of me"

Elliot was becoming concerned, if she didn't calm down and soon then she'd start setting alarms off, he could see her heart rate spiking on the monitor next to her bed, and her blood pressure was going through the roof. He quickly gathered her up and into his arms and tried to sooth her, calm her down.

"Shhh Liv, it's going to be ok, come on breathe for me."

Sandy reached over and tried to help calm Olivia down, she hadn't expected this reaction, but the mother in her took over. "I'm sorry Olivia, I didn't mean to upset you."

Olivia couldn't believe that these people, people who hardly knew her, who she'd only met briefly in the past, were willing to do something like that for her, how could they be willing to do that for someone they barely knew. She pleaded with Elliot to let her change their plans, she pleaded with him to let her stay here instead of imposing on him that way, she offered to find someone else to stay with when her offer of staying in the hospital was shot down by both of them, she'd do anything to stop Sandy and her family separating themselves from Elliot and her kids. One thing she had learned at a young age was that if you had a loving family you don't give it up for anyone or anything.

Eventually they calmed Olivia down enough to assure her that she wouldn't be coming between the family, and once she had calmed down again her exhaustion quickly over took her again.

"I'm sorry," Olivia murmured, "I'm sorry…."

"Shhh, it's ok Liv, you don't have anything to be sorry about, it's ok, go to sleep," Elliot whispered into her ear as he gently stroked her hair, his heart swelled with love, pain, and pride for Olivia, and also his mother in law, and once again he realised just how lucky he was to have such a wonderful family and partner.

Sandy sat on the other side of the bed and held Olivia's other hand and gently soothed her until she was sure that Olivia was sleeping soundly. She stood and placed a gentle kiss on Olivia's forehead and then moved back.

"I'd better get going," she spoke quietly, not wanting to wake Olivia from her much needed sleep. "I still have a few things to collect for you for tomorrow, and I guess I'd better tell the others about this."

Elliot walked Sandy to the door and then stopped.

"Thank you." He said as he pulled his mother in law into a hug. "I don't think I've told you that enough lately."

Sandy hugged him back and struggled to hold back her tears.

"I'm sorry sweat heart, I didn't mean to cause any problems. I just wanted to see her before she was released, let her know that we don't blame her for what happened. Hell I feel partly responsible for her being here in the first place. We just thought that it might be easier for Olivia if she didn't have to see us."

"I know, and I appreciate it."

Sandy pulled away from him and wiped her eyes.

"Ok well enough of this mushy stuff, I have things to do. You stay here and I'll drop by your house and see if your parents need a break."

"Thanks, and I guess if I don't see you tonight I'll see you in the morning when I bring Liv home."

Sandy grinned, "I wouldn't dare not be there tomorrow. Try and get some sleep honey, you need to keep your strength up as well you know."

Elliot grinned and made his way back to Olivia's bedside and took his seat, and settled in for the night ahead.