Howdy ho, readers! Part two ! Yehaw! I forgot to mention, I did El, and obsessedwithstabler did Liv. In this chapter, I did Kathleen and Lizzie and she did Maureen and Dickie.

Elliot tried to open his eyes. Nothing happened. He tried again. After what seemed like the one millionth try, his eyes flickered open slowly.

Olivia was curled up in a stiff chair by his bed.

He opened his mouth to speak, but only a small sound, almost like a feeble grunt escaped his lips.

The sound was enough to bring Olivia out of her light sleep, and she sat up with a soft groan. For nearly a month, she had taken up residence by her partner's hospital bed. After the paramedics had resuscitated him in the ambulance, and after the surgery and blood transfusions, his doctors had still been uncertain about his survival. But he survived the first night, and they slowly became more optimistic. Then a week passed, they took him off of the ventilator, and he didn't regain consciousness. Another week passed, and they started to talk about brain damage due to the lack of oxygen. But she had refused to give up hope. Now here they were, after two more weeks. He was healing nicely, but showing no signs of waking up. She leaned forward and studied his pale face. "Come on, El," she whispered.

She ran her finger lightly down the side of his face. "Wake up for me."

His eyes had slipped shut a half second before she woke up. His eyelids twitched. He made a small movement with his lips.

She lightly ran her finger over his lips. "Stop being so stubborn," she pleaded. "I'm here with you, and I miss you. So do your kids."

He tried again, and slowly managed to push his eyes open. He could see Olivia standing above him. "L-Liv," he managed to mumble.

For a moment, she was surprised. The surprise quickly gave way to joy. "El..." She gently took his face in her hands.

"Wh-what.." he murmured, It was hard to find his voice.

"Shh..." She grabbed a glass of water, then slipped her hand under his head and lifted it a little. "Drink some of this."

Elliot sipped a bit of the water. He leaned against the pillow. He softly grabbed Olivia's hand.

She set the glass back down. "You're okay. You were shot, but you're fine now."

He tried to remember. It was all a blur. He very faintly remembered hearing two gunshots, then everything after wasn't there. "When?" he whispered.

She gently stroked his forehead. "Almost a month ago."

Almost a month. He looked at Olivia. She had dark circles under her eyes, and she had paled. She looked worn out. If he hadn't opened his eyes to see her asleep, he would have guessed she hadn't slept at all.

He held her hand in his. "How long have you been here?"

He forced a smile. He wasn't surprised at her answer. "You can rest," he whispered.

She squeezed his hand gently. "After I call your kids." Which she would do in a little while. She didn't want to keep them separated. She just wanted a few minutes with him.

Elliot smiled lightly. "Thanks," he said softly.

She moved her hand from his head to his chest. "You scared me," she breathed.

"I'm sorry," he murmured.

She shook her head. "It wasn't your fault." She swallowed hard. "It was mine."

"How was it your fault?"

She swallowed hard. "I didn't move fast enough. If I had gotten that son of a bitch out of the way..."

Elliot put his hand on Olivia's cheek. He stroked it gentle. "Liv," he whispered, "It isn't your fault."

She felt a hot tear roll down her cheek. "It was my fault, and I almost lost you because of it."

Elliot felt hot tears sting his own eyes. "No, honey, it wasn't your fault."

She leaned closer to him and lightly rested her head against his. "I thought I was going to lose you," she whispered. "And for a few minutes, I did."

Elliot rested his hand on her back. "I'm here now."

She nuzzled his head, keeping a protective hand on his chest.

He could feel her shaking slightly, and he knew that she was crying softly. He knew how it felt to blame yourself. "Don't cry," he whispered. "It's okay."

"It's not okay," she whispered. "I never would have forgiven myself if..."

"But that didn't happen."

She buried her face in his neck and exhaled shakily. But it had. He had died in her arms, and from that time until the paramedics brought him back, she had thought that she would be forced to bury him.

He wrapped his arms around her. "I'm gonna be okay, Liv. You didn't do anything wrong."

"I did. I didn't protect you."

"If you had tried, he would have killed you."

She shrugged. "I don't have a family." She just had him. To her, it would have been worth it.

"You have me."

"And I would die for you."

"I'd do the same for you. But please, stop blaming yourself for this."

She shrugged and held him tighter. No matter what he said, she would blame herself, because it had been her fault. Her hand gently rubbed his shoulder.

He rubbed small circles on her back soothingly.

She finally pulled away, placing her hand against his cheek. "I should call your kids. They've been worried."

"Okay," he said. He kissed her gently on the temple.

She reluctantly pulled away and walked into the hall. She hated leaving his side, but she knew that she had to call his kids. So she called Maureen and told her that he was awake. Then she hurried back into his room, afraid that he might have slipped away again.

Elliot sighed softly. He could see clearly that Olivia had practically fallen apart with guilt. He waited for her to come back into the room.

She came back in and hurried to his bed, and her shoulders slumped with relief. Sighing softly, she sat on the edge of the bed, by his waist, and rested her hand on his chest.

He put his hand on top of hers and intertwined his fingers with hers.

She gently squeezed his hand. "Maureen is bringing everyone else as soon as she can."

"Thanks for calling them." Elliot traced small circles on the back of Olivia's hand.

"They're your children, and they've been worried about you." She wouldn't tell him that the doctors barely allowed them to visit, especially in the first two weeks he was there. But since she was listed as his NOK, they allowed her to stay.

"Liv?" he asked."If you hadn't been there..."

"If I hadn't been there, you would have been fine."

"No, Liv. If you hadn't been there, I wouldn't be here."

"Liv, it wasn't your fault. If you hadn't been there, I would have died. Who would have put pressure on the wound? Called for help?"

She shook her head, but remained silent. If she hadn't been there, he wouldn't have gotten scared, and he would have taken that bastard out.

Elliot sighed softly. He pulled her close to him.

"I was scared too, Liv."

"I almost lost you." She moved closer to him, trembling.

Elliot stroked her hair. He held her tighter and buried his face into her hair. "I would have lost you if he hadn't shot me."

"You would have been fine without me." She finally stretched out beside him, draping her arm over his waist.

He rubbed small circles on her shoulder. "No," he whispered.

"Yes." She snuggled closer to him.

"That's not true."

She rubbed his side. "El..."

Elliot rocked her back and forth gently. "It's alright, Liv."

"El..." The door opened, and she quickly slid away and sat down in the chair.

Maureen led her younger siblings into the room. When she saw her dad's eyes, her own eyes filled with tears. She hurried to the bed. "Dad..."

Elliot smiled at his oldest daughter. "Hey, guys," he said.

Maureen leaned down and hugged him tight. "I missed you."

Kathleen hugged her father as well. "How are you feeling, Dad?"

Dickie slipped up behind his sisters, watching his dad.

Lizzie kissed her father on the head. "I missed you, Dad."

Elliot kissed her on the forehead. "I missed you too."

"We all missed you," Kathleen said, sitting on the edge of the bed.

Olivia leaned back in her chair and smiled. After a little while, a nurse came in and was surprised to see Elliot awake. After checking him over and giving the kids a few more minutes, she shooed them out of the room.

When the kids were gone, Olivia looked at the nurse while Elliot tried to stay awake. "He's okay, isn't he?"

She nodded. "We're going to wake him up every hour, just to make sure he doesn't slip back into a coma."

Elliot smiled at Olivia. "I'll be okay," he assured.

The nurse smiled at the two of them, then left the room again.

Finally they were alone. Olivia leaned forward in her chair and took his hand.

Elliot wrapped his hand around hers. "Liv?"

"Hmm?"

"What were you about to stay before the kids came?"

She squeezed his hand. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Liv. So damn much."

Elliot smiled at her. It had taken a hell of a lot for them to say the simple words that had so much meaning.

She reached out and gently caressed his forehead.

He brought his hand to the back of her head and looked at her, ice blue eyes meeting chocolate brown.

She got up again and sat down on the bed with him. "They'll probably release you in a few days."

"Good," he said. He slipped his arm around her waist.

She happily leaned into him. "I'm just glad you're okay."

Elliot slipped his other arm around her and lightly tickled her ribcage.

She jumped, startled, and laughed. "El, what are you doing?"

"Ticklish?"

She batted at his hand. "Surprised."

He tickled her again playfully, smirking.

She grabbed his hand and turned, snuggling into his chest. "Do you really want to do that to a woman who could kill you?"

"You don't really look dangerous right now."

"Looks are deceiving," she said, her voice muffled.

He chuckled and kissed her on the top of the head.

She was just relieved that he was finally awake and talking to her. Her arm slipped around him and hugged him tight.

He pulled her against his chest. "You can rest now," he whispered.

She hesitated. "I'm fine."

He smiled slightly. "Liv, I can tell by looking at you that you've barely slept."

"I slept enough."

"Please?" Elliot asked, pouting.

"El, I'm fine." But a weary yawn escaped her.

"Sleep."

"El..." Her eyes slipped shut.

Elliot rested his chin on top of her head. He smirked. "Good girl."

She poked his side. "You really want to push that button, Stabler?"

Elliot laughed. "Just go to sleep."

She grunted softly. "Ass."

"I'll stop," he said.

"Good."

"Just sleep," he pleaded. He smiled. 'It's cute."

"And you are crazy."

Elliot could feel his own eyelids growing heavy. He yawned.

Olivia snuggled closer to him. "Now who's tired?" she teased.

"You."

"And you."

"I'll sleep if you sleep," Elliot challenged.

"You go to sleep first."

"How do I know you won't cheat?"

"I guess you don't."

Elliot shrugged and allowed his eyelids to close. Sleep took over him within minutes.

As soon as he was sleeping, she eased under the hospital blanket with him. Then she wrapped an arm around his waist, laid her head on his shoulder and finally gave into sleep.

The nurse came in a little while later to check on her patient, and what she saw warmed her heart. Her patient's wife was curled up with him and holding him close in her sleep, and he was turned toward her with his head resting on hers.

She quietly checked her patient's vitals and roused him long enough to make sure he would wake up. Then she slipped back out of the room, smiling to herself.