Thank you all for the great reviews! And apologies to those who want longer bursts :) This just seems to be the way this story wants to be written. Here is chapter 3 for you all!

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3. Family

"Yes. I'm a cop too."

"You're a pretty lousy driver for a cop."

Olivia laughed out loud at Elliot's dry comment and saw a twinkle in his eyes that made her stomach flutter.

"I am sorry," she said, squeezing his hand. "I have no excuse for running a red light."

"What's done is done," Elliot said calmly, holding her gaze and she was amazed at how laidback he was. "So while we're here, tell me more about our job. It's the least you can do, right?"

He grinned and her stomach clenched. He was still all Elliot and he wasn't. It was like the heavy burden that had always seemed to weigh down on him, was no longer there. He didn't even seem to care that he was in the hospital with serious injuries and a long road to recovery ahead of him. All he was focused on was probing her for information while he was still somewhat alert and sedated enough not to be in too much pain. Their world had been reduced to a bed and a chair in a hospital room in the middle of the night, and somehow, it felt right. She wasn't getting any sleep anyway so what better way to spend the night than to catch up with her long lost partner and friend?

She told him about the nature of their work at the Special Victims Unit and he listened, asking questions from time to time but mostly, he let her talk. Somewhere during their conversation, the nurse must have slipped out, because they didn't see him again for quite a while after he had adjusted Elliot's bed so he was now sitting up a bit. Olivia told Elliot about the people they had worked with and wondered why nobody in the squad had been informed of his condition years ago. They could have helped to try and jog his memory. She had to wonder why Kathy had never reached out to them when it became clear that his amnesia wasn't just a short phase. At least she would have known how he was doing.

"Olivia."

The mention of her name startled her a bit and sent a chill up her spine. His voice was so familiar and so different at the same time. She realized she had gone quiet, and Elliot was trying to get her attention.

"Sorry," she said quickly. "I guess I drifted off for a bit there."

"Where did you go?"

She bit her lip, trying to decide if she should ask him about his family.

"Come on, detective. You're my only link to my past. Help me out here," Elliot pleaded, making her heart melt like only he could.

"So your wife and kids never seemed familiar to you at all?"

There. She'd asked him. She focused on her breathing while she waited for his answer. Elliot sighed and looked up at the ceiling. She saw pain in his eyes.

"I wanted to say they did. They're all nice people you know."

"Yes, I know."

He looked at her again.

"They never talked about my job. Said that the job had broken me and I was better off not remembering. Kathy ... my wife," he added bitterly, looking away from her again, "actually thought that we could start fresh and not let my job get between us again, like it had before apparently."

The truth hurt, physically even. Olivia felt like someone was pushing down hard on her chest. They had kept her away intentionally. Nobody had reached out to her or the squad, not even to let them know how Elliot was doing. They just let everyone believe he had abandoned them. Her. Especially her. It was disappointing to realize that not one of the children had bothered to contact her in any way. Not even Kathleen, with whom she thought she had had a special connection. She focused on her breathing once again, trying to breathe through the constricted feeling in her chest.

"It didn't work."

"What?"

She'd lost his train of thought, too consumed with her own pain for the moment.

"That fresh start she wanted? Didn't work. I lived in their home for over a year but it just didn't feel right. We didn't know each other anymore."

He turned his head towards her and she saw pain in his eyes, again.

"Eli is a great kid though. It feels so good to hear him call me dad."

"Eli ..." Olivia mused, "he's what, eight now?"

"Yeah. Just turned eight last month. It's a great age."

Elliot smiled a real smile then, and she could tell he did love Eli, even if he didn't remember being his father. She was certain he was doing his best to be a father to the boy anyway.

"You see him often?"

Elliot nodded but winced at the movement. Olivia jumped up to check that he was alright, and noticed a few stitches behind his left ear.

"It's alright," Elliot said quickly but she remembered that he had a concussion, so most likely he was in some pain.

"Maybe I should let you sleep for a bit," Olivia offered, but Elliot grabbed her hand again.

"No! Please don't go."

The urgency in his voice struck her. He almost seemed afraid and she froze, still leaning over him partially.

"Elliot," she sighed and something changed in his eyes instantly when she said his name.

He gazed into her eyes and she could see the wheels turning.

"I do know you," he said once again. "Tell me what you were to me."

She choked up and couldn't hide the tears that welled up in her eyes fast enough. He'd already seen her reaction. She moved away quickly, sitting back down in the chair. She stared at the floor, noticing that some dust had collected underneath the bed and was moving because she had stood up and sat down again.

"Olivia," she heard him say, and his voice was so tender now, as if she was the patient in stead of him.

She looked up at him, still unsure of what to tell him. She had wondered for years what she had been to him, even while they still worked together. She had nothing but the truth to offer him right now, so she said quietly,

"I don't know."

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More soon, I promise. And reviews make me happy!