Chapter 4: She said yes.

Olivia sat for the first time in days next to Elliot, as their children visited him in the hospital. Her eyes glazed over and her thoughts grew numb. The voices around her seemed to notice her exhaustion, as nobody directly spoke to her. They let her be still in their presence. And even though her soul felt shattered, it was the first time in her life she wouldn't go through shock and trauma alone.

If she'd had anything left to give, she would have smiled and hugged each one of Elliot's kids for not only being the glue that held their father together, but for welcoming her and Noah into their lives with open hearts and an abundance of joy and laughter. Her heart was weary, but it was full.

Sometime between Maureen telling old childhood stories and Kathleen taking Bernie, Eli, and Noah home, Olivia's eyes finally couldn't take another moment of life, and she passed out hard on the hospital couch next to Elliot.

Her dreams were filled with a mixture of her own horrific memories and Elliot being shot. Though even in sleep she fought the demons with equally happy memories and yearned to be wrapped in Elliot's arms again. To wake up to a lazy Sunday would be heavenly. Just the two of them sipping coffee on his back veranda or her second floor balcony. Holding hands at one of Noah's dance recitals. Excited to run home after a long day of work to find a full house and delicious food on the table, or better yet, a quiet night of her and her two guys, watching something nerdy like Lego Masters or Dirty Jobs, while Elliot rubbed her feet and Noah snuggled up on her side.

She snapped out of the repetitive movie spinning in her head around 9am when the Nurse came in to change all of Elliots dressings and take blood.

"Don't mind me," she whispered to Olivia. "You get your rest. He'll be pretty out of it again once the meds kick in."

Olivia nodded and half closed her eyes. Elliot looked over at her and reached for her hand.

"Good morning," he softly said with a groggy voice. His deep baby blues reading her mind from across the way. Her home.

She reached for his hand and slipped her fingers between his as she closed her sleepy eyes.

When the nurse left, Elliot sat staring at her. "You're beautiful."

"Hmmm," she mumbled in and out of sleep.

"You married me."

"I did," She half responded.

"I proposed to you."

She now locked eyes with him again. "I did.n Why are you thinking about that?"

"I…I can only remember some of it…you were beautiful…and angry…and we were with a big group of people."

Olivia sat up and half smiled. "Yeah."

"I…remember asking you…and the rest is blurry. Tell me what happened," he softly said as he rubbed her hand with his thumb.

She let out a deep sigh, sad that he had memory loss, but also his proposal was sneaky and she was still bent out of shape over it.

"Ah…okay. Well, I was at a court hearing with Carisi, and you had been trying to get me to meet you at Halligan's all day, and I turned you down. All day. I was all business. So, on break, Sonny asked me if I'd like to go to lunch, and I said no, because I had a ton of phone calls to catch up on and I just needed to get it finished. And then Rollins called, and said she was nearby with the baby and to meet her and Sonny for lunch. And again I declined. And then Fin called and I ignored his message, because I wanted him to handle it. All of these people trying to get me to Halligan's, because apparently, you had invited everyone we knew and you wanted to propose at our favorite spot and then have a big champagne toast…if I said yes. I guess you were confident."

'Ha…I was terrified."

She smiled hopeful that this was sparking some of his memory. "So court went back in session. And while Sonny and I were inside, apparently all of SVU and Organized Crime and everyone we knew were at Halligan's waiting to surprise me after you popped the question. They all came over to the courthouse. Court lets out, and I walk out of the doors and there you are in the middle of the stairs. So I walk up to you-"

"And you were taken by my amazing body and slick choice of clothing."

"Ha. Sure, if that's how you want to remember it," she blushed.

"You were happy to see me," he smiled.

"I was. But also, I had no idea any of this was happening and I was still all business, but you…have this way of…making me stop…and…live in the moment. And-" She choked up a bit looking at him now with machines attached to him and bandages holding him together.

Flashback

"Hey," Elliot smiled.

"What are you doing here?," she said with a wry smile as she stomped down the long stairs. Her wind blowing her hair like a queen in an epic movie.

"I was in the neighborhood, so thought I would…say hi…"

"Ah. Well, this is a nice surprise," she said as she answered a text message. "I've got to get back to the precinct but how about dinner later?"

Elliot pulled her face up to his and kissed her on the lips. "Dinner sounds great. Take a five a minute break with me."

"I…," She jerked back and looked around hoping nobody saw their public display of affection. "...really don't have 5 minutes, but it's nice to see your face. How about you walk me to work, and…I'll…hold your hand."

Elliot took one step closer to her. His body, practically on top of hers. "Ow…my hand," he smiled. "I will take that offer and raise you a second offer, if you'll allow me to."

She playfully locked eyes with him and whispered. "You are going to get me in trouble if my boss walks by."

He grinned with delight, knowing that everyone but her boss could already see them. "Oh I hope he does and I hope he says something. You just let ol' Tommy McGrath see us. I'll put him in his place. Now ask me what my second offer is."

She pushed him back, laughed, and started walking down the stairs. "I'm not sure I want to know what that second offer is right here, Detective. How about we raincheck it for tonight, after you cook me dinner and put my son to bed."

Elliot followed and stopped her before she could get too far down the steps. "Wait, wait, wait. Hold up. I'm serious."

"Me too. I'm very much in the mood for your Chicken Caprese." But even as she said the words she could see he was serious and her eye brow furrowed with concern.

"Seriously, I have something to…serve you."

Olivia now stopped in her tracks, noticing that he was unusually little nervous. "You mean besides a court order."

His eyes softened, relieved by her jest and thankful she wasn't thinking about work any longer. He then held her hand and bent down on his knee and before she could utter another word he displayed the tiny box and opened it.

"Olivia Benson…this world is cruel and beautiful and full of unexpected things, and I've had you by my side through all of it, longer than anyone else on this earth. Will you be my one and only partner in crime, for now until our dying days. Will you marry me?"

Olivia held her hand to her mouth. Too speechless to object. She studied his honest eyes and slowly nodded yes.

"I'm sorry, what was that," he lightly teased.

"Yes," she teared up.

The crowd around them slowly started to emerge as she wrapped her arms around his neck and they kissed in the middle of the big white courthouse staircase. Olivia pulled away and familiar faces appeared around them. Melinda, Dr Wong, Judge Donnelly, Sargent Bell, Casey, Rollins, Muncy, Fin, even Dana Lewis came out of the woodwork.

"OH my god!," Olivia gasped. "You all knew!"

"Congratulations, sweetheart," Dana nodded. "Stabler, took you long enough."

"You couldn't just meet us all for lunch," Fin hugged her. "I was this close to getting Elliot to pay for my booze."

"My spidey sense must have known," she laughed.

"Congrats, Liv," Fin smiled and hugged her.

"Let me see the rock," Rollin's pushed in.

News channels and journalists were slowly pushing through for pictures and an interview.

Flash to present day.

"And then we lived happily ever after," Elliot whispered. His voice barely able to be heard.

"Something like that," Olivia smiled and then kissed his hand.

"Mmm…My head…," Elliot winced. "Ah…"

Before Olivia could even reach the nurse button Elliot fell unconscious in the bed.

"Elliot! Help," Olivia yelled. "Hey! Elliot, don't you leave me, damn it."

The nurses pushed her way in, and whisked him off as Olivia stood panicked in the room alone for a moment.

She let her heart return to normal and then selfishly called Kathleen.