55, let's go!

.

"Mr. Stabler" The doctor said as she opened the door to Olivia's room. Elliot had been there the entire time since Olivia had fainted and they rushed her off to surgery. He'd watched over Serena, praying that Olivia would pull through, scared out of his mind and now hours later, here was the doctor and Elliot prayed it was good news.

"Is she…" He was too scared to even ask.

"She's gonna pull through." When the doctor said that, relief washed over Elliot and tears started flowing as he walked around the room, silently thanking God. "There were small amounts of placenta left in her uterus and it caused a postpartum hemorrhage but the good news is, we opened her up and got it all out. It was touch and go but we stopped the bleeding. They're bringing her down from PACU now; she'll be a little groggy but, she'll be fine!"

Upstairs…

"I don't see the point in doing any of this; she's not gonna pull through, I mean look at her!" The young nurse-trainee said as she looked at Bronwyn. "I wonder who split her head open?"

"I don't know" The head nurse lied. She knew how the younger nurses could get about things like this, they spread rumors and she knew that there was another party involved in the mess that Bronwyn made and this party had just given birth. If she could, she wanted to keep this all quiet, so she chose to avoid it. The press, thank god, hadn't gotten wind of the story yet and if she could, she would see to it that it stayed that way. "now let's get this done, we have other patients to tend to."

"Why is there a policeman outside her door? She's handcuffed to the bed!" The younger woman said.

"You can ask her when she's conscious!" The older nurse said, leaving the younger nurse rolling her eyes. She made a mental note to request that the younger nurse be sent to somebody else tomorrow.

As Elliot sat in the room watching Olivia and holding her hand, he was so grateful that she'd pulled through. All the time he sat there waiting, every second that turned to minutes that became hours, he thought what if and it frightened him. For instance, what would happen to Serena if Olivia didn't make it? He thanked god again that they wouldn't have to deal with that as Olivia stirred and called out to him. She had woken twice, said a couple of words and immediately she went right back to sleep. This time around he hoped she'd be more lucid.

"El…"

"I'm here!" He said as he kissed her hand.

"El...Serena… She's okay?" She asked, tears in her faint voice.

"She's fine, baby. I promise..." He said as he glanced back at the bassinet momentarily while he got up and poured water for her as she swallowed, her throat feeling so dry, she could barely get words out and was thankful when Elliot brought the straw to her lips. She drank until the water was almost gone and even then she only stopped because of coughing.

"Easy…" He said as he eased her back. She closed her eyes and grimaced from the pain in her abdomen.

"Why does it hurt like this?!" She asked in tears.

"You had surgery…but you're ok now." He told her for the fourth time but this time she actually seemed to be processing it.

"I had...why?"

"Honey, you fainted and you started to bleed. The doctor found placenta left inside you, it's why you had a fever and were so nauseous." He said with tears. Quietly she took her hand from his grasp and caressed his face.

"If you cry, who's gonna hold me up?"

"It's just moisture...a little humid in here!" He said holding her hand as close as he could, garnering a slight smile from her. "Don't ever scare me like that again...Serena and me, what would we do without you?"

"My baby...can I hold her?"

"I think she would like that!" He said before he got up and turned around, getting a sleeping Serena from her bassinet. She shifted when Elliot picked her up, stretching and kicking her blanket off in her sleep, making Elliot laugh as he cradled and kissed her before placing her in her mother's arms.

The second she was there, she gave a big yawn and immediately snuggled close to Olivia. Olivia kissing her head as she held her and Serena opened her eyes and looked at her, smiling.

"You slept straight through, didn't you, little one? I'm never gonna leave you, baby girl..." She said weakly and with her tears overflowing, but meaning every word. "I love you so much!" As she cried, Elliot watched her, tears in his own eyes and Olivia looked up from Serena for a second and settled on him. "...lot of humidity tonight."

He laughed, wiping his eyes. Just then, Serena began to turn her head towards Olivia, seeking a breast as she started to whine. "I think somebody's hungry."

"I don't know if I can."

"The doctor said it's fine as soon as you're awake and alert enough to hold her. I'm gonna go and call the kids, they made me promise to as soon as you were awake. Will you be okay?"

"I think so." She said as she fumbled with her gown.

"I'll send the nurse in." He said and planted a kiss to her forehead and left as she undid her gown and started to feed the baby.

"Okay little one, there you go." She said in a whisper as Serena hungrily latched on and began to feed. Olivia, feeling pain from the surgery closed her eyes and sighed deep from the discomfort.

Two hours later, 11:49PM…

"That's it, baby, push for me; come on!" Elliot said, his tone empathetic but urgent. It was critical that Olivia get Serena out and he knew that they didn't have much time as Olivia sat forward and gave a push as hard as she could. "You're doing good; again!"

"I can't…" She cried.

"What's the matter, trying to keep this baby to yerself? You can't hide from me slut!" Harlan said as he wiped Olivia's brow. Elliot had disappeared and he was pushing her legs open as he took Elliot's place between them. "You heard me; again, bitch!" Harlan shouted. She had a look of utter shock and confusion, knowing that she'd left him dead in the basement and yet here he was.

"No...You're not here; I…oh god!" She cried, her agony unrelenting as she tried to get out of the car and escape Harlan.

"Killed me?" He grinned. "I bet you thought you did!" The pain gripped Olivia and she couldn't move, as if she were stuck. Soon realizing that Bronwyn was at her back, holding her in place but she couldn't do anything but scream as Harlan tore the baby out of her and she lay bleeding as the baby began screaming.

"A girl!?" Harlan yelled, disappointed. "he was supposed to be a boy you stupid whore!" He continued and slapped her with the back of his hand, leaving a bloody handprint across her face

"Harlan please...give me my baby!" She cried as he started to leave.

"Don't worry bitch, I'll see you soon! Say goodbye to mommy!" He said to Serena "you and me, we gon have us a little fun!"

"Harlan!" She reached for Serena but Harlan kept her away.

"That's the thing about nightmares sugar; they don't die!" He sneered and kissed her full on the mouth before he disappeared, leaving her alone and bleeding in the space of the car.

"No… Harlan please...give her to me!" She cried in her sleep, immediately waking Elliot. It wasn't a second before he rushed over to her and tried to wake her up.

"Liv...Liv, baby open your eyes, come on baby!" When she did, breathing heavily and staring at him, wide eyed, he touched her face to calm her and bring her out of it. "It's alright, it's just a dream!" He said as he kissed her face but she was startled and in tears and it took a moment to pull herself out of it.

"Serena…where is she?" she cried, looking around and frightened.

"She's right here, it's okay!" He told her as he got her to focus on the baby's bassinet where she peacefully slept inside. She painfully pulled herself up to a sitting position, thankful to see Serena lying by her bedside, safe. "See? She's fi-" But he didn't get to finish before she threw her arms around him and just cried.

It was a long night but Elliot stayed by her side, it killing him to see that after so many months and her coming so far, she was right back to where she started as far as the nightmares about Harlan. She tried to sleep in between Serena's feedings but she'd close her eyes and there he'd be, scaring the life out of her. Elliot had become so worried that he suggested calling Dr. Lindstrom.

"Liv…" He spoke softly to her as she fed the baby "maybe he can help you through this; you haven't slept all night and…"

"I just want to go home." She said in a dull tone, just above a whisper, obviously holding back tears.

"Liv"

"No, I just need to leave this place… I'll be better when I'm home." She was focused on Serena, never looking at Elliot and wondering now, more than ever if Harlan had fathered her child as she sat looking at Serena for some sign of him but she saw nothing.

"Liv hear me out...please."

"I can't do this right now. I can't focus anymore attention on him; I just can't. I can't sit and tell Dr. Lindstrom what I'm feeling and have him talk me through it because I don't know what I'm feeling!" While her tone was dead, her tears came fast. "He came back from the dead; he beat me and raped me again and tried to kill me and I'm still trying to deal with that and be strong for my daughter so no, I can't hear you out and I don't want you to call Lindstrom. I just wanna be left alone."

Elliot said nothing. Instead he walked out of the room, leaving Olivia there in tears that he just didn't know to wipe away but he did know one thing; this, all of this was hitting her harder than even she knew and he wanted to help her, but how could he when she wouldn't let him?

...

As he reached the hallway, he took a deep breath before he ran his hands down his face, feeling at his wits end and he turned around, ready to punch the wall again when he saw Nick approaching.

"What are you doing here this early?" He greeted, more than a little happy to see him.

"Thought I'd stop by since I don't have to work until this afternoon. How's Liv doin? She awake?" Nick asked as he and Elliot gave a brief hug.

"Awake yeah, she's nursing Serena." Elliot said as he sat down. "We had a scare last night, she was rushed into surgery-"

"But she's okay? I mean-"

"She's fine, physically. Mentally, I'm afraid for her! She hasn't slept since she woke up from surgery; she can't, keeps seeing that bastard!" He said as he cracked his knuckles and stood up, wanting to hit something.

"I can't even begin to understand what she must be going through. To think that that puta was dead all these months just to have him come back-"

They both turned when they heard several footsteps coming towards them only to turn and see Agent Stanley Phillips with Agents Fennigan and Bradshaw and four policemen in tow.

What the hell?" Elliot approached them, already mad as hell with Nick following.

"Stabler; man I'm sor-" Fennigan started.

"Sergeant Benson, she in her room?" Phillips cut Fennigan off and asked Elliot.

"She's nursing her daughter."

"We'll wait."

"What the hell is this?"

"This is Sergeant Benson under arrest for the murder of Harlan Lewis!"

Don't kill me!