A/N: I forgot to add a disclaimer at the start of chapter one. SVU and its characters belong to Dick Wolf and NBC. I make no profit from this story. Underlined text is direct quote from the show.

A/N2 This is the conclusion of this story. Thanks to all for sticking with me on this journey. I appreciate each and every one of your comments, favorites, and follows.

The movie had just ended when Elliot came back into the room, carrying another cup of mint tea just for her. He handed it to her with a smile.

"Sorry that I was away so long, Liv. Kathy was discharged, and I had to drive her home and help her get settled. She is with her mom at the house now, and resting comfortably. The baby slept through it all."

"El, you don't have to apologize to me for taking care of your family." Olivia scolded softly. "I was fine. I had some lunch – if you could call it that-, had a nurse help me to the bathroom, spoke with the doctor again, and was just resting here half watching television.

"What did you say?" Elliot asked incredulously, mouth half-open in shock. "You asked for help?" He pulled his phone of his pocket, opening it up as though searching for something. "I need to mark this on my calendar, this day needs to be documented in history." He stopped what he was doing to glance up at her with a cheeky grin.

"Do you want to wear this tea, or am I supposed to drink it?" She asked with a threatening gaze.

"You don't scare me Benson. I have five kids."

She raised her eyebrow and started to tilt the cup in his direction. He stood up and backed away, raising both hands in the air in surrender.

"Okay, okay, I take it back. You do scare me." He conceded.

"Don't you forget it either, Stabler." She warned, taking the lid off the cup to finally take a sip, sighing at the soothing warmth of the tea and aroma of mint.

Sitting back down again by her bedside, he watched her as she drank her tea, glad that such a simple gesture could offer her so much comfort. They sat quietly for a few moments with the TV droning on in the background. He wanted to ask her what she and the doctor had talked about, but was afraid to ask, not wanting to overstep his boundaries.

As though reading his mind, she questioned him first. "Aren't you going to ask me about what the doctor said?" She asked with a knowing gaze.

"I figured you would tell me when you were ready", he admitted.

"I had mentioned to the nurse that I was still in pain, and if she could ask the doctor if I could have more medication. Also that I was feeling very tired, and about the possibility of a short nap if I was being monitored by someone. He also changed my pain medicine, gave me something that wouldn't be as likely to cause as much nausea, and told me that I am scheduled for an MRI tomorrow morning."

"What about the nap?" Elliot questioned. "I know you must be tired."

"He said that as long as I only rest for about an hour or so, and someone stays with me, it should be okay. So, what do you say, Elliot? How do you feel about staying for another hour or so and watching me sleep?"

"How do I feel?" Elliot asked. "I think it feels pretty much like it would if we were on a stakeout – I watch you sleep on them all the time." He leaned back just in time to avoid where she was swinging out to punch him lightly in the arm, even though she was smiling as she did so.

Lowering the bed slightly so that she was only partially angled up, she tried to adjust her pillow. Punching it a few times in vain, she failed time and again to get comfortable. Sighing in frustration, she put her hand over her eyes.

Reaching out to her, he grasped her hand and pulled it away from her face, clasping it in both of his own. "Liv" he said softly. "What can I do to help? Please, let me help you."

Unable to look him in the eye, she asked quietly. "Can you do what you did before when your kids were here? Rub my head again? That really helped to relieve the pain."

Knowing how difficult it was for his partner to ask for help of any kind, let alone admit vulnerability-even to him- Elliot felt his heart ache for what she must be feeling.

"Scoot over." He said softly. Standing up, he toed off his shoes and set his phone on the bedside tray, taking care to set an alarm for a little over an hour from now as per the doctor's instructions.

Olivia, though confused, complied with his instructions. She watched as he sat next to her, then swung his legs up on the bed. Lying down on his side, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and coaxed her to rest her head on his shoulder.

"Close your eyes Liv, I've got you." he whispered, pressing a gentle kiss along her temple as he brought his hand up to soothe her forehead as he had before, rubbing it in gentle circles to ease the pain away. He felt the moment she gave in and relaxed against him, her breathing gradually evening out as she slipped into a quiet slumber.

It was in this position that Captain Cragen and the rest of the squad found them when they entered the room about twenty minutes later.

They said nothing, but eyebrows were raised, and Fin and Munch exchanged a grin.

"Cap, I can explain."

"Elliot, its OK" Cragen said, speaking softly so as not to wake his sleeping detective. "The nurse explained to me that she was given the okay to nap by the doctor and she might be resting, that is why we were so quiet when we came in. We didn't want to wake her."

"She's been resting for about twenty minutes, she's still in a lot of pain, and she had a lot of trouble getting comfortable." Elliot admitted. At this statement, Olivia whimpered softly, then cuddled closer into his chest, wrapping an arm around his waist before settling back into a deeper sleep.

Munch couldn't help but grin at this, remarking "She looks pretty comfortable now" , ignoring the glare that Elliot was giving him.

The guys all found seats and chatted quietly among themselves while Olivia slept on. Before anyone realized, the alarm on Elliot's phone went off, signaling that the hour was up. Feeling guilty for waking her, but knowing that it was necessary, he gently stroked her cheek.

"Liv" he called softly. "Time to wake up"

"Mmph" she mumbled incoherently "Five more minutes."

A chorus of chuckles echoed throughout the room, and upon hearing that, her eyelids fluttered open. In doing so she became aware of two things: One- The Captain, Fin, and Munch were now in her room, and Two- The comfortable pillow she was lying upon had not been a pillow at all, but was in fact her partner.

Olivia pushed herself away from Elliot, a flush in her cheeks. She sat up in bed a little further, but noticed he stayed sitting next to her. She put up with the gentle and good natured teasing from her coworkers, even getting in a few good digs of her own.

The group talked for a while, before the men- minus Elliot- decided it was time to leave. As they were headed out, Olivia's dinner tray was brought in. Despite being hungry, she remembered what lunch was like, and inwardly cringed.

Seeing this, and fearing he would be kicked out yet again, Elliot tried to offer a compromise. "What do you say I check with your nurse, then go and pick up something else for us to eat?" he asked. "We can have dinner together here, maybe find something to watch on TV."

Olivia's smile was the only answer that he needed. He turned on his heel to accomplish his mission.

Elliot returned about thirty minutes later, bearing bags from a nearby deli. He had chosen a combo of soup and sandwich for them both- something that would be hearty and fulfilling to eat, but not prone to irritate Olivia's tender stomach.

Olivia ate her fill, the soup being so much more comforting than anything the hospital would have been able to provide. Pushing the tray away, she leaned back against the pillows and sighed contentedly.

After they had finished their meal, and with nothing on TV, Elliot pulled another trick out of his sleeve- quite literally. He produced a deck of cards from his pocket, and the two partners passed the time playing simple games like Go Fish and Gin Rummy, although Olivia threatened once she was better to clean him out in a game of poker.

As they were wrapping up yet another losing game for Elliot, the nurse came in the room, pushing the medication cart. "Good evening, Detectives. I have your nighttime medications, Olivia." She unlocked the cart, and withdrew the necessary dosages. "I'm giving you your anti-nausea medication, as well as your bedtime dose of pain medicine. Do you need anything else before I go, help to the bathroom perhaps?"

Olivia agreed she did need help, and Elliot left the room to give her privacy, operating on the excuse that he was clearing away their dinner trash to keep her from getting uncomfortable. After using the restroom, as well as a toothbrush and toothpaste the nurse was kind enough to provide, Olivia returned and settled back in bed. The nurse informed her before leaving that her MRI was scheduled for 7 am the following morning, and she was not to eat or drink anything else until then. She then left the room, taking the water pitcher with her.

Elliot returned to the room to sit beside the bed, having heard the tail end of the conversation between his partner and her nurse. He would make sure to be at the hospital tomorrow morning for her test and the results.

"Do you need me to go?" He asked. He could see that she was starting to nod off a little, most likely as a result of the medication she had been given.

Olivia shook her head, pushing past her anxiety to ask for the one thing she wanted. "Can you just stay until I fall asleep?"

"Of course, Olivia. Close your eyes." he assured her.

"Thanks El." she murmured "See you in the morning. Tell Kathy I said hello, and give the baby a kiss for me."

"I will Liv. Now hush."

He reached out and brushed her hair back, soothing her forehead as he had twice earlier in the day. He listened as her breathing evened out, and her body became more relaxed. Not wanting to wake her, he touched his fingertips to his lips, then back to her forehead, then stood to leave.

"Goodnight Liv. Sleep well." he whispered, then turned to head out into the night.

Olivia awoke the next morning feeling much better. She still had a slight headache, but the persistent pain and nausea that had been present yesterday were gone. Looking at the clock in her room, she saw that it was just after six o'clock in the morning. She was just about to call for a nurse when one came into her room.

"Good morning detective. I was just coming to see if you needed assistance into the bathroom. Also, the doctor has ordered that we can stop the continuous IV. You will still need to keep the line in, but we can disconnect you from the majority of the tubing. That will enable you to get to and from the bathroom on your own should you feel steady enough." The nurse explained, as she busied herself with a syringe full of saline to flush the IV line, then disconnected the tubing, pushing the machine back against the wall and out of the way. She then expertly bent the tubing slightly to fold it and tape it up out of the way against Olivia's arm. "Are you ready to get up?" she asked.

Olivia nodded, then pushed back the covers and swung her legs around to the side of the bed. She stood for a moment to get her bearings, then took a tentative step forward. Satisfied that her patient was able to get about without help, the nurse opted not to hover about as closely as she had in the past.

When Olivia returned from the bathroom, she found that the nurse had brought her another gown to wear over hers as a makeshift robe for when she went down for her testing. She slipped it on, grateful for the extra coverage. Then she sat back in the bed to wait.

"Olivia Benson?" she heard a voice call. She opened her eyes, unaware that she had dozed again briefly.

"Yes, that's me." she answered, holding out her wrist so the orderly could check the identification band for confirmation. He pushed a wheelchair into the room, helped her settle into it, then covered her legs with a warm blanket. He was just about to wheel her out when her partner burst into the room, out of breath.

"Olivia! I'm sorry I'm late, traffic on the bridge was terrible this morning." Elliot began by way of apology. He then addressed the orderly in the room. "Where are you taking her?"

"I'm just taking her downstairs to radiology so she can have her follow-up MRI."

"Can I come with her?" Elliot asked anxiously.

"You aren't allowed to be in the same room during the testing, but there is a waiting room where you are welcome to stay."

Elliot nodded his approval and followed them out of the room.

Having been unconscious the first time the MRI was completed, Olivia had been given a bit of a reprieve then at being in the narrow chamber. Looking at it now, her anxiety began to creep up on her. The technician seemed to notice this and came over to address her.

"If you feel you need it, your doctor has ordered a mild sedative for you to keep you more comfortable while you are undergoing testing. The procedure itself takes about forty-five minutes to an hour, and there are quite a lot of loud noises while in the machine. I can administer the sedative now so it will take effect by the time we are ready to begin."

She was about to say 'no', but then looked up at Elliot. He nodded to her, and squeezed her hand. With that simple gesture she knew he understood and that he wouldn't think less of her in any way for accepting the sedative.

"Yes, please." she said. "I'll take the sedative, thank you." At her request, the technician came over and injected a small syringe into her IV line, and told her she would begin to feel calmer shortly, but it wouldn't make her fall asleep. Then with a look, Elliot knew it was time for him to go out to the waiting room.

Crouching down to her eye level, he wrapped his arms around his partner in a hug, and lowered his head to whisper in her ear. "You got this, partner." He then raised up again, brushing his hand over her head, gave her a smile, and exited the room.

Olivia lay inside the MRI chamber, listening to the knocking and rattling sounds echo all around her. "So much for my headache having gone away", she thought. She tried instead to focus on other things and let her mind wander, and before she knew it, a voice was talking to her over the intercom telling her the test was complete, and she felt the table moving back out of the machine.

Settled back in the wheelchair, they met up with Elliot, and headed back up to her hospital room. Once settled back in bed, her nurse came in and gave her the much needed pain and anti-nausea medication, and also the clearance to eat something. Olivia declined the nurse's offer to order her a tray from the hospital's kitchen, instead giving Elliot a knowing look, which he intercepted and left the room to carry out her wishes. He promptly returned a few minutes later with a cup of her favorite hot tea and a bagel, just like the morning prior, only this time, he hadn't stolen a bite of her breakfast. He had stolen two.

Sitting in the quiet after their meal, Olivia suddenly realized something, and put her hand to her forehead, muttering an "Oh, no" under her breath.

"What's wrong Liv?" Elliot asked, curious and just a little bit concerned.

"I just realized that I don't have anything to wear home from the hospital except for the bloody clothes I came here in. That is if I even knew where those clothes were. I don't even know where my phone is." Listening to his partner have a mini breakdown/panic attack, Elliot couldn't help but smile despite himself. "I'm glad you find my situation so amusing" she grumbled.

"Olivia" he chuckled, do you really think I would do that to you? "I have your personal items, I have your phone. I stopped by your place on the way home last night and packed a bag for you in case you were discharged today. It's in my trunk."

Olivia couldn't help but blush-both in embarrassment at having been so anxious over the situation, as well as Elliot having been through her personal belongings to gather her clothing. She thought about it for a moment longer then shrugged it off, instead opting to be grateful she had a partner who cared enough to do so.

They were just chatting about various things when there was a knock at the door. It was Doctor Raymond. He entered the room, shaking Elliot's hand first, then Olivia's. "Good morning detectives." He said in greeting. "I know what you are both anxious to hear, so I won't beat around the bush. The MRI this morning showed that the bleeding has stopped. There is still some significant bruising, but nothing to indicate that it will not heal given time and proper treatment."

Olivia and Elliot let out a simultaneous sigh of relief, and shared a grin. Elliot then turned to the doctor and asked the question on both of their minds. "What about the continued treatment? Will she need to stay in the hospital for that, or can that be done on an outpatient basis?"

The doctor smiled, and began to explain. "Do you have someone who can stay with you overnight for the next forty-eight hours or so?"

"Yes. I can stay with her." Elliot said, giving Olivia a look that left no room for argument.

"That is fine" The doctor said. "Then I will write a prescription for an oral dosage of the same medication we have been giving you intravenously here at the hospital. In addition, I will give you prescriptions for both pain and anti-nausea medication that you can use on an as needed basis. I don't want you driving while taking this medication, and make an appointment to see me in my office a week from today." He paused for a moment then continued. "We will probably schedule another follow-up MRI in a few weeks time to make sure the bruising has completely healed."

"Okay, doctor." Olivia said in agreement. She wasn't that upset about the prospect of not being allowed to drive. It wasn't as though she had a car to drive right now anyway.

"If you follow these instructions, I see no reason why I can't sign the forms to have you discharged this afternoon." he said in conclusion.

"Thank you doctor" Both Elliot and Olivia spoke at the same time. The doctor nodded his understanding, shook their hands once again, then left the room. The nurse entered shortly after to remove the IV line from Olivia's hand and ask if she wanted to shower before leaving the hospital.

"Yes, please." Olivia said with earnest, and the nurse left the room to gather the necessary supplies. While she wanted nothing more than to get home to her own apartment and shower there, should she need assistance, there would only be Elliot there to help. The prospects of that caused her face to flush.

"Olivia? Are you feeling alright?" Elliot asked her, curious. "Your face is red."

"I'm fine." she assured him. "Just anxious about getting home."

"Okay then." he answered, opting not to push her. "I'll go to the car and get your bag".

Both Elliot and the nurse returned to the room at the same time, Elliot carrying a small duffel. The nurse laid some towels on the bed, then asked Olivia if she needed the toiletries she had brought along. Unsure if she did or not, Olivia looked to Elliot with questioning eyes.

"No, Liv. I packed your items in there. I know how you prefer to have your own things." Elliot then, sensing Olivia's discomfort, excused himself from the room, saying he was going to go get a cup of coffee.

When he returned to the room, he found his partner freshly showered, and dressed in a pair of leggings and NYPD issue T-Shirt. A gray hoodie lay on the bed beside her and she was trying to run a comb through her hair. Though her hair was short, the wrist brace was a bit of an obstacle. He stepped over to her and gently tried to pry the comb from her fingers.

"Let me help?" He questioned softly. At her curious glance, he spoke again. "I have three daughters, remember?" She smiled then and relinquished the comb to his waiting grasp.

He made quick work of running the comb through her hair, parting it just how he knew she wore it regularly. Laying the comb aside, he helped her gather all her items and place them back into the duffel. She sat cross-legged on the bed and looked up at him.

"What is it?" he asked

"I just realized that if you are going to be staying with me, we're going to need to either stop at the store on the way home, or order in some groceries. I have nothing in my refrigerator." She said with a sheepish grin.

"What do you mean 'if I'm staying with you' Olivia? That was one of the conditions the doctor gave. Don't think for a second that I won't leave you here in this hospital if you break the rules."

"It's just that you have a new baby at home, and Kathy, and the other kids-"

"Yes, and Kathy and I already discussed this. Rather, she is the one who encouraged me to stay with you. Her mother is staying at the house helping out, I'd only be in the way. Plus, just because I'm at your place for a few days taking care of you doesn't mean I can't still visit with my own family."

"Okay" Olivia conceded quietly.

It was then that the nurse came in with the discharge papers for Olivia to sign, and followed up by going over the doctor's instructions a final time. She gave her a small plastic bag filled with prescriptions that had been filled at the hospital's pharmacy, thus saving them a trip. Despite her protests, Olivia was made to sit in a wheelchair, to be wheeled out while Elliot went to get the car and drive around to the front of the hospital where the patient drop off and pick up zone was. He carried all her bags to the car with him so she would have nothing to worry about.

The nurse and Elliot helped load Olivia into the car, and after wishing her well, the nurse returned to the hospital. Getting back into the car, Elliot looked over at his partner, who had a pensive look on her face.

"What is it?" he questioned

"Oh, I just realized something." She said, shaking her head. "All the stories you told me while I was in here, and I realized that I never once asked you what you and Kathy named the baby."

Bearing the proud smile that could only belong to a new father, Elliot boasted proudly. "Kathy wants to name him after me".

Olivia reached up behind her for her seat belt and drew it across her chest, buckling it by her hip. She thought about what he said for a moment, then answered in reply. "Just what the world needs, another Elliot Stabler."

She shot him a grin, and he shook his head in response. He put the car into drive, and pulled away onto the street, watching the hospital fade away in his rear view mirror.