Final Chapter!

For Olivia-Jordan, because she wanted an update very much!

For Mariposa Angel, because sometimes we do get what we want!

For Ad Hominem Argument because adjectives do make a difference.

And for all those who have read and reviewed – sincerely appreciated !!! xox

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Mount Sinai
Dr Slater's Room
10:55 am

Olivia sat in the small waiting room impatiently tapping her foot and checking her watch. She watched the door for any sign of Elliot and cursed whatever was keeping him away. She watched two patients go in before her. Each with the same look she had seen on her own face in the mirror than morning. The first lady, a woman in her sixties, came out smiling broadly, the second, a woman in her twenties exited in tears, Olivia thought of herself as the tiebreaker. She watched the door to the office and cursed Elliot again, knew she'd be going in alone. She wasn't sure if she could face what lay ahead by herself, but when Dr Slater came to the door she knew she had no choice. Damn you, Elliot, you started this, she muttered to herself as she approached the door with overwhelming trepidation.

"Olivia, come on in," said Dr Slater. She walked in and took the far seat. "Elliot not coming?"

"He's running late, he said he'd be here," Olivia answered and absently crossed her fingers for luck.

"Well, we'll catch him up when he gets here. Now, I have the results of your tests from last week." He glanced at the paperwork in Olivia's file and then up at his anxious patient. "It's okay, Olivia, breathe."

"Sorry, I guess I was a little more nervous than I thought," she replied, mentally cursing Elliot yet again.

"There's no need to be – your results are good, all of them. There is no sign of cancer at all. We should be able to schedule the reconstructive surgery within the month. How does that sound?" Dr Slater put down the files.

Olivia drew a deep breath, trying to take in the news. "It's gone? All of it? I don't have cancer?"

"You don't have cancer, Olivia, not one little bit. Of course you'll have six monthly check ups for the first two years and annual reviews after that, but I am very confident you'll have a full recovery from this," Dr Slater announced.

"Thank you, thank you so very much." Olivia said, breathing for the first time since Elliot had taken her breath away the first night in London.

"I'll send your file to the plastic surgeon and his secretary will contact you…sorry," he said as he answered the ringing phone. "Oh, really? Yes, we've finished in here. You can come in now." Dr Slater hung up the phone and looked at the door, it opened.

Olivia smiled, anticipating Elliot, she stood to greet him, his absence forgiven by the good mood she was now in. She took two steps towards the opening door but stopped suddenly when she saw Don Cragen standing there, blood covering his once crisp white shirt.

"Oh no, no, no," Olivia shook her head. "Don't tell me…No, Don…No!" She backed away from her boss.

"No, Liv, no," he moved to her and grabbed her shoulders. "Elliot's alright – well, not alright but he's alive."

"Oh God, oh God!," she mumbled, trying to comprehend the new situation she found herself in.

Her legs gave way and she slumped back into the chair. "What happened?" she managed before the tears began to stream down.

"He was caught up in this morning's shootings on 5th Avenue," Don explained, his hand holding hers tightly.
"He's been shot? God!" Pain and panic etched on her face.

"Look, Liv, he's down in the ER, he's in a serious but stable condition and…" Don began.

Olivia was out the door before he could stop her; he caught her arm at the elevator. "Liv, I'll take you to him."

As they approached the trauma bay, Don pointed to a chair and told Olivia to sit.
"No, I want to see him," she insisted, pushing on the doors.

"Sit!" he ordered. "I'll go in first, sit!"

Reluctantly she did and after a few eternally long minutes he came out for her. The colour drained completely from her face as she entered the room and saw the toll the two bullets had taken on Elliot's chest.

"Elliot!" she cried, rushing to his side.

"I'm...alright…Liv. Sorry…missed…appointment," he gasped. "How'd it…go?"

"I got the all clear," she said, her tears splashing on his face.

"Told…you…..…so." He slipped into unconsciousness.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

When Elliot awoke from the surgery, seven hours later, Olivia was still at his side.

"Hi…Liv," he whispered, struggling to remove his mask.

"No, leave it on Elliot," Olivia instructed, putting it back into place.

"But I…need…" He tried again.

"You need to leave it on." Olivia held it in place.

He drifted off to sleep again.

"Elliot?" He struggled to open his eyes. "Elliot, I broke your code." She kissed his forehead three times.

"Huh?" he replied groggily. She repeated herself. "I can't hear you, Liv."

She took his head in her hands. "Listen very carefully!" She planted three firm and deliberate kisses on him. "Get it that time?"

He nodded. "I love you too, Olivia."

The following day, when the effects of the anaesthetic had worn away, Elliot sat up in bed, his pain numbed by a concoction of drugs, his breathing assisted by the pure oxygen flowing through his mask. He was supposed to be listening to his boss but his mind kept drifting. "Elliot?" Don's voice brought him back.

"Sorry, what did you say?" Elliot tried to focus on the face before him.

"I wanted to know whether you wanted this back yet?" he asked, producing the trademark pale blue ring box from Tiffany's which had been entrusted to him in the ER yesterday.

"Yeah." Elliot mumbled, putting out his hand.

"Are you going to ask Liv to marry you?" Don asked, pleased with this development.

"Yeah." His smile unmistakable.

"Will she say yes?" Don asked.

"God… I hope… so." Elliot's eyes widened, he had ever considered she'd say no.

"Am I interrupting?" Olivia called, knocking on the door frame.

"Never," Elliot replied, she was the best medicine he could hope for.

"I was just going, Liv, take my seat." Don said. He kissed her cheek before leaning towards Elliot and kissing his forehead too – something he had never done in his life before. Without another word he went out into the corridor and leaned back on the cold wall. He raised his face to the ceiling and did something else, which was foreign to him, he thanked God. For the past two months he had been scared to death Olivia would be taken from him, she was the only daughter he would ever know, yesterday Elliot was nearly taken. While he had served with many fine men throughout his career, Elliot was the one he was closest to, the son he never had. Today he had them both, and if Olivia said yes, they'd have each other and that in itself was enough to thank God for.

Olivia and Elliot eye's both followed their boss' departure, neither speaking at first.

"He kissed…me!" Elliot finally said.

"He loves you, like I do." Olivia kissed Elliot's forehead three times and then sat on the bed.

Elliot shook his head, "I hope it's ...not exactly like... you do," he said before smiling broadly.

Olivia sighed deeply, no one could love him like she did. "What do you think you were doing getting yourself shot on 5th Avenue yesterday?" she asked, her fingers running through his hair.

"I had… to get this." He produced the Tiffany's box from beneath the covers. "I know you wanted… to wait until after your… appointment… to discuss us but…I wanted you… to know just how much I love you." His long and whispered declaration left him breathless. "Regardless…of how you went…I was going to ask…you to be…my wife…before we went in to …see Dr Slater." He drew some deep breaths.

"You were?" Olivia asked, noting the past tense. "Changed your mind?"

He nodded and took her hand. "I once asked someone…to be my wife…and we know how…that turned out." He gave a half smile. "I've been doing a …lot of…thinking and I don't…want a wife."

"Oh," Olivia whispered, tears starting to pool in her chocolate eyes.

Elliot raised her hand to his mouth and kissed it, before brushing away the single tear which had escaped down her cheek.

"You see…" he continued. "This time 'round…I don't want a wife…just a wife…I want to be …a…husband…I want to be…your husband…if you'll have me!" He opened the box

"Oh God, Elliot, it's beautiful!" Olivia exclaimed removing the sparkling diamond encrusted ring from its velvet home.

"Just like you!" He tried drawing a deep breath, it didn't work. "Olivia...will you let me…be your husband?"

"Yes!" she whispered, tears cascading down her cheeks as he slipped the ring on her finger.

Elliot pulled off his mask and Olivia kissed him tenderly but noting his almost instant breathlessness she pulled back.

"It's alright, Liv," he protested as she tried to replace his mask.

"No, you need the oxygen," she said as she put in back in place.

"I need you more," he whispered, she was better than any oxygen supply.

"You have me," she whispered, kissing his forehead, then mask. "Besides, when you're up and about again; I'll have you breathless each and every night, in a much better way."

"Promise?"

"Promise!"

And so it was that Olivia and Elliot kept their promises and many a day, and night, were spent repeating their efforts in London and making new memories and new ways to make each other breathless.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Thank you to all who have read it all; it's been a fun ride!

Nettie