Chapter 1
"Have you ever been in love? Horrible isn't it? It makes you so vulnerable. It opens your chest and it opens up your heart and it means that someone can get inside you and mess you up." - Neil Gaiman.
xxXX-XXxx
Jo rolled over and looked at Alex who lay sleeping silently beside her. She loved him more than she though ever possible. And he loved her in a way she couldn't understand. Why did he love her? His eyes opened and he smiled. 'Hey, are you watching me sleep?' He asked, wrapping around her stomach.
'Is it creepy if I say yes?' Jo said, grinning.
'Yeah, real creepy.' He said, laughing. 'What time is it?'
'Nearly five.' Jo looked at the clock on the wall. 'I'm on Arizona's service today.'
'That's cool, she likes you.'
'No, she likes you, she tolerates me because of it.' Jo sat up.
'You don't give yourself enough credit.' Alex followed her movement and kissed her. 'Just go and be a great doctor.'
'Okay, will I see you today?' She said.
'I might come in for lunch, I have some stuff to take care of.'
'Well it's your day off. Don't work too hard.' Jo smiled, kissing him again before heading into the bathroom. As she went, Alex sighed and rubbed his eyes. He really wish he knew how to tell her about the letter they received in the post the morning before. More specifically, the letter she received. He doesn't know what possessed him to open it, but it felt important. A letter from the Blue Peak Correctional Facility, telling her that her father had been released from prison. Jo had told him that her father was dead.
xxXX-XXxx
After Jo had left for work Alex picked up the phone. He dialed the number on the letter and it rang for a few moments until a deep voice answered; 'Blue Peak Correctional.'
'Yeah, I'm looking for some information on a recently released inmate, Steven Renner.'
'Are you a family member?' The voice asked. Alex sighed.
'No, but my girlfriend is, I just need to know...' The man cut him off.
'I'm sorry sir, we can't release that information unless you are a family member.'
'Whatever.' Alex let out a breath and hung up the phone. He threw it onto the bed and laid back down. There must be some way to find out about Jo's father.
xxXX - Flashback - XXxx
The candles were lit and the music was playing softly in the background. Alex handed Jo a glass of wine and took a swig of his beer. 'This is nice.' Jo said, looking at him.
'It's very nice.' Alex agreed. 'We should do it more often.'
'We should, but who knows when we'll have the time.'
'We can make the tim Jo, I'm not going anywhere.'
'I know.' Jo smiled, kissing him and moving in closer. 'I just want to stay like this forever.'
'We could quit being doctors and just barricade ourselves in here.' Alex grinned. 'We'd only have to go out for food.' Alex put his beer down and took Jo's wine from her.
'Or live on take out, get the food to come to us.' She grinned as he pulled her in for another kiss. They moved to the sofa and sat down, still kissing. After a moment Alex pulled away and looked at her. 'What?' She smiled.
'You're so damn beautiful.' He said, running his eyes over her face as she brought a cushion up to cover it. 'Don't.' Alex sat up.
'Don't what?' Jo asked, following him.
'You do this thing, when people pay you a compliment. You look away, or hide.'
'I do not.' Jo said.
'You just did, with the cushion.' Jo sighed, picking up her wine and taking a sip. 'Why?'
'I don't know Alex, can we go back to having a good time?'
'We are having a good time, and you do know why. You just don't want to tell me.'
'I do want to, Alex, I swear.' She looked away from him. 'It's just hard to talk about.'
'It doesn't have to be, not with me.' He pulled her around so that they were facing each other. 'Does it have to do with your father?'
'What makes you think that?' Jo questioned.
'You just never talk about him, or anyone from your past, your family.'
'You're my family, I don't need anybody else. And besides, my father died a long time ago.' Jo kissed him.
'Will you tell me some day?' Alex pleaded.
'I will, but not today okay.'
'Okay.' Alex conceded. 'I love you.'
'I love you too.' She agreed, kissing him again.
xxXX-XXxx
Alex sat up and thought about that night. He knew he would find out now and he knew everything led back to her father. The only thing he did know is that she took her mother's maiden name even though she had never met her, and that she left her father to live in her car as soon as she got one, then she found out that he had died. God knows what the man did to end up in prison, and why Jo would rather tell people he's dead, but he would do everything he could to make sure the man didn't come near the woman he loves.
