AN: Another H&A romance! Again I've gone with a pretty random pairing and this time it's something different for me because it's a het fic. I sort of like Billie even though she's a bit of a psycho, at least she's got some spunk, and I think it's about time VJ had a love interest.

I guess the direction of this story will kinda depend on where they go with the show but I do already have an ending in mind. Anyway, enough from me, hope you all enjoy this one...

When Billie woke it wasn't Marty by her bedside like she would have expected, it was that VJ guy. The one she'd yelled at for covering her car in graffiti.

"What are you doing here?" she rasped out. Her throat felt dry and raw like she'd been swallowing razor blades. She had a half-formed thought about water and her hand fumbled towards the bedside table where she thought it might be.

Her visitor noticed and helped her, holding the cup to allow her to sip from the straw.

"You were really brave today."

"Thanks," she managed to say around a painful swallow. She didn't feel brave. She felt groggy and sore and sorry for herself.

"The way you ran straight into the house was amazing. Zac and Matt and Oscar might've died if you weren't there."

The teenager seemed impressed by her heroics but in actual fact she hadn't even thought about it. She'd just acted on instinct. People in a burning building needed to get out as quickly as possible, simple as that.

She gave him the best smile she could muster, hoping that it might satisfy him enough to see that she was okay and that he could leave her alone. It seemed to have the opposite effect though. The kid looked determined to stay by the side of the person he deemed a hero. She didn't know what to say, all she felt like doing was sleeping. He watched her intently, the awe he felt plain on his face.

Just as the moment threatened to grow awkward Nate walked in.

"Billie, it's good to see you're awake." She didn't know how to feel about that, his hurtful words still echoed in her head. A waste of space he'd called her. Would he still think that now?

"Is it?" she bit back, unable to keep the bitterness out of her voice. Despite all that had passed between them she had hoped that he would come to see her in a different light. That maybe one day he'd realise he did have feelings for her. That seemed unlikely now after the way he'd spoken.

"Of course it is," Nate assured her, picking up her chart to read it. "How are you feeling?" She realised he was speaking as her doctor, nothing more, nothing less. He was polite and professional and she hated that he wasn't more upset that she'd been hurt. What was so wrong with her that none of the guys she liked wanted her?

"I'll wait outside," VJ announced. She'd forgotten he was there. He headed out into the corridor, miraculously not hitting his head on the door frame as he left. He was ridiculously tall for a kid.

"You were very lucky today," Nate told her.

"I don't feel lucky."

"Give it some time, your injuries could've been much worse."

"How are the others?"

"They're all fine. Thanks to you." He gave her a smile then, a more genuine one, and so far today it was the only thing that made her feel remotely better.