So, I announced a while ago that I was going to write a Peter and Kayla story and here is the first chapter, finally. This first chapter is called after the song by Frank Sinatra, of course no rights are claimed by me. I would like to thank fanficgirl18 for helping with the plot and character development.
Also, if everything goes according to plan I will be updating once a week so if you like it please give it a follow!

Enjoy!

Peter, Kayla and... Frankie?
Chapter 1: Love and Marriage

''Love is deaf... You can't just tell someone you love them. You have to show it.''

Incredible, unforgettable, wonderful nights don't happen often. Not that he was complaining. Peter Riggs was a blessed man; at 34 years old he was exactly where he wanted to be in life. He had a job with long hours and not the best pay in the world, but he loved it nonetheless. He had a beautiful doctor for a girlfriend, a nice apartment and an engagement ring waiting in his bedside table for the moment he was ready.

It had turned out he didn't need it though. Aside from being incredible and unforgettable, the night Milagro Rey was born had been emotional and in a split moment decision he had decided that the time was right: while she was wrapping the newborn baby up in a blanket he had asked Kayla to marry him.

She hadn't said yes or no, but it didn't matter: the gleam in her eyes had told him all he needed to know. He loved her and she loved him right back. They were meant for each other and nothing was going to break them apart, Peter was sure of it.

In fact, he had known it almost from the start. That first day they met there had been a spark. They didn't technically date for a while but that was beside the point, there had always been something there. He had known it when she fell for the guy who worked at the zoo she volunteered at and he had known it when they picked each other for Secret Santa.

Peter couldn't even put into words how glad he was to have found 'the one'. He knew most of the girls he went out with pictured him as a ladies' men and the majority of them thus weren't interested in a long-term relationship. And he honestly hadn't felt the need for it either. He had once found who he thought was the true love of his life and after losing her he didn't want anyone.

It had been his high school sweetheart. A smart, beautiful, strong woman who had made him fall madly in love with her in the 10th grade. And he wasn't dumb: he knew teenage relationships were bound to fall apart sooner or later but he hadn't cared – he had been in love.

Their relationship had lasted longer than expected. They had gone off to college – she to Georgetown and he to a local college, he became a nurse and she a family doctor. They had become engaged and stayed together until he decided to join the Peace Corps. Neither of them had been in denial for that long: long distance wasn't going to work for them and with Peter – not knowing when he would get back – and with Francesca – wanting to go off and have fun -, they decided to call off their wedding and break up.

Peter sighed at the memory of the half Italian, half Greek beauty he once loved. It was a distant memory and the last time he saw her seemed like a lifetime ago. As he quickly downed his slightly too hot coffee – and burned his throat in the process – he pushed the memory to the back of his mind. He had Kayla now; there was no need to think of the past.

It had taken a long time for him to get over Francesca – or Frankie, as people lovingly called her – and he wasn't about to go dwell on it. He had Kayla now. Sweet, beautiful, smart Kayla. He had taken the engagement ring out of his nightstand – it was time to ask her for real this time.

She deserved better than a spur of the moment proposal. Kayla had already gone into work and during their lunch break he was going to take her up to the garden he had made on the roof of the hospital, and he was going to ask her again.

He was going to go down on one knee, pull out the black velvet box, give her the speech he had written for her after their first date and ask her to marry him.

''Keep your eyes closed,'' Peter said as he opened the door to the roof with one hand and kept the other one over Kayla's eyes. Okay, the simple proposal had turned a bit more extravagant and he knew that as soon as Kayla saw the roof she would know that something was up. He looked down at her and couldn't help but smile, ''you're peeking through aren't you?''

Kayla grinned slightly, ''no.'' She lied, she had known something special was going to happen since the moment he had semi-proposed to her almost a week earlier. She knew he probably hadn't planned that and he wasn't the kind of person to half-ass something. Kayla had been expecting 'something' very patiently and when he told her that their lunch was going to be extra special today she had known that this was it.

She had her eyes half open and could vaguely see through his hand. She could see flowers, lots of flowers. There were always flowers everywhere on the roof – along with a small, round table accompanied by a couple of chairs. Not much else, aside from Peter not a lot of people came up here – which in her opinion was a shame, her boyfriend certainly had a green thumb.

''So, what's the surprise?'' Kayla asked innocently. She knew that he knew she knew. Despite the fact that she had been seeing it coming for a while now she was still nervous. Not for the proposal, mind you. For the part that came afterwards. So many people were looking forward to getting married; in Kayla's opinion the prospect of being married was a lot more daunting.

Her parents had given her a great example of how wonderful married life could be and she could only hope she and Peter would have a story half as wonderful as theirs.

Walking onto the roof she could hear the door close behind her and Peter removed his hand from over her eyes. She knew that given the time of year the flowers would be in bloom, but she hadn't expected this. There were flowers everywhere, not just in the planters. Every color of the rainbow was represented by an array of flowers, every single one more beautiful than the previous one.

''What do you think?'' Peter smiled at her and the amazed look on her face was exactly the one he had been aiming for when he set it all up. The engagement ring was burning a hole in his back pocket it seemed, he couldn't wait to finally give it to her. He had been waiting for the appropriate time to ask her since their first date.

''Peter… it's beautiful,'' Kayla told him in awe. It was hard to believe they were on a roof in her opinion. She could feel tears burning in her eyes. Like every little girl she had dreamed about this moment. Okay, after her brother accidentally got shot and died in her arms most of those dreams had been replaced by being a kickass doctor who saved lives around the clock. But the occasional dream of being proposed to and the subsequent wedding had been there as well.

Peter got the ring out of his back pocket but kept it behind his back. ''Kayla. At the time I didn't know it, but looking back now I know I loved you since the first time I laid eyes on you. Every time you smile I fall more and more in love with you. Seeing your determination to better the lives of the people around you continues to inspire me to be a better person.

''There are many things I love about you; there's no way I'll be able to tell you all of them but… you are beautiful, loving, caring, smart, opinionated,'' he chuckled. ''You know who you are and what you want and you've made me see what I want: you.'' He paused before going down on one knee and moving his hand from behind his back. ''I want to marry you.

''If you let me then every day for the rest of my days I'll show you how much I love you. Kayla Thornton, will you marry me?'' He asked her.

Kayla smiled down at him. ''Yes… yes, of course I will marry you,'' she answered the question she had waited for for so long. She was nervous to find out what their future entailed but at the same time excited to find out. Knowing that he would be with her, every day… it made it look a lot brighter.

Peter slipped the ring on the appropriate finger and stood up, ''I love you so much,'' he whispered to her before he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. Leaning his forehead against hers he smiled, ''I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you.''

''Same here,'' Kayla told him.
Peter smiled and grabbed her hand, ''do you want to go tell everybody?'' He asked her. Personally he couldn't wait to let everyone know, especially since he knew that the people they worked with were rooting for their relationship.

She bit her lip, ''do you mind if we wait?'' She asked. ''At least until I've told Keisha and my parents, I want them to know first.''
''Of course,'' Peter hadn't thought of that. He didn't have a close relationship with his family – which pretty much just consisted of his mother, Stella. They were different in almost every way possible and barely maintained contact. ''Just let me know when you're ready.''

Walking back into the clinic, Peter couldn't suppress the smile spreading on his face. He knew it was a dead giveaway but he couldn't care less. He had never been this happy and if Kayla had let him he would've let the whole world know.

He came to a halt at Lana's desk, ''who is next?'' He asked the receptionist.
Lana looked up as she handed him the patient's file, seeing the widespread smile on his face she couldn't help but be curious, ''what has got you smiling?'' She asked as she sat back and started filing her nails.

''Nothing,'' Peter shrugged. It was obvious he was lying but if Kayla wanted him to keep his mouth shut then that's what he was going to do.
''Haven't you figured out yet that Lana can see straight through you?'' Lana asked him as she stood up. When Peter didn't say anything she narrowed her eyes at him. ''Fine. I'll let it go. For now.''

''Thanks,'' Peter said as he looked through the file she had given him. ''Has the new doctor gotten here yet?'' He asked. Lu was originally going to only take two weeks – tops – off, but after the dramatic birth of her daughter the hospital chief of staff had ordered her to take off longer. This meant that they had to actually get someone to fill in for her, a task that had taken them a whole week – but today the new doctor was finally going to be here.

''Yeah, she came in a half an hour ago. Had to fly in from San Francisco,'' Lana replied. ''She's right over there,'' she nodded to Lu's office where the new doctor was conversing with Dylan West.

Peter looked up and turned around. His jaw dropped at the sight, ''Frankie?''

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