Title: Slow Dance In a Parking Lot
Author: SneetchesToo
Rating: PG-13 (mentions of some past stuff, there's a few cuss words)
Pairing: Ethan/Leanne; mentions of Mario/Noa; and Elliot/Eloise if you squint
Summary: Leanne wants food that doesn't come from a vending machine. Ethan wants 5 minutes alone with Leanne. Jesse wants to know where his favorite doctor has disappeared to. The residents want to know why Colonel Willis looks so happy. And Campbell just wants to know why his two best doctors aren't answering his calls.

Author's Notes: Based off of the song "Slow Dance In a Parking Lot" by Jordan Davis. Each chapter is written around a verse of the song, and each chapter is a different character's POV.

A/N 2: This is meant to be a follow-up to On a Mission but if you didn't read it, that's okay.

Leanne

Lights go down, wheels go around
I'm taking you home;
Hoping for a slow song to come on the radio now
I'm not ready to shut it down.

45 minutes after a 45 hour code black and Campbell had finally released everyone for what was sure to be a very short lived break. Knowing this, Leanne Rorish's goal at this point was simply to eat something that didn't come out of vending machine, and whose expiration date wasn't questionable. Grabbing her bag she made a beeline for the front door of Angels just in time to hear her stomach growl in anticipation.

"Where are you heading in such a hurry?" She heard Ethan's voice call from behind her, an obvious humor in his slightly demanding, yet curious tone.

Stopping just this side of the sliding doors she turned, offering him a small smile. "To get food." She gestured outside, using her thumb. "Preferably something that doesn't have to be microwaved."

"Ah." Shoving his hands into the pockets of his military issue pants he raised an eyebrow. "Care for some company?"

"I would love some company." She offered him a smile before continuing, knowing that she would have to act fast before the others tried to join them. "But we should probably get out of here before anyone tries to crash our party."

Ethan chuckled as he walked towards her. "Point taken."

They both exited Angels and headed across the street to the little diner, hands brushing ever so slightly as they crossed in front of the unusually quiet hospital. As they approached the diner Ethan stepped in front, reaching for the door and holding it open for her, offering her a small smile as he did.

"Why thank you sir." Leanne offered him a smile, stepping inside and heading towards the booth in the back. Their booth, the one they always shared, though very rarely while alone.

Ethan followed in silence, his hands having returned to the front pocket of his pants. He took the seat across from Leanne and immediately flagged down a waitress.

Leanne looked up, surprised when she didn't feel the seat next to her dip like normal. "Everything okay? I don't think I've ever seen you sit on that side of this table." Concern instantly entered Leanne's brain and it was taking everything she had not to panic. Ever since she and Ethan had hooked up a little over 4 months ago they had been hot and heavy, spending every free moment with each other. Except it seemed to be that lately those free moments were fewer and farther between. Ever since they had lost Heather and Malaya had taken a leave of absence, shifts at Angels had taken a turn for the worse. Leanne noted that it also didn't help that she now had Ariel to care for, the teen taking up much of her waking hours, though she wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. However, she hadn't noticed a change in Ethan's behavior, he seemed to be just going with the flow of things. Encouraging her to spend time with Ariel and to rest when she had the chance; her body still not fully recovered from the events of 6 weeks ago. That was, she hadn't noticed any change until tonight. He seemed distant, lost, and as much as Leanne wanted to chalk it up to having just worked a 50 hour shift, she knew there was something more going on.

She was snapped out of her thoughts when he replied, "Yeah. Just wanted to be able to actually see your face for once." He smiled, that smile that made her fall for him in the first place, the one that melted her heart, that he saved just for her, and all doubt went out the window.

"That's sweet of you." She reached across the table and took a hold of his hand. "It is kind of nice to see your face too."

He chuckled, rolling his eyes all the same, and squeezed her hand. They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, the waitress arriving with their usual order, leaving with a quick smile.

Leanne couldn't resist digging into her food immediately, pulling her hand from Ethan's as if it were on fire. "Easy there darling, you'll make yourself sick if you eat too fast."

If he had been anyone else, she would've kicked him, especially for calling her darling, but instead she just smiled before pausing to slowly unwrap her silverware from its place in a white napkin. "Better, dear?" The slight annoyance in her tone only made him laugh and he just nodded his head, digging into his French toast.

They finished eating in record time and while Ethan went to the counter to take care of the bill Leanne wandered outside, the sounds of the live band drawing her in. The crowd was thin, no more than 10 people milling around the small parking lot turned patio, but the band didn't seem to mind. Leanne found herself a stool at a high top table and sat down, letting the cooler than normal air calm her nerves.