Nocturnal Patterns

Disclaimer: Sadly I own neither Saving Hope nor Daniel Gillies.

Pairing: Joel & Alex (or if you prefer Alex & Joel)

Rating: T

Summary: Alex comes home late

Alex Reid was tired.

No she was exhausted.

After a long day at the hospital, she wanted nothing more than to crawl in bed, wrap herself around Joel and sleep.

She got in the car and dialed her husband's number. He picked up on the first ring.

"Hey Alex. How was your day?"

Alex sighed, "Long. Are the kids already in bed?"

"Yes, ma'am." Joel replied, "Are you on your way home?"

"Yeah…I'm leaving the hospital now. I know it's late but would you mind waiting up?"

God she sounds exhausted.

"Of course Reid. Is anything wrong?" Joel asked a hint of concern in his voice.

"No. I just missed you. And I want to fall asleep in your arms, Dr. Goran."

"Come home to me and you can, Dr. Reid." Joel said, smiling.

"You promise?" Alex asked.

Oh yeah.

"I promise. See you soon all right?"

"Joel, I love you."

"I love you too, Alex. It's late. Be careful driving home."

"I will. I'll see you in twenty minutes." She mumbled before she hung up the phone.

If I don't start driving soon I'm not going to be able to stay awake long enough to make it home.

She actually made it home a few minutes sooner than she thought she would.

Fumbling through her purse for her house keys, she walked slowly up to the front door in a drowsy haze.

Her dystonia had been acting up, and it made her hands clumsy and uncertain. She put the key in the lock but couldn't manage to turn it. She tried to pull the key out and try it again but it slipped through her fingers and fell onto the sidewalk with an audible click.

"Damn it," She whispered, crouching down to pick up the key.

When she finally made it into the house, she took off her shoes by the door and walked wearily up the stairs.

She smiled as she checked on all three of her children.

Thank God Joel already put them to bed.

I love my kids but I don't have the energy to put them down tonight.

Alex walked into the bedroom that she shared with Joel and fell into bed beside him without even changing her clothes.

"Hey Reid," Joel mumbled sleepily as his arm wrapped instinctively around her waist. "Sorry I didn't wait up. I'm exhausted."

"That makes two of us. Thanks for getting the kids down." She whispered in his ear, kissing the mole behind it in greeting.

"No problem, love. But if you keep that up we might end up with another child." He mumbled, kissing the back of her neck before he pulled the rubber band from her dark hair and watched mesmerized as it fell in a soft wave to her shoulders.

I love him so much.

I love falling asleep next to him.

I love waking up next to him.

After four years of marriage and three children, I can still turn him on.

And he can still surprise me.

It was so easy to fall into this pattern of coming home and falling asleep next to him.

She could barely remember what her life had been like without the simple familiarity of it.

Alex laid her shaking hand against his chest right over his heart and smiled, "I'm even too tired for that."

It was Joel's turn to smile, "I know."

"How did you…"

But before the words came out of her mouth she already knew the answer.

Joel Goran knows everything there is to know about me.

He knows about my dystonia.

He knows that it only flares up when I'm stressed or tired.

"Your hand is shaking," Joel replied softly, taking her hand in his and massaging it until it stopped trembling.

He raised it to his lips and kissed it for good measure. "Better?" He whispered, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.

He always knows how to make me feel better.

She nodded, and kissed him full on the mouth before placing her head on his chest where her hand had been a few seconds before.

"Thank you. You just earned yourself a dirty weekend." She said, holding back a yawn.

"I like the sound of that Reid. But right now. I think we both need to get some sleep."

I love falling asleep next to Alex Reid.

I love waking up next to her.

I love her.

"I know." She mumbled, "Love you, Joel baby Sweet dreams."

Joel kissed her forehead, "You too, Alex."