Hi everyone, this is my first Reela fic, its been in my notebook for a year now, and I finally decided to stop being lazy and post it on ffn. This story takes place right after Tony becomes a med student, and there is no Katey in the fic world. Oh yeah, I own nothing, NBC is awesome, you get it.

"Oh my—", Neela was frozen in her tracks as she stared at the new student in front of her. Standing tall and with a knowing smirk on his face, Gates had donned a white coat and stethoscope. Gates, the paramedic who had so casually nicknamed Neela "Mayday" on her first ride-along. Gates, the man who had seen her piss drink in a bar the night before, and had punched the lights out of two men who had tried to accost Neela. He had brought her to Abby's apartment and refused to let her drown her sorrows over Michael. The paramedic had just comforted her with soothing words and calming arms. At the time Neela had been so thankful for a shoulder to lean on, but now she felt utterly humiliated at the thought of a student, her student, seeing Neela at her lowest. This was the work place, and certain things had to be kept at home.

Realizing that she had stopped mid sentence after having seen Tony, Neela continued with

"Uh, my new students! How good to see you all so bright and early!"

The look of disgust was clear on her face as Neela thought 'I did not just say that.' Shaking her head slightly, she continued to explain the steps the students would take to register themselves as hospital interns. After sending them on their way, Neela turned and walked to the board, immersing her mind in work, as per usual. For ten minutes the woman stared at the board, taking on case after case to forget about Tony, but more so to forget about Michael. 'I'm a widow in my twenties, for God's sake!' Neela thought as she sutured up a 30 year old stab victim. Surface injury, of course. Dr. Rasgotra tended to patient after patient, not caring about anyone but the people in her care, because that was the only way to get rid of the pain.

For two hours the woman worked without a break, so immersed in her work that it took her a full minute to feel the tap on her shoulder. Until it became a persistent poking, Neela hardly notice that someone was requesting her attention. Turning around, she was surprised but not very happy to see Tony Gates standing in front of her, arms crossed and looking a bit sexy. 'Did NOT just think that…stop looking at him!'

"Oh, you're here. I thought that that was some cruel hangover trick"

"Huh…I didn't realize that drinking makes you sarcastic. So that's on my list of what alcohol can make you do: be sarcastic and sing Hindi songs."

Neela grimaced, suddenly flashing back to an image of her singing a childhood favorite from a Sheikh prayer book. 'Okay, never drinking again.'

"What do you want Gates, I have patients to take care of." Neela turned around and began walking away.

"And now you have a med student to take care of", Tony chuckled when Neela whirled around to face him with a horrified look on her pretty face. "Dr. Weaver decided that each student should trail one doctor for the whole day and lucky for me, I get to keep you all for myself."

Turning a deep shade of red, Neela walked off in a huff, fully aware that Gates was on her tail, as she muttered to herself, "This day is freaking perfect", but called out to Tony, "Stay close or get left behind, I really have no time for anything today."

A minute later, Gates looked around to make sure no one was watching so that his spur of the moment plan would go smoothly. Getting into the elevator with Neela, he was happy to note that no one else was in the slow moving car. Once the doors of the elevator close and a floor was selected, Gates grabbed Neela by her shoulders and pinned the petite woman to a corner of the car.

He then decided to be very rash or more so than he had been in the last few minutes, and silenced Rasgotra's accented protests with his lips. It worked, protests were gone, and Neela went nearly limp in Tony's arms and responded to his kisses a few seconds later. She clung to his white lab coat as a flirtatious envoy turned into a heated session of, well, passion. When the two felt the halt of the car reaching its destination, they pulled apart, Neela more readily than Gates.

He leaned towards her and whispered thickly "I will always stay close to you, and I'm sure you have more time for me than you might think", and walked confidently out of the elevator as the doors opened.

She didn't see Tony punch his fist in the air and mouth "Oh My God!" In turn he didn't see her remain in the elevator corner, telling herself, "OK, no more alcohol EVER, EVER again."

Hope you enjoyed my first chapter and read on to see how this story turns out. Reela fans won't be disappointed. Now click the review button please, it makes starving authoresses happy. )