ANY PORT IN A STORM
Written by Ann Rivers ann.rivers@virgin.net
Completed 26 January 2002
Summary: Jesse answers another fateful call for help…
Spoilers: Bachelor Fathers
Disclaimer: Diagnosis Murder and its characters belong to CBS and Viacom
No profit is being made from their use here.
I just wanted to cheer up Jesse in his hour of need.
Chicago may have been the official Windy City, but tonight that title belonged to Los Angeles.
After a day of high winds and rain, the city was now being buffeted by the grandmother of all storms.
Standing at the window of his living room, Jesse Travis couldn't help but feel a kindred sympathy for
all those unfortunate souls who were having to work through such a diabolical night.
Earlier that day he'd been in the same boat himself, called back to the hospital after a multi car pile up.
People were going to need arks at this rate, let alone boats, he thought with an unnatural sense of gloom.
Certainly the torrents of rain that were lashing against the windows were now of Biblical proportions – the horrendous weather a worrying mirror for his current, oddly despondent mood.
It had been an especially fraught shift, with barely enough time to catch breath between casualties.
Only when the deluge had finally slowed down had he felt the warning twinges of stiffness in his arm.
Rather than face the third degree from Mark, or leave him even more short handed, he'd worked on –
a decision which, given the thudding ache in his shoulder, he would spend the entire night regretting.
A couple of painkillers would take away the pain in his arm, enough to ensure him some sleep, but…
well, it would take a lot more than that to heal the pain in his heart.
Jesse closed the blind, wishing he could do the same to the moodiness that currently plagued him.
As Steve had gently explained to him, being shot and nearly killed tends to do that to you.
That had been almost a week ago, though, and he still couldn't shake himself out of this lethargy.
Needless to say, three concerned friends were all making sure that lethargy didn't get out of hand.
Mark, worried he'd come back too soon, was keeping even more of a fatherly eye on him than usual.
Having gone through the same trauma himself, Steve had patiently listened, advised and reassured,
while Amanda had insisted that he join her and the boys for yesterday's trip to the zoo.
Another reminder of that trip brought a welcome smile to Jesse's face as he turned from the window.
A huge cuddly elephant, a get well present from CJ and Dion, beamed back at him from his easy chair.
Okay, he was a bit old now to go to bed with a cuddly toy, but… well, it was the thought that counts… Grateful for the lift in his mood, Jesse playfully tickled its trunk before moving on into the kitchen.
A search through its cupboards for some painkillers caused his smile to grow into welcome laughter.
He should have known better than mention to Steve and Amanda that he needed to get some food in.
Now he realised why her stern order to eat when he got home had come with such a mischievous smile, and why Steve had unexpectedly left the hospital that morning on a cryptically vague errand.
Cupboards that had been close to empty that morning were now crammed with jars, bottles and boxes.
And for the first time in several days, he actually felt like eating. Another good sign…
Finally locating some aspirin, Jesse chased two down with some water while choosing what to have –
a loud growl from his stomach prompting him to make that choice more quickly.
Five minutes later, cheered by the blessing of good friends and the speed of a new microwave,
Jesse headed back into the living room with a piping hot pizza and a plateful of garlic bread.
Yes, this was more like it, he thought, cheered still more by a marked improvement in his shoulder.
Short of another all hands on deck call from Community General, the rest of the night was his.
And with the weekend free too, hopefully he'd chivvy himself out of this misery rut by Monday.
There was no shortage of tasks to keep him busy - the accounts for BBQ Bob's being the most urgent. Some gently therapeutic accounting tomorrow, then, before joining Mark and Steve for dinner.
First, though, a quiet night in – winding down in front of the TV with two of his greatest passions.
Good food and, hopefully, a bone-crunchingly good football game.
Oh yes, Jesse thought contentedly as he stretched out on the couch, definitely what the doctor ordered…
The game had already started – the Bears at home against the Cowboys for a place in the Superbowl.
While not one to gloat, Jesse felt a certain wry smugness towards the bedraggled souls on the field – rather grateful now to have been thought too small and skinny to make his high school football team.
Many of his old school friends had gone on to win scholarships to join their idols at Wrigley Field.
Some may even be playing tonight, getting soaked to the skin and about to get thumped black and blue.
Settling back with his meal, Jesse's grin widened still further, the devil in him enjoying their plight.
Yep, being small and skinny definitely had its advantages…
Besides, baseball was a lot less painful – except when you got knocked out by a would be home run…
Still smiling at the memory, Jesse hunkered a little further down into the cushions behind him –
finding a comfy niche for his shoulder while scooping out a large slice of pizza.
As he'd hoped, the Bears were already making promising inroads through the Cowboys' defences.
Jesse was soon thoroughly enjoying himself, cheering on Elgin's more famous sporting neighbours –
his earlier despondency vanishing in the thrills of the game.
Then the doorbell rang, and Jesse groaned in frustrated exasperation. Just when he'd gotten comfy…
For all their concern over him, he knew it was unlikely to be Mark or Steve or Amanda.
Stocking his kitchen was one thing, and genuinely appreciated, but overfussing was quite another.
When he'd said that he was okay and would join them for dinner tomorrow, they'd known not to argue.
"Sorry, buddy, whatever you're selling I'm not interested…" Jesse muttered, notching up the volume, hoping with typical naiveté that whoever had disturbed him would take the hint and go away.
No such luck, of course. A few seconds later, the doorbell rang again, longer and louder this time. Mocking him with the knowledge that the only way to stop it was to get up off his butt and make it.
Whoever it was out there was pretty persistent. Real stubborn, too. Then again, so was he…
Just when a lengthy silence suggested victory, however, a sharp knocking replaced the doorbell –
the urgent call of a familiar but impossible voice causing him to wonder if he'd overdone the meds.
Surely he was hearing things. Yes, that was it, he was starting to feel drowsy from those painkillers. There could be no other explanation, other than he was falling asleep and imagining that he could hear…
"Jesse…! Jesse, are you there…? If you're there, Jesse, please… please, answer the door…! Jesse…?"
Jesse shook his head, still convinced that he was hearing things as he cautiously rose to his feet.
On the plus side, his shoulder merely throbbed for a moment before the painkillers kicked back in.
On the downside though… well, he was hallucinating… he just had to be hallucinating…
Of course, not many hallucinations took physical form, or had the ability to break through solid wood…
Which could only mean…
His heart suddenly relocating to his throat, Jesse moved as quickly as he could towards the door –
all sorts of scenarios for why she was here flashing through his mind.
She sounded upset, though… very upset indeed…
The sight that met his eyes when he opened the door did nothing to lessen his shock or surprise.
Susan Hilliard stood dripping in the hallway, dishevelled and windswept out of her cover girl beauty.
Anxious blue eyes, reddened from crying, stared back at him from under a soaked tangle of blonde hair.
Even the most amateur detective would have already realised that something was very seriously wrong, let alone one who spent so much time around the real thing as he did.
Still in shock from both her presence and appearance, Jesse finally found his voice – but not his tact.
"Susan…? What the… I – I mean, what the hell are you doing here…? Why aren't you in Oregon…?"
To his horror, she started to cry again – so uncontrollably that her entire body started to shake.
Mentally furious at himself for being so insensitive, Jesse quickly pulled her into a long, gentle hug – comforting her as best he could while a flood of tears and raindrops dampened his shoulder.
"I – I'm sorry, Jesse…!" she whispered at last, calmer now but still tearful as she looked up at him.
"I - I know how much I've hurt you, and I know I'm the last person you'd expect or want to see, but…
Jesse, I just didn't know where else to come, and I thought you'd understand, and… and…"
"It's okay, Susan… whatever's caused you to come here, it's gonna be okay…" Jesse soothed her,
his initial shock now giving way to the gentle compassion she'd flown almost a thousand miles to find.
"It's okay, you'll be safe here… easy now, it's gonna be okay…"
To his relief, Susan managed an albeit shaky smile in return – one that grew as she fingered his shirt.
"Now we both look like drowned rats…" she said at last, though seemingly in no rush to move away.
She'd forgotten how much she'd enjoyed having him hold her, the strength behind his gentleness.
How safe and strong and secure that hug had always felt.
"Don't worry, it was due for the laundry anyway…" Jesse replied with his trademark, playful grin – another reminder of just how much she'd missed him. How much she'd come to regret leaving him.
Feeling her start to shiver, and now somewhat chilled himself, Jesse then grew more serious.
Stooping to pick up her suitcase and holdall, he then gently steered her into his apartment.
Too drained to argue, Susan then watched in weary bewilderment as Jesse trotted into his bedroom. Emerging a few moments later with an armload of clothing, he passed the bundle to her and grinned. "You'll catch pneumonia if you stay in those…" he went on, nodding towards the bathroom.
"Here, you can take a shower and change into these and then I'll put your wet stuff through the dryer…"
A typically practical solution – and one that Susan wasn't even going to try and challenge.
After a turbulent approach into LAX which had even left the cabin crew a little green around the gills, the thought of a long hot shower and a change into warm dry clothes was one she heartily welcomed.
"That's the best offer I've had all day…" she admitted, still awkward though as she caught his arm.
"Jesse, there's so much that I need to explain to you, and tell you, and…"
"I know…" Jesse replied just as softly, offering her the comforting hug he'd already sensed she needed.
"Later, though… right now, you need to get into that shower before you start to shrivel…"
Not daring to suggest that he join her, Susan just smiled and nodded before heading for the bathroom.
Jesse watched the door close behind her in thoughtful, still concerned silence.
He'd be the first to admit, if only to himself, that it had hurt like hell when she'd left him so suddenly.
Just as he'd freely admit that being footloose and fancy free had its good points too.
But in spite of all the women he'd dated since Susan had left, none of them had touched the same chord.
True, they'd often bickered and argued, each as stubborn and determined not to give way as the other – as Mark had once jokingly said, enough for them to already qualify as an old married couple.
When it came to the real thing, though… well, that was when the real arguments had started.
Susan had wanted to settle down while Jesse, fearing he'd fall into the same trap as his parents, hadn't.
He'd tried to explain it all to her, even suggesting that they got engaged to prove his commitment.
But Susan had wanted it all, right there and then. Husband, house, lots of babies, the whole caboodle.
In the end, when Jesse had continued to say no, she'd found someone else willing to say yes.
Apparently, however, not to the whole package…
Jesse had already guessed that Susan's dream of domestic bliss had instead turned into a nightmare.
A pretty drastic one, too, for her to have fled back to LA – not to mention come to cry on his shoulder.
And where Jesse may have expected to feel resentment or bitterness, instead he felt quietly flattered.
In spite of all their differences, the past hurt they'd caused each other, she'd come back to him.
Oddly happier than he'd felt in months, Jesse took Susan's drenched holdall into the kitchen.
As he finished laying out its contents to dry, a soggy leaflet plopped onto the floor beside him.
Picking it up, Jesse then felt his jaw drop in utter surprise at the implications of its subject –
Air Travel And The Pregnant Passenger…
Assuming it to be part of an overall travel guide, Jesse quickly checked for the remaining pages.
Finding none, he sat back on his stool while staring, astonished, at the soggy bombshell in his hand.
"To borrow your phrase, Sam…" he said at last, quoting one of his TV heroes, "Oh, boy…!"
"I'm hoping it is…"
That voice again, quieter than before, broke into his thoughts – causing him to look up with a start.
To his relief, she didn't look angry at what he'd said, or dismayed at what he'd found.
She just looked tired and vulnerable, not sure what to say next… where or how to even start to explain.
A firm believer that actions spoke louder than words, Jesse rose to his feet and moved to join her – meeting her once more anxious eyes for just a second before wrapping her in another protective hug.
"It's okay, Susan…" he soothed her, holding her gently tighter as she broke down once more.
"Whatever's happened before, it's alright now… you won't be facing this alone, I promise you…"
The words she'd longed to hear. Still too distressed to reply to them, though, Susan simply nodded –
happy to just stand there in his arms and allow herself to be gently held and reassured and comforted.
Feeling, as Jesse had done just moments before, genuinely happy for the first time in too long a time.
While equally reluctant to break this contact between them, Jesse drew away slightly so their eyes met.
"Okay, first things first…" he said at last, keeping his arm around her while steering her onto the couch.
"Now, assuming it stayed put coming through that storm out there and… well, little junior in here,
did you get anything to eat on the flight…?"
"I don't think even the pilot dared to try…" Susan replied, calm enough now to manage a wry joke back.
"Even without little junior, I haven't thrown up so much since that bout of giardia…"
"That bad…?" Jesse winced, grateful there was none handy for her to throw at him as he asked dryly,
"What, they couldn't even offer you any jello…?"
Try as she might, Susan couldn't help but laugh too while playfully slapping his stomach.
"I'm more in the mood for pizza…" she grinned, hungrily studying the remnants of Jesse's meal.
"Me too…" Jesse deadpanned, grinning though as he scooped up the plates and headed for the kitchen.
While waiting for that and a fresh pizza to warm through, he kept a discreet eye on his unexpected guest.
There was no telltale bump yet, so he could guess that Susan had only just learned of her pregnancy.
Now that it had dried a little, he noticed that her hair was shorter, cut in a neat bob just below her jaw.
And while he'd always preferred her hair long, he had to admit that the new style suited her better.
By the time he returned with reheated pizza and a fresh pot of coffee, Susan had regained her appetite – thanks, no doubt, to being back on solid ground again.
The company, too, was another welcome improvement – quietly attentive, comfortingly familiar.
And, it had to be said, that company's left shoulder was still mighty comfy to snuggle up to.
Yep, mighty comfy… she thought, smothering a yawn while she reached for her final slice of pizza.
By the time she'd nibbled down to the crust she was more or less asleep, too exhausted to eat any more.
Gently prising the untouched crust from her hand, Jesse sat watching over her in thoughtful silence.
Not that he'd had much experience of it, of course, and this had nothing to do with his ego, but…
well, there was nothing like having your ex girlfriend still trust you enough to lie asleep in your arms.
Still smiling, Jesse muted the TV's volume before draping the sofa's throw around Susan's shoulders.
Not exactly the quiet night in which he'd had planned, but… well, he wasn't complaining.
Settling back again, Jesse then felt his smile widen as he closed his own eyes and drifted into sleep.
The woman he'd loved and lost was back in his arms – and his shoulder had finally stopped hurting.
Outside, the storm was easing too. Things were looking up…
Susan's last waking memory from the previous night was one of stringy cheese and comfy shoulders.
Her first waking awareness the next morning was warm sunlight filtering through the curtains,
and the delicious aroma of freshly brewed coffee.
Settling back into a nest of cushions behind her, she then smiled at seeing another source of pleasure.
The comfiest cushion of the lot was pottering about in his kitchen, unaware of her amused scrutiny.
No doubt remembering their past battles over the bathroom, Jesse had wisely decided to get in first.
Now, towel across his shoulders and hair still wet from the shower, he rolled up the sleeves of his robe – the sight of him stretching to take down some plates from their shelf only adding to her enjoyment.
"Danger, wannabe chef at work…" she murmured, fondly shaking her head at this familiar scene.
All teasing aside, though, she knew from months of happy experience that Jesse was an excellent cook.
And judging by the delicious aromas that now reached her, it was going to be blueberry muffins.
Before she could see for sure, however, Jesse realised that she was awake and waved a cheery greeting.
"Hey, sleepyhead, good morning…!" The bright smile then faded as he glanced at the pans on the stove.
"Oh, I – I'm sorry if I woke you…"
"If you're making what I think you're making, it'll be worth it…" Susan grinned in happy anticipation – even happier to be proved right when she joined him at the breakfast bar.
Of course, where Jesse's notorious appetite was concerned she'd expected a feast, but this…
"Hey, you're eating for two, remember…?" Jesse went on, nodding towards her still slender stomach.
He looked so charmingly defensive that Susan burst out laughing.
"Well, yes, doctor, that's an excellent point… and so your excuse would be…?" she asked innocently,
laughing even more at the face he pulled in response.
"I'm working on it…" Jesse shot back, scooping a final muffin onto an already typically laden plate.
"Now do as your doctor says, woman, and eat your breakfast…"
"Yes, sir…" Susan giggled, seemingly contrite but for the mischievous grin on her face.
Laughing at the equally playful glare she received in response, Susan then tucked hungrily in –
enjoying the familiarity of sharing breakfast with him while taking in slightly less familiar surroundings.
He'd had the place renovated, its fresh new look enhanced by a new suite of sofa and easy chairs –
the somewhat unusual occupant in one of them piquing her curiosity as she sipped her coffee.
"Present for CJ…?" she asked, knowing the special bond Jesse had with Amanda's fast growing son.
He'd delivered countless babies since then, of course. Hopefully her own would be another.
"Uh, no, the other way around…" Jesse replied, privately grateful when she just smiled and left it at that. She'd come to him for help and comfort in her time of crisis, not become caught up in one of his own.
Then again, he thought in silent relief, that crisis now seemed to have eased, if not entirely lifted.
It seemed there was no better way to forget your own problems than to help someone else with theirs.
While maybe not in the same way, Susan's thoughts appeared to be following the same path –
her smile fading slightly as she fingered the rim of her glass.
"I guess I have a lot of explaining to do…" she said at last, clearly awkward as she looked up at him, heartened by the gentleness of Jesse's smile, yet puzzled when he shrugged and shook his head.
"I'm guessing that your Dr Backbone lost his when he found out about the baby…" he said at last, wincing slightly as he realised that hadn't exactly sounded as he'd intended.
To his relief, Susan was already nodding in thankfully calm but, he sensed, still embittered agreement.
"He was furious…" she admitted quietly, clearly appreciating his gentle hug as she softly continued,
"I – I mean, he'd assured me that he wanted a family as much as I did, but… well, I guess not as soon…
also the practice wasn't doing as well as he'd expected, so we were already short of money, and…
he even had his secretary give me this letter, revoking all interest or responsibility for the baby, so…
well, when I realised what a creep he really was, I just packed what I could and got out…"
Not wanting her to become upset again, Jesse simply nodded while holding her gently closer.
"You did the right thing… and there'll be no arguments while you're here with me…" he promised her.
Hoping to reassure her further, he then hugged her once more – cheering her up as only he could.
"Well, maybe just one… who's going to finish off this final muffin…?"
That won him a grateful smile and an equally grateful hug – but not the muffin.
"I am…" Susan said firmly, adding insult to injury by stealing the excuse he'd used on her earlier.
"Hey, I'm eating for two, remember…?"
Too relieved by her teasing to retaliate, Jesse pulled a face while turning back to his own breakfast – soon laughing again, though, as half a blueberry muffin slid onto his plate.
It must be love, he thought wryly – wondering if he dared hope that Susan was thinking the same thing.
Jesse then sighed, mentally reining in those hopes before they ran too far away from him.
Yes, he still had feelings for her – and not just from wanting to help and protect her in her time of need.
But the events from last week were still painfully raw – jumping to conclusions a hard lesson to learn.
And, much as it pained him to realise, he was still doing it. Making assumptions too soon and too fast.
Damn it, she'd barely left a disastrous relationship and he was already telling himself she still loved him.
Until he knew for sure, to assume that she did wasn't fair – on either of them.
Anxious not to go down that depressing road again, Jesse then looked up at Susan and smiled.
"Hey, it's turning into a great day… do you feel like going out somewhere…?" he asked at last –
a little guilty that he'd made the suggestion more for his sake than hers.
"Mm…" Susan nodded, thinking for a moment before she sighed and shrugged her shoulders.
"For one thing, I'm going to have to find myself a new apartment, and…"
"Why pay out rent for that when you can stay here for free…?"
The words were out of his mouth before he could stop himself – and had caught Susan equally off guard.
Mentally promising himself a stronger set of reins, he shrugged and shyly added a sheepish compromise.
"If – If you want to, that is…"
Her delighted smile suggested she wanted to very much – yet uncertainty over the practicalities lingered.
"It's wonderful of you to offer, Jesse, but… well, for one thing there's only one bed, and…"
"So I'll sleep on the couch…!"
While genuinely touched by his gallantry, Susan couldn't help but make a playfully realistic point.
"For eight months…?"
"Okay, you can sleep on the couch…" Jesse grinned, ducking to avoid a beautifully aimed tea towel.
As another threatened to follow, he cowered in light-hearted surrender. "Okay, okay, point taken…!"
All teasing and tea towels aside, Susan could tell from the look in his eyes that he was serious.
She thought she could see something else there too, something beyond their playful warmth.
Or maybe she was just wishing it so…
One thing was for sure, though. If anyone could find a way around a problem, it was Jesse.
"I'll work something out…" Jesse went on, the glint in his eye suggesting the cogs were already turning.
Not daring to ask what that something might be, Susan just nodded then frowned at another tricky issue.
"I'll have to start earning again – and soon…" she sighed, looking up at him with a tentative smile.
"Do you suppose you could ask Mark if… well, if he'd still be willing to give me a reference…?"
"I'm sure he would… in fact I'm having dinner with him and Steve tonight…" Jesse nodded eagerly. Hoping that he'd gauged her mood correctly, he then took her hand and smiled as he added gently,
"I'm sure he won't mind setting an extra place… and I'm sure he won't mind if you ask him yourself…"
Relieved by her nod of agreement, and reminded that he had his own offer to see to, he then stood up.
"Come on…" he said brightly, clearing the counter of tea towels, "Let's go find us some bunk beds…"
Beyond her smile of amused agreement, Susan couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed.
If truth be told, sharing just the one bed with him again would have suited her just fine.
"Damn hormones…" she muttered, grateful he hadn't heard her as she followed him towards the door.
The storm had cleared away much of the night's draining humidity, leaving behind a bracing freshness – one that at least brought Susan's overactive imagination under control.
Fate, however, apparently had other ideas.
"I can't believe it's so hard to find some bunk beds…!" Jesse complained as they left yet another store.
"Well, Jesse, they are geared more towards children…" Susan pointed out, unable to resist teasing him. "And I don't think that salesman took too kindly to you trying out the ones we did find…"
"Hey, how was I to know we were in the kids section…?" Jesse argued, trying to re-assert his authority. "Apart from the fact that there weren't any signs, those pine ones were just what we're looking for…" "Jesse, your legs were dangling out the end…" Susan shot back, finding it impossible not to laugh.
"And I for one don't want to spend the next eight months sleeping in a bed the size of a shoebox…" Something in the way that she looked so directly into his eyes caused Jesse's pulse to quicken a little –
and turned all his intentions not to rush things into jellied chaos.
"So what do you want…?" he asked softly, praying that he wasn't about to make a total fool of himself.
Startled that he'd read her so easily, Susan then smiled in the relief of seeing the same hope in his eyes.
The same doubtful uncertainty, the same silent hope that their feelings for each other hadn't changed.
Her reply, when it finally came, laid all doubts and uncertainties to rest.
"You…" she said at last, still searching his eyes – encouraged by what she found there to add quietly,
"I want a fresh start here, a healthy baby, somewhere safe for us to live… and you to be part of it…"
While Jesse continued to stare at her, she then grinned and coyly mimicked his earlier shy afterthought.
"If – If you want to, that is…"
The reaction was all she'd hoped for – a baleful glare, followed by delighted chuckles of laughter.
"Oh, I want to…" he finally replied, turning more serious as he drew her into a gently protective hug.
"Just as I want you to know I'm with you in this, every step of the way… and I won't let you down…"
"As if you ever could…" Susan smiled, happily losing herself in the gentle warmth of his eyes.
Still niggled by disgust at what she'd left him for, she then sighed and ruefully shook her head.
"What the hell was I thinking, leaving you to get involved with such a creep…?"
"It was probably hormones…" Jesse deadpanned – wondering why her face turned so red in response.
Worried that his joke held more truth than teasing, he was instantly serious again, radiating concern.
"Hey, are you okay…? You know, you look beat… why didn't you tell me you were getting tired…?
You'd better stay here and take it easy while I go back and get the car and… hey, what's so funny…?"
Not daring to tell him the real reason, Susan stopped laughing, albeit with difficulty, and shook her head.
"Jesse, I'm fine… really, stop fussing…" she chuckled – knowing he wouldn't do anything of the kind.
"I've just probably caught the sun a little bit, that's all…"
It was the first rational explanation she could think of. Unfortunately it was the wrong one.
"Well, there's a drugstore over there… we'd better get you some fresh sunscreen…" Jesse went on –
still gently lecturing her as he took her arm and led the way. "Maybe we'd better get you a hat too…
you know, with your colouring and skin type, you're especially vulnerable to getting sunburn…"
When the expected argument failed to arrive, he then turned and eyed her in stern suspicion.
"You have got some on already, haven't you…?"
"Of course I have… maximum protection…" she lied – dreading the riot act she'd face otherwise.
Still, all mother-henning aside, she had to admit it felt good to be cared about. Worried over. Loved.
Of course, she thought a few minutes later, shaking her head at the garishly bright hat in Jesse's hand, being cared about and loved and fussed over had its drawbacks too…
The sheer irony of it made her smile as she watched Jesse search through the stand for an alternative. For someone who hated to have a fuss made over him, he was quite an expert at doing so himself.
She could still feel his eyes constantly glancing towards her when they finally left the drugstore –
his second, more sensible choice of a plain white baseball hat already planted firmly on her head.
"So what's next…?" she asked – rolling her eyes as the inevitable list appeared from his pocket.
"Well, I think we've agreed that we don't need a new bed…" he replied, winking slyly back at her.
As Susan blushed, Jesse realised that he'd stumbled upon the real reason for her earlier 'tiredness'.
Naturally keen to make the most of it, even if that meant suffering later, his grin mischievously widened.
"Forget sunscreen, I think we'd better get you home and into a cold shower…!"
Revenge came sooner than he'd expected – before they'd even crossed the street.
Yelping in surprise from where she'd goosed him, he turned to a dubiously innocent Susan and glared.
"A very cold shower…" he added dryly – although he, too, was laughing as he said it.
After a thankfully warm shower, they set out again on the next phase of Susan's fresh start.
Sensing her nervousness as they arrived at Mark's beach-house, Jesse glanced across at her and smiled.
"Hey, don't worry, it's okay…" he said gently, taking her hand. "You're home with friends now…"
Smiling back, Susan nodded – any lingering unease vanishing in the warmth of Mark Sloan's welcome.
Not just the fatherly understanding she'd hoped for, but a long hug of real pleasure at seeing her again.
From where he stood watching proudly beside her, Jesse caught her relieved smile and winked.
"Like I said, you're home…" he mouthed, adding a silent "Thanks…" to Mark as they headed inside.
She'd expected nothing more than Mark's help in finding her a new job and his support over the baby.
Needless to say, Mark Sloan went one better.
"Well, Susan, there's only one thing I can say on helping you find a new job…" he said at last –
trading a conspiratorial wink with Jesse before favouring her with a broad, delighted smile.
"Your old one is there if you want it… complete with all the antenatal and postnatal care you need…"
"Although I'm guessing you're getting quite a lot of antenatal care already…" Amanda chipped in – watching in amused approval as Jesse slid another cushion behind Susan's back.
"Am I ever… not that I'm complaining…" Susan agreed just as dryly, casting him a grateful smile.
A pause, followed by the inevitable punchline. "Well, not yet, anyway…"
"I'm glad to hear it…" Mark chuckled, still laughing at the rueful look on Jesse's face as he went on, "Speaking of which, there's something else that I'd be glad to hear… honey, when can you start…?"
While Jesse continued to fuss around her, Susan looked across at Mark and rolled her eyes.
"Would tomorrow be okay…?"
"I'll have your scrubs and stethoscope all ready for you…" Mark winked at her before turning to Jesse.
"Speaking of which, Jess, don't forget you have that post-op check on your shoulder tomorrow…"
"Post-op check…?" Susan echoed, casting a suddenly uneasy Jesse a puzzled glance.
Mark had naturally assumed that Jesse had told her of the traumatic events for the previous week.
Judging by the confused alarm on Susan's face, and Jesse's pained wince, he hadn't.
Realising this, Mark threw his young friend an apologetic smile from one end of the couch,
while Susan threw him another confused glance from the other.
She didn't need to do any more than that – her silence and a quizzically raised eyebrow said it all.
"I didn't want to alarm you, especially since… well, since you were already upset…" he said at last,
hoping against hope that a sheepishly contrite shrug would be enough to appease her.
For once the melting smile failed to melt. The other eyebrow rose and Jesse knew he was in trouble.
For a moment he was tempted to joke his way out of it. But no, Susan deserved better than that.
"I kinda got shot…" he said at last – taking advantage of her stunned silence to try and tell her the rest.
"Just after you left, I – I started dating another nurse… Grace Boyd… I – I don't think you knew her…
anyway, it… uh, it didn't work out, and she left soon after to take care of her sick mother, and…
when she died soon after, she left Grace and her sister Maureen a pretty large inheritance, and…
well, last week she turned up at the hospital with her baby son, and… uh… well, she… uh…"
As the pain in Jesse's voice continued to grow, Mark stepped in to save him further upset.
"Grace and the baby were being threatened…" he explained, placing a gentle hand on Jesse's arm.
"And like any mother, she was desperate to protect him… so she told Jesse that he was the father, knowing that he'd keep Casey safe and take care of him until we found out what was happening…"
Susan was about to ask the obvious question – guessing from a glance to her left that she didn't need to.
The raw pain of betrayal on Jesse's face, the telltale picking of his hand at his sleeve said it all.
Gently stilling it with her own, she gave it a reassuring squeeze before nodding for Mark to continue.
In fact Steve took up the story – as anxious as his father was to close a still painfully raw subject.
"Maureen wanted the whole lot, so she scammed her own death, then had her partner kidnap the baby… she knew that, in her desperation, Grace would use her share of the inheritance to pay off the ransom…"
Steve then paused for a moment, reminded of his own shock on realising that Jesse had been shot.
"By the time we realised what she'd done, it was nearly too late…" he went on, his voice tellingly quiet. "After killing her accomplice, Maureen went after Grace and the baby to tie up the loose ends…
in trying to warn and shield them, Jess got caught in the crossfire…"
"Just clipped my shoulder…" Jesse said quickly, recovered enough now to offer his own reassurance.
"But nothing life threatening, or anything like that… and I'm okay, Susan… really, I'm fine now…
Steve was there with me when it happened… and Mark operated on me, so I knew I'd be okay…"
Although she smiled back and nodded, Susan clearly wasn't prepared to settle just for that.
With Jesse still needing some comfort himself, it was a dead heat as to who hugged who first.
And judging by the tightness of that hug, it seemed set to last for some time.
Looking on in relieved approval, Mark glanced at Steve and Amanda and smiled as he rose to his feet.
"Come on…" he mouthed, nodding to where Jesse and Susan still sat wrapped in each other's arms.
"He'll be okay now…"
Leading the tactful retreat into the kitchen, he turned at its door to enjoy a final glance behind him.
When Jesse and Susan had ended their relationship, it had surprised and saddened all of them.
They'd been so happy together, even through the challenge of dead fiancés and obsessed femme fatales.
Having survived all that, one seemingly irreconcilable difference had finally forced them apart.
A lot had happened to each of them since then – much to make them older. Wiser. More tolerant.
Now they were back together, in each other's lives again – albeit under the strangest of circumstances.
And, he thought with a fondly wry smile, a lot of long and happy marriages started out that way…