This is my first ever fanfiction and I would greatly appreciate any feedback. I miss Leddie so much on Holby that I thought I would try my hand at writing a fanfic exploring their thoughts and feelings in the build up to their first kiss. Sorry in advance for any mistakes that I may have made. Hope you enjoy and I will try to update as soon as I can. Thank you!

Chapter 1

Eddi sat at the nurses' station, examining her right hand carefully. She could still feel it tingling or was she imagining it? What was wrong with her? In that dark corridor, with adrenalin pumping through her body, with Luc asking her whether she agreed and with the young patient's life dependent upon her answer, all she had been able to think was the same: what's wrong with me? For when Luc so unexpectedly grabbed her hand, she had been shocked by the jolt of, she didn't know what it was but she had definitely felt something, which shot up her arm and through her body, straight into her stomach and left a tingling in its pathway.

She could not understand it. It was not as if she fancied Luc. She hated him, had hated him since that first encounter up on the roof when he had been insufferable. He was weird, patronizing, a sanctimonious teetotaler, he was 'Dr Freakenstein'! He lived in a camper van, in the hospital car park! He couldn't get any weirder than that. He even looked weird! To prove her point, she looked towards where he was, performing the manual extraction. What a weir..., well actually, if she was being honest with herself, there would be some women who would find him quite attractive. Not her, of course, she didn't fancy weirdos but he did have a handsome face, he was tall and he had a lean body. Not too bad, not too bad at all Hemingway.

She was jolted from her thoughts by the realization that having finished the extraction, Luc was coming towards her. She quickly clicked on her e-mail inbox and busied herself, reading her mail. Luc returned the manual extraction patient's file and was picking up the rectal examination patient's file when he heard Eddi let out a cheer of joy.

'I know you're glad to be back but that's a bit OTT isn't it?'

Eddi showed him the e-mail from Hanssen and explained about the funding.

'That's a shame. I liked working in the dark', was his reply.

I was right, he's such a weirdo. 'Have you got dog's hearing?' she asked.

'No, I just look for signs', he said and removed the post-it note from the machine and stuck it on her shoulder and left.

Eddi felt his hand on her shoulder and looked to where his hand had been. She saw the post-it and removed it to read it. 'DO NOT REMOVE FROM AAU'. What did it mean? Did he not want her to leave AAU? But this did not make sense. He hated her. He could not wait for her to leave AAU. He could not bear to work with her. He had told her so. Or had he? She cast her mind back to New Year's Day.

'I can't stand any more of you. And I'm sure the feeling's very very mutual', she had said.

And he had replied, 'Is it?'

Was it? Had it been mutual? Or had it been just her? So what did this note mean? Did he actually enjoy her company? Instead of filling her with revulsion, this thought made her smile. There I go again. What is wrong with me today? I hate him! Or do I? To be honest, part of me enjoys the verbal sparring; I look forward to it and it gives me a better high than any alcoholic drink could.

Thoughts of New Year's Day brought back the memories of New Year's Eve and a vision of Luc in his boxers. She had been telling the truth when she said he had nice legs. He had very nice legs and an even nicer face; the kind of face that a girl could look at all day long.

She looked at Luc. He had a pained expression on his face as he performed the rectal examination with the junior nurse that she had assigned to him. The patient was not being co-operative and the nurse was not very experienced and therefore not very helpful. For a moment, she was tempted to go and help him but only for a moment. For all those times you irritated me, she thought as she smiled and stood up. Her shift was over and she had told Frieda that she would wait for her by the doors.

What have I done? Luc thought as he performed the rectal examination. Why did I stick that post-it note on her? DO NOT REMOVE FROM AAU. What must she be thinking? Well, he did not have to worry as she had made it very clear that she disliked him with a passion. What is wrong with me? What was so special about her? Ever since that first encounter on the roof, she had piqued his interest like no other woman had done since Elise. He did not feel that he was betraying Elise's memory as she had died ten years ago and Elise would not have wanted him to remain single. They were both very different women and the only thing they had in common was that they were both very passionate about and committed to their profession. Elsie had managed to penetrate his socially awkward outer shell with her patience and kindness, two qualities Eddi seemed to lack, at least regarding him. However, she had managed to capture his interest and he could not explain it. She was everything he despised: a borderline alcoholic with an inverted snobbishness, mouthy, never shy of creating a scene. Yet, she was intriguing. And very pleasing to look at, a certain elfin charm about her! But he must stop thinking in this manner as it would only lead to heart ache, just like it had with Elise. Better to stay unattached and distant. Well, he did not have to worry as she obviously hated him but he was not going to give her any more 'signs'!

As she changed into her clothes, Eddi looked at the post-it note and debated whether to throw it away. It was no love note and they were definitely not a couple and he was not her type and he was still a weirdo but it was one of the nicest things any man had ever given her. She hadn't received any love letters from the previous men in her life nor had they been very complimentary of her. Therefore that little post-it note meant a lot more to her than she would ever care to admit. She put it away in her pocket and closed her locker. It had been a very long day but the day's events had taught her that she could be certain of two things: firstly, Luc might have the worst bedside manner ever but he was a brilliant doctor and he could be trusted to do his best for his patients always; secondly, he had a face that she might, just might, start liking to look at!

As Luc entered the locker room, he saw Sasha. Not having a normal childhood meant that Luc found it difficult to interact with others and make friends but Sasha made it so easy that Luc counted him as one of his few friends in AAU.

'What's this I've been hearing about a power cut and an evacuation of the ward? Eddi must be glad to be rid of the lot of us!'

'Actually, Eddi's still here. She's decided that she wants to hang around AAU for the foreseeable future'.

'Has she?! That's great!'

Luc was silent for a moment and then he looked at Sasha and smiled, 'Yes, yes it is. We can't afford to loose brilliant nurses like Eddi'. However, what Luc was actually thinking was that it would be nice to come into work tomorrow knowing that he could be assured of an exhilarating verbal sparring with Eddi. The sparring was fine, let's keep it at that rather than complicate matters with 'signs' and thoughts about 'elfin looks'.

Eddi was standing by the AAU doors, waiting for Frieda. She was looking forward to a relaxing evening after the day she had had.

'Eddi!' Sasha said, coming up behind her, 'I heard the good news!'

'Good news?' Eddi looked at him blankly.

'Yes, Luc told me that you are going to stick around with us!'

'Did he now? I bet he must be devastated!' she smirked.

'Actually, he sounded quite pleased. Give him a chance Eddi. He's not so bad', said Sasha, defending his friend.

'So everybody keeps telling me!'

'Anyway I better go. Talk to you later', Sasha gave her a quick hug and was gone.

Eddi looked up to see Luc coming towards her, on his way home (if you could call that camper van of his, 'home', she thought. What a weirdo!)

'Another night out, Nurse McKee?'

He's never going to let me forget New Year's Eve, thought Eddi as she replied, 'Some of us have lives, if you must know, Mr Hemingway'.

'Well if it involves getting so drunk that you end up making a fool of yourself and choking on your own vomit, then I'd rather stay at home', he smirked at her and was gone as Frieda came up behind her.

'Think we need to arrange another rectal examination for Dr Freakenstein!' she said to Eddi.

Eddi watched Luc leave AAU and turned to Frieda, 'Naah. He's not so bad'.

Frieda stared open-mouthed as Eddi walked out of AAU. As she walked away, her hands in her pockets, Eddi felt the post-it note that she had put in there earlier. 'Do not remove from AAU'. There was a spring in her steps, so much so that Frieda had to almost run to catch up with her and her mouth curled up into a smile.