Thanks to everyone who reviewed my previous two fics. To answer your questions, they are both only one-parters. I should have some longer fics coming up soon though. :-)

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Living for love

"I wonder how I ever made it through the day
How did I settle for a world in shades of grey?"

Isn't is funny when two completely different people find that they have much more in common than they thought? That although on the outside, they appear to lead individual lives, in actual fact they are one half of a whole? For that was exactly what Connie was thinking, as she gazed at the man beside her. It had never even crossed her mind that she would be happy just to sit next to him on a Sunday afternoon. If truth be told, she had never thought that she could feel this strongly for Ric.

"When you go in circles all the scenery looks the same
And you don't know how
And I looked into your eyes
With the world stretched out in front of me and I realized…"

Before Connie had become so close to him, she hadn't had anything to look forward to each day. She got up, went to work, did her job and that was it. The only excitement she had was sleeping with different people every now and then. Even that had become boring after a while. There was something important that she couldn't see. Love. Ric had helped her to see that she, Connie Beauchamp, was capable of loving.

"I never lived before your love
I never felt before your touch
I never needed anyone to make me feel alive…"

Connie had even begun to think that she was missing something. She wondered just when exactly it was that she had changed. She wondered when it was she had gone from a normal human being, to a cold and heartless cow. Connie wouldn't deny it; it was obvious to herself as well as the others around her. She had no real purpose in life; except to save other people. Really, all Connie needed was to be saved herself.

"But then again, I wasn't really living
I never lived before your love."

Ric was her saviour. He had saved her from alienating every last person around her. Connie smile, as she thought about how even Chrissie had begun to smile at her in the mornings. That in itself was a big achievement. People had started to respect Connie; not just as a Medical Director, but as a person. As Ric clasped Connie's hand in his own, she knew that she had never felt this wanted…this happy. Before now. He made her feel everything she had ever wanted to feel. He had brought out the best in her. He had helped her to become the person that she had always wanted to be, and for that; she could never thank him enough.

"I wanted more than just an ordinary life
All of my dreams seemed like castles in the sky…"

Connie couldn't believe how much time she had wasted already. It had taken her so long to discover who she really was, that she was scared it was all going to disappear again. She supposed that her feelings were a sign of being in love. Nevertheless, that didn't make her feel any better. However, a smile from Ric and she knew that it wasn't going to happen. As long as she had Ric; everything was going to be ok.

"I stand before you when my heart was in your hands
And I don't know how
I survived without your kiss
Because you've given me a reason to exist…"

Life had suddenly become good for Connie. She actually looked forward to waking up in the morning. Of course, the fact that Ric was the first person she saw probably had something to do with it. He was so much more loving towards her than Michael had ever been. He wasn't just loving though. He was handsome, muscular…and well endowed. Connie smirked at the confused look on Ric's face, as he noticed she was staring at him. When Ric began to look slightly nervous, Connie kissed him on the lips to reassure him that she wasn't making fun of him. His confidence was restored at once.

"I never lived before your love
I never felt before your touch
I never needed anyone to make me feel alive…"

Connie gently touched Ric's face, loving the way his skin felt against her fingertips. She traced two fingers over his cheeks, and then his lips. He kissed them softly, before wrapping his arms around her. Everything felt so perfect to each of them. They felt as if they were the only two people in the world; the only two people that mattered. Both wished that this particular moment in time could last forever.

"But then again, I wasn't really living
I never lived
I never lived before your love
I never lived before your love."

Each and every kiss from Ric wiped away one more bad memory; one more painful experience. Being with him had helped Connie to see that there was light at the end of the tunnel; that life could get better. Ric treated her properly; like she deserved to be treated. Although on the outside Connie was tough, inside she was vulnerable. Vulnerable to Ric and his love. It was one of the few times she had shown emotion, that Ric had managed to get her to open up to him. He had managed to reach what no one else before him had. Connie's heart.


"And I don't know why
Why the sun decides to shine
But you breathed your love into me just in time…"

At first Ric had found it hard to believe that Connie had a heart. He didn't think that she would ever be capable of loving him. Even now he was afraid that she would suddenly turn her back on him. Each time he saw a flicker of the old Connie appear, he worried that he would never again see the woman he loved. Connie had desperately reassured him time and time again that he was the one she wanted. As time went on, he appeared to trust her more and more; but every now and then his eyes showed doubt.

"I never lived before your love
I never felt before your touch
I never needed anyone to make me feel alive…"

Ric wasn't the only one that needed reassurance. Connie herself sometimes needed it too. After so long of hiding away her emotions, she found it hard to open up to Ric; even if he was the love of her life. Connie smiled to herself as it dawned on her that Ric was indeed, the love of her life. Since she met him he had been, and he always would be.

"But then again, I wasn't really living
I never lived
I never lived before your love."

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