Title: "Rehab Works"

Author: Kai

Rated: T

Disclaimer: I do not own Eddie Boone (viggo) or Gwen Cummings (Sandra Bullock).

Gwen Cummings screamed into the pillow, letting out every inch of frustration she had pent up inside. She screamed until it hurt and well, quite frankly, she'd run out of air, before looking back up to the dead pot plant hanging in the window.
It had been nearly one year and three months since she had left rehab for her once alcohol problem and she'd been sober since.
None of her friends could understand why it was so important for that plant to live. The few friends she had now were all busy at work at this time for the day and her writing was getting nowhere. This plant, she was supposed to keep alive, was her only key to freedom. Freedom to once more enjoys the pleasures of wild passionate sex and meaningful relationships. And now that key was dead, gone, shriveled into brown twiggy things of oblivion.
Well, at least she still had Albert. She glared down at the mutt that had curled up at her feet. His heavy breathing slash snoring habit often kept her awake at night; many times she had considered murdering him and tying his heavy white ass in a sack and throwing him into a river. The dog could snore with rocks in his mouth.
But alas, the challenge set out to her was that in order for her to be ready to handle a relationship (after a somewhat self destructive one, with a rather cute British babe who had a fabulous accent!); she must keep alive a plant for a whole year and then progress onto a pet. She glared at Albert again.
She swore, throwing the pillow back onto the bed and paced over to the front door of her apartment. She whistled for the dog, failing to make much of a tweet and then tried it again.
Albert opened one eye to look at her. He saw the leash she was holding and closed it again.
"Right you bloody, stinky, snoring, lazy dog!" she growled, marching over to him and clipping the leash onto his collar determinedly, "That plant died because I forgot about it and it decided to eat its own oxymoron's causing to self-humiliate in front of the whole garden of Mrs. Nosey Posey next door. I'm going to hear about it for the next two weeks!" she rolled her eyes at the thought of the little old green-thumb lady next door who Gwen was sure spied on her to make sure she looked after the plant. "I ain't gonna let you get all obese on me now Albert and cark it by the end of the year, I need you alive for at least two!" She tugged on the leash and dragged fat Albert out of the apartment and onto the front steps. They would go for a walk to the park.

The clouds above looked heavy with rain, but they always did this time of year. It didn't mean that it was going to pour, or sprinkle even, it just meant, well it just gave people like her to use it as an excuse to not leave the house and curl up by the TV with a glass of... apple cider and watch Passions. Yes, she was still into her cheesy midday soap opera's, Passions just happened to be her latest victim.
Rosemary was married to her father's brother but was carrying his son's twins and her daughter, Beverly was coming out of the closet so to speak and falling for her doctor's wife and the shock, the horror, Louis had been buried alive! Oh the drama's!

Gwen was so busy recollecting the past episode of Passions that she completely forgot to look where she was going and collided with another person and their dog.

"Jesus Christ! Mary and Joseph!" she cried, coming to a secure, but somehow awkward landing on the pavement.

"Well, well, well, now I do believe I've seen you in this position before," said a gloating voice.

Gwen would recognize that Oklahoman accent anywhere and she looked up to see the wall of a man she had collided with.

"Eddie? Eddie Boone is that really you?"

The blonde haired man looked down at her with his charming smile and offered her an arm. She clung to it, and pulled herself up. It was her blasted ankle again. They moved to sit down on a park bench.

"How are you Princess?" he grinned, pushing hair back from her face so he could see her properly.

"I... I... I...," she stuttered, absolutely amazed at seeing him again, "I'm fine! And you! Well, you're as, well... HOT," she snorted, "As you ever were!"

Eddie burst out laughing, a deep sincere laugh that made Gwen's eyes smile.

"I see you got yourself a dog," he said, motioning to Albert who was making a quick toilet stop on the nearby trashcan.

Her eyes widened, remembering she was at fault for the collision, "Oh my God, yes, that's Albert! Geeze! I'm such a goghead; I wasn't watching where I was going. Are you ok?"

He laughed and nodded.

She blinked, unsure how to ask the following question and unsure she wanted to know the answer, "What about you? Do you have a dog?" she looked at him hopefully.

Please. Please. Please. Please. She prayed.

"Yes and a cat too!" he replied.

"Wow!" she coughed, "Really progressing aren't you? How long you been out? A year?"

"A year and one month," he said proudly, holding up his arm.

She inspected it closely and gasped in surprise. "What are they supposed to mean?"

"They mean, every black tattooed line I get done, is a month I've gone without... well... sex."

"Really!" Gwen gasped, looking up at him in surprise, "You mean...? You're cured?"

"Yup that rehab stuff really does work," he chuckled.

"Wow..." she breathed, "And don't you want it at all?"

He shook his head, "Not until I find someone other than the woman I marry to have it with, no."

"You're getting married?"

"Maybe."

"Maybe? What sort of answer's that?"

"Depends on whether or not she still watches stupid soap opera's."

Gwen threw her head back in laughter and punched him in the arm, "You dope head! Oh god, I shouldn't call you that, just in case Edna walks past!" she chuckled, making a joke about their ward matron, "Yes this girl still watches cheesy Soap Opera's. Passions, to be precise!"

"Passions!" he said, raising an eyebrow and pretending to be amused. His face then turned quite serious, "Did you tape last Friday's episode? I had a game on."

It was time for Gwen to laugh again. Being here with him made her realize just how much she'd missed him and how nice it was to have friends. Friends that understood just what it was to go through what you'd been through.

"You want to come over? We can pick up Chinese!" she grinned, like an excited schoolgirl.

"Do I get the remote?"

She pondered on that briefly before agreeing.

And as the sun set over the city scrappers and as its last ray's filtered through the trees and into the park, laughter from a park bench grew further away. It looked like things were going to be all right after all. Except for that stupid plant. But who need's plants anyway... right?

FIN