**A big thank you the TheSmutWillSaveUsAll for all her great ideas, while we drink wine across three time zones.**

Julius tipped his hat from his spot at the bar. The owner, Clyde, nodded quietly as he hit the light switch and disappeared out the back door. The room was dark now, save for one dim light bulb dangling from the ceiling directly over where Julius was seated. He leaned his arm on the smooth, freshly-waxed surface and began to drum his fingers nervously. He paused to take a glance at his watch.

2:06 am

Where could she be? Surely she couldn't still be out there, not in this weather. He knew he should have gone with her when she'd left the office this afternoon.

Just then, the front door to the joint swung open. A startled Julius jumped off his bar stool as a flash of lightning revealed a dark silhouette standing in the entrance. He pushed aside the front of his black trench coat and wrapped his large hand firmly around the gun in his holster. A cascade of rain was falling outside, as the figure ran into the room, the door slamming closed behind them. He squinted in the shadows as it came towards him, gasping for air.

"JULIUS!"

He felt her thin arms wrap around his neck as his hands found her waist. He sighed in relief.

"Jessica, what happened out there!"

She pulled back, giving him the first real glimpse of her in what seemed like days. His eyes traveled from her bright blue eyes to the limp, wet strands of black silk hair that hung in waves around her shoulders. Her white blouse, now transparent from the rain, clung to her as her hands found their way into the hair at the nape of his neck.

Her lips quivered as she spoke, her eyes turning away. "I thought I'd never make it back alive. I, oh God…." She hid her face as she leaned her forehead against his chest.

He shook her shoulders violently, forcing her to look at him. That's when he saw it, the hideous purple and blue bruise rising around her right eye.

He shook her again. "Tell me you're okay. Tell me you didn't get bitten." He raised his voice, the words spilling out in frantic desperation. "Please, Jessica…"

She looked up at him with tears in her eyes, her voice quietly gasping for air as she tried to get the words out. "I…...I don't know. It happened so fast. I…..I didn't know what to do. I just ran here and…."

Julius grabbed her arms and pushed her onto a stool. Reaching for her coat, he began to pull it off her small frame.

"We have to get you undressed immediately, Jessica. Make sure there's no broken skin." He looked up with a terrified stare. "There's no more antidote left…." She nodded slowly, knowing what that meant. She knew that if the zombies had bitten her, he would have to kill her to save himself.

He threw her coat to the side, the soggy teal wool pulling it onto the floor. Squatting at her feet, he gently tugged at her red pumps, the slick leather sliding under his fingers as they fell softly to the floor. He swallowed hard, unable to resist reaching out and running his hand up her calf muscles, covered in the black tights she always seemed to be wearing. He tenderly swept his finger over a small tear, where he could see a bright red scratch in her smooth, pale skin peaking through. He froze when he heard a small gasp escape her lips and he raised his eyes to meet hers.

"Julius..." She mumbled softly as her eyes glistened in the soft light of the light bulb dangling above her. His gaze remained fixed to hers as he rose to his feet. His hands settled on her waist, watching her face while she sat on the stool breathless. Without moving her gaze, her slender fingers began to slowly unbutton her transparent white blouse. Resisting the urge to drop his eyes to her now exposed breasts, he nervously circled his thumbs along her hip bones, his grip gradually tightening around her perfectly slender body.

Jessica sat up straight on the bar stool and shimmied her shoulders just enough to have the thin fabric slide over her arms and float to the floor. Placing her hands over his, she clasped them tightly and brought them to her swollen lips, softly brushing his knuckles against them. Her voice was ragged and vulnerable, "I'm scared Julius."

"It's going to be okay. I'll always take care of you, Jessica..."

"Jessica. Hey, Jess," Jess lifted her head slowly and blinked her eyes heavily, her shoulders aching and her eyes puffy beneath her glasses. Nick's voice was soft in her ear, as his warm breath drifted across her cheek. "Let's get you to bed, okay?"

She was sitting at Nick's desk with his laptop open in front of her and Nick was squatting down next to her rubbing her back and holding the hand that she had been using to rest her head. He smiled at her and kissed her cheek, letting out a laugh. "Hey beautiful, I didn't think my new story was that bad."

She rubbed her eyes behind her glasses and laughed. "I'm sorry. I guess I was more tired than I thought."

He stood up, pulling her with him and wrapping his arms around her waist. "It's okay." He reached up to run his hand across her cheek, following the indentation the edge of the keyboard had left along her jawline. "Let's just go to sleep."

She yawned as they walked toward the bed. "I really liked the story, by the way."

He laughed. "Yeah, I can tell." He pulled back the covers and ran his hand along her back as she climbed in.

"No, it was good, Nick. At least what I remember." She frowned as she ran her fingers through her hair, her eyes following Nick as he walked around the bed and climbed in next to her.

"Well," He settled against the pillow behind him and put his arm around Jess. "thank you for reading it. I wasn't sure if you'd like the direction I was going. I've never written something like that before."

She snuggled into his side and laid her head on his shoulder. "I never thought Julius could show so much emotion. He really is a romantic at heart."

"Hmm. Maybe." Nick reached down and found her hand, taking it in his own and running his thumb across her knuckles. "But don't forget his wild and crazy side too. What's not to love?"

"He's definitely someone I'd want on my side."

Nick smiled, leaning his head back and resting against the cold wall just above his pillow. He closed his eyes and let out a chuckle. "Pepperwood is a pretty smooth guy. He's important, and adventurous, and isn't afraid to throw it all on the line."

Jess' voice got noticeably quieter. "I don't know. That might be fun for awhile, but what if at the end of the day, all Jessica wants is someone to pull her into bed and rub her cheek while she falls asleep. Or just to, I don't know, hold her hand and make her a cup of tea?"

Nick opened one eye and scrunched his face to look at her as she lifted her head. "I don't think that would be enough for someone like Night." He shook his head. "She's too...she deserves so much more than that. A guy who is confident and successful."

"I think she just really wants to be loved." Jess sat up and bit her lip, looking down at their clasped hands. "You know, because sometimes that's just...enough."

Nick swallowed hard and spoke softly, watching her expression closely as she continued to avoid eye contact. "Is it? You think if Julius told her he loved her, she'd say it back?"

Jess took a deep breath and turned toward him, bending her legs underneath her. Holding his hand in both of hers, she gently ran her fingers over his wrist. "I think she's afraid to let that last piece of her heart go, because every time she's let a piece go before it just ended up more broken."

He sat up and pulled her hands toward his lap. The hand that had been over her shoulder gently tucked a loose curl behind her ear. He whispered softly. "He wouldn't do that. He couldn't."

"Why Nick?" Her voice cracked with quiet vulnerability as she raised her eyes to his. They were a darker blue than he had remembered, just from moments ago. He couldn't understand how lost he could get by just looking into them.

He took a deep breath, letting go of her hands as her fingers closed around his arm. His hand moved to the side of her face and he ran his thumb across her cheek under her eye. "Because he's been in love with her for a long time and he would do anything to make her happy."

"Being with him is what makes her happy..." She took a deep breath. "you make me happy, Nick."

"I do?" His voice wavered, suddenly so unsure about what was happening and how much he wanted to tell her what he was feeling. What he had felt for so long now.

She smiled softly, a pool of tears now suspended on her long eyelashes. "You have to know that. It's always been you. I've never been this happy before."

He took a deep breath as she closed her eyes, the gentle motion pushing a single tear down her cheek. He caught it with his thumb and suddenly felt overcome with emotion. "He loves her, you know. He loves her so much. He..." Her eyes opened and stared straight into his, giving him all the confidence he could ever need. "I love you, Jess. I..." She let out a small gasp, as if she had been holding her breath and his voice caught in his throat. "I love you."

She smiled, reaching up to wrap her fingers around his neck, pulling him towards her. She pressed a soft kiss to his lips. "She loves him too." Her eyes sparkled as she swept her hand across his forehead and down his cheek. She held his gaze, tilting her head with a widening smile on her face. "I love you, Nick Miller."