A/N: Hi all, this story revisits the boys five months after One Step at a Time ended. I had intended to stop there but felt maybe it could continue. Please let me know what you think, should it go on?

'What's this?', Jackson noticed a small awkwardly wrapped gift on the bed when he returned from his shower.

'Open it and find out', Aaron couldn't contain his nervous excitement as Jackson lifted the package and began to carefully unpick the tape.

Aaron: 'God why are you such a woman, just rip open the bloody thing will ya.'
Jackson: 'Ah but it's such nice wrapping, I might want to save it.'
Aaron: 'Smart arse'

Jackson's sneer left his face as soon as his gift lay exposed in his hands.

Jackson: 'Aaron...I don't know what to say, it's too much.'

Aaron: 'Do you like it?..I didn't know, I mean I thought you would obviously and the shop girl said you would, but I'm rubbish at this, giving presents and that.'

Jackson: 'You're a lot better than you think, I love it...I love you.'
Resting his gift on the bed, Jackson rose to stand and face his boyfriend, who still had his hands in his pockets as he shuffled nervously from foot to foot.
Jackson placed both his hands on Aaron's chest, raising them slowly until they met behind his neck, he kissed him, gently at first, then with increasing pressure their tongues fit together, beginning their familiar dance, as they always had done and he hoped always would.

Aaron broke from the kiss and rested his head on Jackson's shoulder, turning his face so his lips brushed his soft, warm neck, he whispered, 'Happy Anniversary.'

XXXXXXX

Lying together, back in their bed, the lovers felt safe from the world, safe from the elements that had tried to separate them. Aaron's touch had been more gentle that usual tonight, as if he was afraid to let himself feel all that he was feeling. But their lovemaking had changed; it was no longer the base, carnal exploration of each other bodies. It could never be that again, they knew too much now. They knew every inch of each other, every mark on their skin, where they liked to be touched, kissed. Aaron had spent nights just lying naked with Jackson when they'd returned from LA, just massaging him. It was good for his physio, circulating the blood in his legs, helping to stimulate the healing process. By the end of the stem cell treatment Jackson had regained almost all his sensation back and had started to move his toes. Just three days before he, Aaron and Hazel were to return home, he attempted his first stand. It had been hard to watch, the pressure etched on his face as he took the most important step in his life. Aided by the nurses, he had managed to lift himself from his chair and while gripping onto the bars, he had stood. Hazel's screams of joy could be heard reverberate all around the hospital, Aaron just stood, watching in awe, one arm around his waist, the other holding his hand over his mouth, ready to catch the tears of relief as they fell.
Jackson only had two days at home at Dale Head before he had to return to Hotten General's spinal unit to begin his new physio treatment. But this time he couldn't wait to get back to the place, this time he knew it would be the last time...that he'd be walking out of there, eventually.
His strength had gradually increased with each passing day and it wasn't long until Jackson could walk aided only by a stick. But still Aaron had been afraid to push their sexual activity. It had been almost two months since LA when Jackson decided it would have to be up to him to reignite their physical connection. He had asked his mother for some privacy, to make herself scarce from Dale Head for one night. Jackson's bed was still downstairs after all and the last thing he wanted was Hazel barging in on top of them. She hadn't asked questions, just acquiesced with his request, pleased that her son was getting his life back. When Aaron had realised what Jackson wanted, he couldn't hide his reluctance.

FLASHBACK

Jackson: 'Why are you stopping...don't'
Aaron: 'It's alright, I don't want to rush things, it's fine, this is enough.'
Jackson: 'No it isn't, it's not enough for me, I want you Aaron, like I did before, more than I did before, what's the problem?
Aaron: 'Jackson, you almost died and you've just started to walk again, I don't want to hurt you.'
Jackson: 'You couldn't...that's just an excuse.'
Aaron: 'For what?
Jackson: 'It's alright, I get it, I probably wouldn't be hard for a guy after I've seen him in a colostomy bag and being fed like a baby.'
Aaron: 'Stop that right now...you know that's not it...I'm just...scared...alright.'
Jackson: 'What, that'll I'll fall apart?
Aaron: 'No...that...we wont...you know..work anymore.'
Jackson: 'That is won't be any good.'
Aaron: 'Well yea, that it'll be different, that we won't feel the same, I duno, don't make me talk about this Jackson.'
Jackson: 'What, would you prefer we ignore it and never have sex again?
Aaron: 'Yea, if it means that we stay together I do.'
Jackson: 'Hang on, how could that work?
Aaron: 'Everything's so good now, between us, what if this is the one thing that's not gona be.'
Jackson: 'There's only one way to find out Aaron, trust us.'

Jackson pulled Aaron closer to him, desperate to show him just how much he needed him. Soon Aaron's hesitance began to fade away, he felt like he did that night, the first time they had touched each other, but now the feelings that surged through his veins where so much more intense. Now every touch meant something, every time their eyes met it exposed him in the most terrifying way. He knew they were no longer having sex, they were making love.

XXXXXX

As soon as Jackson was fit to tackle the stairs at Smithy Cottage, he and Aaron had reclaimed his bedroom as their own. Now as Aaron quietly drifted off to sleep, Jackson, trying not to disturb him, reached across to grab something from the bedside locker. The watch was silver with a black leather strap. He had mentioned to Aaron that he needed a new one as his had been destroyed in the crash. But he hadn't been expecting it, especially not tonight; he had decided to wait until tomorrow to give Aaron his gift. As the hands moved to signal 12am, the date display on the watch face switched from a 6 to a 7, now clearing showing 17 June 2011.
Jackson turned his present around in his hands and ran his finger along the words carved in its back,

'J, One year, ready for two? love A.'