What I own: TONS of awesome stripper shoes that I can't wear, a glorious walking cast that I can, and an ickle kitty who actually owns me.
What I don't: Twilight. Despite an uncanny physical resembelence, I am not her, nor am I making any money off of this. Damnit!
Author's note: I know, I did it again. Another story. Le sigh. I couldn't help it. The muse called, and Gavin Rossdale sang and ChristagBanners made this beautiful work of art… I had to, see? TammyGrrrl is my beloved beta and she fixed all my absurdly long sentences and shifty tenses. Dedicated, as always, to my forever loved ficwifey, Sky Chaser who brings sunshine into my life. I love her more than glitter and cheesecake and stripper shoes. That is A LOT ya'll. Also going out to my beloved FB ladies, you know who you are and you know I love you to itty bitty pieces. This is totally different from anything I have ever wrote but I'd LOVE your opinions, thoughts… anything. That little review button makes me grin like a movie star and results in sneak peeks and panty flashes. Thanks for reading ya'll!
It wasn't the horn that made Isabella Swan look up from her phone as she walked; those were common enough in downtown Seattle. Nor was it the furious rush of cold air that gusted by, catching the ends of her deep mahogany hair and whipping them around her head, tangling and snarling the long strands beyond fixing. She still kept her eyes, watering from the cold behind her sunglasses, glued to the small screen, scanning the latest in a string of barely coherent e-mails from her secretary. Victoria was amazing but she had OBVIOUSLY had a bit too much to drink at the company Christmas party the night before. Alcohol and her secretary, as she well knew from experience, did not mix well. Yes, she was friendly with the vivacious redhead but when she drank, well, she was under the impression that she and Bella were FAR closer than they should be. Wrinkling her nose at the increasingly intimate details of Victoria's after-party activities, she quickly deleted the message, along with the following ten.
When the horn sounded, Bella didn't even startle, the breeze the same as she scrolled through the contents of her inbox. No, what drew her attention was the scream. Her phone dropped from her hand, skittering and shattering on the ice coated pavement as she watched, frozen at the events unfolding in front of her. The squeal of brakes, the screaming of a child, and then the high pitched, sickening crunch of metal on metal. She watched, unwillingly, as the sleek red sports car crumpled under the impact of the large black truck, Arizona plates seeming glaringly out of place, the second vehicle having lost traction on the icy road, before both plowed into the blue Pathfinder that had slammed on its brakes to avoid the accident. The Pathfinder was obviously the source of the crying, given the "Princess on Board" sign that hung in the back window which was facing her, the opposite direction of where it should.
The following moment seemed frozen in time, the quiet punctuated only by the drip of fluids and the howling of the wind. The silence was shattered by the same child's scream, a painful wail. Bella shook her head, as if the action would pull her out of her trance and she ran, on instinct, over to the vehicles, the heel of one of her shoes snapping on impact with the concrete. Kicking both it and its mate off, she continued running until she reached the Pathfinder, her eyes darting over the situation inside. A pint sized little girl was strapped into a car seat in the back, a small trickle of blood coming from her nose. Bella slipped a hand in the broken window, brushing glass from the girl's pants and she paused in her cries, frightened eyes meeting Bella's. "My name is Bella and I'm gonna help you and your mommy okay?" She fought to keep the fear out of her voice, hoping against hope that she could help the car's occupants. The cherubic child sniffled and nodded briefly before her cries began again in earnest, and Bella gave her a soft, reassuring smile and a gentle stroke on the cheek. Stepping back, she peered into the front seat, where a frighteningly pale woman sat slumped over the steering wheel, her long blonde hair falling over her face. Narrowing her eyes, Bella saw the slow rise and fall of the woman's chest. She was breathing, this was good. Memories from her first responder course floated back and she spoke in soft, slow tones.
"Ma'am, can you hear me?" The woman's eyes fluttered open and she moved her head with a soft moan meeting Bella's eyes.
"T-Tanya- is she okay?" The woman's eyes flitted towards the back seat, her head not moving quite enough to actually lay eyes on the tiny, screaming girl, fear evident in her eyes.
"Her nose is bleeding but she seems okay." Bella's voice was quiet, reassuring. The sound of sirens was faint in the background, growing infinitesimally louder by the moment. "Help is on the way. Can you tell me your name?" She could see the woman's eyelids begin to droop again and she reached in the window and grabbed her hand, squeezing it gently. "Try and stay with me okay, stay awake for Tanya." The small girl, having heard her name, quieted a little bit, her screams turning to soft sobs.
The woman blinked again, hazy blue eyes meeting Bella's own chocolate ones. "Irina." The woman's voice was pained and her lips contorted into a wince as her grip on Bella's hand tightened. "Stay with us, please?" The agony in the woman's voice broke Bella's heart and she nodded before replying.
"Of course I will. I'm Bella."
Irina's voice broke slightly with her next words, the struggle to keep her words even was apparent. "Don't let anyone take her away, please. She has to stay with me. With us." At any other moment, the plea would have been beyond unusual but now, the bitter wind whipping around them, sirens ringing out and pain clearly etched in the woman's face Bella's heart broke and she squeezed Irina's slim hand.
"I will, I promise." The words, softly spoken, were interrupted by the arrival of the emergency vehicles, sirens screaming, doors slamming, heavy boots stomping against pavement. Bella felt strong hands on her arm, tugging her away from the door, a hurried 'Excuse me ma'am' the only words accompanying the movement. Stepping aside, the sharp glass from a broken window scraping under her now bare feet, Bella winced, ignoring the pain even as it grew numb from the cold of the slush and ice.
Unable to move her eyes away from the scene, she watched as the paramedics removed Irina, ever so carefully, from the vehicle, little Tanya's wails growing louder as she watched her mother being carried off by strangers, as a paramedic removed the now screaming and flailing toddler from her seat. White blonde ringlets swung as her head thrashed her face bright red with fear and anger. "MAMA! I WANT MY MAMA!" the child's hands stretched out after the Ambulance that her mother's stretcher was being loaded onto, her small legs kicking with all her might as she squirmed, aching to get out of the paramedic's safe grasp. The young man did his best to hold onto the crying child as she wriggled out of his arms, tiny, pink sneakered feet hitting the ground as the ambulance doors closed behind her mother, her sanctuary and probably the only world she knew. Her crying ceased immediately and she looked around, blue eyes wide with fright. "Bella, I want my Bella!"
Bella gasped softly and immediately crossed to the child, the tatters of her stockings being further shredded by the icy pavement and shattered glass. Shrugging out of her cream wool coat, she wrapped the garment around the child before scooping her up and holding the sniffling child to her chest, tears and blood dripping onto her white silk blouse. Whispering soft reassurances and rubbing her back, Bella made eye contact with the Paramedic, Newton the name tag on his uniform said, and narrowed her eyes, silently daring the man to deny her and this child admittance into the ambulance. Her intimidation must have worked, somehow, and the boy ushered them both into the back of the waiting ambulance.
The ride passed quickly, Tanya clinging to her, sobs subsiding into sniffles as Bella rubbed her back. The situation was slightly unusual for Bella who, having been an only child of only children, didn't really have much experience with children and had the maternal instinct of a goldfish. They had been ushered into the emergency room, in a flurry of activity. White coated doctors and interns, scrub clad nurses and orderlies, all bustling about, the orders being barked in gruff tones as people raced around, an exemplar of organized, chaotic efficiency. Both Tanya and Irina had been looked over by several doctors and Irina was admitted for observation, little Tanya clinging to her side. Bella had waited with them for hours until they were both ushered up to a room on the medical floor, after exchanging contact information and teary thank yous and hugs from both Irina and the pint sized, now sleeping cherub that lay next to her on the stretcher. Bella followed them out as Irina and Tanya were pushed up to their overnight home, and the blonde woman had paused, waving a slim hand back at Bella with a smile.
Extending a hand in a small wave, Bella sighed with exhaustion. The sun was starting to sink low behind the horizon, painting the sky with deep oranges and violets as it sank lower and lower. Bella glanced down at the stained wool jacket she clutched in her hands and sighed, suddenly utterly exhausted as the events of the day washed over her. The accident, the hours in the hospital, the ache in her still bare, cut feet, the fact that she'd not eaten anything since 6:30 in the morning all slammed into her. Her head pounded, stars swimming across her vision before she closed her eyes, slumping back slightly against the wall with a soft moan as the world started to go dark.
Jasper Whitlock was exhausted. The emergency medicine resident was approaching the end of his 48-hour shift when a multiple MVA had come into his ER and he had been pulled in every direction. Finally, after 54 hours he was going to head home. His lab coat, pristine and white 16 hours ago, was now rumpled and covered in various fluids. Running a hand through his shaggy blonde hair, Jasper sighed softly and straightened the ends of his sleeves as he headed down the hall towards the locker room, his sneakers squeaking on the polished linoleum tile. A soft sound pulled his attention and he snapped his head up, his gaze searching for the source of the sound and he froze in his tracks: A woman stood in the hall, maybe ten feet away from him. He was caught off guard for a moment, a rarity for the 27 year old doctor. The woman was slight, maybe 5'2", long, thick dark hair tangled in waves down her back. Her head was tilted down, long hair hiding her face. A blood stained jacket was clutched in her tiny hands, matching the streaks that covered the white blouse she wore, the ends haphazardly untucked from her black skirt. Jasper felt a moment of shame as his eyes traveled over the woman that stood in front of him. Her figure beneath the clothes was slight yet curvy, her legs below the hem of her knee length skirt were trim and toned, ending in… bare feet? Something wasn't right. Passing up the locker room he continued ahead towards the girl that stood in front of him. His eyes remaining on her feet, he could see the tattered and bloodied remains of her stockings clinging to her dirty feet. Jasper had nearly reached her when she slumped slightly, her back falling against the tiled wall. Sprinting the last few steps, Jasper wrapped his arms around her waist, his grip gentle but firm as he held her up.
"Ma'am, ma'am are you alright?" He fought to keep his voice calm; unsure of why this small woman was affecting him like this as she fell into his arms. Her dark head tilted back, hair falling behind her shoulders and exposing her beautiful, heart shaped face. Her flawless creamy skin was pale, dark glasses perched on her tiny nose, long, dark, impossibly thick lashes rested on her cheeks behind the lenses and full red lips turned slightly down at the corners had him mesmerized. Her knees buckled and he instinctively swept her up in his arms before she could hit the ground and cradled her against his chest, ducking into the nearest door, the on call room that was connected to the locker room, reluctantly laying her down on the bed, gently placing his hand on her forehead.
Her skin was soft as silk, warm and smooth under his rough fingers and he found his mind wandering for a moment, wondering if the rest of her skin was as smooth, fighting the urge to keep his hands on her for a few more moments.
Jasper was pulled out of his reverie as her eyes fluttered open, the deep chocolate orbs meeting his own hazel ones, and he was lost in their depths for a moment before speaking.
"Are you alright?" His voice was soft, the lingering southern accent more prominent.
"I-I'm fine. What happened?" Her tiny nose crinkled in confusion and she darted her eyes around the small room.
"You were in the hallway and you fainted." His words were simple, voice reassuring as he slipped easily back into his professional role.
The slim woman blinked and she nodded slightly, and he could see the gears in her head spinning as she tried to put two and two together.
"Where am I and who are you?" Her voice wavered as she sat up, a bit too quickly for his liking. Jasper placed a hand on her back, the warmth of her skin searing through the silk of her blouse as her head swayed a bit. Gently he lowered her back to the bed, his worried eyes meeting hers as they blinked open again.
"Easy there, don't move too quickly. You're in the on-call room; it was the closest place I could get you laid down. I'm Jasper Whitlock, one of the ER residents." Jasper watched her carefully as she processed his words.
"I'm so sorry about that I just- it's been a very long day and I've not eaten- my feet-" The tiny angel in front of him blushed as her words died off and Jasper chuckled softly, casting his eyes to her small, battered feet for fear of staring at her beautifully pinked cheeks.
"It's alright ma'am, I promise. Believe me, it's not the first time I have seen someone faint. "Jasper's voice faltered for a moment before he continued. "If you think you can stand I can bring you out to the ER, we can get you treated."
"No! No, please. I don't need all of that. I just need to eat something." Her words were rushed and she sat up again, her small hand resting on his arm.
Startled, both by her sudden declaration and the heat on his arm he shifted slightly, closer to her.
"Are you sure? It's not really a problem."
"No, I-I'm alright. I don't really like hospitals. I'm alright, I promise. I just need some food. Please?" She turned her head up, her big brown eyes meeting his and he fought to disguise the hitch in his breath as her full bottom lip pouted slightly. This woman could have asked him to hot wire a car and he would have done it, no questions asked.
Jasper swallowed thickly and nodded, standing. "Alright, on one condition. Let me get you some food and take a look at your feet. The woman nodded, seemingly begrudgingly and gave him a tiny smile.
"That sounds okay, thank you Dr. Whitlock." Jasper swallowed again as his name slipped from her lips and the room suddenly seemed far too small and he headed toward the door, pausing to glace back at the woman on the bed. "I'll be back in just a few minutes."
Without waiting for a reply, he quickly left the room, swiftly walking to the cafeteria. Unsure of what the woman would like, he bought two salads and two sandwiches, dropping them both into a bag and slipping a few cans of pop into his coat pockets. On his way back to the on call room, he slipped into a supply closet, gathering gauze, bandages and a suture removal kit to take care of his Angel's feet. The thought had him stopping short, unsure of where the name had come from. "Get it together, Whitlock." His voice was low as he muttered to himself, running a hand through his disheveled locks before pulling the door open and reentering the room. With a small smile Jasper pulled a chair up beside the bed, setting both a sandwich and a salad down on the crisp white sheets, along with a can of pop.
"I wasn't sure what you wanted so I just, got both." Jasper's words were slightly halting and unusually awkward for the young doctor, usually so at ease with himself, especially around women.
Her dark eyes lit up and she beamed, grabbing the sandwich, making quick work of the cello wrapper and taking a large bite, moaning after she swallowed, her eyes closed in pleasure. Jasper stifled a groan, the sound going straight to his dick, as his eyes stayed on her face. Her beautiful eyes popped open and her cheeks turned a delightful shade of pink as she flushed, realizing her actions.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to… I just, I was really hungry." She sputtered her way through her explanation, her hands tugging through her rich, dark hair.
"It's alright, I promise, chéré." The endearment flowed off his tongue smoothly and Jasper grinned. Leaned toward her, he pulled the other sandwich from his pocket, "They are REALLY good sandwiches." Deciding to push his luck, he gave her a rakish wink and was rewarded with a blinding smile before she continued eating. Forcing himself to look away, Jasper kept busy, emptying his pockets and the bag that he held, lining the medical supplies on the small table that sat beside the bed.
"That was delicious, thank you so much Dr. Whitlock." The woman's voice held a bit of reverence and she brushed her hair behind her ears.
"Please, call me Jasper." He gave the woman a soft smile, his eyes lingering for a moment longer than necessary as her pink tongue darted out to wet her lips, a smile gracing them.
"Alright Jasper, I think I can manage that. I'm Bella by the way, Bella Swan." Bella Swan. The name suited her absolutely perfectly.
"Well, Bella Swan, it's a pleasure to meet you." Jasper forced himself to keep his voice even, to constantly remind him that the beauty sitting in front of him was technically a patient. "Now, I believe we had a deal?" he let his gaze drift down her legs, convincing himself that he was being fully professional, and stood up, moving slightly to the foot of the bed before pulling on the nitrile gloves that were constantly in his pocket. He gently lifted her foot with one hand, the other resting on her calf as he inspected her feet. His training took over as he examined the battered sole of her foot. It was covered in scrapes and scratches, the tattered silk of her stockings clinging to the wounds, deep rusty blood dried around the small cuts. Her left foot looked very similar and he shook his head as he met her gaze. "I'll be as gentle as I can." His words were soft, as was his touch and the room was silent, save for her soft whimpering as he carefully removed, disinfected and the wrapped her tiny feet in gauze.
"You did a number on yourself Miss Bella- "Jasper's words were cut off as a loud voice rang overhead.
"Code Pink NICU, Code Pink NICU. All patients, visitors and staff are requested to remain in their current locations. Security will be stationed throughout the premises and all automated doors will remain locked until the all clear is given. Again, remain in place until the all clear is given." He glanced up and met Bella's wide, fearful eyes for a moment before crossing to the door and giving it a gentle tug, the handle not moving under his hand.
"Jasper, what does that mean?" Bella's voice was fearful, her brown eyes worried. Jasper fought the urge to pull the woman into his arms, whisper reassuring words against her silken head, and instead returned to his stool next to the bed.
"An infant has gone missing from the NICU. " He pulled his glasses off and sighed softly, swiping a hand over his tired eyes. "We're locked in here until they find the baby." A part of Jasper's mind cheered, reveling in the fact of being able to have this lovely woman to himself for hours, even as the rest of him worried for the infant that had gone missing. Sighing, he shook his head, crossing to the door that connected the on call room to the locker room and gave it a tug as well, a futile measure as it didn't budge. Swallowing hard, he turned back to Bella, her wide eyes looking up at him imploringly.
"You may want to get comfortable Bella, it looks like we're gonna be here for a while." He watched as her beautiful face fell slightly as she glanced down at her shredded and blood covered blouse and his words spilled from his mouth, almost unbidden. "I have a change of clothes if you want to change…" His voice drifted off as he waited for her reply.
Bella nodded her head with a soft smile. "That is very sweet of you Jasper, thank you."
"It's not a problem, really." Jasper hid his smile as he crossed to the small closet in the corner of the room, tugging his lab coat off and hanging it up before pulling the white button down off of its hanger and turning to offer it to her.
"It's all I have, I'm sorry." His voice was genuine and he smiled softly as she extended a small hand.
"Thank you Jasper, I really appreciate it." He watched her as a small smile flitted across her features, her teeth biting lightly on her lower lip before she continued. "I'm gonna, um change, if you don't mind?" Jasper blinked for a moment before her words actually registered and he turned his back, facing towards the darkened window.
"Sorry about that, just let me know when you're done." Jasper's hand went back into his hair as he ignored the soft rustling of the woman on the bed as she shifted. He kept his gaze on the window, and both cursed and cheered himself as he saw her reflection in the deep glass. He watched as she moved with an unnatural grace, her back visible in reflection, the creamy expanse of pale skin slowly revealed as she unbuttoned the ruined blouse, tossing it to the floor with a delicate swoosh. He swallowed hard as she shrugged into his shirt, her tiny hands slipping beneath the collar and pulling the dark curtain of her hair out of it. Jasper squeezed his eyes shut, willing his mind to focus on anything aside from the woman that shared the room with him, the same woman that had an almost inexplicable pull over him.
"Okay, you can come back." Her voice was soft and clear and Jasper returned to his stool by the bedside, his eyes trailing over her form. His shirt was several sizes too big for her and she had rolled the sleeves up numerous times and they still barely hung over her delicate wrists. He smiled at her and gently straightened the collar. "It looks much better on you." Jasper's voice was low and he was thankful for the dim lighting as his mind involuntarily conjured an image of that same shirt crumpled on the floor, its current wearer writhing below him. He watched her out of the corner of his eye, a light flush staining her pale cheeks.
"Thank you Jasper, although I may have to disagree with you on that." Her voice was low, a bit husky as she yawned, and he turned back to her, fighting to hide his smile, his brow cocked.
"Why thank you, Miss Bella." Jasper's voice was a bit deeper than usual, his accent thicker, as he tried not to take Bella's words too seriously. The girl was probably just being kind. Jasper relaxed on his stool, stifling a yawn before stretching his arms over his head, his vertebrae popping contentedly as they slipped back in place, his muscles still achy. Opening his eyes, he met Bella's dark gaze as she slid to the side of the bed, patting the space beside her.
"Come on." Jasper stared at her blankly, hearing her words but not actually registering them for a moment, his answer automatic.
"What?"
The angel in front of him rolled her eyes and chuckled softly before speaking again. "Come on and lay down. You have been working for what, 48 hours?"
"54" Jasper's reply was immediate and Bella shook her head, her dark hair swinging around her shoulders.
"Yeah, cause that is so much better. " Come on, get your ass over here and lay down, it's not a big deal."
Jasper smirked at her demand and did as he was told, perching on the edge of the bed and toeing off his sneakers before tugging off both his socks and his black scrub top, stretching his long form out on the narrow bed in his scrub pants and wife beater, overly aware of the beautiful woman that lay just inches from him. His fingers itched to touch her and he shoved them in his pockets, setting his glasses on the side table as Bella did the same with hers, before settling back down, pulling the thin hospital blanket tightly around her. They both lay in companionable silence for a few minutes, their soft breaths the only sounds in the small room. Jasper could feel the soft shaking of the bed and could barely make out her slim shape in the darkness.
"You cold, Miss Bella?" He fought to keep his voice even as he narrowed his eyes in the dark.
"A-a little, yes. Why do they always keep hospitals so cold?" Jasper heard a slight tremble in her words as she shook. Swallowing thickly and forcing any and all lusty thoughts aside, he hesitantly moved closer to her, slipping his arms around her tiny waist and pulling her closer. He heard a soft gasp of surprise, her body stiffening before she sighed and relaxed into his arms, her tiny body still trembling a bit as her shivers subsided and she quickly drifted into sleep, squirming closer to his warmth. Jasper tightened his arms around the woman beside him, fighting every instinct that his body screamed at him, and eventually, his nose buried in the hair of the woman beside him, her floral scent invading his senses, he drifted off into a fitful sleep of his own.
Pups fic rec corner: Okay ya'll, a long standing love of mine is BACK! Let Your Fingers Do The Talking by BusyMommy. Go, read, love, review, SWOON. You'll see why I LITERALLY gave up my lemon award to this lady, she is hands down, one of the most amazing writers around and a very dear friend.