A/N: Please don't judge the whole story by the first chapter….I promise, all of my stories have as happy an ending as possible.

***Hart Industries***

Jonathan is having his physical, since the company is having their annual checkup day. If the employees get a physical, they will get an incentive towards their life insurance.

The technician is examining Jonathan.

"Mr. Hart, have you always had a lump back here, on your back?"

"Not that I've noticed".

"I am going to have you go down to our mobile unit. They can do an ultrasound".

He walked down there and found there was no line. A short time later, the ultrasound was done.

The doctor's office they were using for this was in the building next door. He took the ultrasound printout to the office next door, and asked to speak with a surgeon. An hour later, after more tests and images, he was waiting to speak with someone.

A few minutes later, he heard something that he never thought he would hear. "Mr. Hart, you have a mass on your liver and one on your kidney".

He went back to the office, and devised a plan.

***Willow Pond***

Jonathan is packing a suitcase. Jennifer is sitting on the bed next to him with Freeway.

"I just don't understand why I can't go with you, darling. We always travel together".

"Darling, I told you. I have to go to Buenos Aires for these negotiations, and then straight to Africa to check on the diamond mines, and it's just not safe for you to be there, in either place."

"But you don't speak Spanish, and I do. I can help you with the negotiations".

"I pay an interpreter for that, darling".

"So, what are you saying, I'm not good enough to work for you?"

"No, I didn't say that at all."

"Well then what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that there are very clear reasons for why you can't go with me this time".

"I don't like it".

"Nobody says you have to like it, darling. Do you think I like being away from you?"

"You sure are packing rather happily".

He walked over to her and pulled her into his arms.

"It will be over before you know it. I will be back here, and we will spend an entire weekend together, just the two of us".

He kissed her cheek.

She was not amused.

"Darling, I am still not convinced why I can't go with you. You say you will be in meetings all day long, well, I can sit by the pool at the hotel. You say you will be investigating the diamond mine, I can go shopping in town while you do. I may not be able to spend the days with you, but I can certainly make your nights less lonely".

"I know darling. But while you are at the pool, or shopping, and I'm in meetings or investigating the mine, someone could hurt you or get you, and I wouldn't be there to save you. The political climate isn't safe."

"If it's not safe for me, it's not safe for you, either".

"I tell you what. How about if I go there, and scope it out, and then if it is safe, I can send for you in a day or so. Would that make you happy?"

"Yes."

"It's a deal. But only if it's safe".

She grimaced at him, and but accepted it.

"Do you have to leave tonight? We don't even get one more night together?"

"Sorry, darling. We have to leave tonight so that I can get there in the morning for the first meeting. It's really important".

"Who is we?"

"Me and the pilot".

He hugged her a little longer.

She drove him to the airport when it was time, and kissed him goodbye several times.

He could see she was still mad about him leaving, but he hoped she would come around in time.

"I love you darling, and I hope you always know that".

"I love you too".

He kissed her again, and then got on the plane.

She waited till they took off, and then headed back home.

***The next morning***

Max had made her breakfast, and it was out on the patio.

It was bacon and eggs, and she ate every bite. Afterwards, she got in the pool and swam 100 laps, and then came inside.

She rinsed off in the shower and put on some workout clothes and did 3 workout videos back to back. After the third workout video, she ran 10 miles on the treadmill, while she watched TV.

She was finally finished around 3. She went to the kitchen and got herself a boiled egg, and a green smoothie.

She went back upstairs and laid on the floor and did sit ups and lunges.

After she was done, she went and showered and then dried off. She was looking at her body in the mirror.

"Jonathan may not have wanted the flabby Jennifer to come with him but he will realize that skinny fit Jennifer could have gone with him. He won't leave her alone again".

She pointed at herself in the mirror, and then went to do more sit ups.

***The next morning***

***Buenos Aires***

Jonathan was tired. He had been at it all day yesterday and all night. Back to back, no end in sight. All he wanted was to be home with Jennifer. But, he had to do this. He had to do it for himself, and for her too. He felt horrible about not telling her why he was really coming to Buenos Aires, but he knew in the long run, it would all work out and that this was the best way. He had told everyone in the company that he was going to South America on business. They would never believe the real reason he was going.

He would give anything to be with her now. He thought about calling her. But he didn't, because he knew if he did, he wouldn't be able to keep from telling her the truth.

Just a few more days, and then he would be back with her.

***Willow Pond***

Jennifer had slept somewhat fitfully the night before. She never slept well with Jonathan gone.

She was up early, and went running in the neighborhood for about 5 miles, and then home to swim 100 laps in the pool. She did 5 more miles on the elliptical, and then did sit ups again, and lunges. She asked Max to make sure she had plenty of hard boiled eggs and she only wanted chicken for dinner, no red meat.

Max did as she requested. He always did as she requested.

Jennifer continued to stay focused on her exercise obsession. She tried to call Jonathan, but the hotel said he wasn't in.

She left a message that she loved him, and returned to her sit ups.

***Buenos Aires***

A man is being checked into a hospital. A nurse preps him for surgery.

"You will be just fine, sir. This is a normal, routine surgery, and you will be recovering before you know it".

She leaves the room, and an orderly comes and takes the man to the operating room.

A doctor appears.

"What surgery are we doing today, Dr.?"

"Cancer tumor removal. A buddy of mine from the navy, Jonathan Hart. He should make a full recovery. He's just too high profile to have this done in the states, the media would be all over him".

"I understand. Where is the tumor?"

"Liver, kidney, and stomach".

"Laparoscopic or incision?"

"Laparoscopic where possible, incision where not. Endoscopic for the stomach".

"Got it".

***Bel Air***

Max made Jennifer grilled chicken for dinner, and boiled eggs. She was drinking lots of water, and she was constantly exercising.

He could tell that she missed Jonathan, he could see it in her eyes. They had a love like no other. After she was attacked last month, it had only deepened.

She finally climbed into bed, and fell asleep rather easily.

She was too tired to cry herself to sleep, but if she had the energy, she could have. She was missing Jonathan so much, and she was trying so hard to get the body that he wanted her to have.

***A few days later***

Jennifer woke up and realized that Jonathan had been gone 4 days. He said he would only be gone a few days. She called his hotel, even though he hadn't ever returned her phone calls from the previous days. She left another message and returned to working out.

She ran on the treadmill for another hour, and then went and weighed herself. She was only down 2 pounds. Not good enough. She jumped on the elliptical again and turned up the TV to drown out her thoughts.

***Buenos Aires***

Jonathan was out of surgery. He was recovering nicely, with minimal pain.

The doctor came by to see him.

"You look great, Jonathan. We got all of the tumors, so you should only have to do some slight radiation, no chemo. When you get back to the States, have your doctor run the tumor marker test, to see if your numbers have gone down."

"Thanks Greg. I appreciate you doing this for me".

"Where's Jennifer? I was hoping to see her".

"She stayed home. I didn't even tell her about this. I told her I was here on business, so she wouldn't get upset".

"Jonathan, she will be more upset when she finds out".

"I know. But trust me, it's better this way".

The doctor left, and discharged Jonathan later that afternoon.

He was walking out of the hospital, when a hand holding a chloroform napkin clamped it over his nose and mouth. They caught him with a wheelchair as he fell, and pushed him out of the hospital and down the street.

***Willow Pond***

Jennifer was laying on the couch. She was taking a break from working out, just long enough to watch the news while she had some sparkling water and waited on dinner.

She was very interested in a news piece about having surgery overseas and how some American doctors are moving overseas just to do surgeries, because they are cheaper and the recovery time is less, therefore the doctors can do more. One doctor was quoted as saying he could make more in 3 months in South America than he could in 12 months in the States.

She decided that topic would be the next topic she chose for an article.

She turned the news off and headed to the kitchen for dinner.

***Buenos Aires***

A man who looked very similar to Jonathan boarded a plane in Buenos Aires.

He was looking at pictures of Jennifer and Jonathan.

"Can't wait to be home in Los Angeles and get to know my beautiful wife".

This plan was the ultimate revenge. He had tried for years to get a job at a plant that Hart Industries owned in Buenos Aires, with no avail. Once, when Jonathan came to town, he tried to meet with him to ask him why he couldn't have a job. Instead, he was told that Mr. Hart wasn't meeting with anyone. The only job he could find was as an orderly in the hospital, and it didn't pay near as much as a job at Hart Industries would.

The plane took off as scheduled.

Somewhere, over the Atlantic Ocean, it exploded into a million pieces.

***Willow Pond***

Jennifer was sitting on the couch after dinner. She had the TV on for company, really. She had started working on her article about doctors overseas.

The show she had been watching ended, and the news began.

Jennifer got up to get a blanket and a glass of water.

She came back in the den, and stopped when she heard it.

"Breaking news: International businessman Jonathan Hart is presumed dead after his plane exploded in mid-air over the Atlantic Ocean. The FAA confirms that his plane was cleared for takeoff this afternoon in Buenos Aires, and was headed to Los Angeles. It is believed that there are no survivors. He is survived by his wife, Jennifer Hart, who is not believed to have been on board."

Jennifer let out a cry that was a mix between a groan, a howl, and sheer pain. She fell to her knees as the sobs wracked her body. Her entire life was now shattered into a million pieces. Max came running when he heard the noise.

He looked at the Tv and saw the headline. He picked her up and sat her on the couch next to him. They cried all night, together.