CHAPTER 2

4 Weeks Later

"Where's Cait? I've been meaning to ask you all day, but we got busy and I never got the chance."

"Back at the cabin; she was feeling a little under the weather. Said she'd rather take a day or two off now and kick it before it gets any worse."

"Make sense."

"What about Ellie? I hear she's doing pretty well with therapy."

"Well, she's no Hawke, at least not yet, but she's not doing badly."

"Of course she's no Hawke. If she were, she would have limped down the hallway and gotten out of that place long ago, probably about killing herself doing it, but she wouldn't have stayed as long as she has. In other words, she still has some common sense. What's this about not yet though? You two planning on getting married?"

"That's probably too much to hope for, but you never know. Right now we're just going to take things one day at a time and see how things play out."

"Sounds good enough. I wouldn't suggest proposing like I did though."

"I'll try to keep that in mind, it did look a little painful. It worked out though - what almost four years now?"

"This October. And yeah, it has worked pretty well, but it was a lot more than a little painful. Truthfully, if Caitlin hadn't been there for me, I'm not sure I would have made it this far. You really don't want to know some of the things I was thinking - not being able to fly, possibility of not being able to ever again, almost constant pain in my leg, and the numbness. I was so fed up with it; it really was a good thing she was the one dealing with me, because in her place I probably would have killed me. Ellie more than likely won't try that, but it can be hard to deal with all the sudden limitations, and having someone there for you really does help a lot."

"Speaking of Ellie, I'm going to pick her up as soon as we finish here, you want to come along?"

"Nah, if it's alright I think I'll bow out of this one - gotta get back to Cait, and in case Chance still has any of that bug left, the last thing Ellie needs is to get sick on top of all this."

"Ok then, see you Monday."

"Monday."

\A/

Home sweet home, almost. Close enough, she decided. She wasn't quite to the point where she could easily take care of herself, and he insisted she shouldn't be alone. Besides that, she had spent plenty of time hanging out at Saint John's apartment before the accident and was well acquainted with it while he and Le weren't as used to her house.

Anyway she looked at it, it sure beat staying in the hospital for another couple weeks. Reluctant as it had been, the doctor had agreed to let Saint John take her home with the promise that he would see to it she got everything she needed. So this was home, at least for a while.

"Alright?" Saint John asked for what seemed like the millionth time, genuine heartfelt concern in each of those million times.

"Fine," she replied, offering him a smile she hoped would do something to convince him of that.

"I'll get you all settled in then," he said, carrying her bag in and continuing to the bedroom at the end of the hall. He was already nearly finished clearing a wide path through the cluttered bedroom to the bed by the time Ellie Mae reached the doorway and realized what he was planning.

"No, no, I couldn't," she objected.

He would have no part in it though.

"You've taken care of my son, visited, helped me with my therapy, and now I'm in your home. I can't kick you out of your own bedroom too."

"Don't view it as kicking me out. I volunteered."

"No, it just isn't right. I couldn't."

"Ellie."

"Don't Ellie me. I said no. I'm not taking over your room."

"You're still recovering and you don't need to even try sleeping on that old couch."

"And you do?"

"Don't worry about it, I don't sleep much anyway."

"It's not fair, it's not right."

"Ellie," he addressed, wrapping an arm around her and drawing her nearer to him. "I want to. If I didn't, I wouldn't have offered."

"For now," she finally gave in, "but this isn't going to become long term."

"Understood," he answered with a mischievous grin.

"Do I even want to know what you're up to?"

"Up to? Who said I was up to anything?"

"That grin would give you away any day and you know it."

"Then I guess you'll just have to wait and see what all this grinning like a madman is about."

She shook her head, an amused smirk flickering across her features nevertheless. "I should be worried, shouldn't I?"

"You'll just have to wait now. I'll go see about fixing some dinner," he said, changing the subject abruptly. "Anything in particular tickle your fancy?"

"Anything is good with me."

"Peanut butter and jelly then?"

"Hey, it's better than hospital food."

"True, this'll be your first real meal in quite a while."

"Excluding all the goodies you've been smuggling in for me."

"But your first meal since you've been out. I think this calls for something special."