Note: Thank you to all of you who replied! It's what makes me get off my butt (figuratively) and write each chapter. Sorry it took so long for this chapter to be written, though. It is extremely fluffy (almost made me hurl kind of fluffiness). LOL. Kidding.

Chapter Eight: Late Night Visit

The full moon shone over General Hospital as Johnny slipped passed the busy nurses and other hospital staff to get to Nadine's room.

Once he got inside and quietly closed the door behind him, he looked over at his sleeping beauty. The moonlight was shining in through the window illuminating her pale face, making her look enchanting.

She looked better than the last time he saw her, which was over a week ago. Her face had been contorted in pain, blood was everywhere, and she was helpless. He never wanted to see her hurt ever again.

So that's why he was here, passed visiting hours and covered by the darkness. To say goodbye and make sure he would never hurt her again.

Sitting down in the chair by the bed, he watched as her shallow breaths escaped her pink lips. He didn't know how long he sat there, watching her sleep, the only thing he knew was that he had to stay away.

Johnny stood up and leaned down to press a soft kiss on her brow and slowly turned to leave. Before he could move another step, five pale fingers wrapped themselves around his wrist pulling him back to the bed.

"Leaving already?" That sweet voice he longed to hear again met his ears and he spun around to meet those sparkling blue eyes.

"Don't leave." She whispered. She pushed herself into a sitting position and tugged Johnny's hand toward the bed. "Please, stay with me?"

Her voice sounded so hopeful that Johnny couldn't bare to walk away. Those blue orbs had him trapped from the moment they met. He sat next to her on the bed and looked down at their intertwined hands.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, his voice was barely a whisper. She shrugged her hospital gown covered shoulder and looked at him.

"My shoulder feels better, it was sore for a few days after the surgery and the doctors made me do some physical therapy but I'm fine now." She peered at him through her lashes. "How are you doing?"

Johnny smirked. "You're the one lying in a hospital bed and you ask how I am?" He shook his head. "Crazy girl."

Nadine's face broke out into a smile and he was knocked breathless. It was true, then. You really don't know what you have until you lose it. Or almost lose it, in his case.

"Johnny?" Her voice was slightly curious. Johnny stared at her, trying to figure out how he could have ever thought of leaving her. "Yeah?"

"How come you weren't here?" He tilted his head to the side in confusion. "I mean, when I woke up."

Johnny averted his eyes from hers and stared at the glowing window. "You didn't stay away because of what my dad did to you, did you?"

Johnny's eyes shot back to hers. "No! Of course not, like I'd let Son – " He paused. "Wait a minute. Did you just call Corinthos 'dad'?"

Johnny let out a small smile and Nadine returned a bigger grin. She bit her lip and nodded her head, her grin never wavering.

"When did that happen?" He asked happily. This was a big step for Nadine, to let Sonny in her life and he was excited for her.

"I don't really know. He was just so great to me while I was recovering. He stayed with me from morning till night the whole time and we talked about all these random memories and he even paid for a coffee cart with my favorite chocolate chip muffins to come to my room every morning. It was amazing." She said in one breath, her eyes shining with excitement.

"That's great, Nadine. I'm really happy that you're getting to know your dad." Johnny replied with a small smile, looking down at their hands again.

"Yeah, it made my recovery go by a lot quicker and easier." She touched Johnny's cheek and raised his head so that their eyes locked. "It would have been a lot better if you had come by, though." She confessed.

He saw the truth in her eyes and knew he had to tell her, so he took a deep breath.

"Nadine, by now you know that I rarely tell the truth but when I'm with you, I can't even try to lie." He smiled a little and continued on. "So, the reason I didn't come by and the reason I'm here tonight is because I shouldn't be around you anymore."

Nadine's eyes narrowed and her smile changed to a frown. "What are you talking about, this – " Johnny held up a finger for her to pause. She obeyed and let him talk.

"You should also know by now that I never do what I should and that I always do what I want," He took a deep breath and looked at her affectionately. "And what I want...is you."

The next few seconds were filled with dead silence because Nadine was in full shock. She was not prepared for answer like that.

"You want...me?" The recovering nurse couldn't wrap her head around the idea of this Adonis look-alike wanting her.

"Of course I do." He breathed. "There is nothing I want more than to be with you, Nadine."

She just continued to stare at Johnny, wondering if this was really happening or if she was dreaming. Johnny was getting a little nervous from her silence and waited with bated breath for her response.

"Nadine? Are you going to say anything?" He asked. "Because you are never this quiet and it is kind of freaking me out so if you could like make a noise or some – mmhmm."

Johnny moaned as Nadine pulled him towards her and smashed her lips to his in a fierce and passionate kiss, letting him know that she wanted him too. His hand slid up her back and clutched the back of her neck, pulling her closer to him.

When breathing became a necessity, they pulled away but didn't move from their close positions. Johnny leaned his forehead against hers and let out a ragged breath.

Nadine was the one to speak up. "Well, that went a hell of a lot better than our first kiss, don't you think? Less bullets, more tongue." She grinned as she pulled her face away from his to look at him. "I mean, that last one...talk about the kiss of death, eh?"

She let out a small chuckle but it died when she saw the torn up look on Johnny's face. Nadine placed her hand on his cheek and asked him what was wrong.

Johnny stayed quiet for a few minutes but finally answered her, his voice cracking with emotion.

"You could've died, Nadine, and I'm being selfish by staying with you. That shooter was aiming for me and because you were with me, you got hurt." He shook his head and pulled away from her warm embrace. "I should leave."

"Johnny don't go!" She cried. "It wasn't because of you that I got shot!" The young brunette stopped in his tracks.

"Sonny had Spinelli identify who the shooter was and who they were working for." She took a deep breath. "It was the hit man of a Russian gangster by the name of Andre Karpov. He read in the paper about how I was Sonny's kid and decided to get his message across that he was the top mobster in Port Charles now."

Nadine shrugged her shoulders even though she knew Johnny couldn't see her. "It wasn't your fault and I don't blame Sonny either. I know that your life is dangerous, I've got a bullet hole in my back to prove it." She stated determined. "But I'm not going to run away from the two of the greatest things in my life."

Johnny turned to face her once again and moved to her side. He grabbed the side of her face with both hands and softly brushed her lips with his.

"What no tongue this time?" She joked and scrunched up her face into a smile. He laughed and rested his forehead against hers again.

"We've got plenty of time for that." He replied, placing another chaste kiss on her plump lips.

"Time?" she repeated. "I like the sound of that."