Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, the whole idea came to me in the gym, the song was playing, and it was like an epiphany, I had to write that last chapter! Lol i got home and spent hours on it! I hope you're not feeling too frustrated with it, I wanted to explore the psychology, and the manipulation a bit more (as in these relationships, the person doesn't tend to up and leave, and when they do, they are usually right back with the person) obviously this IS a TJ/Spinelli fic, so she WILL leave him at some point!

Sorry Im a bit late in posting, been in A&E with my friend all evening, who thought she may have dislocated her knee cap!

Again my next chapter is a song chapter! For now, enjoy chapter 9, it'll make up for the depressing last chapter a bit!

Chapter 9: Who's this dude?

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At work the following morning Spinelli made a start to her usual work routine, the observations, after having handover.

"Morning Mr Smith" said Spinelli gently, approaching the same elderly patient as the previous day.

"Who are you? What are you doing in my house?"

"You are in hospital Mr Smith, I'm Ashle-"

"I CANT HEAR YOU! SPEAK UP!" shouted the old man.

"Mr Smith" said Spinelli in a louder voice "Perhaps you could put your hearing aid in?"

"OH YOU YOUNGINS! SPEAK UP WOULD YOU!"

"PUT YOUR HEARING AID IN!" shouted Spinelli, picking up the hearing aid to show the elderly patient.

"OH NO, I DONT NEED THAT THING! NOW WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY HOUSE?"

"MR SMITH, YOU ARE IN HOSPITAL, MY NAME IS ASHLEY, AND I'M A-" Spinelli, however, fell silent as Mr Smith ignored her, picking up his oxygen mask, and talking in to it.

"009, this is 008, I need backup, I repeat, I NEED BACK UP" he shouted into the oxygen mask, before lifting it up to his ear for several moments, and then returning the mask to his mouth "009! 009! ARE YOU THERE? CAN. YOU. HEAR. ME?"

Spinelli rolled her eyes slightly, walking away, and approaching Zack Slater's bed. Seeing the obvious grin on his bandaged face, she started to giggle. Moments later the two of them were laughing hysterically as the confused patient in the next bed continued.

"AGENT SANDERS, 009, ARE YOU THERE? CAN YOU HEAR ME? SHE'S DRESSED IN UNIFORM, AND SHE HAS BACK UP, I REPEAT, SHE HAS BACK UP! BACK UP IS IN FORM OF A MAN WITH A BANDAGED FACE" shouted Mr Smith into his oxygen mask. (A/N: lol I just had to put this in, this is a real situation that happened to me a while back, every time I think about it, I just crack up laughing!)

TJ and Spinelli laughed for a while longer, before finally regaining themselves.

"Man, I've not laughed this much for a while" said Spinelli, wiping the tears of laugher with her eyes.

"Well" said TJ with a cheeky grin "If you want to take my blood pressure, I might need to call for backup, I nearly lost my arm last time. Nearly popped right off it did!"

"Well" said Spinelli laughing again "If I promise you that your arm will be safe, will you hold off getting your back up, and let me do your blood pressure?"

"Hmmm..." said TJ, rubbing his chin, his face still in bandages.

"Oh please" said Spinelli, putting on a fake damsel voice, and lifting her hand to her forehead "I just have to know what your blood pressure, and Jane, she'll just die is she doesn't know. Would you be a kind sir, and help a lady out?"

"Well, I hate to see a damsel in distress, so for you, just this once, I'll risk my arm, and won't call for backup" replied TJ, smiling at the beautiful young woman before him.

"Oh kind sir, however will I thank you?" replied Spinelli, fanning her face, still smiling, the fact she was being such an idiot, and someone else was acting along, just amused her "Oh, I just get so flustered with the kindness of a handsome stranger"

"Oh" said TJ, sticking out his arm as Spinelli put on the blood pressure cuff "and if you haven't seen my face, how would you know I'm handsome?"

"Oh, a girl just knows. It's always a handsome man that helps out a damsel"

"Ah, well that's the thing; under all this, I actually make Shrek look handsome. So your theory falls short I'm afraid"

"I doubt that" said Spinelli, glancing down as she was talking TJ's blood pressure.

"Why?" asked TJ.

"Because you have nice eyes" said Spinelli, looking up and staring into TJ's blue eyes, for several moments, they just stared at each other. Then, realising how caught up in the moment she'd gotten, Spinelli quickly broke the eye contact, and removed the blood pressure cuff mentally scolding herself for how she'd just acted and for what she'd said "Your blood pressure is still low, it's getting better though"

"Thanks" said TJ, who could help but smile, he was sure they'd just had a moment, but then he remembered that Spinelli not only didn't know who he really was, but she was married, plus, she now seemed suddenly distant, and on edge "They changed the bandages the other day, got to see the damage"

"Oh?" said Spinelli, looking up again empathetically.

"Yeah, my shoulder really isn't great, But my face doesn't look that scarred, they said it will get better, apparently when the treatment is done, you'll barley be able to recognise it"

"That's really great Zack" said Spinelli with a smile, feeling genuinely happy for him.

"Thanks" replied TJ "That's a nice necklace, is it new?"

"Oh this?" said Spinelli, touching her necklace "Yeah, my husband brought it for me last night, I was so surprised! It didn't cost much, but it's the thought that counts, right?"

"Sure" replied TJ, his bubble burst slightly as he heard Spinelli talking about Lawson with such apparent affection.


Spinelli and Jane had just finished washing Mr Smith with great difficulty. Spinelli pulled back the curtain that was around the bed, and stepped out, taking a deep breath.

"Phew" she said, fanning her face as she opened the curtain, and threw some rubbish in the bin. She then turned to TJ "Zack, are you ok? You seem a bit down? Are you in pain?"

"What?" asked TJ, looking up, realising that he had obviously been visibly miserable –although he wasn't sure how, considering the expression on his face wasn't visible- TJ realised that he had to cover or the real reason for his upset "Oh no, I'm not in pain. I'm just a bit fed up you know? Been on here for days, and not being out in the fresh air, just gets a bit much, it's a little suffocating"

"Well I could probably take you to sit outside the hospital entrance for a while? It'll have to be a bit later though, and we won't be able to stay out there too long. Also, you'd need to be able to get in a wheelchair, you obviously won't be able to walk yet with the cast, not until the physiotherapists see and assess you"

"That'll be nice" said TJ, who couldn't really care less about getting outside, but did like the prospect of spending some time alone with Spinelli. Hopefully then she would figure out who he was; TJ knew she was married, and that nothing could therefore ever happen, but spending time with her couldn't hurt.


"Are you comfortable Zack?" asked Spinelli, as TJ had settled himself in the wheelchair.

"Yep"

"Good, let's get outside for a bit then, it actually looked pretty sunny. Matron has only given us 15 minutes though, so make the most of it"

"Where's your necklace?" asked TJ, as Spinelli began pushing the wheelchair through the ward.

"Matron saw it when I was asking about taking you outside, and she had me take it off"

Spinelli set the wheelchair next to a bench, just outside the main entrance, and sat next to TJ.

"Better?" she asked with a smile.

"Much" he replied, "I bet this is nice for you too, that old bloke in the bed next to me seemed to really be putting up a fight with you and Jane"

"Oh he was" replied Spinelli "Jane was soaking, did you see her? He threw the bowl of water we were using all over her!"

"No way"

"Yup! She saw the funny side though"

"I bet he's really pissed at 009 though, for not showing up and all" said TJ smiling.

"I bet he's still using that oxygen mask as a walkie-talkie now!" giggled Spinelli.

"I bet" said TJ, raising his hand to his mouth, starting an impression of the old man "009, where are you? I'm holding them off, threw a bowl of water at one, but I need back up!"

"009, where is my back up? I repeat, WHERE IS MY BACKUP!" impersonated Spinelli, as she and TJ began to hysterically laugh again. They were so busy laughing that they didn't even notice Lawson approaching them.

"Well this is cosy, who is this dude?"Lawson asked.

"Hey Lawson" said Spinelli, standing up and hugging him "What are you doing here?"

"You forgot your lunch, so I thought I'd bring it in for you" he said in a cool tone "I also tapped a rose to the box, I thought it'd be nice"

TJ watched the situation unfold silently, once again, he was thankful for the bandages on his face, as the hid his bitter and jealous expression. He knew he should be happy for Spinelli and Lawson, but seeing them together was tough.

"That's sweet, but I'm allergic to roses, remember?" replied Spinelli, then, noticing the irritability on Lawson face, she carried on "But thanks anyway, it's a nice thought. This is Zack, one of the patients on the ward"

"You always get so close and cosy with your patients do you?"

"We were just laughing" pointed out Spinelli.

"Well Zack" said Lawson, glaring at TJ "You should know you are very lucky to be spending time with my beautiful wife, she's a wonderful woman"

"Yes, she is. She really is very caring" replied TJ, glaring at Lawson through his bandages, hating him more now than he ever did "she cares equally for all the patients on the ward"

"Of course she does. Because she's amazing, and she is my wife, so wouldn't be anything but"

"I'll see you later hun?" replied Spinelli, kissing Lawson's cheek "I've got to get Zack back inside"

"Bye babe" said Lawson, shooting one last glare at TJ before walking away.

"Thanks for that" said Spinelli appreciatively, as she pushed TJ back into the hospital.

"Well you do care for everyone on the ward, and you do it well" replied TJ.

"Thanks" replied Spinelli, who couldn't help but think he was wrong, she defiantly acted differently toward this patient in particular, and although she tried to deny it, she also felt differently about him.

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I hope you liked the chapter, it was a bit cheerier than the last, 'Mr Smith' is based on a man I once came across on one of my placements –obviously with a different name- but I wanted to put him it, because it was just so funny! TJ and Spinelli do seem to be continuing to grow closer, and Lawson, seems to be attempting to make an effort, but has he really changed?

Burton's Disney Princess: Yup, Spinelli should have known Lawson didnt mean a thing, but I didnt want to go with the obvious, her walking out right away as the reality of these situations just isn't like that :s I'm glad you liked how I developed Lawson and Spinelli's relationship, and glad you thought the eloping thing worked, I've pictured her as a rebellious teen, so I can see her doing something like that, in that situation! I'm also glad you found it original :)

Omgpear: Yup, Lawson really is a piece of work! The song does go well with the chapter, as I said I was listening to it in the gym, and the whole chapter idea came into my head, so I went home and wrote it :) lets hope Lawson does burn in the firey pits of hell! I'm glad that you liked how the lyrics were into their speech, it just kinda seemed fitting :)

Sexehbunneh: lol! Well I'll call it revenge,Mwahahaha! in your fic, Im dying for the whole 'ashley' mystery to be explained, and for TJ to remember everything! I hope you liked this chapter a little more

RandallXSpinelli: Thanks :) I'm an Eminem fan too, its not the type of music I usually like, but I've always liked him, now its kinda like my guilty pleasure lol :p Spinelli and Lawson definitely showed some feelings, I think it was needed!

Sonnii: I've not watched eastenders since Thursday, and I Sooooo need to catch up, life has been so hecktic though, I was going to catch up tonight, but wound up in A&E with my friend, who thought she'd dislocated her knee! I'm glad you liked the last chapter and liked the song interpretation, it just seemed to fitting :) lets hope this really is his last chance, as you said Spinelli deserves better than Lawson!

Rose-Aki: Thank you! I;m glad you liked how the song fitted to TJ and Lawson's relationship, I heard it, and knew I had to write it as a chapter!

I'm dyslexic, so I'll apologise now for any spelling and grammar mistakes, I've done my best to make sure they're not there!

Please read and review! Constructive criticism welcome!

Big Cliffy Meanie x