"Can you believe we've been married five years?" Zoe questioned as she looked out over the Parisian skyline, she Nicks arms wrapping around her waist and his kisses on the back of her neck.

"No, definitely not" he agreed, his kisses moving further around her neck suckling gently on her pulse point. "Who knew I could've put up with you for five whole years" he laughed, he spun her around to survey the room before them, it was a long way from Holby City "or that we'd be living in Paris, the city of love" he whispered in her ear.

He had been offered a job, as a surgeon in an English speaking hospital on the outskirts of Paris, and had immediately accepted. Zoe had been thrilled, of course, she was moving to one of the busiest cities in the world with the greatest shopping streets. She had taken to it immediately, Nick remembered fondly:

"You'll have to help me with these" Zoe demanded as she struggled up the stairs, with what looked like half the contents of the Parisian shops between both arms. "Thank god I married a surgeon" she laughed, passing some of her burden over to him "I think I may have just bankrupted us, but then again only you would take a job in Paris when I shop as much as I do" she set the bags down in their sitting room and pulled him closer to her and toying with the button on his trousers "Would you like me to say thank you Monsieur Jordan?" she teased, laying on their couch and pulling him by his tie on top of her "I think there's a reason they call it the city of love" she whispered to him

"I love you Zoe" he remembered what he had whispered to her, that night, as she slept soundly beside him, after saying thank you to him three times. They finally felt settled together, in Paris. A regular couple, more in love with each other than anyone on the world would ever know. He looked down at the bed Zoe lay in, her tanned skin contrasting with the crisp white sheets, he stroked her head softly as she remembered the night they had left Holby, it almost killed Zoe to hand her department over to Connie:

"Promise me you will all look after it" she demanded as she stood, arm in arm with Nick in the Hope and Anchor, "I guess these are all yours" she sighed, handing Connie the keys to her office. She looked at all her staff; then the ones who had been with her through everything for the past seven years, Tess and Charlie "I'll miss you" she whispered to both of them "Please don't be a stranger" she asked and she held them both tightly, the tears streaming down her face "Make it great, keep doing everything that you do and don't let her get to grand" she joked motioning her head to Connie who stood alone at the bar. "I love you all" she called as she slipped into the taxi; waiting to take her on the start of her next journey. She looked at Nick "And I love you" she sighed, kissing him lightly and resting her head on his shoulder. "I'll miss you" she whispered, looking behind her and directing her comment towards the bleak building of the hospital.

He looked back towards his frail wife, watching as her eyes fluttered open "Hey, you" he whispered, kissing her lightly "How are you feeling?" he looked down at her bruised and battered body.

"Like crap" she replied, grasping his hand tightly "Hold me, please" she asked quietly, allowing him to slip his arm around her and cuddle her tightly "I love you Nick Jordan" she whispered into the dimly lit room.

"And I love you" he agreed, slipping into a fitful sleep; the first time he had shut his eyes since that fateful announcement sixty three hours ago.

Nick sat at his desk, head in his hands, he had a throbbing headache and he wanted to get home to his wife. She was on her way to collect him; they were going for dinner to celebrate her forty fifth birthday and their second year in Paris when his assistant burst into his office

"Monsieur Jordan" she panted, having clearly ran to find him "You're wife, had been in a car accident" her heavy French accent told him."She is downstairs, in the emergency department"

Nick stood up, quicker than he had ever stood up in his life and ran for the stairs, taking them two at a time until he reached reception "My wife" he demanded; everyone here knew who he was. The lead doctor took him to her side; she wasn't in a good condition he told him but he didn't need to be told, the scans pinned to the light box beside her told him everything he needed to know. "Oh, my darling" he sighed kissing her forehead gently and grasping her hand. The man who had collided with her had died on impact; he was drunk and probably never felt a thing.

"I'm fine" she assured him, smiling weakly. They both knew this was not true; but the couple never had been good at facing up to reality.

"I know darling" he smiled at her "I love you, and happy birthday" he whispered opening the gift box to show her the platinum bracelet he had bought for her. He slipped it onto her wrist, kissing her pulse point gently.

"It's gorgeous" she smiled, the bruising on her face prominent as she slipped back to sleep.

"Monsieur Jordan" a doctor shook him awake from his position on his wife's hospital bed "I'm terribly sorry, but you're wife is gone" he told him sadly.

Nick sat up, watching the nurses removing the wires from Zoe's body. The tears slipped down his face; she couldn't be gone. Not Zoe, she was the strongest person he knew. "I love you darling" he whispered to her as he kissed her for the last time. "I'm so glad we kept in touch" he smiled softly as he looked down at her; she looked like she was sleeping. Seven years they had been married; a couple for ten – on and off, of course. He told her every single day that he loved her.

"Charlie" Nick sobbed down the phone "It's Zoe, she's... she's dead" he cried, phoning the first person that he knew he could trust. He broke down completely; he was supposed to die first – not her. Not his beautiful Zoe.

Charlie's arm gripped Nick's shoulder comfortingly as they stood in the rainy graveyard of Holby watching as they lowered his wife into the ground; all of their old colleagues and friends surrounded him as the remembered the Zoe they loved, thinking of her mischievous antic and flirtatious ways.

"Goodnight my love" he whispered, throwing a handful of earth onto her coffin.

Sorry to do that; but I didn't know where I was going with this (Originally a one shot) and I thought I'd put a little twist in. Hope you enjoyed it anyway and thanks to those who've stuck with it!