Chapter 10 :)

Hopefully I'll be able to post Chapter 11 later tonight, fingers crossed :)

True to his word, Greg arrived with Sam at the hospital at precisely 10 am. Peering into Jules' room through the curtains, they found her awake, so they entered quietly and sat down, one on either side of her.

She had been wide awake for a while, sleeping in had never really worked for her. Smiling in greeting, she asked, "So? How'd it go?"

"You get right down to business, don't you?" chuckled Greg. "Sam doesn't even know yet, I figured I'd tell you at the same time."

Jules fidgeted impatiently on her bed. "So?" she demanded, her tone telling him to spit out some answers. And fast.

"I spoke to the team yesterday, and you have their blessing, assuming work isn't affected. Spike was adamant about no public displays of affection, though."

Sam allowed himself a tense laugh. "Figures. That's good then. What did the Commander say?"

"He wants you to try staying together for about a month, but he would prefer it if one of you were transferred. If that works out, he had no objections. I might have mentioned something about how he met his boyfriend, but only I'll know if that's true." Greg informed the triumphantly.

"Damn, Boss," laughed Sam. "You're good."

"Thank you, Constable Braddock."

"So," interjected Jules curiously, "do you need a replacement for me until I can work again?"

"Nope!" responded Greg enthusiastically.

Sam and Jules exchanged appeased glances. "That's good," said Sam.

"Yeah. The rest of the team is going to drop by in a few," he said as he left, leaving the happy couple to have some time to themselves.

As soon as Greg had shut the door behind him, Sam plunked himself down on the edge of Jules' bed. Leaning in close, he murmured, "Well, this is good news, isn't?" before capturing her lips in a gentle yet passionate embrace.

Jules responded fervently, running her hands through his hair. The kiss deepened to an emotional intensity that nearly short-circuited Jules' brain. Finally, desperate for air, they broke apart, breathless and flushed. Sighing softly, Jules blinked slowly before looking at Sam, the ghost of a smile etched on her face.

"Of course it is," she whispered. "And no temporary rookie this time."

Sam smiled down at her from his perch on the side of her bed, drinking in her image. "You ready to do this?"

"Of course," she smiled up at him.

Simultaneously, they leaned forwards and their lips met once more.

The rest of the week saw Sam nearly living at Jules' bedside. The rest of the team dropped in frequently since the Commander had given them a mandatory week off. They offered Jules well wishes and gave her their takes on her and Sam's rekindled relationship. It seemed that the only concern Team One had was public displays of affection – something they were planning on avoiding anyways. Slowly but surely, Jules was regaining her strength. By Wednesday, she was up and about, wandering around the hospital hallways with a teammate, usually Sam, trailing her anxiously.

As far as Jules was concerned, the day of her discharge couldn't come soon enough. Finally, Saturday arrived and she was released. She wasn't permitted to do any physical activity for at least three weeks, and after that she wasn't to go back to work for another week. Naturally, she wasn't thrilled about this, but she wasn't going to push herself and end up out for longer.

The team returned to work the Monday after Jules' discharge, and they only received a few calls before their Christmas holidays started. Sam still managed to spend uncountable hours with Jules; he had practically moved into her house. Their relationship was advancing smoothly. Over Christmas, they had spent a cozy afternoon at Jules' house before heading over to Ed's for a delicious Christmas dinner with the rest of the team.

Shortly after New Years, Team One returned to a regular work schedule. Jules was set to return to work in a week, so with Sam's help; she was spending most of her time getting back to her usual fitness level. She dropped by the station every few days, catching up with the team and finding a way to spend her time.

It was the night before Jules was scheduled to return to the SRU, and Sam was filled with anticipation. He missed seeing Jules around the station; somehow headquarters didn't feel right without her there.

It was one of the rare nights when Sam spent the night at his own house. He was slumped on a cushioned chair, a partially drunk bottle of beer resting on the coffee table and The Three Stooges prancing around his TV.

At nearly 9 pm, there was a knock on the door. Sauntering over, he opened it to reveal a troubled Jules, a jacket wrapped tightly around her waist and a girly toque perched lopsidedly on her head.

"Hey Jules," Sam said, slightly surprised. It was unusual for her to appear without calling, and she was looking distinctly perplexed. "Want to come in?"

"Sure," Jules mumbled, stepping over the threshold and into the heated warmth of his home.

Taking of her hat and jacket, she wandered over to the living room, an even more confused Sam following her.

Jules sat down on the couch, and Sam plopped himself down beside her. Her silence was unnerving him, so he asked, "Everything alright, Jules?"

He fidgeted anxiously when she looked down, studying her hands. He had just gotten her back; surely she hadn't changed her mind. Had she?

"Jules."

"I just... I don't know if I can keep doing this, Sam," she moaned desperately, her conflicted eyes finally meeting his.

Sam stopped short. No, no, no, no, no. This couldn't be happening.

"What?" he gasped, shocked.

"I don't think I can keep doing this," she repeated, her eyes pleading for his comprehension. "I know we have the Sarge and everyone else's permission, but I don't think I can handle it all anymore."

"So, what, you're breaking up with me?" Sam yelled, disbelieving hurt shining in his eyes.

"I don't know," Jules cried out, angry tears filling her eyes as she leapt to her feet. "I guess I am, Sam. I'm sorry."

With that, she left the room and headed to the front door. Finally unfreezing, Sam leapt up and followed her. When he reached the front door, her hat and coat were back on.

Grabbing her arm, he pleaded, "Jules –"

"Sam!" she interrupted. "Just stop, okay?" she said sadly, a tear breaking free from her eyes and slipping down her cheek.

Shocked, he let go of her arm and watched her leave in immobile silence. It was 10 minutes after her departure before he was able to move again.

Furious and frustrated, he slammed his fist into the wall while tears spilled freely down his face. He had handled things completely wrong. What the hell had just happened?

TBC, hopefully tonight!

This didn't come out quite the way I wanted it to, but review anyways! :P