AN: Here's another update! Happy New Year! Sorry, it took a while for me to update. Hope you will enjoy this chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.

Chapter 10

It happened during one of their shows, when Tina rushed off the stage for a quick costume change when she slipped (again!) backstage and lost her balance. As she fell backwards, she braced herself with her hands as she landed and a searing pain shot through her left arm. She let out a yelp, which was luckily covered by the loud overture of the orchestra and their floor director and some other crew members helped her up. A few tears slid down her cheeks and her arm throbbed.

"Are you okay?" asked Adam before mumbling some info to other crewmembers through his headset. He watched Tina as she cradled her hand.

They were halfway through the show, Tina imagined that she could still handle the pain. Through the dull throb, she nodded. "Yeah, just hurts a bit," She shrugged. "No big deal,"

Adam looked at her for a moment, with a worried expression on his face. He sighed and nodded. "Okay, get changed," he told Tina and turned to PA. "Get her some painkillers, that should get her through the rest of the show. Once curtains are down, we're getting her checked out,"

It turned out it was a big deal after all. After the show, Tina found herself in the ER with Bryan, sitting on the examination bed and waiting for the results of her x-ray. Jake was filling out some papers.

"Just as I thought," the doctor came in, holding a copy of her x-ray.

"She's pregnant?" joked Bryan. He chuckled when Tina elbowed him with her good arm.

"No," The doctor sent the two an amused smile. "It's a sprained wrist," he told them. "Probably when you fell and you braced yourself with your hands, you might have bent your hand just a little bit and caused some injury on your ligaments. There are no severe tears, just a bit of damage," he explained and showed them the x-ray.

Tina looked down at her left wrist with disdain. This wasn't good. It already looked swollen and it still throbbed painfully. Would this mean she could not go no stage?

"We'll bandage your wrist for now. Rest your wrist for about the next two to three days. And put cold compress to it 20 to 30 minutes every three hours," said the doctor. He started writing a prescription. "I'll give you some anti-inflammatory painkillers just to help for the pain and the swelling,"

Tina nodded and watched as Bryan took the prescription. The doctor began wrapping her wrist in a bandage when Sam poked his head through the green curtain his worried eyes landing on Tina. "I came as soon as I heard,"

"Hey," Tina gave him a small smile and cocked her head to the side as he watched him move inside. It was already late in the evening, and Sam was out of his work clothes. From the looks of it, he probably came from his apartment.

Bryan smiled softly and stood up from one of the chairs, he kissed Tina on the head and began his way out of the consultation area. "I'll wait outside," he told them. "Prince Charming is here,"

Tina laughed and nodded. "Thanks, Bry,"

Sam smiled gratefully and stood next to Tina and shot the man a grateful smile. "Thanks, man." Turning his attention back to Tina, his eyed her worriedly and watched the doctor finish up with the bandaging. "I heard you slipped,"

Tina sighed and watched as the doctor fixed the bandage. "Yeah," she said and looked up at Sam with an apologetic smile. "I was running to get a costume change, when I slipped," she made a face. "I'm so clumsy."

"There," the doctor straightened and offered the pair a smile. "That should do it,"

Tina looked at her bandaged hand and nodded. "Thanks,"

"It may take a while for it to heal completely, so you better take it easy. I'm suggesting that you wont join any of your shows for the next week or so. That give your wrist enough time to heal,"

Tina looked like she was about to protest. "But!"

Sam drew an arm around her. "She'll rest," he told the doctor. He sent him an amused grin. "I'm a PT, so she'll hear it from me too,"

The middle aged man laughed and nodded. "Great," he handed them another document. "They'll have you sign some documents outside. I trust that you are right handed and not left handed,"

"Right handed," Tina smiled and with the help of Sam, she hopped off the table. "Thanks, doc,"

"You're welcome, Tina," the doctor watched the pair shuffle out of the area. "Once your wrist gets better, I hope to catch one of your shows,"

Tina grinned. "Sure, sounds great," she automatically waved with her left hand and winced. Sam sighed and held her closer.

After finishing with the documents and feeling incredibly tired from all the day's activities, the four of them slowly walked out of the hospital. Jake and Bryan hugged Tina dramatically, telling her that they'll do their best to make her understudy look bad so that she won't be replace for the rest of the production and she'd still have a job.

"I'll be bored for a week," mumbled Tina, looking at the men in disdain. She frowned at her bandaged wrist before leaning into Sam.

"Well," Jake's gaze flickered to Sam and an impish grin crossed his lips as he bounced on his heels. "You two can have lots of sex, that kind of passes time – and that's definitely not boring,"

"Jake, damn it!" Tina blushed wildly as Sam awkwardly shifted next to her. She tried to kick Jake but he dodged her with a laugh and she glowered and huffed loudly as Sam's arms encircled her waist to keep her from pouncing on Jake.

"Okay," Bryan announced, an amused smile playing on his lips and his arms sliding around Jake's shoulders. "I think we don't need to maim another company member,"

Tina playfully stuck her tongue out at the two, before allowing her good arm to wrap around Sam's waist and burry herself into his arms. "Thanks, you two, for saving my life," she told the two, peeking over her shoulder.

Jake and Bryan flagged down a cab and waved at the couple, before getting into the cab and leaving the two. Sam looked down at Tina affectionately. "Ready to go home?" when she nodded, he waived down an oncoming taxi.

Tina looked up and watched him. "I can go home on my own, you know,"

"And risk you slipping again? No way,"

Tina laughed and nodded, feeling a little chilly she snuggled into his arms and silently waited for the cab to stop in front of them. Once it did, they got in and Sam threw his arm around her and gave directions to the cab driver. Tina looked up at him in surprise, a confused look crossed her face.

"That's your place,"

Sam chuckled. "Yeah," he told her. "You'll be staying with me. I'd stay at your place but I don't have any clothes there now, and I can't go home tomorrow to get changed and head to work. Better you stay with me,"

She pouted. "But I can just go home and sleep,"

They rounded a corner and shot her a look, and pulled her injured hand into his lap, absently checking the bandages. "I'd rather you stay with me tonight,"

She wrinkled her nose at the idea. "I can take care of myself,"

Sam shrugged and allowed his hand to travel up her arm and he gently pulled her into his embrace and hugged her. "I know," he mumbled into her. "But humor me. Maybe I like doing this,"

Tina smiled softly, feeling herself smile and she nodded her head slowly. "Okay,"

They arrived at his apartment with Tina talking to her manager on the phone and getting promises that that she'd at least get some bookings or something else to do while she was resting. Her manager promised that she'd be back on stage maybe after a week, if her wrist was up to it and she could go without bandages on stage.

"Thanks, Mel," Tina said, while plopping down on the old couch. She absently watched as Sam went into the kitchen and prepared sandwiches for them. "I'll love you if you'll get be a booking, swear." She giggled into her phone. "I know. Anyway, thanks again. It's late, you might want to sleep already. Thanks and good night!"

"Everything, okay?" Asked Sam, returning into the living room and carefully placing a plate with two sandwiches on the coffee table. He sat down next to her, threw and arm around her, and picked up the plate. "Eat."

"Yes, dad," Tina grinned at him teasingly and took the offered sandwich. She picked at the lettuce for a moment before continuing while Sam attacked his sandwich. "Just Mel, my manager. She kind of freaked out once she heard of the accident but it's alright now. She promised she'd get me a booking for a show or two that doesn't involve using my hands too much,"

Sam nodded in approval and chewed his sandwich, before nudging her to eat hers. "Eat,"

Tina bit into her sandwich and ate it. Swallowing she looked at Sam with an annoyed expression. "It's just that I'm worried that they might replace me," she frowned. "What if they like my understudy better?"

"Eat," Sam told her and nudged her again. He finished his sandwich and turned to watch her eat. "You're freaking out over nothing," He held up his hand when she was about to retort. "You're really amazing up there, and they know that. That's why they got you all covered, to make sure that you get back on your feet, or uh, hand, right away. And if they even try to let you go, they're just crazy," He poked her playfully. "And if they do, I'll kick their ass,"

Tina looked at him and beamed. "You will?"

He hugged. "Of course!"

She pecked him on the lips. "My hero,"

Sam grinned in amusement and took her plate when she was done. "Just pick some clothes from my closet for you to sleep in. And go to bed, I'll be right in," he watched Tina stand up, cradling her hand. "And keep your wrist elevated, above the heart,"

Tina shot him a dirty look. "Are you going to be my therapist all the way?"

He shot her wrapped wrist a quick look before shrugging. "Maybe," and he chuckled when she made a face and stalked into his room. He silently cleaned up the kitchen and set the dishes back to their proper places and made sure everything was cleaned up. His roommate, Fred, liked things orderly, which Sam sometimes had difficulty complying with. But he tried.

After drying his hands and switching off the lights in the kitchen and living room, he opened the door of his room. The lights were off except for the light on his bedside table and in the soft yellow light he could see Tina on the left side of his bed in nothing but one of his boxers and a Green Archer shirt. The blankets were pooled around her legs and her bandaged wrist lay on her chest. He smiled softly at her as she watched him enter and he silently stripped down to his boxers and grabbed a white shirt from his study chair and pulled it on.

"Hey," Sam whispered, sliding into bed next to her and they turned in bed, trying to find a comfortable position before eventually sliding their legs together and Tina lay on his chest and her bandaged wrist was securely placed next to her. He pulled the blankets over them and his hand slid underneath her shirt, resting on her lower back.

Tina snuggled into him and hummed in appreciation as she felt his fingers stroke her back. "Good night," she mumbled into his neck. Leaning up, she kissed him affectionately.

They lay there for a moment, just breathing softly and feeling their heart beats against their chests. Sam stopped stroking her back when he felt her curl into him just a little bit more and he very carefully adjusted himself around her. Looking down, he allowed his hand to slide up her back and rest there. It amazed him how easily his large hand covered most of her back.

"Tina?" he whispered and he looked down at her.

"Hmm?"

"You awake?"

He felt her smile against his neck. "Yes,"

"Are you going home for Thanksgiving?" he asked, and he felt his heart beat quicken just a bit.

"No," she mumbled.

"Do you have any plans?" he asked her and he began to draw little circles on her back.

"I don't think there's much I can do," she turned her head and looked at him with hooded eyes. "I'm still out of commission,"

Sam quirked his lips and gently brushed his hands over her bandaged wrist. "Come with me?" He mentally winced how wrong it sounded.

Tina looked at him with a confused expression crossing her face. "Where?"

He brushed a few strands of hair out of her face and his fingers brushed her cheek affectionately. "Home," At her still sleepy and confused look he continued. "I'm visiting my parents this weekend in Kentucky. Will you come with me?"

Tina felt her heart skip a beat for a moment, she was sure. Was Sam asking her to join him and his family at Thanksgiving? She suddenly felt warm and her stomach fluttered again. And she felt herself blush under his gaze. "I…" she breathed and fished for words. This was so different. It felt so long since somebody asked her to meet his parents. Sam looked at her and his fingers brushed her neck and she felt a rush of emotions and it just felt right. Excitement and anxiety filled her as she nodded her head slowly. "Okay,"

And a smile blossomed across his lips that made her heart speed up and she felt slightly breathless. "Great," he whispered and he leaned down to kiss her on the lips soundly and slowly. His tongue brushed against hers and she hummed and it felt so heavy with emotions that she pressed herself closer to him.

"I'm excited," she whispered and placed her chin on his chest, staring at him.

"Me too," he told her and his fingers brushed through her hair. "We'll leave Tuesday night? We'll drive. Roadtrip,"

"Even better," she grinned and genuine excitement filled her. And as she snuggled into him, a rush of emotions filled her before falling asleep next to him not really knowing what to expect but just feeling genuinely happy and content in the longest time.

AN: Thank you for reading. Please leave a review and let me know what you think!