I want to start off with saying how sorry I am for the delay in this chapter…over two months since the last one. I hope that you will all forgive me and that this chapter will be good enough to win back some love. And because of the delay, this chapter is going to have about Christmas in it, since that is the time frame…but who doesn't love the feeling Christmas gives them and loves it all year round, especially in these rainy months?

I would like to thank the following for reviewing the last chapter:

kat priestley, dshortklutz, caramel199012, siddika, EDITH78, ERclaireER, Updates-Please, modscho and heatherlynn28.

Well, on with the next chapter!

Chapter Eleven: Showing My Smile While Hiding My Fear

It was a few days after Ray had been released from the hospital and he was lying in bed next to Neela, who was sitting up and reading over a medical journal, trying to stay on top of all of the new procedures and medicines that were being introduced. Turning her head to the right, she tried to suppress the smile on her face as she looked at Ray, his face turned towards her and his arms lying across his chest and stomach. Setting down her journal she reached her hand over and gently touched his face with the back of her hand, feeling his cool cheek. Some of the bruises and already begun to fade, and the cuts had healed up well. He still needed to County to get the stitches removed, although he had told Neela that he could do it himself, Neela not believing a word and telling him that he would end up needing more stitches if he tried to do it himself, as she would beat him silly if she caught him even attempting such a thing. Leaning over, Neela placed a chaste kiss lightly on his lips before turning the lamp beside her own side of the bed off and lying down beside him. Wrapping her arm around him waist, her head lying close to his on her own pillow, Neela felt him turn over in her embrace.

'Hey' He whispered into the dark room, a smile on his face that Neela knew was there, even though she couldn't see in the darkness of the room.

'Hi' Neela said, a trace of laughter in her voice as she felt him kissing the tip of her nose before wrapping his arm around her waist, and laying his head on her pillow, their noses centimeters apart.

'You feel O.K?' Neela asked as she lifted one hand from around Ray's waist to touch the side of his face, worried that something was wrong. She didn't know why, he didn't sound like he was in pain, but after the dread that she had felt the other day, coming home and finding Ray the way he was and cradling his abused body in her arms, convinced that she was going to lose him, she wasn't planning on taking any chances.

'Nothing, I just woke up and knew you were still awake' Ray said with a small smile, finding it cute that she was worried about him, but also slightly wary that she would start to question him about what had happened and ask him did he remember anything. He couldn't tell her, and not just because he was afraid of what Michael would do to him or Neela if she found out, but also because of the fact that Neela was Michaels friend, and it would destroy her to know someone she considered a friend would have done that to someone she loved.

Neela heard the slight hesitation in his voice, but guessed that it may have been due to the fact that he was just awake, or that he had remembered something about the night when the accident had happened.

'Are you sure, did you remember something?'

Ray felt his breath hitch in his throat as she asked the question that he had been dreading. He had been lying to her for the past week and it was getting harder to do as one more day passed. Looking down, even though he couldn't see her eyes in the dark, it was too hard to look her in the eyes that shone with so much love and lie to them, Ray said in a steady voice,

'No, I'm fine…but I still haven't remembered anything, but maybe it's better that way' There, another lie to add to the growing pile that had amounted up over the past few days. Well, maybe she would drop it for a while now anyway.

'How can you think that?' Neela said as she pushed herself up in bed so she was sitting and turned the lamp beside her bed on, causing Ray to squint his eyes shut as the onslaught of light threatened his head with a pounding…although he guessed that maybe it wasn't entirely due to the light.

Pushing himself up so that he was sitting beside Neela, Ray looked at her with a small, and what he hoped was encouraging, smile as he said,

'Because it was obviously just a bad accident that happened, and if we sit and think about it day in and day out, we're gonna drive each other crazy' Ray hoped that his reasoning had worked, and that Neela would drop the questions so they could both continue with their lives. Before she could say anything, Ray leaned over and cupped her cheek with his hand, running the pad of his thumb over her cheekbone as he said,

'I love you and I'm fine…we should just concentrate on the future' Ray leaned forward and gave her a passionate kiss, tangling his fingers in her hair as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down to her. Neela had been so caught up in the fact that Ray had basically said that he thought of a future with her, she had completely forgot what they had been talking about, and the feel of Ray on her now wasn't helping her memory much.

Neela moved her hands from around Ray's neck and under his shirt, running her hands over the skin on his back as he moved his kisses along her jaw and back to her mouth. Pushing his t-shirt higher, Neela laughed a little as Ray had to stop kissing her and pull back, allowing her to pull the t-shirt over his head and toss it to the floor, not really caring where it landed.

As he leaned his head back down to kiss her, his hands now taking the position of running over the skin he found under her top, Neela rolled so that she was on top, straddling his waist.

Sitting up, Neela gave a seductive smile as said in a low voice,

'I think you need some of those injuries checked over again', and pulled her top over her head, throwing it to the side.

It was the next morning and Neela was lying beside Ray, her head on his chest, one arm wrapped around his lean waist as he breathed slowly in his sleep. She had woken up a few minutes ago, but had felt too peaceful to get out of the bed. She blushed as she remembered the intimated night that they had just shared, and how she had gotten Ray to moan her name the way she did. Glancing up at him, she smiled as she saw him laying there, his head angled towards her and his hair all mussed up. Leaning up, she placed a light kiss on his lips, careful not to wake him. Resuming her previous position, Neela placed her hand on his stomach as she closed her eyes, falling into a blissful sleep.

It was a few hours later and this time it was Ray was woke, glancing over at the clock to see that it was going on for one in the afternoon. Looking down at his chest as he felt Neela's hand move over his stomach, Ray kissed the top of her head, and smiled when she looked up at him with a smile of her own.

'Hey sleepyhead' Ray said as she moved so her head was resting on his shoulder, the blankets pulled up around them.

'Hey' Neela said before wrapping her arm around his waist and pulling him closer to her. Lifting her hand, she ran a gentle finger over the five inch scar that she could now see, the stitches having to be taken out that day. Abby had told them to come in around four, so they had plenty of time. Although Neela knew that if she didn't get out of the bed soon, Ray would make sure that they were late for sure.

Grabbing her dressing gown from the end of the end, Neela pulled it around her self and stood out of the bed, turning to look at Ray with a grin as he said,

'Where you going?'

Sitting on the edge of the bed beside him as he pushed himself up, causing the blanket to pool around his waist and tempt Neela to get back into the bed, Neela looked at him as she said,

'We have to get ready and I'm getting a shower' Standing and walking to the door, she stopped as she reached it and looked back at him with a seductive smile as she said,

'You're welcome to join me'

Ray laughed as he pulled his boxers on and jogged to follow her to the bathroom, thinking the exact same thing Neela was, we are gonna be so late.

It was after three and Neela and Ray were sitting on the EL on their way to County. Abby had phoned Neela a little earlier and told her that the ER was quiet so if Ray wanted to come in and get the stitches out now, it would be best. Of course, if the ER was still quiet when they got there was a different story altogether. Both doctors knew that the pace could change at any second.

It was two weeks before Christmas, and the 'Windy City' was fairly living up to it's name, the streets being covered in a blanket of snow that was falling slowly, yet constantly, all day, and a biting wind that turned your cheeks and nose a nice shade of red. To conform to such cold whether, Neela was wearing a pair of jeans and a red jumper with a t-shirt underneath. She also had on her white fluffy coat and a hat and scarf to match. Ray was in similar attire, also wearing a pair of jeans and a black sweater with a t-shirt underneath. He had his green trench coat on and a black and dark purple striped scarf with a woolly hat. Leaning over to Ray, Neela snuggled up to him as he wrapped his arm around her, both feeling the warmth radiating from one another.

'Your so warm' Neela said in a soft voice as she leaned her head on his shoulder in took his gloved hand in her own, running her thumb back and forth across the back on his hand.

Ray just laughed as he stood up when the EL came to a stop at the destination where they had to get off. They both walked down the platform and through the ambulance bay, Neela's arm wrapped around Ray's waist as he had his arm across her shoulders. Walking through the doors, they were both hit with the warmth of the heaters, and smiled inwardly that the hospital wasn't cold. Glancing around triage, they could see that Abby had been right, and that the ER was in fact quiet, only a few people waiting in chairs.

'Must be too cold for them' Ray said with a smile as he and Neela made their way up to the desk just as Abby walked out of one of the exam rooms.

'Hey guys, how are you?' Abby said as she hugged Ray, this being the first time she had seen him since he had left the hospital.

'Good, we're great' Ray said as he took Neela's hand in his and smiled at her before looking back to Abby, who had a grin on her face.

'Well, you might not be saying that in a few minutes' Ray wondered what she was talking about when he remembered that it was her who was taking out the stitches, and that she would probably want to numb the area with a local anesthetic…which meant Ray would have to get a needle. She was right, Ray thought, he wouldn't be saying that in a minute.

Neela laughed at the look on Rays face, a look of fear and worry mixed together, and squeezed his hand.

'Don't worry, I'll be gentle' Abby laughed as she motioned for Neela and Ray to follow her to an empty exam room. Pulling back the curtain she patted on the bed for Ray to sit on as she tried to hold back a laugh at the look on his face.

'You two are so funny, you know that?' Ray said in a dry tone as he looked at the smirks on both Abby and Neela's face. God! Was he not allowed to be afraid of one little thing without people making a joke out of it.

Abby nodded her head as she let out a small laugh and went about setting up the equipment as Ray pulled off his hat and gave a small smile over at Neela, who moved so she was sitting on the bed beside him.

'This may pinch a little' Abby said as she readied the needle and injected the numbing drug into the area where she was about to take the stitches out. As she looked at the five inch scar, she couldn't help but feel a little guilty. If she hadn't made Neela go out that night then maybe this wouldn't have happened. As she finished taking out all of the stitches, Abby placed a small bandage over the area to ensure that it didn't get infected.

'All done' Abby said as she stepped back and smiled at Ray as he lifted a hand to his head and lightly touched the area. Standing up, he smiled at her as he said,

'Thanks Abby'

Abby laughed as she replied with a smirk,

'You're welcome. Although it was Neela who practically begged me to do it before you tried yourself'

Neela sent Abby a mock glare as she took Rays hand in hers and asked,

'Well, thank you for that Abby' Smiling, she then added, 'Well, what time are you off and maybe you and Luka could come over tonight if you're not too busy?'

Abby glanced at her watch as she said with a relived smile,

'Soon, thank God. And no, we're not doing anything so we should be over'

Neela and Abby sorted out a time for them to come over for dinner and then Abby had to get back to work, leaving Neela and Ray to go back home. Stepping out of the exam room, Ray was about to make his way out when he felt Neela pulling on his hand, and when he turned his head he felt his heart begin to thunder in his chest as he saw none other than Michael Gallant, and he was walking over.

'Michael' Neela said with a smile as she walked over to him, Ray beside her.

'Hello Neela, Ray' Michael said as he smiled at them both, but Ray swore that he saw something in the other man's eyes as he locked gazes with him, even though it was only for a fraction of a second.

'How are you two?' Michael asked, amazing Ray as he acted like he wasn't the one who had put Ray in the hospital. Ray couldn't speak as he mouth went dry and his stomach churned, afraid of what would happen if he opened his mouth to speak.

'We're fine…Ray's doing great' Neela said with a smile as he lifted her hand to Ray's face, snapping in out of his thoughts as he turned to offer her a small smile of his own.

'Yeah, that was terrible what happened. Did you ever remember what happened?' Michael asked, and he sent a warning glare at Ray as he stared him out, waiting for the younger man to speak.

Shaking his head, Ray said in a low voice,

'No, I didn't'

Neela looked at the ashen looked on Ray's face and wondered if he felt alright, if maybe the morphine that Abby had given him, although it was only a small dose, had sickened him. Before she could question it, Michael said,

'Well, too bad. Sorry, but I must be getting back to work'

Neela watched as he turned and walked down the hall, and then placed her hand on Ray's cheek as she asked in a concerned voice,

'Are you feeling O.K, you're pale'

Turning to look at her after pulling his gaze away from Michael, Ray smiled at her as he said,

'Yeah, I'm fine. Let's go'.

They had gotten home quickly and decided that they had some time to relax before Abby and Luka got there, and so they were both snuggled up on the sofa, Neela's head resting on Ray's shoulder as he had his arm wrapped around her and his head resting on her, his eyes closed.

'That was really sweet of Michael to ask about you, don't you think' Neela said as she took Ray's hand in her own, interlocking their fingers and twisting the ring on Ray's index finger as she talked. 'I mean, since he was upset when we started going out, he seems to have taken it a lot better than I thought'

Ray opened his eyes as she spoke, and he kept his body relaxed, although he had the overwhelming urge to scream and tell her that it was Michael who had done this, but he knew that he couldn't, that Michael would hurt Neela the same way he hurt him. Ray wouldn't be able to live with himself if something happened to Neela.

'Yeah' Ray said in a quiet voice, and squeezed Neela closer to him, not wanting to let her go.

A/N: Well, I hope that this long and hopefully good update makes up for not updating in a while. Please review and let me know what you think.