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" So tell me, Avery Reid, is there a Mr. Reid?" John asked as he sat across from her at his little table in the kitchen. He had set the table, pulled the chair out for her, and served her the pasta he had made.

" Ah no. No husband, no boyfriend, no anything." Avery said as she cut into the pasta.

" And why is that?" John asked as he started into his dinner.

" I don't know, really. I mean, I went on a few dates a few years ago but they didn't really turn into anything." She said, glancing back up at him. " The last one I went on was right before you were brought to me." John looked up at her then back at his plate.

" And how did that date go?" He asked. Avery laughed and turned her attention to her plate again.

" Not well. It was a blind date and he was 30 years old than me." She said. John smiled and stabbed at his pasta as he watched her again.

" You like older guys?" He wanted to know because he was a few years older than she was.

" I don't really have a type."

" Tell me about the date." John said.

" Well, he took me to the movies. A movie he had already seen and he told me what was going to happen the entire time." Avery said.

" Are you serious?"

They talked about all her dates, with John smiling and chuckling while she laughed at the stupid things she had been through with guys. John had nothing to compare it too. He had been with Mary since high school but he did tell Avery about stupid things he had done on dates with her. They ate and laughed. After dinner, Johh sat back in his chair with one arm draped over the back of another chair and his other arm resting on the table. Avery had her hands linked together, resting on the table top.

" So you have really, really, shitty luck with guys." John said, making her smile.

" To say the least." She said. " I just never connect with anyone, you know?" He nodded, drumming his fingers on the table top.

" Yeah, I can see that." He said. " Can I ask you something?"

" I think you and I are beyond not getting personal so ask away." She said.

" Why did you take my case? How did I come to you?"

" Well, whenever a new patient arrives at the hospital we have a meeting with all the doctors. We go over the case to decide who is the right fit. I never ask for anyone right off the bat. I take the patients the others give up on. I prefer it that way. So after you bounced around between a few doctors I actually decided to step in. I asked for you." She said.

" I remember the first time I saw you." John said, meeting her eyes strongly.

She had walked into his room, filling his drug fused vision with a smile that made her look like an angel. He had actually thought he had made her up. She had worn her hair down and wavy. It flowed over her shoulders as she crouched down next to his bed and quietly introduced herself to him. He had been laying on his left side because the drugs he had been given kept him barely awake.

" I cut your meds that day." She said, making him smile and nod.

" You did and I never thanked you for that. I hated those pills they shoved down my throat."

Together they cleaned up their dinner, doing dishes and talking. She shared her childhood with him. He watched her, nodding and smiling as she spoke. He laughed at her stories and shared some of his own. As two regular people, they got along great. He spoke about growing up on his father's farm but he didn't have a lot to share because she knew almost everything about him. They both just wanted to avoid talking about the book for a while.

" Coffee, Doc?" John asked.

" Sure then I guess we really need to dive into that book. We have put it off long enough and we need to figure out a way to beat this thing." She said as he started to get the coffee pot ready. Avery was walking back to the table to sit down.

" You really think we can?" He asked.

" I don't see why not. There has to be something in there about destroying it, right?" She asked.

" I hope." He said.

" I mean, when it's gone and the land is safe again, you can get the house back. You can start over here, if that's what you want." She said. John nodded with his back to her.

" That would be nice." He said.

After the coffee was made, John poured them both a cup and added the cream then faced Avery with a smile. She had her own smile as she stood up and came towards him. When he handed it to her, his finger tips brushed hers, making her blush and drop her eyes. John's smile spread as she muttered her thanks. He loved seeing this shy side of his Doc.

" Living room, Doc?" He asked.

With cups coffee in their hands and the book tucked safely under one of her arms, the couple started out of the kitchen. John brought his hand towards her lower back but didn't touch her. He started to open and close his hand with the need to touch her. But he wasn't sure if he could, or should. He had only dated Mary. They met in high school, he got her pregnant and they were married. Now here he was, out of his element with wanting another woman. He shook his head and dropped his hand down to his side.

" Floor?" Avery asked.

Together they settled down by his coffee table. She opened the book on the table as they let their backs come on rest against the couch. John was on her left side. He glanced at her as she flipped through the pages, looking for the spot she had stopped reading before dinner. He wanted to ask her about the sex spell but didn't want to embarrass her.

" Okay, this is where I stopped." Avery said as she came to her marked page.

John moved closer to her. Avery held her breath as his right leg came to rest against her left one and his right side came into her left one. His scent washed over her right away. Vanilla and spices. She swallowed hard as the memory of his skin against hers washed over her. She briefly closed her eyes, praying the image would leave her and she wasn't blushing, which she knew was a wasted pray. She was blushing and knew it. She shook her head and opened her eyes.

" You know, Doc," John was saying as his eyes scanned the page. " I have to say, since we spread the brick dust and the salt, I feel so much better." She looked at him in surprise. She was wondering if it had worked because she was still feeling lust for him and thinking about their time together.

" Really?" She asked.

" Yeah." He said as he met her eyes and smiled. " I feel lighter. The house feels cleaner. I can breath easier. I haven't felt this great in a long ass time." Avery couldn't help by smile.

" I'm glad." She said.

" I feel like I need to tell you thank you." He said seriously.

" For what?" She asked.

" For everything you have done for me. You changed my whole life and I can't thank you enough for that. You believed in me, when no one else did. You helped me and never made me feel like I was crazy." John said, turning more towards her and placing his left arm on the coffee table.

" You're not crazy, John." Avery said quietly.

" I know that now but I didn't before." He said. He took a chance and reached his right hand out. He never broke eye contact with her as he twisted some strands of her hair in between his fingers. " You make me feel like a normal guy again. And," he smile again as he titled his head slightly, " now that you know everything is real, you aren't taking off for the hills." Avery found herself smiling.

" Well I can't. The car is broke." John nodded and chuckled.

" Lucky for me than, you're stuck with me." He said. " Seriously, Avery, you have no idea how much this means to me." His voice dropped down as he continued to play with her hair and stare down into her eyes. " And I want you to know that no matter what happens, I'm going to step up and protect you. I couldn't protect my family but I will protect you." Avery sighed and shook her head. To his disappointment, the soft strands of her hair slipped from his fingers.

" John, don't talk like that. It wasn't your fault that..."

His hand flew into the hair at the back of her neck. In a fast, fluid movement, he tilted her head back and pressed his lips against hers with his eyes shut. Avery's breath left her hard as her own eyes shut. She parted her lips without thinking. The tip of their tongues met slowly. He coaxed and guided hers to twist around his. She was nervous, her doctor side telling her it was wrong to be kissing her patient. Her female side telling her John wasn't her patient and it was fine. The apex between her legs was starting to tingle.

As they kissed slowly, they moved their heads in different directions, letting their noses brush against each other. He brought his other hand to the side of her face where he stroked her cheek. He sighed, putting his right hand against her lower back and pulling her towards him more. And Avery allowed it. She allowed him to pull her against him. This kissing was so different than all their others. It was sweet and loving, not completely lust and desire filled. The lust was there, they could both feel it, but it wasn't driving them forward as strong as it had before. All to soon, John pulled his tongue back. He pressed his forehead against hers and dropped his hand to her neck. His thumb started to lightly rub the front of her throat. Both kept their eyes shut.

" Is this okay?" He whispered. She reached up to place her hands on his shoulders.

" I don't know." She admitted in her own whisper.

" I'm not your patient anymore."

" I know. I'm trying to remind myself of that."

" I like you, Avery. Like how a man likes a woman. I haven't felt that way in a long time. Please tell me you feel something for me, something like that." He whispered without pulling away. He knew she did. The book's explanation of the spell told him that. Her light blushing when they met eyes and touched, showed him that but he needed to hear it. He just needed her to admit it.

" I...I do...feel something, for you." She said. John smiled for a brief second before he lightly kissed her.

" What is that something?" He whispered.

" I don't know. I'm not supposed to feel anything. You were my patient. I shouldn't be attracted to you at all." John kissed against her bottom lip.

" But you are." To his surprise, she kissed him then nodded.

" I am." He framed her neck with both hands and pulled away so they could look at each other.

" It's strange for both of us then. I never dated anyone but Mary. You were my doctor but now we are just two people. If you want, we can move pass all that." He said. His eyes told her everything she needed to know. He wanted her to push everything aside and God help her, she wanted to too. " I want to get to know you as a woman. I want to take you out on a real date when there isn't a scary scarecrow chasing us."

" I'd like that." She admitted, making him smile and nod.

" Am I doing this right? Am I asking you out the way the others have? It's been a long time for me, you know." Avery laughed, making him grin.

" It's perfect." She reassured him as she took a hold of his wrists.

" Can I keep kissing you?" He asked. Avery licked across her bottom lip, drawing his eyes to the movement right away. He groaned and moved in without waiting for her permission.

Not that she turned him down though.