A.N. Thank you SO much for continuing to read this story. So sorry the chapters are taking so long to wrote at the moment. Here is a new one and I hope it doesn't disappoint.

Bemused, she rubbed her eyes, and for one moment she had forgotten what had happened in the few hours previous to her falling asleep, and then it hit her like a truck. "Oh God" she said to herself as she sat up. She cursed herself for exposing her true self to him. Up until yesterday, she had hidden all her insecurities from him and presented what she wanted him to see. "He's not going to want me now" she thought. Not now he knows what a mess I am inside. I've blown it. She looked around, remembering that although she was now in her bed, on the crisp white sheets she had just bought, last night she had fallen asleep in his arms on the sofa. He wasn't in the bed with her, and the only crumpled sheets were the ones from the side she had slept on.

Quietly, she crept through to her living room to see if he had left or was still here. Peeking around the living room door, she smiled as she saw him. He had removed his jacket, and rolled up his white shirt sleeves to his elbows, revealing his strong, defined forearms. He still had on his waistcoat, her favorite. He looked so peaceful lying there, and she walked quietly towards where he was sleeping and sat beside him. She watched him for a while, letting herself take him in, and amazing herself at the butterflies in her stomach and surge of fullness in her heart just from watching him. She was lost to him and she knew it. Then came a sinking feeling. A feeling that happened because she was sure that when he woke up, he'd look at her with pity and not love, and feel sorry for her because she's a mess. And then he'd leave. She couldn't believe how just before she met him she thought her life was full and happy, but now sitting here and thinking of him leaving her, her life would be meaningless and empty. How can one person cause that she thought. She was tempted to lean over and place a gentle kiss on his lips to wake him up but she was still worried about what he thought of her now, so instead she headed for the kitchen to make coffee. After setting up the coffee machine, and pressing the button, she enjoyed the sound of it slowly percolating and then the delicious smell of the coffee itself. As she savoured the sensation, she went to the fridge to look out some fruit, and milk to make oatmeal. Suddenly she had the feeling that she was being watched, and as she turned around, there he was. Henrik was there in the doorway, hands in his trouser pockets, leaning casually against the doorframe, smiling as he watched her. She blushed crimson and exclaimed "Henrik, you gave me such a fright. I didn't hear you. How long have you been standing there?" "Oh not long, Nicole. Just a few seconds." Something about his voice made her melt a little and she tried to remain composed and together, not wanting to seem like the pathetic self-pitying person from the previous evening. "Well, I'm just making breakfast Henrik. Would you like to stay and eat? Of course, you don't have to, and I know you might have to get going so please don't feel bad if…" She stopped dead, realizing that she was rambling and once again sounding a little crazy and less than confident. She felt like at any moment he was ready to make his excuses and run as quickly as he could from her and this situation. "Why, I'd love to, thank you Nicole." And with a polite smile, he took a seat at her kitchen table.

After putting the coffee and fruit on the table, she continued making the oatmeal and as she did she was sure she could feel his eyes burning into her back. He was watching her, and the only reason she could come up with was that he was keeping an eye out for more evidence of her craziness. She felt more and more self-conscious as she busied herself around her kitchen, and then finally with the oatmeal ready, she took her place beside him at the table. Being a gentleman, he had waited on her, and proceeded to pour coffee for both of them once she was seated.

For a while they ate and drank in silence, until she could wait no longer. "Henrik, I'm so sorry about yesterday. You must think I'm crazy. I just…have some major self-doubt issues. They have no place in my work I know. I just…I just lost it because you have become so much more important to me than I can even have imagined and I just can't see straight when I feel like you're not on my side and it's irrational and wrong and to be honest I don't know why you haven't left me already and gotten as far away as possible and thanked your lucky stars you didn't get yourself totally bound to me…" She stopped talking and looked him. He had stopped eating and was looking at her earnestly. She wondered how much emotional support he was capable of giving another person given how focused and driven he was, and how stoic he seemed. He seemed to cope best with people who were confident and capable, something she had appeared to be before yesterday.

He took a deep breath and pushed his glasses up on his nose. He reached out his hands to take hers in his. "Nicole, what you don't seem to understand is that I really don't know what to do when I see you sad and upset. The only difference between you and I is that I have to make decisions on behalf of the hospital. When I made that decision yesterday, it wasn't about you and your skill or competence. It was NEVER about you. It was about the hospital. I don't think you realize the hold you have over me. I've never felt the pain I felt when you left my office. I wanted to fix it right away. I want you to be happy. Always. What you don't seem to understand, Nicole, is that I AM yours. You seem to think I can walk away from you. I can't. You awoke a part of me I thought was dead from a long time ago. I need you. I'm not prepared to lose you. I've made that mistake before. So, Miss Adams, how exactly do you feel about that?"