As always, thank you to all of you for your epic reviews. As I've explained to a few of you after your reviews, I write these chapters with very little planning; I've written the final chapter now so that I know where I'm headed, but other than that I know absolutely NOTHING about what's going to happen in the following chapters until the end of them!

It's fun. XD

Okay, so, on to the next! As always, I don't own any of this shizzle other than the storyline.

Chapter Twenty-Six - Omelette

JD POV

The second we stepped into the apartment, my stomach exploded into a flurry of butterflies; this was the third time I'd actually been here because he wanted me to be and the thought of it felt pretty much completely unreal.

Dr. Cox walked straight into the kitchen and opened the fridge. "Have you eaten?"

I slowly shrugged off my rucksack and jacket, slipping off my shoes at the door whilst looking around nervously. "Errm… no. But I'm not really hungry right now."

He snorted as I wandered towards the kitchen, lingering awkwardly in the doorway. "Well you may not be but I haven't eaten since breakfast. Let's see… yep, got the doings here for a nice ol' omelette."

I stood and stared at him as he rummaged around, feeling as if I were in some weird, parallel world where Dr. Cox invited me to his apartment and then talked in casual terms about omelette's. It was weird. Really weird. I watched as he made his way around the kitchen, tipping oil into a pan and cracking eggs into a mixing bowl - yep, this had to be some crazy dream. It was too…

Normal?

He caught me staring at him a raised an eyebrow. "Changed your mind?"

Instant bewilderment. "I'm sorry? What?"

"About eating. I've got enough for two if you want some."

I'm going to wake up in a minute and alllll of this would've been a dream.

"Errr…"

He paused, the mixing bowl stopping mid-air as he went to tip the mixture into the frying pan. "Speak now or forever hold your peace, Newbie. I'm not gonna make you one in an hour when you've changed your mind."

Say something, for gods sakes! "Sure, I could eat." No, not that. You're not hungry, for crying out loud!

He gave a small nod. "You won't regret it." Deftly he cracked three more eggs into the bowl, whisking them up and tipping in a little more milk at the same time. I knew it was only an omelette, but in my head he was looking more and more like some sort of celebrity chef every second - "You like peppers, right? Though some ham, cheese and peppers'd taste good."

Okay, this had to stop. "You are not Perry Cox."

A wry smile slipped onto his face. "Oh no? Then tell me, Betsy, who am I?"

"…his twin brother?"

Dr. Cox let out a tiny laugh, tipping the mix into the frying pan. A satisfying sizzle met my ears - okay, so I was starting to feel a little hungry. "Does he have a name?"

I thought for a second. "Patrick?"

He nodded thoughtfully. "Well, I am Irish-American so that would sort of make sense. So what's his career - dentist?"

I grinned, leaning against the doorway. "Struggling artist."

"I like that. The struggling part. No brother of mine is gonna be more successful than me, no way, no how."

He tipped the pan back and forth, letting the omelette thicken. I couldn't take my eyes off of it. "He's gay, y'know."

The look he shot me was a mixture of amusement and derision. It felt familiar and, oddly, good. "Is that so?"

"Mmhmm. Makes what money he doesn't get from his paintings by dancing at a gay strip club. Takes home at least one-thousand dollars a night in tips."

Throwing in some pre-chopped peppers and ham, he grinned my favourite grin. "I should think so, if we're identical. A body like this would get two-thousand, no problem."

"Sure it would," I teased, my eyes following his movements as he sprinkled a lot of cheese over our omelette. Our. The sound of it in my head made me feel giddy. "All the men like to be ground up against by Patrick Cox."

Dr. Cox glanced up and met my eyes, the omelette sizzling alongside the tension that had suddenly sprouted between us. "All of them?"

I gulped slightly, his look overtly intense. "Well, um, not all of them."

He kept his gaze on mine for a second - I waited for him to ask the question, ask me what guys didn't want to be seduced by his 'twin brother', but he simply turned to the omelette pan and slid the spatula underneath it. "Looks about done, wouldn't ya say?"

I walked over to stand slightly behind him, peeking in at the omelette and pretending to give a crap - I could smell him, warm and clean, a mixture of soap, deodorant and something that was inescapably him. That was pretty much the only thing I could really focus on at that given moment. "Yeah, sure. Looks good."

He turned slightly; I found myself breathless as he looked me up and down quickly before saying, tiny grin on his lips,

"Y'got that right."

My mind went into overdrive. There MUST be some catch to all of this!!!

Swiftly he slid the omelette out of the pan and onto a huge plate he'd set out before, opening up a drawer and taking out two forks. I looked from the plate to the number of forks.

"Are we… sharing?"

He picked up the plate and walked past me, into the next room and flopping down onto the couch. "That a problem?"

I hastened in after him, sitting lightly on the seat next to him. "No, no, not at all…"

"Good," he said abruptly, switching the TV on with his remote and starting to flick through. The scent of the omelette that sat on his lap wafted over and made my stomach grumble - he raised an eyebrow but kept his eyes on the screen. "Feel free to dig in, kid. It's not gonna eat itself."

I fought away the urge to dream of such a cannibalistic foodstuff and picked up a fork. Instantly I was concerned.

Do I take it off of his lap or do I… I don't know, eat it seductively from where it is?! Is this some kind of test?!

I didn't have a chance to find an answer; finally settling on something sports-related (oh god, no, I don't have the ability to pretend I know what sport I'm watching right now!) he used his fork to pull away a portion of omelette and lifted it easily to his lips. I found myself engrossed in the movement of his mouth, my own lips separating slightly as I watched him eat - he let me get away with it for a few seconds before turning an irate blue-grey gaze onto me. My eyes widened - I hated getting caught!

"Stop watching me and eat, Newbie. I didn't slave over a hot stove for it to go cold."

"Yes sir," I squeaked, using my left hand (dammit, I'm a righty!) to manoeuvre its way around the omelette, trying to decide which bit to eat first. He sighed irritably, separating a huge chunk with his fork and, without any warning, shoving it towards my mouth. I flinched backwards, dropping my own fork in the process - he stared at me as if trying to work out if I was messing around or if I actually was this stupid.

He figured it out quickly enough. "Open your mouth in two seconds or I swear to god I'll force it open." I bent quickly to retrieve my fork but he shook his head, growling slightly. "Leave the fork and just open your mouth!"

I did as he asked - he slipped the food inside, extricating his fork and raising an eyebrow questioningly as I started to eat. I was all too aware that he was watching me - I cursed inwardly that a) I had watched him and b) that I hadn't just eaten at work… I chewed as quickly as I could before swallowing the hot eggs, peppers, ham and cheese -

I blinked in surprise. "It tastes great!"

Dr. Cox settled back onto the couch, nodding sharply. "Like I said before, Newbie. Dig in."

This time I didn't hesitate. I used my newly-retrieved fork to chow down with aplomb, relishing in the taste of it - when was the last time I had actually eaten and tasted something? Not in a week, at least… I ate with more ferocity, taking bigger and bigger chunks until when I next went to take a forkful I saw that the plate was empty. Dr. Cox was looking at me, an amused glitter in his eyes.

"Sooo you decided nawt to let me have any?"

My eyes widened in horror. "Did I… I'm so sorry! Did I just eat all of that?!"

"Save about a sixth of it."

Dammit! You couldn't even eat an omelette right! "Dr. Cox, I am so sorry -"

He leant forward, putting the plate onto the glass table in front of us and shrugging. "It's no problem."

"But you said you hadn't eaten since br-"

"Zip it!"

I pressed my lips together.

"I told you to eat and, for once, you followed my exact orders. Pretty much," he added, clearly amused. "Also -"

He bought his arm so that it rested around the back of the couch. I felt my entire body start to hum from the almost-contact.

" - when you're in my apartment, you are… permitted… to call me by my name."

"Thank you, Percival."

Not so amused anymore. Whoops. "Don't push your luck, Newbie."

This gave me an idea. Maybe I'll push it a LITTLE more…

"Maybe… maybe if I'm allowed to call you Perry, you can call me by my name…?"

His face twisted into a scowl. "No."

"Please?"

"Never."

"Just for tonight?"

"Newbie, so help me god -"

I scooted closer to him - I waited, expecting him to get up and move away, to make a point of not wanting to get all close and whatnot but to my complete surprise he stayed exactly where he was - though the frown was still very much alive…

"I'll never ask anything of you again!"

A smile twitched on his lips. "Like I believe that."

I slumped against the back of the couch, disappointed. I let my eyes stare unseeingly at the TV as men ran about and leapt on each other. Huh. Football sucks. "Fine."

"You're in my apartment and I just cooked you dinner. Are you actually complaining?"

Shrugging, I let my fingers fiddle with themselves in my lap. "Maybe."

He sat up slightly, frown gone, replaced by the risen eyebrows - I realised just how much I made him do that. I wanted to laugh. A lot. "Well maybe you want to leave now that I've fed you, Newbie?"

Instantly my attention was back onto him, horrified. "No, no, no, I'll be good, I promise!"

"I don't know, if you're not gonna be grateful for the scraps I give to you on occasion then maybe this little situation we've got going here won't work -"

"I won't say another word, I promise! I promise!" I pretended to zip my lips together - only to realise that I'd gone and promised something I did not want to adhere to. What was this 'situation' he was talking about? I wanted to know more! I wanted him to tell me exactly what he saw in 'us', from his own lips but now I couldn't!

ARRGH!!!

He looked at me thoughtfully for a while, before grinning and turning back to the television. He switched the channel over - oh my god, Sanford and Son!!! My lips flew open - his finger placed itself over them. I looked at him, torn between wanting him to touch me more and wanting to quote alongside the actors. His eyes glittered with enjoyment - he knew exactly what I was thinking and had completely and utterly done this on purpose. How does he know me so well?!

"Careful Hayley, don't want to break your promise, do you?"

Aha! I had him! "I only have to stay silent if you call me by my name -"

His burning-ice gaze moved so quickly from the television to me that my breath caught in my throat. Time slowed as his lips parted, my entire body so heavy from the tension that I couldn't actually move - even if I'd wanted to.

I swear I saw him say it before I heard it. "JD."

It didn't matter that I didn't want to be quiet. I didn't really have a choice. Him saying my name in that deep, growly voice of his was enough for me to be completely unable to utter a single word. He shifted forward until his lips were millimetres from mine, his skin so warm that I felt it from where I was sitting -

"And now, if you break your promise, I will punish you."

I couldn't lie to myself. I liked the sound of that.

"If you stick to your promise then I'll… reward you."

Oh! I liked that too…

"This is just for one night, you understand?"

I nodded, desperate to please - and when was he going to kiss me already?!

He grinned slightly, nodding. He moved back to sit where he had been before, lifting his feet up so that they rested on the glass table. "Atta boy."

Annoyed that I both had landed myself in this situation and that he hadn't kissed me, I settled back myself to watch the show. I ended up compromising - sure, I couldn't speak the script aloud but I could lip-sync them… I ended up doing it for the entire episode, even doing it for some of the commercials inbetween. Halfway through, Dr. Cox (Perry) shook his head, not even looking at me.

"I can't believe you're not a virgin."

My mouth gaped open. What?!

He shrugged, still not looking at me. "The fact that you know an entire episode off by heart? I gotta tell you Newbie, that's -"

"HA!" I exploded, pointing my finger in his face in glee. "You lose!"

He folded his arms across his chest, meeting my gaze. "It doesn't count, I've already used your name once."

I pouted. "It does so count. Don't try and back out of it, Perry, you know I'm right." I was using my smug tone, and I liked it - particularly because I knew he didn't. He pursed his lips, arms still folded.

"So how're we gonna sort this out? I think I'm right… so technically I need to punish you… but you think you're right, so…"

I decided to push my luck again. "Maybe I can have both?"

"What's that now?"

"I could get a reward… and a punishment."

He didn't even try and suppress the smile that flickered onto his lips. "You're asking for a lot tonight."

My fists clenched into light fists. "Sorry."

Slowly, hesitantly, he reached over. His hand paused over mine for a few seconds, waiting for what felt like years before he connected the two together, gently pulling my curled fingers until they lay flat against his, out of their fists. "I didn't say I minded."

My stomach exploded into butterflies.

"And it's fine. You're allowed to ask for things," he added, letting his eyes drift upwards to meet mine. "I may not agree or want what you want, but I'm…" He struggled for a few moments - the sight of him wrestling with himself to find the right words made me want to kiss him there and then. "I'm willing to try harder to be what you want me to be."

I couldn't help it - I leant forward, brushing my lips lightly over his own - he stiffened slightly but as I started to kiss him with a gentle but fervent passion he seemed to melt into it, shifting a little so that he could kiss me back properly… but I stopped it. I pulled away, shutting my eyes and resting my forehead against his.

"Don't… don't do that."

I felt his brow wrinkle in confusion. "Do what?"

I shook my head slightly. "Don't change who you are and how you are just because you think it's what I want. I fell in love with an asshole, not a saint."

It was impossible to not sense how uncomfortable this made him. I knew instantly why.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said it like that -"

"You're only saying it like it is," he cut in. His hand reached up, hesitating before cupping my face in his palm. "I know you're… I know you feel that way."

I smiled slightly, pulling my head away from his and raising my own hand, resting it on top of his. "If you know it, why can't you say it?"

At this, he gently let go of me and sat back, leaning back against the couch and covering his face with his hands. "I'm still getting used to it, JD."

Little fireworks fizzled within my stomach. I grinned. He didn't miss it.

"What now, Kayleigh?"

I couldn't stop grinning. "You called me JD."

Dr. Cox smirked. "I bet you're dancing for joy on the inside right now, huh?"

He had NO idea.

"So," he continued, turning his attention back to the television set. "You wanna carry on watching TV or skip straight to your punishment?"

Electricity sizzled through me - I didn't know what this punishment would be, but my god I wanted to find out! "I ummm… I don't mind." As he flicked through the channels I noticed one of my all-time favourite films just starting. I sat forward, pointing at the screen. "Oh my god, Finding Nemo!"

The look he shot me was so full of derision that it made me squirm. "I'm gonna bypass the girl joke and cut straight to the chase - we'll be watching this film then?"

I leant back, crossing my legs and trying to look as casual as possible. "I don't mind, Perry, it's up to you."

He crossed his ankles together and turned up the volume. "If I don't let you watch it you'll just sulk, so…"

X X X X X

Dr. Cox POV

It was halfway through the film when I realised what he was trying to do. I sat there, dealing with the utter crappiness of it for the sake of stopping him from being a whiny girl for the rest of the night, not really paying attention to him - until I felt his shoulder brush up against mine. I shot a look sideways and there he was, just leaning to the side, looking ridiculous(ly uncomfortable) as he blatantly tried to snuggle up to me and put his head on my shoulder.

I narrowed my eyes. So that was why he kept shifting - he wasn't just being a pain in the ass, he was actually trying to achieve something… the impossible. I sighed - he looked up meekly from where he leant, his eyes instantly defeated once he realised that I'd worked out what he was doing.

He pulled himself back up again, staring at the screen with the tiniest, stupidest pout I'd ever seen. "Sorry."

For a few minutes I stared at him, watching as he became enthralled by the pretty, colourful moving pictures again… I sighed inwardly as I made up my mind.

Almost violently I reached out and pulled his scrubs until his head hit my shoulder - he made a small noise, struggling against my grip; I let go, casually draping my arm across the back of the couch. He stared at up me, confused. "But I thought -"

"Stay still and be quiet."

Newbie instantly clammed up, freezing in his position - after a while I felt his body start to shake, clearly uncomfortable. I growled low in my throat, half-irritated and half-endeared as I refused to look at him, instead directing my words at the television screen.

"Get yourself comfortable, for crying out loud. I'm not going to bite your head off just for shifting around a bit."

He mumbled something that definitely had the word 'violence' in before lifting his head up. Tentatively, with all the caution of a gazelle trying to avoid being caught by a lion, he shifted his body slightly closer to mine, bringing his legs up onto the couch and moving his arms so that one was curled inwards to his body and the other was sort of pressed up against my side; he brought his head back down, resting his cheek on my shoulder and fitting himself in the gap between my head and neck.

For a few moments, all I could focus on were his scent, his warmth and his complete and utter contentment. As much as I hated to feel empathy, it was practically radiating from the kid like a light bulb - there was no denying it. As we sat, staring at the television screen (knowing that neither one of us was focusing on the movie) I felt his gentle satisfaction slowly creep into my own body, relaxing me to the point where I started to feel that I could sleep right there, right then…

"This is my favourite part!" he babbled suddenly, body tensing a little from whatever he was seeing on the screen - I glanced at it, seeing a group of fish huddled around what looked like a mountain wearing stupid headbands and supposedly initiating the smallest fish of them all… I rolled my eyes - what the hell was this crap we were watching? I knew that Jack liked this film but I'd never paid any attention to it when watching it before. I looked back down at Newbie, watching the tiny smile that appeared on his face which started to grow as the scene went on, a little laugh escaping him at one point - a similar warmth to his contentment flooded through me, without any warning, but… I didn't know how to explain it in my head. Though it was so thick and flowing it made me feel so light, so at ease…

I knew I was defenceless against it as my arm, of its own accord, slid down the back of the couch to settle around his shoulders.

His entire body froze - for seconds that lasted longer than days we sat as still as statues, him waiting for me to change my mind and me waiting for him to ask me, yet again, who I was.

I didn't even know anymore.

Bit by bit, second by second, his body relaxed into mine until I was pretty sure that we might as well have melded into one single form.

Only slightly irritated, I acknowledged that I wouldn't mind it so much.