Chapter Six-
Lachie and Chase worked together to get Jess out of the destroyed car. Kate watched the monitor, and then ran over to the ambulance that had arrived to get their spine-board. Between the three rescue officers and the several ambo's on the scene, they got Jess into the ambulance. Chase jumped in the back, and the ambo's closed the door with a slam. Lachie and Kate looked at each other.

"Hope she's ok," said Kate, packing the gear away into the back of the patrol. Lachie shrugged his shoulders.

"I hope Chase is ok."

After several hours of waiting in the hospital, the doctor came out to see Chase. He jumped up out of the chair.

"Mr. Gallagher?" Chase nodded.

"We've done an extensive set of tests, including x-rays and a CT scan. I'm sorry sir, but Miss Turner's back was broken in the accident. She's now classed as a paraplegic." Chase sat down in the hard hospital chair with a bump. He looked at the doctor.

"Are you sure?" He asked, his voice cracking. The doctor nodded. Chase put his head in his hands.

"Miss Turner will stay here for a week or so whilst we tend to her other injuries. After that, she'll be transferred to a rehab facility." Chase nodded into his hands, and then glanced at the doctor.

"Can I see her?" He asked quietly. The doctor nodded, and led Chase to her room. He walked in, the tears streaming down his face.

"Oh Jess," he said. She tried to look at him, but couldn't. They'd done a surgery on her back to fuse the vertebrae together, but she'd never walk again. The tears formed in her eyes.

"Chase," she said, her voice shaky. He came over and sat next to her bed. He took her hand, and kissed it.

"I'm so sorry Chase."

"Shhh. What do you have to be sorry for?" He asked.

"I didn't see that truck coming. It's all my fault." He pushed back her fringe, and kissed her forehead.

"Jess, it's okay. We'll get through this." That made her start crying harder. Chase was bewildered.

"What?" He asked.

"You're going to leave me; I'm not the girl you fell in love with."

"Jess, I'm not going to leave you. We can get through this together. I still love you, no matter whether your legs work or not. You will still be just as beautiful, and I love you just as much, if not more." She smiled.

"I love you Chase."

"I love you too Jess."

"I won't be able to cook tonight," she said sadly. Chase laughed.

"Babe, it's fine. Lachie and I are grown men, we can fend for ourselves. Besides, I'll be here as much as I possibly can, to be here with you." Jess squeezed his hand.

"I don't ever want to lose you Chase."

An hour later, Chase rang Lachie to let him know what was going. After the conversation with Chase had ended, Lachie turned to the rest of the team.

"Jess's back was injured in the crash. She's now deemed a paraplegic." Lara gasped.

"How's Chase?" Asked Lara.

"He sounded okay on the phone, but there's a long recovery road ahead for her." Lara nodded.

"It'll be huge, but if anyone can deal with it, Chase can. He's strong." Lachie nodded.

"Who wants to go out for drinks tonight?" Asked Vince, coming out of Michelle's office. A chorus of replies answered him. As they started leaving, Lachie turned to Lara.

"You coming?" He asked her. She nodded.

"Of course."

Afterwards, Lachie dropped Lara home, and walked upstairs to her apartment with her. There was a note taped to her door. She pulled it off as she walked inside. Lachie followed her in.

"Aren't you going to read it?" He asked. She shook her head.

"Why? I know what it'll be about." Lachie picked it up.

"Is this another threat?" He asked. She shrugged her shoulders. He opened it.

Lara, I know you haven't gotten over him even though he's gone. He'll break your heart just like he broke mine. Stay away from him, or I teach you a lesson you may never recover from.

Lachie looked up from the note at Lara. She'd sat in a corner, knees up. He crouched down beside her.

"Dean's trying to fix this."

"No he's not. How can he? He doesn't even know who this person is! How can you stop something that you can't put a name or face to?" Lachie pulled her up, and sat on the couch with her.

"It'll be ok…" A knock on the door made him stop. Lara went to get it, but Lachie stopped her.

"I'll get it." He flung the door open. Dean stood in the doorway.

"Dean? What are you doing here?" Asked Lara, standing up. Dean came inside, and looked at Lachie strangely.

"Lara, I've come back to try and make things better with you." She sat down on the lounge again. Dean sat next to her. Lachie stayed in the dining room, staying out of the way, but being close enough in case he had to intervene. Dean spoke first.

"Lara, I'm sorry for leaving the way I did. I should have told you what I was doing, let you know." She nodded.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" She asked quietly. He shook his head.

"We have no idea who it is, or who it could be." She looked down, her hands caressing her baby bump. Dean put his hands over hers.

"I will do anything to protect you and the baby. Ian's putting police protection on your apartment, and you and I won't be able to publicly show our affection, but it will be all worth it if we can find out who this is." She nodded, and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I love you Dean Gallagher."