To Catch a Falling Star

by Raven Shadowrose

A sequel to The Ties That Bind. What will happen to the Holby paramedics and their partners when a traumatic event tests the bonds of their relationships and friendships?

38. Chapter Thirty-Eight

Author: Raven Shadowrose

Title: To Catch a Falling Star

Rating: M

Pairing: Dixie/Hannah, Jeff/Emilie, ?/?

Summary: A sequel to The Ties That Bind. What will happen to the Holby paramedics and their partners when a traumatic event tests the bonds of their relationships and friendships?

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Casualty, any dialogue from the show belongs to the writers and I claim no ownership. All original characters and the story are my property and I do not give permission for them to be used.

A/N: There will be some chapters in this story that may upset some people, a warning will be placed at the start of each chapter that contains sensitive/upsetting material. Reviews are welcome :)

Thank you to BeethovenRIP, Sparkles and Rainbows and sarah4steve for taking the time to review this chapter, I always like to read your reviews. I hope that you like this chapter :) I have the warm fuzzies from writing it :)

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Chapter Thirty-Eight.

The silence of early morning was only broken by the natural sounds of the countryside from the animals and people that surrounded the farm where Emilie and Jeff had got married. It was those sounds that woke Jeff up, he opened his eyes and took in his surroundings. He let the memories of the previous day wash over him and he smiled, he looked down at his hand and the wedding ring that now sat on his finger. That small piece of metal was a symbol of the connection that he had with Emilie, it showed that he had made a commitment to her for the rest of their lives. Jeff thought about the vows that he had made to Emilie and he promised himself that he would stick to them. He knew that Emilie trusted him with her heart and that it had taken her a lot of courage to do that after someone had broken it. Jeff knew that he wouldn't let Emilie down, her trust and her love meant everything to him. Emilie had stuck by him when he needed her the most, he was grateful to her for loving him. He was grateful to her for staying with him even when he had tried to push her away during the bad times. His thoughts turned to Emilie and what she looked like in her wedding dress, he smiled to himself, the image of Emilie in her dress would stay with him for a long time. He remembered not being able to speak when she started walking down the aisle. Jeff smiled again, he had dreamed of what Emilie would look like in her wedding dress, the reality had been far more beautiful than what his imagination had come up with.

Jeff looked down at his sleeping wife, she was lying with her head on his chest and her left hand was resting on his arm. She looked peaceful and content as she slept, it made Jeff happy to see her so relaxed. He smiled at Emilie and put his hand on top of hers, he let his fingers touch the engagement ring and the wedding ring that she wore. He was content to just watch Emilie as she slept, he looked at her face and let his free hand move over her hair. It felt as if he was seeing Emilie for the first time all over again. The thought that Emilie was his wife came into Jeff's mind, it was the start of their life together as a married couple. He wondered how different being married to Emilie would be than when he was with Lucy. It felt different already, Lucy had always had a mean streak in her, he hadn't seen anything like that in Emilie. There were times when Jeff had seen Lucy looking at other men when she thought that he wasn't looking. Emilie hadn't glanced at another man in the time that they had been together, he liked that she only had eyes for him. He trusted Emilie, he knew that she wouldn't betray him by going off with someone else. Jeff kissed Emilie on the head, he knew that she loved him, she had showed it in her actions throughout their life together. He held her close to him and gently played with her hair, he loved her so very much.

Thoughts of the night that he had spent with Emilie entered Jeff's head. He remembered her saying to him that she didn't want him to struggle when they made love to each other. He was glad that she hadn't shied away from the fact that he had struggled the first time that they had made love. It had worried Jeff that he might struggle again because it had been such a long time since he had been physically intimate with Emilie. He was glad that she had been patient with him and given him the time that he needed to explore her body. Jeff saw himself holding Emilie in his arms as he made love to her, she had locked eyes with him and he had found himself unable to look away from her. It had been intense and emotional, he saw the love that Emilie had for him in her eyes, he hoped that she had been able to see his love for her in his eyes. He wondered if Emilie was pregnant, he knew that it was unlikely as they had only made love once without protection. He secretly hoped that Emilie was pregnant, as unlikely as it was, he wanted to be a dad again. Jeff smiled at the thought of seeing Emilie's belly grow with their child in it, he knew that she would make a very beautiful pregnant woman. He was looking forward to holding her and stroking her belly as she grew bigger, and to the day that he would feel their child kicking. Jeff smiled as he thought about the day that their child would be born and he would get to hold him or her in his arms.

Emilie felt Jeff's fingers moving over her back and making little patterns on her skin, she kept her eyes closed and concentrated on the warmth of Jeff's bare skin against her own. It was a nice feeling and she didn't want to move away from Jeff just yet. She needed time with her thoughts before she let Jeff know that she was awake. Emilie felt the weight of the wedding ring that was on her finger, it was comforting to know that it was there, to know that she had promised to spend her life with Jeff. She allowed herself the time to run through the events of her wedding day. The time that she had spent with her family before the ceremony was very special to Emilie, her mum had been very emotional to see her in her wedding dress. She remembered talking to her mum and her sister before the ceremony started, before she had married Jeff. Emilie knew that she was still part of her family, that they would always be glad to see her. She had left her own name behind when she had married Jeff, she would have to get used to signing another name when she did anything official. There was a part of Emilie that liked taking Jeff's name as her own, it showed that they were joined to each other. A smile appeared on Emilie's face when she thought about being married to Jeff, she was his and he was hers for life.

After a few more minutes in her thoughts Emilie opened her eyes and she moved her head so that she could look at her husband. She saw Jeff smile at her, she smiled back at him and moved her hand so that it rested on his bare chest. 'Good morning Mrs Collier.'

'Good morning Mr Collier.'

'How does it feel to wake up as my wife?'

'It feels good, I like it.'

'I'm glad that you like it princess. I quite like waking up as your husband.'

'I think that we can count on many more days waking up married to each other.'

'That sounds good sweetheart.' Emilie smiled when Jeff kissed her on the head and wrapped his arms around her. 'Emilie, what do you think our future will be like?'

'I think that it will be lovely. I know that we will have days where things won't go exactly right, that we will have times where some things might be difficult. We have proved that we can make it through the difficult times if we stick together.'

'I know. There were some days after the shootings at the college that I thought we wouldn't make it through. I thought that you would get fed up of me pushing you away and leave me for good.'

'Never, leaving you was the last thing on my mind.'

'Even when I said that I didn't want to marry you?'

'I knew that you didn't mean it.'

'I felt so awful after I had said it. I saw how hurt you looked, I was afraid that I had lost you for good. I was very relieved when you came back. Emilie, I'm sorry that I hurt you like that.'

'Jeff, you've already apologised, once was enough. Look how far we've come, we made it through the dark days and are married now.'

'That we are princess, we have the rest of our lives together.'

'We do, let's put the past behind us and focus on the future.'

'I can do that.' Emilie smiled at Jeff, she loved him and she wanted him to be happy, she hoped that they would be able to leave the past behind them and start their new life together.

Emilie moved onto her side and she looked at Jeff who was still lying on his back; she took in his blue eyes and she smiled at him. 'Jeff, I am lucky to have you in my life.'

'I am lucky to have you too princess.'

'I love you.'

'I love you too.' Emilie felt Jeff move and she lay back in the covers, he rested his head on her shoulder and she put her arms around him.

'You're my cuddly teddy.'

'Always princess. Emilie, I know that getting pregnant isn't an exact science, I do hope that you will get pregnant soon. I know how much you want to be a mum.'

'It will happen when the time is right.'

'I know.'

'If my timing is right then I will be ovulating any time soon, it will be down to luck whether we get pregnant or not.'

'So it will be any day now.'

'Yes, though I might not get pregnant, we should prepare ourselves for that.'

'I know, I would like to hope that you will get pregnant soon.'

'I don't want you to be too disappointed if it doesn't happen this month. We have a small window of opportunity in which to get the timing right.'

'Yeah, I know.' Emilie hugged Jeff close to her, she hoped that he wouldn't be too disappointed if she didn't get pregnant right away.

Jeff understood what Emilie was saying, getting pregnant would depend on them making love at exactly the right time. The timing needed to be exact, the smallest delay could mean that they missed the right time to be together. Jeff lifted his head from Emilie's shoulder and he used his fingers to trace the outline of her jaw. 'You are so beautiful sweetheart.'

'I am happy that you think so.' He let his fingers drift over Emilie lips and then her cheekbones, he explored her face with his fingers and then let them move down her neck and over her throat. Jeff closed his eyes as he moved closer to Emilie, he let his lips gently brush against hers. He slowly parted his lips when Emilie started kissing him back. He still kept the kiss slow and injected a hint of passion into it every so often. Jeff felt Emilie's hand land on his arm, he let his fingers gently touch Emilie's neck as he kissed her and he heard her give a little gasp of pleasure. He felt the passion and the heat rising between himself and Emilie, he caressed her tongue with his, he felt his need for Emilie growing deeper and stronger. Jeff moved away from Emilie's lips, he looked down at her and saw that her pupils had dilated. 'Princess, I want you, I need you. I want to caress your body and make you mine in every way. Tell me that you want me.'

'I want you Jeff, I need you, I want you to make love to me.' Jeff smiled at Emilie, he kissed her again and moved his hands over her body.

'Your wish is my command, princess.' He kissed Emilie and teased her lips apart with his tongue, he would make her his once again.

Polly made herself a coffee and then she sat down at the table with Owen, they had had breakfast together and now they were waiting for Dixie, Hannah and Cyd to arrive at the house so that they could all say goodbye to Jeff and Emilie as they went on their honeymoon. 'Polly, thank you for letting me stay with you last night.'

'Any time.'

'I mean it, I am glad that we spent the night together.'

'I am too, you are a perfect gentleman.'

'Do you mean that?'

'I do.'

'You mean a lot to me Polly, last night means a lot to me too.'

'You are very sweet, last night was perfect.' Polly felt Owen squeeze her hand and she smiled at him.

'I can come and stay with you whilst Jeff and Emilie are away, if you want me to.'

'I'd like that, I'm not looking forward to being on my own.'

'You don't have to be alone, you have me.'

'I know, thank you.' Polly found herself being drawn into a hug, she loved how Owen wanted to take care of her and look after. Spending the night with Owen had made her happy, she loved how he had held her close to him and treated her like a lady. She sighed happily, she was certain that she was falling in love with Owen, she also had a hope that he felt the same about her.

Once Owen had finished hugging her, Polly put the dishes into the sink, she would do them later on. She patted Little Abs on the head and stroked his fur, she loved the dog and how he always liked to sit with her when she watched something on the television. Polly found herself watching Owen as he sat at the table and read the paper, she trusted him, she knew that he wouldn't hurt her. Owen had been going to go home after the wedding, she had asked him to come back with her as she didn't want to be alone. The talking and the wine had led to kissing and touching. Polly remembered taking Owen up to her bedroom and she had let him make love to her. She smiled as she remembered feeling safe in his arms, he had held her close and touched her gently. Being with Owen had been different to how it had been with Jay, Owen had been patient and put her needs first. Jay had been quite a selfish lover, she wondered what she'd ever saw in him. Polly took a deep breath, she had let Jay go, she had a man in her life that cared for her and treated her as his equal. She had very high hopes for the relationship that she was in.

Polly was still thinking when she heard the knock on the door, Little Abs was wagging his tail and he looked excited, he always knew when Dixie was at the door. 'Come on mate, let's go and let Dixie in.' The dog stood up and he went straight to the front door, Polly was about to follow him when Owen stood up. 'Should I go upstairs?'

'Why?'

'I thought that you all might want to say goodbye to Jeff and Emilie in peace.'

'I want you to be there with me, please stay.'

'Okay, I'll stay.'

'Thank you.' Polly was glad that Owen would stay with her whilst she said her goodbyes to Jeff and Emilie, she was going to miss them both. She went to the door and opened it, Dixie and Hannah were stood there with the twins. 'Hey Polly.'

'Hi Dixie, Hi Hannah.' Polly looked at the twins, they looked happy to see her, she hugged them both and smiled when they hugged her back. 'Come in, it is good to see you.'

'It is good to see you too Polly, are Jeff and Emilie back yet?'

'No, not yet.'

'I think they might be a little caught up in each other,' Dixie said.

'They have just got married, it is allowed.'

'Of course they are.' Polly let Hannah and Dixie go into the lounge and she waited for Cyd to get to the door.

'Hi Cyd.'

'Hi Polly.'

'Come on in.'

'Thanks.' Polly shut the door and she followed her friends into the lounge, she looked at her watch, Jeff and Emilie would arrive soon.

When Polly went into the lounge, she saw Thomas and Elizabeth playing with Little Abs, the twins loved the dog and he loved them too. There were times when they would play with his ears or hug him, he was a placid dog and he let the twins hug him whenever he wanted to. Polly saw Hannah watching the twins and she went over to her. 'Are the twins feeling better after their teething? I know that they were in quite a bit of pain with it.'

'They are a lot better, they are sleeping better too.'

'Good, I am glad to hear it.'

'Polly, you look happy, I don't think that you have stopped smiling since we got here.'

'I'm happy, I had a great time yesterday and the wedding was beautiful.'

'It was. I think it has something to do with Owen too though. You have a glow about you Polly, I think that spending time with him is good for you.'

'Yeah, I think so too. He stayed here last night, it was nice, he was still with me in the morning too.'

'Aww, bless, you two are very cute together.'

'Do you think so?'

'I do, I can see that Owen cares for you.'

'I care for him too.' Polly saw Hannah smile, she was glad that Hannah approved of the relationship that she had with Owen.

Dixie watched the twins playing with Little Abs, Cyd was stood next to her and Dixie turned to her. 'How is the dating going?'

'I have talked to a few people, I am not rushing into anything though, I want to take my time.'

'Good, don't rush, take your time to find someone that is good for you.'

'I will do.'

'You deserve to be happy.'

'Thanks Dixie, I am glad that you think so.'

'You are my friend, I want you to find someone that cares for you.'

'I want that too.'

'We will give him the once over to make sure that he is a decent person.'

'That sounds good. Polly looks happy with Owen, they make a good couple.'

'They do, he cares for Polly, I can see it in the way that he looks at her.'

'I can see it too, she definitely deserves it after what Jay did to her.'

'She does, I think Owen is a much better match for her than Jay ever was.'

'Me too.' Dixie watched Polly and Owen as they hugged each other, it pleased her to see Polly with a good man that would take care of her as she deserved to be.

After they'd had some breakfast, Emilie and Jeff drove home together, they had to pick up their cases and then leave in plenty of time so that they could get to the airport. Jeff parked the car and then he got out, he went to the boot and took the bags out of it. He put them on the floor and then he waited until Emilie had taken her dress out before he shut the boot and put the alarm on the car. Jeff picked up the bags and he followed Emilie up to the house, he heard talking and laughing coming from the lounge when Emilie opened the door. He put the bags down and then turned to see Little Abs sat in the doorway. 'Hello mate,' Jeff said, he gave him a pat on the head and he went into the lounge. He saw all of his friends sat around and Dixie was the first person to come up to him and give him a hug. 'Hello Jeffrey, how is married life treating you?'

'It is good, I like it.'

'Good, I am glad to hear it. You look happy, having that ring on your finger suits you.'

'Yeah, I think it does too.'

'Are you looking forward to going on your honeymoon?'

'I am, it will be nice to be alone with Emilie.'

'Have you told her where you're going yet?'

'No, I want to wait until just before we leave.'

'She is going to love it.'

'I hope that she will.'

'Of course she will, come here mate.' Jeff let Dixie hug him again, he hoped that she was right and that Emilie would like where he had picked for their honeymoon.

Emilie had joined Polly and Cyd, she wanted to talk to them before she went away on her honeymoon. 'I want to thank you both for the work that you did on the room that I shared with Jeff after our wedding. It was beautiful and I loved it.'

'I am glad to hear that,' Polly said with a smile.

'You both worked so hard, I am glad that I have friends like you.'

'You're very welcome,' Cyd said. Emilie hugged them both and she smiled.

'I can hardly believe that I am married, I have to remind myself of it sometimes. I am a lucky woman, it feels good to have that connection with Jeff.' Emilie saw Cyd and Polly smiling at her, she was glad that her friends were happy for her. 'Polly, thank you for playing for us too.'

'You've already thanked me once.'

'I know, I wanted to do so again, it was lovely.'

'You're welcome, you and Jeff looked so cute and happy dancing together.'

'I agree,' Cyd said. 'You looked beautiful in your dress too.'

'Thank you.' Emilie hugged Cyd and Polly again, she was happy that her friends had all been there to share in her wedding day and to see her marry Jeff.

Hannah went over to Emilie, she was watching Jeff as he played with Dixie and the twins. 'I see how you look at Jeff, you love him very much.'

'I do, he means everything to me.'

'I can see that.'

That is how you feel about Dixie, isn't it?'

'It is, she is the only person that I want to spend the rest of my life with.'

'That is very sweet. I want to spend my life with Jeff.'

'He feels the same way that you do, I see how much he loves you.'

'I see it too, I am very lucky to have him.'

'You have each other and you make a wonderful couple.'

'I am glad that you think so.' Hannah hugged Emilie, she was pleased to see both Emilie and Jeff looking so happy together. After everything that they had been through they deserved to be happy.

Jeff and Emilie shared one last hug with each of their friends, it was almost time for them to leave for the airport for their honeymoon. They went up to their bedroom and shut the door behind them. The bags that had been packed ready were sat in the corner and waiting to be put into their car. Jeff put his arms around Emilie and he held her close to him. 'Emilie, I know that I have kept where we are going on our honeymoon a secret from you. I hope that you will like where I have picked out for us to go.'

'Where are we going?'

'I want you to imagine a comfortable apartment, it has beautiful views over the city and in the evening the sunset can be seen from the bedroom. It has a Queen size bed that has curtains all around it. Can you see it?'

'I can, it sounds wonderful.'

'I am going to take you there princess, we can cuddle up on the large sofa after a long day of exploring the city. We can come and go as we please, eat when we want and sleep in when we want. There aren't any limits to what we can do. I have booked us a few trips out so that we can see everything that the country has to offer.'

'So, where are we going?'

'Italy, more specifically Venice, the city of romance and love.'

'Venice, really?'

'Yes princess, Venice.'

'Oh my goodness, I can't believe it.'

'Are you happy?'

'I am, very happy, thank you for picking somewhere so beautiful for us to go to.'

'It's my pleasure sweetheart.' Emilie hugged Jeff, she was very happy that he had picked Venice for their honeymoon, she was looking forward to being with Jeff somewhere so romantic.

Once Emilie had stopped hugging Jeff, he kissed her on the head and then softly on the lips, he could tell that she was happy. He was pleased that she was happy with his choice of honeymoon destination. 'Jeff, this must have cost you a fortune.'

'You're worth it sweetheart.'

'I am looking forward to spending time with you.'

'Me too, our first holiday as husband and wife.'

'The first of many in all of our years together.'

'That sounds promising, I want us to be together for a long time to come.'

'I want that too, you are a sweet man Jeffrey Collier and I am proud to be your wife.'

'Thank you princess, for loving me and marrying me. You are an amazing woman, I am glad that you are in my life. I love you.'

'I love you too.' Jeff took Emilie's hand in his and he kissed the back of it.

'Come on sweetheart, our honeymoon awaits.' Emilie put her hand in the one that Jeff held out to her and she followed him to the car, she was very excited about their upcoming honeymoon.