Hi! This is a short one, but I just felt like it could stand on its own. Thanks for all of the feedback!

"Love sought is good, but given unsought is better." Twelfth Night, Act 3, Scene 1

The next morning, Houston went outside to look for C.J., because she wasn't anywhere in the house. It was very early, but as he stood on the porch trying to decide which way to go to look for her, he heard a voice and nickering from the barn. As he entered the barn, he could just make out that she was standing in front of Calamity's stall because of the light from the tack room. He could also make out that she didn't have any shoes on her feet. As he approached, he heard the sound of licking and her saying, "I know girl. It's no fun being cooped up in one place. Especially when you want to run free."

When he was a couple of feet away, he could see that C.J. was holding a bowl of what he assumed was molasses, Calamity's favorite treat. "Now, what are you two ladies talking about this early in the morning?" The other horses started to nicker when they heard his voice.

They both looked over at him, then Calamity went back to licking the bowl clean. "We're just commiserating about our injuries. She seems to think you've been slipping me her horse tranquilizers."

"Now Calamity, would I do that to C.J.?" He stood behind C.J. and she leaned back against him. Calamity brought her head up and turned it to look at Houston, then nickered and nodded her head.

She said softly, "See, she knows." Then C.J. addressed Calamity, "I know, girl, but that's what men do. They tell us it's for our own good, as if we're not clever enough to figure that out for ourselves." The bowl, finally empty, was sat on the little shelf by the stall door, then C.J. scratched Calamity's cheek and jawline.

Houston stepped back and to the side so she could see him, putting his hands on his hips and adopting a mock hurt tone, "And here I was gonna to bring you into work today."

C.J. gave him the side eye, "See if you can stop me, Mr. Houston."

He stepped in, put his arm around her waist and pulled her to him, "If you weren't injured, I would sure have fun tryin'." Then he kissed her, but stopped and asked, "You're not going to fall asleep during this kiss like you did during vespers last night, are you? Because Will came out before I realized you were asleep and is never going to let me live it down."

She smiled, "While I'm on these drugs, I can't promise anything." Then she kissed him again. She pulled back and added, "So why don't you let me decide when to take them? I mean, unless you have some sort of Prince Charming complex."

He smirked, "Oh, I don't think you qualify as 'Snow White' anymore." Her jaw dropped to a shocked look as she inhaled deeply and pushed away from him, and without another word, turned and walked out of the barn. He looked over at Calamity, while scratching his head, "Ooo, boy. I stepped in it this time Calamity. I better go." Calamity nodded her head, then he turned and followed C.J. out of the barn. He strode up behind her saying, "I meant you're more of a 'Sleeping Beauty'."

"Mmm, hmm." Was her reply.

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It was a busy morning at Houston Investigations. Houston and C.J. had flown into the office before sunrise, then he flew back out to the ranch to pick up Will. Will would then drive the van back out to the ranch and pick up his father and his nurse, after the shift change, and bring them into the office. C.J. had ordered breakfast in and it was just arriving as Houston came back upstairs from the gym, and Chris was arriving for the day.

Chris was happy to see C.J. and gave her a gentle hug. Then she gushed, "I'm so glad you're okay! Are you sure it's not too soon for you to be back at work? I was going to visit you at the hospital, but Mr. Houston said to wait. Sit down. Can I get you anything? Everyone's been asking about you. Mr. Houston put a bed downstairs in case you need to lie down. Are the lights too bright? Murray had maintenance put dimmers on all of the lights, so if it's too bright just let me know."

"Hold up there Chris, you don't want to wear her out in the first five minutes you're here, now do ya'?" Houston gently admonished.

C.J. put her hand on his arm, and was smiling at Chris' enthusiastic welcome back, "Thank you, Chris. The lights are fine for now, Houston adjusted them before he left to pick up Will. Have some breakfast. I need to get started on BABY." She chose to walk through her office to get to BABY because she was feeling a little unsteady, but she didn't want Houston to know. She decided she was going to put her 'big girl panties' on and try to plow through today.

A few minutes later, Houston joined her on the couch and reached to put his hand on hers. "You need to eat." She was about to maintain that she would later, but he was ahead of her, "Yes, now. And when was your last dose of pain meds?"

She rolled her eyes as she pulled her hand away from his, as she stated, "When the nurse gets here, I will take my next dose."

"You dodged the question there, Miss Parsons." He gave her the look.

She let out an exasperated sigh, "I took it at four this morning, before I went out to visit Calamity, but you were sleeping and missed it."

He calculated, "Then you should be taking the next dose now."

She stopped typing, "Yes, but you're the one who put the nurses in charge of the medicine. I can't help that she won't be here for another hour."

It irritated him that she was right and was working on how they would manage this situation the next time. In the meantime, he stood up, "Come on. Come sit at the table and eat with me and Chris." And then quickly added, "Don't argue. You can continue what you were doing after you've eaten."

Another exasperated sigh came out and she asked, "Has anyone ever told you that you have a horrible case of 'Only Child Syndrome'?" Then she stood up and made her way over to the poker table.

He eyed her over his shoulder and said, "I'm not going to dignify that with an answer. But I will say that you and I will make sure that we have more than one child to avoid it." Then he went to get her something to drink.

C.J. was about to say something when Chris chimed in, "Awwww! I'm so glad you guys are planning a family."

C.J. just shook her head at the pair of them, sat down at the table and started nibbling on her toast. She really wanted coffee, but was going to swear off the stuff until after the baby was born, assuming she ever did decide to let him get her pregnant. And that certainly wasn't going to happen while she was on all of the pain meds.

After they ate, she was back at BABY running down the whereabouts of all of the females they had ever played a part in arresting, but they couldn't rule out those whose family members they helped put away either. As she looked at the faces, none of them were setting off any alarm bells in C.J.'s head. The pain was starting to come back, so she looked at her watch to see how much longer it would be, but they should have been at the office almost an hour ago. LA traffic was a bear this time of the morning. She decided to use the breathing techniques Mellissa had shown her from the Lamaze classes she and her husband took before the birth of all of their children. It helped for a little while but by the time Will, Uncle Roy and Susan, Roy's nurse, came in, it was past the point of breathing through it.

When Roy wheeled over to look at what was up on BABY's screen, he could see that C.J. was not doing well. "My dear, I think you need to take a break for a few minutes."

Houston, who had been looking through old files while waiting for them to arrive, was over behind the bar getting the juice back out for them when he heard Roy's comment. He stopped what he was doing and got to C.J. as fast as he could. He saw that she was looking a bit peaky, and agreed, "Yeah, let's get you downstairs so you can lie down for a little while." Then he looked over at Susan, who was at the table, "Do you have her pain meds?"

Susan had been in her bag and was pulling them out, "Yes, right here." She set about opening the bottles and tipping the pills into her hand. She looked up to see C.J. bolting for her office.

C.J. managed to make it to the lady's room just in time, but then struggled to do anything else as even the dim light was suddenly too much for her. She felt hands in her hair, holding it back gently.

Chris said sympathetically, "Aw, C.J. Is it the pain or the light?"

C.J. whimpered, "Both, at the moment." Then the lights went even dimmer. "That's a little better, thank you."

Susan said soothingly, "When you're ready, I have your meds right here." After several minutes, C.J. managed to stand, brush her teeth and rinse her mouth out, then take her pills. "There ya' go. Okay, we're going to have to trust you in the future with this because clearly the delay in taking these just makes it worse for you." C.J. nodded, "Alright, you stay here and I will make sure all of the lights are dimmed to this level out there, okay?"

C.J. looked at Chris and admitted, "I need to lie down." Chris nodded and opened the door for her. C.J. stepped out of the bathroom, moved to walk through her office, but the lights were too bright, so she turned to go the other way around, but that seemed to bright, too, so she froze not knowing which direction to go.

Chris told her, "It's okay, close your eyes and I'll lead you there." Then she put a hand in the middle of C.J.'s back and held C.J.'s right hand with her other.

After several arduous minutes of making their way downstairs, C.J. sat on the bed. She had heard everyone talking in hushed tones, but didn't bother trying to make out what they were saying. Without opening her eyes, she requested, "Would you get me a glass of water, please?" She heard her leave the room and then she felt Houston's strong hand take hers and she slowly opened her eyes. The gym was faintly lit, but she could make out his face as he kneeled on the floor in front of her, her favorite face in the whole world, and she sighed, "I don't like this, Houston. I want to work. I want to figure out who did this to me."

He took the glass from Chris, and she went up the stairs. He handed the water to C.J. and watched her drink. "I know you don't. I don't either." He took the glass from her and sat it on the floor, then guided her to lie down while saying, "And we will figure out who did this to you, but for right now I want you to lie down, close your eyes and relax. When the medicine is doing its job, then come back upstairs. Okay?" She nodded, then he kissed her on the forehead, and said, "I love you."

"I love you, too," she sighed and shut her eyes.

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C.J. was sitting in a chair facing the spa and the bar. She could feel the cord that held her wrists tied behind her. She struggled against them, but she knew she had to do it quietly or she would hear. She was on the phone talking to, no, threatening Houston. C.J. knew she had to get away or she would be killed by the one who really loves him. Suddenly her hands were free, and she started running for the elevator, but it felt like her legs were in quicksand, so hard to move. She had to keep moving or she would be killed. Then, Elaine was beside her, laughing at a joke. An engine revved, look, it's her! Jump!

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Houston and Will were at the file cabinet in the reception area. Will commented while looking at one of the files, "Gee, Matt, you really make the prettiest women mad at you. Have you ever had an unattractive woman in your office?"

As Houston was about to reply he heard the faint sounds of footsteps moving up the stairs from the gym. "It sounds like Sleeping Beauty is awake." He stepped over to look, but was horrified when he realized she was running; running fast. He dropped his file and started up the steps to go after her, but she was lightning quick. He screamed her name, but she had the doors to the helipad thrown open before he had even reached the stairs to the gym. He jumped down the stairs and ran but by the time he reached the helipad, she had jumped over the wall and disappeared from his sight and his life. A mixture of dread and revulsion filled him as he ran to the wall anyway, yelling her name; knowing there would be nothing he could do as she was already on the pavement below. He could only think of one thing.

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C.J. awoke in extreme agony. Her body hurt, the light was making her head scream, but where was she? She ventured a peek and all she could see was the side of the building and the sidewalk below. She froze and searched with her right hand for the bar that held up the stiff metal netting they had placed there to catch anything Chase might have thrown over the helipad wall the week she babysat for Melissa. She had landed on one of the bars with her midsection and she didn't know if the pain was from the previous bruise or if this was a new injury. She could hear yelling from above and below.

Houston's barely controlled, panicked voice was the one she focused on, "C.J.?!"

"Houston! I'm scared." There was no mistaking the terror in her voice.

He had to talk loudly to be sure that she could hear him, "I gotta admit, I'm scared, too. You hold on. We're callin' the fire department and going to try to figure out a way to get you back up."

She closed her eyes tight against the light and the sights of the street below. Her heart was beating a mile a minute and the adrenaline kicked in to high gear. But she had to tell him what she remembered, "Houston, I know who hit me. It was Meredith Brown."

As the adrenaline coursed through him, having just seen the woman he loves and his best friend jump over the helipad wall. Thinking he had just lost her forever, then the relief he felt when he saw her on the netting. With all of that he couldn't place the name, "Who?" He wanted to keep her talking, mostly so he could hear her voice.

Her voice was unsteady, but she reminded him, "Meredith Brown. Erin Brown. The woman who stalked you."

He suddenly recalled who C.J. was talking about when she said 'Erin'. He asked, "Are you sure? She's been locked up for a long time now at Cabrillo." She was in a padded cell the last time he saw her with no way of escape.

She assured him, "It was her." She peeked again and quickly closed her eyes, while tightening her grip on the pole. Her logical brain knew it would do her no good if the barricade gave way, but her survival brain didn't care. She managed to say, "Her hair was only blonde on the ends, the rest of it was black." She added with a touch of humor, "I guess they don't let them color their hair in the institution."

At that moment, he couldn't recall if the carpet matched the curtains, and he really didn't care, so he just assured her, "Alright, I'll have Uncle Roy check on that." He heard the sirens in the distance. "C.J.?" He wasn't sure what he wanted to say but he wanted to keep her focused on him.

"Yeah?" was her shaky reply. She was trying to figure out a way to remove her sling without moving too much, but nothing came to her. If she could somehow stand up, he might be able to reach down and pull her up by her good arm.

Then a thought popped in his head and he went with it, "I know this is going to seem a little unorthodox, but… Will you marry me?" It wasn't the romantic setting he had planned on, but he really needed her to know how serious he was about her being with him always.

Had she heard him correctly? Her confused question to him was, "What?"

He explained, "C.J., even in the midst of chaos we have always had each other. We support each other. You've always let me be me, even when I'm doing dangerous things. I know I don't deserve you, but you're my best friend and I love you like no other. So, I want to know if you'll marry me."

She could hear Chris' "Awwwwww!" even down on the netting, and it made C.J. smile. Suddenly, she wasn't afraid. Suddenly, they were having one of their many conversations, so she said, "You sure know how to woo a girl, Houston."

He smiled, "It's one of my many charms."

Even with her eyes closed tight, she rolled her eyes and responded, "As is your timing."

He said half joking, half seductively, "Oh, darlin', you know I got my timin' down."

She chuckled and added earnestly, "Can't wait for you to show me again." A gust of wind hit and startled her. Her grip tightened and another stream of adrenaline hit her, but, mostly, she wanted to know, "When did you decide this?"

"I've been thinking about it for a while now, but it really hit home when I saw you in the ER. You were talking about going back to my ranch, my house, my room, my bed, and it felt… wrong. I want it to be our ranch, our house, our room, our bed." He paused to let all of that sink in for a moment, "So wadda ya' say? Will you marry me?"

Just then the firemen showed up and made Houston step back. They worked quickly and methodically to lower two firemen the five or so feet down to her. It took them a little longer because of her previous injuries to get her in a harness and back up and over the ledge. The paramedics assessed her and decided she would need to go to the hospital for x-rays to be sure none of her ribs were broken.

They loaded her onto the stretcher and were wheeling her out, when Chris made them stop, "Wait! I want to know what the answer is!"

The firemen and paramedics looked confused, but Houston took C.J.'s hand and asked, "Yes, what is the answer?"

She grinned, "What was the question?" She thought she'd give him an out in case what he said was just in the heat of the moment, even though she knew deep down it wasn't.

He dropped to one knee, and produced a ring box from his coat pocket. He opened it and there was a beautiful oval shaped, 3 carat emerald surrounded by 1 carat diamonds in a platinum band, "Will you marry me?"

Tears immediately sprang to her eyes, "Yes, of course I'll marry you." Chris and Susan were smiling and crying, and even Uncle Roy and Will teared up. Though, later, Will would say he just had some dust in his eyes and they should really get the AC ducts checked.

He stood up and placed the ring on her finger, then kissed her like there was no one else in the room or on the planet.

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The day had been a full one even before noon. There were medical tests that revealed two fractured ribs in addition to further bruising. There were many questions from the police, as well as, a psychological evaluation to be sure it wasn't a suicide attempt. When the psychologist allowed Houston into the room, he suggested that she seek treatment for her night terrors, and, much to her surprise, Houston said that they would both be going to therapy as soon as they found someone. He had always had a "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" attitude when it came to psychiatry and psychology. She made a note to ask him what changed his mind some other time, because at the moment she just wanted to get home, to their home. As soon as she was released, Houston drove her back to the office, then flew her back to the ranch.

There was a smear of grease from the netting on her face and arms that she couldn't rest until she had showered and washed off. As she stood in the shower letting the water cascade down her head and face, being mindful to keep the bruised and fractured left side of her body from entering the stream of water too much because even after a week it felt like shards of glass were poking her when she did, she heard the shower door open. She smiled because she knew when she opened her eyes he would be right there, and she anticipated his hands caressing her gently. But when she opened her eyes, she saw that his were not full of desire, but of fear and pain. His body and emotions were as naked as she was. She stepped to him and caressed his face, "Baby, what's wrong?"

He struggled to say the words, because he wasn't fully sure of what her reaction would be, but she needed to hear his heart. The tears started to roll down his cheeks, and he was a man that rarely cried. Even when his father passed, he didn't cry until the burial. "C.J., I…"

She lifted both her hands to cradle his face, and implored softly, "Tell me. Tell me." Her left shoulder started throbbing immediately, but she forced herself to ignore it and focus on the man standing in front of her. The man she loved, who was clearly in absolute anguish. She gave him tiny kisses on his lips and she was relieved when he didn't pull away, but leaned down a little more to let her.

He decided to say it all at once, "When you went over the wall today. The moments before I realized you hadn't died…" He cherished the way she was holding him and kissing him when he had to pause before he could get the rest of it out. His voice was shaky as he continued, "I knew that if I had seen you on the pavement below… that I would have gone and gotten my gun and…" He couldn't finish the sentence, but he didn't need to. She knew what he meant.

She was horror struck at the thought and she began to cry, too. The thought of him doing that was too much to take in. All she could do was put her fingers to his lips while softly and rapidly saying, "No, no, no, no…" and then softly pleaded, "Take it back. Take it back." She could see his emotions were overwhelming him and they sunk to the floor of the shower together. He rested his head on her chest and sobbed. She held him as tightly as she could. She kissed his head; her tears flowing as freely as his. Her words came from the logical part of her brain, she shakily cried, "You would have been okay, Houston. Just like after your fiancé was killed, and when you thought Will had been killed, and when your Daddy died. You would have found a way and you would have gone on."

He lifted his head to look at her, his chocolate brown eyes searching her hazel ones as he explained, "C.J., the only reason I got through any of those terrible things was because I had you. You are my constant, C.J. How could I possibly live without my constant?" She was about to interject, but he continued, "You have balanced every equation in my life since we met. I cannot, I will not live without you." He tried, and failed, to choke back a sob.

She tenderly shushed him, and pulled his head back down on her chest, and began to rock gently with him until he was calm. By that time, the water had run cold and the drowsiness from the pain meds had really started to kick in. So, after they helped dry each other off in the midst of passionate kisses, he guided her to the bed. What they had shared in the shower was the most intimate experience that either of them had ever had with any other person in their entire lives, and the love making that followed cemented them together, body and soul. They clung tightly to each other as they drifted off to sleep.