Sorry for the delay in updating! This is the final chapter of 'I'm still here'. I feel like this is a good place to leave it. I've left room for a sequel in the future, but I really don't know right now whether I'll continue Jac and Connie's story. Thank you so much to everyone who followed, favourited and reviewed this: your support has helped so so much! As ever, enjoy the chapter and if anyone wants to send me any prompts for upcoming stories, let me know! :)

A month later…

'And you'll be ok without me, right?' Connie asked, placing a hand delicately on the shoulder of her friend.

'Yes, Connie. I can handle it, I've been Clinical Lead for months now and we've all been fine. Besides, I'm not one for wallowing or goodbyes, so I'll leave you to it,' Dylan muttered before walking off in the direction of Resus.

Once Jac had resumed her position of Clinical Lead, Connie had remained by her side to ease the transition. There had been no word from Kian: no phone call, no next and no email. After a few weeks, Connie had remembered how much she loved cardiothoracics and her passion for heart surgery had returned.

She climbed the stairs up to Darwin and knocked on the door to Jac's office, taking a deep breath to steel herself for the task ahead. Despite the fact that the old Jac that was known and feared (and loved) by everyone had returned after a few weeks of therapy from a psychiatrist recommended by Lucky Simpson, Connie still felt apprehensive about what she had to tell Jac, but it had to be her, and it was right that she should break the news.

'Jac? Have you got a sec?'

'That's about all I have, so be quick,' she replied, sitting down cautiously at her desk as though she were afraid of what her friend had to say.

'It's Kian,' she began.

'He's not coming back.' It wasn't a question, it was a statement, and Connie had to wonder how long she'd known.

'I'm really sorry, I know you loved him.'

'It's ok, I kind of knew. A part of me didn't even let myself believe he'd come back the minute Jacob said he was off sick- Madani has never taken a sick day in all his time working here.'

Her confession made Connie's heart ache for all of the pain Jac had been through in her life, to the point where she let very few people in at all for a fear of losing them again.

'Anyway, speaking of Jacob, how are the two of you?' Jac wiggled her eyebrows suggestively as she laughed, quickly changing the topic. She'd learnt over the years that burying your feelings was only a short term strategy, but she had genuinely accepted a long time ago that Madani wouldn't be coming back. Even though her unhealthy trust issues were a part of that admission to herself, she was still grateful for her impeccable survival instincts. She had a few people that she depended upon and trusted implicitly, and that was enough for her.

'Well-'

'Oh dear, trouble in paradise?'

'If you'd let me finish! He isn't too happy that we're no longer working together, but he understands,' Connie continued.

'You know you don't have to stay up here for me, right? It's Darwin, we'd easily find a consultant to take Madani's place.'

'Again, Jac, let me finish. We've decided to move in together, so we'll be spending plenty of time with each other when we're not on shift. You're not the reason i'm staying anyway, these last few months have made me remember why I became a surgeon in the first place- the adrenaline, the groundbreaking new procedures. I'd be able to be a part of that up here and I miss it. So, I'm more than happy to come back but if you don't stop grovelling, I'll kick Dylan out of my throne in no time at all!'

Jac had moved back home a week after she had come back to work full time, so the news didn't bother her. Despite not having found "the one" for herself, she was over the moon for Connie and knew what an amazing couple they were together.

'Well then, Mrs Beauchamp, get on with your job. I haven't got all day and patients need treating,' Jac snapped jokingly.

'Of course, Ms Naylor.'

Jac and Connie let the office door swing shut behind them as they headed towards the nurses' station, viewing the patient lists for the day and bickering over who had the most theatre time that day.