Chapter 11

"Are you sure you're not stalking me?" Tyana grunted amusedly as Jeff lowered her to his bed, her leg now bandaged professionally.

He managed a small chuckle, "yeah, you caught me, I've totally fallen for you—being apart is far too painful a possibility to even contemplate" he laughed, messing with the pillow beneath her head to make her comfortable, "So I watch you from the shadows—your own personal body guard" he joked adorably.

Tyana giggled, "Cool, looks like I need one huh?"

Jeff paused, taking in her warm smiling face. He nodded, "Yeah looks like you do"

He silently pushed a cushion under her injured thigh and settled beside her on the bed, "Ty, what happened?" he asked, staring down at the necklace and card he now held in his palms.

Tyana took the silver gifts from him gently, her hands grazing his softly when she did so, sending shivers up and down Jeff's arm.

"I can't tell you" she whispered sadly, trailing her fingers over the grey ticket.

Jeff recovered from the pleasure that her simply touching his palm gave him and shook his head in disbelief,

"Some chick stabs you outside a club and before leaving to get fixed up you insist on getting some little chip or something…I think you can at least try to tell me"

Tyana stared into his emotionally intense eyes for a second but returned her gaze to the small card in her hands,

"Believe me Jeff I can't…and even if I was permitted you wouldn't understand. It's practically inconsiderable…" she trailed off.

Jeff ducked his head at her silence, forcing her eyes to meet his, "And believe me, I can take a lot more than people give me credit for"

Tyana stared at him for a moment but sighed eventually, "Well even you couldn't handle this. Sorry…it's better this way"

Her eyes shined at him with a genuine apologetic glow so he nodded in understanding,

"Ok" Silence descended and for the first time Jeff noticed the purple material that clad Tyana's legs. "Nice pants" he commented with a smile.

Tyana looked back up at him and laughed gently, "Thanks, although the whole battle wound and numerous slices in the material thing kinda ruins 'em now"

He shrugged, running one finger over the material that covered her undamaged thigh, "Oh I dunno, if anyone can pull it off it's you"

The morning came what seemed like days later and Tyana painfully tried to get out of bed. She attempted to mute her groans of agony to save the sleeping man on the couch from awaking but when she moved too abruptly she couldn't silence the moans.

"Ah…frail…ow, FRAIL!" she grunted, unhurriedly trying to push herself to rise from the bed. Jeff stirred and when he awoke fully to see Tyana trying to get out of bed he shot up from his unorthodox place of rest and dashed to her side.

"Hey hey hey, sit down" he lightly pushed her shoulders down forcing her to sit on the bed.

She gazed up at him, a kindness in her violet eyes, "Jeff I've gotta go, there's someone I need to get in touch with" she told him, 5 minutes earlier discovering the only communicator she had with her had been damaged in the battle and therefore she was unable to contact Bret to let him know of the situation.

For a second Jeff began to worry she meant a boyfriend but he dismissed it as selfishness on his part, "You can call them here" he gestured towards the phone.

Tyana shook her head firmly, "I need to get back to my hotel, seriously and I need to go now"

"Why? What's the rush?"

"I…I can't say" she mumbled, beginning to sense a pattern.

Jeff sighed annoyed, "you know there's a lot more secrets to you than I like"

"Then I'll do you a favour and leave—your life can once again regain its simplicity," she offered as she tried once again to get up. And again Jeff pushed her gently back to the bed,

"My life was never simple. Now secrets or no secrets you're not going anywhere, you can't even walk!"

"I could if you let me get my Frailing crutches!"

"Tyana listen! Your hotel is an hour's drive away and there's no way you can handle the journey alone!"

"Well I'm gonna have to 'cause unless you've forgotten not only am I most definitely leaving but you've got a flight to catch in three hours!" Jeff's mouth dropped open. He'd completely failed to remember that he was supposed to be moving onto San Jose today.

Jeff looked at her determined face and then at the clock. He glanced back at her and for a moment was caught off guard by how beautiful she looked staring up at him with such intensity, a glint of vulnerability looming below the surface. A grin broke onto his face,

"Three hours? That gives me plenty of time to get you back where you belong and me to the airport! That sound about right?"