If you see where Hank calls his sister sweetheart, it's because I am a southern girl and my whole family calls everyone honey or sweetheart. So don't blame Hank…lol. And Joanne calls Johnny sweetheart because after all the things they have been through and his getting hurt so much, she considers him a child of her own.

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"You are both being released under the condition that if ANYTHING goes wrong, you high tail it to the nearest emergency room." Dr. Kelly Brackett sat down on his rolling stool, leaning forward, one hand on his hip and the other one propped on his knee, the hand cupping his chin. His tone clearly said that he was not joking. He glanced from one paramedic to the other, his dark eyes intent. "Do I have your word?" His eyes lingered on Johnny for a moment, as the young paramedic had a habit of not telling anyone when he was hurt. Johnny squirmed, his "Yeah, sure, Dr. Brackett" one second after his partner's much more convincing "Sure thing, Kel."

Ash and Captain Hank stepped forward. "We will keep an eye on them, Doctor." Cap said helpfully, nudging Ash forward.

Ash looked uncomfortable. "Doctor, um, Doctor Brackett, I will help them, if I can. I - um - I."

He smiled kindly at her, and held out a hand. "Hey, now. You are a very capable little lady, and I am sure Johnny at least will not protest at the idea of being looked after by such an awesome nursing assistant as pretty as you are."

Ash gazed strangely at him, and in his eyes, she saw the kindness that was reflecting in his voice. He alone knew what had driven her off of the deep end a few weeks ago, and as doctor-patient confidentiality goes, he couldn't tell anyone. What she didn't know was he had just chosen not to of his own accord. Dr. Brackett had been through some tough situations with Johnny and he understood how important it was to let each troubled person reveal their own stories on their own timetable. She gave him a grateful smile and he smiled back, then turned to Roy and Johnny, indicating that the matter between he and Ash was closed.

A few more moments passed as the paramedics discussed medications and trip details, and signed release paperwork.

Finally, all four walked out of Rampart General into the sunlight. It was time for vacation!

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"You'll like Joann," Roy smiled at the quiet girl seated next to him. Hank was driving them home in Johnny's white Land Rover. Johnny was carrying on a one sided conversation with Hank over the lodge where they were supposed to stay. Roy shook his head at Johnny and turned back to Ash. "Joann is real sweet."

"I am sure I will like her, Roy. Thank you for letting me come along with you guys. I have never been skiing before."
Ash spoke with a practiced politeness that was not lost on the crew. She sat as far away from everyone as possible, stiffly, hands clasped in her lap. Hank looked back at Roy with a confused look on his face, but said nothing. Roy shrugged slightly in response. Sometimes she was more out of her shell than others.

"-and you guys! The lodge has a huge fireplace. Look!" Johnny turned sideways in the front seat and thrust the pamphlet toward the backseat, startling Roy and Ash. Roy shook his head in disapproval.

"Easy does it, Tiger." Roy accepted the pamphlet offered by Johnny and looked at it carefully.

He glanced over at Ash, who was cowering in the corner of the backseat. Roy held out the pamphlet. "Look at this thing. It's a totally massive fireplace." He smiled kindly, trying to distract her.

Johnny turned to look over his right shoulder at Ash. "Gee whiz, kid, I'm sorry. Man, you're gonna get so tired of being around me this week." He slumped miserably in his seat.

Ash seemed to snap out of her startled state at these words. A concern crossed her face and she sat up straight. "No, no Johnny, don't feel that way. I don't mind you being rambunctious. It - it's like having another brother." She glanced at Roy, and gently took the pamphlet he was still holding out to her. "Wow," her eyes lit up and she nodded appreciatively. "It's an amazing lodge."

Roy nodded. "Yeah."

She glanced at him again. He was still watching her with those piercing blue eyes. She wasn't going to be able to hide her feelings from this man. He was so much like her dad. She shook her head a little to erase the image and returned to studying the pamphlet. She read it over and over, trying not to notice that he was still watching her.

Johnny glanced sideways at Hank and their eyes met. The only thing that brought Ash out of her shell was thinking that Johnny felt bad. She was willing to hide her own emotions to keep everyone else happy. Johnny tapped the armrest of the seat with his fingertips. He was gonna figure out a way to get through those walls. He realized that she had not finished her statement last night. She was going to tell him the rest of the story, but now wasn't going to be the time.

Hank brought the car to a stop outside of Roy's small family house. A little boy was playing in the yard and a pretty woman was walking down the driveway, a toddler in her arms.

Roy greeted her with a hug and quick kiss. "Hi, Jo. Sorry it's kind of rushed. We just came by to pick up my suitcases."

Joann, slim and brunette, smiled kindly at him. "No problem, Roy. I have it all ready. How is your head?"

Roy smiled at Olivia who was reaching out to him with tiny arms. He chuckled and took her in his own arms. "Feeling better already, Jo. Sorry to have worried you like that when we are about to go away for a few days. Just got a minor headache, but it will get better in a day or two. I will sleep on the plane so shouldn't be too much of a hindrance. If I have to, I will sleep some of tomorrow."

Jo gave him another kiss and turned to the other men, just now climbing from the Land Rover. "Hi Hank! Hi Johnny, how's the head, sweetheart?"

Johnny blushed. He was the big kid that Jo didn't have, and she mothered him all the time.

"Aw, shucks, it's nothing, Jo. Feeling better already." He gave her an awkward hug, then he became momentarily distracted as Chris, Roy's son came running up to him and threw his small arms around Johnny's legs exclaiming "Uncle Johnny! Uncle Johnny!"

Jo gave him a motherly smile and nodded. "Alright then, Johnny. You rest if you feel dizzy at all, okay? Hank?" She turned to the taller man and gave him her most winsome smile.

"Yes, ma'am?" Hank asked politely, leaning on the hood of the Rover.

"Watch out for my boys, okay?" Jo gave him a sweet smile.

Hank nodded firmly. "Sure thing, ma'am."

She returned the nod, satisfied. Then she noticed Ash, who was making faces at the baby behind Roy's back and making Olivia laugh.

"Why who is the lady? Your new girlfriend, Johnny?" Jo asked, reaching to take Ash's hand.

Johnny turned beet red, and Captain Hank coughed. "Uhm, ma'am, meet my sister Ashley. She is going on the ski trip with us."

"Oh! That's sweet," Jo exclaimed. She frowned slightly when Ash didn't make a move to take her hand. She glanced at Roy. "Not Johnny's girlfriend for sure then. Okay, come along inside and grab some lunch before you go."

Once inside, Jo pulled Roy aside. "Roy?"
Roy put an arm around her waist and hugged her. "Yeah, baby?"

"Is she okay?"
Roy shook his head. "Let me tell you about Ash, Jo."

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The airport was a vibrant mass of sounds and motion. It appeared that almost everyone in Los Angeles was flying today. Security took so long that Hank was afraid the crew would miss their flight entirely. It was with immense relief that they finally boarded their jet and found their seats. Since she was a late comer, Ash had to sit near the very back of the plane. Hank was not happy but there was no other choice. He leaned into the aisle to see how far back she was. She responded with a wave.

Settling back into her seat, her thoughts began to drift. The engines roared to life and soon they were soaring out of LA into the eastern heading that would set them on their way to Colorado. She had an aisle seat, which to her was perfect. An elderly gentleman had the window seat and his granddaughter sat in the middle. She was dark haired, cute and engrossed in a cartoon movie and didn't pay much attention to anyone else around her. Ash smiled. It was probably better that way. She wasn't up to talking.

Her thoughts began to drift to the last few months. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes. Somewhere along the line, she had fallen back into old feelings. She sighed. Her life before Hank had been terrible. Abuse, both physical and verbal from her family had driven her into a hermit shell. She didn't feel anything. Love, happiness, sadness, anger - nothing. Hank used to tease her and call her 'poker face' when she first moved in. But he came to recognize that it was nothing more than a concrete wall she had built to hide her feelings. That was when the cutting had started. In her suffering mind, it did help. Only for a moment. She glanced down at the pale, scarred lines crisscrossing her wrists and yanked her sleeves down.

"So stupid." She mumbled to herself, crossing her arms over her chest. She shuddered as she realized that thoughts of trying again were gradually invading her way of thinking. After her experience at her work, she really genuinely believed that she was a piece of trash that Hank's family just felt sorry for and just wanted to feel better about it so they adopted her. She sighed again. How could she have not seen the truth? She saw in her mind's eye how distraught Hank had been when he ran into the room where she was at the hospital. Even in the midst of the battle of the drugs in her system, she saw so many emotions in his eyes. He cared. He looked scared, relieved that she was alive and so heartbroken. She misinterpreted it as heartbroken that she could do such a thing. But something inside her kept asking, what if you're wrong? What if he is heartbroken that he didn't know you were sinking so far into the abyss?

"Ash? Peanut?" She jumped as she realized that someone was shaking her shoulder, gently but insistently.

"Y-yes?" She asked startled, sitting up straight.

Hank stood leaning on the back of her chair. "Hey there, just came to see if you wanted to move up next to me. The kind wife of this gentleman was assigned to the seat by me and she wanted to come sit back here with her granddaughter." Ash realized that a sweet faced elderly lady was standing there beside Hank, arm in arm, as he was keeping her steady because the plane was slightly swaying.

Still feeling a bit scrambled by the quick change of thoughts, Ash nodded. "Um, yeah. Yeah sure."

Hank smiled. "Well come on then. Roy is napping and Johnny found himself a stewardess to talk to. I'm getting bored up there by myself. I may need to find a stewardess to talk to if I don't find someone to keep me company."

Ash laughed and gathered her purse and jacket, allowing Hank to offer her a hand to stand. The seatbelt lights dinged back on and they quickly and carefully made their way back to Hank's seat amid the jerking and bouncing of the plane. Ash almost fell flat when the plane took a dip but Hank had instinctively grabbed the edge of the overhead bin and steadied them both. Finally, they sank down into their seats and snapped on the safety belts.

Ash and Hank looked at each other and chuckled.

"Hey, thanks, bro." She mumbled awkwardly. He looked at her with raised eyebrows.

"Yeah, Sweetheart, any time." He pulled a book from his backpack. It was about touring Chicago. He held it out to her. "Hey, see if you can find the lodge where we will be staying."

"Maroon Bells." She said promptly, opening the book. "It was in the pamphlet Johnny showed us in the car."

Hank smiled. "Ah, you actually were listening."

Her face turned red as she remembered her startled moment. "Yeah, I was listening."

"Ash."

She glanced at him sideways. "Yes?"

"Hey, it's okay to get startled sometimes. I forget that you have a reason to be jumpy and-"

Ash frowned. "I'm normal, Hank. I'm not jumpy. Johnny dove back toward us so fast anyone would have been startled."

Hank crossed his arms. "Roy wasn't."

"I wasn't what?" A sleepy voice across the aisle interrupted their moment as Roy sat up, rubbing his face as if trying to figure out where he was.

"Hank says you weren't startled when Johnny nearly climbed into the back seat with his brochure this morning." Ash said, casting an accusing glance toward Johnny. He was sitting in first class chatting with a stewardess who didn't look exceptionally happy at his continued banter.

Roy glanced at Hank. "Uh, well I can definitely see how that would be startling, but gee, he's my partner and I'm kind of used to his crazy shenanigans so they just don't affect me that much. Now if I had not been used to him- maybe - no, yeah definitely that would have gotten me right here." Roy tapped his chest for effect.

Ash rolled her eyes. This was going to be an interesting trip.