Wow. Thanks for the quantity and the quality of the comments for the last chapter you guys. (LuvTommy56, LittleZurawski, KayKay2007, RockerChick13, an addict, riotgirllina, alexis, 4everobsessed, Saranha de Angelo, babyf, Erin McKinley, bookworm0408, jackjackio, iamthatplace, Ilovetommy, and Lillian). This fanfic is actually becoming more popular than 'Touched', which I never thought was possible.

This is the last of the pre-written chapters. Well, actually it's two chapters in one, so it's a little lengthy...happy R&Ring.

"Oh you love me?" she smirks, most of her attention still on television. "I love you too Quincy."

"No, I mean I love you."

She turns towards me giving me a quirky look before returning her focus back on the television. "Okay…like I said I love you too Quincy." I watch her swallow hard and inhale deeply. She begins to fidget nervously with the diamond-studded, heart-shaped pendant on the thin, silver chain around her neck… a sure sign of nervousness in the book of Jude.

"I don't think you're getting what I'm saying," I yawn, again, half paralyzed as I slip into that third stage of sleep.

"Bye Quincy," I hear her whisper, kissing my cheek.

"What do you mean I can't leave?" I snap.

"In my professional opinion, I think it would be best if you stayed another night…we still need to get some test results back," Jaws replies. "If these next results come back negative you can leave later on tonight."

"There's no way I can get out, like now?" I ask exasperated.

He shakes his head 'no.' "I'm sorry sir…"

"Whatever," I sigh, eating another spoonful of oatmeal.

What I need is a second opinion. How can I miss the VMA's? How can I miss the chance to see Jude either shut Jax down completely or say yes to him asking her—you know asking her what he's supposed to ask her. Perhaps he'll chicken out…

"You can go now," I snap, dismissing Jaws from my eyesight. Damn he's already delivered the bad news he can definitely go now. I realize that's a little rude to take my aggression out on him, but he seems a likely candidate.

"Sorry sir," he blubbers, before shrinking out the door, leaving me to my oatmeal and bacon and eggs. You know hospital food really isn't that bad, especially when the nurses love you and there's nothing really wrong with you…but yet you have to stay in the hospital anyway because your doctor is Mr. Ed look-alike who probably got his doctorate from clown college anyway.

A few minutes later, when I'm starting on my pieces of toast with the jam and butter (courtesy of my favorite nurse who snuck the butter in for me. I just might have found love with that woman).

"Come in," I call out, through a mouth full.

"Hey man," Jax greets me, sticking his head into the room.

"Come on in…" I say, beckoning him forward.

I must know if he's having second thoughts or anything.

"How are you feeling?" he asks, setting down a bouquet of roses beside the window with the other accumulating flowers and gifts from people.

"Pretty good," I shrug, spreading more butter on my toast. "Don't worry about me its just exhaustion and fatigue or something like that…" I reply, waving off the whole subject. "How are you feeling? It's the big day…"

"I know," he exhales, taking a seat on the sofa in the corner. "I'm kind of nervous."

Well duh you moron. Of course you're 'kind of nervous'. Damn you're basically giving away the single life.

"I can see how you'd be 'kind of nervous'," I nod, angrily taking a bite of my toast. "Asking someone to marry you is a pretty big step."

"I noticed," he responds, leaning back on the couch and propping his feet up on the small coffee table. "I've weighed the pros and cons plenty of times though."

What the hell does he mean he's 'weighed the pros and cons'? Either he loves her or he doesn't. Who the hell weighs the pros and cons when he considers proposing to someone? Then again, perhaps I should try that considering I already have one failed marriage.

"It's weird. At first I was a little worried about asking her. But now my whole demeanor has changed. I'm calm. She belongs to me. I belong her to her. We belong together."

I feel that oatmeal trying to get back together in my large intestine. That is the biggest load of crap I've ever hear in my whole entire 26 years (27 if you can't the months I was still attached to the umbilical cord) of my life. The next thing he's going to say is: Jude completes me.

They belong together my ass…ha! The part that really cracks me up is the 'she belongs to me' part. He might be dating her, but her heart is mine.

"Right." I roll my eyes, since he's not looking my way.

"I'm just ready to get it over with, you know?" He says through a yawn. "So when are you getting dismissed?"

I chug down my orange juice and set the cup back down before answering his question. "Not today."

"What?"

"Doctor's orders," I mumble, returning to my channel hopping.

"Wow. That sucks."

No shit Sherlock.

"Yup."

"Wow. That sucks." He repeats, stupidly.

"You already said that," I say in a monotone, mentally adding moron to the end of my sentence.

"Sorry."

"Don't be."

We settle into an uncomfortable silence, I get right back to my channel hopping, trying to pretend he's not even there. It's pretty easy actually, ignoring him I mean. It's better that I ignore him for a little while, than to kick ass so bad he's in the room across the hall from me. Though that would be kind of cool…he wouldn't get the chance to propose to her—today anyway. But then he would have the bed hair, 'look at me, I'm pitiful' thing going on too. That certainly wouldn't be good.

The silence is shattered when Erika comes in.

"I'm leaving now Mr. Quincy," she announces, gathering my breakfast tray.

"Ah, I wish you didn't have to go," I smile, sadly.

She rolls her eyes, apparently used to my flattery. "Right."

"Seriously…" I say, holding her hand.

"Right…" she rolls her eyes once again.

Damn. She just froze me…that hasn't happened in a while…since 4th grade actually, and that's only because she was my teacher.

Ouch. It kind of hurts getting dismissed and in front of Jax. Wow. My ego hurts.

"You cut me deep there, Erika," I say, bringing my right hand over my heart.

"Right," she says again in the same skeptical tone, before laughing.

"I'll see you tonight," I call after her.

"Right." She says again.

Jax stays and keeps me company for the next couple of hours, sharing meaningless conversation. We pretty much have nothing in common. He likes the Red Sox…I hate baseball. He doesn't watch hockey…I would have been a hockey player if I weren't into music. He likes The View (wtf?); I like Dr. Phil.

We do have this one thing in common. Well person in common. We're both in love with this one girl.

"So how do you think Jude will react when I pop the question?"

Hopefully she'll slap you across the face and turn you down. "She'll probably be speechless…and then she'll probably hit you."

"What?" he asks, shocked.

"What," I ask, playing dumb.

"What do you mean, she'll probably hit me?"

"It's her 'coping mechanism'." He's asking her to marry her and he doesn't know this?

"Oh," he laughs, nervously, leaning back into the sofa again. "You think she'll cry?"

If she loves you she will. "Nah…I don't think she will. She'll probably hyperventilate or something."

He laughs at me, but I was serious. "I can picture that."

Sure he can…he's only known her less than a year. He doesn't know anything about her. I laugh along with him though. "Me too."

My cell vibrates on the little nightstand beside my bed. I see a picture of Kwest and Sophie popping up. "You'll excuse me for a second right?"

"Nah, I'm just going to talk to you later man, I need to get down to the theater about now anyway."

"See you." I say, waiting for him to exit before answering the phone.

"Are you okay?" he asks, without even greeting me.

"Yeah. I--"

"What's the matter with you man? Jude said something about exhaustion?" he interrupts me.

"Yeah. I--" I try again, but once again he cuts me off.

"See? You need to just tell that girl you love her—get it over with because you are making yourself sick…" he rambles.

"Kwest. Man. Calm down. Take a breath. I'm fine, they're just running some precautionary tests on me, since I haven't had a check up in a while." I say, quickly, hoping I don't get interrupted again.

"So are you getting discharged today? Are you still going to the awards? I don't think you should if you're not well."

I sigh, repeatedly listening to him go on and on about why I shouldn't go the awards.

"Are you finished?" I ask him after several minutes of his nonstop chatter.

"Yes."

"I'm not being discharged they want to keep for another 24 hours." This statement causes him to go on for another couple of minutes about how it's probably something serious.

"Kwest," I sigh, interrupting him for a change. "I'm fine man."

"You don't know that."

"I'm fine. Trust me," I promise. "Actually I lied I'm not fine. I'm missing those damn awards and that boy is all psyched about asking her the question."

"Damn now you don't even get the change to interject and ask her before him," he replies.

"How'd you know I was thinking about that?"

"I know you," he says, condescendingly.

"Yeah, yeah. What am I going to do man?"

"Are you willing to admit that you love her yet, because until then you can't do anything. Because if you can't say you love her then you must not. Sophie says: if you love someone—then you have to say it. Say it right then, because you might not get another chance…the moment will pass. And you might not get another."

Sophie sounds too smart for her own good if you ask me.

"Right," I sigh, rubbing by forehead with my free hand.

"But I wouldn't tell her tonight, if you happen to see her after the awards. Because then she'll think that you're just jealous because she and Jax have something."

"Right," I repeat, feeling entirely confused. "So when would be a good time to tell her man?"

"Um--" He begins. "I don't even know. It better be soon though."

"I kind of told her last night," I mutter.

"What?" he shouts into the phone, making me wince in pain. I kind of need my ears for me profession. I hold the phone from my ear for a few minutes. "What do you mean you kind of told her!"

"I said 'I love you Jude'."

"And…what did she say?"

"She said she loved me too."

"Am I missing something?" he asks, shouting again. "Shouldn't you be planning the wedding or something?"

"Well I was kind of drugged..."

He interrupts, abruptly. "Of course she's not going to believe anything you say if you're basically high."

"I didn't say she believed me, I just said that I told her."

"Right…" he trails off.

After a few more minutes of Jude-related conversation. There's another knock on my door. "Come on in." I say absentmindedly.

Jude walks in her arms filled with a huge ass bear as big as her and an equally huge 'Get Well' card.

I laugh out loud at the site of her struggling with getting the bear inside the doorway. "Kwest let me call you back man." I say.

"What? Jude there?"

"Uh huh."

"Oh…I see. I'll call you because your brain will probably be mush after a while."

"Whatever," I laugh, hanging up.

"You look like you're struggling girl." I smirk, watching her sumo wrestle with the bear through the door.

"You're so funny," she responds, sarcastically.

I take the opportunity to take a few photos with my phone…

She finally kicks the bear through the door and falls on top of it. I promptly burst out laughing again.

"Shut up," she growls, trying to contain her own laughter, handing me the card.

"I didn't say anything…" I say, defensively.

"Your eyes are saying it all."

I shrug and begin laughing again as I review the pictures again.

She gasps. "You did not take pictures…"

"Yeah. I did." I reply, nonchalantly.

"That is so evil."

"I know."

"See that's why I told Erika that you were gay." she responds.