( before)

She stood over him sprawled out on the couch, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"What?" He asked opening one eye to her.

"Nothing." She had whispered, he'd tugged at her arm until she was sitting on his lap.

"Jordan.." He warned playfully. "Haven't we discovered that you holding back is a bad idea?"

"Shut up Hoyt." She mused, bringing her hand up to his face, tracing the other across his neck.

"Jordan.. N- not that I don't appreciate the effort.. But to my utter humiliation Dr. Macy not so discreetly informed me that you are not up to.." Jordan pulled back and looked at his face, smiling slyly at his remembered embarrassment. "..how did he put it? Nocturnal Activities."

"He said that to you?" Jordan grinned shaking her head slowly. He groaned and cupped her hand in his, pressing her palm more firmly against his face with a sorrowful nod. "That must have been fun for you. Like talking to your dates dad before the big dance."

"Your dad was never that direct."

"With anyone." She mused sadly. "Why are we talking about this?"

Woody laced his fingers into hers and peeled her hand from his cheek, kissing her wrist before holding their hands up to her in explanation. "This."

"Oh yes that." She purred, moving closer to his body.

"Yes that." He grinned at her, planting his hands on her hips and holding her still.

"I.." He watched the vibrato slip off of her features as she met his eyes.

"Jordan." He breathed pressing his forehead against hers. "We can't."

"I know." She told him honestly. "I just don't want the last time I kissed you to be about trying to prove something."

Woody had held her eyes for a fraction of a second before his mouth crashed down on hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck, molding her body into his. His hands rubbed up and down her back before settling in her hair, gripping her head tightly.

"Your going to be fine." He whispered, when he'd finally managed to pull himself away from her lips. She tucked her face in the crook of his neck.

"Yeah?"

"I'm just playing on your fears, you know? To get you where I want you." Woody closed his eyes, dipping his face into her hair and breathing deeply.

"Yeah." He resituated her until he could pull them both up. She didn't fight him as he carried her to the bedroom.

"I've got to be in at five." He whispered laying them both on the sheets.

"Nigel said he'd come get me." She snuggled down against him.

"Okay." He exhaled, pressing the buttons on her alarm clock. "You want me to wake you?"

"You don't have too."

"I probably won't."

He starred at the ceiling, watching the light from the alarm clock trickle down the wall.

"I'm not scared." She told him softly, her breathing evening out as she fell asleep.

Woody licked his lips, drawing his fingers across a lock of hair.

"I am."

(after)

"Come with me."

He followed Macy into the room glancing at Bug before the nurse took the flowers for him.

"Nige."

"Woody."

"I'm-."

"Maybe she'll wake up for you." He flashed Woody a painfully forgiving grin.

Hoyt's eyes fell on her before he crept slowly towards the bed brushing back a lock from her face.

She didn't look any different then when he'd left her two days ago, extracting himself from her and sitting beside her on the bed.

He dropped into the chair beside her now, tracing her fingers with his own.

"I thought that if I just ignored it…"

"You two are so alike." Bug muttered.

"Fish looks good." Woody mumbled distractedly.

"It's a fighter." Nige said softly.

"Dr. M-." Woody looked up at Garrett only to find him asleep on the small couch. "I should have been here sooner. He shouldn't have had to do this alone."

"Woody there were some complications." It was then that Bug filled him in on the details of the surgery. It was then that he had to face it.

"She's… she'll be okay.." He whispered when VJ had finished. The room when quiet. Woody gripped her hand a little tighter. Nigel's soft snore broke the silence. "You'll be okay."

"What if she's not?" Bug muttered.

"She promised." He confessed, kissing her fingers before leaning back into the chair.

Just cause you want something to be true doesn't mean it will be.

The thought kept running through his head long after Bug had fallen asleep with the others. He wondered if someone was trying to tell him something. He wondered if he should listen. He wondered what he would do if it wasn't true. Take her home, find her the best doctors. She'd need around the clock care. He'd have to get a nurse, but she'd need him too. He'd have to take FMLA..

Then her eyes slipped open.