Firstly, and I know I'm always saying this (but it's always true) I am truly sorry about the length of time between updates of this story - I have been mega busy so very tired (and quite stressed) but will really try to be a bit more speedy with the final two chapters (which is all there is left now I think). Thank you to everyone who has stuck with this and is still reading - hope you like this chapter (it's quite short and Jac-centric) and ever if you can please review - 70 is my next target (I think!) Enjoy...

Saturday evening, Jonny's flat

Jac picked up the TV magazine from the coffee table, before she flopped down on the sofa, and flicked through it trying to find today's listings. She realised as she did so why she preferred the Radio Times, and also found herself wondering why anyone actually watched the soaps as it seemed to her that you'd already know everything that was going to happen if you'd even glanced at the front cover. "At last" she said to herself, as she finally found the right pages, she immediately looked for the BBC 4 listings, before remembering that she and Jil had watched the last double bill of 'Spiral' when they'd woken up on Sunday morning after the ball. Well, after they'd watched the early morning repeat of Match of the Day' anyway, she thought smiling slightly. She remembered how incredulous she'd been, after she'd woken and found the other side of her bed empty to find Jil, after less than 5 hours sleep, sitting on her sofa with the TV on low.

'Oh, I didn't wake you did I?' she'd asked immediately on seeing Jac in the doorway, and on hearing Jac's reassurance that she hadn't, had continued, 'Oh that's OK then – hurry up and sit down, you've only missed all the boring chit-chat at the start – the first match is just about to start.' And she had, and was prepared to admit to herself (if not Jil and definitely never ever Jonny) that it wasn't actually that bad. I mean, she had no real idea about the rules, and found her mind drifting whenever Jil tried to explain them to her, but as something to do, she supposed there were far worse things than watching 22 fit men in shorts running around a lot and occasionally kicking a ball! Thinking about it she could barely believe that that had happened less than a week ago – it felt more like six months, maybe even six years had passed since that Sunday morning, not just six days.

'But; she thought 'it seems like the worst is over'. Jil, unlike Jac, who had woken three times to check on her friend, had had a comfortable night, and done so well during the day that she was able to be transferred from ITU to the HDU on Darwin mid-afternoon. It was why Jac was here – keeping her promise to Jonny, after ensuring that all the staff knew that a fate worse then death would befall them if they didn't let her know about any changes in Jil's condition as soon as they happened. But she was just about starting to believe that that wouldn't happen, that there'd be no call at stupid o'clock to give her bad news – she was finally beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and was now almost sure that it wasn't an oncoming train. She smiled at this, and thought 'see Jonny I can do optimistic – well sort of', and if truth be told this was the most optimistic she had felt for what seemed like ages. The operation had gone smoothly (apart from Jil's customary blip at any rate), she was recovering well and Jac was finally able to let herself relax and start to believe that both Jil and Robin (who had it seemed, from the tests Mr T had done today, come through the operation unscathed) would be OK. Of course, now Jil would have to make some unplanned and, Jac supposed, unwanted, changes to her life and this was the one thing that made Jac glad she wasn't actually Jil's surgeon. She wouldn't fancy, knowing how contrary Jil could be, being in Elliott's shoes when he told her that she would HAVE to take things easy from here on in – that she'd be signed off sick, almost certainly now, until her planned maternity leave starting date. And she also didn't envy Daniel, having to try to get her to follow Elliott's instructions. She had no doubt that Jil would do as she was told, up to a point anyway, because she knew she'd do almost anything to keep Robin safe, but she wouldn't fancy living with her whilst she was doing it!

Her phone beeped, disturbing her from her memories of how horrendous it had been trying to get Jil not to do anything after her last surgery, and reaching over to the coffee table to pick it up she thought to herself 'speak of the devil' as she saw who the text was from. She smiled as she read it

'Forgot to say before you left – Post Secret here tomorrow. No cheating!'

She sent back her reply

'Looking forward to it. And the no cheating thing applies to you too!'

trying to remember, as she did so, how long ago it had been that Jil had introduced her to this website, and when it had become their habit to wait to look at the new secrets, until they could do it together, normally in their regular Sunday phone call but sometimes, as had been the case last week and would be again tomorrow, in person. Jac was still, even now, amazed at the things people would tell millions of people on the back, or front, of a postcard if they could do it anonymously. She'd often considered sending in one of her own secrets but hadn't been brave or stupid or drunk enough to do it yet, and didn't really suppose she ever would be. Some things really were, in her opinion, better left unsaid (or in this case unwritten), although she knew that both Jil and Jonny would disagree with her on this, and she also knew that there'd be absolutely no point in sending in any secret that didn't count. She shook her head as if to rid herself of the thoughts of all her secrets that did count and returned to looking at the television listings to distract herself further.

BBC 4 were showing a repeat of Wallander that she was sure she'd seen before, rather than a new series of any of her foreign favourites, which was a blessing in disguise actually because she didn't think she was really up for subtitles at the moment. Having established that there was nothing worth watching on, what she still thought of as the digital channels, she turned back to the 'terrestrial' listings. She wasn't impressed by the choice, 'there's got to be something' she thought, before realising that really there wasn't much and remembering why it was that she had started watching 'The Killing' all those years ago. She thought about putting some music on but that would involve getting up, and she really didn't fancy doing that, she was just so comfy on Jonny's sofa. 'Looks like it's going to have to be Casualty then' Jac decided - 'definitely the best of a bad bunch. At least I'll be able to shout at the TV about the medical inaccuracies' she thought to herself, leaning forward and picking the remote control up. She put the TV on, and seeing it was already tuned to BBC 1, quickly muted it when she realised it was the lottery draw show – far too much shrieking for her liking.

Her mobile beeped again and she picked it up, expecting it to be from Jil and, when she saw Jonny's photo on her phone screen instead, felt something she couldn't name, but which she knew was good. She opened the text and smiled as she read it:

'Just finishing my break. Hope you've made yourself at home and that you ARE relaxing. See you soon – will try hard to leave on time! J xxx '

She sent a quick text back

'Yes to both questions. And just tell them that Miss Naylor says you HAVE to leave on time! See you soon. J xxx'

'And', she thought 'I'm not even lying'. She had had a lovely long relaxing bath earlier in the evening, although why Jonny had a bottle of Johnson's Bedtime Bath in his bathroom cabinet was something she was going to have to ask him later. And on discovering that her water bottle had leaked in her bag soaking her nightshirt, she had raided Jonny's drawers to find something she could wear instead, which was why she was now in a faded grey Diesel T-shirt which came down to her mid thighs, and which smelt, rather comfortingly, of Jonny.

She put her phone down on the coffee table and seeing the credits of the lottery programme on the screen, picked the remote control up and unmuted the TV. She then pulled down the blanket that was folded over the back of the sofa, drew her legs up under her and snuggled down on the sofa to wait for Jonny…

Also, just to say for those who haven't discovered it yet PostSecret IS a real website which I would recommend everyone have a look at. The new secrets go up each Sunday and there are also some really good collections of past postcards, set to music on youtube. Give it a try and see what you think...