Chapter Five

Jaime stared wordlessly at the stranger who inhabited her husband's body. If Michael had chosen any other threat, she could've laughed it off, but she couldn't stomach the thought of Steve's new marriage being ripped to shreds and although she didn't know Jenn very well, Jaime couldn't bear to cause suffering to a totally uninvolved, innocent party. Still...who was this person sitting across from her?

Things had seemed so promising, not that long ago. Their relationship had started gradually, from a mutual attraction at the Colorado Springs complex – something they both tried to ignore due to the ethics involved. Michael had been so kind and gentle then, and once Jaime went home and was no longer officially his patient, the spark between them became undeniable. Michael had transferred all of his research to the LA complex and began spending every available moment with Jaime. He visited several times a day, bringing a flower each time and keeping the bouquet on her living room table full and fresh with the frequency of the gifts. Jaime was enchanted.

Michael's every word and every move had been so smooth and attentive. When they finally made love for the first time, it was like nothing Jaime had ever experienced. (Doctors, after all, know precisely how everything works.) Once they had married, though, Michael's quiet confidence had begun to seem more like sullen brooding. He could be patronizing, superior and...distant. Hoping to please him, Jaime had quickly agreed when he suggested the move to DC, not realizing his intent was to isolate her using her fear of things she didn't quite understand about her bionics.

Now...Jaime understood. The sheer horror of what he'd threatened to do, his willingness to destroy others' happiness through his own bitter anger, left her speechless. Slowly, she rose from her chair, walked numbly down the hall and climbed into bed.

Michael followed just a few minutes later. His mood seemed to have done a complete 180, as his eyes had softened and his voice was quiet and soothing. "Peace offering...?" he said, offering Jaime a glass of orange juice. "You didn't eat much breakfast."

Jaime eyed him suspiciously. "I wasn't very hungry."

"I'm so sorry, Love. I acted like a jerk," he said humbly. "I just can't stand the thought of losing you. You mean everything to me, even though I know I don't say that often enough. I love you, Jaime. Please, let's talk. I really think we can work this out."

Jaime accepted the glass from his hand and took a small sip of juice. She'd squeezed it herself, the day before, and the emotion of the last 12 hours had left her drained...and thirsty.

"Want some more?" Michael offered, taking the empty glass from her fingers. "Or maybe some toast?"

"I'm really not hungry but...thank you." It almost seemed like the 'old Michael' had returned. For a few moments, Jaime dared to hope that maybe everything would be alright after all. Then she suddenly started to feel irresistibly sleepy.

Michael leaned in and tenderly kissed her forehead and then her lips as Jaime began to doze off. "I really do love you, you know," he whispered.

- - -

Rudy had spent the early morning hours trying to process what Jaime had told him. It simply didn't make sense. Michael was researching possible ways to defend Jaime and Steve's bionics from the effects of intense cold, but it seemed he had lied to his wife. At the very least, he'd allowed her to become too frightened for her safety in the cold to even venture outside and neglected to give her all of the facts. At the worst, he had chosen to keep her in the dark – but why? Briefly, Rudy thought about getting Oscar involved, but decided there had to be more to the story and that he'd need to hear what Michael had to say before choosing what (if anything) needed to be done.

Rudy looked at the clock. His young associate was a bit late this morning, but since he was concentrating on research and not seeing patients, it didn't really matter.

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