Now when I said I'd have the chapter up soon, I didn't intend to post it today...But I already had parts of the next few chapters written, so it made it really easy to finish. So, here it is, the debut of Chapter 14! I'm going to try and avoid being super angsty, but we'll see how it goes.

So for those of you who asked for the next chapter, here it goes! Let's see what Cassidy did to herself now...

Oh yes! Before we go there, let me beg. Please review. I'm a writer. I live off of reviews. I literally check my story every 20 minutes in the days after I post a chapter. It's pathetic, but it's what I do. So please, to the lurkers who read this, take a minute and press the little blue button, let me know that you like my work. It makes my day!

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Cassidy Brooks was a woman of limited supply of patience. She didn't find fault in herself because of it. She merely accepted it as part of her genetic make-up.

Certain things could make her lose that patience. Inconsiderate people, annoying co-workers, and incessant noise all fell into that category.

Which is why she was pissed off with the incessant beeping nose that was insisting on invading her dreams.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

It was like being stuck with a malfunctioning alarm clock, the kind that made the especially annoying beeping noise designed to make you jump out of bed and practically smash the thing to get it to shut up.

Except this thing was worse. It wouldn't. Be. Quiet.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

"Would you just shut the frick up?" she growled, finally opening her eyes to glare at the offending item.

She was expecting to see some sort of machine sent by either the devil or her brother (She wasn't sure which) to torture her. She wasn't expecting to see the whole of Team One sprawled around a hospital room. And she definitely wasn't expecting to see Spike Scarlatti, lying half on a chair and half on her bed, holding her hand.

"We have movement." Ed called from his corner of the room.

Spike groaned and poked his head up, his hair giving a demonstration of his namesake. He grinned at her. "You're alive!"

"I...think so." Cassidy was confused. Or confuzzled, as Cole used to say. A smile crept across her face at that thought.

"What happened?" she asked.

Greg sighed. "You know, when I said I needed you functional, I wasn't saying it to be dramatic. Or to fill the transcripts, for that matter."

She closed her eyes, and then remembered. The hostage situation, the moment of instinct that had sent her flying towards a loaded gun..."The girl! Is she-"

"She's fine." Sam said, looking comfortably sprawled out on a small arm chair. "You got there in time."

"And took a shot to the vest in the process." Spike explained. She didn't miss the fact that he was still holding her hand.

"And Lee? And David?" she persisted.

Ed winced. "David's in custody. Lee...he's not."

She closed her eyes and processed this. "You shot him down?"

Ed sighed. "Not much choice, Cass."

She nodded. Sam broke the awkward silence that was quickly ensuing. "Since you're alive, and everything, and Spike's not on the verge of a nervous breakdown anymore, I think I'm gonna go. Jules...she's getting close to the birth thing, and she's-"

"Moody?" guessed Wordy.

"Extremely." sighed Sam. "On Saturday, she was making us for spaghetti for supper, right? I walk into the kitchen, and she's crying like a baby. I'm thinking something's really wrong, and I ask her what's going on. She's like, 'The water's just taking to so long to boil. I don't know what I'm doing wrong, but it just won't boil!"'

Spike and Lew burst out laughing, and Sam just shook his head again. "See, that's what I did. And-I'm lucky I didn't sleep outside." He paused, and glared at Lew and Spike. "Yeah, you think it's funny. But imagine angry Jules." He shuddered. "I don't plan on reliving that!"

The expression on Sam's face was priceless, and Cassidy burst out laughing. She winced at the sudden pain on the right side of her rib cage. Then she thought of something.

"If I took the bullet in the vest," she asked. "How did I end up unconscious?"

Spike grimaced. "You fell backwards. It was the worst way you could've fallen. Smacked your head on a stair, gave yourself a concussion." He sat up and stared at her. "Seriously, are you trying to give me a heart attack? When I told you to be careful, I wasn't just saying it because I like hearing my own voice. Hot and Italian may it be, I actually meant what I said!"

"Um...Spike?" asked Lew.

Spike glanced over his shoulder. "What?"

Lew gave a grin that belonged on a 12 year old, rather than a mature young man. He held up his hands in the shape of the heart, and then looked at Cassidy and Spike through them. Cassidy burst out laughing, and Spike just rolled his eyes.

"Real mature man. That's just the picture of adulthood."

"No avoiding it, Spike. There is some major sexual tension in this room right now."

Cassidy really laughed now. "Lew, cut it out! Seriously! Laughing hurts!"

Sam just grimaced. "This is a really good time for me to go home."

Wordy smiled at the team. "Me too, actually. Some of us hen pecked husbands have to be getting home."

"Or there will be some serious tension. And not the fun kind..." sighed Sam.

Spike broke his glare at Lewis to grin at Sam. "Hey, buddy?"

Sam glanced over. "Yeah man?"

He gave the tiniest slight of his head over in Cassidy's direction. "Thanks."

Sam grinned like he was the Cheshire Cat and walked out of the room. Wordy followed, giving a small wave to the rest of the team.

"Actually, Lew is kind of right." observed Ed.

"Words that have been never uttered by a sane being." Quipped Spike, earning another chuckle from Cassidy. Dang, he loved making her laugh. He would never, ever admit scared he was yesterday. How afraid he was that they'd be over when they were just getting started, and how worried he was that he was going to lose her. When he heard the shot, heard Ed say that they had a man down...

He didn't like the fact that his heart was practically being held onto by another person; one who had a habit, it seemed, of putting herself in bad situations.

"Not that I want to give Spike ammunition here, but I'm right?" Lew asked.

"Kind of." Ed said. His eyes rested on Spike and Cassidy's hands, which still gripped each other. Spike felt like mentally kicking himself for being that lax in front of the team, but he wasn't about to pull away from her. Not if she was ok with being close to him. "What's with you two?"

Spike glanced at Cassidy, who gave him a slight smile. He saw it...she trusted him. Somehow, somewhere along the way, they'd gotten to a place where she decided that she trusted him.

It was then that he realized that he would be making his Mom's dreams of him settling down come true. Because he, Michelangelo 'can't get a girlfriend' Scarlatti was absolutely hooked.

"If I said that there was a very good chance that we were going Braddock on you guys, would you get my meaning?" asked Spike.

Greg blew out a long sigh. "Should I just put a sign on the door? SRU, also home of Parker Matchmaking services?"

Spike laughed. "Might be a good idea, boss."

"How long?" asked Ed, staring at the two of them.

"Or how about, how far?" asked Lew, cracking up again.

Cassidy rolled her eyes and pointed at Lew with a glare. "Don't push it." She turned her attention back to Ed. "Um, I don't know. Almost a month?"

She was referring back to the day he had taken her to his place for their first dinner together. "Sounds about right to me." Spike confirmed.

Greg raised his eyebrows. "You realize you're under the same protocol that Sam and Jules were under, right? You're talking to me. It doesn't carry into work, you still follow the priority. All of that?"

"I know boss. The whole deal. And we avoid talking to Toth about it anymore than necessary." Spike said.

"That's a big one." sighed Greg. "He won't be happy."

"Is he ever?" Spike laughed. He smiled at Cassidy. She hadn't dealt with Toth, yet, but he would make sure that she was prepared for anything. She wouldn't be blindsided, not when he was around.

"Then I guess I get to say congratulations." Greg allowed a strained smile. Spike could see that he was worried, and made a mental note to talk to him later. He punched Spike on the shoulder, gave a smile to Cassidy, and then motioned at Ed and Lew to follow him.

"Why do I have to go?" protested Lew.

"Because Spike will mess with your social media if you don't. High class geek, remember? Let's go, get a coffee, give them a moment."

Lew sent a grin to Cassidy and Spike, and then swaggered out of the room. Spike sighed and turned his full attention back to Cassidy.

"Sore?"

She nodded. The hospital gown, her hair pulled down...she looked like a little girl. So vulnerable. So very much his to protect.

"You realize that I'm off tomorrow, right?" he asked, leaning closer to her.

"And what does that mean, Mr. Scarlatti?" She asked, a twinkle in her eyes.

He leaned in. "That means, my cuore, that you are completely stuck with me."

She eyed him carefully. "For how long?"

"Well, tomorrow, at least. And then the day after that, and then the day after that..." He grinned at her. "I think it's safe to guess that we're long term."

She sank down into her pillows and gave a tired sigh. He leaned back in his chair, and contented himself to play with a stray curl that fell over her shoulder.

"Spike?"

He glanced over. "Yeah?"

She stared at him, and he could still see the part of her that wanted to hide, that wanted to run. The way she had run so many times before.

"Don't leave, ok?"

He grinned, and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead. She ducked her head down, but he put his fingers under her chin, bringing her to meet his gaze. "I don't plan to, amore."

He climbed up beside her on her hospital bed and tucked her into his arm, loving the way she fit beside him.

It was at that point that he promised himself, no matter what it took, no matter how hard she tried to keep him at a distance, he would win her. Completely, and utterly, the way she had won him.

It wouldn't be easy. He knew the next while wouldn't be easy, and counted on the angry messages on her phone to contribute to that challenge. But Spike Scarlatti wasn't a man to back away from a challenge.

He smiled down at the sleeping form in his arms. Especially not a challenge like this.

cuore: soul

amore: love

Had to throw Italian endearments in here! Please review!