Bianca let out a deep sigh and put her magazine to one side. After Kendal's brief visit she was left with the boredom of her hospital bed. She had been stuck in the same dull beige room for what felt like forever. Unlike before, they wouldn't let her pin her get-better pictures on the walls to brighten up the place, instead she had to keep her family's drawings hidden away in inside a folio that she kept beside the bed.

Only right now they weren't doing her much good.

Bianca turned to glance at the clock on the wall and was disappointed to see there was another hour before the nurse would come with the last of her daily medication and turn out the lights.

She toyed with the idea of switching on the television but there was never anything on. She could call home and see how the kids were? Only it was Gabby's bedtime and if she called now and talked to Miranda and AJ, Gabby would only be jealous that she missed it. Besides she had only just talked to kids before they had dinner...

Bianca sighed again. She was bored and lonesome and looking for a way to pass the time. She poked hard at her left thigh to enjoy the new sensation that she could now feel. David's Orpheus serum really had healed the rift in her nervous system that had been blocking her pain receptors. Her leg might not be much good for anything else but at least she could feel pain of a sort. Frankie had been making part of her physio-exercises, training her brain to recognise the sensations so that it no longer felt like they were coming from outside her body. If she could now feel pain that would mean she was no longer in danger of developing any more hideous sores from an ill-fitting brace or developing a septic toenail after stubbing her toe. In a way just that was going to transform her life.

Frankie had also been concentrating on developing her upper body strength ready for after the surgery on her tendons. Ready for when she would be getting back on her feet properly for the first time. She had been pretty much confined to bed once the shortening of her tendons had been revealed. She was looking forward to the chance of walking again. Bianca flexed her new biceps briefly and rolled her shoulders and then collapsed back into her pillow.

She was so frustratingly bored.

Bianca stared up at the ceiling praying for some intervention to help her survive this last lonely hour.

There was a soft knock on the door.

"Come in." Bianca called dourly, expecting a nurse doing her hourly checks.

Instead she saw the face of a grinning red-head looking in at her.

Bianca sat up quickly and smiled.

"Marissa! Kendal said you were working late?!"

"I was." said Marissa stepping into the room. "But Reggie's got the kids and… I couldn't bear to go home without seeing you."

She hurried close and kissed Bianca softly on the cheek.

"I miss you when I don't see you." she added.

"I miss you too." said Bianca, pulling her fiancé down to sit beside her on the bed; ignoring the fact that they had spoken just that morning.

They held hands and gazed at each other for a moment before bending close again for a proper kiss.

They stayed for an intimate moment with their head's close together. This was the first time in a long time they had truly found themselves alone. Usually the kids came with Marissa on the hospital visit. Now it was just the two of them.

Bianca smiled widely.

"So dare I ask about the wedding plans?" she asked coyly.

Marissa's grin widened too and she sat back slightly, keen to pass on her news.

"You may." she said. "I've finally found the perfect location; out of town but not too far away. They have a few dates available in March; so whenever you're ready to come home…"

"Do I get any clues as to where it will be?"

"Just somewhere special." said Marissa cryptically. Unable to help herself she leaned in to steal another taste of Bianca's sweet mouth. "You will approve."

Bianca sighed at the kiss.

"I'm sure I will." she said. "And has Gabby forgiven you for not picking the fluffy bridesmaids dresses."

"She has, but only when I told her she could have the dress in pink."

"Good." said Bianca. "And when do we get to decide on our dresses."

"When you are out of here and home. Then we can go dress shopping together."

"Isn't it unlucky to see the bride in her dress before the wedding?"

Marissa squeezed her hand tightly.

"I'm sorry to say that once you are out of this hospital bed I am never going to let you out of my sight again."

Bianca grinned again.

"That might make your work quite interesting."

"I don't care." said Marissa defiantly. "I am not losing you again!"

"I promise you won't," said Bianca just as firmly, "Mrs Tasker-Montgomery-to-be… But you also can't keep be wrapped in a bubble…"

"I can try."

"If I swear, here and now, that I will stay away from dangerous men, never get myself into any nasty scrapes or injure myself through stubbornness or stupidity, would you give me a little slack?"

Marissa looked sceptical.

"Only if that were a promise you could keep."

"I promise to do my best!" said Bianca with a hopeful smirk.

Marissa sighed and kissed her again.

"God, I just want you home!"

"And I just want to be home." replied Bianca. She played with Marissa's hands briefly, entangling their fingers and admiring the rings shining on their finger. "Not long now." she whispered.

"No." replied Marissa. "Not long now…"

There was a moment of silence between them.

"So are you going to tell me what's wrong?" Bianca asked. She had noticed as soon as Marissa arrived that she was holding something in. As she had now ruled out their wedding and the kids she was at a loss to what it might be.

"There is nothing wrong." said Marissa her smile a little too tight.

Bianca tipped her head and starred at Marissa not believing her for a moment.

Marissa sighed.

"I had a call from Scott." she said resignedly. "He wants to speak to me in a "professional capacity"… I'm just worried what it's about."

"Do you have an educated guess?"

Marissa pulled a face.

"If it's about Madison I don't want to think about it."

Bianca sighed too at Marissa's now downturned expression.

"Hey." she said, "It can't be that bad."

Marissa smiled and shook her head, not knowing how to describe to her fiancé how cautious and evasive Scott had been on the phone asking for the meeting.

"We shall see." she said. She sniffed and licked her lips. "Can we change the subject to you and your surgery?"

Bianca laughed,

"I'd rather not."

"So what do we do?" Marissa asked.

Bianca reached up and stroked her cheek.

"Do we have to talk at all?" she asked, leaning in and brushing the tip of her nose against Marissa's.

Marissa couldn't argue with that; she just closed the gap with a brief kiss.

"How long have we got?"

Bianca returned a longer lingering kiss.

"Until the nurse comes and throws you out..." she said, a hopeful lilt in her voice. "I haven't had you all to myself in a long, long time…"

…