Thanks to the disruption of the last couple of weeks ruining my schedule Valentines Day will be coming late to Pine Valley... but happy Valentine's all the same!

...

The next time Bianca opened her eyes, she turned her head to see her mother still sat beside her bed but now there was no sign of Jackson.

"Feeling better?" Erica asked.

"Mmmm." Bianca sighed in reply, nodding her head. "Sorry for sleeping."

Erica squeezed her shoulder.

"Don't be sorry."

"Was I out long?"

"Long enough." said a teasing tone that Bianca instantly recognised.

"Kendal." she exclaimed turning to the sound and then her smile doubled in size, "…and Marissa!"

Bianca smiled at Marissa and Marissa smiled right back.

"Hi honey." said Marissa bobbing up from her chair to stroke Bianca's cheek and giving her a chaste kiss. "How are you feeling?"

"Good." said Bianca "I feel good."

"Good." said Marissa kissing her again.

"David said he wanted to see you when you were awake again." said Kendal interrupting the moment.

"I'll get him... I had a few questions..." said Marissa getting up. "I saw him out by the nursing station." Her hand lingered on Bianca's cheek. "I won't be long."

Kendal slipped forward to take Marissa's place and take her turn to kiss and hug her sister.

Bianca smiled and looked between her sister and her mother, a sudden thought filling her head now that her fiancé had left the room.

"Could I ask you a favour..?" Bianca asked.

…

"David." said Marissa stopping beside her father as he finished the conversation he was having with a nurse.

"Marissa!" he exclaimed, pleased to see his daughter. "What can I do for you?"

Marissa licked her lips.

"She's awake."

"Right." said David, putting the file he was holding back down on the counter of the nurse's station. "Thank you."

"Wait!" exclaimed Marissa, stopping him from walking away. "I just… How is she? How long until she can come home?"

"I think a week of bed rest and we will know how successful the operation has been."

"I was just wondering if there was a reason why she couldn't have that bed rest at home." Marissa asked, following him as he moved off towards Bianca's room.

"What do you mean?" he asked stopping again.

Marissa gave him a pleading smile.

"Well it's almost Valentine's Day… It will be our first and…"

Marissa gave him a long pleading look.

David sighed in understanding.

"Bed rest means bed rest." he warned.

"I know but the house has everything… wheelchair access… We've even got an elevator to the second floor… and Bianca wants to be home. I'd know she'd do whatever was necessary to make it happen."

David looked at his daughter's pleading expression.

"She is not going to be back on her feet for a while."

"I know." said Marissa quietly.

David sighed, and sensing he might be weakening Marissa tipped her head to one side and gave him her best puppy-dog eyes.

He laughed at her.

"Look 24 hours and we will know how well she's come out of the anaesthetic and then I will make a decision…"

Marissa's eyes got even wider and her expression even more pleading.

David shook his head.

"Is this really how you hot shot lawyers win cases these days." he asked.

This time Marissa laughed too.

David put his arm around her shoulder.

"Look whatever I decide to do will be in Bianca's best interest. Now enough distraction… I've got to do my assessment."

"Okay." said Marissa, letting him lead her back towards to Bianca's room. "I just want her home…"

David squeezed her shoulder.

"And I just want her better." he said.

…

"…So a dozen red roses and a Valentine's card." said Erica, counting off on her fingers. "Anything else?"

"I wanted to take her out for a meal too but that's not going to happen… um… I just can't get her anything from this bed."

"We'll get it sorted." said Kendal. "Don't worry."

"We'll be happy to." said Erica.

"Really?" asked Bianca; still remembering that not so long ago her mother was trying to keep and Marissa apart.

"Of course it's only Valentine's day once a year." said Erica. "I tell you what, I'll do better than that. I'm already watching Spike and Ian for Kendal… why don't I watch your kids too? Then at least you and Marissa can spend the day alone together."

"That wouldn't be too much?"

Erica squeezed her hand.

"It will be a pleasure."

Suddenly the door opened and David entered with Marissa.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, folks." he said. "But I will need a few moments alone with Bianca now she's fully awake. You can come back when we're done."

Reluctantly Erica and Kendal took their leave.

…

"So how are you feeling?" David asked.

"People keep asking me that." said Bianca, "I feel good."

"I just need to examine your leg." David said.

"Go ahead." said Bianca pulling aside the blanket for him.

David lifted her foot and felt around the dressing at the back of her calf as well as examining the fitting of the brace.

"Are you in any pain?" David asked.

"I wasn't really before." Bianca explained, "It just feels…" She wasn't sure how to explain it.

David pinched her toe to check circulation and Bianca's toe twitched.

"But you felt that?" he asked.

"I did." said Bianca.

"And can you wriggle your toes for me? I need to check motor response."

Bianca complied and her toes quivered slightly.

"Try again."

Bianca focused and this time her toes gave a definite twitch.

"Very good." he said.

David sat down on the side of Bianca's bed.

"Now I have a serious question to ask you." he said. "And I want you to think before you answer it."

"Okay?" Bianca said slowly, wondering what was going to come next. Was David going to ask her to take his Orpheus serum again?

"Now I little bird has mentioned… I won't give names only say that this bird has red hair and a persuasive manner…"

Bianca grinned at the not so subtle description of Marissa.

"…This little bird…" David continued, "Has mentioned that you will likely do just as well recovering at home as here, if not better… In fact that little bird told me you would be willing to do whatever it takes."

At the mention of home Bianca's grin widened tenfold. She sat up excitedly.

"Oh I would." she exclaimed.

"You would be willing to follow doctor's instructions, employ a nurse to watch over you and promise to stay in bed and rest until told otherwise…"

Bianca nodded.

"… Not allowing yourself to be over exerted by your kids or fiancé…" David continued. "No 'just popping to the shower' on your own… No ignoring symptoms… Making sure that you report any medical problem no matter how small to me or Griffin or Frankie right away…"

Bianca nodded again.

David wasn't finished.

"And understand if you break any of these promises or if I, or any one of your doctors deem it fit, you will allow yourself to be readmitted to hospital without protest!"

Bianca nodded again, watching to see what the final catch would be.

David smiled.

"If you can promise me all these things and you have, in my opinion, recovered enough from the surgery I may be willing to let you home in two days' time."

Bianca's smile widened.

Two days' time was Valentine's Day! Then her smile slipped, it seemed too easy. This was an offer from David Hayward after all.

"What's the catch?" she asked.

David smile grew a little more serious.

"The catch is Orpheus…"

Bianca opened her mouth to protest but David held up his hands for peace.

"…But not," he insisted, "In the way you might think…"

…