Bonjour! The next chapter, voila...

Nicks hand remained on Zoe's thigh throughout the journey from the airport to the hospital. Nick being Nick had thought everything through and had kept his former drivers number. They sat in the back seats of the familiar black Jaguar, the atmosphere slightly awkward. No words were exchanged- there was nothing to say.

"Here we are, Mr Jordan, Miss Hanna" the driver announced as he pulled up in the usual spot he had acquired whilst chauffeuring Nick.

Zoe took a hand through her hair with a small sigh. "It's Mrs Jordan now actually" she corrected, smiling as she did. Having the title of Nicks wife filled her with so much pride.

"I always knew you'd tie the knot- congratulations, for the baby too of course. You'll make brilliant parents. Just you see"

Zoe frowned discreetly, away from the drivers sight. She had hoped her bump wasn't overly noticeable. Now it seemed obvious that she was pregnant- at least it saved the awkward conversations where the subject of babies would be carefully dropped in to act as hints.

Sensing Zoe's discomfort, a previously silent Nick pulled her onto his lap. Cupping her cheeks he leant in to kiss her slowly. "Relax. You look beautiful. You, Zoe Hanna, are beautiful."

Strolling into the ed, Nick's grip on Zoe's hand tightened. A smile was spread across his tanned face. Zoe missed the way he looked under the Michigan sunshine. The endless rays of golden light accentuated his jawline in a way the dreary Holby sun never could.

The constant rush of the Ed was something so familiar to the pair yet so alien. Michigan had provided a certain level of relaxation that now, compared to Holby seemed like a distant memory.

The Ed may have been as busy as ever but it was not at all welcoming. Not one person even noticed their arrival. A couple of new nurses dragged their eyes away from the computer screen but the couple sparked no significance to them. Just another couple seeking medical help. If only they knew.

Nick was clearly deflated by the lack of any attention, something he secretly craved. His eyes swept over the reception area, his face emotionless. Lifting one hand up to his face, Zoe traced his face, lingering on his defined jawline.

"Go and find everyone and boost that ego of yours up again. I'm just going to lie down for a while; I'll tell you what, your baby tires me out. Nothing like its dad, eh?"

"You look exhausted. I'm sorry I dragged you out here." He looked so genuinely apologetic that Zoe couldn't deny the tugging at her heart strings.

She was determined to keep the atmosphere light. "Oh you always knew how to make a woman feel beautiful. I'm fine stop stressing. I just wish you wouldn't put this place first all the time, that's all"

"You know what it means to me, it's my baby." The words dripped from his lips like a poison that was a little to close to home for Zoe. He hadn't intended for them to seem so harsh, he hadn't intended for them to come out at all.

"And your real baby doesn't matter at all" she whispered the words with all the emotion she could conjure up. The number of emotions dominating her mind were infinite- it was hard to pin-point one in particular.

Her hand was noticeably trembling as she brought it up to her hair. The tangles from the plane journey caught within her fingers only added to the frustration. With one emphasised slam of the foot, she was off. Raging off before Nick could even speak. Words wouldn't make a difference anyway, words didn't have the power to repair the damage. Ironically, they simply had the power to cause the damage.

Storming away from her husband, she caught the eyes of almost everybody in reception. From the patients and their families to the staff. One pair of eyes, in particular, were glued to every curve of her body. Max.

It took him a few moments of staring to finally follow her. He jogged to her side with the same grin and wide eyes she'd always had a soft spot for. Nine months ago dragging him into the closest cupboard would have been perfect. Not anymore.

"Doctor Hanna, fancy seeing you back in Holby. Michigan not good enough for you, eh?" The carefree tone to his voice blurred out all his words to the point where Zoe barely noticed the sound. The determined mindset she had built up was in full force; she was out to get her hands on something to numb the pain of always being second best. It wasn't Max and it wasn't the cigarettes. It was the alcohol.

"Tell me you've got some vodka, Max." Her voice held the definition of desperation.

"Course I do- but you're not having any. You need food, you're eating for two now" There was a new side to him- a maturer side that was somewhat comforting. Long gone were the days when he would watch her drink her sorrows away.

"Is it really that obvious? Oh God, I don't want this- any of this! He's ruined my life"

Guiding her out of the Ed, Max placed one hand on her arm. A small gesture that told her everything she needed to know- he was there for her, as a friend.

"Of course it's not but you've got to remember I know you. I also know that secretly you've always wanted to be a mum. And you know as well as I do that while Nick might have changed your life, he sure as hell hasn't ruined it" A small smile appeared as his words sank in. He was one of the good ones.

As they walked away from the small hot drinks stand, armed with decaf coffee, Zoe was reminded of the night Nick had dropped the bombshell that he wanted kids. Her life had been changed then. It seemed that every big event in the recent years had some connection with the man she had blamed for ruining her life. As much as she hated what he said, she could never hate him. One way or another they were always brought back to the place they needed to be- at the others side.

"Thanks Max, for everything. You'll never understand how much you've helped me. But there's only one thing that can stop this pain- there's only one thing that I really need" Reflection was written across her face, she had thought it through and it had finally clicked.

"And what's that?" Of course Max knew exactly what she needed. To see her happy was all he could wish for.

"Nick. I need my Nick Jordan."

Thanks for the response on my first chapter, you're all ace! This fic's going to step up in terms of drama so if that's your thing, keep reading.

Just a little note, I can't bring myself to ship Zax, I'm as loyal to Zick as they come. That said, I do like the idea of a friendship between Max and Zoe and will Max will feature pretty heavily in this! See you next time xx