'Its no use Jac' Elliot Hope sighed 'I'm going to get myself in all of a fluster and completely forget what I'm meant to be talking about. I don't know why Mr Hanssen didn't ask you do this'

Jac had been trying all afternoon to help Elliot prepare for a key note speech he was meant to be giving on the Hertzig device at the annual Byrne Foundation dinner. In his usual manor Elliot had left the task of writing the speech until the day before.

'Well firstly if you can lecture a group of medical students once a week I'm sure you can manage one key note speech' Jac rolled her eyes and her friend and mentor 'secondly you are the creator of the Hertzig not me, and thirdly Hanssen did ask if I would be willing to talk with you but I'm just not ready for that yet, especially not in front of the Byrne family.'

'Oh right. Yes.' Elliot mumbled as he shuffled through his note cards 'I'd forgotten there's a bit of history there.'

The office door suddenly swung open and Jasmine appeared dragging Jonny by the arm behind her.

'I'm meant to working' Jonny was protesting 'and you're meant to knock.'

'What's going on?' Jac crossed her arms as she scowled at her sister.

'Right promise you won't be mad at me but I've been making some enquiries as to the possibility of you two getting married here' Jasmine smiled broadly as she flipped through her note pad.

'Bloody hell!' Jac exclaimed exasperated as she flopped down into her chair 'Jasmine how many times!'

'Just hear me out' the young girl spoke placing the note book in front of Jac on her desk. 'You can get married in the hospital chapel right here. Its perfect, because this is the place you most feel at home in and it'll still keep an element of religion for Jonny and it can be a small affair with limited fuss and fanfare.'

'I'll just go out to the ward' Elliot spoke quietly seeing an opportunity for his escape 'give you three some space…'

'Sit back down!' Jac barked at him 'we're not finished yet.' Elliot sat back down in his chair and Jonny stifled a laugh at the professor's naughty school boy expression. 'As for you' Jac turned her attention back to her sister 'I'd prefer it if you didn't go meddling in my private affairs'

'I knew you'd be cross but just listen' Jasmine carried on regardless of how mad her sister was getting. 'I want to see you two get married and I want to see granddad give you away and I know how proud he would be to be able to that. I want to see you two making things official in front of all those people who care about you.' She gave her sister a winning smile 'and there's an opening for you to be able to do it on December 23rd' Jasmine sighed happily 'wouldn't a Christmas wedding just be so romantic?'

Jac answered her sister with a furious glare.

'Jasmine' Jonny got the young girls attention, not knowing how much longer Jac would be able to contain her furry. 'Whilst we are…' he hunted for a suitable word … 'grateful that you've gone to this effort' Jonny heard Jac snort 'we really are happy as we are at the moment. I agree with you that a Christmas wedding would be just lovely but at the moment we've just got too much on to be planning a wedding'.

'But I would help you…' Jasmine suddenly lent on the desk as a spasm of pain went through her stomach.

'Whoa sit down' Jonny said as he guided her over to the sofa.

'Where's the pain?' Jac asked, her furry quickly being replaced by concern as she moved out from behind her desk.

'I've got bowel cancer, hazard a guess' Jasmine gasped sarcastically as the pain receded 'it's going now anyway'

'Right well I think you need to go down to Keller to get checked out any way' Jac ordered as she helped her sister back onto her feet.

'I've just come from there' Jasmine protested 'Michael has given me a new prescription for some pain meds so I'll just head down the pharmacy and get them.'

'Well then let me examine you for my own piece of mind' Jac gave her sister a stubborn look.

'You're my sister not my doctor, remember?' Jasmine replied as equally stubborn

'Why don't I take you down to the pharmacy?' Jonny offered 'and then I can drop you home, I'm due a brake anyway'

'Ok fine' Jasmine sighed as Jac nodded her agreement to the plan.

'A Christmas wedding would be quite romantic' Elliot mused from behind his desk as Jac shut the door on Jonny and Jasmine. Jac turned and gave her friend a murderous glare. 'I guess we'd better get back to this speech' Elliot spoke quickly 'although I'm still certain it would go a lot better if you agreed to speak with me'.

Jac sighed exasperatedly as she flopped back down into her chair.

'I've been thinking about Jasmine's proposal' Jonny broached the subject of their wedding bravely as he and Jac collected their belongings from the locker room.

'What about it?' Jac said grumpily as she wound her thick scarf around her neck and walked out the door.

'I think we should consider it' Jac turned and glared at Jonny as they walked down the stairs.

'Just listen; I think having our wedding to plan would be something for her to focus on and well, I don't want to be morbid, but if we want her to be there on our wedding day we'd have to get married soon.'

'I know that' Jac sighed as they walked out of the stair well and into the reception. 'But its just all that organising, and I thought we'd just do it on our own just the two of us and couple of witnesses'

'What you wouldn't want any friends and family there at all?'

'Well….' Jac considered who she would potentially invite to her wedding. 'Ok maybe a few friends and family.' She turned to face Jonny as they neared the entrance but only to find he wasn't as close behind her as she originally thought. He'd stopped alongside the café and dropped to one knee.

'What are you doing?' Jac hissed 'people are looking, get up!'

'Jacqueline Naylor you are the most infuriatingly stubborn woman I've ever met' Jonny spoke loudly 'but you're amazing and I love you'.

'Oh bloody hell' Jac muttered as she burned with embarrassment.

'I want to marry you and don't care how, why or where just so long as I get to proudly call you my wife' Jonny smiled at his fiancée 'now would you just agree to your sisters plans and marry me on the 23rd of December?'

'Will you stop causing this scene if I say yes?' Jac asked still cringing with embarrassment; quite a crowd had gathered to watch this spectacle.

'Absolutely'

'Well yes then' she smiled at Jonny in spite of herself. As their audience cheered Jonny jumped up and embraced Jac with a kiss.

'She's going to be Mrs Maconie' he declared happily to the crowd.

'Enough now' Jac whispered as she kissed him back. She took Jonny by the hand 'come on, Ava will be waiting for us at nursery and I want to tell her she can be a flower girl' Jac smiled. Now that the decision had been made it suddenly seemed right.

'well I'll be dammed' Michael Spence muttered with amazement to Ric Griffin as they stood waiting for their drinks order 'Jasmine actually managed to get Naylor to set a date.'

'Jasmine we're home!' Jac called as she opened the front door to the flat. Ava ran into the flat as soon as Jonny had relieved her of her coat and shoes. Jac's heart almost stopped dead at the sound of the little girl's scream. Both Jac and Jonny dropped their coats and shoes and made their way into the flat as quickly as they could.

'Mummy wake up!' Ava was screaming as Jac ran into the kitchen to find Jasmine out cold on the floor.

'Jonny call an ambulance' Jac spoke calmly over her shoulder as she checked Jasmines pulse. Slow but steady. She rolled her sister into the recovery position as she listened to Jonny relaying details to the ambulance service.

Ava was sobbing uncontrollably. Jonny picked the little girl up with his free arm and carried her into the living room, away from the distressing sight of her unconscious mother. Jac could hear Jonny soothing Ava with words of reassurance and so she assumed the ambulance was on its way.

Jasmines eyelids flickered as she started to come round. 'Is this the end Jac?' she asked weakly as her sister came into focus.

'I hope not' Jac summoned up all her courage and smiled bravely at her sister.

'It hurts a lot' the young girl panted as she let tears of pain flow down her cheeks.

'Where abouts?' Jac asked.

Jasmine moved her hands to where the pain was at its worst in her abdomen and Jac carefully examined her. 'I can't be sure but it might be a bowl obstruction caused by one of the tumours' she spoke softly as Jasmine groaned with pain 'don't worry there's an ambulance on the way.' They could hear the sound of sirens as Jac spoke. 'I'll ring ahead and we'll get you into theatre and sorted out before you know it'.

'Don't let Ava come with us' Jasmine begged her sister as Jonny let the ambulance crew into the house. 'I don't want her to see me like this.'

'Its ok' Jac soothed 'you don't need to worry about Ava, Jonny will take care of her'.

Jasmine closed her eyes again as she heard her sister issuing instructions to the paramedics. She was relieved when they inserted a line and started on her on pain relief. Everything went hazy once more and as she came around again it was with a surprise she found herself in the back of the ambulance racing towards the hospital with the sirens blaring.

'Welcome back Jasmine' a kind male paramedic spoke to her. 'Don't worry about a thing, your sister over there has got everything under control'

Jasmine turned her head to side slightly to see her sister talking rapidly into her phone, presumably preparing the hospital for her arrival. Jasmine closed her eyes once more and willed herself to believe in her sisters calm confidence.