Author's Note: This chapter was inspired by Grey's Anatomy! So, it may seem a bit familiar! Again, all content belongs to Shonda Rhimes and Grey's Anatomy!

I was sitting at the chair near Denny's bed, my book placed in my lap as I read through the pages of what was assigned. Denny, however, looked bored with the lack of interaction. Ever since our first kiss, I found myself pecking his lips every chance I could get. Denny did the same. He would tug on my hand and pull me in for a brief kiss before I left for work or school.

It was something we both had gotten used to. Still, though, there were no signs of a new heart and I was getting worried. Denny was looking thinner, more tired, and the color in his face was slowly draining.

"How's the reading going?" Denny asks.

I look up at him, shutting my book to set aside in my backpack. I look up at him, reaching for his hand. I place a soft kiss at the back of his hand, letting my cheek rest against it afterwards.

"I'm distracted," I admit.

He smiles, "Why's that?"

"Because I've got you staring at me every time I turn a page. That and because I really just want to kiss you." Slowly, I stand from my seat, looking down at him as I lean down to gently peck his lips. I knew our kiss couldn't go further than a few simple pecks, but I enjoyed the feel of his lips nonetheless.

"Now you see… You tell a virile, strong man something like that and expect me to not act on it."

I arch my brow, biting my lower lip. "Virile?"

Denny grins mischievously, "That is what I said."

I giggle, reaching down to gently run my thumb absently along his cheek. I let the pad of my thumb brush against the bristles of his beard, biting my lower lip.

"Our time will come," I wink.

He narrows his eyes, turning his head to gently bite at the tip of your thumb. "I'll make sure you do, Jess."

I widen my eyes, feeling a heat rush to my cheeks. "You are dirty!"

We both begin to laugh; I loved how easy it was for us to talk to one another. It had come so naturally. It hadn't even been more than two months since we met and yet, I found myself falling in love with him.

I was in love with Denny.

As our laughter begins to die down, Denny suddenly gasps for air. He clutches his chest as he tilts his head back.

"J – Jess…" He gasps.

Instantly, I click the nurse's button repeatedly before running out of the room. I grab the nearest nurse and bring her into Denny's room.

"You have to page Dr. Burke! Dr. Stevens! Anyone, please! Just help him!"

A rush of nurses run into the room, immediately grabbing the oxygen mask to place over Denny's mouth. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Something in the pit of my stomach knew this was bad news. For the past two weeks, we had been sitting in this hospital, waiting for any ounce of hope that a new heart would be given to Denny, but this sudden incident proved all my worries and concerns to be true.

He was losing time.

After an hour, Denny was finally stabilized. Dr. Burke and Dr. Stevens were in the room, trying to explain to Denny that this incident was a sign that they were losing time. Denny wasn't listening.

"Denny, you just had a flash pulmonary edema. Time isn't on our side right now," Dr. Burke says.

I instantly grasp his hand, tightening my grip as I listen to him speak. Denny glances over at me; I could feel his eyes on me. He was thinking. About what? I didn't know, but I was sure I would find out once we were alone.

"All right. What's option number two?" Denny asks.

"Our only option is to hook you up to an LVAD. It's an assisted device for the left ventricle. It'll help pump blood to the rest of your body. It's not going to save you, Denny, but it's going to buy you some more time."

Denny looks up at the ceiling for a moment. "Can I have some time to think it over?"

Dr. Burke sighs, nodding. "Don't take too long. We're already short on time. I'll leave you two alone."

The two doctors leave the room and almost instantly, I feel tears cloud my eyes. When our eyes meet, I let my tears fall freely. He sighs, reaching up to gently cup my cheek. Denny's thumb gently brushes my tears away, trying to calm me down.

"Denny… You have to do it. It's our only option."

"Jess, you know I hate hospitals. I can't stand staying here any longer than I need to be. I've been here two weeks. Two weeks and I don't have a heart yet. I need to be home."

I pull away. I wasn't expecting him to give up that quickly. I couldn't say I understood where he was coming from, but I knew I was being selfish. I didn't want him to leave this hospital. He needed to stay here just in case anything was to happen.

"The LVAD seems like it will buy you more time, Denny. I know the LVAD will require you to stay at the hospital, but we just need to hang on a little longer," I say, trying to convince him.

He looks at me. "We?"

I clear my throat. I realized that my life now revolved around Denny. I wanted to see him get better, see him get a new heart. The future wasn't a guarantee for him and neither was it for our relationship, but right now, I knew that I had to take a chance on him, on us.

"I'm not going to leave your side, Denny. I'm going to be with you until the end of the line. I will be here with you. Day in. Day out. If I can help your hospital stay a bit more bearable, then I will do it. If Dr. Burke thinks this LVAD is going to help, then we have to try."

Denny looks a bit shocked. He wasn't expecting someone to be willing to be by his side, especially not someone that he just met two months ago.

"Jess… There may be complications with the LVAD. Something may go wrong when they surgically implant the LVAD into my system. There will be so many things that could happen in that O.R."

Tears were clouding his eyes and instantly, I move to sit at the edge of the bed. The oxygen mask was placed over his mouth and with each breath, I see it slightly fog up. Hesitantly, I lift the oxygen mask to peck his lips.

I needed to feel his lips, to feel his warmth. I needed to remind myself that he was still here.

"I can't lose you…" I whisper, my voice quietly breaking.

"If I do this… What are you going to do about school? About work?" Denny asks.

Without hesitation, I answer, "I'm going to drop my classes. I'm going to tell Nate what's going on. If he can promise me a job when you get better, then I'll stop working for a while. Nothing will stop me from being here, Denny. Not even you."

Denny bites his lower lip. He gently places a hand on my cheek and I instantly lean against his touch. I shut my eyes, turning my head to place a soft kiss on the inside of his wrist.

Slowly, he nods. "As long as you're here with me… I'll do it."

I smile, leaning down to kiss his forehead. I linger for a moment before pulling away. "I'm going to tell Dr. Burke. Don't go anywhere."

"Where will I go?" He asks, smiling from behind the mask.

"I don't know, but knowing you… You'd find a way to go somewhere."

It had been a week since Denny was put on the LVAD. It wasn't the cure, but it was giving him more time and that was all I could ask for at the moment.

We were lying down on his small hospital bed that afternoon, staring up at the ceiling. I had gotten so comfortable lying next to him and falling asleep with him by my side that I almost forgot what it was like to be alone.

And I was sure that I never wanted to be alone again.

"So, did you talk to Nate?" Denny asks, interrupting my train of thought.

"Yeah. He says he'll hold my job for me. It's a good thing I'm on good terms with him and Kate."

Denny smiles, looking down at me. "Do you ever wonder why they don't just get together and rename the bar 'Nate and Kate's'? I mean, it's an honest coincidence that their names rhyme."

I laugh, letting my fingertip run along his collarbone absently. "I tease them about that all the time. They don't seem to get what's so funny about it."

Denny laughs quietly, resting his forehead against mine. "Thank God we have the same sense of humor or else this relationship would never work."

"Oh, I know. You weren't lying when you said you were funny," I tease.

Denny grins, "That must mean you've fallen in love with me, huh? See. I knew it. You couldn't resist this charm."

We meet eyes and slowly begin to laugh with one another. Hearing his laughter was like music to my ears. It transported me to a different world where Denny wasn't waiting every second for a new heart; a carefree Denny Duquette without any health problems.

"And we're going to end this conversation before this goes any further. I'm going to pick up some more clothes from my place. I'll also do a bit of laundry, so I'll be back in time for dinner. Anything you want me to get from your place?"

Denny had given me the key to his apartment. I never took the time to thoroughly look around his apartment. It didn't feel righto give myself a tour of his place without him there. I would occasionally grab some clothes for him and every time I entered his apartment, I always smiled simply because his scent would linger in each room.

"Maybe a few more pairs of my boxers. I've also got Battleship in my closet. Maybe you'll be good at that since Scrabble isn't your game," he teases.

I stand from the bed, leaning down to kiss his cheek. "I happen to love Battleship, so I may have to kick your ass when I get back."

He chuckles, staring at me with his usual dimpled grin and sparkly eyes. "Do I get a kiss goodbye?" He asks.

I smile instantly. Leaning down, I let my lips press against his. Just as I was going to pull away, Denny lets his hand cup my cheek, slowly lowering it to cup my neck. His thumb brushes against my jawline as he slowly moves his lips against mine.

He was such an amazing kisser.

"Denny…" I whimper, pulling away from his lips. He grins, flicking his tongue against my lip before he allows me to pull away.

"All right. All right. Go and get going. I'll be here. Dr. Bailey says I may even be ready to walk, so maybe when you get back, I'll be on my two feet." Denny says, grinning in accomplishment.

"Just be careful, okay? Don't overdo it."

Denny nods, watching me leave.

It took me until dinnertime to finish the laundry. I had grown accustomed to doing Denny's laundry with my own that it had become second nature to just let his clothes mix with mine.

I had already taken a trip to Denny's apartment. Going through his clothes was so natural to me that it felt like I had been doing it for so long. It didn't feel like we were just starting out in our relationship; it felt like we had been together for so long with the number of things I was oddly comfortable with.

Once I leave my apartment with a duffle bag of my clothes and Denny's, I begin to drive back to the hospital. Since finding out Denny's condition, I had stopped talking to Kate. I had decided to take a break for one semester of school. My world now revolved around Denny and I didn't mind one bit.

He was the first guy that I was even remotely interested in. It was also the first time that I could see myself with someone long-term.

As I was driving, my mind drifts to Denny. Despite his condition, I couldn't help but think of the way his eyes would light up whenever we pulled away from a kiss. I couldn't help but think of the way his laughter seemed so genuine; his entire personality could light up a room.

Everything about him was always something I looked for in a man. I hated being away from him, not only because of the fear of not being able to say goodbye, but also because it was so normal for me to be in his arms.

I loved the way we could tease each other about anything. I loved the way he would look at me, like I was the only woman in his life that mattered. I loved the sound of his laugh, his smile, his eyes…

I was falling hard for Denny.

Once I make it to the hospital, I walk to his room to find it empty. I feel my heart drop. Surely, Dr. Burke would have called me if something happened.

I drop the duffle bag onto the chair, letting my fingertips run across the sheet of the hospital bed. It was still warm, so that was a good sign.

Then, I feel all my concerns wash away at the sound of his voice.

"Hey," Denny says.

I turn around. He was standing. He wasn't wearing the usual hospital gown. No. He was sporting a grey t-shirt and dark blue track pants with lighter blue stripes down the sides. He was also wearing a black vest that looked to be hooked up to him somehow.

"Denny…"

His smile broadens and instantly, I feel myself fall in love with him all over again at the sight of his dimples. He looked happy. The past two weeks had drained him, physically and mentally, but right now, Denny looked like the same guy who helped me with my groceries two months ago.

"Dr. Bailey said I was ready. It's working. I've got colorful wires and a battery pack to help me. Pretty cool, huh?"

I nod, biting my lower lip. It had been so long since I had seen him standing up. I was so used to walking into his hospital room to see him lying down that I almost forgot how tall he was.

"The vest makes you look like those cops who wear those vests with their guns on the side. But instead of a gun, you have a battery pack."

Denny laughs. I feel my entire world brighten at the sound of it.

"Does that mean I make a pretty sexy cop?" Denny teases, slowly walking towards me.

"Oh, definitely."

Instantly, Denny wraps his arms around me. I shut my eyes, snaking my arms around his neck. I bury my face against his neck, blinking back the tears. This was a sign of hope. Things were going to get better.

"You're so tall," I whisper.

Denny smiles, squeezing me tighter. I sigh in contentment. I realized I was meant to be in his arms. Despite his condition, this moment reminded me that I was able to see a future with him.

Denny was everything I wanted.

"I know," he whispers back.

Denny pulls back just enough to look into my eyes. His arms were still tightly wrapped around my waist. Slowly, he lets his lips press against mine. I smile, letting my fingers run through his hair.

I loved his laugh. I loved his smile. I loved his lips and the way it felt so perfectly against my own. It was as if Denny was made for me.

I pull away, resting my forehead against his own. "I brought your clothes."

Denny nods, burying his face against my neck. I smile at the feel of his scruff brushing against my neck.

"Did you bring Battleship?" He asks.

"Yup. And I'm ready to kick your ass."