Laurie found herself having second thoughts as she followed John into his room and closed the door behind her. Maybe spending the night apart wouldn't have been such a bad idea. And besides, thanks to her impulsive decision, she had nothing here with her.

Still, the thought of spending the evening curled up with John watching TV was appealing, and after the day they had spent together, Laurie saw no real reason to end it so soon.

John was already sitting on the end of the bed, turning on the TV and flipping through channels. He glanced over at her. "You can get comfortable."

Laurie toed off her shoes and crossed the room to join John on the bed. "I probably should have at least gone back up to my room for a few things."

John looked puzzled for a moment before realization seemed to dawn on him. He set aside the remote control and started to unbutton his shirt, tossing it aside and pulling off his T-shirt before holding it out to her. "Don't know how well it'll fit, but you're welcome to it."

Laurie was oddly touched. It reminded her of all the times she had stolen Pete's T-shirts to sleep in. Matter of fact, she was pretty sure she had kept a few after they'd split up. "You might want to think twice about that. I'm not very good at giving these things back."

John merely gave her that lopsided smile. "I don't mind. Lost a few shirts over the years. I can always buy more."

"Fine." Laurie replied. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

John lay back on the bed, leaning on one elbow and looking her up and down. "Probably looks better on you anyway."

Laurie could feel her face heat up at that, along with the rest of her, and she started toward the bathroom to change, closing the door behind her.

She undressed and pulled John's T-shirt over her head, catching the scent as she did so. Something about it felt more intimate than any physical act. It was almost like having a part of John with her.

This was crazy. They would both be going home in a couple days, and for all their talk about seeing each other again, how likely was that? She didn't want to get her hopes up for something that was unlikely to happen.

Still, they were here now, and it had been an enjoyable day and evening so far. There was no reason not to enjoy whatever time they might have left.

She opened the bathroom door and started toward the bed, where John was already under the covers. He looked her up and down with an appreciative expression. "I was right. Come here."

She climbed into the bed to join him, snuggling up against him before turning her attention to the TV. "Oh, I love this movie."

"Don't think I've ever seen it."

"It's An Affair to Remember." Laurie explained. "Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. They're both with other people, but they fall in love and agree to meet each other at the Empire State Building in a few months' time."

John fell silent for a long moment. "Seems a little on the nose."

Laurie shifted a little. "Well, there's a bit more to it than that. Just watch it."

He was mostly quiet throughout the movie, letting out only the occasional scoff. It was a bit melodramatic, Laurie had to admit, but it was still enjoyable.

"Aw, come on." He blurted out at one scene. "Man, poor guy. He thinks she just left him hanging?"

Laurie couldn't help but be amused at John's reaction. He was in for a hell of a surprise come the end of the movie.

"Damn." John murmured when the end came. "You think they worked it out?"

"I like to think that they did." Laurie answered. "Maybe he kept painting and took care of her."

"And maybe she was able to walk again." John replied thoughtfully. "Damn shame they had to go through so much to find each other again."

He shifted a little, pulling her in close for a quick kiss. "I don't think I could wait six months to see you again."

Something inside Laurie warmed at that. "Is that right?"

"Yeah." John answered quietly. "Been driving myself a little nuts, you know, trying to figure out how the hell we can make this work."

Laurie couldn't help the flash of panic that went through her. Everything was happening so fast that she'd barely had time to think. Whatever was happening between them couldn't possibly last beyond this convention.

But there was a part of her, a rather large part, that wanted to believe they could be something more.

She laid a hand on his chest. "You know, this isn't a movie."

"I know that." John answered, a sharpness in his tone. "But…there's something happening here. What's wrong with trying to see where it goes?"

"Nothing, I suppose." Laurie replied. "It's just…well, it's a lot to think about, isn't it?"

John sighed heavily. "Sure. Maybe you're right. Maybe we should just forget it. Just…have a good time while we're here, huh?"

Laurie let her hand trail down John's chest and slide around to his back. "I don't want to just forget about it. There's just a lot to think about, that's all."

John's hand started to slip under her T-shirt as he leaned in to kiss her. "Maybe we don't need to think about it right this minute."

Laurie didn't get a chance to respond before John's mouth was on hers again, slow and tender and gentle, a marked difference from the urgency of the previous night, and Laurie met him with equal tenderness. His hand curved around her breast, brushing against her nipple with his thumb, sending a little shiver through her.

He rolled her to her back, one leg between hers as he broke away, pushing up her T-shirt further until Laurie tugged it off and tossed it aside. John lightly nuzzled her neck as he caressed her all over.

"Much better." He murmured in between each little kiss he laid along her neck. "Looks good on you. Looks better off you."

Laurie couldn't help the soft giggle that escaped her, but it was quickly cut off as John moved further down her body, leaving those same brief kisses on her collarbones and at the base of her throat while his hands continued their wandering journey all over.

It took almost no time at all for what little clothing that remained to be tossed aside and for John to make his way downward, spreading her legs apart and sliding his hands up the inside of her thighs before he leaned over her, kissing her lightly on her stomach. He immediately moved lower, his fingers sliding deep inside her while his tongue swept over the delicate nub of flesh, the sensation slowly building.

Even as Laurie knew what was coming, she couldn't help squirming under John's hand and mouth, arching upward to seek more of the same, nor could she hold back the sounds that escaped her as the sensation coursed through her, overwhelming her senses until she sunk into the mattress with a sigh.

She heard John let out a low chuckle as his hands slid back up her body, leaning over her and pressing a kiss to her neck before reaching for something in the drawer of the nightstand, returning with a familiar foil packet in his hand.

"I'll take that." Laurie surprised herself with her own boldness, and John looked equally surprised, one eyebrow raised as he regarded her with a curious look.

"You know what you're doing?" He asked carefully.

"Mm-hmm." She responded, even as her initial boldness receded. "Why don't you just lay back?"

John's curious expression changed to one of amusement as he followed her lead. "Getting kinda bossy on me."

"Is that a problem?" Laurie asked as she took hold of him and started stroking,

He inhaled sharply before replying. "Hmm…no. Kinda like it."

"Good." Truthfully, she was suddenly a little self-conscious as she tore the packet open and rolled the condom over him.

No sooner had she done so than John's hand was on her back, guiding her toward him as he slid inside her. Those hands rested on her hips, holding her steady as he thrusted into her, finding a rhythm that had that sensation slowly building again.

The feeling caught her completely off guard as it coursed through her, and she steadied herself by placing her hands on John's chest, feeling the short and sharp breaths as he let go with a ragged sound of his own, gripping her hips tightly before relaxing underneath her.

"Ah, damn." He managed to get out, his hands smoothing over up Laurie's back to pull her down to him. "Did you really…twice? Or did I imagine that?"

Laurie couldn't help laughing as she laid her head on John's chest. "Yes. Twice. But don't expect that all the time."

John fell silent for a long moment before responding, his hand lightly rubbing up and down Laurie's back. "Implying that this could happen again."

Laurie lifted her head slightly so she could look up at John. "Well, we have one more night here, right?"

"Right." John looked thoughtful, frowning ever so slightly before shaking his head. "I know it's crazy, thinking there's a chance in hell we can keep this going after this. But goddamnit, I don't want this to end here."

"It is crazy." Laurie answered softly as she laid her head on John's chest again.

John let out a heavy sigh, letting his hand come to rest at the small of Laurie's back. "You're gonna be awfully hard to leave, Laurie."

Laurie swallowed hard, the emotion coming on without warning. "So are you."

They laid there for a long moment until John shifted. "I've gotta get up for a minute."

Laurie shifted off him, and she watched him head off toward the bathroom, waiting until the door closed before rolling to her back with a sigh. What were they thinking? It would be impossible, absolutely impossible to try to turn this into anything other than what it was, a casual convention fling.

Except this felt anything but casual. These last couple of days with John had been nothing short of wonderful, and they were finally really starting to get to know each other. The physical part of it was just icing on the cake. And what a cake it was.

The sound of the bathroom door opening snapped Laurie out of her thoughts, and soon John turned off the bedside lamp and climbed into bed. Almost instinctively, Laurie curled up next to him.

He wrapped an arm around her with a sigh. "I don't mean to put any pressure on you."

"I know that." Laurie answered, draping an arm across him. "It's funny though, isn't it? We haven't seen each other since that convention in San Francisco."

John let out a soft laugh. "Yeah, and it's not like we saw each other a lot then, you know?"

"Right." Laurie acknowledged. "But these last couple of days, we've barely spent a moment apart. Not that I'm complaining. It's been…wonderful."

"But?" John asked.

"No 'but'."

John pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head. "I heard a 'but'."

Laurie could feel John's fingers thread through hers, the connection almost immediate. She brushed her thumb along his, trying to collect her thoughts. "It might not work out between us, you know."

"Sure, I know that." John answered quietly. "Doesn't mean it isn't worth a shot. And hey, if it doesn't work out, the chances of us running into each other again are damn near slim to none."

Laurie had to admit he was making a pretty good argument. "Maybe we should sleep on it."

"Probably a good idea." John agreed.

Laurie listened as John's breathing evened out and he began snoring softly. There was something oddly comforting about it, though she was sure it wouldn't always be. Still, being here, curled up in this man's arms felt like the most natural thing in the world.

Maybe that was reason enough to give this a chance. It was the last thought she had before she drifted to sleep.

# # #

The buzzing of the alarm slowly pulled Johnny out of sleep, and he absently reached out with one hand to silence it. He laid there for a long moment, listening to Laurie as she still slept soundly beside him.

They could skip out on this last day of the convention, and no one would be the wiser. He had to admit that the idea of spending this entire last day with Laurie was appealing.

Something clutched in him at the thought. These days and nights together had been something he'd never really experienced. Sure, he'd rushed headlong into these kinds of things before, often with disastrous results, but what was happening between him and Laurie was something altogether different, though he couldn't define what that something different was.

He rolled to his side, draping an arm over Laurie and drawing in close to her. What a way to wake up. If only he could always do so.

Christ, he really was getting ahead of himself. It was foolish to think that it was possible that they would be able to see each other again after this convention. But Laurie hadn't exactly rejected the idea, had she?

She stirred slightly and pressed against him, and Johnny lightly kissed her on the back of her neck. "You awake?"

"Hmm." Laurie murmured. "Getting there."

Johnny's hand slid over her body while his mouth lingered on one spot on her neck, evoking a sigh and a murmur from her as she squirmed against him. "You're going to leave a mark."

"Good." Johnny responded quietly as he wrapped his arm more tightly around her.

Laurie laughed softly. "What, you're trying to claim me as yours?"

He paused for a moment at that. "Maybe."

"Hmm." Laurie responded, still pressed against him, her hand coming to rest over his and her fingers threading through his own.

"Hmm, what?" Johnny started a line of kisses up her neck.

"Oh, nothing." Laurie replied. "Just thinking."

"Again?" Johnny couldn't resist teasing her.

"Still."

They both fell silent for a long moment until Johnny broke it. "Well, you did say you wanted to sleep on it, right?"

"Right." Laurie sighed and shifted so that she faced him. Her expression gave no hint as to what she might be thinking.

Maybe this was it, this was goodbye. They'd go their separate ways and have nothing left but the memories of these three days.

She pressed her lips together, frowning ever so slightly as she laid a hand on his chest. "John…"

Johnny waited, bracing himself for the inevitable. Finally, he couldn't wait anymore. "Look, if you want to leave this…whatever this is…here, it's okay. I understand."

Laurie suddenly looked baffled. "What?"

Johnny wished he could take the words back. "Or…if you don't, that's, well, that's even better."

"I'll tell you what." Laurie told him. "Why don't we just spend this last day together and…well, we can talk about it."

"Laurie Campbell, are you suggesting we play hooky?"

"That's exactly what I'm suggesting, John Gage." Laurie replied, that little smile spreading over her face.

"What happened to 'that's not what our departments are paying us for'?"

"John, really." Laurie scoffed.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding." Johnny told her with a laugh, leaning in to kiss her briefly. "I think skipping out is an excellent idea."

"Hmm, glad you see it my way."

"Hard to argue with such a smart lady."

Laurie let out a short laugh at that, kissing him in response. It didn't take long for those kisses to grow deeper, their hands wandering over each other's bodies, the sensation that coursed through Johnny at once familiar and brand new.

He rolled Laurie to her back, breaking away to start a line to kisses down her neck, to her collarbone, slowly working his way down with hands and mouth until he was between her legs, gently spreading them apart before lightly stroking the nub of flesh.

Laurie's response was immediate, arching upward into his touch with a sharp breath, her fingers threading through his hair. Johnny took a moment to glance up at her, leaving a brief kiss in the space where her thigh and her hip met. "You okay?"

"Mm-hmm." Laurie answered softly, stroking the top of Johnny's head. "Just a little sensitive, that's all."

"I'll take it easy." Johnny told her. "And you tell me if I'm hurting you."

Laurie let out a soft laugh. "I will."

Johnny gently dragged his tongue along the nub of tender flesh, trying to be mindful of Laurie's reactions as she sighed softly and squirmed under him. Almost instinctively, he slid his fingers inside her and was rewarded with another soft moan and a sigh.

"Oh, right there." Laurie's voice was a little ragged as she arched upward, getting a good grip on his hair.

"What, here?" Johnny stroked at a spot deep inside her with one finger.

Laurie gasped sharply, releasing the hold she had on him, her fingers running through his hair again. "Yes. Don't stop."

Johnny continued gently, taking his time, the noises Laurie was making letting him know he was on the right track until he could feel her tense up around his fingers. She let out a long moan that turned to a sigh as she relaxed under him, and he lightly kissed her on the stomach before resting his head there.

God, he never wanted to let her go.

He felt her stroke the top of his head and let out a short laugh. "Are you okay?" She asked.

Johnny shifted so that he once again lay beside her, kissing her shoulder as he slid an arm over her. "Yeah, of course. Why?"

"I don't know." Laurie sounded thoughtful. "I don't think I've ever met a guy who's quite as…enthusiastic as you are."

"Well, you're not meeting the right guys, then."

"You're probably right." Laurie answered absently, resting her hand on his arm and lightly stroking with her fingers. "At least, until now."

That got his attention. "Yeah?"

"I mean, maybe." Laurie's tone was more guarded now. "I don't know."

Johnny didn't dare hope that they were on the same page about whatever was developing between them. He moved to thread his fingers through hers. "I don't know, either. Can't say I've turned out to be the right guy for anyone. Not yet, anyway."

Laurie was quiet for a moment before she laughed softly. "Oh, this is all so silly, isn't it? Listen to us."

Johnny shifted again, releasing Laurie's hand and propping himself up on one elbow. "What do you mean?"

Laurie did the same, tracing a finger down his chest. "We're acting as if this is a life-or-death decision. It's not."

"I agree." Johnny felt something in him lift. "So, uh, what are you saying?"

Laurie looked thoughtful, biting her bottom lip. "When we get back to California, we should, well, visit each other. See what comes of this. What's the worst that can happen?"

Johnny already knew what that worst would be. One or both of them could well end up with a broken heart. But the upside, if there was one, was that they were unlikely to cross paths again, considering the distance between them.

On the other hand, maybe, just maybe, this could turn into something wonderful.

Johnny took a deep breath and exhaled, taking hold of Laurie's hand. "Yeah, exactly. What's the worst that can happen?"

Laurie still had that thoughtful expression on her face, clearly considering all the possibilities just as Johnny was. Finally, she shook her head. "Everyone's going to think we've lost our minds."

"Oh, everyone already figures I've lost mine, so that's nothing new." Johnny answered casually. "This, well, this might make everyone think I've gone completely over the edge."

"Maybe we have."

"In the best possible way." Johnny replied, kissing her briefly.

Laurie let out a girlish giggle, shifting so that Johnny was suddenly on his back, with Laurie laying on his chest and looking up at him. "So, how should we spend the rest of the day?"

"Hmm, I don't know." Johnny answered, letting his hands rest on her back. "How do you feel about breakfast in bed?"

"Ooh, I like that." Laurie agreed. "And after that?"

"I don't know." Johnny told her. "Let's just play it by ear."

"I like the sound of that." Laurie replied.

It sounded to Johnny like the perfect way to spend this last day in New Orleans with Laurie. He decided to push any worries about what might come after aside in favor of being right here, right now, with the woman he was quickly falling for.

What came after, he decided, would just have to take care of itself.

# # #

The day and evening seemed to fly by, and after spending the night apart, Johnny and Laurie were in the elevator on their way to check out. The lobby was crowded with other convention attendees doing the same, and it took them a good long time to finally check out and start to seek out a cab to the airport.

"Johnny!" A voice called out behind him.

Johnny turned to see Rocky making his way over, clapping him on the shoulder. "Hey, glad I caught you before you left." He told Johnny.

Johnny wasn't sure he felt the same, but nodded. "Heading back to Seattle, huh?"

"Yeah." Rocky nodded, glancing around the lobby. "Going to try and stay in touch with Melissa. You know, the chick from Shreveport?"

"Well hey, good luck with that."

"Yeah, yeah." Rocky seemed to notice Laurie for the first time. "So, uh, what about you two?"

Laurie hooked her arm through Johnny's. "We're planning to stay in touch, too."

Rocky looked from Laurie to Johnny and back again before his face broke out in a grin. "That's terrific. Really. Good luck. See you around."

"Bye, Rocky." Johnny called after him, watching as he disappeared. He shook his head before turning to Laurie. "I give that thing between him and Melissa a snowball's chance in hell."

Laurie laughed and pinched his arm. "Some would say the same about us."

"But see, that's different." Johnny countered as they stepped outside to flag down a cab. "At least we're in the same state. Those two…ah hell, forget it. None of my business anyway."

A cab stopped, and the driver climbed out to open the trunk. "Airport?"

"Yes, sir." Johnny answered as he and Laurie put their luggage in the trunk.

"Popular joint today." The driver commented as they all climbed in and he started driving. "Y'all must be with that convention, right?"

"Right." Laurie replied.

"Y'all come together?" The driver asked.

"No." Johnny answered, reaching for Laurie's hand.

A sly grin crept across the driver's face as he glanced in the rear-view mirror. "Must be a little New Orleans magic got a hold of you, huh?"

"Yeah, guess so." Johnny responded.

The driver kept up his steady stream of chatter all the way to the airport, right up until he opened the trunk for them. "Y'all have a good flight back. Take care."

"Thanks." Johnny paid the driver, and both he and Laurie picked up their baggage and headed into the airport. Every step was a step closer to leaving Laurie, and the thought pained Johnny more than he thought it would.

"Well, I suppose this is it." Laurie told him as they reached the concourse.

"Suppose so." Johnny set down his suitcase and pulled a memo pad and a pen from his shirt pocket, quickly writing down his phone number and address. He ripped off the paper and handed it to Laurie. "Call me when you get in, okay? Got both my home number and the station number on there."

Laurie took the piece of paper, looking at it before tucking it into her purse and pulling out her own memo pad and pen and writing on it. She ripped off the piece of paper and handed it to Johnny. "And you do the same."

Johnny scanned the tidy writing, noting both her home and work numbers and the address before folding it and tucking it in his shirt pocket. "I will."

It was crowded and noisy, but Johnny barely noticed. All his attention was focused on the woman in front of him, the woman who had managed to steal his heart over the course of merely three days. He stepped toward her and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close for a long moment, reluctant to let her go.

She responded in kind, resting her head on his shoulder before she pulled back to look up at him before rising up on tiptoe to kiss him softly. "I've got to go. My flight's going to start boarding soon."

"I know." Johnny replied softly. "Guess I'll see you on the other side."

Laurie nodded, pulling away and picking up her suitcase before turning and disappearing into the crowd. Johnny couldn't help feeling as if she were taking a little piece of him with her.

He let out a sigh and picked up his own suitcase. He had a flight of his own to catch, a life to return to. Only now, that life would include Laurie.

At least, he hoped so.