"Yes-" she started, but the word turned into a moan when he pulled back, slick wet flesh dragging on slick wet flesh. Then he thrust deep and she pulled his face down and kissed him, long and deep as he moved within her, in a slow, even rhythm that built higher and higher until he could hardly breathe. Every part of him was alive, vibrantly alive, pushing him toward release far before he wanted to let go. Her face blurred, and he blinked furiously, wanting to keep that connection, needing to hear her, see her when she let go, when she lost herself in him. Higher and higher they went. His heart thundered, and an aching need for her singed his every nerve ending, until he felt himself start to slip off the edge of control. "I can't… Faith, I can't hold back…"

"Don't hold back, don't you dare-" Then her mouth opened in a surprised little O! as she arched against him as she began to shudder. It completely pulled him under, wave after wave of it, and all he could do was bury his face in her hair and let it take them both.


* * *

Sunday afternoon of Women's Awareness weekend came almost without warning. The decorations were still up, more cookies were out. Some of their regular patients had even left Luke gifts.

Faith walked around the staff room touching a balloon, stuffing the occasional-okay, not so occasional-cookie into her mouth, trying to remind herself this is what she'd wanted.

Luke had been awarded with a glowing report from his hospital in the morning paper. She read it with pride, knowing everything they'd said about him was true.

And more.

His job was secure, her clinic had never been in better shape. Things were great.

Pass the cookies.

He'd already walked right out of her life. Yes, he'd had some important staff meeting at the hospital, and yes, he'd apologized for having to run, and yes, he'd given her a kiss that had been at once perfection and soul-destroying, which hadn't helped at all.

"Faith? You going to be okay?"

Looking up she forced a smile at Shelby and Guy, both of whom were getting ready to leave. "Sure. Why wouldn't I be?"

They exchanged a long look between them that told her she had fooled exactly no one.

"It doesn't have to be over, you know."

Faith stared at Guy. "What? Of course it does. He's done here."

"But you're not done. Not with each other."

She let out a laugh that didn't deceive anyone any more than her smile had. "Oh, we're done. We agreed to be done."

Shelby sighed. "Oh, honey. For once, can't you think of yourself first? Can't you fight for something, if it means this much to you?"

"But the clinic-"

"Will be fine, even if you fall in love." Shelby smiled at her shocked expression. "The clinic will be fine, we'll be fine, and you'll be far more than fine if you let it happen. It's time, Faith. Time to do something for yourself instead of giving. Be selfish. Decide you want him for keeps and go after him."

"Do you need any helpful tips?" Guy asked sincerely. "Because I'd start with throwing out those old bunny slippers you wear."

"Oh, go on now," Faith said with a laugh, opening the door for them.

"Hey, come to dinner with us," Shelby said. "We're going for Japanese, at that new place that grills it up right in front of you."

"I'm not that hungry."

Now Shelby looked really worried. "Meet us there," she whispered as she hugged Faith goodnight. "If he doesn't show up soon."

Since she didn't trust her voice, Faith nodded and shut the door behind them, left alone with her far too numerous thoughts. If she closed her eyes, she could still feel Luke's last kiss. He'd held her face while their lips had clung in a moment at once both hot and so unbearably sweet it brought a lump to her throat even now.

She was afraid it had been their last.

And when he didn't show up, she knew it had been.


* * *

Luke tried to look interested in the meeting-that-wouldn't-end as he slowly cranked his wrist to glance at his watch-

"We boring you, Dr. Walker?"

This from Dr. Wesley Summerton, the president of the board of the hospital, the man who could make and break careers with one yawn, the man who'd just offered Luke an unprecedented second run as Department Head before his first run was even over.

"Of course not." He avoided Leo's knowing gaze. "It's just been long hours lately-"

"With the clinic, I know." Dr. Summerton nodded. "And I have to admit, you were an exceptionally good sport about the whole thing. Your staff seems happy, the media soaked you up, the clinic is doing a cracking business… it worked out, and we thank you wholeheartedly for it. But that's over now. You can call your free time your own again."

Yes, he could. Only thing was, he didn't want his freedom. He wanted to be knocking on Faith's door, seeing if they really had nothing more to give each other.

Instead, here he was, being offered a position he'd wanted more than his next breath for so long, and all he could think about was Faith-her smile, her passion for life, her everything.

By the time he finally got out of the hospital, it was past midnight. Faith had been exhausted earlier, and pale. She needed her rest, she didn't need to be kept up all night by his hormones, no matter how badly he wanted her.

So with a heavy heart, and a damn erection, he turned towards home, wondering all the while if that was it. If it was already over.

Over before they'd really even begun.


* * *

Within a few minutes of Shelby and Guy leaving for dinner, the violent spring storm that had been threatening all day finally hit. Perfect, as it suited Faith's mood. Thunder boomed, lightning flashed and rain thrashed against the windows of the clinic.

She tried to bury herself in paperwork, and it might have worked too, if her heart would just stop aching. Or maybe that was her stomach.

Definitely, food would ease the problem, it always had before.

One more glance at her watch.

He wasn't coming back.

Well, fine. It was what she'd expected, what they'd agreed to, so time to get over herself. No better way to do that than having Japanese food.

Besides, she suddenly didn't want to be alone, couldn't stand her own company. So she drove to the restaurant in the booming thunder and driving rain and hoped Shelby and Guy had ordered a huge feast.

They were thrilled to see her, and greeted her with hugs that almost, almost, broke her. "You want to know how I get over a man I'm too chicken to fight for but really want?" Shelby asked, scooting over to make room for Faith.

Faith let out a choked laugh. "What are you talking about? You've never been too chicken to fight for a man."

Shelby cocked her head and considered. "You're right. Guy, you tell her then, tell her how to get over a man."

"Hey, I don't have to get over anyone either, they all have to get over me!"

Faith sighed, then jerked around at the sound of a startled cry at the table behind them.

A woman had pushed back from her table, her eyes wide, her mouth open, her hands on her obviously very pregnant belly. "Oh my God," she cried, and made the unmistakable face of a woman bearing down.

Her husband leaped up and whipped his head around uselessly, a panicked look on his face. "Uh… honey? A contraction?"

"Well, it's not a picnic!"

Faith tossed her cell phone to Guy to call an ambulance and kneeled at the woman's side. "Ma'am? You're in labor?"

"Oh God. Yes!"

Faith stroked her arm. "It's okay, it's going to be okay. My name is Faith and I'm a nurse."

"Oh, thank God." The woman gripped Faith's fingers so hard the bone crunched. "I have to push."

"I know, but not yet." Faith massaged the woman's hands and arms until she relaxed slightly. "Breathe."

"Oh my God, that helps. Keep doing it."

"I will, you keep breathing."

"I need drugs!"

"Okay, just relax a moment." She and Shelby had found that with certain pressure points and therapeutic massage, they could often ease a woman's birthing pain with no drugs at all, and she kept her hands on the woman. "What's your name?"

"Susan."

"Uh, honey?" Her husband bent down and let out a shaky smile. "Maybe we should go to the hospital?"

"Go away, Frank, you smell like teriyaki sauce and it's going to make me puke!"

Poor Frank retreated a few steps.

Susan's pulse was thready, she was sweaty and her breathing was uneven. "Take a nice deep breath," Faith reminded her. "There you go. Just breathe with me, okay?"

"Breathing doesn't work!"

"Humor me for a minute. In and out… there you go, that's right." Faith brushed the woman's hair back from her forehead and was encouraged at how her touch seemed to soothe her. "Now, how close are the contractions?"

"Uh-oh… her water broke," Shelby said from the woman's other side. "Guy?"

"Ambulance is on its way."

"Here comes another one!" Susan cried, and slid off her chair in a boneless heap to the floor, much to the horror of everyone dining around them.

The manager pushed his way through the crowd, a small Japanese man who was wringing his hands. "No baby here, no baby here! People eating!"

Guy intercepted him. "Do you have a private room where she can go until they arrive?"

"Yes, follow me." The Japanese man bowed to all the tables around them, apologizing.

Guy scooped up Susan, and with Faith holding her hand and Shelby leading the bewildered Frank, they followed the owner out of the main dining room. He took them into a room behind a beaded curtain. A huge papier-mâché dragon head peered down on them as they gently set down Susan on a pad.