RO LOG with cutandlearn | Fresh start

[geniuscowboy]

Chris could hardly believe that a whole month had passed since Dave's surgery. The whole thing had been such a haze for Chris that he had very nearly lost his footing on more than one occasion through it all. Dave's sugery had gone without complications, but he had spent five days unconscious in the ICU when his body just hadn't had the strength to fight through it all. But he had recovered and four weeks later, he was due to start his first round of chemo. The surgery had been a success and Bella had managed to remove all the cancer cells from Dave's abdomen as well as the inevitable removal of the testicle. At first, Chris hadn't known how to cope with it all and the eggshells had come right back out, despite the fact he hated them so much himself. It was only when a weakened and exhausted Dave made a passing ball joke that had them both laughing out loud that the ice was broken. From them on, Chris spent a good portion of his own recovery sitting at Dave's bedside talking and watching movies with him.

Things started to gradually get better, and Chris kept on the road of recovery himself. He got some strength back and was allowed to start some excercising. Of course, this meant Serena put him on a low grade Yoga plan, and although he bitched about it in the initial stages, he was now enjoying the early mornings where they would both head down to the beach and do some of the minor stretches before she had to go to work. His spirits were back closer to where they should be and although both Rick and Dave were still on the mend, Chris didn't feel like a blackened cloud was hanging over his head anymore. Every day, there were more and more glimpses of the old Dr C and he was looking forward to being able to go back to MT1 and the Alpha Team in the New Year. But it was now one of those awesome days where Serena actually had some time off and no one needed to be doing anything. Rick was at Bella's place, as had become the norm most weekends, and Mrs Deleo was 'going out', though she didn't say where. Chris was more than suspicious and would grill his mom on the fact as soon as he had the opportunity, but for now, he was only focusing on one amazing blonde in his life.

He stood on the wet sand on the shore of the beach, feeling the cold water lapping over his feet. Sure, it was the first day of winter, but it was sunny and Chris had a lot of time to make up with the beach. His hand had been tucked securely around Serena's as they had walked casually along the beach, the sun getting ready to set in the distance. He shot her a trademark mischievous smile and then laughed softly. "You don't need to keep looking at me like that, you know. I'm fine, babe. I really am. Better than fine. Things are awesome."

Serena looked back at him with a slightly sheepish smile before she started to join him in the laughter. "I can't help it. I think it's just become second nature after everything that's happened. I promise I'll stop doing it. Maybe after we start doing it," she added with a waggle of her eyebrows. "That way I know Dr C's really back in action. I might even steal one of your shoes so we can prove it. Or maybe just send you to work with no boxers."

"Ohhh, so that's how it works, is it?" Chris asked her with a smirk. It was true, though. There had been no sex since that day in Bella's office on the eve of the transplant surgery. After that, everything had gone horribly wrong before anyone had a chance to hold on for the rollercoaster they were about to get shoved on. Because of the major surgical complications he had to undergo, he had been told not to have sex for six to eight weeks post-operatively. That was more than even a woman giving birth, and while Chris had thought he would feel cheated with the whole thing, the truth was, he hadn't had the physical strength without being in pain to even try it. It had only been in about the past week that he had started indulging in jerking off again, but it was a fact Serena wasn't aware of because it was usually something he did when she was working. His free hand slipped up under his jersey and he brushed it over the large scar on his stomach. It reminded him how close he had come, but also that he had survived it all. What better for a genius cowboy trauma surgeon than to have an awesome trauma surgical scar? "Who says he's still out of action? And I'm not going back to work until after the new year, so that's a hell of a wait. I'm not that patient."

Serena's eyebrows went up as she looked from Chris out to the ocean and back again. "You're not still out of action? Well, I know it can't be back in action with me unless it's while I'm passed out from work. That means you've been taking care of your own needs, doesn't it? So how's it going? Does it feel okay? Nothing... hurts?" Serena couldn't help still needing make sure Chris really was okay. "So you're feeling impatient, and you've started jerking off again. Wow, Deleo. That's some pretty important last steps on your recovery. Now the only question is, just what are we going to do about it so that you don't have to wait until after the new year?"

"I can even feed myself," Chris offered, sniggering at her in amusement. He walked a little further along the beach, not saying anything else at first, even if he was still smirking to himself over the whole thing. She was probably miffed he had tested out his freshly discovered hand skills without her, but he would make it up to her. A lot of their time together recently had been sleeping in bed, or working on his rehab plan together. Though the rehab plan was far from romantic. He lost track of the amount of times he had gotten snappy or shitty at her just because he was tired, sore and frustrated at being on a go-slow. It had been a huge test on their relationship, but they stuck it out and had only had one screaming match that nearly brought the apartment block down. That was a pretty fine effort as far as Chris was concerned. He stopped walking again and turned to her taking both her hands into his. "I've got a bit of an idea of what we can do."

Serena hummed quietly as she stepped in closer to Chris. She tilted her head back to meet his gaze as she grinned up at him. "A bit of an idea, huh? Now I know the blood really has started to rush south again. No more fully formed thoughts. Just you being able to feed yourself, and touch yourself." She gave his hands a squeeze before stealing a brief kiss. She wouldn't have changed anything with Chris' rehab. She knew there'd been some moments of frayed tempers, and one time there really had been an explosion, but she didn't regret a moment. It was a make or break time, and she was grateful that they'd made it.

Chris glanced down. "Rushing south, huh? Sounds serious. Do you think I should sit down?" he asked, and without waiting for her to answer, he started to lower himself down with a mischievous smirk. He wasn't going to sit, though. Instead, before she could realise what he was doing, he was down on one knee, looking up at her with a grin and offering up a small black box he had pulled out of his pocket when she wasn't looking. "I just have to say, your Dad is totally a scary dude. I don't know where that sweet guy you talk of went to who is so much like Drew, but I can see where your fiery streak comes from," he told her and then snapped the box open as the Miami sun was setting around them. "Can I have a diagnosis, Dr Warren?"

"Can you... huh?" Serena just stared at Chris on one knee, and the black box, and then the ring inside it. Her whole brain seemed to come to a screeching halt. She couldn't even argue with him about her Dad not being sweet. She also had to wonder if Drew had had any idea about this because suddenly all the lame marriage related jokes were making sense. "Mm... I... Wow." She took a moment to try and get her brain and mouth talking again before she just smiled. "The diagnosis is... yes? How can I possibly answer that without it sounding cheesy, Dr C? Seriously." She reached out to feel his forehead as she tilted her head. "Nope, no fever. Guess you really are in your right mind."

Chris looked up at her, his smile slipping slightly as he pulled his lips to the side. "Okay, this isn't quite exactly how I imagined this going?" he admitted. It might not seem like it, but he planned this a lot and thought a lot about it, only his romantic beach proposal at sunset really came with a lot less hesitation on her part, a lot less feeling like he was just asking her to pass the remote, and now he was doubting the whole thing. It always looked so much more cool and exciting in the movies, and none of the girl's answer coming out more like a wary question. He glanced at the box and then brought his hand down to close it over between his fingers. "Right, um. Maybe we can try this another time down the track. It's cool." Now he just wanted to get up off the sand and run to Rick to commiserate how much of a dick he felt.

"What? No!" Serena rest her hand on Chris' shoulder as she gripped at her shirt slightly before she knelt down in the sand with him so she could meet his gaze. "Chris, I'm not saying no. That wasn't hesitation. That was me and my brain having some trouble working together because it was just a surprise. A great surprise. I just didn't know what kind of a diagnosis I was supposed to give. I was sort of expecting a yes question. You know? Because I can't imagine anything more amazing than being your wife. So get that ring back out, buster, because you're marrying me."

Chris looked at her uncertainly for a few more moments, his nose scrunching up in contemplation before he broke into a grin. "Are you sure? I mean, I know this is all springing it on you, but isn't that the whole point? Or are all those movies just there to force us dudes into making dicks of ourselves?" He looked down at the box in hand. "I know it might seem like this is some sort of knee-jerk reaction to everything that has gone down, and maybe because I had a brush with death, but it's not. In fact, and you probably won't believe it when I say this, but Proctor can vouch for the fact that I actually bought this about three days before I knew Rick needed a transplant," he admitted sheepishly.

Serena just stayed where she was, smiling at Chris as she felt the butterflies start in her stomach, and the excitement build. It was all she could do not to squeal, or dance up and down the beach. "I'm sure! Chris, please. Just trust me. I'm sure. I want to be Dr Mrs Chris Deleo. And yes, surprise is totally the point, and you nailed it." She pulled him in for a deep kiss, before she couldn't hold the squeal in any longer, and it escaped as she bounced on her knees in the wet sand. "Are you serious? You've had it that long?!" She stared at him before she flashed him a sheepish smile of her own. "I picked out my wedding dress after we made it through the screaming match."

Chris opened his mouth when something dawned on him, but he closed it again as he gestured to her. "Wow. I didn't think of that. I don't think we can get married at all. No way can the Alpha Team handle the awesomeness of two Dr Cs," he joked, feigning seriousness. "I am serious, and wait. What? You picked your dress? How? How did you know?!" If her family spilled the secret, he was totally going to cut them out of his will.

Serena pulled her mouth to the side as she tried not to laugh. "Well, no. Probably not. And I'd say we could marry in secret, but I don't want to hide it. We're done with all the hiding, right? I want to be all out in the open and able to wear the ring when not scrubbed in. And I didn't know! I was just flipping through a magazine and I saw the dress, and I was just thinking that if we ever got married, then that would be my dress. You'd love it, I swear."

Chris shook his head. "Fuck, no. I didn't nearly die to hide or have anymore crappy secrets. I'm over it. At this point in time, Proctor is either going to give me the fellowship, or he isn't. There is nothing more I can do anymore. I've worked my butt off, and I've proved myself." He raised his eyebrows at her, smirking. "Is it easy to get off?"

Serena touched his face before she held out her hand and wiggled her fingers. "So put it on! Let's start the lack of hiding right now. I'm still going to trip Proctor over if he doesn't give you the fellowship. Maybe stick my tongue out at him, or something. I haven't decided yet. I'll be proud of you whatever happens. Have you reconsidered maybe seeking out a fellowship somewhere else?" Serena scoffed as she pointed her thumb at herself. "Um, excuse me? I am about to become the second Dr C. Of course it's easy to get off. I look after you, baby."

Chris opened the box, looking down at the ring he had chosen for her. It wasn't anything outlandish, he had kept things simple and gorgeous. Platinum with a two carat diamond in all its glory. But despite that, it still took him about six hours to actually decide. But the jeweller had seemed to tap into her patience with him coming and going and then coming back again once she realised he was going to fork out for two carats. He took it out and slipped it onto her finger with a grin at how proud of himself he was pulling this off. "I'm meeting with him next week to talk about work. He's had his strategy thrown with Dave, and Eva still wants to leave, but she is waiting three months. We'll just have to see what happens. Unfortunately, no, I haven't considered a fellowship anywhere else, but then I've always had a one-track mind." He sniggered, glancing up at her once the ring was secure on her finger. "No more than ten buttons."

Serena looked down at the ring and just couldn't shake the smile on her face. She was going to wind up with sore cheeks but it was more than worth it. She cupped his face with her other hand and met his gaze as she winked at him. "There's the Dr C I know and love. I am more than in agreement with your single track. You know that I am. Maybe it's time you did start considering a fellowship elsewhere. I know you've worked hard to prove yourself at MT1, but if there's somewhere else that could help you continue to advance, then go for it. Just maybe wait until after you talk with Proctor. The ring's beautiful. I can't believe it! We're gonna get married."

Chris shook his head. "Nah, I really don't have the energy to think about that. I'd rather waste it elsewhere. Until Proctor tells me no, I'll just keep rolling with it. Whatever happens, my residency is up in the New Year. We all knew it was coming soon enough, and now here it is. He's asked me to come chat to him, so I will. I'll cross any bridges about going elsewhere if I come to them. In saying that, he did tell me he was going to offer Dave Eva's position on Alpha if he wants it. So it'll be Proctor, Tuck, Dave, you and me. I can rock that. Well, we will if your family don't kill me in the meantime."

Serena frowned. "Why are they going to kill you? Do you have some reason they should? They love you." Serena looked down at the sand before she twisted to fall back on it, sitting herself down before she dragged Chris with her. She wasn't going to be comfortable for too much longer, and the idea of standing up wasn't appealing to her right then. "Proctor, Tuck, Dave, you, and me. Suddenly I'm in an all boys club. Just as well I'm sleeping with one of those guys. I can rock it, though. It'd be awesome. I'll miss Eva, but the idea of Dave being a permanent addition is pretty damn cool."

Chris laughed as he relaxed back on the sand. "Oh, I dunno. Dave's talking about becoming a hippie and tie-dying his own clothes, maybe growing his own weed. In saying that, last week, he was joking about becoming a Monk. He might not want it. He doesn't have any plans right now. He said he can't really see beyond the couple of days ahead of him, which is understandable. He starts the chemo soon, but at least he's in an okay frame of mind. Better than I expected. The ball jokes were the sign. Tuck wants the family back together again. He said Alpha hasn't been the same in months. I just blamed him on starting the trend with a scalpel in the heart. Clearly the rest of us just wanted to filch his limelight."

"And at least he worked things out with Aimee. I really thought for a moment there that that was it. Hey, if he's happy as a hippie or a monk, then more power to him. Just so long as he doesn't try and feed me only chickpeas and lentils." Serena scrunched her nose up at the idea of the hippie food and then giggled as she embraced Chris, her gaze having caught the ring on her finger again. "It was totally his fault, even if him getting stabbed also set the ball rolling on something else. I just miss how Alpha was. Tuck's right about it not being the same. There's a whole different vibe there right now."

"Well, things are different, babe. They aren't ever gonna be the same anymore," Chris pointed out to her, unable to completely conceal a hint of regret in his voice. "They're not necessarily worse, but they just aren't going to be the same anymore. I know my mindset has changed. Hopefully not too much that I turn into someone else, but everything feels different. Really different."

Serena made herself comfortable next to Chris with her head on his shoulder as she watched the last vestiges of the sun disappear below the horizon. She sighed as she thought about what they'd lost, their original chief doing the naked walk out the beginning of it all. When Proctor had first arrived, no one had been sure what to make of it, but he'd actually been a positive influence on Alpha, and for a while there it had been good. Until Tuck had been stabbed, and Rick Deleo had shown up with cancer. Regardless of all of that, Serena and Chris had found a connection, and that was the one change she could honestly say she had no regrets about. To imagine her life without being involved with Dr C seemed impossible now. She linked her fingers through his and held his hand. "Good different?"

Chris pressed his lips together, looking out over the water in thought. "I don't know yet," he admitted honestly after staying quiet for a few moments. "I really wish I could say yes, but I'm just cruising at the moment. I'm not taking anything for granted. I'll be happier when I know where my career lies, and when Dave is out of the woods. I'll be even happier when I'm back to full strength and stop needing to be on a go-slow, when I can go back to work. Nothing has turned out how I expected it, but that doesn't mean it's bad. Not at all. It's just unexpected. I would be lying if I said that I wanted Eva to go, or any of the other stuff that happened, but my heart's still beating, which is more than I can say a few weeks ago."

"I'm all for your heart beating, trust me. I don't want Eva to go either, and it seems unfair that Dave has to battle cancer before he becomes a permanent fixture on our team. Or that Eva has to leave for it to happen, too. Can you imagine if it was the five of us doing the surgeries? We'd be unstoppable. Plus Tuck still heading up the nurses? It'd be Super Alpha Team. Only, I know it won't happen. Just like I know Kathy still won't stop trying to get you into her spider web bed. Ooh, just wait until I get to show the ring off in front of her! Her toes will shrivel up." Serena brushed her fingers up and down Chris' arm. "You'll be back to full strength soon. I know you will. I also know how frustrating it is, but there's no point rushing things. Not when you can also still have time with your brother, and your mom."

"Except, they both keep ditching me," Chris laughed, shaking his head a little. It was the truth, though. His brother and his mom had been increasingly scarce over the past few weeks. Chris didn't mind now that he had a bit of his indepence back, but it wasn't a fact that was lost on him. "I think if there was five of us, there would be just one too many cooks, so to speak. At least now I will probably stop giving Proctor the evil eyeball so much. Although, he still manages to push my buttons. It's going to be interesting to see how it all plays out, and please. I never wanted Kathy. She was always so overenthusiastic. All working with her ever did was make me wish Tuck's cool cucumber vibe was back."

Serena smirked to herself before she shot Chris a Look. "So I was just lacking in enough enthusiasm to make it work for you, huh?" she teased. "I'm sure they're not ditching you. Are they? I've barely been able to see them now I'm back at work anyway. I save all my time for you and Drew. At least I know now that I don't have to freak out when I try and talk to your mom. I don't think she's going to eat me, or anything. I still can't believe I screamed at her. And I'm sure Rick's just starting to hit his stride as an expectant father. He's still your brother."

"Uh-uh," Chris cut in, holding his hand up. "There is enthusiasm, and there is Kathy. Do I need to remind you that you were the one doing regular elevator dances? If that's not enthusiasm, nothing is. Rick spends a lot of time with Bella now she's cut her workload a little and Mom just... keeps telling me she's going out to explore Miami. So, either she is plotting world domination or she is seeing someone, because Miami just doesn't have that many sights once you see the beach. She was never going to eat you. It was me and Rick she was pissed at, not you. I'm not denying Rick anything. Suits me that he isn't around when I want to jerk off anyway," he said with a smirk and then reached over to tweak her shirt sleeve. "Speaking of, what do you say we do a little celebrating tonight by making up for some lost time?"

"Mmm..." Serena let out a wistful sigh. "Do you even know how long it's been since I did an elevator dance? Seriously. I've not really had much to dance about. This ring? This totally earns an elevator dance. I'm so doing one when I'm back at work. I'll even get someone to record it so you can see." Serena was making a plan before she frowned a little. "Wait, wait. Your mom's seeing someone? Since when? Did you know Drew and Lisa are up to date number three? You know what means, don't you?" She turned to meet his gaze in the near darkness before she grinned. "I say I'm more than willing."

Chris shrugged. "It means it's about time Dave gave him The Talk of Death? And yeah, maybe she is. I don't know. She got her hair cut and had a manicure, and I've never known her to actually fork out on herself like that. Plus, she keeps having all these random things to do. Maybe I'm just paranoid, but she's acting like Rick, only more ninja-like." He looked over to her, smiling. "You're gonna have to be on top, though. Baby steps and all that. No point ruining proceedings if I can't keep the stamina up."

Serena leaned over to kiss Chris' cheek. "Remember the last time you decided I should be on top at the beach? Maybe we should get back home before we soil the place again. It means Dave has to give him The Talk of Death, and sex. Three dates means sex. My brother could be corrupting Dave's sister tonight. Now that you mention it, I do remember seeing your mom dressed up one night when I came home. She looked really pretty. Her dress looking amazing. I really hope I'm more like your mom when I get older. I don't mean that in a weird way."

Chris shook his head. "Nope. Drew isn't acting like a dude freshly getting again. I call no sex so far. I'm a dude, I know these things. Three dates is a chicks' rule anyway. It makes no sense to us guys. It's something you lot invented as a yardstick to how the dating process should go. I also have a feeling that Dave himself is the reason for it. Drew's nervous that Dave wants to kill him, but just hasn't had the strength to. And hey! I don't want any old dudes drooling all over my Mom! I don't want anyone drooling over her, that's my Mom!"

"Yeah, but your mom's hot. Face it, future husband, she's gonna have guys drooling over her. Maybe she's a cougar! It might not even be an old guy doing the drooling." Serena couldn't help it. She just had to tease him. It was too much fun watching Chris get horrified, and squirmy. She hugged him as she licked the side of her face and giggled. "Your mom could be getting a relationship that finally makes her happy. Just let her have it. After you find out who the guy is and threaten him with death. Drew would understand the brother mojo, so he probably has a sixth sense for death threats."

"I am not facing anything of the sort and no one else is marrying her! Ever! Not after the way my goddamn father treated her!" Chris cried indignantly as they veered into extremely sensitive territory for him. It wasn't the sort of teasing he could swallow about his mom. "I am not letting anymore fucking men touch her. I don't trust any of them."

Serena rubbed her hand against Chris' back as she watched him. "I'm sorry, baby. I didn't mean to hit a sensitive spot. I really didn't mean anything by it"

Chris looked up at the sky that was gradually growing darker now the sun had set. He felt a shiver creep down his back when he inevitably had a passing thought about that night he had to take his mother to the ER. "Maybe one day I'll be able to joke about it, but not now. It's not something I find amusing at all. No one is taking advantage of my mother again," he resolved quietly, and drew in a small breath to calm himself down.

Serena wrapped her arms loosely around Chris as she watched him, scared she really had put her foot in it this time. "No more joking. Promise. I just don't think this guy is taking advantage of her. Every change in her has been a good one, right? And she really does seem happy. Like a weight's been lifted."

"I'm sorry. That was a huge twist in mood and I exploded," Chris said apologetically, shooting her a glance. "It's just a really touchy subject. I can't really shake the images I have of her in my head that night and they manage to rear their ugly head on me when I'm least expecting it. If she is dating, the guy is going to have to be a fucking angel to get beyond me and Rick, I swear. I will kill him if he hurts her. I just really don't want her to be dating anyway," he had to admit sheepishly, feeling like he was about twelve years old again.

Serena shook her head. "No, no. It's okay. I get it. I made a really bad joke. You're allowed to get emotional about it. Besides, we aren't about to start making up for lost time right now, are we? We can go home and do it. For now, it's just about us sitting here and talking. But just so you know... my ass is kinda wet. I don't think it's very sexy. Most kids aren't gonna want their mom to date. It's a thing. You don't need to feel guilty about it. Just maybe learn to accept that it'll happen. Is happening. Maybe. See? We don't even know."

Chris glanced across the sand and scrunched his nose up. "I love the beach, but no. Not here. I'm seriously worried how my booty skills are going to be now, I don't want to be out in public if I'm going to put on a sucky performance. And don't worry. We can get you out of those wet clothes when we get back," he told her with a smirk. "I am just so freaking glad right now that I don't have a milkman or a postman, or I would be worried she was getting it on with them."

"What if you had a female milkman, or postman?" Serena asked with a slight smile. She nudged him gently before she kissed him. "I wouldn't worry about your booty skills, baby. Isn't that the point of a good relationship? It's amazing no matter what. I just want to get naked with you. I want to see if your dick likes me, like it likes your hand."

Chris laughed and shook his head. "To be fair, it just seems to like warm water right now," he admitted. "I like my sleep too much these days to get into it in bed. I can get it up, that's not the issue. It's the strength and energy I'm nervous about." He lifted his shirted and hunched forward a little to examine the large scar on his torso. "I know it's healed, but sometimes it still hurts inside. I'm worried I'll get all anxious and lose the wind in the sails, so to speak. That's why I figure starting with you on top is the better idea."

Serena brushed her fingers over the scar before she moved to lean down and kiss it softly. "I kind of like it now. I know what it means, but I do like it. I'm not going to ask you to go crazy, and swing from the chandelier. We don't even have a chandelier. You know that if you lose the wind in the sails, that it's not an issue, right? It's not the end things. We'd still get through it. I'm just glad you can talk to me about it."

Chris nodded. "Yeah, it's fine. I'm cool about it. After seeing what Dave went through, I learnt my own lesson. I'm not really bothered by it if it doesn't work the first time, to be honest. I'm off my high horse to admit shit might not work. My insides were put through the ringer, and I still have to watch myself. Like the fact that we now know trolley racing is off the cards for the moment," he said, laughing. A display of cat food was the casualty in that scenario when Chris got hit by a cramp in his stomach whilst trying to ride a trolley around the supermarket.

Serena snorted in amusement. "You do realise I am never letting you shop for groceries again, don't you? You're worse than a little kid. I was waiting to be asked fifty times if you could have some chocolate."

"It wasn't my fault! If the trolley had no groceries in it, it would have been perfectly fine," Chris insisted. Though it had been enough for him to realise he still didn't have the strength to return to work yet. Proctor had called it right, in that Chris should probably wait until the New Year to return. He was on the road to recovery and owning it, but his actual levels of energy and strength still waned. If he couldn't even control a trolley without cramping up, no way could he be hauling patients around on gurneys or crash tackling them to the floor when they decided to go psychotic and smash up the OR. "I just took the chocolate myself, and then regretted it anyway."

"And yet, that never stops you. Ever. No matter how many times you get chocolate regret, it still happens." Serena patted his leg fondly before she smiled at Chris. "Just remind me to never send you and Rick to do the shopping together. Bella was telling me some stories about when she had taken Rick grocery shopping after he'd stayed the night. Chocolate wasn't the only casualty."

Chris scrunched his nose up in annoyance. "It's crap! I can hardly eat anything dairy right now. I know the dietician warned me of that, but I thought I would be all Superman and it not be an issue for me. There is some higher being up there called Karma snickering at me right now because I can only eat fresh, no processed food. Then I couldn't have sex. It's a miracle I didn't take myself out, you know," he joked and then raised his eyebrows. "Really? What the hell did he do now?" he laughed.

Serena reached up to brush her fingers over Chris' hair, not exactly fighting the urge to stop touching him. The little touches had been there even before they started to go out. "You are Superman, but even Superman has his kryptonite. You can't rush this, okay? You're working up to being able to have sex again, so I'm sure processed shit and dairy will be right behind it. I might miss the quick and easy route of getting food delivered, but it's been nice using the kitchen now and again. Although I owe a lot to your mom for helping out with putting meals in the freezer whenever she can." Serena tapped the side of her nose as she winked at Chris. "Secret Girlfriend Business. I'm sure you'll find out soon enough though. Bella's car still smells like pasta sauce."

Chris waved his hand and shuddered. "Let's not think about that first attempt to try Chinese when I got out of hospital. I swear, I am never eating Chow Mein again. Mom would have sent us homemade meals from Wimico if she could. She gets the whole Mom Voice when she lectures us about eating well. She did it when I moved away for college too. She's just making up for lost time, but this time, I really do need her help." He made a face and stuck out his tongue. "Pasta sauce? Ugh. And she hasn't said if she thinks Rick will need a final round of chemo, either. Maybe he thinks if he sweet talks her enough, she'll forget about it. I just remember her saying after Dave's op that if Rick needed another round, he and Dave would be in the clinic at the same time."

Serena shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe she's just letting him enjoy life a little before she hits him with the last round? Or maybe she's waiting for Dave to be ready again. You mom's a really good woman, and I'm glad that she is hanging around in Miami. I think it's good for you guys to have her here. You need her help, and she needs to remember that she will still be needed. I think she remembers pretty well right now. Hell, even more mom voice scares me. I got in trouble when I tried to do the washing, and she already had a system in place and apparently I picked the wrong moment for delicates."

"Maybe I'm fucked in the head, but part of me just wants her to give it to him anyway to really one hundred percent make sure it's all gone. I'm just terrified now that Rick is going to go through what Dave did. I can't help it. I try to shake it, but no matter how hard I try, it's still niggling in the back of my head. Now that Dave's back on his feet a little after his op, he needs to face it all over again. He seems resolved to the fact. I told him we're still all going to Disneyworld when we're better," Chris said matter-of-factly and ran his fingertips through the sand. "She's always been like that. She's not anal or OCD... just a Mom. With two boys who were always dirty, without fail. If we weren't dirty, we were bleeding," he laughed.

"And what's changed? If you two aren't dirty, you're bleeding. You're boys, it's the way of things. Although most of the time the dirt these days is probably from sex outdoors." Serena kissed his cheek lightly and gave a shake of her head. "There's no guarantee that Rick won't relapse, but Bella's optimistic that he's in remission, and I think even Rick's ready to just embrace life. Dave had an aggressive cancer, and it was a miracle he managed to fight it in the first place. His system was always going to be weaker after that, and probably more prone to the disease developing elsewhere. It's not fair, but it happened. He'll be okay."

Chris shot her a wry look. "I am not going to ask you to cross your heart with that. This is cancer. It's irrelevant who had it worse than who. Bottom line is that once you've had it, it can always come back. Dave is proof of that. He was like health-freak fit and healthy when he got to Miami, and then look. Also, it could be genetic, so who knows if I might be on the hit list down the track. All I'm saying is that if Bella is going to be efficient and have him go the chemo trifecta, then we'll just all have to rally around and cope with it. And can I just say, it's totally weird to see Bella with a bump and know that's Rick's kid in there. I'm not sure I'll ever get my head around that."

Serena shook her head. "I know, trust me. It's weird, but in an odd way it suits her. Just like Rick in the expectant father's role. It's a strange thing to see, but it's a strange right. You know what I mean? Rallying around goes without question. They're all family. We're going to be a very incestuous bunch by the end of it. All we need know is for Tuck to hook up with Dave's other sister." Serena's smile faltered as she looked at Chris seriously and stroked his hair. "If you wind up on the hit list, we'll just tackle that when we get there. We're made of pretty strong stuff."

"Rick is completely freaking me out. He's all normal and attentive. I keep waiting for him to morph back into the asshole, but more in an amusement sort of way than actually thinking he's going to do it. It's also part of the reason why Rick doesn't want more chemo. He doesn't want to keep being her patient. Not really. He hasn't said it to me, but I just know," Chris said with a shrug. "No, we don't. We don't need that. No more relationships. My head hurts enough trying to wrap around all this. I'm still trying to come to terms with the fact that Tuck is Bella's ex."

"Yeah, he really did manage to do a ninja job with that one. I can't really remember when he said they broke up, but surely they must have been dating back when I joined MT1. I would have no idea, but Tuck's such a sweetie. I think I would have tried to hit on him if something in my subconscious wasn't trying to save me for you," Serena joked with a soft laugh. "So what happens if he does go through with the chemo? Is Bella even going to give him much of a choice?"

Chris shrugged. "Tuck always said he was a stud, and now we have proof. Bella talks about him in a really positive light. She said he was a sweetheart. Maybe we do need to hook him up with someone. Hell, I would have tried to hit on him. I did, once. He just wasn't into it," he joked, snickering and then falling into that trademark cheeky smirk. "You totally wanted my ass from the minute you walked into MT1. You thought I was smokin'. Nah, she won't. Not if she thinks it's worth it. But she has him by the short and curlies with both hands now. He's completely head over for her."

Serena held up her hand. "I always believed it. He's got that caring, smooth Tuck thing down. I swear half the loved ones of patients just want to take him home. Even the patients do. I'm saying that he totally needs a chick to dote on him, and for him to be all smexy with. I'm sure it was the fact that you didn't fix his clicker. That was what was missing." Serena smiled to herself briefly as she remembered all too clearly the moment when Chris had fixed his clicker and everything changed. "Yeah, but you were my boss and I was all about just being the resident and playing it cool. I didn't need you thinking I was some ditzy blonde with a crush. It's so sweet. All Rick needed was a Bella."

"I was a hot boss," Chris added, still smirking. He couldn't help it if his ego had come back with a renewed vengeance. "Sex is so much more fun than a crush anyway. I could tell you were jealous when I came back from Calle Cubana with one shoe, too, but I never saw you offering to take my shoes off. At least, not until the clicker. If I knew that would have scored, I would have bashed more things from your handbag against the wall. You should see the stupid grin Rick gets on his face when Bella comes over after a shift. It's like he's been sitting there counting the minutes until she comes. I'm related to that. He's my blood."

"You mean you don't sit around at home with a stupid grin when I walk in the door?!" Serena feigned shock and outrage as she held her hand to her chest and huffed out a breath. "How come you don't count the minutes anymore? Is it really that boring now to see me? Hey, you Deleos are really marshmallows, don't think I'm not onto the soft and squishy centre under all that sexy exterior. You don't fool me, Dr C. And yeah, well, you with a lost shoe drove me to flirt with a psycho, so let's not go there."

"Hey, I've discovered jerking off again. And Judge Judy. Of course I'm not counting the minutes. I'm well-entertained. It was that soft squishy centre that nearly killed me, you know. It's not all that it's cracked up to be, and Rick is a way bigger dork than I am. I'm still cool when I do it." Chris held a hand up. "You flirting with a psycho had nothing to do with me, and all to do with your bad taste because you didn't hit on me sooner."

Serena's nose scrunched up a little as she looked up into the night sky. "Do you think we'd be here though if I had hit on you sooner? Do you think we would have made it? Or would I have just been another shoe stealer you never went back to?"

Chris shrugged. "Who knows. That's like asking if I thought Rick would have gotten cancer if I called him more. I don't know. The time before Tuck's stabbing seems like another lifetime ago now. It's only really been a few months. This year has been so screwed, I can't believe it. I was spoiled with all that cruising before. I don't think you would have stayed interested if I never fixed your clicker."

Serena nodded in agreement. "I can't believe everything that's happened, and just how quickly it's all gone. I can't believe that I never would have thought you'd propose to me, but here we are. And I never would have imagined Tuck getting stabbed, or your brother showing up with cancer. It's just... it's insane." Serena took Chris' face in her hands and kissed him softly. "But you of all people keep me sane, and I love you for it."

"Oh, hey, give a dude a chance to wrap his head around things. The time had to be right. I didn't want you thinking it was a knee-jerk reaction because I nearly died and I was trying to clutch onto something. I wanted it to be what it is, not you wondering if I would have done it otherwise," Chris explained. "Then it took me days to pluck up the courage to call your parents. That morning I told you I ate a bad chicken sandwich? I totally didn't, I was making myself sick from nerves about the phone call. Your Dad is an accountant. I had visions of him being a scary one and beating me to death with a large calculator." He looked up at her with a smirk and stole another kiss. "Now I just need to sleep with Proctor to get my fellowship. You're cool with an open marriage, right?" he joked.

Serena tilted her head as she pretended to think about it, and gave a small hum. "Well, I think I could be. But only if you let me watch the two of you. Or at least get me video," she added with a waggle of her eyebrows. "My Dad isn't that scary! He's an accountant, not the devil. I'm so sorry you had to make yourself so sick with nerves. If I'd have known... Well, I wouldn't have been much help with all the squealing I would have been doing. But you did it! And they must have agreed, so it can't have been that bad in the end."

"They probably thought I was completely pathetic and only agreed to shut me up," Chris replied but then he laughed and waved his hand. "No, it was fine. They seemed amused that I would have to face Drew with the information, and they want to come visit you, but that ball's in your court. I wasn't going there at all. You Mom actually even asked if men were still supposed to ask permission these days because she wasn't sure Drew would be that chivalrous. Then she laughed when I called her ma'am, but I was crapping myself! I couldn't help it."

Serena's eyebrows went up at the 'ma'am' thing, and then she just smiled. "Ooh, they should come visit. They haven't been to Miami the whole time I've been here, and it is nearly Christmas. Do you think we could do Christmas? Are we even in a position for that? Or we could split it. Like have Christmas Eve with my folks and Christmas Day with your Mom and brother, and Bella's family maybe. Then the day after is just us. Hey, we need a tree."

Chris was actually sinking further back into the sand with a mixed of uncertainty and anxiety as she kept talking. Familiy visits, maybe two family days, trees. It felt like a lot of action and work when he had been mostly idle and recuperating lately. Yoga and a few walks on the beach was the extent of his activity. The shopping trip had been the first in weeks. "All at once?" he asked nervously.

Serena turned to look down at Chris before she rest her hand on his thigh and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "No, baby. No. We can take it as slow as you need. I'm sorry, I was just thinking out loud. And it only has to be a small tree. Plus we can just do a small dinner. No big dinners. Or even lunch. We can do lunch."

Chris realised that the thought of it all was overwhelming him because the last time there had been any sort of family gathering in his past had been with Dave's family during college. Prior to that, it was about three years before Chris started med school. Rick lost interest in being with them all and despite their mom trying to get something together, he had more important things to do elsewhere. The last Christmas Chris spent in Wimico was PB&Js on the back porch with just him and his mom when neither of them had the energy for anything else. It was just a couple of weeks after their dad had beat her up and she still had the bruises. His eyes narrowed slightly as he thought everything over in his head. "It just seems like a lot of work for everyone, is all," he offered quietly. More like, he wasn't even sure he could pull off a family gathering if he tried anymore.

Serena shrugged her shoulder a little as she gave a nod. "Right, sure. Okay. I mean, of course it is. And that's okay. It's fine. It was just an idea. I still might ask my parents to come down, but it can be before Christmas, and they can crash with Drew at my old apartment. It's fine, Chris. We didn't have to do anything."

Chris pressed his lips together and shrugged. "I haven't actually had much of a Christmas beyond drinks with the guys from work in years. I always used to offer to work so the people with families could take the time off. This year, I obviously didn't have that loophole luxury. This is the first I've thought about Christmas, and it just feels kinda weird," he admitted.

Serena's eyebrows went up as she turned to look at Chris, but the truth was she understood why he would work Christmas. She was just used to being with her family at that time of the year no matter what. She actually loved Christmas, and decorating the tree was her favourite thing. "You can work it if you really want, Chris. I'm just not sure your body would be up to it just yet, not the fact that you kinda do have a family this year. We don't need to do anything. It's okay. If you're not ready for a family Christmas then we won't do one."

"I didn't say I wasn't ready. I'm just not used to it. You can imagine what my Christmases were like before I moved to Miami. Seriously, the last decent one I had was when I went to Jacksonville with Dave one year. This year, his family are here. They're in a rental property until Dave gets better. But apparently they did that last time, too. They moved to LA while he went through the treatment. They were always a close family. I used to be so jealous because I would never have that. So I thought, anyway. They had the whole mojo my family never had. I'm not saying I have huge mental issues about this whole thing. I don't. Just no real awesome memories of this time of year." Chris looked up at the sky where the stars were starting to appear. They'd have to go in soon. His immune system was still dodgy and the last thing he wanted was to end up with the flu.

Serena shifted so that she was resting on her side and rubbed her hand over Chris' chest. "You know I'd save you from any family craziness, right? At least the best that I can. And we don't have to do anything insanely Christmassy. We can just organise an easy thing. Hell, we can do turkey subs and not an actual cooked turkey. Whatever you want, and whatever won't give you nightmares or a nervous breakdown." Serena dipped her head to kiss him as she smiled a little. "I'll make it worth your while..."

Chris looked up at her with a smile. "Yeah, of course we have to do something. It's just the what that was making me nervous. In saying that, it's not like me, Rick, or Dave are going to be in top notch form for anything over the top anyway. Rick will want to spend time with Bella, no doubt, and I don't even want to think about the fact Mom might have some dude on the go. That really screws with my head. I might just have to sit back and be a spectator in the whole, though. The thought of arranging a Christmas thingo makes me tired."

Serena peppered kisses over Chris' face as she slipped her hand up under his shirt, and brushed her fingers lightly over his scar. "Then you can just leave the what to me, okay? I'll deal with it all. You can just sit back, relax, and order me something awesome for my gift from over the internet. I won't even send you to the store. And it doesn't have to be big! I think an engagement ring is kinda gonna win anyway. I still can't believe it, but I love you, Chris. I love you so much, and I really, really want to get you home to start the celebration."

"I already got your present when Mom dared to take me out with her the other day. We only did one lap of the mall, though, and she brought me home. She's going to try the same with Rick over the next couple of days." Chris snorted in amusement and pushed himself slowly back up into a sitting position, brushing some of the sand off him. "It must feel to her like we're kids again. I love you too, babe. Like you wouldn't believe. I am so, so glad I didn't screw this up, even if I'm nervous about breaking the news to everyone."

Serena kissed him softly before she got to her feet, and brushed the sand off her ass before she held her hands out for Chris to take if he wanted some help getting up. "Ooh, well now I'm just curious. And wondering where the hell you're hiding it. I think Rick's head is really gonna hurt trying to pick Bella a gift if he hasn't got an idea yet. Still, it'll be a good excuse for him and your mom to spend time together. As for breaking the news... well, there's really no easy way, is there? We'll just have to bite the bullet."

Chris used her help getting up, making sure he took it slowly and still reflexively held his stomach as he did. Strangely enough, he didn't feel any different only operating with one kidney and apparently despite the scary surgical complication, internally, he was healing top notch. The specialist seemed to think there was absolutely no reason why Chris couldn't return to his pre-op life if he did everything he was supposed to during his recovery. "I'm not hiding it at our place. It's somewhere else. And Bella would be easy. She's pregnant, anything spoiling her she'll love. I'm going to tell Proctor when I meet with him. He should know right up because it impacts on the team."

Serena nodded as she pressed her lips together, not sure if the impact was going to be positive, or negative. There was still a part of her that was scared it might mean one of them got bumped from Alpha team. She didn't say that to Chris though, and just slipped her arm around his waist as they started to work their way back up the beach. "He should know. We've already covered the whole secret keeping from him, plus he did at least help you get the ring. That means he's not totally against it, right?"

"I don't think he knew exactly what I was getting, but it's not like the sort of shop I'd make a habit of hanging around in, is it? He might have just thought I was buying you a Christmas present. I found it weird he was hanging around there too. But hey, maybe he was buying a Christmas present too... hopefully. Thinking about anything else makes my head hurt just a little bit." Chris draped his arm around her shoulders as they walked along the sand. "I still never know what Proctor thinks, so I'm not even going to try and figure it out."

Serena smiled as she gave him a soft squeeze. "I know, baby, I know. You don't need to think about Proctor for the rest of the night, I promise. And if you are, then at least don't call out his name during orgasm."

Word Count | 9,879