Stunning

A smile of relief and pleasure crosses Justin's lips, finally hearing Beth's choice. He had another chance. He hadn't been robbed of it, despite his fears and lack of telling her he cared. And he felt oh so fortunate. 

Squeezing Beth's hand, he chuckles and shakes his head. "It's not too late for you as long as it's not too late for me."

All of a sudden, reality strikes, and Justin realizes that they weren't alone. They were standing in the middle of the coffee house, in public, being stared at by the other customers. Heat comes to his cheeks and he gives Beth a little wide-eyed look. "I think we better sit down before they throw us out," he suggests. 

Pulling her to a nearby table for two, he sits across from her, taking both of her hands in his. Smiling, his eyes twinkle. It felt good to finally not have a barrier between him and Beth. It was still a bit scary and he was still risking his heart all over again but... maybe this time it would turn out right. 

"By the way... you look absolutely stunning tonight."

...For the next couple days, Jeff remains in bed, trying to recover. He'd overdone it worse than he'd thought, and it didn't take just one short nap to get over it. He didn't see Angel and didn't ask for her, but he did see Katie and a few others who would stop by to say hi or bring him a meal. Eventually though, he was able to get himself up and going again... 

...Entering Angel's office, Jeff knocks softly, not wanting to startle her. He hadn't spoken to her since she'd walked out on him and... he didn't like feeling as though they were at odds. 

Clearing his throat, he slowly approaches her desk, tucking his hands in his pockets. "Hi. I um.... well... do you have a minute to talk?" 

Forward

As Justin finally pulls away Beth could feel her own heart beating, racing it was a feeling she'd never felt before and she liked it. It was new and wonderful something she would never give up if asked too. Just searching Justin's face for a long moment She finally smiles.

   "No to Zach, Yes to you...if its not to late that it."

Letting she smile grow even more Beth slips her hand into Justin's and locks her fingers around his. She hopped it wasn't to late and the offer and feelings to date were still open. After turning Zach down there was no going back...it was only time...to move forward.

Please...

Jeff accepts Katie's comfort, slipping his free arm around her and giving her a little hug before kissing the top of her head. He couldn't have asked for more in a daughter - he really felt quite undeserving.

"Thanks, Kiddo..." And he meant it. Whether he was still fighting his weaknesses or not, he felt good, knowing she was proud of him. It really did mean something to him.

Leaning his head back, he forgets lunch for now and closes his eyes. Whatever he'd been giving to relax was kicking in and he could feel himself growing drowsy. He was supposed to eat. He wanted to play cards. But... maybe after just a... small... nap...

Before he can stop it, he's resting peacefully.

The analytical side of Justin wondered if his and Beth's reaction to each other was the simple result of pent-up feelings. The other side of him didn't care what it was. He felt warm and comfortable and good all over and that's all he cared about as he returns Beth's kiss without losing passion. 

Eventually drawing back with several smaller kisses, Justin catches his breath, his eyes only inches from hers, staring deeply into them... searching for answers. His arms remain holding her against himself, as if afraid he might lose her if he let go. 

Breathing heavily, his heart pounds wildly in his chest and he almost felt dizzy. But no matter his desire to relish these feelings, he had to know... 

"Please tell me this means you told Zach no," he whispers. If she hadn't, this would be the first and probably last time he'd ever have her in his arms.

Another

Setting her plate aside Katie stands and goes over to the bed next to Jeff. Sitting down and squishing herself on the edge of the bed Katie lags down next to Jeff and puts her arm around him. She felt worse for Jeff than herself. She was missing her mother, a mother she never new, but he was missing his wife, someone he had spend time with and new what he now had missed. Katie couldn't help but think he was worse off than her.

   "I think...she would understand the reason for you giving me to Jay. If I am anything like her...I believe she would be as proud of you as I am."

As Justin returns the kiss Beth can feel the warmth spread through her. The rush of emotions makes her feel weak in the knees she was happy Justin's arms were around her to help her stand. Just feeling him return the emotions she was so willing to share Beth felt over joyed.

Pulling away just a little Beth doesn't give anytime for a word to be said as she was going back for another kiss. Her one hand still behind Justin's head her fingers combing softly through his hair while her other hand was on his back. She continued this moment not wanting it to break for fear if it did...there might not really be another.

Uh...

Catching sight of Beth, Justin can't help it when his heart skips a beat. She was... wearing a dress. A very pretty dress. She looked... fantastic. He doesn't even realize that his eyes had widened. He'd always thought she was attractive but... wow.

Without even time to greet her, Justin is suddenly pulled down a little and towards her, closing the gap. He stares into her eyes and blinks, unsure of her behavior. What was she doing? Why was she so close? What was -

His thoughts are brought to a screeching halt as without warning, her lips are touching his. Pressing. Enveloping them in a warm kiss. 

Still stunned, his first instinct is to pull away, but his muscles move on a different path than his brain. Without thinking, his hands automatically slide around Beth's waist. His eyes fall shut as he cocks his head and bends a little more to make it easier to continue the kiss. 

His brain reeled with questions. Why was she doing this? Why was she kissing him? Wasn't she dating Zach? And why was he returning her kiss if he was questioning her motives anyway? He didn't have an answer. But he didn't care. And he shuts out the questions. 

With arms tightening around Beth, he pulls her closer to himself. Turning his head the opposite way, he doesn't let his lips leave hers. There was something about this whole thing that felt so very strange - embracing his friend like this. And yet there was something about it that also felt like it was the most right thing in the world.

Feeling Beth's permission and willingness, he deepens his kiss, letting it prove how much he'd regretted not doing this sooner and admitting that he had feelings for her. Whether this was hello or goodbye, he wasn't going to let this opportunity slip by. He'd prove he did care for her. And he lets his passionate kiss do the talking.

Was Katie right? Would Crystal love him just the same today if she were still alive? Jeff had to wonder.

Finally looking back at his daughter, he gives her a new small smile. Dwelling on the "what ifs" wouldn't do either of them any good. Cyrstal was gone, and the past was the past. 

"She talked about your future all the time ya know... while she was pregnant. She dreamed of you as a little girl then growing up, having boyfriends, moving from home, having you own family..." Jeff chuckles. "She liked to plan ahead. Me, I flew by the seat of my pants and she always chided me for that. I always liked to say I was just letting her be in charge by letting her do the planning." 

He shakes his head and sighs deeply. "We hadn't been married only a couple months when she found out she was pregnant. Neither of us minded though. It was kinda like we had just stepped into the middle of a fairytale and wherever the pages took us, that's where we'd go. We both knew God was in control and that's all we needed. I never..." He stops and swallows hard. "I never thought about something happening to her or what I'd do. When you were born and she died I just... panicked." He'd had Crystal for such a very short time. They'd only dated a few months, married, and then she was gone. It had all happened so quickly and yet had changed his life forever. 

Turning to Katie, a tear slips out to run down his cheek but he doesn't stop it. "I know you don't hate me for giving you to Jay... but I often wonder if that's what your mother would have wanted. Sometimes I feel like I let her down, not raising you like she'd planned." 

 

This Moment

Listing to Jeff as he talks about her mother Katie can't help the smile that spread across her lips. She sounded wonderful and it only made Katie wish she could meet here even more. Seeing how happy Jeff was when he talked about her really showed how much they had loved each other.

   "She sounds...perfect."

Looking down at her place and taking another bit of her food Katie could feel the pang in her heart. She'd never met her mother and could only know her though story's. It was sad and it hurt but she was thankful there were story's to tell.

Katie wondered with Jeff words about if Crystal could see him now. Something made Katie believe she would still be so proud of Jeff. Than another though cross her mind. Would she be proud of Katie too? Had she turned out everything she wanted her daughter to be?

   "I bet she would be proud of you today, just like she was back than and love you all the time."

Hearing the little bell on the door Beth looks up from her table and see Justin. Giving a smile she stands and shakes some of the wrinkles out of her dress before tucking a loss peace of hair behind her ear. It was so nice to see Justin it felt like days since the last time. 

Not saying much Beth walks over to him slipping her hand behind his head she pulls him in closer. Just looking deep into his eyes Beth can't help her next move. It had been something she wanted to do for a while and had held back. But now...now was a good time.

Leaning in closer and closing her eyes Beth press her lips against Justin's and just lets her emotions flow. This was her yes, this was her agreement to date Justin. She'd had feelings for him and now after her date with Zach she new they were true feelings.

Just letting the moment continue Beth let everything around her fade as she felt like everything just might be spinning. She didn't care though this moment here was what she had been waiting for and she wasn't going to let it go to wast.

Regret

Ending the call with Beth, Justin runs a hand through his hair and tries to get his head on straight. By the time his shoes were on and he was in his pickup, his mind had already thought up all kinds of theories about what had happened with Beth and Zach today. One thing he was sure of though - she wouldn't have wanted to meet him face-to-face if she was going to tell him she wouldn't date Zach. No, Justin was sure she must have decided to date him.

Driving down the dark highway, Justin would kick himself, if humanly possible. How long had he felt this way about Beth? How long had he been denying it to himself? He thinks back to when they met. He'd been attracted to her right off the bat. Then realizing what kind of life she'd had and seeing that she needed something other than romance, he'd immediately backed off and switched into his counseling friend mode. He'd been seeking close friendship and settled for helping someone instead. And then what?

Justin brakes at an intersection before moving on. And then Beth had grown. She'd come out of her shell and started living again. She'd come closer to him. Now that he thought back, he could see clearly how she'd wanted to be more than friends. At the time, he'd ignored it. But even so, he'd had his own tugs on his heart that he had pushed aside. Why though? Why had he avoided it? Fear? 

Squinting at an oncoming driver that forgot to dim his brights, Justin's mind continued to ponder. What could he have possibly been afraid of? If he were counseling someone else, he'd bring to light that he'd been burned more than once before. His first serious girlfriend had wound up being so needy that it was unhealthy - and he'd helped Beth just like he'd started out helping his ex. After that, he'd fallen yet again, only to be abandoned soon after - and his relationship with Beth had been a bit sudden just like that one. Then soon after that, he'd discovered his "friends" really didn't think much of him at all - and he'd trusted Beth like he'd trusted those friends. So in the end... it really was quite obvious from a counseling standpoint why Justin would be afraid. 

To top it all off, he'd also begun taking Beth's friendship for granted. Sidling past his deeper feelings, he'd begun to get used to having Beth around, not even thinking about how she felt or if she'd want more than he was giving. He recalled a few times they'd "accidentally" flirted with each other... he should have known then that he was walking a fine line between where they stood and hurting her feelings. But he'd continued to ignore it. 

And then he'd heard about Zach. Why, oh why had he not acted on his jealous feelings in the very beginning? Why hadn't he recognized his own feelings enough to admit how he felt to Beth? Why had he continued to let fear get in the way? Was he too proud? Too stubborn? 

Getting into town and nearing the all-night coffee shop, Justin sighs. It didn't matter what he'd been. The bottom line was he hadn't acted soon enough. He'd seen a little bird learn to fly and he'd taken too long to jump off the limb himself. 

Pulling into the parking lot and shutting off the engine, he sits for a moment, playing with his keys. No matter what Beth told him, he'd be proud of her. If she'd decided to date Zach, then maybe that was best and it certainly showed she had grown. She'd stepped so far from her original little world that she was almost a different person - she'd turned into who she had the potential to be. Or at least was well on her way. Justin couldn't condemn her for that. No... no, he'd support her. He'd smile. He'd be happy for her. He'd accept her news gracefully and he would let her go. He knew they'd still be friends, but he also knew that they wouldn't see each other nearly as much. For one, she'd be busy with Zach. And for another, if Zach cared about her at all, he probably wouldn't take too kindly to her spending too much time with Justin anymore. Some, but not as much. Most likely there'd be no more late night movies at his place... suppers almost every night... her cherry pies... 

Swallowing his pride, Justin finally gets out of his truck. He was still in his grass-stained jeans and old t-shirt from working in the yard earlier, but there probably wasn't much point in getting cleaned up anyway. 

Pocketing his keys, he wanders inside and scans the room for Beth.

Jeff smirks and gives a little sigh, but he sets the playing cards aside for now. If he argued about eating, he'd just upset Katie even more, and at this point he didn't want to do that. Retrieving his plate, he nibbles a little more on his sandwich, although his stomach churns. He wouldn't be able to eat more than half of this at most, if he was going to keep it down. 

Katie's question about her mother snaps his eyes back to her. She rarely asked, and he rarely spoke of it, just because it was buried in the past. But, like any young woman, he knew it was natural that she might wish to have known her mother. 

Sighing, Jeff leans his head back on the wall as his eyes drift to the ceiling. He'd told Katie things before, especially right after she'd found out he was her father. But nothing was really in detail. Just character traits mostly. But what had she really been like?

"She was sunshine," he finally answers quietly. "Soft... quiet. When we met, I thought she was never going to talk to me." A little smile creases his lips. "We met at a small party. I didn't have many close friends, but I went anyway and she was there. We sat together for probably half an hour before she'd actually talk to me." 

He turns his head to look at Katie and he chuckles. "I thought she was shy. She'd actually been studying me to see if I was worth conversation or not. I asked her out, and on the first date, I knew I'd want to marry her." 

He takes another nibble of his sandwich, lost in thought. "Crystal... gave me new purpose. I'd been sick but all of a sudden I felt well again. She knew I was sick though. And when we were married, in her vows she said, 'No matter how many days I must care for you, no matter how many days you feel weak or discouraged and I must be your strength, I will do so with all my heart, and my love will never fail.'" 

To this day, Jeff could hear her voice and remember her words. Feeling hot tears behind his eyes, he sets his food aside, giving up again for now. Shaking his head, he sighs and fiddles with the cotton swab that was taped over where the IV had been. "I guess I'm glad she can't see me now," he concludes. 

Luke felt badly for Angel, and wished there was something he could do. Moving to sit on the edge of her desk, he searches her face, giving her a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry... You haven't wasted your time though. Jeff's just bullheaded and he's probably just having a grouchy day. He'll come around like he always does." 

Reaching out to tilt Angel's chin up with a gentle finger, he smiles. "You're a wonderful doctor and friend... don't ever think you're not. Just because Jeff doesn't want to listen doesn't mean you're not doing a good job. It's just gonna take him longer to see you're right."

Eat First

Beth can't help but giggle a little at his mix up of words. She wondered what he was thinking right now that she had to talk about but she didn't ask. She would wait till they saw each other and she was thankful he agreed or she might not have been able to hold it in.

   "Sure meeting at around the clock sounds perfect. I'll see you soon Justin."

Hanging up the phone Beth goes to the bathroom to clean up a little bit before leaving. She was going to keep her dress on but she just wanted to freshen up a little bit. Fix her hair, brush her teeth, the normal girly things before she left seeing as it wouldn't take to long for her to get to the coffee shop.

Looking up at Jeff Katie gives the best smile she can. At least he was trying to move on a little bit and lighten up the mood a bit. She did want to finish eating though because she was slightly hungry.

   "How about we finish eating lunch than we can play cards. I don't think they are going to go anywhere, and I'll save some chips to the side as well."

Going back to her food Katie takes a bit and chew before looking back to Jeff and cocking her head for a second. Her mind goes back to Jeff talking about her mother before. He really never talked about her and Katie new nothing of her. In a way it kind of sucked that Katie never even got to meet her. It was like a part of her life was missing.

   "You never talk about mom, what was she like?"

Feeling Luke's hand on her shoulder and hearing his words Angel drops her hands and turns to look at him for a second. Bring one of her hands to his she brings it to her lips and gives it a soft kiss before leaning her cheek on it. How thankful she was for her husband and his willingness to let her help him. It had been hard for Luke but he'd adapted and it just ment she would have that much more time with him.

   "I'm just frustrated with Jeff. He's being thick headed and just...not taking care of himself."

Folding her arms across her desk Angel couldn't help but feel bad for storming out on Jeff before like she did. There was guilt inside her for it and she wondered if she had done the right thing or not. 

   "Finally I just walked out and Jeff and told him I wont help him anymore. I was just so upset and I felt so bad for Katie and that I had been wasting my time. It just...fells crappy...ya know?"

Not Good

Starting to doze off, the ringing phone just about makes Justin jump out of his skin. Recovering after a ring or two, he finally answers. 

Hearing Beth's voice, he smiles, but that smiles fades at her request. She wanted to see him in person? This couldn't be good. He can feel his heart sink just a little. "Um...no, I mean yeah... it's not too late." Although he didn't think she needed to drive an hour out to his place. "How about meeting at Around the Clock?" Some coffee might be nice, and that way, he could do some thinking while he drove. 

Angel's words stung, and watching her leave stung even more. Jeff had expected another argument. She'd never walked away like this before. And while he still was upset, he did feel just a twinge of guilt. He'd wanted to make a point, not hurt Angel's feelings. 

Sighing, he glances at Katie who was now refusing to look at him. Way to go. He'd done it now. Not only was everything going wrong, but he was upsetting his daughter too. How nice of him. 

Setting his plate aside, he reaches to his bedside table and grabs a deck of cards. Moving over in bed, he makes a nice clear space to play. "Okay, what'll it be?" He starts shuffling the cards. "Crazy Eights? Poker? We could always play for potato chips." 

Luke leans heavily on his cane, watching Angel enter the office. He stood to the side at one of the windows, having just now come from their house after dragging himself out of bed for the day. But off to the side, as Angel comes in, he went unnoticed. 

Seeing how frustrated and upset she looked, he frowns, concerned. Slowly making his way over to her, his steps drag slightly as his cane taps the floor. Making it to her desk, he sets his hand on her shoulder, unable to see her hidden face. "Hey, Babe... something wrong?"