A/N: I know, I know. Three weeks is too soon, but it was the only way that it worked if I do a second story, since the crazy eighth season starts only three weeks after the end of the seventh. Darn those ER producer/writers... :)

June 7th, 2001 – 3 Weeks later

"Don't move."

Sandy groaned. "I'm fine Red. I've been fine for weeks now. I'm not a wilting flower."

Kerry wrapped her arms around Sandy and closed her eyes again. "I know. Just stay with me for another second."

"I'm going back. It's part of me, like, like breathing."

Under Sandy's shirt Kerry's finger trailed along the scar that ran down Sandy's chest. Where they'd cracked her open. "An inch and you'd be dead."

"Ker..."

"No. Let me finish. I love you and if you died I don't know how I'd live without you, but I know that you love firefighting like I do when I heal someone in the ER, and if I asked you to take a desk job, to be an arson investigator or whatever then you would be hypocritical and soon after we'd probably be history."

"I would though. I'd hate my job every day if it meant sparing you pain Kerry."

Kerry kissed the side of Sandy's neck, "Please, just remember I love you and want you to stay alive."

Sandy turned and kissed Kerry. "I love you too, and trust me. I'm always careful. Time to get up."

Kerry lay back down and watched as Sandy got out from under the covers, went to the sink, turned it on, and put the kettle on.

She practically dove back under the covers and Kerry was jerked to full wakefulness, sitting straight up, "Ooh... oh, your feet, they're like ice."

Sandy chuckled, "Sorry. I put on the coffee." She snuggled closer to Kerry.

"What time is it anyway? I didn't hear an alarm." Kerry didn't add that she hadn't wanted to look at the clock either, that she dreaded finding out the time.

"It's about seven thirty. You okay? With..."

"Your shift today. Yes, I really am. Are you?"

"Mmhmm..." Sandy propped herself up on an elbow, "'cept I got no sleep 'cause of the snoring."

Kerry shook her head, "Nah, I don't snore."

Sandy laughed, "Ah, yeah right, like a truck driver."

Kerry laughed, "I don't snore." Sandy gave a brief demonstration, as Kerry cracked up, "Stop it." Sandy didn't and Kerry got proactive, grabbing the pillow from under her head and smooshing it over the still snorting Sandy.

Sandy pulled it off and it was on, "Oh, oh, wait a minute..." And then she was on top, giving Kerry zurbits on her neck and cheek and Kerry couldn't stop laughing. Didn't want to ever stop laughing like she was.

Finally Kerry caught her breath and looked up at Sandy, the fire fighter's hair hanging down, her eyes alight with playfulness as well as the sexual spark that was always seemed to be just under the surface. And her steal your heart and soul smile was firmly in place.

Kerry touched Sandy's cheek. "Never change Sandy."

Sandy lowered herself down and let their bodies become one, making sure not to put her weight on Kerry's left hip. "I'll try, but ya know, I was feeling this weird girly vibe and actually liked Lakmé." Kerry smiled, "And don't pretend you didn't like it when Probert took it to the poor other guy. Next on the list. Boxing..."

"Sandra Aquila Maria Lopez. If you take me to a boxing match I'll tell your mother about the..."

The rest of Kerry's thought was lost to the winds of time as Sandy derailed the neural impulses with a kiss on the lips, then the neck, and these were definitely nothing like zurbits.

Fin ~ March 18th, 2010