Olivia Anderson pulled into her driveway to find a white New Yorker parked outside of her house, and she hesitated a moment before turning her car off and climbing out into the brisk morning air. Even as she walked to the front door she knew it would be unlocked, she didn't even bother with her keys as she stepped into the house – taking note the heat had been turned on. Without a word of hello to the uninvited man sitting on her couch she hung up her jacket and bag before heading to the fridge to grab a beer. Only catching a glimpse of him out of the corner of her eye she could tell he was exactly the same: same bad haircut, same silent posture, same lack of care for simple courtesy like calling instead of showing up – only thing different was three months.

He took the beer she offered him as she sat beside him, already half finished with her own. "It's seven in the morning, I haven't even had breakfast."

If she didn't know him she wouldn't have heard the teasing in his toneless voice. "Technically it's my dinnertime," she answered knowing she looked exhausted; she felt it too.

"Long shift?" he asked simply as he continued sitting beside her, having taken note of her scrubs when she came in – she rarely left the hospital in them unless she was going back, or too tired to care about changing as she left.

She set her empty bottle down and sat back with a sigh. "Seventy-two hours and not a single night's sleep because the new interns are idiots and my patients keep trying to die. End of residency sucks," she mumbled knowing she had to get up to shower. "Got any clothes you want washed, I'm doing a load before I head out?" she asked before finishing the rest of his beer and making her way to the laundry room.

"Wouldn't it be easier if you flew to Minnesota?" he asked following behind her.

She'd long since given up wondering how he knew half of what he did and settled with thinking he just knew everything, and it didn't cross her mind how he knew she was going to Minnesota when he'd been away for months. "I don't fly," she answered, having already answered that question numerous times in her medical career; flying was sometimes part of a surgeon's job if a patient needed an organ, but she hated flying.

He stood behind her watching as she dumped the basket of clothes in the washer and then as she pulled off the scrubs she wore and put them in as well. "It's an irrational fear," he said trailing the tips of his fingers along her side as she poured in the detergent. "Statistically speaking there's only a one in,"

"My uncle died in a plane crash," she said interrupting him, "it's perfectly rational. Want any clothes washed?" she asked again looking up at him. She waited as he pulled the shirt over his head and stepped out of his pants leaving him naked, and he did no more than start the washer and turn to her with a brow raised. "Are you trying to seduce me, Lorne Malvo?" she asked looking him over before returning her eyes to his.

He smirked stepping closer. "Perhaps."

She shook her head smiling. "Well then you should know that I haven't showered in three days, and I've been peed on, twice," she told him before heading to the bathroom and turning on the water; she knew exactly what he was doing, realizing why he'd showed up unannounced, and she knew as well as he did that she'd fall for it.

And sure enough he stepped in after her, placing his arms around her back when she turned into his chest and rested her head against his shoulder. "Why are you going to Minnesota?" he asked conversationally - already knowing why.

Even though she figured he knew she still told him, enjoying a few moments of normality. "A few weeks ago a kid came in with some kind of virus, but after several tests we never found out what it was. Since his family was only visiting relatives we sent them home for their doctors to see if they could find anything more," she said simplifying much of the "medical talk" she normally would have used knowing he didn't appreciate it, and he was being so gentle in that moment; his hands running through her hair as he washed it, his skin so warm against hers. "His mother asked if there was a way I could continue working on his case until we discovered what was wrong, the chief only said yes so I'd stop badgering him about it. I'm sure he'll use it as leverage at some point to keep me as an attending when I take my boards. So now I'm going to Minnesota to figure out what's wrong with this kid, and from how nice you're being," she said looking up at him to see him smirking as he so often did, "I'd say you were coming with me."

His smirk curled into a smile knowing she'd catch on, she always did. "Maybe I wanted to see you," he offered as though he often showed up unannounced to visit; but they both knew he only did when he had a job within the area, and he only came by because it was a free place to stay – she was convenient, and warm.

She laughed lightly knowing that couldn't be farther from the truth, and yet when he bent his head toward her she lifted her chin willingly. "Your pants are fire," she said smiling before kissing him, letting him hold her against the wall, letting him ruin her further; even though she knew better, she'd missed him.

…

The first time Lorne had come across Olivia, it hadn't been her greatest moment but it certainly had been a noteworthy one; and she'd never even noticed him. As pretty as she was he hadn't paid her much mind when she'd walked in the pharmacy, she wasn't why he was there – it wasn't until her voice rose in irritation that he looked up to see her.

"Of course my patient gives consent for the vaccine, she has rabies. No she can't wait two weeks for the paperwork, she has rabies," she exclaimed nearly yelling at the uninterested man behind the glass.

"Look lady, I don't know who you spoke to but I can't give you the vaccine to take over state line without a signature from the health department," he told her barely paying her attention as he looked at something on the computer.

She stood wanting to pull her hair out; she'd been searching all night for the vaccination and it was now three in the morning and this was the only place she'd called that had it in stock and was willing to give it to her, let alone one of the few places still open. Except of course, the woman she spoke to was now gone and the idiot behind the glass was saying no. "I drove an hour and a half to come here, she doesn't have two weeks for the signature, isn't there some kind of emergency circumstance papers for these kinds of things?" she asked exasperated, wanting to reach through the little slot in the window and take the vaccination from him.

He nodded rolling his eyes. "I'm sure they're in a file somewhere," he answered.

She stared at him waiting for him to say something else or to move to get them, but he sat in his chair staring at the computer. "Can you get them for me?" she asked through clenched teeth now just wanting to strangle him.

He looked up at her irritably. "I can after I finish what I'm doing, have a seat it might take hours," he said before turning back to the screen in front of him.

Lorne had watched all of this waiting for what she would do, seeing in her clenched fists she wanted to hit the man; he wanted her to, he wanted her to reach through the slot and grab the man's shirt slamming him into the glass – it's what he planned to do when she gave up. And sure enough she turned away from the counter.

Only Olivia was furious at the events of the entire night; the young girl had come in from a dog bite and her parents were constantly calling for her to come in and answer their questions, thinking their daughter was going to die any minute, and then their pharmacy had been out of the rabies vaccination – why wouldn't they be, Murphy's law and all – and then half of the pharmacies she'd called hadn't even answered and the ones that did refused without the forms being filled out or a signature from the health department; and now she was standing there with the vaccine literally a foot from her. She was beyond furious, and she certainly wasn't giving up. And so with her sense clouded in anger she turned and grabbed the nearest chair before throwing it at the glass shattering it.

Lorne watched with raised brows as she jumped behind the counter and grabbed the box she'd wanted, looking over at the shocked man before pushing him down and climbing back over the counter and leaving.

Lorne turned back to the man behind the counter now standing looking shaken. "I'd say she didn't want to wait."

So I started thinking of a story to write for the show and at first it was one of Lester, cause Martin Freeman is just too adorable as him, and the poor guy just needs someone who thinks he's great - so that story might still happen. But somewhere along the way I totally got hooked on Lorne and I could not get this idea out of my head of him meeting a woman who struck his interest enough that he continued to come around - and while I don't think he would ever "fall in love" with anyone, I do think he would be fond of her; and she's kind of totally in love with him. I know there's still a lot unanswered but she's known him about 4 years - so they have quite a past that I'm excited to get to. Also, his "niceness' with her; cause he's Lorne Malvo and he's never nice; he has an agenda, however he is kind of softer in general toward her which I hope to show when I delve more into their 'relationship'. Please tell me what you think and if you're interested in reading more; thank you very much for reading.