Title: The Plunge

Author: Ryo314

Rating: T

Spoilers: None

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters nor the concept of Scrubs.

Summary: An accident brings Perry and JD closer...a lot closer.

Note: Well, everyone, this is the last chapter. I sincerely hope that you enjoyed my story, and that you all have a wonderful holiday season.

Warning: This is a slash story: JD/Perry. If you do not like these stories, please stop reading because all flames based on the fact this is a slash story will be cruelly mocked along with their flamer in the next chapter.

The Plunge

Prologue: The Unhook

Time hadn't exactly flown by, but the next week or so went forward without much incident. Caitlin Howards got her surgery, which went very well, and was discharged two days afterwards. New patients came in, old patients were discharged, and life started to get back to normal. Perry's shoulder had healed up, and the cast around JD's wrist had been replaced by a brace. Charges weren't pressed against Dean Cannon, much to Turk and Elliot's dismay, but it did seem as though JD was recovering from being assaulted, even if it was more of a mental recovery than anything else.

JD was pretty excited; it was December 23rd, and he, Turk, Elliot, Carla, and even Perry had made plans to celebrate Christmas. It had taken a lot of work to convince Perry to go to celebrate with him and his friends; Perry had originally said he was going to stay his own apartment while JD was with his friends. JD finally had to tell Perry what he was giving him for Christmas for Perry to agree to go; the gift involved JD wearing a red ribbon and not much else.

JD was returning to the nurse's station after talking with one of his patients; the patient was an elderly woman who had been expressing concerns about having to stay in the hospital over Christmas. He sympathized with the woman, but there wasn't much he could do considering she'd had heart surgery two days before.

After leaning against the nurse's station for a moment, JD started playing with the Christmas decorations. He was doing a condensed version of the Rudolph story and had just gotten to the point where Santa Clause was asking Rudolph to lead the other reindeer when someone tapped him on the shoulder. JD nearly jumped sky high, and he was trying to get his heart rate back to normal as he turned to see who was behind him. Carla stood there with a smirk on her face, shaking her head.

"I think you would be a huge hit down in pediatrics."

"Do you think I could draw out the story a little bit? Maybe I could add an alien?"

"Whatever you like, Bambi." Carla patted him on the shoulder. "While you were doing your rounds, someone came up and dropped these off for you." The nurse handed JD two envelopes, one green and one red. Neither of the envelopes had anything on them that indicated where they were from; one said "Dr. Dorian" and the other said "JD."

"Who left them?" asked JD, looking intently at the envelopes.

Carla shrugged. "Don't know."

JD was about to open them when his pager suddenly went off. After looking at the display, JD shoved the envelopes in the pocket of his scrub top and went to where the pager said.

XVIIIIV

JD didn't get around to opening the envelopes while he was at the hospital. After his pager went off earlier that day, he hadn't had much of a chance to sit down. Now, he was sitting on Perry's couch, shaking his head as Perry yelled loudly at the players on TV. JD had tried to get into the game, but after cheering when the team Perry hated scored, the older man informed him that it would be better if he was silent.

It took a few minutes of staring at the screen before JD remembered the two cards. He got up from the couch, which Perry didn't even seem to notice, and made his way over to where he dropped his backpack. Perry had been telling him to stop leaving his bag by the door like a twelve year old, but JD had yet to listen. He unzipped the bag and pulled the two cards. JD walked back to the couch, sat down, and opened the green card; it was the one that said Dr. Dorian.

"Can you not drop all that paper on the floor, Janet?"

JD smiled sheepishly and picked the scraps of paper up off the floor. He set them on the coffee table and went back to seeing what was in the envelope. Inside was a single piece of lined paper about the size of a medium notebook. He pulled it out and began to read.

Dr. Dorian,

I had my wife drop this off because I figured someone would have

me thrown out of the hospital if I tried to deliver this myself. What

I did and what I said was inexcusable. I was distraught about Max's

death, which does not serve to excuse my actions, and I took it out

on the wrong person. Max's death was no one's fault but my own.

I was trying to be a good father, but that effort cost my son his life

It upsets me greatly, but it is something that I will have to live with.

What I said to you and what I did were horrible, and I hope one day

you can forgive me. It will be awhile before I can forgive myself. You

are a great doctor. It was my mistake for not seeing it. Unfortunately,

it is not a mistake I can fix.

Dean Cannon

JD slid the letter back into the envelope; he was stunned. After seeing the distraught man at the hospital, this was the last thing he had expected. JD leaned back on the couch and tossed the card onto the coffee table. Perry noticed and muted the television.

"Who's the card from?" asked Perry, turning toward JD.

"It's from Dean Cannon," replied JD, "and it's not a card."

"What?!" Perry yelled; it was obvious Perry was still furious with the man. He got up from the couch, and JD suddenly realized that Perry was ready to go after the man.

"Perry, calm down! It was an apology letter!"

Perry stopped and stared at JD. "What?"

"It was an apology letter." JD picked up the envelope and handed it to Perry. The older man pulled the letter out and scanned it quickly. After a moment or two, Perry slid the letter back into the envelope and drop it onto the coffee table. He shook his head and ran a hand over his face.

"I need another drink." Perry went to fix himself a scotch.

For a moment, JD stared at the letter on the table. He then remembered the second one. He picked up the red envelope, the one addressed to "JD", and ripped open the envelope. Inside this one was a Christmas card with a cardinal on the outside. Confused, JD opened the card. One side of the card was a long note written in purple pen, and on the other side was a taped ticket. JD started reading as Perry sat back down on the couch.

Dear Dr. Dorian,

I guess the outside should have said Dr. Dorian too, but I kind of forgot

and just called you what you said I could call you. This card is a bit

of a thank you. Thank you for making the stay in the hospital seem

shorter. You never once let me think that I wasn't going to get better,

and you don't know how grateful I am for that. Adrenaline rushes I can

handle, but hospitals scare me to death.

I guess I got you a Christmas present (I hope you celebrate Christmas).

If you don't, it's a holiday present. Not far from here is a Skycoaster. They

are awesome, and everyone should give it a try. Taped inside here

is a ticket to it. You can use it whenever. When you think you can,

go fly (I'd wait till it gets warm). Thanks again.

Merry Christmas

(or Happy Holidays),

Caitlin

JD pulled the ticket from the card and slid it into his pocket. He set the card on the coffee table next to the other envelope and leaned back. Perry noticed the second envelope and turned to JD.

"Is that another letter from Cannon?"

JD shook his head. "No. It was a Christmas card."

Perry seemed to let out a sigh of relief, which if JD asked about he would deny, and set his drink back on the coffee table. "Who's it from?"

"Caitlin Howards," replied JD. "She was the girl-"

"Who wanted that damn chai tea," Perry finished. He shook his head.

"Did you want a card from her?" asked JD jokingly.

Perry rolled his eyes. "You know what I want?"

"What?"

Perry slid his arm around JD's waist and pulled him close. "I want that Christmas present that you promised me," replied Perry, before giving JD a rough kiss. He pushed the smaller man back on the couch, and the kissing went on for several minutes. JD finally pulled away when things started getting serious; both of them were now shirtless.

"If I give you your present early, I won't have any way to bribe you to go to Christmas with me."

Perry laughed and kissed JD again. "What a shame that would be." He began kissing JD again as his hand went down to unbutton JD's jeans. "Besides, I think we could probably come up with another way for you to get me to hang out with your girlfriends for a night."

JD laughed, but was quickly giving in to Perry's ministrations. "Yeah," said JD, his breathing starting to get quicker. "We can come up with something else."

XVIIIIV

JD had gone back to the apartment early to help Carla set everything up; she managed to get Christmas Eve off because another nurse was trying to rack up hours. Turk had to work till around seven, and Elliot had come over with JD. Perry was trying to avoid coming until he really had to; JD had thought of another bribe to get the older doctor to celebrate the holidays. JD was wondering if he was always going to be able to use bribes on Perry.

"Hey, Bambi?" said Carla as she stirred something she was cooking on the stove.

"Yeah, Carla?" JD and Elliot were trying to put some garland on the tree, but apparently he was not doing it to her liking.

"JD, you have to put that up higher!" instructed Elliot before Carla could ask her question.

JD sighed and put the garland closer to the top. "What do you need, Carla?"

"Who were those cards from that you got yesterday?"

JD almost fell into the tree; he was surprised to heat that question. He wasn't nervous about telling them about Caitlin's Christmas card, but he wasn't sure how they would feel about Dean Cannon's apology letter.

"One was a Christmas card from that Caitlin girl who was discharged last week."

"That was nice," said Carla with a smile.

Elliot reached up to "fix" the garland that JD had just placed. "None of my patients ever got me a Christmas card."

Carla and JD remained silent, hoping that Elliot would go back to hanging the garland.

"Who was the other one from?" asked Carla after a moment. JD didn't reply; he just continued to hang the garland. "JD?"

"What?"

"Who was the other card from?"

JD sighed. "It wasn't exactly a card."

"What was it then?" asked Elliot.

"It was an apology letter....from Dean Cannon."

Elliot dropped the ornament she was rehanging in a "better" spot, and Carla immediately stopped what she was working on at the stove.

"They let that son of a bitch back into the hospital!?" Elliot practically yelled, while Carla made her way from the kitchen area to the Christmas tree.

"You're not serious, Bambi?"

"Yeah. It was an apology letter that he had his wife deliver."

"What did it say?" demanded Elliot loudly; Carla slapped her arm lightly. "What? I want to know!"

Carla shook her head. "Are you alright?"

This was another reason why JD hadn't really wanted to tell them about the letter; he hadn't really wanted them to worry about him when they were supposed to be celebrating Christmas.

"I'm fine," replied JD. "Really. It was just an apology from the guy...for everything."

"Even the-" Elliot started, but JD cut her off.

"Yes. Even that. Now can we get back to get ready. It's Christmas Eve."

Elliot and Carla both looked as though they wanted to continue with the subject, but from the look on JD's face, both woman refrained from asking anymore questions about the subject. JD went back to hanging garland on the tree. After a moment, Elliot tapped him on the shoulder.

"What?"

"You need to hang that part a little higher." Elliot gave him a sheepish smile.

JD sighed and "fixed" the garland.

XVIIIIV

Perry couldn't believe it; he was sitting on the couch at Newbie and Gandhi's apartment while Newbie and his girlfriends "celebrated" Christmas. He himself was definitely not "celebrating"; Perry was sitting on the couch with a beer watching as Carla tried to get Elliot to stop fussing with the Christmas tree.

"It's looks fine, Elliot," Carla muttered, using both hands to rub her temples.

"It would look better if JD hadn't been so lazy with the garland." Elliot studied the tree for a moment. "And if we moved this ornament over here." Elliot reached forward to take hold of an ornament shaped like a cardinal, but Carla grabbed it before she could get it.

"Carla, why did you do that?"

"Elliot, I'm only going to say this once more nicely: leave the tree alone. It looks fine." She gave Elliot a smile. "Go enjoy yourself. It's Christmas Eve."

Elliot looked at the ornament and then at the tree. She bit her lip, and her hand reached toward the ornament in Carla's hand.

"Touch it, and I will bite you."

Perry, who had been taking a drink of his beer at that moment in time, choked on the drink he'd just taken and coughed loudly. Carla and Elliot looked over at the older doctor and saw that, mixed in with his coughing, was laughter.

Elliot shook her head and went back to the kitchen; Carla watched her for a moment and then hung the ornament back on the tree. JD sat down on the couch next to Perry.

"Thanks for coming," said JD quietly before taking a drink of his own beer.

"You owe me."

"Oh come on. You're having fun."

Perry shook his head as he took a drink. "In your dreams, Sylvia."

"Admit it, Perry." JD slapped his leg.

"Yeah," said Carla, taking a seat on the arm of the couch. "Admit it, Perry."

Perry glared at Carla before taking another drink; there was a ding from the kitchen, and Carla jumped from her spot.

"The chicken is done!" She hurried to the kitchen, leaving Perry and JD on the couch.

Despite the apartment being full of JD's friends, the younger doctor laid his head on Perry's shoulder. The older doctor grunted and shook his shoulder a bit to try and knock JD off but did nothing else about the younger man.

"I mean it."

"Mean what?" Perry took another drink.

"Thanks for coming. This means a lot to me."

Perry shook his head. "There is only one reason I am here, Newbie."

JD sighed. "Because I bribed you with sex."

"I did not need to hear that, V-Bear," Turk shouted from the kitchen as he helped Carla get the dinner ready; Elliot was trying to help, and Carla and Turk were both trying to stop her.

Perry shook his head. "I guess there are two reasons I'm here." He looked over his shoulder to the kitchen and then back to JD. "You tell anyone this, and I will deny deny deny." Perry smirked. "I love you," the older doctor whispered.

JD smiled, but managed not scream out in joy. "I love you too," JD replied quietly. He set his head back on Perry's shoulder. "Merry Christmas."

"Ba humbug," Perry responded as he set his arm around JD's shoulders.

Finem