This was written based on the spoiler pictures for Targets of Obsession. That episode is supposed to air sometime in February. So I'm warning you about the SPOILERS! I wrote this based on what I think could/might happen.

Thanks to my beta rockcliffchic81 for looking this over for me.

Please Don't Go

He enters me. Both of us gasp for breath at the sudden contact.

I close my eyes and grasp at his shoulders as our bodies move in unison. His hand slides under my knee, bending it causing him to penetrate me even harder and deeper.

He touches my breasts, breathes in my ear. His hands are on me. They caress my skin.

I can feel my orgasm approaching as I get lost in Louis Vartann.

My eyes slam shut as it shakes me. My body shivers under his as he thrusts one more time into me.

He sighs as his head finds my neck.

I take him in. My hand strokes his dark hair as I breathe in his scent.

God I love it when we have sex. Something we haven't done in over 4 months.

"Let's get married," I offer to his head.

"What?" I knew he would reply.

"Let's get married," I state again.

I feel him smile.

"Let me get this straight. You don't want to move in with me, you somehow didn't mention that you own part of a casino and now you want to get married?"

I hear the hesitation in his voice. I know he's not angry, more like confused.

"Yeah," I reply. "Something like that."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes. Lou I want to get married. What do you say?"

He doesn't answer.

"Lou? Lou?" I ask wanting for a response.

"I say I'm starving. I'll go start the coffee," he replies as he places a quick peck on my cheek.

I watch him hop out of my bed and dress himself quickly. He smiles at me as he heads out of my bedroom.

Huh, so that's what we are to each other then, nothing else? No future.

Maybe that's why he didn't say much after I called him.

Neither one of us said much actually.

He showed up at my door, I let him in. There was nothing else to say really. Our clothes came off within minutes.

After that, I came to the conclusion that maybe he just wants me in bed. I can't complain. That's the impression I've given him all along, why would anything change now?

I smile as I spy him in the kitchen pouring two cups of coffee. One slides across the counter my way.

"Thanks," I continue to smile. "What's the plan for the day?" I ask after sipping my coffee.

"I'm not sure what I am going to do, but you have to go into work".

"Oh?" My response is full of both frustration and surprise.

"Stokes texted you."

He read my messages. Should I be upset? I'm not though. I'm a bit baffled. I asked a personal question, something that would show to him what I want (or what I think I want) out of our relationship and got no reply.

"Do you want to-"

"Don't," he cut me off sighing. "Let's not pretend that we are more that what we are. Like you said back in October, let's just enjoy what we have."

My heart drops at his words. My mouth falls open. I can't believe that he, of all people, would say those things.

But I'm not all together shocked. I haven't been the easiest person either.

He reached out to me, told me what he wanted out of the second part of his life and I said nothing. Just let him fuck me.

He wanted a future with me and yet again I said nothing, just continued having sex with him.

His jealousy took over and I did get mad. He accused me of sleeping with my father's assistant. I was furious, but once more didn't want him to leave my bed or me so I lied and told him what he wanted to hear, or what I thought he wanted to hear.

Unfortunately he didn't take the bait so I left.

"Call me when you decide." Those were my last words to him until last night.

I feel knocked in the gut. I want something from him, from us; I'm just not sure what it is. Marriage was the answer I thought he was looking for, but I was wrong.

"Okay then," I muster as I take my coffee and head back to my room.

So I go off to the lab, feeling like shit.

Feeling like I can't win with this relationship. That nothing seems to be working. Not the heartwarming lovers nor the 'let's pretend we are nothing more than just bed buddies' either.

Thank God for work, because I'm not sure I would have held it together today if Nicky hadn't texted me to come in. Something about Jason McCann. I'm not sure since he was in jail the last time I knew.

"New bomb guy is here today," I hear Nicky coming down the hall toward me.

"Great," I let roll off my tongue.

"Oh and a DB in an abandoned warehouse. Vartann is on it."

Nicky smiles.

Vartann. . A name I didn't want to hear at least not now.

Frenzy is around the lab. I'm not sure what's going on but somehow Nick got word to me that I need to go to this warehouse with him to meet Lou.

Can this day get any worse?

Before I even take in the crime scene, I spy a flash of light. In the distance Lou is turning in, what looks like, slow motion. That's the last thing I remember before sharpness hits me in the face.

"I can't Nicky, I just can't." I find myself saying.

"Catherine," Nicky pauses. "He's hurt. The doctor says he has a concussion. He's alone, probably pissed off beyond belief and you won't go see him?"

Nicky searches my face, my torn and tattered face. Bits and pieces of the explosion are coming to me but nothing else.

I feel nothing, no emotion. I'm not sad, I'm not scared, I'm not … I'm not anything. I feel dead inside. Why would I want to see Lou when I'm feeling like this?

"Catherine," Nick starts as I fain listening. "Whatever you two have or had is none of my business. But don't you think you owe it to Vartann to see him? Put some closure on things?"

"I guess," I mutter still not feeling much of anything.

I swallow hard bracing myself for whatever is behind that door.

"Lou," I whisper as I see him in the bed.

I can't bring myself to walk over to him, not yet. He looks unreal, fake; like a statue or a dummy.

This isn't the man who wants a life with me. This isn't the man whose smile knocks me off my feet or gives me mind-blowing orgasms. This isn't the man who I gave the ultimatum to.

No this person, in the bed is someone else. This person is someone foreign to me. Not Louis Vartann.

I hold myself together taking everything I have not to walk out the door and never look back.

"Lou," I whisper again as I see some movement come from the body in the bed.

"Hey." A disembodied voice comes from across the room.

"Catherine?"

"Yeah?" I answer. "How are you?" I ask forcing myself to his bedside.

I plaster a phony smile on my face as sit next to him.

God he still looks like a foreign object. But this time it talks. I'm not sure how much more I can take.

"I'm okay," he winces trying to move toward me.

"Let me help," I offer finally touching his arm. "Better?"

"Thanks."

I find myself doing something I didn't think I would. I take his hand in mine. He closes his eyes as I take him in.

He is still the same man that was in my bed not to long ago. But now he has bruises on his face and cuts up and down his arms.

I offer the first thing that I can, the first thing that I can think of. "You're banged up pretty good."

"Yeah," he replies while keeping his eyes shut. "The pain meds I'm on are making me see two of you." He pauses. "But that's okay, maybe one of you could then talk to me."

Ouch! Low blow. But I deserved that.

"Lou, will you look at me?" I ask with the smile still plastered to my face.

He opens his eyes. He sees me sitting next to him with a stupid smile on my face pretending that everything is okay.

His eyes, they are sad and lifeless. The gleam has gone out of his once steely blue/grey eyes.

They look sort of like I feel. Maybe he is feeling the same thing? Is this where we end? Is this where we say goodbye, in a hospital room?

"Lou, I want you to know, well I'm not a good caretaker. I can't take care of you."

He pulls his hand from mine and looks away from me.

"I know."

"It's probably for the best anyway. I'm not sure I can give you what you want."

As my hand begins to throb, sadness comes to me. He doesn't want what I thought he did. Not like I could give it to him anyway. What was I thinking asking him to get married? But it still makes me sad that we couldn't find anything between us. That possibly there was nothing to salvage?

He says nothing. He has nothing to say to me. He's been pretty generous thus far. I'm guessing I deserve to be given the silent treatment.

"So," I start suddenly with a heavy heart, "this is it then."

I lean down to kiss the top of his forehead. Then I plan to walk out of his life forever.

His eyes open as I come toward him. "Cath," he ekes out. "I don't want you to take care of me…I just want you."

His hands clutch my arms. He's not letting me go. I struggle a little taken aback by what he just said.

"Lou. Please." I almost beg him to let me go.

"Catherine," his head falls into my chest. "Please, don't go."