If Only Tonight

The Eye Of The Storm:
Chapter Sixty Two: Bright Lights & The Good Life

"Hey! We knew you'd bring her back!" Leon called out, standing in the hallway leaning against the entrance to the living room.

Mia had just entered the door, with Matthew leading her in. His hand entwined with hers. Unable to stop herself, she blushed as she heard this.

The drive to the house had been quiet. Both had opted to take their separate cars. Having locked up her office, Mia's head was still swimming in confusion. She wasn't sure what had happened. His kiss had left her light headed. Mia had been surprised she could drive the manual car properly, as she tailgated him home.

Once they had parked, Matthew had been the one to open her door, and help her out. Standing there in the cold snow covered driveway, they had stared at each other, knowing that it would be the only private moment they would have, the only silence they would remember, before walking towards the people that were waiting for them inside.

He had looked at her, in a way no one had before. His ice blue eyes holding warmth for her. His hands cupped her face, their noses touching, with her own hands on his.

Matthew had kissed her deeply, leaving her in a state of pleasant shock, as he entwined his fingers with hers.

"Let's go." He has said, leading her to the house.

"You finally told her!" Cheered Lina, she came in to view, as Matthew let Mia go.

Pausing as she took off her coat, Mia turned to see Lina give Matthew a hug as he went to talk to Leon. When the older girl came to her, Mia gave her a questioning stare.

"Finally? You knew?" She whispered, as Lina hugged her.

"Sorry, but I never told him about...you know..." Lina whispered back, not looking sorry at all. She was grinning widely at Mia.

"Thanks...I guess..." Mia mumbled, as she took off her shoes.

"Come on you two. Dinner's waiting." Lina said, wearing a wicked grin.

Dutifully, Matthew waited for her at the bottom of the staircase as she went to wash up. This different side of him was such a stark contrast to what Mia usually saw. His cold exterior, the snide remarks, all put aside to reveal a warmth she only glimpsed a handful of times.

Seeing him standing there waiting for her, made her heart beat faster. They had yet to really discuss what had transpired between them, but she needed to know where they stood. It was a question that was begging to be asked.

"Matthew..." She started quietly.

He looked at her, snapping to attention.

"Yea, Mia?"

"I just...What I mean is...We are...Are we...I..." She stumbled with her words, she paused taking a deep breath. "What I want to know is where does this put us?" She finally got the words out.

A thoughtful look crossed his face.

"You know how I feel about you, Mia." He said, locking eyes with her. "Do you feel the same?"

"Yes." The answer escaped her mouth without her even thinking about it.

Before Matthew could say anything, Lina had come in to the hallway to check on them. Mia sighed, she should have asked earlier...at this rate she would be left hanging. Looking over at Matthew, she could see a flicker of irritation cross his face, he too wasn't thrilled at the interruption.

"Come on you two! What's the hold up? I'm starving." She said, ushering them in to the dining room.

Once seated, Mia wound up sitting across from Matthew. She had sat in this same spot many times before over the last few months, but today it felt different, it felt like everything had shifted. The butterflies in her stomach became more pronounced, as Matthew glanced at her, a small smile playing on his lips. Stop staring, she told herself, feeling the heat rush up her face. This was proving to be quite difficult.

As they ate, Lina watched her. Each time Mia would notice, she would glare at the girl, who would smirk in return. What is she up to? Mia wondered. Her question was answered.

"So Matthew...when are you taking Mia out on your first official date as a couple?" Lina asked, a wide grin on her face.

Mia bit her cheek, as she heard this, feeling the heat, she was sure she was turning in to a darker shade of red by the second. She didn't dare look at Matthew.

Instead she heard him answer two questions, one which she had asked him.

"Tomorrow."

-----

He had been waiting for this moment for a year and a half. Still it couldn't come fast enough.

Driving down the motorway, Matthew took a chance and glanced at the girl sitting beside him in the passenger seat. Each time he had looked she took his breath away.

She was wearing the patchwork dress he had seen just once before. At that time they were not friends. He remembered the first Christmas dinner she had spent with them. Even then he had thought that she had looked like a doll in the dress. The orange and green patches showed from between her black coat. Mia had pulled her hair in to a pony tail, and he could see the snowflake charm bracelet he had gotten her, peaking out from her coat sleeve.

She's mine, he thought, his possessive feelings allowed to run free at long last. She had said yes to having feelings for him, just the memory of it made him feel something he had never felt in any of his other relationships.

Looking at her once more, he found her drawing on the window again. They had been quiet, not really saying anything, not feeling the need to. The silence was comfortable. Matthew had seen her sneak peaks at him when she thought he wasn't watching. He had decided on wearing a black dress shirt over a pair of black dress pants, not bothering with a tie. His over coat was warm enough to keep the winter chill out while walking to and from the car.

Tonight he was taking her to a restaurant that was on the outskirts of town. Not wanting to draw too much attention to them, he had decided against all their usual haunts. He wanted this to be special.

Turning off the motorway and onto a local road, Matthew felt her gaze on him, he smiled to himself. Finally reaching the restaurant, Matthew parked the car and shut off the engine. Getting out, he went over to Mia and opened her door, offering a hand. Her slender fingers grasped his as she moved out of the car. Unable to help himself, he smiled down at her, only to receive a blush. Mia's cheeks tinged pink, as she looked at him, a shy smile on her face. Intertwining his fingers with hers, they walked in to the restaurant.

Once seated, he ordered dinner for the both of them. Turning back to look at her, he decided to break the silence.

"What do you think?"

She looked around, before turning to him.

"It's pretty. How did you find out about it?" She asked.

"When you don't want anyone to come looking for you, you find places."

"Find anything on your last trip?" Mia smirked.

"Here I thought doctors didn't have a sense of humour." He grinned widely. He had expected her to be furious with him over his disappearance, but here she was snickering about it. Everything about Mia surprised him.

"We do...albeit a really bad one." She admitted.

"Well...I did find a nice lodge. But it was far too cold for my taste." He answered her question.

"So what did you and Nathaniel do? He told me you two had a movie marathon." Matthew asked deciding it was better to clear the air and move forward.

"We watched a lot of movies. I think we went through every Christmas movie that was on TV." She laughed. "We watched '12 Dates of Christmas' at least 12 times."

Matthew shook his head as he laughed. That must have been painful, he thought. He felt a pang of guilt for leaving her, but it vanished. What if they had not come together if he had stayed? He couldn't fathom the possibility. He didn't want to be without her.

The waiter arrived with their food. Matthew had ordered chicken parmiagana for both of them, along with a Cesar salad, and bread sticks.

"Have you ever travelled?" He asked, as they started to eat. Matthew was keen to know everything about her.

She gave him a surprised look, it seemed she hadn't anticipated being asked any questions.

"Here? Alone? No. But when I was little I used to go on road trips to America, or across Canada with my cousins and my parents. We all used to go camping, that was before my dad bought the cottage and my uncles bought a farm." She told him, taking a bit of her salad.

"Really? I've never been camping." He said, gaining another look of astonishment from her.

"Never?"

"Never."

"Not even on your trips abroad?"

"Nope."

"You don't know what you're missing."

Matthew chuckled as he heard this.

"What am I missing? I get to sleep on a bed, eat warm food, and have a proper bathroom."

Mia shot him a look of disdain.

"You get to relax, get away from life in the city. Roast marshmallows, make smores...sit by the fire. It's just a lot of fun getting back to nature. My uncles took us canoeing one year, and I got to do some of the paddling, I don't think I've felt that kind of pain at night, my arms were sore. But the next day I was good to go fishing and swimming and stuff. I really enjoyed it." She laughed as she recounted her experience, Matthew saw a faint sadness pass her face, but then she was smiling again.

"That sounds like torture, not fun." He said, getting snicker from her.

"Okay, then tell me what you would do for vacation?" She retorted.

As he took a bit of his chicken, Matthew thought about her question.

"I would take my family and friends, and live on a boat for a few days. Or maybe I would do what your father did and buy a cottage somewhere in the middle of the woods."

"One of these days we're going to have to take you camping." She told him, a smile slowly forming on her lips, as she broke a piece of bread.

He couldn't stop his heart from pounding, as he heard 'we'. There was no way Matthew could halt the smile that grew on his own face.

The waiter came back to give them their dessert menus, interrupting the moment. Somewhat annoyed, Matthew opened it to see what he would like. Mia, however, was too quick for him. She had spotted the chocolate fudge cake. When she asked if she could order for them both, he agreed, all the while laughing.

"Found something chocolaty, I take it?"

"Yes!" She told him happily.

"Why do you like it so much?" He asked, curiously, as they finished their dinner.

"It tastes good, doesn't argue with you, and always makes you feel better."

"Ahh...it all makes sense now."

"What does?" She asked him curiously.

"Why ads for chocolate always feature girls."

Mia shook her head, smiling.

"It's true." He insisted.

"I know!"

They were quiet for a moment. Mia nibbled on a stick of bread, a thoughtful look on her face.

"Why did you become a football player?" She asked him.

Leaning back in to his chair, he contemplated an answer.

"I don't know." He told her truthfully. "I always wanted to play football. I think I wanted to be like the other great players and represent my country at the World Cup...I wanted to be a hero. I'm not sure, actually."

"Oh...if you weren't a player, what would you be then?"

He had never been asked that. No one really bothered to think that it could have been different for him, if he had not been selected in the Italian league.

"Maybe an astronomer, or a geologist."

"Really? Why?" He saw the intrigued look on her face. Her hands clasped together, she was resting her head on them, listening to him intently.

"I've always liked geology. It was interesting to learn about. As for astronomy, I loved looking at stars when I was little. My parents would tell me about how you can be guided home by following the stars and the moon, and it was fascinating."

"No wonder you beat me at finding constellations." Mia muttered, earning a chuckle from Matthew.

"You looked surprised at being beat." He told her, as she scowled.

Their desserts arrived, and Matthew could tell Mia was pleased. The slices were drizzled in a rich chocolate sauce, with chocolate chips over it, the base looked to be made of more chocolate.

"What would you be if you weren't a sports injury doctor?" He wondered aloud.

"I would be a researcher in genetics or biochemistry."

"Not another kind of doctor?"

"No...I'm not sure I can deal with someone's life in my hands."

"What did you want to be when you were a kid?" He prodded.

"I wanted to be an archaeologist, like Indiana Jones! I wanted to find the tombs of mummies." Mia laughed as she said this.

"Weren't you scared of such creepy looking things?" His question made her laugh harder. Amused, he waited for her to explain.

"I was terrified but it was so addictive. I loved reading about it. Once I read a novel in which the mummy would start to whisper, I freaked out. I had nightmares and my Dad hid the book from me. Two years later I found it and finished it only to find out that there was a tape player that had gibberish recorded on it, which had been placed in the mummy's coffin. I was such a scaredy cat, my brother held that over me for years."

"Wow...if it was my sister, I think I would have done worse." He chuckled.

"Really?" She asked. "What would you do?"

"I would probably hide in her closet or under the bed and make noises until she got scared." He admitted, only to hear her laugh.

"I'm sure it crossed Max's mind. Knowing him he would have used a tape recorder to throw me off." She chuckled as they finished their desserts.

For the first time in more than a year, Matthew felt closer to her. The envy he had felt towards Oliver, Nathaniel, Leon, and Lina; had started to ebb away. He was finally getting the relationship he wanted with Mia. Dinner had passed by, and he never felt the usual twang of awkwardness he felt with other girls. She was so easy to talk to, always smiling and laughing.

Paying the cheque much to Mia's protest; he helped her with her coat; before walking out of the restaurant.

Hand in hand, he led her away from the cars. He knew about a path that would lead to a clearing. Perfect for star gazing, he thought.

"Where are we going?" Her voice was filled with curiosity.

"I know a place where we can find you the tomb of an ancient ruler. I don't think he whispers though." He teased.

"I knew I shouldn't have told you!" Mia laughed, pushing him away. He pulled her close to him, not letting go of her hand.

"You would have, eventually." He grinned.

"Quit be so smug ab-" She stopped in mid-sentence as her heels slipped on a patch of ice. Thinking quickly, Matthew caught her, avoiding the slippery patch. They both broke into fits of giggles, looking at the other.

"Close call?"

"No really, Rossi." She countered.

"Your welcome." He told her, squeezing her hand.

Finally reaching the clearing, Matthew looked around. It was the same as it had been last year. Trees all around them, save for a large area where there was nothing, which gave way to a view of the night sky.

"So?" He asked.

"So?" She looked at him, questioningly.

"What do you think?" He motioned for her to look up.

As small gasp escaped her. The clear night sky gave way to several shining pinpoints, some flickering above them.

"It's breath taking." Mia turned to face him, looking amazed.

This time, he didn't have to hold back. The words he had always wished to say to her, he could. This time, this night was his to share with her. No more hiding or leaving words unsaid, not tonight.

"Just like you." He told her finally; bending forward, his arms encircling her waist, as he pulled her in, his lips touching hers. Her arms around his neck, she deepened the kiss.

-----

"Hey Mia!"

Looking up from the filing cabinet, Mia saw a cheerful Nathaniel walk in to her office.

"Hey Nate! How are you?" She asked, getting his file from the cabinet.

"Good. You?"

"Alright. I'm so glad you always come on time. You're my last appointment." She told him, as she walked over.

He sat on the examination table, grinning.

"What?" She asked him, eyes narrowed.

"Rushing to go somewhere? Meet someone?" He asked, the implication obvious.

"No!" She argued, as he snickered. "I like finishing my work on time and not having to stay behind thanks to some big headed footballer who comes late."

"Ouch! Big headed footballer, there's only one that I know of..." Nathaniel laughed. "And he's still at the gym."

"Matthew's more thrilled than you would think. I bet if you asked him to run 100 laps one of these days...he would do it with a huge smile on his face." The younger player added, after his laughter subsided.

Mia shot Nathaniel a look of exasperation. Though he and Oliver had expressed how happy they were at the two of them deciding to go out; Nathaniel and Oliver had gotten in plenty of laughs at both Mia and Matthew's expense. Recounting tales of how they met, and their boxing match; Mia was a little weary of what they would say next.

"Missing him already?" She asked, opening the file to check his test results.

"A little...but now when Matt's on a date, I can't hang out with you." He told her.

Touched, Mia smiled at him.

"You can tag along if you like. We're going to a movie." She offered.

"Nah...Matt will kill me if I came along as the third wheel. I'm going to head over to Oliver's to play with Lily." He shrugged.

"How about tomorrow then? We both can go for a movie or something?" Mia asked, hoping he would agree. "Matt and Oliver are going to be out on press duty with Lucas. They have interviews with the BBC, ESPN, and Sky Sports."

"Alright." He agreed.

Once finished with their appointment, Nathaniel stayed behind, chatting to Mia as she finished filing everything. Having checked for all loose papers and stray files, deeming herself done with work, the two of them huddled over the laptop, Nathaniel showing her the funny videos he had found on YouTube.

Laughing while watching one with a cat petting a crying baby to sleep, Mia heard a knock on the door. She turned around to find an amused looking Matthew leaning in the doorway, his gym bag slung over his shoulders.

"What are you two up to?" He asked coming over to see what was going on.

"You showed that to her, Nathaniel?" Matthew asked, laughing as he saw what was on the screen.

"Hey! You showed him that already? Finding funny videos was our thing!" Mia said, poking Nathaniel in the shoulder.

"Sorry, Mia. I found it this morning, I couldn't help it." Nathaniel grinned.

Packing up her laptop, and grabbing one of the books she was going to read that night, Mia followed the two football players out of her office, and locked the door.

"So where are you headed to Nathaniel? Indigo?" Matthew asked, as they walked down the hall. He had slowed his pace to walk beside her, his hand brushing against hers, sending a current through her. Mia wanted badly to hold his hand, lace her fingers with his, but they both knew it could get them in trouble if they were caught.

"No. Since you two are ditching me, I'm going over to Oliver's to catch up with him and Ariana, and play with Lily!" He replied. "Anyway, I'll see you two later. I have to go change before I go."

Nathaniel waved to them as he walked down the hall to the North West Wing. Exiting the building, Mia and Matthew headed for the parking lot.

"Which movie do you want to watch?" Matthew asked, as they reached the black Ferrari.

"It's up to you. As long as it's not a horror movie." She answered, unlocking the door and putting her stuff in the back seat.

"How about 'I Am Number Four'?" Matthew suggested.

"Sure."

Sitting in the car, Mia was about to shut the door when Matthew stopped her.

"Wait..." He told her.

"What?"

"You have to take these. Put them on before leaving the car." He handed her a pair of black tinted aviator shades, and a black logo-less baseball cap.

"Seriously?" Mia asked, unhappily.

"Yea...if we're going in to the city, you might as well. There is no way I'm going to let you get stuck with those vultures." He said, sounding rather protective.

"Fine..." She relented, taking the items from his hand. "At least they won't look so weird with my jacket."

"You'd look fine no matter what you were wearing." He told her with a wink and a grin.

"Sweet talker." She muttered.

"Only for you." Mia heard him say, as she shut the door of her car. The words making her heart flutter. Only for me, she thought, starting up the engine and pulling out the parking lot. Unable to stop it from washing over her, she smiled to herself, relishing the words. Only for me...

-----

It started out slowly. They had been going out for a little over two weeks when he started to notice it. A flash here and there, sometimes, he would find someone on the street holding up a cell phone as they walked by.

Matthew thought they had been careful. Taking their separate cars to work, him in the Lamborghini, her in the Ferrari. Walking close but not holding hands as they walked in to the complex. He had convinced Mia to wear a hat and shades when they went out together, even though they usually preferred to go out to unusual places.

It wasn't until he saw the paper that Matthew realized no one had been fooled. For all of his statements that Mia was nothing more than a friend, the Daily Mail and The Sun had gone and printed out articles on the two of them, showing pictures from one of their recent trips to the mall together.

Opening the door to the house, he smelled something delicious wafting down from the kitchen, pushing those troubling thoughts to the back of his mind. He had not seen Lina's car as he had walked down the drive way, if she wasn't home who else could be cooking? Maybe she parked the car in the garage? He thought, walking down the hall.

Peering in to the kitchen, Matthew was surprised to find Mia by the counter, behind her there were two pots on the stove. She looked to be deep in concentration as she skilfully sliced an onion on the chopping board. He watched, silently, as she minced it in to tiny pieces, manoeuvring the knife like a professional. Spreading the onions on the board, he observed her, as Mia inspected her work. Deciding it was good enough, she slid the onions in to one of the pots. He heard a sizzle, as she stirred them in.

Silently walking up behind her, he put his arms around her waist, leaning in to her. His cheek brushed against hers.

"I didn't know doctors could cook?" He said, kissing her cheek.

She smiled as she continued to mix the contents of the pot.

"What kind of doctors have you heard about?" Her voice sounding amused. "We're capable of doing normal things."

"Which doesn't explain why I never saw you cook while we stayed at the dorms." He teased her.

Leaving the pot, she turned in his arms to face him.

"I cooked." She argued.

"Toasting bread for sandwiches made with smoked chicken, is not cooking." He snickered.

"I didn't know I was being marked on my skills then." She retorted. "Besides, you guys were usually out and what was the point of cooking for myself when I could just make a sandwich. And don't think I didn't notice when my sandwiches went missing."

Laughing as he remembered, Matthew held up his hands.

"Alright, fine. You win. No more teasing doctors." He said, earning a quick kiss from her. She moved away, towards the counter, where he saw there were mushrooms, green peppers, and a bowl of corn.

"What are you making that's made you risk Lina's wrath?" Matthew asked curiously.

"My own version of Chinese Chicken stir fry. I like it to be with more gravy and spice, and with rice." She told him. "Lina's out, she got a call from Brendan to meet up, and there was nothing to eat."

"Where's Leon?"

"Still at work. Something about a shipment and finding a sommelier so he doesn't have to taste everything himself." Mia snickered.

"I've been telling him to do that for years." Matthew shook his head with exasperation.

Sitting down on one of the stools, Matthew watched as Mia sliced and diced the green peppers, before chopping the mushrooms in to tiny pieces. The aroma of the food was making his stomach growl with anticipation. As she finally stirred in the corn, Matthew got up to help set up the plates, glasses, and forks.

"Do you want to go to the dining room?" He asked her.

"Nah, let's stay here. It's warmer anyway." Mia answered, as she took the pots one by one, off the stove and placed them on wooden mats on the counter.

Ladling food on to both their plates, Mia sat beside him, watching him intently as he took the first bite. It was delicious. The chicken had flavour, it was spicy but not too spicy, and the gravy balanced out the rice.

"It's really good." He told her, before smiling mischievously. "Way better than the smoked chicken sandwiches." His cheek earned him a small push.

Eating in companionable silence, Matthew remembered his earlier grievance.

"Did you see-"

"The article?" She completed for him. "Yea...I did. I really hope Felix doesn't see that."

"I don't think he'll pay too much attention. He usually ignores rumours in tabloids." He tried assuring her.

"But there are two papers with the same story." She told him in between bites.

"I know." He said, unsure of how Felix would react.

Quelling his thoughts, he distracted her by asking what she wanted to do. Deciding on watching TV, the two of them finished their dinner, cleaned up, and headed for the family room. Leon had left the electronic fireplace on, which had kept the room nice and cozy.

"You were going to watch TV anyway, weren't you?" Matthew asked, as he saw what was on screen.

'Previously on The Vampire Diaries' Came an eerie voice.

"Yea." She grinned, sitting beside him. "It's Thursday. Vampire Diaries day."

Leaning against him, Mia watched intently, as Matthew wrapped an arm around her. Content, he couldn't believe he had gone for so long without her. Nothing could be more perfect, he thought, nothing can ruin this.

-----

"What are you doing?" Mia asked, as she felt a familiar pair of hands wrap around her shoulders.

"Just came to see how you were doing." Matthew murmured in her ear.

Turning to face him as he let go, Mia wore a pained expression, she hated reminding him. All week she had been noticing how some of the staff were treating her. A few of the ladies who ran lab tests had given her the cold shoulder when she asked for her roster's test results, since Jon Lever hadn't received them either. Normally, the ladies on staff would reserve their cold behaviour for when they all went out with the team.

"Matthew...don't do that. Someone could walk by and see." She whispered.

"Sorry." He told her, checking to see if anyone was outside the door.

"Coast is clear, doc." Matthew grinned as he came in for a kiss. She hated herself for turning away.

"I have to go to a meeting, Calvin is coming so we can go together. He wanted to review some of the highlights of our work." She explained, seeing the hurt look on his face. "I don't want you to get in trouble."

"Alright..." He said sounding resigned, getting ready to leave.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door.

"Are you ready Mia?" Calvin asked, standing in the doorway, looking at the two of them.

Matthew shot him a glare, like he would have done usually, as Mia picked up her files.

Walking outside, Mia locked her door as she saw Matthew walking down the hall. He was sulking.

"Just give me a minute. I forgot something." Mia told Calvin, who had started to walk.

Running to catch up to Matthew, she pulled on his hand.

"I'm sorry, Matt. I'll see you later at the apartment." She whispered, giving his hand a quick squeeze, before rushing off.

"So what points are we discussing?" She asked, hurrying back to Calvin.

"You got my email, right?"

"Yea."

"Just those points. I think if we included more James might blow a fuse." Calvin grinned, as they headed up the stairs.

Entering the conference room, Mia sat down in between Kyle and Calvin, the other doctors sat around the table with Felix at the head of the table. As the meeting began, Mia found herself a little uninterested, each meeting had a similar discussion. The doctors complained about being sent to each training, but refrained from roping in the specialists since their dressing down last season.

As Calvin presented their highlights, Mia watched some of the doctors at the far side of the table whisper to each other. She could have sworn their collective gaze was fixed on her.

"Any other concerns?" Felix asked, as the meeting wound down.

"Just one, Felix. Many of us have had it brought to attention that one of the specialists is dating a player." James spoke up, sending her a victorious glare.

Stunned as her fear had occurred in reality, Mia had moved to the edge of her seat. What do I do? She thought, trying to figure out some way to rapidly deflect James' blow.

"Which two are you talking about?" Felix asked, seemingly unaware. Matthew was right, Mia thought, Felix hadn't read any of the tabloids recently.

"I believe an article has been written about Dr. Brooklyn and Matthew Rossi." James answered smugly.

All eyes were on her, and the heat was starting to rise in her cheeks. What do I say? She wondered helplessly.

"Felix, I think Rossi should be moved from her roster. It's unprofessional and she might be more lenient with him just because they are dating." Damien said from beside James, looking equally as smug, having managed to pull one over her.

"What? I would never compromise my work for anyone!" Mia snapped in to action. No one was going to get away with saying such things about her. She would never sacrifice the quality of her work. Before she could say anything more, Felix spoke.

"I suppose we could make a change if-" He was interrupted by Calvin.

"I'm sorry Felix, but you'd be making a huge mistake if you moved Rossi to another roster. Mia is one of the most hard working, professional people I've worked with, and I know she'd never let anything jeopardize her work."

Mia turned to look at Calvin, baffled that he would risk Felix's wrath to speak up for her.

"I've treated Rossi myself when Mia's away; and he can be unbearable to work with. Yet somehow, Mia's got him under control since she started here, and she won't let him or anyone else take time away from her work."

"And how do you know this, Calvin?" James asked, snidely.

"I went to get Mia for the meeting, she didn't notice me arrive. Matthew was there, and he was hoping to get a kiss before leaving, but she turned away. She understands what it means to work here. I'm positive she won't ever let her personal life get in the way of her work. She's more hard working than all of them put together." Calvin pointed towards the other doctors who looked enraged.

"And there's nothing wrong with her going out with Matthew, since most of you have dated the office staff; while the nurses and techs have been seen dating the players; with neither of you being reprimanded for it." Kyle added, much to her surprise. She couldn't believe anyone would stand up for her; Mia was at a loss to understand why Calvin or Kyle would even bother.

The room was quiet, Calvin shot her a grin, Mia smiled back.

"It's clear that the remaining two specialists would rather let Matthew to stay on his current roster. And as I have yet to see Dr. Brooklyn's work ethic suffer, I too am of the opinion that she will be allowed to carry on working with him. No more arguments."

As the meeting came to a close, Mia saw Felix smile at her. Everything was going to be okay. Walking out with Kyle and Calvin, Mia felt gratitude towards them.

"Thanks both of you." She said unable to express the extent of her gratitude, as they started their walk down stairs.

"No problem. It's always fun to watch James' plans blow up in his face." Calvin remarked, with a snicker.

"I thought he would take a shot at you. I don't think he's ever stopped burning over Felix hiring you instead of giving the job to him." Kyle told her.

"He applied for the job too?" She asked.

"Yea, but he's not on good terms with some of the players that are on your roster; so Felix decided to get some fresh blood." Calvin said, as they walked down the hall.

"So who's dated the office staff?" She asked curiously, both guys grinned.

"James did. Take a guess who he went out with?" Calvin said, with a mischievous look.

"I don't even know anyone who would ever agree to go out with him." Mia said grimacing, unable to figure it out.

"He took Ms. Wheldon out to dinner for a month, when he first started to work here. I think he was hoping to get promoted or something." Kyle was laughing at the shocked look on Mia's face.

As they reached their offices, Mia thanked them again before heading for the dorms. With her work done, she was free to spend time with the one person she was missing.

-----

"Hey."

He looked up to see Mia walking in, closing the door behind her.

"Hey." He smiled.

Matthew was sitting on the couch watching TV, since there was nothing else to do while he waited for Mia.

Putting her bag on the couch across from him, Mia came over and sat beside him, her arms wrapping around his chest, as she cuddled against him.

"Thanks for understanding." She told him, kissing his cheek. "I'm sorry."

Smiling down at her, he saw the apologetic look on her face.

"It's alright. I don't want you to get in to trouble either."

"Felix knows."

"Really?" Matthew asked surprised. "What happened?"

"Nothing, as long as nothing brings down the quality of my work." She smiled at him. "Calvin and Kyle set the record straight, since James was hoping I'd be in some trouble."

"I'm glad nothing happened to you."

Kissing her, he pulled her in, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

Sitting there, time seemed to stand still. Matthew had been happy since Mia had given him a chance. Everything was perfect. Now that Felix knew, he wouldn't have to worry so much about the papers.

Leaning in to kiss Mia, Matthew was interrupted by the sound of his phone ringing.

"Hello?" He asked, having managed to get the phone out of his jeans pocket.

"Matthew!" It was Lina, and she sounded distressed.

"Lina? What's wrong?" He asked, he watched as a concerned look crossed Mia's features.

"Matty, you need to go home. Your mother has had a heart attack."