This Is War

Two weeks later, Shannon had all of his feeling back and was more than ready to go home. He was still pretty beat up and the doctors said he'd have to participate in physical therapy for a while, but that he'd make a full recovery.

He was so excited to get home that Jac was pretty sure he was going to hurt himself just on the way out to the car. Despite his valiant efforts to avoid it, the nurses made him ride in a wheelchair on the way out to the car and Jac was pretty sure he was going to jump out of the thing at any moment. She helped him into the passenger seat and he smiled a more happy smile than she'd seen from him in a long time.

As she drove to the pharmacy to pick up his medications, he kept his hand placed firmly in hers. He stared at her and when she asked him why, he chuckled heartily.

"I can't believe I was stupid enough to almost lose you."

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and his eyes were filled with tears.

"You didn't almost lose me. You royally pissed me off. There's a difference. You know I was never planning on actually staying away forever."

"I didn't know that. I thought... I thought I'd finally driven you away for good."

"Well, you didn't. Don't worry about that now."

"I'm sorry I punched your asshole friend."

He choked a laugh out between his tears and held his still-bruised ribs as he chuckled. She rolled her eyes at him but couldn't help letting out a few giggles of her own.

"It's okay. I was only staying with him to piss you off anyway."

"It worked."

They laughed together again and he took the hand of hers that he was holding and pressed it to his lips.

It was silent in the car for a few minutes and Jac could tell that Shannon was building up another apology.

"Don't you apologize to me again."

He looked at her as she spoke and shook his head.

"I need to, Jac. I can't believe I did all that shit. I can't believe I lied to you about using again. I'm so-,"

She cut him off with a finger to his lips.

"None of that matters, Shan. All that matters is that you're going to be okay and we're going to be okay and once you're all the way healed you owe me a life of servitude."

They both chuckled and Shannon kissed her hand again.

"Anything for you, little one."

He sighed and got more comfortable in his seat. It wasn't long before he settled into a peaceful sleep. She glanced at him at a stop light and couldn't believe how lucky she was to have him and how lucky they both were that things had worked out the way they had.

"I love you, you giant asshole."

She whispered the words into the silence of the car and kissed his hand that still clutched hers tightly even in his sleep.