Jo stretched her arms high in the air, before rising from her hospital bed. She had been there around a week, and it was high time she left. Everyone (except Henry) had been by to visit her, and the Lieutenant had been adamant about what she wanted for Jo.

"Don't come back until you know you're okay," Lieutenant Reece said firmly.

Jo hesitated before responding. "I'll be fine. You'll see me tomorrow."

She shook her head. "No, I most certainly won't. Take some time off; you've had quite the ordeal."

Even though every fiber of her being was screaming to go back, she knew what to do. Taking some time off would be good for her. The nightmares still hadn't gone away, and those moments where she thought she saw her captor still raced through her mind. No, it wouldn't be a good idea to go back to work. At least, not yet.

Sliding off the bed, Jo turned to take one last look at her hospital room. Pain moved quickly through her body, causing her to pause a moment before continuing. Several people bid her farewell, one of which she didn't even remember talking to before. The sound of the rain outside made her cringe. It was going to be difficult getting a cab, especially because she moved so slowly. Just as she was about to reach the front door, something caught her eye.

An older gentlemen was standing outside, umbrella in hand, and leaning on his car. Jo thought it was odd, the man choosing to stand out in the rain rather than coming into the hospital. As she moved closer, her breath caught in her throat. She'd recognize that quirky smile anywhere.

"Abe, what are you doing here?" She said, as she listened to the door close behind her.

He smiled before stepping closer to her, moving his umbrella so they were both protected from the rain. "I figured you might need a friend; especially now."

The words 'especially now' rang in her mind. There was deeper meaning behind them, but she didn't have the time or the energy to ask him about it. Being in a hospital bed for so long made her legs weaker than they had ever been, and the pain in her side was starting to become more than just annoying. Abe must have recognized that, as he ushered her into the car before quickly getting in himself. He sat at the steering wheel for a moment, before turning the key and slowly moving away from the curb.

Jo watched the rain trickle down the window, and she had even taken to timing the drops; seeing which could get to the bottom fastest. In and amongst this, her mind raced with all the information of the last week or so. Nothing occupied her mind more than the thought of Henry, however, and that was why she didn't notice the route Abe was taking. It wasn't until he pulled the car to a stop that she noticed the nicely lit storefront, filled with varying antiques. Jo turned to look at him, her eyes full of uncertainty bordering on panic.

"I didn't think you'd want to be alone," Abe said, smiling softly. "And there is something you should see."

She was about to insist that she was fine, but thought better of it. What could he possibly have to show her? Certainly it couldn't be anything dealing with Henry. He and Abe were roommates, but how much could two people truly share with one another? Especially two people so different.

The sound of her car door opening broke her thoughts, and she slowly lifted herself from the seat. Thankfully, Abraham was there to help her, or she feared she would be stuck in the car until she healed. Boy, was she stiff!

Much to Jo's surprise, the door to the shop was open. He must really trust the people who come into his shop, to just leave it unattended and unlocked. Turning to look at her, he smiled and then pointed toward the entrance to his apartment.

"Would you like anything to drink? Coffee or tea?"

She nodded. "Water will be fine; thank you."

He nodded but hesitated. "Jo, I'll let you head up the stairs first. And when you get there, try to relax."

His words puzzled her, but she pressed on anyway. The sound of old floorboards creaked beneath her feet. It reminded her of her grandmother's house, bringing a smile to her face. By the time Jo reached the top step, she was incredibly winded. Pausing a moment before turning the corner, it was then that her eyes caught sight of it.

Or rather, of him.

Henry wasn't certain where Abraham had gone, but considering it was early in the morning, he suspected he went to get food. Sometimes, when Abe wanted to surprise him, he would go out and get bagels from the shop down the street. In Henry's decades upon decades of life, he hadn't tasted any bread quite as delicious as those bagels. Making himself a cup of tea, he sat down with one of his favorite novels and set out to finish a few chapters before Abraham returned.

It was in the midst of chapter four that Henry heard the sound. It was quiet - quiet enough that any normal person couldn't distinguish who it came from - but he would recognize her gasp anywhere. Looking up, he saw Jo Martinez standing at the top of his stairs, white as a ghost. The book in his hand tumbled to the floor, startling them both. Jo jumped what looked like a foot, and he shot up out of his chair. They remained standing across from one another, simply staring. They could have remained like that for years, and neither would have felt the passage of time. It was only when Abe came up behind Jo, putting a hand on her shoulder, that Henry came back into focus.

Abraham leaned toward Jo, and whispered something in her ear. She looked over at him, as if she were a scared child, looking for affirmation from her father. He nodded once, and she turned back toward Henry; this time, taking baby steps to him. She stopped about a foot or two away from him, and slowly reached out her hand. Henry tensed a little, as he felt her hand go to his chest. Her eyes bore into him like she was looking straight into his soul. It wasn't until he looked down at her hand that he realized what she was doing.

Jo was checking his heartbeat.

This realization sent a wave of emotion through him, and he couldn't keep himself from speaking. "It's really me, Jo."

Her eyes shot up to his face, and he saw tears begin to pool at the corners of her eyes. Henry's heart split in his chest, as he saw them trickle down her cheeks. Those tears were caused by him, and his inability to tell her the truth. If only he had been honest with her, all of this could have been prevented. Those thoughts, and the emotions he was feeling, were too much for him and he did the only thing he could think of. Wrapping his arms around her waist, Henry pulled Jo to his chest.

She tensed, as if protecting herself, but this only encouraged him more. He pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her as tightly as he could without hurting her. Much to his surprise, this seemed to make her relax a little. She slowly placed her head on his shoulder, burying it deeper and deeper into the fabric of his shirt. The scent of her wrapped itself around him like the morning mist. If he could have, Henry would have stayed like that forever, but there was something they needed to finish.

Pulling back, so that he could see her face, he smiled softly. "Jo."

Jo looked up at him, tears staining her face. "Henry."

His smile widened, as he saw the look in her eyes. It was not one of fear or anger, like many of the looks he had seen in his life. Instead, her eyes were soft; questioning but not doubting, hoping but not anxious. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

"Henry," She said again, placing her hands on his arms, and moving back slightly. "Please, tell me the truth. You're not going to do that again, are you?"

Her expression pained him, but he needed to tell her the truth. "No, I won't do that again; at least, not right now." Fear flew across her face, and he scrambled for the words to make it go away. "I promise you, I won't leave you like that again. You have my word."

She nodded slowly before looking up at him again. "So...are you going to let me in now?" She smirked at the words she had spoken to him all those months ago.

He grinned. "Absolutely. Would you care you to sit down?" He said, gesturing the sofa. "It's quite a long story."

The End

Author's Note:

Well, dear readers, that's the end of this story. It was such a great experience, writing this last chapter. It turned out better than I expected, though I still have my doubts about one part. Even though I've finished with "Do You Trust Me?", you haven't seen the last of Jo and Henry. I'll give you a little hint: You're going to get a peek into their lives, set after this story's end.

I wanna thank all of your for being so faithful and patient with me as I worked through this. Until next time!

God bless,

LovedLik3WildFire