Title: Romance novels

Author: mikipau

Rating: K+

Fandom: The 100, AU

Pairing: Abby/Raven (Doctor Mechanic)

Disclaimer: I do not own the 100.

Summary: Raven Reyes wakes up in a hospital after an accident and meets the woman of her dreams, Abigail Griffin, her surgeon. AU

A/N: I don't know what happened. Words, I guess.

Raven opens her eyes, the bright light that greets her courses through her eyeballs and into her brain like an electric shock. The piercing pain immediately makes her shut her eyes. That was not a feeling she'd like to experience again. She licks her uncomfortably dry lips with a strangely swollen tongue while she musters enough courage to tentatively blink her eyes open again. The light still cuts through her head, but she tries to push aside the pain as she lets her surroundings come into focus.

She lies in a bed in an unfamiliar and impersonal room with cream walls and green curtains. She frowns, not finding the colour scheme to her particular liking. Her thought process feels off, slow somehow, and when she looks down at her arms and chest she finds a tangle of weird looking tubes she assumes connect her to the blinking machines to her right. Machines she'd rather pick apart and put back together, in better shape and with impressive new features, than be connected to.

The silence in the room is broken by a steady beep Raven immediately identifies as coming from an electrocardiogram. She is familiar with those from her childhood, having had somewhat regular check-ups at the free clinic for her congenital heart murmur. She takes all of this in and comes to the obvious conclusion that she is in a hospital.

Okay, she can work with that.

Raven's eyes fall on the painting of a lush forest on the wall across from her. Next to it hangs a TV; a thin LED screen, at least 50 inches and judging by the maker labeled on the thin frame it is from the higher end of the price ladder. She is in a hospital. A hospital she obviously can't afford.

Raven goes stiff. She sits up faster than she probably should since she doesn't know why she is hospitalized or if it is a good idea for her to move at all. A sharp pain in her lower back forces the breath from her lungs and her body falls back into the mattress with a soft thud. She cringes at the way the beeping around her quickens. That hurt! She bites her lip, tries to relax her shoulders and steady her breathing before cautiously easing upright again.

Once seated she takes careful stock of her body. Her back hurts, as does her head, but the thing that worries her the most is the complete lack of pain in a part of her body that has ached every second of every day for the last three years, ever since a stray bullet ended up in her spine.

There is no pain, no pain at all, in her leg. It's been hurting nonstop since the accident and now there is nothing. She shifts, turns so that her legs, knees bent, hang over the edge of the bed.

Still nothing.

She presses a shaky hand against her hip and moves it slowly from her thigh to her shin. The hospital gown is soft under her palm, her skin warm and she has no sensation below the middle of her thigh. This is nothing new, but the fact that there is no pain shooting out from her hip or knee is completely foreign to her. The crippling nerve pain is gone. What's happened? Have they put her through surgery? Oh God! Can she afford this?

Raven does the only thing she can think of. She spots her leg brace on a chair across the room so she lowers herself to the floor to stand up, put the brace on, find some clothes, get dressed and get out of here. Standing up proves to be a really bad idea though as the ache in her back turns crippling, the world goes black and she falls, face first, to the floor.

...

The next time Raven opens her eyes it is to the sight of a beautiful woman leaning over her bed. The woman's attention is on whatever tube sticks out from the crook of Raven's arm and she gently prods at the bruised area around it. Her eyes are dark, soulful, but slightly sad. Raven wonders what hurt or betrayal caused that sorrow. She'd love to make the dimness disappear and instead see it replaced by contentment or joy.

The woman looks to be in her 40s, which makes the difference between them at least 15 years. Not that age matters to Raven, she's found it to be a bad indicator of people's maturity. Experience is what matters, what shapes and forms you as a human being. Although according to some she might not have been on this earth for very long, experience is something Raven has a lot of. Her life has not been easy, she's had to work hard for every bit of progress and happiness. Noticing the fine lines at the corners of the woman's eyes and the slightly deeper ones around her mouth Raven figures she's not the only one who's known both ups and downs.

Since her wakeful state has yet to be detected she continues to study the woman whose brown hair is interspersed with light golden strands that catches the light. Raven can't tell if it is professionally lightened to perfection or simply bleached by the sun. Either way, it is pulled back into a loose braid from which a few wisps have escaped. The curls look soft, as soft as the fabric of the shirt the woman wears; silk maybe? She lets her eyes wander further only to realize she has a tantalizing view down the front of said soft-looking shirt. Raven holds back a pleased grin and licks her lips, still dry, before she forces her voice to cooperate.

"Am I in one of those lesbian romance novels?"

The woman stands up, surprised, her blank look makes Raven continue. "You know, where they've gone through hell and back for each other and now when everything is perfectly fine one has an accident that causes amnesia. She wakes up in a hospital bed without any memory of the last blissful years spent married to the woman of her dreams."

An amused half-smile replaces the confusion on the beautiful woman's face. "No, that's not it." The woman's voice is low with a slight hoarse quality to it that causes a shiver of pleasure to race down Raven's spine.

"Oh, too bad. I wouldn't have minded being married to you." As the words leave Raven's mouth they belatedly register with her brain and her eyes grow impossibly wide. "Oh, God! Did I say that out loud? Can you pretend this never happened? Ugh, I'm obviously high. What kind of drugs are they giving me?"

The woman chuckles, clearly amused by Raven's mortification.

"Only something for the pain and to help you sleep. Don't worry."

"Don't worry?" Raven looks around the room, she raises her arms in a swooping gesture meant to somehow bring clarity to the horrible situation she is in. "Of course I worry! I'm in a hospital with no memory of getting here and it's obviously a hospital I can't afford. So I'm gonna worry! This is going to set me back so far I will have to move into my truck. If I can still afford to keep it, that is. Maybe Sinclair could bend the rules a little and let me sleep in the garage until I get back on my feet, in like ten years."

The woman stands still, silently staring with eyes that quickly glaze over as she listens to Raven's quick rant. She blinks twice before she places her hand on top of Raven's arm in a calming gesture.

"Don't worry about the bills. They're taken care of, but that's not what I meant. What I meant was not to worry about the suggestive comments. I read them too."

"Huh?" The woman's words make no sense to Raven's distracted mind.

"Lesbian romance novels. I read them too. My daughter used to buy them and leave them around the house. I got into the habit of reading them. Since she moved into her girlfriend's apartment I've had to buy them myself. I suppose it's become my guilty pleasure."

Before Raven has a chance to continue the conversation, the door opens and a nurse enters the room, she comes to a stop when her eyes fall on the woman standing by the bed. "Oh, Doctor Griffin! I thought you'd left for the day."

"I'm off the clock. I just wanted to check in on our escapee here before I left." The woman, Doctor Griffin, pats Raven's arm as she gives her a smile and a wink to soften her words. "Now, Miss Reyes, don't try to get up again. I spent hours putting you back together and I really don't want to see that hard work put to waste."

Raven tries to look guilty, but she is too distracted by the warmth spreading through her body at the woman's smile and light touch.

"Get some rest. We'll talk tomorrow, about your surgery and your worries."

Raven is about to protest. She wants to have that discussion now, but the nurse fiddles with her IV. She feels her mind muddle and soon she's asleep.

...

"Hello, again."

Doctor Griffin is dressed in a crisp white coat, a nametag on the chest pocket claims her first name to be Abigail. Raven studies the woman, takes in the kind eyes and the small amused smile on her lips. The name suits her; she looks like an Abby.

"The medication should be out of your system by now. Do things seem less hazy?"

Raven nods. Yes, her headache is gone and her mind appears clearer, more focused, today. She feels no need to speak her every thought out loud, like she had done the last time this woman had stood beside her bed. The memory of their previous conversation makes her cringe, but she decides to try to save face by being funny.

"Still not married to me Doc?"

The doctor's amused chuckle makes a pleased grin spread across Raven's face and she notes the Reyes-charm is still intact. Good to know.

Taking stock of the rest of her body she notes a lingering ache in her back. Her leg is still free of pain, it makes her grateful at the same time as it causes a knot of worry to form in her belly. Putting on her brave face she decides it's time to get some answers.

"So, don't take this the wrong way. I really like waking up to your beautiful face, but why am I here and what have you done to me?"

Her words are met by a slight raise of an eyebrow and an amused half-smile similar to the one Raven had received the last time they spoke. "I see the medication wasn't the cause for your straightforwardness, or should I say 'hubris'?."

"Hubris would imply arrogance and the Reyes-charm is based on truth and honesty, not bluster." Raven adds a winning smile to the end of her words.

This earns her another chuckle; a sound which makes Raven warm inside. The doctor turns to reach for a chair that stands in the corner of the room and she places it next to the bed. She sits down, resting her hands in her lap. Her hands look strong with long fingers, nails kept short and without polish. Thankfully, before any inappropriate thoughts leave Raven's mouth, the woman starts to talk and Raven's attention shifts from the woman's hands to her eyes.

"Miss Reyes, my name is Doctor Abigail Griffin. I'm a surgeon here at Ark Alpha Hospital and you were brought into the ER four days ago. You'd been in a car accident. From what I understand a driver ran a red light as you were crossing the street. Miraculously you came away nearly unharmed, but the impact caused the bullet in your spine to shift and we had to take it out. I'm actually unclear as to why they didn't remove it the first time around?"

Raven tries to make sense of what she's just been told. She has no memory of the accident. All she can recall is leaving the garage, where she works, to go pick up lunch at the diner across the street. She'd settled on getting a burger, with extra cheese and a large side of fries. Thinking about it now makes her stomach rumble and she wonders how long it's been since she last ate. Did she have breakfast the morning of the accident? Or had she skipped it in her hurry to beat traffic? Her stomach makes another pained sound which Raven tries to ignore by focusing her attention back on the doctor. She is in a hospital, a fancy one, they'll feed her sooner or later.

"That explains the where and why. I don't remember the accident though. As for the bullet lodged in my spine for the last three years, well it was too expensive to have it removed."

A frown appears on Doctor Griffin's face. "But judging by its placement you must have been in excruciating pain." She can obviously read between the lines and see through the somewhat false bravado Raven puts on regarding her prior injuries.

"Yes, it hurt, but there's no way I could afford the surgery." This brings Raven's mind back to their exchange the day before. "And while we're on the topic of money. What did you mean yesterday about the bills being paid?"

Raven finds out that the driver who crashed into her is the son of a successful and influential man, who now covers her bills in hope of her not pressing charges. At first she's furious. Thoughts like "This is ridiculous", "Money can't buy you everything", "Rich people have no morals" and "He can't buy my silence" runs through her mind, then she remembers the lack of pain in her leg.

The Raven from three years ago, from before the accident, would have sued these people.

The Raven in constant pain, with a bullet pressed against her spine, would have raised hell. She would have made the driver pay for his actions.

The Raven now on her back in a hospital bed, trying to wrap her head around the situation she now finds herself in, is not the same as either of the Raven's from before. Yes, she knows the law is on her side. She want the man responsible for this to be judged and punished. People who believe money can buy them whatever they want are wrong when it comes to Raven Reyes. She can't be bought and money is not above the law, but… Yes there's a but. A big one.

Three years ago a stray bullet completely turned her life upside down and the nerve pain that's haunted her since made every day into a struggle. She's had no way, no means, to get the bullet out, but now it's gone. She is free of it, the suffering it caused and the worry concerning funding for a wanted and possibly needed removal in the future. Her leg will never work again, she'll never walk without a brace, she'll never be able to feel anything below mid-thigh, but there is no pain. No nerve pain at all.

The new Raven, the one in the fancy hospital bed with a leg free of pain, processes the information given to her while meeting Doctor Griffin's expressive eyes. Sitting patiently at her bedside, as if she has all the time in the world, is the woman who removed the bullet from Raven's spine and by doing so completely turned the course of Raven's life around. Once again everything has dramatically changed, this time for the better. As Raven looks into those deep brown eyes she lets the protective wall she always has up fall to the ground.

"I'm not in pain anymore."

Those words, uttered with tear filled eyes, are the start and end to the discussion of money, bills and what is right or wrong.

Of course there is still some residual pain in her back, from the surgery, but this will dissipate as she heals. After a thorough examination Raven's left alone in her room, waiting for the food the doctor promises is on its way.

...

A week later Raven impatiently sits on top of the bed she has now come to loathe. She is not good at being idle. She is used to being up and about, to work, exercise or simply hang out with her friends. Being in the hospital has limited her means of entertainment to watching TV, read the newspaper the nurses provide or stare at the wall.

Sinclair and Wick had dropped by to see how she was doing and to tell her they had the workload at the garage under control. Sinclair made it perfectly clear her job would be waiting for her when she came back; healed. She is grateful for his promise of her livelihood not being compromised because of her need to take it easy for a couple of weeks. She is also grateful for the notebook and pens Wick gave her with a knowing smirk. He knew she'd go nuts in this room with nothing challenging to do.

Since their visit the notebook has been filled with technical drawings and calculations. She has so many good ideas she can barely wait to get started on. Her fingers itch for her tools, she longs for the oil and dirt to stain her hands and make it almost impossible to get her nails clean again. Today she'll be released from the hospital and finally she'll be able to go back to her own apartment. She hasn't been cleared for work yet, but she'll be able to putter around in the kitchen, maybe rebuild her coffeemaker or make the toaster burn little stars into the bread. Nothing taxing, simply pure fun.

Now she waits for her usual morning check-up. Raven has already dressed, packed what few belonging she has and is ready to go as soon as Abby gives her permission to do so. They are on a first name basis now, since Raven pointed out that the good doctor's hands had already been inside of her and didn't that mean they were familiar enough with each other to drop the titles and surnames. The woman had laughed at Raven's lewd implication, then she'd held out her hand, wide smile in place as she'd introduced herself as Abby.

From the outside their relationship is strictly professional, but to Raven it comes across like something more, familiar, a bit like becoming friends. She has managed to make Abby smile and laugh with her wit and quick quips. They even shared a snack at three in the morning as Abby pulled an all nighter and Raven had been restless, finding it hard to sleep without the exercise her body is used to.

Hearing familiar footsteps coming from the corridor outside her room Raven starts talking before Abby even steps through the doorway.

"Abby! Can I leave?"

Her enthusiasm is met with a smile she's become more and more acquaintanced with during the last week. The sadness Raven first noticed in Abby's eyes has steadily diminished with every smile as the week has progressed and now it is barely there, just a slight shade at the edges of those dark twinkling eyes.

"Good morning to you too Raven." Abby starts in on the usual examination of her patient. "One would think you'd like it here. A 'thank you' would be nice. I mean we've fed you, given you a bed, a nice big TV and I did dig that bullet out of you, but no, all I get is 'Can I leave?'".

"Oh stop it. You'll be happy to see me go. I'm the worst patient ever."

"I wouldn't say that. In fact, I'll miss you. You've certainly made the night shifts much more entertaining." Abby tugs Raven's sweater back into place after checking the bandage on her back. "You need to come back again next week for a check-up and remember; no strenuous activity until I've cleared you for work."

"I know, I know. No picking up hot chicks at the bar or flashing my awesome new scar while lifting heavy weights to impress women at the gym. Got it."

Abby shakes her head. "You're impossible, though I'm happy to see that you're healing nicely and that the pain in your leg and hip hasn't returned. I'll sign these papers, then you'll be free to make your escape."

Raven rolls her eyes at the woman's choice of words. "Escape! Stop being dramatic Abs. I can't stay here forever, you know that. Even though the free food kind of makes me want to."

"Of course it's all about the food." Abby unsuccessfully tries to hide a smile as she signs the necessary paperwork.

"What did you think it was about? Your beautiful face?"

"I have no notion of my face ever living up to the jello you inhale with every meal."

Raven shrugs. "What can I say. I'm easy to please. Feed me and I'll be yours forever."

"Like a mutt off the street."

Raven sticks her tongue out. "Your face is pretty, well beautiful, but very few things in this world beat a nice jiggly jello. By the way, I happen to know you like dogs." Her comment earns her a swat with the papers Abby has finished signing.

"Go! Get out of here!"

Raven snatches the papers from Abby's hand before practically skipping to the doorway. Well, she walks as fast as her leg lets her. "See ya Doc!"

When she reaches the door she turns around, serious once again.

"Abby?"

Dark eyes meet her own. "Yes, Raven?"

"I'm really grateful for your help, and for your company. I hope you know that."

"Just doing my job." As the words leave her mouth the dim sadness that has been absent once more fills Abby's eyes. Before Raven has a chance to comment on it, it is gone, replaced instead by a half-smile that seems to taste of melancholy as much as mirth.

"Well, thank you for doing it so well." Raven turns on her heel, awkward at her own gratitude. "I'll see you in a week." With a wave she's out the door, heading towards the nearest bus stop.

...

Raven spends the following three days thinking about Abby. It is strange, but being back home she realizes how much she's appreciated her company. Yes, they are doctor and patient, but the time they've spent together means a lot to Raven. They had an immediate connection and had talked about Raven's job, about the evening-classes she takes and about her dreams for the future. They'd even touched on more sensitive topics like her not so orderly childhood and the cause for it; her addicted mother.

She's also learned a lot about Abby. Raven listened to her talk about her daughter, Clarke, and how their relationship is finally getting better after their falling out five years ago, after the death of Abby's husband. Abby talked about her plans of a free clinic for underprivileged children, possibly sponsored by the surplus from Ark Alpha and about how much she fights to get the board to sign off on her proposition.

Raven's check-up isn't scheduled for another four days, but she knows she can't stay away that long. Letting her eyes roam the apartment she stops her perusal when an idea comes to her at the sight of the books in her bookshelf.

Three hours later Raven walks through the doors of Ark Alpha Hospital with one bag slung over each shoulder. She stops to talk briefly with one of the nurses before making her way to Abby's office. The door is closed, but not locked, and as she sticks her head inside she finds the room empty. Raven enters, puts the bags down and then carefully moves some of the papers littering the desk. She fishes two boxes of take-out and two bottles of water out of one of the bags.

Reaching into the other bag she barely has time to remove its contents before the door behind her opens and she hears her name spoken in the very voice she's come here to hear.

"Raven?" Abby stands in the doorway, eyes wide at the surprise visit. "What are you doing here?" The look of surprise on her face quickly turns to one of worry. "Are you okay? Is your back troubling you? Are you in pain?"

Abby falls silent as Raven takes a step forward, smiles and holds out a pile of books with a red bow tied around them.

"I'm fine Abby. I thought you'd like something nice for lunch, so I picked some up on my way here." Raven takes yet another step forward. "These are for you."

"For me?" Abby takes the books, scans the titles quickly before her eyes returns to meet Ravens. "Raven you shouldn't have."

"Of course I should! I know about your secret reading habits and I thought you'd like these. They're out of print and hard to find, chances are you haven't read them yet." As she talks she gestures to one of the chairs at the desk, silently asking Abby to sit down.

Abby's smile is big, the most carefree Raven has seen thus far. When she places the books on the corner of the desk her hand lingers on the bow on top of the pile. "Food, lesbian romance novels and bows. You mechanics really do go all out to impress the ladies." The twinkle in her eye a sure sign she is teasing.

Raven smiles, brave enough to continue their banter as well as ask a question she really wants an answer to. "Are you impressed?"

Their eyes meet for a second too long before Abby looks away, down at the boxes of food. She falters slightly, then clears her throat. "Impressed? I don't know. It depends on what's in the box."

The attempt at levity doesn't really hit home, Raven smiles none the less. "Why don't you open and find out?"

Abby opens one of the boxes and hums happily at the sight of fried rice.

"You know me too well considering the incredibly short time we've been friends."

"On my third day here you mentioned liking it. I'm good at remembering things that matter." Raven feels giddy at the word Abby chose to describe their relationship. According to her they are no longer simply doctor and patient. Abby thinks of them as friends. Raven can work with that.

That earlier look warmed Raven's whole body. Something tangible grows between them and as she looks at the woman in front of her she knows she'll make it her goal in life to follow the sense of rightness she gets from being near Abby. She wants, no needs, to explore why she can't stay away from this woman. She needs to know if the feeling in her gut, in her heart, is shared.

Raven sits in the visitor's chair, opens her own box of food. They eat together, enjoying Abby's short break before she has to get back to work.

...

Nine hours after Raven returns home her phone rings and vibrates its way across the kitchen table. In the middle of soldering hearts and stars to use in the upgrade of her toaster she burns her fingers when the signal cuts through the silence. She quickly puts the soldering iron away as she reaches for the phone, one of her fingers in her mouth to soothe the burn.

"Yeah?"

"Raven? It's Abby. I'm sorry to call this late, but I've just ended my shift and-" Abby's voice sounds weak, it wavers before completely trailing off. Raven hears a sniffle and a shaky breath over the line. Is Abby crying? "Something happened. I lost a patient and-" Abby grows silent again. Raven can hear shallow breaths and then a whispered plea; "I could use a friend."

Raven's heart clenches in her chest at the words. "Abby, where are you?"

"I'm in my car. I, I, I don't want to go home."

Raven quickly gives the upset woman directions to her apartment. She grabs her red jacket and hobbles down the steps to the street to wait in the cool air. Most people have already retired to their homes for the night leaving Raven alone on the street, her only company a grey cat sat on the pavement licking its paws.

Fifteen minutes later a sleek black car comes to a stop across the street. Raven sees Abby get out, obviously tired, her shoulders slumped in a defeated way. The otherwise proud woman looks small as she slowly walks towards Raven. It hurts to see her friend like this and as soon as she is within reach Raven draws Abby into a hug. She holds her tightly, her hand rubs Abby's back before she draws back slightly to meet sad eyes. Raven gives her a comforting smile.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Abby shakes her head, a raspy 'no' leaves her mouth as tears run down her cheeks.

Raven nods. She takes hold of one of Abby's hands, then leads her into the building, up the stairs and into the warmth of her apartment. They walk through the kitchen where tools still litter the table and the toaster sits in the middle, taken apart, looking suspiciously like a bomb. When they arrive at the couch in the livingroom Raven sits down and pulls the still crying woman down with her to wrap her arms around her once more.

They sit in silence while Abby cries and seeks comfort by burrowing into Raven's body. Raven runs her hand through Abby's hair, feeling it's silkiness between her fingers and against her lips as she places tiny kisses on top of Abby's head. She waits patiently, listening to the stuttering breaths as they slow down and deepen. The tears finally taper off. She feels the tension leave Abby's body, her breath steady once more. Time passes and she realizes she is the only one still awake.

Raven gently extracts herself from Abby's limp body. She wraps the woman in a soft blanket, then fetches a glass of water and a painkiller she assumes will be needed the next morning. After placing them both on the coffee table she goes back into the kitchen, returning to the work laid out on the table. It gives her something to focus on as she watches over Abby and waits for the hours to pass.

...

Raven wakes up to the smell of coffee and a warm hand that slides up her back to massage her stiff neck. She opens her eyes slowly to take in the familiar table-top and the tools spread across it. Stretching her back to sit upright she lets out a yelp as the vertebrates making up her spine align. She rolls her shoulders to relax the tenseness in her muscles before she reaches for the cup of coffee that has been placed in front of her. She takes a sip, then turns slightly to look up at Abby, whose hands still kneads her neck.

Abby looks tired, yet less sad, less defeated, than the previous night. Her hair's a mess and her clothes wrinkled, but she smiles at Raven. A smile, that although weak, is still genuine. It causes Raven to smile right back.

"I found the coffee. I hope you don't mind."

Raven takes a large gulp of the black beverage and sighs happily. "I definitely don't mind and your hands are magic Doc."

Abby laughs. She presses firmer at the tense muscles, slides her hands down to Raven's mid-back before she moves away to sit at the table.

"You should have gone to bed Raven. This isn't good for your back."

"I know. Won't happen again, but now I can make you toast with hearts and stars on them!" She grins while pointing towards the once again put together and functioning toaster.

Raven holds back the real reason she fell asleep at the table. Yes, she worked for a few hours completing her improved toaster, but when finished she could have gone to bed. It was unlikely Abby would've woken up, she'd been completely still since Raven left her alone on the couch. Instead of retiring to her bedroom Raven sat at the table, gazing across the room, through the doorway at Abby's sleeping form. She must have fallen asleep sometime around dawn, still keeping vigil over her guest.

Now Abby sits sipping her own cup of coffee, eyes dancing across the room as she takes in the mess on the table of the otherwise neat apartment. With every sip she becomes more like herself and Raven worries if she should ask if Abby really is alright or if she wants to talk about what happened last night. Her thoughts are interrupted when her own stomach breaks the silence with a loud growl. At the raised eyebrow from across the table Raven hastily stands up to open the cupboards behind her.

"Breakfast?"

Abby takes another sip of coffee. "Yes, if I remember clearly someone promised hearts-and-stars-toast."

Raven laughs. "Yes, ma'am! Coming right up."

...

They meet for lunch when their schedules allow it and a few weeks into their friendship they start texting each other more personal messages than "Lunch?", "Time 4 coffee b4 work?" and "Mexican or Chinese?".

Raven chuckles at amusing anecdotes from Abby's daily life and laughs out loud at the strange behaviour exhibited by some of the patients that pass through the hospital. Abby talks at length about the books Raven gave her, in depth reviews which soon turn into conversations about their lives, past and present.

They talk about the night when Abby cried herself to sleep and Raven makes sure Abby knows she'll be her shoulder to cry on whenever she needs it. Almost three months into a friendship that entails meeting up several times a week Raven realizes something she should have realized the day at the hospital when she'd blurted out silly things about lesbian romance novels and marriage.

She likes Abby.

Well, that's not true. She more than likes Abby. She's into Abby. She's into her in a way that makes comments about lesbian romance novels and marriage hit a little too close to home. In fact, she finally admits to herself that she's in love with Abby and if she dared she'd want to romance her into marriage. Of course this is something she can't tell Abby. Raven might have enough confidence to come across as self-assured bordering on cocky and she has no inhibitions when it comes to flirting with women way out of her league, but truth be told, when it comes to matters of the heart she's a wimp.

She's as far from courageous or brave as can be. In fact if she could make herself run away she would. Of course she can't. She can barely be out of contact with Abby for more than a few hours. They're texting each other throughout the day, calling during breaks and meeting up every chance they get. They've become the closest of friends. Revealing her true feelings will most definitely estrange Abby, not to mention break Raven's heart. So she has decided to suffer in silence, because a friendship with Abby is better than not having Abby in her life at all.

...

Almost a year after Raven woke up in the hospital she sits across from Abby at a table in what has become their favourite Italian restaurant. While they wait for their food to arrive Raven's attention is fully on Abby and her story about a patient who repeatedly tried to steal spatulas the other night. Mirth lights up Abby's eyes. Her easy smile makes Raven's insides melt. She looks happy, the darkness that lived in her eyes when they first met has completely left her and her unrestrained laughter turns the heads of a few of the restaurant's other patrons.

"Earth to Raven? Raven, honey, are you listening?"

"Hmm?" Raven blinks, she must have zoned out. "Uhm, of course, I'm listening."

Abby chuckles and places her hand on top of Raven's. "You seemed a million miles away. Everything okay?"

Raven swallows. She has trouble meeting Abby's eyes. She wants to tell her she's the most beautiful woman Raven's ever seen, that her laughter makes her giddy inside, but instead she shakes her head slightly and reaches for her glass to slowly sip on her water.

Abby doesn't push, she doesn't release Raven's hand either. The connection of skin on skin makes Raven's heart speeds up and she can't decide if she should pull her hand away or turn it over to tangle her fingers with Abby's. She knows neither scenario will end well; one causing Abby to question what's wrong, the other probably irreparably ruining their friendship. Instead of acting Raven drinks more water, hand still pressed between the white linen table cloth and Abby's warm palm.

Abby still studies Raven's face, obviously trying to figure out why she's acting strangely.

"D'you want to get the food to go instead? We could go to my place, eat, watch TV or read?"

Raven looks around the room, then nods. Yes, she'd like to go back to Abby's place. She comes to the sudden realization that she wants to get away from the restaurant and the people in it. She wants to be alone with Abby, wants her for herself, just the two of them alone for the night, even if it can't be in the intimate way her heart wishes.

It takes them less than half an hour to get their food to go and arrive at Abby's house. Raven falls back onto the soft couch cushions, bending over to remove her brace so she can fully relax. This is new for her, she rarely takes her brace off when around others or outside of her own home. She feels safe here though, in her usual spot on the couch in Abby's living room, with soft music playing in the background, the TV on mute, food and drinks on the coffee table and Abby getting situated next to her.

They eat in silence, not the strained kind, but the kind that comes from familiarity and being comfortable with each other. Raven's thoughts race like her heart when she looks at Abby who holds a book in her left hand and a fork in her right which occasionally, distractedly, brings pasta to her mouth. The sauce makes her lips glisten and Raven wants to press her own lips against them, wants to taste the garlic and sun ripened tomatoes, but most of all she wants a taste of Abby.

As she lets her thoughts rein free Raven stares down at her own food, barely touched.

"Will you tell me what you're thinking?"

Raven's so deep in thought she doesn't stop herself in time, but instead blurts out exactly what's on her mind. "I'm in love with you."

She feels her eyes grow big, heat blossoms in her cheeks and as she instinctively tries to flee, to get off the couch, she remembers that she removed her brace. She's trapped. Stranded. Tears burn her eyes and she has to steel herself by biting her lip not to let them fall. Plucking up the courage to raise her eyes, to face the damage her words most definitely have caused, she's surprised to see none of the expected resentment.

Abby is smiling.

"You don't have any idea of how long I've wanted to hear those words from you, do you?"

Raven can't find her voice, can't form words, instead she shakes her head. No, she's obviously been clueless for quite a while.

When their lips meet she can't hold back the moan that grows in her throat and vibrates on her tongue. The clichés in the books she's read and the movies she's seen somehow no longer comes across as fabricated or cheesy. Raven sees stars, time slows down and she's overwhelmed by the taste, the smell and the feel of Abby. Happiness explodes inside of her, spreading a tingling warmth throughout her body and when she pulls back from the kiss to rest her forehead against Abby's Raven is sure she's never experienced anything as joyous in her entire life.

Abby still smiles, her eyes twinkle and her breath comes in short, irregular puffs against Raven's lips.

"Raven?"

"Yes, Abby?"

"Am I in one of those lesbian romance novels? You know, where the doctor falls in love with the mechanic, and vice versa, and it takes them forever to realize their feelings are reciprocated?"

Raven can't stop the laughter from bubbling up and erupting. "I think you are."

They kiss again, smiles on their faces and happiness in their hearts.

"I definitely think you are."