Andrea sat down at her desk and began writing distractedly into her notebook. She was supposed to be writing a few notes on the next day's class, but she couldn’t concentrate; her thoughts were on Cassidy, and she was worrying. Her phone rang, shaking her out of her thoughtful stupor. She picked it up and said shakily: "Hello?"

"Hi." It was Jeffrey. "How are you?"

Andrea sighed. "I'm fine, and you?" She replied; her voice was impersonal.

Jeffrey felt sad; he missed her a lot. He sat behind his own desk, a pencil in his clenched fist. "Can we have dinner?" He asked shyly. He knew he'd lost her, but he wasn’t ready to give up yet.

Andrea sighed again, and said softly: "I have to go the hospital to see Cassidy. I don’t know what time I'll be available." She didn’t know how to just break it off with him, how to tell him it was done with between them.

Jeffrey's eyes closed tightly and he clasped the pen until it broke in half. "Andrea, please." He spoke through clenched teeth. "Why are you doing this to us, why?" He pleaded, trying to control his voice.

Andrea sat back on her chair, feeling so sad too, because she cared for him, but not in the way he cared for her. She didn’t know how to tell him. "Things are not the same, you said a lot of things I didn’t appreciate, specially when I needed you to support me about Cassidy." She said, trying not to let her anger surface. "You knew I love her. I love her so much, and that I was worrying, and all you did was give me a hard time about wanting to stay by her side."

Jeffrey felt a lone tear trickle down his cheek. He felt like a total idiot. "You don’t just love her, Andrea." He said brokenly.

Andrea closed her eyes tightly, she held tightly onto the phone until her knuckles ached. "You're right." She whispered. "I'm in love with her."

Jeffrey couldn’t control it any longer. "How did this happen?" He cried out, slamming his fist on the table. "You didn’t feel that way last month, how did that happen?"

"We shouldn’t talk on the phone about this, Jeffrey." She said softly. "I'll call you back."

"Wait!" Jeffrey pleaded, but Andrea had already hung up.

Andrea sat quietly on her desk, and her phone rang again. "Hello?" She said a little impatiently, thinking it was Jeffrey.

"How are you?" It was Carey.

"Hi, Carey. I'm fine, worrying like hell. And you?" Andrea responded, happy to hear from her.

"I'm fine." Carey replied with her short sentences. "Been talking with Roseanne."

Andrea smiled softly. "I see she's told you I haven't been myself, right?" She asked.

"Yes," Carey said with a smile. "But it has gotten along the lesbian grapevine that Cassidy is in the hospital, in critical condition." She paused. "Nice of you to call me and let me know, Andrea."

Andrea sighed. "I'm sorry," She said sincerely. "Its just that so many things have been happening. I go from school to the hospital, and then home to check homework and then to sleep."

"I understand, Andrea." Carey said. "So how is she?" She asked with concern.

Andrea shook her head and struggled against instant tears. "I can hardly handle it." She said brokenly.

"Hey," Carey said softly. "Just take it easy, things will work out, don't worry. Are you going to see her today?"

"Of course." Andrea said softly. "Why don’t you come with me, Carey?"

"Sure, I'd like to give a piece of my mind to Cassidy, maybe she'll decide to wake up and claim what is hers." Carey said with a laugh. Then she paused, and said: "Might that be you?"

Andrea couldn’t help but laugh. "Of course." She said, leaning back and relaxing on the chair. "I just hope she sees it too."

Carey laughed again. "Okay, great." She said in her rouged Irish accent. "I'll come pick you up after I pick Roseanne up. I'll take her to eat something; I want to have a chat with her. Then we'll come back and get you about a half hour later."

"What do you want to talk to her about, if you don't mind me asking?" Andrea inquired with a smile. She liked the way Carey was close to Roseanne, the way she felt confident about talking to her of anything.

"I want to talk to her about those two girls she's seeing and what she is going to do about them." Carey replied, laughing softly at her daughter's predicament.

Andrea sighed. "Sometimes I regret telling you about the whole thing, Carey." She said, and laughed softly too.

Carey laughed. "Hey! It is your duty as her teacher and my friend to tell me the secrets that I don’t know about my daughter's life in school." She joked. "So, pick you up at three thirty?"

"Perfect." Andrea said.

"Okay," Carey said, smiling. "See you later today."

"Okay, bye." Andrea said, and hung up, feeling much better.

Robie peeked into Cassidy's room before she walked in. She'd taken her lunch hour and driven to the hospital, like she'd been doing the past week. Cassidy lay in the room alone, the sound of the heart monitor and respiratory machine the only sounds in the otherwise silent room. Robie closed the door softly, and walked slowly towards the bed. She stood studying Cassidy's still features for a few minutes; she looked at the long hair pulled together into a braid. Then she leaned down and kissed her forehead softly.

"Hi," She said softly, sitting down at the edge of the already available chair and placing her hand over Cassidy's. "I just thought I'd come and see you on my lunch hour, and talk to you a little. I miss you, Cassidy, we all miss you."

She studied Cassidy's profile, her smooth eyelids, the long curving eyelashes that pressed on her cheeks. The perfect nose, the full parted lips with the tube going through them. "You know," Robie continued softly. "I think you're running away from everything. I mean, I know that you're ill, but you don’t have to worry us so much. Andrea loves you, Cassidy, and I mean she's really in love with you.

"And what have you been doing?" She said, her voice growing impatient. "You've been doing your best to sabotage your possible relationship with her. God, you guys would be perfect together, and you're fucking that up, my friend. I think you need to wake up and smell the coffee, honey, I think you need to claim what belongs to you. And that, my dear, is Andrea's heart."

She stopped, seeing a slight movement beneath Cassidy's lids, as if the balls of her eyes had moved. "Cassidy?" She said hesitantly, wrapping her hand around Cassidy's. "Cassidy." She felt a slight squeeze around her hand. "Oh God!" Robie stood up, looking down at Cassidy's face, trying to discern any movement. Yes! Cassidy's eyelids fluttered softly. "Please, yes, come back, Cassidy, please!" Tears sprang to her eyes as she watched Cassidy struggle to open her eyes.

With her other hand, Robie reached overhead and pressed on the emergency button that would notify Ashleigh of any problems. But this wasn’t a problem; this was the best thing that could be happening. "Come on, open your eyes, honey. I'm right here, baby." She urged softly.

Cassidy tried to shake her head, but was unable to. She was surrounded by darkness, and she wanted to get out. Robie's voice was far away, guiding her towards consciousness. Her throat ached and her eyes wouldn’t open. She tightened her hand around Robie's hand, and though she could barely feel it, she knew it was there. She heard a soft sob, and then: "Oh, God, yes, yes!"

Her eyes rolled, her eyelids fluttered, and opened. The light made her eyes ache, her lids half closed. She clenched her eyes closed again, and opened them slowly, feeling the glare of the overhead light burn them. She stared straight up at the ceiling, disoriented, dizzy. "Cassidy, look at me, baby, please." The pleading voice came from her right side, and she turned her head a little that way. Her eyelids fluttered again and she looked directly at Robie. "Yes, look at me." Robie was saying. Cassidy could see the tears streaming down her pretty cheeks, and a tear of her own leaked out of her eye.

"What's going on?" Cassidy jumped with a jerk at the sound of Ashleigh's voice, but she could not move her head anymore to look. She remained staring at Robie, and then felt a strong hand holding her left hand. She heard a sob by her left ear, the voice deeper and stronger. "Cassidy, oh God!" And then she felt soft lips touching her forehead tenderly. "Look at me now, Cassidy." The voice pleaded, and Cassidy closed her eyes softly, recognizing the voice.

She tried to move her mouth, but found that could not, that something thick was between her lips and teeth. She bit into it, and realized it was hard and tubular. Other than the slight ache in her throat, it didn’t bother her. Turning her head only slightly, she made her eyes move from Robie and go to the other side. "Yes," Ashleigh said softly. Looking deeply into Cassidy's eyes, she allowed her emotions to show; tears ran down her cheeks heavily. "Hi, baby, we've missed you."

Cassidy couldn't control her emotions, hot tears slid down her temples, and her body shook softly as she cried. She clenched her eyes closed, and cried for real. She was glad to be back, the darkness she'd endured had been comfortable, but it didn’t supply the comfort only her friends could give. She missed them, and wanted to come back. She'd been struggling to return from her state of coma, but had found that she couldn’t. She'd heard her friends there, talking to her, talking to each other. She was glad they'd been there. She couldn't remember the reason she was in the hospital. She didn’t remember anything since walking out on Andrea at the bar.

Andrea.

She wondered where she was, wanted to see her so badly. She missed her and loved her, knowing she'd been stupid, like Robie implied, and that she wanted Andrea beside her. She wondered idly how long she'd been in the hospital.

Ashleigh was bending over her, smoothing back her hair. Cassidy looked into her eyes and saw her love, her friendship there. She wanted to talk, and bit down on the tube again, making a slight noise. Ashleigh, whose face was close to Cassidy's, saw the movement of her jaw. "We'll take this out soon, honey, don’t bite it." She said softly, tapping on the tube very softly with an index finger.

Cassidy closed her eyes softly, and straightened her head, feeling very tired. She fell asleep quickly, feeling comforted by Ashleigh's hand smoothing her hair away from her forehead.

Outside in the hallway, Robie threw herself into Ashleigh's arms and cried with happiness. "Oh, Ashleigh," She gasped, the tears trickling down her cheeks and staining Ashleigh's scrub shirt. "Thank you, thank you!" She whispered softly, feeling Ashleigh's strong arms enfold her.

Ashleigh tried not to feel nervous at the feel of Robie's voluptuous body pressing dangerously against hers. Her body responded; a chill ran up and down her spine, but she fought the sexual urge Robie's body awakened. "Don’t thank me, Robie, thank God." She said softly, her voice trembling slightly. She'd been fighting her interest in Robie, knowing a little of her history. She knew that Robie had been in a relationship for a long time and that she still carried a torch for this woman, because they hadn't ended in a bad way. It was a mutual decision.

So Ashleigh had no way of being with Robie in a love kind of way. The way she suspected she wanted Robie, despite the fact that they hardly knew each other. She ran her fingers through Robie's hair, pulling her face close to her shoulder.

Robie's hands pressed flat against Ashleigh's back, she was suddenly very aware of Ashleigh's firm body pressed against hers. She pulled back, and looked up at Ashleigh, meeting her eyes. She felt a shiver run through her body when she saw the look in Ashleigh's green eyes. It was a look of unmistakable desire that Ashleigh was struggling to control. Robie moved her hands up along her shoulders and cupped her head, sifting her fingers through the soft short hair. "You're very attractive, Ashleigh." Robie whispered softly, knowing the truth of her growing attraction to Ashleigh.

Ashleigh swallowed deeply, her eyes trailing from Robie's eyes to her lips. Lips that were thick and pouted slightly at the bottom. "I-" She tried to say, her voice broke. Robie didn’t give her chance to continue as she pulled her head down and kissed her softly. Ashleigh groaned softly, and kissed her back tentatively, but when Robie inserted her tongue deep into her mouth, she couldn't help but respond. So they stood in the hall, kissing deeply, for a very long time. A nurse, on her way to Cassidy's room for a routine checkup, grinned and coughed politely and pointedly. She stepped inside the room with a smile on her face.

Ashleigh and Robie practically jerked away from each other in shock; their cheeks flushed red. They stared at each other with wide, surprised eyes, not knowing what to say. Robie could see her lipstick smudged all over Ashleigh's sensuous lips, and couldn't help but want to kiss her again. She moved forward again, and Ashleigh did too, putting a hand softly on her shoulder, then cupping her neck tenderly. Robie shivered, closing her eyes tightly at the feeling of desire that coursed through her body. She could practically feel Ashleigh's lips on hers once again, but they never came.

"Robie," Ashleigh said softly instead, and Robie thought with disappointment she would be rejected. "I'd like to know you better, because I've had a crush on you for the longest time." She smiled down at Robie, looking into her eyes.

Robie beamed, and grinned up at Ashleigh. "I've had a crush on you too," She said softly, her eyes taking in Ashleigh's strong features and moving down and taking in the muscular, lithe body. "When can we have dinner, Ashleigh?" She asked breathlessly, meeting Ashleigh's eyes.

Ashleigh laughed softly, and shook her head. "If I knew it would be this easy," She said softly, pulling her a little closer. "I wouldn't have been struggling so hard to control myself." She chuckled.

Robie feigned feeling indignant, crossing her arms over her beautiful chest and mock glaring up at Ashleigh. "Oh, so now I'm easy." She said.

Ashleigh threw her hands up in a peace gesture, shaking her head. "Hey, I didn't say that now." She said with a chuckle. She moved closer again, and tilted Robie's head with a long finger under her chin. "You're not easy at all, Robie." She whispered, and leaned closer to kiss her softly on the lips. "Now, about that dinner," She said softly, looking into her eyes. "As soon as we have Cassidy under control." She laughed. "She has one big family, and we all need to set her straight. You know?"

"Well we don’t want Cassidy straight now, do we?" Robie kidded, laughing throatily. Ashleigh joined in her laughter. But then she nodded in agreement, and smiled sensuously up at Ashleigh. "We'll have fun, Ashleigh." She promised in a low voice, lifting a finger and teasing the cleft on Ashleigh's chin. She chuckled sensuously when Ashleigh blushed deeply from her throat to her hairline. Then she took a deep sobering breath and sighed. "I can't wait to see Andrea's face." Both women went back into Cassidy's room; Ashleigh wrapped her arm around Robie's waist.

George was bent over the crying Cassidy, her lips pressed against her forehead softly. She was crying softly, the tears dripping onto her friend's forehead as she whispered softly: "I'm so happy, Cassidy, you don’t know how happy I am right now." She kept saying this over and over again. She'd received the call about two hours before when Robie had tearfully called her with the news. She had abandoned whatever she had been doing, working on a design, and left her home office in a hurry.

On her way over to the hospital, George called Gretchen from her car phone, and left a message. Gretchen was in the courthouse across the street from her office, working on a case. She also tried to call Andrea, but there was no answer from her cellular. A given, since George knew that she would be in class, but she tried nevertheless. She left a message in the mailbox at the school and continued on her way to the hospital.

What she found was a completely conscious Cassidy; laying with eyes wide open, listening to Robie talk to her and responding with little gestures of her hands. She couldn’t control the tears that flooded her eyes, and rushed over to the bed.

Presently, she was passing her hand softly over her hair, speaking to her softly. Cassidy's eyes opened, and George wiped away the tears that had traveled down her temples. "Are you okay? Do you feel okay?" She asked in frantic whispering. Cassidy's golden brown eyes met hers and she blinked a yes. George turned towards Robie with wide questioning eyes. "When is Ashleigh taking this thing off her?" She demanded in her Australian accent, pointing at the tube going into Cassidy's mouth.

Robie smiled at George's impatience and informed her. "This evening, she thinks that maybe now that Cassidy's conscious, her lungs will be able to hold their own. She checked her out, and they sound strong, her breathing is not shallow any more." She explained with a smile. She'd taken the rest of the day off when Cassidy had woken, and stayed with her since.

George turned back to Cassidy and smiled tenderly at her. "You know," She said softly. "You are one stupid bitch."

Cassidy closed her eyes, wanting to laugh, but she knew she'd choke if she did. Robie laughed outright, leaning forward and slapping George on a buttock playfully. "Jesus, George, you're too much." She chided.

George laughed. "But its true," She said emphatically. She wagged a finger at Cassidy. "Andrea is coming today, you know. She comes here every day for you, and she loves you, you imp." She poked Cassidy's straight nose softly, and met her eyes. "You better not fuck it up this time. Understood? Because I'll put you in the hospital again, Cassidy."

Cassidy blinked a yes. She felt so happy to have her friends there with her, and she couldn’t wait to lay eyes on Andrea. She felt like a real idiot, having pushed everyone whom loved her away. She promised herself she wouldn't do it again, it took her brush with death to realize what was more important. Fear or love were her choices. Of course, love won out.

Ashleigh came in a few minutes, rolling a tall table like thing in with her. On top of it was a cylinder like tube that measured breath for patients who had been in need of respiratory aid, or that had been laying down for a long period of time. There were also surgical scissors, and other assorted items. There was also a bowl shaped plate, and a cup of water.

She found Robie and George laughing. "Now what is so funny, if I may ask?" She demanded good-naturedly, smiling softly. She sent a special smile at Robie, full of promises and desire, and George didn’t miss it. Ashleigh looked at Cassidy, and walked towards her with a smile, trailing the little table with her.

George moved to stand beside Robie.

"I'm going to take this thing off, babe." Ashleigh said gently, tapping the long tube. Cassidy blinked her understanding. Ashleigh bent over her, eyeing and touching around the tape with intense concentration, getting an idea of how much the tape was stuck to Cassidy's skin. "Hopefully, there won't be any rashes. I'll give you a lotion to apply to your skin, it should definitely be dry." She said thoughtfully, and then proceeded to pull the tape off slowly. After all the tape was painfully removed, Ashleigh forced Cassidy's mouth open wider with a gloved finger over each lip, peering into her mouth around the tube.

She pressed the bell above the bed, and a minute later a dark haired, slim young nurse came into the room. "Yes, doctor?" She said pleasantly.

Ashleigh gestured her closer. "Put some gloves on, Ms. DeFranc, you're going to help me remove this tube." She said. "Come here." The nurse obeyed, moving closer to the bed as she donned the gloves. "Okay," Ashleigh said, and smiled down at Cassidy. "You're going to grab her jaw like this, and keep her mouth open. I'll pull the tube out and the rest is history. Okay?" The nurse nodded. "Cassidy, do what I tell you. Take a deep breath and hold it. Good, and now exhale." As Cassidy did so, Ashleigh pulled the tube out.

Seconds later, Cassidy was sitting up in bed and coughing up thick phlegm into the bowl, going back and forth between spitting and sucking air in from the cylinder tube. She inhaled as deep as she could go, and gagged, more phlegm coming up from her lungs. "Oh, God!" She gasped groggily; she was already feeling tired. She spit more and then could not any more. "I can't any more, Ash." She groaned, feeling an uncomfortable pain in her stomach.

"Just a little more, Cas." George said soothingly, sitting at the foot of the bed, rubbing her leg softly.

Cassidy smiled at her friends and completed the task of getting her lungs to work again, no unwanted fluids inside them.

Carey stood leaning against her red Ford Mustang, twirling her keys with a finger, waiting for her daughter outside the high school. The youth hadn't come out yet, but Carey knew that in about five minutes they would be tearing out through the exit. She stood thinking of the Cassidy and Andrea problem, musing about what a fool Cassidy Monsignor had been. Andrea was the woman of anyone's dreams, and more, and Carey would give an arm and a leg to be given the opportunity to be Andrea's lover.

Roseanne came out accompanied by two pretty girls flanking her, she looked a little stressed as they each tried to get her attention. Carey frowned, confused as to what was happening. Roseanne saw Carey, and fastened her pace towards her mother, grinning. "Hi, mom!" She said with her rambunctious voice, her blue eyes twinkled. Both girls stood silently by her side, and smiled at Carey shyly. "Mum, this is Jenya Field," She pointed at the black haired, nicely bodied young woman. "And this is Manuela Montero." She pointed to the pretty auburn haired young woman at her other side.

Carey nodded slowly, her eyes widening knowingly. Andrea had told her a little about both girls and their situations with Roseanne. "Hello, girls." She said softly. She caught the pleading look in Roseanne's blue eyes, and grinned mischievously. "Care for some ice cream, girls?" She offered.

Manuela seemed sad, she bit her lower lip and said: "I have to go home, Mrs. Mitchell, my mom keeps a tab on me." She smiled softly at Roseanne, touching her shoulder softly. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

Roseanne smiled shyly at her. "Yeah." She said, and waved to her as Manuela walked away, looking back. She turned to look at Jenya, who was fidgeting a little. "What about you?" Roseanne asked.

"I have practice, you know that." Jenya said, looking very sorry. Then she seemed to make up her mind. "I won't go."

Carey lifted her hand. She said: "Now, now, young lady. You can't miss practice. If I'm correct, this affects your grade, no?" Jenya nodded. "In any case, I need to speak with my daughter. I'm sure you always find time to be with her in school." She extended her hand and Jenya took it. "It was great meeting you, we'll definitely see each other again, if you visit our home. Now have a good day, and off with you to practice."

After Jenya left, Roseanne laughed softly as she got into the car. "So what are we gonna do, Mum?" She asked, pulling the seatbelt over her chest and lap, clicking it in place.

Carey climbed into the driver's side and pulled her seatbelt on too. She slipped the car key into the ignition. She ran her hand through her short curly hair, leaning an elbow against the steering wheel and smiling at her daughter. "We're going to talk, that’s what we're doing." She said, turning the ignition. The mustang rumbled to life, and she pulled off.

Roseanne smiled at her mother, asking: "What about?" She liked talking to her mother; her mother could be so cool sometimes.

Carey grinned, and glanced at her daughter with a tender expression. "About those two girls, and what you're doing to solve the situation among you girls." She said, turning at the corner.

"Aww, Mum, let me deal with that please." She said whiningly. "I like both of them, and they are kind of willing to bear with me for a while."

Carey laughed softly. "But for how long, Rose?" She asked, pulling into a parking spot. She turned towards her daughter and leaned an elbow against the steering wheel. "Their feelings will be hurt, or maybe yours. Do you understand, Roseanne? Maybe they won't want to wait for you for such and such time, maybe they'll grow tired. I think you have to make your decision soon."

Roseanne's eyes widened, and she bit the inside of her cheek softly. "Thanks, mum." She said after a few moments of silence. "I have to think about it, really. I want to make the right decision. I like them both a lot and I'm very confused." She bit her lower lip softly, and golden eyebrows crunching together. "I really don’t need pressure." She looked frustrated, her eyes filling with tears.

Carey caught her tears and nodded, then she stared straight ahead. "I understand." She said in a low voice. "But I'm trying to help you, baby girl," She continued sweetly, reaching over with one hand and squeezing Roseanne's. "I don’t want my baby to be hurt, is that understandable?"

Roseanne nodded. "Yeah," She said softly, and wiped her teary eyes with her sleeve.

Suddenly, Carey laughed. "I don’t know how you do it, honey," She teased, and Roseanne smiled. "But you need to teach me the art of juggling two women. I mean," She said with a chuckle. "To be able to be honest with them, and get away with it." She laughed outright. "You're too much, I thought your father and I taught you better."

"You did, mum. That's why I was honest with both of them, but I'll make a decision soon, I promise." Roseanne replied.

"I believe in you." Carey said squeezing her hand again, and then she slapped the steering wheel softly. "Now, lets go eat a little something before we go back and pick Andrea up. We are going with her to visit her friend Cassidy. I don’t know if you know that she's very ill."

Andrea walked into Cassidy's empty hospital room, and was momentarily confused when she saw that the bed was empty. And then realization slammed through her violently. A shot of fear sliced through her whole body; her heart skipped a beat. Where was Cassidy? Could she have…? No! Her mind screamed. Just the thought of Cassidy dying sent a stab through her heart. Her eyes filled up with tears and her legs weakened as she let forth a ragged sob, dropping her purse heavily on the floor. Her body shut down, and she was on the verge of loosing her mind.

Carey, who was right behind her, grabbed her arms and held her up. "Andrea," She said. "What is wrong with you, woman?"

Andrea pointed with a shaky hand towards the empty bed, and Carey blinked in confusion. "Cassidy!" Andrea sobbed, and she fell to her knees heavily. The tears trickled thickly down her cheeks, and she couldn't control the sobs that tore from her body. Carey tried to soothe her by saying that there must be some mistake, and that she shouldn't jump to conclusions. But Andrea was beyond understanding her words. "Oh, God, Carey, what will I do without her?" She moaned in despair, not accepting the thought that Cassidy could be dead. "No!" She screamed, wrenching herself free of Carey's arms.

A startled Cassidy emerged unsteadily from the bathroom upon hearing the scream, her eyes circling the room and ending up on Andrea. They filled with tears, and her body shook. Andrea gasped at the sight of her and cried even harder. "Cassidy!" She sobbed, opening her arms to her. She was so weak, she couldn't get up to her feet.

Carey gasped behind Andrea, and she smiled at Cassidy. "See? I knew there had to be some mistake." She said softly, grinning now.

"Andy." Cassidy said hoarsely, moving towards her slowly, her arms outstretched. She looked roughed, with her hair in a long braid, her body noticeably thinner beneath the hospital gown, and her cheeks slightly hollowed out. Still, she looked beautiful and strong, despite her weakness and thinness. "Andy, oh God!" She whispered hoarsely, the tears leaving her eyes in hot trails down her cheeks.

Andrea gasped tearfully, struggling to her feet with the help of Carey. "Cassidy." She whispered as Cassidy walked into her arms, wrapping her own tightly around her. "Oh my God, Cassidy! I thought you were gone, I thought you'd left me!" She sobbed against her ear, holding her tightly to herself. "I love you, Cassidy, I'm so in love with you! Oh God!"

Carey smiled softly, and left the room, pulling and locking the door after herself.

Cassidy's arms tightened as hard as they could, and she sobbed hoarsely, her voice raspy from going on unused. Andrea pulled back, cupping Cassidy's head with her hands and looking up into her eyes. The sweetness in Cassidy's golden brown eyes intoxicated her, possessed her and she was surrendering to their golden hue. She pulled Cassidy's head lower, and pressed her lips softly against hers. She trembled when Cassidy's smooth lips responded to hers, when they opened to allow her silky tongue passage.

Andrea could taste the salt of their tears mingled with the taste of the toothpaste Cassidy had just used. Their lips pressed together hard and passionately, their breathing grew fast and raspy. Their kiss was erotically wild, wet, and full of love and wanting. Hungrily, Cassidy claimed Andrea's lips, and it was as if no time had passed since they'd last been together. It was as if there had been no separation. She knew she'd been stupid, and she had hardly been able to wait until Andrea would arrive to see her.

They pulled their lips apart, and Cassidy rested her cheek against Andrea's softly, breathing hard and fast. "Oh, Andy." She whispered softly, feeling her body ignite with sexual energy and love. "We," She continued, tightening her arms around her. "We need to talk, I have a lot to tell you. I have been an idiot, baby, I have. I love you more than anything in this world, more than my own life."

Andrea pulled back and met her eyes. "You have to love yourself, baby. Because I can't take another scare like this one, when you collapsed in front of me like that-" She burst into tears again.

Cassidy pulled her into her arms again and cradled her face against her chest. Andrea grasped her, her hands on her back grasping the hospital robe frantically as she tried to pull her impossibly closer. She wanted Cassidy closer, wanted her inside. She needed her badly, and she resolved herself to never let her go. She complied as Cassidy pulled her towards the hospital bed, a sudden need consuming them.

Cassidy didn't care where they were. She wanted Andrea now. Her hands were already touching, caressing the silky smooth skin of Andrea's neck, her face. She became hypnotized with the feel of the smooth flawless skin that was breaking out in sweat beneath her fingers.

Andrea gasped, reaching frantically beneath Cassidy's hospital robe and touching the nude smooth skin. Cassidy gasped, trembling, running her fingers to the back of Andrea's neck and grasping the soft hair as she pulled her for a deep kiss. Her tongue was exploring, commanding, and she was taking full charge of their passion. Pushing her to lay across the bed, she positioned herself on top of her, feeling Andrea's soft fingers glide across the defined muscles of her bare back. She kissed her neck and whispered against her ear: "I am so in love with you, Andy, you don't know how much I have tried not to be." She kissed her graceful neck again softly, licking the sensitive skin below her ear.

She began to open her shirt very slowly, looking deeply into her eyes as she allowed her fingers to touch her skin as she unbuttoned. Andrea's eyes were half closed, her breathing was erratic, and she was feverishly helping Cassidy open her shirt. Their fingers rubbed together as they strained against the seemingly infinite buttons and Andrea groaned passionately, pulling Cassidy down and kissing her lips hard.

Cassidy's trembling fingers finished the task of opening her shirt and were teasing over the bra-covered nipples. Andrea gasped loudly, her tongue licking Cassidy's lips softly. Her body was moving against Cassidy's, her back arched and she offered her breasts to Cassidy's hands. Cassidy sucked Andrea's tongue into her mouth as her hand cupped a full aching breast. Desire was burning through their bodies; passion was fire in their blood. Cassidy's trembling hand was moving lower, palm pressing against Andrea's quivering stomach and fingers going beneath the waistband of her slacks.

Andrea's stomach quivered harder, her legs spread and hung off the bed, and she unbuttoned her pants to allow Cassidy's hand more room to move in. Cassidy's fingers stroked the immense wetness between Andrea's legs, and her other arm moved beneath Andrea's neck to cradle her head as she kissed her. Andrea groaned as Cassidy's fingers moved against her clitoris, she threw her head back and cried out throatily as Cassidy entered her. She threw an arm around Cassidy's neck, and pressed her lips tighter against hers. "Oh, yes!" She gasped against her hot mouth, moving her hips fast and hard to meet Cassidy's fingers inside her.

She was trembling, her whole body quivering out of control, her passion unleashed. She was crying out throatily, grasping Cassidy's shoulder with her free hand and concentrating only on Cassidy's hand between her legs. She lost herself in Cassidy's touch, and was incandescent in her arms. She was helpless to the orgasms running through her body, oblivious to anything but Cassidy's fingers in her.

Carey leaned casually against the wall outside of Cassidy's room despite the fact that she could hear Andrea's throaty cries. She stood with a leg crossed over the other, and her eyes concentrating on her perfectly manicured fingernails. George, Gretchen and Robie were coming down the hall slowly, walking close together, smiling happily at each other as they chatted. Carey eyed them curiously, her eyebrows arching softly, her blue eyes amused. George noticed her standing next to the door as they stopped in front of it, and frowned slightly. She reached out a hand to take the doorknob to Cassidy's room and twist it. Carey advised in her distinctive Irish brogue, with an amused expression on her face: "I wouldn't go in there, if I were you." She smiled at all of them.

George, being much taller, looked down at her suspiciously, frowning as she moved again to the door. Gretchen studied Carey guardedly, wondering who she was. And Robie stood with her arms crossed over her chest, eyeing her seriously. "Who are you?" Gretchen asked, a hand on her hip, her voice demanding.

Carey smiled at them, a charming smile that said, I come in peace, women. "I'm a friend of Andrea's," She said with a knowing arch to her eyebrows. "And she's in there." She jerked a thumb in the direction of the door. "When I left them, they were in no condition to be bothered, trust me." She laughed, and then grinned openly at all of them.

George smiled knowingly, hearing noise from within since she was close to the door. Also, upon recognizing Carey as a lesbian, she offered her hand as she apologized and introduced herself. Carey accepted it with her considerably smaller hand and shook it firmly, introducing herself to all of them also. "So why don’t we all go and have some coffee." She suggested, slipping her hands into her pockets and rocking slightly on her feet.

George agreed, and Gretchen eyed her curiously as George guided her down the hall with a hand on her back. Robie seemed curious also, but still followed them too. Neither one of them had gotten the point. "Maybe we can find Ashleigh, see if she's not busy…" Robie was saying as they walked away.