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Once Jessica knew that Seth was going to pull through, she finally admitted to herself that she was spitting mad at Eudora and all the people who had followed her to town. She knew that one of them had almost caused her to lose the one person she cared more for in this world. When Jessica left Seth that afternoon in the ICU when visiting hours were over, she considered throwing a tantrum demanding to stay. Even now that she was home, she considered going back to see him. All she would have to do is make a call to Mort. He would drive her to the hospital and even go in with her if she asked and tell whoever controlled the department to let her in.
She didn't though. Because she was going to determine who did this to him and see justice served. Then? Then, she was going to make sure that Seth knew she loved him.
It was time.
S/J
By the next afternoon, the murder was solved, Eudora's step-son was in custody and she and her entourage were headed back to New York. Jessica was never so glad to see people leave Cabot Cove.
She knew that Seth was fit to be tied. Wanting to be released from the hospital was the understatement of the year. Although he was no longer in ICU, they had held him for twenty-hours for observation to make absolutely sure he was alright. A decision that had him grumbling and complaining to everyone around, from what Jessica heard when she called to check on him earlier.
He was due to be released soon and Mort had called to tell her that he was on his way to pick her up and take her to the hospital.
Once they arrived, Seth was telling everyone within earshot to get him his discharge papers or he would get dressed and walk out anyway. He had already unhooked his own IV and had found his clothes in the cupboard of his room. He was sitting on the edge of the bed in his hospital gown, with his face growing red.
"Seth! Why are you giving grief to the nurses? You know they are doing their jobs."
"Jess, what are you doing here?"
"I'm taking you home."
"What?"
"Just what I said. I'm going to get you settled and fix dinner for you."
"Woman, I'm fine. I've been fine since last night."
"I know. But I'm still going to take you home. Don't argue."
Mort had not entered the hospital room, but still stood by the doorway. Seth eyed him warily, before he asked, "Can't you take her back home?"
"Seth Hazlitt! Don't you talk about me like I'm not in the room," Jessica interjected. She was not going anywhere, except home with Seth.
"Doc, I'm not getting into the middle of this, but I'm glad to see you are feeling better. I'll wait for you both in the car."
Before Seth could say anything further, Mort was gone.
A young nurse entered the room with the discharge paperwork. She started to explain the discharge instructions, before Seth said, "Young lady, I know what to do. Let me sign them."
She blushed, "Of course, Dr. Hazlitt. I'm only following protocol."
Seth had the grace to look abashed, "I'm sorry. Of course you are." He signed his name, handing the clipboard back to her. She took off the first page and handed it back to him to take with him. He waved her off, but Jessica stepped in and took the paper, slipping it into her purse.
When the nurse left the room, Seth turned to Jessica and asked her to leave the room, so he could dress.
"I'm not leaving the room, Seth, but I will turn around," which she demonstrated immediately, by turning her back to him.
He spluttered but must have realized that it would not get him anywhere, as she heard him stand and begin to dress. By the time he finished, she heard him sit back down on the edge of the bed.
"Seth?"
Sheepishly, he admitted, "It's against hospital protocol to let me walk out of here. I have to wait on a wheelchair."
She smiled at him, before she said, "I'm glad to hear it."
Within a few minutes, Jessica walked beside the orderly as Seth was wheeled out to the entrance and they both got into Mort's convertible. He drove them to Seth's house. When they got out of the car, Jessica held Seth's arm, despite him giving her a look that would have discouraged anyone else. Mort did not dare get on the other side of him, but he did follow them both inside and upstairs to make sure that they did not need further help. Satisfied that they would be alright, Mort told them both goodbye and was out the door.
Mort knew that Doc could be cranky at any time, but in this situation, he would prefer to stay far away. He knew that Mrs. F had her work cut out for her tonight.
S/J
Surveying Seth's upstairs apartment, Jessica took charge.
"Alright, Seth, why don't you go change into something comfortable and rest and I will make us dinner?"
"Jessica Fletcher, you may have inserted yourself into my house tonight and I will let you cook me dinner, but you will not order me around. All I have been doing the last twenty-four hours is resting and I'm not lying down again anytime soon!"
"Your curmudgeonly self sounds almost back to normal, dear," she said, smirking.
Dear? Did she just call him dear?
His face must have registered his surprise, because she walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him, resting her head against his shoulder, "Oh Seth, I am happy you are alright. You have no idea how terrified I was yesterday." She smelt heavenly, like lavender and vanilla. His own arms tightened around her reflexively.
"I saw you cry when they let you into my room. I didn't understand it at first. Of course, I didn't realize at the time what all had happened."
"Why don't you sit down at the kitchen table and I'll make us some coffee first and then dinner?"
He nodded, following her over to the table. She had been in his apartment a handful of times, but never to cook, so he directed her where to find everything and she set to work.
She found some fish filets from his last day of fishing in the freezer a week ago and set about defrosting them and making some broccoli and potatoes as sides. It was simple, but quick and filling.
When she set both of their plates on the table, sitting right next to him, her heart felt full. She wanted him to eat first, but she planned on telling him tonight how she felt about him. She thought he loved her, too. Well, that wasn't exactly true. She knew he loved her. Only, she wasn't sure he loved her in the same way she loved him.
They ate quietly beside each other. Seth cleaned his plate which made Jessica feel relief that he was truly on the mend.
When she found him unconscious in her kitchen yesterday, the whole of her life felt as though it was coming to an end. She had known at that moment in a way she never had before that she loved this man and she needed to do something about it.
"Jess, if you look on the top shelf of the refrigerator, there should be some peach cobbler. A patient brought me one this week and I've been having some of it every night."
She contemplated asking which patient, but it didn't matter. She cleared their plates, stacking them in the sink for later, before she poured a fresh cup of coffee for both of them and cut two slices of the cobbler.
"This is delicious."
"Ayuh."
Again, they were quiet as they ate. But when Seth took his last bite and set his fork down on the plate, he said, "Alright, Jess. I'm fine, woman. I know you solved the murder and those people are all gone. That's all the nurses talked about all afternoon. Now, what's on your mind?"
She swallowed her last bite, only having a small sliver for herself, before wiping her mouth with her napkin.
"Seth, I'm not going to beat around the bush."
"Good."
She nodded at him, but cleared her throat, as she felt a wave of anxiety go over her.
"Seth, I realized something yesterday."
"Oh?"
"I love you." She reached for his hand where it was on the table close to his coffee mug, rubbing his knuckles with her thumb. She looked down at their hands, too nervous to make eye contact still, as she began speaking. "I love you so much, Seth. When I found you yesterday and wasn't sure for the first few seconds if you were even alive still, I knew it. Then, when we found out the apples had been poisoned, I was angry at whoever had done that. I wasn't sure if it was Eudora or someone connected to her, but I was so angry. But by the time I went to bed last night, I realized I was even more angry at myself. How many opportunities have I had to figure this out before now and do something about it and I have squandered them all? Once I realized that I was solely to blame, then I had to turn the finger at myself. When I admitted it was my fault, I knew that I had to at least attempt to fix it." Now, she braved looking up at his hazel eyes, which were filled with love. "Seth, please tell me that you feel the same about me."
"Of course I do, woman. But you are wrong about one thing."
At her look of confusion, he continued, "You are not solely to blame, Jess. I share that blame. I have loved you for an eternity already it seems and I was too afraid to risk our friendship to tell you."
Her cheeks were pink as she stared at him. Without saying anything further, they leaned towards each other to kiss. Their lips were warm and soft. But the kiss was tentative and a bit stilted, filled with the anxiety of the past day.
When Seth moved away, he could see by the look on Jessica's face that it was not what she was hoping for, as her eyes clouded. But Seth only smiled, as he pulled her back to him, trying to coax her to relax against him as his mouth moved over hers, knowing instinctively that it would get him nowhere to try to force her lips apart. Yet, he knew that he needed to relax, too. He was an equal participant and he should not act as though he was not as nervous as she was.
This time, when he pulled away, her frustration was clear, as her eyes were focused on the table.
He reached out to touch her chin, lifting it to make eye contact.
"Jessica Fletcher, I love you with everything I am. Just because our first couple of kisses weren't earth shattering, doesn't mean they won't become that."
Shocked at his ability to read her mind, she sat up straight, before becoming defensive, "Seth, they were fine."
"Fine? I may not be Paul Newman, but no man wants to be told their kisses are only fine."
Her face turned bright red now, as she was obviously deeply embarrassed. But he was having none of it. He turned his chair closer to her, and pulled her out of hers and into his lap. Reaching to touch her cheek, he whispered, "Jess, I know you didn't date a lot before Frank, but kissing…good kissing, takes practice. And probably more importantly, we need to become comfortable and relaxed together. Hollywood makes it out to be like kissing and everything that goes with it should be magical from the moment it first happens. That's pure foolishness. This is completely new in our relationship. It's only natural that it will take some time and some practice to find out what we like and don't like. Besides, practicing can be quite enjoyable." He grinned at her mischievously, as he began to massage her shoulders, moving one hand down to the small of her back. "My dear, why don't we practice some more?"
This time, when he met her mouth, he could feel the difference in both of them. The kiss still felt tentative, but curious and explorative. Now that they were close enough for him to touch her body, he used that to his advantage, as he kept one hand on her cheek and the other, he moved from the small of her back to under her shirt, feeling her warm skin against his hand, causing both of their breaths to hitch and the intensity of their kiss to increase.
Neither pulled away until they needed oxygen and when he met her eyes this time, she smiled shyly.
"Better?" he asked, confident of her answer.
"Much," she said, trying to reach for him again.
He held her arms in place though and instead asked, "Why don't we move to the couch? I think we could practice much better there." With a wicked gleam in his eye, they stood and walked into the living room. He looked forward to a whole lot of practicing tonight.