“Hello!!” Alex called from the living room.

“We'll be right down!” Doc called down to him, then shut the bedroom door.

“Holy crap, that was close, Doc!” I said to him. “A minute earlier and we'd have still been in the exam room!”

“I know, hon! Time sure got away from us!” He got me changed and we went downstairs. Doc put on a pot of coffee and checked our supper, which was in the slow cooker. We sat down at the kitchen table.

“What did you two do all day?” Alex asked us. I blushed.

“Just relaxed”, Doc replied. “Meredith was under orders to stay upstairs and off her feet.”

“She complied?”

“For once.” I playfully swatted him.

“What's going on tomorrow, Julian?

“We have to be at court for 9am. There's a possibility I might testify tomorrow but most likely not until Friday. We were thinking of staying at the apartment tomorrow night, if you and Deanna are okay being here alone.”

“Of course we are”, Deanna said. “Do you take Jessie with you?”

“We can if you would like us to”, I told her. “But we don't usually. She doesn't like it in the city.”

“Leave her here, Meredith. She is no trouble and her and Heidi get along so well. One more dog to put food down for or let out is not a problem.”

Doc and I left for the city around 8am the next day. It was only a half hour drive, but he likes to be early when he has to go somewhere. I love him dearly but that part of him drives me nuts at times. I'm more of a get there in the nick of time person.

We found Max Carlson, the Crown Attorney, and he told us the police were still testifying and that we would most likely not be needed that day. Doc asked him if he could take me to the apartment rather than have me sit around the court house. He suggested we both go or do whatever we wanted as long as we stayed in the city. He said he would call Doc if it looked like he would have to take the stand.

Doc wanted to go check in at his clinic and make sure everything was all right. I insisted on going, too. I did not want to sit around the apartment alone if I could help it. Ms Jamieson and the other doctors there were happy to see us. Everything was going well and Doc stepped in and saw a couple patients that were his patients but booked in with Nick because of him being on leave. That let Nick spend a bit more time with his own patients. I sat in Doc's office and played around on the 'net, something I don't get to do a lot of.

Doc had called Rick and he put together a lunch and delivered it for the whole staff. The clinic shuts down over the lunch hour, so we were all able to have a leisurely meal. It sure took my mind off the court case.

Nobody wanted to take any leftovers home, so Doc and I took them to the apartment to have for supper. We spent the afternoon just sitting around and enjoying each other's company. Max called Doc late in the day and said we would most likely not be needed the next day, so to stay home unless he called us. He said Doc would probably testify Monday and he expected that to take all day.

He was right, we were not needed on Friday. Max called at 3pm and said we could go home to the farm for the weekend if we wanted. Yes, we wanted!

I was so glad to be back at the farm with my animals. Doc was letting me walk a bit on the sprained ankle that was pretty much pain free by now. I still had to stay off my other foot, though. We had taken Scruffy to the apartment with us as she couldn't be handled by anyone but me. Doc wasn't thrilled to have a squirrel in his apartment, but he knew better than to argue about it. Scruffy did her part and used the litter box and did not destroy anything.

Her pain was much better, and consequently, she wanted to be out of her carrier more. Doc was more strict about that than I was and I don't think it was only because he didn't want her running around and getting on his expensive furniture. He was genuinely looking out for her best interest and as an MD, he knew the importance of following medical orders. I, being the non compliant one, wanted to let her out more.

Scruffy was glad to be back at the farm, but we'd be taking her with us to the city again on Monday and she would have to be in her carrier while we were at court. They were pretty sure Doc would be on the stand all day and possibly part of the day Tuesday. There was talk of separating us for the night. Doc told them in no uncertain terms that that was not acceptable and they backed down.

The weekend went by all too fast and soon Monday morning was upon us. We drove back to the city in time for Doc to drop Scruffy and I off at the apartment. He insisted I stay there while he was testifying as he felt it best that I not be at the courthouse. “You'll just be bored anyway, hon. They won't let you in the courtroom and they won't let us have contact during breaks. Alex is going to be there to support me and he'll be there when you testify, too.” Alex and Deanna had rearranged their schedules so they could be there while we testified.

I was a nervous wreck all day Monday. Alex called me when the court recessed for lunch to see how I was doing. He didn't want to say much when I asked how Doc was. All he would say was that he would be staying at the end of the day to talk to Julian and that he would need lots of TLC when he got home. That made me even more of a wreck.

Finally, just after 6pm, I heard Doc's key in the lock. I got up from the sofa and almost ran to the door without my crutches. I didn't care, I just wanted to give him a big hug. “Meredith...” he said when he saw me walking on both feet.

“I don't want to hear it, Doc. You need a hug and I can't give you one standing on crutches. Now shut up and let me hug you.” We must have stood there for at least five minutes. He clung to me and I knew he was crying. After a while, he picked me up and carried me to the sofa. We both sat down. I was closest to the end table and handed him the box of tissues, figuring his handkerchief was probably dirty. “When you're ready, tell me about it, honey.”

“I can't tell you a lot, Meredith. They don't want us talking about it until I'm off the stand, though they know that since we're a soon-to-be-married couple, they can't really stop us. I promised Max I would say as little as possible about it. It was pretty hard and thank God Alex was there. He talked to me when the court was in recess and kept me grounded. It was all I could do to stop myself from going over to the defence table and choking Jane. I'll warn you, hon. She sits there looking smug the whole day. Like she's happy I'm going through the hell of reliving what she did to you.”

“Did they ask you about what she did to you all those years ago?”

“Yes. Max did. He was afraid her lawyer would bring it up on cross examination and try to make it look like it was all consensual.”

“You mean the beatings?”

“Yes. The Crown also needed to establish that she had violent tendencies long before you were in the picture.”

“Doc, I'm so sorry, honey.” My heart was breaking for him. “If I ever get the chance, I'm grinding her face into the ground for what she's done to you.”

“Don't worry about me, Meredith. I'll be all right. Alex talked to me for a while after we were done for the day. It helped a lot. I'm just worried about how hard testifying is going to be on you.”

“I will be fine, Julian.” I was already formulating a plan to get Jane's goat when I took the stand. I had to do it innocently, though, without the Crown or her lawyer suspecting it was deliberate. As it turned out, Max gave me the perfect opportunity.

Just then, the buzzer went off. Doc got up to answer it. It was Alex and Deanna so he buzzed them in. They came up and Alex said that they were going to take a hotel room for the night so they would be close to us if we needed them. They had called Karen, and Chey would stay at the farm and take care of the dogs.

“Don't get a hotel room”, Doc told them. “There's a spare room here.” He had replaced the bed in the guest room with one that was a lot more comfortable.

“We don't want to impose”, Deanna said.

“You aren't, Deanna”, I piped up. “In fact, we'd love to have you. I made a great big crock pot of chili today, so let's go to the kitchen and have supper.”

After supper, I let Scruffy out to stretch her legs. She was getting to the point where she'd sit on Doc's shoulder but wasn't quite ready to let him pet her. The first time she jumped up on him, he looked like he was going to raise holy hell, but I gave him a look that would kill. In a low voice, so as not to startle my squirrel, I said to him “If you want her to accept you, you have to let her sit there (on his shoulder).” To his credit, he settled down and I think even liked the fact that she was starting to trust him. She wasn't quite there with Alex and Deanna, but she didn't run and hide in their presence either.

After she did her business in the litter box, she came out to the living room and sat in my lap. Alex was talking to Doc and I about court and Doc was getting upset again. I think Scruffy sensed that he was upset as she got off my lap and onto his. She crawled up his shirt and nestled her head in his neck, almost as if to hug him in the only way she could. I smiled at Doc. “She's trying to console you, honey. Just let her lie there.”

Doc raised his arm and put his hand on the squirrel. I thought he was going to pull her off of him, but he didn't. He began to pet her. I knew at that moment that Scruffy had fully accepted him and him her. The squirrel ended up falling asleep on Doc and he had to carry her to her carrier when we retired for the night.

It was almost a certainty that I would begin my testimony the next day, so when we went to bed, Doc gave me a sedative that Alex had ordered. He wanted to make sure I didn't toss and turn all night.

I went to the courthouse with Doc the next day. I brought my notebook computer to play around on while I waited out in the hallway. I had been warned about looking at media sites – I was not to do it. Which wasn't a big deal, except for the fact that I was curious about what they were saying.

Doc finished testifying around 11:30 so they recessed for lunch early instead of having me start so close to noon. We went home to check on Scruffy – Alex and Deanna came with us and Doc served us lunch. He was glad to be done testifying but he was worried about me taking the stand. I acted as cool as I could as I did not want to worry him any more than he already was.

Court was back in session at 1pm. The Crown called me up as the next witness. A court officer wheeled me up to the witness stand. Even though I was walking around on crutches at home, Doc wanted me in the chair when we were out. I heard Max tell the judge that the reason I was in the chair had nothing to do with the case. There was no jury, it was just a judge deciding if it went to trial or not.

The court officer helped me out of the wheelchair and into the chair on the witness stand. I was sworn in. Jane was at the defence table with her lawyer, looking smug, as Doc had said. Max asked me some questions about myself – my full name, age, what I did for a living, where I lived – and then the one that gave me my opportunity to take that bitch down a peg or two. “What is your relation to the defendant?”

“She's my fiance's ex”, I said. I wanted to somehow let her see my ring, but that would have been too obvious. I didn't need to, though. She heard the word 'fiance' and freaked. Evidently, she didn't know that Doc and I were engaged. I didn't think she did. Her face turned beet red with anger. She stood up and ran around the table and headed toward me. “You c....”, she yelled. I won't repeat the name she called me, it is not fit for print. Court officers went for her and restrained her. Another officer stood beside me, ready to take me out of the room if need be. Doc had got up out of his seat in the galley but Alex grabbed him and got him to sit back down.

Jane was handcuffed and taken out of the courtroom. The judge called for order. He instructed her lawyer to go calm her down and said if he couldn't get her to settle down, she would not be allowed back in the room. Ten minutes later, she was led back in and placed in the secure prisoner's box. That was almost right beside me. Perfect. I took every opportunity possible to hold my left hand in such a way that she would see the ring if she was looking at me. Being left handed helped. I could brush hair away from my face with that hand or scratch my cheek etc without it looking like I was being obvious. I knew it was driving her nuts and that made it easier to get through my testimony, which was gruelling.

I had to tell the judge everything – of how Jane would call me and hang up when I answered, the fight at the apartment, the surgeries, the snake in the hospital, going to the safe house and her finding us, getting hit by the car, having another surgery, her tormenting me at the hospital with sending messages of “down but not out”, of running away and spending two days behind bales of straw in my barn, afraid that she was coming after me. I had to go over everything in as much detail as I could remember. Reliving it all was hell and I hated that I had to admit on the stand how badly she had freaked me out.

I was on the stand for two and a half long, horrendous days. The last half day was the cross examination. Jane's lawyer tried to make it look like she was the injured one and that I was somehow forcing Doc to be with me. Max said they were just grasping at straws. I think Jane knew she was not going to win and just wanted to make myself – and possibly Doc – relive the horror of those couple months again.

I kept my cool on the stand, but inside I was a wreck. Alex talked to me during court recesses and at the end of each day. Thank God for him and Doc. Without them, I'd have gone around the bend. But it was finally over. Doc and I decided to go back the next day, Friday, to listen to the cops from the safe house give their testimony. They weren't able to be there before we testified as they had court in Vancouver on another case, so they gave their testimony after us.

We weren't allowed to talk to them during recesses but we were able to after they were finished. They weren't on the stand very long as they were only testifying about what happened at the safe house. Doc wanted to take Randall and Dana out for supper, but they declined as they didn't want to give any impression of being bought. They said we'd get together after the trial was over or, if Jane changed her plea, after that.

We decided to go back to the farm and stay there. Neither of us was interested in spending another day watching the court proceedings. Max said he'd keep us informed. Besides, Chad Watters' trial was to start the next Wednesday and we wanted to relax before that. I hated having to testify at both so close together, but at least it would get it over with.

I was itching to go for a ride, so I took Jack for a run Saturday afternoon. I didn't say a word to Doc as I knew he'd try to stop me. I *needed* to do this as I needed to release some pent up emotions. Running Jack always helped me do that – and it helped Jack too, as he needed a good run on a regular basis. Chey was doing that for me, but she wasn't able to this weekend.

Doc must have seen me ride Jack down the laneway, because I was partway down the road when he pulled up beside us. He motioned for me to stop. I refused. He got ahead of me and turned his car sideways to block the road. Thankfully there were no other cars on the road at the time. I had no choice but to pull Jack up. This did nothing for my mood.

“What the hell are you doing, Julian?” I asked him when he got out of his car.

“Get off the horse, Meredith.”

“No.”

“You are not to ride until your feet have healed. You know that. You snuck out on me without even telling me you were going.”

“I left you a note in the barn. You knew I'd gone out there.”

“You know you aren't to be on your broken foot.”

“Doc, please. Let us by. I need this ride today.” I was choking up. “I don't want to fight with you out here in the middle of the road.”

We stared at each other for a few minutes. Finally, he got back in his car. “Okay, Meredith”, he said. “Finish your ride. We will continue our discussion when you get home. At least you have your helmet on. Do you have your phone with you?”

“Yes, it's on vibrate. I don't want the sound of it ringing to startle Jack, though he's pretty bomb proof.”

“Okay, call me if you get thrown.”

An hour later, Jack and I were going down our laneway at a walk. I took him to the barn and after taking his tack off, rubbed him down, then put him in his stall with a blanket on. I'd brush him after he dried off. Karen arrived just as I was putting him in his stall. She was doing supper feeding for Chey.

“You are in deep shit”, she said to me.

“How so?”

“Julian is furious.”

“Let him be. I needed this ride.”

“I know it's been a hard couple weeks, Mer. Julian knows, too. But talk to him. Or to Alex.”

“I've been talking to Alex a lot, Karen. It helps, it really does. But I just needed to ride at breakneck speed.”

“I get you, Mer. There are times I need to do something, too. I chop wood when I need to let off steam. I know you aren't supposed to do that either. Go talk to Julian, though. He just wants what's best for you.”

“I know he does. But he “doctors” me too much.”

“He IS your doctor, Mer. You don't trust anyone else.”

“Except Steele.”

“But he's off a lot, so Julian steps in.”

“I know.”

“I agree that Julian sometimes doesn't know when to stop being your doctor and just be your fiance. Tell him that.”

“Oooooh, that would just start WWIII.”

“I don't think it would.”

I heard the barn door open. “Meredith!” Doc called.

“I'm in here, Doc!” I called back.

“Hi, Karen”, he said to her as he approached me. I was sitting on a stool. “Where are your crutches, Meredith?” I pointed to them. He got them and handed them to me. “In the house. Now.”

“Julian, can I talk to you for a minute?” Karen asked him.

“Sure, Karen. Get started, Meredith.”

I was seething and I almost flipped him the finger on my way out. How DARE he talk to me like that? I wanted to yell at him, but not in front of Karen. That wouldn't be right. So I headed for the house as fast as I could manage. I wanted to get there before him and lock myself in the bathroom. He caught up to me just as I was starting up the back steps.

“I want you to have a shower and then we will discuss your behaviour, Meredith.”

“I don't want a shower right now, Doc. And you aren't my father, so do not act like you are.” I walked down the hall to the kitchen where I got a can of pop from the fridge. As I reached for a glass in the cupboard, Doc appeared beside me and got it.

“Sit down. I'll get your ice.” I was tempted to just drink from the can but Doc hates that. I felt I'd antagonized him enough. So I sat down at the table. Alex and Deanna were having coffee.

“Need a referee?” Alex asked, sensing the mood.

“We just might, Alex”, Doc replied.

“Alex, you have been great to us and we really appreciate it”, I said. “But sometimes I just need to let off steam and today is one of those times.”

“Then let it off, Meredith. Tell Julian how you feel. And then listen while he tells you how he feels.”

“I'm tired of talking about how I feel, Alex.”

He sighed. “Meredith, who's the professional here?” I sat silent. “Well?”

“Alex, please. Do not shrink me right now.” I got up from the table.

“Where are you going?” Doc asked.

“Upstairs. I need to lie down for a bit.”

“Let her go”, Alex told Doc. “I think she needs to cool down a bit before you talk to her.” No shit, Sherlock, I thought.

I went up to our bedroom and unwrapped my feet (Doc was still wrapping the left one even though I was allowed to walk on it), then got out of my clothes and put them and the wraps in the laundry hamper. Next I went to the ensuite bathroom and ran water for a shower. Pissed off as I was at him, I still wouldn't get into our bed without showering after going for a ride. I knew what that would do to him. I had just gotten in and sat down on the seat when Doc opened the shower door. He was naked as a jaybird.

“Let me bathe you, hon”, he said as he stepped in to the tub. “We won't talk about what happened until you're ready.”

“Thank you, Doc.” I let him take the wash cloth and soap from me. He soaped it up and began bathing me. “I love you, Doc. No matter what we argue or fight about, how intense it gets or how long it lasts. I will never stop loving you.”

“I know, hon, and I feel the same. We've had a very stressful week. One of the most stressful of our relationship so far.”

After he bathed me and then himself, he dried us off and carried me out to the bedroom. He got a nightshirt from my dresser drawer and I put it on while he put on undies and an undershirt. Then he got clean wraps and wrapped my feet. Finally, we both got into bed for a nap. Doc wrapped his arms around me.

“Doc, I'm sorry I upset you, but I had to.”

“Had to go riding?”

“Yes. I needed it, had to run Jack at top speed. This week was just so...so ….horrid. Seeing Jane in there with that smug face and having to spend 2 ½ days reliving everything she did to us, and knowing how hard it was on you when you testified....I just needed a release.”

“I know, hon. It was hell on both of us and it's all my fault.”

“No, Doc, it's not your fault. It's Jane's fault.”

“I got involved with her.”

“Doesn't matter. Her actions are on HER. You need to talk to Alex, honey.”

“You do, too.”

“Maybe. But not right now. I need to sleep.”

“How is your foot?”

“Sore.”

“Want your pills?”

“Yes, I think so.” He rolled over and got the bottle from his nightstand. I took two with water I had on my nightstand. Then he wrapped his arms around me again and we both fell asleep for a while.

When I woke up, I found Doc looking at me. “Take a picture, Doc”, I joked. He reached over to his nightstand and got his phone and did exactly that. “Doc! It was a joke!”

“Consider it payback for the picture you took of me lying on the ground at Andrea's cabin.”

“You are bad, Doc.”

“But you love me, hon.”

“I sure do.”

“I half expected you to take your ring off and throw it at me out there on the road.”

“Oh no, Doc. No way. It did not even occur to me to do that. We're together for better or for worse. A fight isn't going to drive me away.”

“We haven't taken the vows yet.”

“No, but we are living as if we had. That means something. If you want to get rid of me, it's going to take a lot more than that.”

“I will never want to 'get rid' of you, Meredith. Never in a million years.”

“What about a million and one?”

“You are incorrigible.” He gave me a long passionate kiss, which made me super horny. I moved over and climbed on top of him, grinding myself into him and kissing him over and over. Suddenly, he grabbed me and flipped me over onto my back and we made love. I had to be careful to keep the noise down as Alex and Deanna were downstairs. Not an easy feat for me but I thought that I had managed to. Scruffy let us know she was not impressed, she chewed us out in her squirrel chatter.

Later, we got up and dressed and went downstairs. “I see you've made up already”, Alex quipped. “Did you even talk about things?”

“A little”, I said. Doc was blushing. I guess I must not have been as quiet as I'd thought I was. “Oh, come on, Doc. It's good to have a healthy sex life. Alex knows that. I'm sure he and Deanna are doing it in their bedroom.” Now Alex blushed.

“She's right”, he said. “A healthy sex life is imperative for a relationship to work. And that is my professional opinion. Come on, let's go eat supper. Deanna has it ready.” I had brought the squirrel down in her carrier so she could have some 'out' time after we ate. Or should I say Doc brought her down. I was on crutches. He set her on a TV tray in the dining room. My intention was to get her more used to Alex and Deanna, since they'd most likely be with us at least through the winter, so I had her be in the room when we ate dinner and then in the living room or TV room for the evening.

After supper, Deanna scooted us into the TV room while she cleaned up. Doc protested. “You cooked supper, let Alex and I do clean-up.”

“No, you three need to talk. You can cook tomorrow night, Julian.”

Doc took our coffee to the TV room, then went back for Scruffy. I let her out of the carrier and she sat on my lap. “Alex”, I said to him, “You don't need to play shrink tonight. We're fine.”

“Are you?” he asked.

“I'm not, Meredith”, Doc said. “I've calmed down a lot since earlier but I'm still ticked off at you.”

I sighed. “Doc, I told you – I needed that ride today.”

“You needed to stay off your broken foot and you can't get on a horse without putting your weight on it.”

“For a few seconds. Big whoop.”

“It will be a 'big whoop' if you do permanent damage to your foot. And I saw you riding – you were almost standing up in the stirrups.”

“Not quite, Doc. I was crouching.”

“Bad enough.”

“He's a former race horse. That's how he's run.”

“Which is another reason why you should not be running him until you are healed.”

“Julian, how do you blow off steam when you need to?” Alex asked.

“I never need to 'blow off steam', Alex.”

“Surely, you do.”

“If anything, I read.”

“You always read, Doc.”

“I suppose I do. But I never feel the need to blow off steam.”

“Julian, even if you don't ever feel the need, can you understand Meredith's need to?”

“I wish I could. If I could, we'd never have fought today.”

“What would you do if a patient told you that something was stressing her so much she had to do it?”

“I'd refer her to you, Alex.” We all laughed.

“Meredith, do you mind if I talk to Julian?” he asked.

“No, not at all. I'll go talk to Deanna in the kitchen.”

Later, when Doc and I went upstairs to bed, he said that Alex had got him to see my side a lot better. That was a relief. “But, hon, please don't just take off for a ride like that without telling me again. I know you left a note in the barn, but that's not the same.”

“As long as you promise to not freak out, Doc.”

I lay awake a long time that night, thinking about Watters' trial, which was to start in four days. I finally decided to quit thinking about that and think about how glad I was that Doc and I had made up. We had made that promise to never go to bed mad at each other and we had no intention of ever breaking it. To this day, we haven't. Well, except for the doozie we had a couple weeks later.