AU - Backdraft

Worry gripped him, "Are you sure? I can stay here..."

Dita handed him his lunchbox and thermos, looking into his eyes, "J, I'm fine. I promise. Please, you are going to be late...I'll call you or the station if I need anything." She kissed his lips gently, "I love you."

Juice reluctantly left for the day. It seemed as though the day would never end while Dita was on his mind. When it was finally time to leave he hauled ass out of there. When he made it to their home in Manhattan he felt profound relief, until he got in the door.

The boys were screaming in their playpen and he could hear Trini crying in the hall. He raced around the corner.

Dita had been preparing lunch for Trini and her. She had just finished feeding the babies and put them down for naps. She had been progressively feeling worse as the day went along. She was on her way to get Trini when she collapsed halfway down the hallway. A cool sweat on her face and her skin a ghastly pale.

The food was burning in the oven; the house not neat and organized like it normally was. Dita had laid in the hall out cold for two hours at this point; Trini beside her in tears, stroking her mom's soft brown hair, "MOMMY?! MOMMY, WAKE UP! WAKE UP! PLEASE!!!"

When Juice saw his daughter sobbing over her mother he nearly lost it. He knew he had to be strong for Trini.

"Trini, baby, I need you to go out and stay with your brothers, Mommy's fine, I promise," he kissed her and sent her down the hall.

Immediately he called his own ladder, Morrpw answered, he told them what was going on and they rushed over. Dita's pulse was thready, but there. They rushed her to the hospital. Juice followed behind after calling his sister to babysit the boys and Trini.

He sat and sat and sat, Opie at his side as his wife was also in this hospital.

When they came out the whole family was there, minus Corrie. they told them that she had the family flaw. They had repaired it, but she had leaked quite a bit of blood and had needed a transfusion. She was still sleeping, but they allowed Juice into the room.

she looked so small and fragile in the bed. He felll hevaily into the chair beside her bed and held her hand.

It wasn't until an hour or so when Dita came to. She looked around the foreign room until her eyes fell on her husband, "...what...where...?"

"Don't move," his hands hovered near her chest protectively, "Your aorta nearly tore like Thomas's. When I came home you were unresponsive on the floor, the kids are fine, if I hadn't called the boys at the ladder to bring you in," he shook his head as tears streamed down his face.

Dita looked at him in shock, "I...I was getting Trini...we were going to have lunch and I was going to paint her nails....oh god....is she okay? She must have been so scared." She reached out slowly wiping his tears away, "Please....please don't cry...I'm okay..."

He rubbed against her palm, "God I was so scared, " the tenuous control he had broke as he sobbed, "I was s-s-so s-s-scared. Thank god you're o-o-k."

Dita started crying too at that point, "I'm sorry...."

"Don't be sorry, I love you and I'm just happy you're ok," he kissed her knuckles. "They say you can go home in a few days, as long as your heart passes inspection."

Dita's worry began to take over, "What about you? The babies? Trini? I can't stay here, J...I need to be home..."

"My sisters are with them, they've got it under control for the few days you'll be here. Just rest and get better," he kissed her lips.

Just the smell of her made him overwhelmed with gratitude.

Dita's tears continued to fall as she returned the kiss. She could have lost him...everything...in a blink of an eye.

The tears that fell from her eyes broke his heart, "Don't cry, please, don't cry," he begged against her mouth.

Dita kissed him back, "I could have lost all of this...how can I not cry?"

He sighed against her, kissing her eyes, her nose, her cheeks, her mouth, just relishing her skin and her scent. Silently, he thanked god she was here.

"I know, baby,I know."

Dita held his face in her hands, gently kissing him,

A few days later Juice was helping Dee into their house. He was so happy for her to be home. He'd set up an are for her on the couch in the main living room. Trini was beyond happy and his sisters were prepared to pamper Dee.

"You ok, Babe?"

Dita smiled softly, stroking Trini's hair as she nodded, "I'm okay. Glad to be home finally."

He worked in the house through the day. Happy as a lark to watch Dita feed the boys and nap with Trini. He wanted his family to stay whole forever and he couldn't shake the image of Dee nearly lifeless on the floor. Sometimes the thought made his heart thump in his chest. It haunted him.

Dee finally woke up and called for him; wanting to see her husband.

He wiped the tears from his face and hurried to the livingroom.

"What's up?"

Dita frowned, "I miss you."

His sisters had taken the kids over to Gemma's for the afternoon. Silence enveloped the house as he cuddled up next to her. Tenderly, her kissed her neck, then her lips. He knew they couldn't do anything for a few more weeks, but god he wanted to.