AU Backdarft corrie

Opie ran out of the kitchen when he heard the thud, "Jesus! Are you okay?" He reached down to scoop her up, "Baby?"

Frustrated, she wiggled in his arms, "I'm fine, damn it. i just got dizzy. i just wanted to go lay down. I can't even do that by myself anymore."

She stopped struggling and laid her forehead on his cheek. Most of his hair had grwon back, she'd told him not to cut it; she loved his thick hair.

"Take me to bed," she looked at him, mesmerized by his green eyes, "Stay with me til I fall asleep?"

Opie sighed heavily, nodding, "Okay," He scooped her up and carried her upstairs to their room. Once he tucked her into the bed. He got in alongside her, rubbing her back soothingly.

She sighed, his fingers on her back was the most soothing thing she'd felt all day. He was the single reason she was still hanging on. Opie was her everything. She rolled over and snuggled against him enjoying the sent of tide and burning wood that always seemed to linger on him. She placed her hands against his chest, her wedding ring had gotten to big weeks before, and kissed his collar bone.

"You are the only reason I'm still here," she murmured into his chest.

Opie shook his head, "Don't say that. You have Trini, Tate, and Thomas. Dee, Jax, and your parents....you have a lot to stick around for. Don't forget that."

She shook her head, "They'd be fine, but you'd be lost without me."

The laughter shook her body as she pulled herself closer to Opie.

"I miss my wedding rings," she looked at her fingers splayed against his chest.

Opie brought her hands to his lips, "you'll wear them once you are better."

She swallowed hard, she knew he didn't like to talk about any other outcome but her getting better, but with the transplant coming up and the painful, still dangerous, recovery to follow they needed to talk about things.

"Ope," she started, "If something happens to me and I'm not responsive, I want you to let me go, I know you don't want to think about that, but we have to talk about it. If I die, I want my rings and I want to be in my uniform," she felt him tense up, "I'm not saying I'm going to die, but we need to get this shit out of the way, in case."

Opie blew out a shaky breath, "I-I know..."

Before she could make him feel better, exhaustion over came her and she fell asleep. When she woke it was daylight and she was alone in the bed. She stretched and smelled food. The smell made her stomach heave and she rushed to the bathroom moving the last few feet on her hands and knees. When she finished the first round of puking she pulled out her cell and texted Opie.

*where are you, ope*

Within a few minutes, Opie was upstairs. Flour all down the front of his fitted gray t-shirt and on the tip of his nose, "Hey...I'm right here baby..." He got on the floor next to her so he was at eye level. "You need anything?"

She smiled at the flour on his nose, he was so damn adorable. The truth was she just needed to know he was there.
"What are you making, dough boy?"
she lay down on the cool tile.

He looked at her, puzzled, "Dough boy? Um...homemade donuts, actually. My governess used to make them all the time when my parents weren't around..." He blushed some when he mentioned his governess. Made him feel like a booshy bastard for sure.

Seeing the blush in his cheeks made her smile, "A governess? That's like a babysitter, right?"

She pulled herself to a sitting position, "Take me downstairs so i can watch?"

Opie smiled and picked her up easily, "Yeah...a glorified babysitter. Her name was Sarah...nicest lady. Was more of a mother than my own." He carried her down and gave her a front row seat at the island. "Ever make homemade donuts?"

She shook her head and smiled, "No I was raised in a cop family, remember? I was too busy trying follow in Daddy's footsteps."

Opie smiled, thinking about a little Corrie. "I bet you were adorable...total daddy's girl. Sarah's husband was a firefighter...that's why I got so interested in it. I wanted to help people too..."

She cocked her head to the side thinking about a sad little Opie with his governess, "I'm glad you didn't take after your father. I much prefer a man who is humble and kind."

It struck her that this was the most ordinary exchange they'd had in months.

Opie smiled, "He was a good man, Sarah's husband. More of a father to me than my own old man. Taught me so much about the ladder and the world. Taught me to be compassionate too."

She couldn't imagine him ever not being compassionate, "You had to be taught compassion, how can that be possible, you are the most compassionate man I know."

Opie sighed, "I was a bitter, confused little boy, Corrie. My dad showed me his love by giving me a paycheck to blow...it weighed heavily on me."

She stood and slowly made her way to him, his back to her and his attention on the donuts, using the counter for balance.

"I'm glad you are who you are," she whispered in his ear.

Opie smiled, leaning down to kiss her lips softly, "Me too...I got you because of it."

A few weeks later.


Corrie laid in her hospital bed, oxygen hose under her nose, drugged out of her mind and still in excruciating pain. they hadn't lied when they said the transplant would be debilitating. She had finally gotten to stop the chemo and radiation, but the new meds still made her feel sick.

Opie had left her room earlier because he had gotten a phone call from Juice. Apparently he had found her sister unresponsive on the floor. the guilt was killing her.

Opie came back into the room a few minutes later, his face pale as he looked sheepishly up at Corrie. He couldn't find the courage to speak.