Author: Regency

Title: The Long Night

Category: Romance, angst, possible character death

Pairing(s): Eve/Julian, Eve/TC, Sheridan/Luis, Sheridan/Antonio, Julian/Rebecca, Teresa/Fox, Whitney/Chad, etc.

Rating: PG-13

Season/Sequel: I don't know; I just started watching last year. There is one. The one where Teresa gets pushed down something by Gwen? I'm guessing 'cause I didn't get to watch it.

Summary: With Teresa out of the picture, Rebecca needs something else to do. When her 'hobby' lands Eve in the hospital; she realizes that she's severely overplayed her hand. Too late, she recognizes that without Eve to hold over his head, Julian is a very formidable man. And when his wrath is unleashed, someone may not get out alive.

But the real question is: Will Eve? And what's happening on her side of the long night?

Author's Notes: Anything that a dedicated watcher doesn't recognize, I made up.

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone except those unrecognizable to an avid watcher, but I actually don't know who does. It's James E. Reilly , isn't it?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Eve's POV

God, I'm so tired. Where the hell am I? I try to move, but nothing happens. At this point though, I'm sure that's just karma. I decide the next order of business has to figuring where the hell I am and then we'll think about the moving. I, with much difficulty, crack my eyes open and encounter a painfully bright light. It's always a bright light. God, someone please turn it off. As if someone was listening the light goes out and I say a silent prayer of thanks to the mind readers in the room. They always come in handy...most of the time, anyway.

Blinking profusely, I open my eyes all the way, I look around for a familiar face and encounter the most handsome one of all. Julian. He's sitting there with a worried look in face. He looks different. His hair is a bit longer, his face more rugged, but youthful; his eyes clear. He doesn't look like the Julian I remember from…before. Before I closed my eyes, before the confusion, before the silence.

For starters, he's not soaking wet like my Julian. He's in slacks and a rumpled dress shirt, his tie hanging undone around his neck. No, definitely not wet. As a matter of fact, I think he might be able to make some use of a good shower. It certainly couldn't make things any worse than they already were. There are few things that could at this point. However, the next thing he does goes a long way to doing just that. He finally realizes that I'm awake, looks into my eyes and smiles at me. My God, that smile…the things it can do. He rises and moves to stand at my side. I want to say something, anything, but when I go to speak I find myself gagged and completely unable. Suddenly, I can't breathe. It's as if someone's trying to stuff a sock down my throat. I start to gag and choke. Julian's worried face falls in and out of focus. I'm losing consciousness.

"Eve, my love, don't fight it. It's a respirator to help you breathe. Let it do its job. Don't fight it." I close my eyes as the darkness closes in and pray that he'll be there when I wake up.

Consciousness is slow coming, but it's coming. I wait a moment before trying to move. I assess my physical condition. Sore, definitely hurt in some way. Upside up, that's good. Range of movement? I'm not ready to try that out quite yet. I'd like to stay conscious a little while longer.

I blink my eyes to clear them and feel the gentlest pressure on my right hand. I take a breath and turn my head to the right and look down. My hand disappears under a grey crown and I can just feel the softest breaths against my skin. It's Julian. He's asleep. That make me smile and I realize that the respirator's gone. I sigh in relief. The sound and motion rouses the sleeping man and he shakes his head to clear away the cobwebs. I'd almost forgotten how adorable Julian is when he first wakes up. He shakes his head a bit more and blinks, confusedly.

"Julian, hey." He looks at me with warm eyes. He looks up at the ceiling as though in thanks. I was never sure he believed in God. I guess given circumstances...

He brings my hand to his lips and kisses my knuckles. "My darling, how do you feel?" I smile. I feel like absolute shit, but I can't tell him that.

"I feel fine, Julian." He raises an eyebrow at me.

"Yes, I'm sure you do. Your car just flipped over into the Harmony Canal, but alas you feel absolutely fine. I don't think so, Eve, dear. Now, I'll ask you again. How do you feel?" He reaches up and strokes my cheek lightly. My eyes drift close and I breathe in his cologne, light in the air. Maybe he managed to get a shower in while I was out. "Eve, sweetheart? How do you feel?" I open my eyes again and blink at him. I can hear the door open behind him.

"I feel sore, a little sore. My head hurts and my stomach. It's achy. My back too." He throws a look behind him and nods to someone I can barely make out. The someone comes to sit closer to me. It's a young woman with a cocoa complexion and shoulder-length dark hair. Her eyes are just like Julian's.

"Mom, how are you? And don't give me that crap you gave Daddy. That won't work on me." I blink at the strangely familiar young lady. I have no idea who she is. Who is she? And did she just call me Mom? What the hell...

~~~~~

TC, Whitney, Liz, and whomever else has congregated at Harmony General watch Eve's still body as it lies on the stark bed. The machines regulate her breathing. Thirty breaths per minute. In and out. In and out. In and out. Again, again, and again, thirty times.

"Do we know who brought her in?" TC asks good friend, Dr. Irina Massey.

"Yeah. Apparently, it was Julian Crane." TC stands up straight, his face clouding over.

"Julian Crane?" Dr. Massey nods, watching his face. She now knows that she shouldn't tell him that Julian, who was also injured retrieving Eve, was admitted to the hospital and is only a few doors down, by his request. She'll keep that little bit of information under her hat. She just hopes that Julian will be smart enough to stay out of sight until TC leaves.

"Yeah. He was soaking. According to him and someone else, her car went over an embankment into the Harmony Canal. He went in after her and got her out of her car at the bottom. According to the attending physician at the time, there was evidence that he performed CPR on her. He saved her life, TC." His eyes are still cloudy, if not darker.

"Did he, now?" Irina nods. "I'd bet money he's the reason she was there at all. He was probably chasing after my wife like a lunatic and she went over. Yeah, I bet that's what happened. And he's gonna pay for it too." Irina catches his arm before he can leave.

"Don't do anything stupid, TC. You won't be of any use to Eve in jail. Think of your wife." His eyes clear a little, but not by much.

"I am."

"I don't think you are, TC. Before, you beat Julian to death, think of what Eve would want. You know she wouldn't want Julian's or anyone else's blood on your hands." He finally deflates.

"Yeah."

"Just sit with her, TC. She needs human contact. It might help. There are no studies, but it's a personal belief of mine and Eve’s that contact is good for coma patients. I know you feel helpless and you want to be out there doing things to make this right, but the most you can do is right here. Sit with her." Irina opens the door to Eve's room and tips her head for TC to go in.

"Yeah, okay. But if I see Julian Crane…" She holds up her hand.

"I know, I know. You don't have to say it. Don't worry. You won't see him." She'd have to make sure of it. Somehow.

~~~~

She looks at me and then looks to her father with a concerned face. “Daddy, are you sure she’s all right? She’s looking slightly...off.” I look to Julian who looks just as concerned.

“Eve, my love, are you all right?” I feel confusion setting in.

“Julian...who is this?” Her face pales and she calls for Julian.

“Daddy!”

“Eve, this is our daughter, Cassandra. Don’t you remember?” I shake my head, tears filling my eyes. There’s no way. There is no way.

“I’m going to get the doctor.” The girl runs out of the room and her footsteps retreat down the hall.

“Julian, what’s happened to me?” He comes to me and takes my hand.

“I don’t know, my darling, I don’t know.”

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