Julie lay in the quiet room for a few more minutes, trying hard to analyze why she had jumped on the crazy train after Simon made love to her. It was just high emotion. It was almost too much to need him back in her life full force after everything that had happened. Exploding was the only reasonable response she had to give, which made no sense, and yet did so perfectly well.

After a few more seconds of pulling herself together, she got up, cleaned herself and got dressed quickly. Checking her face and hair in the bathroom mirror, she took a deep breath and walked out of the small room, tugging her hair into a ponytail. Some part of her expected to find Pam bloody and on the floor, but the hall was quiet like most days. Like nothing had happened.

There was no doubt in her mind that a lawsuit at worst, and a good talking to at best, was headed her way. Pam wouldn't take her attack without a rather nasty rebuttal, especially seeing that Simon took her side. She stifled a groan at the remembrance of how good it felt to have him between her legs again, his passion searing her in ways she didn't think possible anymore.

He was an excellent lover, attentive and willing to give far more than he got in return, but he had mellowed out a lot in the last ten years. The boy she met wasn't the one she was married to anymore, or was he? The man who let loose pleasure in bucketfuls was most certainly someone she knew and lamented over losing.

Elijah's door was open and he glanced up as Julie tapped on the side of the frame.

The situation with Simon was incredibly sensitive and she knew she was making a mistake by talking to Elijah, but if things were meant to work out, they would. No matter what decisions she made in order to protect herself fully while she thought through things.

"Come on in, Julie. Nice to see you roaming the halls again." He smiled and motioned for her to take a seat.

She closed the door and walked in, letting out a short breath and sitting down as nervousness bubbled up inside of her. "I need to talk to you about a few things actually."

"All right. Let's take them one at a time." He leaned back and clasped his hands over the front of his stomach. There was no question as to why Charity was attracted to the handsome doctor in front of her. He was all business and yet so regal in appearance. Soothing and frightening all in the same package.

"Right. First things first. Pam and I had a bit of a run-in an hour or so ago in the hall. I unfortunately acted like a fifteen-year-old boy on the junior high playground."

"Meaning..." He stiffened a little.

"Meaning, I punched her in the face a couple—actually three or four times. I'm not sure if I broke her nose or what, but I’ve no doubt she'll be in here the minute she's capable. Or in Dr. Thompson’s office." Julie shrugged, not caring too terribly much about the repercussions of her actions. There was no part of her that would rescind her attack on Pam. If she had to do things over again, she would have kneed her in the stomach a few times while she had her on the ground too.

"Okay. Well, I guess we'll deal with that when she comes in. You know the hospital rules and the consequences of breaking them. For now, we'll go on like nothing’s happened. Due to Pam's indiscretions with Simon, she's probably not going to stick her head above water. She's skating on thin ice as it is."

Julie's chest constricted painfully at the mention of her husband being with Plastic Pam.

"I understand. I'll accept gracefully whatever happens." She glanced down at her nails and then back up, letting out a shaky breath. "The next thing is that I want a transfer."

"What?" Elijah stood up, his calm having dissipated completely. "No! That's not possible. You've been here for ten years, Julie. Why in the world would you want to give that up? You're almost there."

"I don't care." Julie leaned back and shook her head. "You don't understand what I'm going through. I thought I’d be okay, but I'm not. I still love him, Elijah. I still want a future with him, and yet, when I'm around him all I see is him cheating on me. I need to be removed from it."

"I get that, more than you know. My life before Charity was less than pleasant and I've been in your shoes a few times actually." He ran his fingers through his hair. "I'm not letting you go for a while, but with good cause. Just hear me out, and if you still want a transfer after we wrap up these new assignments I've got your name next to... I'll put a letter of recommendation together and help you get anywhere you want to go. Sound fair?"

"Yes. What new assignments?" She relaxed a little as he finally sat down and started shuffling through the papers in front of him. It would have been nice if his response had been to tell her that Simon had requested a transfer. She needed him out of her face, because chances of her not ending up back in bed with him were slim. He was a smart bastard too. He would use the passion they worked up in the bedroom to remind her of how good they could be together. It didn't help much that they were perfect together in the operating room as well. "These assignments are going to last for the next twelve months, but..."

She groaned and ran her hands down her face.

"But... if you can make it through them and do so with shining colors, I promise you that you'll have some great marks on your resume that will boost your chances of shifting to another hospital at your same level without the need to prove yourself time and time again."

"Keep talking. I'm not agreeing to this until I get all of the facts."

"Well, I'm sorry to be a total ass here, but I'm not letting you go until this is done. You can quit, but I'll not transfer you or release you."

She wanted to be pissed at him, but the combination of the caring look on his face and him droning on about polishing her resume for a great future, she couldn't force herself to do it. "What are the projects, Elijah?"

"Glad you asked." He handed her a folder and reclined back in his chair. "Meet Cade McAndrews. He's the top med student at Harvard Medical School right now. I want him to come and have his residency with us. His father is the chair of the American Medical Association. This kid’s prime real estate."

"What does this have to do with me?" She flipped through the file, her eyebrows raising at some of the incredible accolades the guy already had.

"He's starting as an intern today, but I'm putting you as his mentor. I want him to shadow you for the next three months. He's simply trying out hospitals and will be choosing soon which one he's doing his residency at. I want him here, Julie." Elijah leaned toward her, resting his arms on the desk and pinning her with a strong stare.

"And you think I can sell Scott Thompson?" She closed the folder and held it in her lap as she watched her boss closely. This meant a lot to him. More than anything she had seen thus far. The questions was: why?

"I do. You're perfect for the job. He wants to be a neurosurgeon and you've been here a long time. Work closely with him and bring him to love us. Bring him to love you."

Julie let out a sardonic chuckle. "Hi, I'm the one that just punched someone in the face and had a crying fit over my pending divorce. Welcome to Scott Thompson. I’m sure this is the most awesome place you’ll want to be working at."

"Maybe don’t say that." Elijah laughed.

"Give him to Simon, Elijah. I'm unstable and, honestly, not in the mood to babysit Doogie Howser."

A smile played at the edge of Elijah's mouth and he shook his head. "He's yours."

"Whatever. Your loss. I'll do what I can, but I warned you."

"Excellent. Our hospital is his last stop before he decides. Show him the excitement you have toward your career, Julie. I know it's still inside of you. I watched you in surgery earlier today and could almost feel it creeping into my bones. It's a love you have for saving lives – the more complex the procedure, the better."

"And the other project?" She laid her hands comfortably over the folder and relaxed a little. She was stuck there for another year and between her own surgeries, the need in the ER, the project with Simon and this new kid... she would be busy enough to get by. The divorce with Simon would happen sooner or later and they could start over or simply be done.

"I want you on that project with Simon. The precedence for this kind of work was set up over ten years ago and yet no one has brought the right people to the table to really bring about a medical breakthrough. He told me that he invited you to join him and I couldn't be more thrilled."

"I'm fine with that, but I'm telling you that you guys are ignorant for not considering someone in our ocular unit. They’re incredible doctors as well."

"Agreed, but most of them cannot hold a conversation with a stump and none of them, I repeat, none of them have any writing credentials behind them. You and Simon both have been featured multiple times in medical research journals as well as textbooks for some of the largest medical campuses. You know why I'm asking you to do this. You are both the perfect fit for the job, personal differences aside. It's a golden opportunity, and you and Simon will have to work out the rest."

"I still think a transfer would be the safest and most healthy next step for me." Julie stood and walked to the door.

"I understand where you're coming from, but as your friend, no, as your boss, I'm telling you that my job is to help your career grow. These are two ways we're going to make that happen." He stood again. "Please trust me."

She did trust him. That was one of the reasons he’d moved so far up the hierarchy chart since he’d come to Scott Thompson. He was an amazing doctor in every sense of the word. "I'll do that for now, but if this doesn't work out, I'm quitting if that's the only other option you leave me." She nodded and opened the door. "Where’s Doogie?"

Elijah let out a short laugh. "Across the hall, wrapping up a few medical files for us. He should be the only one in there. Do your best."

"And forget the rest." Julie mumbled the rest of the hospital’s motto and walked across the hall, half expecting the nerdiest kid in the world to look up from the stack of files covering the room.

What she didn't expect was what she got.

Cade's sandy brown hair was curled around the edges just a little, as if he were in need of a haircut, his shoulders broad and skin beautifully tanned. He glanced up and his warm brown eyes rolled over her face as his full lips lifted in a cocky smile. It was as if she were seeing Simon thirteen years before.

The guy was smoking hot and unfortunately... he knew it.

"You must be Julie." He stood to his full height and walked over, extending his hand with what had to be his best 'I'm gonna fuck up your world' smile.

"It's Dr. Paulk, and I assume you’re Cade?" She kept her face a mask of indifference. This cocky child wasn't about to unravel her, or even begin to see how much she appreciated his appearance.

"I am. All right, so it's Dr. Paulk. I like that as well." He winked and slipped his hands in the back of his scrubs as she released his hold.

"I aim to please. Grab your stuff and we'll talk in my office. It's..."

He cut her off. "Number twelve fifty-three. I know. I looked you up after I realized they assigned me to the head of neurosurgery. I'm thrilled actually."

"I'm not the head of the department, but I’ve plenty to teach you. See you shortly." She walked out and gripped his file folder to the front of her chest as her heart beat frantically.

Stop it. He's ten years younger than you and you aren't interested at all. It's the hot sex with Simon that has you feeling dizzy. Yeah... Simon. Wait, who?