Man he needed to talk to Chelsea.  Was he doing this right? Should he be her friend or be a parent?  Why can’t you be an even balance of both and where exactly was that balance?  Closing his eyes as he shut the door and he tried to get focus.  “You have to be doing something right.” He told himself.  “She trusts you.”

They both got ready and met each other downstairs.  AJ decided something quick would do and drove to the nearest McDonalds.  “McDonalds?” Nadia asked and he looked over.

“Yeah” He replied with a smile and then he saw the look on her face.  “You don’t like McDonalds?”

“No” Nadia replied.

“Damn” AJ replied with a frown. “Well what do you like?”

“For breakfast, I like Bagels.” She replied.

“Bagels, ok” He nodded as he drove around the drive-thru and headed away from the restaurant.

“So when you had to answer those questions in the Teeny mags did you put McDonalds for your answer?” Nadia asked and AJ looked over at her.

“Are you mocking me?” He asked.

“What was pizza takin’?” She asked.

AJ looked away. “It is my favorite place to eat.  Everyone else would change their answers every couple of years but me it was always McDonalds.”

Nadia giggled.

“Wait a minute, you’re mocking what I do but you’re a fan of the Jo Bros and their Disney, forget a damn boy band.” AJ replied as he turned around a corner.

“So?” Nadia replied.

“Disney’s a cockroach.” AJ mumbled.  “Besides despite what the media and radio wants you to think were still around and we do just fine, so you know I’ll tell Nick Jonas you said hi the next time I see him.”

“Whatever” Nadia replied with a laugh as she rolled her eyes.

AJ stared at the road sitting at a red light.  “3, 2, 1” He thought to himself.

“You don’t really know them do you?” She asked.

“Am I friends with them no, but we do bump into each other.” AJ told her.  “There is a whole world out there Nadia, maybe we’re not big here anymore but we got fans all over the place, and we don’t get the record sales cause well no one get’s record sales anymore.  We’re not the only one who saw their sales drop over the past few years and considering we were touring and recording in a music era that wanted nothing to do with Pop music? We did pretty damn good.” He looked over at Nadia and her eyebrows were slighting raised and oddly he recognized that expression.  “Sorry, I get defensive about it.”

“I can tell.” Nadia replied.

“Well you’ll see soon enough.” AJ told her as he pulled into a bagel/coffee shop.

“I will?” She asked a little confused.

“Well things are on hold because of Chelsea but we’re almost done an album so we’ll be promoting and touring soon.” He told her.

“I can go with you?” She asked as she undid her belt.

“Yeah, well some places, most places but there are some area’s I won’t even take your Mom…I mean Chelsea.” AJ spoke correcting himself as he got out of the car and the walked around the front of the car.

“It’s ok” Nadia said as they walked towards the café doors.

“Huh?” AJ replied looking at her before grabbing the doors and pulling them open.

“That you said Mom instead of Chelsea.” Nadia said.  “I mean I don’t mind hearing it but it’s still a little weird saying it.”

“Alright.” AJ nodded. “And that’s fine.”

The two went to the counter and order the food. AJ paid and as they waited for their breakfast Nadia spoke up. “So how come you don’t take Chelsea to some places?”

“Huh, oh.” AJ replied as he looked at her.  “The fans are nuts, don’t get me wrong we love’em but in some places it’s a lot even with security so I don’t like her going there, the others feel the same way.” The woman behind the counter walked over with them and handed them their plates.  “Got my earring ripped off again during the last tour.” AJ told her as they sat down.

“Again?” Nadia replied as she looked up at him.

“Yeah, see.” AJ said pointing to his ear.  “Had it ripped right from my ear by a fan, it hurt.  Luckily last time the earring broke before it did any damage.”

“Wow” Nadia replied as she looked down at her plate.  “Hmm” Nadia said as her eyebrows fell in thought.

“What?” AJ looked at her.  She didn’t say anything still lost in what ever had taken her mind.  “Nadia?” He spoke again after giving her a moment.

“They posted a video of them singing you on You Tube.” Nadia said finally speaking.

It took AJ a minute but then he realized she was talking about the Jonas Brothers.  “Yeah” He replied with a nod.

“I saw that and didn’t really know who you were so I looked at more videos on the sidebar and Helen came in.” She looked at AJ.  “She kind of freaked out and made me turn it off.  I just thought she didn’t like the music but now I don’t think that was it.”

Just then AJ’s phone beeped and he looked down at his pocket.  Pulling out the cell phone he looked at the screen and saw it was a text.  “Message from Kev.”

“Is it about Chelsea?” She asked.

“Maybe, more like apologizing for Jerald.” AJ sighed and he clicked on the message tab and it popped up.

“Get here now she’s waking up!!!!!!”

“Holy shit!” AJ blurted out enough for the few people around him to look at the two of them and enough to make Nadia jump.  He looked up at her unaware of the small scene he just made.  “She’s waking up; he says she’s waking up.” In a hurried state they gathered their belongings and rushed out of the store.

AJ walked down the busy hospital hallway with Nadia at his side as they made their way up to Chelsea’s room.  The elevator ride took for ever for him as he tapped his foot waiting for the doors to open.  When the bell rung and the lift stopped he looked down at Nadia he could tell she was nervous.  The doors opened and he walked out onto Chelsea’s floor but before he could even step foot towards her room an arm stopped him.

Quickly he looked wondering if it was Jerald ready for round two but to a bit of surprise it was Kevin.  “Hey is she awake yet?” AJ asked.

“Yeah” Kevin replied with a nod.

“She is.” AJ smiled and turned to walk to her room but again Kevin’s hand stopped him.  “What?”  Kevin looked at Nadia quickly and AJ followed his gaze.  “Kev, just tell me she deserves to know what’s going on with Chels too.”

“There’s memory loss.” Kevin told him.

“There’s wha…how much?” AJ asked.

“She thinks it’s 1994.” Kevin told him.  “She asked for her Mom and we didn’t realize we just thought she was groggy so we reminded her that her Mom wasn’t here anymore and she lost it.”  Kevin said and AJ could tell he was holding back tears.  “We got the doctor and he just got done with some quick tests.  Apparently she doesn’t have any memory past ninety-four.”

“I wanna see her.” AJ said as he started walking down the hall.

“Ya can’t man.” Kevin said from behind him.  “At least not yet.” AJ stopped and turned and looked at him.  “The doctor and Mom are in the room filling her in and he’s getting more questions from her, until we know whether or not she remembers you, you should stay out here.”

“Well you said ninety-four, so she’ll remember me.” AJ replied.

“The first time you two met was in September who knows when the last day or month she remembers is.” Kevin said.  “I told Mom I’d wait out here for you and come back when you got here.  Just wait here ok?”

AJ hesitated. “Ok.” He finally replied.

Kevin nodded and AJ watched his friend walk down the hall and into Chelsea’s room.  He didn’t know how to react; he was ecstatic she was awake but if she didn’t even know who he was.  Then he looked down to Nadia and there would be no why she would remember Nadia.  AJ frowned at the look on her face; it was a look that told him Nadia knew she wouldn’t be remembered either.

“You need to talk?” AJ asked her.

“No, not really.” She replied looking at the ground.  “It’s good that she woke up right?”

“Right” AJ nodded. “And it looks like they don’t know how long it could last so it could be just from being in a coma.”

“Yeah” Nadia nodded. 

“Well let’s go sit outside her room.” AJ said after an odd moment of silence and Nadia nodded.  They walked down the hall together and took a seat in the same chairs they had sat in too talk to each other a day ago. The both of them stayed quiet as they sat and waited, well AJ wasn’t too quiet if you count the tapping of his nails on the arm chair.  A while later Kevin, Anne and the Doctor walked out of the room.

“This is Chelsea’s husband.” Kevin said as he motioned to AJ.

“Hello Mr. Mclean.” The Doctor extending his hand for AJ to shook it. “I’m Chelsea’s Neuro Doctor.”

            AJ stood up and shook the man’s hand and waited nervously.  “Kevin said he explained a little bit about what’s going on?” 

“Yeah” AJ nodded.

“Ok, well it does seem she only remembers up to the year of 1994 but she does remember you.” The Doctor told him and the grip on AJ’s heart let go.  “But for some reason she won’t elaborate other than she knows you through him.”

“Can I see her?” AJ asked.  “Tell me about all the other stuff later just please let me see her right now.”

“Alright.” The Doctor nodded and AJ turned to Chelsea.

“Do you want to come?” He asked.

“No, you better go first.” Nadia said.

“You’ll be ok?” He asked and she nodded.  “Ok well if you need anything just ask Kevin to come get me.”

“Ok” She nodded again.  AJ looked at Anne and Kevin and then turned to the door.  Slowly he opened the door and began to walk in.  He saw her first sitting up in the bed, her hair hung down the side of her face.  She looked up at him, stared at him and it was then he realized how dark the room was.  Reaching up he took of his glasses and her eyes widened.  His body froze what should he say to her?

“Alex?” She spoke her voice dry and quiet.

“Yeah” He replied with a light nod.

“Wow” She spoke as she looked at little jarred.  “This is so weird”

“A little” AJ replied in agreement. 

“Do they know”? She asked.

“About?” AJ asked and then it hit him.  “Yeah, they know.”

“I thought they did but I wasn’t sure.” She replied and it was then he noticed she had her southern draw back.

“What all did they tell you?” He asked.

Chelsea paused and he saw the pain etch across her face.  “My Mom” She mumbled.  “What my Dad did and how I had only been found a couple of years ago.”

“Did they tell you about us?” He asked and she looked up at him.

“No” She said as she shook her head. 

Walking over to her bedside AJ sat down in the chair and slid it closer to her.  “We’re married.”

“We are?” She replied a little stunned. “Really?” 

“Yeah, we’ve been married almost a year now.”

“How long have we been together?” She asked.

“Well at first we were together for a year, we kept it quiet that whole time like we wanted too and when…” He paused.  “And when you disappeared we were still together.”  AJ looked down at the ring on his wedding finger.  “I thought I had lost you forever but then you came back and I promised myself I would never lose you again.”

When he heard Chelsea start to cry he looked up.  “Did I say something wrong, I-I’m sorry if I did.”

“No” She spoke with a cry.  “I’m just scared, I guess, all I can think of is how I want my Mom and she’s not here.” She said as she calmed a little.  “Everyone and everything looks so different and I feel different but I dunno it’s so confusing.”

            “I can’t even start to imagine sweetheart.”

She interrupted him.  “You still call me that”

“Of course I do” He replied with a light smile and he was glad she returned it even if it was for a moment.  “I was here for you before because you needed me and I’m right here for you again if you need me but if you don’t want me around, if you’re not comfortable with me being around, I get that too ok?”

Chelsea sat there for a minute and then her hand slid over to his.  Her fingers wrapped over his hand and he looked back to her.  She stared at the sheets covering her legs as a tear dripped down her cheek.  Chelsea didn’t say anything and he really didn’t need her too.  He just let her hold his hand as they sat in the hospital room.