“Ideas?” Kevin asked as he walked into the house and Chelsea closed the door. “Can I ask what ideas?”

“We’re planning a vacation.” Chelsea told him as she headed down the hall to the kitchen.

“He can’t run from his problems.” Kevin told her.  Chelsea stopped and turned around before she entered the room.

“He’s not but he does need a break since they will be finishing and promoting the new cd in a couple of months.” She said to him.  “And I need a break too.”

“Still no word on Nadia?” Kevin asked as he followed her into her kitchen.

“No” Chelsea said quickly.  “Coffee?” She asked pointing to the pot.

“Sure.” Kevin replied with a light nod. “Look Chelsea I know you want to help but going on vacation isn’t going to be some magical cure.” Kevin said as she poured him a cup.

“I know that.” She snapped at him.  “But if we don’t get this break I dunno what will happen to us.” Chelsea told him.  “We’re fighting all the time…” Just then the phone rang and interrupted her.  With a frustrated grunt she walked over to the phone and picked it up.

“Hello?” She spoke as the receiver pressed against her ear.

“Did you think you could hide it?” An angry voice shouted on the other end.  Both she and Kevin looked at each other stunned.  Even Kevin could recognize his brother’s voice as he yelled loudly over the phone.  Then their faces both fell in confusion. 

“What are you talking about?”

“What am I talking about? I’m talking about that loser husband of yours picking up a bottle of Jack while someone followed him with a camera!” Jerald shouted.

“First of all he is not a loser; second if you don’t calm down I’m going to hang up on you.” Chelsea snapped.

“You should tell that idiot that he’s in a pop group and he’s still news worthy especially when he decides to break six years of sobriety.” Jerald yelled.

“Jerald I swear to god you call him one more name and I’m hanging up.” Chelsea threatened.

“I can’t even believe you’re still there, he’s a lost cause Chelsea and I don’t understand why you want to waste your life with him.” Jerald told her still yelling a little.

“Fuck off!!” Chelsea screamed into the phone and slammed it down, hanging up on the man she once considered a brother but then she picked up the receiver and slammed it down again and again and again as she screamed at the phone.

“Chels?” Kevin asked a little confused.

Her head started pounding, her sight began to blur and the sounds around her became muffled.  She couldn’t hear herself cry and she couldn’t hear the pain in her voice as she dropped to the floor.  Then she felt someone grab her but that was the last thing she remembered as her world went dark.

Chelsea screamed in pain, her mind trying to register what was going on.  She wasn’t ready to do this, she was scared and confused.  Her legs felt like they were numb but they still ached.  Her back felt like someone was pinching her spine with pliers, her stomach felt like someone had stabbed her repeatedly and all that pain combined made her body want to pass out. Someone kept telling her to push and she tried but she was tired and weak.  Her face was soaked with tears and sweat and with one final scream and one final push everything disappeared for a moment.  Lying against the wall her eyes fluttered opened and she looked around at the room that held her captive. 

“Here Chelsea.” A woman said in a soft voice. She looked down as the woman handed her a blanket, when she took it into her arms it was heavy and she almost dropped it.  Then the blanket began to move a little and she saw two big brown eyes looking up at her. 

Chelsea stared at her daughter and even though she should be over joyed, she felt a wave of sadness come over her.  The little girl in her arms looked so much like her father and Chelsea began to miss him.  Wanting him by her side, wanting to hear him say everything would be ok but she knew that wasn’t going to happen.

“The baby needs to go to the hospital.” She heard the woman say. “You’re daughter does too.”

“I said no doctors that’s why I’m paying you.” Her Father snapped.  “Take the baby and do what you have to do.”

Chelsea stared at her daughter and the little baby began to cry.  Gently she rocked her and held her closer to her.  She felt someone standing over her and she looked up.  Her body began to shake as she saw her Father standing over her.

“Give the baby to Helen.” Her Father said.

Chelsea looked at the woman and then back at her baby.  “No” She whispered.

“Give me the damn baby.” Her Father snapped as he ripped her daughter away from her.  The little girl began to cry louder and so did Chelsea.

“Please no, please don’t hurt her.” Chelsea cried as she watched the woman take her daughter from her Father.

“Shut up!” Her Father screamed and then she felt his hand slam against her face.  “You have everything you need here.” He said as he turned to the woman with red hair.  “Just do it and shut that damn baby up before I do it permanently.” And then he left the room, slamming the door behind him.

“Please give her to me?” Chelsea asked as she looked at the woman.

“I will, I just need to clean her up make sure she’s doing ok and I will check you too.” The woman told her and even though she didn’t know her she made Chelsea feel calmer.  The woman left the room and Chelsea sat back as she began to cry.  She wanted to lie down and curl up but she couldn’t.  Her bed was still a mess and she was still pretty weak and sore.  She sat against the wall crying, waiting for the woman to bring her daughter back.

“Alex” Chelsea whimpered.  “I need you so much.”

“Who’s Alex?” The woman asked and Chelsea looked up in shock but then she saw the woman had her daughter.

“Please give her to me.” Chelsea asked the woman as the lady walked over to a small crib.

“I need to make sure you’re ok first and then you can feed her.” The woman said as she laid he baby down.

“Is she ok?” Chelsea asked.

“Yes she’s doing well.” The woman said as she walked over to Chelsea. “Now let’s see how Mom is holding up.”  The woman helped Chelsea off the bed and she began to change the sheets and made her a fresh bed to lie in.  She then took Chelsea into the bathroom and helped her clean up.  Then she brought her back into the bedroom and assisted her back into the bed.  “Is Alex the Father?” The woman asked.

            “Yes.” Chelsea said quietly.

            “Did he know you were pregnant?” The woman asked.

“No” Chelsea replied.  “I didn’t even know until I started getting sick and I was late.” She then looked at the woman.  “Where are we?” She asked.  The woman looked back at her and Chelsea knew by the look in the ladies eyes that her Father told her not to say anything.  “Please tell me where are we?”

“You’re in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.” The woman replied quietly.  “I’m going to show you how to feed your baby ok?” The woman said and Chelsea nodded.

The woman brought the baby over to her and Chelsea took her daughter into her arms.  The woman showed her how to place her breast against her daughters mouth so she could latch on properly.  It was a little uncomfortable at first but it didn’t feel awkward. The woman told her to feed her on each breast for at least ten minutes and Chelsea did just that.  Her baby fell asleep in her arms and soon she felt herself getting very tired. 

“Have you thought of a name?” The woman asked.

Chelsea thought for a minute.  “Nadia.” She said.

“That’s a pretty name.” The woman said.

“She’s my favorite gymnast…and it means hope in Russian.” Chelsea told her.

“I think it’s time for Mom and daughter to get some sleep.” The woman said.  “You need to rest she will be up in a couple of hours to eat.”

Chelsea nodded as she let the woman take her daughter and lay the baby in the small crib.  Slowly Chelsea laid down into her bed and pulled the blankets around her.  The woman walked over to her bedside and made sure her blankets were straight.

“Did you need anything before I go?” The woman asked and Chelsea slowly shook her head no. “Don’t worry; I won’t let anything happen to your little girl.” Chelsea wanted to question her more but her eyes fell heavy and soon she drifted off into dream land hopefully she’d see Alex there.

Slowly her eyes fluttered open, she could hear herself lightly sobbing and she could feel tears dripping down her cheek.  She noticed her body wasn’t in pain any more, besides a headache and that knowledge made her clam a little but the ache in her heart hadn’t gone away.  Chelsea reached up and brushed her hair from her face and went to wipe her eyes when she realized she was wearing a plastic bracelet on her wrist.

“Chels?” She heard a familiar comforting voice whisper beside her and she turned her head.  “Oh god Chelsea you’re ok.” AJ said as she looked into his eyes, which were now filling up with tears as well.

“Alex?” She said very confused.  “You-you found me?” She asked as he pulled down the roll bar at the side of her bed.

“What?” He replied as he sat beside her.  When she saw the confusion on his face she began to look around and realized she was in a hospital.  Then the memory of fighting with Jerald flooded back to her.  “What do you mean?”

Her face fell into a frown and she tried putting the pieces together.  “Wait where am I?” She asked.

“You’re at the hospital sweetheart.” AJ told her.  “Kevin called me as I was leaving my AA meeting; he said you had a fight with Jerald on the phone, he said when you hung up you sort of snapped and then you just dropped.

“Alex” Chelsea said quickly as she began to realize she had been in a memory.

“What?” AJ replied with concern in his voice.

“Minnesota.” She told him but he looked at her with confusion.  “We were in Minnesota.”

“You were in…” He stopped speaking.  “You remembered where you were when you had Nadia?” AJ asked and she nodded.

Chelsea was about to tell him what she remembered but the image of her daughter in her arms stopped her from talking and she broke down crying.  AJ slid closer to her and wrapped her in his arms. “I want my little girl.” She sobbed as her husband held her.

“I know sweetheart, I know.” He replied with a calming tone.

She was glad he let her cry in his arms and when she had clamed down a little he pulled her away and rested his hands on the side of her face.  “We’ll find her.” Chelsea couldn’t help but let a small smile out; his words were comforting and made her feel like things would be ok.  He gently kissed her on the forehead and then rested his against hers.