“I hope this is just a slip up.” The man on the TV said.  “He was doing really well.”

“Bah” AJ scoffed as he shut the TV off and lightly tossed the remote onto the couch seat beside him.  He was watching a popular gossip show; they were the ones that had caught him walking out of the store with a bottle of Jack.  Putting his elbows on his knees he ran his fingers through his hair and let out a tired sigh.  He had just gotten back with Chelsea from the hospital, she was now upstairs sleeping and not having slept much the night before he was pretty tired but he couldn’t sleep. When Chelsea had calmed down she began to tell him what she had remembered including where they were and the red headed woman’s name.  After she had fallen back asleep in the hospital room AJ called the Detective in charge of the case and told him what she had remembered.  He seemed very positive about the new revelations.

When he met Kevin at the hospital his former band mate told him what had happened. “I couldn’t make out what he was saying but he was yelling loud enough that I knew it was his voice.” He remembered Kevin saying.  “When they admitted her I called Mom to tell her what had happened, then I called my brother and asked him what he had done.  That’s when he told me about seeing you on TV and by the names he was calling you, I think that’s what upset her.”

“Asshole.” AJ mumbled as he sat on his couch. 

Someone yelling made his angry thoughts about Jerald disappear and he knew instantly where it was coming from.  Quickly he jumped up from the couch and took off out of the living room; heading to the bedroom upstairs.  As he ran down the hall he could hear her yelling.

“Chelsea?” He said in a panic tone as he opened the bedroom door and too his surprise she was practically running around the room, searching.  She was running around in her pajama’s, her hair was messy and her face was wet with tears and sweat.  Their bathroom door was open, their closet door was open, things had been moved around on their dressers and he wondered what was going on.

“Where is she, where is she!?” She repeated over and over as she ran around in circles.  He walked over to her not sure what was going on, was she sleeping and sleep walking or was she awake and this was the fall out of a bad dream, a really bad dream.

“Chelsea, sweetheart calm down.” AJ told her as he took her gently by the arms, worried she’d have another attack.

“He took her, he took my baby.” Chelsea cried as she collapsed into his arms.

“Shhh.” AJ whispered as he held her tightly against his chest.

“I want my baby.” Chelsea cried.

“I know, I know.” AJ replied not knowing what else to say. 

They sat on the floor and he continued to hold her in his arms.  Slowly she began to calm and when her cries had turned to whimpers he gently picked her up and carried her to the bed.  He laid her back down, gently crawled over her and slipped under the covers next to her.  The large duvet blanket cradled them both.  His fingers gently brushed her bangs from her eyes and he frowned at how red and puffy they were.

“They just keep coming.” She mumbled and he barely under stood her.

“Memories?” AJ asked.  Chelsea nodded with a sighed, her breath was staggered.

“I try to understand one, I try to deal with it, deal with the pain and then I go to sleep, then another one comes. Then I have to deal with all new pain plus whatever I remembered before that, it’s like a flood gate opened.” Chelsea explained.

“What did you remember this time?” He asked. AJ waited for her to answer but she didn’t say anything, she just looked down.  “Chels talk to me.”

“I was sleeping and I had her sleeping beside me because I didn’t trust him, I didn’t even trust this Helen woman, so when everyone would leave so I could sleep, I would get up and take her from the crib and bring her over to sleep next to me.” She told him as he gently brushed his fingers through her hair. “I didn’t wake up quick enough, he took her as she was lying right beside me and I tried to get to her but that stupid chain…” She stopped and he could tell she was trying to fight back the tears.  “I begged him not to take her but he didn’t listen, he didn’t care.” Chelsea stopped talking and AJ thought for a moment she was calming down but her lip started to shake and her breathing became rapid.  “I was supposed to protect her.” She said as she broke down crying again.

He pulled her against him and laid there hoping it was enough to make her feel calm and safe.  What could he say, what could he do, he couldn’t even imagine what she was going through.  Did she feel like a failure because of what happened? Did she blame herself, did she hate herself.

“It’s not your fault you know.” AJ whispered.  “You couldn’t do anything…”

“I tried, I tried to rip that chain from the clamp I tried so hard, Alex you have to believe me.” She cried.

“I do, I do sweetheart I know you did and I don’t blame you at all, like I said there was nothing you could do.” He told her as he pulled her closer. 

Chelsea cried as she buried her face against his chest.  AJ found himself tearing up feeling the pain and heartache she was going through having to relive that day again.  She kept telling him she was sorry and he kept telling her it was ok.  He would run his fingers through her hair, he would gently rub the back of her neck and he would lightly kiss the top of her head hoping it was calming her.

“What time is it?” She asked and he was a little startled at the fact she was still awake.

Lifting his arm that was wrapped around her back he looked at his watch “Quarter to three.”

“Why are you still up?” She asked as she pulled her head back and looked at him.

“Couldn’t sleep.” He replied.

“You need sleep.” She said as she cuddled back against him

“We both do.” AJ said as his hand loving drifted up her back.

“Where did you want to go?” She asked and his eyebrows fell in confusion.

“Huh?” He replied a little confused.

Chelsea yawned.  “On our vacation.”

“Oh” He said with a light nod now understanding.  “Well did you want to go somewhere far? Or stay around the area?” He asked.

“We could go to Scotland and you can show me all the places we were supposed to go.” She said and he could tell by her voice that she would fall asleep soon.

“That would be sweet.” He told her as his fingers combed gently through her hair.

“Seems all Jerald ever does is ruin all the good things that happen to me.” She said with a sigh.

“He cares about you, he worries about you and the way I’ve been the last couple months I can’t say I blame him.” AJ told her. “I’ve been selfish, letting my Dad get to me and putting all that stress on you.”  AJ told her.  “It’s not just me anymore, I have to think about you and even Nadia, I mean what if we find her and we have to fight for her, like through the courts. It’s not going to look good if I’m drinking again.”  He waited for a comment back from her but there was nothing.  Carefully he looked down and saw that she was out cold. 

AJ smiled with a light laugh as he gently pulled her closer to him and closed his eyes.  As he lied next to her he began to think of ideas on where they could go, Morocco, Paris, Scotland, but then he started to remember a conversation they had when they were younger.

“So how long will you be gone?” Chelsea asked as she lied on her bed and talked on the phone.

“We’ll be there a couple of weeks.” AJ said as he sat in his room. “But I’ll have my own hotel room so I’ll be able to call, well as long as my Ma isn’t around.”

“I miss you” Chelsea sighed.

“I miss ya too sweetheart.” He replied. “But we’re all going to Kevin’s when we get back so I’ll see ya then.”

“I know” Chelsea replied and he could tell it didn’t cheer her up much.

“Don’t worry when this group gets going and the money starts rolling in, we’ll go somewhere just the two of us.” AJ told her as he leaned against the side of his bed while sitting on the floor or his bedroom.

“I’m sure everyone would just love that.” Chelsea replied and her tone had some sarcasm to it.

“I’m serious.” He said. “Where would you want to go? Anywhere in the world where would it be?”

“Well I guess New Zealand.” She replied.

“Really?” AJ said expecting her to say Hawaii or even Russia where her favorite gymnast was from.

“They have some amazing beaches there, plus it’s really far away from anything else, so it would be just us.” She told him. “There are a lot of private places there and it would be a great hideaway, plus I’m getting sick of this cold Kentucky weather.” She sighed.

“That sounds cool.” AJ replied with a nod. Then he heard some talking in the background and then Chelsea say ok. 

“I gotta go, dinner time.” She told him and there was disappointment in her voice.

“Ok.” He said returning the disappointment.  “Well start planning on what you wanna do when I get there.”

“Ok” Chelsea replied with a light laugh.

“I mean it.” He told her.

“Ok.” Chelsea said again and he could almost see the smile on her face.  “I love you.”

“Love you too sweetheart.” AJ said and then the two of them hung up.

“Bingo.” AJ whispered his eyes still closed, his arms still wrapped around Chelsea as they lied in their bed.