AJ walked down the hotel hallway of the MGM Grand hotel. Agent Panas was bringing him to his room and when they turned the corner he saw Detective Wilkos talking to some other men and woman. The FBI Detective turned and saw AJ; he smiled and walked over to him.
“Hello Alex.” The man said as he reached out his hand and shook it. “How is Chelsea doing?”
“Nothing’s changed but I’m waiting to here the results of her latest CAT scan.” AJ told the man. “So what’s going on? Can I see her?”
“We’re just waiting for the Judges order on custody right now.” Det. Wilkos said. “We petitioned the judge; a couple of hours ago on your and Chelsea’s behalf to have Nadia stay with you during the DNA test and court proceedings, instead of Family Services. If he agrees than you will be able to meet with her and a councilor.”
“And if he doesn’t agree?” AJ asked.
“We’ll have to set something up with Family Services for a meeting and it would take a little longer.” The Detective told him. “You can go to your room and get settled; either Agent Panas or I will come get you.”
“Ok thanks.” AJ said as he adjusted his bag on his shoulder.
Agent Panas gave him his keycard and told him his room number. It was only a couple of doors down from where they were standing. When he entered the room he dropped his bag and dropped himself onto the bed. As he lied on his back he pulled his phone from his pocket and checked for any text, there were none. So he decided to send Kevin one.
“At the MGM Grand Room 657, how is Chelsea?” He set the phone down and sat up.
He saw himself looking back in the mirror; he placed his folded hands over his mouth and began to think. What would he say, what would do, this complete stranger came into your life and said. “Hey I’m your Father and your Mother is in a coma.” He took a deep breath and lowered his head, trying to keep himself in checked. His phone beeped.
Grabbing it off the bed he pulled up the text. “Brain activity is still the same, nothing new to report.” AJ sighed after he read it.
“Tell her I love and miss her.” AJ texted back.
His stomach growled and he frowned at the realization he hadn’t ate yet. Not sure how long it would take to hear back from the judge he headed to his door. Opening it he looked out into the hallway and looked around for one of the Detectives. The hall was empty so he walked out and headed down towards the elevators. As he turned the corner someone slammed into him.
“Whoa” He blurted out in shock as he looked down at the person who came around the corner. “Sorry”
“Sorry” The girl said as she looked up at him and when she did AJ caught her eyes. His heart stopped then fluttered, the girl walked around him and headed further down the hall.
“Wait” AJ said as he jogged after her but the girl didn’t stop. “Hey, wait.” He said again as he sped his pace up a bit.
“What?” The girl said as she spun around.
“What’s your name?” He asked.
“Perv.” She scoffed at him and turned back around, walking towards the stairwell.
“Nadia.” AJ said and the girl stopped dead. When she did he smiled and tried to catch his breath. Slowly the girl turned around and looked at him.
“How did you know my name?” She asked.
“I’m Alex” AJ replied trying to find the words, any words. “I’m…I’m your Dad.”
“Wow that was fucking weird to say” AJ thought instantly.
“I don’t have a Dad.” She said quickly.
“Hey!” Someone shouted and AJ turned around and saw Agent Panas jogging towards him.
“Great” Nadia sighed.
“Where are you going?” The Agent asked as she walked up to AJ and Nadia.
“For a walk.” Nadia replied sarcastically
“She’s got my attitude too.” He thought as he smiled to himself.
“You need to stay in your room.” Agent Panas told her.
“Cool, then I’ll go to my room.” Nadia replied as she picked up her bag and headed towards the stairs again.
“Your Hotel room.” The Agent said and AJ could tell she was getting annoyed. Nadia stopped and grunted.
“Where’s my Mom?” Nadia asked and AJ knew she wasn’t asking for Chelsea.
“We told you where she was.” Panas said and Nadia rolled her eyes. Those eyes, Chelsea was right she really did have his eyes.
“I wanna see her.” Nadia demanded.
“You can’t right now.” The Detective told her.
“Cause you put her in jail.” Nadia snapped. “And I don’t care what the judge says, I’m not going anywhere with him.” She shouted as she pointed at AJ.
“Just get back to your room please.” Agent Panas told her.
“So if this dude is my Dad than where is this Mom of mine?” She asked.
The Detective looked at AJ. “She’s not here.” AJ told her.
“Oh” Nadia nodded. “Good to know she cares.”
“She does care.” AJ replied. “She’s just…” He stopped.
“She’s what?” Nadia snapped again. “She has something more important to do, getting her nails done, working, shopping what?”
“No” AJ said.
“Then what?” Nadia asked. “If I’m this long lost daughter that was supposedly taken away from her what is more important than being here?”
“She’s in a coma Nadia.” AJ told her trying not to fight back with her.
“Oh that’s rich.” Nadia scoffed.
“It’s the truth Nadia.” The Agent said.
“Look Nadia, Your Mom’s been through a lot…”
Nadia interrupted him. “She’s NOT my Mom!”
“Fine, Chelsea’s been through a lot.” AJ told her.
“So why are you coming now?” Nadia asked.
“Because we didn’t find Chelsea until a couple of years ago, I thought she was dead, her family thought she was dead.” AJ told her. “And she had blocked out a lot of what happened.”
“Including me.” Nadia mumbled.
“Yes including you but not because she didn’t care, because having you taken away from her, having you ripped away from her was too much for her to handle.” AJ told her.
Just then Detective Wilkos came around the corner and both AJ and Agent Panas turned to look at him. “Judge gave his ruling.” The man told them. “Nadia can go home with you after you meet with a councilor and get your DNA taken. The next hearing will be in a couple of weeks.”
AJ turned around to look a Nadia but she was gone, he looked up and saw the stairway door closing. He took off running after her and when he entered the stairwell he saw her running down them.
“Nadia wait.” AJ yelled after her.
“Go away.” She shouted back as AJ hurried to catch up with her.
“Please wait.” AJ said as he reached for her arm.
“Let go of me!” She snapped at him.
“Nadia” AJ said and stepped in front of her stopping her from moving. “I know this is hard.”
“Hard? Some people show up at my home, arrest my Mom and tell me oh, she’s not your Mom and you have to go live with complete strangers, no that’s not hard at all.” She snapped back and AJ couldn’t help but smirk. “Glad you find it funny.”
“You have my attitude.” AJ told her. Nadia grunted and rolled her eyes as she plopped down on a step. “Look into my eyes and tell me you don’t see yourself looking back at you.” Nadia didn’t say anything or look at him. “I know you’re pissed off, I would be too your whole world has been flipped upside down but the truth is I’m your Dad and I promised your Mom…” Nadia shot him a look but he ignored it. “I promised her that we would find you, that I would bring you too her.”
“I thought she was in a coma.” Nadia scoffed.
“She is that’s why it’s so important I keep this promise.” AJ told her. “Come back to California with me, wait out the DNA test there, and give me a chance.”
He looked at her and waited for an answer. “Fine” She mumbled and AJ wanted to jump up and start dancing. “But I’m NOT happy about it.”
“Ok” He replied as he stood up and helped her up.
Together they walked back up the stairwell to the floor they were on. AJ held the door open for her and then they walked down the hall back towards the FBI Detectives. He looked down at Nadia as they approached the man and woman, wanting to examine every part of her face. Looking for what was his and what was Chelsea’s.
“So what happens now?” AJ asked and Detective Wilkos turned to them.
“You’ll meet with a councilor for a couple of hours, we’ll get both of your DNA and then you can head back to California tonight or tomorrow.” He told them.
“Ok” AJ nodded.
“I’ll go let the councilor know.” Detective Panas said as she walked away from them.
“So where in California do you live?” Nadia asked and AJ looked at her.
“LA” He told her.
“Really?” Nadia said. “What do you do there?”
AJ giggled and Nadia looked at him confused. “Damn, didn’t think we had fallen that far off the map.” He jokingly sighed.
“Huh?” She replied confused.
“I’m in the group the Backstreet Boys.” AJ told her.
“You’re a Backstreet Boy? Like the Boy Band Backstreet Boys?” Nadia replied confused.
“Yep” AJ replied with a nod.
“Well I don’t like boy band music.” Nadia said and he smiled to himself at the way she pretended not to care.
“So what do you like?”
“Real music.” She replied.
“And what’s real music?” He asked.
“Jonas brothers.” She told him.
“Ah, you mean Hanson.”
“What? No, they aren’t like Hanson.” Nadia replied.
“Three brothers singing in a group.” AJ shrugged.
“They have way better music than MmmBop.”
AJ laughed. “Anything’s better than MmmBop.” Nadia started to laugh, it made AJ laugh too and then he noticed. “You have her laugh.”
“Who’s? Oh.” She said realizing who he was talking about.
“I miss it.” He kind of blurted out. There was a moment of silence.
“How long has she been in the coma?” She asked.
“Almost a week.” AJ replied.
“What happened?”
“She suffers from headaches because of what happened and all the memory blocks, before she remembered about you they were really bad.” He told her. “They did start to calm down and then a couple of weeks ago she got hit with a big one. She remembered a lot more about what had happened to you and they just kept coming. One day last week Detective Wilkos called and told me they were heading to Vegas too look for you. So I went out bought her flowers and when I got back I heard the shower going. I went into the bathroom and that’s when I found her on the floor, she must have had a migraine, it knocked her out and she hit her head.”
“Wow” Nadia said as she raised her eyebrows. “Wait so you guys are still together?”
“Yeah” He nodded. “She’s my world.”
Nadia lightly smiled at him and then looked away as Detective Wilkos walked up to them. “Ok the councilor is ready for you.”
“You ready?” AJ asked Nadia.
“Yeah” Nadia replied with a light nod and then the two of them followed the Detective down to the elevators.
