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Howie took a deep breath as he located Ana's private ICU room. He had expected at least two of the boys to be guarding the outside, but they were all inside huddled around Ana's bed. He stepped in quietly, shocked to see Ana's lithe form in such a state of distress. Her face was an array of colored bruises as her right cheek was swollen. Her right leg was pulled into tight traction that connected through a series of weights hanging around her bed to keep her thigh bone from damaging her muscles and nerves till it could be properly alligned. The tube inserted in her bruised throat to keep a steady supply of oxygen to her lungs almost scared Howie. Series of tubes connected all throughout her body, draining and adding fluids. She looked absolutely miserable. Howie didn't realize he had made any noise till Pierce jumped up in shock. The boy paled when he saw Howie, immediately cursing, "Damn, Mr. Dorough, Ana would kill me if you saw her like this!"

"I had to see her, Pierce. If she finds out, I'll take the blame, okay?" Howie replied as he walked over to the bed.

"Oh, I'm going to get my ass kicked by a chick on crutches," Pierce moaned as Howie took his seat.

"If anything, we both will get your asses kicked. Because she would tell me herself not to come in here."

"Melicia...told you about the attacker?"

"You mean her dad?" Howie blurted. "Yeah, she did."

"Her dad didn't---" Pierce recieved a sharp glare from Kieran. "He's a fucking bastard..."

"Don't worry, he'll get what's coming to him," Howie replied as he placed his hand on top of Ana's. "No one should do this to their child..."

"We should have stepped in a lot sooner," Dominic whispered with regret.

"There's nothing we can do about that now, Dominic. Right now we need to pray for Ana to pull through this."

"Do... Do you want a few minutes?" Amos offered.

"I would really appreciate it if I could," Howie agreed, giving the boys a small smile.

"No problem," Pierce stated, ushering the boys out of the room. He prepared to leave, but hesitated when he grabbed the doorknob. On instinct, he turned to Howie. "The night of the concert...she was asking me what to do about the relationship she had with you, Mr. Dorough."

Howie looked up at Pierce with question. "And what did you tell her to do?"

"I asked her what she felt when she was with you. She said she felt love. So, I told her that she deserved it with all her heart and needed to keep going. I've done everything I could for that girl and more, but you have that gift that makes her feel like what we see when we look at her - a goddess. She needs you more than she needs any of us, that's for sure, because you can keep her safe, because she loves you."

Howie's heart lifted as he heard those words that came from Ana. "Th-thank you, Pierce."

"No problem, we're going to wait outside... Just grab us when you're done," Pierce consented, slipping out of the room.

Howie turned back to Ana, tears in his eyes. "Hey, Babe... it's me. I know you didn't want me to see you like this, but... well, you know me," he just wanted her to sit up and kiss his face repeatedly, telling him everything was going to be okay. All he got in response were the monitors beeping and hissing. "I'm so sorry I didn't do anything to protect you... I had my suspicions about your dad and I didn't say anything. If I could go back in time I wouldn't have let you leave the hospital. I would have protected you, Baby. God, I love you so much. Just pull through this. Please. I was going to ask you to marry me someday..."

Howie could only recall all the warning flags that had flashed when Ana had been around. The bitter words when talking about her father, the inconsistencies with her stories, the need to be home precisely before her father arrived, the day Pierce said that Ana never wiped out on a surfboard, the demand to wear skirts when her father was around, the bruises, the flinching when Howie tried to touch her, and their conversations they had before drifting to sleep. He should have known better. He should have questioned, yet he did nothing. "Sweetie, if you wake up, I promise that I'll make you move in with me. I'll worship the ground you walk on. I'll even move into the Dorms of Duke if I have to... Just don't leave me or Melicia, okay? Both of us have gotten so far with you by our sides. You helped us with losing Sarah... I'm going to kill your father, I promise you that much... I love you - how many times can I say I love you?"

He was about to speak again when there was a knocking at the door. "Uncle Howie?" it was Melicia.

"Mella?" he questioned, glancing up in surprise.

She came into the room, her cheeks blushing a little. "Yeah. I just got done talking with the guys-- they're not mad at me anymore and said I should come in and see Ana before heading home."

"They're good guys," Howie confirmed, absentmindedly running his fingers against Ana's IV'ed hand.

Melicia nodded as she walked over to her uncle and placed her hand on his shoulder. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she looked at her friend lying on the bed. It scared her at how pale Ana was. "Are you sure a kiss won't wake her up, Uncle Howie?"

"This isn't Sleeping Beauty, Sweetheart."

"A girl can wish," she whispered.

"She might not even want a kiss and I'd rather not have her wake up and slam a fist in my jaw. One bruise suites me fine," Howie joked softly, feeling his throat constrict.

"You know she wouldn't punch you. That's my job," Melicia laughed a little. "That girl loves you a lot, Uncle Howie."

"I hope she does."

"Trust me, she does," Melicia carefully bent down and kissed Howie's cheek. She walked closer to Ana and kissed the younger girl's forehead. "You're going to be okay, Ana Banana. I know you will."

Howie watched the pain flood across Melicia's face when she realized that Ana wasn't going to comment about another affectionate kiss. It would be hard on Melicia until Ana woke up. Howie reminded himself to ask Pierce about Ana's overall condition before he left. No one had said anything about a coma, just that she was sleeping because of the medication. He listened to Melicia speak softly, "I should have told Uncle Howie what you said as soon as I woke up from my surgery. I shouldn't have let it last this long, Ana Banana. Uncle Howie would rushed right over to your house like Prince Charming. I know he would have. And I know you said that you wanted to just be friends with me, but you deserve Uncle Howie."

Melicia kissed her forehead again before standing up and going back to her uncle. He stood up and brought her into his arms. "Are you going to be here with Ana for awhile?" she asked.

"I was planning on taking you home and getting you settled," Howie hesitated.

"Alex can bring me home, Uncle Howie. I think it would be good for Ana to know you're here for her."

"She has the boys though, I mean, you're my niece---"

"And I'm fine. For once, you're going to take the role of the niece. Please stay here with her. You and the boys will be good to be here for her, since I have to go home and rest."

"You don't mind?"

"Of couse not. I know how much you love her, and she loves you. Just be here for her."

"But Melicia---"

"I don't want to argue with you about this, Uncle Howie. I'll have Kieran and Amos tie you to the chair if I need to."

"Do you think Ana will wake up if I'm here?"

"I really think she will."

"I told her she's going to live with us when she wakes up."

"And she will. She won't have to live in fear anymore," Melicia whispered.

"Do you want to fix the guest room up for her?"

"Could I? I was thinking Brian, Kevin and Nick could help me and AJ decorate it and everything."

"Yeah, I want you to take at least the week off of school. That can be your project if you like. I think Ana would love if you did that for her."

"Whatever I want to do for it?" she asked excitedly.

"Go wild," Howie chuckled.

Melicia squealed, giving him another hug. "Ana, you're going to love your new room! I promise!"

"Just...uh...no pink, right?"

Melicia crinkled her nose. "Ew, no pink. Even I can't stand that color."

"Good, because I don't want to get hit with crutches."

"You and me both. I had a beating that will last me a lifetime," Melicia lightly joked about her mugging.

"Melicia," Howie groaned. "That's not funny."

"Sorry, sorry." she shrugged with an impish grin on her face.

"Why don't you get going? AJ's probably going nuts because you're not with him," Howie suggested softly, kissing Melicia's forehead.

"You're right... man, if that boy doesn't get the cookie, he goes crazy--"

"I don't want to hear that!"

Melicia just smiled and kissed his cheek. "I'm just teasing!"

"Get going before I tease you upside the head."

"I'm going, I'm going! Bye, Banana! Love you! Love you too, Uncle Howie."

"Bye, Mella," Howie called softly, watching his niece disappear. He sat down again at Ana's side, taking her hand into both of his again.

"I hope you heard everything, Ana. Because we both meant it with all of our hearts," he whispered.

*~*~*

Melicia was utterly surprised when the maid let her and AJ right into the house after they returned from the hospital. The woman said nothing as she opened the door and went back to her work quickly. Melicia peered into the living room with curiousity, finding her heart drop at the sight. Blood was splattered everywhere and the most incriminating piece of evidence, an iron poker, drenched in a pool of blood. She felt sick as she watched the maid bend over the puddle, scrubbing furiously to rid the evidence. "He used a fire poker that son of a bitch," AJ murmured in shock.

"She should be calling the police, not trying to get rid of what he did!" Melicia whispered, her stomach getting quesy at the site of Ana's blood all over the floor. She could just imagine Ana's father hitting her leg over and over with the poker until it finally shattered.

They watched another maid come down the stairs, picking up the bloody belt, and returning back up the stairs. AJ shook his head in disappointment as he pulled Melicia close to his side. "He pays their salary, Melicia."

"They don't even care what he does to her... God, did ANYONE in this house care about her?" Melicia asked as they walked around the place where the maid was cleaning and headed up to Ana's room.

"Her mother cared about her," AJ stated softly as they opened the creamy white door leading to Ana's room. Surprisingly, the room was spotless. The deep colors of purples and blues splashed around the room, suiting Ana's personality perfectly. She had her rows of medical books on a large bookcase beside her desk. Pictures of her mother, the boys, and her with her mother and the boys were plastered around the room in a sense of comfort. No posters hung on the wall and even her large stereo system was placed away behind a mohagany cabinet. Besides the colors, it seemed as if Ana was a prisoner in her own lucious bedroom.

"This almost looks like a hotel room instead of a teenager's room..." Melicia trailed off, walking over to a picture of Ana and her mother. It amazed her how much they looked alike. Ana seemed so happy then. "The only thing that could keep me sane in this room are the colors."

"Yeah, I'll give you that... She has to be hiding stuff around her room though. Do you remember if she told you anything about where she keeps her favorite things?" AJ asked, watching Melicia pick up another frame.

She bit her lip, trying to remember if Ana had said anything. "Um... she told me she always hid her surfboard under the bed. That might be where everything else is."

"Okay," AJ replied, looking under the large bed. He smiled faintly as he carefully pull Ana's surfboard out from beneath the bed. It looked as if she had treated it once more before storing it back in its hiding place. He walked over and leaned it against the wall. "There's nothing else under there though."

"Damn. Where does that girl put all her things?" Melicia muttered aloud as she walked to the closet. She opened it up and saw nothing but skirts and dressy shirts. "It's going to be a mystery, because these aren't the clothes I've seen her wear in school."

"I'll give her one thing - she was damn good at hiding," AJ side, sitting down on the large cedar chest that sat at the end of Ana's bed.

Melicia turned from the closet and saw what AJ was sitting on. "And we suck at figuring it out! Get off the chest, you dork. That's where her stuff is!"

"What?"

She went over to AJ and started tickling his sides. "Get off the chest, Alex!"

"HEY! I BET THE STUFF IS INSIDE THE CHEST!" AJ burst, jumping off the large chest.

Melicia smacked her forehead with her right hand, rolling her eyes at her boyfriend. "GEE! Why didn't I think of that?!"

"I don't know, she's your best friend."

"Don't take all the credit for figuring it out, McLean," she replied as she opened up the chest. Inside were Ana's clothes, CD's, horror novels, keepsakes and a shoebox.

"What's in the shoebox?" he asked curiously, leaning over her to peer inside.

"I think... I think it's her mom's things," Melicia whispered as she lifted off the lid. Everything that Ana had salvaged from what her father threw away was in the box. Jewelry, pictures, little china figurines... it was like her mother was safely held inside.

"Check this out, Babe," AJ whispered, pulling out a piece of paper. Melicia smiled softly as they gazed at the first drawing of the center fairy on Ana's surfboard. Over the side of the beautiful drawing, her mother's handwriting: Little Ana's Moonlight - Tina Marie

"That picture is so beautiful. No wonder Ana is so protective of her surfboard..." Melicia replied, thinking about things her own mom had made that she kept hidden in her room for safekeeping that Howie didn't know about.

"We should frame it for her," AJ offered.

"Let's do that tomorrow. We'll get a pretty silver frame for it and everything," Melicia smiled as he placed the picture back inside the box. She put the top back on. "But we should get going. Who knows if the bastard decides to come back early again like before. Besides, I wanna get started to decorating Ana's new room. I've got an idea now that we've seen this one."

"Do you want to leave this stuff here and just have Kevin come back and grab it?" AJ asked, knowing there was no way in Hell that he could lift the heavy cedar chest without developing a hernia.

"Yeah, except for the shoebox. That's coming with us."

"The surfboard, too?"

"Surfboard, too," she agreed, kissing him before he grabbed the surfboard and they both headed downstairs.

"Wait, what are you doing?" one of the maids raved, finally glancing up from the deep blood stain.

"We're bringing these over to my house for safekeeping. Miss Ana asked me to before she got hurt," Melicia replied.

"Oh...it's a shame that an attacker broke in... Poor child," the maid murmured.

"Can I ask you something, ma'am?" Melicia asked.

"Go ahead," the maid sighed, going back to scrubbing.

"You never saw Mr. Lord hurt his daughter, did you?"

"You're stepping on very dangerous territory, Miss Dorough," the maid whispered when the other maid shot her a dirty glare.

"Yeah, well so is Ana's father when he decides to abuse his child to the point where she is almost DEAD. How can you just let all this happen right in front of you--"

"I didn't say that I saw---"

"Look at what you're cleaning up! That's Ana's BLOOD! I've seen you clean up after everything he has done to her and that's even worse than actually seeing it!"

"It wasn't him," the other maid stressed.

"Stop defending him! Is money really more important than the life of a child? Are you both that superficial?"

"We didn't see anything, Miss Dorough. And you're wise not to bring these types of accusations against Mr. Lord. He's a very fair man."

"Yeah, a fair man as long as you get your paychecks," Melicia snapped. The maids said nothing as they went back to cleaning. She looked up at AJ. "They aren't ever going to admit he hurts her, will they?"

"I don't think so, Baby. Let's just get you back to your house. You need to rest."

She sighed heavily as they left the house and headed across the street to her own. "I just can't believe they denied it all while cleaning up her blood!"

"I think the worst part is that even if the police would become involved - they won't see the initial crime scene. Pierce and Dominic took Ana straight to the hospital, they didn't call an ambulance or the police. It's well hidden."

"It's just not right, Alex. Parents who do this shouldn't get away with it," Melicia stressed as they walked inside the Dorough house. She carefully set down the shoebox on the coffee table and automatically laid down on the couch. Her shoulder and ribs were starting to ache.

"Do you want me to get your medicine?" AJ volunteered as he gently hoisted pillows beneath her for support.

"Please? The morphine is wearing off now and it's beginning to hurt."

"Hold on, Sweetheart," he stated, walking into the kitchen. Melicia closed her eyes for a moment, trying to think of what she could do to help Ana when AJ came back with her medication and a glass of water.

"Here you go, Baby," AJ murmured.

"Thank you, Alex," she sat up and swallowed the pills. She laid back down and closed her eyes. "I'll be ready to start on Ana's room in a little bit. It doesn't take long for the medicine to kick in."

"I think you should rest for the day. We can start tomorrow," AJ decided, allowing Melicia to rest her legs on his lap. He rubbed her legs gently.

"I can rest any time this week when I need to. I'll be fine once the pain goes away. I really want to get started on Ana's room, Alex."

"And I'd like you to rest."

Melicia sighed, feeling her tense body relax as the pills started to work. "Can we at least go to the hardware store later and pick up some things?"

"As long as you rest."

"You keep massaging my legs... and whatever else you want and I will definitely rest."

"Don't tempt me," he laughed, kneading her tired muscles.

"Well, we are alone, you know," Melicia giggled.

"Yeah, I know," he chided.

"I love you, Alex."

"I love you, too, Baby."

"Will you lay with me while I take a nap?"

"Like you have to ask."

Melicia smiled as she felt AJ's hands leave her legs. She opened her eyes and scooted over to make room for AJ as he laid down next to her. "Now I really feel relaxed."

"Good, because you need the sleep, Baby," AJ cooed, kissing her neck as her eyes fluttered closed. He smiled as her breathing steadied, showing that she was asleep. He leaned his head in the crook of her right shoulder, falling asleep himself.