Nick woke the next morning to the smell of bacon cooking. He opened his eyes, and the only familiar sensation he had was feeling Lexie asleep at his side. He orientated himself to the guestroom at Howie's house and then the last 24 hours came flooding back at him.

Oh God. . .

"I guess we should get up." Lexie sighed quietly.

"I thought you were asleep." He looked over into her dark eyes. Equally dark circles framed them. She hadn't washed her face before falling into bed with him last night.

"I think I drifted off. CJ's already been in and out of the room a couple times."

"Damn, I never heard her." He groaned as he reached up and rubbed his eyes.

"She went back downstairs, and the other kids are up, too. Cook sounds like she's got things under control. Her husband is here, too."

"What would I do without them." Nick chuckled lightly. "I think a raise is in order, what do you think?"

"Definitely." Lexie smiled up at him, but then it quickly faded. "We have to get back to the hospital."

"We need to spend time with the kids, make sure they're okay. I'm pretty sure John is going to want to come, but the. . ."

"The younger ones should stay home. What about CJ?"

"We'll take her, too." He stretched with a yawn. "I'll jump in the shower real quick so you can get something to eat, then we can switch off."

"I doubt I could eat." Lexie said, sitting up and swinging her feet to the floor.

"Please try. I just got all the weight back on you." He smiled. "You're just like AJ like that."

"I never had a problem with my weight until after I lost the baby. I was always pretty healthy."

"Oh, you're healthy now, just leaner." He got out of bed. "I'll see you downstairs eating breakfast?"

"Yes, sir." She sighed. She didn't see him reach over and pinch her close to her rear end. "Hey!"

"Everything is going to be okay. Now go get something to eat."

"Yeah, yeah, I heard you!" She groaned, getting to her feet and padding out the door. He knew she wasn't really mad at him.

She had food in front of her when he arrived downstairs, but it didn't look like she had eaten anything. AJ and Tina had brought Leah home, and she was upstairs taking a shower and changing her clothes. They had stopped at the hospital, but there hadn't been any changes in Howie's condition. Nick took a cup of coffee and gave AJ a discreet nod to follow him out to the deck.

"Hey."

"Yeah?"

"How she doing?" AJ titled his chin back toward the house in Lexie's direction.

"Not too good. She's really worried. It would be better if we could get some news." Nick sighed as he and AJ stood on the small deck off the kitchen.

"Well, they said he hadn't made any progress, but his lungs are still clear and his vitals are stable. Like I said, he'll probably be awake by the time we get back there." AJ replied.

"John and CJ want to go."

"We were going to take John with us, but the doctor said no. He said to wait until he talked to us later today."

"Well, then CJ will stay here as well. Lexie still has to run upstairs for a quick shower and change." Nick waved his cup at the French doors into the kitchen as they watched her get up and put her dishes in the sink.

"I'm sure that will be fine. Tina's going to have to split and help with the company."

"That's a good thing." Nick nodded.

"Looks like you're holding down the fort pretty well here."

"You mean Cook and Marv are. I'm just along for the ride."

"Okay, I'd better get the ladies and head on out." AJ walked towards the French doors and stepped inside, sharing a quick kiss with Tina and gathering up Leah.

"Dad! It's not fair, how come I can't go!" CJ demanded as the French doors flew open. Such drama.

"Ceej, sometimes kids have to wait at the house. Honey, you're just going to have to wait here with Cook and Marv."

"I don't want to wait with the babies." She pouted.

"Too bad, Pumpkin, you're stuck. I'll call you, okay?"

"That just sucks."

"Excuse me, young lady?" Nick's eyebrows arched up and nothing could hide his astonishment.

"You heard me!" She snapped.

"You're not too big to put over my knee, Christine Jane." He snapped back at her.

"You'd never do that." She challenged him.

"No, but I will." AJ said, startling her from behind. "You watch your language, CJ, and you'd better apologize to your father."

"I'm sorry, Dad." CJ said quietly, sufficiently embarrassed by AJ.

"Leah insisted we wait for Lexie. She's washed up and has thrown some clean clothes on. You want to follow us over? Tina's going to take my car back to the office."

"Sure." Nick dumped his now cold coffee into the hedge below the deck. He handed the empty cup to CJ and said, "I'll deal with you when I get back." Nick warned her.

"How is he?" Leah breathed the words as she rushed her way into ICU. The nurse pulled the group up short.

"Just you, Mrs. Dorough. The doctor would like the rest of you to wait outside in the family room." She said, letting Leah pass and enter Howie's room. Like a high school football team that just lost the championship, the group deflated and turned to exit the ward.

"Honey? Howie?" Leah purred gently, dropping her purse on a chair and leaning across the bed to smooth his furrowed brow. "Honey, are you okay?"

"Mrs. Dorough?" the doctor inquired from across the bed.

Howie's eyes, once fixed on her face, turned toward the doctor. He couldn't understand what they were saying, he couldn't even remember what had happened.

"Is he okay? What's wrong?"

"Right now he can't speak, and it appears that he is paralyzed on the right side of his body. We haven't been able to get any muscle tone from that side of his body."

"Is it permanent? What's going to happen?" Leah pleaded with him.

"Mrs. Dorough, I told you last night that the bleeding and the amount of damage caused by the stroke was extensive. With rehabilitation, he may regain some use. . ."

"What are you saying?!"

"I'm sorry, but he's not going to make a full recovery. We've controlled the bleeding, and we're giving him medications to help restore some of the damage done, but there is no way to recover from this amount of damage 100%." The doctor told her. "We will keep him here for another week. Barring any complications, he can begin rehabilitation at the hospital's inpatient rehab center."

"The. . .the ventilator. . ." she stammered, looking down at him, Howie's eyes unknowing but following her every movement.

"We should be able to remove it sometime this afternoon if the medications take hold." Leah sat heavily on the chair she had left at his bedside the night before. "Mrs. Dorough, do you want me to get someone for you?" Leah just waved him away, dropping her head into her hand as her elbow rested on the bed.

He left the room quietly and respectfully. Leah never heard Lexie meet him at the door and then enter Howie's room.

"I don't care what they say, Howie. You're going to come back to me, and you're going to come home. We've had a lifetime of miracles, and they aren't going to stop now." Her hand reached up and toyed with a few errant curls. "I love you, and I won't let it end like this. Not for you and not for us."

"Mom?"

"Oh, Lex." Leah said with a start. She quickly wiped her eyes and got to her feet. "He's awake."

"The doctor's associate came and talked to us."

"He's going to recover, Lex. . ." Leah stammered, barely able to see Lexie through her tear-flooded eyes.

"I know, Mom, I know." Lexie sounded far stronger than she felt.

"How are they?" Nick quizzed Lexie as she joined them back out in the hall.

"Dad's alert, although, I'm not sure if he understands anything. He just looks blank. Mom's just so desperate." Lexie groaned.

"Honey, it'll be okay." AJ soothed her, reaching out to pat her arm. She smiled weakly for him and gently squeezed his offered hand.

"So, he's going to be in the hospital another week?" Nick slipped an arm around her, pulling her close.

"Yes. If he comes off the ventilator okay, he'll be in a regular room tonight. They'll send him to inpatient treatment in another week." She nodded.

"Will he still be coming off the ventilator this afternoon?" AJ asked.

"Yes, but they didn't say what time." Lexie said, closing her eyes and leaning into Nick. "Mom wants us to all go home. Take care of the children and wait for her to call. She's pretty optimistic Dad will be able to have some visitors tomorrow, at least the children. Tina make it to the office?"

"She and Michelle are there putting together press releases. . ." AJ began.

"Okay. Can we stop by there? I need to talk to Michelle." Lexie said, looking up at Nick.

"Of course."

"I'll let her know we're on our way." AJ nodded as they all turned in the hall and headed towards the garage.

Michelle's smile was warm and inviting as she lifted her head to acknowledge Nick, Lexie, and AJ coming into the conference room. The once normally, very quiet SDR offices were swarming with activity. Michelle dropped what she was doing and made her way toward the trio.

"Tina is in her office, drafting the next press release." She said to AJ.

"Good. I'll go see what I can do." He nodded. "I'll catch up with you two in a bit."

"Okay." Nick nodded in return.

Meanwhile, Lexie was pulled into Michelle's arms, accepting comfort from the little blonde.

"I'm so sorry, Lexie."

"Thank you. Thank you." Lexie held her tight for a moment. "He should be moved to a regular room tonight. You should be able to visit tomorrow afternoon."

"I'd like that." Michelle released Lexie, tears threatening to spill over.

"None of that." Lexie teased her. "We've had our share of that." The three of them shared a simple chuckle. "Where is Steve? Is he ready to be the Interim President?"

"I just broke the news to him last night. He had no idea. Howie hadn't had a chance to tell him. He's a little overwhelmed, but Tina's getting him up to speed." Michelle replied.

"I need to talk to him and . . ."

"Why, Lex?" Nick suddenly interrupted them.

"Nick, I'm the second highest stockholder." Lexie said plainly.

"You are?" Nick's voice held a surprise that Lexie wasn't expecting.

"Behind Dad, yeah. Some of it is in Mom's name, but Dad's always held her proxy. I can get her to sign it over to me, but before Steve Russell can be made President and CEO, the board of directors will have to vote." She explained to him.

"Wait, since when have you been on the Board of Directors?"

"Since I was 21. Dad wants to keep the company in the family."

"Who else are major stockholders?"

"Me, Dad, Mom, Uncle John, and about a half of dozen other investors." She shrugged.

"When were you going to tell me?!"

"I just thought you always kinda knew." Lexie shrugged. "Uncle John usually was the one who voted my stock. It's no big deal."

"Tina's called the meeting for tomorrow morning." Michelle said.

"Of course. I can be there." Lexie turned her attention back to Michelle. "Everyone else?"

"Everyone should be here. Should be quick. I have the documents that Howie signed to have Steve become the interim President and CEO."

"Yes, that will make it quicker." And then suddenly, Lexie's cell phone rang. "Oh, excuse me a sec."

She pulled the phone from her purse and put it to her ear as she walked out of the crowded conference room back out into the hall.

"Hello?"

"Lexie?"

"Yes?"

"Lexie, it's me. Christine."

Instantly, Lexie's heart dropped into her stomach. Her head shot up, and she looked back over her shoulder at where Nick and Michelle were still talking. She made a quick turn to the right and headed toward the end of the hall.

"Yes. Oh, yeah."

"Have I caught you at a bad time?"

"No, well, things are a little hectic." Lexie stammered. Lexie looked back down the hall, and Nick was now standing in the doorway of the conference room looking up and down the hall for her.

"I'm sorry. Maybe this was a bad idea." Christine began.

"No, no. What can I do for you?" Lexie's dark eyes followed Nick's movements.

"I..uh. . .I'd like to take you up on your offer."

"You would?! Christine, that's great!"

"I'm ready to leave any time. My lawyer has made the travel arrangements. We'll be there Friday."

"Friday?" Lexie choked. Nick found her and waved, making his way toward her.

"Is there a problem with that, because you said any time. . ."

"No, no. . .any time. You still have my email address?"

"Yes."

"Good, email me your flight, and I'll be there to pick you up."

"Okay."

"I'm sorry, but I have to go."

"Of course." Christine said. "Oh, Lexie?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you. Thank you very much." Lexie heard her voice crack, and for a moment it slowed Lexie's racing heart.

"You're welcome." She added softly, lifting her eyes to see Nick standing before her. Lexie lowered her phone, turned it off, and dropped it back into her purse.

"Everything okay?" He asked, his eyes seeking hers.

"Everything is fine." She smiled up at him.