*Three Weeks Later*

“Ellie, look at this mess your room has become a pig sty” Jerald insisted after walking into his niece’s room to see her sitting on the floor amidst every toy she’s ever owned that had been thrown around during a tantrum, or brought there and never put back while she was playing.

“So what’s?” Ellie asked while quietly playing with her toys.

“So Kevin is coming home later tonight do you really want your room to be messy on the night he finally returns?” He waited and when Ellie didn’t reply and was doing everything she could to tune him out he walked over and sat down on the floor in front of her before grabbing her doll from her, setting it to the side, and grabbing her hands and he looked her in the eyes seriously.

“Hey – I am talking to you.”


“Well I don’t wanna talks to you.”


“You’ve barely spoken to me in three weeks sweetheart…I miss you,” Jerald insisted sincerely before tilting her chin up so that she was looking up at him just on time for him to see tears filling up in her eyes. She swatted his hand away and twisted around before lying down on the carpet and hiding her face in her arms. “I wish you would talk to me and tell me what you are feeling” he went on while reaching over and combing his fingers through her soft hair. “I don’t like it when you get distant with everybody.” When she showed no sign of budging Jerald sighed and got to his feet before bending down and gathering the small child into his arms and he shifted her so that she was facing him. Ellie instantly slid her arms around him and buried her face in his shoulder and he brought her over to her bed, sat down, and then scooted back so he was leaning against the wall comfortably.


“Tell me what I have to do princess…” He pleaded.


"You know you can tell me anything that's on your mind, Sweetheart," Jerald coaxed gently. "I've told you that plenty of times before, and it's still the truth. Anytime you need to talk, I'm here for you."


"I misses my Daddy," Elenore whimpered softly.


"Baby, he's coming home soon," Jerald reminded her.


"Nots him," Elenore choked out. "Daddy Sean..."


"Oh," Jerald nodded, suddenly having a feeling he knew what all of this was about. "He's in a safe place, Baby."


"No he's nots!" Elenore protested. "Not ifs Ashee won'ts help me fights for him! An' we gots to fight for Trevor too! Or Daddy Sean's nots gonna be happy ats all!" Jerald sighed heavily. It still amazed him just how much she truly cared for the man who'd abused her for so many years. But, he knew there had been some good times - he could tell the evil man cared about his little girl, even now after he'd given her up to his brother.


"Baby, we just need to give Ashley some time to think," Jerald spoke softly. "She's just very worried for Nick right now."


"And ifs Nicky don't makes it, everybody's gonna hates me!" Elenore wailed. "'Cause I'm stills gonna wanna saves my Daddy, and Trevor!"


"Shh," Jerald soothed, rocking her some. "Ellie, no one's going to hate you should that happen. They may not be too happy about it, but two wrongs don't make a right."


"Daddy Kevy says that lots," Elenore sniffled.


"Well, your Daddy Kevin is a smart man, when he's not being blinded by someone who's not very nice," Jerald pointed out. "And he learned from the best."


"You?" Ellie asked, looking up at her favorite Uncle curiously.


"Well, I'm sure I helped some, but I meant your grandfather," Jerald chuckled softly. "He taught us everything we know."


"Kota's still gonna hates me and wants revenge," Elenore spat slightly, her lower lip trembling, as her eyes filled with tears once more. "My Daddy will haves killed her Daddy. So she's gonna wanna kills mine."


"Baby, Kota's four-years-old," Jerald reminded her. "No matter how upset she gets, she's not going to be that cruel."


"She already saids she wants my Daddy Sean to die!" Elenore exclaimed, as more tears fell. "It's nots his fault! He tries to be goods, he does! He just can'ts be for too longs, 'cause then he gets scared and confused - likes me. And sometimes trouble just finds him."


"Also like you," Jerald commented, poking her nose gently. "Sweetheart, I'm sure everything will work out just fine in the end. Nick will come out of his coma and be just fine, and you'll win your battle. But, even if it doesn't, I don't want you to go blaming yourself, okay? None of this is your fault. It's just a bad chain of events."


"I'll try," Ellie hiccupped, wiping her nose on her sleeve. Jerald kissed her head softly, as he sat there rocking her some more. He sat there in silence for a long while until he was sure he had her calmed down somewhat and then he spoke up.


“Anyway princess, I stand by what I said before” he began and she looked up at him curiously having had forgotten during their discussion. “Your room is a pig sty.”


“An’ I stand by what I saids before too,” Ellie replied smartly. “So what’s?”


“Don’t you be smart with me little one or I won’t say what I was about to say,” Jerald warned and Ellie arched her eyebrow at him.


“What were going to say?”


“I was going to say that if you clean it up…and only if you clean it up I will have a surprise for you.”


“What is it?” Ellie asked curiously, though she was still too emotional to show any excitement.


“I’ve been talking to Detective Stabler…and he said that if you promised to be on your very best behavior and did everything that you are told when you are told, he might be able to arrange it so that you can visit Sean.” Ellie’s eyes widened in excitement then.


“Really Uncle Jerry?!”

“Really princess,” Jerald confirmed. “But like I said you need to be on your very best behavior if this happens, do you understand Ellie? It’s very important because Elliot and I will be taking you to a very grown up place.”


“I promise Uncle Jerry, I will be very good” Ellie insisted readily.


“All right then…I will be holding you to that promise. I will not be very happy with you if you misbehave and it will just cost you any further visits too until you are old enough to handle it.”


“I’m old enough’s to handle it now,” Ellie insisted.


“Well, Kevin doesn’t think that you are. Let’s prove him wrong today all right? You be the good little angel that I know you can be when you really want to and maybe – just maybe, I will arrange it so you can have regular visits with him…and you are getting very good at writing too, maybe someday you can start sending him letters as well.”


“I would like that lots Uncle Jerry,” Ellie announced while looking up at her uncle with emotion in her eyes as she so desperately wants to cry upon hearing this good news.


“I know you would honey, that’s why I’m making it happen for you. I don’t like to see you unhappy…just don’t make me regret doing it.” Ellie slid her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder as she hugged him tightly and he returned her hug while kissing her head affectionately. “I love you Ellie.”


“I loves you too Uncle Jerry.”


“Now clean your room, or this will definitely not be happening,” he said after a moment. “I want to show Kevin that I can keep his house clean while he is away and not let it turn into a mad house.”


“It’s not a mad house yet, Uncle Jerry.”


“Oh no?” Jerald asked slightly amused.


“No, not yet cause there isn’t any monkeys running around.”


“Oh I don’t know about that,” Jerald responded before playfully tickling her and Ellie shrieked and giggled while squirming about in his lap.


~*~*~*~*~


Meanwhile at Ramsey Hospital, Nick had been transferred there when it was decided by everybody that it’s his home and he would be a lot more comfortable there. Doctor Sinatra even said that it might do him a lot of good being there. Doctor Johnson however, is not allowed to make any decisions when it comes to Nick and Brooke made sure that he had a completely different doctor all together. Right now Ashley is sitting in his bed beside him comfortably – the place where she’s pretty much glued herself from the beginning with Bella in her arms. Sarah is sitting in a comfortable lazy boy chair watching cartoons, and Dakota fell asleep at the foot of the bed right in the middle of their third Tom and Jerry episode. The three of them were sitting there minding their own business, when suddenly Aaron walked in with an annoyed look on his face. Ashley looked at him curiously and before she could ask, Aaron spoke quietly as he was very much aware of Dakota sleeping.


“Ash...I need to borrow the girls for a little while.”


“What for?” Ashley asked while arching her eyebrow at him. It’s not that she doesn’t trust Aaron with the kids, because she does – whole heartedly, but he doesn’t look too happy at the moment so she knows there is a perfectly good reason behind it.


“Oh no reason…Uncle Aaron just feels like taking his nieces to the park is all” Aaron answered casually.


“Well for one, Dakota is sleeping right now…and two, you aren’t going anywhere with them until you tell me what you’re trying very hard not to tell me right now.”


“You don’t want to know…”


“Yes I do. If I’m not going to like it, I want some time to prepare myself for it – and if my suspicions are correct – which I’m pretty sure that they’re, because I’ve seen that same level of annoyance on Nick’s face before, then I’m definitely going to need to be prepared.” Aaron sighed heavily.


“Mom didn’t want me to tell you because she was afraid you would find some way to hide Nick from her. She’s coming to see him…and seeing as how Nick doesn’t want her near the girls…you know I have to get them out of here for awhile.”


“Take Laney with you,” Ashley insisted after a moment, as she can just see the woman trying to pull something on her as soon as the girls were well out of her sight and she won’t have that.


“Will do,” Aaron promised. “Would you like me to take Bells too?”


“No…I don’t think that’s such a good idea right now, she’s in a very clingy mood at the moment. I’m afraid she would be screaming the whole time you are gone. Will you get Alex in here though?”


“He is already on his way,” Aaron insisted while going over and gently gathering Dakota into his arms without waking her and Ashley rolled her eyes slightly. She has her suspicions that everybody sits around and discusses what’s best for Ashley and schedules Ashley duty whenever she isn’t around because she never seems to be alone for very long. Even Sarah seemed to be watching her pretty closely earlier just before Aaron had walked in. Next thing she knows it, the kids are going to be given walkie talkies and expected to report to the grownups every five minutes on how she is doing. She watched as Aaron walked around quickly grabbing things and putting them into the backpack that Ashley has been using as sort of a ‘big kids bag’ for both girls and he seemed to linger a lot longer than necessary until right when AJ walked in. Aaron walked past him with Dakota and Sarah and nodded at him on his way out before disappearing around the corner. Yup… Ashley thought silently. They are all conspiring against me. AJ went over to Ashley and she turned her cheek to him allowing him to lean forward and kiss it before pulling the chair Sarah had been sitting in up beside the bed and plopping down into it.


“Alex I have a question for you.”


“What’s up sweetie?”


“Where in the hell could I possibly manage to hide Nick in the short amount of time that it takes for that woman to get here?” AJ chuckled amusedly at the sarcasm in Ashley’s voice.


“I mean really…this is my hospital and Orphanage, it’s not Banner Health anymore and I live here. If I don’t want her near Nick I can just kick her out of it.”


“Well, the way you two have been going at it for the past three weeks I can’t say that I blame her for being worried that you might try and hide him from her.”


“This is Nick’s home... he shouldn’t have to hide in his own home. She has a right to visit her son…not that she really cares or anything, but she’s not a patient so if she pisses me off she’ll be the one that goes.”


“The thing is, everything she says and does pisses you off,” AJ pointed out.


“Because we all know why she hangs around here every day, Including Nick.”


“Nick is in a coma sweetheart he can’t—“


“—Doesn’t mean he doesn’t know what’s going on, I know he does. I can feel it.”


“Right.” Ashley looked away from him then, trying very hard to keep her emotions at bay. She knows AJ is right about one thing. She does have a quick temper lately…every little thing will set her off or make her cry if people are not careful and she hasn’t had much sleep in the past three weeks. There’s the inner struggle on what the right thing to do about Ellie and Sean is, she misses Nick more than anything, and at the same time she is just trying to keep herself together for the kids. What she doesn’t need right now is her brother’s constant doubt.


“If you are going to be that way Alex then I don’t want you in here.”


“You can’t push me away just because I don’t believe in the same thing you do.”


“Watch me.” AJ sighed heavily and then got up and sat behind her on the bed before enveloping her in his arms and kissing her forehead.


“I’m really sorry that I upset you,” he told her sincerely. “It was very insensitive of me.”


“No you aren’t,” Ashley insisted stubbornly. “You are only sorry because I’m upset with you but you’ve doubted mine and Nick’s relationship from the very beginning.”


“It’s not that I doubt your relationship…I believe in it sweetheart more than anything. There is nothing more beautiful then you and Nick. But…I’m just not as open-minded and quick to believe in things like you are…I don’t know if I believe this whole soul-mate thing.”


“And I can’t make you believe in it either but I swear it’s the truth Alex.”


“Are you sure you don’t just want it to be true? That you don’t just want him to be a part of you because you are so terrified of losing him?”


“He was a part of me long before he ended up in a coma. How do you explain everything that has happened before?”


“Coincidence. You guys just know each other very well…”


“And you know Brooke very well too, but I don’t see the two of you ever having conversations with your eyes.”


“That’s because we do that behind closed doors,” AJ joked lightly. He couldn’t help himself. Ashley elbowed him in the stomach and AJ yelped.


“That is not what I meant and you know it.” AJ rolled his eyes playfully and then tightened his arms around her waist as he hugged her closer and despite her anger toward him she snuggled into him as Bella lay across her lap playing with her toys contently. The two of them sat in silence for a few moments, until suddenly Jane and Detective Tutuola walked in.


“You don’t have to accompany me every time I come to visit my son, you know” She told him irritably.


“Yes I do actually,” Detective Tutuola told her casually, and he pulled up a chair and sat down automatically making himself comfortable. Jane rolled her eyes and then turned her attention on Nick.


“Has there been any change?” she asked with absolutely no emotion in her voice what-so-ever.


“Nope, he’s still comatose does that comfort you?” Ashley asked smartly and AJ tightened his arms around her.


“Ashley,” He warned quietly in her ear and Jane’s eyes flared, but otherwise she ignored Ashley’s comment. Ashley shrugged her shoulders and looked down at Bella in her lap and she began to quietly play with her though she watched Jane in the corner of her eye as she went to the nightstand and placed a new vase of flowers on the dresser beside the several other flowers she’s brought him each visit. After a long moment, she turned her attention on Ashley.


“Where are my Granddaughters? Aren’t you supposed to be taking care of them?”


“Aaron took them out for the afternoon,” Ashley answered casually, not even looking up at her.


“I’ve noticed they always seem to be out when I come to visit.”


“Well look at that, you are a bright woman. Did you figure that out all on your own or did you have help?” Jane narrowed her eyes at Ashley as she watched her hand Bella a rattle. “Why don’t you pay attention to your son for once rather than complain about every little thing I do huh? You could at least act like you care.”


“It’s a little hard for me to do that with you sitting there breathing down my neck constantly.”


“I am not breathing down your neck, I am simply sitting here. My sitting here doesn’t seem to bother everybody else, you just don’t like me or the fact that I am with your son every day – or at all for that matter.”


“You’re right I don’t.”


“Well get used to it because I’m not going anywhere unless he tells me otherwise and since he seems to like me quite a lot, I don’t see that happening,” Ashley replied while holding up her promise ring.


“I wonder how much you got him to pay for that.”


“I wouldn’t know I wasn’t involved in picking out the ring it was a complete surprise to me. A lot of love went into picking out this ring and putting it on my finger…and that’s all that matters to me.” Jane snorted but otherwise didn’t respond. Instead she sat down in a chair next to the bed and made a show of fussing over her son. Ashley sat there minding her own business quietly playing with Bella as she did. She handed Bella the rattle she was reaching for, and it went straight for her mouth. Bella rolled over onto her stomach then, and her little eyes focused on Nick.

“Dadadada….” She babbled and Ashley smiled at her slightly as she’ll never get used to hearing her daughter call Nick dada. She looked at Jane though all the same, who was suddenly eyeing Bella disapprovingly.


“Do you really think it’s wise to be teaching her to call Nick dada when he is not her father?”


“I didn’t teach it to her,” Ashley answered with a shrug of the shoulders. “She just simply picked the man that was in her life the most and deemed him her dada…I wasn’t even around when she first started doing it.”


“Yeah well…you shouldn’t encourage it.”


“It’s none of your business how I raise my daughter and it makes Nick extremely happy when she does it. That should tell you something.” Just then the doctor that was assigned to treat Nick came in instantly earning Jane and Ashley’s attention.


“Ashley can I talk to you for a few moments out in the hall please?”


“Sure,” Ashley answered when she noticed the troubled look on his face and knew it was about Nick. Ashley got up with Bella and Jane got up too and followed her, AJ, and Detective Tutuola out in the hall.


“What’s going on?” Ashley asked as AJ slid his arms around her waist protectively, visibly ready for whatever kind of news the doctor has for them and Ashley’s reaction. Doctor Johnson who they noticed was suddenly standing there with them gently took Bella from her.


“I have some concerns about Nick,” He began cautiously. “I’ve been studying his brain and doing whatever I could to find a way that might help him come back to us faster…and I’m afraid the only thing I found out was that his brain injury is a lot more serious than we thought.”


“What does that mean?” Ashley asked softly, and she stiffened slightly in AJ’s arms.


“It means that he may not come back to us at all…” Doctor Smith answered with evident emotion in his eyes.


“No…” Ashley insisted, the tears already building in her eyes and she suddenly felt like the wind was being knocked out of her. “You’re wrong. He’s going to come back to us, I know it.”


“If by some huge miracle that he does come back to us…he may just very well be a vegetable for the rest of his life sweetie…”


“NO!” Ashley shouted at him then letting the tears fall freely from her eyes.


“It’s NOT true! I don’t believe you!”


“I studied everything very thoroughly,” Doctor Smith said to AJ now who was trying his very hardest to control Ashley now and Doctor Johnson walked away with Bella to ensure that Ashley doesn’t upset her. “I even had help.”


“What do you think we should do Doctor Smith?” AJ asked trying his very hardest to stay strong for his sister. She’ll need him to be strong for her.


“I think it’s time you all sat down and made the decision on whether or not it’s best to pull the plug on him…”


“NO!” Ashley shrieked, instantly breaking into sobs. “HE IS GOING TO COME BACK, I KNOW IT! NOBODY IS TO TOUCH HIM DO YOU HEAR ME?! NOBODY!”


“I think it’s for the best,” Jane spoke up for the first time, and Ashley looked at her and like always noticed that there was absolutely no emotion on her face what-so-ever. “I don’t want my son to suffer.” Ashley glared at her then, having absolutely no more tolerance for the woman.


“You just fucking want his money, that’s all you want. You don’t care if he suffers or not.”


“That is not true!”


“It is so true, and you know what? I’m not going to let it happen so you can just forget about it!”


“You don’t have a choice! I am his mother and what I say goes do you understand me?”


“Actually she does have a say in the matter,” Detective Tutuola spoke up. “In fact, what Ashley has to say about the whole thing is the only opinion that matters. Nick stated in his will that she has control of all of his medical decisions...if she doesn’t want the plug pulled, that plug is not to be pulled. I’ll call his lawyer down here right now with the copy of his will if you need the proof.”


“No I believe it,” the doctor said while shaking his head. “Even I am aware of the amount of trust Nick has in Ashley.”


“I WON’T STAND FOR THIS!” Jane shouted then, while angrily stomping her feet. “WHO CARES WHAT HE PUT IN THAT STUPID WILL, HE IS MY SON, I SHOULD HAVE A GODDAMNDED SAY IN THE MATTER!”


“Well you don’t!” Ashley snapped tearfully. “No one is pulling the plug on Nick today or ever – he is going to come back to me I know it. And I’m going to protect him until he does. He’s counting on me to protect him! If you don’t like it then you can just leave!”


“I am his mother, I am not going anywhere!”


“You’re too, because you know what? I am sick and tired of you acting like you care when the fact is that you only want him to die so that you can fight for his money and his children. And I don’t want anyone like that around him.” Ashley looked at Detective Tutuola then. “Tell her to leave Fin – please.”


“She can’t do that, this is a public place” Jane argued.


“A public place that she happens to live in and I’m afraid if you stay an entire blood bath will break out between the two of you. I think it’s best for everybody in general that you do leave Jane – at least until things have calmed down,” Detective Tutuola insisted and he gently grabbed Jane and despite her loud protests he began to lead her out of the building.