Hello, Everyone!
I'd just like to say, Happy New Year to all of you devoted readers out there! 2007 is going to be a better year for me! Hopefully for all of you, as well.
I'm continuing the story and I hope to finish it soon. and hopefully this story will have a happy ending.
"But we'll soon find out, won't we?"
Now on with the story.
First of all, let me just say that this is my first time writing any kind of fiction like this.
DISCLAIMER: This is a work of total fiction and is not meant to imply anything about the sexualities of Nick and Drew Lachey or anyone else mentioned in this story.
If you are too young to read this, or if Homosexuality offends you, then please don't continue any further and leave.
Also, here is an updated list of a few more stories that 98 Degrees are in on Nifty.
Other 98 Degrees stories I'd like to recommend are.
"Give Me Just One Night" by Unanoche. "69 with Jeff Timmons" by Zachary Scott Pritt "Nick Lachey" by Ken. "98 Degrees Is Hot" by Gay Night "The Reunion" by RinSong. "Loving Nick Lachey" by Jordan "Playing Doctor with 98 Degrees" by Brian "This Gift" by Sprout "Shut Up" by Anonymous "What I feel for you" by Thack and finally:
"All that Matters" By Jason Phillips."
Now, I"ll let you get on with the story.
Enjoy.
********** CHAPTER 96 **********
AT THE HOSPITAL, IN JESSICA'S ROOM.......
Jessica sat there, stunned, when she heard the word "divorce" come out of Nick's mouth. She knew that he had been mad at her before all of this happened, and also knew that he wanted a legal separation. She never did think that it would come down to actually being the end of her marriage.
"Nick, no!" Jessica said, starting to cry. "Please, don''t say that! I'm sorry that things didn't turn out like we'd planned! Oh God, I was really looking forward to being a mother again!"
Nick looked up at her, his face all serious. He knew what she was trying to do, and this time, he wasn't going to be taken in by her again.
"I'm sorry, Jessica." Nick apologized to her, his voice more calm. "But with the way things are, right now, I really don't see how this marriage can go on. I'm not happy in this marriage, anymore. And if you're honest with yourself, I don't believe you are, either."
Jessica sniffed and brought a hand up to her face to wipe away the tears that were falling down her cheeks.
"Nick, please," Jesssica begged him. "Just give this marriage one more try! And I promise that I'll do better! I'll be a better wife to you! I'll even apologize to Sean for everything that I've put him through!"
Nick sighed, and stood up from where he was sitting. He paced around the room a bit, his back to Jessica.
"Nick, you and I have so much history." Jessica said to him. "You're my best friend. I love you so much, and I'll do anything that you tell me! Anything, if you'll just give our marriage another chance!"
Nick just stood there, his back to her, so Jessica had no idea what he was thinking or what the expression on his face was. She heard him sigh again.
"Nick, please?" Jessica begged him, again. "Give me ONE more chance?"
It seemed like her pleas were starting to work. Nick wasn't saying anything, right away. He was silent for a time, and Jessica knew that Nick was at least considering the idea.
"If not for me, then for our little girl." Jessica said again. "She needs both of us."
Finally, Nick turned around to face Jessica. When she did, she could see tears in Nick's eyes.
"I'm sorry, Jessica." Nick said, softly. "I would do anything for my little girl, but not this. I've been disappointed too many times by you. And now that you're not pregnant with my child after all, I can't go through anymore disappointments. This marriage has to be over. We'll both be happier apart."
Jessica buried her face in her hands for a moment. Then, she looked up at him again. She could tell by the look on her husband's face that there was no getting through to him, this time. She knew that it was time to let go of him.
"Alright, Nick." Jessica said to him. "If there's nothing I can do to change your mind, then I guess I have no choice but to go along with you. If you really want a divorce, then I won't stop you."
Nick nodded, in appreciation. He knew that she didn't want the divorce, but he was glad that she was not going to give him a hard time about it.
"Thank you." He said to her, softly. "I know how much you're hurting right now, but you'll see that this is for the best once you've gotten over the pain."
Jessica nodded, as she wiped at her tears again.
"I'll call my lawyer in the morning and tell him to draw up the papers." Jessica said to him. "And I'm sure that we'll work out a visitation agreement for our daughter that you and I both can agree on."
Nick looked at her, intensely. Even though he wanted the divorce, he still wasn't feeling all that good about it. Ending a marriage was never easy on anyone.
"Will you do one last thing for me?" Jessica asked him, softly.
"Sure." Nick nodded. "Name it."
Jessica looked up at him and made what she wanted from him, known.
"If this is really goodbye, may I have one last hug from you?" Jessica asked him.
She didn't even have to ask it twice. Nick walked over
to her bedside and sat down beside her on the bed. She scooted over to give him room. He took her in his arms and hugged her close.
As soon as his arms were around her, Jessica broke down, crying. She held onto him, tight, as she sobbed into his chest.
"Jessica, you're my best friend, too." Nick said, soothingly. "No one else will ever take your place in that category. Not even Sean."
Jessica nodded, her face still buried in Nick's chest. Then, she pulled back from him.
"Speaking of Sean, what does this mean for him, now that you and I are divorcing?" She asked him. "Are you going to get back together with him?"
******************************************************* BACK AT SEAN'S APARTMENT.................
Jeff walked into the house and grabbed the phone from the table, near the sofa. He picked it up and dialed Drew's cellphone number.
After a few rings, Drew picked up.
"Hello?" Jeff heard him say.
"Hey, Drew, it's me, Jeff." Jeff greeted him. "How's it going?"
Hi, Jeff." Drew replied back. "I'm doing alright under the circumstances."
Drew's voice sounded sad, which made Jeff wonder what was going on.
"Drew, you don't sound too good." Jeff said to him. "Are you alright?"
Drew was silent for a moment, which said it all.
"Actually, Jeff, I'm anything but alright." Drew told him. "I've never felt so alone in my entire life. I miss all of you guys, and most especially, my big brother."
"But, you're not alone, buddy." Jeff said to him, sympathetically. "Casey's with you."
"Actually, no he isn't." Drew said to him. "Ever since we got back here to New York, Casey's never left his father's bedside. And whenever I try to get him to take a break, whether it's to get something to eat, or just to walk around for a while and talk, he just tells me that he can't deal with it right now. Most of the time, he just sits there, next to his father's beside and talks to him, hoping that he'll wake up. And it's like I'm not even there."
When Jeff heard what Drew was telling him, he was livid. It sounded like Casey was not paying any attention to Drew."
"It sounds like he's ignoring you!" Jeff said to him. "What kind of man does that to someone he claims to love so much?!"
"Jeff, calm down." Drew told him. "I understand what he's going through. I'm sure he doesn't mean to make me feel this way. He's just too worried about his father that he can't deal with anything else."
"That's still no excuse for the way he's treating you!" Jeff said, harshly. "He should be showing his appreciation to you for being there for him!"
"I know he appreciates my support." Drew replied. "Don't worry about that."
Hearing just how bad things sounded, Jeff decided to tell Drew what he was planning.
"Drew, where are you right now?" Jeff asked him. "Are you at the hospital with Casey?"
"No." Drew said. "I just got back to his house, a few minutes right before you called. I just came back from the hospital to grab a shower and to rest for awhile."
"Yeah," Jeff said to him. "You really do sound alot more tired, than sad. But, I have something to tell you that might cheer you up."
"Oh, really?" Drew asked Jeff, curiosly. "What is it?"
Jeff was hoping that Drew would be happy with what he was about to tell him.
"I'm coming out there to visit you, in New York City." Jeff told him. "That's the reason for my call. I wanted to find out where you were staying, before I called and booked my flight."
"Don't bother booking a flight." Drew said to him. "I actually have something to tell you, myself."
Now, Jeff was curious as to what that was.
"What?" He wanted to know.
Drew hesitated before blurting it out.
"I've decided that I'm coming back to Orlando." He said. "With or without, Casey."
That sure took Jeff by surprise. He wasn't expecting that.
"That's great, man!" Jeff asked him, then added. "I know that Nick misses you. We all do."
"Thanks, Jeff." Drew said, softly. "I needed to hear that. Especially now."
Jeff could now tell that Drew did indeed seem troubled about something. Obviously, something more was going on than Drew was telling him.
"Drew, may I ask, what made you decide to want to come back here to Orlando?" Jeff asked him. "There must have been some reason?"
"Well, I guess it's because I'm tired of feeling like I'm in the way, where Casey's Dad is concerned." Drew told him. "Casey isn't really alone here. His mother and other members of his family are with him, at the hospital. So, if I leave, I won't have to worry about him being alone. Besides, given the way things are right now, I don't think he'd even know if I'm gone."
"So, does this mean that you're coming back to Orlando after all?" Jeff asked him, wanting confirmation.
"Yes." Drew said. "I'm going to call and book a flight back to Orlando. I feel like I'm more needed there than I am here, anyway. Especially with Sean being in prison and all."
"Drew, can I ask you something?" Jeff asked, out of the blue.
"Sure." He heard Drew respond.
"Have you thought about what you and I discussed at all, before you and Casey went back to New York City?" Jeff asked him. "Before you left, I told you that I have feelings for you."
"Yes, I remember." Drew told him. "And Yes, I have taken time to think about the best way to deal with it. But, you and I will talk about this when I get back there. I have to go so that I can take my shower and shave. Then, I'm going to call and see if I can book a flight back to Orlando for today. I'll call you with the details."
"Alright, Drew." Jeff said to him. Then a thought occurred to him. "In the meantime, what are you going to do about Casey?"
"I'm going to leave him a note so that he knows I'm coming back to Orlando." Drew said, sadly. "With all that's going on right now, I just don't have it in me to face him right now."
"Ok, Drew." Jeff replied. "Just get back here as soon as you can. I'll have a big hug waiting for you when you get here."
Drew chuckled, a bit. That made Jeff feel good that he'd made Drew laugh.
"See?" Jeff said to him. "I even got you to laugh."
"Yeah, you did." Drew said. "And thanks, Jeff. I'll see you and the guys soon, ok?"
"Ok." Jeff said. "Have a safe flight."
"I will." Drew said. "Goodbye, Jeff."
"Goodbye." Jeff said.
Jeff stayed on the phone until he heard Drew hang up. then he hung up the phone and set it back down on the table, next to the sofa.
Seeing that the living room was unoccupied, he then wondered where Kandi and Justin were. He then headed down the hallway, towards the guest bedroom where he had slept in the previous night.
As he got to the door, he could hear all too familiar sounds coming from inside the room.
"Oh, Kandi!" He heard Justin's voice moan.
"Oh! Justin!" Kandi's voice moaned back.
Jeff silently laughed to himself. It was very clear to him what they were doing in there. So, instead of interrupting them, he decided to go back to the living room.
He went into the living room and sat down on the sofa. He picked up the TV remote and switched on the TV. As he was flipping through the channels, he noticed that Sean's arrest was making major headlines still. The press was having a field day with the news of Jessica's attack and that Sean was the prime suspect.
As Jeff was watching the news, which happened to be on MTV, he hear the door to the apartment being opened. He turned aroound just in time to see Danny come back in.
"Hey." Jeff said to him. "How are you doing?"
"I'm doing better." Danny said. "Thanks for asking."
No, problem." Jeff replied. "Will you come over here and sit with me for a minute? I want you to see just how outrageous these news reports about Sean are."
Danny walked over and sat down beside Jeff, as he saw exactly what Jeff was talking about."
Ryan Seacrest was again, hosting the MTV news, and he was asking a pretty blonde girl to give her opinions about what she thinks of Jessica's attack.
"So, what are your opinions on what's happened to Jessica Simpson?" Ryan asked the girl."
"I'm a huge fan of Jessica Simpson and my heart goes out to her and her family for what they are going through right now." The girl said. "And if this Sean Perry really did attack her, then I hope that he's put behind bars for a very long time!"
Danny put his hand over his eyes, after hearing that.
"If only they would give Sean a chance to tell his side of the story.!" Danny said, in frustration. "Then, they would know that he couldn't have done this to Jessica!"
"I'm sure Sean will get the chance once his bail hearing is set." Jeff said to him. "But, If I know, Joe, he and the District Attorney are going to do whatever they can to discredit him and to make him look bad in the eyes of the public. Not to mention the jury if this case goes to trial."
Danny sighed, heavily.
"I just hope that it doesn't go to trial." Danny said, lowly. "Because I don't know how much more Sean can handle. Going through a long, drawn out trial is going to exhaust him."
"Nonsense." Jeff said, putting his arm around Danny's shoulders and pulling him in closer to him. "Sean is a strong man. He is a survivor! Believe me, he can take whatever Joe Simpson and the Prosecution want to dish out."
Danny was surprised by Jeff's sudden move. He looked up at Jeff and their eyes met. Caught up, in that moment, Jeff brought his hand to Danny's cheek and caressed it with his thumb, then with the back of his fingers. Then, Jeff leaned in to kiss Danny. Danny didn't seem to be resisting for some reason.
Then, their lips connected and they started kissing each other, the passion starting to take over.
Danny pushed Jeff down on the sofa and crawled on top of him. He then leaned down and kissed Jeff again.
Before they could get anymore hot and heavy, Jeff pushed Danny away.
"Danny, stop." Jeff panted. "I shouldn't be doing this with you. I've hurt you too much."
"Don't worry about it, Jeff." Danny said to him. "You told me that you still love me, despite your feelings for Drew. So this isn't going to be empty sex. I need this. And I think that deep down, you do too."
With that being said, Danny leaned back down to kiss Jeff again. After a few kissed, Jeff pushed his face away again.
"Danny...." Jeff panted, trying to say something. But he didn't get the chance. Danny got off of him and grabbed his arms to pull him up off of the sofa.
Jeff got up and was standing in front of Danny. Danny pulled Jeff against him, tightly.
"It's alright, Jeff." Danny said to him. "I can handle this. Just think of this as giving you something to come back to. Or depending on your decision, a final goodbye."
Jeff looked at Danny and could see the desire in his eyes. Jeff knew that Danny wanted him right now at this very moment.
"So right now, I don't care what happened between you and Drew in the past, or what will happen between you and Drew in the future." Danny whispered to him. "All I care about is right here and right now. And all I want, right now, is you!"
Jeff paused a moment, looking Danny in the eyes to see if he was really sure that he wanted to do this. And Danny eyes said it all: He wanted this.
After that, Jeff pounced on Danny like a wild animal. He kissed him, passionately, then lifted him up into his big, strong arms.
Jeff carried Danny down the hallway and into Sean's room, locking the door behind him, so that they wouldn't be interrupted.
******************************************************* MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE FLORIDA STATE PRISON....
I was down in an area of the prison where the guards were having a bunch of us, mopping the floors clean. I happened to be one of the last prisoners to clean up. But strangely, I didn't see any of the guards in sight. It made me wonder what was going on.
As I was getting close to finishing up, I suddenly felt someone grab me and push me against the wall. It happened so fast that I didn't have time to react to defend myself.
"So, you thought that you'd seen the last of me, huh?" I heard a man's voice say. "Well, you thought wrong!"
He grabbed my hair and turned me around to face him. when I saw who it was, my eyes flew out of my sockets.
"Oh God!" I exclaimed, in shock. "What the hell are YOU dooing here?!"
There stood, Jay Phillips, my past rapist, and the man who'd tried to kill me, in front of me, grinning evilly.
"Surprise!" He said, that evil grin still on his face.
Unfornately for Jay, he'd made the mistake of letting go of my arms, which gave me the chance to react. At that moment, quick as lightning, I swung a fast and hard blow to Jason's face. Jason bellowed out in pain and fell off to the side.
As soon as he was down, I took that moment to bolt out of his reach. But there was nowhere for me to go. as there were a circle of prisoners, surrounding me, in order to keep me from escaping. I realized that I was not going to be able to fight my way through the crowd of prisoners. there were way too many of them. It seemed as if they were wanting to see a fight take place between me and Jay.
Well, if a fight was what they wanted to see, then they would see it! For this time, I was not going to be a victim to Jay again!
I turned around just in time to see Jay, coming towards me, his teeth clenched, and his face taking on a look of pure rage.
"That was a big mistake, you little fucker!" Jay growled at me. "Now, I'm going to give you a beating you won't soon forget!"
"I doubt, you'll get the chance, you big Musclehead!" I shouted back at him. "You'll have to get ahold of me, first! And let me warn you, it won't be easy! You just caught me off guard the first time, but I am ready for you this time!"
I braced myself for Jay's attack, which was coming. He started to lunge at me, and I responded by giving him a swift kick to the abdomen, doubling him over, then I gave him a side kick to the face, and then finished with a roundhouse kick that knocked him to the ground.
Shaking off the pain, surprisingly quickly, Jay got up again, and came at me again. This time, he tried to take me down with a lower roundhouse to my legs, but I was quicker and lifted my legs up off of the ground so that he wasn't successful in tripping me. Then I kicked at him again. But this time, he managed to block it and grab my foot. But, I outsmarted him again and pushed my foot right smack into his nose.
"AHHH!!!!!" Jay bellowed in pain. He put a hand to his nose and saw the blood that was coming out of it, into his hand."
"WELL?!" I asked, as I shouted at him. "DID I BREAK IT?!"
Jay looked up at me. If he hadn't wanted my blood more then, he sure did now! I had injured him and his temper was getting more and more hot!
"NO!" Jay shouted back to me. "BUT YOU ALMOST DID! NOW I'LL MAKE YOU SUFFER!"
Jay got up and lunged at me, again, but this time, he managed to get too close to me. When he did I grabbed ahold of him and backrolled him off of me, onto the floor behind me.
I scrambled to get up, but I wasn't fast enough, which left me vulnerable as I turned around to face Jay, just in time to receive a hard punch to the face.
I reeled from the blow and felt pain near my mouth. As I wiped my mouth, I saw the blood in my hands and realized that Jay's punch had given me a cut lip.
When I saw that Jay had managed to draw blood out of me, once again, I was livid. The first time, he drew blood, was when he raped me, years ago.
"NOW YOU"VE REALLY GOTTEN ME PISSED OFF!!" I screamed at Jay. "TODAY, I WILL SEE MY ULTIMATE VICTORY! I WILL BE OUT OF THIS STINKING PLACE BY NIGHTFALL! AND YOU WILL NOW TASTE BITTER DEFEAT BY MY OWN HANDS! HIII-YA!"
I ran to the other end of the room, turned around and, then charged towards Jay as fast as I could. When I was close to him, I jumped up and delivered the hardest flying kick to his chest that I could.
It worked! Jay stumbled back against the wall, when a bunch of the prisoners leapt out of his way to keep themselves from getting hurt. He hit the wall and was momentarily stunned. But this time, he didn't get a chance to react. I delivered a whole bunch of rapid punches to his face, from one side to the other. Then, I delivered a hard one to his abdomen, making him double over again. Then a few kicks to the face. and then I finally finished him with another punch to the face, causing his head to reel back and hit the wall behind him.
That seemed to take the fight all out of him, as he fell to the ground, completely dazed. But, unfortunately for him, I didn't stop there. I was practically running on adrenalin right now, and it was dangerously high.
I started stomping him in the ribs, just as help came to my aid.
"Sean, you'll kill him!" I heard a familiar voice shout out. "Stop!"
It was only then when I was stomping and kicking Jay in the chest, that I realized that I was crying. Tears of anger and fear were streaming down my face.
"Sean! Sean!" I heard the voice say again. "That's enough! He's down! You're all right now!"
Just at that moment, I felt multiple hands grabbing me and pulling me away from Jay.
"YOU'RE NOT SO TOUGH NOW, ARE YOU?!" I screamed at Jay. "PAYBACK IS A BITCH!"
After I was pulled a few feet away from him. I looked over and to my shock I saw Jason, standing there, along with the Warden.
There were a whole bunch of Guards trying to clear the area of all the prisoners so that the commotion would quiet down. Jason put his arms around me and pulled me into his chest, holding me close.
"It's ok." He said, softly. "You're safe now."
While I was being held in Jason's arms, I took a moment to survey the damage I'd done to Jay. He was shaking badly, and blood was coming out of his mouth for some reason.
"GET THE INFIRMARY DOCTOR!" The Warden yelled to one of the guards. "HE SHOULDN"T BE MOVED!"
The Guard that the Warden yelled to to get help, ran to get the Doctor, while two other guards stayed by Jay's side to make sure that he didn't try anything.
The Warden came over to where Jason and I were standing. I was breathing hard from my strenous fight and since I didn't have an inhaler, Jason was rubbing his hands up and down my back muscles to try to loosen them up so that I could breathe easier.
"Mr. Perry, are you alright?" The Warden asked me.
"Yeah." I said, in between wheezes. "But, I could use something to stop this asthma attack I'm having, right now."
Let's get you down to the infirmary and get you cleaned up." The Warden said. "Then, we'll get you transferred back to the Orlando Police Station as soon as we can."
"Before you do that, though." Jason said, looking at me. "Sean, I have to ask you: What did you mean before when you said "Payback's a bitch." Do you know this man?"
I certainly do, Jason." I said to him. "You're looking at the man who raped me and tried to kill me back in New York City, a couple of years ago!"
Jason was shocked, as he looked down at Jay. His anger grew when it finally sunk in that Jay was the one who'd raped me. But, Jason made no move to be violent towards him.
"Well, it looks like you got him back for what he did to you, huh?" Jason said to me. I shook my head.
"Finally!" I said to him. "It felt good to finally show him what's it like to be hurt by someone."
Jason hugged me again.
"Come on." The Warden said. "Let's get you down to the infirmary and get you patched up."
I nodded at him. But before we could even start to walk, I suddenly felt very dizzy. Then I felt like I was going to pass out. Then, I blacked out and my body fell limp into Jason's arms.
"Oh God, he's unconscious!" Jason exclaimed. "We have to get him to a hospital right now!"
******************************************************* BACK AT THE HOSPITAL............
"No, Jessica." Nick said to her. "Sean and I won't be getting back together. I'm in no frame of mind to even think about starting up another romance again, whether it'd be with Sean or anyone else. Right now, I'm just going to concentrate on taking care of Nicole while you continue to recover from your injuries."
"Oh." Jessica said, sounding surprised. "Ok. If you say so."
Nick called her on how surprised she sounded.
"You sound surprised." Nick said to her. Jessica nodded.
"I am." She said. "But not about you taking care of our daughter, but about the fact that you don't want to start up another romance. Not even with another woman."
Nick shrugged.
"That's the way it has to be for now." He said. "Our lives are too much of a mess right now. Aside from taking care of Nicole, I have to go through divorce proceedings with you, as well as help Sean get out of the mess he's in."
Jessica wasn't sure what else she could say to Nick at this point. She didn't like the fact that he was still trying to help Sean. But she knew her husband. Once he had his mind set on something, there was no changing it.
"I have to go now." Nick said, getting up from his chair. He gave Jessica a gentle kiss on her cheek. "I'll come back again, soon."
"Ok." Jessica said to him. "In the meantime, why don't you take our daughter out for a drive. She seems really tired. Has she been sleeping well lately?"
Nick shook his head.
"I'm not sure." He said to her. "She's been really fussy since what happened to you. She obviously missed you alot while you were in acoma. I couldn't bring her to see you that way."
Jessica nodded, in agreement.
"I'm glad you didn't." She said to him. "I wouldn't have wanted her to see me like that, all hurt and unconscious."
Suddenly, A sharp pain gave over Jessica and her face contorted in pain.
"OW!" She whimpered, holding her hand to her hand. Nick immediately grew concerned.
"Are you alright?" He asked her. "Should I get Dr. Messner?"
"Yeah, maybe you should." Jessica said to him. "Ever since I've come out of my coma, I've been getting these sudden headaches. They just come and go without warning."
"Ok." Nick said. "I'll go tell your Mom and Dad to come back in here with you, until he gets here. Then, I'll tell my parents that I'll take Nicole for awhile."
"Ok, Nick." Jessica said to him. "I'll see you later."
"Get some rest." Nick said to her, as he turned and headed towards the door. He opened it and walked out, leaving Jessica alone in the room.
Once Nick was gone, Jessica buried her face in her hands and started crying again.
Outside, Nick walked to the waiting area, where Joe, Tina, John and Cate were sitting. Cate was still holding Nicole in her arms. And it appeared that Nicole had fallen asleep.
"Joe, Tina, I think you two should have Dr. Messner paged." He said. "Jessica told me that she's gotten a sudden headache. She says that they come and go without warning. Maybe they can give her something for the pain."
"Thanks, Nick." Joe said to him, putting a hand on his shoulder, as he started walking by him. "We'll take care of it.
Tina followed Joe to the nurse's station. Then, Nick turned back to his parents.
"Mom, Dad, if it's alright with you, I think I'll take Nicole out for a few hours and give you two a much needed break." He said to them. "I'll bring her back to the hotel later."
"Alright, Sweetheart." Cate said, standing up with Nicole in her arms. "Be careful not to wake her."
Cate gently handed Nicole over to her father, and Nick took her in his arms.
"There, my little angel." Nick whispered to her. "We're going to go for a drive."
Cate covered her up with the baby blanket that she had brought with her. Then she handed Nick everything that he needed to care for her.
"Here is her diaper bag." Cate told him. "There's about 3 more diapers left in it, a couple of bottles, some diaper rash cream, and her binkys."
"Thanks, Mom." Nick said, accepting the diaper bag and throwing it over his shoulder with his other arm. "I'll see you and Dat, both, later."
"Alright, Son." John said, shaking hands briefly with his son. "Take good care of our little granddaughter."
"You know I will, Dad." Nick said, with a smile.
Cate gave her son a kiss on the cheek.
"Bye honey." She said, as Nick was leaving. "Take care."
Nick walked down the hospital hallways towards the exits. As he walked, he glanced down at Nicole's adorable sleeping face.
"Alright, my precious." He whispered to her. "You and I are going to have some much needed father/daughter time together."
Nick exited the hospital and noticed that it was a bit cold outside, so he raised the blanket to cover up her face so that she wouldn't come down with a cold, and continued walking towards the car.
He got to the car and unlocked the doors. He opened the back passenger side door and put the diaper bag on the other side of the booster seat, before he laid Nicole down in the booster seat. Then, he covered her up with her warm baby blanket, and then strapped her in, so that she'd be safe in her seat. After that, he gave her a gentle, loving kiss on the forehead.
He shut the passenger side back door and walked back around to get into the car. Once inside, he buckled his seat belt and started the engine.
"Alright, my little one." Nick said, outloud. "Let's go for that drive."
Nick drove out of the parking lot and headed towards Sean's apartment.
He was going to take Nicole for a drive, but not a long one. Given how cold it was outside, he didn't want to be out with her long, in case it might rain again.
******************************************************* BACK AT SEAN'S APARTMENT..........
Danny and Jeff collapsed on the bed, both of them out of breath, from their intense lovemaking.
"Wow." Jeff said. "I don't remember us ever making love like that."
Danny turned and looked at Jeff, panting, and his face all serious.
"Well, hopefully, I showed you what you'd be coming back to, if you do decide to be with me." He said, taking deep breaths.
"Well, after this, my decision isn't going to be any easier." Jeff said to him. "That's why I hope that once Drew gets back, he and I can sit down together and discuss my feelings for him. I can see how he feels and then we'll both figure out what happens after that."
After Jeff said that, there was silence between the two of them for a moment. Then, Jeff turned back to Danny.
"Do you have any regrets about what just happened between us?" He asked Danny.
Danny look over at Jeff and just looked at him for a moment, then he spoke.
"No." He said. "I don't have any regrets about what happened. I know it might just complicate things, even further, but it just felt right at the moment."
"I agree." Jeff said. "I was reluctant at first, but not because I didn't want you, but because I didn't want you to end up getting your heart broken again if I choose Drew after all of this."
Before Danny could say anything more, the phone rang. Since Danny was nearest to it, he got it.
"Hello?"
"Danny? Is that you?" He heard a man's voice say.
"Yeah, this is Danny." He said. "Who's this?"
"It's me, Jason." He heard the man say. Then he recognized Jason's voice, which he hadn't right away. But once Jason had said his name, The Danny knew his voice for sure.
"Hi, Jason, what's up?" Danny asked him, looking over at Jeff.
"I have news about Sean." He said to him. "Can you meet me at the hospital?"
Shocked, Danny sat up, quickly.
"The hospital?!" He asked Jason. "What happened? Is he ok?"
Hearing that, Jeff sat up too and put his hands on Danny's shoulders, rubbing them gently, letting Danny know that he was being supportive.
"I can't get into details over the phone." Jason said to him. "I'll explain everything when you guys get here."
"Which hospital is he in?" Danny asked him.
"I believe it's the same one that Jessica Simpson is in." Jason revealed. "Get here as soon as you all can. I'll be waiting for you in the waiting area."
"Alright, Jason, we're on our way." Danny said, then hung up the phone. His face was white as a ghost.
"Danny, what's wrong?" Jeff asked him. "And what's this about the hospital? Who's hurt?"
Danny looked over at Jeff, the fear evident in his eyes. He was worried about how bad his former best friend was hurt.
"Jason said that Sean's at the hospital." Danny told him. "Something must have happened to him in that awful prison. Oh God! what if it's bad?!"
"Well, We won't know until we find out." Jeff said, getting up out of the bed. "Come on, let's get dressed and go tell Justin and Kandi what's going on."
Danny and Jeff got dressed quickly and put on their socks and shoes and headed out to the living room to see if Justin and Kandi were out there.
And, they were indeed. Justin was sitting on the couch, watching something on TV, and Kandi was in the kitchen making sandwhiches for everyone.
"Justin, Kandi, we all have to get down to the hospital!" Jeff said to them. "Jason just called. Sean's been taken there because something must have happened to him down at the prison!"
"Oh, God, No!" Kandi said, dropping what she was doing, immediately. "How bad is it?!"
"I don't know." Danny said. "But, we have to get a move on!"
Justin got up out of the sofa and came over to them.
"Alright, then, let's go!" He said to them. "There isn't a moment to lose!"
Danny, Jeff, and Justin headed towards the door, all except for Kandi. She had to put away all of the food that was sitting out or it'd spoil.
"I'll be right out as soon as I put all of this food away!" Kandi called out to them.
"Alright, Babe!" Justin called back to her. "We'll get the van ready and wait for you, outside!"
When the guys opened the door, they almost ran right into Nick, who was just coming up the front steps, with his little girl in his arms.
"Whoa, guys!" Nick said, in surprise. "Where's the fire?"
As soon as Danny, Justin, and Jeff saw Nick, they were no doubt relieved.
"Nick, Thank God you're here!" Jeff said, in relief. "I was just about to call you!"
Nick frowned.
"Why?" He asked. "What's wrong?"
"Jason just called us!" Jeff told him. "Sean's in the hospital here in Orlando, the same one that your wife is in! Something must have happened to him again, down in that awful prison!"
Hearing this news, Nick paled. But then, he realized that even if he'd wanted to go with them, he couldn't. He had to watch his little girl until he could take her back to his parents.
"Well you guys go ahead." Nick told him. "I can't go right now because, as you can see, I have my daughter with me."
Kandi, who had just come to the door, heard Nick's last sentence.
"I'll watch her for you." Kandi said to him. "You go and see how Sean is!"
As much as he wanted to do that, Nick didn't think that it was fair to her that she had to watch Nicole all the time. This time, he was going to be the odd person out for a change.
"No, Kandi, you've done too much, already." Nick protested. "You were great watching her during this whole Jessica ordeal, now it's my turn. Sean is every bit as much your friend as mine. You go and see him. I'll spend time with my little girl."
"Alright." Kandi said, putting on her coat. "Thanks, Nick."
"No problem, sweetie." Nick said. "But will you guys promise to call me here and let me know how he is?"
"Of course We will." Jeff said to him. "Come on, guys, let's hustle."
Oh, I almost forgot!" Danny said, turning towards Jeff. "Here is Sean's keys to Sean's SUV, as well as to the apartment. If you should have to leave for any reason before we get back, lock up, ok?"
Nick accepted the keys from Danny and smiled at him.
"Thanks, Danny." He said to him. "I should be fine though. I have enough supplies to take care of Nicole for a few hours."
"Alright, then." Danny replied back to him. "We'll see you later."
Danny ran to catch up with Jeff, Justin, and Kandi, who were already on their way to the van.
Nick stepped into the house and closed the door behind him. He put the keys down on the table there, and walked over to the couch, where he laid Nicole down on it and covered her back up with her baby blanket.
Then, he sat down, on the other end of the couch, so that he could keep an eye on her. He turned on the TV, but turned down the volume low enough so that Nicole would not be awakened by the noise.
Although Nick had the television on, he wasn't watching it. All he could think about was Sean and what must have happened to him that he had to be put into the hospital.
"Dear God." Nick prayed. "Please watch over Sean. Let him be alright. Amen."
Nick looked over at his little girl and watched her sleep. He smiled as he looked at her angelic face. She was such an innocent little thing.
"Here, I thought I had a pretty fulfilled life, before you came along." Nick whispered softly. "But now, I can't imagine my life without you in it, sweetheart."
Just then, Nick cell phone started ringing. He decided to answer it. It could be Jessica checking up on him.
But instead he saw someone else's number come up on the screen. He knew exactly who's number it was.
He flipped open his phone and answered the call.
"Hey, Drew." Nick said to him. "How are things going out there in New York City?"
"Hey, Bro." Drew greeted him back. "Didn't Jeff tell you?"
Nick frowned. "Tell me, what?" He asked his brother.
"I'm on a plane back to Orlando right now." Drew said to him. "That's where I'm calling you from. I will be landing in about another hour."
"Oh." Nick said, in surprise. He wasn't expecting Drew to be back so soon. "I thought you were staying in New York until New Year's Eve?"
"That was the plan." Drew said. "But plans change. How are things back there? How is Sean doing?"
Nick realized that Drew didn't know anything about what had happened to Sean since he'd left for New York. All he knew about was Sean's arrest. He didn't know about the fact that Sean had been in a catatonic state, or about what was happening to him now.
"Jeff and Danny just told me when I got here, to Sean's apartment, that Jason called and said that Sean had to be taken to the hospital, because of something that happened back at the state prison."
"Oh no!" Nick heard Drew exclaim, in shock. "What happened?!"
"I don't know." Nick replied to him. "Danny, Jeff, Kandi, and Justin, just left to go meet Jason at the hospital. I couldn't go because I have my baby girl with me."
"Well, keep it together, big brother." Drew said. "I'm going to be there soon. As soon as this plane lands, I'm going to call a cab and head straight there to Sean's."
Nick was confused for a moment. The whole time they've been talking, he never once heard his brother mention Casey. It made him wonder what Drew wasn't telling him.
"I noticed that you've only said that "YOU" are coming. Why isn't Casey with you?"
"It's a long story." Drew said to him. "I've been feeling like I've been in the way here with Casey and his family, worrying about his father."
"How is his father, Drew?" Nick wanted to know. "Has he regained consciousness yet?"
"Not when I was still there." Drew replied. "But he could have woken up by now. If he has, then Casey will no doubt know that I'm gone right now."
"Wait a minute?!" Nick suddenly exclaimed. "You mean you didn't tell him that you were leaving?! Drew, how could you do that?! He's probably worried sick about you right now, wondering where you are!"
"Relax, Nick." Drew said, a little harshly. "I didn't have the heart to face him right now. after the way he's shut me out!"
Drew must have realized that he was getting a bit too loud. Then, he lowered his voice.
"Never mind about that." Drew said, his voice calmer. "I can't get into this, over the phone, on this plane. I'll tell you more about what happened when I get there, ok?"
Nick sighed, feeling a tad guilty for making Drew feel like a child, the way he had reacted when he found out that Drew had left New York, without telling Casey.
"Ok, Drew." Nick said to him. "And I'm sorry I came down on you hard. I guess I was shocked about it so much because of the way you left before when I threw you out of our house because of what you did when you sabotaged my wedding to Sean, a couple years ago."
"Yeah." Drew said, sadly. "I remember that."
Nick nodded, to himself.
"Even though, I was very angry with you then, I was stil worried about you when I'd found out that you'd left town and Mom and Dad didn't know if you were ever coming back. That's the way you sounded in the note you'd left."
"You mean, you were worried about me?!" Drew asked Nick, blown away by that revelation. "Even after you'd learned what I'd done?!"
"Well, yeah!" Nick said, with a laugh. "Of course I worried about you, I'm your big brother. That's my job."
"Funny, I thought that was our mother's job?" Drew asked, laughing as well.
"Yeah well, Dad was worried too." Nick said to him. "He even blamed me for your leaving."
"He did?" Drew asked him. "Nick, he shouldn't have done that! I'll have to talk to him about it when I get into town."
"No, Buddy, don't." Nick protested. "It's not an issue even worth bringing up anymore. It's all in the past now. We've moved on since then."
"I'm glad you feel that way, Big Brother." Drew said, in appreciation. "Well, I have to hang up now. The phone charges from this plane are expensive."
"Alright." Nick said. "I'll be here when you get in. Be safe, Drew."
"I will." Drew said. "Bye, Nick."
"Goodbye, Drew." Nick said, then hung up the phone.
Nick put the phone down on the coffee table in front of him and sat back against the couch. He looked outside and noticed just how fast the day seemed to have gone, for it was getting dark outside.
Nick suddenly started to feel sleepy, despite the fact that he was worried about Sean. So, he decided to sleep in the love seat, which also happened to be a twin recliner. But, first, he had to pick up Nicole and take her over there with him.
If he was going to sleep, she would have to be in his arms. If she moved, he would be woken up instantly.
Nick got up from the couch and picked up Nicole from the sofa. Then with her in his arms, he walked over to the twin recliner and sat down in it. Once he'd put his feet up, he leaned back into the twin recliner and pushed back on it so that it would lay back a bit.
Once Nick was comfortable, he adjusted Nicole's baby blanket, so that she was completely covered. Then he gave her a kiss on her soft little cheek.
"Alright, Sweetie." Nick whispered to her. "Your Uncle Drew will be here, sooon. Until then, you'll be safe in your Daddy's arms, while I get some rest, myself, for a while."
Nick laid his head back and was asleep within minutes. It shouldn't have been too surprising with everything that he gone through in this one day.
MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE HOSPITAL.............
"Nick wants a divorce." Tina asked, in shock. "I can't believe this!"
"I can't either!" Joe agreed. "What is that man thinking?!"
Once Joe said that, he immediately felt stupid. Of course he knew what Nick was thinking.
"What am I saying?" Joe asked, slapping his forehead, for his own stupidity. "Of course I know what Nick's thinking. He's thinking with his dick, not his brain! Sean's got his claws into him so deep that Nick doesn't realize that what he's doing is wrong!"
"Mom, Dad, please." Jessica begged them. "Don't get yourselves all upset over this. Nick's leaving me, is my own fault."
Hearing this, Tina and Joe looked back at Jessica, in shock. She was being awfully calm about this.
"Sweetheart, how can you be so calm about this?!" Joe asked her, in shock. "Nick just left you for Sean!"
"No, he didn't, Daddy." Jessica told him. "He left me because he found out that I wasn't pregnant with his child, after all."
If Tina and Joe hadn't been as shocked before, they sure were more shocked by now.
"What?!" Tina asked me. "But you were so sure! I was there with you when you took those two home pregnancy tests! They were positive both times!"
"I know!" Jessica said. "But I should have found out for sure. I don't blame my husband for being mad at me right now."
"How did he react when he found out that you weren't pregnant?" Joe asked her.
"He said he was disappointed." She told him. "Even though the timing wasn't great right now, I think Nick was starting to get used to the idea of having another child. If that had been the case, we would have made it work."
"I know you would have, Honey." Tina said, caressing her daughter's hair. "You both would have had plenty of help."
Joe wasn't sure he wanted to ask this question, but he knew he had to.
"So, what happens now?" He asked Jessica. "Nick wants to divorce you. What do you plan to do about it?"
Jessica thought about it for a moment, then looked back up at her father.
"Nothing." She said to him. "I'm not going to contest it. I'm going to give Nick his freedom."
That revelation from her, no doubt, blew both Joe and Tina away.
"You're going to let him go?!" Joe asked, in amazement. "Jessica, you can't be serious?!"
"I'm very serious about it, Dad." She told Joe, her expression as serious as she could make it. "If I've learned anything about what's happened to me, it's that I have to change my attitude and start seeing things like they are, not how I want to see them."
Joe and Tina were even more blown away by Jessica's newfound attitude. She was always a fighter. She was never one to quit on something or someone she felt very passionately about.
"Nick isn't the one who ended my marriage." Jessica said to her parents. "I did that by acting all paranoid about Sean, when Nick, and even the other guys, including Kandi, told me many times that I'd had nothing to worry about. Nick told me many times that he and Sean are over."
"But, Honey, you don't understand!" Joe said to her. "You've been right all along! Sean does still love your husband! I heard him admit it with my own ears, when I went back to his place and found him, crying in your husband's arms!"
Jessica frowned. "When was this?" She asked.
"The night that you were attacked." Joe told her. "Sean cut his hand and we all wondered what happened. He was very evasive and wouldn't tell us. And when Detective Adams questioned him, he took off with a nurse to get treated for his injury. Then, after that, we later learned that Sean snuck out of the hospital to avoid further questioning by Detective Adams."
"When, we found that out, I went back to Sean's place with Jeff, Danny, and Detective Adams, and heard him say to Nick that he "loves him so much." Those were his exact words."
For a moment, emotions of jealousy flashed over Jessica's face, but just as quickly as it came, it was gone.
"That doesn't matter now." Jessica replied. "I'm not going to waste one more minute worrying or thinking about Sean, anymore. He's not even worth it. Besides, I'm not worried about him anymore, at all. It doesn't matter how he feels about Nick. Nick is not going to get back together with him. He told me so, himself."
"And you believe him, Sweetie?" Tina said. Jessica nodded.
"Yes, I do." She said. "Nick said that with everything he's gone through lately, he hasn't time to think about a serious relationship. Not even with another woman. All Nick cares about now, is helping to raise our daughter together, and to help support Sean through this whole attempted murder ordeal."
"Well, he shouldn't be helping Sean with anything!" Joe fumed. "I believe Sean is the one who did this to you! Why else would he have snuck out of the hospital to avoid being questioned by Detective Adams if he wasn't guilty?!"
"And if Sean did do this to me, he will be found guilty." Jessica said to her. "So, who cares. Let Nick support him. If it does come out that Sean did, in fact, try to kill me, than Nick will want nothing more to do with him, and he will be out of Nick's life, as well as yours, and mine, and everyone else's forever! I can't see, Jeff, Justin, and Drew forgiving Sean if he is found guilty of attempted murder. Hell, I don't think even Kandi or Danny would want to be around him anymore after that."
Joe nodded, seeing her point. But, he still wasn't going to be convinced that Sean wasn't the guilty party.
"Alright, I see your point." Joe said to her. "So, do you want me to call our lawyer in the morning to draw up the divorce papers?"
"Yes." Jessica said to him. "But, will you have our lawyer call me, so that I can talk to him about a divorce settlement that I think would be sastifactory to both Nick and myself?"
"I sure will, sweetie." Joe replied to her. He leaned down and kissed Jessica on the cheek. "If that's what you want."
"Thanks, Dad." Jessica said. She must have been tired, because then she yawned.
"You get some rest, Sweetie." Tina said to her. "Your father and I are going to go back to the hotel and get some rest as well."
Jessica settled back in her bed and pulled her sheets up over her.
Tina and Joe both gave Jessica one last kiss, goodbye, and then both of them, left the room.
When, they were gone, Jessica yawned and closed her eyes.
"Tomorrow will be a better day." She said. "I'm sure of it."
******************************************************* DOWNSTAIRS, IN THE HOSPITAL LOBBY..............
Jason was pacing the waiting room area, anxiously waiting for a nurse or a doctor to come out and tell him what was going on with Sean. He had been taken for some tests to find out why he had passed out back at the prison.
"What's taking them so long?" Jason complained, impatiently. "If I have to wait any longer, I'm going to go crazy!"
At that moment, the ER doors slid open, and Danny, Jeff, Justin, and Kandi came rushing in towards the wating area.
"Jason!" Danny called out to him. "We're here!"
Jason turned around and saw them all coming into the waiting area.
"Thank you all for coming." Jason said, as he shook hands with the guys, and Kandi. "The doctors took Sean into the ER for some tests. I haven't heard anything from them in over an hour. I'm starting to go crazy with worry."
"Calm down, sweetie." Kandi said, putting her hands on Jason's muscled arms, rubbing them up and down. "But, while we're waiting for some news, can you tell us what happened back at the prison?"
Jason nodded.
"Come on, let's sit down over here and I'll tell all of you, everything." He said.
Jason, the guys, and Kandi, all sat down together in the waiting area and Jason told them the story.
"I had gone down to the prison to see Sean." Jason told them. "And they didn't know where he was, so naturally, I became very concerned. So, I convinced the Warden to let me come with him to find Sean. So, we went down to the area where Sean was working. When we got there, we could hear all of this shouting and we saw a circle of prisoners surrounding someone.
"When, we pushed through them, I saw Sean, stomping this huge muscular prisoner in his chest and ribs. I yelled for him to stop before he killed the man and managed to pull him off of the other guy before anything else happened."
"Wow." Jeffe exclaimed, in amazement. "I wonder what this other prisoner did to make Sean want to stomp him to death?"
"Actually, Sean knew the prisoner." Jason told them. "He said the man's name was Jay and that he was the one who'd raped him, years ago."
A round of gasps from the guys, and Kandi were heard all at once.
"Jay Phillips?!" Danny asked, in shock. "What was he doing down there in the prison?! He was arrested back in New York for attempted murder and sexual assault."
"Really?!" Jason asked them, in amazement. "Sean never told me about that. But now I can understand why Sean hurt him so bad. He must have tried to assault Sean again and they had a brutal fight."
"How bad did Sean hurt him?" Kandi asked Jason. Jason looked at her, with raised eyebrows.
"I'm telling you, I'd never seen anything like it." Jason said, in amazement. "It was incredible seeing Sean take on this man, who was enormous, and literally stomp him into the ground. I think Sean broke a lot of his ribs. I think Jay's going to be bedridden for quite a while."
"Yes!" Danny said, punching his right fist, into the palm of his left hand. "Good for Sean! It's about time Jay got a taste of his own medicine for what he did to Sean!"
"Well, we know how bad Jay is hurt." Jeff said. "But how badly was Sean hurt?"
"He seemed alright." Jason told him. "The only thing I noticed was that he had a cut lip, which probably happened from a punch to the face. But I think he passed out from exhaustion."
"Well, that shouldn't be too surprising, I guess." Danny said. "It isn't easy taking on someone bigger than you. Jay was always a work out freak back in high school. He could bench press 300lbs by the time we were in our senior year of high school."
"How do you know that?" Jason asked Danny.
"Jay and I used to wrestle each other on the high school wrestling team. Danny told him. "He was constantly working out so that he could best every man on the wrestling team, and football team. I learned alot of my techniques from him. He knew alot about working out and even gave me workout advice from time to time. I used to really respect him, until I found out that he'd raped Sean."
"Well, let me tell you something." Jason said to him. "He's met his match in me. From what I'd seen of Jay, he's not that much bigger than me, and I'm sure I'm much smarter than he is. If he ever tries to hurt Sean again, he'll do the rest of his life in a body cast if I have anything to do with it."
Before anyone could say anything else, a nurse came into the waiting room.
"Mr. Madison?" She asked, referring to Jason.
Jason, Jeff, Danny, Justin, and Kandi all stood up when saw her come in.
"Yes?" Jason asked her.
"I just wanted to tell you that Mr. Perry is done with his tests now. He's been put in room 216 on the second floor."
"Can we see him, now?" Kandi asked her.
"You'll have to ask the doctor about that." The nurse told them. "Right now, only Mr. Madison can see him. the rest of you will have to get permission from the doctor."
"Alright." Kandi said. "Thank you, Nurse."
The nurse walked away and returned to her duties. Jason turned back to everyone.
"Come on, let's go up and see if we can pull some strings so that you may see him." Jason. "I know I'm dying to see him."
"Well what are we waiting for?" Jeff asked him. "Let's go."
As they started walking, quickly, down the hallway, they almost ran into Jessica's parents' and Nick's parents' as they were rounding the corner.
Joe stopped short, in surprise when he saw Jeff and Justin, there with Danny, Kandi, and Jason.
"What the hell are you all doing here?!" He asked them.
"We're visiting Sean." Justin told him. "He's here in the hospital."
When, Joe, Tina, John and Cate heard that, their eyes bugged out of their sockets.
"He's here?! In THIS hospital?!" Joe asked, in shock. "How the hell is that even possible?!"
Everyone else looked at each other. Danny rolled his eyes in disgust. Kandi, on the other hand wasn't about to keep quiet.
"Listen, Mr. Smartass!" Kandi said to him. "I've had just about enough of your stupid vendetta against Sean! If you dare drag his good name through the mud at his bail hearing and cause his bail to be denied, you'll have to answer to me! And trust me, you don't want me coming after you!"
"Is that a threat?!" Joe asked her, almost taking her seriously.
"No, it's not a threat!" Kandi said, rolling her eyes at him. "The only threat in this room is you. You're a threat to everything that's good and decent! You're a threat to everything that I love and cherish!"
"Kandi, stop right there." Justin said to her. "He's not worth the trouble. Let's just go up and see Sean."
Kandi wasn't finished with Joe, but she knew that Justin was right. They were there to see Sean, not to go a couple rounds against Joe.
"You've been warned!" Kandi said to Joe, her expression deadly serious. "And don't even test me on this! If you continue to make trouble for Sean, I'll make even more trouble for you! Now, get out of my way! I have a friend to go and see!"
And with that being said, Kandi brushed by Joe and headed towards the elevators. Justin, Jeff, Danny, and Jason followed her.
After they were gone, Joe turned back to Tina, John, and Cate.
"Do you think she was serious?" Tina asked him. Joe shook his head no.
"Nah!" Joe said, in amusement. "She doesn't have it in her to deal with me! She's just blowing smoke."
"I wonder, though." Tina said to her. "After all, she did assault our daughter back in Los Angeles."
"Well then, we'll use that as leverage to keep Kandi under control." Joe said. "If Kandi is serious about following through on her threats, then I'll convince Jessica to press charges against her for assault."
Everyone seemed to be alright with that idea. After all, their family had been thhrough enough lately given the severity of Jessica's attack.
"That's very good idea, Joe." John said. "Kandi won't be able to do anything to cause trouble for you."
Joe laughed.
"She can try." He replied. "But she'll regret it. Come on, let's head back to our hotels so that we can get some sleep. We have a long day ahead for us, tomorrow."
Everyone else agreed and they all left the hospital. Juust before he left the building, Joe turned and looked back up the corridor where he'd come face to face with the guys.
"Tomorrow, Sean." Joe said, quietly. "Tomorrow, I will bury you! And once I do, you'll never be able to hurt my daughter, ever again!"
******************************************************* UPSTAIRS, ON THE SECOND FLOOR......
Justin, Kandi, Danny, Jeff, and Jason walked down the hall towards room 216. There was a police officer posted at the door.
"Hello, Officer." Jason greeted him. "I'm Jason Madison. Me and My friends are here to visit Mr. Perry. May we see him?"
"Certainly." The officer said. "Just don't disturb him if he's resting. After what he went through at the penitentiary, he needs his rest."
"Alright." Jason said to him. "We won't. We just want to see him to make sure he is ok."
The officer stepped aside and allowed Jason, and the rest of the party to enter the room.
When they entered, they saw Sean, lying in a hospital bed, with his eyes closed. Jason walked around and sat down next to Sean's bed. Then, he took Sean's hand within his.
"Sean?" Jason whispered. "It's me, Jason. Can you hear me?"
Sean's eyes fluttered and started to open.
******************************************************* BACK AT SEAN'S APARTMENT..............
Nick was still sleeping in the twin recliner, with Nicole in his arms. Suddenly, he felt himself being shaken awake. Nick blinked and opened his sleepy, blue eyes. When, he looked up, he saw his brother standing in front of him.
"Drew." Nick said, in surprise. He slowly laid Nicole down on the recliner next to where he was sitting and covered her up. Then, he stood up in front of his brother.
Nick and Drew glanced at each other for a moment, without saying a word. Then, Nick put his hands on Drew's shoulders and pulled him close to hug him. Drew hugged Nick back.
"Hi, Big Brother." Drew whispered. "It feels good to be back here, again. I missed you."
Nick hugged Drew harder.
"I missed you, too, little brother." Nick whispered back to him. "Are you ok?"
Drew sighed. And from what Nick heard and felt, he was sure he knew the answer already.
"I've been better." Drew said, his voice sounding shaky. "This is the first time that I've been happy since I broke up with Sean, and now things aren't so good between me and Casey right now."
Nick let go of Drew and pulled back to see that he had tears in his eyes.
"Don't worry about it, little brother." Nick said, putting a hand on Drew's shoulder. "Casey will come to his senses. Just give him time. Once his father regains consciousness, he'll get in touch with you and things will be back to normal again."
Drew nodded, as he wiped away his tears.
"I hope you're right, Bro." Drew replied. "Because I honestly don't know how much more bad news I can handle right now."
Nick then realized that he had to tell Drew about Sean, being in the hospital. Drew was going to have to deal with more bad news, whether he thought that he could handle it or not.
"Drew, I have to tell you, something." Nick said to him. "Sean was hurt at the prison and had to be rushed to the hospital here."
"What?!" Drew asked, in horror. "Oh my God, Nick! How bad is it?"
Nick shook his head. He didn't know how bad it was.
"I don't know." Nick said. "Nobody has gotten in touch with me from the hospital yet. The guys and Kandi went to see him. I couldn't go because I have to watch my daughter."
"Say no more." Drew said to him. "I'm home now, so leave her here with me. I'll watch her until you get back."
Nick shook his head.
"No, Drew." He said. "It's alright. Why don't you go and see Sean at the hospital? Jason, Jeff, Danny, Justin, and Kandi are there right now."
Drew nodded. That was a good idea. He needed to talk to Jeff to discuss some things with him. Most especially about Jeff's feelings for him.
"You're right, Bro." Drew said, softly. "Will you be here when I get back?"
Nick didn't know how to answer that. He didn't know how long the guys, Kandi, and Drew would be at the hospital. He had to take Nicole back to the hotel in another hour.
"I don't know." Nick said. "I may have to take Nicole back to Mom and Dad soon. If you guys aren't back by the time I take Nicole back to Mom and Dad and return here, then I'll just meet you at the hospital, ok?"
Drew suddenly had a better idea.
"Why don't you just come along with me." Drew said. "You can take Nicole back to Mom and Dad and then spend time with her back at the hotel after we both see Sean?" Drew suggested. "Would that work better for you?"
Nick thought that Drwe had a good point there. There was no sense in him staying here all alone.
"Alright." Nick said to him. "Let's get my daughter and get into the car."
Nick started to get her, but Drew put his hand on his brother's arm.
"Let me take her." Drew said. "I've missed her alot while I was in New York."
Nick smiled and nodded. Drew picked up the little toddler into his arms and Nick covered her up with her baby blanket.
"I'll go and get her settled into her booster seat." Drew said to her. "You grab Sean's keys and lock up the place."
"Ok." Nick said, as Drew headed for the door.
As Nick grabbed Sean's keys and headed for the door, his cell phone started ringing. He pulled it out of his pocket and answered it.
"Hello?"
"Nick, it's Joe." He heard Joe's voice say. "Get over to your hotel room. Tina and I are here with your Mom and Dad and we all want to have a word with you."
Nick had a feeling that he knew what this was about. He was certain that Joe and Tina knew that he wanted a divorce from Jessica. Jessica would have told them by now.
"I'll be right there." Nick said. "I'm bringing Nicole back over to Mom and Dad, anyway. I'm going to go and see if I can visit with Sean at the hospital."
That answer no doubt infuriated Joe. Of all the people Nick had to worry about, it was Sean of all people.
"Damn it, Nick!" Joe said, loudly. "For once, will you just forget about that little trouble maker and focus on what's really important? And that's your family!"
Nick was starting to get mad. And who could blame him. Joe could not be convinced of Sean's true nature. That he was a wonderful, caring person, and not the monster that Joe was making him out to be.
"Don't start with me, Joe!" Nick warned him. "I am not going to get into another argument with you about Sean!" He is not the monster you're making him out to be!"
"We'll discuss this further when you get here!" Joe said to him. "I'll see you later."
Then, Joe hung up before Nick could say anything else. But that didn't matter to Nick right now. Nick flipped his phone shut and grabbed Sean's keys to the apartment so that he could lock it up.
Nick stepped outside and locked the door behind him. He then headed towards the car, where Drew was getting Nicole fastened into her booster seat.
"Who was that that called you?" Drew asked Nick, as he stood up and shut the rear car door.
Nick rolled his eyes.
"It was my soon to be ex-father in law." Nick told him. "He had to get on my case about Sean once again. So when we get there, you can expect us to walk in for another lecture about Sean being a troublemaker."
Drew shook his head.
"Try not to let Joe get to you, Bro." Drew replied. "Sean is a good person. And I hope, more than anyone, that he is not capable of murder."
"He isn't." Nick said to him. "Sean told me everything that happened the night Jessica was attacked."
"He did?" Drew asked him, as he got into the car. "What did he have to say for himself?"
Nick got into the car and closed the door. He buckled his seat belt while Drew started the engine.
"Just drive." Nick told him. "I'll tell you on the way to the hospital."
"Alright." Drew said, putting the car in gear, and backing out of the parking lot.
Nick began telling Drew everything that Sean had told him, as they headed for the hotel.
******************************************************* BACK AT THE HOSPITAL......................
When I opened my eyes, I looked up to see Jason, standing over me. When I looked around the room, I could see that he wasn't the only one in the room with me.
There stood, Danny, Jeff, Justin, and Kandi at the foot of my bed. I smiled when I saw them.
"Hi, guys." I said, softly. "You all came to see me. I'm so glad."
Kandi walked over to the side of my bed. She leaned down and gave me a kiss on the cheek.
"We were so worried about you, when we heard that you were in the hospital." Kandi said, wiping away the tears in her eyes. "We'd all heard that you'd been attacked at the prison, but we didn't know how bad it was."
I gave her a sympathetic look, and then Jeff's voice rang in.
"Yeah, you had us all scared." He said to me. "What the hell did Jay do to you in that hell hole?"
I smiled at Jeff, seeing just how worried he had been about me. It just remeinded me how lucky I was to have him, and the rest of my friends in my life. I couldn't have asked for better friends.
"Well, nothing compared to what I did to him, that's for sure." I said, with a smile. "I hurt him pretty bad. It doesn't look like he'll be walking anytime soon. I really did a number on his ribs."
I saw Danny come to stand beside me on the other side of my bed.
"That's what really impresses me." He said to me. "I never thought that you'd be able to take on someone as big as he is, alone."
I laughed, softly.
"Well, then I guess you might say that I'm full of surprises." I replied. "But in the end, I was more lucky than anything. Because if he'd been able to take my abuse a little longer, than he would have won. My asthma was starting to kick in around the time that I'd finally knocked him down. But, by that time, I was practically running on adrenalin, which gave me the last burst of energy I needed to take him down once and for all."
"Well, I was definitely surprised when I heard that you managed to defeat him." Justin said. "And with as big as he is, that must have been like taking on Jason."
I looked over at Jason and saw him smiling at me. I laughed at Justin's remark.
"If I hadn't hurt him, Jason would have." I said to Justin. "From the looks of it, Jason is just about as big as Jay. But with only ONE major difference."
Now, here Jason was curious to know what I meant by that.
"What's that, buddy?" He asked with a grin on his face. I looked up at him and grinned.
"Jason has both brains AND brawn." I pointed out. "Jay is basically all muscle and very little brains. So it was easy for even someone like me to outsmart him."
"Very well put, Sexy." Jason said to me, leaning down and giving me a quick kiss on the cheek. "I couldn't have said it better myself."
I nodded, a small smile on my face.
"And," I said, deciding to add in something else. "To what Justin said about taking you on," I said to Jason. "The only place I would take you on, is in the bedroom."
That answer made Jason turn crimson, but he still laughed anyway. So did everyone else.
"That was a little too much information for me." Justin said, in between his laughter. "But we're all glad that you haven't lost your sense of humor, being cooped up in that prison."
"Not a chance, guys." I said, grinning. "My sense of humor isn't going anywhere."
After saying that, I was silent for a moment, a smile still on my face. That is, until I thought about something that forced the smile to leave my face.
"Sean, what is it?" Kandi asked me. "Why do you look so serious all of a sudden?"
My eyes shifted around from one person to the other as I prepared to tell them what needed to be told.
"I'm just wondering how I'm going to deal with Joe Simpson once he finds out that I'm out of that awful prison and back here in town?"
That was definitely not the right subject to bring up right now. I could see by the looks on the faces of everyone in the room.
"Don't even bring up that bastard's name right now." Kandi said to me. "Every time I hear his name, it makes me so mad. He just doesn't know when to leave things alone. If he even dares to make trouble for you, Sean, he will have to answer to me!"
I smiled at her, appreciating her for sticking up for me. But I was quite sure that I could handle Joe on my own.
"Thanks, Kandi, for being protective of me." I told her. "That's what makes you a really great friend. But you don't have to worry about me. Compared to Jay, dealing with Joe is going to be mere child's play."
"Really?" Danny asked me, crossing his arms over his chest, a shit eating grin on his face. "I've never seen this much confidence that you have in yourself before. I have to admit that you've grown more of a back bone now, than you ever have. And I like it."
I grinned back at Danny. I was flattered that he'd thought that highly of me.
"Yeah." I said, softly. "I guess that was one good thing that came out of being disowned by all of you. It made me stronger and forced me to stick up for myself more."
Everyone was silent after I said that. I'm sure that they were surprised by that admission from me.
"And I want you all to know that I've forgiven you for the way you treated me, then." I said to them. "I've already forgiven Nick, so I thought that I'd do the same with all of you."
I could see the relief in Justin's, Kandi's, Jeff's, and Danny's faces when I told them that I'd forgiven them. I could also see that they'd been hoping and praying for the day when I could tell them that.
"I couldn't be happier to hear that you've finally let go of that resentment and now forgive us for what we did to you." Danny said to me. "It's been a long time coming."
I nodded, understanding what he'd meant. I then decided to get back to our conversation concerning Joe Simpson.
"Very true." I replied to them. "But there are still some issues that I will have to wait awhile to forgive. Like when Drew destroyed my marriage to Nick. I'm still very angry with Drew for that. But now is not the time to deal with that."
After saying all of that, I started to yawn. I was tired. I think my friends could all see that.
"Well, on that note, it looks like we should be going so that you can get some rest."
"Yeah, I probably should try to sleep." I said to them. "I have a big day tomorrow."
"What kind of big day?" Jeff asked me, curiously. When he'd asked that, I raised my head from the pillow and looked at him.
"Oh that's right, you guys' don't know yet." I told them. "Selina called Nick when he visited me back at the prison and told him that she managed to get my bail hearing scheduled for 9:00 a.m. tomorrow morning."
I could see the shock and relief in everyone's faces when they heard that news. that was probably the best news they'd heard all day. I know I felt that way when Nick told me that, earlier today when he had visited me.
"That is awesome!" Kandi exclaimed. "Sean, I'm so happy for you!"
"No one is happier than I am, Kandi." I said to her. "I hope that you will all be there, in the courtroom tomorrow. At least for moral support."
"You bet we will." Jeff said to me. "You can count on us, Sean."
I nodded, slowly. I still had doubts whether or not they were all sincere.
"I wasn't sure I could count on you, given the way you all reacted when I was arrested." I replied. "Are you sure you guys don't still have doubts about my innocence?"
There was some silence among everyone else. Before anyone could say anything, I continued talking.
"Because if any of you do have any doubts, you need to tell me now so that we can deal with them." I said. "I want to know that I have your full support when I walk into that courtroom."
"You do, Sean." Danny finally said. "I'm behind you one hundred percent. I have no doubts about your innocence."
Then, my eyes shifted to Jeff.
"What about you, Jeff?" I asked him. Jeff shook his head.
"I did have doubts at first." He said to me. "But now I realize that you wouldn't murder anyone. You have my support."
Then, my eyes shifted over to Justin.
"And you?" I asked him. Justin was silent for a moment. Then, he spoke.
"I still have doubts about your innocence." Justin said. "How do you explain your blood being found at the scene of the crime?"
"Justin!" Kandi exclaimed, smacking his arm. I saw this and decided to say something to calm Kandi down.
"Kandi, it's alright." I said to her. "That's a very good question on Justin's part. All I can say is that I must be being framed by someone, because I never set foot in that auditorium."
I frowned, as I racked my brain trying to figure out who else would hate Jessica enough to want her dead. I couldn't think of anyone that I knew who would want Jessica dead. Certainly none of the people that I cared about would hurt her.
Suddenly, it hit me. I had a feeling that I knew exactly who could be a suspect in the attack against Jessica.
"Oh my God!" I exclaimed, my eyes wide. I felt Jason put his hand on my shoulder.
"What is it?" Jason asked me, a worried expression on his face.
I looked up at him.
"I think I know who could have attacked Jessica and framed me for it! I don't why I didn't think of this before!"
"Well, don't keep us in suspense, Sean!" Kandi exclaimed, anxiously "Who are you talking about?"
I looked up at her and made the answer known.
"Jay Phillips!" I blurted out.
To Be Continued........?
Well, that's all for this one. I hope you all enjoyed it!
"What happens next?" Oh, if you only knew!"
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