Parental Advisory Rating: AS, L

Break out those V-Chips, everyone!

Credits:

Created, Produced, Directed and Written:

Fanatic and TNovan

When I come back into the room, I find Kels lying on her side, with two doctors examining her knee. They are discussing the surgery, and making small marks on her skin with black felt tip pens. I am not amused that my Little Roo’s backside is on display and I am quick to at least cover her a bit. It may be a body part they see everyday, but I had too wait a helluva long time to see this particular one, and I don't like everyone else getting to just pass go and collect an eyeful. When I tug her hospital gown closed, she looks over her shoulder and gives me a very silly grin.

"Hi ya, Tabloid!" she says, a bit too loud.

Oh, I get it now. They gave her a shot before her surgery. I move around the bed to sit by her head.

"How you feeling, Little Roo?" I reach out and take ahold of her hand, squeezing it gently.

"Oh, I feel great!"

I laugh a little. "I’ll bet you do."

She brings our joined hands to her lips and kisses my knuckles. "I love you."

I look over her shoulder at the doctors who have paused in their work at her proclamation. The older doctor chuckles and then continues on. "I love you too, Kels."

The doctors finish their exam and pull the sheet up to her waist. "Someone will be up to get her in a few minutes."

"Okay." I smile at the doctor who has spoken. He’s been very good with Kels during her time here, three weeks now, making sure she gets the best care. He's also seen to it that I’ve been allowed to stay with her despite posted visiting hours. Once we made it through the first awful week, when everything was still so raw and painful, Robie drew up a health care proxy for Kels. Once she executed it, I had the same rights as family to be at her bedside.

"Okey-dokey, Doc," Kels offers, giggling a bit.

He shakes his head, smiling as he leaves with the young intern.

I return my attention to Kels who is wide awake but cruising at about 30,000 feet. The air is definitely thinner up there. Sipping my coffee, I smile.

"Wha’s that?" she slurs. The meds must be working.

"Coffee," I reply.

"Yuck. I don’t like coffee." She gives me a pouty face.

"I know, but it’s not for you. You’re not allowed to have anything anyhow." I comb my fingers through her hair. I need to have the nurse bring me the stuff I need to wash her hair later.

"You know where they gave me a shot, Tabloid?" The pouty face transforms into an indignant one.

"I have a pretty good idea."

"In my butt."

I can’t help but chuckle at the comment. "Yeah, I know."

"So." She leers at me. "You gonna kiss it and make it better?"

"Later."

"Promise?"

"I promise, chér."

I am a bit surprised that she seems content with this. I must admit, I didn't particularly want to be caught with my lips on her ass when the orderlies come for her in a few minutes. Some things are just too damn hard to explain.

"Harper?"

"Hmm?"

"When can we go home?"

Lately, she has taken to calling New Orleans home, pleasing me no end. The first time Mama heard it, I thought she would swoon with pleasure, as well. "As soon as the doctors give you the green light, we’re on the first plane out of here."

"Good." She intertwines her fingers with mine. "I miss that big feather bed."

"So do I."

"I miss sleeping with you."

"I know, sweetheart. Me too."

"Harper?"

"Yes?" She's like a kid with these meds, full of questions and non-sequiturs.

"The doctor said I may always walk with a limp."

"Ah, don’t sweat it, Little Roo. You’re gonna be fine. They say that so you won't sue them later."

"Yeah, but if I do, are you still going to love me?"

I lean in, kissing her cheek, whispering in her ear. "Of course, I will Kels. I will always love you."

"Like Whitney Houston?"

"Huh?" I am well and truly confused.

She looks at me like I'm stupid. "She sang that song."

"Ah, I remember." I don't want to tell her that Dolly Parton composed the song and was the first to record it. Lord knows where a discussion of that particular blonde might lead to at this moment.

"Even if I’m not perfect?"

Guess we're back on the prior subject. "Hey, I’m not perfect. We make a great team in our imperfections."

"Nah." She draws back a little, wiggling a very dopey finger in my face. "You are perfect."

"I’ll remind you of that when the drugs wear off."

"You do that, Tabloid. In the meantime, shut up and kiss me."

I happily comply, giving her a gentle kiss. It’s one of the few real kisses we’ve shared since we got her back. I haven't wanted to push anything and she hasn't been in any shape to initiate any lascivious behavior. This simple act speaks volumes to me, telling me we're going to be all right.

An orderly enters, bringing our kiss to a close. His look shows his disapproval. "Problem?" I ask, staring him down.

He shakes his head, moving the gurney closer to her bed.

"Don’t hurt her," I warn in a low voice, still staring. I swear to God, if he causes her pain because of me, of us, I will deal with him. Personally.

A second man enters to assist in getting Kels ready to go.

When she is settled on the gurney, she turns her head to look at me. "Do me a big favor, Tabloid?"

"Anything, sweetheart."

"When I get out of surgery, I’d really like a cup of tea."

Okay, that wasn't a request I expected. Glad she didn't remind me that I had to kiss her butt later. The homophobic orderly would have pissed in his pants with that one. "I’ll see what I can do."

"’Kay." She nods, the meds finally taking their toll on her.

I watch as they tuck her in, and raise the rails to keep her safely on the gurney. I lean over, giving her a kiss on the forehead. "Love you, Little Roo. Everything is going to be fine."

"If ya say so…," she slurs, her eyes falling closed.

"I do."

I release her hand but walk alongside her until I’m once again stopped at a set of doors. Standing there as they swing closed, I remain looking through the tiny window until I can’t see her any longer. Out of options, I head back to her room to wait.

As I do so, I am tired and nervous all at the same time. Glancing at my watch, I know Mama will be bringing lunch by in a couple of hours. I look at the cot where I have spent the last few week of my life, and I briefly consider taking a nap. Hell, I'll be lucky if I don't need to visit a chiropractor for the rest of my life after sleeping on it so long. I decide against it and settle back in the chair, closing my eyes.

I don't know how long I've been dozing when the slight creaking of the door catches my attention. I open my eyes to find Dr. Susan Hamilton. Apparently, she got lost on her way to the pediatrics ward.

"Hey, Doc," I mutter. I don't bother to stand up or offer my hand.

She seems surprised to see me. Get used to it, Doc.

"Ms. Kingsley," she says cordially. "I came to see Kels."

Don’t call her that. I call her that. You don't. "Kelsey." The correction slips out before I can stop it. Mama would be appalled at my manners. "Has been taken to surgery, a little while ago."

It's clear that Susan caught my correction. "Ah, well, okay. Sorry to disturb you. I’ll check back in a few hours."

I force myself to keep from swearing a blue streak. Catch a clue, Doc, and move along. You ain't her girlfriend anymore. "If you insist."

She pauses. "Meaning?"

"Nothing, Doc," I lie. "It’s just that when she comes back, she’s barely going to know I’m here. Let alone if you are." Okay, I can only do mature adult for so long and I’m fucking tired of ex-girlfriends dropping in.

I mean, I can understand about CJ, they had the Erik connection. But, this one … Jesus … all they did was share a couple sweaty nights under the sheets. It wasn't very long before she traded the substitute for the real thing. Kinda like switching from Pepsi to Coke. Once you've made the change, you never go back.

And now, I’m tired, I’m frustrated, I’m scared, and I want the parade of ex-lovers to leave us alone. We'll send out a fucking group email to all of them when she gets out of the hospital.

Of course, I still don't know who the fifth lover was. Beth was her first, at college. CJ was in LA. Susan … far too recent for my comfort. Me. Who was the other? And where does she fit in the timeline? Or was it a man?

Oh God, Harper, don't go there. Calm down. It doesn't matter if she slept with a duck. She's with you now.

Actually, the duck thing would be kinda hard to overlook.

"Ms. Kings … Harper, I know you and Kelsey are together now. I suspected I was a stand-in the first time I met you, to be honest."

Yeah, well, if so, why didn't you walk away then?

"I’m not here to interfere in that. I was merely stopping in to see a friend."

I shake my head a little, trying to get some of the nastiness out. I can't believe I'm being such a jerk. "I’m sorry. I’m tired and we’ve been through so much…"

She puts her hand up to stall my words. "I know. I didn’t mean to add to your frustration. I’ll call before I come back over. In the meantime, why don’t you take advantage of the quiet and get some sleep?"

I let loose a deep, relaxing breath. Well, at least the Doc is a gracious loser. "Doctor’s orders?"

"Absolutely." She digs into her pocket she tosses me something. "For after your nap." With a slight wave, she leaves the room.

I look in my left hand to find a sucker. I can’t help but laugh. Well, I was acting like a child.

* * *

The ringing phone wakes me up. I stumble over to the bedside table and lift up the receiver. "Hello?"

For a moment, all I hear is static on the other end of the line. Then a man begins speaking, occasionally being overwhelmed by the bad connection. "Hello! Is this Kelsey Stanton's room?"

Great. Now we have the tabloids from across the pond calling us. "Who's calling?"

"This is her father, Matthew Stanton."

Not the reply I was expecting. "Mr. Stanton, this is Harper Kingsley, I …," I stumble over our relationship, not wanting this call to go poorly, "I work with your daughter."

"May I speak to her, please? I'm calling from Bulgaria and the phone system is less than reliable, I'm afraid."

I can hear the connection breaking up again. "I'm afraid she's in surgery right now. I don't know when she'll be back."

"How is she?"

"She's going to be fine, sir. The surgery is to repair her knee. Otherwise, she is doing really well. The doctors are pleased with her progress."

I hear him let out a deep breath. "Thank God. Can you give her a message for me, please?"

"I'd be happy to, Mr. Stanton." All the manners I couldn't dredge up for Susan are coming out in full force for Kelsey's dad.

"Tell her I love her, I'm thinking about her and when I get back stateside I'll come visit her. I'm, unfortunately, going to be here in Sofia for another few weeks. My firm has been called in to help them restructure their economy -"

Shit, is that all?

"- And I can't leave yet."

"Of course, I'll tell her." But I'm talking to dead air, the connection gone. "Nice meeting you."

* * *

I hate the dopey feeling of waking up after surgery. I seem to remember waking briefly in recovery and being told I was being moved back to my room. My brain immediately translated that to being back with Harper. I was happy.

Something smells awfully good. This means I must still be dreaming, because nothing in this place smells good. Not the orderlies, not the medicine, and certainly not the food.

I open my eyes and see Harper and Mama sitting across the room eating whatever it is that has my stomach rumbling. I lick my lips, but can’t seem to get past the cotton in my mouth.

God, I hate this. I hate being here. I hate having my knee all screwed up. I hate having a broken wrist. I hate still feeling crappy after three weeks. I hate that I can't take a shower, or even go the bathroom on my own. I hate not sleeping next to Harper. And I really hate eating food I can't identify.

I must have moaned my frustration, because before I can do anything else there is a concerned set of blue eyes staring down at me. I actually smile in response.

"Hey, Little Roo."

"Water," I manage.

"Sure, chér, hold on." I feel her slide a strong arm behind my back to prop me up a bit. I put my lips around the straw presented to me. Oh, this has to be the best drink of water I have ever had.

"Thanks." I let the straw go. "What smells so good?" I fumble for the controls of my bed to bring myself more upright. I’m damn tired of lying flat on my back. Especially when it’s not for a good reason. Since Harper is not in this bed with me, there’s no good reason.

"Mama made sweet potato and andouille soup."

"Oh that’s cruel, Tabloid. You sit in here eating like a king while I'm gonna be brought pudding and soft eggs."

"I’m willing to sneak you some." Harper offers me a dazzling smile. She knows we're being bad.

"I’ll love you forever."

"Ah, that's not a bribe, Kels. You were gonna do that anyway," she teases.

I watch as she and Mama prepare me a small bowl of real food. I feel my stomach wake up in response. If they don't hurry, I might digest my pancreas at this rate. To distract myself from my hunger, I look at my knee. My whole leg is now encased in a brace to keep me from moving it. This is not something for which I needed any incentive. It hurts like a son of a bitch.

Harper returns to me, lowering the rail on my bed and carefully takes a seat. I am impressed that she didn't spill the soup all over. I would have. Especially now in my dopey stage.

Feeling the spoon at my lips, I take a little taste. Oh, that’s good. Very good. I’ve got to get out of this hospital before I starve to death.

It doesn’t take long before I’ve finished the small bowl of soup.

"As always, Mama, wonderful." I smile at her when she joins us at my bedside. She places in my hand a mug of tea. "Ah, that’s good," I hum taking the first sip.

"Mama brought a thermos of Earl Gray for you. You can count on her to take good care of us." Harper's voice is filled with fondness for her mother.

"We can’t wait to have you home, Little One. We’ll have you back on your feet in no time."

"Speaking of which." I look to Harper, waiting for her to tell me the news about my knee. "Will I be getting back on my feet?"

"Absolutely. The doctor said the surgery went very well and with the proper physical therapy you should be up in no time."

"Thank God." I let my head drop back on my pillow. I want to be up and out of here. I will never go to another hospital in my life.

"Amen." I hear Mama intone quietly and watch her cross herself.

"I am ready to go home now, Tabloid," I announce.

"Is that so?"

I lean into her hand as it threads through my hair. I know I must look awful. Thank God I haven't seen a mirror in awhile. "Wanna break me out of here?"

"Tell you what, Little Roo, how about we wait for the doctor to tell us it’s okay?"

"If you insist." I fold my arms across my chest. I'm doing better about not beating myself with my wrist cast though.

"Afraid so, Kels. I don’t want to risk hurting you or slowing up your recovery. Especially not when you’re doing so well." She leans in to give me a little kiss. "We don’t want to do anything to mess that up now, do we?"

"I hate it when you’re right."

"You must hate life often then," she teases.

* * *

I watch as she grits her teeth and closes her eyes against the pain. The tech isn’t purposely hurting her, but her knee needs to be exercised and this is her first day of therapy since the surgery.

I’m here because I need to learn how to help her do her exercises. A big part of me wonders if I’ll be able to do this to her if it’s going to cause her that kind of pain. She’s been hurt enough. The last thing I want to do is add to it.

Though it was nice to be the one to tell her that her father called and said he loved her. She looked a bit surprised at the endearment, but it seemed to make her feel better.

"Break," she whispers after about ten minutes. He very gently places her leg back on the bed. Her breathing is shallow and I can see the tears in her eyes. "Thanks."

"No problem, Miss Stanton. I told you we’d take it easy to begin with."

She nods, wiping away a tear as it starts to fall down her cheek. "It really hurts."

"I know it does, but, with therapy and time, the pain will go away."

"Okay," she nods, her breathing back to normal. "Let’s get back to it. I want it over with for today."

He looks to me. "You want to do this round? I’ll talk you through it."

I look to Kels for her permission. I can understand if she doesn't want a rank amateur working on her the first time out. She shrugs, and I make my decision. "Sure," I tell him, rubbing my hand together to warm them.

I take her leg in my hands and begin the routine with him talking me through it. I can tell she's in pain, but she handles it well, keeping me from feeling worse than I do. I finish the routine and we replace the brace around her leg.

"Do you want something for the pain?" the young man asks, making a note on her chart.

"No. Tired of being doped up."

"I’ll have them bring you some Tylenol, at least."

"Okay," she groans, her head dropping back to her pillow. "And maybe a new knee too."

He laughs. "I'll see what I can do for you, Miss Stanton." As he walks out the door, in comes an Armani clad woman.

She takes a few steps in, puts her briefcase down on a vacant seat and smiles. "Hey there, champ."

Kelsey smiles in return. "Foster! What brings you here from New York?"

Ah, this is Foster McGovern, Kels' agent. And mine, by proxy. She's tall, athletic looking and has green eyes, the same color as Kels. She seems vaguely familiar, I must have met her at one of the annual broadcasters' conventions.

She turns to me and extends her hand, "Harper, good to see you again."

Yup, guess so. "Hi, Foster."

"Well, I have good news for you both."

I note that she has a slight Southern accent. I like her.

"Well, the only thing that would get me to this smog-infested, over-hyped, make-believe city is to tell you that CBS has met all your terms. And I have the offer letters to prove it."

"Yes!" I pump my fist by my side. I bound over to Kels' side and give her a big kiss. This is the best news we've had in weeks. Our new life will actually begin. Soon.

Kels kisses me back enthusiastically. She's relieved as well.

"Thank you, Foster," Kels says when we break off. "You don't know how much I appreciate it."

"You appreciate it a lot, based on the fee I'll be collecting on this one." She goes to her briefcase and pulls out the letters in question. "Let's go over the highlights. First, and most importantly, Harper is assigned to be your Executive Producer on all your stories. Guaranteed. Of course, Harper, you know this will make things a bit more difficult on you there, at first."

I nod. "I know." At Kels' quizzical look, I explain, "It looks like I'm riding your coattails, sweetheart."

"But we know you're not. I mean, all they have to do is look at our work together. Jesus, we know that the studio submitted the anthrax and Omaha stories for Peabody Award consideration."

I shrug. "I know. I'm not concerned about it, at all." I take her hand in mine. "Go on, Foster."

"Second, no more 'morals' clause concern for either of you. I had it reworded so that basically you'd have to sleep with an elephant, have it caught on videotape and broadcast before they can fire you for moral reasons. Also, the brass knows you're a couple. As long as you don't make it an issue, or let the tabloids make it one, they won't either."

"So we can't pull an Ellen and Anne and make out in front of the President, eh?" I ask.

Foster frowns. "I would advise against it. Besides, he might try to join in, knowing the fella. Hell, he might try to join in if you did do something with the elephant."

We all share a good laugh.

"The rest is pretty standard - vacation, benefits, stock options, signing bonus, relocation expenses, compensation structure. They want you as soon as you're medically able. Actually, they want you before then, but they'll take what they can."

"Thanks, Foster. You did a great job."

She shrugs. "It's easy when I have great clients. I just went in there and did my brass balls negotiating tactics. They fell in to line pretty quickly. And, they paid out more than I think even they expected." She hands over our offers.

I scan down to my compensation. Shit. She is good. It's five times what I'm making now. I glance at Kels' letter. Okay. It's half of what Kels will be making. Don't freak out, Harper. Talent gets all the money, you know that. She was making more than you before. Now, she's just still making more than you. At a higher level.

And it doesn't include all the money I have in investments. I mean, I probably have a higher net worth than Kels since I've been investing since I was born. Well, not me, but Papa for me.

Argh! Knock it off you insecure, two year old. Kels has never even mentioned money around you. And it's not like you'll be hurting for anything.

"Harper?" Kels says softly, bringing me back to the present.

"Yeah?"

"Everything okay?"

I kiss her nose. "Everything is perfect."

* * *

The doctor gave Kels a nice shot of valium before the flight. She’s very relaxed as we settle into our seats on the plane. It’s late and we’re going to be getting in very early in the morning, but I wanted a flight that wouldn’t be overly crowded and would afford us a reasonable amount of privacy. Even in first class, that can be hard to come by. I'm pleased to see we have the cabin to ourselves so far.

We had to dodge the damn paparazzi when we left the hospital. You'd think that a month would have been enough time for them to forget about her but apparently not. Bear did a good job running interference for us, and CJ drove us to the airport in a squad car. It's always good to have cops as friends … and lawyers as brothers. Gerrard already has a restraining order issued against the most aggressive of the paparazzi. Robie is looking into suing a couple of the rags for libel based on their reporting over the last month.

Of course, having great parents is also a good thing. Mama and Papa went home earlier this week to ready the house for us. I even got them agree to bring Trouble out for me. I managed to convince Papa not to do any construction. We'll have a wheelchair for Kels, but only if we go out for extended periods of time. Otherwise, she's to get around on her walking cast and a cane. Lord knows, all of us want to baby her, but the therapist warned against it. Better to help her get well.

I open up one of our bags and pull out a small quilt from home. I tuck it around her as the other passengers begin boarding. I’m grateful when all but one of them proceed to coach. Kels is still a little self-conscious about being seen, despite the fact that all the bruises have faded.

Kels opens her eyes and gives me a little smile. "Hey, Tabloid."

"Hey, Little Roo."

"Are we there yet?"

"Well, we're on our way, sweetheart. Or at least we will be in a few minutes."

"Good." She pulls my hand under the blanket, then settles against my shoulder. "Can’t wait to get home."

"That makes two of us, chér."

* * *

It is very late when we get in, or very early, depending on how you want to look at it. I have to carry Kels off the plane. The valium certainly did a number on her. She’s sound asleep in my arms, snoring again. I keep the quilt carefully tucked round her to obscure her face. I simply don’t trust the paparazzi. I'm sure they're lurking around here somewhere. Bastards.

One of the stewardesses is behind me with our carry on luggage. I see Mama and Papa are here to meet us, even though I told them not to. I should have known better. Papa quick comes over and takes the bags from the stewardess, thanking her for her help.

We begin walking through the terminal to the parking garage. I shipped all of our luggage federal express earlier today so we wouldn't have to deal with bags this morning. It'll all be at the house by the time we get there. I may fly like this more often, actually.

Mama rubs my back as we walk. "You look exhausted."

"A little tired, I'll admit."

"Then let’s get you home."

That is the best offer I've had in awhile.

* * *

We're at home. For the first time in over a month, I feel the tension gone from my neck and shoulders. I've been instructed to have a shower and get some sleep. The rest of the family is coming over this afternoon to see us. Kels will be glad for that. I know she's been wanting to see Christian again.

I've settled her into the big, old feather bed. I sit on the edge of the mattress and watch her sleep. I slide the covers over her and give her a little kiss before I go shower.

She stirs, opening her eyes. "Home?"

"Don’t you feel that bed under you? And don't you hear that loud purring machine over there?"

She glances over at the fat cat sitting in a patch of light, then snuggles down into the comforter. "Oh yeah, we’re home."

"That we are." I start to get up.

"Come to bed," she commands, holding out her hand.

"Huh?"

"Come to bed."

"I’m going to take a quick shower." I tell her with a kiss.

Kels looks panicked. "Then you’re coming back here, right? To this bed? To me?"

"Of course I am, chér." It looks like she’s going to cry. "What’s wrong? Are you in pain?"

"I'm afraid," she whispers.

I can barely hear her, so I get closer. "Afraid? Afraid of what, Kels? That bastard is dead and, I swear, no one will ever get close enough to hurt you again." Cross my heart and hope to die, literally.

"No, I was afraid you wouldn’t want to." She sniffs, her tears are falling freely now.

"Oh, baby. What wouldn’t I want to do?"

"Be with me. Because of what happened. Because he…"

I can't take it anymore and I pull her into my arms. "No, no, no, no, darlin'. I’m coming to bed, coming back to you, I promise. It's just I smell bad and you wouldn’t be able to stand me." I offer with a little laugh to try and ease her doubts. "Mama told me I had to shower before I get in there with you."

"Okay, if Mama said you had to." She wipes away her tears. "I’m sorry for being so silly."

"Don’t you be sorry about that. If you ever need reassurance, you let me know. Deal?"

She smiles. "Deal."

* * *

I’m not sure what time it is, and, quite frankly, I don’t care. All I need to know is we are home and Harper is in bed with me, curled up at my side with her arm securely draped over my waist. I pull her hand up to hold it under my chin, kissing her fingers. Just being here in New Orleans with her eases some of the pain in my mind and body. I am very content.

She groans a bit, and her fingers tickle the base of my neck. "You awake?" she mumbles in my ear.

"Uh huh."

"Finally."

"I’m going to try and move my leg a bit." I give her fair warning so she can give me a lot of room.

We readjust and I grit my teeth as I shift, trying to straight out my leg. Having to sleep with it propped up on a couple pillows is a pain. I never seem to be able to completely relax my hip that way. And, I really prefer to sleep on my side, but it'll be a couple more weeks before I can do that.

Harper props up herself on her elbow, looking down at me. I note that her bangs have grown too long. She certainly never left my side to get a haircut. "How do you feel?"

"Not bad, considering. Being here is wonderful." I can hear the activity in the house below. I remember Harper said something about her brothers coming over today. I can't wait to see everyone. And take my seat in the kitchen.

"It certainly is. I won’t argue with you."

"Well, there's a first," I tease. "How long can we stay?"

"Until you feel well enough to go to New York. Although, I was thinking we could go up to the city ahead of time and do some apartment hunting before our move. Give us a little time to familiarize ourselves with the place. And, of course, to sign our big, new contracts."

"We got a good deal there, didn’t we?"

"Oh you better believe it, Little Roo."

"A nice fresh start, just what we need. Or at least what I need."

"It’s best for both of us, Kels."

I look up into her clear blue eyes and I feel all of my emotions run up and grab me by the throat. "You’re all I have left, Harper. He took everything."

She smiles, but shakes her head. "No, he didn't, sweetheart. It just feels that way right now."

"He took my job, my car, my apartment … my family, my security. Everything."

"Chér, you're only a victim if you choose to be. And, with the exception of Erik, everything else doesn't matter. It's all replaceable. And, for what he did to Erik, I hope he burns in hell for all eternity. But, Kels, you have a new network job with nationwide exposure. Your car was due to come off lease soon anyway, and insurance paid for it. We'll get a great apartment in New York. And, there's no such thing as perfect safety. Bad things happens. But, like they say, it's not how many times you get knocked down that matters, but how many times you get up."

"Weebles wobble but they don't fall down, eh?" I quote the old toy ad. I imagine myself as a Weeble and immediately decide to go on a diet.

"Exactly."

"So," I tug on her hand, interlacing our fingers together. "I take it we’re moving in together?"

"Ah, well, I had hoped so." Harper blushes and studies the down comforter. "I mean, well, I guess you would want to be asked. And this isn't really the most romantic setting for that. I just kinda assumed, given everything that's happened lately. But, I suppose, I shouldn't have. I mean, you might want to have your own space for awhile …"

"Harper," I try to interrupt.

"And I could understand that. I don't want to force you into anything. I'm not real good at this whole relationship thing, don't have a really good track record, you know. Hell, I don't even have a track record. I've never even thought about living with anyone, except my cat …"

I put my hand over her mouth to stop this flood of insecurity. I never expected to hear that from Harper. "I don’t think I could stand to live without you," I say simply.

I feel her lips under my hand transform into a smile. Her cocky edge comes back immediately as well. Perhaps I overstated my case.

"Glad to hear it." She kisses my palm. "It makes sense, seeing how I’m perfect and all."

"Huh?" I tease.

"Oh, you don’t remember, do you?" She replies, obviously knowing something I don't.

"What? Tell me, Tabloid. Don’t make me hurt you," I mock threaten. I slide my hand under her T-shirt and hook my finger through her navel ring, giving it a gentle tug.

"Be nice!" she growls.

"Tell me!"

"The other day, when you had your surgery, you told me I was perfect."

"Oh that." I release the ring and give her stomach a little caress. "You can’t hold me to that. I was under the influence of heavy drugs."

"You said you loved me, too."

"Well, that you can hold me to, because it's true. The other, sadly, isn't." I capture her lips with mine, trying to ease the blow to her ego. "Now, can you give me a hand in the bathroom, so I can get presentable for your family?"

"I'll give you two hands," she leers.

* * *

At least the walking cast can come off for showers. This is a good thing since the plaster one on my wrist is really annoying me. I have to swaddle it under what feels like a thousand layers of plastic while I get cleaned up. I’d be a real bitch on wheels if I had to deal with two casts I couldn’t get out of.

After a nice shower, nice only because I had help, we found a pair of sweats I can be comfortable in and look halfway presentable. Okay, so it’s not the best look I’ve ever had, but I’m having a hard enough time as it is without trying to look like a million bucks too.

"You ready to test the water, Little Roo?" Harper gives me a little smile, handing me my cane.

"I guess so." I take it from her, gripping it for a moment or two before I find enough courage to actually try to stand up. "Oh, shit, that hurts!" I want to collapse and just stay in bed. Tears immediately spring to my eyes and I really, really, don’t want to go any further.

"You okay?" Harper places a gentle hand on my arm.

"Yeah, it just hurts." I pause as I take my first real steps. "A lot." Stop being a wimp, Kelsey. "Come on, Tabloid. I need tea." She chuckles and moves in behind me to make sure I don’t fall on my face. I’ll have to make sure to thank her properly when I feel better.

I feel a little guilty on that front. We certainly haven’t been intimate since all this happened and I’m not sure when I'll be able to again. There so much swirling around in my mind right now. I think I want to, then when I think about it more, I get scared and nervous. I hope I can pull it together before I force her away from me for ‘greener pastures’. I don't think Harper has been without sex for six weeks since she turned eighteen.

I stop at the top of the stairs and look at them. "Uh, Tabloid?"

"Yeah?"

I shake my head. "I can’t do this. I’ll never make it down the steps."

"Well, I know I’m not supposed to baby you, but…" It only takes a second for me to register the fact she has scooped me up in her arms. God, she's strong. "I think an occasional lift is okay. Hold tight."

Oh, I intend to, Tabloid, don’t worry about that.

She eases me back to my feet at the bottom. "There you go." She watches me teeter a bit, still ready to catch me. We walk toward the kitchen where I can hear the sounds of laughter. I think all the sisters are in there.

Standing at the end of the hall is my favorite little Kingsley guy. He's dressed in a pair of Osh Kosh overalls and a little white polo shirt. His dark hair is slicked back, like he's going to Sunday services, and he has a very serious expression on his face. "Christian! C’mere, you!" I call out.

Suddenly, he transforms, breaking into a huge smile. To my delight, he starts running down the hall toward me, his arms opening wide. I don’t know how or why it happened, but I fell in love with this child the second I laid eyes on him.

Christian stops just short of me, failing to wrap his arms around my legs like he has the other times I’ve been here. The cast must worry him.

"It’s okay, sweetheart, c’mere and give me a hug." I lean over with Harper’s help and give him a tight hug. "I’ve missed you."

His little arms clasp at my neck. "Missed you too, Aunt Kels."

Aunt Kels?

Where did that come from?

I blink back tears and kiss his cheek.

Actually, I don’t care where it came from. I love it. I've never been an aunt before.

I manage to hold Christian’s hand with the tips of the fingers extending from my cast as we continue into the kitchen. He’s very patient and gentle with me for someone so young. God, he’s sweet.

Once inside the threshold, I pause for a second, absorbing the warmth of the room's occupants. All of them look over and stop their conversation, smiling at me. I turn to Harper. "You can go now, sweetheart."

The look of confusion on her face is priceless. Rene and Rachel come over to help me to my seat, and Mama pulls out my chair. Harper tries to follow, but Rene places a hand on her chest. "You’ve been dismissed, Harper. Go play with the boys."

"Hey! Wait a…" she starts to protest.

"Nope," Rene cuts her off. "Out! This is no place for you. Go see your brothers."

Harper watches as I take my place and pull Christian into my lap, kissing his hair.

"How come he gets to stay?" she sputters.

Rene looks pointedly over at her son and then her sister-in-law. "Because he's three years old, Harper." She holds up her hand to forestall any further comment. "And, before you ask, acting like one doesn't count. Scram!" With surprising strength, she shoves Harper out the door.

Mama puts a cup of hot tea in my good hand and Christian snuggles up against me.

It’s good to be home.

<fade out>

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