AN: Again, Thank you for all your lovely reviews. Ok, so the last two were reasonably short parts, get ready for the long and babbly. I really hope you can get through it all. Thanks.

Part 3

Marco ran into the ER and looked around for his best friend. At first glance he couldn't see her but then her blonde hair caught her attention, she was huddled in a corner staring blankly at the wall.

As he dropped into the chair beside her, his arm slipping around her shoulder, he gently spoke her name. As she became aware of his presence she turned into him, burying her face into his shoulder.

Marco instantly put his other arm around her and hugged her tightly. He kissed her head and waited a few moments.

"Paige? What happened?"

She heard his soft plea and realised she hadn't really told him anything yet. He didn't have a clue what was going on, only that Alex was in Hospital. Pulling back from his embrace she still kept a tight grip of his hand.

"I was at the fashion house and Alex was meant to be driving me around for the day so I called her when she wasn't where she was meant to be and she was stoned. Jay was with her. I was really pissed at her and I was bitch all week. No wonder she didn't want to drive me around all day."

"So, how did she end up here?" Marco asked trying not to be insensitive but becoming frustrated.

"Jay was driving her to pick me up. They got into an accident. He sounded so scared when he called me Marco, like it was really bad. And they won't tell me anything because I'm not family but I'm the closest thing to family she has so what am I meant to do? Wait here forever until she either walks out those doors or…"

Marco watched her face fall and squeezed her hand. "God, Marco what if…? I only just got her back and now this. What if the last conversation I have with her was that heinous phone call?"

Marco rubbed Paige's arm. "Don't think like that, it's going to be ok." He felt so stupid saying that but he had to give her hope, he had to have more faith in Alex, they all knew she was strong, she would get through this too. Then he realised how stupid all this was, they didn't even know how she was, this worry could all be for nothing.

Standing up he tugged on Paige's hand. "Come on, we're going to find out how your sweetheart is."

With that he marched them up to the desk and quickly gained the woman's attention. "I'm here for Alex Nunez."

"I'm sorry sir but we can only give out information to family at this point."

Marco impatiently waited for her to finish her little speech then added, "I'm her cousin, Marco Del Rossi."

"Your name-"

He cut her off, "Our mother's are sisters. Can you please tell me how my cousin is?"

Marco felt proud, a little conviction seemed to be all it took as the woman began typing. As she did she looked up sympathetically at Paige.

"I got through to the number you gave me but…" she shook her head as if it was too horrific to even say out loud. It was.

Paige nodded blinking back tears. "Alex still has us."

"Ok, she's in surgery just now." She heard the blonde gasp. "It's for her arm. That's all I can really tell you. There will be a doctor down to talk to you as soon as their out of surgery."

Marco nodded, "Thanks." He put his arm around Paige and led her back to the waiting area. The blonde was quiet in the sense of without any noise or other signs of life except her open and occasionally blinking eyes.

"Paige?" No response. "Please say something, you're a talker, this is freaking me out."

Paige still didn't look at him but then her shaky voice made itself heard.

"How am I supposed to know how to feel? She's having emergency surgery and I still don't actually know if she's ok, if she's going to be ok. So what do I do with that Marco? Have a little chat with you to kill some time?"

Marco shook his head. "We should call Ellie. She'd want to be here. And what about Jay? He's at the police station?" Marco asked unsure about the details.

"I think so. It's where he called me from. Can you call Ellie? I don't think I can explain it again."

Marco pulled out his cell, "sure." He said trying to sound far more confident than he did.

Paige flipped open her own and called information. After getting connected to the police station she found out Jay had already been released. At least they'd get some answers soon.

She turned her attention to Marco's conversation and heard him tying things up. "No, that's all we know. Yeah, ok. Take care getting here. Bye."

"Ellie's on her way." Marco informed her.

Paige nodded, "Good."

Despite their seeming lack of closeness and constant bickering she wanted Ellie here. And Ellie was Alex's best friend besides her. Plus, more selfishly, she found Ellie to be a stabilizing influence in tough times. Ellie off set her neurotic hyperness well. She had a clarity and pragmatism Paige envied.

Marco's voice pulled her from her thoughts. "Did you find out about Jay?"

"The police let him out about 20 minutes ago. Looks like we're just waiting now, hun."

Marco shifted in his seat trying to find a comfy position for their looming sit in but soon settled for an ok one. Then it began to eat away at him.

"Her mom's really not coming, huh?"

Paige sighed. "It looks that way."

She paused for a moment then spoke with a anger fuelled voice. "I don't understand how she could not come rushing here demanding to see her daughter. Alex done everything for that woman. She got punched and pushed and slept in shelters because of her merde choices. She became a stripper to pay her mom's debts and she still chooses that scumbag Chad. It's disgusting."

The anger turned to sadness instantly. "She's such a good person and sometimes I'm just so amazed that she hasn't let it ruin her."

Paige felt the steel encased lump in her throat painfully rising. "I've been horrible to her about the rent. I used it as some excuse to lord over her. She begged me to help her and I threw it back in her face. I should have been helping her find a job, make sure she was really ok. She's been through hell and all I was worried about was my stupid internship that I don't even like. If I'd never taken it she wouldn't be having surgery, she'd be safe at home with me."

Paige let out a heartbroken sob. "Why did I forget?" She begged.

Marco took the sobbing girl into his arms. "What did you forget?" he asked gently.

Paige's hands gripped onto his shirt for dear life. "That she's all that matters. She's the only one & I keep screwing it up."

This one tiny and seemingly obvious realisation was overwhelming. Marco held her tighter as she violently sobbed for her girlfriend, for everything she thought she'd messed up.

He fought against his own tears as he tried to whisper reassurances to her. He told her this wasn't her fault. That she'd be able to talk all of this through with Alex. That everything would be ok even though he was sure she couldn't hear a word he said through her sadness.

He thought back to how he'd acted with Alex staying at the house. He thought it was time she moved out and stopped spending her days in bed. But he had thought she would have moved back home within a couple of weeks. He didn't realise that she had actually cut all ties with her mom, he thought it'd blow over like always. He was a jackass. His best friend's girlfriend who he very much considered one of his closest friends also, had a horrible month that he had yet to even really acknowledge. All he cared about was rent.

"Del Rossi." Marco looked up and saw Jay towering over them looking like he just got done with a 4 day bender.

"Jay. Are you ok?"

Paige let her tear blurred gaze fall on Jay. He looked like crap, the bridge of his nose was split and his eyes were already surrounded in dark circles. She tried to ignore the cascade of blood down his shirt, hoping it was just from his nose. There eye's met for a second then Jay replied.

"How's Alex?"

Marco sat up straight as Paige had sat up and was currently sniffing and wiping her eyes.

"She's getting surgery on her arm, that's all they've told us."

He sat down heavily. "Waiting bites." He added simply to fill the silence.

Marco nodded a silent agreement. "I'm gonna get coffee, looks like you could both use it." With that he was off on a quest to find a coffee machine.

That left Jay and Paige sitting awkwardly, a seat in between them.

"How bad?" Paige asked hoarsely.

Jay didn't know how to answer that, or even if he should. It was all a blur what with the shock and the meeting his face had with the steering wheel. But he could feel Paige's eyes burning into him.

"I don't know. She was banged up. But things always look worse than they are."

"Jay, I'm going crazy, no one's telling me anything and I don't know what I'm meant to be expecting. Like, am I going to lose her? Or is it just superficial stuff? Please, it feels like my insides are liquidising just sitting here, wondering."

Jay sighed and scratched his head. "I don't know how bad it is. Her arm was busted pretty bad and it looked like she hit her head pretty hard. She… she was out the entire time."

"And this is because you swerved?"

Jay instantly felt like he was being accused. "Would you rather I'd ploughed straight into a kid?" He didn't wait for any response. "If it wasn't for your goddamned clothes this wouldn't have happened. But no, you have your swanky new job that means more to you than Alex ever could."

Paige saw red as he questioned how she felt for Alex.

"Don't you dare tell me I care more about that job than her. You know nothing about us or what we've been through! And you're the one to blame, you drove when you were stoned! You could have killed her and that kid. And all because you want to get high on a Wednesday afternoon?"

"At least I was with her. She didn't want to disappoint you, she was gonna drive those slut outfits to you. She feels like she owes you everything, all because you've given her somewhere to crash but all you've done is criticise her and belittle it. Do you know what it took for her to leave? She had a million opportunities to get out of there but she finally done it for you. She must be crazy to think you were worth it."

He said the last part with such distain and conviction. Paige felt sick. He was right. She scrambled to her feet and bolted down the corridor.