My note….Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. This chapter starts out very sweet and fluffy, but the end is shocking...when a secret is revealed.

TWIST OF FATE

CHAPTER 3: NEW YORK MINUTE

As soon as he was able to travel, Tyler was transferred from England to the finest children's hospital in New York city…with a stop, first, in Toronto, so he could attend the funerals of both Robert and Chris…the only parents he had ever known.

Progress was slow and painful, Ashley had no idea that taking care of a preschooler would be so much work. "C'mon Tyler….you have to do this", Ashley coaxed with mock enthusiasm, from the side of his bed.

His physical therapist, just as tired and frustrated as Ashley, let out a huge sigh. As soon as the therapist reached out to touch the little boy, he let out a huge scream, just as he'd been doing for the last twenty minutes. "Tyler…please", Ashley begged.

Tyler pursed his lips together and defiantly folded his arms across his chest…well , at least as much as he could fold his casted left arm, and glared at the therapist. She gasped in shock and stood up, "Well, if he's not going to cooperate, I'm just going to have to call doctor…".

"What's goin' on?", Jimmy interrupted as he entered the room. He pulled up next to Tyler and looked from Ashley, to the now aggravated therapist.

"Someone doesn't want to do his exercises", Ashley informed her husband, trying to hide the little smirk that was threatening to break through.

"Ty?", Jimmy called, in a slightly scolding, but understanding tone.

Tyler cautiously looked at Jimmy. "It hurts", he protested firmly, but Jimmy could see tears forming in his soft grey/green eyes.

"Yeah, therapy's no fun", Jimmy agreed, playfully tousling the hair on Tyler's head.

Tyler looked at Jimmy questionably. "Did therapy hurt when you were in the hospital?", he asked anxiously. Jimmy smiled and nodded slightly.

They had always been up front with Tyler, explaining that Jimmy used a wheelchair because he got hurt, but never going into detail on how he got hurt. "Um, a little bit", Jimmy answered hesitantly, glancing over at Ashley, unsure of how much Tyler would be able to understand. "Mostly my back hurt….where I had my surgery", Jimmy added, reaching around, to the right side of his back.

Tyler started to nod in agreement, but then shook his head. "I don't like therapy and I don't like surgery either", he grumbled, forcefully.

Jimmy bit back a chuckle. "I know, buddy….but just think, surgery fixed you up and therapy will make you all better", he explained. "You wanna be able to walk and run around again, don't you?", Jimmy added in a fatherly tone and Ashley smiled at him.

Tyler looked down at his hands, then up at Ashley. His eyes started to get wide and a smile crept up on his lips as he turned to look at Jimmy. "So, if you do your exercises….therapy will make you all better?", Tyler asked questionably. "Then you'll be able to walk again, too", he chuckled excitedly.

Jimmy leaned back in his chair and let out a heavy sigh. He looked at Ashley for help, but all she could offer, was a small sympathetic smile. He turned back to Tyler and swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat.

"No Ty, that's never gonna happen", Jimmy replied quietly. Tyler hung his head down and pouted. Jimmy leaned in, getting close to Tyler's face. "But, I'm already…all better", Jimmy reassured the boy, looking into his eyes and giving him a huge smile.

Tyler smiled and nodded, then wrapped his arms around Jimmy's neck. Ashley wiped a happy tear from the corner of her eye. "So, are you ready to start your exercises now?", the therapist asked, interrupting the heartwarming moment.

Tyler looked up at Ashley, then over at Jimmy, he smiled and nodded assuredly . Ty turned to the therapist and frowned, but whispered a hesitant, "Yeah".

----------------------------------------------------

"Jimmy I'm back", Ashley called out happily as she walked through their front door. She went from room to room, when he didn't answer. "I figured you'd be in here", she chuckled upon entering Tyler's new room.

Jimmy nodded slowly, his back was still turned to her. "It's perfect Jimmy", she exclaimed, looking around the freshly painted room. "He's gonna love it".

Ashley walked over to the wall in front of Jimmy, lightly touching his shoulder as she passed him. Tyler loved boats and he missed his parents, so Jimmy decided to paint a mural of the old fishing village back in England….to remind him of his first home and happy times he shared with Robert and Chris.

"Where's the gang, I thought they'd still be here?", Ashley questioned, giving her husband a hug from behind and kissing his cheek.

"We finished early….they left", he answered coolly. "I told them I had some things to do. Spinner should be back in an hour or so", he stated flatly, giving Ashley a harsh look, then wheeling out of the room.

Ashley followed him into his office. "Jimmy, what's wrong?", she asked concernedly.

Jimmy looked down at his desk. "I unpacked some of Tyler's things today", he said, snippily. "Toys, clothes, books….photo albums".

Ashley nodded quizzically. "Thanks, I've been meaning to do that", she replied cautiously, still confused by his demeanor.

Jimmy picked up a folded piece of paper on his desk. "Hidden in the back of his baby book, was this", he stated, handing it to Ashley. She looked at him incredulously.

"It's a photocopy of Tyler's birth certificate", he added painfully. Jimmy watched as all the color drained from Ashley's face. "I'm assuming you have the original", he snipped.

"Listen Jimmy, I can explain all of this…", Ashley pleaded.

"Yeah Ash, I love to hear your explanation for not telling your husband you had a child", he yelled, pulling around the side of the desk, and heading for the door.

"It's not like that Jimmy, I didn't tell anyone….my mom doesn't even know Tyler's mine", she cried.

Jimmy turned abruptly and looked up at her. "How could you do that, how could you keep this from us?", he asked angrily.

"I don't know Jimmy…I guess I did it for Tyler", she admitted, pulling a chair over and sitting in front of Jimmy. "A mother's first instinct is to protect her child". Jimmy shook his head in disgust and tried to maneuver around her, but Ashley blocked him.

"When I first found out I was pregnant, I was scared to death. I didn't know what I wanted to do, but I knew I could never get an abortion", she explained calmly. "And I was lucky, I had my dad, Chris and Alistair".

Jimmy looked away, it was hard for him to hear this. "I never expected to come back to Toronto…but then things got bad, and Alistair broke up with me a few weeks before I had Tyler…he couldn't handle all of it", Ashley sighed heavily and took hold of Jimmy's hands.

"I remember right after I had him, the nurse put him in my arms and I immediately thought of you", she smiled through her tears and looked into his eyes. Jimmy chuckled bitterly and pulled his hands from Ashley's grasp. "I mean that Jimmy…why do you think his middle name is James?", Ashley asked defensively.

Jimmy laughed dryly. "So what, you just missed me so much, you had to come back to Toronto and leave your baby behind in England?".

Ashley shook her head. "Yes….no…I missed home so much. My dad knew this, so he and Chris offered to adopt Tyler. I knew it was the best thing for both of us. Tyler would be raised in a safe, happy home with two loving parents…not by some struggling, single teen-aged mother", Ashley defended.

"Whatever Ash", Jimmy said dismissively, and inched forward, indicating he was done listening to her explanation. Ashley stared him down for a few seconds, but with hesitation moved out of his way.

"So what, you're not even going to let me finish explaining?", she asked, hurrying to catch up with him as he entered their bedroom.

Jimmy turned to face Ashley again. "I get it Ash….you did what you had to do", he replied angrily. "Now I'm doing what I have to do", Jimmy added, his voice cracking as he picked up the duffle bag that was laying on the bedroom and placed it on his lap.

Ashley followed him into the living room. "What are you doing?", she cried as he neared the door.

"I need some time…", Jimmy answered emotionally. "…I'm going back to Toronto with Spinner….I'll be at my parents…", he drifted off.

"But Tyler's coming home in two days. We need you", Ashley begged. "I love you Jimmy…we both do...".

"I know, and I love him too Ashley…so much", his interrupted, his voice quivering. Without turning his chair, Jimmy turned his body, looking over his shoulder at Ashley. "I would have done anything to be his father", he whispered truthfully.

"But don't you see Jimmy, now you can be his father", Ashley replied, hopefully.

Jimmy angrily wiped a few tears from his eyes as he grabbed the doorknob and opened the door. "No Ashley…I'll never be his father", he stated sadly. "Tyler already has a father…Craig's his father".

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Authors note...there it is, the real reason Ashley stayed in England. Hope you guys liked that little plot twist...I like to surprise my readers every now and then. There will be a some other characters popping up in the next few chapters...with a return of Mr. Manning, himself, now that should be interesting...

Reviewer...Thank you Trish(Unmei06), I'm so happy you liked it. Sorry about the sucky Christmas, I'm glad the story helped a little. I really appreciate the great review, so if you can find the time...please let me know what you think of this chapter...and where the story is going. Thanks!!

Disclaimer...Degrassi, not mine!