Disclaimer: Not mine, not one bit, all things Blue Blood belong to Melissa de-la Cruz.

A/N: So I know, I know long time to write. Trust me I was writing, just not fanfic, sorry. Plus I had final projects due, places to go, and a new job to start. So I was a little busy, but I really like how this chapter turned out and trust me the next one you will really sink your teeth into.

Mimi Force-Caron was lost. This was something she came to after much deliberation: she was lost. There was no map, no compass, nothing that could bring her back onto her course. Then again, what was her course? Who was she if she was not with Jack, what did life matter if she was not whole?

Anger had passed quickly; she had yelled, threatened, cursed, and cried all to no avail. She had played every card she knew of to get Jack to come home and nothing worked. She had blown thousands of dollars at each of her favorite stores, Saks, Barney's, Bendal's she had purchased Manolo, Gucci, Prada, and Kors and nothing filled the emptiness. She had her hair done, her nails, facials and still there was a pain that she could not hide, that she could not mask. If drinking had any effect on Blue Bloods she would have killed herself ten times over with the amount of alcohol she had consumed and burned through seven pairs of lungs with the number of cigarettes she went through in one day, and still there was nothing. She felt nothing.

Mimi sat in her room, completely undone, her pale hair had not been styled into perfection and her face was scrubbed free of make-up. Here she sat stripped down to her bare essentials and she pitied the woman she had become. Where was the woman, who never surrendered and never gave up? Where had that fighter gone? It had been ripped out of her when her lover disappeared and now she was only a shell of a human being. And who was left to pick her up? No one, she alienated herself from everyone because she only needed Jack and now in her most desperate hour she did not even have him.

"Miss," the maid said quietly. Mimi dismissed her with a languid wave of her hand, she was in no mood for whatever the maid had to say. "There is someone here to see you."

"Tell them to go away and stay there, if they know what is good for them."

A tall figure strode into the room carried by her five inch Gucci heels was the woman who, in this life, was her mother. Trinity Force sure aged well, Mimi thought, eyeing the woman who stood in front of her. Once Mimi had remembered everything, her relationship with her "parents" had changed, they were now on the same plane. They were not parents.

"That idea does not work on your mother, darling." The tone was cool and confident cultured by a million social gatherings and parties. It was the tone that said enough was enough.

"You are not my mother."

"The state of New York would suggest otherwise." Trinity gave her daughter a once over assessing the damage Mimi was doing to herself.

"Go away, while you still can."

"Enough, enough wallowing in your grief." She crossed to the window and pulled back the blinds to let in the early morning light.

"You know nothing."

"I know more than you think."

No, Mimi thought Trinity knew what it was like to lose her Twin to death not to another woman. Not to a half breed up start who needed to go away and stay there. "You need to leave now."

"You are going to take a shower, put on something, we have a Charity to plan and you,as I recall, decided to chair this event. You only make a fool of yourself if you allow it, pull yourself together, you are a disgrace to the very name of Force."

"A fool, I have made a fool of myself, no my husband, my Twin, has made a fool of me," Mimi snapped taking a stand. "He feels nothing, and I feel everything."

"And have you talked to him? Do you know what he feels?"

"He has run back to her arms he does not need me."

"I think you should know, darling, that Benjamin is still living alone, he has not gone out and seen her since she visited here nearly four months ago. The only place they meet is at work where I am told they are amiable but certainly no more than friends. The war is only lost if you let it be. Now put on something fabulous or we will be late."

That small shred of hope rekindled Mimi's urge to go on. She passed by her mother and in a flash was back, showered, completely made up, oh the joys of being a vampire. Mimi Force-Caron was back and ready to face the world she had escaped from for so many months.

~*~*~

Schuyler sat at small table at the front of Café Diem, rolling a large cup of coffee between her hands. It was late on Sunday, the café would be closing soon, but she liked to come here and just sit and watch the people who passed by. She knew this spot was one of Ara's favorites and somehow if she was here she was closer to her daughter than she had been in the cold hospital room.

This was not the first time that Schuyler had gone through the waiting at the hospital next to a lifeless body. People always said that those caught in the in between stage, that was a coma, could hear you and sometimes would be best if you talked to them. Cordelia seemed to have subscribed to this idea and Schuyler before she fled the country had as well. How many weekends had she passed next to her mother's unconscious form? How many prayers sent to wake her, to have her answer questions?

Nothing ever helped. As a teenager, she had read to her mother, pleaded with her, begged even, and still the woman remained aloof and unfeeling. Allegra Van Alen had asked for her forgiveness and she had given it, without a second thought. Schuyler knew she was stronger, knew she was better off because of it, but in the end, she was not forgiving her mother. She was forgiving a woman who had given birth to her and that was all. It had been nothing and still it had been everything.

The waitress came and offered Schuyler a refill, Schuyler declined with a wave of her hand and the waitress backed away. This much coffee this late on a Sunday evening was going to keep her up all night, and she needed to have all of her wits about her when she went to see Mimi tomorrow. Because the woman after months of absence was going to show her face in the office, and speaking civilly with Mimi was going to be a monumental task for Schuyler.

"Do you mind if I join you?" A familiar voice asked. Schuyler looked up knocked out of her thoughts by Cam.

"Sure," she replied smiling. Cam fell into the seat across from her holding his own cup of steaming cappuccino. He looked liked he had had his fill of caffeine. There were bags under his eyes and his clothes looked like they had been on his back for a week. Granted she had not seen him in a week and maybe he stopped going back to casa Caron with his mother so ill.

"You weren't at the meeting," he said off handedly. Well, Schuyler thought at least he was still going to Monday meetings. She did not know what to think about that whether it was a relief or another indicator of the sad state of affairs.

"No I wasn't I haven't gone for a long time." He gave a jerky nod. She sipped at her coffee studying the boy in front of her. "You seem a little lost."

He shrugged, "Everywhere feels different."

"It will for a while. How's school?"

He waved off the question. "I haven't been to class for most of the week."

"Cameron," Schuyler replied her natural mother voice coming out. "You need to go to class."

"Why? My life is set, I'll go Ivy, major in business, marry some girl who's twin has not been born into this cycle, and all the while I have to go on like I'm just fine. What are a few days of school?"

Schuyler studied him, mulling over that very question. She took a long sip of coffee before she started to answer, "A valid question, what are a few days of school, when you've lived for thousands of years you know history, and probably made parts of it yourself, you've certainly concurred Calculus numerous times, and you've spoken French fluently for a lifetime. What are a few days of school? They are your life now, when she wakes up, because someday she will. What will she find? A boy who is still a boy who used his family's connections to get ahead or a boy who has grown into someone she can be proud of? What's a few days of school."

Cam was silent rolling his cup between his hands. "Fine I'll go to school tomorrow."

"Good."

"Do you really think she'll wake up?"

"Yes, someday someone will know why she did what she did and she'll open her eyes."

They sat in silence for a moment each lost in their own thoughts. It was both odd and pleasant for Cam to have someone lecture him and tell him what to do, most of the time his parents just ran out the door and rarely asked him specific questions. Schuyler felt awkward acting as Cam's pseudo parent. She knew it was hard to break the normal Upper East Side parent mentality, but this felt a little under handed of her. Like she was not even giving Jack and Mimi a chance to be good parents.

"Can I ask you a question?" Cam finally asked.

"You can ask but that does not mean I have to answer," Schuyler replied leaning back in her chair, she stretched her arms above her head. Yes, she was getting too old for late night coffee runs.

"Can you ask me about my grades?" He hid his smile behind his cup and ducked his head.

Schuyler smiled and sat a little straighter, "Well I haven't asked that question in a long time, but for you I'll make an exception: How are your grades?"

"They suck."

She tried to suppress a laugh and hid is unsuccessfully behind a cough, she put on her best board room face and started. "Well you better knuckle down and dig through some of those pesky memories so that you can salvage those grades by midterm. Or I'll have to…give you a sternly worded lecture," Schuyler finished trying to keep a straight face. She could face down CEOs but a sixteen year old boy was cracking her game face.

"Thanks," Cam replied, it felt good to finally have someone who seemed to care about him.

"I've never had anyone tell me thank-you when I threatened to give them a sternly worded lecture, but there are first times for everything, I suppose."

Cam's cheeks flushed with color and he stood up. "I should get home."

"Not by yourself you don't." She stood up and reached for her jacket, "Kingsley would never forgive me if I let a minor walk himself home alone." She draped an arm over him and together they walked out of the coffee shop.

~*~*~*

He was running down a path, passing the trees in a blur. He needed to get there he needed to warn her, but more importantly he needed to make sure she was alright. To run his hands over her face and know completely that she was whole. He sprinted through the trees their branches rendering his skin to shreds but he pressed on. It was not for his own hide that he raced, but for her's.

His heart beat a furious tattoo against his chest. What if he was too late, the thought made him falter and he went to the ground skidding in the loose dirt. Shoving himself roughly to his feet, he chased the sun. Hoping against all things that he got there in time.

Cam sat up in bed drenched in sweat automatically reaching for a weapon that had once hung at his hip; all he found was air. He gasped for breath, trying to reconcile himself with what he had seen. Pushing the last bit of sleep from his eyes he reached for the notebook he kept by his bed. Since the dreams had started, he made sure to write everything done, so that nothing was ever forgotten again.

This was it every night the same urgency, the same dream almost, running to someone he could never see. Only knowing that if he failed someone he loved would die. The dreams were both a blessing and a curse, one he found out more about his mysterious past but frustrating because he never got anywhere.

He scribbled fast, the unruly lines of script followed his pen as he hurried to write down everything he could remember. When he finished, Cam looked down at what he'd written, which to his dismay was very little. There had been almost nothing to go on except that he had to save her and his need was great. He tossed the book back onto the night stand and pushed back the covers of his bed.

Pacing the room did not make him feel better, but it did make his heart rate return to a normal pace. Cam ran his hands through his hair, frustrated with his own inadequacies. This was not how it was supposed to be, he needed his memories to come faster stronger, he could take it all. He would take on the world if he had to, but this getting nowhere was going to be the end of him.

Unable to sleep, he yanked a hoodie over his head and took off from his up-scale townhouse. The streets along the Upper East Side were empty. The stars barely noticeable against the harsh lights from the city, the thoughts made him think of the blazing stars he had once seen, so long ago.

This was the worst part, he saw things flashes, snippets never whole pictures. Cam's wandering feet found their way to Madison's house. He glared up at the windows opening his mind searching for hers. Cam had not touched his cell phone in weeks, but he did keep Ara's on his person constantly. There was no reason too, but it made him feel connected and somehow not alone in the world.

Are you up? He asked once he sensed Madison in her house.

Now, yes, thank-you. She replied sarcastically. Be right down. Her tone lightened, more compliant.

True to her word, Madison loped out of her building easily seconds later, wearing baggy pajama pants and a camisole her strawberry blond locks had been hastily pulled up so that the knot on the top of her head flopped over to one side casting stray pieces over her left eye.

"You rang?" she asked sarcastically folding her arms across her chest.

"Yeah sorry," Cam replied sheepishly shuffling his feet. Intimidated, Cam looked away from Madison, there was no way he could meet her eyes. "Sorry about everything."

"Good." He looked up at her finally meeting her eyes. He had expected her to be angry with him, furious that he'd been ignoring her he'd been completely lost in his own world. Madison's voice however, showed not a bit of anger, only happiness.

She wrapped her arms around her friend. I thought you were gone she whispered in his mind. Her tone enveloping him in love, it was her comforting him, and he gripped her as if she could hold him to this earth this time.

I think I still am, Cam replied before he could censor himself.

She pulled back and smiled at her friend, "Come on," she said taking his hand and dragging him up the street.

"Where?"

"You'll see," Madison replied devilishly closing off her mind so that he would not be able to achieve the answer before they got there.

~*~*~

Jack did not know what a grown man with his life all laid out before him was doing at a hospital room at two in the morning. This process was fast becoming ritual though, sitting at the bedside of his other child, the one he barely got to know.

Between early fall and the 400 Ball he and Ara had met for dinner several times. It had been his idea originally, he wanted to get to know her. What her dreams were, what she liked to do in her free time, he wanted to know the girl under the mask. She had been stand-offish at first refusing point blank to see him outside of the meetings. Her excuse was she had no need for him, but that never stopped him asking and finally she gave in.

They had dinner at one of her favorite places one that Schuyler had casually mentioned at work one day. She had arrived promptly and took the seat across from him; the tension that hung between then was thicker than the butter on the table.

"I want you to know that I do not consider you my father, so don't expect me to call you dad," she said point blank.

"Jack is just fine," he replied with a small flick of his hands. Maybe it was pointless, he thought, to get to know a girl who did not want to know him. She gave him a curt nod and gave her order to the waiter who appeared out of nowhere.

Jack placed his order and smiled at the waiter, who dashed off. "Do you do that often?" He asked sipping his drink.

"What?"

"Use your powers to get things moving along." She had studied him with those blue eyes, that he knew was all a part of her act.

"I don't know what you are talking about," she replied easing back in her chair acting aloof.

"Right, so maybe you were right this was a mistake."

"Maybe it's all a mistake," she snapped.

Jack arched an eyebrow at her, maybe he was approaching this from the wrong angle. He considered the situation again, this time analyzing it not from his perspective but from her's. He was her biological father, and she undoubtedly knew about the night Schuyler came over and the decision he still had not made.

"Would yelling at me make you feel better?"

"No."

"How about telling me you think I betrayed your mother?"

"No."

He thought long and hard for a moment, "How about that I never wanted you, that you were the child I never wanted? Is that what you think?" He kept his voice even, without a hint of emotion and he saw her flinch. That marble exterior showed the slightest crack.

"So you admit it?" She squeaked.

"No, it was just a question."

"You never wanted me."

"I never knew about you—"

"And if you did, what would you have done? What would you have done?" She needed to hear his answer.

"I don't know, because I can't make a supposition based on past events, I did not know about you and if I had I do not know what I would have done. Why all the anger all of a sudden before we seemed to be getting on quite well?"

She looked away studying the floor, he sat back now confident that he had the upper hand with her.

"Because you want to know me now, now it's a necessity, now you want to be part of my life. It was easier to pretend that you really weren't my dad. That it was just pretend, because you left my mom countless times, you might leave me...." Her voice faded and Jack got the message, if he tired of her mother, if he left her without a look back what would keep him from doing the same to Ara. She was trying desperately to guard her own heart.

"No matter what happens Ara, between your mother and me. I don't want that to end our relationship. I am not going to leave you." Her eyes flashed with anger, sparkling green at the edges. She was cracking, the anger was just a mask to keep her pain trapped beneath the surface. "I chose what I did because—"

"You are a coward, you were a coward, you are a coward, and you will always be a coward," she hissed at him through gritted teeth punctuating the coward every time she said it.

"Maybe I am, but I have made my decisions, as have you."

"You'll make the same mistakes again why should I believe you?"

"I care about you, whatever comes I will be here as long as you want me." The ball was now in her court, she could choose to accept his offer and risk it all or she could shut him off and go back to her anger.

Ara slowly nodded, "Okay, but you invitation into my life it retractable at anytime."

"Agreed," he said with a smile, "Tell me what have you been up too?"

"Just research."

"More Old Ones?"

"No, other stuff, just looking for…" her voice trailed off. "I get a little snappish after going through our history."

"It's not all pretty," he agreed. "Some is actually quite ugly."

She nodded, a jerk of her head.

"What are you looking for?"

"You know I can't tell you that." Her riddles had become useless to her. Ever since her encounter with Stephen, she had been weary of using one against another. They were damn evil things and she hated them now more than ever.

"You have changed, whether you want to know it or not, you have. What's caused it?"

"I—why didn't you choose my mom when she told you she loved you?"

"Whoa, uh…is this the part where you ask about my intentions toward Schuyler? If you wanted to know the truth, she asked me to wait, to make a decision. I'm trying, I swear, but as you so cleverly put it, I'm a coward when it comes to this stuff. I don't want to see people I love get hurt."

"As angels it seems to be written in our job descriptions, you know? Maybe we just need to realize there is another way to live…and to love."

"I would love to hear your thoughts on the subject."

"Sometimes the best thing you can do for someone you love it let them go, and be happy that they are happy even if it is not with you. And lying to them just to keep them happy will only end in despair. Because their happiness is truly all that matters, make decisions based on that is it fair to their happiness?"

"Wise beyond your years."

"Literally right?"

"Literally," he agreed as the server brought their first course.

She had not retracted her statement, and their meetings went on as scheduled. Ara was always quick to make sure he knew that he was in her life by invitation only, and that he was 'Jack' not 'dad.' But it didn't matter to him, he wanted to be a part of her life, even here in the hospital.

~*~*~*~

Schuyler was not usually this forgiving, especially when it came to her employees. But this one time she was willing, if not somehow cosmically obligated to give this employee a break. Enough, however, was enough. After months of excuses, sickness, illness, child illness—which Schuyler knew was an outright lie—the woman had decided to show her face. Thus, early Monday morning she found herself, walking down the hall toward one office in particular.

"Uh-Miss—" the secretary started as Schuyler walked into the office. She was prepared for this day, she had worn her best suit, a pair of Manolos that she was confident that she could kick ass in, and a fighting face.

The secretary fell silent with one look from the CEO and she huddled behind her desk. This was going to be a clash of the titans. Schuyler pushed the door open that read Madeleine Caron, yes she was ready for anything.

Mimi did not even look up when Schuyler entered the room. Schuyler waited at the door to be invited in, but when it was apparent that no invitation was going to be issued, she walked in taking a seat in front of Mimi's desk. She rested her elbows on the edge of the chair letting her finger tips come together in front of her face.

Mimi's office was a transplant from the one at FNN, when the merger happened there was some need to keep on those in power. Thus, Mimi was allowed to continue here at Clique Pointe in the PR department.

"Mimi," Schuyler started trying to keep her voice calm. Her attitude would only escalate the situation. Oliver had constantly reminded her last night not to make this into something it was not. Yeah because Mimi actually cared about someone else other than herself Schuyler had scoffed. Oliver just shrugged and said people sometimes surprise you.

Mimi looked up from her computer where she had been answering emails. Her pale green eyes went inky black in seconds. "Schuyler," she replied keeping her tone civil.

"You have missed a great deal of work."

"I sent word—"

"I know I received each note, from my secretary. I am just stopping by to make sure that there will be no further illnesses in the future. If we are to build a new company here, we need everyone healthy."

"As I said I was extremely ill."

"Very well. Have you had a chance to look—"

"I'm very busy," Mimi snapped furiously clicking her mouse.

"While I'm here we might as well address the white elephant in the room."

"And what would that be? The fact that you are a home wrecker or did you have something else to say about my performance," Mimi bit back acerbically.

"I did not destroy your marriage."

"Let's pretend that I believe you aren't currently sleeping with my husband. Oh wait no, I can't believe that lie."

Schuyler bit back the reply that was screaming for release. Schuyler was not going to give Mimi a piece of her mind and say that Mimi destroyed her own marriage. No, she was going to take the high road. Even if it killed her.

"Contrary to that idea I have not seen your husband outside of work since you've been gone."

"Why should I believe you?"

"Have you talked to your husband?"

The stunned look on Mimi's face gave Schuyler her answer. She stood staring down at Mimi, "Then I suggest you check before you accuse me of anything again." With that final word, Schuyler walked from the office passing the secretary on her way as the woman scurried in to take care of Mimi.

Schuyler resisted the urge to crush the hand rail in the elevator as she went back up to here office.

"Miss," Kristen said approaching her boss as Schuyler passed over the threshold. "someone is here to see you and I let them into your office."

Schuyler waved her secretary away and went into her office trying to silence the war that was raging under her skin.

"Bliss," Schuyler said relief flooding through her body.

"Sky, sorry to drop in I know your busy but I was wondering if you would consider coming back to the—"

"If this is what you have come to ask Bliss," Schuyler said interrupting her friend, "you are wasting oxygen I have no more business with the Clave."

"I tried to tell them that but they asked me to anyway. What I was thinking was do you need a drink?"

"Sure later thought mountains of work and only so much time to finish it."

"Fabulous," Bliss replied smiling.

xo-tink-xo: yeah poor Cam, but he's a good kid, he'll get through it! Thanks for the review!

zander1996: Thanks I am glad you enjoyed it!

Sky: here it comes more goodness! I hope you enjoyed the latest! Working hard on my own original creations, but that takes time and even more planning. But thanks for the compliment!

kaylamarie2012: I do as well, she is something else altogether. That's what I love about her. Thanks for the review!

xhollymarie: : Oh I am all over those cliff hangers, love 'em. Thanks for the review!

PandasRGOTH Polar Bears: It's my nice way to refer to the coma like state that Blue Bloods enter. It's pretty much like a coma, but a nicer way of saying it. As for your other question, the blood in the tube....was.....Stephen's. Thanks for the review!

spider-monkey1994: Thanks, sorry it's a little late!

nightroadangel!: OH I LOVE happy endings, a story can't end without a happy ending and if it does, well there's a sequel where it does end happily....Thanks for the review!

Kelsey Boyd: Author getting on with the next chapter? What, always, always in good time. Thank-you for such knid words, they made me smile. I always like it when people accept the fact that characters can grow and mature and still be seen in a similar light as their original interpretations. Thanks for the review and I am glad you enjoyed my stories!

KaitlinM14: Thanks so much! Here's the update sorry it's kind of late.