Chapter 7 ~ All is not well

Stephanie POV ~

I had been in darkness for what seemed like forever, before I started to hear voices, it was nothing at first, just sounds and murmurs, teasing me. I wanted so badly to hear what they were saying. Gradually I could hear, little snippets of conversation, the doctors, saying I was improving, someone that sounded like Ranger saying something in a whisper, Morelli talking to me, holding my hand, my mother crying. I wanted to wake up but something was stopping me. This was torture, people talking but me not being able to respond. Finally, I realized exactly what the doctors were saying. I was supposed to come out of this on my own now, they thought I could wake up from this, but I don't know how. This is infuriating! It was days before I could think to even try and open my eyes. I tried and it failed, it felt like my eyelids were glued shut, or maybe weighted down be a thousand pounds of… something. I heard many voices that got jumbled around in my head, but I picked out one in specific. Ranger. 'Babe, please wake up, we've all been waiting for you.' I tried really hard, and there it was, I opened my eyes, expecting to see Ranger, smiling the 1000 watt smile, but it was Morelli, looking concerned, and a few gasps.

" Cupcake, you're awake."

I tried to smile, but failed. This was going to take awhile, this waking up thing.

3 Months later…

It's been three months since I woke up and started my recovery. Morelli has been there every step of the way, helping me with the shity physical therapy, listening to me swear and complain, and fight for an investigation into my hit and run. But, even though he had been there and I couldn't have done it without him, there was something off about him. There is something he won't tell me and now that I was better, I want to know what it is, but I'm afraid to ask. Is it something I won't want to know? I thought back to when I had first woken up, Morelli had been there, but Ranger hadn't, for some reason I thought he would be. The doctors had all told me that I would be fine if I did therapy for my broken arm and sprained neck. I had worked hard to be okay and now that I am, I REALLY want to know who is responsible for this.

I was going back to work in a few days, Morelli was sitting on the couch and there I was making m breakfast. We had hardly spoken two words to each other in the past few days, he was growing moodier with time, I couldn't stand this anymore.

" Okay what gives Morelli, snap out of it!"

He looked at me, a dead look in his eyes, it was like he was depressed but I had no idea why.

" What?"

" What is going on with you, we haven't spoken more than a few sentences to each other in weeks."

" Nothing."

He replied. I rolled my eyes, this was getting me no-where, I had to get out of this house.

" What is WRONG with you?! Why won't you talk to me? Why won't you admit that anything's wrong, because trust me, there is!"

" There's nothing wrong Stephanie."

" The hell there isn't, you've been like this since… since we saw Helena…"

He looked up at that, fear in his eyes.

" This has nothing to do with Helena!"

I looked at his face, and I started to put 1 and 2 together. 1 and 2… Morelli, Helena…Josephine. "We knew each other for awhile back when I was starting College." Helena was my age, she and Morelli had a bad break up, Josephine is…12. No…it couldn't be.

" Joseph Morelli you had better tell me what is going on with you or I'm leaving, right now!"

He looked up at that, but didn't say anything. I went to leave, angry as hell. I was suddenly yanked back, I stared into his eyes, eyes that were pleading with me to understand. He knows I know.

" Shit Morelli, do you really think it's true?"

He nodded. I ripped my arm out of his grasp and went upstairs, this couldn't happen with me here, I had to leave. I grabbed everything that I could reach and threw it into the laundry basket I still kept in the closet. I ran back down stairs, as fast as I could, favoring my arm.

" Stephanie!"

I stopped with my back to him.

" Joe, you have a kid, or at least you think you do, I can't be here."

I walked out, marveling at the extreme suckiness my life seems to always have. This was too much, I couldn't handle this right now. I got to the next stop light when I realized I had forgotten Rex. I put on the breaks and the car in back of me bumped me forward.

" Shit. I hate my life. "

I muttered, I continued down the road and ignored the man who had gotten out of his car to apologize, Morelli could take care of Rex for now.

I ran three red lights on the way to my apartment. I hauled my stuff out of my newest piece of crap car and moved into the building, it started raining as soon as I got inside. My apartment was stone cold and I shivered, I could see the cold light pouring onto the kitchen floor, it made the whole place feel like doom. This wasn't any better than Joe's but at least he wasn't here to sulk. I dropped all the things that were in my arms. I started to break down, this sucked! Joeseph Morelli had a kid, he's a father, he… no, this didn't fit, I don't want this to fit! Walking into my room, I pulled on my old sweats and crawled into bed, crying about all the things that could change. I watched the rain slide down the glass of my bedroom window, and I cried myself into a deep sleep I didn't wake up from until after dark.

A/N: Hi again! I wrote this instead of doing what I should be doing so I hope you like. Please leave a comment, it would be greatly appreciated.