Hey ! So, I'm thinking maybe 6 more chapters, to make 15, and an epilogue, like, 15 years later, in Melody's life. Haven't decided on the latter yet, but, still. Also, maybe a sequel ? If I can think of something, maybe... On another note, my cat Dobby is staring at me like I'm crazy... And he's the one upside down... Anyway, enjoy, and remember to review !

Chapter Nine;;;


Melody wasn't exactly sure what had happened.

She remembered... What did she remember? She thought, trying to remember what had happened. It was so frustrating. She'd never had this happ – Yes, she had. When she'd broken her arm, they'd knocked her out, and she hadn't remembered what happened.

She heard someone shifting near her, but she couldn't open her eyes yet, she was still tired. But, she wanted to know what had happened, so she had to wake up.

"Hmm?" She heard herself mumble, clenching and unclenching her hands, to make sure they worked. She took a fairly deep breath to clear her head, and then let her eye lids flutter opened.

She waited a minute, to let her eyes focus, and when they didn't, and everything was still fuzzy, she tried to sit up, and moved the wrong away, and gasped.

"Ow, okay, not doing that again," She said aloud, not realizing who was in the room. "Ow..." She grimaced again as she managed to get herself sitting up, happy with that, blinking a few more times to clear her vision. After a few minute's it was cleared, and she could see that she was in a hospital, which would explain why the bed was so... Well, stiff and uncomfortable. And the walls were a pale yellow, a colour that Melody really didn't like.

She hadn't noticed anyone else was in the room until Jane cleared his throat to get her attention. She turned her head to the side.

"Hi," She said, quietly, trying to remember what had happened, and it just have shown on her face because Lisbon gave her a look that said, 'Don't try too hard,' which Jane voiced a few seconds later.

"Don't worry about not remembering, it's probably just the drugs they've got you on." He said, not a trace of worry in his voice, at least he was good at that, when he wanted to. Melody nodded, still a little groggy, but, she had just woken up.

"How long was I asleep?" She asked, before another question popped into her head, "And, what happened?" Both Jane and Lisbon looked at each other, which was a little strange, Melody thought, but, at least they might answer her questions.

"They put you on some anaesthetic's when they got you here, maybe 5 hours ago, maybe longer." Lisbon answered before Jane could, "As for what happened, all I know is that Whittlock escaped, left a note saying he wanted to kill the person who got him locked up, who he thought was you. When the team and I got there, you were unconscious on the floor with a gun pointed at you. I shot Whittlock, and he shot you. The bullet didn't hit anything that was going to do you any major harm." Melody nodded slowly, as Jane reached over on the side of the bed and hit the call button, that he'd just remembered he and Lisbon had been instructed to push when Melody woke up.

No one says anything in the few minutes it takes for the nurse, not Dr. Mist, to get to the room. She smiles gently at the three people in the room, knowing exactly what to do, it seems. She lowered the dosage of Morphine just a bit, so Melody wouldn't be falling asleep from it, and checked a bunch of other things.

"How are you feeling, dear?" The nurse asked Melody, who wanted to shrug, but couldn't.

"Sore, and still a little tired, but I'm sure that'll go away." She muttered, not sure what else to say. The nurse nodded.

"Just try not to move your arm and shoulder around too much and you'll be fine." The nurse smiled again, kindly, looking from Melody to Jane and Lisbon. "You must have given your parents quiet the fright." Melody's eyes grew, and then coughed a bit, in surprise.

"They're not my parents," She said, slowly, looking over at the pair who were seated next to her bed, a confused, and a little annoyance, look on her face. The nurse didn't move, her face turning stony.

"I'm her uncle," Jane said, a moment after looking the nurse's face over; Reading her. The nurse accepted that, only assuming they were her parents because Melody and Jane looked enough alike.

"Her aunt," Lisbon managed to squeak out without sounding like she was lying; She'd learned over the years it was hard to lie when you were in shock, fear or just plain pain.

The nurse seemed to buy it, which was good, considering only half of it was a lie.

"Dr. Mist will come by a little later to check up on you." The nurse told them – Through clenched teeth none the less! – before turning and leaving the room in a hurry. Melody looked from the door to her uncle and his boss.

Jane was grinning. 'Of course he is,' Lisbon though, rolling her eyes at him.

"What'd you do?" Melody asked, leaning back against a pillow, wincing as her arm moved. A look of concern flashed over Jane's face for a moment, and then he was smiling again.

"It was much easier than explaining that Lisbon was my boss," He shrugged, chuckling. Lisbon hit him in the arm, muttering something like 'Was not.' Melody smiled, laughing a little.

"Hey, Jane, why don't you go tell Van Pelt, Rigsby and Cho Melody's awake." Lisbon suggested; She had to ask Melody a few questions, and didn't want Jane pestering either one of them. He shrugged, again, and stood up.

"Sure, why not." He said, walking towards the door. After he closed it, Melody's gaze went from the door to Lisbon, who smiled at her.

"How long do I have to be here?" She asked, suddenly, before she forgot the question on her mind. She saw Lisbon's eyes flick to the door for some reason, before going back to Melody and a flicker of something flashed over her face before disappearing.

"The doctor said a week at the most, but probably only a few days." Lisbon told her, a kind reassuring smile on her face. "But, I have to ask you a few questions, " Lisbon sighed, looking down at the floor for a minute.

"That's why you wanted to get uncle Patrick to go tell the others I was awake, right?" Melody asked, as Lisbon looked up. "Yup, knew it." She cracked a smile, the look on Lisbon's face had given it away. "I watch a lot of TV sometimes, and I'm good with micro expressions. Anyway, ask away." Lisbon shook the thought from her head, not having a clue what Melody was talking about, but, let it go.

"Do you have any idea what happened back there?" Melody closed her eyes, trying to remember, she was starting to.

"I remember that a guy showed up at the door after I got home, but, he knew Uncle Patrick. I went to my room to finish my math, when Uncle Patrick got home, so, he could talk to, uh, Minelli, I think that's what he said his name was." Melody opened her eyes to look at Lisbon, who looked a little surprised. "I finished the first page of my math, and I went to put it away, and I remember hearing something, and turning around. I saw Mr. Whittlock, and he had a gun. I freaked out when he was poking me with it, and I screamed 'Help'. Uncle Patrick showed up maybe 5 seconds later, and then something hit me. That's all I remember, really, uh, before."

Melody'd mentioned Minelli. Why would Minelli go to see Jane? Lisbon wondered, before shoving the thought from her head, but making a mental note to call her old boss and ask him.

"When did you start to come around?" She asked, glancing at the door, to see if Jane was coming back, which he wasn't, thank god.

"I'm not exactly sure, but, when I did, there was this really sharp pain in my shoulder. So, probably after I was shot, I'd say. I didn't hear any shots, either. The pain probably pulled me through; Although, I couldn't move or anything, and I could only hear bits and pieces." Melody stated, shifting a little in the bed, moving to face Lisbon, and moving her legs so she was sitting camp fire style. Lisbon nodded again, and was about to ask a third question when Jane came back into the room.

"Hightower called Cho and asked them to come in, but, she said you can stay. Or, that's what Cho said, at least." He told Lisbon, before moving to sit down again. "So, what were you two ladies talking about?" He asked, a smirk on his face.

"I was just asking Teresa when I'd be able to get out of here, and if maybe you or her could bring my phone up, I kinda want to let Hanna and Annabelle know, and Jenna, Tara and Becca." Melody jumped in before Lisbon could. Jane nodded, slowly, as if not buying it.

"Sure, they'll probably kick me out for a while sooner or later; Most of the staff doesn't seem to take to kindly to me." He joked.

"That's probably from when you insulted them last time you were here, when you had another cop bring you to the office, when you were told by pretty much every one you shouldn't be working because you were blind at the time." Lisbon scowled at him for a moment. Melody raised an eye brow.

"Long story short; A bomb blew up in his face because he was too stubborn to move away from the van with the very large bomb." Lisbon explained. "He was supposed to stay here for few days, until he could see again, but he drove everyone nuts, and somehow got out." Jane smirked again, and leaned back in the chair.

"Do you know how horrible those beds are? Plus, really, what was I to do? Listen to the television?"


It was the fifth day that Melody was in the hospital, June 2nd. She'd ended up here on the 29th of May, and she was sure she was going crazy. Jane and Lisbon stopped by every day, and the staff was starting to get fed up with her uncle, again, but, let him stay because Melody wanted him there, and Lisbon had told them he had to. It was almost comical, both girls making sure that he wasn't getting into any trouble.

Mostly she'd just talked to Lisbon when she was in, texted her friends and slept, but, it was fine. Lisbon sometimes brought her some different food, since the hospital food sucked, and she was stuck there for a week. At one point, they'd nearly kicked Lisbon and Jane out of the hospital room because Jane was being an idiot, and 'Melody needed her rest', which was totally untrue.

'I'm losing hope cause she's so lost in stereo, lost in stereo.' Melody thought as she listened to her I-Pod, which the nurse had gotten mad at her about for no bloody reason. Humming, she picked up her phone as it vibrated. Sitting up and crossing her legs again, she wondered who was texting her at 11:31 pm.

Hi Melody. I'm sure you're wondering who this is, and how I got your phone number. It's Benjamin Miles, from your English class. Hanna and Annabelle gave me your phone number, well, actually, they pretty much stole my phone and put it in, and I, and them, wanted to know – Well, you know about the prom, right? And you'll be out of the hospital by then, right? Well, I was wondering if maybe, you, uh, wanted to go? With me? If not that's fine, your friends are really persistent, by the way.

-Benjamin.

She read and re-read the text message, blinking, and not believing it for a few minutes. The light was off, since she was supposed to be sleeping, or at least trying, if she wasn't the Doctor, Dr. Mist, said she would put her on sleeping pills, which Melody hated, as they made her really groggy in the morning. The small amount of light from her phone only enough to light up her hands and the blanket that was laying of her legs.

Her finger hovered over the reply button for a minute, and then the icon showed up to show she had another text. Sighing, she went to read the new one.

MELODY! Have you answered Ben? Please tell me you told him yes! Your uncle would let you go, right? Although, I shouldn't be asking you at almost midnight, as you are probably asleep... Anyway, answer me! – Hanna and Annabelle

Melody sighed and laid back against the pillows. Why did Hanna and Annabelle want her to go to the prom with Benjamin? Her fingers flicked over few buttons, going back to the text she had gotten a few minutes pervious.

She sent him a one word reply.

Yes.