CHAPTER 11:

The next morning, I awoke to the sound of Bam practically screaming into his cell phone. I wasn't sure who the Hell he was talking to, but it was really annoying. I got up, opened the door and made him leave. Surprisingly, he hadn't woken up Ville, who lay snuggled-or as snuggled as one can be in a hospital with a broken leg and broken ribs-with one arm out across the bed where I had been. I smiled and decided to get us something for breakfast besides awful hospital food.

After pulling on my jacket and my shoes, I ventured out into the hall to see what Bam was yelling about. When I found Bam, he was off the phone, sitting in the waiting room with his head in his hands. I sat beside him and put my hand on his shoulder lightly. He didn't move.

"What's wrong?" I asked. "Who were you yelling at?"

"Sandra. She called to 'check in' on Ville. I asked her if she knew what happened and she just told me that he deserved whatever he got."

"Can you say psycho ex-girlfriend?" I joked. But inside, I was just as serious about this as Bam was. I was going to get revenge on Sandra for what she had done to Ville-or rather paid someone else to do. "I'm going to get some real food. Do you want anything?"

"No, I'm not hungry. Is Ville awake?"

"He wasn't, but he might be now. I'll be back soon, okay?"

"Yeah." I turned to walk away, but Bam grabbed my wrist, stopping me. "Don't do anything stupid."

"Whatever do you mean?" I asked innocently.

"Seriously."

"Yeah, okay."

I walked out of the hospital and immediately called Sandra. No answer. Figures. I thought. I decided that I would try again after getting our breakfast. I went to the little coffee shop where I had first met Ville and ordered us all coffee and a bunch of cinnamon buns. I sat at a table at the front of the shop and dialed Sandra's number again.

"Hello?" Sandra said on the other end of the line.

"Sandra, what did you do to Ville?" I asked straightforwardly. I heard Sandra sigh on the other end. "What did he do to deserve that? He could have been killed."

"He hurt me. Really badly." Sandra said matter-of-factly.

"That's no excuse."

"Maybe, but it made me feel better."

"I'm going to make you feel a lot worse if you ever talk to him or anything ever again. Do you hear me?"

"I hear you, but I am a grown woman and do as I please."

"I am a grown woman and can kick your sorry ass." I could hear my voice rising and I was getting some questioning stares, but I didn't care. This woman had hurt the man I loved. She had almost killed him.

"Please try." With that, Sandra hung up. I sat there, listening to the dial tone for a minute. What could I do that would hurt Sandra and not get me in trouble? The same thing she had done to Ville? No, that wouldn't work. I had no friends here in Finland. Aiden had moved back to the states shortly after Ville confessed his love to me. He hadn't even said goodbye, just left me a voicemail telling me he would call when he landed. He hadn't called and when I had called him, I found that his number was changed. Other than Aiden, Bam and Ville, I didn't know anyone here. Unless you counted Sandra. Which I didn't.

Sighing, I got up to get our order from the barista and headed for the hospital. When I got up to Ville's room, I saw someone there that I had never expected to see. Possibly ever again.

"Mom." I whispered, dropping the food and coffee.

VILLE:

A knock on the door caught my attention. I had been reading a book that Kat had brought for me. Some romance about vampires and doppelgangers. I place the book on the bedside table and told whoever it was to come in. The door opened and a woman who looked surprisingly like Kat walked in and asked me if I was Ville. I told her I was and she told me that she was Kat's mother.

I nearly choked. Kat hadn't told me much about her mother, or her home life at all for that matter. Only that her mother was a drunk and that she got out of there as soon as she was of age. I had met Kat's twin sister, Nat, but Nat hadn't mentioned their mother, either. So, when she came in and sat in the chair beside my bed, I had no idea what to expect. I know I wasn't expecting what the woman said next.

"Kat is returning to America with me."

"Uh-What?" I asked in disbelief. I wasn't sure if Kat knew her mother was here, but I did know that Kat hadn't mentioned leaving. At least not to me.

"She has to. I hope you understand."

"Actually, no. No, I don't."

"Well, I'm her mother and I need her to come back home."

"I understand that you're her mother, but from what she's told me, you weren't a very good one. So, why would she want to go back with you when the person who truly loves her is here?"

About that time, Kat burst through the door. She looked like she was suppressing several emotions. I knew her well enough to notice she was angry, sad, and extremely confused. As was I. So I didn't say anything to either of them. I figured it wasn't my place.

"What are you doing here?" Kat asked her mother.

"I need you to come back to America with me." She replied.

"Listen, Ella, I'm not going anywhere with you."

"You have to."

"Why? Why should I do anything you say?" Kat was obviously in pain, but I was too broken to get up and go over to her.

"Kat." I said, opening my arms. She walked over and sat beside me, intwining our fingers.

Kat turned to her mother when Ella replied. "I know I haven't been the best mother, but something has happened."

"What?" Kat asked sharply.

"Nat. She was with some guy at a club in New York. He left her there after they got into an argument. She was angry, I guess, and when she went to cross the street, she didn't look for traffic and got hit. The driver sped away."

"Well, is she okay?" I heard the fear in Kat's voice.

Ella looked down at her hands. "She's in a coma."

"How serious is it? Will she wake up?"

"The doctors say they don't know yet, but they told me to start thinking about my options, so I don't think so." Ella had tears silently streaming down her face. "Please. I know you two have had your differences, but she needs you there for her."

Kat swallowed. "I need to talk to Ville. I'll call you." Ella handed Kat a slip of paperand left us alone. Kat turned to me. She was crying, too.

"Go. I know you need to." I said, wiping away the tears with my free hand.

"I can't leave you here." Kat said quietly.

"It's okay. You go now, and when I'm better, I'll be there." Kat didn't say anything. "Bam will take care of me, love. Don't worry."

Kat sniffled. "Okay. I'll go pack and call Ella. I will come back and tell you bye, though."

"Sure, love."

Kat slid off the bed and slowly walked to the door. When she opened it, I said, "Kat?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"I know. I love you, too."

Kat left then. I sat in silence for what felt like hours, but was only about thirty minutes. Nurses came and went, checking my vitals and making sure I was "comfortable". I paid them no mind. I was too deep in thought.

Kat and I had met over spilled coffee, been on a few dates, I'd accidentally slept with her sister, we had become best friends, lost our friendship over Sandra, and now we were finally together. Kat seemed the happiest with me. And I wasn't being cocky or egotistical. It was the truth. And I was happiest when I was with her, too. So why not make it final? Why not propose to Kat and let this last forever? It was then that I decided to do it. When I got to New York and everything was okay with Nat, I would fix up something really romantic and propose.

I walked out of the hospitaland couldn't wait to get on a plane and fly out to New York. It had been about a month since Kat had left. We had talked on the phone every night for hours on end. Nat was still in a coma, but Kat's mother was there every day with Kat at the hospital. Kat told me that her and Ella were actually getting in some mother-daughter time. Ella was not drinking anymore and seemed to be trying really hard. Bam had flown back to Westchester a week earlier, after buying me a plane ticket to New York ahead of time.

I was just finishing packing, when I heard a knock on my door. I prayed to myself that it wasn't a fan, because I really needed to finish up and get to the airport. Apparently, myself agreed and it turned out to be Aiden. What the Hell? I asked myself as I moved aside so he could enter.

"Uhh, listen. I have to catch a flight soon, so we have to make this quick." I said when Aiden just continued to stare at me.

"Right. Nat is in the hospital." Aiden said.

"How did you know about that?"

"Ella."

"You know Ella?"

"I only met her recently. Turns out she's my biological mother."

I felt my breath catch. His biological mother? What were the chances of that? And to think, he had professed his love for Kat only a few weeks earlier. Seemed like a lot had happened in those few weeks. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the fact that Kat, Nat and I are related."

"Okay..So why did you fly all the way out to Finland to tell me this?" I asked, suspicious of his ulterior motives.

"That's not the reason I'm here. I had to come to Finland for other reasons, but I came to talk to you because Ella told me they are taking Nat off life support. I thought you should know when you get to New York."

"No, Kat would have told me if they were going to do something like that."

"Kat doesn't know. Ella doesn't want to tell her. Ella says that she just got her daughter back and if she tells Kat that she is taking Nat off life support, Kat will hate her. They are just going to pretend there were some problems and leave it at that."

"So, why would you want me to know? Why not just let me believe what they want Kat to believe?"

"I want you to tell Kat the truth. We don't talk anymore, but she loves you and she will remain rational if she hears it from you. Maybe she won't do something she regrets."

"Well, do you know when they plan to take Nat off life support?"

"Sometime tonight."

I looked down at my watch and saw that I was going to be late to the airport if I didn't leave now. I told Aiden this and that I would do what I could. Aiden thanked me and I was on his way. I was right behind him. I could only hope I didn't get to the hospital too late.

***I just wanted to clarify that this story is NOT about Kat von D. I realized that Ville had dated Kat von D and some of you may think she was who I was meaning. She's not. Just clearing that up.***