Betsy sprawled on the couch and grabbed the TV remote. She was bored. Kevin was still at work and Addison had a conference out of town; Melinda was in rehab and Dee had to study. Actually, she was supposed to be studying as well, but after only twenty minutes her brain had refused to continue.

She eventually turned off the TV and lazily kicked off her shoes, setting a pillow under her head. Maybe, Kevin could help her with geometry later. Or maybe not, she thought then closing her eyes. He'd made her stay there until she knew it perfectly.

Less than fifteen minutes later, Betsy was woken up bu the phone. She yawned and slowly sat up, reaching out to take it.

"Hello?"

"Hello, am I talking to Mrs. Addison Nelson?"

"No, I'm her... daughter." the teen said, giving to the woman the simpler explanation.

"Can I talk to her, please?"

"She's not here, she'll be home tomorrow night."

There was a brief pause. "Then I'll have to tell you. I'm calling from St. Ambrose Hospital,"

"What happened?" the teenager interrupted.

"I'm sorry to say that your father Kevin Nelson has just been brought here. They shot him." the woman talked slowly, sorry to tell such a thing to a young girl.

Betsy's heart fastened and she felt a knot in her throat.

"I, I, I'll come; he, is it, is it,"

"He's in surgery right now."

The girl ended the call and rushed outside, without worrying about bringing some money or her cellphone with her.

She ran, she ran to a more busy street.

"St. Ambrose Hospital please." she breathed getting in a cab. "Hurry!"

She touched her face to remove a lock of hair from her eyes, and notice it was wet with tears. she didn't realize she was crying. The girl brought an hand to her heart, trying to calm her breathing a little.

"Are you okay?" the driver looked at her from the driving mirror.

"I asked you to bring me to the hospital and I'm crying. Do you think I'm okay? 'Cause I'm not. By the way, I don't have any money. I can leave you my number, and my dad will pay for the ride when he's out of the hospital."

x

She had been waiting in the waiting room for four hours. When she had tried to sneak to the gallery, two nurses forced her to leave before she could make sure that Kevin was alive.

Now she was calling Addison again with Kevin's phone, and again the woman wasn't picking up. Probably she was busy at the conference, but she needed her.

"Betsy! Betsy, Charlotte just called me... how are you sweetie?" Naomi sat beside her and pulled her in a hug.

"Addison doesn't answer the phone."

"We'll try again in a little. Did they tell you something?"

Betsy shook her head, pulling away.

"I'll call Charlotte. She said she was in the OR, but she should answer."

In that moment a doctor walked over, and the teenager felt her heart stop once again.

"He's stable. The bullet was very close to his heart, but we stopped the bleeding and repaired his artery. He'll have to stay here for a while, and even when he's home he'll have to rest for a few months.""Can we see him?" Naomi said as she stood up.

"Of course. Follow me."

Kevin looked smaller, Betsy thought, in the hospital bed. He looked powerless, strengthless, pale as if he was lifeless.

Slowly, she approached the bed and squeezed his hand gently, fearing to harm him.

"He's gonna be okay, Betsy. Kevin is strong."

"Hey." Charlotte entered the room and smiled at the girl. "Where's Addison?"

"We couldn't reach her."

The blonde woman nodded understanding.

"Can you leave me alone with Kevin?"

Once they left, Betsy sat on the edge of Kevin's bed.

"I want you to wake up, Kevin. I know it doesn't work this way (I say it and it becomes truth), but you have to wake up. For Addison? Please?" she started to draw circles on his hand with her thumb. "I dumped my boyfriend. You might want to hear this." she smirked. "He yelled a lot and tried to stop me from leaving, my I held my ground. Addison was right, he was a little too old for me."

"A little? Maybe you meant outrageously old for you." the man's voice was low and hoarse, but Betsy heard it clearly.

"Kevin!" she exclaimed, jumping on her feet in excitement, her heart filled with relief.

"I'm here, girl. What happened to me?"

"They shot you at work. Why weren't you wearing a bulletproof vest? I thought cops always wore it..."

"Don't you worry about it, alright? I'll be fine." he tried to sit up, but he immediately made a grimace of pain.

"Don't move!"

"Right. I realized that. How are you? Are you tired? What time is it?"

"It's eight pm, and now that you say it I am a little tired. But I want to stay with you, I can sleep later." she sat down again and took his hand in hers with a smile.

Kevin was about to say something when his phone – still in the girl's pocket – rang.

"Yes?"

"Betsy? Did you or Kevin call? I have like, twenty unanswered calls..."

"Addie..."

x

When Addison arrived at the hospital, she looked at least five years older. Betsy, Naomi and Charlotte – and also Kevin, who she insisted to talk to – had assured her husband was fine, but she had to see him to believe it.

The hospital was dark and silent – it was the middle of the night after all. Betsy was asleep on a chair with her head on the bed, and Kevin seemed peacefully resting in dreamland.

She walked by the bed slowly, and dropped her bag on the ground. Suddenly, tears were pushing on the corner of her gray eyes. She touched Kevin's forehead with a sigh, placing a soft kiss on his temple.

Then she rubbed the girl's back, trying to wake her up. "Betsy? Hey honey." she held her tight for what seemed an eternity, glad that she wasn't pulling back. "I'm here. It's going to be okay." she told her when she heard the teen's sobs. "I'll be here forever, I'm not ever leaving you again."

A/N: hey, so I think last chapter wasn't what you wanted, at least the end. I know that Addison was supposed to be very angry at Betsy, but I just thought that she would softened hearing that person saying 'your mom and dad' and then seeing Betsy crying :) I appreciate all your reviews though, a huge huge thank you!

Anyways, from this chapter on time will go by pretty quickly.