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Summary: Five years after a plane crash leaves Jeff Hardy presumed dead, his fiancée is ready to move on, to a new life with her autistic son. But what happens when her life is turned upside down with a blast from her not so distant past and she is forced to reevaluate everything she thought she knew?

"Do my eyes deceive me or is that my future daughter standing on my porch?" Gil Hardy said as he made his way up the driveway to the front door. They may only live down the way from each other but Gil was always happy to see her and his grandson, Jeff Junior.

He often wondered what Jeff would think about his son if he hadn't perished the way that he had in the plane crash all of those years ago. Would he be astounded by how much the boy looked like him, right down to the shape of his nose and the curve of his lips? What he wondered most of all was if Ruby and Jeff saw them all together now and if they were happy with the way life had moved on.

"I think I've always been your baby girl Gil. It just took all these years to finally make it stick." Mariska laughed, throwing her arms around her soon to be father in law.

"Where's my boy?"

"He went out back to see the old junker you brought home. You know thanks to you I think JJ might want an old clunker to drive when he's a teenager."

Gil laughed loudly, an infectious sort of laugh that Jeff had inherited and had when they had been together. He motioned with his hands to follow him into the house, which Mariska gladly did. As she was about to step in JJ came barreling around the corner, pushing his way past her, almost making her lose her balance. Before she could stop and reprimand him, Gil stepped in.

"JJ; one of the first lessons you need to learn in this life is that when opening a door, its always ladies first. Now apologize to your Mama and go inside."

"Sorry Papa, sorry Mama." JJ said, obviously upset at having been reprimanded but even more so that his grandfather had been the one to do it. He followed them in the house and immediately ran up the stairs to Jeff's old room, which was now a playroom for JJ when he visited.

"Matthew told me about JJ and what the Doctors have had to say. I'm sorry that you have to go through all of this."

Mariska knew what he was trying to say and couldn't. He was sorry that Jeff wasn't here to help her raise their handicapped child. She understood it because she often felt sorry as well. Mostly she felt sorry for JJ because he may never truly know the man, the enigma that his father had been.

"It's worth it Gil. That little boy is going to take the world by storm. He is going to make a real change. If we look at this any other way then positively then we make life for JJ that much harder. I want to be the one that makes it better."

Gil just nodded his head in silent agreement. All everyone wanted was the best for that little boy. It was no secret that the little man was lacking a stable home with a mother and a father and Gil just hoped that Matt knew what he was getting into and that he could be the one to give them both that.

"So why don't you tell me the real reason you are here. As much as I want to believe you wanted to see my old mug, I happen to know deep down that there is more too it."

Mariska felt the crimson blush spread over her face. She had never been the best liar and Gil had always been able to see right through her when she tried.

"It's the anniversary of Jeff's death. I've been spending the days putting away his things and I guess its hitting me harder then I expected it too. With Matt being away right now I just feel so alone."

"How so?" Gil interjected lightly, not wanting to push her but knowing what this day, and all of these days leading up to it meant to all of them.

"I love Matt more then I ever thought possible after what I shared with Jeff, but with each passing year the past seems to come back to haunt me. God help me but I keep holding out hope that he will come walking through that door. I know it's silly but my heart just won't seem to let me let go of him. I don't want to believe he's gone but at the same thing I know its the right thing to do."

Gil wrapped his arms around Mariska then feeling in his heart that this was what she really needed. He was not an emotional man, had never claimed to be one but in that moment he knew he had to be because he felt exactly the same way as she did.

He didn't want to believe his son was gone either.