AN: So here is the next part! Thank you so much for all of the reviews and messages I've had about the last couple of chapters and about the story so far. It is so overwhelming but it makes me happy to know that people like what I'm writing! I hope this has not been too much of a wait- I had rather a lot to write for this one.

Just a note- this part takes place in December 2011. Please leave a review when you are done. As always, I love to know your thoughts. The next part will be out within a week if I can manage it. I will try my best. As usual, if you want to find me on tumblr it's pocketdragon . tumblr . com

Part 19

Heather's feet carried her into the hospital, through doors and around corners, her mind simply begging for Naya to be okay. Reaching the ICU, she opened the door and bumped straight into the one person she hadn't wanted to see.

'Heather' he greeted, the disdain in his voice clear.

'Matthew' she replied, using as much venom as she could muster with her mind in its panicked state. Taking a moment to collect herself, she made eye contact before asking 'how is she?'

Matt shook his head, moving to block the door with his large frame. 'Not good… how did you know she was here?'

'Her sister called me. Look, are you going to let me in or not?'

'You know she wouldn't want you in there. She… she …'

'Ah! Heather!' a familiar voice broke through Matt's stammering. 'Come straight through.' He held the door open as she walked in, closing it in the face of the man who had previously been blocking the entrance.

'How is she? I… I got here as fast as I could.' Heather tried her best to remember to breathe, to count to ten in her head and to not let herself get too panicky.

'I'm afraid it's not good. We've done some preliminary tests and it would appear that Naya experienced a large tonic-clonic seizure. She was resuscitated upon arrival and the team managed to get a pulse going, but I'm afraid she has not woken up. We will be examining her brain waves overnight, and may arrange a scan in the morning to determine the problem if she has not come around of her own accord.'

'What does that mean?' Heather asked, her voice shaky and small.

'Naya is in a coma.'

Heather ran over to Naya's bed taking the limp hand in her own. 'Oh God' she kept whispering, to nobody in particular. 'Oh God, oh God.'

'I'll give you a few moments alone with her.' Doctor Ross patted her gently on the shoulder before leaving the room.

Heather took a minute to take in everything that was going on around her. The noise was unbearable; Naya seemed to be hooked up to a myriad of different beeping machines. Heather noted the large tube connected to her nose which she guessed was to help her breathe, the IV drip to the side which was connected to her hand, the wire in her other arm leading to a blood drip and another mechanical looking device bandaged to her mouth. Underneath the blanket of wires and pipes and clips and bandages, Naya looked so small. Her hair was scraped back off her face, revealing a large bruise on her forehead. Her knuckles were scraped and bleeding and there were clear traces of concrete clinging to the clothes she had worn that day.

'Oh, Naya' Heather whispered, not even trying to stop her tears from falling, 'I'm so sorry.' She sobbed, still clinging on tightly to the soft hand of the girl she loved. 'I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you.' She could hardly breathe, but she was desperate to say all that she needed to whilst she had her privacy. 'I love you so much. I…. I love you' she broke down again. 'Naya, I'm sorry.'

/

'Mom, she's…. Matt.' Nickalya Rivera stopped abruptly at the open door to the ICU. Huffing and shaking his head, George overtook his daughter and approached the man waiting in the corridor, flanked Mychal's muscular form.

'What's going on? Where is my daughter?'

Matt pointed through the door. 'She's in there.'

'Thank you' Yolanda whispered, trying her best not to cry as she walked past him and into the room.

Tapping the younger man on the shoulder, George leaned in and whispered harshly into his ear.

'I think we've got this now. Thanks for all your help, but I'd really rather you weren't here.'

/

'Please…. Please don't leave me' Heather sobbed quietly, her tears soaking through the blanket covering Naya's delicate form. 'Please…'

'Heather?' The blonde turned around at the sound of another voice disturbing the gentle beeping of the room.

'Nick'. Pulling herself up and into the younger girl's arms, she sighed at the momentary relief of being held. 'So what happened?'

Heather shook her head, the tears coming once again. 'Come on', this time it was Yolanda who placed a protective hand on the small of her back, rubbing in circles, 'I think you and I should go somewhere a little less overwhelming okay?' Heather nodded, turning once more to look at Naya before she was back in the hospital corridor.

Yolanda led her through another door, before turning into an empty room filled with chairs. 'It's the relative's room, so I think we're allowed to be in here.' Heather nodded at the woman's explanation, not taking her eyes off her as she sat down.

'Heather, honey, what happened between you two?' Heather could see that the woman was clearly panicked herself, but was trying her best to remain stoic and strong. Heather sighed and began to explain.

/

'Mom! Thank GOD you're home' Nickalya rushed into the hallway, grabbing her mother's suited arm and pulling her through to the living room. 'You need to speak to Naya. Something's happened with her and Heather and… Mom, just call her please.' Nickayla picked up the phone from the side and forced it into her mother's hands. Yolanda obliged, dialling the number and holding it to her ear before sitting down on the nearest seat.

'Naya!'

'Hi mom' Naya croaked.

'Nick told me to call as soon as I got in. What's happened, baby?'

Before she could even collect her thoughts to speak, Naya had started to cry again.

'Mom, it was horrible. I… I came home a day early to surprise her and when I got to her apartment she… was… she'

'It's okay, baby. Breathe slow. Don't panic yourself.'

Naya did as her mother instructed and paused for a second to take a deep breath.

'When I got to her apartment, I used her spare key and I saw her… her and Taylor… kissing against the wall.'

'Taylor, the ex-boyfriend?'

'Yeah. Mom… I don't know what to do. I'm upset but I'm so angry.'

Yolanda settled back into her chair, tapping the fingers of her spare hand as she thought the situation over.

'You're sure? You're absolutely sure that's what you saw?'

'Yeah. She was pressed up against the wall, and they were kissing.' There was no point trying to hide the fact that she was crying from her own mother, she decided, as tears rolled down her cheeks and she sniffed.

'So what did you do?'

'I ran.'

'Sorry?'

'I… I ran out. I dropped the flowers I'd got her and I just ran. I called Di to come and pick me up because I had all my stuff with me from the flight, but then Matt saw me from his car and gave me a ride back to his place.'

'So where are you now?'

'Matt's house.'

'And you're okay?'

'As okay as I can be. Mommy, why would she do this to me? I thought she felt the same…'

'I'm so sorry' Heather sobbed as Naya's mother stroked her hair gently. 'I… I think I did this to her.'

Yolanda shook her head, trying her best not to cry as she witnessed the girl in front of her break down. 'I think… I think it was all the stress of fighting with me. She can't have been getting enough sleep, and she's been working so hard and… oh God I'm so sorry!' Yolanda cradled the sobbing girl in her arms, rocking her gently back and forth. 'Honey, it's not your fault' she whispered.

Once Heather had calmed down a little, Yolanda began to speak again. 'Look, honey. Naya doesn't know that Taylor forced this on you. Even now, she thinks that you had a choice.' Heather's lip began to quiver, Yolanda reached over a comforting hand and stroked her back the way she had always done to comfort her own children. 'You really, really need to talk to her. As soon as she wakes up.'

Heather nodded, 'I'm not leaving her side until she wakes up. I… I promised I wouldn't let her go.'

/

Heather kept her promise. She spent the first night awake, her mind unable to shut itself off. She wanted desperately to pace, or to move her body in some way, but she had found herself cradling Nickayla who had finally dropped off to sleep in the chair next to her own.

Naya's condition didn't change. She was stable, they said, but they didn't have anything more to say about her coma. The doctor ploughed his way through reams and reams of brain wave data, assuring her and Naya's family that the activity indicated she had little chance of brain damage. As far as the coma, he said, it was likely that the seizure had caused such extreme trauma and had starved the brain of oxygen for so long that the body was unable to recover on its own. Heather wept.

The second night, even though the nurses on duty had assured her that Naya would be carefully monitored overnight, she was determined to stay. Naya's parents and sister made their way home at around four, leaving Heather already curled up and fast asleep in her chair. A nurse came in to check Naya's vitals half an hour later, tiptoeing once she noticed the sleeping girl in the corner. Smiling, she left the room with her clipboard, returning minutes later with a blanket and a pillow and followed by another nurse who wheeled in a second bed.

'We're not really supposed to do this,' one nurse whispered as she plumped up the pillows, 'but we couldn't just sit by and do nothing.' Heather smiled at the gentle woman, thanking her for all that she had done. Ashley dropped by the hospital after dinner, bringing with her a bag full of clothes, underwear and toiletries for Heather to use. 'I've asked Le and Di to take care of Zach, okay? So he's fine. And you just concentrate on being here for Naya. She needs you. I… I'll see you when I get back. Let me know what happens with Naya, call me whatever time of day you need me.' Heather nodded, letting herself sink into the warm arms of her friend before she left. 'Have a good Christmas' she said with a half-smile.

Heather's phone rang loudly on the morning of the third day, waking her from what had been a surprisingly comfortable sleep. 'Heather's phone' she answered, her voice hoarse.

'Heather? It's Ryan. Look, I've heard word from Matt and Lea that Naya is in the hospital. I… I was just calling to see how she is?'

'Ryan, it's not good. She's been in a coma for three days.'

'Shit.'

'I'm… I'm so sorry if this is going to affect filming times and… I know it's Christmas break but I don't know when…'

'Heather. Calm down. Listen, I don't care about filming schedules or anything right now and neither should you. The only thing you have to concentrate on is being there for Naya. I will personally make sure that the press are kept distracted so that you and her family can live in peace. Just… keep her safe, okay? I'll drop by soon if that would be okay? Is she allowed visitors?'

Heather nodded, not quite realising she had to speak to be understood. 'Oh, yeah. She's in the ICU so there aren't strict visiting hours or anything. Just… just text me when you get here and I'll bring you to her.'

'Thank you. Stay strong, Heather.'

/

That afternoon, once Yolanda had gone home to run errands and get some sleep, Heather's phone buzzed again.

Sender: Agron.

Message: We're outside. Where do we need to go?

Heather quickly tapped back a message guiding her friend through to the intensive care ward before getting up and checking herself in the mirror. She could do something with her hair to make it look a little less flat, she supposed, or she could put on a jacket to hide the fact that she had been wearing an old t-shirt of Naya's Ashley had packed. It hadn't been washed. It still smelt like her. But it wasn't worth it. She didn't care. The only thing she cared about was Naya.

When Dianna arrived minutes later, she was not alone. Amber, Jenna, Lea, Vanessa and Dianna all engulfed her in one huge hug before moving over to sit nearer Naya.

'So, how have things been? Have they said?'

Heather shrugged her shoulders. 'I don't think they know much, to be honest. The doctors said there's no telling when she could come out of it. It could be tomorrow, it could be next week. But they said the swelling in her brain is starting to slow down, so once that happens there's more chance of her waking up.'

Everyone around the room shot her sympathetic looks. Lea simply looked down and smiled as she realised that Heather had been absentmindedly stroking Naya's fingers as she spoke to them.

'So, Heather. Dianna kind of filled us in on what happened between you and Taylor' Amber began, noting Heather's sadness at the mention of the situation, 'ha.. have you spoken to your mom yet?'

Heather shook her head. 'I have absolutely nothing to say to her.' She was as surprised as everyone else at how angrily she spat out her words. 'You know, I thought I was to blame for this happening. But my mother set me up and caused this. She… she's the reason my girlfriend is in a hospital bed in a coma.' Her shoulders began to shake as she let herself cry, silently appreciating the fact that her friends were just letting her get this out.

'My girlfriend is going to be in a coma for our first Christmas.'

/

The following morning, Heather awoke to the feeling of a kiss being pressed to her cheek. Sitting up, confused, she turned to see Nickayla smiling at her.

'Sorry to wake you, but I couldn't resist. Anyway, Merry Christmas.' The realisation hit Heather like a bullet. 'It… it's Christmas day?' Yolanda nodded from the opposite side of the room, where she was busy organising presents into piles. 'We decided we couldn't open our presents without Naya. It… it wouldn't be right. So we bought them here instead.' Heather nodded, swinging her legs to get out of bed. 'If you don't mind,' she addressed the whole family, 'I think I need to get some fresh air. I'll be back soon.'

Grabbing her bag and a coat, Heather stepped out of the room and began to walk quickly through the hospital. Waving to the familiar faces who wished her a happy holidays, she made her way to her car and opened the door. Minutes later, she was back in her own apartment. Searching.

On her desk was a gift she had been planning to wrap and give to Naya to commemorate their first Christmas together. Grabbing it and the letter off the side, before filling a bag with necessary things from her room, she made her way back downstairs and into her car.

/

Once she reached Naya's room, Heather unzipped the bag and moved to plug in a bright yellow CD player she had picked up from home. Mychal looked at her quizzically, but she shook her head at him. Reaching back into the bag, she picked out the CD.

'I… I heard somewhere that some coma patients can hear music,' she addressed the whole Rivera clan who were stood around staring at her, 'I made Naya a mix CD with all the songs that remind me of her for our first Christmas. So I thought maybe I should play it for her?'

George nodded, 'Of course you should, Heather.'

The group sat in silence, letting the music wash over them for a moment. It was Yolanda who spoke up first. 'Heather, we… we were all about to head home to get some dinner. And we were wondering if you would care to join us? Unless you have other plans?'

Heather shook her head. 'But I promised…'

'Come, have dinner with us.' Nickalya persuaded her. 'You look like you need a good meal.' The rumbling in Heather's stomach was all the evidence they needed.

/

'Before we eat, I think we should all say a prayer. Together.'

George Rivera, seated at the top of the table, offered his hands out to Nickayla and Mychal, who in turn joined hands with Heather and Yolanda. Everyone closed their eyes as he began to speak.

'Heavenly Father, we thank you for the food with which you have blessed us. We thank you for giving us one another, for giving us family and friends. But most of all, Lord, we pray that you give Naya the strength to survive. We pray that you watch over her and care for her. Bless her with the ability to overcome this; to come back to us. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.'

'Amen.'

The family ate quietly. Heather thanked Yolanda for inviting her into their home, and for forgiving her. George commented on how delicious the food was. Mychal offered Nickayla a second helping of carrots.

'I miss Naya'. It was Nickayla who broke the awkward silence, breaking down as her mother passed her a slice of pecan pie. 'She… she always used to steal pieces of my dessert. I miss it.' Yolanda nodded in agreement, handing her youngest daughter a tissue to wipe away her tears.

'She always used to insist of me making a Yule Log and then she'd steal your pie as well.'

'Do you guys remember than one Christmas we spent in Puerto Rico? The one where Naya cried because Grandma forgot to make a dessert at all?'

Heather smiled at the thought of a young Naya throwing a tantrum. Of course it would have to be because of food. 'How old was she?' she asked, starting to feel a little more human as the food she had eaten settled in her stomach.

'Older than you're probably thinking. Well, she must have been….' Yolanda began to count on her fingers, clearly thinking hard about this.

'She was fifteen' George piped up from the end of the table. Yolanda turned to him and nodded. 'Yeah, she was. God, that was a long time ago!'

/

'Please, let me help you clean up. You've done so much for me.' Heather was stood in the middle of the Rivera's dining room, piling plates on top of one another. Yolanda simply shook her head. 'You don't need to, sweetie. You just relax.'

'In that case, would you mind if I went home? I think I just need to sleep.' Yolanda grabbed Heather's coat and bag as she said goodbye to the others, who were gathered in the living room.

Before she left, Heather turned to Yolanda. 'I wasn't expecting to see George at your table today' she whispered, checking back to the living room as she spoke. Yolanda shrugged. 'Well, I couldn't exactly say no, could I? Although I must admit, he is very helpful to have around in a crisis. He's very level headed when he needs to be.'

'So what about his wife and son?' Heather asked, hoping that her question would not offend the woman in front of her.

'Beats me. I just think it's rude that she hasn't once been to see Naya.'

Heather nodded, silently understanding the exact reasons why Julie was staying well away from her step daughter's hospital bed.

/

It was dark when she got back, despite being earlier than Heather had thought. Home is where the heart is, she thought to herself as she made her way down the corridor. Reaching the door she needed, she pushed it open as quietly as she could. There was no need for pyjamas, she simply threw off her coat and shoes and clambered under the covers. Resting her head against the pillow, she looked up at the ceiling. 'Merry Christmas, baby' she whispered, 'I love you.' Turning over, she reached a hand out into the darkness. 'I love you so much' she whispered again, before taking Naya's hand and falling asleep surrounded by beeping machines.