Chapter 21: Good Vibrations

A/N I think it's pretty obvious to everyone who the song used as the title of this chapter is by…but just in case it's the Beach Boys.

Weeks later they were still on the apartment hunt. Craig and Ashley were just on their way out the door when Julia began one of her attempts to lift herself up using a piece of furniture. She was using the table, her little hands resting flat on the surface, but her bottom still placed firmly on the floor.

"Oh, we can't leave yet!" Ashley determined.

Craig sighed, "Come on, Ash, she's done that like 15 times in the last few days and she hasn't been able to get it yet…"

"Exactly why it might be now. You don't want to miss it do you?" she slightly pouted.

"Of course not but we kinda have somewhere we need to be."

"Just a few minutes!" Ashley pleaded, simultaneously running to get the video camera just in case.

"Alright," Craig sighed, flopping down on the couch.

Just like before, Julia rose a tiny bit off the floor a few times before sitting right back down. Ashley groaned in defeat, dropping the arm that had the camera aimed at the baby, and Craig started to get up when Julia tried once more. Ashley quickly lifted the camera back up in time to catch Julia slowly but surely lifting herself off the floor, further than she had gone before. With a sudden burst of confidence she was up off the floor and on her wobbly little legs, using the table for balance.

"Oh my God she did it!"

They both ran over to hug Julia after she sat back down, having tired herself out from all of her attempts.

Craig stroked Julia's hair, "Wow, Ash, good thing you insisted we stayed for a little bit."

Ashley laughed, "When are you gonna learn that I'm always right?"

Craig laughed too, "Silly me, isn't that the general rule with all women?"

"Nope, just me." She replied, sticking out her tongue.

"Okay, well, I'm sure you'll have plenty more opportunities to prove me wrong tonight. We really better get going now."

Ashley agreed and they said their goodbyes to Julia, pretending she could understand their attempts to negotiate that she didn't try to stand again until they got home.

"Okay, this sucks, there's nothing!" Ashley exclaimed in frustration.

"The last two weren't that bad" Craig tried.

"The last one was way too small for how much they wanted for it, and the one before was just plain bad," off Craig's look she continued, "sorry to be so picky but this is gonna be our home, at least for a little bit."

Craig smiled, "I know." Placing a kiss on her forehead he added, "You know money's not an issue right?"

"It is when you'd be wasting it on something that's soo not worth it."

Craig chuckled, "Okay, so what do you want to do?"

"I guess we could try a little bit longer."

"You feeling okay?"

Ashley rolled her eyes, a smile on her face, "Yes, I'm fine."

She grabbed his hand and tugged him along.

Almost an hour later they were on the verge of giving up when they found a perfect option. Two bedrooms, decently spacious kitchen, and a small den area in the back across from the master bedroom. It wasn't too modern either, new but homey looking.

"Oh my God, Craig, this is it!" Ashley squealed.

Craig laughed, amused at her overly excited reaction, "Yeah?"

She nodded vigorously, "Do you like it?"

"Of course, I'd like a box if it meant I got to live with you."

Ashley smiled, but pushed on, "I'm serious, we both have to agree on this…"

"I do like it" Craig reiterated, letting her know he was completely serious.

Ashley let go of his hand and walked through the apartment, "It's perfect, we can turn that back room into a music room, put your guitar and my keyboard in there…"

"One of these days when we have a real house I'll get you a piano." he said sweetly.

"That sounds great."

"So, we're agreed?" Craig asked, giving her one last chance to reconsider.

"Yes, definitely."

They let the manager know that the place is the one they wanted, and after spending about twenty minutes waiting for him to draw up the papers and signing them, they went on their way back home to see if Julia was up to anymore standing presentations

Ashley and Julia's follow up appointments came up fast. Julia went first, and as it turned out, that last issue was a false alarm. After learning that she was developing quite normally and already standing, and checking her out, the doctor concluded that she was fine and there was absolutely nothing to worry about. Ashley and Craig both could breathed sighs of relief for the time being, until they walked into the room where Ashley's check up was to be done, and held their breath once more.

The doctor performed her various tests and wrote a few notes down.

She looked up, "Well, congratulations are in order. The treatments have helped significantly and while you're not quite in the remission stage yet, there's a 97 chance it is going to happen."

Ashley stood with a slightly shocked look, unable to say anything for a few moments. Craig let out a half sigh, half laugh and instinctively gathered Ashley in his arms.

"That is such great news, thanks so much, doctor." he said after breaking apart from Ashley.

"Of course. Ashley I'm going to go ahead and run the blood tests we took today, but unless something comes out unusual or you have any sort of discomfort, which I highly doubt, I'm going to go ahead and schedule your next appointment for six months from now. Right now it's just a matter of your body completely healing and getting to remission, there's not much we can do in between except you enjoy being well again."

They thanked the doctor again and said their goodbyes. Walking out of the hospital, Craig put his arm around Ashley and rubbed her shoulder and Julia quietly observed her parents from Ashley's arms.

Craig kept glancing over at Ashley, "Hey, you okay? You haven't said much since the doctor told us the news."

Ashley presented a wobbly smile, "Yeah, it's just…weird I guess. Everything is getting to be too perfect, maybe I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop."

Craig stopped and put his hands on both of Ashley's shoulders, looking her directly in the eye, "I know that's how it's been in the past Ash, but things are going to change! You heard what the doctor said, you're okay! We're going to be okay."

Ashley smiled a more genuine smile this time, "I know. Thank you for everything, Craig. I don't know where I would be if you weren't right here with me the whole time. I love you so much."

He moved his hands to her face and kissed her, letting his lips linger on hers for a while before hearing Julia squeal in protest of being excluded, "I love you too. Come on, let's go home and start teaching Julia how to walk."

Ashley laughed, "Craig, things are going well but let's not get ahead of ourselves…"