The adults made it to hospital with Mike feeling somewhat ill upon arrival. The tried to convince him to get checked out but he refused, at first.

"I WANT to see my WIFE!" Mike yelled then collapsed. Henry and M.J. caught him just before he hit the floor. M.J. did well in controlling his beast but he was rather impatient as well. Begrudgingly, Mike agreed to sit in a wheelchair. Frankly, he was far too weak to argue at this point.

"Please, Kate Celluci, may we see her?" M.J. seemed so very grown up.

"Yes, she's upstairs..sir, you shouldn't have left.." the nurse eyed Mike. He snorted and agreed to let Vicki push him to see Kate. Mike kept the information to himself he was too weak to walk to the elevator, much less down a hallway to see her. They were all quiet in the elevator ride up. Vicki stole glances at Abbie and M.J. sighing loudly when she would see them cuddling or kissing lightly. She could sense their desire in the cramped space. Henry smiled at Vicki's aggrivation, her baby was growing up and she was having a hard time.

"I want to know what happened, all of the details," Mike suddenly broke Vicki's train of thought when he spoke.

"What details?" Abbie asked with apprehension.

"ALL of it," Mike said.

Abbie muttered something unitelligble but the others said nothing. Vicki agreed, reluctantly, that after seeing Kate she would tell Mike everything. M.J. and Abbie both gasped upon entering Kate's room. Mike let Henry and Vicki assist him to her bed.

"Kate? It's me, I'm sorry..please wake up," Vicki's heart ached to see the tears in Mike's eyes as he tenderly took Kate's hand, kissed it and pushed a stray strand of hair from her face. She looked like she was asleep instead of comatose.

"Why aren't there any wires if she's in a coma?" M.J. observed.

Abbie answered, "Because she's not, she's lost her will to live. She thinks Uncle Mike hates her," Abbie shot a look at Mike. Mike felt terribly guilty when the flood of memory washed over him. He explained his reaction to the group. Four solemn faces stared at him, expressionless but angry underneath.

"What? How the hell did I know she meant undead, I mean...I guess I suspected but..aw hell..I'm sorry okay, I'm really, really..." his voice wavered.

"It's okay dad, we understand," M.J. said softly. He took the other side of the bed beside his mother and took her free hand.

"Can you talk to her Abbie?" M.J. asked.

"I'll try," Abbie closed her eyes and concentrated. Within seconds, she was hearing Kate's thoughts, feeling her pain and communicating with her. Abbie opened her eyes with a start.

"She knows we're here, she said she's tired just to let her rest and give her time, she'll be okay," Abbie was sweating and panting. Mike mouthed a thank you and leaned in to kiss Kate on the cheek. Her moaning told him that Abbie was right, Kate did know they were there. Vicki, Henry, M.J. and Abbie left Mike at the hospital with Kate. The nurses told Mike he could stay as long as he was readmitted. Mike was esctatic they let him stay in the same room with Kate. Before they left, however, they told Mike everything he missed.

"...so when it came time to decide what to do, they left if up to me. BY..MY..SELF..I might add, "Vicki emphasized, "and although I was less than thrilled with the eventual outcome with Abbie, " Vicki sighed and looked Mike in the eyes, "I knew that you would do the same for me Mike. I couldn't bear to see M.J. die either." M.J. smiled, good to know he was on Vicki's good side he thought to himself.

Mike swallowed a lump in his throat as he realized that once again, Vicki put someone else's happiness above her own. Vicki would never admit that of course but she did and he would be eternally grateful.

"What about the baby?" Mike suddenly remembered.

"Fine, as far as we know, " Vicki answered, "they checked me out too when all was said and done. Henry and Ward stayed behind to burn the tomb. Maybe that will close the portal he created for good. Time will tell." Mike once again thanked them and was finally alone with Kate. He drifted in and out of sleep as he sat beside her bed. He wanted to be there if..no when..she woke up.

******************************************************************************************************************************************************

After getting the children settled, M.J. headed out back to Gwen's cottage. Vicki and Henry told Abbie he could live with Gwen but rules were to be followed. Abbie had huffed at first then realized she really wasn't ready for that type of relationship just yet, her body was, but her mind wasn't.

"Besides, we are just beginning mom, give me some credit would you?" Vicki smiled when her daughter told her that as she thought how very much like Vicki she was. Vicki kissed all of the children goodnight while Henry prepared them for bed. She was exhausted and took a hot bath while waiting for Henry. After the water cooled, Vicki got out, threw a soft robe on and laid on their big bed. She was soon fast asleep. Between the events of the past few days and her pregnancy, which had been confirmed with a sonogram at the hospital, she was so sleepy she didn't remember her head hitting the pillow. Feeling her body begin to stir with passion, she thought she was dreaming until she opened her eyes to find Henry naked beside her and smiling down on her sleeping face. She stretched, yawned and felt Henry's mouth cover hers in a probing kiss. Moaning, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in a tight embrace. His hands wandered to her robe and his fingers slipped inside to push it away. The silky material slid easily, revealing her nude body underneath.

"Ready I see," Henry growled upon seeing her nakedness. Rather than answer, a groan escaped her full, parted lips as his mouth quickly found her pebbled nub. It had truly been far too many days since they made love and Vicki's body cried out for ravishing, the kind that only Henry could administer. Her body quivered under his touch. Her hands roamed his rock hard chest and worked their way down to his hard manhood. Taking it in her hands, she squeezed and pulled letting him know she wanted him in the worst way.

"Patience my love," he whispered in her ear as he kissed below it, down her neck and nipped it slightly. Vicki cried out bucking into him as she urged him forward.

"Patience is not my thing," she hoarsed out. Henry smiled and knew that was always to his advantage. Getting her in the mood was Henry's favorite thing and Vicki benefited from that. His lips were once again on hers as he pressed his body into her, teasing her opening with his tip.

"Stop teasing," she whispered.

"I'm a tease, you know that," he grunted as he bumped her again. Vicki's strength allowed her to take over but she decided that tonight, she needed some nice, long and romantic Henry lovin'.

Vicki smiled and said, "Tease away..."