Warnings and disclaimer in Chapter 1. Enjoy.

"Quinn," Judy called carefully as they pulled out into the late afternoon traffic. They had loaded up everything with Quinn safely in the back seat. "Do you want to stop anywhere for dinner? We still have a bit of a drive ahead of us." She patiently waited for a response.

"Quinn?" Fran asked after a few minutes. Still hearing nothing the older daughter turned in her seat. "Aww," she cooed under her breath. Judy took a minute to adjust the mirror, seeing her younger daughter completely dead to the world, Tobey's head in her lap as he watched over her.

"I guess that answer's that," Judy said, adjusting her mirror once more. She turned to her oldest. "How about you?"

"Maybe we can hit a drive thru or get something to go?" Fran suggested. "I don't want to disturb her. The flight must have been terrible for her." Judy nodded.

"Any place in particular?" Judy asked. Fran shook her head. "How about Nate's? We can get some of those sandwiches you like so much than eat them at that park you always gush about."

"I do not gush," Frannie scoffed but nodded her head. "The park has special meaning for me. It's where I first met Dennis."

"And we all know how that went." Judy grinned at her oldest, who blushed and looked down at her hand. She twiddled with her new engagement ring, a silly grin on her face. They stopped and got their sandwiches, getting a small one for Quinn in case she woke up and drove to the park. They were talking casually as they ate in the car since it was too cold to eat at the picnic tables like they wanted.

"I think I'm going to stretch my legs for a bit before we take off," Fran said, rubbing her lower back for a minute. "Tobey? Do you want to go for a walk?" The dog looked at her but never took his head off Quinn's lap. "Do you think we should force him? He probably needs to stretch his legs more than we do." Judy shook her head.

"He'll be fine. If he needs to stop he'll let us know." Fran nodded and headed out into the cold winter air. Judy watched her go suspiciously. "I think she's keeping something from me," she told the dog, reaching over to scratch behind his ears. "I think we might be hearing the pitter-patter of little feet soon." Smiling, she turned her attention to Tobey. "Are you hungry big guy?" She pulled a baggie full of dog food from her purse, opening it and offering a few bites to the dog. He huffed and turned his attention back to Quinn. "Maybe later," she whispered, putting the food away just as Fran came back.

"You know," she started as she pulled on her seat belt, "the boys are going to want to play with Tobey. They were really excited when they thought you had a dog."

"That will be up to Tobey," Judy replied, getting back onto the highway. "Maybe once Quinn is settled and feels safe again Tobey will let them play with him." Fran shook her head in disbelief.

"You know, I saw him at the hospital, and I've heard a million times how great he is to her, but it never really sunk in until now how much she needs him."

"This is nothing," Judy told her. "You should see them when they really get going. Or when he actually is working. Their bond is amazing."

"I hope I can see it," Fran said, smiling.

"You will," Judy told her. "As for the boys, they might have better luck with Mack. He loves to play with anything he can get his paws on."

"Mack?" Fran asked.

"Beth's dog," Judy explained. "He is a cute ball of universe ending destruction, but in the adorable kind of way. Since she and Shelby are staying with us, Mack is too."

"Where was this animal loving mother when I was begging for a puppy?" Fran asked. Judy's eyes darkened.

"Having her life run by Russel." They were both quiet for a moment. Frannie reached out tentatively for her mother's hand.

"I'm sorry mom. I didn't mean that." Judy forced a smile.

"I know sweetie. It's in the past now anyway." Fran nodded, and pulled back enough to turn on the radio. They were both quiet as they drove the rest of the way home. Quinn didn't wake up once, not even when strange arms took her into the house and put her to bed.

Quinn stretched as she slowly woke up. She petted Tobey, who was laying on the bed with her, and then settled back while she slowly took in her surroundings. She froze when she realized she didn't know where she was.

"Rachel?" she spoke quietly, her hands exploring. She stopped at a warm strip on her bed before realizing the sun was streaking through a window. Though she had a window in her room, the high rise next door never let the sun streak through enough to get to her bed. "Tobey?" she whispered. The dog licked her face comfortingly then jumped off the bed. He turned once more to lick her fingers then he left the room.

Quinn closed her eyes and forced herself to calm down. Tobey wasn't scared so that meant she was safe. As she calmed down, she heard children playing nearby. She also heard Mack's playful bark and Beth's giggles. She thought hard before remembering. The trip to Lima for the wedding. She opened her eyes and started feeling for her chair when she heard Tobey walk back toward her.

"Quinn?" Judy asked, settling herself on the side of the bed.

"Mom," Quinn said in relief. She leaned forward, resting her head against her mother's chest.

"I'm sorry Quinnie. I thought you would sleep longer."

"What time is it?" Quinn asked, pulling herself upright.

"Just after seven," Judy told her. "I was just making breakfast for everybody. I thought I would have enough time to do that before you woke up."

"It's okay. I was just a little scared." Judy hugged her tightly. "Do I have time for a shower before breakfast?"

"Sure. Do you need any help? Breakfast can wait."

"Umm," Quinn shrugged uncertainly.

"I can help."

"Frannie?" Quinn asked, a big smile on her face. "I thought I dreamed that you were here."

"What can I say," she smiled. "My little sister is making her grand, triumphant return home. I can't miss that. Besides, I think it's time you met the boys."

"The boys?" Quinn asked, before turning her head to the window.

"Yep," Fran said. "That's them making all this racket. It's a good thing we don't have any neighbors that live close by. They probably would have called the cops by now." She watched as Quinn found her wheelchair and pulled herself in. "So can I help or would you prefer mom? I can take over breakfast duty, but then it might be a tad inedible."

"You can help," Quinn told her. "It's mostly telling me where things are or getting things for me, since I don't know this place yet."

"Got it," she said, pulling Quinn's bag from the corner and placing it on the bed. "Bathroom stuff. Anything else you need right now?"

"My pills," Quinn said, before gasping. "I didn't take my nighttime pills."

"You did," Judy quickly reassured her. "You woke up, briefly, around ten. I was able to coax some food into you, and your pills, before you crashed again. You were really out of it so I'm not surprised you don't remember."

"Oh," Quinn said, looking down. Judy smiled at her.

"I am glad to hear you are taking your medication seriously though. I remember a time not too long ago when you wouldn't take anything on your own."

"You forced me to take it," Quinn said, smiling slightly. "And now it just seems normal."

"I'm glad dear. Now I better get back to the kitchen." She looked at Fran. "If you need anything, just holler."

"Okay," Fran said, double checking that she had everything. She turned to her sister. "Is it okay if I just push you? I'm not very good with directions, even inside, so I'd probably have you running into a wall more than once."

"That's fine," Quinn said, holding onto the bundle that Frannie gave her. She could hear the laughter coming from the backyard. "Tobey? Do you want to go play?" Tobey jumped up and gave a little bark, but stayed by her side. "It's okay. Go play." With that he was gone.

"The boys will be excited," Fran said as she pushed the chair carefully out of the room. "They've been trying to get him to play since last night." Quinn nodded as she was pushed into the bathroom. "Now I have no idea about any of this stuff. Mom had the den and office converted into your room and bathroom when she got back, but I have no idea how any of this works."

"It's okay," Quinn said, pushing forward slightly and running her hands over things until she got a basic layout of the bathroom. She was relieved to find it was similar to the one in New York. She quickly, unabashedly shed her clothes and moved into the shower. "Can you hand me my shampoo and body soap?"

"Here," she said, naming each one as she handed them over. She watched as Quinn put them in a specific place before feeling for the shower controls. "You are amazing, you know that?"

"It's just a shower," Quinn said dismissively as she pulled the curtain.

"It's so much more than that," Fran whispered, tears in her eyes. She loitered in the bathroom, ready to help at a moment's notice, but Quinn didn't need much help. The hardest thing she did was get Quinn a towel since Quinn didn't know where the rack was. Quinn wrapped the towel around her and was back in her chair. She combed her hair, brushed her teeth, and took her medicine all without any help. She even managed to find her way back to her room.

"I think I'm good now," Quinn said, pulling out various articles of clothing from her bag.

"I think you were good then," Fran said. "The kitchen is just past the living room. Mom got rid of the steps between the two, so you should be able to roll right on through." Quinn nodded and focused on the task at hand while Frannie slowly backed away, leaving her sister to get dressed. "Wow," she said when she suddenly found herself in the kitchen.

"What dear?" Judy asked distractedly. Frannie shook her head.

"I was just thinking about when she was in the hospital. She couldn't even get out of bed on her own, now she's ready to take on the world." Judy smiled at her. "She's amazing."

"Yes she is," Judy agreed, just as Tobey came to the porch door. Fran let him in, frowning.

"Does he need something?" she asked as he ran past them.

"He's probably getting Quinn," Judy said, as Beth ran in after them. "Did you need something sweetheart?"

"Nope," Beth said, grinning excitedly as she sat down at the counter. A minute later Quinn pushed her way in, guided by Tobey. Beth ran over to her as soon as she set the brakes. "Is it time?"

"What?" Quinn asked, before blushing and looking down.

"C'mon Quinn. You can do it. You did it before."

"What are you two talking about?" Judy asked. Beth grinned.

"Quinn has a surprise for you," she said, grinning madly.

"Fine," Quinn huffed, swatting the young girl away lightly. She started concentrating.

"What?" Judy started to ask, only to be stopped by Beth.

"Sshh," she hissed, staring at Quinn. Judy and Fran followed suit, wondering what was happening. It took them a minute to realize Quinn had lifted her right foot.

"Ooh," Judy clamped her hands over her mouth, tears streaming down her face as she watched Quinn move her foot forward and lower it to the floor. She did the same with her left foot, but was only able to move it further up on the footrest before she slumped back in her wheelchair.

"Oh my God," Fran fell heavily into her chair, tears streaming down her cheeks while Judy moved to hold her youngest daughter.

"How? When did you? Why didn't anyone?" She couldn't seem to form a coherent thought. She pulled Quinn tightly against her.

"I can usually do better," Quinn said nonchalantly. "I can usually get my left foot to the ground too, but sometimes it still doesn't work right. I can even stand for a few minutes, but only with a lot of support and Adam holding me up. Adam only lets me do it once a week though. He's afraid I'm gonna hurt my arm again if we do it too much."

"Have you tried walking yet?" Fran asked. Quinn nodded.

"Adam let me try once, but it didn't go very well. He held all my weight, but I just couldn't get my legs to move like they were supposed to. He said we'll have to practice and then we can try again later. But I'm not just lying there while they move my legs anymore. I can move them a bit on my own, and I can even push off against their hands with my feet sometimes."

"That's great Quinnie," Judy said, not letting go of her. "And when you start walking, I want to be the first you tell. Even if it's in the middle of the night." Quinn nodded and Judy reluctantly pulled away. Beth gave her a quick hug then ran for the door.

"C'mon Tobey. Let's go play." Tobey followed after her, leaving the three women in the kitchen. A minute later a man came in from the backyard.

"Uh oh," he said cautiously as he made his way toward them. "What's wrong? Or more importantly, what am I walking into?"

"Nothing's wrong silly," Fran said, standing up and moving into his arms. "These are happy tears."

"If you're sure," he said, kissing her slowly. She nodded and he reluctantly released her and moved toward Quinn. "I would like to introduce myself. My name is Dennis. I'm the lucky man who's dating your sister."

"Dennis?" Quinn shook her head as she held out her hand. He took it gently. "But. Brian?" Dennis looked back at them, confused.

"Oh Quinnie," Fran said, coming over to put a hand on her sister's shoulder. "Brian was Russel's choice, not mine. I thought I loved him, but it turned out neither one of us were actually happy. We were just pretending for our families."

"But don't you have kids?" Quinn asked, rubbing her eyes.

"We do," she agreed. "Two boys. Lucas and Josh. They're out back playing with the dogs. And Dennis has a son, Jerry. We've been living together for the last year. And he asked me to marry him." She took Quinn's hand and guided it to her ring. Quinn's eyes got big as her fingers explored the simple band. "He proposed just before we found you. We haven't set a date yet because I want you to be part of the wedding."

"Of course," Quinn gushed before she thought of something. "But what about Brian?" Fran sighed.

"We realized we were better friends," she told her, glancing apologetically at Dennis. "It was never our dream to settle down and raise a family so quickly. He wants his career, and frankly, so do I. I just wasn't ready to settle down and be his cute little housewife. And he wasn't ready to be the secondary income in the family."

"So you're… not married anymore?" Quinn asked, struggling for the right word.

"Divorced," Fran supplied. "Yes. I think it was more of a shock to Russel than anybody else. We separated about the same time mom and dad got divorced. He disappeared right after the divorce was finalized. I thought all this time he left because of what I did." She sighed. "Anyway, the divorce is amicable. We're still friends and have a rather good relationship considering. He has the kids on weekends when his schedule allows for it, and he gets them over the summer. He's a great part-time dad. Just not that good of a full-time one."

"I'm sorry," Quinn said, squeezing her hand gently. Fran looked to Dennis, who nodded imperceptibly.

"Thank you," she smiled at them, "but we do have some news of our own we'd like to share." She reached over and took his hand in hers. "I'm pregnant."

"What?" Quinn gasped while Judy broke down into tears again.

"I've suspected for a couple of weeks now, but the doctor just confirmed it last weekend." Judy threw herself at her oldest daughter, beside herself with joy. She started babbling on about baby showers and nurseries. "Now hold on a minute," Fran said, trying to reign her mother in. "We don't want anyone else to know yet. The only other people who know are Dennis's parents. We haven't even told the boys yet."

"We're not quite sure how to tell the boys," Dennis piped up. Fran smiled lovingly at him just as said boys came traipsing in.

"Grandma? Do you have a sled? Beth said Tobey can pull people in a sled."

"I might have an old one in the garage," Judy said, wiping her eyes discreetly. "But you don't have enough time for that right now. Breakfast is almost ready."

"Let's go get cleaned up," Dennis said, picking up the two smaller boys around the waist, causing them to laugh. The older boy and Beth followed behind.

"Don't forget towels for the dogs," Frannie called out after them, cringing when she saw the paw prints they left on the polished floors as they followed the boys. "Sorry. I should have had them bring the dogs into the garage to dry off."

"It's okay," Judy said tearfully, looking at the paw prints curiously. "You know, there was a time not too long ago where that would have been a huge deal."

"I remember," Fran said, moving around to rest her head on her mother's shoulders. "What happened to that woman?"

"Life happened." Judy sighed and turned to her daughter. "You've been here for a few days. Why didn't you tell me about the pregnancy before?" Fran sighed.

"I was scared," she admitted. "I remember what happened before with a pregnancy out of wedlock, and I was terrified I would get the same treatment. I should have known better."

"Well, nobody's perfect," Judy laughed. "Especially me. But I am happy for you."

"Thanks mom," Fran said, smiling. "Now we better have something for breakfast by the time they get back or they might just eat the table." Judy smiled and together they made breakfast. The morning passed comfortably as Quinn got to know her sister's family for the first time. She was quiet at first, but as more and more time passed without anything bad happened, she opened up more and more. She was laughing by the time it drew to a close. Fran and Dennis were taking the kids somewhere special while the rest of them went to Breadstix.