Blair pulled her car into a space outside the battered, run-down apartment complex. She hated to be here, alone in this neighborhood; hated to leave her car parked out here, but she had no choice. She had promised Jo she would find out why her parents hadn't bothered to call or show up since the attack, and she couldn't let her down. She had called the number Jo gave her, but it was disconnected. She thought about leaving it at that, but after Mrs. Garrett had called and told her about Jo's pelvic fracture and the painful ultrasound as well as her new bed rest restrictions, Blair felt obligated to prove to her friend that her parents were not going to abandon her in her time of need. She just hoped she was right.

She stepped from the car, carefully making sure all of the doors were locked and clutched her purse to her body. Then she walked across the broken sidewalk to the front door of the building. It had been more years than she could remember since she had been here. She remembered coming here with Jo a couple of times, but never for very long. Things had really gone downhill in the neighborhood, and they hadn't been good to begin with. There was a buzzer outside the door with tenant names penciled in. Blair found the one that said "Polniaczek" and pushed it, hoping for a fast response.

"Yes," a woman's voice spoke eagerly over the intercom. Blair wasn't sure it was Rose; she couldn't really remember the sound of her voice. "Who's there?" the woman asked.

"It's Blair Warner," Blair spoke clearly. "Jo's friend…"

Before she could continue the voice on the other end of the intercom interrupted with excitement, "Blair?" she asked. "Come on up." There was a buzz and Blair pushed the door open and walked inside. The inside of the building looked as run-down as the outside. There were a couple of small children running up and down the hall yelling and playing, dressed in nothing more than diapers and t-shirts, even in the late-February cold. Blair walked upstairs and Rose was waiting for her, the door to her apartment open. She looked older; heavier with short gray hair, but Blair recognized Jo's mother right away. Rose looked at her and smiled anxiously, "Blair…it's been so long. Is Jo with you?" she looked past Blair as if she expected to see her daughter standing there and Blair realized immediately that Kyle had lied when he told Jo he had called her parents. Her heart ached as she realized she was going to have to be the one to tell Jo's parents what had happened to their daughter.

"No," Blair shook her head. "She's not with me." She followed Rose into the apartment and watched as she locked the door. "Rose, I tried to call you, but your number was disconnected."

"Oh…I had the number changed a few years ago," Rose said sadly. "I was getting some harassing phone calls so I thought it would be best."

"Does Jo have your new number?" Blair asked as she sat on the sofa.

"I think so," Rose said sadly. "Not that she ever calls me. I'm sure I gave it to her though. Actually, I know I did. I called and left a message and I spent a week thinking she would call me back, but she never did. We don't really speak anymore," she looked at Blair and sighed, "Can I get you some coffee or something?"

Blair smiled, "No thank you." Rose sat in the chair across from her and Blair wondered why she didn't ask her the reason for this unexpected visit. She watched as Rose fidgeted with a string hanging from the chair and she knew the woman was avoiding asking the obvious question. If Blair was in the Bronx making an unexpected visit, it obviously had something to do with Jo; probably something she didn't want to hear. "Rose," Blair said softly and the older woman looked at her, fearfully. "Something's happened. Did Kyle call you?"

Rose slowly shook her head no and cleared her throat, "It's Jo?" she asked as a tear slid down her cheek. "What's wrong?"

"She was attacked; working undercover," Blair said sadly. "She was stabbed…"

"Oh God," Rose gasped and cried. "My poor baby…" she could see the strain on Blair's face and she knew the prognosis wasn't good. "She's in bad shape isn't she?"

Blair nodded, "She's healing, but she has a long road ahead of her. She was beaten pretty badly. She's had reconstructive surgery to repair the damage to her face. She looks better…"

"She's already had surgery?" Rose asked. "When did this happen?"

"Almost two months ago," Blair said reluctantly. She knew Rose would be hurt that she hadn't been told sooner.

"Two months?" Rose asked. "Why didn't someone tell me?"

"We thought Kyle called," Blair admitted. "He said he did. Jo was upset that she hadn't heard from you or Charlie, so she asked me to find out why…I'm sorry Rose. I don't know why Kyle didn't tell you…"

"Because he's a no good piece of garbage," Rose yelled. "I never did see what Jo saw in him, but keeping this from us…it's unforgivable." She sighed, "I have to tell Charlie. We need to get to LA."

"Rose," Blair spoke gently. "I think you should know…Jo is in bad shape…physically and emotionally. She wasn't just stabbed and beaten, she was raped."

"Raped?" Rose asked in disbelief. "Why would someone hurt her like this?"

"It was a drug smuggler," Blair explained. "He caught onto the plan to catch him. The other officers were all killed. Jo was the lucky one…"

"And she's been in the hospital for two months?" Rose asked. "And she is nowhere near being well enough to come home?"

"Her stab wounds are healing slowly," Blair explained. "And the facial reconstruction took time. I talked to Mrs. Garrett this morning and she said they just discovered that Jo also has a broken pelvis. They are going to try stabilized bed rest to force it to heal. That will take another eight weeks."

"Why can't that repair it surgically?" Rose asked. "Wouldn't that be easier?"

Blair had promised Jo she wouldn't tell about the pregnancy, so she knew she couldn't really answer the question honestly. "They think this way is safer," she said.

"I need to call Charlie," Rose picked up the phone. "We have to find a way to get the money together for a plane ticket. I'll call my sister…she can help…"

"It's okay Rose," Blair offered, "I'll fly you and Charlie to LA. I can get you a nice hotel room near the hospital so you can be with Jo."

"Oh honey…you don't need to do that…" Rose shook her head. "We can manage."

"You sound just like your stubborn daughter," Blair forced a smiled. "It's no trouble…I want to do it. You need to be with her. Besides, I bet Jamie would love to see her grandparents."

"Jamie?" Rose asked. "The little girl Jo and Kyle adopted? I've never met her."

"Really?" Blair asked. She couldn't believe that Jo had never introduced Jamie to her grandparents. " Jo never brought her to visit you?"

"It's not because of Jo," Rose said seriously. "It's Kyle. He is not the person Jo thinks he is. I tried to warn her, but she wouldn't listen to me. I've been scared to death for my daughter the past seven years."

"Rose," Blair asked nervously. "Do you know something about Kyle that the rest of us don't?"

"I know it's his fault my daughter is lying in that hospital all alone," Rose said sadly. "And I wouldn't be surprised if he was the one who put her there."

"Kyle didn't hurt her Rose," Blair insisted. "This happened when she was working. Kyle may be a jerk, but he didn't hurt her."

"I don't know if I believe that," Rose said honestly. She let her tears fall as she dialed the phone, "Why wouldn't Jo listen to me? She should have listened. I should've made her listen." She put her head in her hands and cried.