July 2004

Okay guys its a short chapter, sorry bout that..I'm going to really try to have another one up late next week..I'm already working on it..don't hang me..I'm trying.

Ally smiled at babbling seven month old, he was in his high chair, chewing on a teething ring. "You gonna get those hurtin ole teeth out ain't ya baby?"

Jaxon grinned at her and continued to gnaw on the teething ring. She smiled bending down to kiss his soft little cheek.

Ally went back to fixing dinner, she was proud of herself for not falling apart and sinking into depression when Mark left yet again, she had just thought her kids and made herself be strong. The damnedest thing was she actually liked Victoria, she was nice, the kids after their upset about Mark moving out, had actually warmed up to her too, she liked the kids, she wasn't faking it and she could tell and the kids could too.

Ally wanted to hate her but she couldn't, maybe this was for the best, Mark could be with someone who could understand the world he worked in, he seemed happy, now she had to figure out how to make herself happy.

Ally pulled the chicken off the stove top and laid the pieces on a paper towel.

The problem she wasn't sure besides Mark what would make her happy. Poor Mark when he had left, Shawn had beat the hell out of him, then not a week later, Scott had tracked him down and had a go at him, they both said he didn't even fight back, she knew Mark felt bad for hurting her, he probably thought he deserved it, that's why he didn't fight back.

Ally still loved him, she knew she couldn't stop, the two got along and she always welcomed him to see the kids, they worshiped him, no way was she going to try and keep the kids from him.

Over the months she had become resigned to the fact that Mark was lost to her, she looked at her watch . "Okay Jaxon time for the kids, letsgo pick them up " She said unlatching her son from his highchair and lifting the smiling baby. Ally smiled and kissed her boy, she had her kids and that all that mattered.

Mark watched Victoria from the gorilla position, she wrestled like a pro, he had a lot of admiration for her hard work, and he liked her, trusted her and knew she wasn't after anything. She truly liked him, and that what he wanted right now, like, not love, like was so uncomplicated. Sex was good and he liked being with her, it didn't make him feel short of breath and trapped the way he felt with Ally, hell Ally liked her and the kids did too.

Mark's phone rang and he picked it up "Hello" Mark listened and his face went pale, Shawn who was a few feet away saw the look on his face, Mark looked like he was going to faint. "Mark what is it?"

Mark dropped the phone and said one word "Ally....." His voice coming out weak and choked...just then Shawn's own phone rang and he listened to Kevin his own world shattering into pieces.

The two men got a flight out together, neither saying a word, both lost in their own thought, tears stayed in Shawn's eyes , Mark however looked frozen, numb when they got home Kevin was waiting for them. "Mark, Scott's at the hospital, you need to go to the kids first, they need you...." he trailed off and Mark just nodded .

Kevin wrapped Shawn in his arms holding him as he shed tears, trying to comfort him, but their was no comfort. When they got the Kevin's and Shawn's , he was jumped on by all three of his crying kids, he just held them and comforted them the best he could, inside he was frozen, but he had to comfort his kids.

"Daddy is mama and Jaxon gonna be okay?" Zack asked looking up at his father.

Mark didn't know what to say, from what Scott had told him, it didn't sound good. "Zack, I need you guys to pray real hard okay, that's all we can do."

Tabby and Jassy clung to him and he looked up to see Jacob standing in front of him. "Uncle Mark..Aunt Ally has ta be okay, we need her, she's our mama, mine too really, she just hasta be okay."

Mark pulled the boy in his embrace and just hugged all four kids. "I need you to stay here with Kevin guys..I need to go see to your mama and Jaxon"

The children kissed and hugged him and he promised he would be back soon. Kevin gave him the keys to his car and him and Shawn walked outside with him. He told Mark about the wreak, how a truck had broadsided her, they had to cut her and little Jaxon out of the car, she had been on the way to pick the kids up from school. Mark just nodded and him and Shawn left for the hospital.

Scott greeted the two men with a hug, Mark could see the tears floating in Scott's eyes. "Mark you need to talk to the doctor was all he said. Mark nodded slowly, he was in some kind of cocoon right now, unable to feel much of anything, the doctor came out shortly and Mark told Shawn and Scott to come with him, he knew they loved Ally and Jaxon as much as he did, he wanted them with him, they sat down on the doctors office.

"Mr. Calloway, Miss Jackson sustained sever head trauma, she had swelling on her brain, we have put a shunt in and that's drained, she has a broken arm, cracked ribs as well as a broken ankle, those things will heal, its the head injury, she's in a coma, and we cant predict if or when she will wake up..we will just have to wait and see, her life is in no danger at the moment..but brain damage is always a possibility."

Scott and Shawn were numb with grief and truthfully so was Mark, he just always thought Ally would be there, the thoughts crowded his mind, their first meeting, the first time they made love, he felt like a idiot, he had wasted it all because he was scared, he just nodded at the doctors words. "Jaxon?" the word slipped from his mouth.

The doctor shook his head. "I'm sorry, the injures he sustained were to much, he's alive, but on life support, he is brain dead , I'm so sorry."

Shawn bowed his head crying and Scott put his arm around him, Mark just died inside, his boy, his beautiful boy, dead. "Doc, are you sure, there's nothing that can be done?"

The doctor nodded sadly. "I'm sorry, you can see him, when you want, you need to make a decision about taking him off the life support when you're ready."

Mark got up and looked at his friends. "You need to call Kevin and tell him to bring the kids, they need to see their brother."

Scott nodded and Shawn and Scott walked out of the room. "I need to let the kids see him, say their good byes and then I'll be taking him to his mama, I wont have our boy dying on some machine, he be with me and his mama."

The doctor left and Mark sank in the chair, he had to be strong for his kids, he couldn't lose it now, he choked back the tears that wanted to come and swallowed hard, he could not break down, he had to be strong for his kids, his friends and for Ally.

Mark held it together and watched his kids and his friends gathered round the little glass bassinet where his boy lay hooked to a ventilator, the three big men had kissed the child on the head and now Jassy, Zack, Taby and Jacob stood around him talking to him , telling him how much they loved him, their little faces streaked with tears, Mark didn't question his decision to tell them what was going on or let them say goodbye to their brother, it was the right thing to do, they loved him and they needed this closure.

Jassy stroked his little pale cheek with her finger. "I love you Jax, someday I'll see you again." She said bending to kiss his cheek. Tabby bent and kissed him then ran to her father flinging herself in his arms crying. "Its not fair daddy."

Mark lifted his baby in his arms holding her shaking little body tight in his arms. "I know baby girl, its not fair, daddy knows." He said trying to comfort her.

Pretty soon all the kids had their arms around him, but Mark stayed strong for them just trying his best to be strong for them. Kevin, Scott and Shawn finally took them and left and Mark went to his son, he undressed him from the hospital gown and put on the little dinosaur outfit that Ally loved on him so much. "There little man, that's much better huh?"

He called the nurse to unhook the ventilator and picked up his son cradling him in his arms. "Now lets go see mama, I bet she misses you."

Mark carried his son down to Ally's room and he just wanted to cry at how she looked, he wanted to wave a magic wand and make everything go back to the way it was, he set on the edge of the bed and laid Jaxon in the crook of her arm. "There ya go Kitten, there's your boy..I just bet ya been missin' him huh?" He stroked her arm and tried not to watch the shallow little breaths his son was taking, how slow they were.

"You always hate being away from the kids, even if their just at school...a real mama bear..meek as a lamb except if someone messes with your babies." He bent and kissed her cheek and then Jaxon's.

"I love ya boy and so does your mama...you and your brother and sisters are the best part of us.." He choked on the words and he laid down beside them gently watching them, he watched a a rush of air left Jaxon and then his little chest stopped moving, then he broke, the tears falling fro his eyes hitting Jaxon's sweet little face, Mark put his arm around both of them and just sobbed.