*Sorry for the late post. We had an all day power cut!*

"Are you sure that's everything?" Krystal asked.

"I think so." said Marissa taking once last look around the hospital room, the only home she had known since the shooting. She was about to go out into the big wide world and it was a very daunting prospect.

"Oh wait!" she said remembering one last thing. She climbed back onto her bed and on tip-toe peeled her son's self-portrait from the ceiling tiles.

Krystal gave her daughter a wide smile. Things were still a little awkward between them, but Marissa was beginning to trust her.

"I'm afraid we will be sharing a room, Tad's is quite a full house. I hope it's not too much of a squeeze." she said, apologising not for the first time.

"As I've said before, I don't mind." said Marissa, giving her mother an encouraging grin. "And if I do find it all too much, JR has offered me a room at his house." She finished in a conversational tone.

"He did what!" gasped Krystal. She grasped both of her daughter's shoulders and looked deeply into her eyes. "You can't trust that man. Not one inch."

"I know you don't like him, and I may have amnesia but that doesn't make me stupid. He's a charmer and I'm sure he's a bit of a player as well, but he is also AJ's father. If I want AJ in my life, as his legal guardian, I get JR as well. I mean, I think he's tried to be honest with me."

"That man doesn't have an honest bone in his body."

Marissa knew his mother was probably right. She had been following her instinct when it came to people. With AJ there had been an almost instant connection. The same was true when she had sat with Bianca. With JR she felt she should be cautious, he had told the truth as he saw it but had probably left out quite a bit as well. He had clearly been trying to get on her good side which wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

"Well, he told me about the cancer, and our marriage, the affairs and the divorce. He also told me about his drinking and how it scared AJ. He even told me about Bianca."

"He told you… about Bianca?"

"Yes, does that surprise you?"

She wasn't sure why this amazed her mother so much; that he had told her about Bianca being the one that drove him to drink. He had kind of implied that they had had an affair, and that was the one thing she was sure was a lie. She wasn't even sure why she suggested it at the time. Looking back, although she could quite imagine JR falling for Bianca, she was an undeniably beautiful woman after all; she couldn't imagine Bianca ever doing that. When she thought about JR and Bianca being together romantically the image just didn't fit. No JR hadn't been completely honest, which made her wonder what the real truth was.

Her mother was staring at her, wide eyed with amazement.

"Surprised, I would say so! You know all this and you are still thinking about forgiving him?"

"Look, my mind is a clean slate, and I've decided that's how I'm going to treat everyone I meet. Until I've found out one way or another I'm giving everybody the benefit of the doubt – even my no good ex-husband."

Marissa ended the statement with a smile.

"But you know about Bianca at least." said Krystal a look of relief on her face, which confused Marissa slightly. "Then I guess you'll want to say goodbye to her before we go."

"She won't see me." said Marissa, a frown replacing her smile. "Quite frankly I think I terrified her. I must confess I don't know what I'd say to her even if I did get a chance to speak to her. It's all my fault, I never should have snuck out of my room to see her. I could have crippled her, pulling her from her bed when I had my fit! I know it didn't work out like that but I don't think I could ever forgive myself if anything had happened to her."

"Well that makes you both a foolish pair." said Krystal shaking her head despairingly, "But you still have feelings for Bianca?"

"Yeah, I felt a connection right off. Just before I had the seizure we were holding hands. I'm not sure I really remember what it was I was thinking about…"

Marissa brow was furrowed in concentration.

"Good things I'm sure." said Krystal; there was that smile again, it kept appearing when she mentioned her best friend.

Despite her mother protest Marissa picked up the overnight bag and slung it over her shoulder.

"So are we ready to go?" asked Krystal, reluctantly picking up the smaller carrier bag.

"All set." said Marissa; her son's drawing safely in her hand. She paused to adjust her hat. It was a gift from her Mom; a red sun hat, which was to hide her scar. She still wasn't convinced it suited her

"And try not to worry about Bianca," said Krystal, as she led the way out into the hospital corridor. "Give her time she'll come round."

Marissa took one last look around her now empty room, saying a silent goodbye to her home for the last four months.

"I'll do that." she said, replying to her now absent mother. "Then maybe I'll find out the truth about what really went on between her and JR."