A/N- It's been a long time since I've last updated, and I really am sorry. I just haven't been in the mood to update. A few days before I was going to update, one of our very close family friends passed away from cancer, and it's been really difficult on all of us. I'm starting to get back into updating, and I thank everyone of you fantastic people for being so patient with me. So I won't keep you any longer from something you all have been patiently waiting for for weeks.
Sharon looked down at her daughter. Stef's head was resting against her shoulder and her face was completely relaxed, all worries and fears gone, vanished away for the time being. Sharon looked away and up at Laura who was approaching them.
"Are you a family member?" Laura asked kindly.
"I'm Emma's grandmother."
"It's nice to meet you, despite the reason you're here."
Sharon simply nodded her head.
"Ok, well I was just coming to check Emma's vitals."
"How is she doing?" Sharon asked, her eyes crinkling with concern.
"She's alright. I don't know if anyone told you, but Emma's going to have a lot of physical therapy ahead of her."
"Will she have to stay here the whole time?"
"No, but she will until she can at least stand on her own for a brief period of time, and that won't be for a while," Laura explained softly.
"Mom?" Stef asked, rubbing her eyes for a brief moment to try and wake herself up. Her sleepy eyes then landed on Laura and she found herself wide awake. "How's Emma?"
"She's ok, you can breathe," Laura stated. "I was just catching your mom up on her condition. After that, I was going to check Emma's vitals."
Stef looked to her mom for confirmation, and when she got it, she slumped back in her chair, feeling slightly relieved.
Laura gave her a comforting smile. She turned around so she could enter Emma's room. She closed the door with a resounding "click" behind her.
"You alright Stefanie?"
"I'm fine Mom," Stef said unconvincingly, placing her head in her hands, hunched forward. It almost looked like she was in the protective position for tornado drills they taught in schools.
Sharon looked at her daughter. "Stefanie, you're not fine."
"What gave you that idea?" Stef quipped, and her mom sighed.
"Stefanie, it's alright for you to show your emotions sometimes. You're human, and you can't keep bottling everything up."
"I'm not," Stef replied with a slight scowl.
Sharon gave her a look. Stef gave her one back after lifting her head out of her hands, but eventually wilted under her mom's gaze.
"Honestly Mom, I'm not holding everything in. You should've seen the breakdown I had in the parking lot, the ambulance, and the hospital. Hell, I don't even remember half of it. Everything's been such a blur."
Sharon placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder. Stef leaned in slightly at the touch.
"Stefanie, from what I've gathered, Emma is just as strong and just as much of a fighter you are. She's going to push through this like a champ."
"I hope so," Stef whispered.
They sat in silence for a few more seconds before Laura exited Emma's room. "Emma's vitals are good, her heart's steady. I can tell you right now she's going to be absolutely fine."
"Thank you," Sharon piped up. Stef was too exhausted, physically and emotionally, to give anything other than a nod of her head as a response.
"I'll be back in a few hours," she said before quietly leaving them.
"I told you," said Sharon, bringing a ghost of a smile to her daughter's mouth. She looked over Stef and frowned at the bags and pure weariness on her daughter's face. "Stefanie, you're exhausted. When was the last time you had a good night's sleep?"
Stef winced and ran a hand through her short hair. "A few days ago," she admitted, averting her eyes from her mother's.
"Why Stefanie?"
"You do know you're the only one that calls me Stefanie, right?" she asked, trying to change the subject.
"Well that is the name I gave you," Sharon said with an eye roll. "But you aren't getting away from this so easily. Why haven't you been sleeping? Did something happen at work? At home?"
Stef sighed. "No Mom, I just haven't been able to sleep. I keep waking up in the middle of the night, and I check on the kids and try to go back to sleep, but I can't."
Sharon pursed her lips. "It sounds like your mind is stuck on something."
Stef rolled her eyes.
"I'm serious Stefanie," Sharon said, and Stef looked at her, disbelief in her eyes paired with an arched brow.
"It hasn't been stuck on anything until today."
"That's not true and you know it."
Stef groaned. "Mom, just leave it alone."
"No Stefanie, not when something is clearly bothering you that you won't admit is bothering you."
"I want to be promoted to detective! Ok?" Stef said, louder than she meant to.
"What?" Sharon asked, blinking rapidly.
"I want to be promoted Mom," Stef admitted softly. "I've been a cop for over 20 years now, and I love the job, I really do, but I want to do something different."
"Have you talked to Captain Roberts about this?"
"No, but I've been thinking about filling out the form."
"This is great news Stefanie! But why is it keeping you up?"
"Because I don't know how Lena will react. Or the kids. I'd like to think they'd be happy for me, but it's a lot different than being a cop. I've got a regular schedule as a cop, but as a detective I'd get called in whenever they need me."
Sharon looked at her daughter, truly looked at her, and she could see just how torn up Stef was about this. "You won't know how Lena and the kids will feel unless you talk to them."
"I know," Stef sighed.
"They're going to support you Stefanie, just like you've supported them and their dreams."
"I hope so Mom."
"Don't hope Stefanie, know. They are your family."
"I know Mom, you don't need to tell me about my family."
"No, I don't, but you need to hear it."
They sat in a comfortable silence then, occasionally taking a sip of the now lukewarm almost cold coffee.
"What's that?" Sharon asked.
"What's what?"
"The gift bag under your seat."
"Oh, that. It's something Regina got for Emma. A gift I suppose."
"Regina? As in Henry's Regina?"
Stef chuckled. "Yes, Henry's Regina."
"I hadn't realized she was Emma's age now. My, how time flies."
"It sure does."
"What does she look like?"
"She looks a lot like Cora did at that age honestly."
"That means Zelena is what, 18?"
"Yup, and she's already traveled to at least 6 different countries."
"Well I'll be damned."
"Mom!"
"Oh calm down Stefanie, I'm a grown woman who's had more—"
"Ok Mom, I get it," Stef interrupted hastily, knowing her mother was going to say something about sex.
Sharon chuckled, then asked her daughter a question. "Is there a place with decent food in here?"
"I'm sure you'll find something in the cafeteria," Stef said dryly.
"Then off I go," stated Sharon, standing up and heading to the exit of the ICU to the main lobby of the floor which held the elevators.
Stef felt like she could breathe a little easier then. She loved her mother, she did, but the woman always managed to get on her nerves real fast. Stef downed the rest of her coffee and leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes to at least try to get a little more rest, though she wasn't sure how much more she would be able to get until Emma opened her eyes and tried to get out of bed. She knew that's what Emma would do since she tried to do the same thing when she was shot. Callie would try to do that too if she were ever hospitalized, and since they were all quite similar, it wasn't that difficult of a conclusion to arrive at.
Stef's eyes opened slightly and narrowed at Laura, the resident who had just checked Emma's vitals less than fifteen minutes ago and said everything was looking as good as it could be. "What are you doing back here? Is Emma ok?" Stef asked, her heart pounding furiously at the mere thought of something else being wrong with her baby.
"Emma's fine, but that's not why I'm here. I'm here to offer you the bunks again. Stef, you're no good to anyone if you aren't thinking clearly, and you won't be thinking clearly if you don't get enough sleep, or at least fall asleep in an uncomfortable place."
Stef sighed. She really appreciated the offer, but she was alright. She was about to say as much when she yawned. Perfect timing, she thought irritably.
"What's going on?" Sharon asked, concerned that the woman who had checked Emma's vitals was back.
"Everything is ok. I was just trying to convince your daughter to take a bit of time to herself to sleep in the bunks for at least half an hour," Laura explained, smirking when she saw Sharon's look and heard Stef's groan.
"Mom, I'm alright. I don't need sleep. I need to stay here with Emma."
"I can do that while you're resting. You're no good to anyone if your head isn't clear."
"That's what I said!" Laura exclaimed.
"Mom—"
"Stefanie," Sharon said, looking her daughter straight in the eyes. "You need rest. Emma will be fine. She isn't supposed to wake up until tomorrow. I'm sure Laura here will come get you if anything changes."
"I will," Laura promised.
Stef bit her lip, hesitantly looking between her mother, Laura, and the curtains in Emma's window that were shielding her from the view of everyone who walked past her room. She sighed, and Sharon knew before the words left her mouth. "You promise to get me if anything changes?"
Both Sharon and Laura nodded.
"Lead the way," Stef said tiredly. She had to admit—but only to herself—that the thought of sleeping in a soft bed instead of a plastic chair sounded appealing to her sore, aching body.
After about five minutes of walking, Laura opened a door on their left and waved Stef in. It was a small room with five bunks. Two on each side wall and one on the back wall. "Take your pick," Laura said.
Stef chose the bottom bunk closest to the door.
"Get some rest," Laura said after turning on a small lamp. She then closed the door, shrouding Stef in darkness except for the small light emitting from next to the door.
"I'll try," Stef murmured, her eyes closing despite her fight to stay awake. She was out only seconds later. Her mind was too exhausted to keep her awake with worst case scenarios and nightmares. She awoke around 6 AM the next day. She shot up out of bed after she saw the time and rushed out of the room, her feet pounding against the floor. She reached the outside of Emma's room and her eyes began searching for her mother, panicking when she didn't see her anywhere.
"Morning Stefanie."
Stef whipped her head around and sighed in relief when she saw her mom, this time with a bag of breakfast with the coffee.
"Morning Mom."
"Did you sleep well?" Sharon asked amusedly. Her daughter had quite the bedhead and her clothes were all wrinkled from being slept in.
"I did surprisingly," Stef replied as she sat down in a chair, Sharon following her lead and placing the bag of food on the little drawer in between their chairs.
"I brought breakfast. I got a few bagels and breakfast sandwiches. I didn't know what you'd want."
"Thanks Mom, but I'm not hungry." As soon as the words left Stef's mouth, her stomach growled at the glorious smells wafting from the bag, contradicting her statement.
"Sure you aren't," Sharon quipped.
Stef rolled her eyes and took a sip of her coffee after taking a few bites of an everything bagel with cream cheese.
"I also got some doughnuts for my grandchildren."
"Mom, they've got school today."
"Stefanie, do you honestly think Lena would let them go to school? They wouldn't be able to focus and would get caught checking their phones every five seconds for any update, no matter how small."
Stef huffed, indicating to Sharon that she was correct. She took another bite of her bagel, and another, and another until the whole thing was gone. She then grabbed a breakfast sandwich, and her mom laughed.
"What?" Stef asked before taking a bite of the sandwich.
"I don't know how you eat so much and never gain an ounce."
"Me? You should see Lena. She eats a lot more than you think yet she remains absolutely perfect. Even if she gained a hundred pounds, she'd be perfect," Stef said, an automatic smile coming to her face at the thought of her wife.
"Oh Stefanie," Sharon said, the slightest sheen of tears showing in her eyes.
"Mom, why are you looking at me like that?"
"No reason. It's just, seeing you like this reminds of happier times with myself and your father. I had that same exact look whenever I saw or thought about him."
"Gag."
Sharon slapped Stef's shoulder and Stef simply chuckled, then a serious look came to her face. "I don't remember any happy times between you and Dad. I just remember arguing and shuffling between your houses."
"You were young when we were happy."
"Mom, I don't think you've ever told me why you and Dad split up," Stef said softly.
"That's cause neither of us liked to talk about it."
"Will you tell me?"
"I don't know Stefanie."
"Please Mom, I want to know."
Sharon let out a breath of air and looked to the ceiling. "Your father started changing," she began. "He started getting into the idea that I should stay at home and raise you, do the typical house chores. I was suffocating and I needed to be free. I couldn't be tied down. I cheated on him," she whispered the last part.
Stef stared at the side of her mother's head, mouth agape. "You cheated on Dad?"
Sharon nodded, and she was still looking at the ceiling. She didn't care that the bright lights were beginning to make her head hurt, as long as she wasn't staring her daughter in the eyes and seeing the disappointment.
"Mom, I'm not mad."
Sharon hesitantly swung her eyes over to her daughter. She was shocked to see not anger, but understanding.
"You forget I grew up with Dad. I had to suppress who I really was and for the longest time, I truly believed who I was was wrong."
"I wish I was able to fight him. I never cared about that Stefanie. I hope you know that."
"I know," Stef said thickly, and both of their eyes were brimming with tears.
"Grandma!"
Stef and Sharon looked up to see Jude rushing towards them. Sharon quickly stood up and embraced her grandson. Lena and the other kids were a few feet behind him.
"Why hello there! How are my grandbabies?!" Sharon said brightly as the rest of the kids except for Neal rushed over and embraced her in a hug.
"We're hanging in there," replied Brandon.
"When did you get here?" Callie asked curiously.
"Last night after you all left," Stef stated as the kids trickled from their grandmother to their mom after she greeted Lena with a hug and a kiss. "She brought some food and sweets for you all." Neal let go of Lena and rushed over to his mom. "Hey sweets," Stef greeted Neal as he barreled into her and didn't let go. "What happened?" she mouthed to her wife as she wrapped her arms around her son.
"Nightmare," Lena mouthed back.
Stef nodded in understanding. "Neal, this is my mom and your grandma. Can you say hi?"
Neal lifted his head from Stef's stomach, looked at Sharon, then buried it back into her stomach.
"Neal," Stef chided.
"Oh Stefanie, let the poor boy be. He's worried about his sister. We'll have all the time in the world for introductions once she gets better. In the meantime, why don't you dig in like Jesus."
They all looked over to see Jesus shoving the breakfast sandwich Stef hadn't finished down his throat.
"There's also doughnuts," said Stef, and then they all were piling on top of each other to get to the bag. "Neal, do you want some?" she asked, running a hand through his messy hair after he shook his head. "Are you sure? I think there's a chocolate one with sprinkles just for you."
"I don't want doughnuts, I want Emma," he said muffedly.
Stef thought her heart wouldn't be able to break anymore than it already has, but that sentence did. "I know sweetheart, I want her too," she mumbled.
Adam Fosters Residence, an hour and a half earlier
Lena awoke to the thrashing and kicking of her son. "Emma! Someone help my sister! Please! Emma! No! Emma! Emma! Emma!" She immediately knew he was having a nightmare and quickly turned the lamp on before shaking his shoulder, trying to arouse him. "Neal honey, it's Lena, it's Mama. Emma's alright, she's at the hospital. Come on honey, wake up. It's just a dream."
Neal shot up out of bed, his body soaked with sweat. He was panting and looking around the room with wild and frantic eyes, his face wet with tears. When they landed on his mama, his body began shuddering with sobs and he launched himself at her. She caught him and began soothing him, not even caring that she was going to be covered in sweat and tears.
"Mama? What happened?" Brandon asked in a sleep laced voice.
Everyone had woken up from Neal's shouting and were slowly beginning to sit on whichever parts of the bed they could reach, and their eyes were locked on Neal clutching their mama as he continued to cry.
"He had a nightmare involving Emma," she whispered, and they all looked at him sadly. "Neal honey, what was it about?" Lena asked directly into his ear.
"Emma," he hiccuped.
"What about her?"
"We were visiting her in the hospital when she started bleeding. I was screaming at the doctor's to help her, but nobody would. I tried to walk over to her but I couldn't move. Nobody was helping her, nobody cared she was dying," he cried, holding onto his mama even tighter.
"Oh honey. I promise, the doctors are doing everything they can to help her. They care, we all care," she stated, her heart cracking with every painfilled word that came out of his mouth.
It took Neal a few more minutes to calm down completely, and when he did, he pulled away from Lena and wiped his face with the tissue Mariana handed him.
"Why don't you guys get ready? We'll leave in about an hour."
They all nodded and went to their rooms after they gathered their pillows and blankets scattered on the floor.
"I'm sorry for waking you," Neal mumbled, looking at his hands in shame.
"Neal, you don't have to apologize. I'm here for you whenever you need me, even if it's in the middle of the night. Ok?"
Neal shrugged. It killed Lena on the inside that he and Emma were so afraid and unwilling to accept help and kindness. She looked at him before telling him to go get ready so they could head to the hospital. He nodded his head and scurried out of the room, completely ashamed that he had broken down like that in front of his family. Family? Is that what we are? Neal thought to himself. He supposed it was true. They all cared for each other, loved each other, teased each other, and they all had their ups and downs. All we need is Emma. She completes us, even if she doesn't realize it.
A/N- I hope you all enjoyed, and I thank you once again for all of your support and patience.