Chapter 5

Same Disclaimer applies. And I won't spoil the story for all of you by telling you why Jake can't morph out of his injuries.

You'll just have to be patient...and Pharrell will ALWAYS be mine…

"Well Cass, I guess you'd better be the first one to welcome him back"

"OK," Cassie got up from the seat, her emotions still shaken.

"Don't worry; I'll watch Rae until you're ready"

She nodded and walked into Jake's room.

When she got there, she gasped and put her hand over her mouth. Jake was lying in the bed, with machines blinking and whirring all around him. There were tubes sticking out of him, especially his chest. His neck was in a brace, and his throat was hooked up to a ventilator. There were many IV's hooked up to his arms and hands. His head was shaved from the brain surgery, and bandages covered his right eye. A wheelchair was tucked away next to his bed.

Terrible was too light a word to describe him.

 Cassie saw people in hospitals all the time, as part of her charity work, but it hurt more to see someone that she cared about-

Stop it! He left you!

She decided to speak up.

One of us has to break the silence.

"Hi," she said meekly.

Jake knew that voice anywhere. It sounded like an angel's. Cassie. He peered at his doorway with his good eye, and his heart swelled. She was beautiful. Her hair was longer, but pulled back. He face was the same, but a little older. And her eyes. Her beautiful eyes. He was starting to fall for her all over again. But part of him wouldn't let that happen. He didn't say anything back.

"How are you doing?"

Again, silence.

She pulled up a chair next to his bed. He tried to turn his head away from her.

"Do you want anything? Soda, chips, candy?"

Again, silence.

She sighed.

"Jake, I only drooped by to say hello. I don't have time to play games. When you want to act like a grown man, let me know." She turned to leave.

"Go back to Ronnie." he mumbled under his breath.

"What did you say?" she whipped around.

"You heard me. Go back to Ronnie. He's MAN enough for you."

"Jake, that's not why I-"

Hell, he has 5 years, a perfect job, a perfect fiancée, and legs. He has everything on me.

"Jake, I didn't-"

"SURE, you have this perfect life, and you came to see the cripple, the fucking gimp, to laugh at me. You don't give a shit about me. No one does. You all make me sick!"

"Go to hell Jake! I'm with Ronnie because he doesn't run away from responsibility! Like you did after you fucked my brains out and left me!" she screamed.

That outburst made both of them silent. Only the machines hooked up to Jake made any noise.

"Maybe you're right. Maybe, I should go. I'll call Marco when-"

"Wait! Cassie, I didn't mean-I'm, I'm-"

She turned back around.

"I'm sorry."  His voice came out tired, defeated.

"I didn't mean for any of this to happen. And, what I did to you that night-"

THAT NIGHT.  It brought back memories of intense pleasure and sheer pain for the both of them.

Cassie sat back down in the chair, staring at her hands, ashamed.

"Jake, I've thought about that night every day for the last three years. It was indescribable. But why the hell did you do it? Why did you leave me?" her voice was reduced to a whisper.

"I was scared. Scared to tell you how I felt about you. Scared to go on the mission to save Ax. I was afraid I would fail. So I looked for someone to comfort me....I should have never done that to you, I'm so sorry."

"I hated you for the longest time after that Jake, I really did. But after, I, I just couldn't."

She stood up.

"Jake, there's someone I'd like for you to meet," Cassie said quietly. She left his room for a second, and then brought a small girl back with her. Jake saw her light brown hair. The freckles? And the eyes?

OH MY LORD...

"Jake, this is Rachel. " She sat Rae on her lap. "Your daughter."