Thank you for all the reviews from the last chapter! I don't have much to say exept thanks, and please continue R/R!

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Gabby still couldn't believe what was happening. She was seated on the edge of her hospital bed, facing the woman she had once called Mom.

Her mother had been allowed to stay overnight, since there were special circumstances. Now, she sat in the chair next to Gabby's bed, looking at her daughter with a mixed expression on her face. They hadn't spoken since Cindy and Jimmy had left the afternoon before. Actually, her mother had attempted to speak, but was silenced by the glare that Gabby gave her.

The only reason that they were still awake so early in the morning, was that Gabby's medicine was keeping her up, instead of making her sleep. It always did; and no matter how many times she told that to the nurses they continued to give her the same doses. Her mother didn't want to fall asleep and leave her daughter alone, so she faught the urge to sleep.

After a while, the silence gerw uncomfortable. Finally, Gabby's mother tried to speak once more.

"So, how have you been?" she asked, reaching for her daughter's hand.

Gabby quickly pulled her hand a way and responded, "Why do you care anyway, Karen?"she said, using her mother's first name.

Gabby couldn't help but notice the hurt look on her mother's face. But, it didn't make her feel guilty. Instead, it made her feel good. Her mother deserved it for what she had done.

"Why did you come here?" asked Gabby, glaring once more.

"I come to see you. After hearing what happened to your dad, I couldn't just leave you alone." said Karen.

"Oh, really? You didn't have a problem leaving eight years ago." shot back Gabby, hurting her mother once more.

"Gabby, that was a long time ago. I made a mistake. Can't you forgive me?"

Gabby shrugged and asked in an unusually quiet voice, "Why did you leave us? Did you not love Dad anymore? Did you hate me?"

Karen's eyes widened for a second, and then she spoke.

"Of course not! I loved your father." she said firmly. "I still love him, even if he's gone." she looked down at the floor. She had to be strong.

"And Gabby, " she said, taking her daughter's hand firmly this time, so she wouldn't be able to take it away.

"I didn't hate you. I could never hate you. It wasn't your fault. I left because your father and I were having problems. I only planned to leave for a few days to think. I tried calling the house, but your dad was so stubborn. . . he told me not to come home. So I didn't."

Gabby remembered one day after her mother left. She called, and Gabby picked up the phone. " Hi, Honey." was all she heard her mother say before her father snatched away the phone, and whispered something inaudable into the reciever.

Gabby was pulled from her memories when her mother squeezed her hand.

"So, you came back to take me away?" asked Gabby.

"No." said her mother with a gleam of malice in her eye. "I came back for revenge."

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Yay! Another cliffie. . . kind of. Anyway, please review! And, I knew that was a short chapter, but I had to get to that point in the story before I could go in the direction that I want to go.