Chapter Two: Bruises That She Never Wanted to Fade

Chase was a healthy, wiggling newborn baby boy and Ellie gazed at him adoringly from across the nursery room window. Her fingers gently touched the glass, and she pressed her face close, fogging the surface.

"He's beautiful, Craig. I can't believe he's ours. After all we've been through, we've got another chance."

Craig wrapped his arms around Ellie's waist, placing his head in between her neck and shoulder. "I love you, Els. I love you and this little guy more than anything in the world, but I can't believe Emma's gone…" a tear slipped down his cheek for his childhood friend. Emma had her share of mistakes, but she would have made a beautiful, wonderful mother. Ellie felt Craig's tear drip on her shoulder, and she knew Craig was just so thankful that Emma had told the paramedic in the ambulance that, if anything should happen, the baby was to be entrusted to Eleanor and Craig Manning.

Ellie Manning.

God. So much had happened in the past year since graduation. (A/N: Emma would just be about to turn 18 and graduate.)

Nineteen year old Craig and Ellie had continued to deepen their relationship in therapy, especially once Ashley had decided to stay in London with her father. Craig was heartbroken and his sadness only deepened the bond between the rebellious redhead and the aspiring musician, whom already had a record in the making.

Ellie had gotten pregnant graduation night, and six months later, after Craig had proposed and they had eloped soon after she shared the news, Ellie lost the baby due to placental abruption and was devastated, as was Craig. He always wanted a family and now he had another dead child to add to the list of things gone wrong, lives never lived.

Ellie reached back and ruffled Craig's tossed hair and kissed his cheek. "He's got a good home with us, Craig. He's a lucky little boy and Emma would be happy." She turned in his arms, smiling up at him as he brushed a fly away strand of red tendrils from his wife's face. It was true-he was making a ton of money, they had a nice place in Ontario, his relationship with Ellie was more sound than ever, and this kid was going to have a lot of love.

"Mr. and Mrs. Manning, would you like to hold the boy?" the neonatal nurse asked, smiling sadly at the two and grabbing their attention away from one another. The couple eagerly nodded as Chase was brought out of his tiny crib and tucked safely in the nurse's arms, and carried out to the hallway to meet his adoptive parents. He wiggled and squirmed and let out a tiny cry as he was placed in Ellie's waiting arms, but settled snugly into her chest as tears flowed freely from Ellie's eyes, as well as Craig's; the overwhelming emotions of reality hitting them like a ton of bricks, finally settling in.

"What do you think…what do you think Emma would have wanted his middle name to be?" Craig whispered, touching the chubby cheeks of the baby.

"She always said that she wanted to have another little boy one day and name him after her brother," Ellie responded, choking out the words. "She loved that little guy so much. Craig, how can we…Snake and Spike just lost a daughter, Jack just lost a sister, Chase lost his mother, Matt lost Emma…how can we do this? Why wouldn't Emma want her parents to have the little guy? I just feel so selfish right now, and…"

Craig cut his wife off as he brushed her tears aside. "You remember how her parents reacted. Snake wasn't happy; that's why she moved in with us, you know? They kicked her out, hun. I doubt she was in the frame of mind to leave Chase with them. And Matt…you know that Matt's been out of the picture ever since he learned that Emma was pregnant and knew the baby wasn't his. He was too much of an idiot to listen to the fact that Emma had been raped. Chase is gonna be okay with us, Els. Everything will be okay. Emma knew we'd give him a good home. It's the least we can do for her, after she had helped us so much this past November when we lost…lost Nicole…"

Ellie leaned into Craig's chest, her sorrow deepening at the loss of her best friend. And here was her baby, cuddled in her arms; a tiny little life to love. A life that would never get to know Emma, but Ellie knew she would always mention how much his "angel mommy" loved him and wanted him. She would keep Emma's memory alive.

"We can take him home tomorrow, Ellie. And we…we still have that crib in our room that Chase can use until we get the nursery…finished up, and-"

"Craig?" Ellie's mournful eyes gazed into his own, and Craig had to struggle to maintain his posture. Ellie sobbed, her words barely audible: "How did this happen, Craig? How did Emma die like that? How could she be strong enough until the baby was born and then just…let go?" Craig took a deep breath, trying to get rid of the nausea that filled his stomach. "Emma fell down the stairs after she went back to try and make peace with her parents. She hit her head pretty badly and she was bleeding, but it stopped by the time she arrived at the hospital and she was fully alert, aware…fine. She was already in active labor. While delivering the baby, Emma…Emma started hemorrhaging. She tore her uterus during the delivery. She bled to death, Ellie. There was a lot of blood and they couldn't get her in for an emergency hysterectomy in time. It was too…late…" He cuddled Ellie's head to his chest, the baby pressed between them, his head atop Ellie's. Tears slipped from both their eyes as life continued on around them, and babies cried, and life just had to go on. There was no stopping it or turning back time; they had to do what they had to do and now. Craig just didn't know how this kid was going to handle the truth, reality, his life-once he learned the story of his mother. Once he figured out he had a mommy besides Ellie and a monster for a father. Craig shuddered…they would cross that bridge when they came to it.

"…Nobody ever said it was easy, No one ever said it would be this hard…"